Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound imaging apparatus capable of automatically and stably optimizing an imaging parameter for each examination even in a situation where an original ultrasound signal and electrical noise or the like are mixed in a reception signal, and shortening examination time. A pilot ultrasound signal for detecting a feature of a subject is radiated from an ultrasound element to the subject. Based on a reception signal from the ultrasound element, a feature value, which is a value representing a mode of distribution in a depth direction of the subject or an energy value at a specific depth of energy of the pilot ultrasound signal, is calculated. A predetermined parameter value is determined based on the feature value. An imaging signal is transmitted to one or more ultrasound elements, and an imaging ultrasound signal is radiated from the ultrasound element to the subject.

Abstract: A region of interest is defined in a living body. A plurality of transmission beams are simultaneously formed along a transmission center axis in such a manner that a plurality of transmission focal points are formed at a plurality of positions shallower than the region of interest on the transmission center axis. As a rest, a composite transmission beam is generated in the living body. After the composite transmission beam is formed, a reception beam set is generated.

Abstract: Receive signals generated by ultrasound waves propagating in completed manner in a depth direction of a subject, are efficiently subjected to delay-and-sum processing, whereby a higher resolution image is generated with reducing a circuit size. Receive signals outputted from multiple ultrasound probe elements are delayed by predetermined delay amounts in association with the depths of receive focal points, respectively, and the delayed receive signal is branched. The phase of the branched receive signal is shifted by a predetermined phase shift amount to generate a phase-compensated signal, and then the phase-compensated signal is added to the receive signal before branched, thereby generating a beamformed signal.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound imaging apparatus capable of reducing examination time with optimizing parameters on an examination basis. A subject is irradiated with an ultrasound wave, and a plurality of ultrasound transducers receives the ultrasound wave from the subject to obtain received signals. A feature value is calculated from the received signals, the feature value indicating a frequency-dependent characteristic of attenuation of the ultrasound wave, associated with propagation of the ultrasound wave through the subject. A predetermined processing is performed on the received signals using one or more received-signal processing parameters to generate an image. An image processing is performed on the generated image using one or more image processing parameters. Values of the received-signal processing parameter and the image processing parameter are determined based on the feature value.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes a plurality of transducers that transmit ultrasonic waves and a transmission unit that supplies drive signals to the plurality of transducers. An amplitude control voltage generation unit and a transmission circuit unit are connected to a common voltage power supply. An amplitude control voltage generation unit receives an output voltage of the voltage power supply and an attenuation degree setting signal instructing an attenuation degree of the drive signal for each of the transducers for weighting of the drive signal, and generates an amplitude control voltage corresponding to a voltage obtained by attenuating the output voltage by the attenuation degree. The output voltage of the voltage power supply is reduced to a voltage corresponding to the amplitude control voltage, and a drive signal having a predetermined waveform is generated whose amplitude is the voltage after the reduction for each of the transducers.

Abstract: An image having high resolution in the short axis direction is obtained with a simple configuration. A first transmit aperture, and a second transmit aperture whose aperture size in the short axis direction is larger than the first transmit aperture, are sequentially set in a probe where transducers are arranged in each of the long axis direction and the short axis direction, and the first transmission beam and the second transmission beam are transmitted therefrom respectively. These transmissions generate the first received beam signal and the second received beam signal which are weighted in the depth direction and synthesized. In the first region with a shallow depth, the weight of the first received beam signal is increased, whereas in the second region deeper than the first region, the weight of the second received beam signal is increased.

Abstract: To generate a higher resolution image by efficiently performing delay-and-sum processing of receive signals generated by ultrasound waves transmitted from a plurality of ultrasound probe elements and propagating in a depth direction of a subject in a complicated manner. The receive signals are obtained by the plurality of ultrasound probe elements receiving ultrasound waves that reached an ultrasound element array from the subject that reflect the transmitted ultrasound waves. The receive signals are received. One or two or more beamformed signals are generated according to a depth range of the subject by delaying and adding the receive signals by delay times the number of which differs according to the depth range. Two or more beamformed signals are synthesized in a depth range where the two or more beamformed signals are generated.

Abstract: Provided is a probe which transmits an ultrasonic wave to a diagnostic site and receives a reception signal which is a reflected wave.

Abstract: A plurality of transmission and reception circuits are connected to a plurality of vibration elements. The transmission and reception circuit includes a basic delay circuit and a fine delay circuit. The basic delay circuit delays a transmission signal and a reception signal for sub beamforming. The fine delay circuit is configured to be capable of performing delay finer than that of the basic delay circuit. A quantized delay error is compensated for by the fine delay circuit at the time of transmission.

Abstract: Provided is a probe which transmits an ultrasonic wave to a diagnostic site and receives a reception signal which is a reflected wave.

Abstract: Provided is a probe which transmits an ultrasonic wave to a diagnostic site and receives a reception signal which is a reflected wave.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes a plurality of transducers that transmit ultrasonic waves and a transmission unit that supplies drive signals to the plurality of transducers. An amplitude control voltage generation unit and a transmission circuit unit are connected to a common voltage power supply. An amplitude control voltage generation unit receives an output voltage of the voltage power supply and an attenuation degree setting signal instructing an attenuation degree of the drive signal for each of the transducers for weighting of the drive signal, and generates an amplitude control voltage corresponding to a voltage obtained by attenuating the output voltage by the attenuation degree. The output voltage of the voltage power supply is reduced to a voltage corresponding to the amplitude control voltage, and a drive signal having a predetermined waveform is generated whose amplitude is the voltage after the reduction for each of the transducers.

Abstract: Provided is a probe which transmits an ultrasonic wave to a diagnostic site and receives a reception signal which is a reflected wave.

Abstract: A plurality of transmission and reception circuits are connected to a plurality of vibration elements. The transmission and reception circuit includes a basic delay circuit and a fine delay circuit. The basic delay circuit delays a transmission signal and a reception signal for sub beamforming. The fine delay circuit is configured to be capable of performing delay finer than that of the basic delay circuit. A quantized delay error is compensated for by the fine delay circuit at the time of transmission.

Abstract: Provided is a probe which transmits an ultrasonic wave to a diagnostic site and receives a reception signal which is a reflected wave.

Abstract: A received signal is obtained along an ultrasonic beam while the ultrasonic beam which passes through the measurement area is moved in periodic fashion inside the measurement area. A sampling processing unit (20) uses a plurality of sampling sets mutually offset in time phase, and samples received signals across a plurality of time phases for each sampling set to thereby obtain a received data string for each sampling set. Doppler information in the measurement area is then obtained on the basis of the plurality of received data strings that correspond to the plurality of sampling sets.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus having a transmission circuit which generates a transmission signal is provided. The transmission signal corresponds to a combined waveform of a trapezoidal waveform and an impulse-shaped waveform (impulse portion). In an example transmission signal, a front slope portion, a flat portion, and a rear slope portion exist in a positive polarity side. The impulse portion has a shape which protrudes from an offset level over a base line into an opposite polarity side. Because the center frequency of the trapezoidal wave form is near the DC component, the trapezoidal wave form can substantially be ignored. The impulse portion has a large amplitude, but because the impulse portion exists over both polarities, there is no need to apply a special high voltage countermeasure for each polarity in designing the transmission circuit. A trapezoidal wave form of an opposite polarity may be added in front of the trapezoidal waveform.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus having a transmission circuit which generates a transmission signal is provided. The transmission signal corresponds to a combined waveform of a trapezoidal waveform and an impulse-shaped waveform (impulse portion). In an example transmission signal, a front slope portion, a flat portion, and a rear slope portion exist in a positive polarity side. The impulse portion has a shape which protrudes from an offset level over a base line into an opposite polarity side. Because the center frequency of the trapezoidal wave form is near the DC component, the trapezoidal wave form can substantially be ignored. The impulse portion has a large amplitude, but because the impulse portion exists over both polarities, there is no need to apply a special high voltage countermeasure for each polarity in designing the transmission circuit. A trapezoidal wave form of an opposite polarity may be added in front of the trapezoidal waveform.