Patents by Inventor Makiko Urabe

Makiko Urabe has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12082976
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for generating a tomographic image of a subject by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including: a hardware processor that: detects a blood vessel imaged in the tomographic image; determines whether an image of the blood vessel which has been detected falls under either a short axis view or a long axis view by an image analysis of the tomographic image; and sets a steering angle of an ultrasound beam used in measuring conditions of the detected blood vessel or a blood flow velocity in the detected blood vessel, based on a determination result of the image of the blood vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makiko Urabe, Akihiro Kawabata, Yoshihiro Takeda
  • Patent number: 11844656
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: a hardware processor that search for a blood vessel position of a subject in a tomographic image and automatically setting a region corresponding to the blood vessel position detected in the tomographic image as a measurement region for generating a Doppler image. In a case where a measurement region has been already set or in a case where a specified position specified by a user exists when the hardware processor automatically sets the measurement region, the hardware processor executes processing of searching for the blood vessel position such that the measurement region is automatically set near the measurement region that has been already set or the specified position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makiko Urabe, Yoshihiro Takeda, Akihiro Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20230105837
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a hardware processor that detects a region of a blood vessel appearing in a tomographic image; calculates a diameter of the blood vessel by analyzing the tomographic image; specifies, based on the diameter of the blood vessel calculated in each of a plurality of frames obtained within a predetermined period of the tomographic image, a frame of interest from among the plurality of frames, the frame of interest corresponding to a frame obtained when the diameter of the blood vessel is maximum and/or minimum; performs measurement on the blood vessel appearing in the frame of interest of the tomographic image, the measurement being measurement of a blood flow of a subject or a property of the blood vessel of the subject; and displays the frame of interest of the tomographic image at a predetermined timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Akihiro Kawabata, Yoshihiro Takeda
  • Publication number: 20220133280
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for generating a tomographic image of a subject by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including: a hardware processor that: detects a blood vessel imaged in the tomographic image; determines whether an image of the blood vessel which has been detected falls under either a short axis view or a long axis view by an image analysis of the tomographic image; and sets a steering angle of an ultrasound beam used in measuring conditions of the detected blood vessel or a blood flow velocity in the detected blood vessel, based on a determination result of the image of the blood vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Akihiro KAWABATA, Yoshihiro TAKEDA
  • Publication number: 20210251606
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic image generator that generates ultrasonic image data of a moving image based on a reception signal received from an ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave to and from a subject. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus further includes a camera image generator that takes an image of an imaging target and generates camera image data of a moving image. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus further includes a hardware processor that performs, in response to operation input related to ultrasonic diagnosis, processing related to the camera image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Yoshihiro TAKEDA, Akihiro KAWABATA
  • Publication number: 20210186467
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: a hardware processor that search for a blood vessel position of a subject in a tomographic image and automatically setting a region corresponding to the blood vessel position detected in the tomographic image as a measurement region for generating a Doppler image. In a case where a measurement region has been already set or in a case where a specified position specified by a user exists when the hardware processor automatically sets the measurement region, the hardware processor executes processing of searching for the blood vessel position such that the measurement region is automatically set near the measurement region that has been already set or the specified position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Yoshihiro TAKEDA, Akihiro KAWABATA
  • Publication number: 20200383662
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: a tomographic image generator that generates a tomographic image showing an inside of a subject, based on a received signal relating to an ultrasonic echo of a first ultrasonic beam transmitted to the subject; a Doppler processor that detects a Doppler shift in frequency from a transmission frequency of a second ultrasonic beam, based on a received signal relating to an ultrasonic echo of the second ultrasonic beam transmitted to the subject; a hardware processor that detects a blood vessel position in the subject based on image information about the tomographic image and sets an angle correction value relating to an intersection angle between a blood vessel extending direction at the blood vessel position and a beam direction of the second ultrasonic beam; and a display processor that generates a Doppler spectrum image representing a distribution of blood flow rate at the blood vessel position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Yoshihiro TAKEDA, Kazuya TAKAGI, Akihiro KAWABATA
  • Patent number: 10813625
    Abstract: An ultrasound image diagnostic apparatus includes the following. An ultrasound probe outputs transmission ultrasound into a subject in response to reception of a pulsed signal and outputs a reception signal in response to reception of ultrasound reflected from the subject. A transmitter generates the pulsed signal and outputs the generated pulsed signal to the ultrasound probe. A receiver receives the reception signal from the ultrasound probe and generates sound-ray data. An image generator generates ultrasound image data from the sound-ray data. An input receiver receives target position information on a target position. A highlighted-area determiner determines a first highlighted area among multiple areas in a body mark based on the target position information. A display combiner combines the body mark including the first highlighted area with the generated ultrasound image data and displays the resulting image on a display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Makiko Urabe, Kazushi Ota, Manami Okada
  • Patent number: 10002422
    Abstract: An ultrasound image processing apparatus includes a structural object extracting unit, an abnormal candidate spot detecting unit and a cine information generating unit. The structural object extracting unit extracts a structural object in an ultrasound image of each frame from ultrasound image data of a plurality of continuous frames. The abnormal candidate spot detecting unit detects an abnormal candidate spot in the extracted structural object. The cine information generating unit generates cine information where the detected abnormal candidate spot is made to be associated with a frame in which the abnormal candidate spot is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makiko Urabe, Keisuke Hayata, Jun Ohmiya
  • Patent number: 9770227
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present disclosure is configured so that a probe including transducers is connectable thereto and performs predetermined measuring processing on a subject's region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawabata, Manabu Migita, Takenori Fukumoto, Makiko Urabe
  • Publication number: 20170164924
    Abstract: An ultrasound image diagnostic apparatus includes the following. An image generator generates tomographic image data of an object from generated acoustic ray data. A measuring target acknowledging unit acknowledges a measuring target of the object from the generated tomographic image data is stably drawn for a predetermined amount of time and when it is acknowledged, advances to a measuring performing mode of the measuring target. An initial condition obtaining unit obtains initial condition information for extracting an outline of the measuring target. An outline extractor uses the obtained initial condition information to extract an outline of the measuring target from the generated tomographic image data. A measuring unit obtains diameter information of the measuring target based on the extracted outline and calculates the feature amount of the measuring target from the diameter information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Kazuya TAKAGI
  • Publication number: 20170100098
    Abstract: An ultrasound image diagnostic apparatus includes the following. An ultrasound probe outputs transmission ultrasound into a subject in response to reception of a pulsed signal and outputs a reception signal in response to reception of ultrasound reflected from the subject. A transmitter generates the pulsed signal and outputs the generated pulsed signal to the ultrasound probe. A receiver receives the reception signal from the ultrasound probe and generates sound-ray data. An image generator generates ultrasound image data from the sound-ray data. An input receiver receives target position information on a target position. A highlighted-area determiner determines a first highlighted area among multiple areas in a body mark based on the target position information. A display combiner combines the body mark including the first highlighted area with the generated ultrasound image data and displays the resulting image on a display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Kazushi OTA, Manami OKADA
  • Publication number: 20170024883
    Abstract: An ultrasound image processing apparatus includes a structural object extracting unit, an abnormal candidate spot detecting unit and a cine information generating unit. The structural object extracting unit extracts a structural object in an ultrasound image of each frame from ultrasound image data of a plurality of continuous frames. The abnormal candidate spot detecting unit detects an abnormal candidate spot in the extracted structural object. The cine information generating unit generates cine information where the detected abnormal candidate spot is made to be associated with a frame in which the abnormal candidate spot is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makiko URABE, Keisuke HAYATA, Jun OHMIYA
  • Patent number: 9220477
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a controller, to which a probe and a monitor are connected, the probe having an array of transducers, in which a number of transducers are arranged in a first direction. The controller controls transmission of an ultrasonic beam using the array of transducers and reception of an echo signal reflected from a region of interest, generates image data based on the echo signal, and gets echo signals received from multiple points of the region of interest by either moving or swinging the array of transducers in a second direction that intersects with the first direction at right angles. If the sum of image data ranges of measured value retrievable portions of the region of interest at the multiple points synthesized based on the echo signals, is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the controller calculates a detected value of the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makiko Urabe, Koetsu Saito, Akihiro Kawabata, Manabu Migita, Morio Nishigaki, Ryuichi Kato
  • Patent number: 9179889
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes: an ultrasonic signal processing section, which performs transmission processing for transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward a subject's blood vessel by driving a probe and reception processing for generating a received signal based on the ultrasonic wave reflected from the subject's blood vessel and received at the probe; a tomographic image processing section, which generates a tomographic image based on the received signal; a boundary detecting section, which detects the lumen-intima and media-adventitia boundaries of the blood vessel based on the received signal or the tomographic image; a vascular wall thickness calculating section, which calculates, as a vascular wall thickness value, the interval between the lumen-intima and media-adventitia boundaries detected by the boundary detecting section; a reliability determining section, which determines the reliability of the vascular wall thickness value by a signal feature of the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takenori Fukumoto, Akihiro Kawabata, Makiko Urabe, Takao Suzuki, Yushi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8942453
    Abstract: An ultrasonograph of the present invention comprises a probe (1), a controller (3) connected to the probe (1), and a display (4) connected to the controller (3). The controller (4) causes the display (4) to display a detected image of a target object detected by the probe (1) and an angular position relationship image showing a relative angular position of the probe to the detected image of the target object. This enables even a non-expert to take accurate measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Manabu Migita, Yoshihiko Itoh, Akihiro Kawabata, Takehiko Suginouchi, Makiko Urabe, Yushi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20130331700
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present disclosure is configured so that a probe including transducers is connectible thereto and performs predetermined measuring processing on a subject's region of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawabata, Manabu Migita, Takenori Fukumoto, Makiko Urabe
  • Publication number: 20120296214
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that enables even an unskilled person to get accurate detection done is provided. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a controller, to which a probe and a monitor are connected, the probe having an array of transducers, in which a number of transducers are arranged in a first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makiko Urabe, Koetsu Saito, Akihiro Kawabata, Manabu Migita, Morio Nishigaki, Ryuichi Kato
  • Publication number: 20120177276
    Abstract: An ultrasonograph of the present invention comprises a probe (1), a controller (3) connected to the probe (1), and a display (4) connected to the controller (3). The controller (4) causes the display (4) to display a detected image of a target object detected by the probe (1) and an angular position relationship image showing a relative angular position of the probe to the detected image of the target object. This enables even a non-expert to take accurate measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventors: Manabu Migita, Yoshihiko Itoh, Akihiro Kawabata, Takehiko Suginouchi, Makiko Urabe, Yushi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20120179042
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes: an ultrasonic signal processing section, which performs transmission processing for transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward a subject's blood vessel by driving a probe and reception processing for generating a received signal based on the ultrasonic wave reflected from the subject's blood vessel and received at the probe; a tomographic image processing section, which generates a tomographic image based on the received signal; a boundary detecting section, which detects the lumen-intima and media-adventitia boundaries of the blood vessel based on the received signal or the tomographic image; a vascular wall thickness calculating section, which calculates, as a vascular wall thickness value, the interval between the lumen-intima and media-adventitia boundaries detected by the boundary detecting section; a reliability determining section, which determines the reliability of the vascular wall thickness value by a signal feature of the
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takenori Fukumoto, Akihiro. Kawabata, Makiko Urabe, Takao Suzuki, Yushi Nishimura