Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of measuring hardness information of a subject with high time resolution and spatial resolution. The apparatus is provided with a ultrasonic probe 1 and a displacement generation unit 10 configured to displace an inside of a subject and is configured to transmit an ultrasonic beam for displacement detection to a plurality of detection positions of the subject from the ultrasonic probe 1, and to detect a shear wave velocity based on the displacement at the plurality of detection positions in a control unit 3 by using a reflection signal detected in a detection unit 20, thereby outputting hardness information of the subject. The ultrasonic beam for displacement detection is transmitted to one of the plurality of detection positions.

Abstract: When multiple tissues having differing speeds of sound are intermixed in the viewing field of a measured subject such as a living body, the invention measures hardness, such as modulus of elasticity or viscosity, with high precision.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique capable of reducing deterioration of measurement accuracy and reproducibility due to a long measurement time and acquiring an ultrasound image with high diagnostic performance in measurement of a shear wave velocity of radiation pressure elastography. In the radiation pressure elastography, information relating to a motion (fluctuation) in a measurement region is extracted while detecting a shear wave from echo signals due to irradiation of tracking pulses, and is provided to a user as reliability information indicating the reliability of a measurement result. Further, a factor of the fluctuation is specified from the extracted information, and is presented to the user. Furthermore, when arithmetically averaging plural times of measurement results, weighting is performed using the reliability information.

Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of measuring hardness information of a subject with high time resolution and spatial resolution. The apparatus is provided with a ultrasonic probe 1 and a displacement generation unit 10 configured to displace an inside of a subject and is configured to transmit an ultrasonic beam for displacement detection to a plurality of detection positions of the subject from the ultrasonic probe 1, and to detect a shear wave velocity based on the displacement at the plurality of detection positions in a control unit 3 by using a reflection signal detected in a detection unit 20, thereby outputting hardness information of the subject. The ultrasonic beam for displacement detection is transmitted to one of the plurality of detection positions.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured to perform speed measurement while lessening the influence of the wave surface feature and scattering resulting from the shear wave propagation, which transmits burst wave as first ultrasonic wave to the subject from the probe 11 and ultrasonic transmission-reception section 13 to apply radiation pressure. The track pulse wave as the second ultrasonic wave is transmitted to and received from the subject to detect displacement of medium in the subject resulting from the shear wave propagation in the subject at the radiation pressure. The elasticity evaluation section 17 of the controller 12 measures the first arrival time at the first depth and the second arrival time at the second depth of the shear wave with the single track pulse wave at the predetermined angle ?(?0) to the subject depth direction using the data received from the ultrasonic transmission-reception section 13.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with an elasticity evaluation technology that an error caused by a tissue structure has been reduced. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that measures a velocity of a shear wave that propagates in a test object by utilizing an ultrasonic wave to evaluate elasticity of the aforementioned test object transmits and receives a first ultrasonic wave to the test object to detect a position and a size of the tissue structure of the test object and to automatically decide a measurement region except the tissue structure, transmits a second ultrasonic wave to the measurement region to make it generate the shear wave, and transmits and receives a third ultrasonic wave to the measurement region to measure an amount of displacement in association with propagation of the shear wave and to calculate the shear wave velocity by utilizing this displacement amount.

Abstract: When subject tissue such as a living body is a viscoelastic body, a shear wave propagation velocity is changed according to the frequency of a shear wave. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus applies a displacement generating transmission beam from an ultrasound probe based on a signal from a displacement generating unit to generate a shear wave, applies a pulse wave to the biological tissue by a displacement detecting unit, detects the particle velocity of the shear wave, estimates a viscosity parameter from a temporal extent of a waveform of the particle velocity of the shear wave detected at a viscoelasticity analyzing unit, and displays the estimated viscoelasticity on a display unit.

Abstract: Ultrasonic imaging device noninvasively measures cardiac muscle stiffness or intracardiac pressure. The device includes: an ultrasonic probe (2) transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from the heart; a signal-processing section (15) processing reflected echo signals; a display section (14) displaying results of signal processing as an image; and an input section (10) setting a predetermined point on the image.

Abstract: According to a method of adaptive signal processing, compensation for deterioration of image quality caused by wavefront distortion is provided in an ultrasound imaging apparatus, with a low computing amount and with a precision. The elements 106 receive ultrasound signals from a test subject, and the delay circuit 204 delays each of the signals received by the plural elements in association with a predetermined position of a receive focus. The peripheral information operator 205 acquires from the post-delay received signals, information items as to plural points on the receive focus and in the peripheral region thereof, respectively. By way of example, the peripheral information operator obtains adaptive weights in association with plural steering angles. The peripheral information combiner 206 combines the plural information items (adaptive weights), and uses thus combined information to generate a beamforming output.

Abstract: In a radiation-pressure elastography technique for transmitting a ultrasound focused beam into a test object body and diagnosing the hardness thereof, it is required to consider high sensitivity and safety. In the present invention, the focused beam is transmitted to two positions as a means for displacing a tissue and exciting a shear wave. In addition, time control is performed in such a manner that a transmit beam serves as a burst-chirp signal, and ultrasound waves are transmitted and received while sweeping a transmit frequency. On this occasion, when the distance between the two focused points and the transmit frequency become integral multiple of the wavelength, two waves interfere with each other, thereby obtaining a large amplitude. Furthermore, when the transmit frequency becomes equal to a resonance frequency peculiar to the tissue, the amplitude also becomes larger. Accordingly, a small intensity of transmit waveform enhances sensitivity.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus with which elastic modulus can be measured when measuring elastic modulus using shear wave generation. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasound probe that sends and receives echo signals, a strain-computing unit that receives an echo signal from the body by radiating a first displacement-detecting beam and computes strain information in a Region 1, a measurement position-selecting unit that selects a Region 2, within Region 1, based on the strain information, a displacement-generating unit that radiates a focused beam into the body and displaces the tissue, an elastic modulus-computing unit that receives an echo signal from the body by radiating a second displacement-detecting beam, detects the shear wave displacement that results from the focused beam, and computes the elastic modulus in Region 2, and a display unit that displays the strain image that is based on the strain information in Region 1 and the elastic modulus.

Abstract: When multiple tissues having differing speeds of sound are intermixed in the viewing field of a measured subject such as a living body, the invention measures hardness, such as modulus of elasticity or viscosity, with high precision. As a means for detecting heterogeneity of sound speed in the tissues of a subject, a displacement-generating transmission beam is applied from a displacement generating beam-generating device (13) of a displacement-generating unit (10) on an ultrasound probe (1) to irradiate a focused ultrasonic wave into the living tissue and generate a shear wave. From the displacement-time waveforms of multiple positions of the shear wave detected using the displacement detection transmission beam-generating device (22) and the displacement detection received beam-computing device (23) of a displacement-detecting unit (20), at least two pieces of information, such as the integrated value and the maximum amplitude value, are obtained.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic imaging device that noninvasively measures the stiffness of the cardiac muscle, which is the heart muscle, or intracardiac pressure, which is the blood pressure inside the heart. The ultrasonic imaging device includes: an ultrasonic probe (2) that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from the heart, which is the target organ inside the body; a signal-processing section (15) that processes reflected echo signals received by the ultrasonic probe; a display section (14) that displays the results of signal processing as an image; and an input section (10) for setting a predetermined point on the image displayed on the display section.

Abstract: In a radiation-pressure elastography technique for transmitting a ultrasound focused beam into a test object body and diagnosing the hardness thereof, it is required to consider high sensitivity and safety. In the present invention, the focused beam is transmitted to two positions as a means for displacing a tissue and exciting a shear wave. In addition, time control is performed in such a manner that a transmit beam serves as a burst-chirp signal, and ultrasound waves are transmitted and received while sweeping a transmit frequency. On this occasion, when the distance between the two focused points and the transmit frequency become integral multiple of the wavelength, two waves interfere with each other, thereby obtaining a large amplitude. Furthermore, when the transmit frequency becomes equal to a resonance frequency peculiar to the tissue, the amplitude also becomes larger. Accordingly, a small intensity of transmit waveform enhances sensitivity.