Abstract: A ceramic coating according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a bond coat layer formed on a substrate; and a ceramic layer formed on the bond coat layer. The ceramic layer has a first region in contact with an interface between the ceramic layer and the bond coat layer and a second region father away from the interface than the first region from the interface. In a cross-section along a thickness direction of the ceramic layer, the number of crack intersection points at which two or more cracks intersect per unit area in the ceramic layer is larger in the first region than in the second region.

Abstract: A bias voltage generating apparatus is placed outside an ultrasound observation apparatus and used together with the ultrasound observation apparatus, the ultrasound observation apparatus incorporating a transmission circuit generating a transmission signal and a reception circuit performing processing on a received signal, for transmitting/receiving ultrasound to/from a subject using a capacitive transducer. The bias voltage generating apparatus includes a power supply circuit for bias voltage which includes a chargeable secondary battery for producing a bias voltage to be applied to the capacitive transducer and produces the bias voltage, a bias voltage superimposing portion which superimposes the bias voltage on the transmission signal outputted to outside the ultrasound observation apparatus, a charging level detecting portion which detects a charging level of the secondary battery, and a variable gain amplifier which increases a gain for the received signal based on the detected charging level.

Abstract: An ultrasound observation apparatus to which an ultrasound probe is connectable, the ultrasound probe including a capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer whose sensitivity can be controlled according to an applied bias voltage, the ultrasound observation apparatus including a transmit section that outputs a transmit signal for causing ultrasound to be transmitted; a receive section that performs signal processing on a received receive signal; a bias voltage outputting section that varies the applied bias voltage, an image mode setting section that designates and sets an image mode for displaying an ultrasound image corresponding to ultrasound scanning; a parameter setting section that designates and sets a parameter for signal processing performed by the transmit section or the receive section, and a control section that controls the bias voltage based on a designation signal corresponding to the designation and setting of the image mode and the parameter.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: transmission and reception signal lines that send transmission and reception signals of ultrasound to a plurality of ultrasound transducers; signal determining portions near the ultrasound transducers and determine a selection signal for selecting an ultrasound transducer to be driven or a readout signal for reading out the selection signal, the selection signal being sent out in synchronization with a transmission signal for forming the transmission and reception signal, and couple the ultrasound transducer to be driven with the transmission and reception signal line according to a result of the determination; and direct current blocking/clipping circuits that block a direct current bias component superimposed on the transmission and reception signal and sent via the transmission and reception signal line, and clip a waveform with large amplitude.

Abstract: An ultrasound observation apparatus to which an ultrasound probe is connectable, the ultrasound probe including a capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer whose sensitivity can be controlled according to an applied bias voltage, the ultrasound observation apparatus including a transmit section that outputs a transmit signal for causing ultrasound to be transmitted; a receive section that performs signal processing on a received receive signal; a bias voltage outputting section that varies the applied bias voltage, an image mode setting section that designates and sets an image mode for displaying an ultrasound image corresponding to ultrasound scanning; a parameter setting section that designates and sets a parameter for signal processing performed by the transmit section or the receive section, and a control section that controls the bias voltage based on a designation signal corresponding to the designation and setting of the image mode and the parameter.

Abstract: A medical guiding system of the invention includes: a detection portion for detecting a position and an orientation of a medical instrument and positions of feature points of a subject; a storage portion for storing reference image data having positional information on an organ of a human body; and a guide image creation portion for creating a guide image indicating the position of the medical instrument with respect to the subject from the reference image data. The guide image creation portion calculates the position of the medical instrument with respect to the subject, based on the position and the orientation of the medical instrument and the positions of feature points of the subject which are detected by the detection portion, and creates a guide image by correcting the calculated position of the medical instrument, using the positions of the feature points.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: transmission and reception signal lines that send transmission and reception signals of ultrasound to a plurality of ultrasound transducers; signal determining portions near the ultrasound transducers and determine a selection signal for selecting an ultrasound transducer to be driven or a readout signal for reading out the selection signal, the selection signal being sent out in synchronization with a transmission signal for forming the transmission and reception signal, and couple the ultrasound transducer to be driven with the transmission and reception signal line according to a result of the determination; and direct current blocking/clipping circuits that block a direct current bias component superimposed on the transmission and reception signal and sent via the transmission and reception signal line, and clip a waveform with large amplitude.

Abstract: A medical system includes: an image signal acquiring portion for acquiring a signal to generate an image corresponding to a picture of a subject; an image generating portion for generating a real-time image of an inside of the test subject based on the acquired signal; a detecting portion for outputting a position and an orientation of an image position and orientation detecting element as a detection value; a reference image data storage portion for storing reference image data made up of anatomical images of the test subject; a guide image generating portion for generating a guide image to provide guide information about at least one of an anatomical position and orientation within the test subject of the real-time image, based on the detection value and the reference image data; and a detection state notification information generating portion for generating information to notify a detection state of the detection value.

Abstract: The invention provides a medical guiding system including: a position data calculating device for detecting position and orientation of an ultrasonic endoscope serving as a medical instrument; image storing section for storing medical image data obtained before use of the ultrasonic endoscope; a body position correcting section for correcting at least one of position and direction at least one of viscera and organ in the medical image data, in line with a body position of the subject; and an image configuring section for calculating a position of the ultrasonic endoscope in the medical image data corrected by body position correcting section, based on a position of the ultrasonic endoscope obtained by the position data calculating device.

Abstract: A medical system includes: an image signal acquiring portion for acquiring a signal to generate an image corresponding to a picture of a subject; an image generating portion for generating a real-time image of an inside of the test subject based on the acquired signal; a detecting portion for outputting a position and an orientation of an image position and orientation detecting element as a detection value; a reference image data storage portion for storing reference image data made up of anatomical images of the test subject; a guide image generating portion for generating a guide image to provide guide information about at least one of an anatomical position and orientation within the test subject of the real-time image, based on the detection value and the reference image data; and a detection state notification information generating portion for generating information to notify a detection state of the detection value.

Abstract: A medical guiding system of the invention includes: a detection portion for detecting and outputting a position and an orientation of an ultrasound transducer; a reference image storage portion for storing reference image data having anatomical positional information of an organ of a human body; and a guide image creation portion for creating, based on the output from the detection portion and the reference image data, a guide image configured of: an anatomical model image of the organ of the human body; an ultrasound tomographic image marker showing a position and an orientation with respect to the model image of the latest ultrasound tomographic image; and an image scan history marker showing a position and an orientation with respect to the model image, of a region where the ultrasound tomographic image has been scanned in the past.

Abstract: A medical guiding system of the invention includes: a detection portion for detecting a position and an orientation of a medical instrument and positions of feature points of a subject; a storage portion for storing reference image data having positional information on an organ of a human body; and a guide image creation portion for creating a guide image indicating the position of the medical instrument with respect to the subject from the reference image data. The guide image creation portion calculates the position of the medical instrument with respect to the subject, based on the position and the orientation of the medical instrument and the positions of feature points of the subject which are detected by the detection portion, and creates a guide image by correcting the calculated position of the medical instrument, using the positions of the feature points.

Abstract: A medical guiding system of the invention includes: a detection portion for detecting at least one of position and orientation of a medical instrument; a storage portion for storing multiple reference image data obtained from a human body in multiple states and including anatomical positional information of at least one of viscus and organ; a state selection portion for selecting, among the stored reference image data, the reference image data obtained in a state coincident with or approximate to a state of the subject in using the medical instrument; and a guide image creation portion for creating a guide image showing at least one of an anatomical position, shape, and orientation of the medical instrument with respect to the subject, based on at least one of the position and the orientation of the medical instrument detected by the detection portion and reference image data stored in the state selection portion.

Abstract: A body cavity probe apparatus can minimally invasively detect the insertion shape of a body cavity probe and the direction of real-time images to create guide images each containing both the insertion shape of the body cavity probe and the direction of the real-time image. An ultrasonic endoscope as a body cavity probe inserted into the body cavity has an ultrasonic transducer array in a rigid portion located at a distal end thereof, to acquire an ultrasonic echo signal, an image position and orientation detecting coil provided in the vicinity of the ultrasonic transducer array, and an insertion shape detecting coil provided in a longitudinal direction of the flexible portion, thus generating guide images each containing the shape of the flexible portion and the direction of an ultrasonic tomogram generated from the echo signal as a real-time image.

Abstract: The invention provides a medical guiding system including: a position data calculating device for detecting position and orientation of an ultrasonic endoscope serving as a medical instrument; image storing section for storing medical image data obtained before use of the ultrasonic endoscope; a body position correcting section for correcting at least one of position and direction at least one of viscera and organ in the medical image data, in line with a body position of the subject; and an image configuring section for calculating a position of the ultrasonic endoscope in the medical image data corrected by body position correcting section, based on a position of the ultrasonic endoscope obtained by the position data calculating device.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic observation unit that forms an ultrasonic tomographic image based on an ultrasonic signal obtained by transmission/reception of the ultrasonic wave to/from inside of the living body, a position orientation calculation unit that detects the position and/or the orientation of the ultrasonic tomographic image, a reference image memory that stores the reference image data, a 3D guide image forming circuit that forms a stereoscopic 3D guide image for guiding an anatomical position and/or orientation of the ultrasonic tomographic image based on the reference image data stored in the reference image memory using the position and/or the orientation detected by the position orientation calculation unit, and a display unit that displays the 3D guide image formed by the 3D guide image forming circuit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic endoscope having ultrasonic transducers for scanning ultrasonic wave in a living body three-dimensionally, an ultrasonic image creating portion of an ultrasonic observing apparatus for creating ultrasonic volume data based on an ultrasonic signal captured by the ultrasonic endoscope, a two-dimensional image select knob, keyboard, trackball, computing/control portion and display control portion for selecting a tomographic plane from the ultrasonic volume data by designating the angle of rotation about the straight line through two points designated on the ultrasonic volume data as the axis of rotation, and a monitor for displaying the tomographic plane selected during a scanning operation as a two-dimensional ultrasonic image.