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 coherence indicator of received signals is calculated for pixels with a small amount of calculation, and a high-quality ultrasound image is obtained. A plurality of types of images in which a sound speed for beamforming is changed into a plurality of types are generated. By arranging, in order of the sound speed for beamforming, signal intensities of the pixels at corresponding positions between the plurality of types of images, a change in signal intensities in a direction of the sound speed for beamforming is obtained. A coherence indicator representing coherence of the received signals used for beamforming of the pixels is calculated based on the obtained change in the signal intensities.

Abstract: An image with the sound speed in reception beamforming being changed is generated with a small amount of calculation. A conversion unit 41 converts first real space image data into first wave number space data in a wave number space. A remapping processing unit 42 processes the first wave number space data to generate data equivalent to second wave number space data. A reconversion unit 43 generates a second real space image by inversely converting data equivalent to the second wave number space data.

Abstract: A pitch of transducers is extended, while preventing occurrence of grating lobes. A receive beamformer sets synthetic apertures on an array of transducers that have received echoes of transmission of one transmit beam, and performs processing on received signals of transducers within the receive apertures to form receive beams, followed by performing synthetic aperture processing on the receive beams obtained by the transmission of transmit beams. The positions of the transmit aperture and the receive aperture in the transducer array direction are shifted for every transmission of the transmit beam. A motion vector of the receive aperture along the array direction of the transducers is made different from a motion vector of the transmit aperture so that a distance between phase centers in the successive transmission events is smaller than the case where the transmit aperture and the receive aperture are shifted with a constant vector for each transmission.

Abstract: In a transcatheter treatment support technique using a combination of a guide wire equipped with a photoacoustic technique and an ultrasonic imaging device, the ultrasonic imaging device estimates a front edge position of the guide wire using a difference between arrival times of photoacoustic waves arriving at an array of elements configuring an ultrasonic probe or a change of an image of the photoacoustic generation source, which depends on a distance of the photoacoustic generation source from an imaging region, and grasps a relationship between an imaging position and the front edge position of the guide wire using the estimation result. This enables visually grasping a relationship between a region (imaging region) from which an image is able to be obtained with reflective waves from a biological body with use of the ultrasonic probe and an insertion object present outside the region, particularly, the front edge of the guide wire.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus is capable of removing noise for each tissue from a received signal of a living tissue in which a plurality of tissues are intricately intertwined, and suppressing artifacts even at a tissue boundary. An evaluator receives one or more time-series ultrasonic signals obtained by receiving an ultrasonic wave from a subject by an ultrasonic probe after transmitting an ultrasonic wave, and generates a filter control signal for setting a characteristic value of a filter for removing noise contained in the ultrasonic signal, for a time-series direction of the ultrasonic signal. A filter processor removes the noise by processing the ultrasonic signal of the corresponding signal characteristic value by the filter having the characteristic value set based on the filter control signal. A smoothing processor that smooths distribution of the filter control signal is disposed between the evaluator and the filter processor.

Abstract: Without using any approximated wave front propagation model, appropriate delay times are set for received signals to obtain phased signals for both the inside and outside of irradiation area of transmission beam. A reception beamformer comprises a wave front propagation calculator 121 that obtains times until ultrasonic waves transmitted from a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arrive at a reception focus by calculation, and a delay time extractor 122 that calculates delay times for the reception focus on the basis of distribution of the arrival times of the ultrasonic waves for each of the plurality of the ultrasonic transducers obtained by the wave front propagation calculator 121. Therefore, even if the wave front that arrives at the reception focus has a complicated shape, it is not necessary to approximate the wave front, and phasing addition can be performed with appropriate delay times obtained from times until the ultrasonic waves arrive at the reception focus.

Abstract: An image with the sound speed in reception beamforming being changed is generated with a small amount of calculation. A conversion unit 41 converts first real space image data into first wave number space data in a wave number space. A remapping processing unit 42 processes the first wave number space data to generate data equivalent to second wave number space data. A reconversion unit 43 generates a second real space image by inversely converting data equivalent to the second wave number space data.

Abstract: Accuracy of spectrum analysis improves, and further reliability of information indicating tissue characterization of a living organ improves. A computation region, which is a target of frequency spectrum analysis, and a window region are set on a received signal. A plurality of received signals of the window region are weighted and the frequency spectrum analysis is performed on the received signals of the window region after the weighting. The weighting is performed by using weight distribution corresponding to strength distribution generated in the received signals of the window region in a case of assuming that the ultrasound transmitted from the plurality of transducers propagates as waves in the subject, reaches a target region in the subject which corresponds to the computation region, is reflected from the target region, then further propagates as waves in the subject, and reaches the plurality of transducers.

Abstract: There is realized an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that eliminates the restriction on the image generation in ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses imposed by generation of no more than one delay curve, and enables imaging with higher resolution and higher speed. A received signal processor 12 comprises delayers 13, 14-1, and 14-2 disposed for every reception channel, and a synthesiser 60. The first delayer 13 delays received signals produced from a transmission beam 31 by a first delay time for phasing the received signals for a predetermined reception focus. The second delayer 14-1 delays received signals produced from a sound wave of a predetermined phase different from the phase of the transmission beam 31 by a second delay time for phasing the received signals for the same reception focus. The synthesiser 60 adds first phased signals generated by the first delayer, and second phased signals generated by the second delayer 14-1.

Abstract: Without using any approximated wave front propagation model, appropriate delay times are set for received signals to obtain phased signals for both the inside and outside of irradiation area of transmission beam. A reception beamformer comprises a wave front propagation calculator 121 that obtains times until ultrasonic waves transmitted from a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arrive at a reception focus by calculation, and a delay time extractor 122 that calculates delay times for the reception focus on the basis of distribution of the arrival times of the ultrasonic waves for each of the plurality of the ultrasonic transducers obtained by the wave front propagation calculator 121. Therefore, even if the wave front that arrives at the reception focus has a complicated shape, it is not necessary to approximate the wave front, and phasing addition can be performed with appropriate delay times obtained from times until the ultrasonic waves arrive at the reception focus.