Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus wirelessly connected to a displayer includes: an image data generator that generates ultrasound image data based on a reception signal received from an ultrasound probe that transmits and receives ultrasound waves to and from a subject; and a hardware processor that wirelessly transmits the generated ultrasound image data to the displayer to display the ultrasound image data on the displayer, acquires refresh rate information of the ultrasound image data displayed on the displayer from the displayer, determines whether or not the refresh rate information is equal to or less than a first threshold value, and causes a notifier to notify of notification information indicating that display of the ultrasound image data on the displayer is poor due to deterioration of the wireless communication state when the refresh rate information is equal to or less than the first threshold value.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic device including: an ultrasound probe that includes: multiple vibrators that are arrayed to be multiple rows in a long axis direction, the rows being arranged in a short axis direction, and that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves; a switching element that switches on and off of input of a drive signal to a vibrator in each of the rows and output of a received signal; an ultrasound image generator that generates ultrasound image data of a tomographic plane for each of the rows based on the received signal that is received by the vibrator corresponding to each of the rows via switching of the switching element; and a three-dimensional image generator that generates three-dimensional image data from the generated ultrasound image data of the multiple rows.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a transmitter which transmits, to an ultrasound probe including a plurality of transducers which are arranged in a plurality of regions in a short axis direction and arranged in a long axis direction in each of the regions and can transmit and receive ultrasound independently in the plurality of regions in the short axis direction, a driving signal in each of the regions, a receiver which receives a receiving signal in each of the regions from the ultrasound probe, and a hardware processor which generates ultrasound image data from the received receiving signal in the region, extracts an image of a puncture needle inserted into a subject from the generated ultrasound image data in the region, and calculates a shift angle of the puncture needle to the ultrasound probe using boundary position information of the extracted image of the puncture needle in the region.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe includes the following. A plurality of transducers transmit and receive ultrasound arranged in a plurality of rows in a long axis direction, and the rows are aligned in a short axis direction. The ultrasound passes through an acoustic lens. A switching element switches on and off of input of a driving signal to each row of the transducers and output of a receiving signal. The acoustic lens has a shape which guides a plurality of ultrasound beams transmitted and received with each row of transducers to be excluded from one another up to a first predetermined depth.

Abstract: Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that receives a reception signal representing the reflection waves from ultrasound probe, includes position specifying section that specifies the depth of detection object inside the subject based on the temporal variation of the reception signal, and position specifying section that specifies the position of detection object in the first direction based on the reception signal generated based on the reflection waves from detection object obtained with the ultrasound beams transmitted at a first angle and a second angle which are different from each other in a transmission direction of the ultrasound beam.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe includes transmission and reception sections, an acoustic lens, and a switch section. The transmission and reception sections include first, second, and third transmission and reception sections, while the second transmission and reception section is centrally positioned, and the first and the third transmission and reception sections are disposed symmetrically at both sides of the second transmission and reception section. The acoustic lens includes first, second, and third lens portions respectively corresponding to the first, the second, and the third transmission and reception sections. The switch section causes, when a traveling direction of the ultrasound is straight ahead, for example, the second transmission and reception section alone to operate, and causes, when the traveling direction of the ultrasound is to be deflected, the first or the third transmission and reception section to operate. The first and the third lens sections have an aspherical shape.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: a probe that transmits and receives ultrasound; a signal analysis unit that, when the probe scans a cross section of elevation direction of a blood vessel using ultrasound, detects a center scan line echo signal having passed through a center of the blood vessel among a plurality of scan line echo signals in the cross section of elevation direction of the blood vessel received by the probe, based on a part of each of the plurality of scan line echo signals that has a relatively small amplitude that corresponds to a reflected wave from a part of the blood vessel where blood flows; and an IMT measurement unit that computes an IMT from the center scan line echo signal. With this configuration, it is possible to provide an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus capable of performing wide-range IMT measurements with few errors even when a blood vessel seen from a body surface is not linear.

Abstract: There are provided a transducer that irradiates an ultrasonic wave, a transmitter that drives the transducer, and a plurality of power sources that supply a plurality of positive voltages and negative voltages to the transmitter. The transmitter includes a plurality of switches (SW1 to SW4) that connect the power sources selectively, and a timing controller that controls a plurality of the switches. A driving pulse is generated through a selection of the switches. A plurality of the positive voltages and a plurality of the negative voltages have absolute values different from each other. With this configuration, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that allows the amplitude of the driving pulse to be varied in multiple stages, is low in cost, and requires small amounts of both material and control.

Abstract: An sound probe includes an array of transducer elements with a plurality of transducer elements arranged in a first direction and which makes an interconversion between an electric pulse and an ultrasonic wave; an acoustic lens with a convex surface in a transmission direction of the ultrasonic wave on a cross section that is parallel to the first direction and the transmission direction and which converges the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducer elements; and at least two acoustic adjustment layers made of a material that has a different sound velocity from the acoustic lens and arranged between at least two of the transducer elements. At least one of the material and a thickness of each of the at least two acoustic adjustment layers in the transmission direction are different from each other.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus are disclosed. According to one implementation, an ultrasound probe includes the following. A plurality of transducers are arrayed in at least a predetermined first direction and transmit ultrasound to a subject to receive a reflected wave. A convergence unit converges the ultrasound transmitted and received by the plurality of transducers to the first direction. A switching element turns off transmission and reception of the ultrasound of some of the plurality of transducers arrayed in the first direction. A direction switching setter performs switching operation of turning on and turning off of the switching element to deflect in the first direction a transmission/reception direction of the ultrasound by the plurality of transducers.

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.

Abstract: An sound probe according to the present disclosure includes: an array of transducer elements in which a plurality of transducer elements are arranged in a first direction and which makes an interconversion between an electric pulse and an ultrasonic wave; an acoustic lens which has a convex surface in a transmission direction of the ultrasonic wave on a cross section that is parallel to the first direction and the transmission direction and which converges the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducer elements; and at least two acoustic adjustment layers which are made of a material that has a different sound velocity from the acoustic lens, which are arranged between at least two of the transducer elements that are arranged in the first direction and the acoustic lens, and of which at least one of the material and a thickness of each of the at least two acoustic adjustment layers in the transmission direction are different from each other.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic device includes: a transmission pulser that applies a driving pulse output signal to an ultrasonic transducer so as to cause the ultrasonic transducer to irradiate ultrasound; and a trigger signal generator that generates a trigger signal that controls the transmission pulser to output the driving pulse output signal. The trigger signal generator adds, to the trigger signal in a predetermined term after completion of a driving term of the ultrasonic transducer, a plurality of trigger pulses that control an amplitude of an ultrasonic transducer output signal generated upon completion of the driving term so as to attenuate gradually. With this configuration, a free vibration of the ultrasonic transducer in a transient response can be suppressed with the minimum number of circuit materials.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: a probe that transmits and receives ultrasound; a signal analysis unit that, when the probe scans a cross section of elevation direction of a blood vessel using ultrasound, detects a center scan line echo signal having passed through a center of the blood vessel among a plurality of scan line echo signals in the cross section of elevation direction of the blood vessel received by the probe, based on a part of each of the plurality of scan line echo signals that has a relatively small amplitude that corresponds to a reflected wave from a part of the blood vessel where blood flows; and an IMT measurement unit that computes an IMT from the center scan line echo signal. With this configuration, it is possible to provide an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus capable of performing wide-range IMT measurements with few errors even when a blood vessel seen from a body surface is not linear.

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.

Abstract: There are provided a transducer that irradiates an ultrasonic wave, a transmitter that drives the transducer, and a plurality of power sources that supply a plurality of positive voltages and negative voltages to the transmitter. The transmitter includes a plurality of switches (SW1 to SW4) that connect the power sources selectively, and a timing controller that controls a plurality of the switches. A driving pulse is generated through a selection of the switches. A plurality of the positive voltages and a plurality of the negative voltages have absolute values different from each other. With this configuration, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that allows the amplitude of the driving pulse to be varied in multiple stages, is low in cost, and requires small amounts of both material and control.

Abstract: There are provided transducers, transmission pulse generators for transmitting pulses to the transducers, a transmission power source for supplying power to the transmission pulse generators, and an output side capacitor 7 for stabilizing a voltage of the transmission power source. The transmission power source includes a plurality of mode-specific power sources 1A and 1B for outputting a constant voltage, and a mode changeover switch 6 provided between the mode-specific power sources and the output side capacitor. The transmission power source further includes a power supplying power source 2 connected to the mode-specific power sources for supplying power, and a power regeneration capacitor 4 with a larger capacity than that of the output side capacitor, one electrode terminal of which is connected to a connection point between the power supplying power source and the mode-specific power sources and the mode changeover switch, and the other electrode terminal of which is connected to ground.

Abstract: An ultrasonic Doppler blood flow meter has a clutter component estimation unit 110 for estimating amplitude, initial phase, and phase velocity of the clutter component using an output from the phase detector 104 to reduce a transient phenomenon. Using the estimated data, initial values of the wall filter 105 are generated by the initial filter value generating unit 11 and then provided to the wall filter for the filtering process.

Abstract: A small ultrasound diagnostic device is provided at a low cost that enables the appropriate control by a single power supply unit so as to give a predetermined transmission power to a driving waveform different for each mode without excess or deficiency and without affecting properties of the driving waveform. The ultrasound diagnostic device includes: an ultrasound generation unit (1) that transmits ultrasound; a waveform generation unit (2) that generates a single pulse or a burst pulse whose duty factor is variable in units of a time that is a period corresponding to a frequency outside a frequency band of the ultrasound generation unit (1) so as to drive the ultrasound generation unit (1); and a single power supply unit (3) that determines an amplitude of a driving waveform generated by the waveform generation unit (2). Thereby, an acoustic power of the transmitted ultrasound can be controlled without making the transmission amplitude variable.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic equipment capable of reducing cost by reducing the number of transmission drive circuits for generating transmission pulse is disclosed. High voltage switches for determining an aperture by selecting eight pieces from among transducer elements to which transmission pulses are applied, and low voltage switches for selecting 16 pieces from among the transducer elements to receive ultrasonic echo are provided individually. Regarding the high voltage switches for transmission, four inputs are integrated into one, and a distribution circuit of 1:4 is constructed. Regarding the low voltage switches for reception, two outputs are integrated into one, and a multiplexer of 2:1 is constructed. Linear scanning is performed by only eight pulsers (transmission drive circuits). The high voltage switches for transmitting ultrasonic waves and the low voltage switches for receiving ultrasonic waves are separated from each other.