Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for obtaining a tomographic image of a subject by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound with an ultrasound probe, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including: a hardware processor that: causes transmission and reception of an ultrasound for a probe element check with respect to each of a plurality of piezoelectric elements included in the ultrasound probe; converts signal features of reception signals obtained respectively in the plurality of piezoelectric elements at the time of the probe element check into image information indicating deterioration degrees of the plurality of piezoelectric elements, separately; and displays, based on a result of the conversion, a probe-condition mapping image expressed in a bar form by mapping images indicating the deterioration degrees of the plurality of piezoelectric elements in a row according to an arrangement of the plurality of piezoelectric elements in the ultrasound probe.

Abstract: Control device 10 of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a hardware processor that sets, among a plurality of operation modes in which pulse waveforms of ultrasound pulses to be transmitted are different from one another, at least first and second operation modes for which observation results are to be simultaneously displayed on a screen, sets at least one operation type that defines transmission timing of ultrasound pulses, and sets a switching frequency of a switching signal.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes the following. A deflection controller generates delay time information to make phases of reception signals input to channels uniform according to a deflection angle. A channel selector selects a channel in which the reception signal is turned on or off so that the phases of the reception signals input to channels are different and which generates channel selection information. A reception delay interrupter provides the delay amount to the reception signal and which turns on or off the reception signal. An adder adds the plurality of reception signals which are provided with the delay amount and turned on.

Abstract: Control device 10 of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a hardware processor that sets, among a plurality of operation modes in which pulse waveforms of ultrasound pulses to be transmitted are different from one another, at least first and second operation modes for which observation results are to be simultaneously displayed on a screen, sets at least one operation type that defines transmission timing of ultrasound pulses, and sets a switching frequency of a switching signal.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes the following. A deflection controller generates delay time information to make phases of reception signals input to channels uniform according to a deflection angle. A channel selector selects a channel in which the reception signal is turned on or off so that the phases of the reception signals input to channels are different and which generates channel selection information. A reception delay interrupter provides the delay amount to the reception signal and which turns on or off the reception signal. An adder adds the plurality of reception signals which are provided with the delay amount and turned on.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a signal generation unit, amplitude adjustment units and a control unit. The signal generation unit generates a pulse signal with a predetermined voltage amplitude. The amplitude adjustment units individually change the voltage amplitude of the pulse signal so as to output pulse signals with individual voltage amplitudes to their respective transducers. The control unit controls change amounts of the voltage amplitude made by the amplitude adjustment units. Each amplitude adjustment unit includes resistive elements and switching units which change a conductive state of their respective resistive elements. The control unit outputs a control signal to set a combination of ON and/or OFF of the switching units to change a load of the amplitude adjustment unit so as to apply to the transducer a voltage for an amplitude of ultrasound which is transmitted from each of the transducers.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus can display a tomographic image of an object in a three-dimensional region and a three-dimensional or stereoscopic image, such as a three-dimensional surface image of the object or a three-dimensional transparent image thereof, simultaneously on a screen. A sectional plane from which the tomographic image is produced is freely designated on the three-dimensional image displayed on the screen. The sectional plane can be indicated on the displayed three-dimensional image by a cursor line. Further, a data processing range along the ultrasound beam direction can be determined on the displayed tomographic image, in which the three-dimensional image is produced from the echo data obtained from the data processing range. Such a data processing range can also be indicated on the displayed tomographic image by means of cursor lines.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an ultrasound transducer for sequentially emitting ultrasound beams and receiving respective echoes of the ultrasound beams to produce a scanning plane; a mechanism for displacing the ultrasound transducer to move the scanning plane in a three-dimensional region; a three-dimensional image data generator for sequentially obtaining echo data of the respective ultrasound beams from the echo of the respective ultrasound beams upon receipt of the echo by the ultrasound transducer, and for sequentially generating, based on the echo data of the respective ultrasound beams, brightness value data for each ultrasound beam corresponding to a brightness value for one ?1! pixel in an ultrasound image for the three-dimensional region; a memory, having addresses corresponding to respective pixels in the ultrasound image, for sequentially storing the brightness value data for the respective ultrasound beams generated by the three-dimensional image data generator at the corresponding add

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a transducer unit having an array transducer composed of a plurality of transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to effect electronic scanning, and a casing for housing the transducer unit therein. The casing has a contact surface to be brought into contact with an object to be examined when used. In the casing there is disposed a rocking mechanism for rocking the transducer unit angularly about a virtual rotative axis which is determined on an electronic scanning plane produced by the array transducer and located in the vicinity of the contact portion of the casing.