Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an ultrasonic CT device in which a reflected signal or the like from an object disposed close to transducers is received, and a reception signal thereof can be received by a receiver while transceivers whose number is smaller than the number of the transducers are used. The ultrasonic CT device includes: a transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are arranged; transceivers whose number is smaller than the number of the transducers; and a transmission transducer selector and a reception transducer selector disposed for each of the transceivers. While a transmitter included in the transceiver is selectively connected to any of the transducers in the transducer array by the transmission transducer selector, a receiver included in the transceiver is selectively connected to any of the transducers in the transducer array by the reception transducer selector.

Abstract: Information relevant to a state of a tissue in a subject (state information) is provided with technology reducing the amount of memory and computation necessary at the time of extracting the information. An ultrasonic wave is transmitted towards a subject, a transmission wave transmitted through the subject or a reflection wave reflected on the subject is received. A reception signal is generated on the basis of the transmission wave or the reflection wave. A tissue region candidate, of a region indicating a tissue of the subject, is set on the basis of the reception signal. State information, which is information relevant to a state of the tissue in the tissue region candidate, is calculated on the basis of the reception signal and the tissue region candidate. An ultrasonic image reflecting the state information is generated on the basis of the state information and displayed.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic CT device capable of shortening a transmission interval of ultrasonic waves while suppressing influence of a reception signal of reverberation waves of the ultrasonic waves on an original reception signal. when transmission and reception are repeated, a timing of current transmission is controlled such that a timing at which reverberation waves, which are ultrasonic waves transmitted in previous transmission and are reflected by a transducer array at least once, reach transducers used for current reception deviates from a timing at which ultrasonic waves transmitted in current transmission reach the transducers used for the current reception.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic CT device for breast examination, unevenness of an ultrasonic image due to a distribution of inclination angles of a breast is reduced. The distribution of the inclination angles of a surface of a subject in a contour of the subject is obtained from a tomographic image, and a signal level of a reception signal or a pixel value of the tomographic image is corrected using the distribution of the inclination angles.

Abstract: A breast screening equipment includes: a support table to support a subject in a prone position; and an examination mechanism having a cylinder which has an opening at an upper end so that a breast to be examiner is inserted and be protruded from an upper surface of the support table, wherein the examination mechanism conducts an ultrasound examination of the inserted breast in the cylinder. The cylinder includes a hollow portion which is located inside of a wall constituting the cylinder and is extended above the upper surface of the support table. The examination mechanism includes a ring-shaped ultrasound transmission reception mechanism being movable inside of the hollow portion vertically.

Abstract: Provided is a device that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave to and from an entire periphery of a specimen while preventing a movement of the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device includes: an oscillator array that is arrayed with an oscillator, the oscillator transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; a fixing tool that is disposed between the oscillator array and the specimen and retains the specimen; and a drive mechanism that presses at least a part of the fixing tool against the specimen as to retain the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmitted by the oscillator array passes through the fixing tool and irradiates on the specimen, and as for the oscillator array, the oscillator array and the fixing tool are disposed in a positional relationship such that the ultrasonic wave reflected by and/or passing through by the specimen and passing through the fixing tool is received.

Abstract: A sound wave is transmitted to a subject from one or more transducers in an transducer array in which a plurality of the transducers are arranged. A measured sound pressure measured by a plurality of transducers for the sound wave transmitted through an imaging region of the subject is received from the transducers. The measured sound pressure is processed to generate a transmitted wave image in the imaging region. A simulated sound wave having a sound pressure changing with time is generated from a simulated sound source, the sound pressure when the simulated sound wave is transmitted through the imaging region and reaches a plurality of simulated detectors is obtained by calculation as a calculated sound pressure, and the transmitted wave image is sequentially corrected using the calculated sound pressure with the transmitted wave image as an initial image.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a clear transmitted wave image of a boundary of tissues is generated in a short time. An ultrasonic imaging device of the present invention includes a transducer array in which a plurality of transducers transmitting and receiving an ultrasound wave are arrayed; a transmission unit which delivers an electric signal to at least one of the plurality of transducers, such that the delivered electric signal is converted into an ultrasound wave, and transmits the ultrasound wave to a target; a reception unit which receives a received signal that is an electric signal output by each of the plurality of transducers having received a reflected wave and a transmitted wave of the ultrasound wave of the target; and an image generation unit which individually generates a reflected wave image of a cross section of the target using a received signal of the reflected wave and a transmitted wave image of the cross section of the target using a received signal of the transmitted wave.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic CT device capable of shaping a measurement part such as a breast of a measurement target into a shape suitable for measurement and reducing burden on the measurement target. The ultrasonic CT device includes a tubular measurement container, and a transducer array configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to a measurement target inserted in the measurement container and receive ultrasonic waves from the measurement target. Gel is disposed in the measurement container, and a surface of the gel is inclose contact with at least a surface of the measurement target to which the ultrasonic waves are transmitted. The ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducer array pass through the gel and are emitted to the measurement target from the surface in close contact with the measurement target.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an ultrasonic CT device in which a reflected signal or the like from an object disposed close to transducers is received, and a reception signal thereof can be received by a receiver while transceivers whose number is smaller than the number of the transducers are used. The ultrasonic CT device includes: a transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are arranged; transceivers whose number is smaller than the number of the transducers; and a transmission transducer selector and a reception transducer selector disposed for each of the transceivers. While a transmitter included in the transceiver is selectively connected to any of the transducers in the transducer array by the transmission transducer selector, a receiver included in the transceiver is selectively connected to any of the transducers in the transducer array by the reception transducer selector.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging device according to the present invention includes: a container provided with an opening for inserting a target region of a subject; and a transmission/reception unit that transmits ultrasound to the target region inserted into the container filled with a liquid and receives the ultrasound that penetrates the target region or is reflected from the target region. The container has a pressure reducing unit that holds the target region in the container by reducing a pressure in the container of which the opening is covered with the target region. According to the present invention, since it is possible to maintain a shape close to a predetermined shape when the target region of a breast or the like is inserted into a container filled with the liquid, it is possible to measure the target region with high accuracy by transmitting and receiving ultrasound.

Abstract: Provided herein is a phantom capable of mimicking both a dense breast and a fatty breast. A phantom for ultrasound measurement includes: a first member that mimics an object of interest for measurement; and a second member having provided therein the first member. The second member has the property to decrease its sound speed with a temperature increase brought by external temperature control. The sound speed of the second member at a predetermined temperature is equal to the sound speed of a third member surrounding the second member. The first member and the second member are immiscible with each other.

Abstract: The ultrasonic CT device includes: a first water tank configured such that an object is inserted therein, the first water tank being filled with a medium through which an ultrasonic wave passes; a ring array that irradiates an ultrasonic wave to the object and detects an ultrasonic wave reflected by the object while moving on an outer surface of the first water tank; and a signal processing unit that generates a tomographic image of the object based on a signal obtained by the ring array. The ultrasonic CT device further includes: a second water tank that houses the first water tank and the ring array; and a lid having a hole or a notch which is provided on a side of the object in the second water tank and which drains the medium.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic CT device for breast examination, unevenness of an ultrasonic image due to a distribution of inclination angles of a breast is reduced. The distribution of the inclination angles of a surface of a subject in a contour of the subject is obtained from a tomographic image, and a signal level of a reception signal or a pixel value of the tomographic image is corrected using the distribution of the inclination angles.

Abstract: To provide an ultrasonic CT apparatus that can change an inclination of a side surface of a breast such that an ultrasonic wave is incident on a surface of an entire circumference of the breast at an angle close to perpendicular, and that has less psychological burden on a subject. A container provided with an opening to which the breast is inserted is disposed below a bed provided with a through hole to which the breast of the subject is inserted. In the container, a member that propagates or transmits the ultrasonic wave is disposed, and the member is relatively pressed against a side surface or a nipple portion of the breast such that an inclination of the side surface of the breast is close to perpendicular. A transducer array emits the ultrasonic wave around the breast with the inclination of the side surface being close to perpendicular.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis device includes: an ultrasound probe which transmits an ultrasound wave toward a examinee and receives a reflected wave from the examinee; and a main device which controls the transmitting and receiving of the ultrasound waves from the ultrasound probe and is operated to receive a receiving signal obtained by receiving the reflected wave from the examinee by the ultrasound probe, to generate an ultrasound image of the examinee, and to display the ultrasound image on a display screen, wherein the ultrasound probe includes a plurality of subarrays having a plurality of element circuits transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals and a plurality of reference voltage sources, and the plurality of subarrays and the plurality of reference voltage sources have a one-to-one correspondence.

Abstract: A sinogram is corrected in a form that can use a straight-ray type reconstruction method while considering trajectory of refracted waves. Specifically, based on the sequentially estimated path information of the virtual waves, an arrival time difference sinogram is corrected by a difference or a ratio between “shortest arrival time of wave” and “arrival time of the wave through the shortest path” to each detection element.

Abstract: The ultrasonic CT device includes: a first water tank configured such that an object is inserted therein, the first water tank being filled with a medium through which an ultrasonic wave passes; a ring array that irradiates an ultrasonic wave to the object and detects an ultrasonic wave reflected by the object while moving on an outer surface of the first water tank; and a signal processing unit that generates a tomographic image of the object based on a signal obtained by the ring array. The ultrasonic CT device further includes: a second water tank that houses the first water tank and the ring array; and a lid having a hole or a notch which is provided on a side of the object in the second water tank and which drains the medium.

Abstract: Provided is a device that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave to and from an entire periphery of a specimen while preventing a movement of the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device includes: an oscillator array that is arrayed with an oscillator, the oscillator transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; a fixing tool that is disposed between the oscillator array and the specimen and retains the specimen; and a drive mechanism that presses at least a part of the fixing tool against the specimen as to retain the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmitted by the oscillator array passes through the fixing tool and irradiates on the specimen, and as for the oscillator array, the oscillator array and the fixing tool are disposed in a positional relationship such that the ultrasonic wave reflected by and/or passing through by the specimen and passing through the fixing tool is received.