Abstract: A ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers which perform ultrasonic transmission and reception to an object, a transceiver unit configured to obtain an ultrasonic signal from the object by driving the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, an ultrasonic data generation unit configured to generate ultrasonic data based on the ultrasonic signal, a time information generation unit configured to generate time information related to the ultrasonic transmission or reception and a time information addition unit configured to add the time information in a part of pixel data of the ultrasonic data in order to synchronize the Image data with biomedical signal, such as ECG.

Abstract: In order to restrain rising of a lens frame due to an ambient environmental temperature and occurrence of an inclination of the lens frame during transmission of no electricity to a shape memory alloy wire, proposed is a drive module including: a lens frame; a supporting member for storing the lens frame; leaf spring members for elastically holding the lens frame so that the lens frame would be movable with respect to the supporting member; a shape memory alloy wire for driving the lens frame toward one leaf spring member against restoring force of the leaf spring members by contraction due to generation of heat in turning on the electricity; and a bias spring member for urging the lens frame toward a base plate through a locking portion to make the lens frame come in contact with the base plate through the other leaf spring member, the drive module wherein the lens frame is provided with a pre-pressure portion for generating urging force for initially deforming one leaf spring member to urge the lens frame t

Abstract: An ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic equipment comprising a spectrum measurement unit which measures a Doppler spectrum, a decision unit which determines processing conditions of an average process on the basis of power values of spectral components in the Doppler spectrum, an average process unit which performs the average process of the Doppler spectrum on the basis of the processing conditions determined by the decision unit, and a display unit which displays a Doppler spectral image on the basis of the Doppler spectrum subjected to the average process by the average process unit. According to the configuration, the ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic equipment can improve discontinuities in those spectral components of small power values which are susceptible to interference noise, in the Doppler spectral image, and it can generate image data of high resolution.

Abstract: A Doppler sensitivity measuring unit measures the Doppler sensitivity of Doppler spectrum data obtained by ultrasonic wave transmission/reception with respect to a predetermined region of an object to be examined. A spectrum shape model generating unit generates a spectrum shape model on the basis of a window function used when the above Doppler spectrum data is generated. A threshold setting unit sets a threshold range in which trace waveform data displaces by a predetermined amount in the frequency axis direction on the basis of the spectrum shape model and the Doppler sensitivity, and sets a predetermined number of thresholds at almost equal intervals in the threshold range. A trace data generating unit selects a threshold for the acquisition of desired trace waveform data by generating trace waveform data while sequentially updating the plurality of set thresholds.

Abstract: A Doppler sensitivity measuring unit measures the Doppler sensitivity of Doppler spectrum data obtained by ultrasonic wave transmission/reception with respect to a predetermined region of an object to be examined. A spectrum shape model generating unit generates a spectrum shape model on the basis of a window function used when the above Doppler spectrum data is generated. A threshold setting unit sets a threshold range in which trace waveform data displaces by a predetermined amount in the frequency axis direction on the basis of the spectrum shape model and the Doppler sensitivity, and sets a predetermined number of thresholds at almost equal intervals in the threshold range. A trace data generating unit selects a threshold for the acquisition of desired trace waveform data by generating trace waveform data while sequentially updating the plurality of set thresholds.

Abstract: A ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers which perform ultrasonic transmission and reception to an object, a transceiver unit configured to obtain an ultrasonic signal from the object by driving the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, an ultrasonic data generation unit configured to generate ultrasonic data based on the ultrasonic signal, a time information generation unit configured to generate time information related to the ultrasonic transmission or reception and a time information addition unit configured to add the time information in a part of pixel data of the ultrasonic data in order to synchronize the Image data with biomedical signal, such as ECG.

Abstract: An ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic equipment comprising a spectrum measurement unit which measures a Doppler spectrum, a decision unit which determines processing conditions of an average process on the basis of power values of spectral components in the Doppler spectrum, an average process unit which performs the average process of the Doppler spectrum on the basis of the processing conditions determined by the decision unit, and a display unit which displays a Doppler spectral image on the basis of the Doppler spectrum subjected to the average process by the average process unit. According to the configuration, the ultrasonic Doppler diagnostic equipment can improve discontinuities in those spectral components of small power values which are susceptible to interference noise, in the Doppler spectral image, and it can generate image data of high resolution.

Abstract: A Doppler-type ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided for smoothing a Doppler spectrum. In the apparatus, a tomographic image of a diagnostic portion of an object being examined is obtained, the diagnostic portion including a fluid in motion, and a range gate is placed at a position of the fluid on the tomographic image.

Abstract: An ultrasonic blood flow imaging apparatus of this invention includes an ultrasonic probe, a transmission system, a reception system, a B mode processing system, a CFM processing system, an FFT processing system, a video system, and a control system. The CFM processing system includes a new discriminating means. The discriminating means receives power, average blood flow velocity, and variance data output from an auto-correlation circuit. The discriminating means can discriminate Doppler shift signals (blood flow signals), noise signals, and clutter signals from each other with high precision on the basis of a relationship in combination of two or more received factors, i.e., the power, average blood flow velocity, and variance data. With such discrimination processing, only necessary blood flow signals can be extracted, and hence high-precision blood flow information can be obtained.

Abstract: In the ultrasonic bloodstream imaging apparatus of the present invention, an ultrasonic wave is propagated into a subject, and a tomographic image of the subject is obtained. Then, a bloodstream data image is superimposed on the tomographic image and is displayed with color. A monochrome threshold value is set for tomographic image data obtained from an echo level of the ultrasonic wave. A color threshold value is set for bloodstream data obtained from the ultrasonic wave which has been affected by the Doppler effect. The echo level of the ultrasonic wave and the bloodstream data are compared with the monochrome threshold value and the color threshold value, respectively, and either a monochrome display mode or color display mode is selected based on the comparison result.

Abstract: In an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, two reception data in two scan directions formed between ultrasound transmision and reception directions can be acquired upon simultaneous reception. The reception data are acquired by sequentially shifting the transmission direction. When the reception data in a predetermined scan direction is obtained, Doppler shift amounts are calculated upon acquisition of a predetermined number of reception data in the predetermined direction. In this case, ultrasound transmission and reception operations are so controlled as to acquire the Doppler shift amounts in each direction every predetermined time interval.

Abstract: An ultrasonic blood flow imaging apparatus includes transmitter/receiver for transmitting drive pulses to an ultrasonic transducer, and receiving and converting an echo signal from the transducer into an image signal, a Doppler processing section for extracting a Doppler signal component from the echo signal, and blood flow information output section for obtaining the blood flow velocity from the Doppler signal component to provide blood flow velocity information. A color conversion section is provided which converts the blood flow information into a color signal containing a hue signal component representing a hue corresponding to the blood flow velocity. The color signal is displayed in the hue corresponding to the blood flow velocity.