Abstract: To provide a system for implementing a three-dimensional measurement apparatus based on ultrasonic signals that have high applicability and high resolution with a simple configuration. The present invention provides a high-resolution apparatus with high applicability with a simple configuration by using low-resolution, wide field-of-view display and high-resolution region-limited display in parallel in a configuration that separates a one-dimensional direction by frequency.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe having a plurality of ultrasound transducers; an apparatus body which supplies analog drive signals to the ultrasound transducers and generates ultrasound images based on reception signals output from the ultrasound transducers; and a connection cable which connects the ultrasound probe and the apparatus body, the ultrasound probe comprising: a plurality of receiving circuits, each including a preamp which amplifies the reception signal output from one of the ultrasound transducers and an A/D converter which converts the amplified reception signal; and a time division unit which controls output of the reception signal to the apparatus body such that the drive signal supplied from the apparatus body and the reception signal output to the apparatus body after being converted to a digital signal by the receiving circuit are mutually time-divided and sent via the connection cable.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging method comprises the steps of: transmitting a prescanning ultrasonic beam toward a subject and measuring an ultrasonic echo from a bone structure inside a cranium in advance; determining a transfer function of an ultrasonic wave in the cranium based on the measured said ultrasonic echo; transmitting an imaging ultrasonic beam toward the subject; generating a cancelling ultrasonic beam having an opposite phase as an ultrasonic echo reflected by the inner surface of the cranium due to said imaging ultrasonic beam, based on said transfer function; receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject while cancelling said ultrasonic echo from the bone structure inside the cranium by transmitting the cancelling ultrasonic beam in accordance with the ultrasonic echo from the bone structure inside the cranium due to said imaging ultrasonic beam; and generating an ultrasound image of the subject.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an array transducer, a transmission driver for transmitting an ultrasonic beam from the array transducer toward a subject, a reception circuit for processing a pair of reception signals in a pair of available channels of the array transducer having received an ultrasonic echo produced by the subject, with the pair of available channels being those channels which belong to channels simultaneously made available for reception of the ultrasonic echo and are arranged symmetrically about a transmit beam axis, so as to generate reception data in one piece, and outputting the generated reception data as reception data in each of the pair of available channels, and an image generating unit for generating an ultrasound image based on the reception data outputted from the reception circuit.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes reception signal processors having an A/D conversion executable range narrower than an amplitude range of reception signals obtained from an entire depth of a measurement region; and a controller for dividing the measurement region into a plurality of measurement depth zones each allowing reception signals within an amplitude range narrower than the A/D conversion executable range of the reception signal processors, controlling a transmission driver so that transmission of an ultrasonic beam from the array transducer may be performed plural times corresponding to the measurement depth zones, and controlling the reception signal processors so that reception data associated with each measurement depth zone may be acquired based on the ultrasonic beam as transmitted corresponding to the relevant measurement depth zone.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes reception signal processors for amplifying reception signals outputted from a transducer array having received an ultrasonic echo from a subject and then A/D-converting the amplified reception signals to obtain reception data, the reception signal processors having an A/D conversion executable range where A/D conversion of the reception signals is possible, and a controller for controlling the reception signal processors to limit an A/D conversion execution range where A/D conversion is actually executed within the A/D conversion executable range according to amplitudes of the reception signals outputted from the transducer array.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe comprises a transducer array composed of a plurality of arrayed subdice elements, a plurality of signal lines for connecting the transducer array to an apparatus body that controls transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves, and a channel forming/connecting section that selects a connection between the plurality of subdice elements to form a plurality of channels each composed of a selected number of subdice elements which is changed by switching connections between a plurality of subdice elements, and assigns the plurality of channels to any of the plurality of signal lines to select, from among the plurality of signal lines, effective signal lines connected to the plurality of channels to transmit driving signals supplied to the transducer array and reception signals outputted from the transducer array to the apparatus body.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe including a transducer array; a plurality of diagnostic apparatus bodies corresponding to a plurality of parts of the transducer array for transmitting ultrasonic waves through corresponding transducers and processing reception signals from the corresponding transducers, respectively; and a synchronizing signal supply unit for supplying a common clock signal and a common trigger signal to the plurality of diagnostic apparatus bodies for causing the plurality of diagnostic apparatus bodies to operate in synchronism.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe having a plurality of ultrasound transducers; an apparatus body which supplies analog drive signals to the ultrasound transducers and generates ultrasound images based on reception signals output from the ultrasound transducers; and a connection cable which connects the ultrasound probe and the apparatus body, the ultrasound probe comprising: a plurality of receiving circuits, each including a preamp which amplifies the reception signal output from one of the ultrasound transducers and an A/D converter which converts the amplified reception signal; and a time division unit which controls output of the reception signal to the apparatus body such that the drive signal supplied from the apparatus body and the reception signal output to the apparatus body after being converted to a digital signal by the receiving circuit are mutually time-divided and sent via the connection cable.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging method comprises the steps of: transmitting respective ultrasonic waves from a plurality of ultrasound transducers, arranged in an array, of an ultrasound probe; determining respective propagation times of the ultrasonic waves inside a cranium corresponding to each ultrasound transducer based on ultrasonic echoes from a bone structure inside the cranium; determining respective delay correction quantities corresponding to each ultrasound transducer based on said determined propagation times; transmitting respective ultrasonic waves toward a subject from each ultrasound transducer while correcting wavefront disorder of the ultrasonic waves arising due to a thickness distribution of the cranium by said determined delay correction quantity; and generating an ultrasound image based on ultrasonic echoes received from the subject.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging method comprises the steps of: transmitting a prescanning ultrasonic beam toward a subject and measuring an ultrasonic echo from a bone structure inside a cranium in advance; determining a transfer function of an ultrasonic wave in the cranium based on the measured said ultrasonic echo; transmitting an imaging ultrasonic beam toward the subject; generating a cancelling ultrasonic beam having an opposite phase as an ultrasonic echo reflected by the inner surface of the cranium due to said imaging ultrasonic beam, based on said transfer function; receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject while cancelling said ultrasonic echo from the bone structure inside the cranium by transmitting the cancelling ultrasonic beam in accordance with the ultrasonic echo from the bone structure inside the cranium due to said imaging ultrasonic beam; and generating an ultrasound image of the subject.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe and a processing device. The ultrasonic probe includes an array transducer having plural ultrasonic transducers for transmitting ultrasonic beams to an inside of a subject and receiving echo waves to output echo signals, and a first scan line data generator for focusing the echo signals received by each channel of the array transducer and generating two or more first scan line data after a transmission of the ultrasonic beams. A data set of the first scan line data is sent to the processing device. The processing device includes a second scan line data generator for synthesizing second scan line data from the two or more first scan line data concerning a same scan line and obtained from the transmissions in different directions, and an image generator for generating an ultrasonic image of the subject based on the second scan line data.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe of a radial scan type mountable on an ultrasonic observation apparatus, which inputs and outputs M numbers of signals in parallel, comprises the following: N (N>M) numbers of ultrasonic transducers disposed on an outer periphery of a tip, and grouped into plural sensor element groups activated in sequence, each of which has M numbers of ultrasonic transducers; N numbers of first signal lines respectively connected to the N numbers of ultrasonic transducers for transmitting a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic transducers and an echo signal from within a living organism; M numbers of second signal lines connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus; and a multiplexer disposed between the first signal lines and the second signal lines, which selectively switches M numbers of the first signal lines for respectively connecting to the second signal lines according to the sensor element group to be activated.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis system includes an ultrasonic diagnosis device for diagnosis according to a signal from a first ultrasonic probe for extracorporeal use. A second ultrasonic probe detects an object for in-vivo diagnosis. An adapter inputs and/or outputs between the ultrasonic diagnosis device and the second ultrasonic probe. The adapter includes a holder chamber for holding the ultrasonic diagnosis device. A diagnosis device connector is for connection with the ultrasonic diagnosis device. A probe connector is for connection with the second ultrasonic probe. An input/output device is for transmission and/or reception between the probe connector and the diagnosis device connector. In addition to the ultrasonic diagnosis device, a picture-in-picture processing unit operates for picture-in-picture processing of an ultrasonic or endoscopic image. Furthermore, a processor connector is for connection with an endoscope processor for receiving a signal from the endoscope to create an endoscopic image.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic imaging apparatus, image quality is improved without increase in the number of ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes: a transmitting unit for supplying drive signals to plural ultrasonic transducers so as to form an ultrasonic beam having a beam width that covers adjacent two or more transmission lines; a receiving unit for performing phase-matching processing and addition processing on the reception signals to generate RF data in which focuses of ultrasonic echoes are narrowed in positions corresponding to respective pixels of an ultrasonic image to be displayed; an RF data storage unit for storing the RF data with respect to a plural number of transmissions of the ultrasonic beams; and an image signal generating unit for averaging the RF data for the plural number of transmissions and generating an image signal representing the ultrasonic image based on the averaged RF data.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe of a radial scan type mountable on an ultrasonic observation apparatus, which inputs and outputs M numbers of signals in parallel, comprises the following: N (N>M) numbers of ultrasonic transducers disposed on an outer periphery of a tip, and grouped into plural sensor element groups activated in sequence, each of which has M numbers of ultrasonic transducers; N numbers of first signal lines respectively connected to the N numbers of ultrasonic transducers for transmitting a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic transducers and an echo signal from within a living organism; M numbers of second signal lines connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus; and a multiplexer disposed between the first signal lines and the second signal lines, which selectively switches M numbers of the first signal lines for respectively connecting to the second signal lines according to the sensor element group to be activated.

Abstract: A homodyne interference system splits first and second light beams from a common light source and causes the first and second light beams to impinge upon an irradiating point of an organism at different directions. An optical heterodyne system splits a third beam from the common light source and imparts a frequency shift to the third beam. The outputs of the homodyne and heterodyne systems combine to permit extraction of a beat component of the homodyne system at a high SNR level. The output of the homodyne and heterodyne system are output as an image, which may be timed to a phase timing mechanism to provide an improved output.

Abstract: A first measuring light beam of wavelength &lgr;1 equal to a wavelength at the isosbestic point between oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin and a second measuring light beam of wavelength &lgr;2 differing from the first measuring light beam are incident on the same part of a subject such as a human finger and scan the subject by using an X-Y stage movable in X and Y directions. The first measuring light beam branches into two light beams. One of the two light beams is subjected to a frequency shift by a frequency shifter, while the other is transmitted through the subject. Thereafter, the two light beams are synthesized and a beat component of the synthesized first measuring light beam is detected by a first signal detection section. The first signal detection section outputs a first beat-component detection signal. For the second measuring light beam, a second beat-component detection signal is output in the same manner as the first measuring light beam.