Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasonic pulses relevant to each scanning line twice, for example, while changing a center frequency of a bandwidth; acquires an electrical receiving signal that corresponds to an ultrasonic echo for such each transmission; applies filter processing with characteristics in accordance with a bandwidth of a harmonic component of a respective one of two receiving signals received for each scanning line; synthesizes the thus processed two receiving signals; and generates/displays an image by using the synthesized receiving signal. In this manner, the resolution and signal intensity in a depth direction is improved by broadening the bandwidth of a harmonic component provided for image generation, and a harmonic image having an occurrence of a motion artifact restrained is provided.

Abstract: A transmitting/receiving unit transmits an ultrasound wave to an object at a first rate in accordance with a first code, transmit an ultrasound wave to the object at a second rate in accordance with a second code complementary to the first code, and receives the first and second reception signals. The first and second reception signals are convoluted in the second and first codes respectively. The phase difference between the two signals represents the motion of the tissue of the object between the first and second rates. The first or second reception signal is compensated on the basis of the phase difference. The compensated first and second reception signals are convoluted in the first and second codes respectively. The two signals are added to generate a third reception signal. Image data is generated on the basis of the third reception signal.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasound probe and a beam-former configured to scan an object to be examined with ultrasound waves through the ultrasound probe. A B-mode processor generates B-mode image data on the basis of a reception signal output from the beam-former. A power Doppler processor generates power Doppler data on the basis of the reception signal output from the beam-former. The power Doppler data is generated on the basis of the reception signal acquired under transmission conditions that the burst wave number is equal or substantially equal to that for the B-mode data, and the ensemble size is set to one of 2 to 10. The B-mode image data and power Doppler data are partly synthesized.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe. A transmitter supplies a transmission pulse to the ultrasonic probe to repeatedly transmit an ultrasonic wave to each of a plurality of scanning lines. A receiver receives echoes of the ultrasonic waves through the ultrasonic probe and obtaining a plurality of received signals for each of the plurality of scanning lines. A displacement estimating means estimates a relative change accompanying a tissue motion between received signals associated with each of scanning lines. A displacement correcting means corrects the received signals in accordance with the change detected by the displacement estimating means. A harmonic component extracting means extracts a harmonic component from the received signals corrected by the displacement correcting means. A display means generates an ultrasonic image on the basis of the harmonic component extracted by the harmonic component extracting means. A monitor displays the image generated by the display means.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe, a transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic wave pulse having peaks at fundamental frequencys, and a receiver for receiving an echo signal corresponding to the ultrasonic wave pulse. The echo signal contains a difference frequency component as well as a fundamental frequency component centered on a fundamental frequency. A difference frequency component is extracted by attenuating the fundamental frequency component of the echo signal. Ultrasonic image data is generated on the basis of the extracted difference frequency component.

Abstract: A diagnostic ultrasound apparatus is provided for obtaining an image of an object into which an ultrasound contrast agent is injected. The apparatus has a transducer 1 for transmitting and receiving an ultrasound wave to and from the object and transmitting means (2, 81, 83) transmitting an ultrasound pulse into the object by driving the transducer under a first transmitting condition exerting a given destruction capability on the ultrasound contrast agent and a second transmitting condition having a destruction capability lower than that of the first condition. First image producing (3, 5) receive an ultrasound echo of the ultrasound pulse transmitted under the first transmitting condition and produce a first color-displayed image based on phase displacement information about the ultrasound echo. Additionally, second image producing means (3, 4) receive an ultrasound echo of the transmitted ultrasound pulse and produce a second image based on amplitude information about the ultrasound echo.

Abstract: In a high-resolution flow mode, a diagnostic ultrasound apparatus and a diagnostic ultrasound method that provide an image of blood flow or perfusion is provided with higher sensitivity and high resolution, which makes it possible to precisely observe the presence of fine blood vessels. In this apparatus, by scanning means (81 to 83), with a ultrasound pulse having a wideband frequency characteristic transmitting at least two times in the same direction within an object, a cross section to be imaged therein is scanned to obtain an echo signal at each time of transmission. By processing means 84, highpass filtering or differential processing is performed with rows of data in the time axis direction of an echo signal acquired at each sample location in the cross section, so that signals from blood flow are extracted. By producing means 85, the processed signals are produced into data of luminance or power.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus wherein a three dimensional space is scanned by ultrasonic beams and echo signals are received simultaneously in parallel to produce ultrasonic information. During operation, transmitting/receiving conditions are selected from a plurality of transmitting/receiving conditions. Operation is then switched at a predetermined period between the selected transmitting/receiving conditions so that the three dimensional space is scanned by ultrasonic beams and echo signals are alternately received, at the predetermined period, under the selected transmitting/receiving conditions. Image information for each selected transmitting/receiving condition is obtained and respective ultrasonic images corresponding to each transmitting/receiving condition are simultaneously displayed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus sets transmission conditions that are different depending on a scanning direction so that a transmission sound field in a scanning region is uniform in a scanning of ultrasonic beams in one frame; transmits ultrasonic beams to a subject under the thus set transmission conditions; and samples a harmonics component from a ultrasonic echo signal reflected from a subject of the thus transmitted ultrasonic beams, thereby obtaining a harmonics ultrasonic image of the subject. According to this ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, in the case of harmonics imaging as well, an entirely uniform image quality with its less non-uniformity is achieved, and information useful for diagnosis can be provided on a clinical application site.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe. A transmitter supplies a transmission pulse to the ultrasonic probe to repeatedly transmit an ultrasonic wave to each of a plurality of scanning lines. A receiver receives echoes of the ultrasonic waves through the ultrasonic probe and obtaining a plurality of received signals for each of the plurality of scanning lines. A displacement estimating means estimates a relative change accompanying a tissue motion between received signals associated with each of scanning lines. A displacement correcting means corrects the received signals in accordance with the change detected by the displacement estimating means. A harmonic component extracting means extracts a harmonic component from the received signals corrected by the displacement correcting means. A display means generates an ultrasonic image on the basis of the harmonic component extracted by the harmonic component extracting means. A monitor displays the image generated by the display means.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus has an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of arrayed transducer elements, a transmitting beam former for generating driving signals for driving transducer elements, and a receiving beam former for generating receiving signals based on echo signals received by transducer elements. The transmitting beam former generates driving signals so that phases of ultrasonic waves generated from transducer elements are aligned at multiple focal points. An image processor extracts harmonic components from receiving signals of ultrasonic waves having multiple focal points, and generates ultrasonic image data based on the harmonic components.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasound probe and a beam-former configured to scan an object to be examined with ultrasound waves through the ultrasound probe. A B-mode processor generates B-mode image data on the basis of a reception signal output from the beam-former. A power Doppler processor generates power Doppler data on the basis of the reception signal output from the beam-former. The power Doppler data is generated on the basis of the reception signal acquired under transmission conditions that the burst wave number is equal or substantially equal to that for the B-mode data, and the ensemble size is set to one of 2 to 10. The B-mode image data and power Doppler data are partly synthesized.

Abstract: An ultrasound wave is transmitted to a target object through an ultrasound probe, and an echo signal returning from the target object is received through the ultrasound probe. In a fundamental wave mode, a fundamental wave component is extracted from the echo signal, and an image is generated based on the fundamental wave component. In a harmonics mode, a harmonics component is extracted, and an image is generated based on the harmonics component. The focal strength ratio of the ultrasound wave in the harmonica mode is changed between in the harmonics mode and in the fundamental wave mode. As a result, images with high quality can be obtained in both the fundamental wave mode and the harmonics mode.

Abstract: By scanning a cross-section of an inside of a subject through an organ of interest with an ultrasonic wave it is possible to generate tissue cross-sectional data relating to the cross-section and motion velocity data relating to the region of interest. The motion velocity data is comprised of transmit/receive direction components of the ultrasonic wave. In order to obtain a motion velocity, or its near-motion velocity, of a direction of interest, it is necessary to angle-compensate the motion velocity data in accordance with a given direction of interest. According to the present invention, the direction-of-interest necessary to effect the angle compensation is assumed based on the contour of the organ of interest which can be extracted from the tissue cross-sectional data.

Abstract: An interested region including an interested blood vessel of a subject is scanned by a plurality of ultrasonic waves so as to receive a plurality of echo signals. A plurality of Doppler signals is detected from the echo signals in connection with a plurality of sample points in the interested region. An average frequency of the blood current of the interested blood vessel, variance, and power are calculated based on the Doppler signals. A sample point positioned on the interested blood vessel is picked up from the plurality of samples every time phase based on the average frequency or power. A time curve is formed based on at least one of the average frequency of the picked up sample point, the variance, and power. Thereby, it is possible to compensate for the state that a sample volume is detached from the interested blood vessel as in the conventional case.

Abstract: In performing harmonic echo imaging, the necessity of changing modes is obviated, maneuverability is improved, and diagnostic information of the kinetics of a blood flow is provided with high reliability. A diagnostic ultrasound system provides, by scanning a cross section of an object with an ultrasonic beam signal, a normal B-mode image (the first tomographic image) of a tissue and a harmonic-mode image (the second tomographic image) of distribution information of an ultrasonic contrast medium injected into the object. The distribution information is obtained based on a non-fundamental frequency component (e.g., second harmonics) other than a fundamental frequency component of the ultrasonic beam signal. The system comprises a unit for scanning an ultrasonic beam signal along the cross section to acquire an echo. The scanning unit controls the scan so that the beam signal is scanned automatically and alternately for each raster in both the normal B-mode and the harmonic-mode.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic prove, a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are set in array. Each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements has an outer surface consisting of a front surface for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal, a back surface opposite to the front surface, and a side surface connecting between the front surface and the back surface. Each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements is driven by a driving electric signal so as to transmit and receive the ultrasonic signal. The ultrasonic prove is comprised of a pair of electrodes covered with at least a portion of at least the front surface of each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements and the side surface thereof and a pair of conductors joined to the pair of electrode of each of the transducer elements respectively. The joined positions of the pair of conductors are positioned on at least one of sides of the front surface of each of the transducer elements and side surface thereof.

Abstract: Provided is a diagnostic ultrasound system producing an image whose brightness is enhanced by a contrast medium by implementing contrast echography based on intravenous injection. A diagnostic ultrasound system comprises a probe for converting an electrical driving signal into a corresponding transmission ultrasound wave and converting an echoed ultrasound wave into a corresponding electrical echo signal. The system still comprises a unit for transmitting the transmission ultrasonic wave to a subject by providing the probe the electrical driving signal substantially consisting of a fundamental component of a given driving frequency. The non-fundamental component is typically a second harmonic. A non-fundamental component of the driving frequency is intentionally lowered in power relative to the fundamental component by a suppressing element in the transmitting unit.

Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a region containing an organ of an object being examined is diagnosed by means of ultrasonic beams, the organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising: an element for scanning the region by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals having Doppler shift; an element for calculating movement velocities every sampling volume on the basis of the ultrasonic echo signals; and an element for displaying in color the movement velocities.

Abstract: Using a Doppler technique, contrast echo imaging is carried out in order to properly measure the velocity of a contrast medium injected into a patient body by intravenous injection. A diagnostic ultrasound system includes: a unit for extracting a Doppler shift of a nonlinear echo component from a received echo, the nonlinear echo component being attributable to reflection of an ultrasound beam from the ultrasound contrast medium injected into blood. A unit converts a Doppler shift f.sub.d into a velocity component v according to the following conversion expression:v =Vcos.theta.=Cf.sub.d /(2f.sub.set +f.sub.d)where C denotes a sound velocity, V denotes a moving velocity of a blood flow in a patient body, v denotes a component of a moving velocity V in a direction of an ultrasound beam, .theta. denotes an angle of an ultrasound beam with respect to a moving direction of an object, f.sub.set denotes a set frequency used for velocity conversion, and f.sub.d denotes a Doppler shift.