Abstract: The inventive subject matter is directed to an artificial intelligence intra-operative surgical guidance system and method of use. The artificial intelligence intra-operative surgical guidance system is made of a computer executing one or more automated artificial intelligence models trained on data layer datasets collections to calculate surgical decision risks, and provide intra-operative surgical guidance; and a display configured to provide visual guidance to a user.

Abstract: A method of providing an ultrasound elastography image that includes inducing a shear wave by transmitting a first ultrasound signal pushing an object to the object, transmitting a second ultrasound signal tracing the shear wave to the object to receive a response signal to the second ultrasound signal from the object; acquiring an elastography image of the object, based on the response signal, and providing the elastography image of the object and transmission position information of the first ultrasound signal.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and a method of operating the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. The method includes: obtaining first Doppler data of a blood flow introduced into a cardiac ventricle of an object and second Doppler data of a blood flow discharged from the cardiac ventricle; setting a landmark corresponding to a predetermined motion of the cardiac ventricle in each of a first Doppler image generated based on the first Doppler data and a second Doppler image generated based on the second Doppler data; synchronizing the first Doppler image and the second Doppler image based on the set landmark; and displaying the first Doppler image and the second Doppler image that are synchronized.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus (200, 600) may include at least one controller (210, 610) which may be configured to: acquire ultrasound data of an anatomical region-of-interest (ROI), the ultrasound data including at least two frames acquired at different times over an interval of time as a push force is applied to induce movement in the anatomical ROI; determine a correlation between at least two of the acquired frames and form corresponding correlation coefficients; generate a correlation coefficient (CC) map based upon the determined correlation information between the at least two frames; and distinguish fluid from tissue within the CC map based upon a comparison of the correlation coefficients with at least one threshold value.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence (AI) platform, method and program product for detecting and sizing a lesion in real time during a clinical procedure. An AI platform is disclosed that includes: a trained classifier that includes a deep learning model trained to detect lesions and reference objects in image data; a real time video analysis system that receives a video feed during a clinical procedure, uses the trained classifier to determine if a video frame from the video feed has both a lesion and a reference object, calculates an actual size of the lesion based on a pixel size of both the lesion and the reference object, and outputs an indication that the lesion was detected and the actual size of the lesion.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media relate to generate an integrated image based on strain data and elastic model. The method may include determining, by a processor, a range of probe positions for placement of an ultrasound probe with respect to a patient based on strain data, the range of positions including a first position, a second position, and one or more positions there between. The method may also include acquiring 3D TRUS images of the patient at each of the one or more positions of the range and generating a patient specific biomechanical model based on the 3D TRUS images. The method may further include integrating the patient specific biomechanical model, the 3D TRUS images and MR images to generate an integrated image of the prostate. The methods, systems, and computer readable media can improve efficiency and accuracy of 3D TRUS and MR image registration, e.g., for image-guided interventions.

Abstract: Flash suppression is provided in motion imaging. Separate regions of motion in a same frame or image are tested for flash independently. The size, shape, spatial variance, and/or location of a given region are used to categorize a level or likelihood of flash artifact for that region. Based on the level or likelihood, the motion information is altered to reduce flash.

Abstract: A computer acquires a captured image obtained by capturing an image of an object existing in a space and an image capturing position where the image was captured. Then, the computer determines a virtual-image capturing position, a virtually captured image, obtained when an image of a model generated based on structure data of the object is captured from the virtual-image capturing position, satisfying a specified correspondence relationship with the captured image having been obtained; and determines a position in the space with which the model is associated, based on the acquired image capturing position and positional relationship between the model and the virtual-image capturing position.

Abstract: An estimation of arterial wall properties is provided. A method for determining a wall property of an artery such as an aorta includes acquiring patient data and extracting physical data from the patient data. The physical data is applied to a blood flow model of the aorta to obtain an individual blood flow model. The wall property of the artery is directly or indirectly determined from the individual blood flow model.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining a first image of a patient procured during an X-ray, analyzing the first image for one or more unmasked anomalies, shifting the first image to provide a shifted image, obtaining a residual image comprising a combination of the first image and the shifted image, and analyzing the residual image for one or more masked anomalies, where the one or more masked anomalies include anomalies that went undetected in the analysis of the first image for the one or more unmasked anomalies due to a presence of one or more masking features in the first image.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasound probe and a communication method of the ultrasound probe capable of selecting an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and/or a wireless communication method that are most appropriate in an environment in which a plurality of ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses exist. A method of communicating with an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, performed by the ultrasound probe, includes operations of obtaining a plurality of pieces of information about ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses; displaying an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus list, based on the plurality of pieces of information about the ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses; receiving an input for selecting an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus from the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus list; and wirelessly transmitting ultrasound image data to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, wherein the ultrasound image data is generated by the ultrasound probe.

Abstract: A radar sensing system for a vehicle has multiple transmitters and receivers on a vehicle. The transmitters are configured to transmit radio signals which are reflected off of objects in the environment. There are one or more receivers that receive the reflected radio signals. Each receiver has an antenna, a radio frequency front end, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital signal processor. The transmitted signals are based on spreading codes generated by a programmable code generation unit. The receiver also makes use of the spreading codes generated by the programmable code generation unit. The programmable code generation unit is configured to selectively generate particular spreading codes that have desired properties.

Abstract: In the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic wave transmitter/receiver transmits and receives an ultrasonic beam to a subject to generate reception data using ultrasonic wave transmission/reception elements arranged in one direction; the delay correction unit corrects a delay time of the reception data to align a phase of the reception data; the reception aperture range determination unit determines a reception aperture range of reception data, which is used when producing an ultrasound image from reception data after correction of the delay time, based on a signal value of the reception data after correction of the delay time in an arrangement direction of the ultrasonic wave transmission/reception elements; and the image producer produces an ultrasound image by performing phase matching addition of the reception data after correction of the delay time corresponding the reception aperture range and performing data processing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods to detect a wide range of eardrum abnormalities by using high-resolution otoscope images and report the condition of the eardrum as “normal” or “abnormal.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a medical diagnostic apparatus includes processing circuitry and display circuitry. The processing circuitry estimates a position of a structure in a subject based on data obtained by scanning with respect to the subject and analyzes tissue characterization in the subject. The display circuitry displays an analysis result of the tissue characterization obtained by the processing circuitry with respect to a plurality of positions in the subject except for the estimated structure position.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a medical image diagnostic apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry sets a viewpoint and an observation direction relative to medical image data. The processing circuitry searches for a region that satisfies a predetermined requirement from a search initiation surface set at a predetermined position farther away from the viewpoint in comparison with a non-display region in the medical image data in a direction toward the viewpoint, and calculates a drawing initiation surface based on a result of the search. The processing circuitry executes drawing processing from the drawing initiation surface in the observation direction, and generates display image data.

Abstract: Ultrasound method for extracting information from signal components relating to spatial locations in a target region such as for example image reconstruction in the spatial and temporal frequency domain comprises the steps of: Transmitting an unfocussed acoustic wave in a target region; extracting information of the scatterers in the target region from signal components relating to spatial locations of the target region by applying a backpropagation algorithm to the radiofrequency signals generated by transformation of the reflected acoustic waves and which radiofrequency signals has been transformed in the frequency-wavenumber domain and transformed back to the time spatial domain after backpropagation processing, the system provides the further step of optimizing the extracted information by applying corrections to the radio frequency received signals in the frequency-wavenumber domain. The invention relates also to an ultrasound system for carrying out said method.

Abstract: An apparatus for the detection of compartment syndrome (CS) provides an ultrasound transducer which is operative to excite the ultrasound transducer with a transmit waveform having a center frequency. The ultrasound beam traverses through the compartments of interest, and reflections of signal through Rayleigh scattering are received, amplified, and mixed with a transmit clock to form a baseband quadrature signal, or alternatively, are sampled as RF. Reflections from the compartment volume front and rear fascia interfaces are examined for phase shift, after which an elasticity metric is generated indicating the likelihood of CS in the effected tissues.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are presented in which the balance between image resolution and frame rate (Res/Speed) and the balance between image resolution and penetration (Pen/Gen/Res) are automatically adjusted in response to image content. A motion detector analyzes the relative motion between successive images. If the motion content is relatively high, the imaging parameters are changed in favor of relatively greater frame rate and reduced resolution. A low motion content causes the opposite adjustment. The electronic noise between successive images is also computed with a relatively high noise content (low correlation) in the far field resulting in an adjustment to penetration as by lowering the transmit frequency. A relatively low noise content causes an adjustment in favor of increased resolution.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein generally relate to automatically determining an anatomical measurement of an ultrasound image. The systems and methods identify a view characteristic of an ultrasound image. The ultrasound image including one or more anatomical features. The systems and methods select a diagnostic measurement (DM) tool based on the view characteristic, on a graphical user interface (GUI), which is generated on a display. The systems and methods receive a first selection at a first position within the ultrasound image, and automatically determine an anatomical measurement, to be performed upon the ultrasound image utilizing the DM tool, based on the first position.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus including an ultrasound probe which outputs transmission ultrasound toward a subject due to a pulse signal being input and which outputs a received signal by receiving reflected ultrasound from the subject, and a transmission unit which makes the ultrasound probe generate the transmission ultrasound by outputting a pulse signal whose drive waveform is formed of rectangular waves. The frequency power spectrum of the pulse signal has intensity peaks in a frequency band included in a transmission frequency band at ?20 dB of the ultrasound probe on a low frequency side and a high frequency side of a center frequency of the transmission frequency band, respectively, and intensity of a frequency region between the intensity peaks is ?20 dB or greater with a maximum value of intensity among the intensity peaks being a reference.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including: an image processor configured to generate, as an amount of a contrast agent introduced into a target tissue of an object changes, a plurality of ultrasound images showing different sizes of regions in a target tissue region representing a tissue into which the contrast agent has been introduced; a display configured to display a first ultrasound image from among the plurality of ultrasound images; a user input unit configured to receive a user input for setting a region of interest (ROI) in the displayed first ultrasound image; and a controller configured to determine, based on the set ROI, the regions in the plurality of ultrasound images representing the tissue into which the contrast agent has been introduced and determine the region of the target tissue based on the determined regions.

Abstract: A method for automatic identification of a measurement item is provided. The method comprises acquiring, via an image acquisition module, gray values of pixels of a specified section image corresponding to ultrasonic echoes generated by reflection of ultrasound waves by a tissue under examination; identifying, via an identification module, at least one measurement item corresponding to the specified section image based on the gray values of the pixels; and measuring, via a measuring module, a measurement item parameter of the specified section image based on the measurement item identified. Because the measurement item of a specified section image can be automatically identified based on the content thereof, the user does not need to move a trackball to select measurement items, and therefore efficiency is increased.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasound imaging apparatus and a method of operating the same. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate a plurality of color Doppler mode images by extracting a plurality of pieces of ensemble data from among ultrasound data acquired from the object.

Abstract: Embodiments facilitate in-time registration of temporally separated image acquisition sessions to obtain highly comparable images without physical restraint of the camera and/or subject. For example, while displaying a live view being acquired of a subject in real time in a viewfinder window of an image acquisition system, a live position of the system can be measured, a real-time offset can be computed between the live position and a guide position (corresponding to a position from which a prior image of the subject was acquired at a prior acquisition time), and a guide can be overlaid on the viewfinder window to indicate a real-time positional offset between the live view and the prior image according to the real-time offset. A present image of the subject can be acquired when the guide indicates an in-time registration between the live view and the prior image.

Abstract: A method for forming a contrast pulse sequence ultrasound image using a pulse width modulation scheme and an ultrasound system using the same are disclosed. The ultrasound system generates at least three kinds of mutually different pulses having a same amplitude, and sequentially transmits at least three kinds of transmission signals corresponding to the at least three kinds of mutually different pulses to an ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer transmits at least three kinds of ultrasound signals to a target object by sequentially generating the at least three kinds of ultrasound signals based on the at least three kinds of transmission signals. The ultrasound transducer generates at least three kinds of reception signals by sequentially receiving at least three kinds of echo signals reflected from the target object. The ultrasound system forms a contrast pulse sequence ultrasound image by eliminating a linear component from the at least three kinds of reception signals.

Abstract: A system for presenting multiple parallel slices comprises a display for displaying ultrasound data comprising 3D Doppler data over time. A user interface defines a proximal plane and a distal plane within the ultrasound data that are parallel to one another. The proximal and distal planes define a region of interest (ROI). A signal processor automatically extracts at least two slices based on the ultrasound data within the ROI. The at least two slices are parallel with respect to each other and are displayed on the display.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. The system comprises an ultrasound emitter and receiver movably disposed within an elongate member, an actuator coupled to the emitter, and a control system. The actuator moves the emitter through a path comprising at least a portion of an arc. The control system controls the emission of a sequence of pulses from the emitter and receives from the receiver ultrasound echo data associated with the sequence of pulses emitted along the path. The control system processes the ultrasound echo data to generate a cross-sectional image of an internal structure based on echo amplitude data and echo velocity data.

Abstract: An ultrasound machine for generating push-pulses to excite shear wave stimulation employs separated angled beams that converge at the target region to generate the push-pulses. In one embodiment, the beams are modulated by a set of apodization functions to reduce side lobes caused by the narrowing of the apertures of the beam as well as transducer heating by reducing the average energy deposited in each transducer element.

Abstract: Dynamically identifying a stationary body of fluid (102) within a test volume by scanning within the volume can entail using a first part of a pulse sequence to acoustically interrogate a region within the volume to detect pre-existing movement (124) and, via a separate acoustic interrogation constituting the second part of the pulse sequence, acoustically interrogating the region to distinguish solid from fluid. The scanning is with both interrogations as a unit, so as to span the volume with the interrogations. The body is identified, dynamically based on an outcome of the interrogations. The scanning may span, for the identifying, a current field of view (116), including normal tissue, within an imaging subject. The procedure, from scanning to identifying, may be performed automatically and without need for user intervention, although the user can optionally change the field of view to further search for stationary fluid.

Abstract: A medical information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry collects pieces of past image data in a plurality of time phases that contain at least a part of a coronary artery of a heart and new image data in one time phase that contains at least a part of the coronary artery and has been acquired after acquisition of the pieces of past image data. The processing circuitry performs registration processing between the pieces of collected past image data and registration processing between any one of the pieces of past image data and the new image data. The processing circuitry generates pieces of synthesized image data corresponding to the time phases of the pieces of past image data other than the past image data on which the registration processing with the new image data has been executed by reflecting a shape of the new image data based on results of the registration processing.

Abstract: A method and system for archiving 3D geometry information for a plurality of subjects, and on a particular part of the body (which may also be the whole body) is described. The method and system allow an organizing and an analyzing step, resulting in scalable characteristic components for the particular part of the body, and an approximation of the geometry of that particular part of the body for a specific subject by a combination of a subset of those characteristic components with corresponding scale factors, which are then stored.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensional (3D) mapping includes acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images of a cavity in a body of a living subject, the 2D images having different, respective positions in a 3D reference frame. In each of the 2D ultrasonic images, pixels corresponding to locations within an interior of the cavity are identified. The identified pixels from the plurality of the 2D images are registered in the 3D reference frame so as to define a volume corresponding to the interior of the cavity. An outer surface of the volume is reconstructed, representing an interior surface of the cavity.

Abstract: A therapeutic ultrasound breast treatment device (101) is disclosed. The device (101) can include a receptacle (130) to receive a breast of a patient therein. The device (101) can also include an ultrasound transducer assembly disposed proximate the receptacle and oriented to direct a high intensity ultrasound transmission through an opening (168) of the receptacle (130) toward the breast. The device (101) can include a liner (1 60) disposed in the receptacle (130) to contain an ultrasound coupling fluid about the breast. The liner (160) can have an extension portion that extends through the opening (168) to form a seal with the ultrasound transducer assembly to prevent leakage of the ultrasound coupling fluid. A focus location of the ultrasound transmission can be adjustable and the device (101) can include a plurality of RF tracking coils to determine the focus location of the ultrasound transmission to facilitate adjustment of the focus location in an MRI environment.

Abstract: A signal is sent into a first surface of a structure at an angle relative to the first surface of the structure using a transducer array, wherein the structure has a second surface with a portion non-parallel to the first surface. An ultrasound response signal is formed at the portion of the second surface of the structure. The ultrasound response signal is received at the transducer array.

Abstract: An ultrasound image diagnostic apparatus includes the following. An ultrasound probe outputs transmission ultrasound into a subject in response to reception of a pulsed signal and outputs a reception signal in response to reception of ultrasound reflected from the subject. A transmitter generates the pulsed signal and outputs the generated pulsed signal to the ultrasound probe. A receiver receives the reception signal from the ultrasound probe and generates sound-ray data. An image generator generates ultrasound image data from the sound-ray data. An input receiver receives target position information on a target position. A highlighted-area determiner determines a first highlighted area among multiple areas in a body mark based on the target position information. A display combiner combines the body mark including the first highlighted area with the generated ultrasound image data and displays the resulting image on a display unit.

Abstract: An analyzer in an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry identifies at least a part of a contour of a heart of a subject for an image corresponding to a first cardiac time phase and an image corresponding to a second cardiac time phase that are included in time-series images including the heart of the subject. The processing circuitry calculates, using the information about the identified contours, a first cardiac function parameter representing at least one of a volume or an ejection fraction of a heart chamber and a second cardiac function parameter representing a global strain of a myocardium corresponding to the heart chamber. The processing circuitry causes the first cardiac function parameter and the second cardiac function parameter to be displayed by common operation.

Abstract: A system includes an ultrasound patch probe and brackets having a body and a base. The body includes a coupler and a hollow interior portion. The coupler is operable to receive the probe at a pre-defined ultrasound acquisition angle. The coupler defines a probe opening to provide the probe access to the hollow interior portion of the body. The coupler of each of the brackets is arranged to receive the probe at a different pre-defined ultrasound acquisition angle. The base surrounds a perimeter of the body and defines a bracket opening that extends through the base to provide access to the hollow interior portion of the body. The base includes a bottom surface operable to be secured against skin of a patient. The ultrasound patch probe is communicatively coupled to an ultrasound imaging system and detachably coupleable to the coupler of any selected one of the brackets.

Abstract: In an electronic component, electrodes defining functional portions are provided on a piezoelectric substrate. In order to define a hollow portion which the functional portions face, there are provided a first support with a frame shape, and second supports on the piezoelectric substrate in an inner side region surrounded by the first support. A cover is laminated on the first support as well as on the second supports to define the hollow portion. A height of each of the second supports is higher than a height of the first support.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the subject matter described herein a system is provided. The system includes a portable host system having one or more processors and a memory for storing a plurality of applications. The one or more processors configured to execute programmed instructions of a select application by performing one or more operations, which include obtain a set of frames of 2D ultrasound images, develop a prospect model indicating a likelihood that frames within the set include an organ of interest (OOI), identify primary and secondary reference frames from the set of the frames based on the prospect model, determine a characteristic of interest in the primary reference frame, select a candidate shape for the OOI based on the character of interest in the primary reference frame, and adjust the candidate shape based on the secondary reference frames to form a resultant shape for the OOI.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods for motion capture to generate content (e.g., motion pictures, television programming, videos, etc.). An actor or other performing being can have multiple markers on his or her face that are essentially invisible to the human eye, but that can be clearly captured by camera systems of the present disclosure. Embodiments can capture the performance using two different camera systems, each of which can observe the same performance but capture different images of that performance. For instance, a first camera system can capture the performance within a first light wavelength spectrum (e.g., visible light spectrum), and a second camera system can simultaneously capture the performance in a second light wavelength spectrum different from the first spectrum (e.g., invisible light spectrum such as the IR light spectrum). The images captured by the first and second camera systems can be combined to generate content.

Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for scanning an image subject along a scan axis. The method includes stitching sectional datasets acquired from different anatomical sections of the image subject based on locations of a landmark in the sectional datasets.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for characterizing adventitial tissue. In one aspect, a system and method are disclosed that characterizes tissue types within the adventitial tissue including nerve bundles and blood vessels. In a further aspect, the adventitia is imaged and characterized to provide guidance for crossing lesions within an occluded vessel.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an ultrasonic diagnostic system formed of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a wireless communication terminal and applicable to a wireless communication terminal with various resolution levels, including the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which converts frame data obtained by collecting an echo signal at an ultrasonic probe into scan data corresponding to a resolution level of a display screen of the wireless communication terminal and the wireless communication terminal which receives the scan data from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and scan-converts the scan data into an ultrasonic image adequate for the resolution level of the display screen thereof.

Abstract: This disclosure provides some examples of systems, apparatus, circuitry, methods and computer readable media associated with transmission of an ultrasonic signal using an ultrasonic transducer having a pixel electrode configured to receive a reflected acoustic signal having a first phase. A switch is controlled to: switch from off to on at a time of resetting a sampling node, be on for a delay period, and switch from on to off at a time of sampling the received signal to cause a sampled signal having a second phase different from the first phase to be detected. A first transistor, having a gate coupled with the sampling node, an input configured to receive a power signal, and an output coupled with a data line, is controlled to enable an output current to flow from the input to the output at a time of reading the sampled signal.

Abstract: An electronic device, a method thereof, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, and a chipset are disclosed. The electronic device includes a sensor module including a plurality of sensor arrays for scanning a target object located in a predetermined vicinity of the electronic device; and a control module configured to determine a direction in which the target object is located, based on a first signal that the sensor module outputs with respect to the target object, and scan the target object located in the determined direction, wherein the sensor arrays are spaced apart from each other.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is gated to acquire images at different phases of a physiological cycle such as the heartbeat. At each successive heart cycle a trigger actuates the acquisition of a continuous sequence of images, starting at a particular phase of the heart cycle and ending when the next heart cycle begins. Multiple triggers are used, each starting at a different phase of the heart cycle and each acquiring images at uniform temporal spacing. After the first trigger is used a sequence of images has been captured which are temporally evenly spaced over the heart cycle, and as successive triggers are used uniform temporal spacing is maintained as the heart cycle is filled in with additional images for replay of an image loop of phase re-ordered images at a high frame rate of display.

Abstract: A surgical navigation system comprising a signal receiver communicatively coupled to a primary processor, the primary processor programmed to utilize a sequential Monte Carlo algorithm to calculate changes in three dimensional position of an inertial measurement unit mounted to a surgical tool, the processor communicatively coupled to a first memory storing tool data unique to each of a plurality of surgical tools, and a second memory storing a model data sufficient to construct a three dimensional model of an anatomical feature, the primary processor communicatively coupled to a display providing visual feedback regarding the three dimensional position of the surgical tool with respect to the anatomical feature.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for improved image analysis via novel deblurring and segmentation techniques of image data. These techniques advantageously account for and incorporate segmentation of biological analytes into a deblurring process for an image. Thus, the deblurring of the image may advantageously be optimized for enabling identification and quantitative analysis of one or more biological analytes based on underlying biological models for those analytes. The techniques described herein provide for significant improvements in the image deblurring and segmentation process which reduces signal noise and improves the accuracy of the image. In particular, the system and methods described herein advantageously utilize unique optimization and tissue characteristics image models which are informed by the underlying biology being analyzed, (for example by a biological model for the analytes). This provides for targeted deblurring and segmentation which is optimized for the applied image analytics.

Abstract: Various types of sub-preset conditions corresponding to a selected mother preset condition are read out from a preset condition storage unit which stores at least a plurality of mother preset conditions set concerning image data acquisition conditions and various types of sub-preset conditions set by updating all or some of the image data acquisition conditions included in each of the mother preset conditions. A sub-preset condition suitable for ultrasonic examination on the object is selected from the readout various types of sub-preset conditions. An image data acquisition condition is initialized based on the selected mother preset condition with respect to each unit related to generation of the image data. The image data acquisition condition is updated by using the selected sub-preset condition. Image data is generated based on a reception signal in ultrasonic transmission/reception using the updated image data acquisition condition.