Patent ID: 9241685
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: A61B,G01S,G06T

Claim Text:
1. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, comprising: an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of transducers arrayed in one direction; an ultrasonic transmission/reception circuit configured to transmit/receive ultrasonic signals to/from an object to be examined via the ultrasonic probe; an image constructor configured to construct an ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image of the object using the received ultrasonic signals; a display configured to display the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image; an inputter configured to receive an input from an operator; an image memory configured to store the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image constructed by the image constructor; a controller configured to control the image constructor and the display, the controller including: wherein the inputter includes: an ultrasonic probe moving direction setter configured to set the ultrasonic probe moving direction of either a first direction from a front toward a back side of the display for the operator, or a second direction toward the front side of the display for the operator, after the operator confirms that the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image, displayed on the display, is in a desired direction for the operator; wherein an order in which the plurality of ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic images stored in an image memory is a construction order of the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image constructed by the image constructor, and wherein the 3-dimensional image constructer is further configured to change a reading order of the plurality of ultrasonic tomographic images from the image memory in accordance with the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe which is set by the ultrasonic probe moving direction setter in order that the 3-dimensional image displayed by the display, is displayed in a direction consistent with the direction of the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image displayed by the display.