Patent ID: 9247922
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: A61B,G01S,G06T,G16H

Claim Text:
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe provided with transducers for transmitting/receiving ultrasonic waves; a transmission unit configured to transmit the ultrasonic waves to an object to be examined via the ultrasonic probe; a reception unit configured to receive reflected echo signals from the object; a processor configured to act as: a 3-dimensional elastic image constructing unit configured to construct a 3-dimensional elastic image comprising a region of interest and a region other than the region of interest by performing volume rendering on elastic volume data formed by elasticity values based on the reflected echo signals; an elastic opacity table creating section configured to create an elastic opacity table setting a relationship between an opacity in the volume rendering of the elastic volume data and an elasticity value, the region of interest having a first opacity corresponding to a first elasticity value range in the elastic opacity table, and the region other than the region of interest having a second opacity corresponding to a second elasticity value range in the elastic opacity table, the second elasticity value range being a larger range than the first elasticity value range, the elastic opacity table creating section configured to set the first opacity of the region of interest higher than the second opacity of the region other than the region of interest; and a display unit configured to display the 3-dimensional elastic image and an opacity setting area for setting an opacity of the region other than the region of interest relative to the first opacity of the region of interest in accordance with operation by an operator, wherein the elastic opacity table creating section is configured to, in response to the operation by the operator on the opacity setting area, change the second opacity to a third opacity corresponding to the second elasticity value range in the elastic opacity table, and the 3-dimensional elastic image constructing unit is configured to set an opacity of the 3-dimensional elastic image depicting the region of interest and the region other than the region of interest using the elastic opacity table.