Patent ID: 6245017
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: A61B,G01S,Y10S

Abstract:
A three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:a two-dimensional array type of ultrasonic probe;a beam former unit for selectively performing through the piezoelectric probe a three-dimensional scan operation of scanning a three-dimensional region within a human body under examination with ultrasound and a two-dimensional scan operation of scanning a two-dimensional plane section within the three-dimensional region with ultrasound;a controller for controlling the beam former unit in such a way that the three-dimensional scan operation is repeated intermittently and the two-dimensional scan operation is repeated during an interval between each three-dimensional scan operation;an image processing unit for producing three-dimensional ultrasonic image data concerning the three-dimensional region on the basis of received signals obtained by the three-dimensional scan operation and two-dimensional ultrasonic image data concerning the two-dimensional plane section on the basis of received signals obtained by the two-dimensional scan operation; anda display unit for displaying the three-dimensional ultrasonic image data and the two-dimensional ultrasonic image data.