Patent ID: 8764659
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
1. An ultrasound image generating apparatus comprising: a transmitter/receiver which causes a probe to transmit and receive first ultrasonic waves and second ultrasonic waves, an electronic focus controller and a CPU which controls a focal point of said first ultrasonic waves and a focal point of said second ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by said probe for each of transmission sound rays, a weighted addition processor which performs weighted addition of a first echo signal received upon transmission of said first ultrasonic waves and a second echo signal received upon transmission of said second ultrasonic waves to obtain a synthesized echo signal, an image display controller which generates an ultrasound image from said synthesized echo signal obtained by said weighted addition processor, and a target information memory unit which previously stores a control line table produced from a diameter, an insertion angle, an insertion position or an insertion path of a puncture needle, wherein said CPU determines a depth of said focal point for each of said transmission sound rays in said first ultrasonic waves based on said control line table stored in said target information memory means and said electronic focus controller controls a position of said focal point of said first ultrasonic waves so as to be located on the puncture needle and an extension of the puncture needle, which are an imaging target, and controls a position of said focal point of said second ultrasonic waves so as to be located at a same depth, wherein said transmitter/receiver causes said probe to transmit said first ultrasonic waves and said second ultrasonic waves having said positions of said focal points controlled by said electronic focus controller and said CPU, and said weighted addition processor determines weights to be used in said weighted addition for each of reception sound rays in said first echo signal and said second echo signal based on both a depth of said focal point for each of said transmission sound rays in said first ultrasonic waves and a depth of said focal point for each of said transmission sound rays in said second ultrasonic waves.