Patent ID: 9044175
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe which transmits ultrasonic waves to an object to be examined and receives reflected echo signals from the object; and an ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising circuitry, memory and a display, which operate to: provide electrical signals to the ultrasonic probe that transmits the ultrasonic waves to the object; amplify the reflected echo signals received by the ultrasonic probe at a predetermined gain and generate radio-frequency (RF) signals; obtain RF signal frame data from the generated RF signals; store the obtained RF signal frame data; slide on a scan plane of the ultrasonic probe by motor control; construct a two-dimensional tomographic image based on the stored RF signal frame data; measure displacement from plural sets of the stored RF signal frame data; generate tomographic volume data by performing three-dimensional coordinate conversion based on a position of the constructed two-dimensional tomographic image; collect the plural sets of elastic volume data obtained by sliding on the scan plane of the ultrasonic wave to be transmitted to the object in the direction which intersects with the scan plane so as to generate elastic volume data; generate elastic frame data by calculating elastic information indicating the hardness or softness based on the reflected echo signal measured by the ultrasonic probe and generate elastic volume data based on plural sets of elastic frame data; display at least one of elastic slice images of a plurality of cross sections and an elastic rendering image generated based on the elastic volume data; set a plurality of three-dimensional regions of interest through at least one of the displayed elastic slice images of the plurality of cross sections and the displayed elastic rendering image; and calculate a three-dimensional elastic ratio between the elastic information in a set first three-dimensional region of interest and the elastic information in a set second three-dimensional region of interest, the calculated three-dimensional elastic ratio being displayed on the display; calculate a two-dimensional elastic ratio between elastic information of a region corresponding to the first three-dimensional region of interest and elastic information of a region corresponding to the second three-dimensional region of interest in each of the plural sets of elastic frame data of the elastic rendering image; and calculate the three-dimensional elastic ratio based on the two-dimensional elastic ratio in each of the plural sets of the elastic frame data.