Patent ID: 6221016
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves traveling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer;an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signals; andan oscillation mechanism for vibrating a tip of the puncture needle,wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of a second area, excepting the first area, of said scanning area, andwherein said transmit-receive unit receives vibrations of the tip of the puncture needle transferred to said at least one ultrasonic transducer, detects a position of the tip of the puncture needle, and sets up the first area in accordance with the detected position of the tip of the puncture needle.