Patent ID: 8172754
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: a transmitting section configured to drive an ultrasonic probe that sends out an ultrasonic wave toward a measuring region of a subject, the region including an arterial vascular wall; a receiving section configured to receive a reflected wave, produced by getting the ultrasonic wave reflected from the subject, at the ultrasonic probe, thereby generating a received signal; an image processing section configured to generate a tomographic image of the measuring region of the subject based on the received signal; a display section configured to present the tomographic image; a displacement detecting section configured to calculate a magnitude of displacement of each of a plurality of measuring points in the measuring region on the vascular wall by analyzing the received signal; a tissue-to-present determining section, configured to define at least one boundary between multiple tissues included in the measuring region on the vascular wall based on the tomographic image displayed by the display section and configured to receive a selection of a desired one from at least two areas that have been divided by the at least one boundary defined; and a property value calculating section configured to calculate a property value of the desired one area based on the magnitude of displacement of each said measuring point included in the desired one area selected by the tissue-to-present determining section, wherein the display section superimposes and presents on the tomographic image a distribution of property values of the measuring points included in the desired one area that has been calculated by the property value calculating section as a two-dimensional image; wherein the property value is at least one of an elastic modulus, magnitude of strain, and coefficient of viscosity.