Ultrasound diagnostic device and method of displaying ultrasound images

The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic device. The ultrasound diagnostic device comprises: a storage unit configured to store a plurality of consecutive image frames based on ultrasound echoes reflected from a target object; an image processing unit configured to form preview images of the image frames, wherein the preview images are stored in the storage unit in association with the corresponding image frames; and a user input unit allowing a user to input a selection instruction for selecting one of the preview images, wherein the image processing unit is further configured to read out an image frame corresponding to the selected preview image from the storage unit in response to the selection instruction.

The present application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0138414 filed on Dec. 27, 2007, the entire subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses, and more particularly to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a method of displaying ultrasound images.

2. Background Art

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus has become an important and popular diagnostic tool due to its non-invasive and non-destructive nature. Modern high-performance ultrasound imaging diagnostic devices and techniques are commonly used to produce two- or three-dimensional images of internal features of patients. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may provide the ultrasound images in various image display modes. The image display modes may include a real-time display mode, a freeze mode and a cine replay mode.

When in the real-time display mode, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may transmit and receive ultrasound signals to obtain ultrasound image data. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may display an ultrasound image of a target object in real time based on the ultrasound image data. In such a case, while displaying the ultrasound image, the ultrasound image data, which include a plurality of image frames, may be also stored in a storage such as a cine memory. When the image frames are stored, indices may be assigned thereto. The indices may be assigned according to the acquisition time of the image frames.

If the freeze mode is set, then the conventional ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may stop transmitting the ultrasound signals to the target object and provide the indices of the image frames stored in the storage. If a user selects one of the indices by using an input device such as a mouse, a keyboard or a track ball, then an image frame corresponding to the selected index may be read out from the storage and then displayed on a display unit. In such a case, since the user has to select the indices one by one to display a desirable image frame, the user may feel inconvenient when searching for the desirable image frame.

If the cine replay mode is set in the conventional ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, then the image frames stored in the storage may be read out in the order (or in the inverse order) of the acquisition times. A cine image may be replayed based on the read-out image frames. Also, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may provide indices on a screen of the display unit in the cine replay mode. The user may select an index corresponding to a start image frame of the cine image to be replayed and an index corresponding to an end image frame of the cine image to be replayed. The conventional ultrasound diagnostic apparatus merely sets a replay period by selecting indices corresponding to the start image frame and the end image frame of the cine image. Thus, the cine image for only one replay period may be displayed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. Referring toFIG. 1, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus100may include a probe110for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals. The probe110may include at least one transducer element configured to generate ultrasound signals in response to transmit pulse signals produced from transmit pulsers (not shown). The ultrasound signals may be transmitted to a target object. The probe110may convert ultrasound echoes reflected from the target object into electrical receive signals.

The probe110may be coupled to a beam former120, which may apply delays to the transmit pulse signals to form a transmit pattern such that the ultrasound signals generated from the elements are focused on scan lines. Also, the beam former120may be configured to apply delays to the receive signals in consideration of distances between the elements and focal points and sum the delayed receive signals, thereby forming a receive-focused beam.

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus100may further include a signal processor130configured to perform signal processing upon the receive-focused beam to thereby form cine data. The cine data may be constructed with a plurality of frames. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus100may further include a storage140. The cine data may be stored in the storage140.

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus100may include a user device150allowing the user to input selection instructions for selecting one of image display modes of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus100. The user device1550may be an arbitrary input device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a trackball and the like. The image display modes may include a real-time display mode, a freeze mode, a cine replay mode and the like. Also, the user device150may further allow the user to input a bookmark setting instruction for setting bookmarks to numerous frames of the cine data stored in the storage140.

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus100may further include an image processor160configured to perform image processing upon the cine data to thereby form ultrasound image signals. The image processor160may scan convert the cine data and render the scan-converted data to thereby form the ultrasound image signals. The image processor160may further form preview images corresponding to the respective frames of the cine data. The preview images may be formed in smaller sizes than the frames. Further, the preview images may be linked to the corresponding frames and stored in the storage140.

In one embodiment, the image processor160may be configured to set a mark to a frame whose data value steeply varies among the frames. For example, the image processor160may compute mean deviation of each frame and set the mark to a frame whose mean deviation varies over a threshold value. Also, the image processor160may be configured to set a mark to a frame obtained when a view mode is changed. In such a case, the image processor160may form preview images only for the frames with the marks set. The frames may be stored in the storage140in association with the preview images.

In one embodiment, the image processor160may set bookmarks in response to the bookmark setting instruction inputted through the user device150. The bookmarks may be set to first and last frames of a cine image to be replayed. A plurality of replay periods may be set through a plurality of bookmarks. Bookmark information may include information of frames to be replayed. The bookmark information may be indicated at the preview images displayed on the display unit170. If the bookmark setting instruction is not inputted from the user device150, then the bookmarks may be set at a constant interval. The display unit170may receive the ultrasound image signals from the image processor160to thereby display an ultrasound image of the target object.

Hereinafter, an operation of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus100will be described below for the real-time display mode, the freeze mode and the cine replay mode. If the real-time display mode is set, then the image processor160may directly receive cine data from the signal processor130and perform image processing thereupon to thereby form the ultrasound image signals. The display unit170may display the ultrasound image of the target object in real time based on the ultrasound image signals.

If the freeze mode is set from the real-time display mode, then the image processor150may stop receiving the cine data from the signal processor130and read out preview images from the storage140. The read-out preview images may be transmitted to the display unit140so that the preview images210may be displayed at a predetermined position on a screen of the display unit140, as shown inFIG. 2. Also, the image processor may read out preview images, on which the marks are set based on the instructions inputted from the user device150for display on the display unit170.

If a selection instruction for selecting one of the preview images displayed on the display unit160is inputted from the user device150, then the image processor140may read out frame data corresponding to the selected preview image and perform image processing upon the read-out frame data to thereby form a frame image signal. The display unit170may display a frame image220based on the frame image signal, as shown inFIG. 2. In such a case, the frame image220may be displayed together with the preview images210. Since the user can easily select a desirable frame image through the preview images210, an operation time of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may be reduced.

Further, if the cine replay mode is set in response to the instruction inputted from the user device150, then the image processor140may read out preview images310, on which the bookmarks are set, among the preview images stored in the storage140. The read-out preview images may be displayed on the display unit170, as shown inFIG. 3. If the user selects one of the preview images displayed on the screen of the display unit170, then the image processor160may read out frame data based on frame information included in the bookmark information. The image processor160may be configured to perform image processing upon the frame data to thereby form a cine image. The cine image320may be displayed on the display unit170, as shown inFIG. 3.

It is described that the preview images may be formed for the frames obtained in the real-time display mode and stored together with the cine data in the storage140in one embodiment. However, it should be noted herein that the preview images may be formed based on frames constructing the cine data, which are stored in the storage140, when the freeze mode or the cine replay mode is set.

As mentioned above, since the preview images for the frames stored in the cine memory are provided, the user may easily select a desirable frame. Thus, an operation time of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus may be reduced. Also, since the plurality of bookmarks may be set to the frames, a plurality of cine images may be replayed.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, comprising: a storage configured to store a plurality of consecutive image frames based on ultrasound echoes reflected from a target object; an image processor configured to form preview images of the image frames, wherein the preview images are stored in the storage in association with the corresponding image frames; and a user device allowing a user to input a selection instruction for selecting one of the preview images, wherein the image processor is further configured to read out an image frame corresponding to the selected preview image from the storage in response to the selection instruction.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of displaying an ultrasound image, comprising: a) storing a plurality of consecutive image frames based on ultrasound echoes reflected from a target object; b) forming preview images of the image frames; c) receiving a selection instruction for selecting one of the preview images; and d) reading out an image frame corresponding to the selected preview image in response to the selection instruction.