Patent ID: 8359926

Claim:
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to an object to be tested and receiving an ultrasonic wave from the object; an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver configured to provide a signal that causes the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic wave and signal-processing a signal received from the object by the ultrasonic probe; an ultrasonic image constructor configured to construct an ultrasonic image from the signal-processed received signal; an image display configured to display the ultrasonic image; a controller configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter/receiver, the ultrasonic image constructor and the image display to work properly; and a temperature sensor, provided on the ultrasonic probe, configured to sense the temperature of the ultrasonic probe and outputting the sensed temperature to the controller, wherein the controller obtains the temperature variation rate of the ultrasonic probe from the temperature sensor, determines a usage state of the ultrasonic probe based on the obtained temperature variation rate, and controls the ultrasonic transmitter/receiver based on the determined usage state of the ultrasonic probe.