Patent ID: 7278968

Claim:
An ultrasonograph for obtaining an image of the inside of a living body by transmitting/receiving an ultrasonic wave to the living body into which a contrast agent is introduced comprising: an ultrasonic probe transmitting a first ultrasonic pulse and a second ultrasonic pulse, generated by superimposing higher harmonics including at least a second harmonic of a fundamental wave; a memory for recording a first converted signal acquired by converging the signal acquired by transmission of the first ultrasonic pulse; and a temporal change component detector for extracting a temporal change component corresponding to an irreversible change of the contrast agent caused by radiation of the ultrasonic pulse, wherein: the first ultrasonic pulse is an acoustic pressure rise enhanced waveform in which a leading edge of an ultrasonic acoustic pressure waveform is sharper than a trailing edge of the ultrasonic acoustic pressure waveform, the second ultrasonic pulse is an acoustic pressure fall enhanced waveform in which a trailing edge of an ultrasonic acoustic pressure waveform is sharper than a leading edge the ultrasonic acoustic pressure waveform, the ultrasonic probe transmits the first ultrasonic pulse or the second ultrasonic pulse with switching an ultrasonic acoustic pressure waveform, the temporal change component detector calculates a difference between the first converted signal recorded in the memory and a second converted signal acquired by converging the signal acquired by transmission of the second ultrasonic pulse as the temporal change component, and the temporal change component detector adds variable weight to the first converted signal and/or the second converted signal.