Patent ID: 8128565

Claim:
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, comprising: an array transducer including a plurality of transducer elements; a transmission/reception section for B mode coupled to the array transducer; a plurality of signal lines provided between the array transducer and the transmission/reception section for B mode, the plurality of signal lines having a plurality of branch points; a plurality of branch lines extending from said plurality of branch points; a transmission section for a continuous wave Doppler mode configured to supply a plurality of continuous transmitting signals to a plurality of transducer elements forming transmitting aperture patterns which are set on the array transducer in the continuous wave Doppler mode; a reception section for the continuous wave Doppler mode configured to process a plurality of continuous receiving signals supplied from a plurality of transducer elements forming receiving aperture patterns which are set on the array transducer in the continuous wave Doppler mode; a control section configured to produce a control signal to sequentially change transmitting and receiving aperture patterns set on the array transducer to thereby sequentially change a position of the transmitting aperture which is set on the array transducer in the continuous wave Doppler mode; a line switching section provided between the plurality of branch lines and the transmission and reception sections for the continuous wave Doppler mode; the control section further configured to control the line switching section to sequentially change the transmitting and receiving aperture patterns set on the array transducer while transmission and reception of a continuous wave is being performed with respect to a specific measuring target to thereby sequentially change a position of the transmitting aperture patterns which are set on the array transducer during the continuous wave Doppler mode; image forming means configured to form a waveform image based upon a receiving signal having been processed which is output from the reception section; and a display section for displaying said waveform image; wherein: the transmitting and receiving apertures are simultaneously changed on the array transducer in the continuous wave Doppler mode; the transmitting aperture before the change of the transmitting and receiving aperture patterns and the transmitting aperture after the change of the transmitting and receiving aperture patterns do not overlap each other in the continuous wave Doppler mode; and the control section is further configured to synchronize a timing of the changes of the transmitting and receiving aperture patterns with a refresh timing of the waveform image so as to prevent an effect caused by the change of the transmitting and receiving aperture patterns from appearing on the display section for displaying the waveform image.