Patent ID: 8491475

Claim:
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising: an image data obtaining unit configured to make an ultrasonic probe transmit ultrasonic waves to a subject and receive reflected waves, and to obtain image data based on the reflected waves and to generate and ultrasonic image based on the obtained image data; a dividing unit configured to divide an ultrasonic image, based on the image data, to be displayed on a display into a plurality of division areas; a line-of-sight position data obtaining unit configured to obtain line-of-sight position data that is data on a line-of-sight position of an operator; a control unit configured to determine a division area related to the line-of-sight position data from the division areas; a setting condition change unit configured to change a setting condition for obtaining the image data by the image obtaining unit in accordance with the determined division area; and a time determination unit configured to determine whether or not the line-of-sight position of the operator belongs to a same division area for a predetermined period of time based on the line-of-sight position data obtained by the line-of-sight position data obtaining unit, wherein when it is determined that the line-of-sight position of the operator belongs to the same division area for the predetermined period of time by the time determination unit, the setting condition change unit changes the division area to which the current line-of-sight position of the operator belongs, from a predetermined division area that has been previously set, to the division area to which the line-of-sight position of the operator belongs for the predetermined period of time which is determined by the time determination unit, and changes the setting condition based on the changed division area.