JP5109070B2 - Ultrasound image display device, ultrasound image display method, endoscopic surgery support system, ultrasound image display program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic image display apparatus, an ultrasonic image display method, an endoscopic surgery support system, and an ultrasonic image display program that display a stereoscopic image of an object to be inspected using ultrasonic waves.

  Conventionally, in the medical field, as an apparatus for diagnosing a living tissue, a product using an ultrasonic microscope has been developed, and a device capable of observing a living tissue with high resolution has been put into practical use. In an optical microscope, a difference in chemical properties in a living tissue is distinguished by, for example, staining, whereas in an ultrasonic microscope, a difference in physical properties can be distinguished without staining. That is, when using an ultrasonic microscope, there is an advantage that a living tissue diagnosis can be performed without staining.

  Specifically, when using an ultrasonic microscope, by calculating the acoustic parameters (parameters such as acoustic impedance, sound speed, attenuation) by irradiating a sample such as a biological tissue and detecting the reflected wave, An ultrasonic image (acoustic impedance image, sound velocity image, attenuation image, etc.) corresponding to the calculated value is displayed. The present inventors have already proposed a device that calculates a tissue sound velocity of a living tissue using a pulse excitation type ultrasonic microscope and displays a sound velocity image corresponding to the tissue sound velocity (for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-patent document 1). Furthermore, the present inventors have also proposed an apparatus for displaying an acoustic impedance image of a living tissue using a pulse excitation type ultrasonic microscope (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  In order to obtain a sound velocity image using a pulse excitation type ultrasonic microscope, it is necessary to use a frozen section of a living tissue. Accordingly, it is necessary to prepare the excised living tissue by cutting it into a thin slice. On the other hand, when an acoustic impedance image is obtained, there is no need for a preparation work such as cutting out a living tissue and making it into a frozen section, and the surface of the living tissue can be visualized quickly.

Specifically, when obtaining an acoustic impedance image, as shown in FIG. 12, the living tissue 91 is supported in close contact with the upper surface of the resin plate 90 (transmission member), and is positioned at the periphery of the living tissue 91. A reference member 92 is provided. Then, ultrasonic irradiation S _o from the ultrasonic transducer 93 via the resin plate 90 to the living tissue 91 and the reference member 92.

Here, the following relationship (1) holds the ultrasound (incident wave) S _o and the reflected wave S _r illuminated at an angle perpendicular to the surface in the reference member 92.

Here, Z _s is the acoustic impedance of the resin plate 90, and Z _r is the acoustic impedance of the reference member 92.

Further, the following relation (2) holds the ultrasonic S _o and the reflected wave S _t to be irradiated at an angle perpendicular to the surface in a living tissue 91.

Here, Z _t is the acoustic impedance of the living tissue 91.

Therefore, the acoustic impedance Z _t of the living tissue 91 is obtained by the following equation (3) from the above equations (1) and (2).

In this ultrasonic image inspecting apparatus, by two-dimensionally scanning the irradiation point of the ultrasonic S _o while measuring the acoustic impedance Z _t, the acoustic impedance image of the two-dimensional can be obtained. The acoustic impedance Z _t is a parameter related to the hardness of the tissue, and the property of the living tissue 91 can be observed from the acoustic impedance image.

In addition, the present inventors are examining an endoscopic surgery support system for quickly performing surgery by acquiring an ultrasound image of an affected area with an ultrasound probe in surgery using an endoscope. As this type of conventional technology, an ultrasonic endoscope in which the function of an ultrasonic probe is added to an endoscope has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 3). In the ultrasonic endoscope of Patent Document 3, orthogonal tomographic images (ultrasonic images) are acquired by different scanning methods, and the three-dimensional structure of the affected part is confirmed by displaying these ultrasonic images.
JP 2005-291827 A JP 2006-78408 A JP 2007-37844 A “Medical Ultrasound: Pulse Excitation Ultrasonic Sonic Microscope” (“Ultrasonic TECHNO” VOL.15 No.6 (November 11-12, 2003) (101-105 pages), published by Nihon Kogyo Shuppansha)

  By the way, since the acoustic impedance image is a surface image of the biological tissue 91, the structure of the tissue on the surface can be confirmed, but the structure of the tissue on the depth side cannot be confirmed. For example, when the biological tissue 91 includes a cancer tissue, the distribution of the cancer tissue on the tissue surface can be confirmed, but the three-dimensional distribution on the depth side cannot be confirmed. Therefore, when performing surgery to remove cancer tissue, it is necessary to perform surgery carefully based on the obtained surface information so as not to damage normal tissue around the cancer tissue, and it is difficult to remove cancer tissue quickly. Met.

  As in Patent Document 3, a conventional ultrasonic endoscope displays an affected area as a tomographic image, and this tomographic image has a relatively low resolution. Further, the surface structure of the affected area can be confirmed by an optical image acquired by an endoscope. However, when the affected area surface is covered by bleeding during an operation, it may be difficult to confirm the surface structure. In this case, it becomes difficult to distinguish the cancer tissue in the affected area from the normal tissue around it, and it becomes difficult to quickly remove the cancer tissue.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic image display device, an ultrasonic image display method, and an ultrasonic wave that can more accurately confirm the three-dimensional structure of an object to be inspected. The object is to provide an image display program. Another object is to provide an endoscopic surgery support system that can more accurately confirm the three-dimensional structure of an affected area and can quickly perform endoscopic surgery.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to irradiating an inspection object with ultrasonic waves and displaying an ultrasonic image of the inspection object based on a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic waves. A sound image display device, comprising: a first surface for closely contacting the object to be inspected; and a second surface positioned on the opposite side of the first surface for contacting an ultrasonic transmission medium; The ultrasonic wave is applied to the inspection object from the second surface side through the transmission member capable of transmitting the ultrasonic wave, the ultrasonic transmission medium and the transmission member, and a reflected wave from the inspection object is applied. An ultrasonic transducer that receives and converts the ultrasonic wave into an electrical signal; an ultrasonic scanning unit that scans the irradiation point of the ultrasonic wave one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally; a preamplifier that amplifies and outputs the reflected wave signal; A first A / D conversion circuit for A / D converting the amplified reflected wave signal Is configured to include a preparative, said a first signal detection circuit for obtaining a reflected ultrasonic wave signal reflected by the surface of the object to be inspected, a preamplifier for amplifying and outputting the reflected wave signal, amplified the reflection A logarithmic amplifier that further amplifies the wave signal logarithmically, and a second A / D conversion circuit that A / D-converts the logarithmically amplified reflected wave signal, and is reflected in the inspection object. A second signal detection circuit that acquires a reflected wave signal of a sound wave, and a surface image corresponding to the acoustic parameter calculated from an acoustic parameter of the surface of the object to be inspected based on the reflected wave signal acquired by the first signal detection circuit Surface image generation means for generating image data of the image, data generation means for generating internal data relating to the internal structure of the object to be inspected based on the reflected wave signal acquired by the second signal detection circuit, and the surface image An ultrasonic image display device comprising image display means for displaying information on the surface image of the object to be inspected and the internal structure on the depth side based on the image data and internal data of the object And

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the inspection object is in close contact with the first surface of the transmission member, and the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer through the ultrasonic transmission medium is on the second surface side through the transmission member. The object to be inspected is irradiated. The ultrasonic irradiation point is scanned one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally by an ultrasonic scanning means, and the ultrasonic wave reflected by the object to be inspected is converted into an electric signal by the ultrasonic transducer. Then, the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected by the surface of the inspection object is acquired by the first signal detection circuit, and the acoustic parameter of the surface of the inspection object is calculated based on the reflected wave signal by the surface image generation means. Image data of the surface image corresponding to the acoustic parameter is generated. In addition, the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected inside the object to be inspected is acquired by the second signal detection circuit, and the internal data related to the internal structure of the object to be inspected is generated by the data generation means based on the reflected wave signal. Is done. Further, the image display means displays information on the surface image of the object to be inspected and the internal structure on the depth side based on the image data of the surface image and the internal data. In this way, in addition to the surface structure of the object to be inspected, the internal structure on the depth side can be confirmed.

The invention according to claim 2 is an ultrasonic image display device that irradiates an inspection object with ultrasonic waves and displays an ultrasonic image of the inspection object based on a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic waves, A first surface for closely contacting the object to be inspected and a second surface for contacting an ultrasonic transmission medium located on the opposite side of the first surface and transmitting the ultrasonic wave The object is irradiated with ultrasonic waves from the second surface side via the member, the ultrasonic transmission medium and the transmission member, and the reflected wave from the inspection object is received and converted into an electrical signal. An ultrasonic transducer, ultrasonic scanning means for two-dimensionally scanning the ultrasonic irradiation point, a preamplifier for amplifying and outputting the reflected wave signal, and A / D conversion of the amplified reflected wave signal the first is configured to include an a / D converter circuit, the surface of the inspection object to A first signal detection circuit for obtaining a reflected ultrasonic wave signal reflected, a preamplifier for amplifying and outputting the reflected wave signal, and a logarithmic amplifier further logarithmically amplifies the amplified the reflected wave signal is logarithmically amplified A second signal detection circuit configured to include a second A / D conversion circuit that performs A / D conversion on the reflected wave signal, and that obtains a reflected wave signal of an ultrasonic wave reflected inside the inspection object; A surface image generation means for calculating an acoustic parameter of the surface of the object to be inspected based on a reflected wave signal acquired by the first signal detection circuit, and generating image data of a surface image according to the acoustic parameter; A tomographic image generation unit configured to generate image data of a tomographic image of the object to be inspected based on a reflected wave signal acquired by a two-signal detection circuit; and based on the image data of the surface image and tomographic image. Generating a stereoscopic image of 査物 by the ultrasonic image display apparatus comprising the image display means for displaying the stereoscopic image and its gist.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the ultrasonic irradiation point is two-dimensionally scanned by the ultrasonic scanning means, and the ultrasonic wave reflected by the inspection object is converted into an electric signal by the ultrasonic transducer. Then, the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected by the surface of the inspection object is acquired by the first signal detection circuit, and the acoustic parameter of the surface of the inspection object is calculated based on the reflected wave signal by the surface image generation means. Image data of the surface image corresponding to the acoustic parameter is generated. Further, the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected inside the object to be inspected is acquired by the second signal detection circuit, and the tomographic image generating means generates the image data of the tomographic image on the object to be inspected based on the reflected wave signal. Generated. Then, the image display means generates and displays a three-dimensional image of the inspection object based on the image data of the surface image and the tomographic image. In this way, the three-dimensional structure of the inspection object can be easily confirmed.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is provided in an ultrasonic probe including, as the transmission member, a container that can be filled with an ultrasonic transmission medium. The gist of the ultrasonic scanning means is that it includes a rotor unit that rotationally drives the ultrasonic transducer.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the ultrasonic probe housing is formed of the transmission member, and the ultrasonic transmission medium is filled therein. Then, an ultrasonic transducer is provided in the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic transducer is rotationally driven by a rotor unit constituting the ultrasonic scanning means. In this way, the irradiation point of the ultrasonic wave can be scanned smoothly, and the reflected wave signal for image generation can be acquired quickly. In addition, vibration during scanning can be suppressed as compared with a case where one-dimensional scanning or two-dimensional scanning is performed by linear movement. Therefore, the reflected wave signal can be detected more accurately, and a clearer image can be generated.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the rotor portion is formed in a cylindrical shape, and rotates about the rotation axis and moves in the axial direction, thereby spiraling the ultrasonic transducer. The gist of this is to drive in the shape.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the rotor portion is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is rotated about the rotation axis and moved in the axial direction. By this rotor unit, the ultrasonic transducer is driven in a spiral shape, and ultrasonic spiral scanning becomes possible. Even in this case, the ultrasonic wave irradiation point can be scanned smoothly, and a reflected wave signal for image generation can be quickly acquired. In addition, vibration during scanning can be suppressed as compared with a case where two-dimensional scanning is performed by linear movement. Therefore, the reflected wave signal can be detected more accurately, and a clearer image can be generated.

  The gist of the invention of claim 5 is that, in claim 3 or 4, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor portion.

  According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor portion, the reflected wave signals for image generation are quickly acquired by each ultrasonic transducer 12. be able to.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the first superstructure for high resolution according to the fifth aspect, wherein, as the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a focal position of ultrasonic waves to be irradiated is set on the first surface of the transmission member. An ultrasonic transducer, and a second ultrasonic transducer having a resolution lower than that of the first ultrasonic transducer, and the first signal detection circuit includes an ultrasonic wave irradiated from the first ultrasonic transducer. The gist of the invention is to acquire a reflected wave signal of a sound wave, and the second signal detection circuit acquires a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the second ultrasonic transducer.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, since the focal position of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated is set on the first surface of the transmission member, the first ultrasonic vibrator is The irradiated ultrasonic wave is reliably reflected by the first surface (interface with the surface of the object to be inspected). Therefore, the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave on the surface of the inspection object can be accurately obtained by the first signal detection circuit, and a clear surface image can be generated. On the other hand, the second ultrasonic transducer is an ultrasonic transducer having a lower resolution than the first ultrasonic transducer, and the focal position of the irradiated ultrasonic wave is behind the first surface of the transmission member. The focus is blurred. In this case, the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the second ultrasonic transducer is reliably propagated inside the object to be inspected. Therefore, the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected inside the inspection object can be accurately acquired by the second signal detection circuit, and the internal structure of the inspection object can be confirmed more reliably.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is the method according to the sixth aspect, wherein the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the first ultrasonic transducer has a higher frequency than the frequency of the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the second ultrasonic transducer. That is the gist.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the ultrasonic wave emitted from the first ultrasonic transducer has a higher frequency than the frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted from the second ultrasonic transducer. The beam width at the focal position can be narrowed. Thereby, the image resolution can be increased and a clear surface image can be obtained. Also, since the ultrasonic wave emitted from the second ultrasonic transducer has a low frequency, it can be reliably propagated inside the inspection object, and the internal structure of the inspection object can be determined based on the reflected wave signal. It can be confirmed more reliably.

The invention according to claim 8 irradiates the inspection object while scanning ultrasonically one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, and based on the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave, an ultrasonic image of the inspection object is obtained. An ultrasonic image display method for displaying, wherein an object to be inspected is brought into close contact with a first surface of a transmissive member that can transmit ultrasonic waves, and is transmitted by an ultrasonic transducer through an ultrasonic transmission medium and the transmissive member. Irradiating the inspection object from the second surface side of the member, amplifying the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave, and A / D converting the amplified reflected wave signal, Obtaining a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected from the surface of the inspection object; amplifying the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave and then logarithmically amplifying the logarithmically amplified reflected wave signal; by converting, reflected inside the object to be inspected Obtaining a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave, and calculating an acoustic parameter of the surface of the inspection object based on the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected on the surface of the inspection object, and a surface corresponding to the acoustic parameter Generating image data of an image; generating internal data relating to an internal structure of the inspection object based on a reflected wave signal of an ultrasonic wave reflected inside the inspection object; and image of the surface image The gist of the ultrasonic image display method includes the step of displaying information on the surface image of the inspection object and the internal structure on the depth side based on the data and the internal data.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the inspection object is in close contact with the first surface of the transmission member, and the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer through the ultrasonic transmission medium is on the second surface side through the transmission member. The object to be inspected is irradiated. The ultrasonic irradiation point is scanned one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, and the ultrasonic wave reflected by the inspection object is converted into an electric signal by the ultrasonic transducer. Then, a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected by the surface of the inspection object is acquired, and based on the reflected wave signal, an acoustic parameter of the surface of the inspection object is calculated, and image data of a surface image corresponding to the acoustic parameter Is generated. In addition, a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected inside the inspection object is acquired, and internal data relating to the internal structure of the inspection object is generated based on the reflected wave signal. Furthermore, based on the image data of the surface image and the internal data, information on the surface image of the inspection object and the internal structure on the depth side is displayed. In this way, in addition to the surface structure of the object to be inspected, the internal structure on the depth side can be confirmed.

  The gist of an invention described in claim 9 is an endoscopic surgery support system including the ultrasonic image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

  According to the ninth aspect of the invention, since the ultrasonic image display device can display the surface of the affected area as an object to be examined and the internal structure, endoscopic surgery can be performed quickly.

  The gist of an invention described in claim 10 is an ultrasonic image display program for causing a computer to execute each step in the ultrasonic image display method according to claim 8.

  By causing the computer to execute the ultrasonic image display program according to claim 10, the three-dimensional structure of the inspection object can be confirmed.

  As described in detail above, according to the inventions described in claims 1 to 8 and 10, in addition to the surface structure of the object to be inspected, the internal structure on the depth side can be confirmed. According to invention of Claim 9, in addition to the surface structure of an affected part, an internal structure can be confirmed more correctly and endoscopic surgery can be performed rapidly.

[First Embodiment]

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an ultrasonic image display apparatus 1 in the present embodiment.

  The ultrasonic image display apparatus 1 includes an ultrasonic probe unit 2 and a personal computer (personal computer) 3. The ultrasonic probe unit 2 and the personal computer 3 are connected via, for example, a USB cable 4.

  The ultrasonic probe unit 2 includes an ultrasonic probe 5 and a handpiece part 6 to / from which the ultrasonic probe 5 can be attached / detached. The ultrasonic probe 5 has a function of irradiating an inspection object while scanning ultrasonic waves two-dimensionally, converting a reflected wave from the inspection object into an electric signal, and outputting the electric signal. The handpiece portion 6 is a so-called gripping portion, and has a length and a diameter that can be gripped by a hand. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe unit 2 is used, for example, by a doctor or the like during the operation to examine a patient's body. In this case, the user holds the handpiece unit 6 by hand, and directly touches the ultrasonic probe 5 against the patient's body (in vivo living tissue as an object to be inspected) 8.

  Specifically, the ultrasonic probe 5 includes a probe case 11 as a container, an ultrasonic transducer 12, a first rotor part 13 and a second rotor part 14 as ultrasonic scanning means, and a reference member 15. Is provided. The probe case 11 has a known acoustic impedance different from that of the biological tissue 8 and has a distal end formed in a substantially hemispherical shape using a transmission member (for example, acrylic resin) that can transmit ultrasonic waves. The probe case 11 is filled with an ultrasonic transmission medium (specifically pure water) W1.

  In the present embodiment, the first rotor portion 13 and the second rotor portion 14 are accommodated in the probe case 11, and four outer peripheral surfaces of the first rotor portion 13 provided on the front end side of the case are provided. An ultrasonic transducer 12 is provided. These ultrasonic transducers 12 are made of a polymer-based piezoelectric material, and are provided at positions 90 degrees apart from each other about the rotation shaft 13a of the first rotor portion 13. With this configuration, the weight balance around the rotation shaft 13a is improved, so that the occurrence of vibrations can be reliably prevented.

  The ultrasonic waves irradiated by the ultrasonic transducer 12 are converged in a conical shape via the ultrasonic transmission medium W <b> 1 and focused on the outer surface of the probe case 11. In the present embodiment, the ultrasonic wave irradiated by the ultrasonic transducer 12 has, for example, a center frequency of 80 MHz and a bandwidth of 50 to 105 MHz (−6 dB). In the probe case 11, the outer surface to which the living tissue 8 is closely attached corresponds to the first surface, and the inner surface to which the ultrasonic transmission medium W <b> 1 comes into contact corresponds to the second surface.

  In the present embodiment, the first rotor portion 13 is rotatably supported by the housing 17 via a rotation shaft 13 a parallel to the short direction of the ultrasonic probe unit 2. Further, the second rotor portion 14 supports the housing 17 via a rotating shaft 14 a parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ultrasonic probe unit 2, and rotates the first rotor portion 13 together with the housing 17. These rotor parts 13 and 14 are comprised with the known electric motor which can control a rotational speed and a rotation position. In addition, power supply to the first rotor unit 13 and transmission / reception of electric signals to the ultrasonic transducer 12 are performed via a slip ring (not shown).

  In addition, a reference member 15 (for example, epoxy resin) is provided in a range where the ultrasonic irradiation point is scanned on the outer surface of the probe case 11. The reference member 15 of the present embodiment is formed of, for example, an epoxy resin. Therefore, the reference member 15 has a known acoustic impedance different from the probe case 11 made of acrylic resin.

  In the hand piece portion 6 of the ultrasonic probe unit 2, a rotor control circuit 21 for driving and controlling the rotor portions 13 and 14, a signal processing circuit 22 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and an input / output of electric signals An I / F circuit 23 and the like are provided. As the I / F circuit 23, a USB interface which is a standard interface such as a personal computer is used. As the I / F circuit 23, an IEEE 1394 interface may be employed in addition to the USB interface, and a serial interface or a parallel interface may be employed although the data transfer speed is reduced.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the ultrasonic image display apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rotor control circuit 21 in the ultrasonic probe unit 2 is connected to the rotor units 13 and 14, and the drive control signal output from the personal computer 3 is transmitted via the I / F circuit 23. The rotor units 13 and 14 are driven based on the drive control signal, and the ultrasonic transducer 12 is rotated together with the rotor units 13 and 14. Specifically, the rotor control circuit 21 rotates the first rotor unit 13 at a predetermined rotation speed, and each time the first rotor unit 13 rotates 1/4 (90 ° rotation), the second rotor unit 14 is predetermined. Rotate only the angle. Thereby, the ultrasonic irradiation point is two-dimensionally scanned along the outer surface of the probe case 11 (that is, the surface of the biological tissue 8).

  The signal processing circuit 22 includes a transmission circuit 24, a transmission / reception wave separation circuit 25, a preamplifier 26, a logarithmic amplifier 28, and A / D conversion circuits 29 and 30.

  The transmission circuit 24 is a circuit that generates a pulse for driving the ultrasonic transducer 12, and includes a trigger circuit 24a and a pulse generation circuit 24b. In the transmission circuit 24, the trigger circuit 24a takes in a control signal output from the personal computer 3 via the I / F circuit 23, and generates a trigger signal synchronized with the rotation of the first rotor unit 13 based on the control signal. . The pulse generation circuit 24b generates an excitation pulse in response to the trigger signal. The excitation pulse is supplied to the ultrasonic transducer 12 via the transmission / reception wave separation circuit 25, and the ultrasonic wave is irradiated from the ultrasonic transducer 12. In the present embodiment, when the ultrasonic transducer 12 moves into the scanning range on the distal end side of the probe case 11 by the rotation of the first rotor unit 13, a trigger signal is generated based on the control signal. Ultrasonic waves are irradiated only within the scanning range.

  The ultrasonic transducer 12 according to the present embodiment is a transducer for transmitting and receiving waves, and converts ultrasonic waves (reflected waves) reflected by the living tissue 8 into electric signals. The reflected wave signal is supplied to the preamplifier 26 via the transmission / reception wave separation circuit 25. The preamplifier 26 amplifies the reflected wave signal and outputs it.

  The reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected from the biological tissue 8 includes a reflected wave signal on the tissue surface and a reflected wave signal inside the tissue. The signal intensity is relatively strong on the surface, and the signal intensity increases toward the inside. Becomes weaker. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the reflected wave signal on the surface of the biological tissue 8 and the reflected wave signal inside the biological tissue 8 are acquired by different processing paths.

  Specifically, the reflected wave signal amplified by the preamplifier 26 is supplied to the A / D conversion circuit 29 and subjected to A / D conversion, and then transferred to the personal computer 3 via the I / F circuit 23. The reflected wave signal amplified by the preamplifier 26 is further logarithmically amplified by the logarithmic amplifier 28, A / D converted by the A / D conversion circuit 30, and then transferred to the personal computer 3 via the I / F circuit 23. The In the present embodiment, the preamplifier 26 and the A / D conversion circuit 29 constitute a first signal detection circuit, and a reflected wave signal on the surface of the living tissue 8 is acquired by this circuit. The preamplifier 26, the logarithmic amplifier 28, and the A / D conversion circuit 30 constitute a second signal detection circuit, and a reflected wave signal inside the living tissue 8 is acquired by this circuit.

  The personal computer 3 includes a CPU 31, an I / F circuit 32, a memory 33, a storage device 34, an input device 35, and a display device 36, which are connected to each other via a bus 37.

  The CPU 31 executes a control program using the memory 33 and controls the entire apparatus in an integrated manner. The control program includes a program for controlling two-dimensional scanning by the rotor units 13 and 14, a program for calculating acoustic impedance, a program for generating and displaying an ultrasonic image, and the like.

  The I / F circuit 32 is an interface (specifically, a USB interface) for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the ultrasonic probe unit 2. Control signals (the rotor control circuit 21 and the rotor control circuit 21 and the like) are sent to the ultrasonic probe unit 2. Control signal to the transmission circuit 24) or transfer data (data transferred from the A / D conversion circuits 29 and 30 via the I / F circuit 23) from the ultrasonic probe unit 2 is input. .

  The display device 36 is, for example, a color display such as an LCD or a CRT, and is used to display an ultrasonic image (stereoscopic image) of the living tissue 8 and an input screen for various settings. The input device 35 is a keyboard, a mouse device, or the like, and is used to input a request or instruction from a user and parameters.

  The storage device 34 is a magnetic disk device or an optical disk device, and the storage device stores a control program and various data. The CPU 31 transfers programs and data from the storage device 34 to the memory 33 in accordance with instructions from the input device 35, and executes them sequentially. The program executed by the CPU 31 may be a program stored in a storage medium such as a memory card, a flexible disk, or an optical disk, or a program downloaded via a communication medium. At the time of execution, the program is installed in the storage device 34 and used. To do.

  In the ultrasonic image display apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the acoustic impedance is obtained based on the reflected wave signal on the surface of the biological tissue 8 acquired by the first signal detection circuit (the preamplifier 26 and the A / D conversion circuit 29). Image data of a surface image corresponding to the acoustic impedance is generated. Also, image data of a tomographic image is generated based on the reflected wave signal inside the living tissue 8 acquired by the second signal detection circuit (preamplifier 26, logarithmic amplifier 28, and A / D conversion circuit 30). Then, based on the image data of the surface image and tomographic image, a stereoscopic image 38 as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display device 36. Here, the cancer tissue 39 is detected based on the acoustic impedance of the tissue surface, and the cancer tissue 39 is displayed in a different color from the surrounding normal tissue 40 in the stereoscopic image 38 of FIG.

  Next, in the present embodiment, a processing example for displaying the stereoscopic image 38 of the living tissue 8 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the processing in FIG. 4 is performed, for example, when the abdomen of the patient is opened and the start button provided on the input device 35 is operated in a state where the ultrasonic probe 5 is in contact with the affected part with the cancer tissue 39. To begin.

  First, based on an instruction from the CPU 31, the first rotor portion 13 and the second rotor portion 14 are driven by the rotor control circuit 21 and moved so that the ultrasonic wave irradiation point is positioned on the reference member 15. At this time, when the excitation pulse is supplied to the ultrasonic transducer 12, the reference member 15 is irradiated with the ultrasonic wave, and the reflected wave from the surface is converted into the first signal detection circuit (the preamplifier 26 and the A / D conversion circuit 29. ). The CPU 31 acquires the digital data converted by the A / D conversion circuit 29 via the I / F circuits 23 and 32, determines the intensity of the reflected wave of the reference member 15 based on the data, and stores the memory 33. (Step 100).

  Thereafter, based on an instruction from the CPU 31, the rotor control circuit 21 drives the rotor units 13 and 14 to start two-dimensional scanning of ultrasonic waves. CPU31 judges the rotation position of each rotor part 13 and 14, and acquires the coordinate data of a measurement point based on it (step 110). The living tissue 8 is irradiated with ultrasonic waves, and the reflected wave on the surface is detected by the first signal detection circuit (the preamplifier 26 and the A / D conversion circuit 29). The CPU 31 determines the intensity of the reflected wave on the tissue surface based on the digital data converted by the A / D conversion circuit 29 and temporarily stores it in the memory 33 (step 120). At this time, the reflected wave inside the living tissue 8 is detected by the second signal detection circuit (the preamplifier 26, the logarithmic amplifier 28, and the A / D conversion circuit 30). The CPU 31 temporarily stores the digital data converted by the A / D conversion circuit 30 in the memory 33 as internal reflected wave signal data.

CPU31 as the surface image generating means, the reflected wave _S r in the obtained reference member 15 and the biological tissue 8 surface, and intensity of _{S t,} the acoustic impedance _Z r of the reference member 15 and the probe casing 11, and a _{Z s} used to calculate the acoustic impedance Z _t of the measurement point performs arithmetic processing corresponding to the formula (3) above. Then, CPU 31 performs a color modulation process using the acoustic impedance Z _t, generates image data of a surface image corresponding to the magnitude of the acoustic impedance Z _t (acoustic impedance image), associated with the coordinate data of the measuring points The image data is stored in the memory 33 (step 130).

  Further, the CPU 31 as the tomographic image generation means (data generation means) performs luminance modulation processing based on the reflected wave signal inside the living tissue 8 to obtain a luminance corresponding to the amplitude (signal intensity) of the reflected wave signal. Image data is generated, and the image data is stored in the memory 33 in association with the coordinate data of the measurement point (step 140).

  The CPU 31 determines whether or not the processing at all measurement points has been completed and image data for one screen has been acquired (step 150). If all the data has not been acquired, the CPU 31 returns to step 110 and repeatedly executes the processing of steps 110 to 150. If all the data has been acquired, the process proceeds to step 160. Then, the CPU 31 as the image display means reads the image data of the surface image and the tomographic image stored in the memory 33, and generates the data of the stereoscopic image 38 of the living tissue 8 based on each image data.

Specifically, the acoustic impedance is a parameter related to the hardness of the living tissue 8, and the cancer tissue 39 is a tissue harder than the normal tissue 40. Therefore, based on the acoustic impedance Z _t of the tissue surface, it is possible to detect the distribution of two-dimensional cancerous tissue 39. Further, a boundary surface between the cancer tissue 39 and the normal tissue 40 on the depth side is detected based on the image data of the tomographic image, and data of the stereoscopic image 38 of the cancer tissue 39 is generated based on the detection result. After that, the generated stereoscopic image 38 data is transferred to the display device 36 to display the stereoscopic image 38 corresponding to the data, and then the processing of FIG.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) In the ultrasonic image display device 1 of the present embodiment, the reflected wave signal on the surface of the living tissue 8 is acquired by the first signal detection circuit (preamplifier 26 and A / D conversion circuit 29), and the reflected wave signal is obtained. Based on this, image data of the surface image is generated. Further, the reflected wave signal inside the living tissue 8 is acquired by the second signal detection circuit (preamplifier 26, logarithmic amplifier 28, and A / D conversion circuit 30), and image data of the tomographic image is obtained based on the reflected wave signal. Generated. Then, based on the image data of the surface image and the image data of the tomographic image, the stereoscopic image 38 of the living tissue 8 can be generated and the stereoscopic image 38 can be displayed. In the stereoscopic image 38, in addition to the two-dimensional distribution of the cancer tissue 39 on the surface of the biological tissue 8, the stereoscopic distribution on the depth side can be easily confirmed. This makes it possible to quickly perform an operation for removing the cancer tissue 39.

  (2) In the ultrasonic image display apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the first rotor unit 13 and the second rotor unit 14 are provided as ultrasonic scanning means, and the respective rotor units 13 and 14 are rotationally driven to generate ultrasonic waves. Can be scanned smoothly, and a reflected wave signal for image generation can be quickly acquired. Further, in this case, vibration during scanning can be suppressed as compared with a case where two-dimensional scanning is performed by linear movement. Thereby, the reflected wave signal can be detected more accurately, and a clearer stereoscopic image 38 can be generated.

  (3) In the ultrasonic image display device 1 according to the present embodiment, since a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 12 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first rotor unit 13, each ultrasonic transducer 12 generates an image. The reflected wave signal can be acquired quickly.

(4) In the ultrasonic probe 5 of the present embodiment, since pure water is filled in the probe case 11 as the ultrasonic transmission medium W1, attenuation of high frequency ultrasonic waves can be reduced, and the acoustic impedance Z _t Can be obtained with high accuracy. In addition, almost no electricity flows in pure water containing no ions. Therefore, even when an electrical component such as an electric motor is accommodated in the probe case 11, there is no need to worry about the occurrence of a short circuit, and the insulating structure can be omitted.
[Second Embodiment]

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic image display device 41 of the present embodiment includes a pulse excitation type ultrasonic microscope 42 and a personal computer 3. The pulse excitation type ultrasonic microscope 42 includes a microscope main body 45 having a sample stage 44, and an ultrasonic probe 46 installed below the sample stage 44. The ultrasonic probe 46 of the pulse excitation type ultrasonic microscope 42 is electrically connected to the personal computer 3.

  The sample stage 44 of the present embodiment is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction (that is, the X direction and the Y direction) by a user's manual operation. A resin plate 49 on which a living tissue 48 is placed is fixed to the sample stage 44. The biological tissue 48 is, for example, a brain tissue cut out from a rat cerebellum, and has a thickness of 300 μm to 400 μm. Further, as the resin plate 49, an acrylic plate or the like that is a transmission member that transmits ultrasonic waves is used. On the upper surface (first surface) of the resin plate 49, a reference member 50 is provided on the periphery of the set portion of the living tissue 48.

  The ultrasonic probe 46 includes a probe main body 52 having a storage portion 51 capable of storing an ultrasonic transmission medium W1 such as water at its distal end, an ultrasonic transducer 53 disposed substantially at the center of the probe main body 52, and a probe. An XY stage 54 (ultrasonic scanning means) for two-dimensionally scanning the main body 52 along the surface direction of the sample stage 44 is provided. The reservoir 51 of the probe body 52 is open at the top, and the ultrasonic probe 46 is installed below the sample stage 44 with the opening of the reservoir 51 facing upward.

  The ultrasonic transducer 53 includes a zinc oxide thin film piezoelectric element 56 (ultrasonic transducer) and an acoustic lens 57 of a sapphire rod, and is excited by a pulse so that a biological tissue is formed from the lower surface (second surface) of the resin plate 49. 48 is irradiated with ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic wave irradiated by the ultrasonic transducer 53 is converged in a conical shape via the ultrasonic transmission medium W1 of the reservoir 51 and focused on the upper surface of the resin plate 49 (the surface of the biological tissue 48). . In addition, as the ultrasonic transducer 53, those having specifications of a diameter of 1.2 mm, a focal length of 1.5 mm, a center frequency of 80 MHz, and a bandwidth of 50 to 105 MHz (−6 dB) are used.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the ultrasonic image display device 41.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the ultrasonic probe 46 includes an ultrasonic transducer 53, an XY stage 54, an I / F circuit 23, a transmission circuit 24, a transmission / reception wave separation circuit 25, a preamplifier 26, A logarithmic amplifier 28, A / D conversion circuits 29 and 30, an encoder 59, and a controller 60 are provided. The I / F circuit 23, the transmission circuit 24, the transmission / reception wave separation circuit 25, the preamplifier 26, the logarithmic amplifier 28, and the A / D conversion circuits 29 and 30 have the same circuit configuration as that of the above-described first embodiment.

  The XY stage 54 includes an X stage 54X and a Y stage 54Y for two-dimensionally scanning an ultrasonic irradiation point, and motors 61X and 61Y for driving the respective stages 54X and 54Y. As these motors 61X and 61Y, stepping motors or linear motors are used.

  A controller 60 is connected to each of the motors 61X and 61Y, and the motors 61X and 61Y are driven in response to a drive signal of the controller 60. By driving these motors 61X and 61Y, the X stage 54X is continuously scanned (continuous feed), and the Y stage 54Y is controlled to be intermittently fed, so that the XY stage 54 can be scanned at high speed. .

  In the present embodiment, an encoder 59 is provided corresponding to the X stage 54X, and the encoder 59 detects the scanning position of the X stage 54X. Specifically, when a scan range (for example, a scan range of 2 mm in length and width) is divided into 300 × 300 measurement points (pixels), one scan in the X direction (horizontal direction) is divided into 300. Then, the position of each measurement point is detected by the encoder 59 and taken into the personal computer 3. The personal computer 3 generates a drive control signal in synchronization with the output of the encoder 59 and supplies the drive control signal to the controller 60. The controller 60 drives the motor 61X based on this drive control signal. Further, the controller 60 drives the motor 61Y when the scanning of one line in the X direction is completed based on the output signal of the encoder 59, and moves the Y stage 54Y by one pixel in the Y direction.

  Further, the controller 60 generates a trigger signal in synchronization with the drive control signal and supplies it to the transmission circuit 24. Thereby, in the transmission circuit 24, an excitation pulse is generated at a timing synchronized with the trigger signal. As a result of the excitation pulse being supplied to the ultrasonic transducer 53 via the transmission / reception wave separation circuit 25, ultrasonic waves are emitted from the ultrasonic transducer 53.

  The thin film piezoelectric element 56 of the ultrasonic transducer 53 is an ultrasonic transducer that is also used for transmitting and receiving waves, and converts the ultrasonic wave (reflected wave) reflected by the living tissue 48 into an electrical signal. The reflected wave signal is supplied to the preamplifier 26 via the transmission / reception wave separation circuit 25 and amplified.

  The reflected wave signal amplified by the preamplifier 26 is supplied to the A / D conversion circuit 29, subjected to A / D conversion, and then transferred to the personal computer 3 via the I / F circuit 23. The reflected wave signal amplified by the preamplifier 26 is further logarithmically amplified by the logarithmic amplifier 28, A / D converted by the A / D conversion circuit 30, and then transferred to the personal computer 3 via the I / F circuit 23. The Also in the present embodiment, the preamplifier 26 and the A / D conversion circuit 29 constitute a first signal detection circuit, and a reflected wave signal on the surface of the living tissue 8 is acquired by this circuit. The preamplifier 26, the logarithmic amplifier 28, and the A / D conversion circuit 30 constitute a second signal detection circuit, and a reflected wave signal inside the living tissue 8 is acquired by this circuit.

  As in the first embodiment, the personal computer 3 includes a CPU 31, an I / F circuit 32, a memory 33, a storage device 34, an input device 35, and a display device 36 (not shown in FIG. 6). An ultrasonic image is generated and displayed based on each reflected wave signal acquired by the microscope 42.

  Specifically, the acoustic impedance is obtained based on the reflected wave signal on the surface of the biological tissue 48 acquired by the first signal detection circuit (the preamplifier 26 and the A / D conversion circuit 29), and the surface image corresponding to the acoustic impedance is obtained. Generate image data. Further, based on the reflected wave signal inside the living tissue 48 acquired by the second signal detection circuit (preamplifier 26, logarithmic amplifier 28, and A / D conversion circuit 30), image data of a tomographic image is generated. Then, based on the image data of the surface image and the tomographic image, a stereoscopic image of the biological tissue 48 is displayed on the display device 36.

As described above, in the ultrasonic image display device 41 of the present embodiment, a stereoscopic image of the biological tissue 48 can be generated and displayed as in the first embodiment. The properties of the tissue 48 can be easily confirmed.
[Third Embodiment]

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The ultrasonic image display apparatus of this embodiment includes the ultrasonic probe 71 of FIG. 7 instead of the ultrasonic probe unit 2 of the first embodiment, and an endoscopic surgery support system using an endoscope. It is used as a device that constitutes.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the ultrasonic probe 71, a rotor portion 73 is disposed at a distal end portion in a probe case 72 as a container. The probe case 72 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter of about 5 mm using a transmitting member that can transmit ultrasonic waves. And in this probe case 72, the reference member 74 is provided in a part of outer peripheral surface where the rotor part 73 is arrange | positioned. The rotor portion 73 is formed in a cylindrical shape and rotates around its rotation axis. A plurality (specifically, four) ultrasonic transducers 75 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor portion 73. A moving mechanism 76 that moves the rotor portion 73 in the axial direction of the probe case 72 is provided on the proximal end side of the probe case 72.

  In the ultrasonic probe 71, an ultrasonic scanning unit is configured by the rotor unit 73 and the moving mechanism 76, and the ultrasonic transducer 75 is driven in a spiral shape when the rotor unit 73 rotates and moves in the axial direction. The Thereby, the irradiation point of an ultrasonic wave is scanned two-dimensionally.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the ultrasonic image display device 70 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the ultrasonic probe 71 includes a rotor control unit 77 that drives and controls the rotor unit 73 and the moving mechanism 76, a signal processing circuit 22 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and electric signal input / output. I / F circuit 23 for performing the above. The signal processing circuit 22 and the I / F circuit 23 have the same circuit configuration as that in the first embodiment.

  Further, the personal computer 3 is configured to be connectable to the MRI apparatus 79 via the communication cable 78 and the like. The examination image data obtained by the MRI apparatus 79 before the operation is taken in and stored in the memory 33.

In the present embodiment, the distal end of the ultrasonic probe 71 is inserted into the patient's body and brought into contact with the affected area, and in that state, two-dimensional scanning of the ultrasound is performed to generate a stereoscopic image (ultrasound image) of the affected area. To do. Then, the image data of the stereoscopic image is superimposed on the image data of the inspection image of the MRI apparatus 79 to generate superimposed image data, and the superimposed image is displayed on the display device 36 based on the data. This superposed image is a processed image obtained by superimposing an ultrasonic image three-dimensionally on a three-dimensional inspection image acquired by the MRI apparatus 79. By confirming this image, endoscopic surgery can be performed quickly. Can be done.
In endoscopic surgery, the state of the affected surface can be confirmed by an optical image acquired by the endoscope. However, if the affected surface is covered by bleeding during the operation, it is difficult to confirm the surface structure. . In such a case, if the ultrasonic probe 71 is used, the surface structure of the affected part can be confirmed more accurately, and endoscopic surgery can be performed quickly.

In addition, you may change each embodiment of this invention as follows.
In each of the above embodiments, the preamplifier 26 is shared by the first signal detection circuit and the second signal detection circuit, but the preamplifiers 26 and 27 may be provided individually as shown in FIG. In this case, the preamplifier 26 and the A / D conversion circuit 29 constitute a first signal detection circuit, and a reflected wave signal on the surface of the living tissue 8 is acquired by this circuit. The preamplifier 27, the logarithmic amplifier 28, and the A / D conversion circuit 30 constitute a second signal detection circuit, and a reflected wave signal inside the living tissue 8 is acquired by this circuit.

  In the first and third embodiments, the rotor units 13 and 73 are provided with the four ultrasonic transducers 12 and 75, but the number can be changed as appropriate. As the ultrasonic transducers 12 and 75, two or more types of transducers having different focal lengths and frequencies of the ultrasonic waves to be irradiated may be used. For example, as a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 12, a high-resolution first ultrasonic transducer whose focal position is set on the outer surface of the probe case 11 and a low resolution whose focal position is set on the outer side of the outer surface. The rotor unit 13 is provided with a second ultrasonic transducer for decomposition. In addition, the 1st ultrasonic transducer | vibrator uses what irradiates the ultrasonic wave of a frequency (for example, 80 MHz) higher than the frequency (for example, 5 MHz) of the ultrasonic wave irradiated from a 2nd ultrasonic transducer. . Then, the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the first ultrasonic transducer is acquired by the first signal detection circuit, and the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the second ultrasonic transducer is the second signal. The detection circuit is configured to acquire. In this case, since the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the first ultrasonic transducer has a high frequency, the beam width at the focal position can be narrowed. Further, since the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the first ultrasonic transducer is reliably reflected on the surface of the living tissue, the acoustic impedance can be accurately obtained based on the reflected wave signal, and a clearer acoustic impedance image ( Surface image) can be obtained. On the other hand, the ultrasonic wave emitted from the second ultrasonic transducer has a low frequency, and the focal point is blurred so that the focal position is outside (rear) of the probe case 11. Therefore, the ultrasonic wave reliably propagates inside the living tissue 8, and the internal structure of the living tissue 8 can be surely confirmed based on the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave.

  In each of the above embodiments, since the ultrasonic transducers 12 and 75 irradiate broadband ultrasonic waves including different frequency components (50 MHz to 105 MHz), the reflected wave signals from the biological tissues 8 and 48 are also included. It has a broadband frequency component. Therefore, each signal detection circuit can be configured to detect a reflected wave signal having a specific frequency and generate image data of a surface image or a tomographic image using the reflected wave signal. Specifically, for example, the first signal detection circuit extracts a signal component on the high frequency side of the reflected wave signal, and generates image data of an acoustic impedance image using the signal component on the high frequency side. In this case, the image resolution can be increased and a clearer acoustic impedance image can be obtained.

  In the third embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 71 is provided separately from the endoscope (not shown). However, as shown in FIG. 10, an objective lens 81, a light guide 82, and the like are provided. The ultrasonic probe 71 may be integrally provided at the distal end of the endoscope 83. In this case, positional deviation between the optical image acquired by the endoscope 83 and the stereoscopic image acquired by the ultrasonic probe 71 can be prevented. As a result, the images can be reliably compared, and the state of the affected area can be confirmed more precisely.

  In the third embodiment, an image of the MRI apparatus 79 is used as an inspection image before surgery, but an image of another inspection apparatus such as a CT apparatus may be used instead.

In each of the above embodiments, the cancer tissue 39 is detected and the cancer tissue 39 is displayed three-dimensionally. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a blood vessel (especially an arterial blood vessel) around the cancer tissue 39 may be detected based on the image data of the tomographic image, and the blood vessel may be displayed together with the cancer tissue 39. In this case, it becomes possible to remove the cancer tissue 39 in consideration of blood vessels, and the removal operation can be performed quickly.
In each of the above embodiments, the biological tissues 8 and 48 are displayed in a three-dimensional manner based on the reflected wave signal obtained by two-dimensionally scanning the ultrasonic irradiation point. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Is not to be done. For example, in the ultrasonic probe 5 of the first embodiment, the second rotor unit 14 is omitted, and only the first rotor unit 13 constitutes an ultrasonic scanning unit. Then, the ultrasonic probe 5 is brought into contact with the surface of the biological tissue 8 to scan the ultrasonic wave one-dimensionally, and based on the obtained reflected wave signal, the acoustic impedance on the predetermined inspection line on the surface of the biological tissue 8 is obtained. _Zt is acquired and tomographic image data on the inspection line is acquired. Furthermore, based on its data in the acoustic impedance Z _t of the data and the tomographic image on the display device 36 an ultrasound image 85 as shown in FIG. 11. In the ultrasonic image 85, the line L1 corresponding to the biological tissue 8 surface (image upper end of the line) is a color display is color coded according to the size of the acoustic impedance Z _t. In the ultrasonic image 85, the distribution of the cancer tissue 39 in the living tissue 8 is displayed. Specifically, normal based on the acoustic impedance Z _t of the line L1 in the biological tissue 8 surface, is determined and the normal tissue 40 and cancerous tissue 39, based on data of the tomographic image, the cancer tissue 39 in the depth side A boundary surface with the tissue 40 is detected. And according to the detection result, the cancer tissue 39 is displayed in a color different from the normal tissue 40. Even in this way, the distribution of the cancer tissue 39 on the surface and inside the living tissue 8 can be confirmed, and the cancer tissue 39 can be quickly removed.
Further, in the ultrasonic image display devices 1, 41, 70 of the above-described embodiments, a display function for displaying the ultrasonic image 85 as shown in FIG. 11 by scanning the ultrasonic irradiation point one-dimensionally is added. May be. In this case, the stereoscopic image 38 obtained by the two-dimensional scanning of ultrasonic waves and the ultrasonic image 85 obtained by the one-dimensional scanning may be appropriately switched and displayed.

  In the first embodiment, the three-dimensional structure of the cancer tissue 39 in the living tissue 8 is confirmed by displaying the three-dimensional image 38. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the structure on the depth side of the cancer tissue 39 (the thickness of the cancer tissue 39) may be displayed by the length of an arrow or the like. In this case, by determining the boundary position between the cancer tissue 39 and the normal tissue 40 based on the image data of the tomographic image, the thickness data (internal data) of the cancer tissue 39 is generated as information on the internal structure. , Display an arrow of length corresponding to the thickness. Even in this way, the internal structure of the living tissue 8 can be easily confirmed.

In each of the above embodiments, the acoustic impedance Z _t on the surface of the biological tissue 8, 48 is measured to obtain image data of the surface image. In addition to the acoustic impedance Z _t , the density, bulk modulus, etc. You may comprise so that an acoustic parameter may be measured and the image data of a surface image may be obtained.

  Next, in addition to the technical ideas described in the claims, the technical ideas grasped by the respective embodiments described above are listed below.

  (1) In any one of claims 1 to 7, storage means for storing image data of an inspection image acquired by an MRI apparatus or a CT apparatus, and image data of the stereoscopic image as image data of the inspection image An ultrasonic image display device, further comprising: a superposed image data generating means for superposing superposed image data.

  (2) In any one of claims 1 to 7, the object to be inspected is a living tissue, and the image display means detects a cancer tissue in the living tissue based on acoustic impedance as the acoustic parameter. And displaying the cancer tissue in a three-dimensional manner.

  (3) In the above (2), the image display means detects blood vessels around the cancer tissue and displays the blood vessels together with the cancer tissue.

  (4) In any one of claims 1 to 5, the ultrasonic transducer irradiates ultrasonic waves including different frequency components by being pulse-excited, and the surface image generating means An ultrasonic image display device, wherein a surface image is generated using a signal component on a high frequency side in a reflected wave signal.

  (5) In Claim 2, the ultrasonic transducer is mounted in the vicinity of a distal end portion of an endoscope, and the stereoscopic image is displayed as support information for surgery using the endoscope. Ultrasonic image display device.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an ultrasonic image display apparatus according to a first embodiment that embodies the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an ultrasonic image display apparatus according to a first embodiment. The perspective view which shows the three-dimensional image of a biological tissue. The flowchart which shows the display process of a stereo image. The schematic block diagram which shows the ultrasonic image display apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the ultrasonic image display apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The perspective view which shows the ultrasonic probe of 3rd Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the electrical constitution of the ultrasonic image display apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the signal detection circuit in another embodiment. The perspective view which shows the endoscope which has an ultrasonic probe. Explanatory drawing which shows the ultrasonic image of a biological tissue. Explanatory drawing which shows the measuring method of acoustic impedance.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,41,70 ... Ultrasonic image display apparatus 5,71 ... Ultrasonic probe 8,48 ... Biological tissue as test object 11,72 ... Probe case as a transmissive member 12,75 ... Ultrasonic transducer 13,14 , 73... Rotor portion constituting ultrasonic scanning means 26... Preamplifier constituting first signal detection circuit 27... Preamplifier constituting second signal detection circuit 28... Logarithmic amplifier constituting second signal detection circuit 29. A / D conversion circuit constituting signal detection circuit 30... A / D conversion circuit constituting second signal detection circuit 31... CPU as surface image generation means, tomographic image generation means, data generation means, and image display means
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 38 ... Stereoscopic image 49 ... Resin plate as a transmissive member 54 ... XY stage as an ultrasonic scanning means 56 ... Thin film piezoelectric element as an ultrasonic transducer 76 ... Moving mechanism constituting the ultrasonic scanning means W1 ... Ultrasonic Transmission medium

Claims (10)

An ultrasonic image display device that irradiates an inspection object with ultrasonic waves and displays an ultrasonic image of the inspection object based on a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave,
A first surface for closely contacting the object to be inspected and a second surface for contacting an ultrasonic transmission medium located on the opposite side of the first surface and transmitting the ultrasonic wave A member,
Ultrasonic vibration for irradiating the object to be inspected from the second surface side through the ultrasonic transmission medium and the transmitting member, and receiving a reflected wave from the object to be inspected and converting it into an electric signal With the child,
Ultrasonic scanning means for scanning the ultrasonic irradiation point one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally;
A preamplifier for amplifying and outputting the reflected wave signal and a first A / D conversion circuit for A / D converting the amplified reflected wave signal, and reflected by the surface of the object to be inspected A first signal detection circuit for acquiring an ultrasonic reflected wave signal;
A preamplifier for amplifying and outputting the reflected wave signal, a logarithmic amplifier for further logarithmically amplifying the amplified reflected wave signal, and a second A / D conversion for A / D converting the logarithmically amplified reflected wave signal A second signal detection circuit configured to obtain a reflected wave signal of an ultrasonic wave reflected inside the inspection object,
Surface image generation means for calculating an acoustic parameter of the surface of the object to be inspected based on the reflected wave signal acquired by the first signal detection circuit and generating image data of a surface image corresponding to the acoustic parameter;
Data generating means for generating internal data relating to the internal structure of the inspection object based on the reflected wave signal acquired by the second signal detection circuit;
An ultrasonic image display device comprising: image display means for displaying information on a surface image of the object to be inspected and an internal structure on the depth side thereof based on image data of the surface image and internal data . An ultrasonic image display device that irradiates an inspection object with ultrasonic waves and displays an ultrasonic image of the inspection object based on a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave,
A first surface for closely contacting the object to be inspected and a second surface for contacting an ultrasonic transmission medium located on the opposite side of the first surface and transmitting the ultrasonic wave A member,
Ultrasonic vibration for irradiating the object to be inspected from the second surface side through the ultrasonic transmission medium and the transmitting member, and receiving a reflected wave from the object to be inspected and converting it into an electric signal With the child,
Ultrasonic scanning means for two-dimensionally scanning the ultrasonic irradiation point;
A preamplifier for amplifying and outputting the reflected wave signal and a first A / D conversion circuit for A / D converting the amplified reflected wave signal, and reflected by the surface of the object to be inspected A first signal detection circuit for acquiring an ultrasonic reflected wave signal;
A preamplifier for amplifying and outputting the reflected wave signal, a logarithmic amplifier for further logarithmically amplifying the amplified reflected wave signal, and a second A / D conversion for A / D converting the logarithmically amplified reflected wave signal A second signal detection circuit configured to obtain a reflected wave signal of an ultrasonic wave reflected inside the inspection object,
Surface image generation means for calculating an acoustic parameter of the surface of the object to be inspected based on the reflected wave signal acquired by the first signal detection circuit and generating image data of a surface image corresponding to the acoustic parameter;
Based on the reflected wave signal acquired by the second signal detection circuit, tomographic image generation means for generating image data of a tomographic image of the inspection object;
An ultrasonic image display apparatus comprising: an image display unit configured to generate a stereoscopic image of the inspection object based on the image data of the surface image and tomographic image and display the stereoscopic image.   The ultrasonic transducer is provided in an ultrasonic probe having an accommodation body that can be filled with an ultrasonic transmission medium as the transmission member, and the ultrasonic scanning means rotates the ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic image display device according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic image display device includes a rotor portion.   4. The rotor portion according to claim 3, wherein the rotor portion is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the ultrasonic transducer is driven in a spiral shape by rotating about the rotation axis and moving in the axial direction. Ultrasonic image display device.   The ultrasonic image display device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the rotor portion.   As the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, the first ultrasonic transducer for high resolution in which the focal position of the ultrasonic wave to be irradiated is set on the first surface of the transmission member, and the first ultrasonic transducer A second ultrasonic transducer having a low resolution, and the first signal detection circuit acquires a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave emitted from the first ultrasonic transducer, and detects the second signal. The ultrasonic image display device according to claim 5, wherein the circuit acquires a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the second ultrasonic transducer.   The ultrasonic wave emitted from the first ultrasonic transducer is a frequency higher than the frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted from the second ultrasonic transducer. Sound image display device. An ultrasonic image display method for irradiating an inspection object while scanning ultrasonically in one or two dimensions and displaying an ultrasonic image of the inspection object based on a reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave. And
The inspection object is brought into close contact with the first surface of the transmission member capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves, and the inspection object is transmitted from the second surface side of the transmission member via the ultrasonic transmission medium and the transmission member by an ultrasonic vibrator. Irradiating with ultrasonic waves;
Amplifying the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave, and A / D converting the amplified reflected wave signal to obtain an ultrasonic reflected wave signal reflected by the surface of the inspection object;
After the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave is amplified, logarithmic amplification is further performed, and the reflected wave signal that has been logarithmically amplified is A / D converted to reflect the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave inside the inspection object. Step to get the
Based on the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected from the surface of the inspection object, calculating an acoustic parameter of the surface of the inspection object and generating image data of a surface image corresponding to the acoustic parameter;
Generating internal data relating to an internal structure of the inspection object based on a reflected wave signal of an ultrasonic wave reflected inside the inspection object;
An ultrasonic image display method comprising: displaying information on a surface image of the object to be inspected and an internal structure on a depth side thereof based on image data of the surface image and internal data.   An endoscopic surgery support system comprising the ultrasonic image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   An ultrasonic image display program for causing a computer to execute each step in the ultrasonic image display method according to claim 8.

Images