JPH05237099A - Medical diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve higher diagnosis efficiency by enlarging and displaying character styles of character information read out of a memory device on a display surface to recognize the information sufficiently as far as it is within a fixed range from the display surface though much in the amount thereof. CONSTITUTION:Character styles of character information read out of an RAM12 are enlarged with an enlarging circuit 15 and displayed on a display surface of a display device 10 through a graphic RAM 9. Hence, the character information on the display surface can be recognized sufficiently even when an operator is in a fixed range from the display device 10. The character information enlarged can be displayed with a timer 13 for several ten sec, for instance, and thereafter, it is restored to the normal size to be displayed at a specified position. Therefore, the parts failed to recognize in a diagnosis image can be recognized sufficiently on the spot.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to a medical diagnostic apparatus equipped with a diagnostic image and a display device for displaying information indicating a setting state of each function in the apparatus or information such as a diagnostic result. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a medical diagnostic apparatus such as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, image processing operation is performed based on an output from an ultrasonic probe contacting a subject, and information of the result of the operation processing is given as The tomographic image of the subject is displayed by outputting the image to a display device including a CRT.

Then, on the display surface on which such a tomographic image is displayed, together with the tomographic image, information related to this tomographic image, that is, information indicating the setting state of the function in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, diagnostic results, etc. Information is displayed at a predetermined location in the form of characters, symbols, etc. (hereinafter, the information displayed in such a form is referred to as character information). This is because, by displaying such information, the efficiency of diagnosis regarding the tomographic image can be significantly improved.

[0004]

However, in the medical diagnostic apparatus having such a configuration, the character information is displayed at a predetermined position on the display surface in a predetermined size. . Such a display form is preset, and particularly when the character information has to be shown in a large amount of information, it is displayed in a limited area where the tomographic image is not displayed. , It was inevitable that the letters and symbols would inevitably become small fonts.

In such a case, it is difficult for the operator to recognize the character information when the operator is relatively far from the display device. Especially, when the operator is far from the display device for the sake of diagnosis, the character information is directly displayed. Needless to say, the efficiency of diagnosis is reduced regardless of the action of ignoring the action and trying to recognize the character information by stopping the action and approaching the display device. Absent.

Therefore, the present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a character within a certain range from the display device even if the amount of character information is large. It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical diagnostic apparatus that can sufficiently recognize the character information as long as it is in the air and can improve the efficiency of diagnosis.

[0007]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention basically requires a memory device for storing character information and character information stored in this memory device. In accordance with a medical diagnostic device including a video means for displaying on a display surface of a display device on which a readout diagnostic image is displayed, a character image of character information read from the memory device is enlarged and displayed on the display surface. And an enlargement display maintaining means for maintaining the enlargement display of the character information by the enlargement display means for a certain period of time.

[0008]

The medical diagnostic device configured as described above firstly
The enlarged display means enlarges each font of the character information read from the memory device and displays it on the display surface of the display device. Therefore, the operator can sufficiently recognize the character information even if the operator is at a place relatively far from the display device (a place within a certain range from the display device).

In this case, the enlarged character information may be displayed so as to be superimposed on the diagnostic image being simultaneously displayed, and a part of the diagnostic image may not be observable by the character information. The enlarged and displayed character information is only displayed for several tens of seconds, for example, by the enlarged display maintaining means, and then returns to the normal size to a predetermined position (in this case, the diagnostic image adjacent to the diagnostic image). This is because it will be displayed in a region where is not displayed), and the unrecognizable portion of the diagnostic image can be sufficiently recognized at that time.

Therefore, even if the amount of character information is large, the character information can be sufficiently recognized as long as it is within a certain range from the display device.
The efficiency of diagnosis can be improved.

[0011]

1 is a schematic block diagram showing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is an embodiment of a medical diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

In the figure, there is an ultrasonic probe 1, and this ultrasonic probe 1 is used by being brought into contact with a subject surface (not shown). In addition, the ultrasonic probe 1 has an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving circuit 2
By being driven by, the subject 1 can be irradiated with ultrasonic waves and the reflected ultrasonic waves can be received.

The ultrasonic wave reception by the ultrasonic probe 1 is detected by the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving circuit 2, and the received signal is
The image information is digitized by the A / D converter 3, and is stored in the image memory 4 which is, for example, a frame memory. Then, the information from the image memory 4 is analogized by the D / A converter 5,
For example, the tomographic image is displayed on the display device 10 including a CRT. Here, the ultrasonic transmission / reception circuit 2 and the image memory 4 are controlled by the CPU 8.

On the other hand, a control signal from the keyboard 6 or the remote control board 7 is input to the CPU 8. In the present embodiment, in the keyboard 6 or the remote control board 7, in particular, a key for setting the enlarged display mode of character information,
A key for selecting whether or not the enlarged display time is arbitrary, and a key for selecting a desired character / symbol are provided. Needless to say, the keyboard 6 or the remote control board 7 is provided with keys for inputting other various commands and the like.

The CPU 8 includes a ROM 11 for controlling the CPU 8, a work RAM 12 serving as a storage unit for writing or reading data necessary for displaying character information such as characters and symbols, and the CPU 8. A timer 13 for interrupting the timer is provided.

The output of the CPU 8 is the graphic R
It is designed to be input to AM9. Character information such as characters and symbols displayed on the display device 10 is written in the graphic RAM 9. Therefore, the character information stored in the graphic RAM 6 is directly output to the display device 10 and displayed on the display surface on which a diagnostic image such as a tomographic image is displayed.

When a key for setting the enlarged display mode and a key for selecting a desired character / symbol to be enlarged are arranged on the keyboard 6 or the remote control board 7, the CPU 8 causes the RAM 8 to operate.
The character information is read from 2 and stored in the graphic RAM 9 via the enlargement circuit 15. The storage position in this case corresponds to the enlarged display position.

In this case, the graphic RAM 9 has been used up to now.
The display of the character information before the enlargement stored in the display device 10 is stopped, and instead, the enlarged character information is stored in the graphic RAM 9 and displayed on the display device 10.

Further, the enlarged display period of the character information is selected by the key for selecting whether or not the display period is arbitrary. That is, when the timer 13 starts counting the time of the timer interrupt at the same time as the enlarged display and the count value coincides with the predetermined time, or at any time when the count value is ignored, the enlarged display character is displayed. Information is being erased. Then, the character information before the enlargement is displayed on the display device 10 via the graphic RAM 9.

In the medical diagnostic apparatus according to the above-described embodiment, first, the enlargement display means (enlargement circuit 15) enlarges each font of the character information read from the memory device (RAM 12) and displays it via the graphic RAM 9. The display is made on the display surface of the device 10. Therefore, even if the operator is at a place relatively far from the display device 10 (a place within a certain range from the display device 10), the operator can sufficiently recognize the character information on the display surface.

In this case, the enlarged character information may be displayed so as to be superimposed on the diagnostic image being simultaneously displayed, and a part of the diagnostic image may not be observable by the character information. The enlarged and displayed character information is only displayed, for example, for several tens of seconds by the enlarged display maintaining means (timer 13), and thereafter returns to the normal size and comes to a predetermined position (in this case, adjacent to the diagnostic image). This is because it will be displayed in a region where the diagnostic image is not displayed), and the unrecognizable portion of the diagnostic image can be sufficiently recognized at that time.

Therefore, even if the amount of character information is large, the character information can be sufficiently recognized as long as it is within a certain range from the display device.
The efficiency of diagnosis can be improved.

In the above-described embodiment, when the enlarged character information is deleted, the character information before enlargement is continuously displayed after that. However, the character information before enlargement is not always displayed. It goes without saying that you do not have to do so.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the enlarged character information is selected by the key operation and is displayed on the display surface at the same time. It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured so that a plurality of pieces of character information can be sequentially enlarged and displayed over time.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the character information to be enlarged and displayed is designated in advance by using the keyboard 6. However, in the case where the character information can be sequentially enlarged and displayed with the passage of time, it is possible to shorten the time. Since all the character information can be displayed, it is not necessary to select the character information to be enlarged and displayed.

[0026]

According to the above-described medical diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, even if the amount of character information is large, the character information can be sufficiently recognized as long as it is within a certain range from the display device, and the efficiency of diagnosis can be improved. You will be able to improve.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block configuration diagram showing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is an embodiment of a medical diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 8 CPU 9 Graphic RAM 10 Display device 12 RAM 15 Enlargement circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A memory device for storing character information,
In a medical diagnostic apparatus, which comprises, if necessary, the character information stored in the memory device, and a video means for displaying on the display surface of the display device on which the diagnostic image is displayed, the character information read from the memory device A medical diagnostic apparatus comprising: an enlarged display means for enlarging and displaying a font on the display surface; and an enlarged display maintaining means for maintaining the enlarged display of the character information by the enlarged display means for a certain period of time.