KR890000553B1 - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4 are timing charts showing the operation of each part of FIG.

5 is an explanatory diagram of a data position in the frame memory in one embodiment.

6 is a diagram for explaining data storage in frame memory of linear scan and convex scan;

7 is a block diagram showing another embodiment.

8 is an explanatory diagram of frame memory writing.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1: oscillator switching circuit 2: normal circuit

3: delay element 4: selector

5: analog processing circuit 6: A / D converter

7: memory circuit 8: buffer memory

9: frame memory 10: normal control circuit

11: ROMA 12: Counter A

13 frame memory control circuit 14 lead write selector

16 :

15:

16:

17: counter B 18: counter C

19: comparison circuit 20: CRF

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly, to a diagnostic apparatus suitable for observing a fast-moving object with good resolution with low flicker.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which transmits and receives ultrasonic waves by a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators to form an image, in order to improve the resolution, as a reflected signal from a certain point of interest, the phase of the received wave from each vibrator is controlled to be phased at an addition point. Matching is done. This is commonly referred to as focusing, and the point of interest is called a focusing point. In addition, in the phase control of the received wave, for example, a tap having a delay time required by a tap attachment delay line is connected to an addition point. Such a circuit is called a normal circuit. Conventionally, as the focusing method, a fixed focusing method, i.e., a method of performing phase control in which the depth from the vicinity of a subject surface to a single focusing point and a multistage focusing method, that is, focusing There are methods of setting several points, performing a fixed focus method in each, and combining them to form one ultrasonic beam signal. However, the former method deteriorates resolution other than the focusing point. In this method, since the number of focusing points is transmitted and received, it takes a long time to form an image and there is a problem that the image grows up. The dynamic focusing method proposed to improve this is a method of changing the sequential focusing point with time upon reception for one transmission wave.

Conventionally, in this type of apparatus, the wave dynamic focusing method is used to prepare two normal circuits as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-112234, and one of them is closed. In the circuit, the other side was opened, and the delayed element for focusing was switched on the side of the open circuit so that noise did not appear at the output. However, this requires an expensive delay element twice, and the normal circuit itself is also enlarged, so that the device becomes large and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is not intended to process switching noise analogously, but to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which enables inexpensive and simple sopa dynamic focus by processing in a digital circuit with simple control.

The present invention does not write the noise generated when switching the focusing point into the frame memory, and the data not obtained by the noise is interpolated by the data of the same point before one frame or by data interpolation of adjacent ultrasonic beams. By doing so, it is intended to display a good image so that image data is not short.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is an electronic linear scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and shows an example in the case where there is only one top.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 show timing difference arts of respective parts. 5 is a comparison between the case of linear scanning and the case of convex scanning of data in the frame memory, and FIG. 6. In FIG. 1, scanning is performed by dynamic focus except for counter A 12 of the normal control circuit 10, comparison circuit 19, and signals of US clock, US frame, R frame, and W frame. Even if you do not need the configuration of the standard.

The US clock signal corresponds to the depth distance at the time of ultrasonic transmission, and the switching point of the forcing point is set according to this clock signal. The US frame signal is a signal whose state changes from high to low to high whenever an ultrasound image is composed of one image. For example, if one image is formed by 120 ultrasonic beams, it is changed after 120 times of transmission and reception. Each signal of the R frame and the W frame is a signal corresponding to the US frame signal in the read state and the write state of the frame memory. Normally, the blanking time of the CRT is set to the write state of the frame memory.

(11)이다.The ultrasonic signal is inputted to the normal circuit 2 composed of the plurality of delay elements 3 and the selector 4 through the vibrating self-selection circuit 1, and the delay amount according to the focusing point is input to the delay element 3. It is given by and added to one ultrasonic beam. The selection of the delay amount is made by the selector 4. Controlling the selector 4 is controlled by the normal control circuit 10.

(11).

The operation here will be explained based on the second timing difference art.

(11)은 상기 카운트수에 따라서 소정의 지연량의 지연소자(3)를 셀렉터(4)로 선택하는 제어신호를 출력한다. 이

(11)의 출력이 변화 할 때, 즉 포오커싱포인트를 변경하기 위해 탭부착지연선을 전환할 때, 초음파 신호에 전환소음이 발생한다.Feeding of the ultrasonic waves is synchronized with the ultrasonic synchronizing signal Y-SYNC. During the reception of the ultrasound, counter A 12 counts the US clock,

(11) outputs a control signal for selecting the delay element 3 of the predetermined delay amount to the selector 4 in accordance with the count number. this

When the output of (11) changes, that is, when switching the tapping delay line to change the focusing point, switching noise is generated in the ultrasonic signal.

Fixing the point at which the previous noise occurs (switching point) does not always obtain the data of the normal ultrasonic beam, so that each time a picture is composed, that is, the state of the US frame is changed, the switching point is changed every time. Change it. For the same reason, the switching points of adjacent ultrasonic beams are changed. In this way, the US frame adds the signal as input data of the 1-bit ROM so that the switching noise does not occur at the same timing for each frame of the image and adjacent ultrasound beams, for example, when the US frame signal is low ( In the state of A), the switch point is first set to the third of the US clock signal, and when the US frame signal is high (the state of B), the first switch point is set to the fourth of the US clock signal. As a result, the generation point of the switching noise is changed for each image, and data at the same point before one image can be used.

에 의해, 초음파비임의 데이터는 상기 버퍼메모리(8)에서 프레임메모리(9)에 기억된다. 이 동작을 제3도로 의거하여 설명한다.The normal ultrasonic beam signal passes through the analog processing circuit 5 and the A / D converter 6 and becomes a digital signal and is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 8 of the memory circuit 7. Thereafter, the frame memory write address signal generated by the counter B 17 and the write control signal output by the ROMB 15

By this, the data of the ultrasonic beams are stored in the frame memory 9 in the buffer memory 8. This operation will be described based on the third degree.

신호는 저(L)로 되고 리이드라이트셀렉터(14)는 기입에드레스 신호 발생용의 카운터 B(17)의 출력을 프레임 메모리(9)에 어드레스로서 부여한다.

(15)은 카운터 B(17)의 출력을 입력하여 데이터기입을 위한 제어신호

를 발생하지만, 정상부에 발생한 전환소음과 대응하는 어드레스로 되면,

신호를 발생하지 않는다. 그래서, 전환소음은 프레임 메모리(9)에 기입되지 않으며, 그 장소는 1프레임전의 데이터가 그대로 계속해서 기억된다. W프레임신호는 현재 기입되어 있는 데이터가 US프레임신호의 고(B의 상태)일 때냐, 저(A의 상태)일 때냐를 지시한다.Upon writing to the frame memory,

The signal becomes low (L) and the lead write selector 14 gives the frame memory 9 an output of the counter B 17 for generating the write address signal as an address.

15, a control signal for writing data by inputting the output of the counter B 17;

Is generated, but when the address corresponding to the switching noise generated at the top is reached,

No signal is generated. Therefore, the switching noise is not written in the frame memory 9, and the data of one frame before is continuously stored as it is. The W frame signal indicates whether the currently written data is high (state B) or low (state A) of the US frame signal.

The data of the ultrasonic beam stored in the frame memory 9 is read out simultaneously with the data of the adjacent ultrasonic beams by the frame memory read address signal generated by the counter C 18 and input to the comparison circuit 19.

를 출력한다. 이것에 의해 심장의 판막과 같은 움직임이 빠른 화상의 경우에는, 새로운 화상과 전의 화상의 데이터의 차가 크기 때문에 상가평균데이터를, 또 복부(腹部)와 같은 움직임이 적은 화상의 경우에는 전의 화상의 데이터와의 차가 적기 때문에, 1프레임전의 데이터에 의해 전환소음에서 얻어지지 않았던 새로운 데이터대신 데이터로서 보충한다. 이 출력이 CRT(20)에 표시된다. 다음에 제4도에 의거하여 설명한다.When the comparison circuit 19 requires, for example, a beam of B as shown in FIG. 5, the data of the beams of adjacent A and C are simultaneously output from the frame memory, and at this point (b). Thus, three adjacent data of a, b, and c are input. In this case, b is the comparison circuit 19 which is the data before one image where new data is not obtained due to the switching noise, and the average data of a and c is compared with the data b before one frame. If the new data at point b is b ', for example, when the difference is small, b' = b, when the difference is large,

Outputs As a result, in the case of fast-moving images such as the valve of the heart, since the difference between the data of the new image and the previous image is large, the average value data is added, and in the case of an image having less movement such as the abdomen, the data of the previous image Since the difference with is small, the data of one frame before is supplemented with data instead of new data which was not obtained by switching noise. This output is displayed on the CRT 20. Next, it demonstrates based on FIG.

신호는 고(H)로 되며, 리이드 라이트셀렉터(14)는 독출어드레스 발생용 카운터 C(18)의 출력을 프레임메모리(9)에 어드레스로서 부여한다.When reading frame memory,

The signal becomes high (H), and the read write selector 14 gives the output of the read address generation counter C 18 to the frame memory 9 as an address.

(16)은 카운터 C(18)의 출력을 입력하여 전환소음으로 새로운 데이터를 기입하지 않은 곳, 즉 1화상전의 데이터가 남아 있는 곳이 되면, 출력을 고(H)로 하고, 그것을 받아 비교회로(19)는 상술한 비교동작을 한다. 출력 L일 때는 비교는 하지 않고, 그대로의 데이터가 출력된다. R프레임신호는 현재 독출하고 있는 데이터가 US프레임신호의 고(B의 상태)일 때냐, 저(A의 상태)일 때냐를 지시한다.The output of the counter C 18 is a read address of the frame memory 9 but corresponds to the depth of the beam and may correspond to the output of the counter A 12.

(16) inputs the output of the counter C (18) and when the new data is not written by switching noise, i.e., where the data before one image remains, the output is set to high (H), and the comparison circuit is received. Reference numeral 19 performs the comparison operation described above. At output L, no comparison is made, and the data is output as it is. The R frame signal indicates whether the data currently being read is high (state B) or low (state A) of the US frame signal.

(11)을 2개로 하여, 한쪽에는 US프레임신호, 또 한쪽에는 US프레임신호의 반전신호를 부여하면 된다.As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the writing and the reading in the frame memory are controlled, a good image by the sonic dynamic focus without switching noise can be obtained. In the above embodiment, in the electronic linear scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the top portion has a single configuration, but in response to the normal circuit 2 having two in the case where the ultrasonic waves are normally two beams,

It is sufficient to have two (11), and to give a US frame signal to one side and an inverted signal of the US frame signal to one side.

(15)을 역시 2개로 하면 된다.In addition, the write control to the frame memory 9 is also performed.

(15) should be two again.

Unlike in the case of electron scanning and convex scanning, as in the case of liar scanning, the linear scanning type corresponds to the depth of the CRT scan line and the ultrasonic beam, as shown in FIG. Corresponds to one scanning line, but in the case of electron sector scanning or convex scanning, the correspondence between the depth and the CRT scanning line differs depending on the ultrasonic beam. Therefore, in the case of such a scan, the comparison circuit 19 may be placed between the buffer memory 8 and the frame memory 9 to perform the same operation when writing to the frame memory 9. However, at least three buffer memories are required because the side beam data is also required.

In this case, an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 shows the circuit after the A / D converter 6 of the embodiment according to FIG.

(27)은 A/D 변환기(6)에서 입력해 오는 비임데이터를 상기 3개의 버퍼메모리 A(81), B(82), C(83)의 어디에 기입하는가를 제어하는 신호

를 발생한다. 초음파비임의 하나마다 기입을 하는 버퍼메모리 A(81), B(82), C(83)를 변경하도록

를 순차 제어한다.There are three buffer memories A 81, B 82, and C 83, and a comparison circuit 19 is connected between them and the frame memory 9.

A signal 27 controls where to write the beam data input from the A / D converter 6 into the three buffer memories A 81, B 82, and C 83.

Occurs. To change the buffer memories A (81), B (82), and C (83) for writing to each of the ultrasonic beams.

To control sequentially.

(27)이 판단하여, 상기 버퍼메모리의 어느 버퍼메모리에 기입하는지를 지시한다. 그리고 예를들면 제5도의 비임 (A), (B), (C)와 버퍼메모리(A), (B), (C)가 대응하고 있다고 하면, 비임(B)의 데이터를 프레임메모리(9)에 기입하기 위해, 버퍼메모리 A(81), B(82), C(83)의 3개에서 동시에 데이터가 독출되어, 비교회로(19)에 입력한다.Next, the operation will be described. The output of the A / D converter 6 is sequentially written to the buffer memories A 81, B 82, and C 83 for each ultrasonic beam. The counter D28 counts the number of times of the ultrasonic beam at this time, and outputs the output.

(27) determines and instructs which buffer memory of the buffer memory to write. For example, if the beams (A), (B), and (C) of FIG. 5 correspond to the buffer memories (A), (B) and (C), the data of the beam (B) is stored in the frame memory (9). ), Data is read out simultaneously from three of the buffer memories A 81, B 82, and C 83, and inputted into the comparison circuit 19.

가 고(H)일 때, 프레임메모리(9)는 독출사이클로 메모리의 기억을 독출한다. 기입제어신호

가 저(L)로 되면 프레임메모리(9)는 기입사이클로 주어진 데이터를 메모리에 기억한다. 제8도에 있어서, 프레임메모리(9)가 어드레스를 유지, 즉 확인된 위치에서 다시 다음의 어드레스를 받기 까지의 동안중, 기입제어신호

는 나중의 절반 쪽에 설정된다. 그래서 하나의 어드레스가 주어진 상태에서, 최초는 독출동작에 의해 메모리에서 데이터를 독출하고, 그 후 기입동작을 한다. 이것을 리이드모디화이라이트사이클이라고 부른다. 이 리이드모디화이라이트사이클을 사용하여, 버퍼메모리 A(81), B(82), C(83)의 3개의 데이터가 비교회로(19)에 입력할 때, 비임(B)에 대응하는 화상전의 데이터를, 프레임메모리(9)에서 독출하여, 비교회로(19)에 입력한다. 그리고, 전환점의 경우에는, 상술한 바와 같은 비교동작을 하며, 후반의 기입제어신호

가 저(L)의 상태에서 비임(B)의 데이터로서 프레임메모리(9)에 기입하여 기억한다.The read address signals of the buffer memories (A), (B), and (C) are generated by the counter E (29), but the write address of the frame memory (9) is controlled by the counter B (17). Corresponds to the signal. At this time, the frame memory writes the read mode write cycle. This entry will be described based on FIG. When an address is given to the frame memory 9, the frame memory 9 receives it and holds it internally. Write control signal in this state

When H is high, the frame memory 9 reads out the memory in the read cycle. Write control signal

Becomes low, the frame memory 9 stores the data given in the write cycle in the memory. In FIG. 8, while the frame memory 9 retains the address, that is, receives the next address from the confirmed position again, the write control signal

Is set later half. Thus, in the state where one address is given, first, data is read from the memory by a read operation, and then a write operation is performed. This is called lead modilite cycle. When the three data of the buffer memories A (81), B (82), and C (83) are input to the comparison circuit 19 by using the lead modulated light cycle, the image before the image corresponding to the beam B is used. Data is read from the frame memory 9 and input to the comparison circuit 19. In the case of the switching point, the comparison operation as described above is performed, and the second write control signal

In the low L state, the data is written into the frame memory 9 and stored as the data of the beam B.

As described above, this embodiment can be applied to electronic sector scanning or convex scanning for comparison operation when writing to the frame memory 9. Of course, it can be applied to linear scanning, and at the same time, it is also possible to have 2 beams normal.

Incidentally, in the above embodiment, the data of one frame before and the difference between the beams on both sides are compared with each other, but not only the data of one frame before and the interpolation data on both sides may be used as the comparison condition.

In this embodiment, the interpolation data of the beams on both sides is compared with the data one frame before, but only one of them may be used, and more beams may be of course.

According to the present invention, it is possible to simply perform the sonic dynamic focus without displaying the switching noise on the image by simply adding a little inexpensive digital circuit and controlling the addition and reading of the frame memory without increasing the expensive delay element. have.

Claims (2)

A normal circuit for focusing a received signal from each ultrasonic vibrator into one ultrasonic signal, a normal control circuit for switching the focusing point, and a memory for storing the ultrasonic signal And an ultrasonic control apparatus having a memory control circuit for controlling the reading and writing of the memory, wherein the normal control circuit shifts the switching timing of the focusing point and the switching timing of the adjacent ultrasonic signal. Interpolation of data before one image or adjacent beams at the time of writing to the memory or reading data from the memory control circuit which has not been obtained as noise at the time of focusing point switching. Vi) an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising means for supplementing with data and constituting an image. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory control circuit selects whether the data before the first image or the interpolation data of adjacent beams is detected by comparing the difference between the two data and setting the comparison with the set threshold. Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in that provided.

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