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Akihiro Kakee, Nasushiobara-Shi JP

Akihiro Kakee, Nasushiobara-Shi JP

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080242988ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS, ULTRASOUND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND ULTRASOUND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - There is provided an automatic adjustment function of the dynamic range that carries out statistic processing by the use of each brightness of image data that corresponds to a plurality of frames, automatically determines the upper limit of the dynamic range based on the brightness that corresponds to an echo signal from a subject, and automatically determines a lower limit value of the dynamic range based on the brightness that corresponds to a noise level. By this function, in the case where the dynamic range first established by manual operation, etc. is excessively wide or excessively narrow, the dynamic range can be automatically adjusted to an optimal setting even when the brightness distribution on the image is dynamically varied.10-02-2008
20080242999ULTRASONIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND ULTRASONIC VELOCITY OPTIMIZATION METHOD - A resolution optimization unit determines an optimal sound velocity corresponding to a tissue component at each position in a scan slice, and calculates a reception delay time or the like for each reception beam from each position in the scan slice. A control processor executes delay addition processing in a scan for acquiring an ultrasonic image actually used for diagnosis by using the reception delay time calculated using an optimal sound velocity. This can correct the difference between the set sound velocity used for the calculation of a reception delay time and the actual in vivo sound velocity and acquire an ultrasonic image with optimized resolution.10-02-2008
20080249405ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD - A living tissue region determining unit of a gain correction data generating section determines a diagnostic living tissue region on the basis of an S/N and a dispersion value of ultrasound data collected from each of a plurality of slice sections in a gain correction scan mode intended for the generation of gain correction data for volume data. A gain correction map generating unit applies a least squares method to the average value of the ultrasound data in a plurality of regions set by dividing the living tissue region into predetermined sizes, thereby generating two-dimensional gain correction maps. Then, an interpolating processing unit interpolates, in a slice direction, the gain correction map generated for each of the plurality of slice sections, and generates three-dimensional gain correction data corresponding to each voxel of the volume data.10-09-2008
20090082669ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC METHOD - The average value of sensitivities in each of the image areas (m×n) recognized as a subject is calculated. If the average value of sensitivities is greater than the threshold value, the transmission voltage to the ultrasonic probe is limited according to the difference between the average value of sensitivities and the threshold value.03-26-2009
20090099451ULTRASONIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR GENERATING AN ULTRASONIC IMAGE - A transmitter transmits ultrasonic waves to an object via an ultrasonic probe. A receiver receives echo signals reflected from the object via the ultrasonic probe. The receiver executes a delaying process on the echo signals in accordance with a plurality of set sound velocities for a delaying process, thereby generating a plurality of reception signals with different set sound velocities. An image generator generates a plurality of image data with the different set sound velocities based on the reception signals with the different set sound velocities. A contrast calculator obtains the contrast of each of the plurality of image data with the different set sound velocities. A selector selects image data with the highest contrast from among the plurality of image data. A display controller controls a display to display an image based on the image data selected by the selector.04-16-2009
20090156937ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a scan controller inputs a trigger signal corresponding to heartbeat period, scans an ultrasonic beam such that a particular diagnostic region of a body under examination is scanned with the ultrasonic beam a plurality of times in response to each trigger signal, and controls the scan repetition period by controlling the pulse repetition period of the transmission pulse. An image generation unit generates an image corresponding to each of the pulse repetition periods. The scan controller controls the pulse repletion period such that an integral multiple of the scan repetition period is equal to a reference value determined based on the period of the trigger signal.06-18-2009
20090306514ULTRASOUND IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING ULTRASOUND IMAGE - An imaging part acquires a plurality of ultrasound image data by sequentially imaging the subject with ultrasound waves. A display controller causes a display to display, side by side, a plurality of ultrasound images based on the plurality of ultrasound image data acquired by the imaging part.12-10-2009
20100137715ULTRASONIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR ULTRASONIC IMAGING APPARATUS - A scanning part ultrasonically scans a cross section of a subject corresponding to a frame period. The filter processor uses time-series received signals that are obtained from the scanning part corresponding to a plurality of frames to attenuate low-frequency components from the received signals of a plurality of locations within the cross section. The amplitude-comparator compares the amplitudes of the received signals with the amplitudes of the signals for which the low-frequency components have been attenuated, and the signals with smaller amplitudes are output. The image-generator generates morphological images of the subject based on the output signals from the amplitude-comparator.06-03-2010
20100185091ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS, ULTRASOUND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - As an ROI for display and an ROI for valve observation as well as a projecting direction are input, a volume-rendering processing unit creates a first image in the ROI for display through volume rendering processing, and the ray-tracing processing unit creates a second image in the ROI for valve observation through ray tracing processing. An image compositing unit then creates a composite image by compositing the first image and the second image, and the composite image created by the image compositing unit (07-22-2010
20100198073ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND CONTROLLING METHOD OF ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS - An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a unit which sets a display region for displaying a 3D image, a unit which transmits and receives ultrasound waves, a unit which generates volume data, a unit, on the basis of the volume data, which sets an analysis region, a unit, on the basis of the data on the analysis region contained in the volume data, which analyzes a fluctuations in signal intensity over time, a unit, on the basis of the analysis result, which calculates a cardiac cycle, a unit, on the basis of the cardiac cycle and the volume data, which generates data set constructed by data with substantially equal cardiac cycle, and generates data sets corresponding to a plurality of cardiac cycles, and a unit which displays the 3D images based on the data sets as a moving image.08-05-2010
20100331692ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND METHOD OF SETTING SOUND VELOCITY - In one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an image creating unit, an image-creation control unit and a display control unit. The image creating unit creates an ultrasound image from data created by adding a reflected wave signal of an ultrasound wave transmitted to an imaging target portion of a subject by using a reception delay time calculated from a set sound velocity set as a sound velocity in the imaging target portion. The image-creation control unit switches a set sound velocity set at a present moment in a variable range, and controls the image creating unit so as to create a plurality of ultrasound images each using a reception delay time corresponding to each of the set sound velocities to be switched. The display control unit controls display such that the ultrasound images created are displayed on a certain display unit.12-30-2010

Patent applications by Akihiro Kakee, Nasushiobara-Shi JP