ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE AND ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE CONTROL METHOD

摘要

An ultrasound diagnostic device that transmits a push pulse in order to detect shear waves, including a push pulse transmitter, a displacement detector, an evaluator, and a push pulse adjuster. The push pulse transmitter transmits the push pulse based on a transmission profile. The displacement detector repeatedly transmits ultrasound into the subject after the push pulse, receives reflected ultrasound from the subject that corresponds to transmitted ultrasound, and detects displacement due to shear waves caused by the push pulse. The evaluator evaluates shear wave propagation based on detected displacement. The push pulse adjuster adjusts the transmission profile based on evaluation results. When the transmission profile is adjusted, the push pulse transmitter transmits a second push pulse based on the adjusted transmission profile and the displacement detector detects displacement caused by the second push pulse.

主权项

1. An ultrasound diagnostic device that uses an ultrasound probe to transmit a push pulse of focused ultrasound to a focal point in a subject to physically push tissue at the focal point, after which the ultrasound probe is used to repeatedly transmit and receive ultrasound to detect propagation, in a region of interest (ROI), of shear waves that originate from the pushed tissue at the focal point, the ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:
an ultrasound signal processing circuit, the ultrasound signal processing circuit comprising: a push pulse transmitter that transmits the push pulse based on a transmission profile; a displacement detector that repeatedly transmits ultrasound into the subject after the push pulse, receives reflected ultrasound from the subject that corresponds to transmitted ultrasound in order to acquire a time series of receive signals, and detects displacement due to shear waves in tissue in the ROI that are caused by the push pulse; an evaluator that evaluates shear wave propagation in the ROI, based on detection results from the displacement detector; and a push pulse adjuster that adjusts the transmission profile, based on evaluation results from the evaluator, wherein when the push pulse adjuster adjusts the transmission profile, the push pulse transmitter transmits a second push pulse based on the adjusted transmission profile, and the displacement detector detects displacement due to shear waves that are caused by the second push pulse.