Ultrasonic imaging apparatus and three-dimensional image display method using ultrasonic image

摘要

The ultrasonic imaging apparatus of the present invention is provided with a 3-dimensional image construction unit configured to construct a 3-dimensional image using plural ultrasonic tomographic images obtained when the ultrasonic probe is moved in a direction intersecting the direction of the ultrasonic tomographic images; and an ultrasonic probe moving direction setting unit configured to set the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe, using an ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on the screen of the display unit as a reference, in either a first direction which intersects with the direction of the tomographic image or a second direction of opposite orientation to the first direction; wherein the control unit controls the arrangement order of the plural ultrasonic tomographic images in the 3-dimensional image constructed in the 3-dimensional image construction unit according to the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe set by the moving direction setting unit of the ultrasonic probe.

主权项

1. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, comprising:
an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of transducers arrayed in one direction; an ultrasonic transmission/reception circuit configured to transmit/receive ultrasonic signals to/from an object to be examined via the ultrasonic probe; an image constructor configured to construct an ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image of the object using the received ultrasonic signals; a display configured to display the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image; an inputter configured to receive an input from an operator; an image memory configured to store the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image constructed by the image constructor; a controller configured to control the image constructor and the display, the controller including:
a 3-dimensional image constructor configured to construct a 3-dimensional image using a plurality of ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic images obtained when the ultrasonic probe is moved in a direction orthogonal to the ultrasonic tomographic two-dimensional image; wherein the inputter includes:
a switch configured to switch a line-of-sight direction of the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image displayed on the display, an ultrasonic probe moving direction setter configured to set the ultrasonic probe moving direction of either a first direction from a front toward a back side of the display for the operator, or a second direction toward the front side of the display for the operator, after the operator confirms that the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image, displayed on the display, is in a desired direction for the operator; wherein an order in which the plurality of ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic images stored in an image memory is a construction order of the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image constructed by the image constructor, and wherein the 3-dimensional image constructer is further configured to change a reading order of the plurality of ultrasonic tomographic images from the image memory in accordance with the moving direction of the ultrasonic probe which is set by the ultrasonic probe moving direction setter in order that the 3-dimensional image displayed by the display, is displayed in a direction consistent with the direction of the ultrasonic two-dimensional tomographic image displayed by the display.