US 11,911,219 B2
Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic probe
Hideo Hongo, Yokohama (JP); and Takehiko Suginouchi, Hachioji (JP)
Assigned to Konica Minolta, Inc., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Konica Minolta, Inc., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/229,924.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-097799 (JP), filed on Jun. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0378637 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/5207 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4245 (2013.01); A61B 8/4461 (2013.01); A61B 8/466 (2013.01); A61B 8/483 (2013.01); A61B 8/54 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates an ultrasonic image of a subject by using an ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
a transducer unit that is arranged in the ultrasonic probe and performs transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves;
a stepping motor that is arranged in the ultrasonic probe and moves the transducer unit;
a motor controller that sends a drive signal of a microstep drive method to the stepping motor;
an encoder that is arranged in the ultrasonic probe, detects rotational motion of the stepping motor, and generates a detection signal having a pulse train shape depending on an amount of rotational displacement per unit time of the stepping motor; and
a digital arithmetic circuit that detects each rise or fall of a pulse of the detection signal, detects each rise or fall of a microstep of the drive signal when the stepping motor rotates to obtain a number of microsteps of the drive signal, and generates high-resolution position data in which a resolution of first position data of the transducer unit obtained from the detection signal is increased by interpolating the first position data of the transducer unit at a timing between the detections of each rise or fall of the pulse of the detection signal with the number of microsteps of the drive signal as a reference.