US 11,918,419 B2
Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and method for diagnosing ultrasound probe
Kazuo Tezuka, Nasushiobara (JP); Shouichi Nakauchi, Nasushiobara (JP); Yoshinori Goto, Nasushiobara (JP); Naoki Yoneyama, Yaita (JP); Takayuki Gunji, Otawara (JP); Shigemitsu Nakaya, Nasushiobara (JP); and Norihisa Kikuchi, Otawara (JP)
Assigned to Canon Medical Systems Corporation, Otawara (JP)
Filed by Canon Medical Systems Corporation, Otawara (JP)
Filed on Mar. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/212,042.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-085953 (JP), filed on May 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0353258 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/5207 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4245 (2013.01); A61B 8/44 (2013.01); A61B 8/4444 (2013.01); A61B 8/461 (2013.01); A61B 8/465 (2013.01); A61B 8/468 (2013.01); A61B 8/58 (2013.01); A61B 8/4477 (2013.01); A61B 8/5292 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus connectable with an ultrasound probe which comprises a plurality of elements configured to transmit an ultrasound signal and to receive a reflected wave signal from a subject or from air, wherein the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises:
processing circuitry configured to:
generate an ultrasound image based on an output of the plurality of elements of the ultrasound probe;
diagnose states of the plurality of elements of the ultrasound probe based on a feature value of the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasound probe;
generate, based on the diagnosed states of the plurality of elements, a plurality of types of deterioration degree information indicative of deterioration degrees of the plurality of elements, for respective groups of elements that constitute the plurality of elements; and
superimpose the plurality of types of deterioration degree information onto the ultrasound image of the subject in such a manner that each of the plurality of types of deterioration degree information is recognizable;
superimpose a second image, which is an image corresponding to one of the plurality of types of deterioration degree information and involving a deterioration degree larger than a threshold, onto the ultrasound image of the subject in such a manner that the second image covers a region that is based on an output of elements with the deterioration degree larger than the threshold; and
in response to scan conditions for the ultrasound image being changed according to an operation by an operator, add a correction to the second image based on the changed scan conditions and a number of elements that form a display target image among the ultrasound image, to superimpose the corrected second image onto the display target image,
wherein a ratio rA of a number of elements forming the second image after the correction to a number of elements forming the second image before the correction is smaller than a ratio rB of a number of elements forming the ultrasound image after the correction to a number of elements forming the ultrasound image before the correction (rA<rB); and
to cause a display to display a resultant image.