US 7,588,538 B2
Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and image processing apparatus
Yoichi Ogasawara, Nasu-gun (Japan); Tetsuya Kawagishi, Kuroiso (Japan); and Naohisa Kamiyama, Otawara (Japan)
Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo (Japan); and Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Otawara-shi (Japan)
Filed on Sep. 10, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/937,663.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-319885 (JP), filed on Sep. 11, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0059893 A1, Mar. 17, 2005
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 600—454  [600/437; 600/458] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, comprising:
an ultrasonic probe configured to transmit and receive ultrasounds to and from a subject for scanning within a patient given a contrast medium;
a drive unit configured to generate a drive signal for driving said ultrasonic probe, and to feed the drive signal to the ultrasonic probe;
a control unit configured to control said drive unit on the basis of a sequence for collecting changes-versus-time of a contrast medium density within the subject for scanning, the sequence being formed so that, after the contrast medium flowing into the subject for scanning has substantially fallen into a saturation state, first ultrasounds at an intensity at which the contrast medium is broken are transmitted from said ultrasonic probe, and that, after the transmission of the first ultrasounds, second ultrasounds at an intensity at which the contrast medium is not broken are transmitted from said ultrasonic probe at least twice;
an analysis unit configured to analyze a blood flow of the subject for scanning, on the basis of ultrasonic echoes received in correspondence with at least two transmissions of the second ultrasounds by the ultrasonic probe, and to estimate information with respect to the blood flow of the subject after the at least two transmissions of the second ultrasounds are executed; and
a display unit configured to display the information on the blood flow of the subject.