Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-02
2001-04-17
Jaworski, Francis J. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217515
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image display method and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to an image display method and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which ensures that an image having been displayed at the time of release of freeze can be re-displayed even after the release of the freeze.
A conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a normal display mode and a cine display mode.
In the normal display mode, a subject is scanned to obtain successive images which are displayed in real-time. The oldest image stored in a memory is overwritten with the newest image, and data sets for a plurality of the newest images are thus stored in the memory.
In the cine display mode, deletion by the overwriting is stopped, and the plurality of images stored in the memory is sequentially displayed in time order. If a human operator commands freeze during the cine display, the sequential display is suspended, and the image displayed at that time is continuously displayed. If the operator commands rewind during the freeze, the images are traced in inverse time order from the image currently displayed, and when the operator stops the rewind, an image reached at that time is displayed. If the operator commands save of the image, the image displayed at that time is saved. Since that image will not be overwritten or deleted even when the freeze is released to return to the normal display mode, the saved image can be recalled for display any time the operator commands recall.
However, according to the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, images other than an image which is specified to be saved are lost from the memory by the overwriting deletion. Thus, such apparatus involves a problem that if the operator inadvertently misses the command to save a necessary image before releasing the freeze, the necessary image is lost and hence re-scanning is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image display method and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which ensures that an image having been displayed at the time of release of freeze can be re-displayed even after the release of the freeze.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an image display method comprising the steps of: when image display updating is suspended in response to an operator's command during cine display in which a plurality of images stored in a memory are sequentially displayed in time order, automatically saving an image being displayed at that time; and displaying the image in response to an operator's recall command.
According to the image display method of the first aspect, when the operator commands freeze during cine display to suspend the sequential display, an image being displayed at that time is automatically saved. Therefore, even if the operator inadvertently misses a command to save an image before releasing the freeze, the image displayed at the time of the release of the freeze is ensured to be re-displayed.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided the image display method as described regarding the first aspect, comprising the steps of: when a rewind operation is performed for updating the displayed image by tracing images in inverse time order from an image having been displayed during suspending display updating and then the rewind operation is stopped, automatically saving an image being displayed at that time; and displaying the image in response to an operator's recall command.
According to the image display method of the second aspect, when the operator commands freeze during cine display and then rewinds images, the resulting image displayed after the rewind is automatically saved. Therefore, even if the operator inadvertently misses a command to save an image before releasing the freeze, the image displayed at the time of the release of the freeze is ensured to be re-displayed.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe; transceiver means for driving the ultrasonic probe to scan a subject with ultrasound and acquire acoustic line data; signal processing means for generating an image data set based on the acoustic line data for one image; storage means for storing a plurality of the newest image data sets; cine display means for sequentially displaying the plurality of stored images in time order; freeze means for suspending image display updating by the cine display means in response to an operator's command; automatic image save means for automatically saving an image being displayed at the time of the suspension; and automatically saved image recall means for displaying the image automatically saved by the automatic image save means in response to an operator's recall command.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the third aspect can suitably implement the image display method as described regarding the first aspect, and even if the operator inadvertently misses a command to save an image before releasing the freeze, the image displayed at the time of the release of the freeze is ensured to be re-displayed.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as described regarding the third aspect, comprising: image save means for saving an image according to an operator's input operation to save an image; and image recall means for displaying the image saved in the image save means according to an operator's input operation to recall an image.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as described regarding the third or fourth aspect, comprising: rewind means for updating a displayed image by tracing images in inverse time order from an image having been displayed during suspending display updating; automatic image save means for automatically saving an image displayed when the rewind by the rewind means is stopped; and automatically saved image recall means for displaying the image automatically saved by the automatic image save means in response to an operator's recall command.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the fifth aspect can suitably implement the image display method as described regarding the second aspect, and even if the operator inadvertently misses a command to save an image before releasing freeze, the image displayed at the time of the release of the freeze is ensured to be re-displayed.
That is, according to the image display method and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, since at least an image freezed and observed last by the operator is automatically saved, at least the image observed at the time of the release of the freeze is ensured to be re-displayed even if the operator inadvertently misses a command to save an image before releasing the freeze. Thus, a need for re-scanning is eliminated unlike the conventional process, thereby improving diagnostic efficiency.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5477337 (1995-12-01), Sculer
patent: 5477858 (1995-12-01), Norris et al.
Kato Sei
Yamakawa Tadahiro
GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited
Imam Ali M.
Jaworski Francis J.
Kojima Moonray
LandOfFree
Image display method and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Image display method and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image display method and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2548252