Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2003-10-30
2004-09-07
Imam, Ali (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S448000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06786869
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2002-319171 filed Nov. 1, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that allows confirmation of time progress during a run of a contrast agent protocol or time progress during intermittent imaging on a display screen.
Some ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses have a stopwatch feature that starts time measurement in response to a start operation by an operator, stops the time measurement in response to a freeze-on command by the operator, and displays time elapsed from the start on a display screen. This feature is generally referred to as a contrast timer.
Thus, if a start operation is made when a contrast agent is injected into a subject to be examined, and a freeze-on operation is then made at an appropriate time, time elapsed from the contrast agent injection to the time at which a freeze ultrasonic image is captured can be confirmed on the display screen by using the stopwatch feature.
Imaging with a contrast agent is set out in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Nos. 2001-17427 and 2001-252271.
By the stopwatch function in the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, how long after contrast agent injection a freeze ultrasonic image was captured can be confined on a display screen or printed image.
However, how long has passed while observing a freeze ultrasonic image, or how long has passed from a freeze-off operation cannot be confirmed on a display screen. Moreover, during intermittent imaging in which a freeze ultrasonic image is automatically updated every one minute, for example, how long has passed after a current ultrasonic image was captured, or how much wait time remains until the ultrasonic image is next updated cannot be confirmed on a display screen.
Accordingly, there has been a problem that to confirm time progress during a run of a contrast agent protocol or time progress during intermittent imaging on a display screen, a watch must be separately provided and checked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that allows confirmation of time progress during a run of a contrast agent protocol or time progress during intermittent imaging on a display screen.
In its first aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in comprising: an ultrasonic probe; transmitting/receiving means for driving the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic pulse into a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject to output received data; ultrasonic image producing means for producing an ultrasonic image from the resulting received data; display means for displaying the produced ultrasonic image; freeze control means for maintaining a state displaying the last ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-on operation by an operator and resuming production/display of a new ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-off operation by the operator; and freeze time duration measuring means for measuring and displaying time duration of the freeze state.
In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the first aspect, since the time duration of the freeze state is measured and displayed, how long has passed while observing the freeze ultrasonic image can be confirmed on a display screen. Therefore, the operator need not check a separately provided watch, and can concentrate on the display screen to move ahead with a contrast agent protocol.
In its second aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in comprising: an ultrasonic probe; transmitting/receiving means for driving the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic pulse into a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject to output received data; ultrasonic image producing means for producing an ultrasonic image from the resulting received data; display means for displaying the produced ultrasonic image; freeze control means for maintaining a state displaying the last ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-on operation by an operator and resuming production/display of a new ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-off operation by the operator; and freeze-off countdown means for measuring and displaying time remaining to a time at which a next freeze-off operation is to be made.
In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the second aspect, since the time remaining to a time at which a next freeze-off operation is to be made is measured and displayed during a run of a contrast agent protocol, the operator need not check a separately provided watch, and can concentrate on the display screen to move ahead with the contrast agent protocol.
In its third aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in comprising: an ultrasonic probe; transmitting/receiving means for driving the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic pulse into a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject to output received data; ultrasonic image producing means for producing an ultrasonic image from the resulting received data; display means for displaying the produced ultrasonic image; freeze control means for maintaining a state displaying the last ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-on operation by an operator and resuming production/display of a new ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-off operation by the operator; freeze time duration measuring means for measuring and displaying time duration of the freeze state; freeze-on countdown means for measuring and displaying time remaining to a time at which a next freeze-off operation is to be made; and selection operating means for allowing the operator to select and activate both or one of the freeze time duration measuring means and the freeze-off countdown means.
In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the third aspect, since the time duration of the freeze state and/or the time remaining to the time at which the next freeze-off operation is to be made can be confirmed on the display screen, the operator need not check a separately provided watch, and can concentrate on the display screen to move ahead with the contrast agent protocol.
In its fourth aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in comprising: an ultrasonic probe; transmitting/receiving means for driving the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic pulse into a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject to output received data; ultrasonic image producing means for producing an ultrasonic image from the resulting received data; display means for displaying the produced ultrasonic image; freeze control means for maintaining a state displaying the last ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-on operation by an operator and resuming production/display of a new ultrasonic image in response to a freeze-off operation by the operator; and elapsed-time-from-freeze-off measuring means for measuring and displaying time elapsed from freeze-off.
In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the fourth aspect, the time elapsed from freeze-off is measured and displayed, how long has passed after turning off freeze can be confirmed on the display screen. Therefore, the operator need not check a separately provided watch, and can concentrate on the display screen to move ahead with the contrast agent protocol.
In its fifth aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized in comprising: an ultrasonic probe; transmitting/receiving means for driving the ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic pulse into a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject to output received data; ultrasonic image producing means for producing an ultrasonic image from the resulting received data; display means for displaying the produced ultrasonic image; freeze control means for maintaining a state displaying
Armstrong Teasdale LLP
GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC
Horton Esq. Carl B.
Imam Ali
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