Fujifilm Corporation

Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Tomoo Sato

Yoshiaki Sato

Masahiro Toida

Kazuhiro Tsujita

Hiroyuki Karasawa

Yoshiaki Satou

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe having a plurality of ultrasound transducers; an apparatus body which supplies analog drive signals to the ultrasound transducers and generates ultrasound images based on reception signals output from the ultrasound transducers; and a connection cable which connects the ultrasound probe and the apparatus body, the ultrasound probe comprising: a plurality of receiving circuits, each including a preamp which amplifies the reception signal output from one of the ultrasound transducers and an A/D converter which converts the amplified reception signal; and a time division unit which controls output of the reception signal to the apparatus body such that the drive signal supplied from the apparatus body and the reception signal output to the apparatus body after being converted to a digital signal by the receiving circuit are mutually time-divided and sent via the connection cable.

Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus

An ultrasound imaging method comprises the steps of: transmitting a prescanning ultrasonic beam toward a subject and measuring an ultrasonic echo from a bone structure inside a cranium in advance; determining a transfer function of an ultrasonic wave in the cranium based on the measured said ultrasonic echo; transmitting an imaging ultrasonic beam toward the subject; generating a cancelling ultrasonic beam having an opposite phase as an ultrasonic echo reflected by the inner surface of the cranium due to said imaging ultrasonic beam, based on said transfer function; receiving an ultrasonic echo from the subject while cancelling said ultrasonic echo from the bone structure inside the cranium by transmitting the cancelling ultrasonic beam in accordance with the ultrasonic echo from the bone structure inside the cranium due to said imaging ultrasonic beam; and generating an ultrasound image of the subject.

Ultrasound imaging method and apparatus to suppress multiple echoes inside the cranium

An ultrasonic probe of a radial scan type mountable on an ultrasonic observation apparatus, which inputs and outputs M numbers of signals in parallel, comprises the following: N (N&#x3e;M) numbers of ultrasonic transducers disposed on an outer periphery of a tip, and grouped into plural sensor element groups activated in sequence, each of which has M numbers of ultrasonic transducers; N numbers of first signal lines respectively connected to the N numbers of ultrasonic transducers for transmitting a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic transducers and an echo signal from within a living organism; M numbers of second signal lines connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus; and a multiplexer disposed between the first signal lines and the second signal lines, which selectively switches M numbers of the first signal lines for respectively connecting to the second signal lines according to the sensor element group to be activated.

Ultrasonic probe of radial scan type, ultrasonic observation apparatus and ultrasonic diagnosing system

A homodyne interference system splits first and second light beams from a common light source and causes the first and second light beams to impinge upon an irradiating point of an organism at different directions. An optical heterodyne system splits a third beam from the common light source and imparts a frequency shift to the third beam. The outputs of the homodyne and heterodyne systems combine to permit extraction of a beat component of the homodyne system at a high SNR level. The output of the homodyne and heterodyne system are output as an image, which may be timed to a phase timing mechanism to provide an improved output.

Blood vessel imaging system using homodyne and heterodyne effects

A first measuring light beam of wavelength &lgr; equal to a wavelength at the isosbestic point between oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin and a second measuring light beam of wavelength &lgr; differing from the first measuring light beam are incident on the same part of a subject such as a human finger and scan the subject by using an X-Y stage movable in X and Y directions. The first measuring light beam branches into two light beams. One of the two light beams is subjected to a frequency shift by a frequency shifter, while the other is transmitted through the subject. Thereafter, the two light beams are synthesized and a beat component of the synthesized first measuring light beam is detected by a first signal detection section. The first signal detection section outputs a first beat-component detection signal. For the second measuring light beam, a second beat-component detection signal is output in the same manner as the first measuring light beam. A personal computer generates an image signal based on a value of the second beat-component detection signal normalized by the first beat-component detection signal.

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Ashigarakami-gun, Japan

Tomoo Sato