WO2013047960A1

WO2013047960A1 - Ultrasonic imaging system for obtaining a hifu (high intensity focused ultrasound) focused image, and method for creating ultrasonic images by using same

Info

Publication number: WO2013047960A1
Application number: PCT/KR2012/000339
Authority: WO
Inventors: 송태경; 유양모; 장진호; 송재희
Original assignee: 한국보건산업진흥원; 서강대학교 산학협력단
Priority date: 2011-09-29
Filing date: 2012-01-13
Publication date: 2013-04-04
Also published as: CN104093452B; KR20130034987A; CN104093452A; KR101317359B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging system including: a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transmitting beam former transmitting, focusing, and delaying HIFU transmitting signals through frequencies which belong to both a frequency response band for an ultrasonic image transducer and that for a HIFU transducer; a HIFU transducer transmitting the transmitted/focused/delayed HIFU transmitting signals to a subject; an ultrasonic image transducer receiving the ultrasonic signals from the subject; an image receiving beam former receiving, focusing, and delaying the received ultrasonic signals to create synthetic beams; and an ultrasonic image creating unit creating ultrasonic images from the generated synthetic beams. According to the present invention, the focused location of HIFU energy may be previously recognized to prevent undesired parts from becoming overused by HIFU surgery.

Description

Ultrasonic Imaging System for Acquiring Haifu Focus Image and Ultrasonic Image Generation Method Using Them

The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system, and more particularly, by identifying in advance the position where the high-fu energy is focused, it is possible to prevent the necrosis of the unwanted area by the high-fu procedure, the ultrasound for obtaining a high-fu focus image An imaging system and an ultrasound image generating method using the same.

Ultrasound is an inaudible vibration sound that is very high, with a vibration frequency of 17,000 to 20,000 Hz or more, which is inaudible to the human ear. In other words, ultrasonic waves are sounds, not electromagnetic fields or spectrums. Recently, the range of use of such ultrasound therapy is getting wider.

Human tissue is known to be necrotic when the temperature of the site is 60-85 degrees Celsius. Using these phenomena, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) therapy focuses ultrasound energy on a single point (focus) to necrosize cancer tissue with thermal coagulation and mechanical energy. Technology. With the development of ultrasound therapy, certain ultrasound therapies, in particular Haifu, are applied to the damaging dose to effectively treat many kinds of diseases, especially tumors.

Compared with conventional surgical and chemical therapy, Haifu treatment can lessen the trauma of the patient and realize noninvasive treatment. Thus, clinical application of Haifu is rapidly developing. These signs include Liver cancer, Bone sarcoma, Breast cancer, Pancreas cancer, Kidney cancer, Soft tissue tumors and Pelvic tumors. It includes.

Ultrasound tumor treatment devices generally employ spherical focusing. Ultrasonic waves emitted from all points are directed to the center of the sphere and become focused ultrasound waves. An emitter on the ultrasound therapy device emits ultrasound from the outside of the body to the inside of the body, which is focused during emission and transmission to form a high energy focus point. Thus, high intensity and continuous ultrasound energy is applied to the target region of the subject.

Excessive high temperature effects (65-100 ° C.), cavitation effects, mechanical effects, and sonic chemical effects occurring at the focal point selectively produce coagulative necrosis of diseased tissues, and also tumors It is used to prevent proliferation, invasion and metastasis.

Accurate, safe and effective localization of the focal point during the application of the Haifu treatment is essential for successful treatment, and there is a need to further improve the convenience of operation to locate the target. Therefore, the procedure can be performed through the Haifu signal without damaging important blood vessels and organs, and it is essential to confirm the correct focus of the Haifu treatment signal that can improve the stability and accuracy of the Haifu procedure.

By the way, when the high-intensity ultrasound energy used in the Haifu procedure is focused where it is not desired, there was a problem of necrosis other tissue than the lesion site.

Accordingly, the first problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an ultrasound imaging system that can determine in advance the position where the Haifu energy is focused using ultrasonic energy in a range that does not affect the human body.

The second problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for generating an ultrasound image that can prevent the necrosis of the unwanted portion by the hi-fu procedure by grasping the position where the hy-fu energy is focused in advance.

Further, the present invention provides a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the above method on a computer.

The present invention provides a hi-fu transmit beamformer for focusing and delaying a hi-fu transmit signal having a frequency belonging to a frequency response band of an ultrasound image transducer frequency response band and a hi-pu transducer simultaneously to achieve the first object; A hi-fu transformer for transmitting the transmission focused delayed hi-fu transmission signal to a target object; An ultrasound image converter configured to receive an ultrasound signal received from the target object; An image reception beamformer configured to generate a composite beam by focusing the received ultrasonic signal on a reception delay; And an ultrasound image generator for generating an ultrasound image from the generated composite beam.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hi-fu transmission signal preferably has a center frequency of the ultrasound image transducer. In addition, the center frequency used by the image receiving beamformer and the ultrasonic image generating unit may be the same as the frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when a harmonic component is generated by the hi-fu transmission signal, the ultrasound image may be generated using the center frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal or the harmonic component.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound imaging system may transmit the hi-fu transmission signal to a target object in synchronization with the timing of generating the scan line.

The hi-fu transmission signal may be transmitted to a target object in synchronization with the time when the ultrasound imaging system generates a frame.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of performing a second focusing method, comprising: focusing delaying a hi-fu transmission signal having a frequency belonging to an ultrasound image transducer frequency response band and a frequency response band of a hi-fu transformer; Transmitting the transmission focus delayed hi-fu transmission signal to a target object; Receiving an ultrasonic signal received from the target object; Generating a composite beam by focusing the received ultrasound signal on a reception focusing delay; And generating an ultrasound image from the generated composite beam.

In order to solve the above other technical problem, the present invention provides a computer-readable recording medium recording a program for executing the above-described method for generating an ultrasound image on a computer.

[Effects of the Invention]

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine in advance the position where the hi-fu energy is focused using ultrasonic energy in a range that does not affect the human body. In addition, according to the present invention, by grasping in advance the position where the hi-fu energy is focused, it is possible to prevent necrosis of the unwanted site by the hi-fu procedure.

1 is a block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 illustrates the frequency response of the hi-fu transducer 110 and the ultrasound image transducer 120 of the ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an ultrasound image generating method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Prior to the description of the specific contents of the present invention, for the convenience of understanding, the outline of the solution of the problem to be solved by the present invention or the core of the technical idea will be presented first.

An ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a hi-fu transmit beamformer for focusing and delaying a hi-fu transmit signal having a frequency belonging to an ultrasound image transducer frequency response band and a frequency response band of a hi-fu transformer; A hi-fu transformer for transmitting the transmission focused delayed hi-fu transmission signal to a target object; An ultrasound image converter configured to receive an ultrasound signal received from the target object; An image reception beamformer configured to generate a composite beam by focusing the received ultrasonic signal on a reception delay; And an ultrasound image generator configured to generate an ultrasound image from the generated composite beam.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these examples are intended to illustrate the present invention in more detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

The configuration of the invention for clarifying the solution to the problem to be solved by the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings based on the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the same in the reference numerals to the components of the drawings The same reference numerals are given to the components even though they are on different drawings, and it is to be noted that in the description of the drawings, components of other drawings may be cited if necessary. In addition, in describing the operation principle of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known function or configuration and other matters related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, The detailed description is omitted.

In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is 'connected' to another part, it is not only 'directly connected' but also 'indirectly connected' with another element in between. Include. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used herein, “comprises” and / or “comprising” refers to the presence of one or more other components, steps, operations and / or elements. Or does not exclude additions.

In order to form a lesion, a hi-fu transmission signal having a strong energy must be transmitted. Therefore, a hi-fu transmission signal having a resonance frequency of a hi-fu transformer is generally transmitted. However, there is a risk of necrosis of unwanted tissue when transmitting the hi-fu transmission signal without confirming the exact position of the focal point. Accordingly, the present invention is to propose a method of confirming the position of the focus of the hi-fu transmission signal through the ultrasound image before transmitting the hi-fu transmission signal having a strong energy.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ultrasound imaging system according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a hi-fu transmit beamformer 100, a hi-fu transducer 110, an ultrasound image transducer 120, an image receive beamformer 130, and an ultrasound image. The generation unit 140, the display unit 150, the focus control unit 160, and the input unit 170 are configured.

The hi-fu transmit beamformer 100 applies a variable delay time to the hi-fu transmit signal for each hi-fu transformer 110 according to a position of focusing the hi-fu transmit signal in the target object. In particular, the hi-fu transmit beamformer 100 preferably delays the focusing delay of the hi-fu transmit signal having the center frequency of the ultrasound image transducer 120.

The hi-fu transformer 110 transmits a transmission focus delayed hi-fu transmission signal to a target object, that is, the lesion site. The hi-fu transmitted signal transmitted to the object is back scattered. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal must be simultaneously within the frequency band of the ultrasound image transducer 120 and the frequency band of the hi-fu transducer.

In addition, the length of the hi-fu transmit signal pulse is as short as possible (for example, within 5 cycles) to ensure axial resolution. It is desirable that the maximum amplitude of the hi-fu transmit signal pulses be as low as possible so as not to harm the tissue of the hi-fu transmit signal focusing position. In other words, it is essential to know in advance the position where the hi-fu energy is focused using ultrasonic energy (for example, 200 W / cm ² or less) in a range that does not affect the human body.

The ultrasound image transducer 120 receives an ultrasonic signal scattered back from the target object.

The image reception beamformer 130 generates a composite beam by applying a variable delay time to the received ultrasound signal for each ultrasound image transducer 120.

The ultrasound image generator 140 generates an ultrasound image from the generated synthesis beam.

The center frequency used by the ultrasound imaging system for image and signal processing is equal to the frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal (f ₀ : fundamental frequency).

In addition, when various harmonic components (eg, 2f ₀ , 3f ₀ , 4f ₀ ,...) Are generated by the hi-fu transmission signal, the focus image may be acquired using not only the fundamental frequency component but also the harmonic component.

The display unit 150 displays the generated ultrasound image.

The display unit 150 displays an image generated by receiving a signal from the ultrasound image generator 140 on the screen. The display unit 150 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting device (OLED), or the like.

The focus control unit 160 compares the position treated by the hi-fu signal from the ultrasound image generated by the ultrasound image generating unit 140 with the target position originally intended to be treated, and transmits the hi-fu signal of the hi-fu transmission beamformer 100. Control to change the focusing position, ie focus.

The input unit 170 receives a focus change signal from the user to change the focus by judging from the display unit 150 a difference between a position treated by the hi-fu signal and a target position originally intended to be treated.

Meanwhile, a synchronization method for constructing an ultrasound image from a hi-fu transmission signal is as follows.

First, a method of transmitting a hi-fu transmission signal to a target object in synchronization with the time when the ultrasound imaging system generates the scan line.

Each time the ultrasound imaging system generates a scan line, the apparatus transmits a hi-fu transmission signal, receives an ultrasound signal, and uses the same to form a hi-fu focus image of one frame. The hi-fu focus image means an image that transmits a hi-fu signal and receives and focuses an ultrasonic signal.

Secondly, a method of transmitting a hi-fu transmission signal to a target object in synchronization with the time when the ultrasound imaging system generates a frame.

After transmitting the high-fu transmit signal to the target object once, the number of scanning lines necessary for the ultrasound image may be configured to configure the high-fu focus image of one frame.

Referring to FIG. 2, the frequency response of the hi-fu transducer 110 and the frequency response of the ultrasound image transducer 120 are illustrated.

The center frequency of the Haifu transmission signal for lesion formation is 1.1 MHz, and the center frequency of the ultrasound transmission signal for obtaining a general ultrasound image is 3.3 MHz.

In addition, the resonance frequency of the hi-fu transmit transducer 110 is designed to be 1.1 MHz, and the resonance frequency of the ultrasound image transducer 120 is designed to be 3.3 MHz.

Therefore, the frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal according to the embodiment of the present invention must be simultaneously in the frequency band of the ultrasound image transducer 120 and the frequency band of the hi-fu transducer, and particularly preferably, the frequency ranges from 1.1 MHz to 3.3 MHz. Do. In particular, the high-fu transmit signal is preferably 3.3 MHz, which is the center frequency of the ultrasound image transducer 120.

In order to obtain a hi-fu focus image for identifying a focus position, a hi-fu transmission signal having a center frequency equal to the center frequency (3.3 MHz) of the ultrasound image transducer 120 should be transmitted. At this time, since the frequency response of the hi-fu transformer 110 suppresses the signal of 3.3 MHz, the weak hi-fu transmission signal is transmitted.

Thereafter, the ultrasound image converter 120 may receive an ultrasound signal and obtain an ultrasound image through a signal processing process.

In general, to obtain an ultrasound image, an ultrasound signal having a center frequency equal to that of an ultrasound image transducer is transmitted and received using the ultrasound image transducer. However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, after transmitting the hi-fu transmission signal having the center frequency of the ultrasound image transducer 120 using the hi-fu transmit transducer 110, the ultrasound image transducer 120 is There is a difference in obtaining a hi-fu focus image by receiving an ultrasonic signal.

Referring to FIG. 3, the ultrasound image generating method according to the present exemplary embodiment includes steps that are processed in time series in the ultrasound imaging system illustrated in FIG. 1. Therefore, even if omitted below, the above description of the ultrasound imaging system illustrated in FIG. 1 is applied to the ultrasound image generating method according to the present embodiment.

In operation 300, the ultrasound imaging system focuses and delays a hi-fu transmission signal having a frequency belonging to an ultrasound image transducer frequency response band and a frequency response band of the hi-fu transducer.

In operation 310, the ultrasound imaging system transmits the transmission focused delayed hi-fu transmission signal to a target object. In this case, it is preferable to transmit a hi-fu transmission signal having a center frequency equal to the center frequency (3.3 MHz) of the ultrasound image transducer 120.

In operation 320, the ultrasound imaging system receives an ultrasound signal received from the target object.

In operation 330, the ultrasound imaging system generates a composite beam by focusing the received ultrasound signal on a reception focusing delay.

In operation 340, the ultrasound imaging system generates an ultrasound image from the generated composite beam. The ultrasound image includes a color image or a B mode image.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ultrasound image generator 140 generates an ultrasound image of a treatment area of a patient. The ultrasound image generator 140 may use the video codec to generate a continuous image in which the treatment region moves.

In addition, the ultrasound image generator 140 may generate a color video signal by receiving the ultrasound signal reflected from the treatment site and providing a spatial and temporal change of the treatment area by using a depth difference according to the progress of the treatment. The average Doppler frequency or average phase value is measured to derive the spatial and temporal changes of the treatment site. Different colors may be preset and stored using the average phase value as a variable, and the average phase value at each image point is converted into a color according to its size and direction and displayed on the screen. That is, the ultrasonic Doppler system is used, and the Doppler phenomenon is a physical phenomenon in which the frequency of the received sound wave changes in proportion to the speed of the movement when there is a relative movement between the sound source and the receiver. The depth difference according to the course of treatment in the subject may be examined in real time to form a color image using the same.

Meanwhile, the ultrasound image generator 140 may form a B mode image at an image point determined to have a small difference in depth according to the progress of the treatment. Here, the B mode (Brigtness mode) is a mode that displays the size of the echo (echo) coming into the human body on the screen, the bright point means that there is a strong reflector inside the human body, the dark point is hypoechoic (hypoechoic) Show that there is a part.

In addition, the ultrasound image generator 140 may generate an integrated image signal combining the B mode image and the color image. The ultrasound image generator 140 may determine which signal to select by comparing the B mode image signal and the color image signal of each image point. For example, when the power of the color image signal is greater than a predetermined ratio of the magnitude of the B mode image signal, the color image signal may be selected.

Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer means and recorded in a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the media may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, optical media such as CDROMs, DVDs, and magneto-optical media such as floppy disks. (magnetooptical media), and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

In the present invention as described above has been described by the specific embodiments, such as specific components and limited embodiments and drawings, but this is provided to help a more general understanding of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations are possible from these descriptions.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all the things that are equivalent to or equivalent to the claims as well as the following claims will belong to the scope of the present invention. .

Claims

A hi-fu transmit beamformer for focusing and delaying a hi-fu transmit signal having a frequency belonging to an ultrasound image transducer frequency response band and a frequency response band of the hi-fu transformer;

A hi-fu transformer for transmitting the transmission focused delayed hi-fu transmission signal to a target object;

An ultrasound image converter configured to receive an ultrasound signal received from the target object;

An image reception beamformer configured to generate a composite beam by focusing the received ultrasonic signal on a reception delay; And

And an ultrasound image generator for generating an ultrasound image from the synthesized beam.
The method of claim 1,

And the hi-fu transmit signal has a center frequency of the ultrasound image transducer.
The method of claim 1,

And a center frequency used by the image receiving beamformer and the ultrasonic image generating unit is the same as the frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal.
The method of claim 1,

And generating a harmonic component using the center frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal or the harmonic component when the harmonic component is generated by the hi-fu transmission signal.
The method of claim 1,

And transmitting the hi-fu transmission signal to a target object in synchronization with the time when the ultrasound imaging system generates the scan line.
The method of claim 1,

And transmitting the hi-fu transmission signal to a target object in synchronization with the time when the ultrasound imaging system generates a frame.
Focusing delaying a hi-fu transmit signal having a frequency belonging to an ultrasonic image transducer frequency response band and a frequency response band of the hi-fu transducer;

Transmitting the transmission focus delayed hi-fu transmission signal to a target object;

Receiving an ultrasonic signal received from the target object;

Generating a composite beam by focusing the received ultrasound signal on a reception focusing delay; And

And generating an ultrasound image from the generated composite beam.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And the hi-fu transmission signal has a center frequency of the ultrasound image transducer.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And a center frequency used by the image receiving beamformer and the ultrasonic image generating unit is the same as the frequency of the hi-fu transmission signal.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And generating a harmonic component by using the harmonic component when the harmonic component is generated by the hi-fu transmission signal.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And transmitting the hi-fu transmission signal to a target object in synchronization with the time when the ultrasound imaging system generates the scan line.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And transmitting the hi-fu transmission signal to a target object in synchronization with the time when the ultrasound imaging system generates the frame.
A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of any one of claims 7 to 12.