Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a probe that transmits ultrasound beams to a body of an object to be examined, and receives echo signals from the said object, a reception unit that receives the echo signals from the probe, a store which stores the received echo signals, readout-range setter which sets at least two predetermined partial readout dynamic ranges which do not completely overlap one another for an overall dynamic range of the echo signals stored in the store, a reader which reads out the echo signals of each of the at least two predetermined partial readout dynamic ranges, and which converts the readout signals of the at least two predetermined partial readout dynamic ranges to data having a display dynamic range of a display, a display which displays the echo signals readout as an image.

1 . An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
 a probe that transmits ultrasound beams to a body of an object to be examined, and receives echo signals from said object;   a reception unit that receives the echo signals from said probe;   storage means for storing the received echo signals;   readout-range setting means for setting at least two predetermined partial readout dynamic ranges which do not completely overlap one another for an overall dynamic range of the echo signals stored in said storage;   means for reading out the echo signals of each of the at least two predetermined partial readout dynamic ranges set by said readout-range setting means, and for converting the readout signals of the at least two predetermined partial readout dynamic ranges to data having a display dynamic range of display monitor; and   means for displaying the echo signals by said reading out means on the display monitor as an image.   
     
     
         2 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two predetermined partial readout dynamic ranges do not overlap. 
     
     
         3 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said storage means is a memory that stores the received echo signals corresponding to one transmitted wave of said ultrasound beams, and a content of said memory is renewed every transmission/reception of the ultrasonic waves. 
     
     
         4 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said storage means is a memory to store the echo signals obtained by scanning a cross-section of the body of said object one time by said ultrasound beams. 
     
     
         5 . An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
 a probe that transmits ultrasound beams to a body of an object to be examined, and receives echo signals from said object;   a reception unit that receives the echo signals from said probe;   storage means for storing the received echo signals;   a readout-range setting means for setting at least one predetermined partial readout dynamic range corresponding to a display dynamic range of a display monitor;   means for reading out the echo signals of the readout dynamic range in said storage means; and   means for displaying the echo signals by said reading out means on the monitor as an image.   
     
     
         6 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said storage means is a memory that stores the received echo signals corresponding to one transmitted wave of said ultrasound beams, and a content of said memory is renewed every transmission/reception of the ultrasonic waves. 
     
     
         7 . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said storage means is a memory to store the echo signals obtained by scanning a cross-section of said object one time by said ultrasound beams.