Ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument

Claim 2

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument for detecting an echo obtainable from an object under examination by two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination using an ultrasonic probe to obtain display data and for displaying a measurement picture of the object under examination corresponding to said two-dimensional scanning, said instrument comprising: a memory unit for storing data of a plurality of images and a plurality of measurement conditions corresponding to said plurality of images, including measurement conditions under which said measurement picture is obtained; a processor unit for concurrently displaying a plurality of images without being overlapped on a display screen according to the plurality of image data stored in said memory unit, for obtaining from said memory unit the measurement conditions stored corresponding to image data of an image selected from said plurality of stored images, and for displaying the measurement picture of the object under examination on the display screen by subjecting the object under examination to said two-dimensional scanning in accordance with the selected image; and means for two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination responsive to a signal from the processor unit that automatically presets the scanner with the measurement conditions in accordance with a user-indicated one of the displayed images.

Claim 3

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processor unit includes means for creating reduced image display data by performing a data scale-down imaging process at a predetermined ratio from the display data on said measurement picture, and means for respectively storing said reduced image display data of each image in said memory unit with the respective measurement conditions of each image at the time said reduced image display data is created by said scale-down imaging process.

Claim 4

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processor unit has a microprocessor unit including means for accessing said memory unit.

Claim 5

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 3, wherein said memory unit includes means for storing a processing program for displaying the plurality of images without being overlapped on the display screen according to the plurality of image data stored in said memory unit, a processing program for obtaining from said memory unit the measurement conditions stored corresponding to said image data corresponding to said selected image, and a processing program for displaying the measurement picture of an object under examination on the display screen of said display by subjecting the object under examination to said two-dimensional scanning, and wherein these three processing programs are selectively executed by said microprocessor unit.

Claim 6

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising scanning means for two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination and for outputting image data from a plurality of scanned measuring points of the object, means for receiving the image data and for determining measured values from the respective scanned measuring points, and means for deriving the measurement picture from the measured values.

Claim 7

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 5, wherein said measured values are the peak values of the respective scanned measuring points.

Claim 8

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument for detecting an echo obtainable from an object under examination by two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination using an ultrasonic probe to obtain a measured value and for creating display data according to the measured value in order to display, on a screen, a measurement picture of the object under examination corresponding to said two-dimensional scanning, said instrument comprising: a scanning mechanism for two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination; an image processor unit having a display, a memory unit and a processor unit; said processor unit including means for controlling said scanning mechanism to two-dimensionally scan the object under examination, means for collection a plurality of measured values during the scanning, means for creating said display data corresponding to the two-dimensional scanning, and means for displaying said measurement picture on the screen of said display; said processor unit further having means for creating reduced image display data resulting from scaling down to 1/n (n=integer greater than 2) the display data of said measurement picture obtained in conformity with the predetermined measurement conditions so as to store said display data in said memory unit with respective measurement conditions at the time the display data is created by said reduced image processing; said image processor unit further including means for displaying a plurality of reduced images, without being overlapped, according to the plurality of reduced image display data stored in said memory unit, means for obtaining the measurement conditions stored corresponding to said reduced image of said reduced image display data, and means for displaying the measurement picture of an object under examination on the screen of said display by subjecting the object under examination to two-dimensional scanning by said scanning mechanism in accordance with a user-indicated one of the displayed reduced images.

Claim 9

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument for detecting an echo obtainable from an object under examination by two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination using an ultrasonic probe to obtain a measured value and for creating display data according to the measured value in order to display, on a screen, a measurement picture of the object under examination corresponding to said two-dimensional scanning, said instrument comprising: a scanning mechanism for two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination; an image processor unit having a display, a memory unit and a processor unit; said processor unit including means for controlling said scanning mechanism to two-dimensionally scan the object under examination, means for collection a plurality of measured values during the scanning, means for creating said display data corresponding to the two-dimensional scanning, and means for displaying said measurement picture on the screen of said display; said processor unit further having means for creating reduced image display data resulting from scaling down to 1/n (n=integer greater than 2) the display data of said measurement picture obtained in conformity with the predetermined measurement conditions so as to store said display data in said memory unit with respective measurement conditions at the time the display data is created by said reduced image processing; said image processor unit further including means for displaying a plurality of reduced images, without being overlapped, according to the plurality of reduced image display data stored in said memory unit, means for obtaining the measurement conditions stored corresponding to said reduced image of said reduced image display data, and means for displaying the measurement picture of an object under examination on the screen of said display by subjecting the object under examination to two-dimensional scanning by said scanning mechanism in accordance with a user-indicated one of the displayed reduced images.

Claim 10

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein said processor unit has a microprocessor unit including means for accessing said memory unit.

Claim 11

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 8, wherein said memory unit includes means for storing a processing program for creating reduced image display data resulting from scaling down to 1/n (n=integer greater than 2) the display data on said measurement picture obtained in conformity with the predetermined measurement conditions so as to store said display data in said memory unit with respective measurement conditions at the time the display data as an object for said reduced image processing is obtained; a processing program for displaying a plurality of reduced images without being overlapped according to the plurality of reduced image display data stored in said memory unit; a processing program for obtaining the measurement conditions stored corresponding to said reduced image of said reduced image display data; and a processing program for displaying the measurement picture of the object under examination in accordance with the display data obtained from the two-dimensional scanning, and wherein these four processing programs are selectively executed by said microprocessor unit.

Claim 12

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 9, wherein n represents an integer selected from among 5 to 15.

Claim 13

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 10, further comprising an input unit for providing an input signal for indicating one of the displayed reduced images, wherein said input unit is a touch sensitive screen.

Claim 14

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 9, further comprising an input unit for providing an input signal for indicating one of the displayed reduced images, wherein said input unit is either a mouse or a keyboard.

Claim 15

An ultrasonic inspection and imaging instrument as claimed in claim 9, further comprising touch-sensitive means associated with said display screen for selectively implementing at least one of the four processing programs for execution by said microprocessor unit.

Claim 16

An imaging system for two-dimensionally scanning an object under examination to obtain display data, and for displaying a measurement picture of the object under examination corresponding to said two-dimensional scanning, said system comprising: a memory unit for storing data of a plurality of images and a plurality of measurement conditions corresponding to said plurality of images, including measurement conditions under which said measurement picture is obtained; a processor unit for concurrently displaying a plurality of images without being overlapped on a display screen according to the plurality of image data stored in said memory unit, for obtaining from said memory unit a measurement condition stored corresponding to image data of an image selected from said plurality of stored images, and for displaying the measurement picture of the object under examination on the display screen by subjecting the object under examination to said two-dimensional scanning in accordance with the selected image; and means for two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination responsive to a signal from the processor unit that automatically presets the scanner with the measurement conditions in accordance with a user-indicated one of the displayed images.

Claim 17

An imaging system for two-dimensionally scanning an object under examination to obtain display data, and for displaying a measurement picture of the object under examination corresponding to said two-dimensional scanning, said system comprising: a memory unit for storing data of a plurality of images and a plurality of measurement conditions corresponding to said plurality of images, including measurement conditions under which said measurement picture is obtained; a processor unit for concurrently displaying a plurality of images without being overlapped on a display screen according to the plurality of image data stored in said memory unit, for obtaining from said memory unit a measurement condition stored corresponding to image data of an image selected from said plurality of stored images, and for displaying the measurement picture of the object under examination on the display screen by subjecting the object under examination to said two-dimensional scanning in accordance with the selected image; and means for two-dimensionally scanning the object under examination responsive to a signal from the processor unit that automatically presets the scanner with the measurement conditions in accordance with a user-indicated one of the displayed images.