CN112971841A

CN112971841A - Ultrasonic imaging system and ultrasonic probe self-checking method

Info

Publication number: CN112971841A
Application number: CN201911282301.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李金洋; 李双双; 何佩颖; 郭帅伟; 舒鹏
Original assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio Medical Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio Medical Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-12-13
Filing date: 2019-12-13
Publication date: 2021-06-18

Abstract

The application relates to an ultrasonic imaging system and a method for self-checking an ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic imaging system comprises a host, an ultrasonic probe, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the host is used for executing the following steps: and under the self-checking mode, acquiring an excitation signal through the ultrasonic probe, controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor detects pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the vibration action of the vibrator, transmitting the pressure detection data to the host, receiving the pressure detection data, and determining a self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data, thereby accurately and timely determining whether the probe needs to be maintained through the ultrasonic imaging system.

Description

Ultrasonic imaging system and ultrasonic probe self-checking method

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of medical equipment technology, and in particular, to an ultrasonic imaging system and a method for self-checking an ultrasonic probe.

Background

Transient elastic techniques generate shear waves in tissue primarily by external vibrations (e.g., electromechanical vibrations), observe the progress of shear waves propagating in tissue by ultrasonic echoes and detect the propagation velocity of shear waves, and further estimate the elastic modulus of tissue, reflecting the degree of fibrosis in liver tissue.

Wherein, external vibration derives from the motor motion under the drive signal, drives the transducer motion through a series of mechanical transmission structure, further produces the vibration at the body surface, and drive signal can receive the influence of the inside mechanical structure of ultrasonic probe and the body under test, and when a period of time or number of times, inside mechanical structure of ultrasonic probe, motor, connecting piece all can have ageing of certain degree to make vibration performance change. In addition, if accidental damage occurs, such as long-term idle vibration, drop, corrosion, etc., the vibration performance will also irreversibly decrease.

In view of the above situation, a dedicated device is often needed for detection and analysis, or a user is required to return the ultrasonic probe to a factory for detection and maintenance, and it cannot be accurately and timely determined whether the ultrasonic probe needs to be maintained.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, it is necessary to provide an ultrasound imaging system and a method for self-inspection of an ultrasound probe, which can accurately and timely determine whether the ultrasound probe needs to be repaired.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present application, there is provided an ultrasound imaging system comprising:

the ultrasonic probe comprises a host, an ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the host is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe, the pressure sensor is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is used for fixing the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-checking mode so as to enable the ultrasonic probe to be in a fixed state;

the vibrator is used for generating shear waves in the target tissue in a vibration mode;

the ultrasonic probe is used for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the target tissue so as to track shear waves propagating in the target tissue, and receiving ultrasonic echoes based on the ultrasonic waves to obtain ultrasonic echo signals;

the host is used for determining the elastic data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signal;

the host computer is further used for executing the following steps:

acquiring an excitation signal when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-checking mode;

controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor detects pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of vibration of the vibrator, and transmitting the pressure detection data to the host;

and receiving the pressure detection data, and determining a self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data.

It can be seen that the received pressure detection data is analyzed through the host, and because the pressure detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe used for instantaneous elastography, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic imaging system, the detection can be carried out without the help of external equipment, and the ultrasonic probe also can be detected without returning to the factory, so that the timeliness and convenience of ultrasonic probe detection are improved.

According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present application, there is provided an ultrasound imaging system comprising:

the ultrasonic probe comprises an ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is used for fixing the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-checking mode so as to enable the ultrasonic probe to be in a fixed state;

the ultrasonic probe is used for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the target tissue to track shear waves propagating in the target tissue, receiving ultrasonic echoes based on the ultrasonic waves to obtain ultrasonic echo signals, and determining elastic data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signals;

the ultrasound probe is further configured to perform the steps of:

controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor detects pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of vibration of the vibrator;

It can be seen that the received pressure detection data is analyzed by the ultrasonic probe (for example, a processor built in the instantaneous elastic ultrasonic probe), and since the pressure detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe, the self-detection result of the ultrasonic probe can be directly obtained by the ultrasonic probe, the detection can be performed without the help of external equipment, and the ultrasonic probe does not need to be returned to a factory for detection, so that the timeliness and convenience of the ultrasonic probe detection are improved.

According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present application, there is provided an ultrasound imaging system comprising:

the ultrasonic probe comprises a host, an ultrasonic probe, a sensor and a vibrator, wherein the host is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe, the sensor is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the vibrator is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe;

the host computer is further used for executing the following steps:

controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the sensor detects detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of vibration of the vibrator, and transmitting the detection data to the host;

and receiving the detection data, and determining a self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the detection data.

It can be seen that the received detection data is analyzed through the host, and because the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe used for instantaneous elastography, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic imaging system, the detection can be carried out without the help of external equipment, and the ultrasonic probe also can be detected without returning to the factory, so that the timeliness and convenience of ultrasonic probe detection are improved.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present application, there is provided an ultrasound imaging system comprising:

the ultrasonic probe comprises an ultrasonic probe, a sensor and a vibrator, wherein the sensor is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the vibrator is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe;

the ultrasound probe is further configured to perform the steps of:

controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the sensor detects detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of vibration of the vibrator;

Therefore, the received detection data is analyzed through the ultrasonic probe (for example, a processor arranged in the instantaneous elastic ultrasonic probe), and the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe, so that the self-detection result of the ultrasonic probe can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic probe, the detection can be carried out without external equipment, and the ultrasonic probe does not need to be returned to a factory for detection, thereby improving the timeliness and convenience of the ultrasonic probe detection.

According to a fifth aspect of embodiments of the present application, there is provided an ultrasound imaging system comprising:

the ultrasonic probe comprises a host, an ultrasonic probe and a sensor, wherein the host is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe, and the sensor is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe;

the ultrasonic probe is used for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the target tissue and receiving ultrasonic echoes based on the ultrasonic waves to obtain ultrasonic echo signals;

the host is used for determining ultrasonic data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signal;

the host computer is further used for executing the following steps:

applying the excitation signal to the ultrasonic probe so that the sensor detects detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of the excitation signal and transmits the detection data to the host;

It can be seen that the received detection data is analyzed through the host, and because the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic imaging system, the detection can be carried out without the help of external equipment, and the ultrasonic probe can be detected without returning to the factory, so that the timeliness and convenience of the ultrasonic probe detection are improved.

According to a sixth aspect of embodiments of the present application, there is provided an ultrasound imaging system comprising:

the ultrasonic probe is internally or externally provided with the sensor;

the ultrasonic probe is used for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the target tissue, receiving ultrasonic echoes based on the ultrasonic waves to obtain ultrasonic echo signals, and determining ultrasonic data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signals;

the ultrasound probe is further configured to perform the steps of:

applying the excitation signal to the ultrasonic probe so that the sensor detects detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of the excitation signal;

Therefore, the received detection data is analyzed through the ultrasonic probe (for example, a processor arranged in the ultrasonic probe), and the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe, so that the self-detection result of the ultrasonic probe can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic probe, the detection can be carried out without external equipment, and the ultrasonic probe does not need to be returned to a factory for detection, thereby improving the timeliness and convenience of ultrasonic probe detection.

According to a seventh aspect of the embodiments of the present application, there is provided a method for self-testing an ultrasonic probe, the method being applied to an ultrasonic imaging system, the ultrasonic imaging system including a host, an ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the host and the ultrasonic probe are electrically connected, the pressure sensor is disposed inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is disposed inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is configured to fix the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-testing mode, so that the ultrasonic probe is in a fixed state, the method including:

According to an eighth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, there is provided a method for self-testing an ultrasonic probe, the method being applied to an ultrasonic imaging system including an ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the pressure sensor is disposed inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is disposed inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is configured to fix the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-testing mode, so that the ultrasonic probe is in a fixed state, the method including:

According to the ultrasonic imaging system and the ultrasonic probe self-checking method, when the ultrasonic probe is in the self-checking mode, the excitation signal is obtained, the vibrator is controlled to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor detects pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the vibration effect of the vibrator, the pressure detection data is transmitted to the host, so that the host receives the pressure detection data, and the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe is determined according to the pressure detection data.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system in one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an application scenario of an ultrasound imaging system in one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating pressure measurement data in one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system in another embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an ultrasound imaging system in another embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating a method for self-testing an ultrasound probe, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flow chart of a method for self-testing an ultrasound probe in another embodiment;

fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a fixed ultrasound probe in one embodiment.

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical solutions better understood by those skilled in the art, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. The described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application and not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of the present application and in the above-described drawings are used for distinguishing between different objects and not for describing a particular order. Furthermore, the terms "include" and "have," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not limited to only those steps or elements listed, but may alternatively include other steps or elements not listed, or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

Reference herein to "an embodiment" means that a feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearances of the phrase in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by one skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, an ultrasound imaging system 100 is provided, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may perform transient elastography, viscoelastic imaging, or the like on a target tissue, wherein the target tissue may be an organ tissue of a human or animal, such as a liver, or the like. The ultrasound imaging system 100 includes: the ultrasonic probe comprises a host 10, an ultrasonic probe 20, a pressure sensor 30, a vibrator 40 and a probe fixing device 90, wherein the host 10 is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe 20, the pressure sensor 30 is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe 20, and the vibrator 40 is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe 20. The ultrasonic probe 20 is movably connected to the pressure sensor 30, and the vibrator 40 is movably connected to the pressure sensor 30, so that the acting force applied to the ultrasonic probe 20 can be reflected by the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 30. Wherein the probe fixing device 90 is used for fixing the ultrasonic probe 20 when the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the self-test mode, so that the ultrasonic probe 20 is in a fixed state. The probe fixing device 90 may be any fixing structure such as a clamping plate fixing structure, a buckle fixing structure, or a glue fixing structure, and of course, the ultrasonic probe may also be fixed by other methods, for example, the ultrasonic probe is fixed by a mechanical arm or the ultrasonic probe is fixed by holding by a hand of a user. In practice, as shown in fig. 8, the handle portion of the ultrasound probe 20 may be held by the probe holder 90 such that the handle portion of the ultrasound probe remains stationary and the transducer portion of the ultrasound probe remains movable (e.g., may vibrate normally). Because the ultrasonic probe is generally placed in the probe cup sleeve when the ultrasonic probe is idle, the ultrasonic probe can be placed in the probe cup sleeve, and the ultrasonic probe is fixed in the probe cup sleeve through the probe fixing device, so that the performance of the ultrasonic probe is detected in a self-checking mode. Of course, in practical application, the ultrasound probe may also be fixed on the ultrasound host or other devices through the probe fixing device, or may also be on a structure for placing the ultrasound probe, such as a table top, and the like, which is not limited specifically herein. In addition, since the ultrasonic probe is in a relatively fixed state during the self-inspection process of the ultrasonic probe by the probe fixing device, the ultrasonic probe needs to be protected from being damaged, some soft material may be provided in the probe fixing device so that the ultrasonic probe is not damaged when being fixed, and the like, wherein the soft material may be rubber and the like. In some possible implementations, the ultrasound imaging system 100 further includes an output device 80, and the output device 80 is configured to output a self-test result of the detection of the ultrasound probe, or an ultrasound image, ultrasound data, or the like.

As shown in fig. 2, the embodiment of the present application will be specifically described by taking an example in which the pressure sensor 30 and the vibrator 40 are both built in the ultrasonic probe 20:

in the embodiment of the present application, the ultrasonic probe includes a transducer 50, a pressure sensor 30 and a vibrator 40, wherein the pressure sensor 30 is movably connected with the vibrator 40, the transducer 50 is movably connected with the pressure sensor 30, and the vibrator 40 includes a motor 60 and an elastic medium 70, and the elastic medium 70 may be a spring or the like.

In the operation mode of the ultrasound probe 20, the motor 60 is used for generating shear waves in the target tissue by means of vibration, wherein the motor may be a wound rotor motor or a squirrel cage rotor motor, and the specific structure is not limited. The transducer 50 is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave to a target tissue to track a shear wave propagating in the target tissue, and receive an ultrasonic echo based on the ultrasonic wave to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal, the transducer 50 is configured to transmit the ultrasonic echo signal to the host 10, and the host 10 determines elasticity data, or an elasticity image, or viscoelastic data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signal, where the elasticity data may be young's modulus, a propagation speed of the shear wave, and other parameters, so as to reflect the softness and hardness of the target tissue. The viscoelastic data is used to reflect the degree of viscosity of the target tissue. The pressure sensor is mainly used for reflecting the pressure generated when the ultrasonic probe is in contact with the target tissue when the ultrasonic probe is in a working mode, and generally in the process of instantaneous elastography, the pressure of the contact between the ultrasonic probe and the target tissue is expected to be kept within a certain range, namely the pressure tends to be stable, otherwise, the result of the elastography is influenced. Of course, in this operating mode, the pressure sensor 30 may not be needed, and the pressure in the instant elastography process is kept within the preset range by the user sensing the pressure of the ultrasonic probe contacting the target tissue.

The host 10 is further configured to perform the following steps:

when the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the self-test mode, an excitation signal is obtained, where the excitation signal may be a digital signal or an analog signal, the host 10 may control the excitation signal to be converted from the digital signal to the analog signal or from the analog signal to the digital signal, and the digital excitation signal or the analog excitation signal may be selected according to the actual scene requirement, which is not specifically limited herein. Alternatively, the excitation signal may be generated by a control button on the ultrasonic probe 20 or a control button or a foot pedal on the main machine 10, and the excitation signal is used to start the vibrator 40, i.e. the motor 60, to start vibrating.

The host computer 10 acquires the excitation signal and controls the vibrator 40 to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor 30 detects pressure detection data generated by the transducer 50 under the action of the vibrator 40 and transmits the pressure detection data to the host computer 10. The motor 60 in the vibrator 40 vibrates due to the action of the excitation signal, the vibration mode causes the spring in the vibrator 40 to deform, further, the spring is movably connected with the pressure sensor 30, the deformation of the spring can be detected by the pressure sensor 30, the deformation of the spring reflects the pressure of the transducer 50 in the ultrasonic probe 20 contacting with the target tissue, and further, the pressure sensor 30 determines the pressure detection data of the transducer 50 in the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the deformation of the spring and transmits the pressure detection data to the host computer 10.

The host computer 10 may control the vibrator 40 to vibrate according to the excitation signal, and may be continuous vibration or discontinuous vibration, and for example, may control the vibrator 40 to vibrate by transmitting a continuous excitation signal or may control the vibrator 40 to vibrate by transmitting a discontinuous excitation signal. It may be to transmit a continuous excitation signal according to a timing cycle, or to transmit a discontinuous excitation signal according to a timing, for example, to transmit a continuous excitation signal at a certain time interval, or to transmit an excitation signal once at a certain time interval, and then to transmit an excitation signal once at another time interval, or to transmit a continuous excitation signal or a discontinuous excitation signal randomly, and so on, so as to realize continuous vibration or discontinuous vibration of the vibrator 40.

After the host 10 acquires the excitation signal, the excitation signal is converted from a digital signal to an analog signal, the host 10 controls the vibrator 40 to vibrate according to the analog excitation signal, because of the defect that the digital signal is difficult to control, the excitation signal is converted from the digital signal to the analog signal, and the vibrator 40 is controlled to vibrate according to the converted excitation signal, so that the self-checking of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be accurately controlled, and a more accurate self-checking result is obtained.

Further, the host 10 receives the pressure detection data, and determines a self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the pressure detection data, if the self-test result determines that the ultrasonic probe 20 is normal, the ultrasonic probe 20 may be continuously used for ultrasonic imaging, and if the self-test result determines that the ultrasonic probe 20 is abnormal, the ultrasonic probe 20 may be returned to a factory for maintenance or scrapping treatment.

In one possible implementation, the target pressure detection data is determined from the pressure detection data, wherein the target pressure detection data is the pressure detection data of the ultrasound probe 20 in a steady state, wherein the steady state can be regarded as a forced harmonic vibration steady state. Further, a self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is determined based on the target pressure detection data. The method specifically comprises the following steps: as shown in fig. 3, the pressure detection data includes a transient state (i.e., an unstable state) and a steady state (i.e., an unstable state and a steady state), wherein the pressure detection data tends to the steady state from the initial unstable state due to the long-period excitation signal, that is, relatively stable pressure detection data can be obtained, and the ultrasonic probe 20 is self-tested and analyzed according to the stable pressure detection data, so that the reliability is higher. In addition, unlike the operating mode, in the self-test mode, if the amplitude of the excitation signal is too large, the amplitude may be out of a measurable range, and if the period of the excitation signal is short, relatively stable pressure test data may not be acquired. In practical applications, the amplitude is not greater than the third threshold, for example, may be smaller than the amplitude of the ultrasound probe 20 in the operation mode, and the period is not greater than the fourth threshold, for example, the period may be more than 2 times of the period of the operation mode, where the third threshold and the fourth threshold may be specifically determined by system default or user customization, and are not specifically limited herein.

There are various ways of performing self-inspection on the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data or the target pressure detection data, and some possible implementation ways are described below by taking the pressure detection data as an example:

in one possible implementation, before the host computer 10 determines the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the pressure detection data, the driving data of the vibrator 40 is acquired, and the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is determined according to the driving data and the pressure detection data. Since the damping coefficient and the frequency of the ultrasonic probe 20 generated by the vibration of the vibrator 40 can be determined according to the driving data and the pressure detection data, the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be determined according to the damping coefficient and the frequency, if both the damping coefficient and the frequency meet the preset range, the self-test result is normal, and if at least one of the damping coefficient and the frequency does not meet the preset range, the self-test result is abnormal. Of course, besides the damping coefficient and the frequency, other parameters for measuring the self-test result, such as amplitude, etc., may be used, and are not limited herein. Specifically, the method comprises the following steps:

the host 10 further includes a memory, in which a functional relationship for self-test is prestored, where the functional relationship is expressed as:

where b represents the damping coefficient, w represents the frequency (affected by the spring rate), and f (t) represents the drive data, such as the drive signal from the host to the vibrator. Where dx (t) represents pressure detection data of the vibrator 40, for example, actual data of vibration of the vibrator, which is represented by the pressure detection data.

In the embodiment of the application, b and w are not changed under the ideal condition of no damage in work. However, over a period of time or number of operations, the internal mechanical structure (e.g., motor 60, connections) of the ultrasound probe 20 may age to some extent, causing the vibration performance to change, i.e., b and w to change. In addition, if accidental damage occurs, such as long-term idle vibration, drop, corrosion, etc., the vibration performance will also irreversibly decrease, thereby causing a change in b and w. In general, b and w need to be within a certain range, and exceeding the range indicates that the performance of the ultrasound probe 20 is impaired. In one possible implementation, the preset range of damping coefficients and frequencies for a good performance is obtained at factory settings or during normal operation. In the subsequent self-checking process, a preset excitation signal is input to obtain pressure detection data, damping coefficients b and w generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the vibration action of the vibrator 40 are determined by using the driving data and the pressure detection data, if both the damping coefficient and the frequency meet a preset range, the self-checking result is normal, and if at least one of the damping coefficient and the frequency does not meet the preset range, the self-checking result is abnormal, so that whether the ultrasonic probe 20 needs to be maintained or not is accurately and timely determined.

In another possible implementation manner, the host computer 10 acquires the pressure data of the ultrasound probe 20 in a normal state, wherein the normal state may be an original state at the time of factory shipment or other normal states. The host computer 10 determines the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the pressure data of the ultrasonic probe 20 in the normal state and the received pressure detection data. By comparing the pressure detection data with the pressure data in a normal state, the compared difference value or ratio value and the like meet a preset threshold value, if the preset threshold value is met, the self-checking result is normal, and if the preset threshold value is not met, the self-checking result is abnormal, wherein the specific comparison mode is not limited to difference making, ratio making and the like, and other modes can be adopted, such as variance solving and the like. Specifically, the method comprises the following steps:

in the embodiment of the application, an excitation signal is preset, and a first self-test is performed according to the excitation signal to obtain pressure data, wherein the pressure data comprises amplitude and/or frequency. Comparing the pressure data with the pressure detection data, wherein if the pressure waveform only includes amplitude, an amplitude difference between the pressure data and the pressure detection data is determined, if the amplitude difference is not greater than a first threshold, the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is normal, and if the amplitude difference is greater than the first threshold (for example, both the upper threshold and the lower threshold in fig. 3 belong to a first threshold range), the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is abnormal; if the pressure waveform only comprises frequency, determining a frequency difference value between the pressure data and the pressure detection data, if the frequency difference value is not greater than a second set threshold, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is normal, and if the frequency difference value is greater than the second threshold, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is abnormal; if the pressure waveform includes an amplitude and a frequency, an amplitude difference value and a frequency difference value of the pressure data and the pressure detection data are determined, if the amplitude difference value is not greater than a first threshold value and the frequency difference value is not greater than a second threshold value, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is normal, and if the amplitude difference value is greater than the first threshold value and the frequency difference value is greater than the second threshold value, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is abnormal, wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be user-defined or default of the ultrasonic imaging system, and are not specifically limited herein. According to the comparison between the pressure data and the pressure detection data, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe is determined by the ultrasonic imaging system, so as to accurately and timely determine whether the ultrasonic probe 20 needs to be maintained, as shown in fig. 3.

Of course, the way of performing self-inspection on the ultrasonic probe according to the target pressure detection data is the same as or similar to the way of performing self-inspection on the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data, and specific reference may be made to the content of performing self-inspection on the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data, which is not described herein again. In addition, the target pressure detection data is the pressure detection data when the ultrasonic probe tends to be in a relatively stable state, so that the measurement reliability is high.

In the embodiment of the present application, the ultrasound imaging system 100 includes an operation mode and a self-test mode, wherein the operation mode and the self-test mode are independent from each other, and may be performed synchronously or asynchronously, and are not specifically limited herein, wherein the synchronization may refer to the same time or approximately the same time.

In the operation mode, as shown in fig. 1, the fundamental imaging is usually performed by using the ultrasound imaging system 100, wherein the mode of the fundamental imaging is not limited to elastography/viscoelastic imaging, and the like, and in a specific imaging process, the pressure sensor 30 may be required, or the pressure sensor 30 may not be required, wherein the pressure sensor 30 mainly detects the pressure magnitude of the transducer 50 of the ultrasound probe 20 contacting the target tissue, and in the case of not having the pressure sensor 30, the pressure magnitude of the transducer 50 of the ultrasound probe 20 contacting the target tissue can be artificially sensed by the user, but the reliability is relatively poor. In the elastography process, shear waves can be generated inside target tissues through the vibration of the vibrator 40, ultrasonic waves convert electric signals into ultrasonic waves through the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 and emit the ultrasonic waves to the target tissues so as to track the propagation condition of the shear waves, and then ultrasonic echoes formed by reflection, diffraction, scattering and the like of the ultrasonic waves on the target tissues are received, so that ultrasonic echo signals capable of representing the tissue characteristics of the target tissues are obtained. The transducer 50 of the ultrasound probe 20 converts the received ultrasound echo signal into an electrical signal, converts the electrical signal from an analog signal to a digital signal by the host computer 10, and performs processing such as beam synthesis on the obtained digital signal to obtain and display elasticity data or an elasticity image of the target tissue.

The host computer 10 in the ultrasonic imaging system 100 in the self-test mode obtains an excitation signal, the excitation signal controls the vibrator 40 to vibrate so as to deform the spring in the vibrator 40, the deformation reflects the pressure of the transducer 50 in the ultrasonic probe 20 contacting with the target tissue, and further, the pressure sensor 30 detects pressure detection data corresponding to the deformation and transmits the pressure detection data to the host computer 10, and the host computer 10 determines the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the pressure detection data. The self-checking result is mainly used for judging whether the performance of the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 is good or not, so as to determine whether maintenance or scrapping treatment is needed or not, and therefore, the ultrasonic probe 20 can be self-checked directly through the ultrasonic imaging system 100 without external equipment or factory return detection, and timeliness and convenience of detection of the ultrasonic probe 20 are improved.

In one possible implementation, the output device may be a display for displaying the self-test result of the ultrasound probe 20, wherein the output device may also be a speaker through which the self-test result of the ultrasound probe 20 is output. In a specific implementation process, the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 may be output in a manner of text, graphics, characters, numbers, voice, and the like, which is not limited herein.

In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, an ultrasound imaging system 300 is provided, the ultrasound imaging system 300 comprising an ultrasound probe 20, a probe fixing device 90, a pressure sensor 30 and a vibrator 40, wherein the probe fixing device 90 is used for fixing the ultrasound probe 20 when the ultrasound probe 20 is in a self-test mode, so that the ultrasound probe 20 is in a fixed state. The description of the probe fixing device 90 can refer to the related contents of the probe fixing device in the embodiment shown in fig. 1, and the details are not repeated herein. The pressure sensor 30 is disposed inside or outside the ultrasound probe 20, the vibrator 40 is disposed inside or outside the ultrasound probe 20, and in some possible implementations, the ultrasound imaging system 300 further includes an output device 80, wherein the output device 80 may be a display or a speaker.

Referring to fig. 5, in a specific application scenario, taking the pressure sensor 30 and the vibrator 40 as an example of being embedded in the ultrasound probe 20, the ultrasound probe 20 includes the pressure sensor 30, the vibrator 40 and the transducer 50, wherein the transducer 50 in the ultrasound probe 20 is movably connected to the pressure sensor 30, the vibrator 40 may include a motor 60 and an elastic medium 70, the elastic medium 70 may be a spring, the spring in the vibrator 40 is movably connected to the pressure sensor 30, and an acting force applied to the transducer 50 of the ultrasound probe 20 may be reflected by a compression amount of the spring.

In the working mode of the ultrasonic probe 20, the vibrator 40 is configured to generate a shear wave in the target tissue by means of vibration, the ultrasonic probe 20 is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave to the target tissue to track the shear wave propagating in the target tissue and receive an ultrasonic echo based on the ultrasonic wave to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal, the ultrasonic probe 20 is configured to transmit the ultrasonic echo signal to the ultrasonic probe 20, and the ultrasonic probe 20 determines elasticity data or an elasticity image or viscoelasticity data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signal, wherein the elasticity data may be parameters such as young modulus, propagation speed of the shear wave, and the like, so as to reflect the softness and hardness degree of the target tissue. The viscoelastic data is used to reflect the degree of viscosity of the target tissue.

The ultrasound probe 20 is further configured to perform the following steps:

when the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the self-test mode, the ultrasonic probe 20 acquires an excitation signal, and controls the vibrator 40 to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor 30 detects pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40 and transmits the pressure detection data to the ultrasonic probe 20. The motor 60 in the vibrator 40 vibrates due to the action of the excitation signal, the vibration mode causes the spring in the vibrator 40 to deform, further, the spring is movably connected with the pressure sensor 30, the deformation of the spring can be detected by the pressure sensor 30, the deformation of the spring reflects the pressure of the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 in contact with the target tissue, and further, the pressure sensor 30 determines the pressure detection data of the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the deformation of the spring and transmits the pressure detection data to the ultrasonic probe 20.

In some possible implementations, the ultrasonic probe 20 controls the vibrator 40 to vibrate according to the excitation signal, and the vibration may be continuous vibration or discontinuous vibration.

Further, the ultrasonic probe 20 receives the pressure detection data, and determines a self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the pressure detection data, if the self-test result determines that the ultrasonic probe 20 is normal, the ultrasonic probe 20 may be continuously used for ultrasonic imaging, and if the self-test result determines that the ultrasonic probe 20 is abnormal, the ultrasonic probe 20 may be returned to a factory for maintenance or scrapping treatment, etc.

In one possible implementation, target pressure detection data is determined from the pressure detection data, wherein the target pressure detection data is pressure detection data of the ultrasound probe 20 in a steady state, and the self-test result of the ultrasound probe 20 is further determined according to the target pressure detection data.

In one possible implementation, before the ultrasonic probe 20 determines the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the pressure detection data, the driving data of the vibrator 40 is acquired, and the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 is determined according to the driving data and the pressure detection data. Since the damping coefficient and the frequency of the ultrasonic probe 20 generated by the vibration of the vibrator 40 can be determined according to the driving data and the pressure detection data, wherein the frequency can be regarded as a natural frequency, the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be determined according to the damping coefficient and the frequency, if the damping coefficient and the frequency both satisfy a preset range, the self-test result is normal, and if at least one of the damping coefficient and the frequency does not satisfy the preset range, the self-test result is abnormal.

In one possible implementation, the ultrasound probe 20 acquires pressure data of the ultrasound probe 20 in a normal state, wherein the normal state may be an original state at the time of factory shipment or other normal states. The ultrasonic probe 20 determines the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 based on the pressure data of the ultrasonic probe 20 in the normal state and the received pressure detection data. By comparing the pressure detection data with the pressure data in the normal state, the compared difference value or ratio value and the like meet the preset threshold, if the preset threshold is met, the self-checking result is normal, and if the preset threshold is not met, the self-checking result is abnormal, which may specifically refer to fig. 3 and the content in the embodiment corresponding to fig. 3, and will not be described herein again.

In a normal operation mode, as shown in fig. 5, an ultrasonic imaging system is generally used to perform basic imaging, such as elastography or viscoelastic imaging, during the elastography, a shear wave may be generated inside a target tissue by the vibration of the vibrator 40, an ultrasonic wave converts an electrical signal into an ultrasonic wave through the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 and emits the ultrasonic wave to the target tissue to track the propagation condition of the shear wave, and then an ultrasonic echo formed by the reflection, diffraction, scattering, etc. of the ultrasonic wave on the target tissue is received to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal capable of representing the tissue characteristics of the target tissue. The transducer 50 of the ultrasound probe 20 converts the received ultrasound echo signal into an electrical signal, and then converts the electrical signal from an analog signal to a digital signal by the ultrasound probe 20, and performs processing such as beam synthesis on the obtained digital signal to obtain elasticity data or an elasticity image of the target tissue, and displays the elasticity data or the elasticity image on a display.

The ultrasonic probe 20 in the ultrasonic imaging system in the self-checking mode obtains an excitation signal, the excitation signal controls the vibrator 40 to vibrate so as to deform the spring in the vibrator 40, the deformation reflects the pressure of the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 in contact with the target tissue, pressure detection data corresponding to the deformation is detected by the pressure sensor 30 and transmitted to the ultrasonic probe 20, and the ultrasonic probe 20 determines the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the pressure detection data. The self-checking result is mainly used for judging whether the performance of the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 is good or not, so as to determine whether maintenance or scrapping treatment is needed or not, and therefore, self-checking is directly carried out through the ultrasonic probe 20 without external equipment or factory return detection, and timeliness and convenience of detection of the ultrasonic probe 20 are improved.

It should be noted that, in the above embodiments shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2, the excitation signal is obtained by the host, and the ultrasonic probe is subjected to self-test by the host, in the embodiments shown in fig. 4 and fig. 5, the excitation signal is obtained by the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic probe is subjected to self-test by the ultrasonic probe itself, of course, in some embodiments, the host may also obtain the excitation signal, and the ultrasonic probe is subjected to self-test by the ultrasonic probe, or in some embodiments, the ultrasonic probe may also obtain the excitation signal, and the ultrasonic probe is subjected to self-test by the host, where the excitation signal is generally triggered by the controller, the controller may be set on the host or the ultrasonic probe according to the actual application, the magnitude of the excitation signal is generally determined by the processor, the processor may be set on the host or the ultrasonic probe according to the actual application, the self-test analysis of the ultrasonic probe is generally performed by a processor, the processor may be disposed on a host or the ultrasonic probe, and in addition, the controller and the processor may be two separate hardware devices or may be an integrated hardware device, which may be determined according to an actual product.

In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system is provided that differs from the ultrasound imaging system 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that the pressure sensor 30 in the ultrasound imaging system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is replaced by a sensor 30, and that the sensor 30 is used to obtain sensed data instead of the pressure sensed data shown in FIG. 1. The ultrasound imaging system includes: the ultrasonic probe comprises a host 10, an ultrasonic probe 20, a sensor 30 and a vibrator 40, wherein the host 10 is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe 20, the sensor 30 is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe 20, and the vibrator 40 is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe 20.

When the ultrasonic probe 20 is in an operating mode, the vibrator 40 is configured to generate a shear wave in a target tissue by means of vibration, the ultrasonic probe 20 is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave to the target tissue to track the shear wave propagating in the target tissue and receive an ultrasonic echo based on the ultrasonic wave to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal, the ultrasonic probe 20 is configured to transmit the ultrasonic echo signal to the host 10, and the host 10 determines elasticity data, an elasticity image, or viscoelasticity data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signal, wherein the elasticity data may be parameters such as young modulus, propagation speed of the shear wave, and the like, so as to reflect the hardness and softness of the target tissue. The viscoelastic data is used to reflect the degree of viscosity of the target tissue.

The host 10 is further configured to perform the following steps:

when the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the self-test mode, an excitation signal is obtained, where the excitation signal may be a digital signal or an analog signal, the host 10 may control the excitation signal to be converted from the digital signal to the analog signal or from the analog signal to the digital signal, and the digital excitation signal or the analog excitation signal may be selected according to the actual scene requirement, which is not specifically limited herein. Alternatively, the excitation signal may be generated by a control button on the ultrasonic probe 20 or a control button or a foot pedal on the main machine 10, and the excitation signal is used to start the vibrator 40 to vibrate.

Unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 1, in the embodiment of the present application, the pressure sensor 30 is not limited to detect the pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40, other sensors may be used to detect the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40, and a combination of multiple sensors may be used to detect the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40, for example, the sensor may be at least one of a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor, a speed sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the obtained detection data includes at least one of the pressure detection data, the displacement detection data, the speed detection data and the acceleration detection data.

The process of detecting the ultrasonic probe by the host has the same or similar contents as those of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 3, and specifically refer to the contents shown in fig. 1 to 3, which is not described herein again.

In the embodiment of the present application, the host 10 analyzes the received detection data (not limited to pressure detection data, which may be displacement detection data, acceleration detection data, speed detection data, etc.), and since the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe 20 for instantaneous elastography, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic imaging system itself, and the ultrasonic probe 20 does not need to be returned to the factory for detection, thereby improving the timeliness and convenience of the detection of the ultrasonic probe 20.

In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system is provided that differs from the ultrasound imaging system 300 shown in FIG. 4 in that the pressure sensor 30 in the ultrasound imaging system 300 shown in FIG. 3 is replaced with a sensor 30, and sensing data is obtained using the sensor 30 instead of the pressure sensing data shown in FIG. 3. The ultrasonic imaging system comprises an ultrasonic probe 20, a sensor and a vibrator 40, wherein the sensor is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe 20, and the vibrator 40 is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe 20.

The ultrasound probe 20 is further configured to perform the following steps:

when the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the self-test mode, the ultrasonic probe 20 acquires an excitation signal, and controls the vibrator 40 to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the sensor detects detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40 and transmits the detection data to the ultrasonic probe 20. The motor 60 in the vibrator 40 vibrates due to the action of the excitation signal, the vibration mode causes the spring in the vibrator 40 to deform, further, the spring is movably connected with the sensor, the deformation of the spring can be detected by the sensor, the deformation of the spring reflects the change of the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20, and then the sensor determines the detection data of the transducer 50 of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the deformation of the spring and transmits the detection data to the ultrasonic probe 20.

Unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 4, in the embodiment of the present application, the pressure sensor 30 is not limited to detect the pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40, other sensors may be used to detect the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40, or a combination of sensors may be used to detect the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the vibrator 40, the sensor 30 may be at least one of the pressure sensor 30, a displacement sensor, a speed sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the obtained detection data includes at least one of the pressure detection data, the displacement detection data, the speed detection data and the acceleration detection data.

The process of detecting the ultrasonic probe by the ultrasonic probe is the same as or similar to that of the embodiment shown in fig. 4 to 5, and specifically, the contents shown in fig. 4 to 5 may be referred to, and are not described again here.

In the embodiment of the present application, the received detection data is not limited to pressure detection data, and may be displacement detection data, acceleration detection data, speed detection data, etc.) through the ultrasonic probe 20, and since the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe 20, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic imaging system itself, the ultrasonic probe 20 does not need to be returned to the factory for detection, so that the timeliness and convenience of the detection of the ultrasonic probe 20 are improved.

In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system is provided, which differs from the ultrasound imaging system 400 shown in fig. 1 in that the pressure sensor 30 in the ultrasound imaging system 100 shown in fig. 1 is replaced by a sensor 30, the sensor 30 is used to obtain detection data instead of the pressure detection data shown in fig. 1, and the ultrasound imaging system in the embodiment of the present application does not include the vibrator 40, and the rest of the structure is the same as that of fig. 1, and the ultrasound imaging system includes: the ultrasonic probe comprises a host 10, an ultrasonic probe 20 and a sensor, wherein the host 10 is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe 20, and the sensor is arranged in or outside the ultrasonic probe 20. Wherein, in a possible implementation, the transducer 50 of the ultrasound probe 20 is movably connected with the sensor.

When the ultrasonic probe 20 is in an operating mode, the ultrasonic probe 20 emits an ultrasonic wave into a target tissue and receives an ultrasonic echo based on the ultrasonic wave to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal, the ultrasonic probe 20 is configured to transmit the ultrasonic echo signal to the host 10, and the host 10 determines ultrasonic data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signal, where the ultrasonic data may be a ultrasonic data, B ultrasonic data, C ultrasonic data, doppler ultrasonic data, elastic data, viscoelastic data, and the like, and correspondingly, an ultrasonic imaging mode corresponding to the ultrasonic data may be a imaging mode, a B imaging mode, a C imaging mode, a doppler imaging mode, elastography, viscoelastic imaging, and other various imaging modes.

The host 10 is further configured to perform the following steps:

when the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the self-test mode, the host computer 10 obtains the excitation signal, and the host computer 10 applies the excitation signal to the ultrasonic probe 20, so that the sensor detects the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the excitation signal and transmits the detection data to the host computer 10. The host computer 10 receives the detection data and determines the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the detection data.

The ultrasonic imaging system in the embodiment of the application does not need the vibrator 40, after the excitation signal acts on the ultrasonic probe 20 (for example, a 4D ultrasonic probe), the sensor detects the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the excitation signal, and transmits the detection data to the host computer 10, and the received detection data is analyzed through the host computer 10, because the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe 20, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic imaging system, the ultrasonic probe 20 does not need to be returned to a factory for detection, and the timeliness and convenience of the detection of the ultrasonic probe 20 are improved.

In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system is provided, which is different from the ultrasound imaging system 300 shown in fig. 4 in that the pressure sensor 30 in the ultrasound imaging system 300 shown in fig. 3 is replaced by the sensor 30, the sensor 30 is used to obtain detection data instead of the pressure detection data shown in fig. 3, and the ultrasound imaging system in the embodiment of the present application does not include the vibrator 40, and other structures are the same as those in fig. 3, and the ultrasound imaging system includes: an ultrasonic probe 20 and a sensor, wherein the ultrasonic probe 20 is internally or externally provided with the sensor. Wherein, in a possible implementation, the transducer 50 of the ultrasound probe 20 is movably connected with the sensor.

When the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the working mode, the ultrasonic probe 20 emits an ultrasonic wave into a target tissue and receives an ultrasonic echo based on the ultrasonic wave to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal, the ultrasonic probe 20 is configured to transmit the ultrasonic echo signal to the ultrasonic probe 20, and the ultrasonic probe 20 determines ultrasonic data of the target tissue according to the ultrasonic echo signal, where the ultrasonic data may be a ultrasonic data, a ultrasonic data B, a ultrasonic data C, a doppler ultrasonic data, elastic data, viscoelastic data, or the like, and correspondingly, an ultrasonic imaging mode corresponding to the ultrasonic data may be a imaging mode, a imaging mode B, an imaging mode C, a doppler imaging mode, elastography, viscoelastic imaging, or other various imaging modes.

The ultrasound probe 20 is further configured to perform the following steps:

when the ultrasonic probe 20 is in the self-test mode, the ultrasonic probe 20 acquires the excitation signal, and the ultrasonic probe 20 acts on the ultrasonic probe 20 to enable the sensor to detect the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the excitation signal and transmit the detection data to the ultrasonic probe 20. The ultrasonic probe 20 receives the inspection data and determines a self-inspection result of the ultrasonic probe 20 based on the inspection data.

The process of detecting the ultrasonic probe by the ultrasonic probe is the same as or similar to that of the embodiment shown in fig. 4 to 5, and specifically refer to the content shown in fig. 4 to 5, which is not described herein again.

The ultrasonic imaging system in the embodiment of the application does not need the vibrator 40, after the excitation signal acts on the ultrasonic probe 20 (for example, the 4D ultrasonic probe 20), the sensor detects the detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe 20 under the action of the excitation signal, and transmits the detection data to the ultrasonic probe 20, and the received detection data is analyzed through the ultrasonic probe 20, because the detection data is related to the ultrasonic probe 20, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be directly obtained through the ultrasonic imaging system, the ultrasonic probe 20 does not need to be returned to a factory for detection, and thus the timeliness and convenience of the detection of the ultrasonic probe 20 are improved.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 6, a method for self-testing an ultrasonic probe is provided, and the method is applied to an ultrasonic imaging system shown in fig. 1, and the ultrasonic imaging system includes a host, an ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the host is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe, the pressure sensor is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is used for fixing the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-testing mode so that the ultrasonic probe is in a fixed state, and the method includes:

step S41, when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-checking mode, an excitation signal is obtained;

step S42, controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor detects pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of vibration of the vibrator, and transmitting the pressure detection data to the host;

and step S43, receiving the pressure detection data, and determining the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, a method for self-testing an ultrasonic probe is provided, and the method is applied to an ultrasonic imaging system shown in fig. 4, the ultrasonic imaging system includes an ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is used for fixing the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-testing mode, so that the ultrasonic probe is in a fixed state, and the method includes:

step S51, when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-checking mode, an excitation signal is obtained;

step S52, controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal, so that the pressure sensor detects pressure detection data generated by the ultrasonic probe under the action of vibration of the vibrator;

and step S53, receiving the pressure detection data, and determining the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data.

In one embodiment, the operating mode and the self-test mode are performed synchronously or asynchronously. It should be understood that although the various steps in the flowcharts of fig. 6-7 are shown in order as indicated by the arrows, the steps are not necessarily performed in order as indicated by the arrows. The steps are not performed in the exact order shown and described, and may be performed in other orders, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, at least some of the steps in fig. 6-7 may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages that are not necessarily performed at the same time, but may be performed at different times, and the order of performance of the sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but may be performed in turn or alternating with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

In addition, in the embodiments shown in fig. 1 to 5, the ultrasound imaging system may include a probe fixing device, and the ultrasound imaging system related to other embodiments of the present application may also include a probe fixing device, and an appropriate probe fixing device may be selected according to practical applications, through which the ultrasound probe may be fixed in the probe cup, or may be fixed on the ultrasound host, or may be fixed on the trolley, or on the table top, and in addition, regarding the probe fixing device, reference may be made to the above description of the probe fixing device, and details are not described here.

For specific definition of the self-checking method of the ultrasonic probe, reference may be made to the definition of the ultrasonic imaging system in the foregoing, and of course, the present application also includes other imaging methods corresponding to the ultrasonic imaging system, and specifically, reference may be made to the description of the ultrasonic imaging system, and details are not described here again.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or part of the processes of the methods of the embodiments described above can be implemented by hardware instructions of a computer program, which can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, can include the processes of the embodiments of the methods described above. Any reference to memory, storage, database, or other medium used in the embodiments provided herein may include non-volatile and/or volatile memory, among others. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), Programmable ROM (PROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can include Random Access Memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in a variety of forms such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), Enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), Rambus Direct RAM (RDRAM), direct bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and memory bus dynamic RAM (RDRAM).

The technical features of the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and for the sake of brevity, all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are not described, but should be considered as the scope of the present specification as long as there is no contradiction between the combinations of the technical features.

The above-mentioned embodiments only express several embodiments of the present application, and the description thereof is more specific and detailed, but not construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that, for a person skilled in the art, several variations and modifications can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, which falls within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present patent shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

the host computer is further used for executing the following steps:

2. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

the ultrasound probe is further configured to perform the steps of:

3. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 or 2, wherein prior to determining the self-test result of the ultrasound probe from the pressure detection data, the method further comprises:

acquiring driving data of the vibrator;

the determining the self-test result of the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data comprises:

and determining a self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the driving data and the pressure detection data.

4. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 3, wherein the determining the results of the self-test of the ultrasound probe from the drive data and the pressure detection data comprises:

determining a damping coefficient and a frequency of the ultrasonic probe generated under the action of the vibration of the vibrator according to the driving data and the pressure detection data;

if the damping coefficient is within a first preset range and the frequency is within a second preset range, the self-checking result is normal;

and if the damping coefficient is not in the first preset range and/or the frequency is not in the second preset range, the self-detection result is abnormal.

5. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 or 2, wherein prior to determining the self-test result of the ultrasound probe from the pressure detection data, the method further comprises:

acquiring pressure data of the ultrasonic probe in a normal state;

and determining the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the pressure detection data and the pressure data.

6. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 5, wherein the pressure data and the pressure detection data each comprise a pressure waveform, the pressure waveform comprising an amplitude and/or a frequency, the determining the self-test results of the ultrasound probe from the pressure detection data and the pressure data comprising:

determining an amplitude difference and/or a frequency difference of the pressure data and the pressure detection data;

if the amplitude difference value is not larger than a first threshold value and/or the frequency difference value is not larger than a second threshold value, the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe is normal;

and if the amplitude difference is larger than a first threshold value and/or the frequency difference is larger than a second threshold value, determining that the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe is abnormal.

7. The ultrasound imaging system according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said determining a self-test result of the ultrasound probe from the pressure detection data comprises:

determining target pressure detection data from the pressure detection data, wherein the target pressure detection data is the pressure detection data of the ultrasonic probe in a steady state;

and determining a self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe according to the target pressure detection data.

8. The ultrasound imaging system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein prior to controlling the vibrator to vibrate in accordance with the excitation signal, the method further comprises:

converting the excitation signal from a digital signal to an analog signal;

and controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the converted excitation signal.

9. The ultrasound imaging system of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the excitation signal comprises an amplitude and a period, wherein the amplitude is not greater than a third threshold and the period is not greater than a fourth threshold.

10. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

the host computer is further used for executing the following steps:

11. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

the ultrasound probe is further configured to perform the steps of:

12. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

the host computer is further used for executing the following steps:

13. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

the ultrasonic probe is internally or externally provided with the sensor;

the ultrasound probe is further configured to perform the steps of:

14. The ultrasonic imaging system of claim 10 or 11, wherein the controlling the vibrator to vibrate according to the excitation signal comprises:

and controlling the vibrator to vibrate continuously or discontinuously according to the excitation signal.

15. The ultrasound imaging system of any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor, a velocity sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

16. The ultrasound imaging system of any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the detection data comprises at least one of pressure detection data, displacement detection data, velocity detection data, and acceleration detection data.

17. The ultrasound imaging system of any of claims 10 to 14, further comprising a probe fixture for fixing the ultrasound probe when the ultrasound probe is in a self-test mode such that the ultrasound probe is in a fixed state.

18. The ultrasound imaging system of any of claims 1, 2, 9, wherein the probe fixture comprises at least one of a splint fixture, a snap fixture, and a glue fixture.

19. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 17 or 18, wherein the probe fixture is disposed on a probe cup.

20. The ultrasound imaging system of any of claims 1 to 19, further comprising: and the output equipment is used for outputting the self-checking result of the ultrasonic probe.

21. A method for self-checking an ultrasonic probe, which is applied to an ultrasonic imaging system comprising a host, the ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the host is electrically connected with the ultrasonic probe, the pressure sensor is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is used for fixing the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-checking mode so that the ultrasonic probe is in a fixed state, the method comprises the following steps:

22. A method for self-checking an ultrasonic probe, which is applied to an ultrasonic imaging system comprising the ultrasonic probe, a probe fixing device, a pressure sensor and a vibrator, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, the vibrator is arranged inside or outside the ultrasonic probe, and the probe fixing device is used for fixing the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is in a self-checking mode so that the ultrasonic probe is in a fixed state, the method comprises the following steps:

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, further comprising:

transmitting ultrasound waves to a target tissue to track shear waves propagating within the target tissue while the ultrasound probe is in an operational mode;

receiving an ultrasonic echo based on the ultrasonic wave to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal;

determining elasticity data of the target tissue from the ultrasound echo signal.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the operating mode and the self-test mode are performed synchronously or asynchronously.