PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structure for adjusting the positional relationship between an ultrasonic transducer and a blood vessel such that an acoustic line from the ultrasonic transducer passes the center of a cross-section of the blood vessel when elastic characteristics are measured.SOLUTION: The ultrasonic diagnosis device is connectable to an ultrasonic probe including: a transducer for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and receiving an ultrasonic wave reflected on a tissue of a living body and a driving device for changing the position of the transducer. The ultrasonic diagnosis device controls the driving device thereby to change at least one of a direction and a position for transmitting the ultrasonic wave by the transducer, and transmits an ultrasonic wave to the transducer by a plurality of times in accordance with the position of the transducer. The ultrasonic diagnosis device repetitively receives an ultrasonic wave reflected on a blood vessel by using the transducer and generating a plurality of reception signals, generating strength information related to a reflection wave strength distribution, based on the plurality of reception signals to be acquired in a state where the ultrasonic transducer is arranged to obtain the long axis directional image of the blood vessel, and specifies the position of the transducer when the reflection strength is maximized, based on the strength information.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】弾性特性の計測時において、超音波振動子からの音響線が血管断面の中心を通るように、超音波振動子と血管との位置関係を調整するための構成を提供する。【解決手段】超音波診断装置は、超音波を送信し、生体の組織で反射した超音波を受信する振動子、および、振動子の位置を変化させる駆動装置を有する超音波プローブと接続可能である。超音波診断装置は、駆動装置を制御して、振動子が超音波を送信する方向および位置の少なくとも一方を変化させ、振動子の位置に応じて、振動子に超音波を複数回送信する。超音波診断装置は、血管で反射された超音波を、振動子を用いて繰り返し受信して複数の受信信号を生成し、血管の長軸方向の像を得るように超音波振動子を配置した状態で得られる複数の受信信号に基づいて、反射波の強度分布に関する強度情報を生成し、強度情報に基づいて、反射強度が最大になったときの振動子の位置を特定する。【選択図】図5
