PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide ultrasonic diagnostic equipment capable of stably determining reliability of an estimated value of a sound velocity in a subject, and a method for determining reliability of a set sound velocity.SOLUTION: A reception signal acquisition means acquires a reception signal which is generated by each of a plurality of piezoelectric elements 10a depending on reflected waves of ultrasonic waves transmitted into a subject. A phasing processing unit 18 performs phasing of each reception signal by imparting delay time, which is calculated on the basis of a set sound velocity, to each reception signal. A degree-of-similarity derivation unit 23 derives the degree of similarity indicating similarity between the reception signals phased by the phasing processing unit 18. An optimum set sound velocity derivation unit 24 derives an optimum set sound velocity on the basis of the degree of similarlity derived by the degree-of-similarity derivation means, and derives the degree of reliability indicating reliability of the derived optimum set sound velocity.COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】被検体内の音速の推定値の信頼性を安定的に判定することができる超音波診断装置および設定音速の信頼性判定方法を提供する。【解決手段】受信信号取得手段は、被検体内に送信された超音波の反射波に応じて複数の圧電素子10aの各々によって生成された受信信号を取得する。整相処理部18は、設定音速に基づいて算出した遅延時間を受信信号の各々に与えて受信信号の各々を整相する。類似度導出部23は、整相処理部18によって整相された受信信号間の類似性を示す類似度を導出する。最適設定音速導出部24は、類似度導出手段によって導出された類似度に基づいて最適設定音速を導出するとともに導出された最適設定音速の信頼性を示す信頼度を導出する。【選択図】図1
