PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasound signal processing apparatus capable of keeping the S/N ratio in deeper portions among end portions of an internal space of a subject and at the same time improving the resolution in other portions.SOLUTION: A pulse wave creation unit 13 creates pulse waves. A transmission beamformer 16, after providing delay time corresponding to each of individual acoustic elements, drives the individual acoustic elements using the created pulse waves to form an ultrasound transmission beam. A plurality of advancing directions includes a first direction and a second direction. The second direction is smaller in the absolute value of an angle formed by the normal direction of the acoustic element array and the advancing direction of the transmission beam than the first direction. The pulse wave creation unit 13, when making the transmission beam advance in the second direction, applies a transmission pulse condition to the pulse wave creation, the condition enabling energy to reach deeper portions of a subject than when making the transmission beam advance in the first direction. The pulse wave creation unit, when making the transmission beam advance in the first direction, applies a transmission pulse conditions which enables the spatial resolution to be made higher than when making the transmission beam advance in the second direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2COPYRIGHT: (C)2017,JPO&INPIT【課題】被検体の内部空間の端部のうち、深度が深い部分のS/N比を維持しつつ、それ以外の部分の分解能の向上を図り得る超音波信号処理装置の提供。【解決手段】パルス波作成部13はパルス波を作成する。送信ビームフォーマ16は、個々の音響素子に応じた遅延時間を与えた上、作成したパルス波を用いて各音響素子を駆動することで超音波送信ビームを形成する。複数の進行方向は、第1方向、第2方向を含み、第2方向は音響素子アレイの法線方向と、送信ビームの進行方向とがなす角度の絶対値が第1方向よりも小さい。パルス波作成部13は、送信ビームを第2方向で進行させる際、送信ビームを第1方向で進行させる場合よりも、被検体のより深い部分にまでエネルギーを到達させ得る送信パルス条件をパルス波作成に用い、送信ビームを第1方向で進行させる際、送信ビームを第2方向に進行させる場合よりも空間分解能をより高め得る送信パルス条件を用いる。【選択図】図2
