PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately acquire the environmental sound velocity for a subject which is used in an ultrasonic diagnostic device.SOLUTION: In the environmental sound velocity acquisition method, ultrasonic waves are transmitted to the inside of the subject by means of an ultrasonic probe, reflected waves reflected from the inside of the subject due to the wave transmission are received by the ultrasonic probe, thus a reception signal is acquired. A reception delay time, based on a plurality of set sound velocities, is used on the acquired reception signal to implement reception focus processing, and thus phasing addition signals are acquired for each set sound velocity, and the environmental sound velocity of the subject is acquired on the basis of the phasing addition signals for each set sound velocity. Among the phasing addition signals for each set sound velocity, the phasing addition signals which correspond to a boundary section inside the subject and the phasing addition signals which correspond to sections other than the boundary section are distinguished. An indicator is acquired on the basis of at least one kind from among the phasing addition signals which correspond to the boundary section and the phasing addition signals which correspond to sections other than the boundary section. The environmental sound velocity is acquired on the basis of the acquired indicator.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】超音波診断装置において用いられる被検体の環境音速を高精度に取得する。【解決手段】超音波プローブによって被検体内に超音波を送波し、その送波によって被検体から反射された反射波を超音波プローブによって受信して受信信号を取得し、その取得した受信信号に対して複数の設定音速に基づく受信遅延時間を用いて受信フォーカス処理を施すことによって設定音速毎の整相加算信号を取得し、その取得した設定音速毎の整相加算信号に基づいて被検体の環境音速を取得する環境音速取得方法において、設定音速毎の整相加算信号のうちの被検体内の境界部に対応する整相加算信号と境界部以外に対応する整相加算信号とを区別し、境界部に対応する整相加算信号および境界部以外に対応する整相加算信号のうちの少なくとも一方に基づいて指標を取得し、その取得した指標に基づいて環境音速を取得することを特徴とする。【選択図】図2A
