PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a novel method for accurately measuring the vascular diameter of a target blood vessel to be measured.SOLUTION: Ultrasonic waves are transmitted/received from a probe 10 as an ultrasonic transmission/receiving part with a plurality of ultrasonic transducers. A luminal endothelial boundary detection part 310 detects reflected waves from a luminal endothelial boundary of the target blood vessel to be measured based on the result of reception of ultrasonic waves. A transmission/receiving control part 320 controls the probe 10 so that reflected waves from the luminal endothelial boundary can be detected by the luminal endothelial boundary detection part 310. A vascular diameter calculation part 340 calculates the vascular diameter of the target blood vessel to be measured based on the result of reception of ultrasonic waves.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】測定対象血管の血管径を正しく測定するための新たな手法の提案。【解決手段】複数の超音波振動子を有する超音波の送受信部であるプローブ10から超音波が送受信される。内腔内膜境界検出部310は、超音波の受信結果に基づいて、測定対象血管の内腔内膜境界からの反射波を検出する。そして、送受信制御部320は、内腔内膜境界検出部310による内腔内膜境界からの反射波の検出が可能となるようにプローブ10を制御する。血管径算出部340は、超音波の受信結果に基づいて、測定対象血管の血管径を算出する。【選択図】図10
