A blood-vessel-shape measuring apparatus that can accurately measures a
shape of a section of a blood vessel is provided.A blood-vessel-shape
calculating means 62 calculates, based on respective echo signals
detected by first and second arrays 26, 28 that are placed on a skin 20
of a brachial portion 14 as a portion of a living being such that each of
the first and second arrays 26, 28 is across a brachial artery 18 located
under the skin 20, respective positions of respective portions of the
arterial wall that are located right below the first and second arrays
26, 28 and correspond to supersonic-wave elements 26.sub.n of the first
array 26 and supersonic-wave elements 28.sub.n of the second array 28,
and calculates, based on the respective positions of the respective
portions of the arterial wall that correspond to the supersonic-wave
elements 26.sub.n, 28.sub.n, a shape of the brachial artery 18 on an
orthogonal section thereof. Thus, even if the brachial artery 18 may run,
under the skin 20, in a direction that is not orthogonal to the first or
second array 26, 28 or is not parallel to the skin 20, an accurate
sectional shape of the brachial artery 18 can be obtained.