Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080306371 | INTRAVITAL-INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS - An intravital-information imaging apparatus includes light sources for irradiating a living body with light, and acoustic-wave detectors that detect acoustic waves generated from a light absorber having absorbed part of energy of the light from the light sources, the light absorber existing in the living body. Furthermore, the intravital-information imaging apparatus includes signal processors that calculate information representing a distribution of optical characteristic values of the living body using sound pressures of the acoustic waves generated from the light absorber. | 12-11-2008 |
20090002685 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS, BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ANALYZING METHOD, AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING METHOD - A biological information imaging apparatus includes: a light source; an acoustic, wave detector that detects an acoustic wave generated from a light absorption material in a living body that has absorbed a part of energy of light irradiated from the light source to the living body, and converts it into a first electric signal; a photodetector that detects optical intensity of a portion of the light irradiated from the light source to the living body and propagating in the living body, and converts it into a second electric signal; and a calculation unit that calculates optical property distribution information on the living body by making use of an analytical result of one of the first electric signal and the second electric signal for analysis of the other electric signal. | 01-01-2009 |
20090005685 | ULTRASONIC PROBE AND INSPECTION APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH THE ULTRASONIC PROBE - An ultrasonic probe includes a light irradiating portion configured to radiate light for generating ultrasonic waves from a light absorber, an ultrasonic transducing portion configured to transduce the ultrasonic waves to an electric signal, and a light guide member configured to introduce light from a light source to the light irradiating portion. A light irradiating region of the light irradiating portion is included within an ultrasonic receiving region of the ultrasonic transducing portion. | 01-01-2009 |
20090198128 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION - There are provided a biological information imaging apparatus that can measure ultrasound generated from an optical absorber in a deep part of a subject living bodywith high sensitivity, and a method for analyzing biological information using the biological information imaging apparatus. The biological information imaging apparatus that detects ultrasound and images biological information, includes: a light source that irradiates the subject with light for generating ultrasound from an optical absorber existing in the subject; an ultrasound transmission unit that transmits focus ultrasound to a specific region where the optical absorber exists; and an ultrasound detection unit that detects an ultrasound synthesized signal due to interaction between ultrasound generated from the optical absorber that absorbs the light and the focus ultrasound transmitted to the specific region. | 08-06-2009 |
20100049049 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING METHOD - A biological information imaging method includes a first measurement step to measure an acoustic wave ( | 02-25-2010 |
20100053618 | Photoacoustic Apparatus, and Probe for Receiving Photoacoustic Waves - A photoacoustic apparatus obtains information on a specimen by receiving photoacoustic waves which are generated from the specimen resulting from light irradiated to the specimen. The apparatus includes a light source for irradiating light to the specimen, an acoustic wave receiver for receiving the photoacoustic waves, and a light reflection member for causing the light, which is radiated out of the specimen by optical diffusion thereof after having entered an interior of the specimen from the light source, to reenter the interior of the specimen, wherein the light reflection member allows elastic waves to pass therethrough. As a result, a photoacoustic apparatus and a probe are provided which can confine scattered light from the specimen into the specimen, and which can reliably prevent photoacoustic waves from being generated from a receiving element region of the probe by the scattered light. | 03-04-2010 |
20100087733 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - A biological information processing apparatus has a light source | 04-08-2010 |
20100174197 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS - A living body information imaging apparatus includes a member that is adapted to be introduced into an interior of a living body and has a light irradiation portion for irradiating light with an angle of irradiation equal to or more than 2π steradian to the interior of the living body, and a signal detector that is arranged outside the living body and detects a signal output based on light irradiation in the interior of the living body by the member having the light irradiation portion. | 07-08-2010 |
20100191109 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - A biological information processing apparatus includes: a light source | 07-29-2010 |
20100331662 | PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING METHOD - A photoacoustic wave detector detects a photoacoustic wave generated inside a specimen by light irradiated thereto. A signal processing device: forms first volume data from a first signal, the first signal being the detection signal acquired from the detector or a signal obtained by adjusting an amplitude of the detection signal; forms second volume data from a second signal, the second signal being a signal obtained by changing a phase of the first signal; forms third volume data from the first and second volume data; and generates and outputs image data representing information on an interior of the specimen from the third volume data. | 12-30-2010 |
20100331707 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS, BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ANALYZING METHOD, AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING METHOD - A biological information imaging apparatus includes: a light source; an acoustic wave detector that detects an acoustic wave generated from a light absorption material in a living body that has absorbed a part of energy of light irradiated from the light source to the living body, and converts it into a first electric signal; a photodetector that detects optical intensity of a portion of the light irradiated from the light source to the living body and propagating in the living body, and converts it into a second electric signal; and a calculation unit that calculates optical property distribution information on the living body by making use of an analytical result of one of the first electric signal and the second electric signal for analysis of the other electric signal. | 12-30-2010 |
20110112391 | PHOTOACOUSTIC MEASUREMENT APPARATUS - A measurement apparatus capable of measuring a position and a size of an absorber with high accuracy, which includes: a light source unit for emitting a pulse beam; an illumination optical unit for leading the pulse beam emitted by the light source unit to an inside of an inspection object; and an acoustic signal detection unit for detecting a photoacoustic signal generated by the pulse beam in which the illumination optical unit includes a first and second illumination optical units that are arranged so that the inspection object is irradiated with the pulse beam from both sides thereof opposingly; and the acoustic signal detection unit is provided so that a detection surface of the acoustic signal detection unit is positioned on the same side as that of one of irradiation surfaces of the inspection object which the first and second illumination optical units irradiate with the pulse beam. | 05-12-2011 |
20110128816 | RECEIVED DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS OF PHOTOACOUSTIC TOMOGRAPHY - There is provided a received data processing apparatus of photoacoustic tomography including a minimum constitution unit data composition unit that sequentially reads receiving digital signals from first storage units and composes minimum constitution unit data of the acoustic wave of the minimum constitution units by performing a delay-and-sum process; a second storage unit that stores the minimum constitution unit data of the entire region of the specimen; an image construction unit that constructs an image of the specimen based on the minimum constitution unit data stored in the second storage unit; and a control unit that sequentially stores the minimum constitution unit data calculated by the minimum constitution unit data composition unit in the second storage unit and reads the stored minimum constitution unit data of the entire region of the specimen to transmit the minimum constitution unit data to the image construction unit. | 06-02-2011 |
20110172513 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS - The biological information imaging apparatus includes an acoustic wave detector | 07-14-2011 |
20110178385 | PHOTOACOUSTIC MEASURING APPARATUS WITH MOVABLE DETECTOR ARRAY - A measuring apparatus includes an acoustic transducer with a plurality of elements, each element detecting an acoustic wave generated from a sample and converting the wave into an electric signal; a movement control unit which moves the acoustic transducer from a first position to a second position; and a processing unit which generates image data on the basis of the electric signal. The acoustic transducer has a gap in the arrangement of the elements. The acoustic transducer detects an acoustic wave at the first position, is moved by the movement control unit such that the position of the gap at the first position corresponds to the position of the element at the second position, and then detects an acoustic wave at the second position. The processing unit generates image data on the basis of electric signals obtained at the first and second positions. | 07-21-2011 |
20110194380 | MEASURING APPARATUS - A measuring apparatus includes an acoustic wave detecting unit that detects acoustic waves generated from a subject irradiated with light; and a member that is disposed between the acoustic wave detecting unit and the subject and has an acoustic speed value smaller than an average acoustic speed value inside the subject. And a thickness of the member is greater than a value obtained by dividing the acoustic speed value inside the subject by the minimum frequency detectable by the acoustic wave detecting unit. | 08-11-2011 |
20110239766 | PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING METHOD - A photoacoustic imaging apparatus performs imaging of an optical absorber. The photoacoustic imaging apparatus includes a light source, a detector configured to detect an acoustic wave generated from the optical absorber that has absorbed energy of light emitted from the light source, and a signal processing unit configured to form an image of the optical absorber. The signal processing unit stores information indicating whether a rate of change in pressure of the acoustic wave detected by the detector is positive or negative before performing a waveform process on the acoustic wave. | 10-06-2011 |
20110251475 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ACQUISITION APPARATUS AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ACQUISITION METHOD - When a subject is pressed by a plate and an acoustic wave is received by a probe via the plate, the acoustic wave is refracted because of the difference between a sound velocity in the subject and a sound velocity in the plate. When the refraction is not considered, a reduction in resolution occurs. Weights for signals or virtual wavefronts corresponding to the signals to be added to one another are determined using a thickness of the plate, the sound velocity in the plate, the sound velocity in the subject, positions of image elements (pixels or voxels) for image information, and arrival times of the acoustic wave from an object that is a sound source. The signals or the virtual wavefronts corresponding to the signals are added to one another, thereby acquiring the image information. | 10-13-2011 |
20110257530 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ACQUISITION APPARATUS - When a subject is pressed by a plate and an acoustic wave is received by a probe via the plate, the acoustic wave is refracted because of the difference between a sound velocity in the subject and a sound velocity in the plate. When the refraction is not considered, a reduction in resolution occurs. A correction table or a correction formula for correcting image distortion associated with refraction is provided. After image information is acquired, new image information is acquired in accordance with the correction table or the correction formula, and is displayed. | 10-20-2011 |
20110261056 | DISPLAY DATA OBTAINING APPARATUS AND DISPLAY DATA OBTAINING METHOD - Provided is a display data obtaining apparatus capable of, in photoacoustic tomography, reducing a fluctuation in sensitivity which depends on location for image reconstruction even in a limited measurement condition in which a photoacoustic wave generated in the entire subject cannot be obtained in a sufficient range. The display data obtaining apparatus includes: an acoustic wave detecting unit for detecting an acoustic wave generated from a subject irradiated with pulsed light to obtain a signal; a first data deriving unit for deriving first data exhibiting an optical characteristic distribution of the subject based on the obtained signal obtained by the acoustic wave detecting unit; a memory for storing spatial sensitivity distribution data specific to the display data obtaining apparatus; and a second data deriving unit for deriving second data exhibiting the optical characteristic distribution of the subject using the first data and the spatial sensitivity distribution data. | 10-27-2011 |
20120130222 | MEASURING APPARATUS - A measuring apparatus is used, the apparatus including a probe having an element detecting an acoustic wave that has propagated through an object, an acoustic lens disposed between the probe and the object, and a signal processor obtaining object information from an electrical signal based on the acoustic wave detected by the element of the probe. The probe is disposed at a position where the element of the probe is made acoustically conjugate to a surface on a probe side of the object by the acoustic lens. | 05-24-2012 |
20120133941 | Photoacoustic Apparatus, and Probe for Receiving Photoacoustic Waves - A photoacoustic apparatus obtains information on a specimen by receiving photoacoustic waves which are generated from the specimen resulting from light irradiated to the specimen. The apparatus includes a light source for irradiating light to the specimen, an acoustic wave receiver for receiving the photoacoustic waves, and a light reflection member for causing the light, which is radiated out of the specimen by optical diffusion thereof after having entered an interior of the specimen from the light source, to reenter the interior of the specimen, wherein the light reflection member allows elastic waves to pass therethrough. As a result, a photoacoustic apparatus and a probe are provided which can confine scattered light from the specimen into the specimen, and which can reliably prevent photoacoustic waves from being generated from a receiving element region of the probe by the scattered light. | 05-31-2012 |
20120183190 | IMAGE GENERATING APPARATUS, IMAGE GENERATING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image generating apparatus of the present invention has a determination unit that sets a target area in a part of an area inside a subject, executes processing to adjust a phase of each detection signal based on a distance from each detection element to a target area and a tentative velocity, and calculate dispersion of intensities of a plurality of detection signals of which phases are adjusted, for a plurality of tentative velocities, and determines a velocity for which dispersion of intensities is minimum, out of the plurality of tentative velocities, as a propagation velocity. | 07-19-2012 |
20120190963 | MEASURING APPARATUS - A measuring apparatus includes a shape maintaining member that maintains a shape of at least a part of a subject, an element that receives an acoustic wave through the shape maintaining member and converts the acoustic wave into a first electric signal, the acoustic wave being generated in the subject when the subject is irradiated with light, and a processing unit that generates image data using the first electric signal. The processing unit determines, on the basis of the first electric signal, a first time from when the acoustic wave is generated in the subject to when the acoustic wave reaches a reception surface of the element. The processing unit converts the first electric signal into a second electric signal using a difference between the first time and a second time in which the acoustic wave travels from a virtual detection region set near a subject-side surface of the shape maintaining member to the reception surface of the element, the second electric signal being assumed to have been obtained by receiving the acoustic wave at the virtual detection region. | 07-26-2012 |
20130197345 | ULTRASONIC PROBE AND INSPECTION APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH THE ULTRASONIC PROBE - An ultrasonic probe includes a light irradiating portion configured to radiate light for generating ultrasonic waves from a light absorber, an ultrasonic transducing portion configured to transduce the ultrasonic waves to an electric signal, and a light guide member configured to introduce light from a light source to the light irradiating portion. A light irradiating region of the light irradiating portion is included within an ultrasonic receiving region of the ultrasonic transducing portion. | 08-01-2013 |
20140128718 | PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING METHOD - A photoacoustic imaging apparatus performs imaging of an optical absorber. The photoacoustic imaging apparatus includes a light source, a detector configured to detect an acoustic wave generated from the optical absorber that has absorbed energy of light emitted from the light source, and a signal processing unit configured to form an image of the optical absorber. The signal processing unit stores information indicating whether a rate of change in pressure of the acoustic wave detected by the detector is positive or negative before performing a waveform process on the acoustic wave. | 05-08-2014 |
20140148683 | IMAGE GENERATING APPARATUS, IMAGE GENERATING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image generating apparatus of the present invention has a determination unit that sets a target area in a part of an area inside a subject, executes processing to adjust a phase of each detection signal based on a distance from each detection element to a target area and a tentative velocity, and calculate dispersion of intensities of a plurality of detection signals of which phases are adjusted, for a plurality of tentative velocities, and determines a velocity for which dispersion of intensities is minimum, out of the plurality of tentative velocities, as a propagation velocity. | 05-29-2014 |
20140378814 | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING METHOD - A biological information imaging method includes a first measurement step to measure an acoustic wave ( | 12-25-2014 |