Abstract: An apparatus includes a light source that generates light; a light irradiation unit that causes an acoustic wave to be generated from an object by irradiating a light irradiation region on a surface of the object with the light; a reception unit that receives the acoustic wave; an acoustic lens that is disposed such that the reception unit can selectively receive the acoustic wave from a predetermined direction; a moving unit that moves a focal point of the acoustic lens inside the object in an in-plane direction of the light irradiation region; and an acquisition unit that acquires information on a characteristic of the object based on the reception result of the reception unit, wherein the size of the focal point formed by the acoustic lens is smaller than the light irradiation region.

Abstract: A measurement region of an object on which irradiation of light is performed and detection of photoacoustic waves is controlled is set based on positional information of a specific region within a captured surface image of the object.

Abstract: Provided is an object information acquiring apparatus including: a light source; a controller that controls irradiation of light from the light source; a detector that receives an acoustic wave generated from an object onto which light from the light source is irradiated; a processor that generates characteristic information inside the object using the acoustic wave received by the detector; and an acquirer that acquires the shape of the object, wherein the controller controls an irradiation area when light is irradiated from the light source onto the object, based on the shape of the object acquired by the acquirer.

Abstract: A phantom used for calibrating an object information acquiring apparatus that irradiates light into an object and acquires characteristic information inside the object based on an acoustic wave propagated from the object, the phantom comprises a base material; and a simulated tissue portion that simulates a three-dimensional structure of a tissue inside a living body, wherein the simulated tissue portion is disposed inside the base material, and has a simulated layer, which is a layer simulating optical characteristics of the tissue inside the living body, on the surface thereof.

Abstract: 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 body with 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 focused 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 focused ultrasound transmitted to the specific region.

Abstract: There is used an acoustic signal receiving apparatus including a wavelength-tunable light source for irradiating measurement light, a controller for controlling a wavelength of the measurement light, a Fabry-Perot probe having a first mirror on a side where the measurement light enters, a second mirror on a side where an elastic wave from an object enters, and a spacer film positioned between the first and second mirrors and deforms in response to the elastic wave, an array photosensor for detecting a reflected light amount of the measurement light by the Fabry-Perot probe, and a signal processor for acquiring an intensity of the incident elastic wave based on a change in the reflected light amount. The controller sweeps the wavelength of the measurement light, and the signal processor determines the wavelength based on the reflected light amount at each wavelength subjected to the sweep.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic probe capable of forming an image without degradation even when the frequency band of a photoacoustic wave and the frequency band of an ultrasonic wave used in ultrasonography are separated from each other, and an inspection object imaging apparatus including the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe includes a first array device capable of transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; and a second array device capable of receiving a photoacoustic wave. The first array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction, the second array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and the first array device and the second array device are provided on the same plane and in the scanning direction.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic probe capable of forming an image without degradation even when the frequency band of a photoacoustic wave and the frequency band of an ultrasonic wave used in ultrasonography are separated from each other, and an inspection object imaging apparatus including the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe includes a first array device capable of transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; and a second array device capable of receiving a photoacoustic wave. The first array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction, the second array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and the first array device and the second array device are provided on the same plane and in the scanning direction.

Abstract: An acoustic wave measuring apparatus includes a light source for radiating a light having a wavelength component in wavelength areas, light filters arranged in a light path from the light source to a subject and each to shut off or transmit the light in one of the wavelength areas, a detector for detecting an acoustic wave generated by the radiation, a controller for generating conditions having different combinations of the wavelength components contained in the light, and a signal processor for calculating an optical absorption coefficient of the subject for the light in each wavelength area based on a pressure of the acoustic wave detected under each of the conditions and a strength of the radiated light for each wavelength area under conditions.

Abstract: A biological information imaging method includes a first measurement step to measure an acoustic wave (54) generated by light (53) with which a living body (51) is irradiated from a light source (50) and which is absorbed by tissue (52) in the living body, a storage step to store first information obtained in the first measurement step, a second measurement step to measure an acoustic wave (54) generated by light (53) with which the living body (51) is irradiated from the light source (50) and which is absorbed by the tissue (52) in the living body, and a processing step to generate an image of information of the tissue in the living body by using second information obtained in the second measurement step, and the first information stored in the storage step.

Abstract: A biological information imaging method includes a first measurement step to measure an acoustic wave (54) generated by light (53) which is irradiated to a living body (51) from a light source (50) and which is absorbed by tissue (52) in the living body, a storage step to store first information obtained in the first measurement step, a second measurement step to measure an acoustic wave (54) generated by light (53) which is irradiated to the living body (51) from the light source (50) and which is absorbed by the tissue (52) in the living body, and a processing step to generate an image of information of the tissue in the living body by using second information obtained in the second measurement step, and the first information stored in the storage step.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: There is used an acoustic signal receiving apparatus including a wavelength-tunable light source for irradiating measurement light, a controller for controlling a wavelength of the measurement light, a Fabry-Perot probe having a first mirror on a side where the measurement light enters, a second mirror on a side where an elastic wave from an object enters, and a spacer film positioned between the first and second mirrors and deforms in response to the elastic wave, an array photosensor for detecting a reflected light amount of the measurement light by the Fabry-Perot probe, and a signal processor for acquiring an intensity of the incident elastic wave based on a change in the reflected light amount. The controller sweeps the wavelength of the measurement light, and the signal processor determines the wavelength based on the reflected light amount at each wavelength subjected to the sweep.

Abstract: Use of an acoustic wave receiving apparatus which includes: a resonator including a first mirror on which measurement light is incident, a second mirror which is arranged to face the first mirror and on which acoustic waves from an object are incident, an acoustic wave reception layer interposed between the first mirror and the second mirror, and a compensation layer; and a detector for detecting a variation in an optical path length between the first mirror and the second mirror that occurs in response to deformation of the acoustic wave reception layer caused by incidence of the acoustic waves, wherein the variation in the optical path length due to a film thickness distribution of the acoustic wave reception layer is compensated by refraction in the compensation layer.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus is used which includes a first light source outputting irradiation light delivered to an object, an output unit to which the irradiation light is guided and which includes an opening smaller than a wavelength of the irradiation light, a probe detecting an acoustic wave generated when the object absorbs near-field light output by the output unit, and a signal processing unit acquiring information on an interior of the object from the acoustic wave detected by the probe.

Abstract: When correcting the acoustic wave refraction occurring on the interface between mediums having different sound speeds by Snell's law, an applicable back-projection method is limited to a time domain method. An image data generating method performed to receive and convert an acoustic wave generated by irradiating a subject with light into a first electrical signal with an acoustic wave receiver via a medium having a sound speed different from that of the subject, and to generate image data based on the first electrical signal is provided, wherein a second electrical signal obtained when the acoustic wave is received at each virtual reception point is generated based on the first electrical signal through an integral calculation performed by using an advanced Green's function, and image data is generated based on the second electrical signal.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus has a holding unit for holding an object, and a probe including a receiving element for receiving through the holding unit an acoustic wave generated by the object irradiated with light. The light is applied to an object surface held by the holding unit. The probe is arranged such that a direction of a normal to the object surface held by the holding unit is nonparallel to a direction in which the receiving element exhibits its highest reception sensitivity.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging apparatus includes a detector that outputs detection signals by detecting acoustic waves generated at surfaces and an inner portion of a sample by irradiating the sample with light; and a signal processing unit that generates image data using the detection signal. The signal processing unit calculates an average sound speed in the inner portion of the sample by using the detection signal of the acoustic wave generated at the surface of the sample and propagated through the inner portion of the sample, and generates the image data using the average sound speed and the detection signal of the acoustic wave generated at the inner portion of the sample.