Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging method is provided that can prevent the surface of the subject from appearing in an image when a part to be observed at a position deeper than the surface of the subject is imaged. The photoacoustic imaging device includes a unit for outputting pulsed light toward the subject, and generating photoacoustic data by detecting photoacoustic waves emitted from the subject exposed to the light. The photoacoustic imaging device also includes a region detection unit that detects a near-surface region of the subject based on the photoacoustic wave detection signals, and a correcting unit that attenuates (which encompasses removing) information of the near-surface region found by the region detection unit when the part to be observed is displayed.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrating piece includes a piezoelectric substrate and excitation electrodes. The piezoelectric substrate is formed in a flat plate shape and vibrates in a thickness-shear vibration mode. The excitation electrodes are disposed on respective both principal surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate. The excitation electrode includes a main thickness portion and an inclined portion. The main thickness portion has a constant thickness. The inclined portion is formed in a peripheral area of the main thickness portion. The inclined portion has a thickness that gradually decreases from a portion contacting the main thickness portion to an outermost periphery of the excitation electrode. An inclination width as a width of the inclined portion has a length that is equal to or more than 0.5 times and equal to or less than three times of a flexural wavelength. The flexural wavelength is a wavelength of a flexure vibration as an unnecessary vibration.

Abstract: To provide a non-spherical tank which includes: a circular cylindrical portion; a top portion disposed continuously with an upper side of the circular cylindrical portion; and a bottom portion disposed continuously with a lower side of the circular cylindrical portion, wherein the top portion includes: a spherical shell portion which is formed of a portion of a spherical body having a radius R1, and is disposed at an upper end of the top portion; and a toroidal portion which is disposed continuously with the upper side of the circular cylindrical portion and with a lower side of the spherical shell portion respectively, and is formed of a portion of a spherical body having a radius R2 smaller than the radius R1, and an expression 1.0<R/H1<1.5 is satisfied. Here, “R” denotes a radius of the circular cylindrical portion, and “H1” denotes a height of the top portion in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A crystal resonator vibrates in a thickness-shear mode. The crystal resonator includes excitation electrodes being disposed on a front surface and a back surface of a crystal element. The excitation electrodes are disposed on the crystal element to have a positional relationship, where a displacement distribution at an edge of the excitation electrode on the front surface is identical to a displacement distribution at an edge of the excitation electrode on the back surface.

Abstract: A flash lamp 32 excites a laser rod 31. A Q switch 35 which changes the loss of the optical resonator according to the voltage applied is inserted on the optical path of a pair of mirrors 33 and 34 forming the optical resonator. An optical path shutter 39 is provided on the optical path of laser emission light. In a first operation mode in which laser emission is performed, the optical path shutter 39 is opened and the voltage applied to the Q switch 35 is changed from a high voltage to, for example, 0 V to emit pulsed laser light after the flash lamp 32 excites the laser rod 31. In a second operation mode in which the laser emission is interrupted and waited for, the optical path shutter 39 is closed and the voltage applied to the Q switch 35 is, for example, 0 V.

Abstract: A flash lamp 32 excites a laser rod 31. A Q switch 35 which changes the loss of the optical resonator according to the voltage applied is inserted on the optical path of a pair of mirrors 33 and 34 forming the optical resonator. An optical path shutter 39 is provided on the optical path of laser emission light. In a first operation mode in which laser emission is performed, the optical path shutter 39 is opened and the voltage applied to the Q switch 35 is changed from a high voltage to, for example, 0 V to emit pulsed laser light after the flash lamp 32 excites the laser rod 31. In a second operation mode in which the laser emission is interrupted and waited for, the optical path shutter 39 is closed and the voltage applied to the Q switch 35 is, for example, 0 V.

Abstract: In a solid-state laser device and a photoacoustic measurement device including the solid-state laser device, the distance between a laser rod and a flash lamp is narrowed. A shielding lid shields mirrors and an optical path of laser light from the outside. A first portion of a frame body of a laser chamber is exposed from the shielding lid. A flash lamp stored in the frame body of the laser chamber is able to be removed from and inserted into the first portion of the frame body. A thin film portion having a thickness smaller than the thickness of other portions of the shielding lid is provided in at least a part of a region of the shielding lid covering the optical path of a light beam on the outside in a longitudinal direction from the first portion of the frame body of the laser chamber.

Abstract: After light has been output to a subject to be examined, a photoacoustic wave induced in the subject by the output light is detected. It is assumed that at least one virtual detector element is present outside of a real detector, and dummy data corresponding to the at least one virtual detector element are added to photoacoustic data in which pieces of data of the photoacoustic wave detected by the detector are arranged in accordance with the positions of detector elements. A photoacoustic image is generated by reconstructing the photoacoustic data to which the dummy data have been added by using a Fourier transform method.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrating piece includes a vibrating piece body including a vibrator and at least one pair of excitation electrodes formed on a front surface and a back surface of the vibrator. The vibrating piece body is a twice rotated quartz-crystal vibrating piece. The pair of excitation electrodes are arranged in a Z??-axis direction determined by an X??-axis and obliquely disposed with respect to the Y?-axis direction. The X??-axis is rotated by 260° to 300° counterclockwise about a Y?-axis using a +X?-axis direction as a reference. The pair of excitation electrodes are formed to have respective semicircle shapes including straight line portions extending in the X??-axis direction and to be disposed in a state where the straight line portions overlapping with one another. The straight line portion of the excitation electrode includes an inclined portion that gradually decreases in thickness toward an end portion of the excitation electrode.

Abstract: An AT-cut crystal element includes a crystal element having two side surfaces (namely, a Z?-surface) intersecting with a Z-axis of a crystallographic axis thereof. At least one of the two side surfaces is constituted of three of first to third surfaces. The first to the third surfaces meeting following conditions: the first to the third surfaces intersect with one another in this order and formed by rotating a principal surface of the crystal element by predetermined angles; and expressing the angle of the first surface as ?1, a length of the first surface as D, a thickness of a part of the crystal element having the principal surface as t, and M=D/t, and a conversion percentage as fn (M, (?1)), the ?1 and the M are set such that the conversion percentage fn (M, (?1)) becomes a predetermined value Th or less.

Abstract: After light has been output to a subject to be examined, a photoacoustic wave induced in the subject by the output light is detected. It is assumed that at least one virtual detector element is present outside of a real detector, and dummy data corresponding to the at least one virtual detector element are added to photoacoustic data in which pieces of data of the photoacoustic wave detected by the detector are arranged in accordance with the positions of detector elements. A photoacoustic image is generated by reconstructing the photoacoustic data to which the dummy data have been added by using a Fourier transform method.

Abstract: A probe has a light guide unit that guides the measurement light, an acoustic wave detection unit that detects a photoacoustic wave, and a storage unit that stores light intensity profile information that represents the light intensity profile of the measurement light emitted by the probe, and transmits a signal of the photoacoustic wave detected by the acoustic wave detection unit to the signal processing unit in a state in which the probe is mounted in the apparatus body. The apparatus body has a reading unit that reads the light intensity profile information from the storage unit, and the intensity adjusting unit adjusts the intensity of the measurement light employing the light intensity profile information read by the reading unit.

Abstract: Using a laser source unit, pulse laser beams having a plurality of wavelengths is switched and emitted. A Q switch is inserted into an optical resonator including a pair of mirrors which face each other with a laser rod interposed therebetween. A wavelength selection unit includes a plurality of band pass filters having different transmission wavelengths, and selectively inserts the plurality of band pass filters into a light path of the optical resonator. A trigger control circuit controls driving unit that drives the wavelength selection unit so that the band pass filters inserted into the light path of the optical resonator are switched at a predetermined switching speed. In addition, the trigger control circuit causes the laser rod to be irradiated with excitation light from a flash lamp, and then turns on the Q switch at a timing when the wavelength selection unit inserts the band pass filter.

Abstract: A pulse laser beam is emitted in a desired wavelength sequence using a laser light source unit. A Q switch and a birefringent filter are inserted into an optical resonator including a pair of mirrors and facing each other with a laser rod interposed therebetween. The birefringent filter changes an oscillation wavelength of the optical resonator in association with rotational displacement. The rotation control unit rotates the birefringent filter at a predetermined rotation speed depending on the number of wavelengths included in the wavelength sequence of the pulse laser beam to be emitted. An emission control unit irradiates the laser rod with excitation light, and then turns on the Q switch at a timing when a rotational-displacement-position of the birefringent filter is set to a position corresponding to the wavelength of the pulse laser beam to be emitted, to cause the pulse laser beam to be emitted.

Abstract: A pulse laser beam is emitted in a desired wavelength sequence using a laser source unit. A Q switch and a birefringent filter are inserted into an optical resonator including a pair of mirrors and facing each other with a laser rod interposed therebetween. The birefringent filter changes an oscillation wavelength of the optical resonator in association with rotational displacement. A trigger control circuit rotates the birefringent filter at a predetermined rotation speed depending on the number of wavelengths included in the wavelength sequence of the pulse laser beam to be emitted. In addition, the trigger control circuit irradiates the laser rod with excitation light, and turns on the Q switch at a timing when a rotational displacement position of the birefringent filter is set to a position corresponding to the wavelength of the pulse laser beam to be emitted, to cause the pulse laser beam to be emitted.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device includes a quartz substrate and a periodic structure portion. The quartz substrate is constituted such that a surface acoustic wave is to propagate on a surface with an Euler angle of (0°, 16°<??18.5°, 0°). The periodic structure portion is disposed on the quartz substrate and includes a plurality of electrodes extending in a direction intersecting with a direction of the propagation of the surface acoustic wave. The electrodes are disposed in parallel to one another along the propagation direction. The periodic structure portion is constituted to mainly contain aluminum. When a width dimension of the electrode in the propagation direction and a separation dimension between the electrodes adjacent to one another are respectively defined as L and S, a metallization ratio ? (?=L÷(L+S)) is set to 0.4 or less.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging method that enables photoacoustic images to be displayed at high speed is provided. The photoacoustic imaging method scans a subject with a light beam, detects acoustic waves generated within the subject due to the scanning of light to obtain acoustic wave detected signals, and generates volume data that represent three dimensional photoacoustic images of the subject based on the acoustic wave detected signals. Photoacoustic projection images projected in the direction of irradiation depth of the light are generated, prior to the volume data being generated and concurrently with the scanning of the light. The photoacoustic projection images are displayed.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging method that enables photoacoustic images to be displayed at high speed is provided. The photoacoustic imaging method scans a subject with a light beam, detects acoustic waves generated within the subject due to the scanning of light to obtain acoustic wave detected signals, and generates volume data that represent three dimensional photoacoustic images of the subject based on the acoustic wave detected signals. Photoacoustic projection images projected in the direction of irradiation depth of the light are generated, prior to the volume data being generated and concurrently with the scanning of the light. The photoacoustic projection images are displayed.

Abstract: A reservoir unit which is included as an element along a circulation path of a cooling system includes a cartridge and a cartridge loading unit which are configured to be removable from each other. The cartridge includes a reservoir chamber that stores a circulating liquid, and a connection portion in fluid communication with the reservoir chamber. The cartridge loading unit includes a connection receiving portion, to which the connection portion is connected, and a connection port. When the cartridge and the cartridge loading unit are attached to each other, the connection portion, the connection receiving portion and the connection port form a feed path that allows feeding the circulating liquid to the circulation path outside, and a collection path that allows collecting the circulating liquid into the reservoir chamber.

Abstract: A photoacoustic measurement device 10 includes a probe 11 having a light emitting unit that emits measurement light L and a plurality of acoustic wave detection elements, a determination unit 28 that determines whether a state between the probe 11 and a subject M is a contact state or a non-contact state, and a light intensity control unit (for example, a switching control unit 36 and an intensity switching unit 37) that controls the intensity of the measurement light such that the measurement light has a first intensity or a second intensity higher than the first intensity, on the basis of the determination result of the determination unit 28. The determination unit 28 performs the determination on the basis of the status of a change in a plurality of photoacoustic signals detected by the plurality of acoustic wave detection elements.