Abstract: An acoustic-wave measuring device includes: a support table having a support surface configured to support an examination subject, and an opening portion provided in the support surface to measure a predetermined examination site of the examination subject; a container located vertically below the support surface and capable of containing an acoustic matching material in a liquid or gel form; and a receiving element located vertically below the support surface and configured to receive an acoustic wave generated from the examination site, wherein a matching-material bag containing an acoustic matching material in a liquid or gel form or a matching gel having limited flowability and an acoustic control effect, and a placement unit for placement of the matching-material bag or the matching gel thereon are installable between the acoustic matching material contained in the container and the examination site.

Abstract: An examination portion information obtaining apparatus includes an opening to which a portion to be examined of the examinee is inserted, a cup-shaped maintaining member which accommodates at least part of the portion to be examined inserted through the opening, an acoustic wave detector which receives acoustic waves from the portion to be examined, and a movement mechanism which moves the maintaining member relative to the portion to be examined inserted through the opening.

Abstract: A photoacoustic probe includes: a light source which generates light to be irradiated on an object; a probe body including a receiving portion which receives a photoacoustic wave generated from the object in response to irradiation of the light emitted from the light source on the object and a contact portion which contacts the object; and an attachment to which the probe body and the light source are attached, wherein the light source is attachable to and detachable from the attachment from a side different from the object side where the contact portion contacts the object.

Abstract: An acoustic wave receiving apparatus includes a liquid vessel for storing an acoustic matching liquid and a receiving unit for receiving an acoustic wave from a subject via the acoustic matching liquid, wherein the liquid vessel includes a drainage port for discharging the acoustic matching liquid, an annular portion surrounding the drainage port, a peripheral portion located outside the annular portion, and a drainage acceleration unit for accelerating drainage of the acoustic matching liquid from the peripheral portion toward the annular portion.

Abstract: An acoustic wave apparatus comprising a supporting base provided with an insertion opening into which an object is to be inserted; a liquid vessel arranged below the insertion opening configured to store acoustic matching liquid; and a receiving portion configured to receive an acoustic wave generated at the object and propagated via the acoustic matching liquid from; a bank portion protruding from the liquid vessel toward the supporting base, wherein the liquid vessel includes a bank portion at upper side configured to reduce an amount of the matching liquid over flowed from the liquid vessel due to a changing of a wavefront of the matching liquid, in a part of a circumferential direction of the liquid vessel, the bank portion is provided with a communicating portion through which the acoustic matching liquid can pass.

Abstract: An information acquisition apparatus includes a light emission unit configured to emit light to irradiate a subject with the light, and an ultrasonic probe configured to receive an ultrasonic wave generated from irradiation of the subject with the light to output an electric signal wherein the light emission unit is provided in such a manner that a surface of the light emission unit in contact with the subject protrudes more toward a side of the subject than a surface of the ultrasonic probe in contact with the subject, and wherein an emission direction of the light emitted from the light emission unit is inclined in a direction in which the emission direction is away with respect to a line perpendicular to the surface of the ultrasonic probe where the ultrasonic probe is in contact with the subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acoustic wave acquiring apparatus including: a probe configured to receive an acoustic wave from an object through an object holding unit that holds the object; an acoustic matching material holding unit configured to form a space, which holds an acoustic matching material, between the object holding unit and the probe; a scanning unit configured to allow the probe to scan in a first direction on the surface of the object holding unit, and in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a supplying unit configured to supply the acoustic matching material to the space by using a predetermined supply-amount pattern, wherein the supplying unit uses different supply-amount patterns in the case where the probe scans in the first direction and in the case where the probe scans in the second direction.

Abstract: A transducer array including a plurality of transducers each of which receives an acoustic wave and transduces the received acoustic wave into an electric signal, and a support member supporting the transducers, and having an inner surface which is defined by a quadric surface of revolution formed according to an imaginary quadratic curve rotating about an imaginary rotation axis. Each transducer includes a receiving surface having a substantially parallelogram shape defined by four vertexes, the receiving surface being connected to the support member so as to be oriented towards the inner surface of the support, and a transducing element transducing an acoustic wave, received by the transducer via the receiving surface, into an electric signal. The receiving surface is arranged in the transducer array such that any one of the four vertexes is closer to the imaginary rotation axis than the other three vertexes.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus includes: a matching solution that is prepared by adding, to a solvent, a solute having a higher hydrophilicity than the solvent, and propagates an acoustic wave generated from an object; a plurality of acoustic wave detection elements that receives the acoustic wave via the matching solution; a support that supports the plurality of acoustic wave detection elements so that directional axes of at least a part of the acoustic wave detection elements converge, and holds the matching solution; a position control unit that changes the positional relationship between the object and the support; and an acquisition unit that acquires characteristic information on the object based on the reception result for each positional relationship of the plurality of acoustic wave detection elements.

Abstract: An object information acquisition apparatus includes a holding member, a probe unit, a transducer, a housing, an opposing member, and a separating member. The holding member holds an object. The probe unit scans with respect to the holding member and includes a housing and a transducer positioned to form a space between the transducer and the holding member. The transducer receives an acoustic wave from the object through the holding member and is housed in the housing. The opposing member is provided at an upper position relative to an area that is scannable with the probe unit. The separating member is provided in at least one of the probe unit and the opposing member and having a shape that is changeable. The separating member reduces spreading of a matching liquid that has flowed onto the housing from the space between the transducer and the holding member.

Abstract: A subject information acquiring apparatus of the present invention includes a subject-holding member which holds a subject and a probe unit having a transducer which receives acoustic waves from the subject through the subject-holding member, a housing which accommodates the transducer, and a matching liquid-holding member configured to hold a matching liquid between the transducer and the subject-holding member, the probe unit being allowed to move relative to the subject-holding member. The probe unit has a guide which introduces the matching liquid to the subject-holding member, the matching liquid having been spilled from a space defined by the matching liquid-holding member, the transducer, and the subject-holding member onto the upper surface of the hosing and then flowed from the upper surface of the housing.

Abstract: An examination portion information obtaining apparatus includes an opening to which a portion to be examined of the examinee is inserted, a cup-shaped maintaining member which accommodates at least part of the portion to be examined inserted through the opening, an acoustic wave detector which receives acoustic waves from the portion to be examined, and a movement mechanism which moves the maintaining member relative to the portion to be examined inserted through the opening.

Abstract: A head-mounted device to be worn on a user's head includes a first pressing member to press, for example, an occipital region, a second pressing member to press, for example, a parietal region, and first and second linear members connected to the first and second pressing members respectively. The first and second linear members are guided so that a change in lengths of the first and second linear members causes the first and second pressing members to move in the first and second directions respectively. An adjustment unit to adjust the lengths of the first and second linear members includes first and second wind-up units connected to a rotational operation member and to wind up the first and second linear members respectively.

Abstract: A subject information acquiring apparatus includes a subject-holding member which holds a subject and a probe unit having a transducer which receives acoustic waves from the subject through the subject-holding member, a housing which accommodates the transducer, and a matching liquid-holding member configured to hold a matching liquid between the transducer and the subject-holding member, the probe unit being allowed to move relative to the subject-holding member. The probe unit has a guide which introduces the matching liquid to the subject-holding member, the matching liquid having been spilled from a space defined by the matching liquid-holding member, the transducer, and the subject-holding member onto the upper surface of the hosing and then flowed from the upper surface of the housing.

Abstract: A head-mountable apparatus mountable on a head of an observer comprises a first pressing member which presses a first portion of the head; a second pressing member which presses a second portion of the head; and an adjustment unit adapted to move the first pressing member and the second pressing member to positions where the first pressing member and the second pressing member respectively press the first portion and the second portion.

Abstract: A head-mounted device for mounting on the head of a user includes a first pressing member for pressing a first portion of the head from a first direction; a second pressing member for pressing a second portion of the head from a second direction that is different from the first direction; a string member that concatenates the first pressing member and the second pressing member; a structure that guides the string member so that the first and the second pressing members move in the first and the second directions, respectively, according to changes in the length of the string member; and an adjusting unit that adjusts the length of the string member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acoustic wave acquiring apparatus including: a probe configured to receive an acoustic wave from an object through an object holding unit that holds the object; an acoustic matching material holding unit configured to form a space, which holds an acoustic matching material, between the object holding unit and the probe; a scanning unit configured to allow the probe to scan in a first direction on the surface of the object holding unit, and in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a supplying unit configured to supply the acoustic matching material to the space by using a predetermined supply-amount pattern, wherein the supplying unit uses different supply-amount patterns in the case where the probe scans in the first direction and in the case where the probe scans in the second direction.

Abstract: A subject information obtaining apparatus includes a shape detector configured to detect the shape of a holding member holding a subject and a shape controlling unit configured to control the shape of the holding member based on result of a detection by the shape detector.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acoustic wave acquiring apparatus including: a probe configured to receive an acoustic wave from an object through an object holding unit that holds the object; an acoustic matching material holding unit configured to form a space, which holds an acoustic matching material, between the object holding unit and the probe; a scanning unit configured to allow the probe to scan in a first direction on the surface of the object holding unit, and in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a supplying unit configured to supply the acoustic matching material to the space by using a predetermined supply-amount pattern, wherein the supplying unit uses different supply-amount patterns in the case where the probe scans in the first direction and in the case where the probe scans in the second direction.

Abstract: The invention provides a head mounted image-sensing display device including a pair of image-sensing units (18R, 18L) that stereoscopically capture a physical space and output a pair of stereoscopic images, and display units (13R, 13L) for displaying images for the right eye and images for the left eye. Image sensing parameters that are previously measured for the image-sensing units are stored in image sensing parameter storage units (26R, 26L). As a result, a difference in parallax between captured images of a physical space and images of a virtual object is reduced.