Abstract: A pressing rotating member comprising a base layer, an elastic layer and a surface layer, in this order, the surface layer having pores, wherein when placing an observation region of 8 ?m long×11 ?m wide at a cross section of the surface layer in a thickness direction of the surface layer—a direction perpendicular to a circumferential direction of the pressing rotating member, a degree of orientation f of the pores observed in the observation region is 0.20 or higher, and an orientation angle ? of the pores observed in the observation region is 0° to 10°.

Abstract: A pressing rotating member comprising a base layer, an elastic layer and a surface layer, in this order, the surface layer having pores, wherein when placing an observation region of 8 ?m long×11 ?m wide at a cross section of the surface layer in a thickness direction of the surface layer—a direction perpendicular to a circumferential direction of the pressing rotating member, a degree of orientation f of the pores observed in the observation region is 0.20 or higher, and an orientation angle ? of the pores observed in the observation region is 0° to 10°.

Abstract: A used photoacoustic apparatus includes: a light source capable of individually emitting light having a first wavelength at which absorption coefficients of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin are equal and light having a second wavelength; an acoustic detector that receives acoustic waves generated when the light having the first and second wavelengths is absorbed by an object; an absorption coefficient distribution generator that determines absorption coefficient distributions of an object interior; a blood vessel position determining unit that determines a blood vessel position from an absorption coefficient distribution corresponding to the first wavelength; an organism characteristics distribution calculator that determines an organism characteristics distribution from the absorption coefficient distributions; and a trimming unit that trims the organism characteristics distribution in accordance with the blood vessel position.

Abstract: Provided is a fixing member includes: a substrate; and an elastic layer on the substrate, wherein the elastic layer contains a rubber and fillers dispersed in the rubber, and wherein an average value of area ratios of large-particle diameter fillers is 20% or more and 40% or less, and the large-particle diameter fillers have an average array degree fL of 0.00 or more and 0.15 or less, an average value of an area ratios of small-particle diameter fillers is 10% or more and 20% or less, the small-particle diameter fillers have an average array degree fS of 0.20 or more and 0.50 or less, and the small-particle diameter fillers have an average array angle ?S of 60° or more and 120° or less.

Abstract: The present invention employs an apparatus that includes a first acquisition unit that acquires information relating to an oxygen saturation distribution, a determination unit that determines, based on the information relating to the oxygen saturation distribution, whether a calculated value of an oxygen saturation at each of a plurality of positions is included in a first numerical range from 100% to a first value more than 100% or a second numerical range more than the first value, and a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image of the oxygen saturation distribution so as to be able to distinguish whether the calculated value of the oxygen saturation at each position is included in the first or second numerical range based on a determination result.

Abstract: With a detector in which detection elements are placed in a spherical shape, a uniform resolution area is narrow. An acoustic-wave acquisition apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a detector including a plurality of detection elements that receive acoustic waves from a subject, the receiving surfaces of at least some of the detection elements being at different angles. The apparatus includes a scanning unit configured to move at least one of the subject and the detector to change the relative position of the subject and a highest-resolution area determined depending on the placement of the detection elements.

Abstract: Provided is a fixing member includes: a substrate; and an elastic layer on the substrate, wherein the elastic layer contains a rubber and fillers dispersed in the rubber, and wherein an average value of area ratios of large-particle diameter fillers is 20% or more and 40% or less, and the large-particle diameter fillers have an average array degree fL of 0.00 or more and 0.15 or less, an average value of an area ratios of small-particle diameter fillers is 10% or more and 20% or less, the small-particle diameter fillers have an average array degree fS of 0.20 or more and 0.50 or less, and the small-particle diameter fillers have an average array angle ?S of 60° or more and 120° or less.

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: An object information acquiring apparatus comprises a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate lights having different wavelengths respectively; an acoustic wave receiving unit configured to receive an acoustic wave by each of the lights having different wavelengths respectively, and convert into an electric signal that corresponds to each of the lights having different wavelengths; a characteristic information acquiring unit configured to acquire characteristic distribution related to each position in the object based on the electric signal; a statistics acquiring unit configured to acquire a histogram from the characteristic distribution; and an image information acquiring unit configured to acquire image information causing a display device to display the characteristic distribution in the object and the histogram.

Abstract: An adverse effect of position displacement during measurements in calculating oxygen saturation can be decreased with an apparatus having: an acoustic wave detector, for receiving acoustic waves inside a subject, and for converting the acoustic waves to signals; and a processing apparatus for deriving biofunctional information using profiles of absorption coefficient derived from the signals, in which the processing apparatus includes: a first unit for deriving, from signals corresponding to light of first wavelength, first data showing a profile of first absorption coefficient, and from signals corresponding to light of second wavelength, second data showing a profile of second absorption coefficient; and a second unit for deriving the biofunctional information using the first and second data, and in which the second data has lower image spatial resolution than the first data.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus comprises a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate lights having different wavelengths respectively; an acoustic wave receiving unit configured to receive an acoustic wave by each of the lights having different wavelengths respectively, and convert into an electric signal that corresponds to each of the lights having different wavelengths; a characteristic information acquiring unit configured to acquire characteristic distribution related to each position in the object based on the electric signal; a statistics acquiring unit configured to acquire a histogram from the characteristic distribution; and an image information acquiring unit configured to acquire image information causing a display device to display the characteristic distribution in the object and the histogram.

Abstract: A used photoacoustic apparatus includes: a light source capable of individually emitting light having a first wavelength at which absorption coefficients of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin are equal and light having a second wavelength; an acoustic detector that receives acoustic waves generated when the light having the first and second wavelengths is absorbed by an object; an absorption coefficient distribution generator that determines absorption coefficient distributions of an object interior; a blood vessel position determining unit that determines a blood vessel position from an absorption coefficient distribution corresponding to the first wavelength; an organism characteristics distribution calculator that determines an organism characteristics distribution from the absorption coefficient distributions; and a trimming unit that trims the organism characteristics distribution in accordance with the blood vessel position.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A used photoacoustic apparatus includes: a light source capable of individually emitting light having a first wavelength at which absorption coefficients of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin are equal and light having a second wavelength; an acoustic detector that receives acoustic waves generated when the light having the first and second wavelengths is absorbed by an object; an absorption coefficient distribution generator that determines absorption coefficient distributions of an object interior; a blood vessel position determining unit that determines a blood vessel position from an absorption coefficient distribution corresponding to the first wavelength; an organism characteristics distribution calculator that determines an organism characteristics distribution from the absorption coefficient distributions; and a trimming unit that trims the organism characteristics distribution in accordance with the blood vessel position.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The present invention employs an apparatus that includes a first acquisition unit that acquires information relating to an oxygen saturation distribution, a determination unit that determines, based on the information relating to the oxygen saturation distribution, whether a calculated value of an oxygen saturation at each of a plurality of positions is included in a first numerical range from 100% to a first value more than 100% or a second numerical range more than the first value, and a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image of the oxygen saturation distribution so as to be able to distinguish whether the calculated value of the oxygen saturation at each position is included in the first or second numerical range based on a determination result.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus, includes: an irradiator irradiating an object with light; a probe having a plurality of transducers which receive an acoustic wave generated from the object irradiated with the light and output a reception signal; and a controller using the reception signal to acquire property information on the interior of the object, and the probe has a plurality of apertures and a surface on which the plurality of transducers are arranged has a spherical surface shape.

Abstract: With a detector in which detection elements are placed in a spherical shape, a uniform resolution area is narrow. An acoustic-wave acquisition apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a detector including a plurality of detection elements that receive acoustic waves from a subject, the receiving surfaces of at least some of the detection elements being at different angles. The apparatus includes a scanning unit configured to move at least one of the subject and the detector to change the relative position of the subject and a highest-resolution area determined depending on the placement of the detection elements.

Abstract: With a detector in which detection elements are placed in a spherical shape, a uniform resolution area is narrow. An acoustic-wave acquisition apparatus is equipped with a detector including a plurality of detection elements that receive acoustic waves from a subject, the receiving surfaces of at least some of the detection elements being at different angles. The apparatus includes a scanning unit configured to move at least one of the subject and the detector to change the relative position of the subject and a highest-resolution area determined depending on the placement of the detection elements.

Abstract: A subject information acquiring device has: an acoustic detector which receives an acoustic wave propagated in a subject and converts into an electrical signal; and a data processing device which generates a subject information distribution using the electrical signal, and the data processing device has a matching processing unit which acquires a similarity distribution by calculating a similarity between: template data indicating a relationship between a real image; and an artifact and the subject information distribution used as a matching information distribution, so that it is possible to provide a photoacoustic image forming diagnosing device which can distinguish between an image and a background even when the contrast is poor.