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.

Abstract: The present invention employs a photoacoustic apparatus including: a receiving unit that receives acoustic waves at a plurality of measurement positions and converts the acoustic waves to a plurality of time-series reception signals; and a processing unit that adjusts phases of the reception signals so that a phase pattern of a target signal among the reception signals corresponds to a specific spatial direction, reduces low-frequency components in the specific spatial direction from the reception signals of which the phases have been adjusted, and acquires characteristic information of an object based on the reception signals of which the low-frequency components have been reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of acoustic detectors detecting an acoustic wave from an object and outputting an electric signal, including a first and a second acoustic detectors each having a first and a second frequency sensitivity characteristics to output a first and a second electric signals, the first and the second frequency sensitivity characteristics are different, a memory holding a correction function created based on a third frequency sensitivity characteristics obtained from the first and the second frequency sensitivity characteristics, and an information processor correcting the first and the second electric signals using the correction function, thereby acquiring corrected electric signals and generating image data representing object information.

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: 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: An object information acquiring apparatus is used that has a receiver receiving acoustic waves propagating through an object at a plurality of measurement positions; and a processor acquiring on a two-dimensional flat surface projection image data obtained by projecting a distribution of property information relating to a measurement target within the object, wherein the processor acquires intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data within the object and non-intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data within the object, based on the acoustic waves, determines voxel coordinates projected onto the two-dimensional flat surface, based on the intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data, and acquires the projection image data, based on values of the non-intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data.

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: A therapy device comprises a light source; an irradiation unit configured to irradiate an object with light from the light source; a reception unit configured to receive an acoustic wave generated and propagated within the object due to the light, and output the acoustic wave as an electrical signal; a processing unit configured to acquire characteristic information of the object based on the electrical signal output from the reception unit; a temperature adjustment unit configured to be capable of changing a temperature of the object; and a temperature control unit configured to control the temperature adjustment unit based on the characteristic information.

Abstract: Provided is an object information acquiring apparatus that generates image data inside an object on the basis of an acoustic wave propagating inside the object, which uses an object information acquiring apparatus having an acoustic detector receiving the acoustic wave, an object information distribution processor generating an object information distribution representing a property of inside of the object by using the acoustic wave, a reliability distribution generator generating a reliability distribution by using the object information distribution, a similarity distribution generator generating a similarity distribution indicating similarity between template data indicating a relation between a real image and an artifact in the image data, and the object information distribution, and a combination processor performing combination processing of the reliability distribution and the similarity distribution.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus that acquires information inside an object by receiving an acoustic wave that has arrived from inside the object through a layer having an acoustic impedance that is different from that of the object, and analyzing the acoustic wave, the object information acquiring apparatus comprises an acoustic wave probe that receives an acoustic wave and converts the acoustic wave into an electric signal; a whole image generation unit that generates a whole image, which is an image indicating information inside the object, based on the electric signal after the conversion; a partial image generation unit that extracts a partial image, which is a part of the whole image, from the whole image; and a similar image search unit that searches an area similar to the partial image, from the whole image.

Abstract: Since a medium having light propagation properties and sound propagation properties similar to those of human tissues is provided, reflection of light and an acoustic wave at a surface of a test portion is prevented, and accuracy control of a photoacoustic wave diagnostic apparatus is realized. A photoacoustic matching material is provided which includes a polyol, an inorganic oxide, and a pigment, the latter two being dispersable in the polyol, and in this photoacoustic matching material, a dispersed amount of the inorganic oxide to the polyol is in a range of 0.10 to 0.25 percent by weight, and a dispersed amount of the pigment to the polyol is in a range of 0.0001 to 0.0005 percent by weight.

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 is used that has a receiver receiving acoustic waves propagating through an object at a plurality of measurement positions; and a processor acquiring on a two-dimensional flat surface projection image data obtained by projecting a distribution of property information relating to a measurement target within the object, wherein the processor acquires intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data within the object and non-intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data within the object, based on the acoustic waves, determines voxel coordinates projected onto the two-dimensional flat surface, based on the intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data, and acquires the projection image data, based on values of the non-intensity-dependent three-dimensional image data.

Abstract: Since a medium having light propagation properties and sound propagation properties similar to those of human tissues is provided, reflection of light and an acoustic wave at a surface of a test portion is prevented, and accuracy control of a photoacoustic wave diagnostic apparatus is realized. A photoacoustic matching material is provided which includes a polyol, an inorganic oxide, and a pigment, the latter two being dispersable in the polyol, and in this photoacoustic matching material, a dispersed amount of the inorganic oxide to the polyol is in a range of 0.10 to 0.25 percent by weight, and a dispersed amount of the pigment to the polyol is in a range of 0.0001 to 0.0005 percent by weight.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus that acquires information inside an object by receiving an acoustic wave that has arrived from inside the object through a layer having an acoustic impedance that is different from that of the object, and analyzing the acoustic wave, the object information acquiring apparatus comprises an acoustic wave probe that receives an acoustic wave and converts the acoustic wave into an electric signal; a whole image generation unit that generates a whole image, which is an image indicating information inside the object, based on the electric signal after the conversion; a partial image generation unit that extracts a partial image, which is a part of the whole image, from the whole image; and a similar image search unit that searches an area similar to the partial image, from the whole image.

Abstract: A measuring system for receiving acoustic waves and producing image data includes an acoustic wave receiver that detects acoustic waves which are generated by irradiating a specimen with pulsed light. The acoustic wave receiver converts the detected acoustic waves into an electric signal, and an image forming apparatus generates image data by using the electric signal. An artifact attributable to a band of an acoustic wave receiver is distinguished and reduced based on the positional relationship among respective voxel data representing an actual image and a reflected image of a light absorber located within the specimen and related artifacts, as viewed on the image data, by utilizing an acoustic wave reflecting surface on which the specimen is disposed.

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 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: 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 measuring apparatus is provided including a holding unit holding an object, an acoustic detecting unit including at least one detector which receives, via the holding unit, an acoustic wave generated from the object to which light is irradiated and converts the acoustic wave into an electrical signal, and a processor which generates image data of the object by using the electrical signal based on the acoustic wave received by the acoustic detecting unit at first and second measurement locations, wherein the acoustic detecting unit is arranged so as to form an overlapped area that is thicker than the object in a normal direction of an interface between the holding unit and the object as a result of the effective receiving areas of the detector in the first and second measurement locations overlapping in the object.