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 an object information acquiring apparatus generating 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: 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: 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: A subject information obtaining device according to the present disclosure includes: a first image data obtaining unit configured to obtain first image data based on a first detection signal obtained by detecting first photoacoustic waves generated by irradiating light in a first measurement state on a subject; a second image data obtaining unit configured to obtain second image data based on a second detection signal obtained by detecting second photoacoustic waves generated by irradiating light in a second measurement state different from the first measurement state on the subject; and an image data output unit configured to display the first image data and the second image data on the display unit so as to compare the first image data and the second image data at a display unit.

Abstract: A subject information obtaining device according to the present disclosure includes: a first optical characteristic value distribution obtaining unit configured to obtain a first optical characteristic value distribution based on a first detection signal obtained by detecting first photoacoustic waves generated by irradiating light in a first measurement state on a subject; a second optical characteristic value distribution obtaining unit configured to obtain a second optical characteristic value distribution based on a second detection signal obtained by detecting second photoacoustic waves generated by irradiating light in a second measurement state different from the first measurement state on the subject; and a data processing unit configured to obtain a similarity distribution based on the first optical characteristic value distribution and the second optical characteristic value distribution.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging apparatus is used that comprises a light source capable of irradiating light onto an object from a plurality of directions, a detector that detects acoustic waves generated by the object irradiated with light, a calculator that calculates object information from detected acoustic waves, and a generator that generates image data from the object information. The calculator calculates a plurality of object information pieces corresponding to irradiation in respective directions on the basis of acoustic waves at a time of irradiation of light at dissimilar timings from the plurality of directions. The generator selects, for each region and according to a predetermined criterion, image data of increased contrast in a case where a plurality of image data items on the object are generated on the basis of the plurality of object information pieces, and generates image data by combining the image data selected in each region.

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 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 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: Provided is an imaging apparatus for acquiring information on a profile of properties in a subject for enhancing an SN ratio of an image without changing a profile of intensity, by using threshold processing with an effective threshold, without reference waveform. The apparatus includes: an unit for calculating a correlation coefficient for each voxel/pixel in to obtain a profile of correlation coefficient; an unit for determining an effective threshold; an unit for judging whether or not the correlation coefficient of each voxel/pixel exceeds the effective threshold; and an unit for setting to zero or reducing each voxel/pixel whose correlation coefficient is equal to or less than the effective threshold, with respect to in vivo information on a profile of properties correlated spatially to the profile of correlation coefficient.

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.