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: Provided are an ultrasonic probe capable of forming an image without degradation even when the frequency band of a photoacoustic wave and the frequency band of an ultrasonic wave used in ultrasonography are separated from each other, and an inspection object imaging apparatus including the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe includes a first array device capable of transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; and a second array device capable of receiving a photoacoustic wave. The first array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction, the second array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and the first array device and the second array device are provided on the same plane and in the scanning direction.

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 image processing apparatus according an exemplary embodiment of the present invention estimates for a plurality of positions in a target image an estimated value of an error in registration for acquiring a third three-dimensional image by deforming at least one of a first three-dimensional image of a subject and a second three-dimensional image, one of the three-dimensional images being the target image, designates a cross section in the target image, acquires a statistical value of the error in the designated cross section based on the estimated value estimated for a plurality of positions in the cross section, and displays the statistical value.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus, comprises a light irradiating unit configured to irradiate an object with light; a probe configured to receive an acoustic wave generated from the object and convert into an electrical signal; a characteristic information acquiring unit configured to acquire characteristic information relating to the object based on the electrical signal; an area information acquiring unit configured to acquire information relating to a reachable area of the light; a location detecting unit configured to acquire an operator location; and a determining unit configured to determine whether the operator location is in a first state where the operator location overlaps with the reachable area of the light or a second state where the operator location does not overlap with the reachable area of the light.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes a light irradiating portion configured to radiate light for generating ultrasonic waves from a light absorber, an ultrasonic transducing portion configured to transduce the ultrasonic waves to an electric signal, and a light guide member configured to introduce light from a light source to the light irradiating portion. A light irradiating region of the light irradiating portion is included within an ultrasonic receiving region of the ultrasonic transducing portion.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes a light irradiating portion configured to radiate light for generating ultrasonic waves from a light absorber, an ultrasonic transducing portion configured to transduce the ultrasonic waves to an electric signal, and a light guide member configured to introduce light from a light source to the light irradiating portion. A light irradiating region of the light irradiating portion is included within an ultrasonic receiving region of the ultrasonic transducing portion.

Abstract: A biological information imaging method includes a first measurement step to measure an acoustic wave (54) generated by light (53) with which a living body (51) is irradiated from a light source (50) and which is absorbed by tissue (52) in the living body, a storage step to store first information obtained in the first measurement step, a second measurement step to measure an acoustic wave (54) generated by light (53) with which the living body (51) is irradiated from the light source (50) and which is absorbed by the tissue (52) in the living body, and a processing step to generate an image of information of the tissue in the living body by using second information obtained in the second measurement step, and the first information stored in the storage step.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic probe capable of forming an image without degradation even when the frequency band of a photoacoustic wave and the frequency band of an ultrasonic wave used in ultrasonography are separated from each other, and an inspection object imaging apparatus including the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe includes a first array device capable of transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; and a second array device capable of receiving a photoacoustic wave. The first array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction, the second array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and the first array device and the second array device are provided on the same plane and in the scanning direction.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus, comprises a light irradiating unit configured to irradiate an object with light; a probe configured to receive an acoustic wave generated from the object and convert into an electrical signal; a characteristic information acquiring unit configured to acquire characteristic information relating to the object based on the electrical signal; an area information acquiring unit configured to acquire information relating to a reachable area of the light; a location detecting unit configured to acquire an operator location; and a determining unit configured to determine whether the operator location is in a first state where the operator location overlaps with the reachable area of the light or a second state where the operator location does not overlap with the reachable area of the light.

Abstract: Provided is an object information acquiring apparatus which uses a phantom having a base material, an absorber arranged inside the base material, and an identification tag, the apparatus including: a probe which receives an acoustic wave and outputs an electrical signal; a unit which reads in information from the identification tag; a unit which generates calibration information using an electrical signal based on an acoustic wave propagated from the phantom, and the read information; and a unit which acquires object information using the electrical signal based on the acoustic wave propagated from the phantom, wherein the identification tag stores information relating to the phantom.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic probe capable of forming an image without degradation even when the frequency band of a photoacoustic wave and the frequency band of an ultrasonic wave used in ultrasonography are separated from each other, and an inspection object imaging apparatus including the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe includes a first array device capable of transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; and a second array device capable of receiving a photoacoustic wave. The first array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction, the second array device includes plural electromechanical transducers arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and the first array device and the second array device are provided on the same plane and in the scanning direction.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according an exemplary embodiment of the present invention estimates for a plurality of positions in a target image an estimated value of an error in registration for acquiring a third three-dimensional image by deforming at least one of a first three-dimensional image of a subject and a second three-dimensional image, one of the three-dimensional images being the target image, designates a cross section in the target image, acquires a statistical value of the error in the designated cross section based on the estimated value estimated for a plurality of positions in the cross section, and displays the statistical value.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes a light irradiating portion configured to radiate light for generating ultrasonic waves from a light absorber, an ultrasonic transducing portion configured to transduce the ultrasonic waves to an electric signal, and a light guide member configured to introduce light from a light source to the light irradiating portion. A light irradiating region of the light irradiating portion is included within an ultrasonic receiving region of the ultrasonic transducing portion.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus of the present invention includes a light source generating light having a first and a second wavelength, a conversion element receiving photoacoustic waves from an object and outputs first and second reception signals, a characteristic information acquiring unit acquiring first and second characteristic information distributions and acquiring a substance concentration distribution inside the object, a position shift acquiring unit acquiring a position shift between the first and second characteristic information distributions, and a display controlling unit displaying an image based on the substance concentration distribution and the position shift.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes a light irradiating portion configured to radiate light for generating ultrasonic waves from a light absorber, an ultrasonic transducing portion configured to transduce the ultrasonic waves to an electric signal, and a light guide member configured to introduce light from a light source to the light irradiating portion. A light irradiating region of the light irradiating portion is included within an ultrasonic receiving region of the ultrasonic transducing portion.

Abstract: A phantom used for evaluating an object information acquiring apparatus comprises a first layer irradiated with at least one of light having a first central wavelength based on the optical coherence tomography and light having a second central wavelength based on the photoacoustic tomography, and which has a first scattering region having a first light scattering coefficient, and a second scattering region forming a first pattern with the first scattering region and having a second light scattering coefficient; and a second layer which is integrated with the first layer, and has a first absorption region having a first light absorption coefficient, and a second absorption region forming a second pattern with the first absorption region and having a second light absorption coefficient.

Abstract: A living body information imaging apparatus includes a member that is adapted to be introduced into the interior of a living body and has a light irradiation portion for irradiating light the interior of the body with light with an angle of irradiation equal to or more than 2? steradians, and a signal detector that is arranged outside the living body and detects a signal output based on light irradiation in the interior of the living body by the member having the light irradiation portion.

Abstract: Use of an acoustic wave receiving apparatus which includes: a resonator including a first mirror on which measurement light is incident, a second mirror which is arranged to face the first mirror and on which acoustic waves from an object are incident, an acoustic wave reception layer interposed between the first mirror and the second mirror, and a compensation layer; and a detector for detecting a variation in an optical path length between the first mirror and the second mirror that occurs in response to deformation of the acoustic wave reception layer caused by incidence of the acoustic waves, wherein the variation in the optical path length due to a film thickness distribution of the acoustic wave reception layer is compensated by refraction in the compensation layer.

Abstract: Provided is an object information acquiring apparatus having: a receiver in which a plurality of receiving elements to receive acoustic signals based on an acoustic wave propagated from an object is disposed on a two-dimensional surface, the plurality of receiving elements being divided into a plurality of receiving element groups including at least one receiving element respectively; a corrector that corrects signals received by the receiver; and a processor that acquires characteristic information in the object using the signals corrected by the corrector, wherein the receiver receives the acoustic signals for each of the plurality of receiving element groups with a time difference, and acquires the received signals, and the corrector corrects a time-based deviation.