Photoacoustic signal processing device, photoacoustic signal processing system, and photoacoustic signal processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10492693-B2
Application number	US-201615220131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 27, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Peak specification unit 31 specifies, based on a plurality of photoacoustic-images according to detection signals of photoacoustic-waves detected in a plurality of postures, a photoacoustic-image with the strongest detection signal of a detected photoacoustic-wave among the plurality of photoacoustic-images in a peak search mode. Posture determination unit 32 determines whether or not the posture of the probe 11 at the time of detecting photoacoustic-waves of a generation source of the photoacoustic-image matches the posture of the probe 11 at the time of detecting photoacoustic-waves of a generation source of the photoacoustic-image specified by the peak specification unit in a normal mode. Display control unit 27 displays the photoacoustic image on a display screen, and in a case where the posture determination unit 32 determines that the postures match each other, displays a report indicating the postures matching each other on the display screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photoacoustic signal processing system comprising:
a light source;
an inserted object which is adapted to be inserted into a subject and has a light guide configured to guide light from the light source and a light absorber configured to absorb light emitted from the light guide and to generate a photoacoustic wave;
a probe that detects the photoacoustic wave emitted from the inserted object; and
a processor configured to:
generate a photoacoustic image based on a detection signal of the photoacoustic wave;
set a peak search mode for detecting the photoacoustic wave in a plurality of postures while the posture of the probe is changing and a normal mode for displaying the photoacoustic image;
select, based on a plurality of photoacoustic images based on the detection signals of the photoacoustic waves detected in the plurality of postures, a photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave among the plurality of photoacoustic images in the peak search mode;
determine whether or not a posture of the probe at the time of detecting photoacoustic waves associated with the photoacoustic image matches a posture of the probe at the time of detecting photoacoustic waves associated with the photoacoustic image specified by the processor in the normal mode; and
display the photoacoustic image on a display screen, and in a case where the processor determines that the postures match each other, displaying a report indicating the postures matching each other in the normal mode.

2. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor calculates a maximum value of pixel values for each of the plurality of photoacoustic images, compares the calculated maximum values of the pixel values, and specifies a photoacoustic image having a pixel with the largest pixel value as the photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave.

3. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a posture detection sensor that detects an angle of the probe with respect to a reference direction,
wherein the processor stores an angle of the probe at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the specified photoacoustic image, and
the processor compares the stored angle with the angle of the probe detected by the posture detection sensor at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the photoacoustic image to determine whether or not the posture of the probe at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the photoacoustic image matches the posture of the probe at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the photoacoustic image specified by the processor.

4. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the probe includes a plurality of detector elements arranged in a one-dimensional manner, and
in the peak search mode, a gradient of the probe in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the detector elements is changed.

5. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor estimates an angle at which the pixel value or the total of the pixel values is maximum based on the relationship between the angle detected by the posture detection sensor at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the plurality of photoacoustic images and the maximum value of the pixel values or the total value of the pixel values in each of the plurality of photoacoustic images, specifies a photoacoustic image generated in a case where the photoacoustic wave is detected at the estimated angle as the photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave, and stores the estimated angle as the angle of the probe with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave.

6. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor displays a report indicating the inserted object being shifted in a first direction on the display screen in a case where the angle of the probe with respect to the reference direction at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the photoacoustic image is greater than the stored angle and displays a report indicating the inserted object being shifted in a second direction opposite to the first direction on the display screen in a case where the angle of the probe with respect to the reference direction at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the photoacoustic image is smaller than the stored angle.

7. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor calculates a maximum value of pixel values for each of the plurality of photoacoustic images, compares the calculated maximum values of the pixel values, and specifies a photoacoustic image having a pixel with the largest pixel value as the photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave.

8. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor estimates an angle at which the pixel value or the the pixel values is maximum based on the relationship between the angle detected by the posture detection sensor at the time of detecting the photoacoustic waves associated with the plurality of photoacoustic images and the maximum value of the pixel values or the total value of the pixel values in each of the plurality of photoacoustic images, specifies a photoacoustic image generated in a case where the photoacoustic wave is detected at the estimated angle as the photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave, and stores the estimated angle as the angle of the probe with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave.

9. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor calculates a total of pixel values of a plurality of pixels for each of the plurality of photoacoustic images and determines a photoacoustic image with the largest calculated total of the pixel values as the photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the photoacoustic wave.

10. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the processor calculates a total of pixel values of pixels in a region of interest set in each photoacoustic image.

11. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor calculates a maximum value of pixel values for each of the plurality of photoacoustic images, compares the calculated maximum values of the pixel values, and specifies a photoacoustic image having a pixel with the largest pixel value as the photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the detected photoacoustic wave.

12. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor calculates a total of pixel values of a plurality of pixels for each of the plurality of photoacoustic images and determines a photoacoustic image with the largest calculated total of the pixel values as the photoacoustic image with the strongest detection signal of the photoacoustic wave.

13. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the processor calculates a total of pixel values of pixels in a region of interest set in each photoacoustic image.

14. The photoacoustic signal processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the probe includes a plurality of detector elements arran

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Irisawa Kaku

Classifications

• A61B5/6848

  Needles · CPC title

• A61B10/02

  Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy {(A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48)} · CPC title

• A61B5/6851

  Guide wires · CPC title

• A61B5/0095 Primary

  by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements · CPC title

• A61B5/6852

  Catheters · CPC title