Object information acquiring apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9326688-B2
Application number	US-201313776888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Mar 2, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

The present invention employs an object information acquiring apparatus that includes a light source, a holding plate configured to hold an object, a supporting unit configured to support the holding plate, and a probe configured to receive, via the holding plate, an acoustic wave generated from the object on which light is irradiated from the light source. A light reflecting member is provided between the supporting unit and the holding plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An object information acquiring apparatus comprising:
a light source;
a holding plate configured to hold an object, said holding plate being transparent to light from said light source;
a supporting unit configured to support said holding plate;
a probe configured to receive, via said holding plate, an acoustic wave generated from the object on which light is irradiated from said light source; and
a light reflecting member provided between said supporting unit and said holding plate, wherein said light reflecting member is in contact with both said supporting unit and said holding plate.

2. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said light reflecting member is provided on said holding plate.

3. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said light reflecting member is provided on said supporting unit.

4. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said light reflecting member is a member having reflectance higher than that of said supporting unit.

5. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a processing unit configured to generate property information of an inside of the object on the basis of the acoustic wave.

6. An object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said supporting unit is further configured to support said holding plate via a joining region.

7. An object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an optical member disposed between said light source and said holding plate, said optical member being at least one of a lens, a mirror, a diffuser, and an optical fiber.

8. An object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said holding plate includes polymethylpentene.

9. An object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said holding plate includes at least one of plastic and glass.

10. An object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said supporting unit is made from tungsten carbide.

11. An object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said light reflecting member includes at least one of a dielectric multilayer film and a metal film.

12. An object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said light reflecting member has a reflectivity of 80% or more at the wavelength of the light emitted from said light source.

13. An object information acquiring apparatus comprising:
a light source;
a holding plate configured to hold an object;
a supporting unit configured to support said holding plate;
a probe configured to receive, via said holding plate, an acoustic wave generated from the object; and
a light reflecting member provided between said supporting unit and said holding plate,
wherein said light reflecting member is in contact with both said supporting unit and said holding plate, and
wherein said probe is configured to be moved to receive the acoustic wave in a plurality of positions.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Hiroshi
• Furukawa Yukio
• Nishihara Hiroshi

Classifications

• A61B5/708

  Breast positioning means · CPC title

• A61B5/0095 Primary

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

• A61B8/0825

  for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography · CPC title

• A61B8/406

  using means for diagnosing suspended breasts · CPC title