Object information acquisition apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9456789-B2
Application number	US-201213657184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2012
Priority date	Oct 26, 2011
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

An object information acquisition apparatus includes a holding member including a movable holding member configured to be movable in a direction of sandwiching an object, an irradiation member configured to irradiate the object with light from a light source through the holding member, an acoustic wave detection unit configured to receive an acoustic wave generated in the object by the light and to convert the acoustic wave into an electrical signal, a processing unit configured to acquire information in the object by using the electrical signal, a light diffusion member configured to be arranged on the movable holding member, and an imaging unit configured to capture an optical pattern formed when the light diffusion member is irradiated with the light, wherein the imaging unit is configured to be capable of adjusting a focus according to a movement of the movable holding member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An object information acquisition apparatus comprising:
a holding member configured to hold an object;
an irradiation member configured to irradiate the object with light from a light source through the holding member;
an acoustic wave detection unit configured to receive an acoustic wave generated in the object by the light and to convert the acoustic wave into an electrical signal;
a processing unit configured to acquire information in the object by using the electrical signal from the acoustic wave detection unit;
a light diffusion member configured to be arranged on the holding member; and
an imaging unit configured to capture an optical pattern formed when the light diffusion member is irradiated with the light,
wherein a light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion members are movable relative to each other by moving the holding member, and a distance between the light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion member is changed by relative movement of the light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion member, and
wherein the imaging unit is configured to be capable of adjusting a focus according to the distance between the light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion member by keeping a distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member constant.

2. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment unit configured to mechanically move the imaging unit,
wherein the adjustment unit is configured to move the imaging unit to adjust the focus according to the movement of the holding member.

3. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding member and the imaging unit are configured to be mechanically fixed at a constant distance.

4. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to acquire a relative illuminance distribution of the light with which the object is irradiated, by using an imaging signal output from the imaging unit.

5. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding member is a pair of holding members capable of holding the object therebetween.

6. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the pair of holding members includes a first holding member and a second holding member,
wherein at least the first holding member is movable, and
the holding member and the light emission position of the irradiation member are moved relative to each other by movement of the first holding member.

7. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first holding member is configured to be movable in a direction of sandwiching the object.

8. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment unit is configured to move the imaging unit so that a relative position of the holding member and the imaging unit before the movement of the holding member is not changed after the movement of the holding member.

9. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein a distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member is changed by the relative movement of the light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion member, and
wherein the processing unit is configured to compare a distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member when an optical pattern is captured at a reference angle of view with a distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member when a first optical pattern is captured at the reference angle of view and correct an imaging signal of the first optical pattern and acquire, based on the corrected imaging signal of the first optical pattern, a relative illuminance distribution when the first optical pattern is captured.

10. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising: a distance measurement unit configured to measure the distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member.

11. An object information acquisition apparatus comprising:
a holding member including a movable holding member configured to be movable in a direction of sandwiching an object;
an irradiation member configured to irradiate the object with light from a light source through the holding member;
an acoustic wave detection unit configured to receive an acoustic wave generated in the object by the light and to convert the acoustic wave into an electrical signal;
a processing unit configured to acquire information in the object by using the electrical signal;
a light diffusion member configured to be arranged on the movable holding member; and
an imaging unit configured to capture an optical pattern formed when the light diffusion member is irradiated with the light,
wherein a distance between a light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion member is changed by movement of the movable holding member,
wherein the imaging unit is configured to be capable of adjusting a focus according to the distance between the light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion member,
wherein a distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member is changed by relative movement of the light emission position of the irradiation member and the light diffusion member, and
wherein the processing unit is configured to compare a distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member when the optical pattern is captured at a reference angle of view with a distance between the imaging unit and the light diffusion member when a first optical pattern is captured at the reference angle of view and correct an imaging signal of the first optical pattern to correct the difference in the angle of view and acquire, based on the corrected imaging signal of the first optical pattern, a relative illuminance distribution when the first optical pattern is captured.

12. The object information acquisition apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the imaging unit is configured so that the focus is adjusted by moving an optical system included in the imaging unit, and
wherein the processing unit is configured to correct an imaging signal output from the imaging unit to correct an angle of view of the imaging unit based on a relative position of the light diffusion member and the imaging unit.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Motoki Yohei

Classifications

• A61B5/0095 Primary

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

• A61B6/00 Primary

  Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment (instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161) · CPC title