Photoacoustic image generation device and method

A photoacoustic image generation method comprising the steps of:

• applying light to a subject, and then detecting photoacoustic waves emitted from the interior of the subject due to the light applied to the subject;
• reconstructing photoacoustic signals to generate image data, the photoacoustic signals being detection signals of the photoacoustic waves;
• applying a Fourier transform in a two-dimensional or higher dimensional space to the image data to generate spatial frequency domain image data;
• extracting given spatial frequency components from the spatial frequency domain image data, wherein the given spatial frequency components have frequencies not lower than a first spatial frequency and not higher than a second spatial frequency that is higher than the first spatial frequency;
• and
• applying an inverse Fourier transform to the extracted spatial frequency components to generate spatial frequency-processed image data.

A photoacoustic image generation device comprising:

• a light source that emits light to be applied to a subject;
• an acoustic wave detection unit that detects photoacoustic waves emitted from the interior of the subject due to the light applied to the subject;
• a photoacoustic image generation unit that reconstructs photoacoustic signals to generate image data, the photoacoustic signals being detection signals of the photoacoustic waves;
• a Fourier transform unit that applies a Fourier transform in a two-dimensional or higher dimensional space to the image data to generate spatial frequency domain image data;
• a spatial frequency processing unit that extracts given spatial frequency components from the spatial frequency domain image data;
• and
• an inverse Fourier transform unit that applies an inverse Fourier transform to the extracted spatial frequency components to generate spatial frequency-processed image data,
• wherein
• the light source emits a plurality of different wavelengths of light,
• the acoustic wave detection unit detects photoacoustic waves emitted from the interior of the subject after each of the plurality of wavelengths of light is applied to the subject,
• the photoacoustic image generation unit reconstructs the detected photoacoustic signals corresponding to each of the plurality of wavelengths of light to generate image data,
• the Fourier transform unit applies a Fourier transform to the image data corresponding to each of the plurality of wavelengths of light,
• the spatial frequency processing unit extracts given spatial frequency components corresponding to each of the plurality of wavelengths of light from the Fourier-transformed spatial frequency domain image data corresponding to each wavelength, and
• the inverse Fourier transform unit applies an inverse Fourier transform to each of the extracted spatial frequency components.