Subject information acquisition apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakatoshi Tanaka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A subject information acquisition apparatus comprises a casing in which a transmissive member capable of transmitting acoustic waves and laser beams therethrough is provided; a light irradiating unit disposed inside the casing so as to irradiate a subject with laser beams with the transmissive member interposed; an acoustic wave probe disposed inside the casing so as to receive acoustic waves with the transmissive member interposed; and a scanning mechanism disposed inside the casing so as to move the light irradiating unit and the acoustic wave probe in relation to the casing, wherein the casing is configured to be movable on the subject.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- a casing having a first region and a second region, the first and second regions being different from each other in optical transmissivity, the casing being configured to store an acoustic matching material therein;
- an irradiating portion disposed inside the casing so as to irradiate a subject with light via the second region, such that an acoustic wave is generated from the subject;
- an acoustic probe disposed inside the casing so as to receive the acoustic wave, propagated from the subject, through the second region;
- and
- a scanning mechanism configured to move the irradiating portion and the acoustic probe in relation to the casing,
- wherein the second region shows higher optical transmissivity for light irradiated from the irradiating portion than that shown by the first region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.