Apparatus, method, and program for obtaining information derived from ultrasonic waves and photoacoustic waves

An apparatus comprising:

• a first obtaining unit configured to obtain an ultrasound image generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from an object;
• a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a photoacoustic signal generated by receiving photoacoustic waves generated from light irradiated to the object;
• a display control unit configured to execute a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode controlling a display unit to superimpose and display the ultrasound image and information derived from the photoacoustic signal and the second display mode controlling the display unit to display the ultrasound image without superimposing information derived from the photoacoustic signal;
• and
• a saving control unit configured to, based on information representing a save instruction given when the second display mode is executed, save in a storage unit the ultrasound image corresponding to a time point of the save instruction and information derived from the photoacoustic signal corresponding to the time point of the save instruction.

A method comprising:

• obtaining an ultrasound image generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from an object;
• displaying the ultrasound image;
• obtaining information representing a save instruction given when the ultrasound image is displayed;
• obtaining a photoacoustic signal generated by receiving photoacoustic waves generated from light irradiated to the object;
• and
• saving the ultrasound image corresponding to a time point of the save instruction and information derived from the photoacoustic signal corresponding to the time point of the save instruction based on the information representing the save instruction.

A method comprising:

• obtaining an ultrasound image generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from an object;
• obtaining a photoacoustic signal generated by receiving photoacoustic waves generated from light irradiated to the object;
• executing a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode superimposing and displaying the ultrasound image and information derived from the photoacoustic signal and the second display mode displaying the ultrasound image without superimposing information derived from the photoacoustic signal;
• obtaining information representing a save instruction given when the second display mode is executed;
• and
• based an the information representing the save instruction, saving in a storage unit the ultrasound image corresponding to a time point of the save instruction and information derived from the photoacoustic signal corresponding to the time point of the save instruction.

A non-transitory storage medium storing a program that when runs on a computer causes the computer to execute a method comprising:

• obtaining an ultrasound image generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from an object;
• displaying the ultrasound image;
• obtaining information representing a save instruction given when the ultrasound image is displayed;
• obtaining a photoacoustic signal generated by receiving photoacoustic waves generated from light irradiated to the object;
• and
• saving the ultrasound image corresponding to a time point of the save instruction and information derived from the photoacoustic signal corresponding to the time point the save instruction based on the information representing the save instruction.