Apparatus and method for acquiring information
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorToshinobu Tokita
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Abstract
A photoacoustic image of an object varies in contrast between a shallow portion and a deep portion according to the irradiation position of the object with respect to an ultrasonic probe. The present disclosure provides an information acquisition apparatus in which the contrast is high regardless of the depth of the region of interest. The information acquisition apparatus includes a varying unit that varies the irradiation position of the object with respect to the ultrasonic probe and controls the irradiation position according to an instruction on a condition for acquiring information on the object.
Claims22
An information acquisition apparatus comprising:
- a light source configured to apply light to an object;
- an ultrasonic probe configured to receive a photoacoustic wave generated from the object irradiated with the light and convert the photoacoustic wave to an electrical signal;
- an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on the object based on the electrical signal;
- a receiving unit configured to receive an instruction on a condition for acquiring the information on the object;
- a varying unit configured to vary an irradiation position of the light applied from the light source to the object;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the varying unit,
- wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of controlling the varying unit based on the instruction received by the receiving unit.
A method for acquiring information, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a photoacoustic wave generated from an object irradiated with light and converting the photoacoustic wave to an electrical signal;
- acquiring information on the object based on the electrical signal;
- receiving an instruction on a condition for acquiring the information on the object;
- and
- controlling an irradiation position of the light applied to the object according to the instruction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.