Ultrasonic imaging system and synchronization control method

An ultrasonic imaging system comprising:

• a light source configured to generate an optical pulse;
• an insertion member that is inserted into a living body and that includes an optical absorption element which converts the optical pulse into a photoacoustic wave;
• a probe including a plurality of transducers that receive the photoacoustic wave;
• a receiver configured to apply phase addition to a reception signal sequence consisting of a plurality of reception signals that are output in parallel from the plurality of transducers;
• a generator configured to generate a photoacoustic image representing a position of the optical absorption element in the living body based on reception information output from the receiver;
• an analyzer configured to analyze the reception signal sequence or a pseudo-reception signal sequence corresponding to the reception signal sequence to calculate a synchronization deviation between an optical pulse period in the light source and a reception period in the probe;
• and
• a controller configured to change at least one of the optical pulse period or the reception period based on the synchronization deviation.