Image information obtaining apparatus and control method for same

An image information obtaining apparatus, comprising:

• a light source;
• a transducer configured to convert an acoustic wave into an electrical signal;
• a signal processing unit configured to obtain image data, using the electrical signal;
• a memory which stores reference image data,
• wherein
• said transducer is configured to output an object acoustic signal by detecting an acoustic wave generated when an object is irradiated with light from said light source,
• said memory stores the reference image data which is obtained based on an acoustic wave generated when a phantom, which simulates the object and is located at a position where the object is to be located, is irradiated with light from said light source, and
• said signal processing unit is configured to:
• obtain object image data using the object acoustic signal,
• obtain an intensity of image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from a surface of the object, out of the object image data;
• obtain an intensity of image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from a surface of the phantom, out of the reference image data;
• obtain a correction coefficient based on a result of comparing between the intensity of the image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from the surface of the object and the intensity of the image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from the surface of the phantom;
• and
• obtain a subtraction image data between the object image data and the reference image data, which are corrected by using the correction coefficient.

A control method for an image information obtaining apparatus having a light source, a transducer configured to convert an acoustic wave into an electrical signal, a memory, and a signal processing unit, wherein the memory stores a reference acoustic signal which is outputted from the transducer by detection of an acoustic wave generated when a phantom, which simulates an object and is located at a position where the object is to be located, is irradiated with light from the light source, the control method comprising:

• a step of irradiating the object with light from the light source;
• a step of detecting by the transducer an acoustic wave generated from the object which has absorbed light, and storing a signal outputted from the transducer in the memory as an object acoustic signal;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit an intensity of a signal corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from a surface of the object, out of the object acoustic signal;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit an intensity of a signal corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from a surface of the phantom, out of the reference acoustic signal;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit a correction coefficient based on a result of comparing between the intensity of the signal corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from the surface of the object and the intensity of the signal corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from the surface of the phantom;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit a subtraction signal between the reference acoustic signal and the object acoustic signal, which are corrected by using the correction coefficient;
• and
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit image data using the subtraction signal.

A control method for an image information obtaining apparatus having a light source, a transducer configured to convert an acoustic into an electrical signal, a memory, and a signal processing unit, wherein the memory stores reference image data which is obtained based on an acoustic wave generated when a phantom, which simulates an object and is located at a position where the object is to be located, is irradiated with light from the light source, the control method comprising:

• a step of irradiating the object with light from the light source;
• a step of acquiring by the transducer an object acoustic signal by acquiring an acoustic wave, generated when the object is irradiated with light from the light source;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit object image data using the object acoustic signal;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit an intensity of image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from a surface of the object, out of the object image data;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit an intensity of image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from a surface of the phantom, out of the reference image data;
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit a correction coefficient based on a result of comparing between the intensity of the image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from the surface of the object and the intensity of the image data corresponding to the acoustic wave generated from the surface of the phantom;
• and
• a step of obtaining by the signal processing unit subtraction image data between the reference image data and the object image data, which are corrected by using the correction coefficient.