Non-invasive subject-information imaging method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A non-invasive subject-information imaging apparatus comprising:
- a light generating unit which generates light containing a specific wavelength component;
a light irradiation unit which radiates the light generated by the light generating unit into a subject to be examined;
waveguide means for guiding the light generated by the light generating unit to the irradiation unit;
a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed electroacoustic transducer elements which convert acoustic waves from the subject into electrical signals;
transmission means for transmitting ultrasonic waves to the subject by driving said plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements;
reception means for generating a reception signal having reception directivity from said plurality of electrical signals converted by said plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements; and
signal processing means for generating volume data about a living body function by processing a reception signal corresponding to acoustic waves generated in the subject by light radiated from the irradiation unit, and generating volume data about a tissue morphology by processing a reception signal corresponding to echoes generated in the subject upon transmission of the ultrasonic waves.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A non-invasive subject-information imaging apparatus according to this invention includes a light generating unit which generates light containing a specific wavelength component, a light irradiation unit which radiates the generated light into a subject, a waveguide unit which guides the light from the light generating unit to the irradiation unit, a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed electroacoustic transducer elements, a transmission/reception unit which transmits ultrasonic waves to the subject by driving the electroacoustic transducer elements, and generates a reception signal from electrical signals converted by electroacoustic transducer elements, and a signal processing unit which generates volume data about a living body function by processing a reception signal corresponding to acoustic waves generated in the subject by light irradiation, and generates volume data about a tissue morphology by processing a reception signal corresponding to echoes generated in the subject upon transmission of the ultrasonic waves.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A non-invasive subject-information imaging apparatus comprising:
-
a light generating unit which generates light containing a specific wavelength component;
a light irradiation unit which radiates the light generated by the light generating unit into a subject to be examined;
waveguide means for guiding the light generated by the light generating unit to the irradiation unit;
a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed electroacoustic transducer elements which convert acoustic waves from the subject into electrical signals;
transmission means for transmitting ultrasonic waves to the subject by driving said plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements;
reception means for generating a reception signal having reception directivity from said plurality of electrical signals converted by said plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements; and
signal processing means for generating volume data about a living body function by processing a reception signal corresponding to acoustic waves generated in the subject by light radiated from the irradiation unit, and generating volume data about a tissue morphology by processing a reception signal corresponding to echoes generated in the subject upon transmission of the ultrasonic waves. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A non-invasive subject-information imaging method comprising:
-
irradiating a subject to be examined with light containing a specific wavelength component from a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged light irradiation positions;
causing a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged electroacoustic transducer elements to receive acoustic waves generated in the subject upon the irradiation of light;
driving said plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements to transmit ultrasonic waves in a plurality of directions corresponding to said plurality of light irradiation positions;
causing said plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements to receive echoes of the ultrasonic waves;
generating volume data about a living body function of the subject on the basis of a reception signal corresponding to the acoustic waves; and
generating volume data about a tissue morphology of the subject on the basis of a reception signal corresponding to the echoes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A subject-information imaging apparatus comprising:
-
irradiation means for irradiating a subject to be examined with light;
ultrasonic wave transmission means for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the subject;
electroacoustic conversion means for receiving an acoustic wave generated in the subject by the irradiation light or the transmission ultrasonic wave and converting the wave into an electrical signal;
first image data generating means for receiving an electrical signal output from the electroacoustic conversion means and generating first image data about a volume on the basis of an acoustic wave originating from the irradiation light;
second image data generating means for receiving an electrical signal output from the electroacoustic conversion means and generating second image data about a volume on the basis of an acoustic wave originating from the transmission ultrasonic wave; and
display means for displaying the first image data and the second image data. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. A subject-information imaging apparatus which irradiates a subject to be examined with light and an ultrasonic wave, receives acoustic waves generated in the subject by the light and ultrasonic wave, converts the waves into electrical signals, generates a plurality of image data about a single volume on the basis of the respective electrical signals, and displays the respective image data.
-
25. A subject-information imaging apparatus which irradiates a subject to be examined with light, receives an acoustic wave generated in the subject by the light, converts the wave into an electrical signal, generates image data about a volume on the basis of the electrical signal, and displays the image data.
-
26. A method of diagnosing breast cancer in humans, comprising the steps of:
-
a) bringing a diagnostic probe including two-dimensionally arrayed ultrasound imaging elements and photoacoustic irradiation and detection elements in into contact with breast tissue;
b) irradiating the breast tissue with short duration light pulses having wavelengths within an absorption spectral band of hemoglobin to generate photoacoustic signals;
c) detecting the photoacoustic signal using ultrasound transducers to determine the distribution of vascularization of breast tissue;
d) generating and detecting an ultrasound image of the morphology of the human breast tissue by using ultrasound transducers together with the photoacoustic detection transducers used in the detection of the photo acoustic signals; and
e) overlaying the photoacoustic vascularization image over the ultrasound morphology image to generate a combined image of the vascular distribution in different morphological structures in the breast, the morphological structure being a target tumor. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
-
-
29. An apparatus for diagnosing disease such as breast cancer in humans by superimposing a distribution of the concentration of an analyte, such as hemoglobin over imaged morphological features such as tumors, comprising:
-
a) a light generating unit which generates light containing a specific wavelength component;
b) an irradiation unit which irradiates a subject to be examined with the light generated by the light generating unit;
c) waveguide means for guiding the light generated by the light generating unit to the irradiation unit;
d) first electroacoustic conversion means for converting acoustic waves generated in the subject by the light radiated by the irradiation unit into electrical signals by using a two-dimensional array of a plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements;
e) first image data generating means for generating first image data on the basis of the signals obtained by the first electroacoustic conversion means;
f) ultrasonic wave transmission means for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the subject;
g) second electroacoustic conversion means for converting components of the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmission means which are reflected inside the subject into electrical signals by using a two-dimensional array of a plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements;
h) second image data generating means for generating second image data on the basis of the signals obtained by the second electroacoustic conversion means; and
i) display means for displaying the first image data and the second image data.
-
-
30. A subject-information imaging apparatus for determining a distribution of the concentration of an analyte, over imaged morphological features in tissue, comprising:
-
a light generating unit which generates light containing a specific wavelength component;
an irradiation unit which irradiates a subject to be examined with the light generated by the light generating unit;
waveguide means for guiding the light generated by the light generating unit to the irradiation unit;
first electroacoustic conversion means for converting acoustic waves generated in the subject by the light radiated by the irradiation unit into electrical signals by using a two-dimensional array of a plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements;
first image data generating means for generating first image data on the basis of the signals obtained by the first electroacoustic conversion means;
ultrasonic wave transmission means for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the subject;
second electroacoustic conversion means for converting components of the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmission means which are reflected inside the subject into electrical signals by using a two-dimensional array of a plurality of electroacoustic transducer elements;
second image data generating means for generating second image data on the basis of the signals obtained by the second electroacoustic conversion means; and
display means for displaying the first image data and the second image data.
-
Specification