BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION

• US 20090198128A1
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: FUKUTANI, KAZUHIKO, Asao, Yasufumi, Nakajima, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0091 for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4887 Locating particular structures in or on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0825 for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5223 for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2418 using optoacoustic interaction with the material, e.g. laser radiation, photoacoustics photoacoustic cells G01N21/1702; measuring characteristics of vibrations by using radiation-sensitive means G01H9/00; acousto-optical conversion techniques for short-range imaging G01S15/8965; sound-producing devices using laser bundle G10K15/046

Abstract

There are provided a biological information imaging apparatus that can measure ultrasound generated from an optical absorber in a deep part of a subject living bodywith high sensitivity, and a method for analyzing biological information using the biological information imaging apparatus. The biological information imaging apparatus that detects ultrasound and images biological information, includes: a light source that irradiates the subject with light for generating ultrasound from an optical absorber existing in the subject; an ultrasound transmission unit that transmits focus ultrasound to a specific region where the optical absorber exists; and an ultrasound detection unit that detects an ultrasound synthesized signal due to interaction between ultrasound generated from the optical absorber that absorbs the light and the focus ultrasound transmitted to the specific region.

Claims

1. A biological information imaging apparatus that detects ultrasound and images biological information, comprising:

a light source that irradiates a subject with light for generating ultrasound from an optical absorber existing inside the subject;

an ultrasound transmission unit that transmits focus ultrasound to a specific region where the optical absorber exists; and

an ultrasound detection unit that detects an ultrasound synthesized signal due to interaction between ultrasound generated from the optical absorber that absorbs the light and the focus ultrasound transmitted to the specific region.

2. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound detection unit is configured to detect ultrasound generated from the optical absorber and also reflection or transmission of the focus ultrasound.

3. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound detection unit has an ultrasound transmission function.

4. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound detection unit includes a plurality of ultrasound transmission or detection elements arranged two-dimensionally.

5. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ultrasound transmission or detection elements are capacitance transducers.

6. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the ultrasound detection units is arranged in a region including a surface of the subject.

7. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical absorber is tumor or vessel in the subject.

8. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical absorber is a molecular probe introduced into the subject.

9. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a pulse light source.

10. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is the pulse light source, and the pulse light has a wavelength of 400 nm to 1600 nm.

11. The biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is the pulse light source, and a time width of the pulse light from the pulse light source is 100 picoseconds to 500 nanoseconds.

12. A method for analyzing biological information that uses a biological information imaging apparatus according to claim 1 to determine optical characteristic value distribution in a subject, comprising:

a first step of analyzing an ultrasound synthesized signal due to interaction detected by an ultrasound detection unit to obtain information on optical energy absorption density in a specific region; and

a second step of scanning other regions in the subject with focus ultrasound and repeating the first step to image the information on optical energy absorption density distribution in a living body.

13. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 12, wherein a frequency of the focus ultrasound used in the first and second steps is continuously changed for imaging.

14. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 12, wherein a waveform of the focus ultrasound used in the first and second steps has a plurality of frequencies after Fourier transform and the waveform is used for imaging.

15. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 12, further comprising obtaining information on optical energy absorption density in a specific region where the focus ultrasound is transmitted, from a difference between a signal by reflection or transmission of the focus ultrasound in the specific region where the focus ultrasound is transmitted, and an ultrasound synthesized signal due to the interaction in the specific region where the focus ultrasound is transmitted.

16. A method for analyzing biological information to determine optical characteristic value distribution in a subject, comprising:

irradiating the subject with light and irradiating the subject with first ultrasound focused into a specific region in the subject simultaneously;

receiving third ultrasound due to interaction between second ultrasound generated when an optical absorber in the specific region absorbs the light and the first ultrasound emitted to the specific region; and

calculating an optical characteristic value of the specific region from the received third ultrasound.

17. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 16, wherein the light is pulse light.

18. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 17, wherein a time width of the pulse light is 100 picoseconds to 500 nanoseconds.

19. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 16, wherein a frequency of the first ultrasound is continuously changed during the irradiation.

20. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 16, wherein an optical characteristic value of the specific region is calculated from a difference between the third ultrasound and the first ultrasound.

21. The method for analyzing biological information according to claim 16, wherein the specific region is scanned in the subject to repeat measurement to calculate three-dimensional optical characteristic value distribution in the subject.