PHOTOACOUSTIC APPARATUS

• US 20100058870A1
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Shuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,397,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/596
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/1702 with opto-acoustic detection, e.g. for gases or analysing solids

Abstract

A photoacoustic apparatus includes an acoustic lens configured to collect a acoustic wave, an acoustic detector configured to detect the acoustic wave collected by the acoustic lens, a driver configured to move at least one of the acoustic detector and the acoustic lens so as to measure the acoustic wave generated from an object to be measured due to a photoacoustic effect, and a controller configured to output a first measurement signal resulting from the acoustic wave that is generated from a first position in the object, and to eliminate a second measurement signal resulting from the acoustic wave that is generated from a second position different from the first position in the object.

Claims

1. A photoacoustic apparatus comprising:

an acoustic lens configured to collect a acoustic wave;

an acoustic detector configured to detect the acoustic wave collected by the acoustic lens;

a driver configured to move at least one of the acoustic detector and the acoustic lens so as to measure the acoustic wave generated from an object to be measured due to a photoacoustic effect; and

a controller configured to output a first measurement signal resulting from the acoustic wave that is generated from a first position in the object, and to eliminate a second measurement signal resulting from the acoustic wave that is generated from a second position different from the first position in the object.

2. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first position is conjugate with a position of the acoustic detector by the acoustic lens.

3. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller eliminates the second measurement signal based on positions of the acoustic detector and the acoustic lens.

4. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter arranged between the object and the acoustic detector,

wherein opening and closing of the shutter is controlled so as to prevent the acoustic wave generated from the second position from arriving at the acoustic detector and to transmit the acoustic wave generated from the first position to the acoustic detector.

5. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic detector detects both the acoustic wave generated from the first position and the acoustic wave generated from the second position, and

wherein the controller provides a process that eliminates the second measurement signal based on the acoustic wave generated from the second position based on a detection result by the acoustic detector.

6. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller obtains an estimated value of arrival time when the acoustic wave generated from the first position arrives at the acoustic detector based on positions of the acoustic detector and the acoustic lens, and

wherein the controller eliminates the second measurement signal based on the estimated value.

7. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a unit configured to change a wavelength of light generated from a light source configured to illuminate the object.

8. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic lens includes an array of two-dimensionally arranged acoustic lenses, and

wherein there are a plurality of acoustic detectors and a plurality of drivers, both the number of acoustic detectors and the number of drivers corresponding to the number of acoustic lenses.

9. The photoacoustic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a matching solution used for matching of the acoustic impedance exists between the acoustic lens and the acoustic detector.