NON-INVASIVE SUBJECT-INFORMATION IMAGING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110066023A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kazuhiro Itsumi, Shoichi Kanayama
• Inventors: Itsumi, Kazuhiro, Kanayama, Shoichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,480,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• 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 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02809 Concentration of a compound, e.g. measured by a surface mass change
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0609 Display arrangements, e.g. colour displays indicating or recording in connection with measuring in general G01D

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 of a living body function by processing a reception signal corresponding to acoustic waves generated in the subject by light irradiation, and generates volume data of a tissue morphology by processing a reception signal corresponding to echoes generated in the subject upon transmission of the ultrasonic waves.

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 the electroacoustic transducer elements;

reception means for generating a reception signal having reception directivity from the electrical signals converted by the electroacoustic transducer elements; and

signal processing means for generating volume data of 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 for generating volume data of a tissue morphology by processing a reception signal corresponding to echoes generated in the subject upon transmission of the ultrasonic waves,

wherein the light generating unit and the electroacoustic transducer elements are formed to use a common body interface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electroacoustic transducer elements are vertically and horizontally arrayed with predetermined gaps therebetween, and a plurality of light irradiation units are discretely arranged in the gaps.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the waveguide means comprises a plurality of optical fibers,

the light irradiation units are end portions of the optical fibers, and

the end portions of the optical fibers are arranged in the gaps discretely and in two dimensions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, each of the end portions of the optical fibers is surrounded by four electroacoustic transducer elements.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electroacoustic elements are received in an optically transparent material and vertically and horizontally arrayed with predetermined gaps therebetween,

the waveguide means comprises a plurality of optical fibers,

the light irradiation units are end portions of the optical fibers, and

the end portions of the optical fibers are arranged such that light radiated from the end portions reaches the subject after passing through the material.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

optical scanning means for sequentially irradiating the subject with light from the end portions of the optical fibers.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reception means generates a reception signal corresponding to acoustic waves generated by irradiation of the light, from electrical signals from a predetermined number of electroacoustic transducer elements located near an end portion of an optical fiber which has radiated the light.

8. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

optical scanning means for simultaneously radiating light beams from end portions of not less than two optical fibers whose end portions are spaced apart by not less than a predetermined distance.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the reception means generates a reception signal corresponding to acoustic waves generated by irradiation of the light from electrical signals provided by a predetermined number of electroacoustic transducer elements located near an end portion of an optical fiber which has radiated the light.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein light beams are simultaneously radiated from the end potions of the optical fibers.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the reception means generates a reception signal corresponding to each of the end portions of the optical fibers from electrical signals produced by a predetermined number of electroacoustic transducer elements located near the end portion of the optical fibers.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein photoacoustic scanning for generating the volume data of the living body function and ultrasonic scanning for generating the volume data about the tissue morphology are alternately performed.

13. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the irradiation of light from the end portions of the optical fibers performed to generate the volume data of the living body function and the transmission of the ultrasonic wave by the electroacoustic transducer elements performed to generate the volume data of the tissue morphology, are alternately performed.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing means generates a two-dimensional slice of the volume date of the living body function image data and the tissue morphology image data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the living body function image data and the tissue morphology image data are displayed side by side on a single screen, or one of the living body function image data and the tissue morphology image data is displayed.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the living body function image data and the tissue morphology image data are superimposed and displayed.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light is radiated from a plurality of light irradiation positions in turn.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light is radiated from a plurality of light irradiation positions simultaneously.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light is simultaneously radiated from a predetermined number of discrete light irradiation positions.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation of light and the transmission of an ultrasonic wave are alternately performed.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing means comprises:

first image data generating means for receiving an electrical signal output from the electroacoustic transducer elements and generating first image data regarding a volume on the basis of acoustic waves caused by irradiation of light;

second image data generating means for receiving an electrical signal output from the electroacoustic transducer elements and generating second image data regarding the volume on the basis of acoustic waves caused by the transmission of the ultrasonic waves; and

display means for displaying the first image data and the second image data.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means is used in common with the electroacoustic transducer elements.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength of the light falls within a spectral range between about 530 nm and 1,300 nm.

25. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

optical scanning means for sequentially irradiating the subject with light from the end portions of the optical fibers.

26. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

optical scanning means for simultaneously radiating light beams from end portions of not less than two optical fibers whose end portions are spaced apart by not less than a predetermined distance.

27. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein light beams are simultaneously radiated from the end potions of the optical fibers.

24. A non-invasive subject-information imaging method comprising:

generating light containing a specific wavelength component;

radiating the generated light into a subject to be examined;

transmitting ultrasonic waves to the subject by driving by a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged electroacoustic transducer elements;

causing the plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed electroacoustic transducer elements to convert acoustic waves from the subject into electrical signals;

generating a reception signal having reception directivity from the electrical signals converted by the electroacoustic transducer elements; and

generating volume data of a living body function by processing a reception signal corresponding to acoustic waves generated in the subject by the radiated light, and generating volume data of a tissue morphology by processing a reception signal corresponding to echoes generated in the subject upon transmission of the ultrasonic waves.