OBJECT INFORMATION ACQUIRING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING OBJECT INFORMATION ACQUIRING APPARATUS

• US 20140114169A1
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 10,314,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements

Abstract

An object information acquiring apparatus applying light to an object, receiving an acoustic wave generated inside the object, and acquiring information on an inside of the object on the basis of the acoustic wave comprises a light source configured to selectively emit irradiation light with at least two kinds of wavelengths; a wavelength switching unit for instructing the light source to implement switching between the wavelengths of the irradiation light; an illumination optical system guiding the irradiation light to the object; and a light irradiation limiting unit for limiting irradiation of the light to the object during a period from when the wavelength switching unit provides an instruction on wavelength switching of the light to when the light source completes the wavelength switching of the light.

Claims

1. An object information acquiring apparatus applying light to an object, receiving an acoustic wave generated inside the object by an acoustic wave probe, and acquiring information on an inside of the object on the basis of the acoustic wave,

the object information acquiring apparatus comprising:

a light source configured to selectively emit irradiation light with at least two kinds of wavelengths, which is applied to the object;

a wavelength switching unit for instructing the light source to implement switching between the wavelengths of the irradiation light;

an illumination optical system connected to the light source, and guiding the irradiation light to the object; and

a light irradiation limiting unit for limiting irradiation of the irradiation light to the object during a period from when the wavelength switching unit provides an instruction on wavelength switching of the irradiation light to the light source to when the light source completes the wavelength switching of the irradiation light.

2. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a probe for manually scanning an object surface, wherein

the irradiation light is applied to the object from the probe, and

an acoustic wave probe incorporated in the probe receives the acoustic wave generated inside the object.

3. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light irradiation limiting unit limits irradiation of the irradiation light to the object by a light-shielding mechanism arranged on the illumination optical system.

4. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the light-shielding mechanism is a shutter configured to shield the irradiation light.

5. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the light-shielding mechanism is a filter configured to attenuate the irradiation light.

6. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the light-shielding mechanism is a diffuser panel or a diffusion lens configured to diffuse the irradiation light.

7. The object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light irradiation limiting unit limits irradiation of the irradiation light to the object by controlling the light source to stop generation of the irradiation light.

8. A method of controlling an object information acquiring apparatus applying light to an object, receiving an acoustic wave generated inside the object by an acoustic wave probe, and acquiring information on an inside of the object on the basis of the acoustic wave,

the method comprising:

a first light irradiation step of generating irradiation light with a first wavelength to be applied to the object and applying the irradiation light to the object through an illumination optical system;

a light irradiation limiting step of limiting the irradiation of the irradiation light to the object before implement switching between wavelengths of the irradiation light;

a wavelength change step of changing the wavelength of the irradiation light applied to the object into a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength;

a light irradiation limitation release step of releasing the irradiation limitation of the irradiation light to the object after completing the switching of the wavelength of the irradiation light; and

a second light irradiation step of applying the irradiation light with the second wavelength to the object through the illumination optical system.

9. The method of controlling an object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

in each of the first and second light irradiation steps, the irradiation light is applied to the object from a probe that manually scans an object surface,

the method further comprising:

a reception step of receiving the acoustic wave generated inside the object by an acoustic wave probe incorporated in the probe.

10. The method of controlling an object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the light irradiation limiting step, a light-shielding mechanism arranged on the illumination optical system limits the irradiation of the irradiation light to the object.

11. The method of controlling an object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the light-shielding mechanism is a shutter configured to shield the irradiation light.

12. The method of controlling an object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the light-shielding mechanism is a filter configured to attenuate the irradiation light.

13. The method of controlling an object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the light-shielding mechanism is a diffuser panel or a diffusion lens configured to diffuse the irradiation light.

14. The method of controlling an object information acquiring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the light irradiation limiting step, irradiation of the irradiation light to the object is limited by implementing control to stop generation of the irradiation light.