SUBJECT INFORMATION ACCUMULATING APPARATUS

• US 20140350358A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Oikawa, Katsuya, Tokita, Toshinobu, Toi, Masakazu, Kitai, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0053 by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging
• 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 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/708 Breast positioning means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607

Abstract

The present invention provides a subject information accumulating apparatus that conducts diagnosis with high reliability.

The subject information accumulating apparatus includes compression plates configured to compress a subject, an irradiation unit configured to apply light, an acoustic wave detector configured to receive acoustic waves generated within a subject and to output an electric signal, and a controller configured to perform control so that an acoustic wave image and pressure information are displayed on a display unit.

Claims

1. A subject information accumulating apparatus comprising:

compression plates configured to compress a subject;

an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a subject with irradiation light;

an acoustic wave detector configured to receive acoustic waves generated within a subject irradiated with the irradiation light and to output an electric signal;

an image signal generator configured to generate a signal for forming an acoustic wave image on the basis of the electric signal output from the acoustic wave detector;

a pressure information accumulating unit configured to obtain pressure information concerning pressure applied to a subject by the compression plates; and

a controller configured to perform control so that the acoustic wave image and the pressure information are displayed on a display unit.

2. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller displays the acoustic wave image and the pressure information on the display unit at the same time.

3. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a load sensor configured to measure a load applied to the compression plates; and

a region detector configured to detect a contact region between each of the compression plates and the subject,

wherein the pressure information accumulating unit obtains the pressure information by using the contact region detected by the region detector and the load measured by the load sensor.

4. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the region detector optically detects the contact region.

5. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the region detector optically detects the contact region by using optical imaging or optical three-dimensional measurement performed through the compression plates.

6. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the region detector acoustically detects the contact region.

7. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the region detector optically detects the contact region in accordance with whether an ultrasonic transducer array has received ultrasonic waves or acoustic waves.

8. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure information accumulating unit obtains distribution information concerning the distribution of pressure applied to a subject by the compression plates.

11. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs control so that information concerning a patient is displayed on the display unit.

12. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the information concerning the patient is at least one of an ID, name, age, body fat percentage, body mass index, cup size, and record of the blood pressure of the patient.

9. A subject information accumulating apparatus comprising:

compression plates configured to compress a subject;

an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a subject with irradiation light;

an acoustic wave detector configured to receive acoustic waves generated within a subject irradiated with the irradiation light and to output an electric signal;

an image signal generator configured to generate a signal for forming an acoustic wave image on the basis of the electric signal output from the acoustic wave detector;

a blood pressure information accumulating unit configured to obtain blood pressure information concerning blood pressure of a subject in the state in which the subject is being compressed between the compression plates; and

a controller configured to display the acoustic wave image and the blood pressure information on a display unit.

10. The subject information accumulating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controller displays the acoustic wave image and the blood pressure information on the display unit at the same time.