| 摘要 |
<p>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoacoustic imaging apparatus that can be inserted into a body cavity or tubular part of a human body.SOLUTION: An exciting light source 1 is arranged on a scanning stage 2 and exciting light 3 from the light source enters a photoacoustic imaging probe 4. The probe 4 consists of an acoustic wave detecting optical fiber 5 and multiple exciting optical fibers 6, and the exciting fibers are linearly arranged at an incident end thereof. The exciting light 3 is sequentially emitted from the exciting optical fibers 6 by repeating linear scanning of the light source 1, and thereby, the exciting light can be scanned relative to a subject in front of the probe. The acoustic wave detecting optical fiber 5 arranged at a central part of the probe detects an acoustic wave generated by the emitted exciting light, which is subjected to image processing by an acoustic imaging device 7, and thereby, a photoacoustic image of the subject can be obtained. Accordingly, there is no need to arrange a scanning mechanism at an emitting end of the probe, which makes it possible to configure a flexible and small-diameter photoacoustic imaging apparatus having flexibility toward a probe tip part.</p> |
