Patent ID: 11925437
Assignee: CYBERDYNE INC., UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  G | IPC A

Claim 4:
5. A photoacoustic imaging method for detecting photoacoustic waves generated from a light absorber inside a subject and producing images of the light absorber on the basis of the photoacoustic waves, the photoacoustic imaging method comprising:
a first step of emitting pulsed light with a wavelength absorbed inside the subject;
a second step of emitting a plurality of visible light beams at the same time from multi-directions to an outer surface of a thin film which is pasted or applied to a skin surface of the subject, has an elastic force as a whole, and makes the pulsed light transmit it and reflects the light on its outer surface at the same time;
a third step of detecting, on the basis of diffraction and/or interference of a plurality of reflected light obtained from the outer surface of the thin film, a state of causing micro-vibrations of the thin film as the photoacoustic waves generated from the light absorber collide against an inner backside of the thin film; and
a fourth step of producing the images of a shape of the light absorber on the basis of the detected vibrational state of the thin film.