Patent ID: 8447388
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A biological observation apparatus comprising: a sound wave radiating unit configured to radiate an ultrasound wave into an object to be examined, the object located in living tissue, wherein the sound wave radiating unit radiates the ultrasound wave as a cyclic compressional wave while successively changing a frequency of the ultrasound wave to increase the density of a portion of the object to be examined in the living tissue; a light radiating unit configured to radiate light into the object; a light interfering unit configured to generate interference light by causing the light radiated from the light radiating unit to interfere with light reflected from the portion of the object with the increased density, and further configured to radiate said interference light; a light detector configured to detect the interference light radiated from the light interfering unit and outputs an interference signal corresponding to the interference light; a memory unit configured to store interference signals; and a calculator configured to calculate an amount of frequency modulation of the radiated light based on the interference signals, which are outputted from the light detector and correspond to individual timings sequentially outputted from the memory unit, and sequentially calculates a difference value between the amounts of frequency modulation of two observed areas that are adjacent to each other in a depth direction in the living tissue, wherein the calculator is further configured to relate the difference value to a position with respect to the living tissue, stores the difference value and the position, and generates a tomographic image of the object based on the difference value and the position.