Patent ID: 7504629

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an electromagnetic wave radiating portion; an electromagnetic wave detecting portion; a driving portion for periodically changing a relative positional relationship between an object to be imaged and the electromagnetic wave radiating portion; a periodical signal generating portion for generating plural periodical signals, including a fundamental wave or its harmonics, in synchronization with the period of the change in the relative positional relationship; a memory portion including plural memory parts; a processing portion; and an image forming portion, wherein the driving portion time-divides the object into plural areas by the periodical change in the relative positional relationship, the electromagnetic wave detecting portion acquires transmitted wave or reflected wave, which is obtained by irradiation of each area of the object with electromagnetic wave radiated from the electromagnetic wave radiating portion, as a time-series detection signal, the processing portion executes a process of respectively multiplying the time-series detection signal, which are obtained at times corresponding to the respective areas of the object, with the plural periodical signals, and a process of adding the multiplied results and causing the memory parts of the memory portion, which are respectively provided for the plural periodical signals, to store the added results, and the image forming portion forms an image of at least a portion of the object, based on information respectively stored in the memory parts of the memory portion corresponding to the plural periodical signals, after the acquisition of the time-series detection signal by the electromagnetic wave detecting portion, and the processes executed by the processing portion are repeated plural times for the plural areas, respectively.