Apparatus for acquiring tomographic image formed by ultrasound-modulated fluorescence

1. A fluorescence tomography apparatus for obtaining fluorescence tomographic images of a region of an object to be observed, comprising:

an application unit which concurrently applies a first ultrasonic wave and excitation light to said region so that ultrasound-modulated fluorescence is emitted from the region under the influence of the first ultrasonic wave, and applies a second ultrasonic wave and first light to said region so that said first light is reflected from the region under the influence of the second ultrasonic wave, and ultrasound-modulated reflected light is generated;

a first image acquisition unit which acquires a fluorescence tomographic image of said region on the basis of said ultrasound-modulated fluorescence;

a second image acquisition unit which concurrently with said acquisition of said fluorescence tomography image, acquires an ultrasound-modulated light tomographic image of said region on the basis of said ultrasound-modulated reflected light; and

wherein said application unit applies second light to said region so that said second light is reflected from the region, and the fluorescence tomography apparatus further comprises:

a third image acquisition unit which acquires an optical tomographic image of said region on the basis of said second light reflected from the region.

2. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said region is doped in advance with a fluorescent agent having an affinity for a tumor.

3. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said first image acquisition unit comprises a three-dimensional-image generation unit which generates a three-dimensional fluorescence tomographic image from a plurality of fluorescence tomographic images, which are acquired by said first image acquisition unit.

4. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said first image acquisition unit comprises a three-dimensional-image generation unit which generates a three-dimensional fluorescence tomographic image from a plurality of fluorescence tomographic images, which are acquired by said first image acquisition unit.

5. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

said application unit applies a third ultrasonic wave to said region so that said third ultrasonic wave is reflected from the region, and the fluorescence tomography apparatus further comprises: a fourth image acquisition unit which acquires an ultrasonic tomographic image of said region on the basis of said third ultrasonic wave reflected from the region.

6. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

said application unit applies a third ultrasonic wave to said region so that said third ultrasonic wave is reflected from the region, and the fluorescence tomography apparatus further comprises:

a fourth image acquisition unit which acquires an ultrasonic tomographic image of said region on the basis of said third ultrasonic wave reflected from the region.

7. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

said application unit applies a third ultrasonic wave to said region so that said third ultrasonic wave is reflected from the region, and the fluorescence tomography apparatus further comprises:

a fourth image acquisition unit which acquires an ultrasonic tomographic image of said region on the basis of said third ultrasonic wave reflected from the region.

8. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

said application unit applies a third ultrasonic wave to said region so that said third ultrasonic wave is reflected from the region, and the fluorescence tomography apparatus further comprises:

a fourth image acquisition unit which acquires an ultrasonic tomographic image of said region on the basis of said third ultrasonic wave reflected from the region.

9. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable sheath, through which said first ultrasonic wave, said excitation light, said second ultrasonic wave, said first light, and said second light are applied to said region.

10. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said fluorescence tomographic image and said ultrasound-modulated-light tomographic image are acquired during a single turn of said rotatable sheath.

11. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a wavelength separation element which separates said ultrasound-modulated reflected light and said ultrasound-modulated fluorescence; wherein

said second ultrasonic wave is said first ultrasonic wave and said first light is said excitation light.

12. A fluorescence tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

said application unit applies a third ultrasonic wave to said region so that said third ultrasonic wave is reflected from the region, and the fluorescence tomography apparatus further comprises:

a fourth image acquisition unit which acquires an ultrasonic tomographic image of said region on the basis of said third ultrasonic wave reflected from the region, and

a controller which acquires a small-depth tomographic image from the optical tomographic image, a middle-depth tomographic image from the ultrasound-modulated-light tomographic image, and a great-depth tomographic image from the ultrasonic tomographic image, synthesizes the small-depth tomographic image, the middle-depth tomographic image, and the great-depth tomographic image, wherein the small-depth tomographic image is a tomographic image of a small-depth portion of the region to be observed, the middle-depth tomographic image is a tomographic image of a middle-depth portion of the region to be observed, and the great-depth tomographic image is a tomographic image of a great-depth portion of the region to be observed, and superimposes the fluorescence image on the image generated by the above synthesis of the small-depth tomographic image, the middle-depth tomographic image, and the great-depth tomographic image.

13. A fluorescence tomography apparatus for obtaining fluorescence tomographic images of a region of an object to be observed, comprising:

an application unit which concurrently applies a first ultrasonic wave and excitation light to said region so that ultrasound-modulated fluorescence is emitted from the region under the influence of the first ultrasonic wave and applies a second ultrasonic wave and first light to said region so that said first light is reflected from the region under the influence of the second ultrasonic wave, and ultrasound-modulated reflected light is generated;

a first image acquisition unit which acquires a fluorescence tomographic image of said region on the basis of said ultrasound-modulated fluorescence, and

a second image acquisition unit which concurrently with said acquisition of said fluorescence tomography image, acquires an ultrasound-modulated light tomographic image of said region on the basis of said ultrasound-modulated reflected light,

wherein said fluorescence tomography apparatus further comprises a rotatable sheath, through which said first ultrasonic wave, said excitation light, said second ultrasonic wave, and said first light are applied to said region.