Acoustic wave image generation apparatus and acoustic wave image generation method

1. An acoustic wave image generation apparatus comprising:

a light emission unit that emits light to a subject;

an ultrasonic wave emission unit that emits an ultrasonic wave to the subject;

an acoustic wave detection probe that detects photoacoustic waves produced from within the subject that has received the light, and a reflected ultrasonic wave produced from within the subject that has received the ultrasonic wave;

a Doppler image generation unit that generates a Doppler image based on the detected reflected ultrasonic wave;

a photoacoustic image generation unit that generates a photoacoustic image based on the detected photoacoustic waves, a frame rate at which the photoacoustic image is generated being lower than a frame rate at which the Doppler image is generated;

a setting unit that sets a region of interest in the Doppler image; and

a receiving-aperture controlling unit that sets receiving apertures of the acoustic wave detection probe configured to detect the photoacoustic waves to apertures smaller than all receiving apertures that the acoustic wave detection probe has, on the basis of a size of the set region of interest, and for setting positions of the receiving apertures of the acoustic wave detection probe configured to detect the photoacoustic waves, on the basis of a position of the set region of interest.

2. The acoustic wave image generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein as the acoustic wave detection probe, an acoustic wave detection probe configured such that a plurality of acoustic wave transducers capable of detecting the photoacoustic waves are arranged is used, and

wherein the receiving-aperture controlling unit blocks photoacoustic wave detection signals output from at least a part of acoustic wave transducers other than acoustic wave transducers to be set as a receiving apertures.

3. The acoustic wave image generation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the receiving-aperture controlling unit sets all the acoustic wave transducers arranged facing an entire part of the region of interest as the receiving apertures.

4. The acoustic wave image generation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the receiving-aperture controlling unit sets only a part of the acoustic wave transducers arranged facing an entire part of the region of interest as the receiving apertures.

5. The acoustic wave image generation apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the receiving-aperture controlling unit sets the part of the acoustic wave transducers in such a manner that the part of the acoustic wave transducers are located more closely at positions facing a center portion of the region of interest than at positions facing end portions of the region of interest.

6. The acoustic wave image generation apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising means for determining signals output from acoustic wave transducers among the plurality of acoustic wave transducers arranged facing the entire part of the region of interest, other than the part of the acoustic wave transducers, by interpolating signals output from the part of the acoustic wave transducers.

7. An acoustic wave image generation method comprising:

emitting light to a subject;

emitting an ultrasonic wave to the subject;

detecting photoacoustic waves produced from within the subject that has received the light and a reflected ultrasonic wave produced from within the subject that has received the ultrasonic wave;

generating a Doppler image based on the detected reflected ultrasonic wave;

generating a photoacoustic image based on the detected photoacoustic waves, a frame rate at which the photoacoustic image is generated being lower than a frame rate at which the Doppler image is generated;

setting a region of interest in the Doppler image;

setting receiving apertures of the acoustic wave detection probe to apertures smaller than all receiving apertures that the acoustic wave detection probe has, on the basis of a size of the set region of interest, and setting positions of the receiving apertures of the acoustic wave detection probe, on the basis of a position of the set region of interest, and

detecting the photoacoustic waves based on the set receiving apertures.

8. The acoustic wave image generation method according to claim 7 , wherein as the acoustic wave detection probe, an acoustic wave detection probe configured such that a plurality of acoustic wave transducers capable of detecting the photoacoustic waves are arranged is used, and

wherein the receiving apertures is set by blocking photoacoustic wave detection signals output from at least a part of acoustic wave transducers other than acoustic wave transducers to be set as the receiving apertures.

9. The acoustic wave image generation method according to claim 8 , wherein all the acoustic wave transducers arranged facing an entire part of the region of interest are set as the receiving apertures.

10. The acoustic wave image generation method according to claim 8 , wherein only a part of the acoustic wave transducers arranged facing an entire part of the region of interest are set as the receiving apertures.

11. The acoustic wave image generation method according to claim 10 , wherein the part of the acoustic wave transducers are set in such a manner that the part of the acoustic wave transducers are located more closely at positions facing a center portion of the region of interest than at positions facing end portions of the region of interest.

12. The acoustic wave image generation method according to claim 10 , wherein signals output from acoustic wave transducers among the plurality of acoustic wave transducers arranged facing the entire part of the region of interest, other than the part of the acoustic wave transducers, are determined by interpolating signals output from the part of the acoustic wave transducers.