A patient interface system for scanning a volume of tissue protruding from a patient, the system comprising: a base including a planar portion configured to support the patient in a prone configuration, and a frustoconical portion extending from the planar portion and defining a base aperture configured to receive the volume of tissue; and a support assembly configured to couple to the base, including a frame and a membrane retained in tension within the frame at a peripheral portion of the membrane, wherein the membrane defines a membrane aperture configured to align with the base aperture, and wherein the membrane is configured to deflect into the frustoconical portion of the base in response to the patient's weight. The system can further include an electrical subsystem including a pressure sensor array configured to generate signals in response to a pressure distribution resulting from the patient's weight at the patient interface system.

An object information acquiring apparatus employed in the present invention includes: a plurality of transducers that generate an electric signal upon reception of an acoustic wave from a measurement subject; a supporter that supports the plurality of transducers such that directional axes of at least a part of the plurality of transducers are gathered together; a point sound source; means for controlling relative positions of the measurement subject and the supporter; a processor that determines respective distances from the plurality of transducers to a focus position of the measurement subject and generates property information relating to the focus position; and a corrector that determines correction data.

This application presents a system and related methods that analyze a volume of tissue using ultrasound waveform tomography imaging. By using frequency-domain waveform tomography techniques and a gradient descent algorithm, the system can reconstruct the sound speed distributions of a volume of tissue, such as breast tissue, of varying densities with different types of lesions. By allowing sound speed to have an imaginary component that characterizes sound attenuation, the system can classify the different types of lesions with a fine granularity.

A method for postural independent location of targets in diagnostic images acquired by multimodal acquisitions, compensating for deformation of soft tissues due to changing posture, includes generating a transition of a digital image of the inside of a target region from a first to a second position by correlating the position of markers placed on the external surface of the target region in a digital image of the inside of the target region and in a digital representation of the external surface of the target region acquired by optically scanning the external surface; and at a later time registering the diagnostic image of the inside of the target region, transitioned into the second position, with a diagnostic image of the same target region acquired with the target region in the second position by matching a second representation of the external surface of the target region in the second position without markers with the diagnostic image of the inside of the target region transitioned into the second position.

A method and apparatus for acquisition of volumetric breast images for screening and/or diagnosing breast cancers using a rotary scanning template and transducer.

An object of the invention is to provide an ultrasonic CT device in which a reflected signal or the like from an object disposed close to transducers is received, and a reception signal thereof can be received by a receiver while transceivers whose number is smaller than the number of the transducers are used. The ultrasonic CT device includes: a transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are arranged; transceivers whose number is smaller than the number of the transducers; and a transmission transducer selector and a reception transducer selector disposed for each of the transceivers. While a transmitter included in the transceiver is selectively connected to any of the transducers in the transducer array by the transmission transducer selector, a receiver included in the transceiver is selectively connected to any of the transducers in the transducer array by the reception transducer selector.

An ultrasonic imaging device according to the present invention includes: a container provided with an opening for inserting a target region of a subject; and a transmission/reception unit that transmits ultrasound to the target region inserted into the container filled with a liquid and receives the ultrasound that penetrates the target region or is reflected from the target region. The container has a pressure reducing unit that holds the target region in the container by reducing a pressure in the container of which the opening is covered with the target region. According to the present invention, since it is possible to maintain a shape close to a predetermined shape when the target region of a breast or the like is inserted into a container filled with the liquid, it is possible to measure the target region with high accuracy by transmitting and receiving ultrasound.

Provided is an ultrasonic CT device capable of shaping a measurement part such as a breast of a measurement target into a shape suitable for measurement and reducing burden on the measurement target. The ultrasonic CT device includes a tubular measurement container, and a transducer array configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to a measurement target inserted in the measurement container and receive ultrasonic waves from the measurement target. Gel is disposed in the measurement container, and a surface of the gel is inclose contact with at least a surface of the measurement target to which the ultrasonic waves are transmitted. The ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducer array pass through the gel and are emitted to the measurement target from the surface in close contact with the measurement target.

A sonographic imaging device involves an at least one movable panel, coupled to an upper surface, wherein movement of the panel will alter the overall size of the opening, a tub positioned beneath the opening and defining a volume such that a body part of a human subject can freely protrude through the opening into the volume defined by the tub, at least one robotic arm having a terminal end, wherein the terminal end is position-able to multiple locations within the volume defined by the tub, and at least one high frequency ultrasound transducer located near the terminal end. A related method of acquiring sonographic images of internal tissue of a human subject is also described.

An object information acquiring apparatus comprising: a processor generating image data representing characteristic information on an object, based on signals acquired by receiving an acoustic wave generated from an object by a plural light irradiations; and a display controller allowing a display to display an image, wherein the display controller performs first display in which an image is displayed in parallel with irradiation and second display in which an image is displayed based on more signal than in the first display, and the processor acquires the characteristic information for a smaller number of units of reconstruction when generating image data.