JP6532329B2 - Puncture needle and subject information acquisition apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a puncture needle and a subject information acquiring apparatus using the same.

Research on object information acquisition devices is actively advanced in the medical field. When a pulse laser beam is irradiated to the living body as the irradiation light, the irradiation light is absorbed by the tissue in the living body, and an acoustic wave is generated at that time. By receiving this acoustic wave (for example, an ultrasonic wave) by an ultrasonic probe and analyzing it, it is possible to image the information related to the optical characteristic inside the living body. A technology that calls such an acoustic wave a photoacoustic wave and analyzes it by using the photoacoustic wave is called photoacoustic tomography (PAT).
On the other hand, in the medical field, it is practiced to use a puncture needle to collect a piece of human tissue to be used in a definitive diagnosis of a lesion, and this action is called needle biopsy or needle biopsy. Needle biopsy is often performed with an ultrasound device, etc., to confirm that the needle tip has reliably reached the target lesion, or to avoid important organs (blood vessels, organs, bones, etc.) in the insertion path of the needle. Under the guidance of medical devices. At this time, the visibility of the needle is important, and a number of techniques have been developed to improve this.
Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a light scattering portion and a light absorbing portion are provided on the surface of a puncture needle in order to increase the visibility of the puncture needle in a subject information acquisition apparatus. Furthermore, according to Patent Document 2, in the puncture needle for an ultrasonic device, by providing a recess and a sonic-refractive coating layer covering the recess on the surface of the puncture needle, the reflection of the ultrasonic wave is enhanced and the puncture needle image is formed. Techniques for improving contrast are disclosed.

JP, 2013-027513, A JP 2012-513833 gazette

In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, in order to increase the visibility of the light and ultrasound puncture needle, light scattering sites and light absorption sites are arranged in stripes on the surface of the needle. The photoacoustic wave propagates mainly in the vertical direction from the surface of the object that emitted it. This becomes a factor which becomes difficult to be drawn on a photoacoustic image, as the surface of the object approaches perpendicular to the acoustic wave receiving surface of a probe. For this reason, the above configuration exerts the effect when the angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle and the acoustic wave receiving surface of the probe is close to parallel, but the effect is weakened when the angle approaches perpendicular. Have a problem.
Further, in Patent Document 2, by providing a recess on the surface of the ultrasonic puncture needle, the puncture needle can be clearly displayed even if the angle in the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle with respect to the receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe approaches perpendicular. Configurations are disclosed. Furthermore, the structure which provides the coating layer which collects an ultrasonic wave on a recessed part is disclosed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a puncture needle which is easy to acquire a photoacoustic wave and to be easily inserted into the inside of a subject.

To achieve the above object, the present invention includes a needle-like body, and a propagating portion provided in the main body and having a recess that occur acoustic waves by absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength, the said recess A material that substantially transmits light of a predetermined wavelength is formed to be buried, and covering the propagation portion reduces resistance received from the object when inserted into the object and also reduces light of the predetermined wavelength. And a substantially transparent cover.
Another aspect of the present invention is a needle-like main body, and a convex portion which generates an acoustic wave by absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength and which protrudes in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the main body. A puncturing needle having: a propagation part provided in the housing; and a cover for reducing resistance received from the subject when inserted into the subject by covering the propagation part and substantially transmitting light of the predetermined wavelength. provide.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a puncture needle which is easy to obtain a photoacoustic wave and easy to insert into a subject.

The schematic diagram which shows Example 1 of the puncture needle of this invention Flow chart showing a puncture method using the puncture needle of FIG. 1 in the first embodiment The figure which shows the effect of the puncture needle in Example 1. The schematic diagram which shows Example 2 of the puncture needle of this invention The schematic diagram which shows Example 3 of the puncture needle of this invention

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are attached to the same components in principle, and the description is omitted. However, the detailed calculation formulas, calculation procedures, and the like described below are to be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the application to which the present invention is applied and various conditions, and the scope of the present invention is limited to the following description. It is not

  The subject information acquiring apparatus described herein receives an acoustic wave generated in the subject by irradiating the subject (including a living body and a phantom) with light (electromagnetic wave) such as near-infrared light, and receives the subject information. Includes an apparatus using a photoacoustic effect that acquires as image data. The subject information acquisition apparatus in the description includes, for example, a photoacoustic wave diagnostic apparatus and the like. In the case of a device using a photoacoustic effect, the subject information to be acquired is the light source derived from the source distribution of the acoustic wave generated by the light irradiation, the initial sound pressure distribution in the subject, or the initial sound pressure distribution. It shows the absorption density distribution, the absorption coefficient distribution, and the concentration distribution of substances that constitute the tissue. The concentration distribution of the substance is, for example, an oxygen saturation distribution, a total hemoglobin concentration distribution, or an oxygenated / reduced hemoglobin concentration distribution. Further, characteristic information which is object information at a plurality of positions may be acquired as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional characteristic distribution. The characteristic distribution may be generated as image data indicating characteristic information in the subject. The acoustic waves in the description are, for example, ultrasonic waves, and include acoustic waves and elastic waves called ultrasonic waves. The acoustic wave generated by the photoacoustic effect is called a photoacoustic wave or an optical ultrasonic wave. An acoustic detector (e.g., a probe) receives an acoustic wave generated or reflected in a subject.

  In order to clarify the features of the present invention, techniques to be compared with the present invention will be described below. That is, according to this comparative technique, in the puncture needle for an ultrasonic device, the surface of the puncture needle is provided with a recess and a sonic-refractive coating layer covering the recess to enhance the reflection of the ultrasonic wave and to contrast the puncture needle image. Improve. Furthermore, the coating layer is made of a material that does not transmit light, and this coating layer is used for a puncture needle. However, in this case, the reaching of the light to the concave portion is inhibited, and the generated optical ultrasonic wave is attenuated, which hinders the grasp of the position of the puncture needle. Furthermore, the puncture needle needs to be configured to have a small frictional resistance value (hereinafter abbreviated as "puncture resistance") received from the subject when inserted into the subject. This is because smooth insertion into a subject is required.

Example 1
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing Example 1 of a puncture needle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a subject information acquisition apparatus 100 (hereinafter, abbreviated as “apparatus 100”) is imaging a subject 109. The puncture needle 108 of the first embodiment is inserted in the subject 109. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to one another, and the plane that receives the acoustic wave of the probe 102 is
It is parallel to the XY plane. The a-axis, b-axis, and c-axis are orthogonal to one another, the a-axis is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle 108, and the b-axis is parallel to one of the lateral directions of the puncture needle 108 Is parallel to the other one in its latitudinal direction. The subject 109 has a target site 110 inside. The target site 110 is, for example, breast cancer.

(Configuration of device 100)
The device 100 irradiates the object 109 with the light 113, receives the acoustic wave 114 propagating from the object 109 based on the irradiation, converts it into an electric signal, and sends (outputs) it to the subsequent stage It has a feeler 102. Furthermore, signal processing is performed based on the electrical signal from the probe to form image data, and the signal processing unit 103 sends the data to the subsequent stage. Furthermore, it has a display unit 104 that receives image data from the signal processing unit 103 and displays a visible image based on the input.

«Irradiator 101»
In the irradiation unit 101, pulse light emitted by a light source (not shown) is guided to the irradiation unit 101 via a light transmission unit (not shown, for example, a bundle fiber), and the light irradiation end of the irradiation unit 101 Pulsed light is emitted toward the subject 109. The light source is preferably a laser, but may be composed of a light emitting diode or the like instead of the laser. The light source is appropriately configured of a solid state laser, a gas laser, a dye laser, a semiconductor laser, and the like. The pulsed light emitted from the light source is preferably near-infrared light when the object 109 is a living body. The wavelength of this near-infrared light is selected, for example, in the range of about 650 nm to about 1100 nm. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the bundle fiber may guide pulsed light from the light source to the subject 109 and irradiate the subject 109 with the pulsed light. In this case, the bundle fiber is configured to double as an irradiation unit and a light transmission unit. In addition, an optional optical system including a diffusion plate or the like may be provided between the light source and the subject 109, pulse light from the light source may be guided to the subject 109, and the pulse light may be irradiated to the subject 109. The light transmission unit may also be configured with a mirror or a reflecting prism.

«Probe 102»
The light irradiated by the irradiation unit 101 is diffused and propagated inside the object 109. The diffused and propagated light is absorbed by the absorber in the object 109. Thereby, the absorber generates an acoustic wave by the photoacoustic effect. The probe 102 receives the acoustic wave generated in the subject 109, converts the received acoustic wave into an analog electric signal, and sends the electric signal to the signal processing unit 103. The probe 102 is also referred to as a transducer. Specifically, the probe 102 is composed of an acoustic wave receiving unit such as a piezo element or a CMUT (capacitive micromachine ultrasonic transducer). The probe 102 may be configured of a single acoustic wave receiving unit, or may be configured of an assembly of a plurality of photoacoustic receiving units. The probe 102 is integrated with the irradiation unit 101 and provided inside the housing 111. The case 111 is provided with a handle portion 112 so that a doctor or the like can hold it by hand. As a result, a doctor or the like can hold the handle portion 112 by hand and press the probe 102 and the irradiation unit 101 against the subject 109. Thereby, the probe 102 and the irradiation unit 101 can perform irradiation of light and reception of an acoustic wave based on the irradiation in a state of being in close contact with the object 109. Thus, a structure formed by integrating the probe 102 and the irradiation unit 101 with the housing 111 is configured to be handheld.

<< signal processing unit 103 >>
The signal processing unit 103 amplifies the analog electrical signal sent from the probe 102 and converts it into analog / digital to generate a digital signal, and performs image reconstruction processing on the digital signal to generate image data. It is generated (reconstructed). The signal processing unit 103 includes, for example, an amplifier, an analog / digital converter (A / D converter), and an FPGA (Fie).
It consists of an ld Programmable Gate Array chip and the like. When a plurality of electrical signals are sent from the probe 102, the signal processing unit 103 preferably can simultaneously process the plurality of electrical signals simultaneously. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the amplifier may be incorporated in the probe 102. The image reconstruction method executed by the signal processing unit 103 is, for example, various image reconstruction methods such as a Fourier transform method, a universal back projection method, a filtered back projection method, and a sequential reconstruction method.

«Display section 104»
The display unit 104 displays the image data generated by the signal processing unit 103 as an image. The display unit 104 includes a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL display, an FED (Field Emission Display), and the like. The display unit 104 may be configured to be able to operate the device 100, and in this case, may be configured from a touch panel or the like.

(Puncture needle 108)
The puncture needle 108 has a hardness that can be inserted into the subject 109 and has a tubular and needle-like main body 105. Furthermore, the propagation unit 107 is provided on the surface of the main body 105, is spherical (one of convex shape), and is made of a material that generates an acoustic wave by absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength from the irradiation unit 101. Have. Furthermore, it has a cover 106 which covers the surface of the propagation part 107 and has transparency to light of a predetermined wavelength emitted from the irradiation part 101. The distal end of the main body 105 may not necessarily have a sharp shape as long as it can be inserted into the subject 109. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape of the propagation portion 107 may be a concave shape or a concavo-convex shape. The shape of the propagation part 107 may be such that part of the acoustic wave propagates in a direction not parallel to the acoustic wave propagating from the main body 105.

«Main body 105»
The material constituting the main body 105 is, for example, various metal materials made of stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, or alloys thereof, or various high hardness resins made of polyphenylene sulfide or the like. It is preferable that the material constituting the main body 105 does not significantly deviate from the absorption coefficient of the subject 109. It is because the artefact which occurs when it displays as an image can be reduced. The light absorption coefficient of the material constituting the main body 105 is preferably in the range of 0.309 / mm to 0.858 / mm, which is substantially equivalent to that of blood, when using, for example, 756 nm irradiation light.

«Cover 106»
The material forming the cover 106 substantially transmits the light irradiated by the irradiation unit 101. The material preferably has a permeability of 80% or more to the light to be irradiated. This material is preferably made of, for example, transparent polyolefin, transparent ceramics, transparent polyurethane, transparent fluorocarbon resin, transparent resin represented by transparent polyester, or the like. The transparent polyolefin contains polymethylpentene and the like, the transparent ceramic contains yttrium aluminate and the like, the transparent fluororesin contains amorphous fluorine resin and the like, and the transparent polyester contains polylactic acid and the like. The above-mentioned transparent resin may be colored if it does not have significant absorbability to the light to be irradiated. For example, when the wavelength of light irradiated by the irradiation unit 101 is 756 nm, the transparent resin may be colored with a red pigment that absorbs less in the visible region to the near infrared region. The material constituting the cover 106 is preferably a material that suppresses the reflection of acoustic waves at the interface between the subject 109 and the cover 106. This is because the acoustic wave generated from the propagation unit 107 in the cover 106 in the subject 109 can be smoothly passed from the inside of the cover 106 into the subject 109 outside thereof. The material preferably has a small difference in acoustic impedance with the object 109, and is, for example, a resin material such as polymethylpentene. The thickness in the b-axis direction of the cover 106 is substantially equal to the diameter of the propagation part 107 (the thickness in the b-axis direction), and the surface 115 of the cover 106 is substantially parallel to the a-axis. The surface 115 may also be parallel to the c-axis. The surface 115 may have a substantially flat shape parallel to the a-axis and b-axis.

  The thickness of the cover 106 is preferably thinner. When the acoustic wave generated from the propagation unit 107 passes through the cover 106, the attenuation of the acoustic wave increases as the thickness thereof increases. In addition, the thicker the thickness is, the thicker the puncture needle 108 is, and the puncture resistance is increased. Therefore, it is preferable that the thickness be the thinnest thickness which can cover the propagation part 107 enclosed inside the cover 106. The cover 106 is provided so as to cover only the portion where the propagation portion 107 is present, whereby it is possible to prevent the whole puncture needle 108 from becoming thick. The shape of the cover 106 is preferably a shape that reduces the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) or arithmetic mean waviness (Wa) of the surface of the puncture needle 108. This is because puncture resistance is reduced.

<< propagation unit 107 >>
As a material of the propagation part 107, a material having an absorbability to the light irradiated from the irradiation part 101 is used. This material is, for example, a pigment that absorbs pulsed light emitted from the irradiation unit 101. Preferably, the absorption coefficient of the pigment does not deviate significantly from the absorption coefficient of the subject. This is because it is possible to suppress an artifact when displayed as an image. This pigment exhibits a light absorption coefficient close to that of blood, and may be made of a material in which carbon black is dispersed and diluted to 0.024 wt%.

  The size of the propagation portion 107 is preferably such that an acoustic wave of a center frequency that can be suitably acquired by the probe 102 is generated. This is because, when the propagation unit 107 is displayed as an image, the display can be viewed in distinction from the display around it. The frequency of the acoustic wave generated from an absorber is determined by the speed of sound of the material in which the absorber is embedded and the size of the absorber. The size of the propagation part 107 is preferably 1.10 mm in diameter under the following premise. The premise is, for example, one satisfying the following (1) to (3). (1) The acoustic wave is to be detected by the apparatus 100 using the probe 102 with a center frequency of 2 MHz. (2) The propagation part 107 has a convex shape and a substantially spherical shape as shown in FIG. (3) The cover 106 is made of polymethylpentene (sound velocity 2200 m / s). In this case, the propagation part 107 may be a convex part having a convex shape and a substantially spherical structure as shown in FIG.

  The speed of sound of the cover 106 varies with the material. Therefore, the diameter of the propagation part 107 is preferably different for each type of cover 106. This is because when the propagation unit 107 is imaged (reconstructed), it can be displayed on the display unit 104 more clearly. Although the propagation part 107 may be provided singly, it is preferable that a plurality of propagation parts 107 be provided. When a plurality of propagation parts 107 are provided in the main body 105, a plurality of propagation parts 107 may be provided so as to make one rotation in the rotational direction around the main body 105 and whose longitudinal axis is the rotation axis. This is because the acoustic wave from the propagation unit 107 can be acquired by the probe 102 regardless of the rotation of the puncture needle 108 around its longitudinal direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape and arrangement of the propagation unit 107 can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. The shape of the propagation portion 107 is, for example, a spherical shape, but may be a pyramid such as a triangular pyramid or a square pyramid, a cone, a truncated cone, a triangular prism, a prism such as a cube, a cylinder, a donut shape, or any other polyhedron. Also, even if the direction of the acoustic wave receiving surface 116 of the probe 102 is perpendicular to the a-axis direction, at least a part of the acoustic wave generated from the propagation part 107 is substantially the acoustic wave of the propagation part 107. It may be configured to propagate toward the wave receiving surface 116.

For example, the propagation portion 107 may be disposed on the surface of the main body 105 so as to be spirally drawn so as to advance in the rotational direction around its longitudinal direction and also advance in the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the propagation portions 107 may be arranged to be spread over the entire surface of the main body 105. At least one of the tangents of the surface of the propagation portion 107 may not be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle 108. That is, the angle between the tangent plane and the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle 108 may not be an integral multiple of 180 °. It is preferable that the surface of the propagation part 107 be formed to be a curved surface rather than a flat surface. This is because acoustic waves can be propagated in more directions. Further, when a rod-like structure such as the puncture needle 108 is displayed as an image by the device 100, the clearness of the display falls to half or less in the following cases. That is, the angle formed between the acoustic wave receiving surface 116 of the probe 102 and the longitudinal direction of the rod-like structure is not less than half of the directivity angle of the probe 102 and not more than 90 °. It is. Therefore, it is preferable that an angle formed by the tangent plane of the propagation part 107 and the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle 108 be at least an angle of at least a half of the directivity angle of the probe 102 and not more than 90 °. .

<Puncture method using a puncture needle>
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a puncture method of the puncture needle 108 of FIG. 1 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the flow, the apparatus 100 is supplied with power and is put in a standby state, and for example, when diagnosing a breast cancer or the like, the subject 109 is a breast, and the subject 109 is fixed to facilitate diagnosis. .

  In step S2, the doctor or the like grasps the handle portion 112, and the probe 102 and the irradiation unit 101 are pressed on the surface of the object 109 and at the first acoustic wave receiving position, and pulse light is covered in this state. It is directly irradiated toward the specimen 109. Then, a part of the energy of the light propagated inside the object 109 is absorbed by the light absorber such as blood, whereby the light absorber is thermally expanded. Then, an acoustic wave is generated from the light absorber, and the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the acoustic wave generated from the inside of the object 109 is received by the probe 102 in a state where the probe 102 is in close contact with the acoustic wave receiving position. Then, the received acoustic wave is converted into an analog electrical signal, which is amplified and analog / digital converted. Then, a digital signal is generated by this conversion and stored in a memory (main storage device) built in the signal processing unit 103, and the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, it is determined whether the reception at the position where the acoustic wave is desired to be received has been performed. Then, if it is determined that the reception of the acoustic wave is completed at all the reception positions, the process proceeds to step S8, and if not, the process proceeds to step S2, and the same process is performed at the other reception positions. The position where the acoustic wave is desired to be received is a position where a doctor or the like wants to receive the acoustic wave, and it is not necessary to uniformly receive the acoustic wave with the entire surface of the object 109 as the reception position.

  At step S8, the digital signal stored for each reception position is read out from the memory, and the image reconstruction processing is performed on the digital signal. Then, image data is formed, and the image data is stored in the memory, and the process proceeds to step S10. The image data is characteristic information of the object 109, and is, for example, image data representing an initial sound pressure distribution or an absorption coefficient distribution. In step S10, the image data is read from the memory and sent to the display unit 104. Then, the display unit 104 displays an image that can be visually recognized through the naked eye of a human based on the image data, and the process proceeds to step S11. This image is also referred to as a photoacoustic image, and may be, for example, three-dimensional data or two-dimensional data. The three-dimensional data may be voxel data. In step S11, it is determined whether the puncture needle 108 has already been inserted into the subject 109. If it is determined that the puncture needle 108 has been inserted, the process proceeds to step S15. If it is determined not, the process proceeds to step S12. Transition. In step S15, the positional relationship between the puncture needle 108 and the target site 110 is confirmed by visual recognition of the image by a doctor or the like (operator), and the positional relationship is finely adjusted so that the puncture needle 108 correctly travels to the target site 110. It transfers to step S16. In this case, even when the a-axis direction and the XY plane direction are perpendicular to each other, the propagation unit 107 accurately grasps the position of the puncture needle 108. As a result, the position of the puncture needle 108 is always specified, and a doctor or the like can easily view the image and grasp the positional relationship between the puncture needle 108 and the target site 110.

  In step S12, the target site 110 is determined while the doctor or the like confirms the image displayed on the display screen of the display unit 104. The target site 110 includes, for example, a malignant tumor. Malignant neoplasms absorb light like blood in other normal areas. However, neovasculature in malignant tumors is denser and generates acoustic waves by specifically absorbing light as compared to other normal regions. Thereby, the target site 110 is displayed as an image, which is determined by visual recognition by a doctor or the like. Then, the above determination is performed, and the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the determined target site 110 is seen, the puncture needle 108 is inserted into the subject 109, and the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, it is determined whether or not the puncture needle 108 has reached the target site 110. If it is determined that it has reached, the process proceeds to step S18. If it is determined that it is not, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S18, a sample of the target site 110 is obtained from the tip of the puncture needle 108 by suction or the like, and the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the puncture needle 108 is extracted from the subject 109, and the flow is ended.

(Confirmation of effect)
FIG. 3 is a view showing the effect of the puncture needle 108 in the first embodiment. The parts corresponding to FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted unless it is necessary. FIG. 3 (a) is a case where the a-axis in FIG. 1 is perpendicular to the XY plane, and the puncture needle 108 is inserted into the inside of a phantom which is the subject 109, and a cross-sectional view thereof is shown.

  FIG. 3B shows the case where the puncture needle 108 is inserted into the inside of the phantom which is the object 109 and the apparatus 100 picks up an image, when the a axis in FIG. 1 is perpendicular to the XY plane. is there. FIG. 3B also shows a display image formed by imaging the subject 109 with the apparatus 100. As can be seen from FIGS. 3A and 3B, even when the a axis in FIG. 1 is perpendicular to the XY plane, the display image 306 based on the propagation unit 107 and the surrounding image 302 are distinguished. It is displayed as you can. Here, “displayed so as to be distinguishable” means that the luminance of the image 306 is displayed so as to be visibly lower or higher than the luminance of the image 302. As well. Alternatively, it may mean that the contrast between the image 306 and the image 302 is displayed so as to be a visible value. The same applies to the following.

  FIG. 3C is an example to be compared with the present invention, in which the a-axis and the XY plane in FIG. Only the main body 105 except for is inserted, and its cross-sectional view is shown.

  FIG. 3D is an example to be compared with the present invention, and is a display image formed by imaging the object 109 in FIG. As can be seen from FIGS. 3C and 3D, when the a axis in FIG. 1 is perpendicular to the XY plane, the main body 105 can not be distinguished from the surrounding image 304 in the image. It became a result.

  As described above, according to the present invention, even when the angle between the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle 108 and the acoustic wave receiving surface 116 of the probe 102 is close to perpendicular, it is possible to use The three-dimensional arrangement allows the location to be displayed on the screen. Thereby, the position of the puncture needle 108 can be grasped on the screen of the display unit 104. Furthermore, by providing a cover 106 made of a member that does not affect the imaging of the puncture needle 108 (which is not substantially reflected in the image) and reducing the puncture resistance of the puncture needle 108, the puncture needle 108 can be smoothly applied to the subject 109. Can be inserted into

Example 2
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing Example 2 of the puncture needle according to the embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, although illustration of the apparatus 100 is abbreviate | omitted for the facilities of description, it shall image using the same apparatus 100. FIG. The puncture needle 408 of the second embodiment is configured based on the main body 405, the cover 406, and the propagation unit 407. The a-axis, b-axis and c-axis in FIG. 4 are the same as those in FIG.

  The main body 405 is made of a material that is absorptive to light emitted from the irradiation unit 101 such as black polyphenylene sulfide. A difference from the first embodiment is that a spherical propagation portion 407 disposed on the surface of the main body 405 is integrally formed of the same material as the main body 405. Another point different from the first embodiment is that a cover 406 is provided so as to surround the main body 405. Thereby, when compared with the puncture needle 108, the propagation part 407 and the main body 405 can be integrally formed, and the shape of the cover 406 surrounding it is simpler. This facilitates the production of the puncture needle 408.

  The puncture method using the puncture needle 408 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

(Confirmation of effect)
The effects of the puncture needle 408 will be described below. Here, as in the case of FIG. 3, the phantom as the subject 109 does not have the propagation part 407 and the cover 406 but has the puncture needle of only the main body 405 inserted, and the phantom obtained by inserting the puncture needle 408 into the phantom Prepare. Then, these phantoms are captured by the device 100 to display an image. Thereby, the same result as the above-mentioned puncture needle 108 was obtained.

Example 3
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing Example 3 of the puncture needle according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which parts corresponding to any one of FIG. 1 to FIG. I omit explanation. Moreover, although illustration of the apparatus 100 is abbreviate | omitted for the facilities of description, it shall image using the same apparatus 100. FIG.

  FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the puncture needle 508 in the third embodiment. The puncture needle 508 of the third embodiment is configured based on the main body 505, the cover 506, and the propagation unit 507. The a-axis, b-axis and c-axis in FIG. 5 (a) are the same as those in FIG. Unlike the first embodiment, the propagating portion 507 is configured to have a recess so that a part of the surface of the main body 505 sinks in a hemispherical shape. The recess is formed to at least partially include the light absorber. The propagation unit 507 is covered with a cover 506 that substantially transmits the light emitted from the irradiation unit 101. The size of the propagation portion 507 is determined by the receivable center frequency of the probe 102 and the sound speed of the cover 506. The lengths in the b and c axis directions of the main body 505 are equal to the lengths in the b and c axis directions of the main body 105, respectively.

  In addition, since the puncture method using the puncture needle 508 is the same as that of the case of Example 1, description is abbreviate | omitted here.

(Confirmation of effect)
5 (b) to 5 (e) are diagrams showing the effect of the puncture needle 508 in the third embodiment. FIG. 5 (b) is a case where the a-axis direction in FIG. 5 (a) is perpendicular to the receiving surface 116, and the puncture needle 508 is inserted into the inside of the phantom which is the object 109, and the cross-sectional view is shown. It is a thing.

FIG. 5C shows the case where the puncture needle 508 is inserted into the inside of the phantom which is the object 109 and the apparatus 100 picks up an image when the a-axis and the reception surface 116 are vertical. FIG. 5C also shows a display image formed by imaging the subject 109 with the device 100.
As can be seen from FIGS. 5B and 5C, even when the a-axis and the reception surface 116 are vertical, the display image 524 based on the propagation unit 507 and its surrounding image 523 can be distinguished. It is displayed as.

  FIG. 5 (d) is the same as FIG. 3 (c), and FIG. 5 (e) is the same as FIG. 3 (d), so the description is omitted here.

(Confirmation of effect)
As described above, according to the present invention, even when the angle between the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle 508 and the acoustic wave receiving surface 116 of the probe 102 is close to perpendicular, it is possible to use The three-dimensional arrangement allows the location to be displayed on the screen. Thereby, the position of the puncture needle 508 can be grasped on the screen of the display unit 104. Furthermore, the puncture needle 508 can be smoothly inserted into the subject 109 by providing the cover 506 made of a member that does not affect the imaging of the puncture needle 508 to reduce the puncture resistance of the puncture needle 508.

  Furthermore, the propagation part 507 of the present embodiment forms a recess so as to hollow out the surface of the main body 505. Thereby, when compared with the convex-shaped propagation parts 107 and 407 which the puncture needles 108 and 408 of Example 1 and Example 2 have, the thickness of the whole puncture needle can be suppressed. That is, the overall thickness of the puncture needle 508 can be formed equal to the thickness of the main body 505. Thereby, the puncture resistance of the puncture needle 508 can be further reduced.

  Thus, according to the puncture needle 508 of the present embodiment, the angle formed by the a-axis direction (longitudinal direction) of the puncture needle 508 and the XY plane (the acoustic wave receiving surface 116 of the probe 102) in FIG. Even if you get close to it, you will be able to: That is, the position of the puncture needle 508 can be grasped on the photoacoustic image. This is because the three-dimensional arrangement of the light absorbers makes it easier for the probe 102 to acquire the acoustic wave from the puncture needle 508. Further, by providing a cover 506 made of a member that does not affect the imaging of the puncture needle 508 and reducing the puncture resistance, smooth insertion can be performed.

  The implementation of the various features of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the puncture needle 108 may be included in the configuration of the device 100. In this case, the device 100 may be controlled automatically by the device 100 based on the operator's instruction to the puncture needle 108. In this case, a doctor or the like obtains a photoacoustic image for the subject 109 in advance, and while looking at the image, finds and specifies the location of the target 110 on the screen of the display unit 104. Based on this designation, the apparatus 100 causes the puncture needle 108 to move to the location where the target 110 exists. Thereafter, when the target 110 is punctured, the device 100 may automatically move the puncture needle 108 away.

  The present invention can also be realized by the following processing. That is, a program that implements one or more functions of the above embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium. Then, the program is read and executed by one or more processors in the computer of the system or apparatus. It can also be implemented by a circuit (eg, an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

101 light irradiation unit, 105 main body, 106 cover, 107 propagation unit

Claims (11)

Needle-like body,
A propagating section provided in the main body and having a recess that occur acoustic waves by absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength,
A material that substantially transmits the light of the predetermined wavelength is formed to be embedded in the recess, and the propagation portion is covered to reduce resistance received from the object when inserted into the object and to reduce the resistance. A cover that substantially transmits wavelength light,
Puncture needle. Needle-like body,
A propagating portion provided in the main body, having a convex portion projecting in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the main body, which generates an acoustic wave by absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength;
A cover that reduces resistance received from the subject when inserted into the subject by covering the propagation part, and which substantially transmits light of the predetermined wavelength;
Puncture needle. Puncture needle according to claim 2 prior Kitotsu portion is substantially spherical. The puncture needle according to claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the cover is approximately equal to a diameter of the convex portion. The puncture needle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover is formed substantially flat. The propagation portion is formed of a material that absorbs light of the predetermined wavelength,
The puncture needle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover is formed of a material substantially transmitting the light of the predetermined wavelength. The material absorbing light of the predetermined wavelength is a pigment,
The puncture needle according to claim 6 , wherein the material substantially transmitting the light of the predetermined wavelength is a transparent resin. The puncture needle according to claim 7 , wherein the pigment is carbon black. The puncture needle according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the transparent resin is polymethylpentene. The puncture needle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the propagation part is integrally formed with the main body. A puncture needle according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
An irradiation unit for irradiating the subject with the light of the predetermined wavelength;
A probe which receives the acoustic wave generated from the subject by irradiating the light of the predetermined wavelength by the irradiation unit, and outputs an electric signal;
A signal processing unit that forms image data based on the electrical signal output from the probe;
Even when the angle between the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle and the surface of the probe receiving the acoustic wave is perpendicular, the probe can receive the acoustic wave generated from the puncture needle. An object information acquisition apparatus that is

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