PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a measuring device and method attaining appropriate measurement to each measuring object to shorten a measuring time by suitably controlling a measuring mode based on determination of the presence/absence of the measuring object held by a shape maintaining member in a scanning region of a probe.SOLUTION: The measuring device for measuring the measuring object 1 held by the shape maintaining member 2 includes the probe 4, a storage part 10 and a determining means 11, and controls an measuring operation based on determination made by the determining means 11. The probe 4 has an electromechanical conversion device for receiving acoustic waves from the measuring object 1 held by the shape maintaining member 2, through the shape maintaining member and converting them into received signals, and scans along the surface of the shape maintaining member 2. The storage part 10 stores the received signals. The determining means 11 determines whether the probe 4 is scanning the surface region of the shape maintaining member 2 where the measuring object 1 exists, based on the received signals stored in the storage part 10.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】探触子の走査領域において形状維持部材で保持された測定対象の有無の判定に基づき適宜に測定態様の制御を行い、各測定対象に対して適切な測定を可能として測定時間の短縮を可能とした測定装置及び方法を提供する。【解決手段】形状維持部材2で保持された測定対象1を測定する測定装置は、探触子4と記憶部10と判定手段11を有し、判定手段11による判定に基づき、測定動作を制御する。探触子4は、形状維持部材2で保持された測定対象1からの音響波を前記形状維持部材を介して受信し受信信号に変換するための電気機械変換装置を有し、形状維持部材2の表面に沿って走査される。記憶部10は、前記受信信号を格納する。判定手段11は、記憶部10に格納された受信信号に基づき、探触子4が測定対象1の存在する形状維持部材2の表面領域を走査しているか否かを判定する。【選択図】図1
