PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoacoustic apparatus for measuring an organism characteristics distribution in the depth part of an object, generating image data to easily understand relation with a blood vessel position, and also reducing the influence of a deviation at a measurement position.SOLUTION: A used photoacoustic apparatus includes: a light source capable of individually emitting light having a first wavelength at which absorption coefficients of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin are equal and light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength an acoustic detector that receives acoustic waves generated when the light having the first and second wavelengths is absorbed by an object, and converts the waves into electric signals an absorption coefficient distribution generator that determines absorption coefficient distributions of an object interior by using the electric signals a blood vessel position-determining unit that determines a blood vessel position from an absorption coefficient distribution corresponding to the first wavelength an organism characteristics distribution generator that determines an organism characteristics distribution from the absorption coefficient distributions of the first and second wavelengths and a trimming unit that trims the organism characteristics distribution in accordance with the determined blood vessel position.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】被検体の深部の生体特性分布を測定し、血管の位置との関係を理解しやすい画像データを生成するとともに、測定位置のずれの影響を減少させることが可能な光音響装置を提供する。【解決手段】オキシヘモグロビンとデオキシヘモグロビンの吸収係数が等しい第1の波長の光と、第1の波長と異なる第2の波長の光を個別に照射可能な光源と、第1および第2の波長の光のそれぞれについて、光が被検体に吸収されて発生する音響波を受信し電気信号に変換する音響検出器と、電気信号を用いて、被検体内部の吸収係数分布を求める吸収係数分布生成部と、第1の波長の吸収係数分布から血管位置を特定する血管位置特定部と、第1および第2の波長の光の吸収係数分布から生体特性分布を求める生体特性分布生成部と、特定された血管位置により生体特性分布をトリミングするトリミング部を有する光音響装置を用いる。【選択図】図1
