PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoacoustic apparatus which is capable of making effective use of energy supplied by causing diffusion light radiated from a specimen to be reflected in a direction of the specimen, and a probe for receiving a photoacoustic wave.SOLUTION: The photoacoustic apparatus, which obtains information on the specimen by receiving photoacoustic waves which are generated from the specimen resulting from light irradiated to the specimen, includes: a light source for irradiating light to the specimen and an acoustic wave receiver provided with a receiving element, opposed to the specimen, for receiving the photoacoustic waves, an acoustic matching member located closer to the specimen side than the receiving element, and a light reflection member located closer to the specimen side than the acoustic matching member.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】被検体から出射した拡散光を被検体方向に反射させ、与えたエネルギーを有効活用できることが可能な光音響装置、及び、光音響波を受信するための探触子を提供する。【解決手段】被検体に照射された光に起因して該被検体から発生する光音響波を受信して、被検体の情報を得る光音響装置であって、前記被検体に光を照射する光源と、前記被検体に対向する、前記光音響波を受信する受信素子と該受信素子よりも前記被検体側に位置する音響整合部材と該音響整合部材よりも前記被検体側に位置する光反射部材とを備える構成とする。を有する。【選択図】 図1
