PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide technology for properly obtaining the speed of sound in an object, in an object information acquiring apparatus.SOLUTION: An object information acquiring apparatus includes: a holding unit which holds an object a probe which receives an acoustic wave generated in the object through the holding unit and converts the acoustic wave to an electrical signal a force measuring unit which measures a force applied to the object when the object is held by the holding unit a sound speed acquiring unit which determines a sound speed in the object by using the force measured by the measuring unit and a contact area between the object and the holding unit and a generating unit which generates object information data from the information about the sound speed determined by the sound speed acquiring unit and the electrical signal.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】被検体情報取得装置において、被検体内の音速を好適に求めるための技術を提供する。【解決手段】被検体情報取得装置は、被検体を保持する保持手段と、被検体から発せられた音響波を保持手段を介して受信し電気信号に変換する探触子と、被検体を保持手段が保持したときに被検体にかかる力を測定する力測定手段と、測定手段により測定された力と被検体と保持手段との接触面積とを用いて被検体内部の音速を求める音速取得手段と、音速取得手段が求めた音速の情報と電気信号とから被検体情報データを生成する生成手段と、を有する。【選択図】図1A
