PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique that improves scanning efficiency when an acoustic wave probe scans a designated photographing region in photoacoustic photographing.SOLUTION: A subject-information acquisition device is configured to acquire the characteristics information of a subject by receiving acoustic waves propagating from the subject. The device includes: a probe a subject holding member a scanning means that moves the probe in a first direction and in a second direction along the holding member a region designating means that receives a designated region in the subject in which the characteristics information is acquired and an information processing means that at least determines the scanning trajectory to acquire the characteristics information in the designated region. The information processing means is configured to make one scanning trajectory that reduces the scanning time in a scanning region, as the scanning trajectory, from one of a scanning trajectory in a scanning region when the first direction is set as a main scanning direction and the second direction as a sub-scanning direction and a scanning trajectory in a scanning region when the second direction is set as the main scanning direction and the first direction as the sub-scanning direction. The subject-information acquisition device is used in the technique.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】光音響撮影において、撮影指定領域を音響波探触子が走査する際の走査効率を向上させる技術を提供する。【解決手段】被検体から伝播する音響波を受信して被検体の特性情報を取得する被検体情報取得装置であって、探触子と、被検体の保持部材と、探触子を保持部材に沿って第一の方向および第二の方向に移動させる走査手段と、被検体における特性情報を取得する指定領域を受け付ける領域指定手段と、指定領域の特性情報を取得するための走査軌道を少なくとも決定する情報処理手段とを有し、情報処理手段は、第一の方向を主走査方向として第二の方向を副走査方向とした場合の走査領域における走査軌道と、第二の方向を主走査方向として第一の方向を副走査方向とした場合の走査領域における走査軌道のうち、走査領域における走査時間が短くなるほうを走査軌道とする被検体情報取得装置を用いる。【選択図】図1
