PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a biological object information acquisition apparatus for increasing the intensity of photoacoustic signals and improving SNR without increasing the scale of the circuit board of the processing apparatus and without increasing the output of the light source.SOLUTION: A biological object information acquisition apparatus 6 comprises a light irradiator 1 having an irradiation end 3a for irradiating an object with light from a light source 4, an irradiation controller 6a for controlling the irradiation of the light toward the object, a probe 2 having a plurality of oscillators for outputting the electric signal by receiving acoustic waves emitted from the object with receiving the light irradiation, a receiver for receiving the electric signal from one part of oscillators equipped in the probe, and a probe controller for changing one part of the oscillators to the other oscillator outputting the electric signal received by the receiver. The irradiation controller controls the position to the object at the irradiation end so that the light irradiated from the irradiation end maintains the total light quantity irradiated from the light source while the light irradiation area to the object is smaller than the size of the probe and the irradiation area applies to one part of the probe position.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】処理装置の回路基板の大型化や光源の高出力化することなく光音響信号の強度を上げ、SNRを向上させること。【解決手段】光源4が発した光を被検体に向けて出射する出射端部3aとを備える光照射手段1と、出射された光の被検体への照射を制御する照射制御手段6aと、光の照射を受けて被検体が発する音響波を受信して電気信号を出力する複数振動子を備える探触子2と、探触子が備える複数の振動子の内の一部の振動子からの電気信号を受ける受信手段と、受信手段が受ける電気信号を出力する一部の振動子を他の一部の振動子に切り替える探触子制御手段とを有する生体情報取得装置6であって、照射制御手段は、照射端部から出射する光が光源が発した光の総光量を維持しつつ、被検体への該光の照射領域の大きさが前記探触子の大きさよりも小さく且つ該照射領域が一部の振動子の位置に該当するように、出射端部の被検体に対する位置を制御する。【選択図】図1
