Optical sensor

• US 10,117,619 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Naoki, Ukawa, Teiji, Ito, Kazumasa, Takeuchi, Masahiro, Ueda, Yoshinori, Hagiwara, Hiroko
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US14/558,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20150157264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/045 Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0425 Ergonomically shaped housings A61B2560/0418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound

Abstract

An optical sensor includes: a light emitter; a light receiver; a rod-shaped grasping member in which one of the light emitter and the light receiver is disposed, and which is to be grasped by a hand of a subject; and a clamping member which is adapted to clamp a part of the hand of the subject with the grasping member, another one of the light emitter and the light receiver being disposed in the clamping member.

Claims

1. An optical sensor comprising:

a light emitter;

a light receiver;

a rod-shaped grasping member in which one of the light emitter and the light receiver is disposed, the rod-shaped grasping member including a curved circumferential surface configured to be grasped by a hand of a subject; and

a clamping member which is adapted to clamp a part of the hand of the subject between the clamping member and the rod-shaped grasping member, another one of the light emitter and the light receiver being disposed in the clamping member,

wherein the clamping member extends in a longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped grasping member, and

wherein the clamping member and the rod-shaped grasping member are arranged such that the part of the hand of the subject is insertable between the clamping member and the rod-shaped grasping member in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped grasping member.

2. The optical sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a scattering layer which is placed in an optical path of light emitted from the light emitter.

3. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter is disposed in one of the grasping member and the clamping member so that light emitted from the light emitter passes through a plurality of fingers of the subject when the plurality of fingers is placed between the grasping member and the clamping member.

4. The optical sensor according to claim 3, further comprising:

a light shielding member provided between the grasping member and the clamping member and adapted to be disposed between the plurality of fingers when the plurality of fingers is placed between the grasping member and the clamping member.

5. The optical sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a belt member, wherein one end of the belt member is fixed to one of the grasping member and the clamping member, and a part of the belt member is attachable to and detachable from the other of the grasping member and the clamping member.

6. The optical sensor according to claim 5, wherein the part of the belt member is variable.

7. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the grasping member has a shape of a rotating body.

8. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein a positional relationship between the light emitter and the light receiver is constant.

9. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the grasping member is flexible.

10. The optical sensor according to claim 9, wherein

the grasping member includes a first portion in which at least a thumb and index finger of the subject are to be placed, and a second portion in which at least one of the light emitter and the light receiver is disposed,

the first portion is higher in rigidity than the second portion, and

the second portion is higher in flexibility than the first portion.

11. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the grasping member includes a recess having a shape which is adapted to receive a part of a right hand of the subject.

12. The optical sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

an indicator guiding grasping by the right hand of the subject.

13. The optical sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor which is configured to detect a state change of at least a part of the grasping member, the change being due to a grasping pressure exerted by the subject.

14. The optical sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sound outputting section which is configured to output predetermined sound.

15. The optical sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communicating section which is configured to transmit a detection signal from the light receiver to an external apparatus and to receive a control signal for the light emitter from the external apparatus.

16. The optical sensor according to claim 15, further comprising:

a calculating section which is configured to perform a calculation process on the detection signal and the control signal.

17. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter and the light receiver are supported by a member having a light shielding property.