Apparatus for detemining degree of restoration of diseased part

• US 20010007924A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 07/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Original Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Inventors: Kamada, Mitsugu, Fukuda, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 6,496,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part, comprising: two pairs of electrodes; an electric current source; a voltage measuring unit; and an arithmetic unit. According to the present invention said two pairs of electrodes are contacted with a skin in the surrounding area of the diseased part, and said electric current source feeds a measuring current via selected ones of said electrodes. Furthermore said voltage measuring unit measures a voltage between another selected ones of said electrodes, and said arithmetic unit calculates a parameter representing a degree of restoration of the diseased part based on the measurement data from said voltage measuring unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part, comprising:

two pairs of electrodes;

an electric current source;

a voltage measuring unit; and

an arithmetic unit;

whereby said two pairs of electrodes are contacted with a skin in the surrounding area of the diseased part, said electric current source feeds a measuring current via selected ones of said electrodes, said voltage measuring unit measures a voltage between another selected ones of said electrodes, and said arithmetic unit calculates a parameter representing a degree of restoration of the diseased part based on the measurement data from said voltage measuring unit.

2. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according to

claim 1

in which said electrodes of the two electrode pairs are placed on a line at such interval that the diseased part is positioned therebetween.

3. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according to

claim 1

or

2

in which it further comprises a display unit and in which said display unit indicates the parameter produced by said arithmetic unit.

4. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according to

claim 3

in which it further comprises a storage unit and a comparison unit and in which said storage unit stores the parameter produced by said arithmetic unit, and said comparison unit compares the parameter representing the current measurement data with the parameter representing the previous measurement data stored in said storage unit or the predetermined reference and outputs the result of comparison, which is then displayed on said display unit.

5. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according to any one of

claims 1

to

4

in which said parameter includes a bioelectrical impedance.

6. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according to any one of

claims 1

to

4

in which said parameter includes an information on a swell in the surrounding area of the diseased part.

7. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according to any one of

claims 1

to

4

in which said parameter includes an information on an amount of muscle in the surrounding area of the diseased part.

8. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according to any one of

claims 1

to

4

in which said parameter includes a ratio of intra-cellular water to extra-cellular water.

9. An apparatus for determining a degree of restoration of a diseased part according

claim 1

or

4

in which said current source selectively feeds the measuring current having any one of a plurality of frequencies.