Amusement system based on an optical instrumentation method for the living body

• US 20020095089A1
• Filed: 08/10/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Michiharu, Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi, Maki, Atsushi, Koizumi, Hideaki
• Application Number:
  US09/925,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095089A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue

Abstract

An amusement system is provided wherein a variation of light intensity transmitted through a living body which reflects a metabolite concentration or concentration variation in the living body reflecting a mental state or brain activity, is measured, and the measurement result is reflected in an object displayed on a screen. By bringing a light illumination device and light detector in contact with the skin of a subject, the intensity of the light propagated in the subject is detected, and the detection result is transmitted to an electronic calculator. The position, shape or color of the object displayed on the screen is made to vary according to the variation of this detected intensity. Thus, human thought can be measured and the state of the object on the screen controlled without using an existing input device such as a mouse, joystick or handle.

Claims

1. An amusement system using an optical instrumentation method for the living body comprising at least one light illumination device for irradiating the subject with light, at least one light detector which condenses the transmitted light irradiated by the light illumination device and propagated through the living body, a display unit provided with a screen which displays at least one object, and a computing part which controls the display unit based on a measurement signal related to the intensity of the transmitted light measured by said light detector, wherein a state comprising at least one of said objects displayed on said screen varies according to the intensity variation of the signal measured by said one or more light detectors.

2. An amusement system using a living body optical instrumentation method comprising at least one light illumination device for irradiating the subject with light, at least one light detector which condenses the transmitted light irradiated by the light illumination device and propagated through the living body, a computing part provided with a screen which displays at least one object, and a computing part which controls the display unit based on a measurement signal related to the intensity of the transmitted light measured by said light detector, wherein a state comprising at least one of said objects displayed on said screen varies according to the intensity variation of the signal measured by said one or more light detectors.

3. An amusement system using an optical instrumentation method for the living body comprising at least one light illumination device which irradiates plural living bodies with light via waveguides, at least one light detector which condenses the transmitted light irradiated by the light illumination device and propagated through the living body, a display unit provided with a screen which displays at least one object, and a computing part which controls the display unit based on a measurement signal related to the intensity of the transmitted light measured by the light detector, wherein a state comprising at least one of said objects displayed on said screen varies according to the intensity variation of the measured signal measured by said one or more light detectors.

4. An amusement system using an optical instrumentation method for the living body wherein the light illumination device, light detector, display unit and computing unit are built into the same information terminal, and parts of the light illumination device and light detector are connected to a probe of the information terminal.

5. An amusement system using an optical instrumentation method for the living body wherein the computing part has a function for storing the cumulative time and a reference illumination period for which light is irradiated by the light illumination device, and a speaker which emits a sound, and when the cumulative time during which light is irradiated by the light illumination device exceeds the reference illumination period, a command is issued to modify the arrangement on the display screen or a command is issued to modify the sound emitted by the speaker.

6. An amusement system using an optical instrumentation method for the living body wherein the computing part issues a command to modify the arrangement on the display screen or modify the sound emitted by the speaker when the intensity of the transmitted light exceeds a predetermined threshold value even if the cumulative time during which light is irradiated by the light illumination device is within said reference illumination period.