Apparatus for measuring body fat

• US 20040077969A1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Tashiro, Kazuhiro, Fujinami, Susumu, Onda, Tomohiro, Katashima, Mitsuhiro, Nojima, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,869 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 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses

Abstract

An apparatus has a first electrode group (1) including at least one electrode and arranged on the abdominal surface of a subject (human) with the navel of the subject serving as a reference position, a second electrode group (2) including at least one electrode and arranged on the back surface of the subject, a third electrode group (3) including at least two electrodes and arranged on the surface of the subject at an intermediate position between the first and second electrode groups (1, 2), and a controller (8) to supply a current between an electrode selected from the first electrode group (1) and an electrode selected from the second electrode group (2), measure a voltage generated between two electrodes of the third electrode group (3), and compute an abdominal fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring body fat, comprising:

a first electrode group including at least an electrode and arranged on the abdominal surface of a subject with the navel of the subject serving as a reference position;

a second electrode group including at least an electrode and arranged on the back surface of the subject;

a third electrode group including at least two electrodes and arranged on the surface of the subject at an intermediate position between the first and second electrode groups;

a measuring unit to measure a voltage generated between predetermined two electrodes of the third electrode group, the voltage being generated in response to a current supplied between an electrode selected from the first electrode group and an electrode selected from the second electrode group; and

a computing unit to compute an abdominal fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

an input unit to enter a circumferential length of the abdominal part of the subject,

the computing unit computing an abdominal fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage and entered circumferential length.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second electrode group is positioned on the back surface of the subject relative to a spine of the subject.

4. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein:

the first, second, and third electrode groups are installed on a belt that is substantially inelastic; and

the distance between the first and third electrode groups is substantially equal to the distance between the third and second electrode groups.

5. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein:

the first, second, and third electrode groups are installed on a belt that is elastic; and

distances between the electrode groups are adjusted due to the elasticity of the belt.

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein:

the first, second, and third electrode groups are installed on a belt that is substantially inelastic; and

the belt has adjusters to adjust distances between the electrode groups.

7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising joints to connect the first and third electrode groups to each other and the second and third electrode groups to each other.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising attachments to attach the first, second, and third electrode groups to the surface of the subject.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the abdominal fat quantity is a visceral fat quantity.

10. An apparatus for measuring body fat, comprising:

a first electrode group including at least one electrode and arranged on the abdominal surface of a subject;

a second electrode group including at least one electrode and arranged on the back surface of the subject;

a third electrode group including at least two electrodes and arranged on the surface of the subject at an intermediate position between the first and second electrode groups;

a measuring unit to measure a voltage generated between predetermined two electrodes of the third electrode group, the voltage being generated in response to a current supplied between an electrode selected from the first electrode group and an electrode selected from the second electrode group;

an input unit to enter a circumferential length of the abdominal part of the subject, the sex of the subject, and the age of the subject if required; and

a computing unit to compute a visceral fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage and the entered circumferential length, sex, and age of the subject.

11. A belt for measuring body fat, comprising:

a navel marker to be aligned with the navel of a subject;

a first electrode group including at least an electrode and arranged on the abdominal surface of the subject with the navel marker being aligned with the navel of the subject;

a second electrode group including at least an electrode and arranged on the back surface of the subject; and

a third electrode group including at least two electrodes and arranged on the surface of the subject at an intermediate position between the first and second electrode groups.

12. The belt of claim 11, further comprising:

a current source circuit to supply a current between an electrode selected from the first electrode group and an electrode selected from the second electrode group;

a voltage measuring circuit to measure a voltage generated between predetermined two electrodes of the third electrode group; and

a computing circuit to compute an abdominal fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage.

13. The belt of claim 11, further comprising

an input unit to enter a circumferential length of the abdominal part of the subject,

the computing circuit computing an abdominal fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage and entered circumferential length.

14. The belt of claim 12, further comprising

a transmit/receive circuit to communicate with a control unit separated from the belt, the transmit/receive circuit transmitting information related to the computed fat quantity and receiving information related to voltage measurement.

15. An apparatus for measuring body fat, comprising:

a first electrode group including at least an electrode and arranged on the abdominal surface of a subject with the navel of the subject serving as a reference position;

a second electrode group including at least three electrodes and arranged on the back surface of the subject;

a measuring unit to supply a current between two electrodes selected from the second electrode group and measure a voltage generated between an electrode selected from the first electrode group and an electrode selected from the second electrode group; and

a computing unit to compute an abdominal fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising

an input unit to enter a circumferential length of the abdominal part of the subject,

the computing unit computing an abdominal fat quantity according to the measured voltage and entered circumferential length.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second electrode group is positioned on the back surface of the subject relative to a spine of the subject.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a joint to connect the first and second electrode groups to each other.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising attachments to attach the electrodes of the first and second electrode groups to the surface of the subject.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the abdominal fat quantity is a visceral fat quantity or a subcutaneous fat quantity.

21. An apparatus for measuring body fat, comprising:

a first electrode group including at least an electrode and arranged on the abdominal surface of the subject;

a second electrode group including at least three electrodes and arranged on the back surface of the subject;

a measuring unit to supply a current between two electrodes selected from the second electrode group and measure a voltage generated between an electrode selected from the first electrode group and an electrode selected from the second electrode group;

an input unit to enter a circumferential length of the abdominal part of the subject, the sex of the subject, and the age of the subject if required; and

a computing unit to compute a visceral fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage and the entered circumferential length, sex, and age of the subject.

22. An apparatus for measuring body fat, comprising:

two current supply electrodes arranged on the circumferential surface of a subject with the distance between the electrodes being sufficiently shorter than a circumferential length of the subject;

a first measuring electrode arranged on the subject in the vicinity of one of the current supply electrodes;

a second measuring electrode arranged on the subject substantially opposite to the current supply electrodes across the subject;

a voltage measuring unit to supply a current between the current supply electrodes and measure a voltage generated between the first and second measuring electrodes; and

a computing unit to compute a visceral fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage and a characteristic quantity representing the size of the subject.

23. An apparatus for measuring body fat, comprising:

two current supply electrodes arranged on the circumferential surface of a subject with the distance between the electrodes being sufficiently shorter than a circumferential length of the subject;

two measuring electrodes each arranged on the subject in the vicinities of the current supply electrodes;

a voltage measuring unit to supply a current between the current supply electrodes and measure a voltage generated between the measuring electrodes; and

a computing unit to compute a visceral fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage and a characteristic quantity representing the size of the subject.

24. An apparatus for measuring body fat, comprising:

two current supply electrodes arranged on the circumferential surface of a subject substantially opposite to each other across the subject;

two measuring electrodes arranged in the vicinity of one of the current supply electrodes with the distance between the measuring electrodes being sufficiently shorter than a circumferential length of the subject;

a measuring unit to supply a current between the current supply electrodes and measure a voltage generated between the measuring electrodes; and

a computing unit to compute a visceral fat quantity of the subject according to the measured voltage and a characteristic quantity representing the size of the subject.