Apparatus for evaluating biological function

• US 20050080323A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshinori Kato
• Original Assignee: Toshinori Kato
• Inventors: Kato, Toshinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,065,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for evaluating biological function that, in differentiating as far as possible information from the capillaries, which reflects tissue metabolism, from information from outside the tissue (for example, the arteries and veins), has high speed and accuracy enabling it to compensate for the low spatial resolution of conventional near infrared spectroscopy methods, and that furthermore does not merely monitor changes in oxygen concentration and the like, but makes it possible to easily and conveniently distinguish between capillary reactions, metabolic reactions and the like; its configuration is characterized in that it provides a light irradiation means for irradiating light to a specified site of a living body, a light detection means for detecting light exiting from the living body, a calculation means for determining the respective changes in concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin by performing calculations in near infrared spectroscopy with the intensity of the detected light as a parameter, and a display means for displaying information concerning the relative ratio “k” between both these data over time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for evaluating biological function comprising:

a light irradiation means for irradiating light to a specified site of a living body;

a light detection means for detecting light exiting from the living body;

a calculation means for determining respective changes in concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin by performing calculations in near infrared spectroscopy with the intensity of the detected light as a parameter; and

a display means for displaying information concerning the relative ratio “

k”

between both of said data over time.

2. An apparatus for evaluating biological function according to claim 1,

wherein said light detection means detects light exiting from the living body at a plurality of detection sites, and said calculation means is capable of determining respective changes in concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin for each detection site.

3. An apparatus for evaluating biological function according to claim 2, further comprising a decision means for identifying, by deciding whether the relative ratio “

k”

satisfies the condition of the equation below, detection sites for which the decision result is yes, and a selection means for invalidating, by means of input of information concerning said detection sites, detection sites for which the decision result is no.

4. An apparatus for evaluating biological function according to claim 1, wherein said display means displays two-dimensional diagrams plotted over time as information concerning the relative ratio “

k”

.