Blood sugar level measuring apparatus

• US 20050192491A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Ok-Kyung, Ouchi, Katsumi, Mitsumaki, Hiroshi, Kim, Yoon-Ok
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/316
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/08 based upon measurement of temperature difference or of a temperature

Abstract

Blood sugar levels are measured non-invasively based on temperature measurement. Non-invasively measured blood sugar level values obtained by a temperature measurement scheme are corrected by blood oxygen saturation and blood flow volume, thereby stabilizing the measurement data. If the measured blood sugar level is larger than a warning value, a warning is issued.

Claims

1. A blood sugar level measuring apparatus comprising:

a heat amount measurement portion for measuring a plurality of temperatures derived from a body surface and obtaining information used for calculating the amount of heat transferred by convection and the amount of heat transferred by radiation, both related to the dissipation of heat from said body surface;

an oxygen level measuring portion for obtaining information about blood oxygen level;

a storage portion for storing a relationship between parameters corresponding to said plurality of temperatures and blood oxygen level and blood sugar levels;

a calculating portion which converts a plurality of measurement values fed from said heat amount measuring portion and said oxygen level measurement portion into said parameters, and computes a blood sugar level by applying said parameters to said relationship stored in said storage portion;

a display portion for displaying the blood sugar level calculated by said calculating portion; and

a warning control portion, wherein;

said oxygen level measurement portion includes a blood flow volume measurement portion for obtaining information about blood flow volume, and an optical measurement portion for obtaining hemoglobin concentration and hemoglobin oxygen saturation in blood, wherein said blood flow volume measurement portion includes;

a body-surface contact portion;

an adjacent temperature detector disposed adjacent to said body-surface contact portion;

an indirect temperature detector for detecting the concentration at a position spaced apart from said body-surface contact portion; and

a heat conducting member connecting said body-surface contact portion and said indirect temperature detector, and wherein;

said warning control portion causes said display portion to display a warning if the blood sugar level calculated by said calculating portion is larger than a warning blood sugar level.

2. The blood sugar level measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said warning value includes a warning value for a fasting blood sugar level and a warning value for nonfasting blood sugar level.

3. The blood sugar level measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said warning value is a fixed value.

4. The blood sugar level measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said warning value is variable.

5. A blood sugar level measuring apparatus comprising:

an ambient temperature measuring device for measuring ambient temperature;

a body-surface contact portion to which a body surface is brought into contact;

a radiant heat detector for measuring radiant heat from said body surface;

a heat conducting member disposed in contact with said body-surface contact portion;

an adjacent temperature detector disposed adjacent to said body-surface contact portion;

an indirect temperature detector disposed at a position that is adjacent to said heat conducting member and that is spaced apart from said body-surface contact portion, said indirect temperature detector measuring temperature at the position spaced apart from said body-surface contact portion;

a light source for irradiating said body-surface contact portion light with at least two different wavelengths;

a light detector for detecting reflected light produced as said light is reflected by said body surface;

a converter for converting outputs from said adjacent temperature detector, said indirect temperature detector, said ambient temperature detector, said radiant temperature detector and said light detector, into parameters;

a calculating portion in which a relationship between said parameters and blood sugar levels is stored in advance, and which calculates a blood sugar level by applying said parameters to said relationship;

a display for displaying the blood sugar level outputted from said calculating portion; and

a warning control portion, wherein;

said warning control portion causes said display portion to display a warning if the blood sugar level calculated by said calculating portion is larger than a warning blood sugar level.

6. The blood sugar level measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said warning value includes a warning value for fasting blood sugar level and a warning value for nonfasting blood sugar level.

7. The blood sugar level measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said warning value is a fixed value.

8. The blood sugar level measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said warning value is variable.

9. A blood sugar level measuring apparatus comprising:

an ambient temperature measuring device for measuring ambient temperature;

a body-surface contact portion to which a body surface is brought into contact;

a radiant heat detector for measuring radiant heat from said body surface;

a heat conducting member disposed in contact with said body-surface contact portion;

an adjacent temperature detector disposed adjacent to said body-surface contact portion;

an indirect temperature detector disposed at a position that is adjacent to said heat conducting member and that is spaced apart from said body-surface contact portion, said indirect temperature detector measuring temperature at the position spaced apart from said body-surface contact portion;

a storage portion where information about blood hemoglobin concentration and blood hemoglobin oxygen saturation is stored;

a converter for converting outputs from said adjacent temperature detector, said indirect temperature detector, said ambient temperature measuring device and said radiant heat detector, into a plurality of parameters;

a calculating portion in which a relationship between said parameters and blood sugar levels is stored, said calculating portion including a processing portion for calculating a blood sugar level by applying said parameters to said relationship;

a display for displaying the blood sugar level outputted from said calculating portion; and

a warning control portion, wherein;

said warning control portion causes said display portion to display a warning if the blood sugar level calculated by said calculating portion is larger than a warning blood sugar level.