BODY MONITORING DEVICE, BODY DATA ACQUIRING METHOD AND METHOD OF DETERMINING THE PRESENCE, LOCATION AND/OR STAGE OF A WOUND

• US 20090163819A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Vab Der Mark, Martinus Bernardus, Van Pieterson, Liesbeth, De Kok, Margreet
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00061 spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0242 for varying or adjusting the optical path length in the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/444 Evaluating skin marks, e.g. mole, nevi, tumour, scar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0653 Organic light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0662 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning

Abstract

Body monitoring device, having a surface and configured to be applied to and/or near the body, comprising at least one light source and at least one photo detector, wherein the at least one light source emits light in at least a direction away from said surface and wherein the at least one photo detector is configured to detect light that is emitted by the at least one light source and reflected by the body in a direction towards said surface.

Claims

1. Body monitoring device, having a surface and configured to be applied to and/or near the body, comprising at least one light source and at least one photo detector, wherein the at least one light source emits light in at least a direction away from said surface and wherein the at least one photo detector is configured to detect light that is emitted by the at least one light source and reflected by the body in a direction towards said surface, wherein the body monitoring device is at least partly flexible and in use substantially extending along the curves of the monitored body part, wherein the body monitoring device has a lateral direction parallel to said surface and has a thickness perpendicular to said lateral direction, wherein the thickness is less than approximately 7 millimeters.

2. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, which is configured to apply phototherapy.

3. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is configured to emit light at multiple wavelength ranges.

4. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photo detector is configured to detect light of multiple wavelength ranges that correspond to multiple depths and/or parts of the body.

5. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is configured to be fine-tuned to a wavelength range between a lowest and highest value.

6. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photo detector is positioned in the same plane as the at least one light source and/or in a parallel plane thereof.

8. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises a LED (light emitting diode) and/or OLED (organic light emitting diode).

9. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, comprising a control system which is configured to process the detected signals and adjust the light source automatically.

10. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein a single light source is configured to emit light in multiple wavelength ranges.

11. Body monitoring device according to claim 1, which has a lateral direction parallel to said surface and a thickness perpendicular to said lateral direction, wherein the thickness is less than approximately 5 mm.

7. (canceled)

12. Body data acquiring method using a body monitoring device that has a surface and configured to be applied near the body, the body monitoring device including at least one light source and at least one photo detector, wherein the at least one light source emits light in at least a direction away from said surface and wherein the at least one photo detector is configured to detect light that is emitted by the at least one light source and reflected by the body in a direction towards said surface, wherein the body monitoring device is at least partly flexible and in use substantially extending along the curves of the monitored body part, wherein the body monitoring device has a lateral direction parallel to said surface and has a thickness perpendicular to said lateral direction, wherein the thickness is less than approximately 7 millimeters.

13. Body data acquiring method according to claim 12, wherein said light is also used as means for phototherapy.

14. Body data acquiring method according to claim 12, wherein said signals are processed to be automatically and/or manually compared to predetermined data.

15. Body data acquiring method according to claim 14, wherein the wavelength range is adjusted in accordance with the predetermined data.

16. Body data acquiring method according to claim 12, wherein light is emitted from near said body part, preferably from less than 10 mm distance, more preferably less than 5 mm.

17. Body data acquiring method according to claim 12, wherein said light is emitted by and/or to an agent on and/or in the body part.

18. Body data acquiring method according to claim 12, wherein the emitted, scattered and/or reflected light travels in a somewhat curved path, preferably according to a banana shaped profile, through the body part from a light source to a photo detector.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. Computer program, embedded in a computer readable medium, when executed by a programmable controller carries out acts, comprising:

using a body monitoring device that has a surface and configured to be applied near the body, the body monitoring device including at least one light source and at least one photo detector, wherein the at least one light source emits light in at least a direction away from said surface and wherein the at least one photo detector is configured to detect light that is emitted by the at least one light source and reflected by the body in a direction towards said surface, wherein the body monitoring device is at least partly flexible and in use substantially extending along the curves of the monitored body part, wherein the body monitoring device has a lateral direction parallel to said surface and has a thickness perpendicular to said lateral direction, wherein the thickness is less than approximately 7 millimeters.