NONINVASIVE LIVING BODY MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND NONINVASIVE LIVING BODY MEASUREMENT METHOD

• US 20100130841A1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Kodera, Toshihiko, Numada, Shigehiro, Ozawa, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

An easily wearable noninvasive living body measurement apparatus is provided. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus (1) is composed of an apparatus body (3) and a wristband (40). The apparatus body (3) is composed of a body section (31) and a body section retention member (4). The body section (31) is retained by the wristband (40) via the body section retention member (4). By allowing the wristband (40) to be attached to a position in the vicinity of a wrist of a forearm of a human, the apparatus body (3) is attached to a human body. An imaging section (5) is retained at a position protruding outside from a width D of the wristband (40). This allows, when the wristband (40) is worn around the arm, the imaging section (5) to be located at a position at which the imaging by the imaging section (5) can be performed.

Claims

1. A noninvasive living body measurement apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body comprising a light source section for irradiating light to a living body and an imaging section for imaging the irradiated living body; and

a wearing section that is configured so as to be able to be worn around an arm of the subject and that retains the apparatus body,

wherein the apparatus body is retained by the wearing section so that, when the wearing section is worn around a predetermined position of the arm other than a wrist of the subject, the imaging section is placed over the wrist of the subject.

2. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the noninvasive living body measurement apparatus further comprises an analyzing section for analyzing an image obtained by the imaging section, for obtaining living body information, and

the analyzing section is accommodated in the apparatus body.

3. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the apparatus body comprises a first member retained by the wearing section and a second member that is movably retained by the first member and that accommodates the light source section and the imaging section.

4. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the imaging section comprises an objective lens, and

the second member is retained by the first member so as to be rotatable around an optical axis of the objective lens.

5. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the light source section comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements for irradiating a blood vessel existing at the palm-side of the wrist of the subject, and

the imaging section images a blood vessel irradiated by the light-emitting elements.

6. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the noninvasive living body measurement apparatus further comprises a display section having a display face, and

the display section is provided in the apparatus body so that the display face faces a direction opposite to a direction of the imaging by the imaging section.

7. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the first member further comprises a connection member, and

the second member is retained so as to be movable around the connection member.

8. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the first member comprises an opening through which a position on the wrist over which the imaging section is placed can be visually recognized, and

the first member and the second member are configured so that, when the first member is moved around the connection member, the light source section and the imaging section are accommodated in the opening.

9. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the living body information is a hemoglobin concentration.

10. The noninvasive living body measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the imaging section comprises an objective lens and is configured so as to be able to image, via the objective lens, a blood vessel existing at the palm-side of the wrist,

the light source section comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements for irradiating a blood vessel to be imaged by the imaging section, the light-emitting elements are placed to surround the optical axis of the objective lens, and

the apparatus body is configured so that the imaging section is movable with respect to the wearing section and the plurality of light-emitting elements and the imaging section are rotatable around the optical axis of the objective lens.

11. A noninvasive living body measurement method comprising:

a step of allocating, on a palm-side of the wrist of the subject, an imaging section of a apparatus body comprising a light source section for irradiating light to a living body and the imaging section for imaging the irradiated living body by wearing a wearing section around a predetermined position other than a wrist of an arm of a subject;

a step of irradiating the palm-side of the wrist by using the light source section;

a step of imaging the palm-side of the irradiated wrist by using the imaging section; and

a step of obtaining living-body information by analyzing an image obtained through the imaging step.

12. The noninvasive living body measurement method according to claim 11,

wherein the method further comprises a step of adjusting a position of the imaging section positioned at the palm-side of the wrist, and

wherein the position adjusting step comprises:

a step of moving the apparatus body so that the imaging section is placed over a blood vessel existing in the palm-side of the wrist, and

a step of rotating the apparatus body around an optical axis of the objective lens so that the light source section comprising a plurality of light-emitting elements provided along a circumference around the optical axis of the objective lens of the imaging section is located at a predetermined position to the blood vessel.

13. The noninvasive living body measurement method according to claim 11,

wherein the method further comprises a step of displaying living body information obtained through the obtaining step.

14. The noninvasive living body measurement method according to claim 11,

wherein the living body information is a hemoglobin concentration.