BIOLOGICAL OPTICAL MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT AND OPERATION METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20130211218A1
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hiromichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,259,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/328
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0437 Trolley or cart-type apparatus
• 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 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3133 with selection of wavelengths before the sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3144 for oxymetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3155 Measuring in two spectral ranges, e.g. UV and visible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light

Abstract

A biological optical measurement instrument includes a single temperature sensor that detects a radiation temperature from a plurality of light emitting elements that emit light of a predetermined wavelength, and an absorption coefficient correcting unit that corrects an absorption coefficient value of a notable substance inside the object on the basis of the radiation temperature detected by the temperature sensor, referring to data indicating a correspondence relationship between a temperature obtained in advance for each emitted light of the plurality of light emitting elements and an absorption coefficient value that varies according to the temperature.

Claims

1. A biological optical measurement instrument comprising:

a plurality of light emitting elements that emit light of a predetermined wavelength;

a light propagating unit that guides the light of the plurality of light emitting elements to an object for irradiation;

an optical measurement unit that measures a transmitted light intensity in a plurality of measurement points of the object;

a calculating unit that calculates, using measured data from the optical measurement unit and an absorption coefficient value of a notable substance inside the object, information about the notable substance;

a single temperature sensor that detects a radiation temperature from the plurality of light emitting elements; and

an absorption coefficient correcting unit that corrects the absorption coefficient value on the basis of the radiation temperature detected by the temperature sensor, referring to data indicating a correspondence relationship between a temperature obtained in advance for each emitted light of the plurality of light emitting elements and the absorption coefficient value that varies according to the temperature.

2. The biological optical measurement instrument according to claim 1,

wherein the data indicating the correspondence relationship includes first data indicating a correspondence relationship between the temperature and a temperature of each of the plurality of light emitting elements, second data indicating a correspondence relationship between the temperature and an oscillation wavelength with respect to each of the plurality of light emitting elements, and third data indicating a correspondence relationship between an irradiated wavelength to the notable substance and the absorption coefficient value.

3. The biological optical measurement instrument according to claim 2,

wherein the absorption coefficient correcting unit calculates each temperature of the plurality of light emitting elements from the radiation temperature detected by the temperature sensor, calculates each oscillation wavelength corresponding to the temperatures of the plurality of light emitting elements, and calculates the absorption coefficient value from the calculated oscillation wavelength for each light emitting element, sequentially referring to the first, second and third data.

4. The biological optical measurement instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm generating unit that generates an alarm in a case where a parameter varies more greatly than a predetermined variation width in the midst of measurement of the transmitted light intensity by the optical measurement unit.

5. The biological optical measurement instrument according to claim 4,

wherein the parameter is the radiation temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

6. The biological optical measurement instrument according to claim 4,

wherein the parameter is the absorption coefficient value.

7. The biological optical measurement instrument according to claim 2, further comprising:

an alarm generating unit that generates an alarm in a case where any one of the oscillation wavelengths of the plurality of light emitting elements varies more greatly than a predetermined variation width in the midst of measurement of the transmitted light intensity by the optical measurement unit.

8. The biological optical measurement instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical output adjusting unit that adjusts an optical output of the plurality of light emitting elements so that the intensity of the light with which the object is irradiated by the light propagating unit becomes a predetermined intensity; and

a second light absorption coefficient correcting unit that corrects the absorption coefficient value corresponding to each of the plurality of light emitting elements according to the optical output,

wherein the second light absorption coefficient correcting unit calculates the absorption coefficient value corresponding to the optical output for each of the plurality of light emitting elements, referring to data indicating a correspondence relationship between an optical output calculated in advance for each of the plurality of light emitting elements and the absorption coefficient value that varies according to a wavelength variation due to an optical output change in the light emitting elements.

9. An operation method of a biological optical measurement instrument, comprising:

a process of irradiating an object with light of a predetermined wavelength from a plurality of light emitting elements;

a process of measuring a transmitted light intensity in a plurality of measurement points of the object; and

a process of calculating, using obtained measured data and an absorption coefficient value of a notable substance inside the object, information about the notable substance,

wherein in the calculating process, the absorption coefficient value corresponding to a temperature measured when the measured data is obtained for each of the plurality of light emitting elements is corrected, referring to data indicating a correspondence relationship between a temperature obtained in advance for each of the plurality of light emitting elements and the absorption coefficient value that varies according to the temperature of the light emitting elements, and the information about the notable substance is calculated using the corrected light absorption coefficient value.

10. The operation method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a process of adjusting the optical output of the light emitting elements so that the intensity of the light with which the object is irradiated becomes a predetermined value,

wherein in a case where the optical output is adjusted, the absorption coefficient value corresponding to the optical output is corrected for each of the plurality of light emitting elements, referring to data indicating a correspondence relationship between an optical output calculated in advance for each of the plurality of light emitting elements and the absorption coefficient value that varies according to a wavelength variation due to an optical output change of the light emitting elements.