METHOD AND UNIT FOR DETERMINING BODY COMPOSITION PARAMETERS WITH THE AID OF BIOIMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT

• US 20130345592A1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seca Ag (seca GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Seca Ag (seca GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Leuner, Rudiger, Bosy-Westphal, Anja
• Application Number:
  US13/627,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for determining a body composition parameter by applying a bioimpedance measurement on a subject, the overall body size and an impedance value of the body of the subject entering into the calculation of the body composition parameter. It is provided that when calculating the body composition parameter a term is additionally entered which constitutes a product of a previously determined coefficient and of a ratio of measured impedance values of different body segments of the subject. During the calculation of the ratio of impedance values of different body segments the ratio of the real parts of the impedances preferably takes the form of

$x_{R\mathrm{Trunk}/\mathrm{Extremities}}=\frac{R_{\mathrm{Trunk}}}{\left(R_{\mathrm{Right}\mathrm{arm}}+R_{\mathrm{Left}\mathrm{arm}}+R_{\mathrm{Right}\mathrm{leg}}+R_{\mathrm{Left}\mathrm{leg}}\right)/4}.$

Claims

1. A method for determining a body composition parameter by applying a bioimpedance measurement on a subject, wherein the subject'"'"'s body includes different body segments and presents an overall body size and a body impedance value, said method comprising the steps of:

using the overall body size and the body impedance value in calculating a body composition parameter, and

when calculating the body composition parameter, entering a term in the calculation which constitutes the product of a predetermined coefficient and of a ratio of measured impedance values of different body segments of the subject.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

said body segments including a trunk and a body extremity,

during the calculation of the ratio of impedance values of different body segments, forming the ratio from the impedance value of the trunk and the impedance value of a body extremity.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,

said body segments including a trunk and a plurality of body extremities,

during the calculation of the ratio of impedance values of different body segments, forming the ratio from the impedance value of the trunk and the sum of the impedance values of at least two body extremities.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3,

during the calculation of the ratio of impedance values of different body segments, forming the ratio from the impedance value of the trunk and the sum of the impedance values of all body extremities.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4,

during the calculation of the ratio of impedance values of different body segments, the ratio of the real parts of the impedances takes the form of

6. The method as claimed in claim 4,

during the calculation of the ratio of impedance values of different body segments, the ratio of the imaginary parts of the impedances takes the form of

7. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the impedance values are measured at a frequency of 50 kHz.

8. A bioimpedance measurement unit comprising:

a plurality of electrodes for making contact with a subject having a body including different body segments and presenting an overall body size and a body impedance value; and

a control and evaluation unit,

said control and evaluation unit being configured to inject alternating current via a plurality of said electrodes and to measure resulting voltages via others of said electrodes, in order to determine the impedances of the body and individual body segments therefrom,

wherein the control and evaluation unit is further configured to determine a body composition parameter, wherein a term is entered which constitutes the product of a predetermined coefficient and of a ratio of measured impedance values of different body segments of the subject, and the overall body size and the body impedance value are used in the calculation of the body composition parameter.