BIOPHOTONIC MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND BIOPHOTONIC MEASUREMENT METHOD USING SAME

• US 20160278643A1
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: KIGUCHI, Masashi, FUNANE, Tsukasa
• Application Number:
  US15/032,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20160278643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7214 using signal cancellation, e.g. based on input of two identical physiological sensors spaced apart, or based on two signals derived from the same sensor, for different optical wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B

Abstract

Signals derived from the brain or cerebral cortex are extracted by separating and removing influence of the skin blood flow included in NIRS signals. Provided is a biophotonic measurement apparatus to separate signals simultaneously measured with a plurality of irradiator-detector distances (SD distances) into brain blood flow-derived signals and skin blood flow-derived signals using SD distance dependency of signal amplitudes.

Claims

1. A biophotonic measurement apparatus, comprising:

one or more light irradiation means configured to irradiate a subject with light;

one or more light detection means configured to detect, at a detection point on/over the subject, the light emitted to an irradiation point on/over the subject from the one or more light irradiation means and propagated within the subject;

a control unit configured to control the one or more light irradiation means and the one or more light detection means;

an analysis unit configured to analyze a signal obtained by the one or more light detection means; and

a display unit configured to display an analysis result from the analysis unit,

wherein each of the light irradiation means and light detection means is arranged on/over the subject such that at least two types of SD distances are provided where the SD distance is defined as a distance between the irradiation point and detection point on/over the subject and that the SD distance is larger than approximately 10 mm, and

the analysis unit calculates, from a plurality of measurement signals measured in association as signals at certain measurement time with a combination of the light irradiation means and light detection means, at least one of a skin blood flow-derived signal and a brain blood flow-derived signal associated with the measurement time using SD distance dependency of the measurement signals.

2. The biophotonic measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a time waveform, an intensity distribution diagram, or the both of at least one of the skin blood flow-derived signals and the brain blood flow-derived signals is displayed during measurement.

3. The biophotonic measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a time waveform, an intensity distribution diagram, or the both of at least one of a skin contribution ratio and a brain contribution ratio is displayed during measurement.

4. The biophotonic measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein an alert is output when the skin contribution ratio exceeds a preset threshold value or the brain contribution ratio is less than a preset threshold value.

5. The biophotonic measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more light detection means detects signals of at least two types from the plurality of light irradiation means at different timings.

6. A biophotonic measurement method using a biophotonic measurement apparatus comprising one or more light irradiation means configured to irradiate a subject with light, one or more light detection means configured to detect, at a detection point on/over the subject, the light emitted to an irradiation point on/over the subject from the one or more light irradiation means and propagated within the subject, a control unit configured to control the one or more light irradiation means and the one or more light detection means, and an analysis unit configured to analyze a signal obtained by the one or more light detection means, the method comprising the step of:

arranging each of the light irradiation means and light detection means on/over the subject such that at least two types of SD distances are provided where the SD distance is defined as a distance between the irradiation point and detection point on/over the subject and that the SD distance is larger than approximately 10 mm; and

calculating, from a plurality of measurement signals measured in association as signals at certain measurement time with a combination of the light irradiation means and light detection means, a skin blood flow-derived signal and a brain blood flow-derived signal associated with the measurement time using SD distance dependency of the measurement signals.