BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ACQUISITION DEVICE AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ACQUISITION METHOD

• US 20170215778A1
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TOYA, Takashi, FUJITA, Tetsuji, KOIDE, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 10,357,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• 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: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

A biological information acquisition device includes: a light emitting unit which casts light on a living body; a plurality of light receiving units which receives the light transmitted through the living body; and a control unit which controls the light emitting unit and the light receiving units. The control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light as a measurement light emitting unit, causes a plurality of measurement light receiving units spaced apart from the measurement light emitting unit by a first distance, of the plurality of light receiving units, to receive the light cast from measurement light emitting unit and thus acquires a plurality of light receiving results, and acquires biological information using a first light receiving result with a highest light reception intensity and a second light receiving result with a lowest light reception intensity, of the plurality of light receiving results.

Claims

1. A biological information acquisition device comprising:

a light emitting unit which casts light on a living body;

a plurality of light receiving units which receives the light transmitted through the living body; and

a control unit which controls the light emitting unit and the light receiving units;

wherein the control unit

causes the light emitting unit to emit light as a measurement light emitting unit, causes a plurality of measurement light receiving units spaced apart from the measurement light emitting unit by a first distance, of the plurality of light receiving units, to receive the light cast from the measurement light emitting unit and thus acquires a plurality of light receiving results, and

acquires biological information using a first light receiving result with a highest light reception intensity and a second light receiving result with a lowest light reception intensity, of the plurality of light receiving results.

2. The biological information acquisition device according to claim 1, comprising

a plurality of the light emitting units,

wherein the control unit

specifies a position of a blood vessel in the living body by causing at least one of the plurality of light emitting units to emit light, and

selects a light emitting unit spaced apart from the blood vessel by a second distance, of the plurality of light emitting units, as the measurement light emitting unit.

3. The biological information acquisition device according to claim 1, comprising

a sensor module having a plurality of light emitting elements and a plurality of light receiving elements, each being arrayed regularly, in a light emitting/receiving area,

wherein the control unit selects a light emitting area having a predetermined shape and size, as a part of the light emitting/receiving area, and causes a plurality of light emitting elements in the light emitting area to emit light as the measurement light emitting unit.

4. The biological information acquisition device according to claim 1, comprising

a sensor module having a plurality of light emitting elements and a plurality of light receiving elements, each being arrayed regularly, in a light emitting/receiving area,

wherein the control unit selects a light receiving area having a predetermined shape and size, as a part of the light emitting/receiving area, and causes a plurality of light receiving elements in the light receiving area to receive light as the light receiving unit.

5. The biological information acquisition device according to claim 4, wherein

the control unit selects the plurality of measurement light receiving units in such a way that light receiving areas of the measurement light receiving units adjacent to each other partly overlap with each other.

6. The biological information acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein

the biological information includes glucose concentration in the blood of the living body.

7. The biological information acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein

the biological information includes oxygen saturation level in the blood of the living body.

8. A biological information acquisition method for acquiring biological information by a biological information acquisition device including alight emitting unit which casts light on a living body and a plurality of light receiving units which receives the light transmitted through the living body, the method comprising:

causing the light emitting unit to emit light as a measurement light emitting unit, causing a plurality of measurement light receiving units spaced apart from the measurement light emitting unit by a first distance, of the plurality of light receiving units, to receive the light cast from the measurement light emitting unit, and thus acquiring a plurality of light receiving results; and

acquiring biological information using a first light receiving result with a highest light reception intensity and a second light receiving result with a lowest light reception intensity, of the plurality of light receiving results.