Examination apparatus for measuring oxygenation in body organs

• US 5,103,829 A
• Filed: 05/02/1988
• Issued: 04/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Hakamata, Naotoshi, Ozaki, Takeo, Yagi, Sumio, Suzuki, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hanley, John
• Application Number:
  US07/189,257
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 128/633, 128/634, 128/664, 128/665
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3151 using two sources of radiation of different wavelengths G01N21/33 - G01N21/39 take precedence

Abstract

An examination apparatus for measuring the oxygenation in body organs by the near infrared light transmission spectrophotometry. The invention relates to an improvement of an illumination-side fixture and a detection-side fixture. In order to hold optical fibers for introducing infrared light in their natural conditions, the fixtures are equipped with respective prisms for changing light paths by prescribed angles. Also, the fixtures are equipped with respective light-emitting diodes for indicating if the examination apparatus is in its operating condition.

Claims

1. An examination apparatus for measuring the oxygenation in an object with electromagnetic wave transmission spectrophotometry, comprising:

light source means for sequentially emitting electromagnetic waves with respective different wavelengths;

illumination-side fixture means for guiding the electromagnetic waves introduced from the light source means onto a measuring object;

detection-side fixture means for detecting electromagnetic waves transmitted from the measuring object and sending the transmitted electromagnetic waves to transmission light detection means;

transmission light detection means for detecting the transmitted electromagnetic waves introduced from the detection-side fixture means and outputting transmission light data to a computer system means; and

computer system means for controlling the light source means and the transmission light detection means and calculating the oxygenation in the measuring object;

wherein

the illumination-side fixture means is equipped with a first indication means for indicating if the electromagnetic waves are being emitted from the light source means; and

the detection-side fixture means is equipped with a second indication means for indicating if the transmission light detection means is in its operating condition; and

shapes and/or colors of the illumination-side fixture means and the detection-side fixture means are different from each other.

2. An examination apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second indication means are a first light-emitting diode and a second light-emitting diode, respectively.

3. An examination apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein colors of light rays emitted from the first and second light-emitting diodes are different from each other.