Non-invasive blood analyzer

• US 5,934,278 A
• Filed: 05/16/1995
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ken Ishihara, Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toa Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Maekawa, Yasunori, Ishihara, Ken, Asano, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US08/442,654
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 128/664, 128/665, 128/633, 128/637, 356/39, 356/40, 356/433, 356/239
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/147 the analysis being performed on a sample stream

Abstract

A non-invasive blood analyzer includes a light applying device for applying light to a detection region including a blood vessel in a living body and a capturing device for capturing an image of the detection region to which the light is applied. Finally, an analyzing device is included for further processing the captured image to analyze blood cells in the blood vessel included in the detection region. Preferably, the analyzing device includes a reference image forming device for forming a reference image by using at least one of a plurality of images which the capturing device repeatedly captures with respect to the same detection region. In addition, it includes a differential image forming device for calculating a difference in pixel information between the reference image and one of the plurality of images to form a differential image by using the calculated difference as pixel information. Finally, a blood cell image detecting device is included for detecting a blood cell image from the differential image.

Claims

1. A non-invasive blood analyzer comprising:

light applying means for applying light to a detection region including a blood vessel in a living body;

capturing means for capturing an image of the detection region to which the light is applied; and

analyzing means for processing the captured image to analyze blood cells in the blood vessel included in the detection region,

the analyzing means including,

reference image forming means for calculating an average of pixel information of at least two of a plurality of images captured by the capturing means in the same detection region, and for forming a reference image from the calculated average pixel information,

differential image forming means for calculating a difference in pixel information between the reference image and another one of the plurality of captured images and for forming a differential image from the calculated difference in pixel information, and

blood cell image detecting means for detecting a blood cell image from the differential image.

2. A non-invasive blood analyzer according to claim 1 wherein the analyzing means further includes binary code processing means for binary coding the differential image.

3. A non-invasive blood analyzer according to claim 1 wherein the analyzing means further includes means for comparing the detected blood cell image with the reference image to recognize the blood cell.

4. A non-invasive blood analyzer according to claim 1 wherein the blood cell detecting device detects a white blood cell image.

5. The non-invasive blood analyzer of claim 1, wherein the detection region of the living body is untainted.

6. The non-invasive blood analyzer of claim 1, wherein no image-enhancing substance is applied to the living body prior to applying light to the detection region.

7. The non-invasive blood analyzer of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing, containing at least the light applying means and capturing means, for contacting the living body through a transparent plate.

8. A non-invasive blood analyzer comprising:

light applying means for applying light to a detection region including a blood vessel in a living body;

capturing means for capturing an image of the detection region to which the light is applied; and

analyzing means for processing the captured image to analyze blood cells in the blood vessel included in the detection region, analyzing means including,

reference image forming means for forming a reference image of at least one of a plurality of images captured by the capturing means in the detection region,

differential image forming means for calculating a difference in pixel information between the reference image and another one of the plurality of captured images and for forming a differential image from the calculated difference in pixel information,

blood cell image detecting means for detecting a blood cell image from the differential image,

means for calculating a number of blood cells detected and a travel distance of at least one blood cell based on a plurality of blood cell images detected by the blood cell image detecting means,

means for calculating a travel speed of the at least one blood cell from the calculated travel distance and image capturing cycle, and

means for calculating a number of blood cells per unit volume based on the number of blood cells detected and the calculated travel speed of the at least one blood cell.

9. A method for non-invasively analyzing blood comprising the steps of:

applying light to a detection region including a blood vessel in a living body;

capturing an image of the detection region to which the light is applied;

forming a reference image by using a calculated average of pixel information of at least two of a plurality of images captured in the same detection region;

calculating a difference in pixel information between the reference image and another one of the plurality of captured images to form a differential image from the calculated difference in pixel information; and

detecting a blood cell image from the differential image to analyze the blood cell.

10. The method for analyzing blood of claim 9, further comprising the step of comparing the detected blood cell with the reference image to recognize the blood cell.

11. A non-invasive blood analyzer comprising:

light applying means for applying light to a detection region including a blood vessel in a living body;

capturing means for capturing an image of the detection region to which the light is applied; and

analyzing means for processing the captured image to analyze blood cells in the blood vessel included in the detection region, the analyzing means including,

reference image forming means for forming a reference image of at least one of a plurality of images captured by the capturing means in the detection region,

differential image forming means for calculating a difference in pixel information between the reference image and another one of the plurality of captured images and for forming a differential image from the calculated difference as in pixel information, and

blood cell image detecting means for detecting a blood cell image from the differential image, wherein the non-invasive blood analyzer further comprises a transparent plate; and

a housing, containing at least the light applying means and the capturing means, for contacting the living body through the transparent plate.