Living body measuring apparatus

• US 6,490,481 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Original Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Inventors: Komatsu, Yoshichika, Sasaki, Yoshitsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARMOR II, CHARLES ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/684,792
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 600/547, 600/372, 600/384, 600/546, 600/554, 177/25.12, 177/25.18, 177/245
• 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 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface

Abstract

A living body measuring apparatus includes a plurality of electrodes each of which is structured to make contact with a part of a living body; a current source connected to the electrodes; a voltage measuring unit connected to the electrodes; a control unit connected to the current source and the voltage measuring unit; and a display unit connected to the control unit. The control unit instructs the display unit to display the part of the living body to which an electric current is fed to the current source via the associated electrodes. The control unit further instructs the display unit to display the part of the living body of which voltage is measured by the voltage measuring unit on the associated electrodes.

Claims

1. A living body measuring apparatus comprising:

a plurality of electrodes each of which is structured to make contact with a part of a living body;

a current source connected to said electrodes;

a voltage measuring unit connected to said electrodes;

a control unit connected to said current source and said voltage measuring unit; and

a display unit connected to said control unit,

wherein said control unit is for instructing said display unit to display the part of the living body to which an electric current is fed by said current source via the associated electrodes.

2. A living body measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit for selecting which electrodes the electric current is fed to.

3. A living body measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is for changing the part of the body displayed on the display unit in response to the operation of said switching unit.

7. A living body measuring apparatus according to claim 1 or 4 wherein the parts of the living body that have already been measured, that are currently being measured, or that will be measured are displayed on the display unit with a solid line, a broken line or a point-dot-line.

8. A living body measuring apparatus according to claim 7 in which the parts of the living body that are currently being measured are displayed on the display unit with a broken line that moves one way.

9. A living body measuring apparatus according to claim 1 or 4 in which each part of the living body is displayed on the display unit in a rectangular block and the blocks corresponding to the parts that are currently being measured are displayed with a dark shading.

4. A living body measuring apparatus comprising:

a plurality of electrodes each of which is structured to make contact with a part of a living body;

a current source connected to said electrodes;

a voltage measuring unit connected to said electrodes;

a control unit connected to said current source and said voltage measuring unit; and

a display unit connected to said control unit,

wherein said control unit is for instructing said display unit to display the part of the living body of which voltage is measured by said voltage measuring unit on the associated electrodes.

5. A living body measuring apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a switching unit for selecting the electrodes on which the voltage is measured.

6. A living body measuring apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the control unit is for changing the part of the body displayed on the display unit in response to the operation of said switching unit.