Optical measurement equipment and recording medium and optical measurement method

• US 6,542,763 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Yuichi, Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi, Maki, Atsushi, Koizumi, Hideaki, Kawaguchi, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kremer, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US09/697,327
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 600/309-310, 600/322-324, 600/373-478, 600/344, 356/39-42
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0042 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue

Abstract

In a system for performing imaging measurement of a test object by mounting many optical fibers to the test object, incident positions of the test object on which to illuminate light, detection positions of the test object from which to detect light and measurement positions which are determined from a positional relationship between the incident positions and the detection positions are displayed as graphic elements on a display unit. A state of detection signal level or a change in the state is displayed as a change in color or in pattern of the graphic element. Further, incident optical fibers for illuminating light to the test object and detection optical fibers for detecting light from the test object are mounted to the test object, and light emitting elements are mounted to probes to be mounted to the test object and interlocked with the change of the graphic elements.

Claims

1. An optical measurement system for measuring an inside of a test object by illuminating light having a wavelength within a range from visual light to infrared light onto a plurality of incident positions on the test object and detecting the light passed through the inside of the test object at plurality of detection positions, which comprises a display unit which displays graphical elements respectively indicating the incident positions, the detection positions and measurement positions, each of the measurement positions being determined by a spatial arrangement of each of a pair of one of the incident positions and one of said detection positions,

wherein positions of the graphical elements on a displayed image are indicative of a relative positional relationship among the incident positions, the detection positions and the measurement positions, and

at least one of a color and a pattern of each of the graphical elements is changed according to a state of a detection signal or a change of the state.

2. An optical measurement system according to claim 1, wherein in the display unit, the shape of the test object, and information expressing coordinates of the incident positions and the detection positions and the measurement positions in the test object by numerical values are displayed.

3. An optical measurement system for measuring an inside of a test object by illuminating light having a wavelength within a range from visual light to infrared light onto a plurality of incident positions on the test object and detecting the light passed through the inside of the test object at plurality of detection positions, wherein in regard to the incident positions of the light to the test object and the detection positions of the light from the test object and measurement positions determined by spatial arrangement between the incident positions and the detection positions,

a relative positional relationship among the positions is displayed;

and

when any one position of the displayed incident positions and the displayed detection positions is specified, an optical fiber set at the corresponding position among incident optical fibers to the test object or detection optical fibers from the test object is identified.

4. An optical measurement system for measuring an inside of a test object by illuminating light having a wavelength within a range from visual light to infrared light onto a plurality of incident positions on the test object and detecting the light passed through the inside of the test object at plurality of detection positions, wherein in regard to the incident positions of the light to the test object and the detection positions of the light from the test object and measurement positions determined by spatial arrangement between the incident positions and the detection positions,

a relative positional relationship among the positions and a state of detection signals or a change in the state are displayed, and

when any one position of the displayed incident positions and the displayed detection positions is specified, an optical fiber set at the corresponding position among incident optical fibers to the test object or detection optical fibers from the test object is identified.

5. An optical measurement system for measuring an inside of a test object by illuminating light having a wavelength within a range from visual light to infrared light onto a plurality of incident positions on the test object and detecting the light passed through the inside of the test object at plurality of detection positions, wherein in regard to the incident positions of the light to the test object and the detection positions of the light from the test object and measurement positions determined by a spatial arrangement between the incident positions and the detection positions, a relative positional relationship among the positions is displayed;

wherein a light level of stray light in a state before illuminating the light to the test object is detected at each of the detection positions, and each of the detection positions is displayed by a graphic element selected according to the light level detected.

6. An optical measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the selected graphical element has a color or a pattern selected according to the detected light level.

7. An optical measurement system for measuring an inside of a test object by illuminating light having a wavelength within a range from visual light to infrared light onto a plurality of incident positions on the test object and detecting the light passed through the inside of the test object at plurality of detection positions, wherein in regard to the incident positions of the light to the test object and the detection positions of the light from the test object and measurement positions determined by a spatial arrangement between the incident positions and the detection positions, a relative positional relationship among the positions is displayed;

wherein a light level of stray light in a state before illuminating the light to the test object is detected at each of the detection positions; and

wherein specified detection positions, at which stray light of higher level than a predetermined level is detected, are displayed by a different color or pattern from other detection positions.

8. An optical measurement system for measuring an inside of a test object by illuminating light having a wavelength within a range from visual light to infrared light onto a plurality of incident positions on the test object and detecting the light passed through the inside of the test object at plurality of detection positions, which comprises a display unit which displays graphical elements respectively indicating the incident positions, the detection positions and measurement positions, each of the measurement positions being determined by a spatial arrangement of each of a pair of one of the incident positions and one of the detection positions, a relative positional relationship among the positions is displayed;

wherein positions of the graphical elements on a displayed image are indicative of a relative positional relationship among the incident positions, the detection positions and the measurement positions;

wherein an individual light detection signal level of each of the measurement positions is determined by specifying an effective pair of one of the incident positions and one of the detection positions; and

when the light detection signal level is outside of predetermined range, at least one of a color and a pattern of the graphical elements expressing the corresponding incident position, the corresponding detection position, and the corresponding measurement position is changed.

9. An optical measurement system according to claim 8, wherein optical fibers are utilized for illuminating the light to the test object and for detecting the light passed through the inside of the object, and when the detection signal level is outside of the predetermined range, identification display is performed to the graphic elements expressing the corresponding incident position, the corresponding detection position and the corresponding measurement position, and when the identification display is performed, an optical fiber set at the corresponding position among the incident optical fibers to the test object or the detection optical fibers from the test object is identified.

10. A computer-readable recording medium used for a system for measuring an inside of a test object by illuminating light having a wavelength within a range from visual light to infrared light onto a plurality of incident positions on the test object and detecting the light passed through the inside of the test object at plurality of detection positions, which records:

a program for calculating incident positions of the light to the test object and detection positions of the light from the test object, and measurement positions determined by spatial arrangement between the incident positions and the detection positions;

a program for displaying a relative positional relationship among the incident positions and the detection positions and the measurement positions; and

a program for displaying a state of detection signals or a change in the state;

wherein said program for displaying a state of detection signals or a change in the state comprises;

a program for measuring a stray light signal and for specifying the stray light signal level;

a program for measuring a detection signal and for specifying the detection signal level;

a program for changing a light incident level for each of the incident positions;

a program for performing identification display to graphic elements expressing the incident position, the detection position and the measurement position; and

a program identifying an optical fiber set at the corresponding position among incident optical fibers to the test object or detection optical fibers from the test object when the identification display is performed.

11. A non-invasive imaging measurement method of a biological object using light, wherein in regard to the incident positions of the light to the test object and the detection positions of the light from test object, or measurement positions determined by spatial arrangement between the incident positions and the detection positions, the method comprises the steps of:

displaying a relative positional relationship among the positions;

specifying any one of the displayed incident position and the displayed detection position;

identifying an optical fiber set at the corresponding position among incident optical fibers to the test object or detection optical fibers from the test object; and

mounting the identified optical fiber to an appropriate position of the test