Current driving system of light emitting diode

• US 6,665,551 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KREMER, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US09/715,010
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600/322-323, 600/309, 356/41, 439/909
• US Class Current: 600/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases

Abstract

Three current supply lines 44, 45, 41 and connection terminals 32, 34, 30 thereof for respectively driving the light emitting diodes on the probe side are arranged in a light emitting diode driving circuit on the measurement apparatus body side, a pair of driving switches Sw1A, Sw1B and Sw2A, Sw2B for constant current having contact points to be switched to the electric power source side or the ground side are respectively connected with the two current supply lines 44, 45 among the three current supply lines, and switching operation signal supply lines 41A, 42A and 41B, 42B are arranged for successively and continuously driving the light emitting diodes by supplying a switching operation signal for switching the contact points on the electric power source side or on the ground side to the pair of driving switches for constant current.

Claims

1. A current driving system of a light emitting diode comprising:

an apparatus for measuring a concentration of light absorbing material in a living tissue, the apparatus including;

a probe adapted to be attached to a living tissue, the probe having a light emitting section having at least two light emitting diodes emitting lights of different wavelengths, the probe further having a light receiving section defined by a photo-diode for receiving light emitted from the light emitting section after being transmitted through the living tissue;

a measurement apparatus body, attached with the probe, for calculating the concentration of light absorbing material in the living tissue, said at least two light emitting diodes being successively and continuously driven by a light emitting diode driving circuit arranged in the measurement apparatus body;

three current supply lines and connection terminals thereof for respectively driving said at least two light emitting diodes;

a first pair of driving switches connected to a first of the three current supply lines, a first switch among the first pair having contact points switched to an electric power source and a second switch among the first pair switched to a ground;

a second pair of driving switches connected to a second of the three current supply lines, a first switch among the second pair having contact points switched to the electric power source and the second switch among the second pair switched to the ground;

and

switching operation signal supply lines arranged for successively and continuously driving the light emitting diodes by supplying switching operation signals to the first and second pair of driving switches,

wherein the driving switches and the signal supply line is disposed inside the measurement apparatus body.

2. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the three current supply lines are respectively connected with a first driving line and a second driving line of the probe and also connected with a common line so that the at least two light emitting diodes can be successively and continuously driven.

3. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the switching operation signal supply lines are connected and arranged so that the light emitting diodes can be successively and continuously driven when a contact point switching operation is simultaneously conducted on the first and second switches of the first pair of driving switches and the first and second switches of the second pair of driving switches.

4. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the three current supply lines for respectively driving the light emitting diodes are set in such a manner that the first and second current supply lines, with which the pair of driving switches are connected, are connected with a first driving line and a second driving line for respectively and successively driving at least two light emitting diodes on the probe, and the third current supply line is set as a dummy terminal.

5. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the switching operation signal supply lines are connected and arranged so that the contact points switched and connected with the electric power and the ground of the respective driving switches are independently switched by the first and second pair of driving switches respectively connected with the first and second current supply lines, a third driving switch having a contact point for switching between the electric power source and the ground is arranged in the third current supply line, and a third switching operation signal supply line is connected and arranged which is used for switching the contact point of the third driving switch corresponding to the switching operation signal supplied to the switching operation signal supply line of the first and second pair of driving switches.

6. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 5, wherein four switching operation signal supply lines are respectively connected and arranged as a switching operation signal supply line for switching the contact points of the two pairs of driving switches and as a switching operation signal supply line for switching the contact points of the third driving switch.

7. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the three current supply lines for respectively driving the light emitting diodes are arranged in such a manner that three or four light emitting diodes, in which a first two light emitting diodes are connected in reverse-parallel to each other on the probe and a second two light emitting diodes are connected in reverse-parallel to each other, and the first two and the second two light emitting diodes are respectively connected with the first driving line and the second driving line, and further the diodes are successively and continuously driven, and further the diodes are connected with the common line.

8. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 7, wherein the probe is arranged in such a manner that the first two reverse-parallel diodes are connected between the common line and the first driving line, and the second two reverse-parallel diodes are connected with the common line and the second driving line, so that the four light emitting diodes are respectively, successively and continuously driven.

9. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 7, wherein the switching operation signal supply line is connected and arranged so that the contact points switched and connected with the electric power source and the ground of the respective driving switches are independently switched by the pair of driving switches respectively connected with the two current supply lines, a third driving switch having a contact point for switching between the electric power source and the ground is arranged in the other current supply line, and a switching operation signal supply line is connected and arranged which is used for switching the contact point of the third driving switch corresponding to the switching operation signal supplied to the switching operation signal supply line of the two pairs of driving switches.

10. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the three current supply lines for respectively driving the light emitting diodes are arranged in such a manner that three or four light emitting diodes, in which a first two light emitting diodes are connected in reverse-parallel to each other on the probe , and the first two and a third light emitting diodes are respectively connected with the first driving line and the second driving line, and further the diodes are successively and continuously driven, and further the diodes are connected with the common line.

11. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 10, wherein the probe is arranged in such a manner that the first two reverse-parallel diodes are connected between the common line and the first driving line, and the third light emitting diode is connected with the common line and the second driving line, so that the three light emitting diodes are respectively, successively and continuously driven.

12. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein at least one driving switch includes an ON-OFF switch and a switch for constant current.

13. A current driving system of a light emitting diode comprising:

an apparatus for measuring a concentration of light absorbing material in a living tissue, the apparatus including;

a measurement apparatus body, capable of attaching with a probe, for calculating the concentration of light absorbing material in the living tissue, a light emitting diode driving circuit arranged in the measurement apparatus body, the light emitting diode circuit being capable of continuously and successively driving at least two light emitting diodes in the probe;

three current supply lines and connection terminals thereof for respectively driving said at least two light emitting diodes;

a first pair of driving switches connected to a first of the three current supply lines, a first switch among the first pair having contact points switched to an electric power source and a second switch among the first pair switched to a ground;

a second pair of driving switches connected to a second of the three current supply lines, a first switch among the second pair having contact points switched to the electric power source and the second switch among the second pair switched to the ground; and

switching operation signal supply lines arranged for successively and continuously driving the light emitting diodes by supplying switching operation signals to the first and second pair of driving switches,

wherein the driving switches and the signal supply line are disposed inside the measurement apparatus body.

14. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 13, wherein the three current supply lines are respectively capable of being connected with a first driving line and a second driving line of the probe and also connected with a common line so that the at least two light emitting diodes can be successively and continuously driven.

15. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 13, wherein the switching operation signal supply lines are connected and arranged so that the light emitting diodes can be successively and continuously driven when a contact point switching operation is simultaneously conducted on the first and second switches of the first pair of driving switches and the first and second switches of the second pair of driving switches.

16. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 13, wherein the three current supply lines for respectively driving the light emitting diodes are set in such a manner that the first and second current supply lines, with which the pair of driving switches are connected, are connected with a first driving line and a second driving line for respectively and successively driving at least two light emitting diodes on the probe, and the third current,supply line is set as a dummy terminal.

17. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 13, wherein the switching operation signal supply lines are connected and arranged so that the contact points switched and connected with the electric power and the ground of the respective driving switches are independently switched by the first and second pair of driving switches respectively connected with the first and second current supply lines, a third driving switch having a contact point for switching between the electric power source and the ground is arranged in the third current supply line, and a third switching operation signal supply line is connected and arranged which is used for switching the contact point of the third driving switch corresponding to the switching operation signal supplied to the switching operation signal supply line of the first and second pair of driving switches.

18. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 17, wherein four switching operation signal supply lines are respectively connected and arranged as a switching operation signal supply line for switching the contact points of the two pairs of driving switches and as a switching operation signal supply line for switching the contact points of the third driving switch.

19. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 13, wherein the three current supply lines for respectively driving the light emitting diodes are arranged in such a manner that three or four light emitting diodes, in which a first two light emitting diodes are connected in reverse-parallel to each other on the probe and a second two light emitting diodes are connected in reverse-parallel to each other, and the first two and the second two light emitting diodes are respectively connected with the first driving line and the second driving line, and further the diodes are successively and continuously driven, and further the diodes are connected with a common line.

20. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 19, wherein the probe is arranged in such a manner that the first two reverse-parallel diodes are connected between the common line and the first driving line, and the second two reverse-parallel diodes are connected with the common line and the second driving line, so that the four light emitting diodes are respectively, successively and continuously driven.

21. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 19, wherein the switching operation signal supply line is connected and arranged so that the contact points switched and connected with the electric power source and the ground of the respective driving switches are independently switched by the pair of driving switches respectively connected with the two current supply lines, a third driving switch having a contact point for switching between the electric power source and the ground is arranged in the other current supply line, and a switching operation signal supply line is connected and arranged which is used for switching the contact point of the third driving switch corresponding to the switching operation signal supplied to the switching operation signal supply line of the two pairs of driving switches.

22. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 13, wherein the three current supply lines for respectively driving the light emitting diodes are arranged in such a manner that three or four light emitting diodes, in which a first two light emitting diodes are connected in reverse-parallel to each other on the probe, and the first two and a third light emitting diodes are respectively connected with the first driving line and the second driving line, and further the diodes are successively and continuously driven, and further the diodes are connected with a common line.

23. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 22, wherein the system is capable of being arranged with the probe in such a manner that the first two reverse-parallel diodes are connected between the common line and the first driving line, and the third light emitting diode is connected with the common line and the second driving line, so that the three light emitting diodes are respectively, successively and continuously driven.

24. A current driving system of a light emitting diode according to claim 13, wherein at least one driving switch includes an ON-OFF switch and a switch for constant current.