Method of measuring biological information using light and apparatus of measuring biological information using light

• US 7,251,513 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchida, Shinji, Kondoh, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US10/473,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600/316, 600/335, 600/344
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0242 for varying or adjusting the optical path length in the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• 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 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

A compact apparatus of measuring biological information using light capable of measuring biological information with high reproducibility and accuracy is provided. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light comprises a light source part irradiating an organism, a light receiving part receiving light propagating from the light source part through the inside of the organism and outgoing from the surface of the organism, a forming part forming the surface of the organism into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto, and a calculation part calculating information of the relation between the amount of received light and the biological information of the organism previously determined based on the amount of light received in the light receiving part.

Claims

1. A method of measuring biological information utilizing an apparatus of measuring said biological information using light comprising:

a light source part adapted to irradiate an organism;

a light receiving part receiving light propagating from said light source part through an inside of said organism and outgoing from a surface of said organism;

a forming part adapted to form said surface of said organism into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto;

a protrusion part being provided on a face of said forming part contacting said surface of said organism;

a pressure detecting part detecting said pressure applied to said surface of said organism by said forming part, said pressure detecting part is connected to said forming part; and

a calculation part calculating said biological information of said organism using information of a relation between an amount of said received light and said biological information of said organism previously determined, based on said amount of said light received in said light receiving part, at least one of said light source part and said light receiving part is provided on said protrusion part, said calculation part calculates said biological information of said organism based on said amount of said received light when it is detected that said pressure reaches said level equal to or greater than said predefined value, said method comprising;

a first step of utilizing said forming part to form said surface of said organism into said predetermined shape by applying said pressure thereto;

a second step of utilizing said light source part to irradiate said organism with said light;

a third step of utilizing said light receiving part to receive said light propagating through said inside of said organism and outgoing from said surface of said organism; and

a fourth step of utilizing said calculation part to calculate said biological information of said organism using said information of said relation between said amount of said received light and said biological information of said organism previously determined, based on said amount of said light received in said third step,

wherein in said fourth step, said biological information of said organism is calculated using said information of said relation between said amount of said received light, which has been acquired after said pressure reaches a level equal to or greater than a predefined value, and said biological information of said organism previously determined, based on said amount of said received light acquired after said pressure reaches said level equal to or greater than said predefined value.

2. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 1, wherein said predefined value of said pressure is about 7 kPa or greater.

4. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a central wavelength of said light applied in said second step is a wavelength of about 500 nm to 1000 nm.

5. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 1 or 3, wherein in said fourth step, said biological information of said organism is calculated at a time when a predetermined amount of time passes after said pressure reaches a predefined value.

6. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 5, comprising a further step of detecting that said pressure reaches said predefined value,

wherein in said fourth step, said biological information of said organism is calculated based on said amount of said light received in said third step at a time when a predetermined amount of time passes after it is detected that said pressure reaches said predefined value.

7. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined amount of time is about 200 ms or greater.

8. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 1 or 3, wherein in said fourth step, said biological information of said organism is calculated after said amount of said received light is stabilized.

9. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 8, comprising a further step of detecting that said pressure reaches said predefined value,

wherein in said fourth step, variations in said amount of said light received in said third step are monitored when it is detected that said pressure reaches said predefined value, and said biological information of said organism is calculated based on said amount of said received light acquired when said variations in said amount of received light are within a predetermined value.

10. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 9, wherein said variations in said amount of received light being within about ±

10%.

3. A method of measuring biological information utilizing an apparatus of measuring said biological information using light comprising:

a light source part adapted to irradiate an organism;

a light receiving part receiving light propagating from said light source part through an inside of said organism and outgoing from a surface of said organism;

a forming part adapted to form said surface of said organism into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto;

a protrusion part being provided on a face of said forming part contacting said surface of said organism;

a pressure measuring part measuring said pressure applied to said surface of said organism by said forming part, said pressure measuring part is connected to said forming part; and

a calculation part calculating said biological information of said organism using information of a relation at least between an amount of said received light and said biological information of said organism previously determined, based on said amount of said light received in said receiving part and said pressure measured in said pressure measuring part, at least one of said light source part and said light receiving part is provided on said protrusion part, said method comprising;

a first step of utilizing said forming part to form said surface of said organism into said predetermined shape by applying said pressure thereto;

a second step of utilizing said light source part to irradiate said organism with said light;

a third step of utilizing said light receiving part to receive said light propagating through said inside of said organism and outgoing from said surface of said organism;

a fourth step of utilizing said calculation part to calculate said biological information of said organism using said information of said relation at least between said amount of said received light and said biological information of said organism previously determined, based on said amount of said light received in said third step; and

a fifth step of utilizing said pressure measuring part to measure said pressure,

wherein in said fourth step, said biological information of said organism is calculated using said information of said relation between said amount of said received light, said pressure and said biological information of said organism previously determined, based on said amount of said light received in said third step and said pressure measured in said fifth step.

11. An apparatus of measuring biological information using light comprising:

a light source part adapted to irradiate an organism;

a light receiving part receiving light propagating from said light source part through an inside of said organism and outgoing from a surface of said organism;

a forming part adapted to form said surface of said organism into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto;

a protrusion part being provided on a face of said forming part contacting said surface of said organism;

a pressure detecting part detecting said pressure applied to said surface of said organism by said forming part, said pressure detecting part is connected to said forming part; and

a calculation part calculating said biological information of said organism using information of a relation between an amount of said received light and previously determined biological information of said organism, based on said amount of said light received in said light receiving part,

wherein at least one of said light source part and said light receiving part is provided on said protrusion part, and

said calculation part calculates said biological information of said organism based on said amount of said received light when it is detected that said pressure reaches a level equal to or greater than a predefined value.

13. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said face of said forming part contacting said surface of said organism is substantially flat.

14. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 11 or 12, wherein

said light source part and said light receiving part are provided on said protrusion part.

15. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said light source part has a plurality of light sources.

16. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 15, wherein said light source part has said light sources provided so that a distance between a first of said light sources and said light receiving part is a first distance of about 15 mm to 30 mm and a distance between a second of said light sources and said light receiving part is a second distance of about 35 mm to 80 mm, and

if said amount of light received in said light receiving part from said light source with said first distance equals Y1, and said amount of light received in said light receiving part from said light source with said second distance equals Y2, said calculation part calculates said biological information of said organism using a ratio between said Y2 and said Y1.

17. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said light receiving part has a plurality of light receiving elements.

18. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 17, wherein said light receiving part has said light receiving elements provided so that a distance between said light source part and a first of said light receiving elements is a first distance of about 15 mm to 30 mm and a distance between said light source part and a second of said light receiving elements is a second distance of about 35 mm to 80 mm, and

if said amount of light received in said light receiving element with said first distance equals Y1, and said amount of light received in said light receiving element with said second distance equals Y2, said calculation part calculates said biological information of said organism using a ratio between said Y2 and said Y1.

19. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 11 or 12, comprising:

a display part displaying said biological information of said organism calculated in said calculation part;

a communication part communicating said biological information of said organism to and from external apparatuses; and

an input part for inputting measurement conditions of said organism.

12. An apparatus of measuring biological information using light comprising;

a light source part adapted to irradiate an organism;

a light receiving part receiving light propagating from said light source part through an inside of said organism and outgoing from a surface of said organism;

a forming part adapted to form said surface of said organism into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto;

a protrusion part being provided on a face of said forming part contacting said surface of said organism;

a pressure measuring part measuring said pressure applied to said surface of said organism by said forming part, said pressure measuring part is connected to said forming part; and

a calculation part calculating said biological information of said organism using information of a relation between an amount of said received light, said pressure and previously determined biological information of said organism, based on said amount of said light received in said receiving part and said pressure measured in said pressure measuring part,

wherein at least one of said light source part and said light receiving part is provided on said protrusion part.