Detection apparatus for detecting an amount of an object of analysis in a fluid present in an eye or on an eye surface

• US 7,639,845 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Utsunomiya, Norihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Brian Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park; Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/194,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20060029264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 382/117, 382/115, 382/118, 351/200, 351/247
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

The invention provides a detection apparatus for detecting an amount of an object of analysis in a fluid present in an eye or on an eye surface, including a detector which detects an amount of the object of analysis in the fluid, and a detector which recognizes an iris pattern of the eye.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting an amount of an object of analysis by using a sensor element, the sensor element of a contact lens shape on an eye, comprising:

a lens barrel which comprises;

a light source for illuminating the sensor element,

an image pickup device for picking up an image of an iris, and

a light-shielding member for preventing external light from entering inside of the lens barrel;

wherein the sensor element includes

a sensor portion comprised of a substrate for fixing a molecule capable of selectively capturing the object of analysis and

a code portion for identifying a subject person; and

wherein (i) an image of the code portion is picked up by the image pickup device, illuminating the code portion with the light source, (ii) an image of an iris is picked up by the image pickup device, illuminating the eye with the light source (iii) and the image of the code portion and the image of the iris are compared to each other to identify the subject person;

wherein, with a reagent comprised of a fluorescent substance present on said sensor element, the fluorescent substance executing a competing reaction with the object of analysis, and the light source illuminating said sensor element, the amount of the object of analysis captured by the capturing molecule is detected by an amount of fluorescence of the fluorescent substance, and

wherein the sensor portion is irradiated with light having a wavelength different from the wavelength of light with which the code portion and the iris are irradiated to detect the amount of the object of analysis when the subject person is identified from a sensor portion for identifying.

2. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing the encoded data,

wherein the ID corresponding to the person having the iris is specified by referring to the encoded data or data generated from the encoded data stored in the memory unit.

3. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in specifying the ID corresponding to the person, the ID is specified by referring to personal iris patterns or data generated from the personal iris patterns, stored in an external computer connected by a network to the detection apparatus.

4. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, having a function of correcting a personal difference in an output value resulting from a combination of the detection apparatus and the person, utilizing personal information corresponding to the specified ID.

5. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, having a function of managing a detected amount of the object of analysis in correlation with a time data of detection of the amount of the object of analysis for every specified ID.

6. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a code to be read is applied to said sensor element.

7. A detection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the code applied to said sensor element and an iris pattern are used to specify the ID corresponding to the person having the iris.

8. A detection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the code includes at least one of a product number and a product lot number of said sensor element.

9. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is capable of covalent bonding with the capturing molecule.

10. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor portion is provided in a peripheral portion of said sensor element.

11. A detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lens barrel is provided with an image pickup device for picking up an image of an iris, an effective iris portion is cut out from data obtained by picking up the image of the iris, and density data of the effective iris portion is encoded utilizing a polar coordinate system having an origin at the center of the iris,

whereby a person having the iris can be identified based on the coded density data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dropping portion for dropping a reagent comprised of a fluorescent substance which executes a competing reaction with the object of analysis onto the sensor element,

a light amount-acquiring portion for acquiring a light amount of the fluorescent substance excited by illuminating the sensor element with the light source, and

a detecting portion for detecting by the light amount the amount of the object of analysis captured by the molecule.