Probe device

• US 8,244,326 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ninomiya, Atsushi, Kasai, Yoshimi, Hirabayashi, Yukiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Chu Chuan (JJ)
• Application Number:
  US11/940,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 600/309, 600/310, 600/322, 600/338, 600/344, 600/383, 600/323, 600/324, 600/340
• US Class Current: 600/344
• 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 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue

Abstract

A probe device for optically measuring a condition of an object includes a light emitter for emitting a light to proceed into the object through a surface of the object, a light sensor for measuring an optical condition of the light proceeding from the surface through the object and subsequently emitted from the surface to reach the light sensor, and a body holding thereon at least one of the light emitter and the light sensor. The body includes at least one main protrusion protruding so as to face to the surface, and at least two sub-protrusions arranged around the at least one main protrusion and protruding so as to face to the surface.

Claims

1. A probe device for optically measuring a condition of an organism, comprising:

a light emitter for emitting a light to proceed into the organism through a surface of the organism, and

a light sensor for measuring an intensity of the light proceeding from the surface through the organism and emitted from the surface to reach the light sensor,

wherein the probe device further comprises a plurality of light emitting probe bodies having respective front ends on each of which the light emitter is arranged, a plurality of light sensor probe bodies having respective front ends each of which the light sensor is arranged, a probe supporting body holding thereon the light emitting probe bodies and the light sensor probe bodies, and body supporting members for supporting the light emitting probe bodies and the light sensor probe bodies on respective positions on the probe supporting body,

wherein each of the light sensor probe bodies has a main protrusion protruding to face to the surface so that the main protrusion is supported by the surface, and at least two sub-protrusions protruding to face to the surface and arranged around the main protrusion,

the main protrusion includes a light transmitting member optically connected to the light sensor and arranged on a longitudinal axis of the main protrusion, and

the body supporting members support the light sensor probe bodies on the probe supporting body in such a manner that the sub-protrusions is adapted to orbit around the main protrusion.

2. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein the sub-protrusions are arranged along an imaginary circle surrounding the main protrusion at even circumferential intervals.

3. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein each of the light sensor probe bodies includes a first chassis forming the main protrusion and a second chassis forming the sub-protrusions, and the second chassis is supported by the first chassis in a rotatable manner.

4. The probe device according to claim 3, wherein the first chassis has an electric connection member connecting electrically one of the light emitter and the light sensor to corresponding one of the body supporting members.

5. The probe device according to claim 3, wherein the first chassis has a connection member connecting the light sensor to an external device in at least one of optical manner and electrical manner.

6. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting probe bodies and the light sensor probe bodies are detachably attached to the body supporting members.

7. The probe device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting probe bodies and the light sensor probe bodies are detachably attached to the body supporting members.

8. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein the sub-protrusions are connected to each other through a base plate, and the base plate is detachably attached to the corresponding light sensor probe bodies.

9. The probe device according to claim 3, wherein the sub-protrusions are connected to each other through a base plate, and the base plate is detachably attached to the corresponding light sensor probe bodies.

10. The probe device according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting probe bodies and the light sensor probe bodies form a grid-like arrangement so that each of the light emitting probe bodies and respective at least one of the light sensor probe bodies are adjacent to each other.

11. The probe device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting probe bodies and the light sensor probe bodies form a grid-like arrangement so that each of the light emitting probe bodies and respective at least one of the light sensor probe bodies are adjacent to each other.

12. The probe device according to claim 3, wherein the second chassis is detachably attached to the first chassis.

13. The probe device according to claim 4, wherein the second chassis is detachably attached to the first chassis.

14. The probe device according to claim 5, wherein the second chassis is detachably attached to the first chassis.

15. The probe device according to claim 2, wherein each of the light sensor probe bodies includes a first chassis forming the main protrusion and a second chassis forming the sub-protrusions, and the second chassis is supported by the first chassis in a rotatable manner.

16. The probe device according to claim 2, wherein the sub-protrusions comprise a number of protrusions which is not less than 3 are arranged along the imaginary circle surrounding the main protrusion at the even circumferential intervals.

17. A probe device for optically measuring a condition of an object, comprising:

a light emitter for emitting a light to proceed into the object through a surface of the object, and

a light sensor for measuring an optical condition of the light proceeding from the surface through the object and subsequently emitted from the surface to reach the light sensor, and

a body holding thereon at least one of the light emitter and the light sensor,

wherein the body includes at least one main protrusion protruding to face to the surface at a front end of the at least one main protrusion so that the front end of the at least one main protrusion is adapted to be supported by the surface, through which front end the light passes between the surface and the at least one of the light emitter and the light sensor, and at least two sub-protrusions protruding to face to the surface at respective front ends of the at least two sub-protrusions, and

the at least two sub-protrusions are arranged around the at least one main protrusion and are rotatable with respect to the at least one main protrusion so that the front ends of the at least two sub-protrusions are adapted to orbit around the front end of the at least one main protrusion and of to rotate with respect to the surface when the at least one main protrusion is supported at the front end thereof by the surface.

18. The probe device according to claim 17, wherein a positional relationship between the at least two sub-protrusions is fixed.