Electric field control device and detection device

• US 8,340,755 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takiguchi, Kiyoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US11/783,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 600/547
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02035 Determining blood viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels

Abstract

The present invention provides an electric field control device that can transmit a quasi-electrostatic field more efficiently. There is provided an electric field control device that applies electric fields to an electric field application subject, which includes a first electrode and a second electrode that generate the electric fields, a frame that is arranged around the first electrode and second electrode, and is connected to the first electrode and second electrode, an opening that is formed at one end of the frame, and an output unit that outputs a first signal to the first electrode, and outputs a second signal to the second electrode, wherein, when the electric fields are generated from the first electrode and second electrode, the output unit outputs the second signal to the second electrode so that the potential of the frame is not changed temporally and made constant.

Claims

1. An electric field control device that applies electric fields to an electric field application subject, including:

a first electrode and a second electrode that generate the electric fields;

a frame that is arranged around the first electrode and second electrode, and is connected to the first electrode and second electrode, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the frame forming an electrode unit, wherein the frame is so arranged as to symmetrically enclose the first electrode with the first electrode being the center, wherein the frame is set in the form of fences with clearances between the fences;

an opening that is formed at one end of the frame;

output means for outputting a first signal to the first electrode, and outputting a second signal to the second electrode,

wherein, when the electric fields are generated from the first electrode and second electrode, the output means outputs the second signal to the second electrode so that the potential of the frame is not changed temporally and made constant; and

a detection unit for detecting an impedance for the electrode unit through a quasi-electrostatic field.

2. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the output means comprises:

generation means for generating the first signal, and generating the second signal that has its phase set opposite with respect to the first signal; and

adjustment means for adjusting the amplitude ratio of the first signal and second signal.

3. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the first signal and the second signal by setting frequencies thereof so that, in the electric fields formed at the outside of the opening, the intensity of the quasi-electrostatic fields is superior as compared with that of the induction fields at a predetermined distance.

4. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the frame encloses the entire circumference of the first electrode and second electrode excluding the opening.

5. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is so arranged as to symmetrically enclose the first electrode with an axis which passes through the first electrode and is parallel with the electric field irradiation direction being the symmetry axis.

6. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein

the first electrode and second electrode are arranged on the same plane,

the frame is in the form of a cylinder that is defined by the central axis of the first electrode which passes through the first electrode and is perpendicular to the plane on which the first electrode and second electrode are arranged, and has a basal plane attached to one end of the cylinder, and

the opening corresponds to the other basal plane which is opposed to the basal plane attached to the one end of the cylinder configuring the frame.

7. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode and second electrode are so placed as to be substantially in contact with the surface of the opening.

8. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is an electric dipole or an electric multipole.

9. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode and second electrode are placed so that an electric dipole or an electric multipole are formed by the first electrode and second electrode.

10. The electric field control device according to claim 1, wherein the frame is made of conductive material.

11. An electric field control device that applies electric fields to an electric field application subject, including:

a plurality of electrode units arranged in a lattice shaped pattern, each electrode unit including;

a first electrode and a second electrode that generate the electric fields;

a frame that is arranged around the first electrode and second electrode, and is connected to the first electrode and second electrode; and

an opening that is formed at one end of the frame;

an output unit that outputs a first signal to each first electrode, and outputs a second signal to each second electrode,

wherein, when the electric fields are generated from each first electrode and second electrode, the output unit outputs the second signal to each second electrode so that the potential of each frame is not changed temporally and made constant,

wherein the output unit is configured to output the first and second signals sequentially to each of the electrode units to prevent the detection unit from detecting impedances due to the mutual interaction among quasi-electrostatic fields; and

a detection unit for detecting an impedance for each electrode unit through a quasi-electrostatic field.

12. A detection device that detects a predetermined detection subject in a living organism, including:

a plurality of electrode units arranged in a lattice shaped pattern, each electrode unit including;

a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode having a ring shape enclosing an entire circumference of the first electrode;

a frame that is arranged around the first electrode and second electrode, and is connected to the first electrode and second electrode;

an opening that is formed at one end of the frame;

an output unit that outputs a first signal and a second signal to each first electrode and each second electrode by setting frequencies thereof so that, in the electric fields formed through the opening by each first electrode and each second electrode, the intensity of the quasi-electrostatic fields is superior as compared with that of the induction fields at a predetermined distance;

an impedance detection unit that detects the impedance of the living organism placed in the electric fields from each first electrode and each second electrode using the quasi-electrostatic field; and

a colloid detection unit for detecting whether or not a colloid exists in the inside of the living organism according to the difference of the respective detected impedances,

wherein, when the electric fields are generated from each first electrode and each second electrode, the output unit outputs the second signal to each second electrode so that the potential of each frame is not changed temporally and made constant,

wherein the output unit is configured to output the first and second signals sequentially to each of the electrode units to prevent the detection unit from detecting impedances due to the mutual interaction among quasi-electrostatic fields.

13. An electric field control device that applies electric fields to an electric field application subject, comprising:

a plurality of electrode units arranged in a lattice shaped pattern, each electrode unit including;

a first electrode and a second electrode that generate the electric fields;

a frame that is arranged around the first electrode and second electrode, and is connected to the first electrode and second electrode; and

an opening that is formed at one end of the frame;

an output unit that outputs a first signal to each first electrode, and outputs a second signal to each second electrode,

wherein, when the electric fields are generated from each first electrode and second electrode, the output unit outputs the second signal to each second electrode so that the potential of each frame is not changed temporally and made constant; and

a detection unit for detecting an impedance for each electrode unit through a quasi-electrostatic field, wherein the detection unit further includes a calculation unit for calculating impedance values corresponding to each of the electrode units.

14. The electric field control device according to claim 13, wherein the detection unit further includes a central processing unit for storing impedance values from the calculation unit, the central processing unit configured to replace the impedance values into a matrix corresponding to an arrangement of the electrode units.

15. The electric field control device according to claim 14, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to detect a minimum impedance for each electrode unit and determine a minimum impedance position representing a center of a cross-section surface of a blood vessel in a blood flow direction.

16. The electric field control device according to claim 15, further including an EEPROM including dictionary data representing a change in impedance around a reference position and a depth and diameter of a blood vessel in a living organism corresponding to the change.

17. The electric field control device according to claim 16, wherein the central processing unit is configured to determine a depth and diameter of a blood vessel in the electric field application subject based on the dictionary data.