Noninvasion biological optical measuring instrument, measured portion holding device, and method for manufacturing the same

• US 20030023171A1
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Morita, Nobuhiro, Sato, Katsuhiko, Ueda, Yukio, Takahashi, Hideo, Tanaka, Toshiyuki, Yamanaka, Koji, Mizuno, Toshihiko, Hashimoto, Seiichiro, Sakamoto, Shigeru, Suyama, Keiji
• Granted Patent: US 6,687,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14558 by polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

The present device is equipped with a measurement site holder 3 that is constructed using a negative impression of the measurement site 10. As a result, variation in the measured values caused by the non-uniform distribution of components in the measurement site 10 is reduced, so that variation in the measured values caused by variations in the light path length accompanying variations in the shape of the measurement site 10, and by variations in blood flow or the like that accompany differences in the contact pressure, can be reduced. Since living-body information and measurement parameters for the patient are recorded on a recording medium 11 mounted on a measurement site holder 3 for the exclusive use of the individual patient, the erroneous acquisition of living-body information for individual patients can be prevented, and reproducible measurements can be performed.

Claims

22. A measurement site holder which is attached to a base that is disposed in the light path of light that is incident on a photo-detection system, said measurement site holder being characterized by comprising a main body part which has an opening into which the measurement site is inserted, and a base plate to which at least the tip end of said main body part is fastened, and which is detachable from said base.

1. A noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device in which a specified measurement site in the living body is illuminated with light, the light that is transmitted through this measurement site or the light that is scattered and reflected by this measurement site is detected by a photo-detection system, and the concentrations of components in the living body are measured from this detected light,

wherein the device is equipped with a measurement site holder which is constructed using a negative impression of the measurement site, and in which the measurement site is placed at the time of light detection.

2. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder has a structure which is detachable from a base that is disposed in the light path of the light that is incident on said photo-detection system.

3. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1, wherein said measurement site holder is manufactured as a negative impression of the measurement site of each individual patient.

4. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with an opening part that allows the illumination of said measurement site with light, and an opening part that makes it possible to guide the transmitted light or diffused and reflected light from said measurement site into said photo-detection system.

5. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with an opening part which makes it possible to illuminate said measurement site with light, and which also makes it possible to guide diffused and reflected light from said measurement site to said photo-detection system.

6. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the inside contact surface of said measurement site holder that contacts said measurement site is coated with a coating material that absorbs light in the measurement wavelength region.

7. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said photo-detection system is equipped with a birefringent interferometer which converts said transmitted light or said diffused and reflected light into split light by using a polarized light splitting birefringent element to split said light into polarized light with mutually perpendicular vibrational planes, and which causes said split light to converge so that an interferogram that makes it possible to measure the concentrations of said components in the living body is obtained.

8. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 7,

wherein said birefringent interferometer comprises:

a polarizer which polarizes said transmitted light or said diffused and reflected light and directs this light onto said polarized light splitting birefringent element;

an analyzer which polarizes said split light emitted from said polarized light splitting birefringent element;

converging means which cause convergence of the light polarized by said analyzer and thus form said interferogram; and

a photo-detector which detects this interferogram.

9. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 7,

wherein light adjustment means that narrow down or reduce said transmitted light or said diffused and reflected light are disposed between said measurement site holder and said birefringent interferometer.

10. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 7,

wherein said polarized light splitting birefringent element is a Savart plate.

11. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 7,

wherein said polarized light splitting birefringent element is a Wollaston prism.

12. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 2,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with a recording medium which records living-body information acquired from the individual patient and/or measurement parameters used at the time of measurement.

13. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 12,

wherein the living-body information for the individual patient that is recorded on said recording medium is a working curve for said individual patient and information concerning components in the living body of said individual patient that is determined using this working curve.

14. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 12,

wherein the living-body information for said patient is determined on the basis of said detected light.

15. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 14,

wherein said measurement site holder is manufactured so as to match the shape of said measurement site of said individual patient.

16. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with a sensor which outputs a signal that indicates when said measurement site has been placed in this measurement site holder.

17. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 16,

wherein said sensor is a contact sensor in which a mechanical switch is switched ON by the application of pressure.

18. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 16,

wherein said sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

19. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with a cooling element that cools this measurement site holder.

20. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with a heating element that heats this measurement site holder.

21. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with a temperature sensor.

23. The measurement site holder according to claim 22,

wherein a metal thin film is formed on the outside surface of said measurement site holder, and the inside surface of said measurement site holder is coated with a black coating material.

24. The noninvasive optical bioinstrumentation device according to claim 1,

wherein said measurement site holder is equipped with a main body part that is made of a resin containing a pigment or dye that absorbs light in the measurement wavelength region, and that contacts said measurement site.

23-1. The measurement site holder according to claim 22,

wherein said holder is equipped with an optical filter that is attached to the outside surface of said main body part.

25. A method for manufacturing a measurement site holder, comprising the steps of:

forming a first resin mold which has an inside surface that matches the shape of the outside surface of the measurement site;

forming a second resin mold which has an outside surface of the same shape as the outside surface of said measurement site by introducing a resin into the first resin mold;

transporting said second resin mold to a specified factory;

and forming a measurement site holder which has an inside surface that matches the shape of the outside surface of said second resin mold at said factory.