Optical biological information measuring method and optical biological information measuring instrument

• US 20040152962A1
• Filed: 03/24/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11 irradiating an organism, a light receiving part 12 receiving light 13 propagating from the light source part 11 through the inside of the organism and outgoing from the surface of the organism 1, a forming part 10 forming the surface of the organism 1 into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto, and a calculation part 14 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 13 received in the light receiving part 12.

Claims

1. A method of measuring biological information comprising:

a first step of forming the surface of an organism into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto;

a second step of irradiating said organism with light;

a third step of receiving said light propagating through the inside of said organism and outgoing from the surface of said organism; and

a fourth step of calculating biological information of said organism using information of the relation between the amount of said received light and the biological information of said organism previously determined based on the amount of said light received in said third step.

2. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 1, wherein in said fourth step, the biological information of said organism is calculated using information of the relation between the amount of said received light and the biological information of said organism after said pressure reaches a level equal to or greater than predefined value, previously determined based on the amount of said received light acquired after said pressure reaches a level equal to or greater than a predefined value.

3. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 1, comprising a fifth step of measuring said pressure,

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

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

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

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

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

wherein in said fourth step, the biological information of said organism is calculated based on the 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 in said sixth step.

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

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

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

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

11. The method of measuring biological information according to claim 10, wherein the variations in said amount of received light being within a predetermined value means the variations in said amount of received light being within ±

10%.

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

a light source part irradiating an organism;

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

a forming part forming the surface of said organism into a predetermined shape by applying a pressure thereto; and

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

13. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 12, comprising a pressure detecting part detecting that the pressure applied to the surface of said organism by said forming part reaches a level equal to or greater than a predefined value,

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

14. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 12, comprising a pressure measuring part measuring the pressure applied to the surface of said organism by said forming part,

wherein the biological information of said organism is calculated based on the amount of said light received in said receiving part and said pressure measured in said pressure measuring part.

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

16. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 12, wherein a protrusion part is provided on the face of the forming part contacting the surface of the organism, and

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

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

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

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

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

20. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 19, wherein said light receiving part has said light receiving element provided so that the distance between said light source part and said light receiving element is a first distance of 15 mm to 30 mm, and said light receiving element provided so that the distance between said light source part and said light receiving element is a second distance of 35 mm to 80 mm, and

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

21. The apparatus of measuring biological information using light according to claim 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.