Noninvasive living body measuring apparatuses

• US 20040162471A1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Kimura, Rokusaburo, Saitou, Takeo, Ozawa, Toshiyuki, Ikeda, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/322
• 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 5/14535 for measuring haematocrit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

Noninvasive living body measuring apparatuses are described, a representative one of which includes: (a) a light source unit for irradiating a measurement region of a living body; (b) a light-receiving unit for detecting optical information from an irradiated measurement region; (c) a first holding unit for holding the light source unit and the light-receiving unit; (d) a second holding unit for holding the first holding unit so as to be movable; and (e) a mounting unit for mounting the second holding unit onto a living body.

Claims

1. A noninvasive living body measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source unit for irradiating a measurement region of a living body;

a light-receiving unit for detecting optical information from an irradiated measurement region;

a first holding unit for holding the light source unit and the light-receiving unit;

a second holding unit for holding the first holding unit so as to be movable; and

a mounting unit for mounting the second holding unit onto a living body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first holding unit holds the second holding unit so as to be rotatable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source unit comprises a first light source for irradiating a blood vessel in the measurement region.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light source unit further comprises a second light source for irradiating tissue of the living body in the measurement region.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an output unit for displaying optical information from the irradiated measurement region.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light-receiving unit comprises an image capturing element for capturing an image of the measurement region.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the light-receiving unit comprises a light-detecting element for detecting a light received from the tissue of the living body.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting unit comprises a holder capable of holding the living body.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the holder comprises four segments.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first holding unit comprises an elastic member for elastically holding the light source unit and the light-receiving unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an optical unit that comprises the light source unit and the light-receiving unit;

a third holding unit, and

a fourth holding unit;

wherein

the first holding unit comprises the third holding unit which is configured for holding the optical unit; and

the fourth holding unit is configured for holding the third holding unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third holding unit elastically holds the optical unit, and the fourth holding unit elastically holds the third holding unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

an analyzing unit for analyzing detected optical information;

wherein

the light-receiving unit further comprises an image capturing element for capturing an image of the measurement region;

the analyzing unit comprises a calculating unit for calculating an amount of a blood component based on a captured image, wherein the calculating unit corrects the amount of the blood component based on a result detected by the light-detecting element.

14. A noninvasive living body measuring apparatus comprising:

a first light source unit for irradiating a blood vessel;

a second light source unit for irradiating tissue of a living body;

a first light-receiving unit for detecting optical information from the blood vessel irradiated by the first light source unit;

a second light-receiving unit for detecting optical information from the tissue of the living body irradiated by the second light source unit; and

an analyzing unit for analyzing a blood component flowing in a blood vessel based on optical information detected by irradiation with the first and second light source units.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first light-receiving unit comprises an image capturing element for capturing an image of the blood vessel irradiated by the first light source unit, and the second light-receiving unit comprises a light-detecting element for detecting light received from the tissue of the living body irradiated by the second light source unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the analyzing unit comprises a calculating unit for calculating an amount of the blood component based on a captured image, and the calculating unit corrects the amount of the blood component based on a detected result from the light-detecting element.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first light source unit comprises first and second light sources for irradiating a blood vessel interposed therebetween, and the second light source unit comprises third and fourth light sources at mutually different distances from the light-detecting element.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the image capturing element captures a first image of the blood vessel irradiated simultaneously by the first and the second light sources, a second image of the blood vessel irradiated by the first light source, and a third image of the blood vessel irradiated by the second light source, and wherein the light-detecting element detects light received from the tissue of the living body irradiated by the third light source, and light received from the tissue of the living body irradiated by the fourth light source.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the analyzing unit comprises a calculating unit for calculating an amount of the blood component based on the first, second, and third images, and the calculating unit determines reliability of the amount of the blood component based on each detected result during irradiation by the third and fourth light sources and on characteristics of the second and third images obtained.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the analyzing unit comprises a calculating unit for calculating an amount of the blood component based on the first, second, and third images, and the calculating unit corrects the amount of the blood component based on each detected result during irradiation by the third and fourth light sources.

21. A noninvasive living body measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source for irradiating a measurement region of a living body;

an image capturing optical system for detecting reflected light from an irradiated measurement region; and

a light-detecting element for detecting the reflected light from the irradiated measurement region;

wherein the light source and the light-detecting element are arranged substantially in a circle centered around a center axis of the image capturing optical system.