Optical member for biological information measurement, biological information calculation apparatus, biological information calculation method, computer-executable program, and recording medium

• US 20060041195A1
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchida, Shinji, Shioi, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• 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 5/682 Mouth, e.g., oral cavity; tongue; Lips; Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6834 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/021 Special mounting in general

Abstract

An optical member for biological information measurement has a prism, which has a light incident surface being injected with emitted light, a living body tissue measuring section which a living body tissue contacts, and a light emitting surface which emits the light reflected by the living body tissue measuring section which the living body tissue contacts, or the light which has passed the living body tissue through the living body tissue measuring section which the living body tissue has contacted. A prism cover is provided so as to expose the living body tissue measuring section and to surround all or a part of the outer circumferential portion of the prism.

Claims

1. An optical member for biological information measurement, comprising:

an optical element having an incident surface which receives emitted light, a contact surface which contacts a living body tissue, and an emitting surface which emits the light that has been reflected by the contact surface in contact with the living body tissue, or the light that has passed the living body tissue via the contact surface in contact with the living body tissue; and

an optical element cover provided so as to expose the contact surface and to surround all or a part of an outer circumferential portion of the optical element.

2. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 1, wherein a space, which a part of the living body tissue can enter, is formed between the optical element and the optical element cover.

3. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 2, wherein the contact surface projects outside of the space.

4. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 2, further comprising:

a movable space cover provided so as to cover the space,

wherein the space cover moves into the space when being pressed by the living body tissue in contact with the contact surface.

5. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 4, wherein the space cover is held by an elastic material.

6. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 2, further comprising:

a decompressing unit of decompressing the space when the living body tissue contacts the contact surface.

7. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 6, further comprising:

a movable space cover having a window provided so as to cover the space,

wherein the space cover moves into the space when being pressed by the living body tissue in contact with the contact surface, and

the decompressing unit decompresses the space by performing evacuation through the window.

8. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light attenuating portion provided in all or a part of an outside of the optical element cover.

9. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 8, wherein the light attenuating portion is at least one of a light reflecting element which reflects light, a light absorbing element which absorbs light, and a light scattering element which scatters light.

10. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface has a groove.

11. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 10, wherein a refractive index of the optical element is 1.55 or more.

12. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface has a curved surface.

13. The optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 1, wherein a portion of an end face of the optical element cover, which contacts the living body tissue, has a curved surface.

14. A biological information calculation apparatus, comprising:

the optical member for biological information measurement according to claim 1;

a light source emitting the light;

a photodetector detecting the light emitted from the emitting surface; and

an arithmetic section calculating biological information with regard to a living body, which has the living body tissue, on the basis of a result of the detection.

15. The biological information calculation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the biological information to be calculated is information with regard to a concentration of a material included in the living body tissue.

16. A biological information calculation method using an optical member for biological information measurement comprising an optical element having an incident surface which receives emitted light, a contact surface which a living body tissue contacts, and an emitting surface which emits the light that has been reflected by the contact surface in contact with the living body tissue, or the light that has passed the living body tissue via the contact surface in contact with the living body tissue, and an optical element cover provided so as to expose the contact surface and to surround all or a part of an outer circumferential portion of the optical element, comprising the steps of:

emitting the light;

detecting the light emitted from the emitting surface; and

calculating biological information with regard to a living body, which has the living body tissue, on the basis of a result of the detection.

17. A computer-executable program comprising computer-executable program code operable to cause a computer to execute the step of calculating biological information with regard to a living body, which has the living body tissue, on the basis of a result of the detection, in the biological information calculation method according to claim 16.

18. A recording medium carrying the program according to claim 17, which can be processed by a computer.