Peripheral blood flow evaluating apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for evaluating a peripheral blood flow of a living subject, comprising:
- a reflection-type pulse detecting device including at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means provided such that a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of one of said at least two pairs is different from a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of the other, or each of the others, of said at least two pairs, said at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means being adapted to be opposed to a skin of said subject, the light-emitting means of each one of said at least two pairs emitting a light beam having a wavelength equal to a wavelength of a light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of the other, or each of the others, of said at least two pairs toward said skin so that the light-receiving means of said each pair receives the light which has been emitted from said light-emitting means of said each pair and subsequently reflected from said skin, and generates a reflected-light signal representing the reflected light received from said skin and containing a pulse wave signal resulting from flowing of blood in said skin;
attenuation-coefficient determining means for determining an attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair, based on (a) an intensity of the light beam which is emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair and (b) an intensity of the light beam which has been emitted from said light-emitting means of said each pair, reflected from said skin of said subject, and subsequently received by said light-receiving means of said each pair; and
peripheral-blood-flow evaluating means for evaluating said peripheral blood flow of said subject, based on a ratio of the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of one of said at least two pairs, to the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of the other or another of said at least two pairs.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for evaluating a peripheral blood flow of a living subject, including a reflection-type pulse wave detecting device including two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving elements provided such that a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving elements of one pair is different from that of the other pair; and a determining device for determining an attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element of each pair, based on (a) an intensity of the light beam which is emitted by the light-emitting element of each pair and (b) an intensity of the light which has been emitted from the light-emitting element of each pair, reflected from skin of the subject, and subsequently received by the light-receiving element of each pair. The apparatus further includes an evaluating device for evaluating peripheral blood flow of the subject, based on a ratio of the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element of one pair to the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element of the other pair, and/or, a display which displays a change of the ratio of the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element of one pair to the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element of the other pair.
146 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for evaluating a peripheral blood flow of a living subject, comprising:
-
a reflection-type pulse detecting device including at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means provided such that a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of one of said at least two pairs is different from a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of the other, or each of the others, of said at least two pairs, said at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means being adapted to be opposed to a skin of said subject, the light-emitting means of each one of said at least two pairs emitting a light beam having a wavelength equal to a wavelength of a light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of the other, or each of the others, of said at least two pairs toward said skin so that the light-receiving means of said each pair receives the light which has been emitted from said light-emitting means of said each pair and subsequently reflected from said skin, and generates a reflected-light signal representing the reflected light received from said skin and containing a pulse wave signal resulting from flowing of blood in said skin; attenuation-coefficient determining means for determining an attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair, based on (a) an intensity of the light beam which is emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair and (b) an intensity of the light beam which has been emitted from said light-emitting means of said each pair, reflected from said skin of said subject, and subsequently received by said light-receiving means of said each pair; and peripheral-blood-flow evaluating means for evaluating said peripheral blood flow of said subject, based on a ratio of the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of one of said at least two pairs, to the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of the other or another of said at least two pairs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. An apparatus for displaying a parameter relating to a peripheral blood flow of a living subject, comprising:
-
a reflection-type pulse wave detecting device including at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means provided such that a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of one of said at least two pairs is different from a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of the other, or each of the others, of said at least two pairs, said at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means being adapted to be opposed to a skin of said subject, so that the light-emitting means of each of said at least two pairs emits a light beam toward said skin and so that the light-receiving means of said each pair receives the light which has been emitted from said light-emitting means of said each pair and subsequently reflected from said skin, and generates a reflected-light signal representing the reflected light received from said skin and containing a pulse wave resulting from flowing of blood in said skin; attenuation-coefficient determining means for determining an attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair, based on (a) an intensity of the light beam which is emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair and (b) an intensity of the light beam which has been emitted from said light-emitting means of said each pair, reflected from said skin of said subject, and subsequently received by said light-receiving means of said each pair; and a display which displays, as a change of said parameter, a change of a ratio of the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of one of said at least two pairs, to the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of the other or another of said at least two pairs. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. An apparatus for evaluating a peripheral blood flow of a living subject, comprising:
-
a reflection-type pulse wave detecting device including at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means provided such that a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of one of said at least two pairs is different from a distance between the light-emitting and light-receiving means of the other, or each of the others, of said at least two pairs, said at least two pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving means being adapted to be opposed to a skin of said subject, so that the light-emitting means of each of said at least two pairs emits a light beam toward said skin and so that the light-receiving means of said each pair receives the light beam which has been emitted from said light-emitting means of said each pair and subsequently reflected from said skin, and generates a reflected-light signal representing the reflected light received from said skin and containing a pulse wave resulting from flowing of blood in said skin; attenuation-coefficient determining means for determining an attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair, based on (a) an intensity of the light beam which is emitted by said light-emitting means of said each pair and (b) an intensity of the light beam which has been emitted from said light-emitting means element of said each pair, reflected from said skin of said subject, and subsequently received by said light-receiving means element of said each pair; and peripheral-blood-flow evaluating means for evaluating said peripheral blood flow of said subject, based on a ratio of the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means element of one of said at least two pairs, to the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of the other or another of said at least two pairs, wherein said peripheral-blood-flow evaluating means comprises means for judging whether said peripheral blood flow of said subject is abnormal, based on a change of said ratio of the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of said one pair to the attenuation coefficient of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting means of said other pair or said another pair.
-
Specification