Device and method for estimating target component value

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for estimating a target component value. The apparatus for estimating a target component value may include: a sensor configured to obtain a spectrum of light scattered or reflected from an object; and a processor configured to correct a first reflectance value of the spectrum based on a melanin index; obtain a second reflectance value based on the correction of the first reflectance value; convert the second reflectance value into an absorbance value; estimate the target component value based on the absorbance value; and correct the target component value based on a hemoglobin index.

Description

[0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0127933, filed on October 5, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for non-invasively estimating target composition by using a spectrum obtained from an object. Background Art

[0003] Recently, research has been conducted on methods for non-invasively estimating components such as blood sugar and carotenoids using Raman spectroscopy or near-infrared spectroscopy. Skin color is generally determined by factors such as hemoglobin, carotene, and melanin. Specifically, melanin, which absorbs a large amount of light, reduces the performance of spectral-based sensors (such as signal-to-noise ratio). In other words, the influence of hemoglobin and melanin, which are responsible for skin color, is reflected in the absorption spectrum, which can reduce the accuracy of measuring components such as carotenoids from people of various skin colors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of an example embodiment, an apparatus for estimating a target component value may include: a sensor configured to: obtain a spectrum of light scattered or reflected from an object; and a processor configured to: correct a first reflectance value of the spectrum based on a melanin index; obtain a second reflectance value based on correcting the first reflectance value; convert the second reflectance value into an absorbance value; estimate the target component value based on the absorbance value; and correct the target component value based on a hemoglobin index.

[0005] The processor may calculate a melanin correction value based on the melanin index, the reference melanin index, and the correction ratio; and correct the first reflectance value based on the melanin correction value.

[0006] The correction rate may include a rate of change of the first reflectance value relative to a change in the melanin index.

[0007] The processor may calculate the melanin correction value by multiplying a value obtained by subtracting the reference melanin index from the melanin index by a negative value of the correction rate.

[0008] The processor may calculate a hemoglobin correction value based on the hemoglobin index, the reference hemoglobin index, and the correction ratio; and correct the target component based on the hemoglobin correction value.

[0009] The correction rate may include a rate of change of a residual with respect to a change in the hemoglobin index, the residual being a value obtained by subtracting the trend line from the target component value.

[0010] The processor may calculate the hemoglobin correction value by multiplying a value obtained by subtracting the reference hemoglobin index from the hemoglobin index by a predetermined ratio, and multiplying the resulting value by the correction rate.

[0011] The sensor may include a light source portion configured to emit light within a predetermined wavelength range onto the object; and a spectrometer configured to separate light scattered or reflected from the object to obtain a spectrum.

[0012] The predetermined wavelength range may include a wavelength range of visible light.

[0013] The processor may estimate the target component based on an absorbance value within a first wavelength range among the predetermined wavelength ranges.

[0014] The processor may convert the first reflectance value into a first absorbance value; and estimate the melanin index and the hemoglobin index based on the first absorbance value.

[0015] The processor may estimate the melanin index based on absorbance values ​​in a second wavelength range associated with melanin among the predetermined wavelength ranges; and estimate the hemoglobin index based on absorbance values ​​in a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin.

[0016] The sensor may include: a first light source portion configured to emit light within a first wavelength range; a second light source portion configured to emit light within a second wavelength range associated with melanin; a third light source portion configured to emit light within a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin; and a detector configured to detect light scattered or reflected from the object.

[0017] The processor may estimate the melanin index by driving the second light source section; estimate the hemoglobin index by driving the third light source section; and obtain the second reflectance value by correcting the first reflectance value of the spectrum detected by driving the first light source section based on the melanin index.

[0018] The first wavelength range may include a wavelength range of 470 nanometers (nm) to 510 nm, the second wavelength range includes a wavelength range of 400 nm to 470 nm, and the third wavelength range includes a wavelength range of 530 nm to 590 nm.

[0019] The detector may include one or more of a photodiode, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor.

[0020] The target component values ​​may include one or more of: a carotenoid value, a blood glucose value, a sugar intake value, a triglyceride value, a cholesterol value, a calorie value, a protein value, an in vivo body fluid value, an in vitro body fluid value, and a uric acid value.

[0021] According to one aspect of an example embodiment, an apparatus for estimating a target component value may include: a first light source portion configured to emit light within a first wavelength range associated with the target component; a second light source portion configured to emit light within a second wavelength range associated with melanin; a third light source portion configured to emit light within a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin; a detector configured to detect light scattered or reflected from an object within the first wavelength range, the second wavelength range, and the third wavelength range; and a processor configured to: convert a first reflectance value of light within the first wavelength range into a first absorbance value; convert a second reflectance value of light within the second wavelength range into a second absorbance value; convert a third reflectance value of light within the third wavelength range into a third absorbance value; and estimate the target component value of the target component based on the first absorbance value, the second absorbance value, and the third absorbance value.

[0022] The processor may drive the first light source part, the second light source part, and the third light source part sequentially or simultaneously.

[0023] According to one aspect of an example embodiment, a method for estimating a target component value may include: obtaining a spectrum of light scattered or reflected from an object; correcting a first reflectance value of the spectrum based on a melanin index; obtaining a second reflectance value based on correcting the first reflectance; converting the second reflectance value into an absorbance value; estimating the target component value based on the absorbance value; and correcting the target component value based on a hemoglobin index.

[0024] The method may include calculating a melanin correction value based on the melanin index, the reference melanin index, and the correction ratio. The step of correcting the first reflectance value may include correcting the first reflectance value based on the melanin correction value.

[0025] The correction rate may include a rate of change of the first reflectance value relative to a change in the melanin index.

[0026] The method may include calculating a hemoglobin correction value based on the hemoglobin index, the reference hemoglobin index, and the correction rate. The step of correcting the target component value may include correcting the target component value based on the hemoglobin correction value.

[0027] The correction rate may include a rate of change of a residual with respect to a change in the hemoglobin index, the residual being a value obtained by subtracting the trend line from the target component value.

[0028] The obtaining of the spectrum may include emitting light within a predetermined wavelength range onto the object through a light source part; and separating light scattered or reflected from the object through a spectrometer.

[0029] The estimating of the target component value may include estimating the target component value based on an absorbance value within a first wavelength range among the predetermined wavelength ranges.

[0030] The method may include converting the first reflectance value into a first absorbance value; and estimating a melanin index and a hemoglobin index based on the first absorbance value.

[0031] The estimating of the melanin index and the hemoglobin index may include estimating the melanin index based on absorbance values ​​in a second wavelength range associated with melanin among the predetermined wavelength ranges, and estimating the hemoglobin index based on absorbance values ​​in a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin.

[0032] The step of obtaining a spectrum may include: driving the first light source section to obtain a spectrum within a first wavelength range; driving the second light source section to obtain a spectrum within a second wavelength range associated with melanin; and driving the third light source section to obtain a spectrum within a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin.

[0033] The method may include estimating a melanin index based on a spectrum within a second wavelength range, and estimating a hemoglobin index based on a spectrum within a third wavelength range. Obtaining a second reflectance value may include obtaining the second reflectance value by correcting a first reflectance value of a spectrum within a first wavelength range based on the melanin index. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for estimating a target component according to an example embodiment;

[0036] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a diagram explaining a configuration of a sensor according to an example embodiment;

[0037] Figures 3A to 3D is a diagram explaining a process of estimating a target component according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for estimating a target component according to another example embodiment;

[0039] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of estimating a target component according to an example embodiment;

[0040] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of estimating a target component according to another example embodiment;

[0041] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of estimating a target component according to yet another example embodiment; and

[0042] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a wearable device according to example embodiments.

[0043] Throughout the drawings and detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. For clarity, illustration, and convenience, the relative sizes and depictions of these elements, features, and structures may be exaggerated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Details of example embodiments are included in the following detailed description and drawings. Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures.

[0045] It will be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Unless otherwise expressly stated, any reference to the singular form of a term may include the plural form of the term. In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, expressions such as "comprising" or "including" will be understood to implicitly include the elements but not exclude any other elements. In addition, terms such as "unit", "module", etc. should represent a unit that performs at least one function or operation and can be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0046] Hereinafter, example embodiments of an apparatus and method for estimating a target component (or estimating a target component value) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various example embodiments of the apparatus for estimating a target component may be installed in various types of wearable devices (such as smart watches worn on wrists, smart band wearable devices, headphone wearable devices, headband wearable devices, etc.), installed in mobile devices (such as smart phones, tablet personal computers (PCs), etc.), or installed in a system of a specialized medical institution. However, the apparatus for estimating a target component is not limited thereto.

[0047] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for estimating target components according to example embodiments.

[0048] Reference Figure 1 , an apparatus 100 for estimating target components includes a sensor 110 and a processor 120 .

[0049] Sensor 110 may emit light onto an object to estimate target components from the object, and may obtain a spectrum of light scattered or reflected from the object (hereinafter referred to as a "reflection spectrum"). The object may be skin tissue of a human body, for example, the upper part of a wrist or a finger where a radial artery is adjacent or where veins or capillaries are located.

[0050] The processor 120 may control the sensor 110 and estimate the target component based on the reflectance spectrum obtained by the sensor 110. In this case, the target component may include one or more of carotenoids, blood sugar, sugar intake, triglycerides, cholesterol, calories, protein, in vivo body fluids, in vitro body fluids, uric acid, etc., but is not limited thereto. The following description will be given using carotenoids as an example.

[0051] The processor 120 can obtain absorbance based on the obtained reflectance spectrum and estimate the target component based on the absorbance. In this case, the influence of hemoglobin and melanin, which are responsible for skin color, is reflected in the absorption spectrum. In order to stably estimate carotenoids from people of various skin colors, the influence of melanin and hemoglobin can be eliminated in the process of estimating carotenoids using the absorption spectrum.

[0052] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a diagram explaining a configuration of a sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 3A to 3D Is explained by Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the processor 120 estimates a target component.

[0053] Reference Figure 2A , the sensor 210 according to example embodiments includes a light source part 211 and a spectrometer 212 .

[0054] The light source unit 211 may emit light within a predetermined wavelength range onto the object OBJ. The light source unit may include, but is not limited to, a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), a phosphor, etc. When the light emitted by the light source unit 211 is scattered or reflected from the object OBJ, the spectrometer 212 may separate the scattered light or reflected light to obtain a reflection spectrum.

[0055] Here, the predetermined wavelength range may include a wavelength range associated with the target component (hereinafter, referred to as the “first wavelength range”), a wavelength range associated with melanin (hereinafter, referred to as the “second wavelength range”), and a wavelength range associated with hemoglobin (hereinafter, referred to as the “third wavelength range”), the wavelength range associated with melanin being used to eliminate the influence of melanin in order to accurately measure the peak value of the target component in the first wavelength range, and the wavelength range associated with hemoglobin being used to eliminate the influence of hemoglobin. For example, the predetermined wavelength range may include a relatively wide wavelength range of visible light (for example, a wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm) so as to include all of the first wavelength range of, for example, 470 nm to 510 nm, the second wavelength range of, for example, 400 nm to 470 nm, and the third wavelength range of, for example, 530 nm to 590 nm.

[0056] Based on the reflection spectrum obtained by sensor 210 within a predetermined wavelength range, processor 120 may convert the reflectance at each wavelength of the obtained spectrum (hereinafter referred to as "first reflectance") into absorbance (hereinafter referred to as "first absorbance"). The relational expression represented by Equation 1 below is an example of a function expression for converting reflectance into absorbance.

[0057] [Equation 1]

[0058]

[0059] Here, Abs(λ) represents the first absorbance at the wavelength λ, and Re(λ) represents the first reflectance at the wavelength λ.

[0060] Based on the first absorbance, the processor 120 may obtain a melanin index (MI) and a hemoglobin index (HbI) based on the first absorbance to eliminate the influence of melanin and the influence of hemoglobin. For example, the processor 120 may obtain MI and HbI by using the following equations 2 and 3.

[0061] [Equation 2]

[0062]

[0063] Here, MI represents melanin index, Abs i represents the absorbance at wavelength i, a i In this case, wavelength i may represent each wavelength within the second wavelength range associated with melanin. That is, the processor 120 may obtain MI by using the absorbance value within the second wavelength range in the predetermined wavelength range. However, the processor 120 is not limited thereto and may use the first absorbance value of the entire predetermined wavelength range.

[0064] [Equation 3]

[0065]

[0066] Here, HbI represents hemoglobin index, Abs i represents the absorbance at wavelength i, b i In this case, wavelength i may represent each wavelength within the third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin. That is, the processor 120 may obtain HbI by using the absorbance value within the third wavelength range in the predetermined wavelength range. However, the processor 120 is not limited thereto and may use the first absorbance value of the entire predetermined wavelength range.

[0067] The processor 120 can obtain a corrected reflectivity (hereinafter referred to as "second reflectivity") by correcting the first reflectivity based on the MI. In this case, in order to compensate for the change in MI that has different effects on the spectrum at each wavelength, the processor 120 can compensate the obtained MI based on the reference melanin index and calculate a melanin correction value by applying a correction ratio. The processor 120 can obtain the second reflectivity by applying the calculated melanin correction value to the first reflectivity. The following equation 4 is an example of a function expression for obtaining the second reflectivity from the first reflectivity based on the MI.

[0068] [Equation 4]

[0069] Re M (λ)=Re(λ)+(MI-α)×(-f(λ))

[0070]

[0071] Here, Re(λ) represents the first reflectivity at wavelength λ; Re M (λ) represents the second reflectance at wavelength λ; MI represents the melanin index obtained based on the first absorbance; α represents a reference melanin index, which is used to compensate for changes in MI that have different effects on the spectrum at each wavelength; f(λ) represents a correction rate, which may correspond to a rate of change of the first reflectance according to changes in MI at each wavelength. Figure 3A Graph showing a graph of correction rates obtained using in vivo spectroscopy. Figure 3A As shown in , the rate of change of reflectance varies depending on the change of MI at each wavelength. Figure 3B : is a diagram showing an absorption spectrum obtained before the influence of melanin is reflected and an absorption spectrum obtained after the influence of melanin is reflected.

[0072] In addition, based on obtaining the second reflectance from which the influence of melanin is eliminated based on MI, the processor 120 may convert the second reflectance at each wavelength into absorbance at each wavelength (hereinafter, referred to as "second absorbance"). The following equation 5 is an example of a function expression for obtaining the second absorbance.

[0073] [Equation 5]

[0074]

[0075] Here, Abs M (λ) represents the second absorbance at wavelength λ, Re M (λ) represents the second reflectivity at wavelength λ.

[0076] Based on obtaining the second absorbance, the processor 120 may obtain a target component value by using the second absorbance. For example, the processor 120 may obtain an estimated carotenoid value by using Equation 6 below.

[0077] [Equation 6]

[0078]

[0079] Here, CI represents the carotenoid value; c i Represents coefficient; Abs M,i = represents the second absorbance obtained by compensating for the influence of melanin at wavelength i. In this case, i represents each wavelength of the first wavelength range within the predetermined wavelength range. However, the wavelength is not limited thereto and may include all wavelengths of the absorption spectrum or at least three peak wavelengths selected from the first wavelength range.

[0080] Based on the estimated target component values ​​obtained as described above, processor 120 can compensate for the effect of hemoglobin by using HbI. Hemoglobin generally biases carotenoid content toward smaller values, so processor 120 can compensate for the effect of hemoglobin in the estimated target component values.

[0081] exist Figure 3C , (1) shows the absorption spectrum according to the change in pressure applied to the object when the object applies a pressing force to the sensor 110, wherein the upper spectrum is obtained at a relatively low pressure, and the lower spectrum is obtained at a relatively high pressure. That is, as the pressure decreases, the volume of blood flowing in the blood vessels of the object increases, so that the absorbance due to hemoglobin increases; in contrast, as the pressure increases, the volume of blood decreases, so that the absorbance due to hemoglobin decreases. Therefore, in the wavelength range 31 of 470nm to 510nm of the uppermost spectrum, the signal for detecting carotenoids is relatively low; and in the wavelength range 32 of 470nm to 510nm of the lowermost spectrum, the signal for detecting carotenoids is relatively high. In Figure 3C In (2), the residuals of carotenoids are biased toward negative as HbI increases.

[0082] The processor 120 can normalize the HbI using a reference hemoglobin index and calculate a hemoglobin correction value by applying a correction factor to the normalized value. Furthermore, the processor 120 can correct the target component value by applying the calculated hemoglobin correction value to the estimated target component value. Equation 7 below is an example of a function expression for compensating for the effect of hemoglobin on the estimated target component value.

[0083] [Equation 7]

[0084] CIcomp =CI+γ×(HbI-β)×g(λ)

[0085]

[0086] Here, CIc om p represents the corrected carotenoid value; HbI represents the hemoglobin index; β represents the reference hemoglobin index; g(λ) represents the correction factor, which includes the rate of change of the residual relative to changes in the hemoglobin index. In this case, the residual is the value obtained by subtracting the trend line from the estimated target component value and tends to be negatively biased as the hemoglobin index increases; γ represents a predetermined compensation reflectance. In one example, the trend line is a fitted line (e.g., a line fitted by linear regression) of the carotenoid (CI) measurement values ​​based on Raman spectroscopy and the CI measurement values ​​based on diffuse reflectance. That is, a fitted curve is formed by points with the CI measurement values ​​based on Raman spectroscopy and the CI measurement values ​​based on diffuse reflectance as coordinate values. The coordinate values ​​of each point to be fitted can be a pair of corresponding CI measurement values ​​based on Raman spectroscopy (e.g., which can be used as x-values) and CI measurement values ​​based on diffuse reflectance (e.g., which can be used as y-values) (e.g., measured from the same measurement object under the same conditions). At this time, a diffuse reflectance-based CI measurement value corresponding to the known Raman spectroscopy-based CI measurement value can be obtained based on the trend line, or a Raman spectroscopy-based CI measurement value corresponding to the known diffuse reflectance-based CI measurement value can be obtained (that is, when the coordinate value of one axis (e.g., x value) of a point on the trend line is known, the corresponding coordinate value of the other axis (e.g., y value) can be obtained). When obtaining an estimated carotenoid value, the carotenoid value can be measured using Raman spectroscopy under the same conditions as the Raman spectroscopy-based CI measurement value, and a residual can be obtained by subtracting the diffuse reflectance-based CI measurement value on the trend line corresponding to the measured Raman spectroscopy-based CI measurement value from the estimated carotenoid value.

[0087] exist Figure 3D In FIG. 1 , (1) shows a scatter plot of the estimated carotenoid value from which the influence of melanin is eliminated; (2) shows a scatter plot of the carotenoid value from which the influence of hemoglobin and the influence of melanin are eliminated. Figure 3D As shown in , it can be seen that by eliminating the effect of hemoglobin, the accuracy of the estimated carotenoid values ​​can be further improved.

[0088] Figure 2B is a diagram explaining a configuration of a sensor according to another example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] Reference Figure 2BAccording to another embodiment, a sensor 220 includes a first light source portion 221a, a second light source portion 221b, a third light source portion 221c, and a detector 222. The first light source portion 221a is used to emit light within a first wavelength range, the second light source portion 221b is used to emit light within a second wavelength range, and the third light source portion 221c is used to emit light within a third wavelength range. The detector 222 is used to detect scattered light or reflected light when light of each wavelength emitted by each light source portion 221a, 221b, and 221c is scattered or reflected, so as to obtain a spectrum.

[0090] The first light source unit 221a, the second light source unit 221b, and the third light source unit 221c may include one or more light sources. In this case, the light source may include a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), a phosphor, etc., but is not limited thereto. The detector 222 may include one or more photodiodes, one or more photodiode arrays, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor, etc.

[0091] The first light source unit 221a may include one or more light sources, each of which may emit light of a predetermined wavelength within the first wavelength range. In addition, the second light source unit 221b may include one or more light sources, each of which may emit light of a predetermined wavelength within the second wavelength range. In addition, the third light source unit 221c may include one or more light sources, each of which may emit light of a predetermined wavelength within the third wavelength range.

[0092] The processor 120 may determine the wavelengths of the light sources to be driven from among the first light source unit 221a, the second light source unit 221b, and the third light source unit 221c, and may sequentially or simultaneously drive the light sources of the determined wavelengths. For example, the processor 120 may select at least three light sources from the first light source unit 221a (e.g., light sources with wavelengths of 470nm, 490nm, and 510nm), select at least one light source with a relatively high melanin index estimation accuracy within the wavelength range of 400nm to 470nm from the second light source unit 221b, and select at least one light source with a relatively high hemoglobin estimation accuracy within the wavelength range of 530nm to 590nm from the third light source unit 221c. The processor 120 may drive the selected light sources by sequentially or simultaneously turning on the respective light sources. However, the driving of the light source is not limited thereto, and the light source may be driven in various modes (such as by simultaneously driving the light sources in the respective light source portions 221a, 221b, and 221c, or sequentially driving the light sources in the respective light source portions 221a, 221b, and 221c, etc.).

[0093] For example, as described above, the processor 120 may convert the reflectance of the spectrum within the second wavelength range obtained by driving the second light source unit 221b into absorbance, and may obtain the MI based on the absorbance. Furthermore, the processor 120 may convert the reflectance of the spectrum within the third wavelength range obtained by driving the third light source unit 221c into absorbance, and may obtain the HbI based on the absorbance. As described above, the processor 120 may correct the reflectance of the spectrum obtained by driving the first light source unit 221a based on the MI, may estimate the target component based on the corrected reflectance, and may obtain a final estimated target component value by correcting the target component value based on the HbI.

[0094] In another example, the processor 120 may extract feature points based on the spectra within each wavelength range obtained by the first light source unit 221a, the second light source unit 221b, and the third light source unit 221c, and may estimate the target component based on the extracted feature points by using a predefined target component estimation model. In this case, the feature points may include the reflectance value of the spectrum and the absorbance value obtained by converting the reflectance value. However, the feature points are not limited to this and may include various combinations of reflectance values ​​and / or absorbance values ​​(such as the average value of the reflectance value, the average value of the absorbance value, etc.). In this case, the target component estimation model may be generated based on linear regression, nonlinear regression, artificial neural network, etc.

[0095] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for estimating target components according to another example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] Reference Figure 4 , the apparatus 400 for estimating target components includes a sensor 410, a processor 420, an output interface 430, a storage device 440, and a communication interface 450. In this case, the sensor 410 and the processor 420 are described above in detail, so that the following description will focus on non-overlapping parts.

[0097] The output interface 430 may output the spectrum obtained by the sensor 410 and / or various information processed by the processor 420 (such as MI, HbI, estimated target component value, etc.). The output interface 430 may include a visual output module (such as a display), a voice output module (such as a speaker), or a tactile module using vibration, touch, etc. In this case, the output interface 430 may divide the display area into two or more areas, and may display the estimated target component value in the first area, and may display detailed information related to the target component (such as spectrum, MI, HbI, health status, etc.) in the second area.

[0098] The storage device 440 may store user information and reference information for estimating target components (such as a standard for driving a light source, a target component estimation model, etc.) In addition, the storage device 440 may store various information obtained, generated, and processed by the sensor 410 and / or the processor 420.

[0099] The storage device 440 may include at least one storage medium selected from the following: flash memory, hard disk memory, multimedia micro card memory, card memory (e.g., secure digital (SD) memory, extreme digital (XD) memory, etc.), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0100] The communication interface 450 can communicate with an external device through wired or wireless communication to receive various data from the external device. In this case, the external device may include an information processing device (such as a smart phone, tablet PC, desktop computer, laptop computer, etc.), but is not limited thereto.

[0101] For example, the communication interface 450 may receive a request for measuring a spectrum from an external device and may transmit the received request to the processor 420. The communication interface 450 may receive reference information (such as light source driving conditions, estimation models, etc.) from the external device. In addition, the communication interface 450 may transmit various information obtained, generated, and processed by the sensor 410 and / or the processor 420 to the external device.

[0102] In this case, the communication interface 450 can communicate with the external device by using various wired or wireless communication technologies, such as Bluetooth communication, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, near field communication (NFC), wireless local area network (WLAN) communication, Zigbee communication, infrared data association (IrDA) communication, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct (WFD) communication, ultra-wideband (UWB) communication, Ant+ communication, Wi-Fi communication, radio frequency identification (RFID) communication, 3G communication, 4G communication, 5G communication, etc. However, the aforementioned communication technologies are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0103] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of estimating target components according to example embodiments.

[0104] Figure 5 The method is described in detail above Figure 1 or Figure 4 An example of a method of estimating a target component according to an exemplary embodiment will therefore be briefly described below.

[0105] First, in operation 511, the apparatus for estimating a target component may drive a light source portion to emit light within a predetermined wavelength range, and may obtain a spectrum of light scattered or reflected from the object using a spectrometer. In this case, the predetermined wavelength range may include a relatively wide wavelength range (such as, for example, a visible light range of 400 nm to 700 nm) to include a suitable wavelength range for estimating melanin, hemoglobin, and the target component.

[0106] Then, in operation 512 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may convert the obtained first reflectance of the spectrum into first absorbance, and in operation 513 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may estimate MI and HbI based on the first absorbance.

[0107] Subsequently, in operation 514, the apparatus for estimating the target component may obtain a second reflectance by correcting the first reflectance based on the MI, the second reflectance being obtained by compensating for the influence of the MI. In this case, to compensate for the change in the spectrum at each wavelength due to the change in the MI, the apparatus for estimating the target component may normalize the MI based on a reference melanin index and obtain a melanin correction value by applying the correction factor to the normalized MI. Alternatively, the apparatus for estimating the target component may obtain the second reflectance by applying the obtained melanin correction value to the first reflectance.

[0108] Next, in operation 515 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may convert the second reflectance obtained by compensating for the influence of melanin into a second absorbance, and in operation 516 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may estimate the target component based on the second absorbance.

[0109] Then, in operation 517, the apparatus for estimating the target component may correct the target component value estimated in operation 516 based on the HbI obtained in operation 513. For example, the apparatus for estimating the target component may normalize the HbI based on a reference hemoglobin index and may calculate a hemoglobin correction value based on a predefined reflection compensation rate, correction rate, etc. In addition, the apparatus for estimating the target component may correct the target component value by using the calculated hemoglobin correction value.

[0110] Subsequently, in operation 518 , the apparatus for estimating target composition may output the corrected estimated target composition value and provide the corrected estimated target composition value to a user.

[0111] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of estimating target components according to another example embodiment.

[0112] Figure 6 The method can be achieved by Figure 1 or Figure 4 The apparatuses 100 and 400 for estimating target components of the embodiments are performed.

[0113] Reference Figure 6 In operation 611, the device for estimating the target component may drive the first light source unit to obtain a spectrum within a first wavelength range, in operation 612, the device for estimating the target component may drive the second light source unit to obtain a spectrum within a second wavelength range, and in operation 613, the device for estimating the target component may drive the third light source unit to obtain a spectrum within a third wavelength range. In this case, the first light source unit, the second light source unit, and the third light source unit may be driven sequentially or simultaneously. In addition, the first light source unit may include one or more light sources that emit light within a suitable wavelength range for estimating the target component (such as, for example, a wavelength range of 470nm to 510nm); the second light source unit may include one or more light sources that emit light within a suitable wavelength range for estimating melanin (such as, for example, a wavelength range of 400nm to 470nm); and the third light source unit may include one or more light sources that emit light within a suitable wavelength range for estimating hemoglobin (such as, for example, a wavelength range of 530nm to 590nm).

[0114] Then, in operation 614 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may estimate the melanin index based on the spectrum in the second wavelength range, and in operation 615 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may estimate the hemoglobin index based on the spectrum in the third wavelength range.

[0115] Subsequently, in operation 616 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may obtain a second reflectance by correcting the first reflectance of the spectrum obtained in operation 611 based on the MI.

[0116] Next, in operation 617 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may convert the second reflectance into absorbance, and in operation 618 , the apparatus for estimating the target component may estimate the target component based on the absorbance.

[0117] Then, in operation 619, the apparatus for estimating the target component may correct the target component based on HbI to obtain a final estimated target component value, and in operation 620, the apparatus for estimating the target component may output the obtained estimated target component value and provide the obtained estimated target component value to the user.

[0118] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of estimating a target component according to yet another example embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The method can be based on Figure 1 or Figure 4 The apparatuses 100 and 400 for estimating target components of the embodiments are performed.

[0119] Reference Figure 7 In operation 711, the apparatus for estimating the target component may drive the first light source section to obtain a spectrum within a first wavelength range, in operation 712, the apparatus for estimating the target component may drive the second light source section to obtain a spectrum within a second wavelength range, and in operation 713, the apparatus for estimating the target component may drive the third light source section to obtain a spectrum within a third wavelength range. In this case, the first light source section, the second light source section, and the third light source section may be driven sequentially or simultaneously.

[0120] Then, in operation 714, the device for estimating the target component may convert the reflectance of the spectrum within the first wavelength range into absorbance, in operation 715, the device for estimating the target component may convert the reflectance of the spectrum within the second wavelength range into absorbance, and in operation 716, the device for estimating the target component may convert the reflectance of the spectrum within the third wavelength range into absorbance.

[0121] Subsequently, in operation 717, the device for estimating the target component may estimate the target component based on the absorbance within each wavelength range by using a target component estimation model, and in operation 718, the device for estimating the target component may output the estimated target component value and provide the estimated target component value to the user.

[0122] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a wearable device according to example embodiments.

[0123] although Figure 8 A smartwatch-type wearable device 800 is shown, but the wearable device is not limited thereto and may be modified in various shapes such as a smart wristband, smart glasses, etc. In addition, the wearable device may be manufactured in the form of a mobile device such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, etc. The above-described various embodiments of the apparatuses 100 and 400 for estimating target components may be installed in the wearable device 800.

[0124] Reference Figure 8 , the wearable device 800 includes a main body 810 and a band 830.

[0125] The strap 830 connected to both ends of the body 810 can be flexible so as to fit around the user's wrist. The strap 830 can include a first strap and a second strap that are separate from each other. One end of each of the first strap and the second strap is connected to the body 810, and the other end of each of the first strap and the second strap can be connected to each other via a connecting device. In this case, the connecting device can be formed in the form of a magnetic connection, a Velcro connection, a pin connection, etc., but is not limited to these. Moreover, the strap 830 is not limited to these and can be formed as a single, non-detachable strap.

[0126] In this case, air may be injected into the band 830 , or the band 830 may be provided with an air bag to have elasticity according to a change in pressure applied to the wrist and may transmit the change in pressure of the wrist to the body 810 .

[0127] A battery may be embedded in the body 810 or the band 830 to supply power to the wearable device 800 .

[0128] The body 810 may include a sensor 820 mounted on one side of the body 810. The sensor 820 may include a light source portion and a spectrometer for detecting light within a predetermined wavelength range, or may include a detector and one or more light sources within wavelength ranges associated with the target component, melanin, and hemoglobin, respectively.

[0129] The processor may be installed in the body 810 and may be electrically connected to the module installed in the wearable device 800. The processor may estimate the target component by compensating for the influence of melanin and hemoglobin in the spectrum measured by the sensor 820.

[0130] In addition, the main body 810 may include a storage device that stores reference information for estimating the target component and information generated and processed by various modules of the main body 810 .

[0131] In addition, the main body 810 may include a manipulator 840, which is provided on one side surface of the main body 810 and receives a user's control command and sends the received control command to the processor. The manipulator 840 may have a power button for inputting a command to turn on / off the wearable device 800.

[0132] In addition, a display for outputting information to the user may be mounted on the front surface of the main body 810. The display may have a touch screen for receiving touch input. The display may receive the user's touch input and send the touch input to the processor, and may display the processing result of the processor.

[0133] In addition, the main body 810 may include a communication interface for communicating with an external device. The communication interface may transmit the target component estimation result to the external device (such as a user's smartphone).

[0134] The exemplary embodiments may be implemented by computer-readable codes written on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executed by a processor.The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be any type of recording medium that stores data in a computer-readable manner.

[0135] Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, and carrier wave (e.g., data transmission via the Internet). Non-transitory computer-readable media can be distributed on multiple computer systems connected to a network, so that computer-readable code is written to and executed from the non-transitory computer-readable recording media in a decentralized manner. Programmers with ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can derive functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the exemplary embodiments.

[0136] The present disclosure has been described herein with respect to example embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without changing the technical concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is clear that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A device for estimating a target component value, the device comprising: a sensor configured to: obtain a spectrum of light scattered or reflected from an object; as well as The processor is configured to: converting a first reflectance value of the spectrum into a first absorbance value; estimating a melanin index and a hemoglobin index based on the first absorbance value, wherein the melanin index is estimated based on a weighted sum of the first absorbance values ​​at each wavelength within a second wavelength range associated with melanin within the predetermined wavelength range, and the hemoglobin index is estimated based on a weighted sum of the first absorbance values ​​at each wavelength within a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin within the predetermined wavelength range; A first reflectance value based on the melanin index correction spectrum, Based on correcting the first reflectivity value, a second reflectivity value is obtained, converting the second reflectance value into a second absorbance value, estimating a target component value based on the second absorbance value, wherein the target component value is estimated based on a weighted sum of the second absorbance values ​​at each wavelength within a first wavelength range included in the predetermined wavelength range, and Estimated target component values ​​were corrected based on the hemoglobin index.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The processor is also configured to: calculating a melanin correction value based on the melanin index, the reference melanin index, and the correction ratio; and The first reflectance value is corrected based on the melanin correction value.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein The correction rate includes a rate of change of the first reflectance value relative to a change in the melanin index.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein The processor is also configured to: The melanin correction value is calculated by multiplying the value obtained by subtracting the reference melanin index from the melanin index by the negative value of the correction rate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The processor is also configured to: calculating a hemoglobin correction value based on the hemoglobin index, the reference hemoglobin index, and the correction ratio; and The estimated target component value is corrected based on the hemoglobin correction value.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein The correction rate includes the rate of change of the residual with respect to the change of the hemoglobin index, the residual being a value obtained by subtracting the trend line from the estimated target component value.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The processor is further configured to calculate a hemoglobin correction value by: A value obtained by subtracting the reference hemoglobin index from the hemoglobin index is multiplied by a predetermined ratio, and the multiplied value is multiplied by the correction rate.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: Sensors include: a light source portion configured to emit light within a predetermined wavelength range onto an object; and A spectrometer is configured to separate light scattered or reflected from an object to obtain a spectrum.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein The predetermined wavelength range includes: a wavelength range of visible light.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein Sensors include: The first light source unit is configured to emit light within a first wavelength range; a second light source unit configured to emit light within a second wavelength range associated with melanin; a third light source section configured to emit light within a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin; and A detector is configured to detect light scattered or reflected from the object.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The processor is also configured to: estimating a melanin index by driving the second light source unit; estimating a hemoglobin index by driving the third light source section; and The second reflectance value is obtained by correcting the first reflectance value of the spectrum obtained by driving the first light source section based on the melanin index.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The first wavelength range includes a wavelength range of 470 nanometers to 510 nanometers, the second wavelength range includes a wavelength range of 400 nanometers to 470 nanometers, and the third wavelength range includes a wavelength range of 530 nanometers to 590 nanometers.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The detector includes one or more of a photodiode, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor, and a charge coupled device image sensor.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The target component values ​​include one or more of: a carotenoid value, a blood sugar value, a sugar intake value, a triglyceride value, a cholesterol value, a calorie value, a protein value, an in vivo body fluid value, an in vitro body fluid value, and a uric acid value.

15. A method for estimating a target component value, the method comprising: obtaining a spectrum of light scattered or reflected from an object; converting a first reflectance value of the spectrum into a first absorbance value; estimating a melanin index and a hemoglobin index based on the first absorbance value, wherein the melanin index is estimated based on a weighted sum of the first absorbance values ​​at each wavelength within a second wavelength range associated with melanin within the predetermined wavelength range, and the hemoglobin index is estimated based on a weighted sum of the first absorbance values ​​at each wavelength within a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin within the predetermined wavelength range; a first reflectance value based on a melanin index-corrected spectrum; Obtaining a second reflectivity value based on correcting the first reflectivity; converting the second reflectance value into a second absorbance value; estimating a target component value based on the second absorbance value, wherein the target component value is estimated based on a weighted sum of the second absorbance values ​​at each wavelength within a first wavelength range included in the predetermined wavelength range; and Estimated target component values ​​were corrected based on the hemoglobin index.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Calculate the melanin correction value based on the melanin index, reference melanin index and correction rate, The step of correcting the first reflectivity value includes correcting the first reflectivity based on the melanin correction value.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein The correction rate includes a rate of change of the first reflectance value relative to a change in the melanin index.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Calculate the hemoglobin correction value based on the hemoglobin index, the reference hemoglobin index and the correction ratio, The step of correcting the estimated target component value includes correcting the estimated target component value based on the hemoglobin correction value.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein The correction rate includes the rate of change of the residual with respect to the change of the hemoglobin index, the residual being a value obtained by subtracting the trend line from the estimated target component value.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein: The steps to obtain a spectrum include: emitting light within a predetermined wavelength range onto the object through the light source portion; and Light scattered or reflected from an object is separated by a spectrometer to obtain a spectrum.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein: The steps to obtain a spectrum include: driving the first light source unit to obtain a spectrum within a first wavelength range; driving the second light source section to obtain a spectrum within a second wavelength range associated with melanin; and The third light source section is driven to obtain a spectrum within a third wavelength range associated with hemoglobin.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein Also includes: estimating a melanin index based on the spectrum within a second wavelength range; as well as Estimation of the hemoglobin index based on the spectrum in the third wavelength range, The step of obtaining the second reflectance value includes obtaining the second reflectance value by correcting the first reflectance value of the spectrum within the first wavelength range based on the melanin index.

23. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 15 to 22.

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