Blood measurement device

Abstract

The blood measurement device (10) includes: a light emitting unit (11) that emits light passing through the measurement site (18); a light receiving unit (19) that receives the light passing through the measurement site (18); an integrating sphere unit (14) that is installed in the optical path where the light emitted from the light emitting unit (11) reaches the light receiving unit (19), and has a reflection surface (26) for reflecting light formed inside; a light inlet portion (23) that is an opening provided in the integrating sphere unit (14) for the light irradiated from the light emitting unit (11) to enter the inside of the integrating sphere unit (14); and a light outlet portion (16) that is an opening provided in the integrating sphere unit (14) for the light reflected by the reflection surface (26) of the integrating sphere unit (14) to be emitted from the integrating sphere unit (14) toward the measurement site (18).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application for an invention titled "Blood Measurement Device" with an international filing date of June 4, 2021, application number 202180039022.7. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a blood measurement device that optically measures the amount of components contained in blood inside a measurement site such as the human body. Background Art

[0003] As a method for detecting sugar inside a measurement site, there are an invasive method and a non-invasive method. The invasive method is a method of, for example, collecting blood from a fingertip of a human body and using the blood to measure the amount of glucose. The non-invasive method is a method of measuring the amount of glucose using a sensor disposed outside the human body without collecting blood from the human body. In order to calculate an accurate amount of glucose, the invasive method is generally used, but a calculation device based on the non-invasive method is desired to reduce the pain of the user and improve convenience.

[0004] As an example of a device for measuring the amount of glucose using the non-invasive method, a device that optically measures by irradiating near-infrared light on a human body or the like is known.

[0005] In addition, as an optical measurement device for the amount of glucose, there is a device that detects a difference in the absorption amount caused by glucose of near-infrared light. Specifically, in this device, near-infrared light is transmitted through a certain site, and the amount of glucose is measured based on the amount of transmitted light (for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

[0006] However, in the glucose amount measurement devices based on the non-invasive method described in the above patent documents, there is a technical problem that it cannot be said that the glucose amount can be accurately measured with certainty.

[0007] Specifically, in the measurement technique described in Patent Document 1, since the amount of glucose is calculated by the glucose oxidase method, there is a technical problem that the calculation of the amount of glucose is complicated. In addition, in the measurement technique described in Patent Document 2, although the amount of glucose is measured by an optical method, it has not reached the level of being able to quantitatively measure the amount of glucose in order to determine the degree of possibility of diabetes.

[0008] In view of the above, the present applicant has invented the device described in Patent Document 3. The device includes: a light-receiving unit having a plurality of light-emitting portions with different wavelengths, an actuator, and an arithmetic control unit that estimates the glucose amount and controls the operation of the actuator. In addition, the arithmetic control unit uses the actuator to move the light-emitting portion that irradiates light on the measurement site along the axis of an optical axis defined so as to penetrate the measurement site. With this device, for each light beam with a different wavelength, the optical path and the optical path length through which each light beam passes are unified. Therefore, since the optical conditions of each light beam are homogenized, the amount of components contained in the blood can be accurately measured based on the light-receiving intensity of each light beam that has passed through the measurement site.

[0009] Prior Art Documents

[0010] Patent Documents

[0011] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3093871 Gazette

[0012] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3692751 Gazette

[0013] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-121746 Summary of the Invention

[0014] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0015] However, in the invention described in Patent Document 3, an actuator for moving the light-emitting portion along the optical axis is required, which may lead to technical problems such as high cost, complexity, and increased failure rate of the entire device. Furthermore, in the invention described in Patent Document 3, since a motor is built in as the actuator, there is also a technical problem that the power consumption of the motor during operation becomes large. This technical problem can also be considered in the case of measuring substances other than the glucose amount.

[0016] The present invention has been completed in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a blood measurement device that can omit the actuator for moving the light-emitting portion.

[0017] Means for Solving the Technical Problem

[0018] The present invention relates to a blood measurement device that measures components contained in blood by transmitting or reflecting light from a measured site, and is characterized by comprising: a light emitting unit that emits light that transmits through or reflects from the measured site; a light receiving unit that receives the light that has transmitted through or reflected from the measured site; an integrating sphere unit that is installed in the optical path where the light emitted from the light emitting unit reaches the light receiving unit, and has a reflecting surface formed inside thereof that reflects the light; a light inlet portion that is an opening provided in the integrating sphere unit and through which the light irradiated from the light emitting unit enters the inside of the integrating sphere unit; and a light outlet portion that is an opening provided in the integrating sphere unit and through which the light reflected by the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit is emitted from the integrating sphere unit toward the measured site.

[0019] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the light emitting unit irradiates first light and second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light from a first light emitting unit and a second light emitting unit respectively, the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit reflects the first light and the second light, the first light and the second light are irradiated from the light outlet portion of the integrating sphere unit toward the measured site and the light receiving unit, and the light receiving unit receives the first light and the second light.

[0020] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit is spherical.

[0021] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized by further comprising: a light monitor opening portion that is an opening provided in the integrating sphere unit and through which a part of the light that has entered from the light inlet portion and has been reflected by the reflecting surface is emitted to the outside; a monitor light receiving unit that receives the light emitted from the light monitor opening portion; and an arithmetic control unit that controls the intensity of the light emitted from the light emitting unit based on the output from the monitor light receiving unit.

[0022] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the reflecting surface is a rough surface.

[0023] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the light emitting unit irradiates first light, second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light, and third light having a wavelength different from those of the first light and the second light from a first light emitting unit, a second light emitting unit, and a third light emitting unit respectively, the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit reflects the first light, the second light, and the third light, the first light, the second light, and the third light are irradiated from the light outlet portion of the integrating sphere unit toward the measured site and the light receiving unit, and the light receiving unit receives the first light, the second light, and the third light.

[0024] The present invention relates to a blood measurement device that measures components contained in blood by transmitting or reflecting light from a measurement site, and is characterized by comprising: a light emitting unit that emits the light that transmits through or reflects from the measurement site; a light receiving unit that receives the light that transmits through or reflects from the measurement site; a light emitting support unit that supports the light emitting unit; a light receiving support unit that supports the light receiving unit; a moving pressing unit that is configured to be movable between the light emitting support unit and the light receiving support unit; the moving pressing unit, by approaching the light emitting support unit side, becomes an insertion state in which the measurement site can be inserted into the optical path of the light, and by approaching the light receiving support unit side, presses the measurement site, and becomes a measurement state in which the light is irradiated onto the measurement site and measurement is performed.

[0025] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the moving mechanism that moves the moving pressing unit has: a camshaft; a cam that is non-rotatably mounted on the camshaft and moves the moving pressing unit; and a rod that is non-rotatably mounted on the camshaft.

[0026] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that a spring that applies a force to the moving pressing unit is arranged.

[0027] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the moving pressing unit has an insertion hole, and the light emitting support unit has a cylindrical portion through which the light passes, and in the insertion state and the measurement state, the cylindrical portion is inserted into the insertion hole.

[0028] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the moving pressing unit has a moving contact portion, and the light receiving support unit has a light receiving side contact portion. In the insertion state, the moving contact portion and the light receiving side contact portion are separated by a thickness of the measurement site or more, and in the measurement state, the moving contact portion and the light receiving side contact portion approach to a thickness of the measurement site or less.

[0029] Advantages of the Invention

[0030] The present invention relates to a blood measurement device that measures components contained in blood by transmitting or reflecting light from a measured site, and is characterized by comprising: a light emitting unit that emits light that transmits through or reflects from the measured site; a light receiving unit that receives the light that has transmitted through or reflected from the measured site; an integrating sphere unit that is installed in the optical path through which the light emitted from the light emitting unit reaches the light receiving unit, and has a reflecting surface formed inside thereof that reflects the light; a light inlet unit that is an opening provided in the integrating sphere unit, and through which the light irradiated from the light emitting unit enters the inside of the integrating sphere unit; and a light outlet unit that is an opening provided in the integrating sphere unit, and through which the light reflected by the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit is emitted from the integrating sphere unit toward the measured site. Therefore, according to the present invention, by installing the integrating sphere unit in the optical path, the light that has been homogenized by reflection by the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit can be uniformly irradiated onto the measured site in a columnar region. Therefore, even when the position of the light emitting element that irradiates the light is slightly deviated from the designed position, a significant reduction in the intensity of the light irradiated onto the light receiving element can be suppressed.

[0031] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the light emitting unit irradiates first light and second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light from a first light emitting unit and a second light emitting unit, respectively, the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit reflects the first light and the second light, the first light and the second light are irradiated from the light outlet unit of the integrating sphere unit toward the measured site and the light receiving unit, and the light receiving unit receives the first light and the second light. Therefore, according to the present invention, when irradiating first light and second light having different wavelengths from the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit, generally, an actuator for moving the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit on the optical axis is required. On the other hand, in the present invention, as described above, since the light that has been homogenized by reflection by the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit is uniformly irradiated onto the measured site in a columnar region, a plurality of lights having different wavelengths can be irradiated along the optical path toward the measured site and the light receiving unit without an actuator.

[0032] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit is spherical. Therefore, according to the present invention, since the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere unit is spherical, the light that has been reflected multiple times by the reflecting surface can be irradiated from the light outlet unit toward the measured site and the light receiving unit in a uniform state.

[0033] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that it further includes: a light monitor opening which is an opening provided in the integrating sphere portion for a part of the light that enters from the light entrance portion and is reflected by the reflecting surface to be emitted to the outside; a monitor light receiving portion which receives the light emitted from the light monitor opening; and an arithmetic control portion which controls the intensity of the light emitted from the light emitting portion based on the output from the monitor light receiving portion. Therefore, according to the present invention, the intensity of the light reflected by the reflecting surface is measured by the monitor light receiving portion, and the arithmetic control portion adjusts the intensity of the light irradiated from the light emitting portion based on this result, thereby enabling the intensity of the light irradiated to the measurement site and the light receiving portion to be a specified intensity.

[0034] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the reflecting surface is a rough surface. Therefore, according to the present invention, since the reflecting surface of the integrating sphere portion is a rough surface, the light is effectively diffusely reflected by the reflecting surface, and a columnar light can be irradiated from the light exit portion toward the measurement site and the light receiving portion.

[0035] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the light emitting portion irradiates a first light, a second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light, and a third light having a wavelength different from those of the first light and the second light from a first light emitting portion, a second light emitting portion, and a third light emitting portion respectively. The reflecting surface of the integrating sphere portion reflects the first light, the second light, and the third light. The first light, the second light, and the third light are irradiated from the light exit portion of the integrating sphere portion toward the measurement site and the light receiving portion, and the light receiving portion receives the first light, the second light, and the third light. Therefore, according to the present invention, by using the first light, the second light, and the third light, the glucose amount can be measured with higher accuracy.

[0036] The present invention is a blood measurement device that measures the components contained in blood based on the light transmitted through or reflected by the measurement site, and is characterized in that it includes: a light emitting portion that emits the light transmitted through or reflected by the measurement site; a light receiving portion that receives the light transmitted through or reflected by the measurement site; a light emitting support portion that supports the light emitting portion; a light receiving support portion that supports the light receiving portion; a moving pressing portion that is configured to be movable between the light emitting support portion and the light receiving support portion; when the moving pressing portion approaches the light emitting support portion side, it becomes an insertion state in which the measurement site can be inserted into the optical path of the light, and when it approaches the light receiving support portion side, it presses the measurement site and becomes a measurement state in which the light is irradiated to the measurement site for measurement. Therefore, according to the present invention, there is a moving pressing portion that moves in the insertion state and the measurement state. Thus, by pressing the measurement site in the measurement state, the measurement site can be made to have a specified thickness, and parameters related to blood such as blood glucose level can be accurately measured.

[0037] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the moving mechanism for moving the moving pressing part has: a camshaft; a cam which is non-rotatably mounted on the camshaft and moves the moving pressing part; and a rod which is non-rotatably mounted on the camshaft. Therefore, according to the present invention, by rotating the rod to rotate the cam, the user can freely change the relative distance between the light-emitting support part and the light-receiving support part.

[0038] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that a spring for applying a force to the moving pressing part is arranged. Therefore, according to the present invention, by using the pressing force of the cam and the acting force of the spring, the position of the moving pressing part can be precisely controlled.

[0039] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the moving pressing part has an insertion hole, and the light-emitting support part has a cylindrical part through which the light passes. In the insertion state and the measurement state, the cylindrical part is inserted into the insertion hole. Therefore, according to the present invention, in the insertion state and the measurement state, by inserting the cylindrical part into the insertion hole, the optical path can always be covered by the cylindrical part.

[0040] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the moving pressing part has a moving abutting part, and the light-receiving support part has a light-receiving side abutting part. In the insertion state, the moving abutting part and the light-receiving side abutting part are separated by a thickness greater than or equal to that of the measured part, and in the measurement state, the moving abutting part and the light-receiving side abutting part approach to a thickness less than that of the measured part. Therefore, according to the present invention, in the insertion state, the measured part can be easily inserted between the moving abutting part and the light-receiving side abutting part. In the measurement state, by clamping the measured part between the moving abutting part and the light-receiving side abutting part, the thickness of the measured part is made constant, thereby enabling the optical conditions to be unified and accurately measuring the glucose amount. Description of the Drawings

[0041] Figure 1 FIG. is a view showing a blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a perspective view showing the blood measurement device, and (B) is a view showing an example of the measured part device.

[0042] Figure 2 FIG. is an exploded perspective view showing the blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 3 FIG. is a view showing the blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a cutaway perspective view, and (B) is a side cross-sectional view.

[0044] Figure 4 FIG. is a connection diagram showing the blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 5 Shows the insertion state of the blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device observed from the front, and (B) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device observed from the rear.

[0046] Figure 6 Shows the measurement state of the blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device observed from the front, and (B) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device observed from the rear.

[0047] Figure 7 Is a graph showing the effects related to the lateral direction of the blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A), (B), and (C) show the results based on the blood measurement device of the comparative example without an integrating sphere part, and (D), (E), and (F) show the results based on the present embodiment with an integrating sphere part.

[0048] Figure 8 Is a graph showing the effects related to the longitudinal direction of the blood measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A), (B), and (C) show the results based on the blood measurement device of the comparative example without an integrating sphere part, and (D), (E), and (F) show the results based on the present embodiment with an integrating sphere part. Detailed Embodiments

[0049] Hereinafter, the blood measurement device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are generally assigned to the same components, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In the present embodiment, as an example of the amount of components contained in the blood measured by the blood measurement device 10, the amount of glucose is used.

[0050] Figure 1 Is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the blood measurement device 10. Figure 1 (A) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device 10, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of the measurement site 18.

[0051] Refer to Figure 1 (A), the blood measurement device 10 mainly includes a light emitting unit 11, a light receiving unit 19, and an integrating sphere unit 14. In Figure 1 (A), since the light emitting unit 11 is built into the integrating sphere unit 14, it is not shown. Similarly, since the light receiving unit 19 is built into the light receiving cover unit 24, it is not shown.

[0052] The function of the blood measurement device 10 is to irradiate light onto the human body as the measurement site 18, and measure the glucose amount in the human body by a non-invasive method based on the intensity of the light transmitted through or reflected by the human body. Here, the glucose amount refers to the glucose amount in blood or interstitial fluid. In addition, the glucose amount is sometimes also referred to as a blood glucose value or the like.

[0053] The schematic structure of the blood measurement device 10 includes: a light-emitting support portion 21 that supports the light-emitting portion 11, a light-receiving support portion 22 that supports the light-receiving portion 19, a moving pressing portion 46, and a moving mechanism 41 that moves the moving pressing portion 46 in the vertical direction. For the specific structure of the blood measurement device 10, refer to Figure 2 as described later.

[0054] Refer to Figure 1 (B), as the measurement site 18 for measuring the glucose amount, fingertips, earlobes, finger webs, etc. can be used. Among them, as the measurement site 18, a finger web with less fat content, small individual differences in thickness, and no thick blood vessels is preferably used.

[0055] As described later, when using the blood measurement device 10 to measure the glucose amount, the user places the finger web as the measurement site 18 between the light-receiving cover portion 24 and the moving pressing portion 46, allows light to pass through the finger web, and calculates the glucose amount based on the intensity of the light that has passed through the finger web. The detailed measurement method of the glucose amount will be described later.

[0056] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the blood measurement device 10. As described above, the blood measurement device 10 mainly includes a light-emitting support portion 21, a light-receiving support portion 22, a moving pressing portion 46, and a moving mechanism 41.

[0057] The light-emitting support portion 21 is a portion that supports the integrating sphere portion 14, the light-emitting portion 11, etc. The integrating sphere portion 14 and the monitor light-receiving portion 20 are fixed to the front portion of the light-emitting support portion 21. In addition, a support shaft insertion hole 33 is formed to penetrate the rear side of the light-emitting support portion 21 in the vertical direction. Here, two support shaft insertion holes 33 are formed. In the support shaft insertion hole 33, a support shaft 32 described later is inserted. In addition, a camshaft insertion hole 31 is formed to penetrate the rear end portion of the light-emitting support portion 21 in the left-right direction. In the camshaft insertion hole 31, a camshaft 29 described later is inserted. Further, by cutting off the central portion in the left-right direction of the rear end portion of the light-emitting support portion 21, a notch portion 48 is formed. In the notch portion 48, a cam 28 described later is housed. The lower surface of the light-emitting support portion 21 is fixed to the upper surface of the light-receiving support portion 22.

[0058] In the front portion of the light-emitting support portion 21, an integrating sphere portion 14 is fixed. The integrating sphere portion 14 has a function of equalizing light by diffusely reflecting the light irradiated from a light-emitting portion 11 (not shown here). A monitor light-receiving portion 20 is mounted on the upper front side of the integrating sphere portion 14. The monitor light-receiving portion 20 is an element that receives light from the inside of the integrating sphere portion 14 and monitors the intensity of the light.

[0059] The light-receiving support portion 22 has a pedestal portion 44, a support column portion 45, and an upper light-receiving support portion 47 from below.

[0060] The pedestal portion 44 is a pedestal that integrally supports the blood measurement device 10, and a light-receiving arrangement portion 39 is mounted on its upper surface. A light-receiving portion 19 is arranged on the upper surface of the light-receiving arrangement portion 39.

[0061] The light-receiving cover portion 24 is a hollow member that covers the light-receiving arrangement portion 39 and the light-receiving portion 19 on the upper surface of the pedestal portion 44. The upper surface of the light-receiving cover portion 24 is opened in a substantially circular shape to form a light-receiving entrance portion 25. When viewed from above, the light-receiving portion 19 is accommodated within the range of the light-receiving entrance portion 25. According to this structure, the light irradiated from a light-emitting portion 11 (not shown here) can be irradiated onto the light-receiving portion 19 via the light-receiving entrance portion 25. In addition, on the upper surface of the light-receiving cover portion 24, a substantially flat light-receiving side abutting portion 43 is formed around the light-receiving entrance portion 25. The light-receiving side abutting portion 43 is a portion where the lower surface of the user's finger web contacts when measuring the glucose amount.

[0062] The support column portion 45 is a member that extends upward in a substantially wall shape from the rear end of the pedestal portion 44.

[0063] The upper light-receiving support portion 47 is a portion formed at the upper part of the support column portion 45 and is a portion for fixing the light-emitting support portion 21. In addition, by making the vicinity of both ends in the left-right direction of the light-receiving cover portion 24 protrude forward, a guiding portion 49 is formed.

[0064] The moving pressing portion 46 is arranged movably in the vertical direction on the front side of the upper light-receiving support portion 47. The rear surface of the moving pressing portion 46 abuts against the front surface of the upper light-receiving support portion 47. In addition, the left and right side surfaces of the rear end portion of the moving pressing portion 46 abut against the guiding portion 49. According to this structure, the movement of the moving pressing portion in the vertical direction during use is properly guided.

[0065] An insertion hole 36 is formed by penetrating the front end of the moving pressing portion 46 in a circular shape. The cylindrical portion 35 of the integrating sphere portion 14 is movably inserted into the insertion hole 36. In addition, a moving abutting portion 42 is formed on the lower surface near the front end of the moving pressing portion 46. In the usage state, the moving abutting portion 42 presses the upper surface of the finger web as the measurement site 18 from above.

[0066] A cylindrical support shaft 32 is fixed to the upper surface of the rear end portion of the movable pressing portion 46. Here, two support shafts 32 are vertically arranged. The support shaft 32 is inserted into the spring 34. The spring 34 is a biasing mechanism for biasing the movable pressing portion 46 downward, and its lower end abuts against the upper surface of the movable pressing portion 46, and its upper end abuts against the upper surface of the light-emitting support portion 21. In addition, the middle portion of the support shaft 32 is slidably inserted through the support shaft insertion hole 33 of the light-emitting support portion 21. Furthermore, the upper end of the support shaft 32 is fixed to the abutment insertion hole 38 of the abutment portion 37. According to this structure, the movable pressing portion 46, the support shaft 32, and the abutment portion 37 move in the up and down directions according to the operation of the rod 27 while being biased by the support shaft 32.

[0067] The contact part 37 is a member disposed above the light emitting support part 21, and as described above, is formed with the contact insertion hole 38 for fixing the upper end of the support shaft 32. In addition, the rear lower surface of the contact part 37 contacts with the cam 28 described below.

[0068] The moving mechanism 41 includes the cam shaft 29, the cam 28, and the rod 27. The moving mechanism 41 is a mechanism for moving the moving pressing portion 46 in the up-down direction.

[0069] The cam shaft 29 is a cylindrical rod member, and is inserted into the cam shaft insertion hole 31 of the light emitting support portion 21 .

[0070] The cam 28 is mounted on the left end or the center of the cam shaft 29 so as to be non-rotatable. In addition, the rod 27 is mounted on the right end portion or both end portions of the cam shaft 29 so as to be non-rotatable. When the user rotates the rod 27 clockwise, the cam 28 rotating together causes the lower surface of the contact portion 37 to rise, and accordingly, the support shaft 32 and the movable pressing portion 46 also rise, and the insertion state is as described below. On the other hand, when the user rotates the rod 27 counterclockwise, the cam 28 rotating together does not press the lower surface of the contact portion 37, and the support shaft 32 and the movable pressing portion 46 descend due to the force of the spring 34, and the measurement state is as described below.

[0071] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the blood measurement device 10. Figure 3 (A) is a cutaway stereogram. Figure 3 (B) is a side cross-sectional view.

[0072] Reference Figure 3 (A) and Figure 3 (B) A reflecting surface 26 is formed inside the integrating sphere 14. The reflecting surface 26 is the inner surface of the integrating sphere 14 and is spherical or substantially spherical. The reflecting surface 26 is preferably formed as a rough surface. By making the reflecting surface 26 a rough surface, light can be diffusely reflected by the reflecting surface 26, and light diffusely reflected multiple times by the reflecting surface 26 can be emitted downward in a uniform state.

[0073] In the integrating sphere portion 14, a plurality of openings for light incident and emission are formed. Specifically, in the integrating sphere portion 14, a light inlet portion 23, a light monitor opening portion 30, and a light outlet portion 16 are formed.

[0074] The light inlet portion 23 is blocked from the outside by the substrate 50, and a light emitting portion 11 is disposed on the main surface of the substrate 50 facing the inside of the integrating sphere portion 14. As will be described later, the light emitting portion 11 has a plurality of light emitting points that emit light with different wavelengths. The light inlet portion 23 is formed at the right end portion of a reflecting surface 26 having a substantially circular cross section.

[0075] At the light monitor opening portion 30, a monitor light receiving portion 20 is mounted from the outside. A monitor light receiving element 51 serving as a photodiode is built in the monitor light receiving portion 20. The light receiving surface of the monitor light receiving element 51 faces the light monitor opening portion 30. The light monitor opening portion 30 is formed at the upper left portion of the reflecting surface 26.

[0076] The light outlet portion 16 is an opening formed at the lowermost portion of the reflecting surface 26. The light outlet portion 16 is substantially circular when viewed from above. In addition, as described above, the cylindrical portion 35 extends downward from the lower portion of the integrating sphere portion 14, and the light outlet portion 16 is also an opening of the cylindrical portion 35.

[0077] Inside the integrating sphere portion 14, light travels as follows. That is, the light emitted from the light emitting portion 11 toward the left from the right end portion of the reflecting surface 26 is first diffusely reflected at the left end of the reflecting surface 26. The light diffusely reflected at this portion is further diffusely reflected at other portions of the reflecting surface 26. A part of the light reaches the monitor light receiving element 51 through the light monitor opening portion 30. In addition, another part of the light travels downward from the light outlet portion 16 with substantially uniform intensity in a columnar region.

[0078] As described above, below the light outlet portion 16, a light receiving inlet portion 25 and a light receiving portion 19 are disposed. Therefore, the light traveling downward through the light outlet portion 16 irradiates the upper surface of the light receiving portion 19 substantially in a columnar shape through the light receiving inlet portion 25.

[0079] Figure 4 It is a connection diagram showing the blood measurement device 10.

[0080] The blood measurement device 10 includes an arithmetic control unit 17, a display unit 15, an operation input unit 12, a light receiving unit 19, a light emitting unit 11, and a monitor light receiving element 51, and these constituent components are electrically connected to each other.

[0081] The operation control unit 17 is composed of a CPU, which performs various operations and controls the operations of the respective parts constituting the blood measurement device 10. Specifically, the operation control unit 17 irradiates a first light beam, a second light beam, and a third light beam from the first light emitting unit 111, the second light emitting unit 112, and the third light emitting unit 113 of the light emitting unit 11. That is, the operation control unit 17 irradiates two or more light beams from the light emitting unit 11. In addition, the operation control unit 17 estimates the glucose amount based on the electrical signals input from the light receiving unit 19 or the like, using conversion formulas or the like.

[0082] The storage unit 13 is a semiconductor storage device composed of a RAM or a ROM, etc., and stores calculation formulas, parameters, estimation results for calculating the glucose amount based on the output value of the light receiving unit 19, programs for executing the glucose amount calculation method, and the like.

[0083] The display unit 15 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor, and the operation control unit 17 may also display the calculated glucose amount on the display unit 15. By displaying the glucose amount on the display unit 15, the user using the blood measurement device 10 can know the change in their own glucose amount in real time.

[0084] The operation input unit 12 is a part where the user gives an instruction to the operation control unit 17, and is composed of a switch, a touch panel, or the like.

[0085] The light receiving unit 19 is, for example, a semiconductor element composed of a photodiode, and is formed with a light receiving part that receives the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam that have passed through the measurement part 18 and detects their intensities. The light receiving unit 19 transmits a signal corresponding to the light receiving intensities of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam to the operation control unit 17.

[0086] The light emitting unit 11 emits light of a specified wavelength in order to measure the glucose amount. The light emitting unit 11 has a first light emitting unit 111, a second light emitting unit 112, and a third light emitting unit 113 that emit light of different wavelengths. The first light emitting unit 111, the second light emitting unit 112, and the third light emitting unit 113 are each composed of a light emitting diode. For example, the wavelength of the first light beam emitted from the first light emitting unit 111 is 1310 nm, the wavelength of the second light beam emitted from the second light emitting unit 112 is 1450 nm, and the wavelength of the third light beam emitted from the third light emitting unit 113 is 1550 nm. The first light beam is a light beam that is not absorbed by the components in the living body, and the second light beam and the third light beam are light beams that are absorbed by glucose, protein, and water in the living body.

[0087] The monitor light receiving element 51 receives a part of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 11 and reflected by the reflecting surface 26 that is a rough surface, and transmits a signal indicating the light receiving intensity to the operation control unit 17. The operation control unit 17 controls the output intensity of the light emitting unit 11 so that the intensity of the light received by the monitor light receiving element 51 is a specified value.

[0088] In the integrating sphere section 14, the light entrance section 23 and the light exit section 16 are formed at positions that sandwich the center of the reflecting surface 26 and do not face each other. Thus, the light from the light emitting section 11 that enters the integrating sphere section 14 from the light entrance section 23 can be diffusely reflected multiple times by the reflecting surface 26 and led out as uniform columnar light from the light exit section 16 toward the measurement target section 18 side. In addition, the light entrance section 23 and the light monitor opening section 30 are arranged on the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere section 14 at positions that sandwich the center of the reflecting surface 26 and do not face each other. According to this structure, the light of the light entrance section 23 after being diffusely reflected by the reflecting surface 26 can be monitored by the monitor light receiving element 51, and thus the intensity of the light irradiated from the light entrance section 23 can be accurately detected by the monitor light receiving element 51. Furthermore, here, the light exit section 16 and the light monitor opening section 30 are also arranged at positions that sandwich the center of the reflecting surface 26 and do not face each other.

[0089] In the above structure, the light irradiated from the first light emitting section 111, the second light emitting section 112, and the third light emitting section 113 of the light emitting section 11 becomes uniform columnar light after being reflected multiple times by the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere section 14 and is radiated from the light exit section 16 to the outside of the integrating sphere section 14. In the present embodiment, three light beams having different wavelengths are radiated from the light emitting section 11 inside the integrating sphere section 14, but each light beam is diffusely reflected by the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere section 14, and thus is radiated downward in a columnar shape from the light exit section 16.

[0090] Then, the light passes through the measurement target section 18 and irradiates the light receiving section 19. The light receiving section 19 electrically transmits a signal indicating the intensity of each light beam to the arithmetic control section 17. The arithmetic control section 17 calculates the amount of glucose based on the signal transmitted from the light receiving section 19 and the like.

[0091] In the present embodiment, the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam are irradiated from the light emitting section 11 to the light receiving section 19 along the same optical axis. That is, the transmission paths and transmission lengths of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam inside the measurement target section 18 are the same.

[0092] As described above, by making the optical axes of the light beams common, the amount of glucose can be accurately measured. Specifically, according to the Lambert-Beer law, the amount of glucose is calculated by the following formula 1.

[0093] Formula 1: C = -log 10 (I / I0) / (0.434 × μ a × r)

[0094] In the above formula 1, C is the amount of glucose, I is the output optical power, I0 is the input optical power, μ aε is the absorption coefficient of the measurement site 18, and r is the optical path length.

[0095] In this embodiment, by making the first light ray, the second light ray, and the third light ray share the optical axis and making the optical path length r the same, the number of unknowns to be calculated can be reduced, and the glucose amount C can be accurately and simply obtained.

[0096] In addition, as a method for calculating the glucose amount, for example, a statistical method can be used. As an example, by using statistical analysis of the user's blood glucose amount at blood collection, the received light intensity of each light ray, body temperature, etc., a multiple regression curve is created. Then, using this regression curve, the glucose amount is calculated based on the received light intensity of each light ray and the body temperature.

[0097] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , a method for measuring the glucose amount of the measurement site 18 using the blood measurement device 10 having the above structure will be described. Figure 5 Shows the insertion state where the user inserts the interdigital web as the measurement site 18 into the specified part of the blood measurement device 10, Figure 6 Shows the measurement state of measuring the glucose amount in the interdigital web.

[0098] Figure 5 Shows the insertion state of the blood measurement device 10, Figure 5 (A) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device 10 observed from the front, Figure 5 (B) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device 10 observed from the rear.

[0099] Refer to Figure 5 (A) and Figure 5 (B). In the insertion state, when the rod 27 is upward, the lower surface of the abutting portion 37 is lifted upward by the cam 28. Therefore, the moving pressing portion 46 connected to the abutting portion 37 via the support shaft 32 is also arranged above. Therefore, the moving abutting portion 42 on the lower surface of the moving pressing portion 46 is separated from the light-receiving side abutting portion 43 on the upper surface of the light-receiving cover portion 24 by a large distance. Specifically, the distance by which the moving abutting portion 42 is separated from the light-receiving side abutting portion 43 is equal to or greater than the thickness of the interdigital web as the measurement site 18. Therefore, in this state, the user can easily insert the interdigital web between the moving abutting portion 42 and the light-receiving side abutting portion 43. In this state, when the user rotates the rod 27 counterclockwise by about 90 degrees with the hand that has not been measured, it becomes Figure 6 the measurement state shown.

[0100] Figure 6 Shows the measurement state of the blood measurement device 10, Figure 6 (A) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device 10 observed from the front, Figure 6(B) is a perspective view of the blood measurement device 10 observed from the rear.

[0101] Referring to Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 (B), the user rotates the lever 27 in the counterclockwise direction toward the front. As a result, the cam 28 also rotates in the counterclockwise direction, and the supporting force applied by the cam 28 to the abutting portion 37 disappears. As described above, the moving pressing portion 46 is urged downward by the spring 34. Therefore, the moving pressing portion 46 descends until the lower surface of the abutting portion 37 abuts against the upper surface of the light-emitting supporting portion 21. As a result, the interdigital space as the measurement site 18 (not shown here) is pressed to a predetermined thickness between the moving abutting portion 42 of the moving pressing portion 46 and the light-receiving side abutting portion 43 of the light-receiving cover portion 24.

[0102] At this time, the interval between the moving abutting portion 42 and the light-receiving side abutting portion 43 is equal to or less than the general thickness of the interdigital space as the measurement site 18, for example, 1.5 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less. As a result, the interdigital space sandwiched between the moving abutting portion 42 and the light-receiving side abutting portion 43 can be made to have a predetermined thickness. Therefore, even if there are individual differences in the thickness of the interdigital space, the thickness of the interdigital space can be made equal during measurement, and the amount of glucose can be accurately measured.

[0103] In this state, if light is emitted from the Figure 4 light-emitting portion 11 shown, the emitted light is reflected by the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere portion 14 and then irradiates the measurement site 18 from the light outlet portion 16 and passes through the measurement site 18 to reach the light-receiving portion 19. The arithmetic control portion 17 calculates the amount of glucose based on the output of the light-receiving portion 19.

[0104] At this time, as shown in Figure 6 (A), even if the moving pressing portion 46 moves downward, the lower end portion of the cylindrical portion 35 is inserted into the insertion hole 36 of the moving pressing portion 46. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence of interference on the optical path formed inside the cylindrical portion 35.

[0105] After the calculation of the amount of glucose is completed, the user rotates the lever 27 90 degrees clockwise. As a result, the blood measurement device 10 becomes the Figure 5 insertion state shown, that is, the moving abutting portion 42 and the light-receiving side abutting portion 43 are separated, and the user's interdigital space can be separated from the blood measurement device 10.

[0106] Referring to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the specific effects of the integrating sphere portion 14 of the blood measurement device 10 will be described.

[0107] Figure 7 is a graph showing the lateral-related effects of the blood measurement device 10, that is, the case where light moves laterally. In Figure 7In each of the curves, the horizontal axis represents the distance of the optical axis displaced laterally, and the vertical axis represents the ratio of the change in the intensity of the light beam. Figure 7 (A), Figure 7 (B), and Figure 7 (C) show the results of the blood measurement device based on the comparative example without the integrating sphere section. On the other hand, Figure 7 (D), Figure 7 (E), and Figure 7 (F) show the results of the blood measurement device 10 of the present embodiment having the integrating sphere section. In addition, Figure 7 (A) and Figure 7 (D) show the results of the light beam with a wavelength of 1550 nm, Figure 7 (B) and Figure 7 (E) show the results of the light beam with a wavelength of 1450 nm, Figure 7 (C) and Figure 7 (F) show the results of the light beam with a wavelength of 1310 nm.

[0108] Referring to Figure 7 (A), Figure 7 (B), and Figure 7 (C), in the comparative example where the integrating sphere section 14 is not installed in the optical path, a large change in the light quantity is caused by the deviation of the optical axis. In particular, referring to Figure 7 (B) and Figure 7 (C), in the case of wavelengths of 1450 nm and 1310 nm, the decrease in the light quantity increases to about 0.03 along with the deviation of the optical axis.

[0109] On the other hand, referring to Figure 7 (D), Figure 7 (E), and Figure 7 (F), in the blood measurement device 10 of the present embodiment having the integrating sphere section 14 in the optical path, even if the optical axis deviates, the change in the light quantity is not significant. In particular, referring to Figure 7 (D), Figure 7 (E), and Figure 7 (F), the decrease in the light quantity along with the deviation of the optical axis is also as small as about 0.01 to 0.02.

[0110] Figure 8 is a curve graph showing the effect related to the longitudinal direction of the blood measurement device 10, that is, the case where the optical axis moves longitudinally. In Figure 8 each of the curve graphs, the horizontal axis represents the distance of the optical axis displaced longitudinally, and the vertical axis represents the ratio of the change in the intensity of the light beam. Figure 8 (A), Figure 8 (B), and Figure 8 (C) show the results of the blood measurement device based on the comparative example without the integrating sphere section. On the other hand, Figure 8(D), Figure 8 (E) and Figure 8 (F) show the results based on the blood measurement device 10 of the present embodiment having an integrating sphere portion. In addition, Figure 8 (A) and Figure 8 (D) show the results of light with a wavelength of 1550 nm, Figure 8 (B) and Figure 8 (E) show the results of light with a wavelength of 1450 nm, Figure 8 (C) and Figure 8 (F) show the results of light with a wavelength of 1310 nm.

[0111] Referring to Figure 8 (A), Figure 8 (B) and Figure 8 (C), in the comparative example where the integrating sphere portion 14 is not installed in the optical path, a large change in the light amount occurs due to the offset of the optical axis. In particular, referring to Figure 8 (B), the light amount changes greatly in a form positively correlated with the offset in the longitudinal direction of the optical axis. In addition, referring to Figure 8 (C), the light amount changes greatly in a form negatively correlated with the offset in the longitudinal direction of the optical axis.

[0112] On the other hand, referring to Figure 8 (D), Figure 8 (E) and Figure 8 (F), in the blood measurement device 10 of the present embodiment having the integrating sphere portion 14 in the optical path, even if the optical axis is offset, the change in the light amount is not large. In particular, referring to Figure 8 (D), Figure 8 (E) and Figure 8 (F), the decrease amount of the light amount accompanying the offset of the optical axis is also as small as about 0.02.

[0113] As described above, referring to Figure 4 , the blood measurement device 10 having the integrating sphere portion 14 uniformly irradiates the light diffusely reflected by the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere portion 14 as a column through the light exit portion 16. Thus, even when the optical axis is offset, it is possible to suppress the change in the light amount received by the light receiving portion 19 due to the offset. Therefore, the glucose amount can be accurately measured.

[0114] According to the above-described respective embodiments, the following main effects can be achieved.

[0115] Referring to Figure 4, by installing the integrating sphere portion 14 in the optical path, the light that has been homogenized by being reflected by the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere portion 14 can be uniformly irradiated onto the measurement site 18 in a columnar region. Therefore, even when the position of the light-emitting element that irradiates the light is slightly deviated from the designed position, a significant reduction in the intensity of the light irradiated onto the light-receiving element can be suppressed.

[0116] Refer to Figure 4 , when irradiating the first light and the second light with different wavelengths from the first light-emitting portion 111 and the second light-emitting portion 112, generally, an actuator for moving the first light-emitting portion 111 and the second light-emitting portion 112 on the optical axis is required. On the other hand, in the present invention, as described above, since the light that has been homogenized by being reflected by the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere portion 14 is uniformly irradiated onto the measurement site 18 in a columnar region, it is possible to irradiate a plurality of lights with different wavelengths along the optical path toward the measurement site 18 and the light-receiving portion 19 without using an actuator.

[0117] Refer to Figure 4 , the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere portion 14 is spherical, whereby the light that has been reflected multiple times by the reflecting surface 26 can be irradiated from the light exit portion 16 toward the measurement site 18 and the light-receiving portion 19 in a uniform state.

[0118] Refer to Figure 4 , the intensity of the light reflected by the reflecting surface 26 is measured by the monitor light-receiving portion 20, and the operation control portion 17 adjusts the intensity of the light irradiated from the light-emitting portion 11 based on this result, whereby the intensity of the light irradiated onto the measurement site 18 and the light-receiving portion 19 can be made a specified intensity.

[0119] Refer to Figure 4 , the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere portion 14 is a rough surface, whereby the light is effectively diffusely reflected by the reflecting surface 26, and columnar light can be irradiated from the light exit portion 16 toward the measurement site 18 and the light-receiving portion 19.

[0120] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , having a moving pressing portion 46 that moves in the inserted state and the measurement state. Thus, by pressing the measurement site 18 in the measurement state, the measurement site 18 can be made to have a specified thickness, and parameters related to blood such as blood glucose level can be accurately measured.

[0121] Refer to Figure 5 , the user can freely change the relative distance between the light-emitting support portion 21 and the light-receiving support portion 22 by rotating the cam 28 by operating the lever 27.

[0122] Refer to Figure 2, by utilizing the acting force of the spring 34 to lower the moving pressing part 46, and by the rotation of the cam 28, the distance between the moving abutting part 42 and the light-receiving side abutting part 43 can be made a specified length.

[0123] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , in the inserted state and the measurement state, the cylindrical part 35 is inserted into the insertion hole 36, whereby the optical path can be covered by the cylindrical part 35.

[0124] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , in the inserted state, the measured part 18 can be easily inserted between the moving abutting part 42 and the light-receiving side abutting part 43, and in the measurement state, by clamping the measured part 18 by the moving abutting part 42 and the light-receiving side abutting part 43, the thickness of the measured part 18 can be made constant, so that the glucose amount can be accurately measured.

[0125] The above has described the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be changed within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned various embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0126] Refer to Figure 3 (A), the reflecting surface 26 of the integrating sphere part 14 does not necessarily have to be an accurate spherical shape, and can also be a curved shape similar to a spherical shape.

[0127] In the present embodiment, the blood glucose amount of the blood is calculated by the blood measuring device 10, but physical quantities other than the glucose amount can also be measured by the blood measuring device 10.

[0128] Description of reference numerals

[0129] 10: Blood measuring device;

[0130] 11: Light emitting part;

[0131] 111: First light emitting part;

[0132] 112: Second light emitting part;

[0133] 113: Third light emitting part;

[0134] 12: Operation input part;

[0135] 13: Storage part;

[0136] 14: Integrating sphere part;

[0137] 15: Display part;

[0138] 16: Light exit part;

[0139] 17: Arithmetic control part;

[0140] 18: Measured part;

[0141] 19: Light-receiving part;

[0142] 20: Monitor light-receiving part;

[0143] 21: Light-emitting support part;

[0144] 22: Light-receiving support part;

[0145] 23: Light entrance part;

[0146] 24: Light-receiving cover part;

[0147] 25: Light-receiving entrance part;

[0148] 26: Reflective surface;

[0149] 27: Rod;

[0150] 28: Cam;

[0151] 29: Camshaft;

[0152] 30: Light monitor opening;

[0153] 31: Camshaft insertion through-hole;

[0154] 32: Support shaft;

[0155] 33: Support shaft insertion through-hole;

[0156] 34: Spring;

[0157] 35: Cylindrical part;

[0158] 36: Insertion hole;

[0159] 37: Contact part;

[0160] 38: Contact insertion hole;

[0161] 39: Light-receiving arrangement part;

[0162] 41: Moving mechanism;

[0163] 42: Moving contact part;

[0164] 43: Light-receiving side contact part;

[0165] 44: Base part;

[0166] 45: Support pillar part;

[0167] 46: Moving pressing part;

[0168] 47: Upper light-receiving support part;

[0169] 48: Incision part;

[0170] 49: Guide part;

[0171] 50: Substrate;

[0172] 51: Monitor light receiving element.

Claims

1. A blood measurement device that measures the components contained in blood based on light that has passed through or been reflected by a measurement site that is the web between the fingers, wherein the blood measurement device is characterized by comprising: A light emitting unit that emits the light that passes through or is reflected by the measurement site; A light receiving unit that receives the light that has passed through or been reflected by the measurement site; A light-emitting support portion that supports the light-emitting portion; A light-receiving support portion that supports the light-receiving portion; A moving pressing portion configured to be movable in the vertical direction between the light-emitting support portion and the light-receiving support portion; A moving mechanism that moves the moving pressing portion in the vertical direction, An integrating sphere portion supported by the light-emitting support portion, which diffusely reflects and equalizes the light irradiated from the light-emitting portion; A light-receiving side abutting portion disposed on the upper side of the light-receiving portion, The moving mechanism moves the moving pressing portion upward so as to be separated from the light-receiving side abutting portion, thereby becoming an insertion state in which the measurement site can be inserted into the optical path of the light, and the moving mechanism moves the moving pressing portion downward so as to approach the light-receiving side abutting portion, thereby pressing the measurement site, and becoming a measurement state in which the light is irradiated onto the measurement site and measurement is performed.

2. The blood measurement device according to claim 1, wherein The moving mechanism includes: A camshaft; A cam that is non-rotatably mounted on the camshaft and moves the moving pressing portion; A rod that is non-rotatably mounted on the camshaft.

3. The blood measurement device according to claim 2, wherein A spring is arranged to apply a force to the moving pressing portion.

4. The blood measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The moving pressing portion has an insertion hole, The light-emitting support portion has a cylindrical portion through which the light passes, In the insertion state and the measurement state, the cylindrical portion is inserted into the insertion hole.

5. The blood measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The moving pressing portion has a moving abutting portion, In the insertion state, the moving abutting portion and the light-receiving side abutting portion are separated by a thickness of the measurement site or more, In the measurement state, the moving abutting portion and the light-receiving side abutting portion approach to a thickness of the measurement site or less.

6. The blood measurement device according to claim 4, wherein The moving pressing portion has a moving abutting portion, In the insertion state, the moving abutting portion and the light-receiving side abutting portion are separated by a thickness of the measurement site or more, In the measurement state, the moving abutting portion and the light-receiving side abutting portion approach to a thickness of the measurement site or less.

Images