Medical Photometer Dual-Wavelength Absorber Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical photometers struggle to accurately calculate the amount of weak light absorbers in the body, such as water and adipose tissue, due to their low extinction coefficients across the sensitive wavelength range, which complicates the measurement using conventional photometry.
Innovation Solution
A medical photometer design that employs two light emitters emitting infrared or red light beams at specific wavelengths (e.g., 880 nm and 940 nm) to acquire light attenuation signals, allowing the calculation of light absorber amounts based on the ratio of light attenuations at these wavelengths, effectively distinguishing between weak light absorbers and higher absorbers like hemoglobin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional photometry is used to measure weak light absorbers in the body, then the measurement can be performed with existing equipment, but the measurement precision is insufficient due to low extinction coefficients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter of the light beam to infrared or red regions where weak light absorbers like water and adipose tissue exhibit different extinction characteristics compared to blood light absorbers. This parameter change enables differentiation and accurate measurement of weak light absorbers that are difficult to detect with conventional visible light photometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the measurement from single-wavelength photometry to multi-wavelength photometry by introducing a second light beam at a different wavelength. This dimensional extension in wavelength space allows the system to solve for multiple unknowns (different light absorber concentrations) and overcome the limitation of low extinction coefficients at any single wavelength.
2Loss of information
If multiple light absorbers with different extinction ratios are present in the tissue, then the photometry can distinguish between them, but the device complexity increases due to requiring multiple light emitters and wavelength-specific measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the medical photometer with a controller that can selectively activate different light emitters (first and second light beams at different wavelengths) based on the measurement requirements. This multi-functionality allows a single device to perform both conventional blood light absorber measurement and weak light absorber measurement, reducing the need for separate specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the measurement process into distinct wavelength channels, with the controller selecting which wavelength to use based on the target analyte. This segmentation allows the system to optimize for either blood light absorbers or weak light absorbers as needed, managing complexity by organizing measurements into separate operational modes rather than requiring all components to operate simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise calculation of weak light absorber amounts in the body, improving the accuracy of tissue thickness determination and blood circulation assessment by isolating the contributions of different light absorbers, thus providing more reliable perfusion index information.
Implementation Method 1
a detector that outputs a first intensity signal corresponding to an intensity of the first light beam that is transmitted through or reflected from a tissue of a living body
Implementation Method 2
acquires a first light attenuation of the first light beam based on the first intensity signal
Data Source
AI summary
A medical photometer includes a processor and a memory that stores an instruction readable by a computer. When the instruction is executed by the processor, the medical photometer acquires a first light attenuation of a first light beam that is transmitted through or reflected from a tissue of a living body, and that has a first wavelength, based on a first intensity signal corresponding to an intensity of the first light beam, acquires a second light attenuation of a second light beam that is transmitted through or reflected from the tissue, and that has a second wavelength, based on a second intensity signal corresponding to an intensity of the second light beam, and calculates a light absorber amount that is an amount of a first light absorber in the tissue, based on a ratio of the first light attenuation and the second light attenuation.