JP2005349027A - Optical measuring apparatus for living body - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical measuring apparatus for a living body reducing a labor of work for loosening the tangle of optical fibers. <P>SOLUTION: An optical fiber group 4 is mounted with a plurality of tangle prevention plates 7. The tangle prevention plate 7 is provided with a plurality of insertion holes at some interval apart from one another. The tangle prevention plate is mounted to the optical fiber group 4 by inserting the optical fibers 5 in the insertion holes. The same number of the insertion holes to the number of the optical fibers 5 are provided, so that one each optical fiber 5 is inserted into each insertion hole. The insertion holes are aligned into a grid shape similar to the disposition of the probes in a holder 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a biological light measuring apparatus that measures internal biological information using light.

  In a conventional biological light measurement device, a plurality of probes are arranged in a grid pattern on a holder that is mounted on the head of a subject. Each probe is connected to the tip of an optical fiber for irradiating or receiving detection light (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-286449 A

  In the conventional living body light measuring apparatus as described above, for example, when performing a signal test or replacing a holder to be used, it may be necessary to attach and detach all optical fibers to and from the holder. At this time, since all the optical fibers correspond to the probes in the holder at a ratio of 1: 1, it is necessary to be accurately connected to the corresponding probes. On the other hand, since a plurality of optical fibers are connected to one holder, the optical fibers are entangled with each other, the optical fiber is pulled by another optical fiber, and the tip of the optical fiber is separated from the living body. The optical fiber could be damaged. Therefore, in the past, the optical fibers were connected to the holder while unwinding one by one. However, as the number of measurement channels increases, the work for unraveling the optical fibers takes considerable time.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a biological light measurement device that can reduce the labor of untangling of optical fibers.

  The biological light measurement device according to the present invention includes a measurement device main body, a holder portion attached to a subject, and an optical fiber group including a plurality of optical fibers connected between the measurement device main body and the holder portion. And a plurality of insertion holes provided at intervals from each other, and an entanglement preventing member attached to the optical fiber group by inserting the optical fiber through the insertion hole.

  The biological light measurement device of the present invention can maintain the distance between the optical fibers at the attachment portion of the entanglement preventing member by inserting the optical fiber through the insertion hole of the entanglement preventing member, and can prevent the optical fibers from being entangled with each other. Moreover, the entanglement between the optical fibers can be easily solved by moving the entanglement preventing member along the optical fiber as necessary.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a biological light measuring device according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a holder 2 is mounted on the head of a subject 1. The holder portion 2 is provided with a plurality of (for example, 16) probes (not shown) arranged in a lattice pattern.

  An optical fiber group 4 is connected between the measuring device main body 3 and the holder portion 2. The optical fiber group 4 includes a plurality (for example, 16) of optical fibers 5. Some of these optical fibers 5 are optical fibers for guiding the detection light from the measurement apparatus main body 3 to the probe, and the remaining optical fibers 5 measure the detection light reflected (scattered) by the subject 1. An optical fiber for guiding to the main body 3. An intermediate portion of the optical fiber group 4 is supported by a tip end portion of a support arm 6 extending from the measurement apparatus main body 3.

  The optical fiber group 4 is provided with a plurality of (two in this case) entanglement prevention plates 7 as entanglement preventing members. The entanglement preventing plate 7 is made of plastic, for example.

  FIG. 2 is a front view showing the entanglement prevention plate 7 of FIG. The entanglement preventing plate 7 is provided with a plurality of insertion holes 7a spaced from each other. The entanglement preventing plate 7 is attached to the optical fiber group 4 by inserting the optical fiber 5 through the insertion hole 7a. The same number of insertion holes 7a as the optical fibers 5 are provided, and one optical fiber 5 is inserted through each insertion hole 7a. Further, in this example, the insertion holes 7 a are arranged in a lattice shape, similarly to the arrangement of the probes in the holder portion 2.

  The entanglement preventing plate 7 is provided with a plurality of slits 7b that communicate with the insertion hole 7a from the edge thereof. A plurality of slits 7 c are provided between the four insertion holes 7 a located at the center of the entanglement prevention plate 7 and the adjacent insertion holes 7 a. The width dimensions of the slits 7b and 7c are larger than the diameter dimension of the optical fiber 5 and smaller than the diameter dimension of the insertion hole 7a. Thereby, the optical fiber 5 can be inserted into the insertion hole 7a from the outside in the radial direction of the insertion hole 7a through the slit 7b.

  A flexible closing member 8 such as rubber or sponge is provided in the slits 7b and 7c. The closing member 8 is bonded to only one of the inner wall surfaces on both sides in the width direction of the slits 7b and 7c. When the optical fiber 5 is passed through the slits 7b and 7c, the closing member 8 is reduced or deformed to allow the optical fiber 5 to pass. Further, when the optical fiber 5 is positioned in the insertion hole 7 a, the slits 7 b and 7 c are closed by the closing member 8. Thereby, the optical fiber 5 is prevented from coming off from the insertion hole 7a.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the insertion hole 7a of FIG. A taper is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 7a so that the diameter is small at the axially intermediate portion of the insertion hole 7a and the diameter is large at both axial ends of the insertion hole 7a. In order to prevent damage to the optical fiber 5 due to contact with the optical fiber 5, the minimum diameter portion of the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 7a, that is, the axially intermediate portion of the insertion hole 7a is rounded.

  In such a biological light measuring device, since the optical fiber 5 is inserted through the insertion hole 7a of the entanglement prevention plate 7 attached to the optical fiber group 4, the distance between the optical fibers 5 at the attachment portion of the entanglement prevention plate 7 It is possible to keep the optical fibers 5 from being entangled with each other. Further, when the optical fibers 5 are entangled with each other, the entanglement can be easily solved by moving the entanglement preventing plate 7 along the optical fiber 5.

  4 is a side view showing a state where the optical fiber 5 of FIG. 1 is entangled, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state where the entanglement of the optical fiber 5 is removed by the entanglement prevention plate 7 of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, by moving the two entanglement prevention plates 7, the entanglement of the optical fiber 5 can be easily released on both sides of the attachment position of the entanglement prevention plate 7.

  Further, for example, when the optical fiber 5 is bundled closer to the measuring device main body 3 than the entanglement prevention plate 7, the entanglement of the optical fiber 5 is likely to occur only in the vicinity of the holder portion 2. Only one prevention plate 7 needs to be attached. In this case, if the entanglement preventing plate 7 is moved only from the mounting position to the holder part 2 side, the entanglement of the tip of the optical fiber 5 can be easily released.

  Furthermore, since the optical fiber 5 can be inserted into the insertion hole 7a from the radial direction of the insertion hole 7a through the slits 7b and 7c, even if the optical fiber group 4 is long, the length of the optical fiber group 4 is long. The entanglement prevention plate 7 can be easily mounted at an arbitrary position in the vertical direction.

  Furthermore, since the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 7a is tapered, the optical fiber 5 is prevented from being damaged by the anti-entanglement plate 7 when the anti-entanglement plate 7 is moved relative to the optical fiber 5. can do.

In addition, the shape of the entanglement prevention plate 7 is not limited to the shape (square or rectangle) of FIG. 2, For example, it is good also as a circle.
Further, the shape of the entanglement preventing member is not limited to a plate, and may be configured in a block shape, for example.
Further, three or more entanglement prevention plates 7 may be used as necessary.
Furthermore, for example, when the length of the optical fiber 5 is long, a plurality of entanglement prevention plates 7 may be attached in advance in the length direction of the optical fiber 5 at intervals.
In order to prevent damage to the optical fiber 5 due to contact with the entanglement prevention plate 7, it is effective to use a reinforced optical fiber. As a method for reinforcing an optical fiber, for example, there is a method in which a plurality of strands constituting an optical fiber are bonded to each other.
Furthermore, in order to improve the slip of the entanglement preventing plate 7 with respect to the optical fiber 5, the entanglement preventing plate 7 is made of a low friction material, or a low friction material is provided at a contact portion with the optical fiber 5, such as an inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 7a. Or may be coated.

It is a side view which shows the biological light measuring device by an example of embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the entanglement prevention board of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the penetration hole of FIG. It is a side view which shows the state in which the optical fiber of FIG. 1 was entangled. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state where the entanglement of the optical fiber is released by the entanglement preventing plate of FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Subject, 2 Holder part, 3 Measurement apparatus main body, 4 Optical fiber group, 5 Optical fiber, 7 Entanglement prevention board (entanglement prevention member), 7a Insertion hole, 7b Slit.

Claims (3)

A measuring device body,
A holder part to be attached to the subject;
An optical fiber group including a plurality of optical fibers connected between the measuring device main body and the holder portion;
A living body comprising a plurality of insertion holes spaced from each other, and an entanglement preventing member attached to the optical fiber group by inserting the optical fiber into the insertion hole. Optical measuring device.   2. The biological optical measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the entanglement preventing member is provided with a plurality of slits for inserting the optical fiber into the insertion hole from outside in the radial direction of the insertion hole. .   A taper is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole so that the diameter is small at the axially intermediate portion of the insertion hole and the diameter is large at both axial ends of the insertion hole. The biological light measurement device according to claim 1 or 2.

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