JP2006055528A - Support tool for probe for measuring in vivo component and head device for measuring in vivo component - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a support tool for a probe for measuring an in vivo component and a head device for measuring the in vivo component capable of acquiring a stability and reproducibility with time in every measurement of an absorption spectrum by suppressing the condition fluctuation of a living body and a measuring probe. <P>SOLUTION: An arm fixing part 30 of the support tool for the probe for measuring the in vivo component determines the position of the wrist 141 of an examinee and is mounted along the forearm 140. A positioner 31 is disposed at a prescribed position in the longitudinal direction of the forearm 140 in the arm fixing part 30, has a hole part 310 for guiding the measuring probe 8 to the front face of the forearm 140, and is mounted by pressing it to the front face of the forearm 140 by means of a pressurizing belt 32. A drive part 33 for moving the measuring probe 8 in the front face direction of the forearm 140 of the examinee is equipped with a connector 300 for connection with the positioner 31, and is held on a stand 42 which is a weight via a joint tool 39 and a free arm 38. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an in vivo component measuring probe support for supporting an in vivo component measuring probe used in an in vivo component measuring device that measures in vivo components in a non-invasive manner, and an in vivo component measuring head device using the same. About.

  By irradiating the surface of the living body with near-infrared light for measurement, receiving the reflected light of the measuring light received from the living body, and measuring the biological signal from this reflected light component, various information in the living body is obtained. A component measuring device is provided (for example, Patent Document 1).

  These devices are based on the fact that the absorption intensity of near-infrared light is greatly affected by the presence of glucose. By measuring the absorbance spectrum of the received reflected light as a biological signal, the light absorption intensity is detected, The blood glucose level is measured by detecting the glucose concentration in the living body. If such a device is used, there is no need to collect blood from the measurement subject, and thus there is an advantage that blood glucose level can be measured without imposing a heavy burden on the measurement subject.

  By the way, the measuring probe used in the in-vivo component measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is brought into contact with the skin as shown in FIG. 15, and the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the measuring probe 8 for measuring the near infrared spectrum. , That is, the distance L between the tip of the light-emitting side fiber 6 and the tip of the light-receiving side fiber 10 provided in the measurement probe 8 is set to 2 mm or less. Here, the skin tissue of a living organism including human beings is usually formed of three layers including an epidermis layer 22 including a stratum corneum, a dermis layer 23 and a subcutaneous tissue layer 24 as shown in the figure. The epidermal layer 22 has a thickness of about 0.2 to 0.4 mm, the dermis layer 23 has a thickness of about 0.5 to 2 mm, and the subcutaneous tissue layer 24 has a thickness of about 1 to 3 mm. Capillaries and the like are developed in the dermis layer 23, and mass transfer according to biological components in the blood occurs rapidly.

  In particular, it is considered that the glucose concentration in the dermis layer 23 (dermis tissue) changes following the blood glucose concentration (blood glucose level). The subcutaneous tissue layer 24 is mainly adipose tissue, and water-soluble biological components such as glucose are unlikely to exist uniformly in the subcutaneous tissue layer 24 (subcutaneous tissue). Therefore, in order to accurately measure the blood glucose concentration (blood glucose level), it is necessary to selectively measure the near-infrared spectrum of the dermis layer 23. Therefore, as described above, as a method for selectively measuring the near-infrared spectrum of the dermis layer 23, a method using the measurement probe 8 in which the distance L between the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion is set to 2 mm or less is used.

  FIG. 16 shows an absorbance spectrum in the near-infrared region of the living body at wavelengths of 1300 nm to 1900 nm, with the X axis being the wavelength and the Y axis being the absorbance. In addition, index (1), index (2), and index (3) are shown as indices of the shape and size of the absorbance spectrum. This wavelength region is a region where peaks of biological components such as moisture, glucose, fat, and albumin, which are in vivo components, are mixed. The index (1) is an absorbance value of 1650 nm and is an index representing the baseline of the absorbance spectrum. The index (2) is the difference between the absorbance value of 1450 nm and the absorbance value of 1650 nm of the index (1) and indicates the difference in height from the baseline of the water absorbance spectrum. The index (3) is the difference between the absorbance value of 1720 nm and the absorbance value of 1650 nm of the index (1), and indicates the difference in height from the baseline of the fat absorbance spectrum. The indices (2) and (3) are indices for confirming changes in the shape of the spectrum.

  The index (1) is affected by all the spectrum fluctuation factors interposed between the skin and the measurement probe 8, and the whole spectrum shifts up and down.

  The index (2) mainly reflects the shape of the absorbance spectrum of water, and varies depending on the moisture on the surface of life (sweat, keratinous moisture, etc.) and the amount of moisture present in the epidermis layer 22 and dermis layer 23. . Since a large amount of moisture in the dermis layer 23 is also present at the upper end of the layer, it is considered that the index (2) mainly represents biological component fluctuations in information on the portion close to the surface of the skin (skin layer-dermis layer). .

  The index (3) mainly reflects the shape of the lipid spectrum. In this lipid spectrum, information on the subcutaneous fat existing in the subcutaneous tissue layer 24 below the dermis layer 23 appears as a spectrum rather than a change in neutral fat present in the blood.

  A person with a thin dermis layer 23 tends to have a larger absolute value of this index (3) than a thicker person because the irradiated light (shown as A in FIG. 15) passes through the dermis layer 23 and is subcutaneous. This is presumably because a lot of fat information is included in the reflected light A that easily reaches the tissue layer 24. Further, even in the same person, the fat boundary surface of the dermis layer 23 has an uneven shape, and the dermis layer 23 has a thick portion and a thin portion, and the index (3) is large depending on the place where the measurement probe 8 hits. May vary. From this, it is considered that the index (3) mainly represents biological component fluctuations in information on a deep part of the skin (dermis layer-subcutaneous tissue layer).

  On the other hand, irradiation light may fluctuate due to fluctuations in the surrounding environmental temperature and the positional relationship of optical components, etc., which may affect the spectrum of reflected light being measured (change in shape, change in size level). It is necessary to correct this variation. For this reason, the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3 measures the reference light reflected by a reference plate made of a ceramic plate or the like, and corrects it using this as the reference light. In other words, by measuring the reference light, it is possible to correct variations due to the ambient temperature, the positional relationship of the optical components, and the like using this as the reference light.

  When the spectrum is continuously measured, in addition to the above-described apparatus-side variation factors, there are also variation factors in the relationship between the measurement probe 8 and the skin.

  On the surface of the skin (skin layer 22), there is a skin / skin 22a composed of a stratum corneum as shown in FIG. When the measurement probe 8 is brought into contact with this surface, an air layer, sebum, sweat, or the like exists between the tip surface of the measurement probe 8 and the skin due to the three-dimensional shape of the contacted skin part, and the near infrared light Since the refractive index changes, the spectrum shape and size change. In the spectrum index shown above, the refractive index of light changes due to the presence of an air layer or the like, and the index (1) of the entire spectrum greatly fluctuates, or the index (2) suddenly changes due to the influence of sweating or the like. It gets bigger. In order to reduce this phenomenon as much as possible, the measurement probe 8 is brought into contact with the skin at a predetermined pressure, thereby increasing the contact area between the dermis and the measurement probe 8. In other words, it is necessary to increase the adhesion, reduce the influence of the measurement probe 8 and the air layer, sebum, sweat, etc. intervening on the skin surface as much as possible, and suppress the spectral fluctuation.

  However, even if the adhesion is ensured, the spectral index changes when the probe position is shifted by about 200 μm. The dermis layer 23 in which near-infrared light enters the skin and picks up a lot of biological information is filled with interstitial fluid (interstitial fluid) between the fibrous structures of collagenous fibers. There is a substrate that contains a lot of moisture, and it is very easy to move by pressurization. This substrate contains a large amount of biological information-related substances such as glucose that permeates from capillaries, and greatly affects the shape of the absorbance spectrum. In addition, connective fibers such as collagen are densely arranged in a mesh pattern, and the mesh layer that plays an important role in controlling the movement of the skin is also a substance present in the optical path. Depending on the contact angle of the probe 8 to the skin, a subtle change in the optical path occurs, thereby greatly affecting the shape of the absorbance spectrum.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the configuration of the arm portion 14 serving as a measurement site includes a plurality of muscles 25, tendons 26 and bones 27, and the muscles when the measurement probe 8 is brought into contact with the skin with a predetermined pressure. The measurement probe 8 presses the skin so that the skin is supported by 25 or the like, and the absorbance spectrum is measured.

  At that time, when there is a movement of the living body around the measurement site including the wrist, the shape of the part supporting the skin such as the muscle 25 and the tendon 26 changes greatly. When the measurement is performed by bringing the measurement probe 8 into contact with the skin as described above, there is a problem in the stability and reproducibility of the spectrum over time for each measurement.

  That is, when measuring the absorbance spectrum by pressing the measurement probe 8 against the living body (arm part) of the measurement subject, the measured absorbance spectrum varies in the measurement process regardless of the change in the component concentration in the living body. In other words, the concentration of components is quantified by multivariate analysis using these varied spectra, and there is a problem that the quantification accuracy is lowered.

Therefore, the position of the elbow is determined, and a support part is placed on the arm part (forearm) in a tilted position at a distance from the elbow position. There is also provided an apparatus that enables measurement in a stable state (Patent Document 2).
JP-A-2004-45096 (paragraph numbers 0011 to 0024, FIG. 1) JP-A-11-244266 (FIG. 1, paragraph numbers 0021 to 0022)

  By the way, although the apparatus shown by patent document 2 has an effect which stabilizes an arm part, when measuring continuously with respect to the patient (person to be measured) sleeping on the bed, it remains as it is for a long time. There is a problem that being in this state is painful and places a heavy burden. In addition, there is a problem that the measurement position fluctuates because the arm is moved unconsciously.

  In other words, in order to keep the measurement site in the same state as much as possible, the probe is brought into contact with the skin at a predetermined pressure and at regular time intervals so as not to place a burden on the patient who is the subject in measurement and to suppress fluctuations over time. There was a problem that had to be done.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is to suppress changes in the state of the living body and the probe for measurement, and to provide stability and reproducibility over time for each absorbance spectrum. It is an object to provide a probe support for in vivo component measurement and a head device for in vivo component measurement.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the invention of the probe support for measuring in vivo components according to claim 1, for measuring in vivo components that emits near-infrared light to the surface of the living body and enters reflected light from the living body. A probe is supported, and is provided at a predetermined position in the arm direction of the arm fixing portion that determines the wrist position of the measurement subject and is mounted along the arm, and is provided on the surface of the arm. A positioning unit having a guide unit for guiding the in vivo component measurement probe, a pressurizing unit for pressing the positioning unit against the arm, and a connection unit for connecting to a heavy object. And

  According to the invention of the biological component measuring probe support tool of claim 1, when the measurement probe is pressed against the surface of the living body and continuously measured, the state variation of the living body and the measuring probe can be suppressed by the positioning unit. It is possible to obtain stability and reproducibility over time for each measurement of the absorbance spectrum, and as a result, it is possible to improve the quantification accuracy of the biological component concentration measured by the biological component measuring device, and in particular, the support itself becomes a heavy object. By being connected, the movement of the arm serving as the measurement site can be suppressed, which can greatly contribute to improving the quantitative accuracy.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the probe support for measuring in-vivo components according to the first aspect, wherein the arm fixing portion has adjusting means for adjusting the length in the arm direction.

  According to the biological support component measuring probe support device of claim 2, it is possible to cope with the difference in the length of the arm of the measurement subject, and the measurement site even if the length of the arm of the measurement subject is different It is possible to set a site where the muscles, tendons, and bones of the subject are relatively in the same state as the measurement site, and to suppress individual differences among the persons to be measured.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe support for measuring a component in a living body. In the first or second aspect of the invention, the pressurizing portion is constituted by a belt that is wound and fastened around the arm. A display unit for displaying an additional tightening position determined according to the length is provided.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, the position measuring unit can be pressed against the arm surface of the person to be measured without any gap, and as a result, the contact state of the in vivo component measuring probe. Even when released from the center, the positioning part can be moved and the position of the guide part can be prevented from shifting, the spectral reproducibility is good, and accurate spectral measurement is possible without being affected by pulsation. The operation can be adjusted to an appropriate pressure according to the circumference of the arm of the person to be measured, and an appropriate pressure can be obtained with good reproducibility even when the pressure unit is remounted.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in vivo component measuring head device comprising: a living body component measuring probe support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a connecting portion of the in vivo component measuring probe support device; A drive unit that is provided in the middle part and moves the in vivo component measurement probe in the guide direction of the guide unit of the in vivo component measurement probe support; and a control unit that controls the drive unit, The driving unit is controlled to repeat a state in which the in-vivo component measurement probe is in contact with the surface of the arm and a state in which the probe is separated from the surface of the arm at predetermined time intervals.

  According to the biological component measuring head device of the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the biological component measuring probe support, the blood flow change due to the pressure on the arm surface of the biological component measuring probe is detected. It is possible to continuously measure in-vivo components while suppressing.

  In the in vivo component measuring head device according to claim 5, in the invention according to claim 4, an angle corresponding to an elbow bending direction or an arm axis in the distal direction of the in vivo component measuring probe is provided in the intermediate portion. It has an angle adjustment means for adjusting an angle corresponding to the rotation direction as the center or both angles.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in vivo component measuring head device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the connecting portion adjusts an angle in the bending direction of the elbow, a rotation angle around the arm axis, or both angles. It has the means.

  According to the invention of the in vivo component measuring head device of claim 5, the positional relationship between the in vivo component measuring probe and the positioning unit can be adjusted according to the state of the arm of the to-be-measured person. Measurement in a state where no burden is applied.

  The probe support for measuring in vivo components of the present invention can suppress fluctuations in the state of the living body and the measurement probe by the positioning portion when the measurement probe is continuously pressed against the surface of the living body, and the absorbance spectrum Stability and reproducibility over time can be obtained for each measurement, and as a result, the quantitative accuracy of the biological component concentration measured by the biological component measuring device can be increased. Especially, the support itself is connected to a heavy object. The movement of the arm serving as the measurement site can be suppressed, and there is an effect that it can greatly contribute to increase the quantitative accuracy.

  The in vivo component measurement head device according to the present invention continuously suppresses a change in blood flow due to the pressure on the arm surface of the in vivo component measurement probe in addition to the effect of the in vivo component measurement probe support. Thus, there is an effect that it is possible to measure in-vivo components.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments.
(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the probe support for in-vivo component measurement according to the present embodiment determines the position of the wrist 141 of the measurement subject and fixes the forearm 140 serving as a measurement site of the living body. And a positioning body (positioning portion) 31 that is disposed at a predetermined position on the front surface of the forearm 140 and positions the measurement probe 8, and a pressurizing portion that presses the positioning body 31 against the front surface (front surface) of the forearm 140. It is composed of a pressure belt 32 and a connecting portion made up of a convex portion 311 provided on the positioning body 31 for connection to a heavy object to be described later. The living body component measuring probe support and the measuring probe 8 are covered. A drive unit 33 that is a mechanism unit for moving the front side of the forearm 140 of the measurer in contact with the front surface and releasing the contact state, and a control unit (not shown) that controls the drive unit 33. In addition, the drive unit 33 and the control unit are added to form a living body component measurement head device, and the mechanism unit including the drive unit 33 and the control unit other than the living body component measurement probe support has a free arm 38. And is held by a stand 42 which is a heavy object.

  The arm fixing portion 30 is disposed on the bed 41 via the dedicated cushion 40 in a manner that the rear surface of the forearm 140 is placed, and a holder 300 that can be extended and contracted in the longitudinal direction of the forearm and a front end portion of the holder 300. The position is determined by the gripper 302 attached to the support body 301 extended forward and the measured person holding the rear surface (rear surface) of the forearm 140 on the upper surface of the holder 300 holding the gripper 302 with the hand 142. It is composed of a fixing tape 303 for fixing the wrist 141 to the holder 300, and the rear part of the holder 300 is a mounting part for mounting the pressure belt 32.

  The holder 300 is slidably mounted in both end directions (longitudinal direction of the forearm 140) at the front portion of the base portion 300a to be placed on the dedicated cushion 40, and the length of the holder 300 can be expanded and contracted. 300b and an arm placing part 300c provided at the rear part of the base part 300a. The support 301 of the grip part 301 is attached to the front part of the slide part 300b, and the fixing tape 303 is attached to the rear part of the slide part 300b. ing.

  One end of the fixing tape 303 is fixed to one side portion of the slide portion 300b, and a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown) provided at the other end portion is joined to the hook-and-loop fastener portion provided at the other side portion of the slide portion 300b ( (Not shown) is detachably joined.

  The positioning body 31 is disposed at a portion of the forearm 140 placed on the arm placement portion 300c, and is formed in a curved surface so that the upper surface is rectangular and the lower surface is along the curved shape of the front surface of the forearm 140, and will be described later. An upper and lower through hole 310 serving as a guide for linearly guiding the change jig 36 provided at the tip of the measurement probe 8 toward the front surface of the forearm 140 is provided in the center, and a drive unit 33 described later is further provided on the upper surface. A plurality of recesses 330a formed on the lower surface of the coupling body 330 provided on the lower surface of the coupling body 330 are connected to the coupling body 330 by being concavo-convex from below, so that the positioning body 31 is a heavy object via an intermediate member including the free arm 39. A plurality of convex portions 311 connected to a certain stand 42 are provided.

  The pressure belt 32 is made of an elastic material, for example, and constitutes a pressure portion for pressing the positioning body 31 against the front surface of the forearm 140 of the person to be measured. Both ends of the positioning body 31 of the positioning body 31 are shown in FIG. The annular portion including the positioning body 31 is fixed to the lower ends of the both side portions, and the hole diameter of the annular portion is reduced to be smaller than the diameter of the forearm 140 due to the elasticity of the pressure belt 32 when not attached to the forearm 140. is there. Therefore, in a state where the body 15 positioned on the front surface of the forearm 140 is mounted by inserting the forearm 140 together with the arm placement portion 300c of the holder 300 into the annular portion against the urging of the pressure belt 32 in the diameter reducing direction. The positioning body 31 is pressed against the front surface of the forearm 140 by the force in the direction of diameter reduction of the pressure belt 32.

  The drive unit 33 is attached to the distal end of the free arm 38 via a joint jig 39, and includes a Z-axis stage device 332 that moves the stage unit 331 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by a stepping motor (not shown). In addition, an L-shaped support 333 is attached to the front surface of the stage portion 331, and a load cell 334 and a probe holder 335 provided at a pressure receiving portion of the load cell 334 are provided on the front end surface of the support 333, and The other end of the coupling body 330 having one end disposed below the probe holder 335 is fixed to the lower portion of the Z-axis stage device 332. The Z-axis stage device 332 includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the stepping motor.

  The joint jig 39 is rotatable in the vertical direction when viewed from the front side to which the Z-axis stage device 332 is attached. By this rotation, the drive unit 33 and the coupling body 330 can be adjusted to the angle of the elbow bending direction. It is like that.

  The probe 8 for measurement has a light emitting side and a light receiving side optical fiber (not shown) in the flexible tube 35 connected to one end, and in the embodiment, for example, a φ4 one is used. The part is held by the probe holder 335 so as to penetrate vertically, and a change jig 36 for changing the probe diameter to φ18, for example, is connected to the tip.

  On the other hand, a hole 330b that is concentric with the axis of the change jig 36 and has an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter (φ18) of the change jig 36 is passed through the upper and lower surfaces of the connecting body 330, and the inside of the hole 330b is changed. The tool 36 can be moved up and down. The inner diameter of the hole 310 of the positioning body 31 is the same as that of the hole 330b. When the lower surface of the coupling body 330 and the upper surface of the positioning body 31 overlap with each other in a state of being positioned by uneven fitting, the hole 330b and the hole The unit 310 communicates with the unit 310.

  The universal arm 38 supports the weight so that the weight of the drive unit 35 including the measurement probe 8 is not applied to the forearm 41 that is the measurement site of the measurement subject, and the drive unit 35 including the measurement probe 8 and the control unit. This is for setting an optimum orientation with respect to the part to be measured, and is supported by a heavy stand 42 arranged beside the bed 41 as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b).

  Here, the universal arm 38 used in the present embodiment is one in which one ends of two arm portions 38a and 38b are connected to each other so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction as shown in the figure. The other end of the portion 38a is supported so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction, and a joint jig 39 as a connecting portion connected to the drive portion 33 is attached to the other end of the arm portion 38b so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. In order to maintain the moving state, each rotating part (joint part) is provided with a fixing lever 38c.

  Thus, the in-vivo component measurement probe support of the present embodiment is attached to the free arm 38, the drive unit 35 holding the measurement probe 8 by the probe holder 335, the arm fixing unit 30, and the positioning body 31. It consists of. The in-vivo component measuring apparatus using the in-vivo component measuring probe support is close to the power source for supplying power to the Z-axis stage device 332 constituting the driving unit 33 and the measuring probe 8 through the light-emitting side optical fiber. A light source for sending infrared light, and reflected light is incident on the diffraction grating through the optical fiber on the receiving side, shutter, and optical lens, and after being dispersed by the diffraction grating, it is received by the light receiving element as the detection means and converted into an electrical signal. Further, after AD conversion, it is input to a computing device such as a personal computer, and a blood sugar level is calculated by analyzing a spectrum that is a biological signal in the detected optical signal. 1 (a) and 1 (b), 43 is a body of the in-vivo component measuring apparatus with a caster, and 44 is an operation unit that also serves as an arithmetic unit composed of a personal computer. That. The measuring probe 8 and one end are connected, covered with a flexible tube 35, and a light emitting side and a light receiving side optical fiber partially fixed to the free arm 38 so as not to hang down are introduced into the apparatus main body 43. In addition, a part of the power line to the Z-axis stage device 332 is fixed to the free arm 38 so as not to hang down and is introduced into the device main body 43.

  Next, the usage method of the probe support for in-vivo component measurement of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1B, the arm fixing portion 30 is placed on the bed 41 via the dedicated cushion 40 so as to correspond to the forearm 140 of the left arm of the person who is supine on the bed 41. . The dedicated cushion 40 has a concave portion having substantially the same shape as the bottom portion of the arm fixing portion 30 on the mounting surface side, or is placed according to the weight of the forearm 140 or the arm fixing portion 30 fixed to the arm fixing portion 30. The surface is deformed into a concave shape to fix the shape, and has the role of ensuring the reproducibility of the spectrum by suppressing the movement of the forearm 140 against the body movement of the measurement subject.

  Next, the forearm 140 of the person to be measured is inserted into the annular portion composed of the pressure belt 32 and the positioning body 31 using the elasticity of the pressure belt 32, and the positioning body 31 is placed on the front surface of the forearm 140 near the elbow. Put it on. In this state, since the inner diameter of the annular portion is reduced by the elasticity of the pressure belt 32, the lower surface of the positioning body 31 is pressed against the front surface of the forearm 140.

  In this state, the forearm 140 of the person to be measured is placed on the holder 300 of the arm fixing unit 30, and the angle and position of the wrist 141 are fixed by holding the grip part 302 at the tip of the arm fixing unit 30 with the hand 142. In the fixed state, the wrist 141 is fixed on the slide portion 300b with the fixing tape 303. Note that the position of the grip portion 302 can be adjusted by sliding the slide portion 300b. Thereby, even if the length of the forearm 140 is different, by defining the length from the wrist 141 to the measurement position by the ratio of the length of the forearm 140, for example, the place where the muscles, tendons and bones exist in the relatively same state Can be used as a measurement site, and as a result, individual differences among measurement subjects can be suppressed.

  By the way, as the in-vivo component measurement position, when the front part of the measurement probe 8 (the front part of the changing jig 36) is pressed against the front surface of the forearm 140, it is not easily affected by body hair, and further, the skin thickness and the skin It is better to set the center region of the front surface of the forearm 140 in view of the stability of the surface state and the ease of measurement. Therefore, the angle of the wrist 141 and the position of the wrist 141 are determined by gripping the grip portion 302 with the hand 142 as described above. By determining the angle of the wrist 141, the state of the muscle in the front part of the forearm 140 can be stably reproduced for each measurement, thereby reproducing the contact state (contact angle, contact pressure, etc.) between the measurement probe 8 and the skin. Thus, the spectral reproducibility is improved.

  Further, by fixing the wrist 141 with the fixing tape 303, even a minute movement of the wrist 141 can be suppressed, and as a result, the reproducibility of the absorbance spectrum is improved. Furthermore, by determining the position of the wrist 141, the positioning body 31 is arranged at a predetermined position of the arm fixing portion 30, and the measurement probe 8 can be applied to a predetermined position on the front surface of the forearm 140. .

  Furthermore, the influence of the reproducibility inhibition of the absorbance spectrum is greatly caused by the change of the contact state of the measurement probe 8 and the shift of the measurement position, but by using the in vivo component measurement probe support of this embodiment. Thus, it is possible to continuously measure in-vivo components with high accuracy.

  Now, the measurement is started in a state where the fixing of the forearm 140 to the arm fixing portion 30 is completed. At this time, the universal arm 38 is moved, and the joint jig 39 is moved to move the connection body 330 of the driving portion 30. As shown in FIG. 5A, the lower surface is moved to a position facing the upper surface of the positioning body 31, and the position of the drive unit 30 is lowered at this position, so that the concave portion 330 a on the lower surface of the coupling body 330 is placed on the upper surface of the positioning body 31. The convex part 311 is fitted. As a result, the hole 330b of the coupling body 330 and the hole 310 of the positioning body 31 communicate with each other. In order to maintain this state, the rotation state is fixed by a fixing lever 38 c provided at each rotation portion of the free arm 38. By this fixing, the movement from the free arm 38 to the forearm 140 can be substantially fixed.

  Next, when the in-vivo component measuring device is operated and measurement is started, power is supplied from the power supply unit in the device main body 43 to the Z-axis stage device 332 that constitutes the drive unit 30, and is built in the Z-axis stage device 332. The stepping motor is driven and controlled by the control unit, and the stage unit 331 moves up and down. As a result, the tip portion of the measurement probe 8 also moves up and down, and as shown in FIG. 5B, the changing jig 36 moves out of the hole 330b of the coupling body 330 and moves upward, and FIG. As shown in (c), the changing jig 36 moves downward while being guided by the hole 330b and the hole 310 of the positioning body 31, and the tip is brought into contact with the front surface of the forearm 140 with a predetermined contact pressure. Are repeated at predetermined time intervals, and the spectrum is measured while in contact.

  By the way, in a state where the measurement probe 8 is in contact with the front surface of the forearm 140, the coupling of the coupling body 300 and the positioning body 31, and the measurement probe 8 is inserted into the hole 310 of the positioning body 31, The fixed part 30 and the positioning body 31 are connected to the stand 42 which is a gravitational object through the measurement probe 8 and the connecting body 33, the drive part 30 (and the control part), and the universal arm 38, so that the measurement object is measured during the measurement. Even if the person tries to move the arm, the contact state between the measurement probe 8 and the forearm 140 is not changed.

  Only when measuring the measurement probe 8, the tip is brought into contact with the front surface of the forearm 140 with a predetermined contact pressure, and the reason for keeping it away from the front surface of the forearm 140 except during measurement is as follows. is there.

  In other words, in order to perform measurement while keeping the S / N ratio of the biological signal high, it is necessary to bring the measurement probe 8 into contact with the skin at a predetermined range of pressure on the surface of the living body. When the contact is made, the exchange of components between the blood and the tissue fluid (body fluid) in the measurement part of the skin is hindered, resulting in a difference between the amount of biological components in the whole body and the amount of the measurement part. Therefore, as described above, contact is made only for a few seconds of measurement, and release is performed at other times, so that a change in blood flow due to compression on the forearm 140 of the measurement probe 8 can be continuously suppressed while suppressing the change in the in vivo components. It is possible to measure. In addition, by repeatedly pressurizing the measurement site with a predetermined pressure and releasing it, the blood exchange in the skin tissue is promoted, and the effect of improving the followability of the component concentration in the blood and the tissue fluid is also achieved. is there.

  By the way, the pressure when the tip of the measurement probe 8 is pressed against the front surface of the forearm 140 by the downward movement of the stage portion 331 is detected by the load cell 334, and the detected pressure is detected signal lines (not shown). ) To the control unit in the Z-axis stage device 332, and the control unit feedback-controls the stepping motor so that the detected pressure becomes a constant pressure, so that the measurement probe 8 is predetermined with respect to the front surface of the forearm 140. The amount of movement of the stage portion 331 is adjusted so as to make contact with the pressure.

As described above, by using the in-vivo component measurement probe support of the present embodiment, the absorbance spectrum is reproducible and the in-vivo components can be continuously measured with high accuracy.
In particular, by making contact with the measurement site by the measurement probe 8 at regular time intervals, it is possible to continuously measure in-vivo components while suppressing changes in blood flow and the like.

In this embodiment, one end of the free arm 38 is supported by the heavy stand 42 as described above, but in this case, it is effective when there is a distance between the apparatus main body 43 and the person to be measured on the bed 41. It is. However, one end of the free arm 38 may be supported by a heavy object such as a bed or a desk without using the stand 42. Further, when the apparatus main body 43 is large and heavy, as shown in FIG. 6, a support base 42 ′ may be provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body 43, and one end of the free arm 38 may be supported on the support base 42 ′. In this case, it is also possible to adjust the position of the drive unit 33 by moving the apparatus main body 43 using the casters 43a of the apparatus main body 43. In addition to the measurement, the measurement probe 8 and the drive unit 33 can be housed in the apparatus main body 43.
(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the load cell 334 is used as means for detecting the contact pressure in order to adjust the amount of movement of the stage unit 331 of the Z-axis stage device 332. This embodiment is shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). In this way, instead of the load cell, the pressure detection sensor 45 is provided in the change jig 36 at the tip of the measurement probe 8, and the change jig 36 has a predetermined pressure on the front surface of the forearm 140 as shown in FIG. The pressure detection signal of the pressure detection sensor 45 is sent through the signal line 46 to the control unit in the Z-axis stage device 332 when the contact is made at the stage. The amount of movement of the portion 331 is adjusted to adjust the contact pressure to the front surface of the forearm 140. In this embodiment, the probe holder 335 is fixed to the front surface of the stage portion 331. The light emitting side optical fiber and the light receiving side optical fiber connected to the measurement probe 8 are covered with separate flexible tubes 35a and 35b.

Since other configurations such as the arm fixing portion 30 are the same as those in the first embodiment, illustration and description are omitted, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in FIG.
(Embodiment 3)
In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, a weight support base 50 is attached to the stage portion 331 of the Z-axis stage device 332 constituting the drive portion 33, and a probe holder is placed on the weight support 50th. The bell 51a with 335 is first placed through the rod support rod 52, and the bells 51b and 51c necessary for the measurement probe 8 to come into contact with the front surface of the forearm 140 are placed through the weight support body 52, and the Z-axis stage. When the stage portion 331 of the device 332 is lowered by a predetermined amount or more (FIG. 8B), all of the load due to the weights 51a, including the measurement probe 8, is applied as contact pressure to the front surface of the forearm 140. There is a feature in the point.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the contact pressure can be adjusted by the number of weights 51a... Without using the feedback control as described above.

In addition, since other structures, such as the arm fixing | fixed part 30, are the same as Embodiment 1, illustration and description are abbreviate | omitted and the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as the component of each said embodiment in FIG.
(Embodiment 4)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a bottomed housing 60 and a vertically movable body 60 are arranged in the housing 60, and the upper end is passed through the ceiling portion of the housing 60. An actuator device 64 comprising an actuator 62 and a coil spring 63 that is disposed between the ceiling portion of the housing 60 and the upper surface of the flange 61 at the lower end portion of the actuator 62 by inserting the actuator 62 into the stop through hole. 336 is attached to the stage portion 331 of the Z-axis stage device 332, and the measurement probe 8 is inserted into and fixed to the central through hole of the actuator 62, and the measurement probe 8 is lowered downward from the hole 60 a provided at the bottom of the housing 60. It is characterized in that the tip part is protruded and the changing jig 36 is provided at the protrusion tip part. The stage part 331 of the Z-axis stage device 332 constituting the drive part 33 is lowered, When the tip of the measurement probe 8 (change jig 36) contacts the front surface of the forearm 140 as shown in FIG. 9B, the flange 61 of the actuator 62 to which the measurement probe 8 is fixed and the ceiling of the housing 6 When the coil spring 63 is compressed and the stage portion 331 is further lowered, the contact detection sensor 65 attached to a predetermined position (the changing jig 36) of the measurement probe 8 detects contact with the bottom portion of the housing 60. The output is sent to a control unit in the Z-axis stage device 332 via a signal line (not shown), and the stepping motor is stopped to stop the movement of the stage unit 331. By stopping the movement of the actuator 62 at a position where it is compressed by a predetermined amount and becomes a predetermined spring force, the contact pressure between the tip of the measurement probe 8 and the upper surface of the forearm 140 is controlled to a required amount. But they can.

  The position of the contact detection sensor 65 is not limited to the position in the embodiment, and may be provided on the housing 60 side.

In addition, since other structures, such as the arm fixing | fixed part 30, are the same as Embodiment 1, illustration and description are abbreviate | omitted and the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as the component of each said embodiment in FIG.
(Embodiment 5)
In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, an electromagnetic solenoid device 71 is attached to a holder 336 attached to a stage portion 331 of a Z-axis stage device 332 constituting the drive unit 33, and the electromagnetic solenoid The measuring probe 8 is vertically inserted and fixed to the plunger 74 in the through hole of the exciting coil portion 73 disposed in the outer yoke 72 of the device 71, and the tip of the measuring probe 8 is connected to the bottom of the electromagnetic solenoid device 71. It is characterized in that it is projected downward and a changing jig 36 is provided at the protruding tip, and the stage portion 331 of the Z-axis stage device 332 is moved from the position shown in FIG. 10 (a) to the predetermined position shown in FIG. 10 (b). After being lowered, the electromagnetic solenoid device 71 is driven to be excited by the control of the device main body 43 to move the plunger 74 downward. And it is adapted to contact the front surface of forearm 140 a front portion of the 8. The contact pressure to the front surface of the forearm 140 can be controlled from the relationship between the moving distance of the plunger 73 and the excitation current value to be applied.

In addition, since other structures, such as the arm fixing | fixed part 30, are the same as Embodiment 1, illustration and description are abbreviate | omitted and the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as the component of each said embodiment in FIG.
(Embodiment 6)
In the first embodiment, the positioning body 31 is fixed to the front surface of the forearm 140, which is a measurement site, by using the elasticity of the pressurizing belt 32 so as to be pressed with a pressure suitable for the measurement position. When the measurement probe 8 is pressed below, the measurement probe 8 is pressed against the front surface of the forearm 140, so that a gap is generated between the positioning body 31 and the front surface of the forearm 140. The hole 310 of the body 31 may be displaced as compared with the previous measurement position, and the reproducibility of the absorbance spectrum may be impaired.

  On the other hand, if the pressure exceeds the appropriate range, pulsation is applied during spectrum measurement, making accurate spectrum measurement difficult. Since the measurement position and its pressure differ depending on the person to be measured, the present embodiment uses the pressurizing belt 32 that can adjust the pressure.

  As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C, the pressurizing belt 32 according to the present embodiment has a short end in which one end is fixed to one side of the positioning body 31 and a fastening tool 320 is attached to the other end which is a free end. 11B and a long belt portion 321b having one end fixed to the other side of the positioning body 31. When the positioning body 31 is mounted on the front surface of the forearm 140, as shown in FIG. In this way, the other end side of the belt portion 321b is brought to the belt portion 321a side through the lower surface side of the arm placement portion 300c of the holder 300, and tightened through the fastening tool 320 of the belt portion 321a. 31 can be pressed against the measurement site on the front surface of the forearm 140 and fixed, and as shown in FIG. 11 (c), an outer measure for measuring the basic length around the tightening arm. When, it is provided an inner major a diagram illustrating additional clamping position relative length measured in the belt portion 321b. Α is a reference line corresponding to the outer major a. The additional tightening is preferably about 20% increase.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the positioning unit 15 is measured on the front surface of the forearm 140 with a pressure suitable for measurement by a simple operation by fixing the belt portion 321b at the tightening position according to the measured basic length of the circumference of the arm. Can be pressed against. As a result, even if the measurement date is changed and the positioning body 31 is remounted, the measurement site of the reproducible forearm 140 can be given. If the fixing position can be easily adjusted by using a hook-and-loop fastener instead of the fastening tool 320, the usability is improved.

Since other configurations may be the configurations of any of the above-described embodiments, illustration and description thereof are omitted, and in FIG. 11, the same components as those of the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.
(Embodiment 7)
In the sixth embodiment, the tightening degree of the pressurizing belt 32 can be adjusted using the tightening tool 320. In the present embodiment, the pressurizing belt 32 is shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b). Using the cuff belt, pressurized air is sent from the air delivery unit 80 into the cuff 322 to expand the cuff 322, and the wound forearm 140 is pressurized with an appropriate pressure in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. There is a feature in that it can.

  Thereby, in this embodiment, even if the pressure band 32 is tightened, the cuff 320 is inflated and the pressure for pressing the positioning body 31 is adjusted to an appropriate pressure, so that there is no fear of displacement or pulsation of the positioning body 31 < Become.

  Further, the pressure can be kept constant during continuous measurement by adjusting the air feed amount from the air delivery section 80 and tightening the plug 81 after the adjustment. In FIG. 12, 82 is a pressure gauge.

Since other configurations may be the configurations of any of the above-described embodiments, illustration and description are omitted. In FIG. 12, the same components as those of the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.
(Embodiment 8)
As described in the first embodiment, the measurement is performed in a state where the person to be measured is in a supine position. In order to mount the positioning body 31 near the center of the front surface of the forearm 140 and make the front surface horizontal, As shown in FIG. 13 (a), the arm can be leveled by opening the arm and stuffing a cushion in the vicinity of the upper arm 143 and elbow 144. However, this posture is a state in which the tendon of the joint is stretched, and continuous measurement In this case, a physical burden is imposed on the person to be measured for a long time, and tendons tend to press the blood vessels to easily pulsate, affecting the reproducibility of the spectrum. Furthermore, the fact that the arms are opened and the body tends to naturally face the inside, which leads to fine movement of the body and fluctuation of the spectrum over time in long-time measurement.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, in order to reduce the burden on the patient who is the subject to be measured as much as possible and to fix the arm in the natural state of the body, a cushion 47 is interposed in the vicinity of the wrist 141 to In this embodiment, in order to enable measurement even when the forearm 1402 is slanted, the drive unit 33 side is aligned with the positioning body 31 tilted by the angle of the elbow 144 in the bending direction and the rotation angle around the arm axis. There is a feature in that an angle adjusting means that can adjust the angle of the attached coupling body 330 is provided in the joint jig 39 that couples the free arm 38 and the Z-axis stage device 332. That is, as shown in FIG. 14, the joint jig 39 is divided into two parts, front and rear, connected to each other, and the connecting part is performed by a shaft part 390 that is rotatable about a rotation angle about the axis of the arm, It can adjust with respect to the angle of the bending direction of the elbow 144 by the rotation stage part 391 of the perpendicular direction seeing from the front. Reference numeral 391a is a lever that moves the rotary stage unit 391 to adjust the rotation angle.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the convex part 311 and the concave part 330a can be fitted to each other by matching the angles of the positioning body 31 and the coupling body 330.

  This method of adjusting the angle can be easily performed by fitting after the angle is adjusted by an angle detector 48 (or a reference angle meter) attached to the positioning body 31 and the coupling body 330.

  By the way, in the configuration in which the drive unit 33 and the free arm 38 corresponding to the elbow flexion / extension angle and the arm axis rotation angle are supported by the heavy weight stand 742 as in the present embodiment, the pressure belt 32 as in the sixth embodiment. Using a pressure unit that can adjust the degree of tightening of the arm, comparing the stability of the vector according to the presence or absence of the arm fixing unit 30 and the difference in tightening strength, elbow flexion extension angle, arm axis rotation angle of the pressure unit and the level The biological component concentration estimation accuracy was compared.

  Here, the vector is measured every 5 minutes in the state of no glucose load, and after obtaining 24 points of data in 2 hours, glucose is loaded to vary blood glucose, and the blood glucose level is measured in the same manner every 5 minutes. The measurement was carried out until the value dropped. The probe diameter was 18 mm and was pressed against the living body at 1.2 kgf. The temperature of the measurement probe 8 was adjusted to 35 ° C. In addition, when there is no arm fixing | fixed part 30, it was set as the simple structure which fixed the positioning body 31 with the belt 32 for a pressurization. Adjustment of the tightening strength by the pressurizing belt 32 was adjusted by the length and compared by tightening ratio.

  As indices to be compared, the SD values of the indices (1) to (3) and the index (1) described above were compared. In addition, regarding the estimation accuracy of blood sugar level, including all sugar load and non-sugar load data, the absorbance value from 1400 nm to 1800 nm is X variable, the blood sampling value is Y variable, and PLS analysis is performed to calculate the estimation accuracy did. Table 1 shows the configuration conditions, the spectral index stability results, and the blood sugar level estimation accuracy of the probes in these examples.

  From the results of Table 1, it can be seen that the index changes greatly if there is no arm fixing portion 30. Further, it can be seen that if the arm fixing portion 30 is provided, the index is stable, and thereby the estimation accuracy can be ensured with high accuracy. On the other hand, when the tightening of the pressurizing belt 32 exceeds 30%, it can be seen that due to pulsation, the SD value increases and the estimation accuracy greatly decreases. It can also be seen that by adjusting the elbow and arm angles at the 10 ° level, there is little change in the index and high accuracy can be secured. This is because the subject's posture can be maintained easily, so that the same posture can always be secured.

  From these results, it can be seen that when the arm fixing portion 30 is provided as in Examples 1 to 4 and the pressure applied by the pressure belt 32 is not excessively small or excessively large, good measurement results can be obtained. The effectiveness of the probe support for measuring in vivo components was demonstrated.

(A) is the perspective view which can be abbreviate | omitted in the use condition of the whole in-vivo component measuring apparatus using Embodiment 1, (b) is explanatory drawing of the use condition of the in-vivo component measuring apparatus using Embodiment 1. FIG. is there. FIG. 3 is a front view of a main part in the usage state of the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the use condition of the arm fixing | fixed part of Embodiment 1, Comprising: (a) is a perspective view which fractures | ruptures partially, (b) is a sectional side view of the principal part. It is a sectional side view which can abbreviate | omit a partial fracture | rupture in the use condition of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a usage explanatory diagram of Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of attaching the free arm used in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a usage explanatory diagram of Embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of use of Embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating use of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a usage explanatory diagram of Embodiment 5. It is a figure which shows the use condition of the belt for pressurization of Embodiment 6, and a positioning body, Comprising: (a) is a perspective view which fractures | ruptures partially, (b) is a sectional side view, (c) is the clamped state of the pressurization belt FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of use of a pressure belt according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an eighth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view that can omit a partial break in the usage state of an eighth embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of incidence | injection and reflection of the near infrared light in a biological body (skin tissue). It is explanatory drawing of the relationship between the light absorbency spectrum in the in-vivo component measurement, and the wavelength of near-infrared light. It is structure explanatory drawing of an arm part. It is sectional drawing of an arm part.

Explanation of symbols

8 Measuring Probe 30 Arm Fixing Unit 300 Holder 301 Supporting Body 302 Gripping Unit 303 Fixing Tape 31 Positioning Body 32 Pressurizing Belt 33 Driving Unit 330 Linkage 35 Flexible Tube 140 Forearm 141 Wrist 142 Hand 38 Free Arm 39 Joint Jig 41 Bed 42 Stand 43 Control panel

Claims (5)

Supports an in-vivo component measuring probe that emits near-infrared light to the surface of the living body and receives reflected light from the living body, and determines the wrist position of the measurement subject and is worn along the arm An arm fixing portion; a positioning portion provided at a predetermined position in the arm direction of the arm fixing portion; and a guide portion for guiding the in vivo component measurement probe to the surface of the arm; and pressing the positioning portion against the arm A probe support for measuring a component in a living body, comprising a pressurizing unit and a connection unit for coupling to a heavy object. The in-vivo component measuring probe support according to claim 1, wherein the arm fixing portion has an adjusting means for adjusting a length in an arm direction. The said pressurizing part is comprised by the belt wound and fastened around the arm, and is provided with the display part which displays the additional tightening position decided according to the circumference of an arm. Probe support for measuring in vivo components. A probe support for measuring in vivo components according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and a connecting portion of the probe support for measuring in vivo components and an intermediate portion of a heavy article, A drive unit that moves the in-vivo component measurement probe in the guide direction of the guide unit, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, the control unit brought the in-vivo component measurement probe into contact with the surface of the arm An in-vivo component measuring head device, wherein the driving unit is controlled to repeat a state and a state separated from the surface of the arm at predetermined time intervals. The intermediate portion has an angle adjustment means for adjusting an angle corresponding to the bending direction of the elbow, an angle corresponding to the rotation direction about the arm axis, or both angles in the distal direction of the in-vivo component measurement probe. The in vivo component measuring head device according to claim 4, wherein the in vivo component measuring head device is provided.