JP2007135980A - Visceral fat obesity testing apparatus and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a visceral fat obesity testing apparatus and method capable of simply and precisely testing the obesity degree by the visceral fat. <P>SOLUTION: This visceral fat obesity testing apparatus 10 is provided with an ultrasonic probe 12, a testing apparatus body 14, and a personal computer 16. An abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe 12 is sent to the personal computer 16 via the testing apparatus body 14, and the personal computer performs an image processing and calculates the degree of the visceral fat based on the processed echo image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for examining the degree of obesity due to visceral fat.

  According to recent studies, it is becoming clear that a large amount of visceral fat adhering to the viscera has a high risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases such as stroke and heart disease. Therefore, a method for easily measuring visceral fat mass is required, and a method for obtaining an echo image using ultrasonic waves and analyzing the echo image is known (Non-patent Document 1, Patent Document 1).

Suzuki R et al., `` Abdominal wall fat index, estimated by ultrasonography, for assessment of the ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat in the abdomen '', The Journal of Medicine 309-314, September 1993 JP 2005-152605 A

  However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the method of estimating the visceral fat amount by taking the echo image on a personal computer and analyzing the echo image by human beings is taken, the analyst needs knowledge and experience. However, there is a problem that only inaccurate analysis can be performed when knowledge and experience are insufficient.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a visceral fat obesity test apparatus and method which can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and can easily and accurately test the degree of obesity due to visceral fat.

  The first feature of the present invention is that the ultrasonic probe, the image processing means for image processing the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe, and the degree of visceral fat based on the processing result of the image processing means A visceral fat obesity testing apparatus comprising:

  The calculating means may calculate the degree of visceral fat by the ratio of the thickness of the subcutaneous fat and the thickness of the preperitoneal fat within a predetermined width, but more preferably, the cross section of the subcutaneous fat within the predetermined width The degree of visceral fat is calculated from the ratio of the area and the cross-sectional area of preperitoneal fat.

  Preferably, the ultrasonic probe has a shape that is positioned in contact with the lower sternum of the human body and the costal cartilage. Thereby, the position which test | inspects visceral fat obesity can be specified.

  Preferably, the ultrasonic probe has a plurality of elements arranged along a horizontal line (for example, a horizontal line lowered by 5 cm) that is lower than the lower end of the human sternum by a predetermined distance.

  Preferably, the visceral fat obesity detection apparatus further includes display means for displaying the degree of visceral fat calculated by the calculating means.

  Preferably, the apparatus further comprises storage means for storing biological information measured by the biological information measuring means. More preferably, the biological information display means displays the biological information stored in the storage means and the biological information measured this time together.

  The second feature of the present invention is that the ultrasonic probe is applied to the abdomen of the human body to detect the abdominal echo, the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe is image-processed, and the processing result obtained by the image processing The visceral fat obesity test method calculates the degree of visceral fat based on the above.

  According to the present invention, since the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe is image-processed and analyzed, and the degree of visceral fat can be automatically calculated, obesity due to visceral fat is simple and accurate. The degree can be inspected.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, the outline of the visceral fat obesity inspection apparatus 10 is shown. The visceral fat obesity inspection apparatus 10 includes an ultrasonic probe 12, an inspection apparatus main body 14, and a personal computer 16, for example. Note that the inspection apparatus main body 14 and the personal computer 16 may be configured as an integrated apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 12 is formed, for example, in a straight line so that the upper surface is in contact with the lower end of the human sternum 18, and the upper side surface is slanted so as to be in contact with the human cartilage 20 a and 20 b. It is formed in a curved shape. The ultrasonic probe 12 includes a large number of elements 22, and the large numbers of elements 22 are arranged on a horizontal line that is separated from the lower end of the sternum 18 by a predetermined distance H (for example, 5 cm). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 12 is pressed against the lower end of the human sternum 18 and the costal cartilage 20a, 20b to position the multiple elements 22 (for example, a position 5 cm from the lower end of the sternum 18). The echo image of this part can be obtained.

  The inspection apparatus main body 14 includes an ultrasonic drive detection unit 24, an analog / digital (A / D) converter 26, a data communication unit 28, and a control unit 30. The control unit 30 controls the ultrasonic drive detection unit 24, the A / D converter 26, and the data communication unit 28, respectively. The ultrasonic drive detection unit 24 applies ultrasonic vibration to each element 22 of the ultrasonic probe 12 described above under the control of the control unit 30. Further, the ultrasonic drive detection unit 24 detects an echo image propagated to each element 22. The A / DS converter 26 converts the analog echo image detected by the ultrasonic drive detection unit 24 into a multi-value digital image (a digital image including light and shade). Then, the data communication unit 28 sends the echo image digitized under the control of the control unit 30 to the personal computer 16.

  The personal computer 16 receives the echo image transmitted from the data communication unit 28 of the inspection apparatus main body 14, performs image processing by software, calculates the degree of visceral fat obesity, and calculates the calculated degree of visceral fat. Appears on the display.

  In FIG. 3, the control flow of the personal computer 16 is shown. First, in step S10, an echo image sent from the data communication unit 28 of the inspection apparatus body 14 is input. This echo image is a digital image including light and shade. In the next step S12, image processing is performed on the echo image input in step S10. In the image processing, first, noise is removed from the input echo image. Noise removal is performed by extracting a pixel having a density difference larger than a predetermined value with respect to the surrounding image and replacing the pixel with surrounding pixel value data. Convert to the next black and white binary image. Conversion to a binary image is performed by a filter that divides the input image into black and white with a predetermined threshold. As a result, the subcutaneous fat portion and the preperitoneal fat portion are black, and the white line (Linea alba) is white between them. Further, contour extraction processing for extracting the contour of the black portion or the white portion is performed. The contour extraction process is performed, for example, by extracting the boundary between white and black or black and white by pattern matching. Then, the contour portion is linearly approximated to obtain the image shown in FIG.

  In the next step S14, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of subcutaneous fat and the cross-sectional area of preperitoneal fat is calculated. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the area of the cross-sectional area A of the subcutaneous fat that belongs to the predetermined width X in the horizontal direction of the abdomen and the cross-sectional area B that also belongs to the predetermined width X is calculated, and B / A is calculated. Since each cross-sectional area A and B is the area of the part enclosed by the straight line, it can be calculated easily. In the next step S16, the cross-sectional area ratio B / A calculated in step S14 is displayed on the display as the visceral fat degree, and the process is terminated. This display can be performed by numerical values or graphs, and may be compared with standard values or past data of the subject. Further, the degree of visceral fat obesity can be displayed as “problem”, “no problem” or the like.

  Smin shown in FIG. 4 indicates the minimum value of the subcutaneous fat thickness, and Pmax indicates the maximum value of the preperitoneal fat thickness. Smin is the number of black pixels in the cross-sectional line with the smallest number of black pixels from the skin, and Pmax is the number of black pixels in the cross-sectional line with the largest number of black pixels from the peritoneum. Here, Pmax / Smin may be defined as AFI (abdminal fat index), and AFI may be used as the degree of visceral fat obesity instead of the cross-sectional area ratio B / A. This AFI also correlates well with the actual degree of visceral fat obesity, but the cross-sectional area ratio B / A reflects the fat data of a wide part, and therefore more correlates with the degree of visceral fat obesity.

  Note that the value of the cross-sectional area ratio B / A or AFI may be corrected based on gender, age, etc., and the visceral fat obesity level may be displayed based on the corrected value.

  As described above, the present invention can be used for an apparatus and a method for simply examining the degree of obesity due to visceral fat.

It is the schematic which shows the visceral fat obesity test | inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which pressed the ultrasonic probe of the visceral fat obesity test | inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention to the lower chest part of the human body. It is a flowchart which shows the control flow in the visceral fat obesity test | inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a screen figure which shows what image-processed the echo image acquired using the visceral fat obesity test | inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Visceral fat obesity inspection apparatus 12 Ultrasonic probe 14 Inspection apparatus main body 16 Personal computer 18 Sternum 20a, 20b Costal cartilage 22 Element

The present invention relates to an apparatus for examining the degree of obesity due to visceral fat and a control method thereof .

An object of the present invention is to provide a visceral fat obesity test apparatus and a control method thereof that can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and can easily and accurately test the degree of obesity due to visceral fat.

The first feature of the present invention is that an ultrasonic probe, an image processing unit that performs image processing on an abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe, and a predetermined width based on a processing result of the image processing unit . A visceral fat obesity inspection apparatus having a calculating means for calculating a degree of visceral fat by a ratio between a minimum value of the thickness of subcutaneous fat and a maximum value of the thickness of preperitoneal fat.

  The second feature of the present invention is that an ultrasonic probe, an image processing unit that performs image processing on an abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe, and a predetermined width based on a processing result of the image processing unit A visceral fat obesity inspection apparatus having a calculation means for calculating the degree of visceral fat by the ratio of the cross-sectional area of subcutaneous fat and the cross-sectional area of preperitoneal fat.

The third feature of the present invention is that the ultrasonic probe, the image processing means for image processing the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe, and the degree of visceral fat based on the processing result of the image processing means A control method for a visceral fat obesity testing apparatus having a calculating means for calculating
The image processing means performs image processing on the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe applied to the abdomen of the human body, and based on the processing result of the image processing, the minimum value of the thickness of the subcutaneous fat within a predetermined width and In the control method of the visceral fat obesity test apparatus, the calculation means is controlled to calculate the degree of visceral fat based on a ratio to the maximum value of the thickness of preperitoneal fat .
The fourth feature of the present invention is that the ultrasonic probe, the image processing means for image processing the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe, and the degree of visceral fat based on the processing result of the image processing means A control method for a visceral fat obesity testing apparatus having a calculating means for calculating
The abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe applied to the abdomen of the human body is image-processed by the image processing means, and the cross-sectional area of the subcutaneous fat and the preperitoneal fat within a predetermined width based on the processing result of the image processing There is a control method for a visceral fat obesity testing apparatus that controls the calculation means so as to calculate the degree of visceral fat based on the ratio of the cross-sectional areas.

Claims (7)

  Visceral fat obesity having an ultrasonic probe, image processing means for image processing the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe, and calculation means for calculating the degree of visceral fat based on the processing result of the image processing means Inspection device.   The visceral fat obesity test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the degree of visceral fat calculated by the calculating means.   The visceral fat obesity testing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calculating means calculates the degree of visceral fat based on a ratio between the thickness of subcutaneous fat and the thickness of preperitoneal fat.   The visceral fat obesity testing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calculating means calculates the degree of visceral fat based on a ratio of a cross-sectional area of subcutaneous fat and a cross-sectional area of preperitoneal fat within a predetermined width.   The visceral fat obesity testing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ultrasonic probe has a shape that is positioned in contact with a lower end of a human sternum and a costal cartilage.   The visceral fat obesity testing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of elements arranged along a horizontal line that is lowered a predetermined distance from a lower end of a human sternum.   Visceral fat that detects the abdominal echo by applying the ultrasonic probe to the abdomen of the human body, performs image processing on the abdominal echo detected by the ultrasonic probe, and calculates the degree of visceral fat based on the processed result of the image processing Obesity testing method.

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