JP2009225854A - Body composition information measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a body composition information measuring device capable of measuring body composition information three-dimensionally, accurately and in detail. <P>SOLUTION: The body composition information measuring device 1A comprises electrode bodies 120 disposed in matrices in an electrode unit 100A; a presser mechanism for pressing electrodes included in the respective electrode bodies 120 toward the abdominal region 201; a body shape information acquisition part; a potential information acquisition part; and a body composition information acquisition part. The body shape information acquisition part detects the quantities of movement of the respective electrodes and acquires the contour information of the abdominal region 201. The potential information acquisition part distributes an electric current between two electrodes sequentially selected from a plurality of electrodes, and detects the electric potential of one electrode sequentially selected from the remaining electrodes in that state. At the time, the potential information acquisition part detects the electric potential of one electrode located in a line or row different from the lines or rows where the two selected electrodes to which the electric current is distributed are located. The body composition information acquisition part acquires body composition information based on the contour information and potential information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a body composition information measuring apparatus capable of acquiring body composition information such as a body fat mass represented by visceral fat mass and subcutaneous fat mass.

  In recent years, body fat mass has attracted attention as an index for knowing the health condition of a subject. In particular, visceral fat mass is attracting attention as an index for determining whether or not it is visceral fat type obesity. This visceral fat-type obesity is said to induce lifestyle-related diseases that easily cause arteriosclerosis such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, and utilization of the above index is expected from the viewpoint of prevention of these diseases. Here, the visceral fat is fat accumulated around the viscera inside the abdominal muscles, and is distinguished from subcutaneous fat accumulated in the surface layer of the abdomen. In general, as an index indicating the visceral fat amount, an area occupied by visceral fat in the abdominal cross section corresponding to the umbilicus position (hereinafter referred to as visceral fat area) is adopted.

  Usually, in order to measure visceral fat mass, an image analysis method using an abdominal tomographic image taken using X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) or MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is employed. In this image analysis method, the visceral fat area is calculated from the acquired abdominal tomographic image. However, in order to use such a method, large equipment such as the X-ray CT and MRI as installed in a medical facility is necessary, and it is very difficult to measure the visceral fat amount on a daily basis. It is. In addition, when X-ray CT is used, there is a problem of exposure, which is not necessarily a preferable measurement method.

  Application of the bioimpedance method has been studied as an alternative measurement method. The bioimpedance method is a body fat mass measurement method widely used in household body composition information measuring devices, and is measured by bringing electrodes into contact with limbs and measuring bioimpedance using these electrodes. The body fat mass is calculated from the bioimpedance. The above-described body composition information measuring device can accurately measure the accumulation degree of body fat for each part of the body such as the whole body, limbs, and trunk (trunk).

  However, the conventional body composition information measuring device is for measuring the body fat accumulation degree for each body part such as the whole body, limbs, and torso as described above. The degree of accumulation cannot be extracted and measured accurately. This is because, as described above, the torso contains not only visceral fat but also subcutaneous fat. Therefore, measuring the visceral fat amount and the subcutaneous fat amount individually with high accuracy is the measurement of the body composition information described above. It was difficult in the device.

  Therefore, in order to solve such problems, the electrode is directly brought into contact with the trunk and the potential of the electrode and the potential difference between the electrodes are measured, and based on this, the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass are individually and accurately measured. Measurement is under consideration. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-175875 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-339658 (Patent Document 2), an electrode is brought into contact with the subject's torso in a row in the circumferential direction, The potential difference between the electrodes is measured, and based on this, information on the conductivity distribution in the torso cross section of the subject (generally called “bioimpedance CT”) is obtained, and the visceral fat mass based on the obtained information on the conductivity distribution And a body composition information measuring device configured to be able to individually measure the amount of subcutaneous fat.

  In the body composition information measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, an annular support is disposed so as to surround the torso of the subject in order to bring the electrodes into contact with the torso of the subject in a row in the circumferential direction. The annular support body is provided with a plurality of electrodes in a row along the circumferential direction, and the plurality of electrodes are configured to be slidable along the radial direction of the annular support body. The electrodes are arranged so as to contact and be arranged in a row in the circumferential direction with respect to the body portion.

  Moreover, in the body composition information measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the contour information of the torso of the subject is measured by detecting the stroke amount of the slid electrode, and the measured contour information and measurement are performed. Based on the impedance information thus obtained, the information on the conductivity distribution in the cross section of the subject's trunk described above can be acquired.

In Patent Document 1, an annular support body provided with electrodes is configured to be movable up and down along the body axis direction of the subject, and the measurement operation is performed while moving the support body up and down in the body axis direction at predetermined intervals. It is proposed that a plurality of pieces of information on the conductivity distribution in the abdominal cross section perpendicular to the body axis direction is acquired by repeating the above, and a three-dimensional conductivity distribution of the torso of the subject is acquired by combining these.
JP 2000-175875 A JP 2003-339658 A

  However, the body composition information measuring device disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above obtains the conductivity distribution of the torso of the subject planarly during measurement, and the conductivity in the body axis direction of the torso of the subject. It does not actively measure the distribution. Therefore, it cannot be said that the amount of visceral fat or subcutaneous fat is accurately measured three-dimensionally to measure these amounts, and there remains room for improvement in that sense.

  Further, as described above, in Patent Document 1, the support provided with the electrode is configured to be movable up and down in the body axis direction of the subject, and measurement is performed while moving up and down the annular support body along the body axis direction. Although it has been proposed to acquire a plurality of information on the conductivity distribution in the abdominal cross section orthogonal to the body axis direction by repeating the operation, and to combine this to capture visceral fat and subcutaneous fat in three dimensions, like this Even if a simple technique is adopted, the individual conductivity distribution obtained is only in the abdominal cross section and cannot be said to be three-dimensional, and visceral fat and subcutaneous fat are not necessarily captured three-dimensionally accurately. It can't be a thing.

  In addition, when body composition information is acquired using the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a separate lifting mechanism in the body composition information measuring device, which greatly complicates the device configuration. In addition, it is necessary to drive the electrode and the lifting mechanism sequentially to bring the electrode into contact with the part to be measured repeatedly, which may cause the subject to feel pain because the time required for measurement becomes very long. Become.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a body composition information measuring device capable of accurately and precisely measuring body composition information at a measurement site in three dimensions. With the goal.

  A body composition information measurement device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a support, a plurality of movable electrodes, a pressing mechanism, a body shape information acquisition unit, a potential information acquisition unit, and a body composition information acquisition unit. It has. The support is disposed so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site, and the plurality of movable electrodes are arranged in a matrix so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site around the body axis of the measurement site. It is provided on the support. The pressing mechanism presses each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix toward the measurement site. The body shape information acquisition unit detects the amount of movement of each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and acquires outer shape information of the measurement site based on the detected amount of movement information. The potential information acquisition unit applies a current to a measurement site by passing a current between two electrodes sequentially selected from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and applies a current to the measurement site. In this state, the potential of one electrode sequentially selected from the remaining electrodes is detected to acquire potential information. Here, the potential information acquisition unit detects the potential information of at least one electrode located in a row or column different from either the row or the column in which each of the two electrodes through which the current flows is located, and obtains the potential information. get. The body composition information acquisition unit acquires body composition information based on the external shape information of the measurement site acquired by the body shape information acquisition unit and the potential information in each part of the measurement site acquired by the potential information acquisition unit.

  By configuring in this way, a plurality of electrodes are arranged in contact with each other in a matrix at once in the body axis direction and the circumferential direction of the measurement site. It becomes possible to precisely measure body composition information in three dimensions. In addition, since three-dimensional body composition information can be obtained at a time, it is possible to quickly measure body composition information.

  In the body composition information measurement device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the body composition information measurement device further includes a pair of electrodes that are brought into contact with a portion other than the measurement site that sandwiches the measurement site. In this case, the potential information acquisition unit sequentially selects the electrodes from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix in a state where a current is applied to the measurement site by flowing a current between the pair of electrodes. It is preferable to acquire potential information by detecting the potential of one selected electrode.

  In this way, by applying an electrode to a part other than the part to be measured and applying a current to the part to be measured using the electrode, various current application conditions can be set when acquiring potential information. Therefore, the body composition information can be measured three-dimensionally with higher accuracy.

  The body composition information measuring device according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a support, a plurality of movable electrodes, a pressing mechanism, a body shape information acquisition unit, an impedance information acquisition unit, and a conductivity distribution information acquisition unit. And a body composition information acquisition unit. The support is disposed so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site, and the plurality of movable electrodes are arranged in a matrix so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site around the body axis of the measurement site. It is provided on the support. The pressing mechanism presses each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix toward the measurement site. The body shape information acquisition unit detects the amount of movement of each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and acquires outer shape information of the measurement site based on the detected amount of movement information. The impedance information acquisition unit applies a current to a measurement site by passing a current between two electrodes sequentially selected from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and applies a current to the measurement site. The potential of one electrode or the potential difference between the two electrodes sequentially selected from the remaining electrodes in the detected state is detected, and the impedance information in each part of the measurement site is acquired based on the detected potential or potential difference information . Here, the impedance information acquisition unit has at least a potential of one electrode located in a row or a column different from either a row or a column in which each of two electrodes through which a current is passed, or a current to be passed 2 Impedance information at each part of the measurement site is acquired by detecting any potential difference between two electrodes including electrodes located in a row or column different from either the row or column in which each of the two electrodes is located. The conductivity distribution information acquisition unit is a three-dimensional model of the measurement site based on the outer shape information of the measurement site acquired by the body shape information acquisition unit and the impedance information in each part of the measurement site acquired by the impedance information acquisition unit. Typical electrical conductivity distribution information is acquired. The body composition information acquisition unit acquires body composition information based on the three-dimensional conductivity distribution information of the measurement site acquired by the conductivity distribution information acquisition unit.

  By configuring in this way, a plurality of electrodes are arranged in contact with each other in a matrix at once in the body axis direction and the circumferential direction of the measurement site. It becomes possible to precisely measure body composition information in three dimensions. In addition, since three-dimensional body composition information can be obtained at a time, it is possible to quickly measure body composition information.

  In the body composition information measurement device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the body composition information measurement device further includes a pair of electrodes that are brought into contact with a portion other than the measurement site that sandwiches the measurement site. In that case, the impedance information acquisition unit sequentially selects from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix in a state in which a current is applied to the measurement site by flowing a current between the pair of electrodes. It is preferable to detect a potential of one selected electrode or a potential difference between two electrodes, and acquire impedance information in each part of the measurement site based on the detected potential or potential difference information.

  In this way, by setting the current application conditions for acquiring impedance information in a more diverse manner by bringing the electrode into contact with a part other than the part to be measured and applying the current to the part to be measured using the electrode. Therefore, the body composition information can be measured three-dimensionally with higher accuracy.

  In the body composition information measurement device according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the body composition information acquisition unit includes a visceral fat amount calculation unit that calculates a visceral fat amount based on the body composition information. May be.

  In order to measure the visceral fat mass with high accuracy, it is essential to measure the bioimpedance by placing electrodes in contact with the torso of the subject. This makes it possible to calculate the visceral fat mass with particularly high accuracy.

  In the body composition information measurement device according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the body composition information acquisition unit includes a subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit that calculates the subcutaneous fat mass based on the body composition information. May be.

  In order to measure the amount of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen with high accuracy, it is essential to measure the bioimpedance by placing electrodes in contact with the torso of the subject. By doing so, it becomes possible to calculate the amount of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen particularly accurately.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can be set as the body composition information measuring apparatus which can measure the body composition information in a to-be-measured part precisely and precisely three-dimensionally.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In Embodiments 1 to 4 shown below, the present invention is applied to a body composition information measuring apparatus configured such that the abdomen is adopted as a site to be measured and the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen can be individually measured. A case will be described as an example.

  First, before describing the body composition information measuring device in each embodiment of the present invention, various terms representing a body part are defined. The “torso” is a portion excluding the head, neck and limbs of the body, and corresponds to a so-called trunk including the chest and abdomen. The “abdomen” is a part located on the lower limb side of the trunk divided into a part located on the neck side (that is, the chest) and a part located on the lower limb side, and includes the front of the abdomen and the back of the abdomen. . “Abdomen front” refers to the body surface of the surface of the subject's abdomen that is visible when the subject is observed from the front side. “Abdomen rear surface” refers to the body surface of a portion of the surface of the subject's abdomen that is visible when the subject is observed from the back side. The “part away from the abdomen” means the upper limb consisting of the upper arm, forearm, wrist and fingers, the chest more than a predetermined distance (for example, approximately 10 cm) from the portion where the diaphragm is located, the neck and head, and the thigh , Lower leg composed of lower leg, ankle and toe. In addition, the “body axis” means an axis in the extending direction of a specific part of the body, and when the torso is adopted as the part to be measured, the “body axis” is the axis of the trunk, that is, the subject. An axis extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cross section of the abdomen.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the body composition information measuring apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. First, with reference to this FIG. 1, the structure of the functional block of the body composition information measuring apparatus in this Embodiment is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A includes a control unit 10, a constant current generation unit 21, a terminal switching unit 22, a potential detection unit 23, a movement amount detection unit 24, and a subject information input unit. 25, a display unit 26, an operation unit 27, a power supply unit 28, a memory unit 29, and an electrode unit 100A. The control unit 10 includes a calculation processing unit 11, and the calculation processing unit 11 includes a potential information acquisition unit 12, a body shape information acquisition unit 13, and a body composition information acquisition unit 14.

  The control unit 10 is configured by a CPU (Central Processor Unit), for example, and performs overall control of the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A. Specifically, the control unit 10 sends commands to the various functional blocks described above and performs various arithmetic processes based on the obtained information. Among these, various arithmetic processes are performed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 provided in the control unit 10 described above.

  The electrode unit 100A is provided with a plurality of movable electrodes. Each of the plurality of electrodes is placed in contact with the abdomen of the subject, which is the measurement site, during the measurement operation. The number of electrodes arranged in contact with the abdomen is not particularly limited, but a larger number of electrodes are required to perform more precise measurement. In FIG. 1, only three electrodes A1 to A3 selected by the terminal switching unit 22 are shown as representatives of the plurality of electrodes. A specific configuration of the electrode unit 100A will be described later.

  The terminal switching unit 22 is configured by, for example, a relay circuit, and electrically connects the specific electrode selected from the plurality of electrodes described above and the constant current generation unit 21 based on a command input from the control unit 10. At the same time, the specific electrode selected from the plurality of electrodes described above and the potential detection unit 23 are electrically connected. Thereby, the electrode electrically connected to the constant current generating unit 21 by the terminal switching unit 22 functions as a constant current application electrode, and is electrically connected to the potential detecting unit 23 by the terminal switching unit 22. The electrode functions as a potential detection electrode. The electrical connection by the terminal switching unit 22 is variously switched during the measurement operation. Normally, two electrodes are selected as constant current application electrodes, and one electrode is selected as a potential detection electrode. However, even if the electrodes are provided separately and independently, these electrodes function as one electrode electrically by handling them equivalently, so when handled as such, The number of electrodes selected by the terminal switching unit 22 is not limited to the above number.

  The constant current generation unit 21 generates a constant current based on a command input from the control unit 10 and supplies the generated constant current to the above-described constant current application electrode via the terminal switching unit 22. As the constant current generated in the constant current generator 21, a high-frequency current (for example, 50 kHz, 500 μA) that is preferably used for measuring body composition information is selected. Accordingly, a constant current is applied to the abdomen of the subject that is the measurement site via the constant current application electrode.

  The potential detection unit 23 detects a potential at an electrode (that is, a potential detection electrode) electrically connected to the potential detection unit 23 by the terminal switching unit 22, and outputs a signal based on the detected potential to the control unit 10. To do. Thereby, the electric potential of the electric potential detection electrode in the state in which the above-described constant current is applied to the subject is detected. In this case, a stable potential such as a ground potential is used as the reference potential.

  The movement amount detection unit 24 detects the movement amount from the position of the initial state of each electrode in a state where the plurality of electrodes described above are arranged in contact with the abdomen of the subject. Here, the initial state is a state in which a plurality of movable electrodes are not moved at all, and the position in the initial state corresponds to a reference position for detecting the movement amount. The movement amount detection unit 24 outputs a signal based on the detected movement amount to the control unit 10.

  The subject information input unit 25 is a part for obtaining information about the subject used for the arithmetic processing performed in the arithmetic processing unit 11. Here, “subject information” means specific information about the subject, and includes at least one of information such as age, sex, height, and weight, for example. The subject information input unit 25 is a part for inputting subject information, and outputs the input subject information to the control unit 10. It should be noted that the subject information input unit 25 is not necessarily an essential configuration, and whether or not the subject information input unit 25 is used is determined depending on whether or not the subject information needs to be used in the arithmetic processing described later based on the type and nature of the body composition information to be measured. Is.

  The arithmetic processing unit 11 includes the potential information acquisition unit 12, the body shape information acquisition unit 13, and the body composition information acquisition unit 14 as described above. The body composition information acquisition unit 14 includes a visceral fat mass calculation unit 14a and a subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit 14b. The potential information acquisition unit 12 acquires potential information of each part to be measured based on the signal input from the potential detection unit 23, and outputs this to the body composition information acquisition unit 14. The body shape information acquisition unit 13 acquires the external shape information of the measurement site based on the signal input from the movement amount detection unit 24, and outputs this to the body composition information acquisition unit 14. The body composition information acquisition unit 14 calculates body composition information based on the potential information of each part to be measured input from the potential information acquisition unit 12 and the external shape information of the measurement site input from the body shape information acquisition unit 13. Get. More specifically, the visceral fat mass calculation unit 14a calculates the visceral fat mass based on the above information, and the subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit 14b calculates the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen.

  The display part 26 is comprised, for example by LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays the body composition information calculated in the above-mentioned body composition information acquisition part 14. FIG. More specifically, in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, the visceral fat mass calculated by the visceral fat mass calculating unit 14a and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen calculated by the subcutaneous fat mass calculating unit 14b are calculated. Displayed on the display unit 26. Here, “visceral fat mass” means an index expressed by at least one of visceral fat weight, visceral fat area, visceral fat volume and visceral fat level, and “subcutaneous fat mass in abdomen” Is an index expressed by at least one of the weight of subcutaneous fat, the area of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen, the volume of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen, and the level of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen.

  The operation unit 27 is a part for the subject to input a command to the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A, and is configured by, for example, a key that can be pressed by the subject.

  The power supply unit 28 is a part for supplying power to the control unit 10, and includes an internal power supply such as a battery, an external power supply such as a commercial power supply, and the like.

  The memory unit 29 is a part for storing various data and programs related to the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A, and executes, for example, the above-described subject information, calculated body composition information, and body composition information measurement processing described later. A body composition information measurement program and the like are stored.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external structure of the body composition information measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment, and shows a state in which the electrode unit is set on the abdomen of the subject. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the electrode unit shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 is a view showing a state (initial state) in which the electrode unit is not set on the abdomen of the subject, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which set the electrode unit to the test subject's abdomen. Next, with reference to these FIG. 2 thru | or FIG. 4, the specific structure of the body composition information measuring apparatus in this Embodiment is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the body composition information measuring device 1 </ b> A according to the present embodiment includes an electrode unit 100 </ b> A set on the abdomen 201 of the subject 200, and an apparatus main body connected to the electrode unit 100 </ b> A via a connection cable 180. 160. The electrode unit 100A mainly includes a support 110 formed so as to surround a predetermined part of the abdomen 201 of the subject 200 and a plurality of movable electrode bodies 120 provided on the support 110. On the other hand, the apparatus main body 160 includes the control unit 10, the constant current generation unit 21, the terminal switching unit 22, the potential detection unit 23, the movement amount detection unit 24, the subject information input unit 25, the display unit 26, the operation unit 27, and the memory described above. Part 29 and the like. Note that the constant current generation unit 21, the terminal switching unit 22, the potential detection unit 23, the movement amount detection unit 24, and the like provided in the apparatus main body 160 may be provided in the electrode unit 100A as necessary.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the support body 110 is a frame including a pair of side wall portions 111 and 112 arranged to face each other and a top plate portion 113 that connects the upper ends of the pair of side wall portions 111 and 112. Consists of the body. The support 110 is disposed in a state where the lower ends of the side wall portions 111 and 112 are placed on a placement surface 300 such as a bed. The abdomen 201 of the subject 200 is accommodated in the accommodation space 115 defined by the side walls 111 and 112 of the support 110 and the top plate 113 at the time of measurement. As a result, at the time of measurement, the front surface and the flank of the subject 200 are covered with the support 110.

  A plurality of electrode bodies 120 are respectively arranged in a matrix on the side wall portions 111 and 112 and the top plate portion 113 of the support body 110. In the electrode unit 100A in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a total of 16 electrode bodies 120 are arranged in 4 rows × 4 columns on each of the pair of side wall portions 111, 112, and the top plate A total of 32 electrode bodies 120 are arranged in the portion 113 in 4 rows × 8 columns. Hereinafter, the 16 electrode bodies 120 disposed on the side wall portion 111 are referred to as an electrode group EGR, the 16 electrode bodies 120 disposed on the side wall portion 112 are referred to as an electrode group EGL, and the top plate portion 113 is referred to. The 32 electrode bodies arranged in are referred to as an electrode group EGU.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the electrode bodies 120 includes a movable shaft portion 122 formed in a rod shape and a spherical electrode 121 provided at the tip of the movable shaft portion 122. The movable shaft portions 122 are inserted into through holes provided in the support 110, respectively. Each of the movable shaft portions 122 is supported so as to be movable by a support mechanism (not shown), whereby each of the electrode bodies 120 is configured to be movable in the axial direction of the movable shaft portion 122. Specifically, each electrode body 120 included in the electrode group EGR is configured to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the side wall 111 (in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 3), and the electrode group EGL The individual electrode bodies 120 included in the electrode group 120 are configured to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the side wall 112 (the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 3), and the individual electrode bodies 120 included in the electrode group EGU. Is configured to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the top plate portion 113 (in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. 3).

  In the initial state shown in FIG. 3, each of the movable shaft portions 122 is pulled out toward the outside of the accommodation space 115 so that each of the plurality of electrodes 121 is disposed at a position near the support 110. It is supposed to be in a state. In this initial state, the space surrounded by the plurality of electrodes 121 formed in the accommodation space 115 is secured to be larger, so that the abdomen 201 of the subject 200 can be accommodated in the space.

  On the other hand, when the electrode unit 100A is set on the abdomen 201 of the subject 200 as shown in FIG. 4, the abdomen 201 of the subject 200 is accommodated in the space, and each of the plurality of electrodes 121 is the surface of the abdomen 201. Each of the movable shaft portions 122 is pushed toward the inside of the accommodation space 115 so as to be in contact with the inner space. More specifically, the electrode body 120 included in the electrode group EGR is pushed in the direction of arrow A1 in the drawing, and the electrode body 120 included in the electrode group EGL is pushed in the direction of arrow B1 in the drawing and is included in the electrode group EGU. The electrode body 120 to be pressed is pushed in the direction of the arrow C <b> 1 in the drawing, and each electrode 121 is in contact with the surface of the abdomen 201.

  Here, the electrode unit 100A is individually provided with a pressing mechanism (not shown) according to each of the plurality of electrode bodies 120, and each of the pressing mechanisms includes a plurality of electrodes 121 of the subject 200. Each of the plurality of electrode bodies 120 is urged toward the inside of the accommodation space 115 so as to be pressed toward the abdomen 201 with a predetermined pressing force. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 4, each of the electrodes 121 is stably placed in contact with the abdomen 201 of the subject 200.

  Various configurations can be adopted as the pressing mechanism. For example, an urging spring that connects the support body 110 and the electrode body 120 may be provided, and the electrode body 120 may be urged toward the inside of the accommodation space 115 using the urging spring. An actuator may be provided at 110, and the electrode body 120 may be driven by the actuator toward the inside of the accommodation space 115 with a predetermined driving force. In addition, various pressing mechanisms such as a pressing mechanism using an air cylinder and a pressing mechanism using a hydraulic mechanism can be employed.

  Further, in the state shown in FIG. 4, the individual movement amount (that is, the pushed distance) of the electrode body 120 is detected by the above-described movement amount detection unit 24. This movement amount is the movement amount of the electrode body 120 from the reference position in the initial state shown in FIG. 3 to the position in the state shown in FIG. 4 as described above, and the movement amount detection unit 24 is provided on the support 110. The amount of movement of all the electrode bodies 120 thus detected is individually detected. As the movement amount detection unit 24, various detection mechanisms can be employed. For example, a detection mechanism using a photoelectric sensor, a detection mechanism using a rotation angle sensor, a detection mechanism using a magnetic sensor, or the like can be used.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the body composition information measurement process performed in the body composition information measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment. Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the flow of the body composition information measurement process of the body composition information measuring apparatus in the present embodiment will be described. The body composition information measurement process shown in FIG. 5 is stored in advance in the memory unit 29 as a program, and the control unit 10 including the arithmetic processing unit 11 reads out and executes the program. Is.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control part 10 receives the input of test subject information (step S101). The input of the subject information is performed by the subject information input unit 25 described above. The subject information received here is temporarily stored in the memory unit 29, for example. It should be noted that this step is omitted when the subject information input unit 25 is not provided.

  Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not there is an instruction to start measurement (step S102). Control unit 10 waits for an instruction to start measurement (NO in step S102). When the control unit 10 detects an instruction to start measurement (YES in step S102), the control unit 10 detects the amount of movement of each electrode 121 from the reference position (step S103). The movement amount of each electrode 121 is performed by the movement amount detection unit 24 described above. When the movement of each electrode 121 is controlled by an actuator or the like, after detecting the measurement start instruction described above, the actuator or the like is driven by the control unit 10 so that each electrode 121 is pressed against the abdomen 201 of the subject 200. Then, the movement amount is detected by the movement amount detection unit 24 thereafter or during the movement.

  Next, the control part 10 acquires the external shape information of the abdominal part 201 (step S104). Specifically, the control unit 10 calculates the position information of the abdomen 201 of the part where each electrode 121 is brought into contact based on the movement amount information input from the movement amount detection unit 24, and based on this, the subject 200 The three-dimensional outline information of the abdomen 201 is acquired.

  Next, the control unit 10 sets a constant current application electrode (step S105). Specifically, the control unit 10 selects two electrodes from the plurality of electrodes 121 provided in a matrix on the support 110, and the terminal switching unit 22 selects based on the control of the control unit 10. These two electrodes are electrically connected to the constant current generator 21.

  Next, the constant current generation unit 21 applies a constant current between the two selected constant current application electrodes based on the control of the control unit 10 (step S106). As a result, a constant current flows through the abdomen 201 of the subject 200.

  Next, the control unit 10 sets a potential detection electrode (step S107). Specifically, the control unit 10 selects one electrode from the electrodes excluding the two electrodes selected as constant current application electrodes in step S105 among the plurality of electrodes 121 provided in a matrix on the support 110. The terminal switching unit 22 electrically connects the selected one electrode to the potential detection unit 23 based on the control of the control unit 10.

  In this state, the potential detection unit 23 detects the potential of the potential detection electrode over a predetermined period based on the control of the control unit 10 (step S108). The detected potential is temporarily stored in the memory unit 29 in association with the selected electrode based on the control of the control unit 10.

  Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not all the predetermined potential detection electrodes have been set (step S109). When the control unit 10 determines that the setting of all the predetermined potential detection electrodes has not been completed (NO in step S109), the control unit 10 proceeds to the process of step S107 described above, and sets the unset potential detection electrodes. Make a selection. When control unit 10 determines that the setting of all predetermined potential detection electrodes has been completed (YES in step S109), control unit 10 proceeds to the process of step S110 described later.

  If it is determined in step S109 that the setting of all predetermined potential detection electrodes has been completed, the control unit 10 then determines whether the setting of all predetermined combinations of current application electrodes has been completed. (Step S110). When the control unit 10 determines that the setting of all predetermined combinations of current application electrodes has not been completed (NO in step S110), the control unit 10 proceeds to the process of step S105 described above, and unset current application Select the electrode combination. When it is determined that the setting of all predetermined current application electrodes has been completed (YES in step S110), control unit 10 proceeds to the process of step S111 described later.

  In this manner, the control unit 10 selects two electrodes as the constant current application electrodes in order among the electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes provided in a matrix on the support 110, and the constant current application electrodes. In this combination, potential detection electrodes are sequentially selected. Thus, potential detection is performed in various combinations of constant current application electrodes and potential detection electrodes, and the results are recorded in association with the combinations of constant current application electrodes and potential detection electrodes.

  If it is determined in step S110 that the setting of all predetermined constant current application electrode combinations has been completed, then the control unit 10 calculates the visceral fat mass (step S111). Specifically, the control unit 10 reads out the potential detection information and the abdomen outer shape information temporarily stored in the memory unit 29, and the visceral fat mass calculation unit 14a performs arithmetic processing described later based on the information. The visceral fat mass is calculated by

  Next, the control unit 10 calculates the amount of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen (step S112). Specifically, the control unit 10 reads out the potential detection information and the abdominal shape information temporarily stored in the memory unit 29, and the subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit 14b performs arithmetic processing described later based on the information. To calculate the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen.

  Next, the control unit 10 issues a command to display the measurement results on the display unit 26, and the display unit 26 displays each measurement result based on the control of the control unit 10 (step S113). Thus, the measurement of the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen is completed by the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A in the present embodiment.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a combination of a constant current application electrode and a potential detection electrode in the body composition information measurement apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 6, a part of the electrode 121 of the electrode unit 100A shown in FIGS. In addition, the up-down direction shown in FIG. 6 is a direction that matches the body axis of the subject.

  In the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, the constant current application electrode and the potential detection electrode are sequentially switched and selected in steps S105 to S110 shown in FIG. For example, referring to FIG. 6, when an electrode located in the first row and the first column and an electrode located in the first row and the third column are selected as constant current application electrodes, a constant current is used as the potential detection electrode. The other electrodes included in the first row where the application electrode is located are not limited to being selected, and the electrodes in the second to fourth rows, which are rows where the constant current application electrode is not located, are also selected. In addition, when the electrode located in the first row and the first column and the electrode located in the third row and the first column are selected as the constant current application electrodes, the first constant current application electrode is located as the potential detection electrode. The other electrodes included in the column are not limited to being selected, and the electrodes in the second to fourth columns, which are columns in which the constant current application electrode is not located, are also selected. Further, when the electrode located in the first row and the first column and the electrode located in the third row and the third column are selected as the constant current application electrodes, the constant current application electrodes are located as the potential detection electrodes. The second row and the fourth row or the second column are not limited to the selection of the other electrodes included in the first row and the third row or the first column and the third column, and are the rows where the constant current application electrodes are not located. And the fourth column of electrodes is also selected.

  Next, an example of arithmetic processing performed in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A in the present embodiment will be described. As described above, in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, the visceral fat mass calculation unit 14a calculates the visceral fat mass, and the subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit 14b calculates the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen. However, for calculating the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen, the potential information acquired by the potential information acquisition unit 12 and the external shape information acquired by the body shape information acquisition unit 13 are used. For this calculation, for example, regression analysis is used.

When numbers are assigned to the electrodes 121 arranged in a matrix, the potential measured at the i-th potential detection electrode is φ _i , and the movement amount (displacement amount) of the i-th potential detection electrode is ψ _i . Then, the visceral fat amount Av can be estimated by the following equation (1), for example.

ただし、ａ_ｉおよびｂ_ｉは偏回帰係数であり、学習データを用いれば通常の回帰分析のアルゴリズムにより内臓脂肪量が算出される。また、学習データがない場合であっても、人体モデルを用いた数値シミュレーションにより生成したデータを用いて、内臓脂肪量が同様に算出可能である。なお、具体的な説明は省略するが、腹部における皮下脂肪量についても、同様に回帰分析等によって推定することが可能である。

However, a _i and b _i are partial regression coefficients. If learning data is used, the visceral fat mass is calculated by a normal regression analysis algorithm. Further, even when there is no learning data, the visceral fat mass can be similarly calculated using data generated by a numerical simulation using a human body model. Although specific description is omitted, the amount of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen can be similarly estimated by regression analysis or the like.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of the measurement result of the body composition information measuring device in the present embodiment. As described above, in body composition information measuring apparatus 1A in the present embodiment, the measurement result is displayed on display unit 26. As shown in FIG. 7, the visceral fat amount is displayed on the display unit 26 as numerical values such as a visceral fat volume, a visceral fat area, and a visceral fat level. In addition to this, it is naturally possible to display the visceral fat mass as a graph or as a symbol. Although specific description is omitted, the amount of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen can also be displayed by numerical values or the like.

  As described above, in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, the electrodes 121 provided in a matrix on the electrode unit 100A are arranged in the body axis direction and the circumference so as to surround the abdomen 201 at the time of measurement. Since the electrodes are arranged in a matrix in the direction, the plurality of electrodes 121 are arranged in contact with the abdomen 201 at a time. Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, the constant current application electrode and the potential detection electrode can be selected by switching variously across the rows or columns to obtain the potential information, so that the electrode contact position can be quickly changed without changing during the measurement operation. It is possible to acquire true three-dimensional body composition information that is not simply body composition information as a collection of two-dimensional body composition information. Therefore, it becomes possible to measure important indexes such as visceral fat mass and subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen more easily and accurately.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the body composition information measuring apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the external structure of the body composition information measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment, and shows a state in which the electrode unit is set on the abdomen and the upper and lower limbs of the subject. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected in the figure about the part similar to 1 A of body composition information measuring apparatuses in above-mentioned Embodiment 1, and the description is not repeated here.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, body composition information measuring apparatus 1 </ b> B in the present embodiment is electrode unit 100 </ b> A set on abdominal part 201 provided in body composition information measuring apparatus 1 </ b> A in the above-described first embodiment. In addition, electrode units 172A and 172B attached to the upper limbs and electrode units 173A and 173B attached to the lower limbs are further provided. Each of the electrode units 172A, 172B, 173A, 173B is provided with one electrode H1, H2, F1, and F2, respectively, and the electrodes H1, H2, F1, and F2 are all terminal-switched. Connected to the unit 22.

  The electrodes H1 and H2 provided on the electrode units 172A and 172A attached to the upper limb are attached to any part of the upper limb corresponding to the part away from the abdomen 201 of the subject, preferably the right hand A pair is attached to the surface of the wrist 202A and the surface of the wrist 202B of the left hand. The electrodes F1 and F2 provided on the electrode units 173A and 173B attached to the lower limb are attached to any part of the lower limb corresponding to the part away from the abdomen 201 of the subject, and preferably the right foot A pair is attached to the surface of the ankle 203A and the surface of the left ankle 203B.

  Here, in body composition information measuring apparatus 1B in the present embodiment, these electrodes H1, H2, F1, and F2 disposed in contact with the upper and lower limbs are used as constant current application electrodes. Specifically, in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A in the first embodiment described above, the electrode 121 provided in the electrode unit 100A set in the abdomen 201 is sequentially switched and selected as the constant current application electrode. However, in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment, in addition to the electrodes 121, the electrodes H1, H2, F1, and F2 are also switched and selected in order as constant current application electrodes. Yes. At that time, by selecting and switching the electrode 121 provided in the electrode unit 100A as a potential detection electrode, it is possible to acquire potential information in various current application states.

  By configuring in this way, it is possible to obtain not only the effect described in the first embodiment but also the further effect that the body composition information can be acquired with higher accuracy and precision.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the body composition information measuring apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected in the figure about the part similar to 1 A of body composition information measuring apparatuses in above-mentioned Embodiment 1, and the description is not repeated here.

  In the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention described above, two constant current applying electrodes are selected from the plurality of electrodes 121 provided in the electrode unit 100A attached to the abdomen 201, and the remaining electrodes 121 are selected. In this configuration, potential information is acquired by selecting one potential detection electrode from the body, and body composition information is directly calculated based on the potential information. The body composition information measuring apparatus 1C in the present embodiment does not directly calculate the body composition information in this way, but once acquires the three-dimensional conductivity distribution information in the abdomen 201, and then the three-dimensional conductivity distribution. The body composition information is acquired based on the information.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the body composition information measuring device 1 </ b> C includes a control unit 10, a constant current generation unit 21, a terminal switching unit 22, a potential difference detection unit 30, a movement amount detection unit 24, and a display unit 26. The operation unit 27, the power supply unit 28, the memory unit 29, and the electrode unit 100A are mainly provided. The control unit 10 includes an arithmetic processing unit 11, and the arithmetic processing unit 11 includes an impedance information acquisition unit 15, a body shape information acquisition unit 13, a conductivity distribution information acquisition unit 16, and a body composition information acquisition unit 14. have. The body composition information measuring device 1C is not particularly provided with a subject information input unit.

  The control unit 10 is constituted by, for example, a CPU and performs overall control of the body composition information measuring apparatus 1C. Specifically, the control unit 10 sends commands to the various functional blocks described above and performs various arithmetic processes based on the obtained information. Among these, various arithmetic processes are performed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 provided in the control unit 10 described above.

  The electrode unit 100A is provided with a plurality of movable electrodes, similarly to the body composition information measuring apparatus 1A in the first embodiment described above. In body composition information measuring apparatus 1C according to the present embodiment, constant current is obtained from a plurality of electrodes 121 provided in electrode unit 100A attached to abdomen 201 in order to obtain three-dimensional conductivity distribution information in abdomen 201. Two application electrodes are selected, two potential difference detection electrodes are selected from the remaining electrodes 121, impedance information is acquired, and conductivity distribution information is acquired based on the impedance information. Therefore, in FIG. 10, only the four electrodes A1 to A4 selected by the terminal switching unit 22 are shown as representatives.

  The terminal switching unit 22 is configured by, for example, a relay circuit, and electrically connects the specific electrode selected from the plurality of electrodes described above and the constant current generation unit 21 based on a command input from the control unit 10. At the same time, the specific electrode selected from the plurality of electrodes described above and the potential difference detection unit 30 are electrically connected. Thereby, the electrode electrically connected to the constant current generating unit 21 by the terminal switching unit 22 functions as a constant current application electrode, and is electrically connected to the potential difference detecting unit 30 by the terminal switching unit 22. The electrode functions as a potential difference detection electrode. The electrical connection by the terminal switching unit 22 is variously switched during the measurement operation.

  The constant current generation unit 21 generates a constant current based on a command input from the control unit 10 and supplies the generated constant current to the above-described constant current application electrode via the terminal switching unit 22. As the constant current generated in the constant current generator 21, a high-frequency current (for example, 50 kHz, 500 μA) that is preferably used for measuring body composition information is selected. Accordingly, a constant current is applied to the abdomen of the subject that is the measurement site via the constant current application electrode.

  The potential difference detection unit 30 detects a potential difference between electrodes (that is, potential difference detection electrodes) electrically connected to the potential difference detection unit 30 by the terminal switching unit 22, and sends a signal based on the detected potential difference to the control unit 10. Output. Thereby, the potential difference between the potential difference detection electrodes in a state where the above-described constant current is applied to the subject is detected.

  The movement amount detection unit 24 detects the movement amount from the position of the initial state of each electrode in a state where the plurality of electrodes described above are arranged in contact with the abdomen of the subject. Here, the initial state is a state in which a plurality of movable electrodes are not moved at all, and the position in the initial state corresponds to a reference position for detecting the movement amount. The movement amount detection unit 24 outputs a signal based on the detected movement amount to the control unit 10.

  As described above, the arithmetic processing unit 11 includes the impedance information acquisition unit 15, the body shape information acquisition unit 13, the conductivity distribution information acquisition unit 16, and the body composition information acquisition unit 14. The body composition information acquisition unit 14 includes a visceral fat mass calculation unit 14a and a subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit 14b. The impedance information acquisition unit 15 acquires impedance information in each part of the measurement site based on the signal input from the potential difference detection unit 30, and outputs this to the conductivity distribution information acquisition unit 16. The body shape information acquisition unit 13 acquires the external shape information of the measurement site based on the signal input from the movement amount detection unit 24, and outputs this to the conductivity distribution information acquisition unit 16. The conductivity distribution information acquisition unit 16 is a three-dimensional image in the abdomen 201 based on the impedance information in each part of the measurement site input from the impedance information acquisition unit 15 and the external shape information of the measurement site input from the body shape information acquisition unit 13. The electrical conductivity distribution information is acquired and output to the body composition information acquisition unit 14. The body composition information acquisition unit 14 calculates and acquires body composition information based on the three-dimensional conductivity distribution information in the abdomen 201 input from the conductivity distribution information acquisition unit 16. More specifically, the visceral fat mass calculation unit 14a calculates the visceral fat mass based on the above information, and the subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit 14b calculates the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen.

  The display unit 26 is configured by, for example, an LCD, and displays the body composition information calculated by the body composition information acquisition unit 14 and the conductivity distribution information acquired by the conductivity distribution information acquisition unit 16 as numerical values, graphs, or images. To do.

  The operation unit 27 is a part for the subject to input a command to the body composition information measuring apparatus 1C, and is configured by, for example, a key that can be pressed by the subject.

  The power supply unit 28 is a part for supplying power to the control unit 10, and includes an internal power supply such as a battery, an external power supply such as a commercial power supply, and the like.

  The memory unit 29 is a part for storing various data and programs related to the body composition information measuring apparatus 1C, and executes, for example, measurement processing of calculated body composition information, conductivity distribution information, and body composition information described later. A body composition information measurement program and the like are stored.

  11 to 14 are schematic diagrams for explaining the principle of measuring body composition information in the body composition information measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment. Next, with reference to these FIG. 11 thru | or FIG. 14, the measurement principle of the body composition information in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1C in this Embodiment is demonstrated.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a cross section of the abdomen. As shown in FIG. 11, when a constant current is applied to the abdomen 201 by a pair of constant current application electrodes 121A and 121B arranged in contact with the surface of the abdomen 201, an electric field is generated in the abdomen 201 by the applied constant current. To do. Of the equipotential surface in the abdomen 201 generated by the applied constant current, the potential difference measured by the potential difference detection electrodes 121C and 121D is determined by the conductivity distribution of the region R sandwiched between the potential difference detection electrodes 121C and 121D. Is done. The potential difference measured at this time reflects the average value of the conductivity of the region R. Accordingly, since the bioelectrical impedance value in the region R can be acquired from the applied constant current and the measured potential difference, and the reciprocal thereof is calculated as the conductivity in the region R, various constant current application electrodes and potential difference detection electrodes can be used. By measuring the potential difference by switching, the average conductivity distribution in various regions of the abdomen 201 is acquired, and by analyzing this in association with the external shape information of the abdomen 201, the overall conductivity distribution of the abdomen 201 Information can be acquired.

  Here, the body composition information measuring apparatus 1C according to the present embodiment is configured such that a plurality of electrodes are arranged in contact with the surface of the abdomen 201 along the body axis direction and the circumferential direction. . Accordingly, the electrodes arranged in contact with the surface of the abdomen 201 in a matrix form are switched over the rows or columns to select the constant current application electrode and the potential difference detection electrode to obtain potential difference information, thereby obtaining the three-dimensionality in the abdomen 201. It is possible to acquire accurate conductivity distribution information. As a selection method for selecting the constant current application electrode and the potential difference detection electrode beyond the row or column, the selection method according to the selection method described with reference to FIG. 6 in the first embodiment is adopted. The

  12 (A) to 12 (D) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the above-described electrode switching, and schematically show equipotential surfaces generated in the abdomen when various constant current application electrodes are switched. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 12A to 12D, when various constant current application electrodes 121A and 121B are selected from among the electrodes placed in contact with the surface of the abdomen 201, different electric fields are generated in the abdomen 201. Formed. The equipotential surface formed at that time also changes depending on the selection method of the constant current application electrode. The portion where the interval between the curves indicating the equipotential surface is close is a portion where the current density is larger than the surroundings, and the bioimpedance is measured mainly using the electrode arranged in this portion as the potential difference detection electrode. Thereby, the three-dimensional bioelectrical impedance can be measured, and the three-dimensional conductivity distribution information of the abdomen 201 can be obtained.

  FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are diagrams for explaining a calculation process for acquiring body composition information from the obtained three-dimensional conductivity distribution information. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the abdomen, and FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a visceral fat probability along a coordinate r shown in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 13, a region determined to have a value close to the conductivity of fat is extracted as a fat region F by appropriately setting a threshold based on the acquired three-dimensional conductivity distribution information. Of the extracted fat region F, a region relatively close to the body center O is likely to be a region occupied by visceral fat, and a region close to the body surface S may be a region occupied by subcutaneous fat. high. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the visceral fat probability normalized by setting the distance between the body center O and the body surface S to 1 is statistically estimated in advance, and the extracted fat region F is determined as the visceral fat probability. The expected value of the visceral fat mass can be obtained by using the weight and integrating. By estimating this as the visceral fat mass, the visceral fat mass can be calculated. Note that the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen can be calculated by subtracting the visceral fat mass calculated from the total fat mass in the abdomen.

  By calculating the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen based on the measurement principle of the body composition information described above, it becomes possible to acquire the body composition information with very high accuracy. This is because visceral fat and subcutaneous fat are distributed three-dimensionally, and if this is estimated in a two-dimensional manner, the error becomes very large. This is because if the estimation is performed, the error can be largely eliminated.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of the body composition information measurement process performed in the body composition information measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment. Next, with reference to FIG. 15, the flow of the body composition information measurement process of the body composition information measuring device in the present embodiment will be described. The detailed description of the flow described in the first embodiment and the approximate flow is omitted. The body composition information measurement process shown in FIG. 15 is stored in advance in the memory unit 29 as a program, and is performed by the control unit 10 including the arithmetic processing unit 11 reading and executing the program. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 10 first determines whether or not there is an instruction to start measurement (step S201). Control unit 10 waits for an instruction to start measurement (NO in step S201). When the control unit 10 detects an instruction to start measurement (YES in step S201), the control unit 10 detects the amount of movement of each electrode 121 from the reference position (step S202), and acquires abdominal outline information (step S203). .

  Next, the control unit 10 sets a constant current application electrode (step S204), and the constant current generation unit 21 performs constant current between the two selected constant current application electrodes based on the control of the control unit 10. Is applied (step S205). As a result, a constant current flows through the abdomen 201 of the subject 200.

  Next, the control unit 10 sets a potential difference detection electrode (step S206). Specifically, the control unit 10 includes two electrodes out of the plurality of electrodes 121 provided in a matrix on the support 110, excluding the two electrodes selected as constant current application electrodes in step S204. The terminal switching unit 22 electrically connects the two selected electrodes to the potential difference detection unit 30 based on the control of the control unit 10.

  In this state, the potential difference detection unit 30 detects a potential difference between the potential difference detection electrodes over a predetermined period based on the control of the control unit 10 (step S207). Based on the detected potential difference, the impedance information acquisition unit 15 calculates a bioimpedance value, and the calculated bioimpedance value is associated with the selected electrode and temporarily stored in the memory unit 29.

  Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not all of the predetermined potential difference detection electrodes have been set (step S208). If the control unit 10 determines that all the potential difference detection electrodes have not been set (NO in step S208), the control unit 10 proceeds to the process in step S206 described above, and sets the unset potential difference detection electrodes. Make a selection. When the control unit 10 determines that all the potential difference detection electrodes have been set (YES in step S208), the control unit 10 proceeds to processing in step S209 described later.

  If it is determined in step S208 that the setting of all the predetermined potential difference detection electrodes has been completed, then the control unit 10 determines whether the setting of all the predetermined combinations of current application electrodes has been completed. (Step S209). When the control unit 10 determines that the setting of all predetermined combinations of current application electrodes has not been completed (NO in step S209), the control unit 10 proceeds to the process of step S204 described above, and the unset current application Select the electrode combination. When it is determined that the setting of all predetermined current application electrodes has been completed (YES in step S209), control unit 10 proceeds to the process of step S210 described later.

  In this manner, the control unit 10 selects two electrodes as the constant current application electrodes in order among the electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes provided in a matrix on the support 110, and the constant current application electrodes. In this combination, potential difference detection electrodes are sequentially selected. Thereby, potential difference detection is performed for various combinations of constant current application electrodes and potential difference detection electrodes, based on which bioimpedance values are calculated, and the results are associated with combinations of constant current application electrodes and potential difference detection electrodes. It will be recorded.

  If it is determined in step S209 that the setting of all predetermined constant current application electrodes has been completed, then the control unit 10 calculates the visceral fat amount (step S210), and in addition, subcutaneous fat in the abdomen The amount is calculated (step S211). Specifically, the control unit 10 reads out impedance information and abdominal shape information temporarily stored in the memory unit 29, and the visceral fat mass calculation unit 14a and the subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit 14b are based on the information. The visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass are calculated by performing the above calculation processing.

  Next, the control unit 10 issues a command to display the measurement result on the display unit 26, and the display unit 26 displays each measurement result based on the control of the control unit 10 (step S212). At that time, not only the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen are displayed as numerical values, but also the conductivity distribution in the abdomen may be displayed as an image. As described above, the measurement of the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen are completed by the body composition information measuring apparatus 1C in the present embodiment.

  As described above, in the body composition information measuring apparatus 1C according to the present embodiment, the electrodes 121 provided in a matrix on the electrode unit 100A are arranged in the body axis direction and the circumference so as to surround the abdomen 201 at the time of measurement. Since the electrodes are arranged in a matrix in the direction, the plurality of electrodes 121 are arranged in contact with the abdomen 201 at a time. Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, the constant current application electrode and the potential difference detection electrode can be selected by switching variously across the rows or columns, and the conductivity distribution information can be obtained without changing the electrode contact position during the measurement operation. It is possible to quickly acquire true three-dimensional body composition information that is not simply body composition information as a collection of two-dimensional body composition information. Therefore, it becomes possible to measure important indexes such as visceral fat mass and subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen more easily and accurately.

  16 and 17 are schematic cross-sectional views showing modifications of the electrode unit set on the abdomen used in the body composition information measuring device in the above-described first to third embodiments, and FIG. 16 shows the electrode unit. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line XVII-XVII shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the electrode unit shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 is set on the abdomen. Next, with reference to these FIG. 16 thru | or FIG. 18, an example of the modification of the electrode unit of the body composition information measuring apparatus in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 thru | or 3 is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, an electrode unit 100 </ b> B according to this modification includes an annular support body 110 formed so as to surround the entire circumference of the abdomen 201 of the subject, and a movable type provided on the support body 110. The plurality of electrode bodies 120 are mainly provided. The plurality of electrode bodies 120 are arranged in a matrix along the peripheral wall of the support 110. The configuration of the electrode body 120 is the same as that in the first embodiment. The support 110 has a substantially cylindrical storage space 115 defined by the support, and the abdomen 201 of the subject is stored in the storage space 115 at the time of measurement. As a result, at the time of measurement, the subject's abdomen front surface, abdomen back surface, and flank are all covered with the support 110. The electrode unit 100B is disposed so that the axial direction of the support 110 matches the vertical direction, and is attached to a subject in a standing posture.

  Similarly to the case of the first embodiment, the electrode body 120 is supported by a support mechanism (not shown) so as to be movable, and is configured to be movable in the axial direction of the movable shaft portion 122. Further, as shown in FIG. 18, in a state where the electrode unit 100B is mounted on the subject's abdomen 201, the electrode body 120 is individually pressed toward the subject's abdomen 201 by a pressing mechanism (not shown) with a predetermined pressing force. It will be pressed.

  When the electrode unit 100B according to this modification described above is used, the electrode 121 can be placed in contact over the entire circumference of the abdomen 201 of the subject, so that body composition information can be obtained more precisely and with high accuracy. Will be able to.

  In the above-described first to third embodiments and the modifications thereof, body composition information measurement is adopted in which the abdomen of the subject is adopted as the measurement site and the visceral fat mass and the subcutaneous fat mass in the abdomen are adopted as the body composition information to be measured. Although the apparatus has been described as an example, the measurement site and body composition information to be measured are not limited to these. For example, the present invention can be applied to various body composition information measuring devices such as a body composition information measuring device in which the measurement site is the upper limb or the lower limb and the body composition information to be measured is lean mass.

  Further, the characteristic configurations shown in the above-described first to third embodiments and the modifications thereof can naturally be combined with each other. For example, the electrode unit attached to the upper limb or the lower limb shown in the above-described second embodiment can be applied to the body composition information measuring device in the above-described third embodiment.

  As described above, the above-described embodiment and its modifications disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a figure which shows the functional block of the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and is a figure which shows the state which set the electrode unit to the test subject's abdomen. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which has not set the electrode unit shown in FIG. 2 to a test subject's abdomen. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which set the electrode unit shown in FIG. 2 to a test subject's abdomen. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the measurement process of the body composition information performed in the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the example of the combination of the constant current application electrode and electric potential detection electrode in the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of a display of the measurement result of the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention, and is a figure which shows the state which set the electrode unit to the test subject's abdomen and upper and lower limbs. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the measurement principle of the body composition information in the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the measurement principle of the body composition information in the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the measurement principle of the body composition information in the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the measurement principle of the body composition information in the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the measurement process of the body composition information performed in the body composition information measuring apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a model cross-sectional view of the electrode unit which concerns on a modification. It is a model longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electrode unit which concerns on the modification shown in FIG. It is a schematic cross section which shows the state which set the electrode unit which concerns on the modification shown in FIG. 16 to a test subject's abdomen.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A-1C Body composition information measuring device, 10 control part, 11 arithmetic processing part, 12 Potential information acquisition part, 13 Body shape information acquisition part, 14 Body composition information acquisition part, 14a Visceral fat mass calculation part, 14b Subcutaneous fat mass calculation part , 15 Impedance information acquisition unit, 16 Conductivity distribution information acquisition unit, 21 Constant current generation unit, 22 Terminal switching unit, 23 Potential detection unit, 24 Movement amount detection unit, 25 Subject information input unit, 26 Display unit, 27 Operation unit , 28 power supply unit, 29 memory unit, 30 potential difference detection unit, 100A, 100B electrode unit, 110 support, 111, 112 side wall, 113 top plate, 115 housing space, 120 electrode body, 121 electrode, 121A, 121B constant Current application electrode, 121C, 121D Potential difference detection electrode, 122 Movable shaft, 160 Device body, 172A, 172B 173A, 173B electrode unit, 180 connection cable, 200 subjects, 201 abdomen, 202A, 202B wrist, 203A, 203B ankle, 300 mounting surface, A1-A4 electrodes, EGL, EGR, EGU electrode group, F1, F2, H1, H2 electrode, F fat region, O body center, R region, S body surface.

Claims (6)

A support disposed so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site;
A plurality of movable electrodes provided on the support in a matrix so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site around the body axis of the measurement site;
A pressing mechanism for pressing each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix toward the measurement site;
A body shape information acquisition unit that detects the amount of movement of each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix and acquires the external shape information of the measurement site based on the detected amount of movement information;
A current is applied to the measurement site by passing a current between two electrodes sequentially selected from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and the remaining electrodes in a state where the current is applied to the measurement site A potential information acquisition unit that detects the potential of one electrode sequentially selected from among them and acquires potential information;
The potential information acquisition unit detects potential of one electrode located in a row or column different from any of the row or column in which each of the two electrodes through which current flows is at least to acquire potential information; further,
A body composition information acquisition unit that acquires body composition information based on external shape information of the measurement site acquired by the body shape information acquisition unit and potential information in each part of the measurement site acquired by the potential information acquisition unit; Body composition information measuring device. It further includes a pair of electrodes that are brought into contact with a part other than the part to be measured that sandwiches the part to be measured,
The potential information acquisition unit is one electrode sequentially selected from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix in a state in which a current is applied to the measurement site by flowing a current between the pair of electrodes. The body composition information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the potential information is acquired by detecting the potential of the body composition. A support disposed so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site;
A plurality of movable electrodes provided on the support in a matrix so as to surround at least a part of the measurement site around the body axis of the measurement site;
A pressing mechanism for pressing each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix toward the measurement site;
A body shape information acquisition unit that detects the amount of movement of each of the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix and acquires the external shape information of the measurement site based on the detected amount of movement information;
A current is applied to the measurement site by passing a current between two electrodes sequentially selected from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and the remaining electrodes in a state where the current is applied to the measurement site An impedance information acquisition unit that detects a potential of one electrode sequentially selected from among them or a potential difference between two electrodes, and acquires impedance information in each part of the measurement site based on the detected potential or potential difference information;
The impedance information acquisition unit includes at least the potential of one electrode located in a row or column different from any of the row or column in which each of the two electrodes to which current is passed, or the two electrodes to which current is passed. Detecting any of a potential difference between two electrodes including at least an electrode located in a row or column different from any of the row or column in which each is located, and obtaining impedance information at each part of the measurement site; and
The three-dimensional conductivity distribution information of the measurement site is acquired based on the external shape information of the measurement site acquired by the body shape information acquisition unit and the impedance information in each part of the measurement site acquired by the impedance information acquisition unit. A conductivity distribution information acquisition unit;
A body composition information measurement device comprising: a body composition information acquisition unit that acquires body composition information based on the three-dimensional conductivity distribution information of the measurement site acquired by the conductivity distribution information acquisition unit. It further includes a pair of electrodes that are brought into contact with a part other than the part to be measured that sandwiches the part to be measured,
The impedance information acquisition unit is one electrode sequentially selected from the plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix in a state where a current is applied to the measurement site by flowing a current between the pair of electrodes. The body composition information measuring device according to claim 3, wherein impedance information at each part of the measurement site is acquired based on the detected potential or potential difference information.   The body composition information measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the body composition information acquisition unit includes a visceral fat amount calculation unit that calculates a visceral fat amount based on the body composition information.   The body composition information measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the body composition information acquisition unit includes a subcutaneous fat mass calculation unit that calculates a subcutaneous fat mass based on the body composition information.

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