JP2019164012A - Fluid measuring device, fluid measuring method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fluid measuring device, a fluid measuring method, and a program that are highly convenient.SOLUTION: A fluid measuring device comprises: a supply unit; a first light receiving and emitting unit; and a calculation unit. The supply unit supplies a scattering material to a channel through which a first fluid flows. The first light receiving and emitting unit includes a first light emitting unit and a first light receiving unit. The first light emitting unit radiates light. The first light receiving unit receives, of first radiated light radiated from the first light emitting unit toward the channel, first scattered light scattered by the scattering material. The calculation unit calculates a first flow state of the first fluid on the basis of the first scattered light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a fluid measurement device, a fluid measurement method, and a program.

  In recent years, research has been conducted on fluid measuring devices that determine the speed or flow rate of fluid flowing through a flow path. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fluid evaluation apparatus that obtains at least one of a flow rate and a flow velocity of a fluid flowing inside a tube or a living body, for example.

JP 2017-113320 A

  If the fluid flow state can be measured under various conditions, the convenience of the fluid measuring device can be enhanced.

  The present disclosure relates to provision of a highly convenient fluid measurement device, fluid measurement method, and program.

A fluid measurement device according to an embodiment includes a supply unit, a first light emitting / receiving unit, and a calculation unit.
The supply unit supplies the scattering material to the flow path through which the first fluid flows.
The first light emitting / receiving unit includes a first light emitting unit and a first light receiving unit.
The first light emitting unit emits light.
The first light receiving unit receives the first scattered light scattered by the scattering material among the first irradiation light irradiated from the first light emitting unit toward the flow path.
The calculation unit calculates a first flow state of the first fluid based on the first scattered light.

The fluid measurement method according to one embodiment includes the following steps (1) to (4).
(1) A step of supplying a scattering material to the flow path of the first fluid (2) A step of irradiating light (3) Of the light irradiated toward the flow path, the scattered light scattered by the scattering material (4) calculating the first flow state of the first fluid based on the scattered light

  A program according to an embodiment causes a computer to execute the above steps (1) to (4).

  According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a highly convenient fluid measurement device, fluid measurement method, and program.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of schematic structure of the fluid measuring apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the detection of the scattered light in the fluid measurement which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the fluid measurement which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of the fluid measurement which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of the fluid measurement which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of the fluid measurement which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the detection of the scattered light in the fluid measurement which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the detection of the scattered light in the fluid measurement which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the detection of the scattered light in the fluid measurement which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of the fluid measurement which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of the fluid measurement which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the fluid measurement device according to the present disclosure measures the flow state of the fluid. The fluid flow state may be, for example, at least one of a fluid flow rate and a flow rate. Typically, the fluid measured by the fluid measuring device according to the present disclosure may be a substance mainly including a liquid. The fluid measured by the fluid measuring device according to the present disclosure may partially include at least one of a solid and a gas. In addition, the fluid measured by the fluid measuring device according to the present disclosure may be at least partially translucent, such as a transparent liquid.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a fluid measurement device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a calculation unit 16, a first light emitting / receiving unit 60 </ b> A (first sensor unit 60 </ b> A), and a supply unit 80. The In the fluid measurement device 1, the first sensor unit 60 </ b> A performs detection related to the fluid A flowing through the flow path 70. The supply unit 80 supplies a part of the fluid A to the flow path 70. The supply unit 80 will be further described later. And the calculation part 16 calculates the flow state of the fluid A which flows through the flow path 70 based on the result detected by 60 A of 1st sensor parts. The calculation unit 16 and the supply unit 80 will be further described later.

  In FIG. 1, a power supply that supplies power supplied to each functional unit, a configuration in which power is supplied from the power source to each functional unit, and the like are not illustrated. Further, as will be described later, the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment may be configured by appropriately including or omitting each functional unit as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the first sensor unit 60 </ b> A is positioned with respect to the flow path 70 so that light can be emitted toward the fluid A flowing through the flow path 70 and the flow state of the fluid A can be calculated. . As shown in FIG. 1, the first sensor unit 60A includes a first light emitting unit 62A and a first light receiving unit 64A. That is, the first sensor unit 60A may function as a light emitting / receiving unit that performs at least one of light emission and light reception such as laser light.

  The first light emitting unit 62A is configured by, for example, an arbitrary number of LDs (Laser Diodes). As shown in FIG. 1, the first light emitting unit 62 </ b> A irradiates light toward the flow path 70. The first light emitting unit 62A irradiates light such as laser light. For example, the first light emitting unit 62A may irradiate, as measurement light, laser light having a wavelength capable of detecting a component such as a predetermined liquid or solid contained in the fluid A.

  The first light emitting unit 62A is driven by the driving unit 50. The drive unit 50 may be configured by an arbitrary laser drive circuit or the like. The drive unit 50 may be built in the fluid measurement device 1 or provided outside the fluid measurement device 1. The drive unit 50 may be built in the first sensor unit 60A or may be provided outside the first sensor unit 60A.

  For example, the first light receiving unit 64A is configured by an arbitrary number of PDs (photodiodes). As shown in FIG. 1, the first light receiving unit 64 </ b> A can receive at least a part of the light emitted from the first light emitting unit 62 </ b> A. In addition, the first light receiving unit 64A can receive light scattered by the fluid A in the flow channel 70 among the light emitted from the first light emitting unit 62A toward the flow channel 70. That is, the first light receiving unit 64A can receive the scattered light from the fluid A of the measurement light as detection information. In addition, the first light receiving unit 64A can receive the light reflected by the flow channel 70 from the light emitted from the first light emitting unit 62A toward the flow channel 70. That is, the first light receiving unit 64A can receive the reflected light from the measurement light channel 70 as detection information.

  A signal related to the intensity of the light received by the first light receiving unit 64A is transmitted to the spectrum generating unit 12. The spectrum generation unit 12 will be described later. When the signal related to the intensity of the light received by the first light receiving unit 64A is transmitted to the spectrum generating unit 12 for processing, various amplifiers and / or filters may be used, but these are not shown. is there.

  At least a part of the fluid A flowing through the flow path 70 has translucency, and can be various liquids such as blood, milk, ink, and oil, for example. The fluid A is not limited to a colored one, and may be a colorless and transparent liquid such as water. The fluid A is not limited to various liquids, and may partially include at least one of solid and gas, and may include fine particles that optically scatter light emitted from the first light emitting unit 62A. Good. If fine particles that optically cause scattering are contained in the fluid A as a component, the medium of the fluid A may be a fluid that cannot sufficiently obtain scattered light.

  The flow path 70 through which the fluid A flows may be a tube-shaped member made of various materials. Further, the flow path 70 may be configured so that the fluid A does not leak out so that the flow state of the fluid A is appropriately measured. For example, the flow path 70 may be a tube made of plastic, vinyl chloride, glass, or the like. The flow path 70 may be a tissue that forms a flow path through which a body fluid such as a human body or an animal flows. The flow path 70 may be made of a material that transmits at least part of the light emitted by the first light emitting unit 62A.

  In FIG. 1, a state in which the fluid A flowing through the flow path 70 includes particles or fine particles is schematically illustrated. FIG. 1 also schematically shows how particles or fine particles contained in fluid A move as fluid A flows.

  In the first sensor unit 60A, the first light emitting unit 62A and / or the first light receiving unit 64A are respectively positioned with respect to the flow path 70 so that the flow state of the fluid A flowing through the flow path 70 can be appropriately measured. . Specifically, the first light emitting unit 62A is positioned so that the fluid A flowing through the flow path 70 is appropriately irradiated with light such as laser light. In addition, the first light receiving unit 64A appropriately receives light scattered by at least one of the flow path 70 and the fluid A among the light such as the laser light emitted from the first light emitting unit 62A. Positioned.

  In FIG. 1, the first sensor unit 60A includes both a first light emitting unit 62A and a first light receiving unit 64A. However, the first sensor unit 60A according to the present embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. For example, the first sensor unit 60A does not include both the first light emitting unit 62A and the first light receiving unit 64A in a single package, and the first light emitting unit 62A and the first light receiving unit 64A are configured separately. May be.

  The supply unit 80 supplies the second fluid F2 to the flow path 70. In the flow path 70, the fluid A includes a first fluid F1 and a second fluid F2, as will be described later. The flow path 70 is supplied with a first fluid F1, which is a target for calculating a flow state. And the supply part 80 supplies the 2nd fluid F2 to the flow path 70 of the 1st fluid F1. The supply of the second fluid F2 by the supply unit 80 will be further described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid measurement device 1 may include a spectrum generation unit 12 in addition to the calculation unit 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid measuring device 1 may be configured to include at least one of a storage unit 20, a communication unit 30, a display unit 40, and a drive unit 50 as appropriate.

  Each of the spectrum generation unit 12 and the calculation unit 16 may include at least one processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) in order to provide control and processing capability for executing various functions. The spectrum generation unit 12 and the calculation unit 16 may be realized collectively by one processor, may be realized by several processors, or may be realized by individual processors. The processor may be implemented as a single integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is also referred to as an IC (Integrated Circuit). The processor may be implemented as a plurality of communicably connected integrated circuits and discrete circuits. The processor may be implemented based on various other known techniques. In the present embodiment, the spectrum generation unit 12 and the calculation unit 16 may be configured as a CPU and a program executed by the CPU, for example.

  The spectrum generation unit 12 generates a frequency spectrum according to the present embodiment. The generation of the frequency spectrum by the spectrum generator 12 will be further described later. The calculation unit 16 calculates the flow state of the fluid A based on the frequency spectrum. The calculation of the flow state of the fluid A by the calculation unit 16 will be further described later.

  The storage unit 20 may be configured with a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or the like. The storage unit 20 stores various information, programs to be executed, and the like. The storage unit 20 may function as a work memory such as the calculation unit 16. In this embodiment, the memory | storage part 20 may memorize | store various information used in order to calculate the flow state of the fluid A from the frequency spectrum which the spectrum production | generation part 12 produced | generated. The storage unit 20 may store the above-described various types of information in advance, or may acquire and store the information by communication or the like from the outside. Moreover, the memory | storage part 20 may memorize | store the above-mentioned various information as various memory cards. Further, the storage unit 20 may be included in, for example, the spectrum generation unit 12 and / or the calculation unit 16.

  The communication unit 30 can realize various functions including wireless communication. The communication unit 30 may realize communication by various communication methods such as LTE (Long Term Evolution). The communication unit 30 may include, for example, a modem whose communication method is standardized in ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector). The communication unit 30 may wirelessly communicate with an external device such as an external server or a cloud server via a network, for example, via an antenna. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 30 may receive the various types of information described above from an external database such as an external server or a cloud server. Various information received by the communication unit 30 in this way may be stored in the storage unit 20.

  The display unit 40 notifies the user of information such as the flow state of the fluid A by displaying the measurement result of the flow state of the fluid A and the like. The display unit 40 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL display, or an inorganic EL display. The display unit 40 may display images such as characters, figures, symbols, or graphs. The display unit 40 may display an image such as an operation object. For example, when the measurement of the flow state of the fluid A by the fluid measuring device 1 is completed, the display unit 40 may display information such as the measurement result (for example, the flow rate of the fluid A).

  Moreover, the display part 40 is not necessarily limited to what gives a visual effect to a user. The display unit 40 may adopt any configuration as long as it can inform the user of the flow state of the fluid A. For example, the display unit 40 may be replaced by a speaker or the like that conveys the flow state of the fluid A by voice or the like. Further, such a speaker may be provided in the display unit 40.

  In FIG. 1, the storage unit 20, the communication unit 30, and the display unit 40 may be incorporated in the fluid measurement device 1 or provided outside the fluid measurement device 1. Further, for example, the display unit 40 may be built in the first sensor unit 60A or provided outside the first sensor unit 60A.

  Next, the principle of fluid measurement in the fluid measurement device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining detection of scattered light in fluid measurement according to the present embodiment. The first light emitting unit 62A and the first light receiving unit 64A of the first sensor unit 60A shown in FIG. The flowing flow path 70 is shown enlarged.

  First, a configuration for performing fluid measurement in the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the fluid measurement device 1 calculates the flow state of the fluid that can flow through the flow path 70. Here, the fluid whose flow state is calculated by the fluid measuring device 1 is appropriately referred to as a first fluid F1 (test substance). The first fluid F1 may be supplied to the flow path 70 by an arbitrary mechanism. In the present embodiment, the first fluid F1 may be a transparent liquid having translucency, for example, various test substances such as blood.

  The supply unit 80 supplies a fluid other than the first fluid F1 to the flow path 70. Here, the fluid supplied by the supply unit 80 is appropriately referred to as a second fluid F2 (scattering substance). FIG. 2 shows that the fluid A that can flow through the flow path 70 includes the first fluid F1 (test substance) and the second fluid F2 (scattering substance).

  In the present embodiment, the first light receiving unit 64 is scattered by the second fluid F2 (scattering substance F2) among the light (first irradiation light) irradiated from the first light emitting unit 62 toward the flow path 70. Light (first scattered light) is received. Here, the first scattered light is, for example, scattered scattered at the surface of the second fluid F2, that is, the interface between the first fluid F1 and the second fluid F2, or the interface between the second fluid F2 and the flow path 70, for example. It may be light. Here, the refractive index of the second fluid F2 (scattering substance F2) is the refractive index of the first fluid F1 in order to cause scattering at the interface between the first fluid F1 or the flow path 70 and the second fluid F2. May be different.

  The supply unit 80 may have any mechanism as long as the second fluid F2 can be supplied to the flow path 70. Typically, the supply unit 80 may be configured by a mechanism that sends out the second fluid F2 stored in an arbitrary tank, for example, by various pumps. The supply unit 80 may be able to control the start and stop of the supply of the second fluid F2, the control of the supply amount of the second fluid F2, and the like by the control of the calculation unit 16, for example.

  The second fluid F2 may typically include at least one of a gas and a liquid. On the other hand, the second fluid F2 may be a fluid containing a solid such as a slurry liquid. Therefore, the second fluid F2 may be a fluid containing at least one of gas, liquid, and solid. Here, the second fluid F <b> 2 may be a discontinuous fluid that is intermittently supplied to the flow path 70. The second fluid F2 may include at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. Further, when the fluid A is a liquid, the second fluid F2 may be a liquid separable from the first fluid F1, and for example, when the first fluid is water, the second fluid may be oil. Moreover, the 2nd fluid F2 can employ | adopt the thing of arbitrary shapes, For example, as shown in FIG. 2, it is good also as a granular material.

  In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the second fluid F2 may be arbitrarily determined. Typically, it may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the flow path 70, for example. Here, the cross-sectional area of the flow path 70 may be the area of the cut surface when the flow path 70 is cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the fluid flows. In FIG. A cross-sectional area obtained by cutting the path 70 may be used. That is, in the present embodiment, the diameter of the second fluid F2 may be smaller than the diameter of the flow path 70. Of the cross-sectional area of the scattering material F2, the maximum value of the cross-sectional area in the direction orthogonal to the direction along the flow path 70 is the direction orthogonal to the direction along the flow path 70 in the cross-sectional area of the flow path 70. The cross sectional area may be smaller than the minimum value. Furthermore, the smaller the maximum value of the cross-sectional area of the second fluid F2 is, that is, the smaller the volume of the second fluid F2 is, the smaller the volume of the second fluid F2 is, The number of second fluids F2 present in the can be increased. According to this, since the total area of the interface of the 2nd fluid F2 which scatters 1st irradiation light can be increased, the light reception amount of the 1st scattered light which the 1st light-receiving part 64 light-receives increases. That is, it is possible to further improve the usefulness of supplying the second fluid F2 and performing the measurement. Further, the size of the second fluid F2 may be determined based on whether or not the light irradiated to the second fluid F2 is superior to scattered light instead of transmitted light. Therefore, the second fluid F2 may be supplied as a minute fluid such as a microbubble. FIG. 2 schematically shows a state in which the first fluid F1 is entirely filled in the flow path 70 and the granular second fluid F2 is mixed. Moreover, in FIG. 2, only some of the granular second fluid F2 are shown for convenience of explanation.

  As described above, the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment supplies the scattering material F2, so that even if the first fluid F1 is a transparent liquid with little backscattering such as water, the first light emitting unit Since the light emitted from 62A is scattered by the scattering material F2, the first light receiving unit 64A can obtain a sufficient intensity of scattered light. Thereby, even when a test substance with little backscattering is used as a measurement target, the flow state of the first fluid F1 can be calculated. Therefore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the convenience of the fluid measurement device can be enhanced.

  Next, detection of scattered light in the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the fluid A flows in the right direction at a velocity V. The fluid A includes a second fluid F2 that optically scatters the light emitted from the first light emitting unit 62A, and the second fluid F2 is shown as a granular material. Thus, when the fluid A includes the first fluid F1 and the second fluid F2, the second fluid F2 also flows along with the flow of the first fluid F1, and the first fluid F1 and the second fluid in the flow path 70. F2 (ie fluid A) flows at a velocity V.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the light irradiated from the first light emitting unit 62 </ b> A toward the flow path 70 (referred to as “first irradiation light” as appropriate) includes incident light Le <b> 1 and incident light Le <b> 2. The incident light Le1 and the incident light Le2 are light having a frequency f0 when irradiated from the first light emitting unit 62A. In FIG. 2, the incident light Le1 having the frequency f0 is indicated as Le1 (f0), and the incident light Le2 having the frequency f0 is indicated as Le2 (f0).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the incident light Le <b> 1 is interface reflected on the surface of the flow path 70. That is, the incident light Le <b> 1 is not scattered in the fluid A but is scattered on the surface of the flow path 70. As shown in FIG. 2, the incident light Le1 is scattered on the surface of the flow path 70 to become scattered light Lr1. The scattered light Lr1 is scattered by the surface of the flow path 70 where the incident light Le1 is stationary. At this time, the frequency f0 of the incident light Le1 does not change. In FIG. 2, the scattered light Lr1 in which the frequency f0 is maintained is indicated as Lr1 (f0).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the incident light Le <b> 2 passes through the surface of the flow path 70 without being interface reflected on the surface of the flow path 70. That is, the incident light Le2 is not scattered on the surface of the flow path 70 but is scattered in the fluid A. As shown in FIG. 2, the incident light Le2 is scattered in the fluid A to become scattered light Lr2 (referred to as “first scattered light” as appropriate). In particular, the scattered light Lr2 is scattered by the second fluid F2 (scattering material F2) contained in the fluid A flowing at the flow velocity V as shown in FIG. The scattered light Lr2 is obtained by scattering the incident light Le2 by the surface of the second fluid F2 (scattering material F2) included in the flowing fluid A. At this time, the scattered light Lr2 scattered by the second fluid F2 undergoes a frequency shift (Doppler shift) due to the Doppler effect depending on the moving speed of the second fluid F2 moving together with the fluid A. For this reason, the frequency f0 of the incident light Le2 slightly changes. In FIG. 2, the scattered light Lr2 in which the frequency f0 is changed by the frequency Δf is indicated as Lr2 (f0 + Δf).

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the first light receiving unit 64A may receive the above-described scattered light Lr1 and scattered light Lr2, as shown in FIG. In particular, in the present embodiment, the first light receiving unit 64A receives the first scattered light scattered by the scattering material F2 out of the first irradiation light irradiated from the first light emitting unit 62A toward the flow path 70. . Then, the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment may measure (calculate) the flow state of the first fluid F1 based on the output from the first light receiving unit 64A that has received the scattered light Lr1 and the scattered light Lr2. . Thus, the “flow state of the first fluid F1 calculated based on the scattered light” is referred to as a first flow state.

  Next, calculation of the first flow state in the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating fluid measurement according to this embodiment.

  FIG. 3 shows an operation for calculating the first flow state. When starting the operation shown in FIG. 3, the first fluid F <b> 1 is assumed to be in a state in which it can flow in the flow path 70 by being supplied to the flow path 70 in advance.

  When the operation shown in FIG. 3 starts, first, the supply unit 80 supplies the second fluid F2 to the flow path 70 (step S1). In step S1, when the second fluid F2 is supplied to the flow path 70, for example, the calculation unit 16 or the like may electronically control the supply unit 80, or the user of the fluid measurement device 1 manually controls the supply unit 80. It may be operated.

  When the second fluid F2 is supplied to the flow path 70 in step S1, the spectrum generation unit 12 acquires a beat signal based on the output from the first light receiving unit 64A (step S2). The beat signal is a beat signal generated by interference between the scattered light Lr1 from the surface of the stationary flow path 70 and the scattered light Lr2 from the second fluid F2 included in the moving fluid A. The intensity of the signal output from the unit 64 is expressed as a function of time.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the beat signal acquired in step S2 of FIG. In FIG. 4, the vertical axis represents signal output intensity, and the horizontal axis represents time. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the signal output from the first light receiving unit 64A is a voltage value, and the unit is indicated by a voltage (V). The beat signal is not limited to a voltage as long as it shows a temporal change in the intensity of the signal output.

  When the beat signal is acquired in step S2, the spectrum generation unit 12 generates a frequency spectrum (hereinafter referred to as a power spectrum) representing the intensity of the signal output at a certain time for each frequency component from the acquired beat signal ( Step S3). For example, the spectrum generation unit 12 generates a power spectrum by performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on a signal output at a certain time of the beat signal acquired in step S2.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power spectrum generated in step S3 of FIG. The vertical axis in FIG. 5 represents the intensity P (f) of the signal output, and the unit is an arbitrary unit. The horizontal axis represents the frequency f, and the unit is hertz (Hz).

  FIG. 5 shows a power spectrum generated from several beat signals obtained by changing the flow velocity of the fluid A, and these are collectively shown. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the power spectrum when the flow rate of the fluid A is 2 mm / s, 4 mm / s, 6 mm / s, 8 mm / s, 10 mm / s, and 14 mm / s is shown collectively. As shown in FIG. 5, the frequency distribution of the power spectrum changes as the flow rate changes. Hereinafter, the power spectrum is also referred to as “power spectrum P (f)” as appropriate.

The calculation unit 16 weights the power spectrum P (f) generated in step S3 as shown in the following formula (1) (step S4).

When the frequency weighting is performed in step S4, the calculation unit 16 calculates the first moment as shown in the following expression (2) by integrating the above expression (1) in an appropriate frequency range (step S4). S5).

When the first moment is calculated in step S5, the calculation unit 16 multiplies the first moment obtained by the above equation (2) by the proportional constant K as shown in the following equation (3). Then, the total power (I squared) of the received light signal, that is, the DC component (DC component) of the signal is normalized (step S6). Thereby, the direct current component of the signal output can be reduced.

  In step S6, the first flow state of the second fluid F2 included in the fluid A is actually calculated. Here, the fluid A including the second fluid F2 includes the first fluid F1. Therefore, by calculating the first flow state of the second fluid F2, it can be regarded as having calculated the first flow state of the first fluid F1.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow rate of the first fluid F1 obtained based on the first moment calculated as described above. As described above, the power spectrum P (f) can be generated every time the beat signal is present, and the first moment can be calculated for each. The calculating unit 16 can further calculate the flow state of the first fluid F1 based on the calculated first moment. FIG. 6 is a diagram in which the flow rate of the first fluid F1 calculated from the power spectrum P (f) every certain time is plotted for each calculated time. FIG. 6 shows, as an example, a temporal change in the flow rate when the first fluid F1 is blood, that is, the blood flow rate. The vertical axis in FIG. 6 represents blood flow rate (blood flow rate), and the horizontal axis represents time. In FIG. 6, the unit of blood flow shown on the vertical axis is an arbitrary unit.

  In FIG. 6, the time change of the blood flow rate (blood flow rate) is shown as an example. However, in the fluid measurement device 1 according to this embodiment, the fluid A ( Information such as the flow rate of the first fluid F1) can also be calculated. As described above, in the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the fluid flow rate and the like can be calculated from the power spectrum P (f) generated from the beat signal.

  As described above, when the first flow state is calculated based on the first moment, for example, the first flow state may be calculated based on the correspondence relationship between the known first moment and the calculated first moment. . That is, for example, a first moment when a predetermined fluid having a flow rate grasped in advance is caused to flow by a pump that can accurately flow a predetermined fluid at a set flow rate is acquired. The fluid flow rate can be calculated by using the primary moment calculated as described above as the fluid flow rate when a known primary moment is acquired.

  As described above, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately and accurately measure a fluid flow state (for example, a flow velocity or a flow rate) under various conditions.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an example in which the fluid measurement device 1 includes a plurality of sensor units 60 will be described as a second embodiment related to the fluid measurement device 1.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 7, descriptions similar to those in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 are simplified or omitted as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment includes another sensor unit that can have the same configuration as the first sensor unit 60 </ b> A described in FIGS. 1 and 2. Since the first sensor unit 60A includes the first light emitting unit 62A and the first light receiving unit 64A as described above, the first sensor unit 60A may function as a light receiving and emitting unit. As shown in FIG. 7, since the second sensor unit 60B also includes the second light emitting unit 62B and the second light receiving unit 64B, it may function as a light receiving and emitting unit. The second light emitting unit 62B and the second light receiving unit 64B can have the same configuration as the first light emitting unit 62A and the first light receiving unit 64A, respectively. However, the second light emitting unit 62B and the second light receiving unit 64B are not limited to the same configurations as the first light emitting unit 62A and the first light receiving unit 64A, respectively, and may be light emitting units and / or light receiving units having different configurations. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the second light emitting unit 60B emits light in the same manner as the first light emitting unit 62A. In addition, the second light receiving unit 64B receives light (second scattered light) scattered by the scattering material F2 among the light (second irradiated light) irradiated from the second light emitting unit 60B toward the flow path 70. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the fluid measurement device 1 according to this embodiment includes a first sensor unit 60 </ b> A on the upstream side of the flow path 70 and a second sensor unit 60 </ b> B on the downstream side of the flow path 70. The first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B are installed apart from each other by a distance D in the flow path 70. In such a configuration, by supplying the second fluid F2 to the flow path 70 of the first fluid F1, the flow state of the first fluid F1 is calculated based on the scattered light scattered by the second fluid F2. Is the same as the example shown in FIGS. That is, also in the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the first flow state can be calculated according to the principle described in FIG. 2 and the flowchart shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the fluid measurement device 1 may further include the second light emitting / receiving unit (second sensor unit 60B) having the second light emitting unit 62B and the second light receiving unit 64B. The first light emitting / receiving unit (first sensor unit 60A) and the second light receiving / emitting unit (second sensor unit 60B) can each calculate the first flow state.

  In the present embodiment, the calculation unit 16 calculates the first first moment based on the first scattered light whose frequency of the first irradiation light (irradiated from the first sensor unit 60A) is Doppler shifted. Good. Here, the first first moment may be a first moment calculated based on the first scattered light (received by the first sensor unit 60A). In this case, the calculation unit 16 may calculate the first flow state based on the calculated first first moment. Further, in the present embodiment, the calculation unit 16 uses the second primary light based on the second scattered light whose frequency is shifted from the frequency of the second irradiation light (irradiated from the second sensor unit 60B) by Doppler shift. A moment may be calculated. Here, the second first moment may be a first moment calculated based on the second scattered light (received by the second sensor unit 60B). In this case, the calculation unit 16 may further calculate the first flow state based on the calculated second first moment.

  In the above-described example, a plurality of first flow states of the first fluid F1 can be calculated by providing a plurality of light emitting / receiving units like the first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B. Therefore, in this embodiment, the fluid measuring device 1 can be compared with each other by statistical processing based on a plurality of first flow states, as will be described later. Thereby, the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment can improve the accuracy of calculating the first flow state of the first fluid F1. Therefore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the convenience of the fluid measurement device can be enhanced.

  In addition, by providing a plurality of light emitting / receiving units such as the first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B, the correspondence between the calculated first moment and the first flow state is known as described above. This can be done without using a moment. Hereinafter, the correspondence between the first moment calculated by the fluid measurement device 1 including the plurality of sensor units according to the present embodiment and the first flow state will be described.

  FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing how the supply unit 80 supplies the second fluid F2 in the flow path 70 in which the first fluid F1 flows.

  FIG. 8 shows that in the flow path 70 in which the first fluid F1 flows, after the supply unit 80 starts supplying the second fluid F2, the second fluid F2 is at the detection position of the first sensor unit 60A at time T1. It shows how it arrived. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the first sensor unit 60A (the first light receiving unit 64A) has the scattering material F2 out of the first irradiation light irradiated from the first light emitting unit 62A toward the flow path 70. The first scattered light scattered by is received. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, at the time T1, the second fluid F2 has not reached the detection position of the second sensor unit 60B. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 8, the second sensor unit 60B (the second light receiving unit 64B) has the scattering material F2 out of the second irradiation light irradiated from the second light emitting unit 62B toward the flow path 70. The second scattered light scattered by is not received.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the second fluid F2 reaches the detection position of the second sensor unit 60B at time T1 + ΔT when the time ΔT after the time T1 shown in FIG. 8 has elapsed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the second sensor unit 60B (the second light receiving unit 64B) also has the scattering material F2 out of the second irradiation light irradiated from the second light emitting unit 62B toward the flow path 70. The second scattered light scattered by is received.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram collectively showing temporal changes in the primary moments calculated based on the detection by the first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B through the situations shown in FIGS. is there. As described above, the first first moment is calculated based on the first scattered light received by the first sensor unit 60A (the first light receiving unit 64A). Further, a second first moment is calculated based on the second scattered light received by the second sensor unit 60B (the second light receiving unit 64B). Therefore, FIG. 10 shows the time change of the first first moment and the time change of the second first moment.

  As shown in FIG. 10, at the time T1, the first first moment based on the detection by the first sensor unit 60A starts to increase sharply. As shown in FIG. 8, this is based on the fact that the first sensor unit 60A starts receiving the first scattered light scattered by the scattering material F2 at time T1. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, at the time T1, the second first moment based on the detection by the second sensor unit 60B does not increase. As shown in FIG. 8, this is based on the fact that the second sensor unit 60B does not receive the second scattered light scattered by the scattering material F2 at time T1.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, at the time T1 + ΔT, the second first moment based on the detection by the second sensor unit 60B also starts to increase sharply. As shown in FIG. 9, this is based on the fact that the second sensor unit 60B also receives the second scattered light scattered by the scattering material F2 at time T1 + ΔT. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, at the time T1 + ΔT, the first first moment based on the detection by the first sensor unit 60A remains increased. As shown in FIG. 9, this is based on the fact that the first sensor unit 60A maintains the reception of the first scattered light scattered by the scattering material F2 at time T1 + ΔT.

  From the result shown in FIG. 10, the time from the start of detection of the first scattered light by the first sensor 60A to the start of detection of the second scattered light by the second sensor 60B can be obtained. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the time from the detection start time T1 of the first scattered light by the first sensor 60A to the detection start time T1 + ΔT of the second scattered light by the second sensor 60B is ΔT. Hereinafter, the detection start time T1 of the first scattered light by the first sensor 60A is referred to as “first time point” as appropriate. Similarly, the detection start time T1 + ΔT of the second scattered light by the second sensor 60B is referred to as “second time point” as appropriate. In the present embodiment, the first time point may be a time point when the first first moment is changed by the first sensor unit 60A (the first light receiving unit 64A) receiving the first scattered light. Similarly, in the present embodiment, the second time point may be a time point when the second first moment is changed by the second sensor unit 60B (the second light receiving unit 64B) receiving the second scattered light.

  On the other hand, from the situation shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the volume per unit time of the fluid moving between the first time point and the second time point, that is, the flow rate can be obtained. In the channel 70, the area of the cross section of the channel perpendicular to the direction in which the fluid flows (hereinafter simply referred to as “the cross-sectional area of the channel 70”) is S. Moreover, it is set as the distance D which the 2nd fluid F2 which moves between 1st time points and 2nd time points moved. From the above, the flow rate of the second fluid F2 can be expressed as S × D / ΔT. Here, the flow rate of the first fluid F1 of the first fluid F1 flowing along with the second fluid F2 can be similarly expressed as S × D / ΔT. Note that the flow velocity can be obtained by setting D / ΔT without including the cross-sectional area S of the flow path 70. Thus, the “flow state of the first fluid F1 calculated based on the area, distance, and time” is referred to as “second flow state”.

That is, in the present embodiment, the calculation unit 16 may calculate the second flow state based on the following (1) to (3).
(1) Cross-sectional area S of flow path 70
(2) Distance D from first light emitting / receiving unit 60A to second light emitting / receiving unit 60B
(3) Time ΔT from the first time point when the scattering material F2 passes through the first light emitting / receiving unit 60A to the second time point when passing through the second light emitting / receiving unit 60B

  Since the primary moment calculated in the present embodiment is an arbitrary unit amount, the flow velocity or flow rate of the first fluid F1 cannot be directly obtained from only the calculated primary moment. Therefore, in the aspect in which the flow state is calculated using only one light emitting / receiving unit, it is necessary to prepare a known first moment in advance as illustrated in the first embodiment. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the second flow state may be calculated as described above, and the first moment when the second flow state is calculated may be associated with the second flow state. . According to this, the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment calculates the first flow state based on the first moment associated with the second flow state, thereby setting the second flow state as the first flow state. Can be sought. Therefore, the flow state can be calculated without preparing a known first moment. In addition, after the first moment and the flow state are associated as described above, the first flow state can be calculated based on the first moment obtained by each light emitting and receiving unit.

  In the present embodiment, the calculation unit 16 obtains a correspondence relationship between the second flow state and at least one of the first primary moment and the second primary moment, and based on such a correspondence relationship. Thus, the first flow state may be calculated. Here, at least one of the first primary moment and the second primary moment may be calculated simultaneously with the second flow state.

  According to the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment, a suitable first moment can be obtained without flowing the second fluid when measuring a fluid from which scattered light is sufficiently obtained. Therefore, it is not always necessary to use the second fluid after the association with the primary moment based on the change of the primary moment based on the detection of the second flow state as described above. That is, the flow state can be calculated from the first moment when the second fluid is not supplied. On the other hand, when measuring a transparent fluid from which sufficient scattered light cannot be obtained, sufficient scattered light can be obtained by supplying the second fluid. The state can be calculated.

  Moreover, according to the fluid measuring apparatus 1 which concerns on this embodiment, it can also anticipate improving the measurement precision of a fluid. For example, if the type of fluid is different, the value of the obtained primary moment may be different even if the flow rate of the fluid is the same. It is also assumed that the environment in which the fluid is measured, such as the state of the flow path 70, is not the same. Even in such a case, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the first moment can be associated with the type of fluid to be measured and the environment in which the fluid is measured. For this reason, according to the fluid measuring apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the correspondence between the first moment and the second fluid state can be newly acquired for each fluid measurement condition, and thus the fluid state is measured. The correspondence can be optimized for each. Therefore, it is possible to realize a measurement more suitable than a measurement based on a known first moment prepared in advance, and the measurement accuracy of the fluid measuring device 1 can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to deal with a situation where the detection sensitivities of the plurality of sensor units such as the first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B are not the same.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the first moments are calculated when the first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B have different detection sensitivities. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the detection sensitivity of the second sensor unit 60B is lower than the detection sensitivity of the first sensor unit 60A. Therefore, even if the primary moments shown in FIG. 11 are primary moments based on the detection of scattered light of the second fluid F2 in the same measurement environment as shown in FIGS. ing. According to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, even in such a situation, the second flow state can be calculated as described above as long as the time points at which the increase of the primary moment can be detected. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the detection sensitivities of the first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B are different, but the time points at which the first moment increases (time T1 and time T1 + ΔT, respectively) can be detected. Yes. Therefore, by calculating the second flow state and associating the second flow state with the first moment for each sensor, it is possible to calculate the flow state without considering the difference in sensitivity of the sensors. That is, the fluid measuring device 1 can be calibrated, and the measurement accuracy of the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment can be improved.

  In addition, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, after the association with the primary moment, for example, detection of each of a plurality of sensor units such as the first sensor unit 60A and the second sensor unit 60B. From the results, the flow state can be measured. Therefore, the calculation unit 16 calculates a plurality of first flow states based on each of the first scattered light (received by the first light receiving unit 64A) and the second scattered light (received by the second light receiving unit 64B). May be. In this case, the calculation unit 16 may calculate the statistic of the first flow state based on the calculated first flow state. Here, the statistic of the first flow state may be at least one of an average value, a variance value, a standard error, and a standard deviation of the first flow state. According to this, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the accuracy of the measurement result (how accurate is the measurement error due to, for example, the measurement environment or the quality of the material constituting the flow path 70). , How much variation is present). Further, according to the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment, the setting of the device and / or the installation location of the device can be finely adjusted based on the accuracy of the measurement result. Therefore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the usefulness of measurement can be improved.

  Thus, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, various measurement results can be obtained based on the calculation of the flow state of the first fluid F1. Therefore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the convenience of the fluid measurement device can be enhanced.

  In the present embodiment, the manner in which the supply unit 80 supplies the second fluid F2 to the flow path 70 may be variously changed. For example, once the supply unit 80 starts supplying the second fluid F2 to the flow path 70, the supply unit 80 may continue to supply the second fluid F2 as it is. For example, the supply unit 80 may continue to stop the supply of the second fluid F2 as it is once the supply of the second fluid F2 is stopped in the state where the second fluid F2 is supplied to the flow path 70. .

  Further, the supply unit 80 may repeat these operations a predetermined number of times. That is, the supply unit 80 may switch between the supply state and the supply stop state when supplying the second fluid F2 to the flow path 70. When switching from the supply stop state of the second fluid F2 to the supply state, the second fluid F2 is detected by the sensor unit 60A on the upstream side of the flow path 70 and then detected by the sensor unit 60B on the downstream side of the flow path 70. Is done. When the supply state of the second fluid F2 is switched to the supply stop state, the second fluid F2 is no longer detected by the sensor unit 60A on the upstream side of the flow path 70, and then the sensor unit on the downstream side of the flow path 70. It is not detected at 60B. Therefore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, in each sensor unit 60 such as the sensor unit 60A and the sensor unit 60B, it is determined that the second fluid F2 has passed through the position of each sensor unit 60. be able to.

  As described above, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the flow state calculated by the above-described method based on the Doppler shift is compared with the flow state calculated by a method different from the method based on the Doppler shift. be able to. That is, it is possible to calculate the flow state based on different principles. Therefore, according to the fluid measuring apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, an effect more than that in the case of simply providing a plurality of sensor units 60 and comparing the flow states calculated based on the same principle to improve the measurement accuracy can be expected.

  As described above, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the flow state of the first fluid F1 can be calculated based on various information, and thus the flow state of the first fluid F1 is favorably calculated. be able to. Therefore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the convenience of the fluid measurement device can be enhanced.

  As described above, as described using the first embodiment and the second embodiment, according to the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present disclosure, for example, a colorless and transparent fluid such as water or a fluid that does not include a scattering substance. The flow state (for example, flow rate or flow rate) can be measured appropriately and accurately. Therefore, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment, the convenience of the fluid measurement device can be enhanced.

  Moreover, the fluid measuring device 1 according to the present disclosure can easily realize a configuration in which the sensor can measure without contacting the fluid or the flow path. Therefore, for example, in the measurement of the flow state of a fluid under a high temperature condition, even if the flow path is at a high temperature, a protection process such as a heat resistance process of each functional unit such as a sensor unit of the fluid measurement device Is not required. In addition, the flow rate can be measured even when used for medical applications that are desired to be non-contact from the viewpoint of hygiene. For this reason, according to the fluid measurement device 1 according to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the usefulness regarding the measurement of the fluid flow state.

  Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various changes or modifications based on the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be noted that these variations or modifications are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the arrangement of the functional units can be changed as appropriate so that the included functions do not logically contradict each other. A plurality of functional units or the like may be combined into one or divided. Each embodiment according to the present disclosure described above is not limited to being performed faithfully to each of the embodiments described above, and may be implemented by appropriately combining the features or omitting some of the features. .

  Further, the above-described embodiment is not limited to the implementation as the fluid measurement device 1. For example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a fluid measurement method that is executed in the fluid measurement device 1 and a program that is executed by a computer that controls the device such as the fluid measurement device 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fluid measuring device 12 Spectrum generation part 16 Calculation part 20 Storage part 30 Communication part 40 Display part 50 Drive part 60A 1st sensor part (1st light emission and emission part)
60B Second sensor unit (second light emitting / receiving unit)
62A 1st light emission part 62B 2nd light emission part 64A 1st light-receiving part 64B 2nd light-receiving part 70 Flow path 80 Supply part

Claims (16)

A supply unit for supplying the scattering material to the flow path through which the first fluid flows;
A first light-emitting unit that irradiates light, and a first light-receiving unit that receives first scattered light scattered by the scattering material among the first irradiation light irradiated from the first light-emitting unit toward the channel. A first light emitting / receiving unit having a portion;
A fluid measurement device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates a first flow state of the first fluid based on the first scattered light.   The fluid measurement device according to claim 1, wherein a refractive index of the scattering material is different from a refractive index of the first fluid.   The calculating unit calculates a first first moment based on the first scattered light whose frequency is shifted by a Doppler shift from the frequency of the first irradiation light, and based on the first first moment The fluid measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the first flow state is calculated.   A second light receiving unit configured to receive light, and a second light receiving unit configured to receive second scattered light scattered by the scattering material among the second irradiation light irradiated from the second light emitting unit toward the channel. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a second light emitting / receiving unit having a unit.   The calculation unit calculates a second first moment based on the second scattered light having a frequency shifted by a Doppler shift from the frequency of the second irradiation light, and based on the second first moment The fluid measurement device according to claim 4, wherein the first flow state is calculated. The calculation unit includes:
Cross-sectional area of the flow path,
A distance from the first light emitting and receiving unit to the second light emitting and receiving unit; and
A time difference from a first passage time when the scattering material has passed through the first light emitting and receiving unit to a second passage time through the second light emitting and receiving unit;
The fluid measurement device according to claim 4, wherein the second fluid flow state of the first fluid is calculated based on The first passage time point is a time point when the first first moment is changed by receiving the first scattered light,
The fluid measurement device according to claim 6, wherein the second passage time is a time when the second first moment is changed by receiving the second scattered light. The calculation unit includes:
The second flow state;
At least one of the first primary moment and the second primary moment calculated simultaneously with the second flow state;
The fluid measurement device according to claim 6, wherein the first flow state is calculated based on the correspondence relationship.   The calculation unit calculates a plurality of first flow states based on each of the first scattered light and the second scattered light, and calculates a statistic of the first flow state based on the plurality of first flow states. The fluid measuring device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein   The fluid measurement device according to claim 9, wherein the statistic of the first flow state is at least one of an average value, a variance value, a standard error, and a standard deviation of the first flow state.   The fluid measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the scattering material is a discontinuous body including at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a solid.   Of the cross-sectional area of the scattering material, the maximum value of the cross-sectional area in the direction orthogonal to the direction along the flow path is the direction orthogonal to the direction along the flow path in the cross-sectional area of the flow path. The fluid measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the fluid measuring device is smaller than a minimum value of a cross-sectional area.   The fluid measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first fluid has translucency.   The fluid measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first flow state is a flow rate or a flow velocity of the first fluid. Supplying scattering material to the flow path through which the first fluid flows;
Irradiating with light;
Receiving scattered light scattered by the scattering material among the light irradiated toward the flow path;
Calculating a first flow state of the first fluid based on the scattered light;
A fluid measurement method comprising: On the computer,
Supplying scattering material to the flow path through which the first fluid flows;
Irradiating with light;
Receiving scattered light scattered by the scattering material among the light irradiated toward the flow path;
Calculating a first flow state of the first fluid based on the scattered light;
A program that executes

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