JP4257193B2 - Animal impedance measuring device and animal body composition meter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring bioimpedance of an animal, and an animal body composition meter for acquiring animal body composition data using the apparatus.

In a conventional animal impedance measuring device, the dog is held suspended on all fours, and the measurer wears gloves with impedance measuring electrodes on both palms, grasps a specific part of the animal's limb and touches the electrode In some cases, impedance measurement is performed from the front leg gripping part to the rear leg gripping part (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-144005 A

  However, during the measurement, the dog is suspended by a restraining device, so it is forced to be in an unnatural state, and the measurer must wear the gloves and grasp the exact position of the dog's leg. Both of them and the measurer were heavy measuring methods.

  In addition, since an electrode is brought into contact with a human by grasping a specific part, a certain amount of specialized knowledge such as an animal skeleton and a muscle structure is required. In addition, since the contact state of the electrode varies depending on the way of gripping, the measurement value is not stable, and the contact resistance between the electrode and the skin varies greatly depending on the pressing force, so that a measurement error is likely to occur.

  Further, the surface of the impedance measurement electrode arranged on the glove requires a protruding conductor that scrapes the body hair and directly contacts the skin. Furthermore, in order to cope with large dogs, a large holding device that can withstand holding a large dog suspended in the air is required.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and an animal impedance measurement device that enables simple and stable bioimpedance measurement, and an animal that calculates body composition data based on reliable measurement using the same. A body composition meter is provided.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an impedance measurement apparatus for animals that measures the bioimpedance of an animal. There is provided an animal impedance measuring apparatus comprising a holding means for holding each of the above and a holding position changing means for changing the position of the holding means according to the distance between the legs of the limbs of the animal.

  The impedance measuring electrode and the retaining means are integrally formed.

  Further, the present invention provides the above-described animal impedance measuring device, weight information input means for inputting at least one of body weight and waist circumference, and at least body length among individual information such as sex, age, type information, and body length information. There is provided an animal body composition meter comprising individual information input means for inputting information and body composition data calculation means for calculating animal body composition data based on the bioelectrical impedance, weight information and individual information.

  Here, the body composition data is data relating to the amount or rate of body fat, lean body mass, body water, muscle or bone.

  Further, the holding position varying means further includes an inter-leg distance measuring means for measuring the distance between the legs, and the inter-leg distance measuring means regards the distance between the holding means as the distance between the legs and holds the distance. The movement distance between means is measured.

  The individual information input means manually or automatically inputs the distance between the front and rear legs among the distances between the legs as the body length information. Furthermore, a body type setting means for setting a body type from the ratio of the distance between the front and rear and left and right legs is further provided, and is input manually or automatically as the type information.

  The animal impedance measuring device according to the present invention is an animal impedance measuring device for measuring the bioimpedance of an animal. The impedance measuring electrode is in contact with the soles of the limbs of the animal, and the limb of the animal is on the impedance measuring electrode Each of the holding means and holding position changing means for changing the position of the holding means according to the distance between the legs of the limbs of the animal, thereby holding the animal in a posture that does not impose a mental and physical burden. It is possible to measure with high accuracy by stabilizing the measurement state with the electrode contact position as the sole. Moreover, since it is a simple measurement which only mounts the extremity of an animal on each electrode, the burden on a measurement person is also reduced.

  Also, at this time, the sole that is the electrode contact position is exposed without the skin surface being covered with body hair, so that a structure that avoids body hair is not required on the electrode surface, and a general flat electrode can be used. it can.

  Further, since the impedance measuring electrode and the retaining means are integrally configured, the entire apparatus can be saved in space.

  Further, the animal body composition meter of the present invention includes the animal impedance measuring device, body weight information input means for inputting at least one of body weight and waist circumference, and individuals such as sex, age, type information, and body length information. Among the information, comprising at least individual information input means for inputting body length information, and body composition data calculation means for calculating body composition data of an animal based on the bioelectrical impedance, weight information and individual information, More reliable body composition data can be obtained on the basis of the data obtained by the highly accurate impedance measurement, and animal health management can be performed.

  In addition, the holding position varying means can further easily measure the animal morphological parameters necessary for the calculation of body composition data by further including an inter-leg distance measuring means for measuring the distance between the legs.

  Further, the individual information input means can input the distance between the front and rear legs as the body length information manually or automatically among the distances between the legs, so that it is not necessary to separately measure the body length, and the measurement can be made simpler. Is possible.

  Further, the individual information input means further includes a body type setting means for setting a body type from the ratio of the distance between the front and rear and left and right legs among the distances between the legs, and inputs the type information manually or automatically. By doing so, even if it is the same animal species, it is possible to classify as an elongated type, a wide type, etc., and it is possible to calculate body composition data according to a more detailed classification.

  The present invention relates to an impedance measurement apparatus for animals that measures the bioimpedance of an animal, and an impedance measurement electrode that is in contact with the soles of the limbs of the animal, and a retention that holds the limbs of the animal on the impedance measurement electrode. And holding position variable means for changing the position of the holding means according to the distance between the legs of the limbs of the animal, and the impedance measuring electrode and the holding means may be configured integrally. .

  In the present invention, the animal impedance measuring device, the weight information input means for inputting at least one of the body weight and the waist circumference, and at least the body length information among the sex, age, type information, and body length information are input. An animal body composition meter having individual information input means and body composition data calculation means for calculating body composition data of animals based on the bioelectrical impedance, the weight information and the individual information is configured.

  The holding position variable means further includes a leg distance measuring means for measuring a distance between each leg, and the individual information input means inputs a distance between the front and rear legs as the body length information in the distance between the legs. To do. In addition, a body type setting means for setting a body type from the ratio of the distance between the front and rear and left and right legs is further input as the type information.

  Embodiment 1 of an animal impedance measuring apparatus and an animal body composition meter using the same according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIGS. 1 to 3 are views showing the configuration of Example 1, FIG. 1 is an external front view of a veterinary body composition meter, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion A showing a holding position variable portion described later. FIG. 3 shows an electrical block diagram.

  First, the configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. The animal body composition meter 1 includes four impedance measurement electrodes 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d that are brought into contact with the soles of the limbs of an animal on a known body weight measurement unit 2 that includes a load sensor. , Current application electrodes 4a and 4c and voltage measurement electrodes 4b and 4d, respectively. Moreover, in order to hold each limb of an animal on each electrode for impedance measurement, it has cylindrical holding parts 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d for inserting the leg of the animal and restricting the movement, and each holding part Is configured to be connected to a holding position variable unit 6 described later. In addition, an operation unit 7 that performs data input operation and a display unit 8 that displays guidance, measurement results, and the like are provided. Here, regarding the placement of the animal, the impedance measurement electrodes 4a and 4b are placed on the front leg side, and similarly, 4c and 4d are placed on the rear leg side.

  The configuration and mechanism of the holding position varying unit 6 will be described with reference to a perspective view of the A part showing the holding position varying unit 6 on the front leg side shown in FIG. The holding position variable part 6 includes arm parts 10a and 10b extending from the holding parts 5a and 5b, a slide part 11 for moving the arm parts 10a and 10b in the left-right leg width direction, and the slide part 11 for front and rear leg widths. The slide base 12 is configured to be fixed on the weight measuring unit 2. Thus, by sliding the arm portions 10a and 10b respectively, the retaining portions 5a and 5b are adjusted to the distance between the left and right legs of the animal, and by sliding the sliding portion 11, both retaining portions 5a and 5b are brought to the front leg positions. It becomes possible to match.

  Here, each of the slide mechanisms is a known slide mechanism including a slider and a guide, and each has a stopper structure that can be fixed at an arbitrary position or at regular intervals. For example, like a vernier caliper, the slider is pulled out along the guide at an arbitrary distance, and is fixed by screwing after positioning, or multiple steel balls are placed side by side between the guide and the slider, and rolling of the steel ball is used. The slider may be moved and positioned and fixed by controlling the guide or slider with a motor.

  The slide mechanism of the rear leg side retaining portions 5c and 5d is the same as described above. Therefore, by inserting the animal's extremities into each holding part and operating both the holding leg variable parts 6 on the front leg side and the rear leg side, the impedance of the soles of the animal's extremities in a posture that does not burden the animal, respectively. It can be held in contact with the measurement electrode.

  An electrical block diagram of the animal body composition meter 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The current application electrodes 4a and 4c and the voltage measurement electrodes 4b and 4d are connected to the control unit 22 via the current supply unit 20 and the voltage measurement unit 21, respectively, and further the weight measurement unit 2, the operation unit 7 and the display. The unit 8 is connected to the control unit 22. In addition, the control unit 22 is connected to a storage unit 23 that stores individual data, measurement data, calculation formulas, and the like, and a calculation unit 24 that calculates body composition data and the like, and includes a power supply 25.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the animal body composition meter 1 of the first embodiment. The operation will be described below with a dog as an example of a subject according to the flowchart.

  First, when the power is turned on by the power switch provided in the operation unit 7 of the animal composition analyzer 1, initial setting of the apparatus is performed in step S1. Subsequently, in step S2, it is determined whether the individual data has been registered. Here, the individual data is the dog type, sex, age, and body length, and it is determined whether or not these individual data are stored in the storage unit 23.

  If the individual data is not stored in the storage unit 23, the process proceeds to NO, and a message instructing the registration of the individual data is displayed on the display unit 8 in step S3. When the measurer operates the setting keys such as up / down and selection provided in the operation unit 7 according to this instruction and inputs the individual data, the data is stored and registered in the storage unit 23. In subsequent step S 4, the individual data is read from the storage unit 23 and displayed on the display unit 8.

  If the individual data has already been registered in step S2, the process proceeds to YES, and the individual data is displayed in step S4 as described above.

  In step S5, a confirmation message for the individual data displayed on the display unit 8 is displayed. When changing the individual data, the process proceeds to NO, and in step S3, the individual data is registered by performing the data input operation using the setting key provided in the operation unit 7. When there is no change in the individual data, the determination button provided on the operation unit 7 is pressed to proceed to YES, and in step S6, a measurement start instruction is displayed on the display unit 8, and a measurement start switch provided on the operation unit 7 is displayed. Repeated detection of whether it was pressed.

  Here, as described above, the holding parts 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d into which the limbs of the subject are inserted are used, and the holding position variable part 6 is used to measure the impedance of each foot sole in a natural posture of the dog. The electrodes 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are held in contact with each other. When the measurement start switch of the operation unit 7 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S7.

  First, in step S <b> 7, the weight is measured by the weight measurement unit 2, and the measurement data is input to the calculation unit 24 via the control unit 22.

  Next, in step S8, the bioelectrical impedance is measured, and the measurement data is input to the calculation unit 24 as with the weight.

  In step S9, in order to calculate body composition data from the input individual data, body weight and bioelectrical impedance, an arithmetic expression such as a regression equation for calculating body composition data stored in advance in the storage unit 23 is read. In subsequent step S10, body composition data is calculated. Here, the body composition data is data relating to the amount or rate of body fat, lean body mass, body water, muscle, or bone, and is calculated by storing each arithmetic expression in the storage unit 23. The arithmetic expression is, for example, a regression equation obtained from a correlation between a body fat percentage measured in advance by a known DEXA method and the body length, body weight, and bioimpedance, taking the arithmetic expression of the body fat percentage as an example, Each individual data other than the body length is stored in the storage unit 23. Further, the calculation formulas of the body composition data other than the body fat percentage are similarly obtained as regression equations. However, since these regression equations can be applied to known human body composition data calculation formulas, description thereof will be omitted.

  In step S11, the measurement result and the calculation result are displayed on the display unit 8, and stored in the storage unit 23 in the storage unit 23 as past data in association with the individual data. After confirming the display, the power switch of the operation unit 7 is pressed to turn off the power and the process ends.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the front and rear legs and the left and right legs is calculated by measuring the moving distance of the retaining part, the distance between the front and rear legs is input as body length information, and the ratio of the distance between the front and rear legs and the distance between the left and right legs By selecting and inputting the animal's body type using the, it is convenient because there is no need to measure the body length in advance, and even if the dog type is unknown, it can be sorted by body type, so it is highly reliable data Can be obtained.

  The configuration of the animal body composition meter of Example 2 is configured by adding an inter-leg distance measuring unit 30 to the configuration of Example 1 as shown in the electric block diagram of FIG. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals. Although not shown, the inter-leg distance measuring unit 30 includes a known encoder that measures the movement distance of each slide portion of the holding position varying unit 6, and determines the distance between the holding portions 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, and 5 d. It is to detect. In the present embodiment, the distance between the retaining portions 5a and 5b, that is, the distance between the left and right legs is detected by measuring the movement distance of the arm portions 10a and 10b on the front leg side. Further, the distance between the front and rear legs is detected by measuring the movement distance of each slider portion 11 of the front leg and the rear leg.

  The operation of the animal body composition meter of Example 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a main flowchart, and FIG. 7 is a measurement and calculation subroutine.

  In the main flowchart of FIG. 6, the power source of the animal body composition meter 1 is turned on. The subsequent steps from step S101 to step S106 are the same as the steps from step S1 to step S6 of the first embodiment shown by the flowchart of FIG. However, regarding the individual data registration in step S103 in FIG. 6, the dog type, gender, age, and body length are input in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, it is assumed that the step is a step of inputting only gender and age as individual data.

  In step S106, the subject is held in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and when the measurement start switch is pressed, the process proceeds to YES. In step S107, measurement and calculation described later with reference to FIG. 7 are performed, and then in step S108. The result is displayed on the display unit 8, the data is stored in the storage unit 23, and the process is terminated.

  The measurement and calculation in step S107 will be described using the subroutine of FIG. When the process proceeds to step S107 in the main routine of FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the body type is registered as individual data in step S110 of FIG. If the body type has already been registered, the process proceeds to YES, and in step S111, the distance between the front and rear legs of the subject is measured by the inter-leg distance measuring unit 30 arranged in the holding position movable unit 6 and automatically as body length information. The process proceeds to the next step S112.

  Here, the operation from step S112 to step S115 is the same as the operation from step S7 to S10 of the first embodiment shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, and upon completion of measurement and calculation, the main routine of FIG. Return.

  If the body type is not registered in step S110, the process proceeds to NO. In step S116, it is determined based on the input age whether the age of the subject is one year or older. This is because the growth of the skeleton needs to be stable in the determination of the body type, and therefore, it is determined whether or not the dog is an adult dog.

  Therefore, if the age is less than 1 year, it is determined that the puppy does not apply to the body type, and the process proceeds to NO. In step S111, the distance between the front and rear legs is measured and input as body length information. If the age is one year or older, the process proceeds to YES, and the body type is determined in steps S117 and S118.

  In step S117, the distance between the front and rear legs and the distance between the left and right legs are measured and input based on the movement distance of each retaining part using the distance measurement part 30 between the legs. In subsequent step S118, the calculation unit 24 estimates the physique from the ratio of the distance between the front and rear and the distance between the left and right legs, and registers a suitable physique type among the categorized physique types as individual data.

  Here, the classification of the body type is classified into, for example, a general type, an elongated type, and a wide type, and the distance between the front and rear legs is set to L, the distance between the left and right legs is set to W, and the classification is performed based on the ratio of L and W. That is, a range of W / L to be classified into the above three types is set based on the relationship between W / L obtained in advance from actually measured data and the breed. For example, the general type range is set as x <W / L ≦ y, where x and y are constants, the narrow type range is W / L ≦ x, and the wide type range is W / L>. By setting y, the body type can be determined for the measurement data.

  When the registration of the body type is completed, the process proceeds to step S112, and thereafter, until step S115, measurement and calculation are performed as described above, and highly reliable data is obtained by the regression equation corresponding to the body type, and the main of FIG. Return to the routine.

  The body type is classified into three types by W / L, but the classification can be further subdivided. For example, the distance between the left and right legs on the rear leg side is also detected in the same manner as described above, the distance between the left and right legs on the front leg side is Wf, and the distance between the left and right legs on the rear leg side is Wr. Wf−Wr> z (z is a constant) May be classified as a broad shoulder type.

  The third embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the retaining portion and the bioimpedance measurement electrode are integrally movable, thereby enabling space saving during storage.

  The structure of the animal body composition meter 100 of Example 3 is shown using FIG.8 and FIG.9. 8 is an external front view, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. Here, the same components as those in the first and second embodiments will be described using the same reference numerals.

  Each retaining portion 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d is connected to the arm portions 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d, respectively, as in the first and second embodiments. Also, the impedance measuring electrodes 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are arranged on the bottom surface of each retaining part.

  The arm portions 10 a and 10 b slide in the left-right direction by the arm slide portion 101, respectively. Similarly, the arm portions 10 c and 10 d slide in the left-right direction by the arm slide portion 102. Each of the arm slide portions 101 and 102 is connected to a slide base portion 103 and a slide portion 104 having a slide mechanism in the front-rear direction.

  Thereby, each holding part 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d which arranged the electrode for impedance measurement on the bottom face can be adjusted to the distance between the legs of the animals.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the retaining portions 5a and 5b are arranged on load sensor portions 105a and 105b each incorporating a known load sensor such as a load cell, for example. The parts 5c and 5d are similarly provided with load sensor parts 105c and 105d, and the load sensor parts 105a, 105b, 105c and 105d constitute a well-known four-point weight measuring device, whereby an animal body composition meter 100 is provided. It is possible to measure the weight of the animal placed on top.

  The operation of the animal body composition meter 100 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown by the flowchart of FIG.

  The present embodiment shows a retaining form different from the cylindrical retaining portion used in the first to third embodiments. The configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is an external perspective view, and FIG. 11 is an external front view showing an animal holding state.

  The animal body composition meter 200 shown in FIG. 10 has impedance measuring electrodes 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d arranged on the body weight measuring unit 2, and a slide frame 205 is provided so as to surround the upper surface of the body weight measuring unit 2. Two slide bars 201 and 202 that are passed from one side of the frame 205 in parallel to the opposite side, and two slide bars 203 and 204 that are passed perpendicularly to the other two sides are arranged. The upper surface of the slide frame includes an operation unit 7 and a display unit 8.

  The slide bars 201, 202, 203, and 204 are slidable at both ends as shown by black arrows in the drawing by slide mechanisms of slide frames, and the slide mechanisms are stoppers shown in the first embodiment. It is assumed that the slide mechanism is a known slide mechanism.

  Next, the retention state of the animal will be described with reference to FIG. An animal is placed on each electrode 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d indicated by hatching in the figure with the soles of the limbs in contact with each other. The contact position is indicated by a black circle. The slide bars 201, 202, 203, and 204 are slid in the direction of the black arrow, and the two slide bars are brought into contact with each leg to restrict and maintain the movement of the legs.

  The operation of the animal body composition meter 200 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown by the flowchart of FIG.

  In the fourth embodiment, the positions where the slide bars 201, 202, 203, and 204 are in contact with the legs may be increased. That is, by making the contact near the base of the leg rather than the vicinity of the ankle, the movement of the animal's leg can be more restricted, and stable holding is possible.

  Further, in the third and fourth embodiments, similarly to the second embodiment, a leg distance measuring unit 30 in which a known encoder is arranged in each slide mechanism unit is further provided, and a distance between each holding unit or slide bar is provided. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show the flow chart of FIG. 6 and FIG. The same operation as in the second embodiment is possible.

  The inter-leg distance measuring unit 30 is provided with a known encoder in each slide mechanism unit and automatically inputs the distance between the retaining units. However, the scale for reading the movement distance of each slide mechanism unit by a numerical value is provided. In this case, the read numerical value may be manually input using a setting key provided on the operation unit 7.

  In Examples 1 to 4, an example in which a dog is used as the subject has been described. However, other animals may be used as long as the animal can measure impedance on the sole of the foot. In particular, the sole of the foot is not hardened, and the impedance can be accurately measured in an animal having a Ryukyu, a so-called meat ball.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, at least bioelectrical impedance, body weight, and body length are used as calculation parameters for body composition data. However, in this embodiment, body composition data is obtained using the waist circumference instead of body weight. An example of calculating This eliminates the need for the body weight measurement unit and enables a small and inexpensive device. In this embodiment, the measurement area of the waist circumference is defined as the waist circumference near the base of the front leg (hereinafter referred to as the chest circumference).

  Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described by showing differences from the first embodiment. First, the configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 used in the description of the first embodiment, although not shown again. The configuration of this embodiment is such that the weight measuring unit 2 disposed on the bottom surface of the animal body composition meter 1 shown in the external perspective view of FIG. 1 is eliminated, and the height of the animal body composition meter 1 is reduced. . Accordingly, the weight measurement unit 2 is also unnecessary in the electric block diagram shown in FIG.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment, which will be described by showing the difference from the flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 12, first, when the apparatus power is turned on in the same manner as in the first embodiment, initial setting is performed in step S201 as in step S1 of FIG. In the subsequent step S202, as in step S2 of FIG. 4, it is determined whether or not individual data having the dog breed, sex, age, and body length as data has been registered, and in this step, the determination of the individual data registration is performed. In addition, it is also determined whether the chest circumference is registered.

  Therefore, in step S203, in addition to the input of the individual data, the chest circumference measured in advance with a measure or the like is numerically input using a setting key provided on the operation unit 7.

  The next steps S204 to S206 operate in the same manner as steps S4 to S6 in FIG. 4. In the first embodiment, the weight measuring unit 2 measures the weight in the following step S7. In the embodiment, the procedure for measuring and inputting the weight is not necessary. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, when measurement is started in step S206, impedance measurement and input are performed in step S208, as in step S8 of FIG.

  Steps S209 and S211 in FIG. 12 are similar to steps S9 and S11 in FIG. 4, read arithmetic expressions from the storage unit 23, calculate body composition data, and display measurement results and calculation results on the display unit 8. And is stored in the storage unit 23.

Here, the calculation formula for calculating the body fat percentage in the present embodiment is a regression formula obtained from the correlation between the body fat percentage measured in advance by a known DEXA method and the bioelectrical impedance, the body length, and the chest circumference. Here, it is known that there is a correlation between the body fat percentage measured by the DEXA and the bioimpedance, and according to experiments by the inventors, the body fat percentage, the chest circumference and the body length. As shown in FIG. 13, it was found that there was a correlation consisting of body fat percentage (% FAT) = p (chest circumference / body length) + q.
From the above, the regression equation is expressed by, for example, body fat percentage (% FAT) = α × (bioimpedance) + β (chest circumference / body length) + γ, and the body fat percentage can be calculated with higher accuracy. Here, α, β and γ are constants.

  In addition, each data can be calculated by storing arithmetic expressions for calculating lean body mass, bone mineral mass, muscle mass or body water content in the storage unit 23 as the body composition data.

  For example, in the calculation of lean mass, the regression obtained from the correlation between the lean mass measured in advance by the known DEXA method and the bioimpedance, body length, and chest circumference in the same manner as the formula for calculating the body fat percentage. Operate with an expression. The regression equation is expressed as lean mass (kg) = δ × (chest circumference) + ε × {(body length) 2 / bioimpedance} + ζ, where δ, ε, and ζ are constants. It can be seen that the relationship between the lean mass measured by the DEXA method and the lean mass determined by the regression equation is highly correlated as shown in FIG.

  Further, the bone mineral content and the muscle mass may be obtained as regression equations in the same manner as the calculation of the lean mass, but here, the calculation formulas calculated based on the lean mass obtained by the regression equation are shown. First, the amount of bone mineral is represented by the amount of bone mineral (kg) = η × (lean mass obtained by the regression equation) + κ, and η and κ are constants. As shown in FIG. 15, it can be seen that the amount of bone mineral measured by the DEXA method and the amount of bone mineral calculated by the arithmetic expression show a high correlation.

  The muscle mass is represented by muscle mass (kg) = (lean mass obtained by the regression equation) − (bone mineral mass calculated by the arithmetic equation), and as shown in FIG. It can be seen that the measured muscle mass and the muscle mass calculated by the calculation formula show a high correlation.

  Furthermore, the body water content is measured by the DEXA method because the relational expression of the body water content (kg) = 0.724 × (lean mass) +0.255 is known. From the correlation between the body water content obtained by substituting the lean body mass and the bioelectrical impedance, body length, and chest circumference, a regression equation for accurately obtaining the body water content is obtained, and the body water content (kg) = λ × ( Chest circumference) + μ × {(body length) 2 / bioimpedance} + ν. Here, λ, μ, and ν are constants. As shown in FIG. 17, it can be seen that the body water content determined based on the lean mass measured by the DEXA method and the muscle mass calculated by the regression equation show a high correlation.

  After confirming the result of the body composition data calculated as described above displayed on the display unit 8 in step S211, the power is turned off by the power switch of the operation unit 7 and the process ends.

  The bone mineral content and the muscle mass may use regression equations obtained from the correlation between the bone mineral mass and the muscle mass measured by the DEXA method and the bioimpedance, body length, and chest circumference.

1 is an external front view of an animal body composition meter of Example 1. FIG. It is A section perspective view. 1 is an electrical block diagram of Example 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the first embodiment. 6 is an electrical block diagram of Example 2. FIG. 10 is a main flowchart of the operation of the second embodiment. 6 is a sub-flowchart of the operation of the second embodiment. 6 is an external front view of Example 3. FIG. It is BB sectional drawing. 6 is an external perspective view of Example 4. FIG. 10 is an external front view of Example 4. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the operation of the fifth embodiment. It is a graph which shows the relationship between body fat percentage, body length, and chest circumference. It is a comparison graph with the amount of lean mass computed by the DEXA measurement and the regression equation. It is a comparison graph with the amount of bone minerals computed by the DEXA measurement and the computing equation. It is a comparison graph with the muscle mass computed by the DEXA measurement and the computing equation. It is a comparison graph with the body water content computed by the DEXA measurement and the regression equation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body composition meter for animals 2 Body weight measuring part 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d Impedance measuring electrode 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d Holding part 6 Holding position variable part 7 Operation part 8 Display part 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d Arm part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Slide part 12 Slide base part 20 Current supply part 21 Voltage measurement part 22 Control part 23 Storage part 24 Calculation part 25 Power supply 30 Distance measurement part between legs 100 Animal body composition meter 101, 102 Arm slide part 103 Slide base part 104 Slide Part 105a, 105b, 105c, 105d Load sensor part 200 Animal body composition meter 201, 202, 203, 204 Slide bar 205 Slide frame

Claims (6)

In an animal impedance measuring apparatus for measuring animal bioimpedance,
An electrode for impedance measurement to be in contact with the sole of each limb of the animal;
Retaining means for respectively retaining the limbs of the animal on the impedance measurement electrodes;
An animal impedance measuring apparatus comprising: a holding position changing unit that changes a position of the holding unit according to a distance between legs of an animal's limbs. The animal impedance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impedance measuring electrode and the retaining means are integrally formed. The animal impedance measuring device according to claim 1 or 2, body weight information input means for inputting at least one of body weight or waist circumference, and individual information such as sex, age, type information, and body length information, at least An animal body composition meter comprising individual information input means for inputting body length information and body composition data calculation means for calculating animal body composition data based on the bioelectrical impedance, weight information and individual information. 4. The animal body composition meter according to claim 3, wherein the holding position varying means further includes an inter-leg distance measuring means for measuring an inter-leg distance. 5. The animal body composition meter according to claim 4, wherein the individual information input means inputs the distance between the front and rear legs among the distances between the legs manually or automatically as the body length information. The individual information input means further includes a body type setting means for setting a body type from the ratio of the distance between the front and rear and left and right legs among the distances between the legs, and manually or automatically inputting the type information. The animal body composition meter according to claim 4.

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