KR101732801B1

KR101732801B1 - Apparatus and method for analyzing obesity using light scattering

Info

Publication number: KR101732801B1
Application number: KR1020150128308A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김세환; 이민석; 박경수
Original assignee: 단국대학교 천안캠퍼스 산학협력단
Priority date: 2015-09-10
Filing date: 2015-09-10
Publication date: 2017-05-08
Also published as: KR20170030864A

Abstract

An apparatus and method for analyzing an obesity using light scattering measurement is disclosed. The apparatus for analyzing obesity according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light irradiating unit for irradiating analytical light to a first point of a body part to be analyzed for a degree of obesity; An optical detecting unit that detects scattered light generated from the analyzing light at a second point of the body part; And a microprocessor for calculating the light scattering coefficient of the scattered light as an index representing the degree of obesity of the body part.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for analyzing obesity using light scattering measurement,

More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for quantitatively analyzing a degree of obesity by analyzing scattered light detected by irradiating light on a body part to be analyzed.

In general, despite various efforts to reduce body weight through a variety of aerobic exercise for a certain period of time, there is little change in thickness even if weight loss is negligible or if subcutaneous fat thickness is measured. Because of this, most obesity patients cause various social problems, such as abandoning exercise for weight loss or attempting abnormal dieting methods, rather than burning fat in the body, and experiencing a serious yo-yo phenomenon due to temporary body moisture, do.

Conventional techniques applied to obesity testing are as follows.

First, there is a simple method of performing obesity through weight measurement. This method has a disadvantage in that it can not be judged whether the weight change is a change due to moisture in the human body or a decrease in fat cell size have.

Next, skin fat calipers are used to directly measure the thickness of subcutaneous fat to show the body mass index (BMI). Although this method can determine whether or not weight change is due to reduction of subcutaneous fat, the thickness of subcutaneous fat is not only very error-free according to the person who measured it, but also the amount of change is small, It is inadequate to be used as an indicator.

Next, a method of observing changes in cellulite can be mentioned. Here, cellulite refers to a tissue composed of water, waste, and fat, which is attached to a specific part of the human body. It mainly appears on thighs, hips, knees, arms, and belly. This method is limited mainly because it depends on a qualitative measurement method such as a visual inspection and can not show a quantitative change.

Next, bioelectrical resistance analysis is performed. According to this method, body water amount is measured, and the amount of proteins and minerals is estimated based on the amount of body water. Then, indirectly by using the proportional relation of human body moisture: protein: Is applied. In this method, since the amount of fat is indirectly estimated, a considerable measurement error may occur depending on the moisture content on the skin of the subject.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0012888 (Publication date: 2009.02.04) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0020340 (published on Mar. 3, 2008)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the problems and disadvantages of the prior art described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for displaying a weight change in a normal manner in a quantitative manner with high accuracy.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of analyzing an obesity degree, comprising: irradiating an analyzing light to a first site of a body part to be analyzed for a degree of obesity; An optical detecting unit that detects scattered light generated from the analyzing light at a second point of the body part; And a microprocessor for calculating the light scattering coefficient of the scattered light as an index indicating the degree of obesity of the body part.

Also, the microprocessor may calculate the light scattering coefficient based on the phase delay of the scattered light.

Further, the detection of the scattered light by the light detecting unit and the calculation of the light scattering coefficient by the microprocessor can be performed for a plurality of second points.

The microprocessor may further include a display unit for visually displaying a result of the calculation of the light scattering coefficient. The microprocessor may further comprise chromophore fittings for a plurality of light scattering coefficients calculated for the plurality of second points, and display the result of the execution through the display unit.

Also, the microprocessor may calculate the light scattering coefficient using any one of an analysis technique in a time domain, an analysis technique in a spatial domain, and an analysis technique in a frequency domain.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention also provides a method for measuring an obesity degree, comprising the steps of: (S20) irradiating analytical light to a first point of a body part to be analyzed for a degree of obesity using a light irradiation unit; (S30) detecting scattered light generated from the analyzing light at a second point of the body part using an optical detection unit; And calculating a light scattering coefficient of the scattered light as an index representing the degree of obesity of the body part using a microprocessor (S40).

In step S40, the light scattering coefficient may be calculated based on the phase delay of the scattered light.

The detection of scattered light in step S30 and the calculation of the light scattering coefficient in step S40 may be performed on a plurality of second points.

The method for analyzing the degree of obesity using the light scattering measurement may further include performing chromophore fitting on the plurality of light scattering coefficients calculated for the plurality of second points and displaying the result of the performance as a visual image (S50).

The method for analyzing the degree of obesity using the light scattering measurement method includes the steps of selecting one of an analysis technique in the time domain, an analysis technique in the spatial domain, and an analysis technique in the frequency domain, which is to be applied to the calculation of the light scattering coefficient ).

According to the present invention, the change of the body due to the weight loss can be easily and accurately analyzed by calculating the mine coefficient from the scattered light by irradiating light to the body part and providing it as an index of the change in the degree of obesity.

Since the light scattering coefficient used in this analysis method is calculated based on the phase delay of the scattered light reflecting the change in the size of the fat cells, it is possible to quantitatively grasp the change in the size or structure of the fat cells, It may be a quantitative indicator indicating whether or not it is proceeding.

According to the present invention, the light scattering coefficients calculated for a plurality of points on the body part can be displayed as a two-dimensional visual image through a chromophore fitting technique, whereby the change in the degree of obesity can be more intuitively As shown in Fig.

1 is a view illustrating a section of a normal tissue and an obesity tissue.
2 is a view showing an apparatus for analyzing an obesity using light scattering measurement according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of measuring an obesity degree analyzing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 (a) and 4 (b) illustrate analytical techniques applied to the analysis of obesity according to the present invention. FIG. 4 (a) And Fig. 4 (c) is for the analysis technique in the frequency domain.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the phase delay of scattered light detected by irradiating analytical light to a body part of a subject for analysis of obesity with respect to before and after weight loss, wherein the axis of abscissas represents the distance between the light source and the receiver or the axis representing the modulation frequency, Lt; / RTI >
FIG. 6 is a two-dimensional image obtained by applying a chromophore fitting technique to light scattering coefficients before and after weight loss calculated for a plurality of points of a body part to be analyzed for obesity.

In the analysis of obesity according to the present invention, a method of irradiating analytical light to a target body part, detecting scattered light generated therefrom, and measuring the phase delay of the scattered light is applied.

Here, the phase delay of scattered light is closely related to the size and structure of cells in the body. For example, when body cells are reduced in size due to weight loss, scattering of light through the body is promoted and the phase delay value of the scattered light is also increased.

Referring to FIG. 1, the obesity tissue shown in FIG. 1 (b) is not different in the number of adipocytes compared with the normal tissue shown in FIG. 1 (a), but the adipocyte size is larger. When the analysis light is irradiated to the obesity tissue due to the difference in the size of the fat cells, the phase delay value of the scattered light detected thereby is relatively larger than the phase delay value in the normal tissue.

The analysis of obesity according to the present invention is based on the correlation between the size of the body cells and the phase delay of the scattered light. In the present invention, as an analysis technique for measuring the phase delay of such scattered light, , And frequency domain analysis techniques can be applied.

Referring to FIG. 4, the time domain analysis technique, the spatial domain analysis technique, and the frequency domain analysis technique will be briefly described below.

Time Domain Technique

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), a laser pulse of a picosecond (for example, a near-infrared ray band) is irradiated to a first point of a body part and light detected at a second point spaced from the first point by a predetermined distance Axis, the detection light does not appear in the form of a pulse, but appears in a form including a scatter dominant component and an absorption component each having a predetermined time delay.

The time domain analysis technique according to the present invention is a technique using the time delay of scattered light. The phase delay of the scattered light can be calculated from the time delay of the scattered light, And thus can be an index that quantitatively indicates the degree of obesity.

Spatial Domain Technique

Referring to FIG. 4B, when the spatial domain analysis technique is applied, the analyzing light (for example, the near infrared ray band) is irradiated to the first point of the body part to be analyzed and the one or more second And detects scattered light that occurs through the body part at the point. Referring to the graphs shown in FIG. 4B, the scattered light (see the graph below) has a phase delay with respect to the irradiated light (see the upper graph). As described above, this phase delay is an indicator that quantitatively indicates the degree of obesity .

In applying the spatial domain analysis technique, a method of calculating the phase delay at each of the second points may be applied by irradiating the analysis light at one first point and detecting scattered light at the second points corresponding thereto. Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the phase delay increases as the distance between the first point at which the analyzing light (light source) is irradiated and the second point at which the scattered light is detected (receiving end) increases .

Frequency Domain Technique

Referring to FIG. 4C, when the frequency domain analysis technique is applied, the analyzing light is irradiated to the first point of the body part to be analyzed and the scattered light is irradiated through the body part at the second point, . At this time, a frequency-modulated laser in a predetermined frequency range (for example, 50 to 500 MHz) can be applied to the analyzing light irradiated to the first spot. Referring to FIG. 4 (c), it can be seen that a phase delay occurs in the scattered light detected with respect to the inputted input light having a specific frequency. Also, referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that as the frequency of the light source irradiated to the first point increases, the phase delay value of the scattered light detected at the second point also increases accordingly. The phase delay measured by this frequency domain analysis technique can be used as an indicator for quantitatively indicating the degree of obesity as described above.

The frequency domain analysis technique is not a method of irradiating a single frequency analysis light but a method of irradiating a frequency-modulated laser as an analysis light in a predetermined frequency range (for example, 50 to 500 Hz). Therefore, It is possible to provide better accuracy than the conventional technique.

Next, embodiments of the apparatus and method for analyzing the degree of obesity, to which the above-described methods for analyzing the degree of obesity can be applied, will be described in detail.

(One) Light scattering Obesity analyzer using measurement

1, an apparatus for analyzing an obesity degree 100 using light scattering measurement according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an input unit 110, a microprocessor 120, a light irradiation unit 130, an optical detection unit 140, And a display unit 150.

The input unit 110 may be embodied as input means such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, and the like as a configuration for user input. The user can input input information for driving the obesity analysis apparatus 100 through the input unit 110. As an example, the user may select an analysis technique to be applied among the three types of obesity analysis techniques described above through the input unit 110.

The light irradiation unit 130 irradiates analytical light to a first point of the body part to be analyzed for the degree of obesity. Here, the body part may be abdomen, thigh, arm, leg, and the like. The light irradiating unit 130 includes a light source 131 for providing light for analysis. As the light source 131, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) may be used.

The photodetection unit 140 detects scattered light generated through the body part at a second point spaced from the first point by a predetermined distance from the body part. The photodetector unit 140 includes a photodetector 141 and the photodetector 141 may be a photodiode, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), when a time domain analysis technique or a frequency domain analysis technique is applied, only one optical probe 141 provided in the optical detection unit 140 can be used. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), when the spatial domain analysis technique is applied, a plurality of optical detectors 141 disposed at different positions in the optical detection unit 140 may be used.

The microprocessor 120 controls the operation of the light irradiation unit 130, the light detection unit 140, and the display unit 150. Also, the microprocessor 120 analyzes the scattered light detected by the photodetection unit 140 and calculates a scattering coefficient as an index indicating the degree of obesity with respect to the second point of the body part.

Here, the light scattering coefficient is an index calculated from the phase delay of the scattered light, and can be calculated by a known light scattering coefficient calculation method. As an example, the calculation of the light scattering coefficient is described in HASKELL , Richard C., et al. Boundary conditions for the diffusion equation in radiative transfer. JOSA A, 1994, 11. 10: 2727 - 2741 has been introduced "or the like, the calculation process per se is not that which constitutes an essential feature of the present invention specifically and description thereof will be omitted.

The display unit 150 displays the light scattering coefficient calculated by the microprocessor 120. Furthermore, when the light scattering coefficients are calculated for a plurality of points (second points) of the body part, the display unit 150 displays the light scattering coefficients through the chromophore fitting technique as shown in FIG. 6 It can be displayed with the same two-dimensional visual image.

(2) Light scattering Explanation of the analysis method using the obesity analyzer using the measurement

One embodiment of the method for analyzing the degree of obesity using the above-described obesity analyzer 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, one of the time domain analysis technique, the spatial domain analysis technique, and the frequency domain analysis technique is selected as the analysis technique to be applied to the calculation of the light scattering coefficient by the user (S10). The user can perform step S10 through an input unit 110 that is specified as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, or the like.

Next, the light for analysis is irradiated through the light irradiating unit 130 at a first point of the body part to be analyzed for the degree of obesity (S20).

If the time domain analysis technique is selected in the previous step, the laser pulse of the picosecond can be examined. If the spatial domain analysis technique is selected in the previous step, a near infrared ray (NIR) having a wavelength of about 900 nm with high optical absorption can be applied. If a frequency domain analysis technique is selected in the previous step, a frequency-modulated laser can be irradiated, wherein the frequency-modulation range can be selected, for example, from 50 to 500 MHz.

Next, the photodetection unit 140 is used to detect scattered light generated through irradiation of the above-described analytical light at the second point of the body part (S30).

The detection of such scattered light can be performed at a plurality of second points. When the spatial domain analysis technique is applied, the analysis light can be irradiated to one first point and scattered light can be detected at a plurality of second points corresponding to the first point. On the other hand, when a time domain analysis technique or a frequency domain analysis technique is applied, a method of detecting scattered light at a plurality of second points corresponding to a plurality of first points rather than a fixed first point is applied. That is, the scattered light is detected at the corresponding second point while changing the first point.

Next, the phase delay of the scattered light detected by the photodetection unit 140 is measured and the light scattering coefficient is calculated based on the measured phase delay. The calculation of such a light scattering coefficient is performed by the microprocessor 120 described above. The light scattering coefficient is calculated for each of the detected second points of the scattered light. For example, when scattered light is detected for one second point, the light scattering coefficient for the corresponding second point can be calculated, and if scattered light is detected for a plurality of second points, The light scattering coefficient can be calculated for two points.

Examples of light scattering coefficients calculated before and after weight loss are shown in [Table 1] and [Table 2] below. In these tables, the horizontal axis and the vertical axis represent the distance (mm) from the light source in two mutually orthogonal directions.

[Table 1: Light scattering coefficient measured before weight loss]

[Table 2: Light scattering coefficient measured after weight loss]

Comparing Table 1 and Table 2, it can be seen that the light scattering coefficients calculated after weight loss were increased compared to the light scattering coefficients calculated before weight loss. This is because weight loss reduces the size of adipocytes and increases the light scattering rate and thus the phase delay of the scattered light. Here, it can be understood that the change in the degree of obesity can be quantitatively confirmed by comparing the light scattering coefficients before and after the weight loss.

Finally, chromophore fitting is performed on the plurality of light scattering coefficients calculated in the previous step, and the result of the chromophore fitting is displayed as a two-dimensional visual image (S50). The step S50 may be performed by the microprocessor 120, and the visual image may be displayed through the display unit 150. [

FIG. 6 shows an example of an image obtained by applying a chromorphore fitting technique to the light scattering coefficients of the above-mentioned [Table 1] and [Table 2]. In this image, the larger the light scattering coefficient, the brighter the display is. 6 (a) before weight loss and FIG. 6 (b) after weight loss, it can be seen that the image after weight loss is displayed more brighter overall. This shows that after weight loss, This is because the index of light scattering coefficient has increased relatively. By displaying the light scattering coefficients as a two-dimensional visual image, it becomes possible to more intuitively feel the change in the degree of obesity before and after the weight loss.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It can be understood that

100: Obesity analyzer using light scattering measurement
110: input unit
120: Microprocessor
130: light irradiation unit
140:
150:

Claims

A light irradiating unit for irradiating analytical light to a first point of a body part to be analyzed for a degree of obesity;
An optical detecting unit for detecting scattered light generated from the analyzing light at a plurality of second points of the body part;
A microprocessor for calculating the light scattering coefficients of the scattered light based on the phase delay of the scattered light with respect to the plurality of second points; And
And a display unit for visually displaying a calculation result of the light scattering coefficient,
The microprocessor,
Performing chromophore fitting on a plurality of light scattering coefficients calculated for the plurality of second points and displaying a result of the chromophore fitting through the display unit,
Obesity analyzer using light scattering measurement.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the microprocessor calculates the light scattering coefficient using one of an analysis technique in a time domain, an analysis technique in a spatial domain, and an analysis technique in a frequency domain,
Obesity analyzer using light scattering measurement.

(S20) irradiating analytical light to a first point of a body part to be analyzed for a degree of obesity using a light irradiation unit;
(S30) detecting scattered light generated from the analyzing light at a plurality of second points of the body part using an optical detection unit;
Calculating (S40) based on the phase delay of the scattered light the scattering coefficients of the scattered light with respect to the plurality of second points as an indicator of the degree of obesity of the body part using a microprocessor; And
Performing chromophore fitting on a plurality of light scattering coefficients calculated for the plurality of second points using the microprocessor, and displaying the result of the chromophore fitting as a visual image on the display unit (S50).
Obesity analysis method using light scattering measurement.

delete

The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising a step (S10) of selecting any one of an analysis technique in a time domain, an analysis technique in a spatial domain, and an analysis technique in a frequency domain as an analysis technique to be applied to the calculation of the light scattering coefficient,
Obesity analysis method using light scattering measurement.