WO2016047754A1

WO2016047754A1 - Inspection device, attachment configuring said inspection device, portable communication terminal, and program for controlling portable communication terminal

Info

Publication number: WO2016047754A1
Application number: PCT/JP2015/077099
Authority: WO
Inventors: 隆日下; 佳平尾
Original assignee: 国立大学法人香川大学; 株式会社三紅メディカル
Priority date: 2014-09-26
Filing date: 2015-09-25
Publication date: 2016-03-31
Also published as: JP2016070666A; JP6474148B2

Abstract

An inspection device E1 is provided with a light receiving means 3 for receiving light, which is emitted from a light source 2, spreads in a material 9 to be inspected, and thus arrives at a part different from a light irradiation unit 6 on the surface of the material 9, and for outputting a signal having a level corresponding to the amount of received light. The light receiving means 3, which is configured by using a one- or two-dimensional image sensor 32, can capture the image of the surface of the material 9 to output a signal including captured image data which indicates a light arrival amount at each of a plurality of image capturing points having different distances of separation from the image irradiation unit 6. As data for obtaining optical property information inside the material 9, the captured image data is used.

Description

Inspection device, attachment constituting the inspection device, portable communication terminal, and program for controlling portable communication terminal

The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus used for acquiring information in a human biological tissue or other desired substance to be inspected by an optical technique, and a technology related thereto.

A conventional example of an inspection apparatus is described in Patent Document 1. The inspection apparatus described in this document uses a so-called multipoint measurement technique, and includes first and second configurations described below.

In the first configuration, one light source and two light receiving units are provided. The light source is for irradiating light on the surface of the substance so that the light enters the substance to be inspected. The two light receiving parts receive light that has been emitted from the light source and diffused in the substance (including diffuse reflection, the same applies hereinafter) and arrived at two places different from the light irradiation part on the surface of the substance. Set to From these two light receiving sections, signals of levels corresponding to the respective amounts of received light are output.

According to such a configuration, light that has passed through a relatively shallow portion in the substance reaches one of the two light receiving units that is close to the light irradiation unit. On the other hand, the light that has passed through the relatively deep part in the substance in addition to the relatively shallow part in the substance reaches the other light receiving part far from the light irradiation part. For this reason, by using the received light amount of the one light receiving unit as reference data, obtaining the difference spectrum of the received light amount of each of the two light receiving units, information that eliminates the optical information of a relatively shallow portion in the substance, That is, optical characteristic information (for example, an extinction coefficient for a specific wavelength region) in the deep part of the substance can be obtained. Based on this optical characteristic information, the concentration of a specific component in the substance (for example, the concentration of serum total bilirubin) can be determined non-invasively.

On the other hand, in the second configuration, two light sources and one light receiving unit are provided. By providing the two light sources, two light irradiation units are set on the surface of the substance to be inspected. However, the two light sources are individually turned on.

According to such a configuration, light that has passed through a relatively shallow portion in the substance reaches the light receiving unit from one of the two light irradiation units. The light that has passed through the comparatively deeper part of the substance in addition to the comparatively shallower part of the substance reaches the light receiving part from the other light irradiation part. Therefore, the optical characteristic information of the deep part in the substance from which the optical information of the relatively shallow part in the substance is excluded can be obtained by the same method as in the case of the first configuration described above.

However, the conventional technology still has room for improvement as described below.

First, it is desirable to set the separation distance between the light irradiation part and the light receiving part set on the surface of the substance to an optimum distance so that an accurate measurement value can be obtained. If the separation distance is too short, for example, there is a problem that a large amount of reflected light (interface reflected light) from the surface of the substance reaches the light receiving portion. On the other hand, if the separation distance is too long, so-called sneak light (light transmitted through the interface region in the shallower portion than the original inspection target region and light that has passed through the shallow portion) reaches a large amount of the light receiving unit. Problems such as defects and a narrow dynamic range occur. Further, the optimum separation distance between the light irradiating unit and the light receiving unit varies depending on the inspection item. On the other hand, in the prior art, the light receiving part is a dot-like region, and the distance between the light receiving part and the light irradiation part is fixed. For this reason, it is difficult to obtain an optimum distance as the separation distance and adjust to the obtained distance according to the inspection item. As a result, the measurement accuracy may be inferior, and there is still room for improvement in improving the reliability of the measurement accuracy.

Secondly, in the prior art, it is essential to provide a plurality of light irradiation units or a plurality of light receiving units. Here, in the multipoint measurement method, it is assumed that the information on the substance surface in the plurality of light irradiation units or the plurality of light receiving units is the same. However, in practice, information on the material surface may be different between a plurality of light irradiation sections or between a plurality of light receiving sections. For example, when the examination target is a living tissue, there may be no skin wound, mole, body hair, etc. on one of the two light irradiating units or light receiving units and the other on the other. In such a case, the error of the inspection result becomes large. In order to eliminate the above-described problems, it is necessary to shift the inspection position and perform re-inspection, but this is troublesome. Even if re-inspection is performed, there is a possibility that an inspection result with a large error may be obtained due to a skin wound or the like, as in the case described above.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-103257

An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection device capable of eliminating or reducing the above-described problems, an attachment constituting the inspection device, a portable communication terminal, and a program for controlling the portable communication terminal. There is.

In the present invention, the following technical means are taken in order to solve the above-described problems.

An inspection apparatus provided by the first aspect of the present invention includes a light source for irradiating light on a surface of the substance so that light is incident on the substance to be inspected, and a light source emitted from the light source to pass through the substance. Light receiving means for receiving light reaching a part different from the light irradiation part on the surface of the substance by diffusing, and outputting a signal of a level corresponding to the amount of light received, and signal data output from the light receiving means A data processing unit that executes a process for obtaining optical characteristic information for a specific wavelength region in the substance based on the inspection device, wherein the light receiving means is a one-dimensional or two-dimensional image. By using the sensor and imaging the surface of the substance, it is possible to output a signal including captured image data indicating the amount of light reaching each of a plurality of imaging points with different separation distances from the light irradiation unit There, the data processing unit, as data for determining the optical characteristic information, is characterized in that it is configured to use the captured image data.
Here, examples of the “optical characteristic information” include an extinction coefficient, a light transmission coefficient, or a transmittance.

Preferably, the data processing unit includes data of a diffused light receiving region in which any range of the captured image data has a linear relationship between a separation distance from the light irradiation unit and a logarithmic value of the amount of received light. The optical characteristic information in the substance is obtained by using the data determined to be present and determined to be within the range of the diffused light receiving region.

Preferably, a two-dimensional image sensor is used as the image sensor, and the data processing unit includes two-dimensional captured image data of the surface of the substance acquired by imaging using the two-dimensional image sensor. From this, data corresponding to an image of a linear area on the surface of the substance is selected, and the range of the diffused light receiving area is determined for the selected data.

Preferably, the data processing unit determines whether or not the captured image data includes abnormal data due to non-uniformity of the surface of the substance, and the abnormal data is included. If it is determined, the optical characteristic information is determined based on the captured image data from which the abnormal data is excluded.

Preferably, the inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a portable communication terminal including a light source, a camera using an image sensor, and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a signal output from the camera, and the portable communication. An attachment that can be attached to and detached from a terminal, and a light source for irradiating light on the surface of the substance, as the light receiving means and the data processing unit, a light source of the portable communication terminal, A camera and a control unit are used, respectively, and the attachment sets the separation distance between the surface of the substance and the camera to be an imageable distance of the camera by contacting the surface of the substance. It has a measuring probe that can.

Preferably, the inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a portable communication terminal including a camera using an image sensor and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a signal output from the camera, and the portable communication terminal. And a removable attachment, and the light receiving means and the data processing unit are configured such that a camera and a control unit of the portable communication terminal are used, respectively. The light source, and a measurement probe capable of setting a separation distance between the surface of the substance and the camera to be an imageable distance of the camera by being brought into contact with the surface of the substance.

Preferably, the light source, the light receiving unit, and the data processing unit are incorporated in a common case, and light emitted from the light source can be guided to the surface of the substance in the case. In addition, there is provided a measurement probe capable of setting the separation distance between the surface of the substance and the light receiving means to be an imageable distance by being brought into contact with the surface of the substance.

Preferably, the measurement probe has a planar tip surface having translucency capable of pressing the entire imaging target region on the surface in a planar shape when being brought into contact with the surface of the substance. ing.

Preferably, the inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a light guide for guiding the light to the surface of the substance while suppressing the divergence of the light emitted from the light source.

Preferably, as the light irradiation unit, a plurality of light irradiation units positioned around the imaging target region by the image sensor and spaced apart from each other, or an annular light irradiation unit surrounding the imaging target region can be set. Has been.

An inspection apparatus provided by the second aspect of the present invention includes a light source for irradiating light on the surface of the substance so that the light is incident on the substance to be inspected, and a light source emitted from the light source and passing through the substance. Light receiving means for receiving light reaching a part different from the light irradiation part on the surface of the substance by diffusing, and outputting a signal of a level corresponding to the amount of light received, and signal data output from the light receiving means A data processing unit that executes a process for obtaining optical characteristic information for a specific wavelength region in the substance based on the inspection device, wherein the light receiving means is a one-dimensional or two-dimensional image. A sensor is provided, and light that passes through the surface after reaching a part of the surface of the material at a different angle from the inside of the material is applied to each part of the image sensor for each angle of arrival at the surface. A light guide member that further guides the light so as to be received separately, and that receives light as a signal output from the image sensor, and indicates a light amount distribution for each arrival angle of light reaching a part of the surface of the substance. The data processing unit is configured to use the received light data as data for obtaining the optical characteristic information.

The attachment provided by the third aspect of the present invention is used by being attached to a camera using an image sensor and a portable communication terminal having a control unit capable of executing data processing of signals output from the camera. An attachment used to construct the inspection apparatus provided by the first aspect of the present invention, the light source attached to the attachment, or emitted from the light source provided in the portable communication terminal The illumination probe unit that can irradiate the surface of the material with the light, and a part of the probe surface abuts on the surface of the material, so that the distance between the surface of the material and the camera can be imaged. And an imaging probe section for setting the distance.

A portable communication terminal provided by the fourth aspect of the present invention includes an operation unit, a camera using an image sensor, and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a captured image signal output from the camera. A portable type that constitutes an inspection apparatus capable of executing processing for obtaining optical characteristic information about a specific wavelength region in a substance to be inspected by being used in combination with the attachment provided by the third aspect of the present invention. A communication terminal, wherein the control unit sets the portable communication terminal to an inspection processing mode when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit, and a light source attached to the attachment in this mode. Or when the surface of the substance is irradiated with light emitted from a light source provided in the portable communication terminal, The captured image data corresponding to the amount of light that has diffused through the substance and reached the surface of the substance by acquiring a part different from the part with the camera is obtained. From the above, picked-up image data indicating the amount of light reaching each of a plurality of pick-up points with different separation distances from the light irradiating unit, and executing the process of obtaining the optical characteristic information based on the selected data It is characterized by being configured.

A control program for a portable communication terminal provided by the fifth aspect of the present invention includes an operation unit, a camera using an image sensor, and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a captured image signal output from the camera. A substance to be inspected by using the portable communication terminal in combination with the attachment provided by the third aspect of the present invention. A control program for a portable communication terminal used to configure an inspection device that executes processing for obtaining optical characteristic information for a specific wavelength region, when a predetermined operation is performed in the operation unit A step of setting the portable communication terminal to an inspection processing mode; and a light source attached to the attachment in the inspection processing mode. Alternatively, when the light emitted from the light source provided in the portable communication terminal is irradiated on the surface of the substance, the portion different from the light irradiation part on the surface of the substance is imaged by the camera, A step of acquiring captured image data corresponding to the amount of light that has diffused in the material and reached the surface of the material, and a plurality of images in which the separation distance from the light irradiation unit is different from the captured image data Selecting the captured image data indicating the light arrival amount for each point, and executing the process of obtaining the optical characteristic information based on the selected data, including data for causing the control unit to execute It is characterized by being.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A is a cross-sectional side view of an essential part showing an example of an inspection apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 1B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an essential part of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a portable communication terminal constituting the inspection apparatus shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C. FIG. FIG. 3A is an explanatory plan view showing the relationship between the light irradiation unit and the imaging target region, and FIG. 3B is a graph showing an example of data obtained by imaging. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example in case abnormal data exists in a captured image. 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing other examples when abnormal data exists in the captured image. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a data processing procedure executed by the inspection apparatus shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of an essential part showing a comparison with the inspection apparatus shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C (this comparison corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention). It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the other example of the test | inspection apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part cross-sectional side view which shows the other example of the test | inspection apparatus which concerns on this invention. 10A is a perspective view showing another example of the inspection apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 10B is an explanatory view schematically showing the main configuration of FIG. 10A. FIG. 11A is an explanatory view schematically showing another example of the inspection apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 11B is an explanatory plan view showing the relationship between the light irradiation unit and the imaging target area in the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 11A. It is. 12A is an explanatory plan view showing another example of the positional relationship between the light source and the imaging target region, and FIG. 12B is a graph showing an example of imaging data obtained by the configuration of FIG. 12A. 13A and 13B are explanatory plan views illustrating another example of the positional relationship between the light source and the imaging target region. FIG. 14A is an explanatory view schematically showing another example of the main structure of the inspection apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 14B is an explanatory plan view showing the relationship between the light irradiation part and the imaging position in the configuration of FIG. 14A. FIG. 14C is a graph showing an example of imaging data obtained by the configuration of FIG. 14A.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

The inspection apparatus E1 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C is configured by combining a portable communication terminal B and an attachment A1 that can be attached to and detached from the portable communication terminal B.
This inspection device E1 is used for measuring the concentration of a specific component in a human biological tissue, for example, measuring the serum total bilirubin concentration for a liver function test. Hereinafter, for ease of understanding, the description will be made on the assumption that the substance to be examined is the living tissue 9 having the skin 90 and the subcutaneous tissue 91. However, the type of inspection object is not limited to this, and various substances can be inspected as described later.

The portable communication terminal B is a smartphone, and, as shown in FIG. 2, except for the point that the inspection processing program P1 is stored in the storage unit 10a of the control unit 10, the other configurations are conventionally known smartphones. It is the same. Specifically, the portable communication terminal B includes a light source 2, a camera 3 capable of color imaging, a communication circuit 11, a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, and the like in addition to the control unit 10 described above. 12, a touch panel type operation unit 13 and a speaker 14 are provided. The control unit 10 executes the operation processing and data processing of each unit of the portable communication terminal B, and corresponds to an example of the data processing unit referred to in the present invention. Based on the control program P1, the serum total bilirubin concentration, etc. Data processing for obtaining the concentration of the specific component is also executed. However, the specific content will be described later.

The light source 2 is used for illumination during imaging by the camera 3. However, the light source 2 is also used as a light source for irradiating the surface of the skin 90 with light and making the light enter the living tissue 9 as described later. The light source 2 is configured using, for example, a white LED, and is in a position relatively close to the camera 3.

The camera 3 corresponds to an example of the light receiving means referred to in the present invention. As will be described later, the camera 3 images the surface of the skin 90 and detects the amount of light diffused in the living tissue 9 reaching each part of the surface of the skin 90. Used to do. The camera 3 is configured by combining a condenser lens 30, an RGB color filter 31, and an image sensor 32. The image sensor 32 is a two-dimensional image sensor (area image sensor) such as a CCD or a CMOS, for example, and has a structure in which a large number of light receiving elements having fine light receiving surfaces are arranged vertically and horizontally. The RGB color filter 31 is provided corresponding to each of a large number of light receiving surfaces of the image sensor 32, and the image sensor 32 outputs an output level (voltage) corresponding to each of the received light amounts of RGB as a captured image signal. Level) is output. The RGB color filter 31 can be used as a filter for selecting light in a wavelength range necessary for inspection. For example, in the case of measuring serum total bilirubin concentration, the R signal is not used and only the G and B signals are used. The analog captured image signal output from the camera 3 is amplified by the amplification unit 15, converted to a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 16, and then input to the control unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 1C, attachment A1 has one corner 19 close to camera 3 and light source 2 among the four corners of portable communication terminal B as an attachment target. The attachment A1 has an attachment main body 4 and a measurement probe 5. The attachment main body 4 is made of resin, and has an upper wall portion 40 having an L shape in plan view and a vertical wall portion 41 connected to the upper wall portion 40. The measurement probe 5 is joined to the lower portion of the vertical wall portion 41, and a recess 42 for inserting the corner portion 19 of the portable communication terminal B is provided between the measurement probe 5 and the upper wall portion 40. Is formed. By fitting the corner 19 into the recess 42, the attachment A1 can be mounted in a state of being positioned with respect to the portable communication terminal B.

The measurement probe 5 has

probe parts

5a and 5b for illumination and imaging.
In order to efficiently guide and irradiate the light emitted from the light source 2 toward the surface of the skin 90 inside the probe unit 5a for illumination while preventing the light emitted from the light source 2 from diverging outside the probe unit 5a. The light guide 50 is provided. The light guide 50 is configured using, for example, an optical fiber, an image conduit, or a mirror. Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the light guide 50 guides light to a position closer to the probe unit 5 b than a position directly below the light source 2, and reaches the skin 90 at a position as close as possible to an imaging target region by the camera 3. It is set to emit light.

The imaging probe unit 5b is made of a material that transmits light in a wavelength region used for concentration measurement of a specific component, and has a flat tip surface 51. By bringing the distal end surface 51 into contact with the imaging target area of the skin 90, the imaging target area is maintained in a flat shape, and the separation distance La between the imaging target area and the camera 3 is set to the imageable distance of the camera 3. It is possible to set. If the camera 3 is very close to the skin 90 and the distance is smaller than the minimum imageable distance of the camera 3, appropriate imaging becomes difficult. On the other hand, the imaging probe unit 5b plays a role of making the separation distance La between the skin 90 and the camera 3 larger than the minimum imageable distance of the camera 3 and enabling appropriate imaging without defocusing. . For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when a cylindrical probe portion 59 with an open end is used, the surface of the skin 90 is raised by an appropriate dimension Lb, and there is a possibility that a focused captured image can be obtained. . On the other hand, if the probe part 5b in this embodiment is used, such a possibility is eliminated. The outer surface of the probe portion 5b has a light shielding property, and disturbance light is prevented from entering the probe portion 5b. A light-shielding property is also provided between the probe unit 5b and the light guide path 50, and light from the light guide path 50 is also prevented from directly entering the probe section 5b.

Next, an example of the operation of the inspection apparatus E1 will be described. In addition, an example of a data processing procedure by the control unit 10 based on the inspection processing program P1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when a predetermined switch operation is performed in the portable communication terminal B, the operation mode of the portable communication terminal B is set to the inspection processing mode (S1: YES, S2). At the time of this mode setting, when the measurement probe 5 is pressed against the skin 90 such as the human sternum or the forehead and the light source 2 is driven to turn on, the camera 3 is turned on and the surface of the skin 90 is imaged ( S3: YES, S4). By this imaging, for example, as shown in FIG. 3A, two-dimensional captured image data D1 obtained by imaging an area AR1 (lattice pattern portion) adjacent to the light irradiation unit 6 in the surface of the skin 90 is obtained. Since the light incident on the living tissue 9 from the light irradiation unit 6 diffusely reflects in the living tissue 9 and reaches each part (imaging point) on the surface of the skin 90, the captured image data D1 has such a reaching light amount. The captured image data corresponds to the distribution. A circle C <b> 1 illustrated in FIG. 3A is an example of a range in which light diffuses in the living tissue 9 around the light irradiation unit 6.

Next, the control unit 10 selects the captured image data D10 of the linear area AR10 from the above-described two-dimensional captured image data D1 (S5). The linear region AR10 is, for example, a linear or belt-shaped region (cross-hatched portion in FIG. 3A) along the straight line SL1 that passes through the light irradiation unit 6. The captured image data D10 of the linear area AR10 corresponds to data indicating the amount of light reaching each of a plurality of imaging points with different separation distances from the light irradiation unit 6. However, as the captured image data D10, for example, G and B captured image data among the three types of RGB captured image data is used, and R captured image data is not used. As a result, as will be described later, it is possible to measure the extinction coefficient in the wavelength range from the blue light (center wavelength 450 nm) to the green light (center wavelength 550 nm) in the living tissue 9 based on the captured image data D10. Become. When measuring the serum total bilirubin concentration, red light image data is not required.

On the other hand, the picked-up image data D10 of the linear area AR10 is selected so that there is no heterogeneous portion H (see FIG. 4 and FIGS. 5A to 5C) such as a wound, mole or hair in the linear area AR10. The condition is that there is no large non-uniformity on the surface of the skin 90 corresponding to AR10. When the heterogeneous portion H exists, the position and size can be clearly determined in the captured image data D1. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the heterogeneous portion H such as a flaw exists in the linear area AR10, the captured image data of the linear area AR10 is not selected as data for obtaining the extinction coefficient. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, both or one of the linear image areas AR11 and AR12 that are offset from the straight line SL1 by an appropriate dimension Lc is selected, and the image data of the heterogeneous portion H is included. Not to be. As another method for preventing the inclusion of the heterogeneous portion H, for example, as shown in FIG. 5B, picked-up image data of a linear region AR13 extending at an appropriate angle with respect to the straight line SL1 is selected. It doesn't matter. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5C, captured image data of a linear region AR14 extending in a direction orthogonal to the straight line SL1 may be selected.

The above-described captured image data D10 has a content as shown in FIG. 3B, for example, and overall, as the distance from the light irradiation unit 6 increases, the amount of received light (arrival light amount) tends to decrease. . In such captured image data D10, the control unit 10 determines the range R2 of the diffused light receiving region in which the separation distance from the light irradiation unit 6 and the logarithmic value of the amount of received light have a linear relationship, and within this range R2 Is used to obtain an extinction coefficient for a specific wavelength range from blue light to green light in the living tissue 9 (S6).
Here, the range R1 close to the light irradiation unit 6 in FIG. 3B is an interface reflected light receiving region in which the amount of received light is excessively increased due to the arrival of the interface reflected light reflected by the skin 90. On the other hand, a range R3 far from the light irradiation unit 6 is a sneak light receiving region where sneak light such as subcutaneous fat conduction light arrives. The data of the diffused light receiving region R2 described above is data of a region where the light diffused in the living tissue 9 has appropriately reached and does not include or hardly include the above-described interface reflected light and sneak light. It is.

When obtaining the extinction coefficient for the specific wavelength region in the living tissue 9 using the data of the diffused light receiving region R2 described above, it is optimal or close to the optimum for calculating the extinction coefficient within the range of the diffused light receiving region R2. Multiple possible individual data can be selected. Specifically, for example, it is possible to select data of received light amounts a1 and a2 at two imaging points P1 and P2 in which the difference in the separation distance is close to the maximum in the diffused light receiving region R2. Of course, the data to be selected is not limited to this. For example, by performing a test or the like in advance, candidates for two imaging points P1 and P2 considered to be optimal may be determined, and data corresponding to these candidates may be selected.

Next, calculation processing for obtaining an extinction coefficient for the specific wavelength region in the living tissue 9 is executed based on the selected data (S7). This arithmetic processing is executed using, for example, the following arithmetic expression 1.

D: Amount of light incident on the light irradiation unit a1: Amount of light received at the first imaging point P1 a2: Amount of light received at the second imaging point P2 L1: First imaging point P1 from the light irradiation unit (side closer to the light irradiation unit) ) Average optical path length (average distance traveled by diffused light)
L2: Average optical path length from the light irradiation unit to the second imaging point P2 (on the side far from the light irradiation unit) (average value of distance traveled by diffused light)
Abs ₁ : Absorbance at imaging point P ₁ Abs ₂ : Absorbance at imaging point P ₂ F: Product of molecular extinction coefficient ε and concentration C of measurement object In case of one component F = ε · C
In case of n component F = ε ₁ + C ₁ + ε ₂ + C ₂ +... ε _n + C _n

Abs ₁ = log (D / a1) = F / L1
Abs ₂ = log (D / a2) = F / L2
Abs ₂ −Abs ₁ = log (D / a2) −log (D / a1)
= Log ((D / a2). (A1 / D))
= Log (a1 / a2)
= F ・ L2-F ・ L1
= F (L2-L1)
From the above,
Abs ₂ −Abs ₁ = log (a1 / a2) = F (L2−L1) (Formula 1)

As can be understood from Equation 1, the absorbance depending on the difference in average optical path length in the light diffuser can be obtained by taking the difference in absorbance between the imaging point P1 and the imaging point P2.
Since the optical path length difference in the light diffuser is known to be the largest in the deep part, the differential absorbance will contain a lot of deep part information, and the molecular species and concentration information in the deep part of the measurement object can be obtained. It becomes possible.

After obtaining the extinction coefficient, the control unit 10 obtains the serum total bilirubin concentration in the subcutaneous tissue 91 based on the value, and displays the result on the display unit 12 (S8, S9). . Since the extinction coefficient and the serum total bilirubin concentration have a certain correspondence, the extinction coefficient can be converted to obtain the serum total bilirubin concentration.

In the present embodiment, as described above, it is considered that the data for obtaining the extinction coefficient is optimal or close to optimal from the captured image data D10 of the skin 90 captured using the image sensor 32. Data is selected and used. Here, since the captured image data D10 is data indicating the amount of light reaching each of a plurality of imaging points with different separation distances from the light irradiation unit 6, the captured image data D10 is selected from the captured image data D10 according to the inspection item. Thus, it is possible to appropriately select data on the amount of light reaching the imaging point where the separation distance from the light irradiation unit 6 is considered to be the optimum distance. In addition, from the captured image data D10, data that is not affected by interface reflected light or sneak light can be selected and used. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an appropriate value as the extinction coefficient. Further, the data for obtaining the extinction coefficient may not include data (abnormal data) of the heterogeneous portion H such as a wound on the skin 90, a mole, or body hair. Therefore, a more appropriate value can be obtained as the extinction coefficient. As a result, it is possible to reduce the error in the measured value of the serum total bilirubin concentration obtained based on the extinction coefficient and to increase the reliability of the measured value.

Although the inspection device E1 is configured using the portable communication terminal B, the portable communication terminal B is not specialized as a component device of the inspection device E1, and does not interfere with daily calls or Internet connection. It is possible to use without. As a result, for example, compared with a case where the entire inspection apparatus is configured as a dedicated device, the inspection apparatus E1 of the present embodiment has a rational configuration that effectively uses the portable communication terminal B, and the substantial system overall. The manufacturing cost can be reduced. Since not only the control unit 10 of the portable communication terminal B but also the light source 2 and the camera 3 are effectively used as components of the inspection apparatus E1, the configuration of the attachment A1 is simplified, and the overall manufacturing cost is further increased. It is possible to make it cheaper.

8 to 14 show other embodiments of the present invention. In these drawings, elements that are the same as or similar to those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment, and redundant description is omitted.

In the inspection apparatus E2 shown in FIG. 8, the upper wall portion 40 of the attachment A2 is substantially U-shaped in a plan view, and a lower wall portion 43 facing the upper wall portion 40 is provided below the upper wall portion 40. Between both of the measurement probe 5 and the lower wall portion 43 and the upper wall portion 40, there is provided a recess 42a into which one end portion of the portable communication terminal B and its vicinity can be fitted.

According to the present embodiment, the attachment A2 can be attached to the portable communication terminal B by fitting one end of the portable communication terminal B and the vicinity thereof into the recess 42a. Compared with the embodiment in which the attachment A1 is attached to one corner, the attachment state of the attachment A2 can be made more stable. However, in the present invention, the specific means for attaching the attachment to the portable communication terminal is not limited to the fitting method as described above, and other methods can be adopted.

In the inspection apparatus E3 shown in FIG. 9, the light source 2A is attached to the attachment A3, and the light emitted from the light source 2A can be irradiated to the skin 90. For supplying power necessary for driving the light source 2A, for example, means for mounting a small-sized battery on the attachment A3 or means for receiving power supply from an output terminal provided in the portable communication terminal B is adopted. be able to.

According to this embodiment, even if the portable communication terminal B is not provided with a light source, or even if the portable communication terminal B is provided with a light source, the relative positional relationship with the camera 3 and the like. For this reason, it is possible to appropriately cope with the case where the skin 90 is not very suitable for light irradiation.

The inspection apparatus E4 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B is configured as a dedicated inspection apparatus that does not use a portable communication terminal. Specifically, the data processing unit 10 </ b> A, the display unit 12, the operation unit 13, the light source 2 </ b> A, and the camera 3 using the two-dimensional image sensor are assembled in one common case 70. The measurement probe 5 is provided at a lower portion of the case 70 so as to protrude downward.

Although the inspection apparatus E4 of the present embodiment does not use a portable communication terminal, the basic configuration is the same as that of the inspection apparatuses E1 to E3 described above, and the intended effect of the present invention can be obtained. Is possible.

In the inspection apparatus E5 shown in FIG. 11A, a one-dimensional image sensor (line image sensor) 32A is used as means for imaging the surface of the inspection target substance. The region to be imaged by the one-dimensional image sensor 32A is, for example, a linear shape along a straight line SL1 passing through the light irradiation unit 6 in the region adjacent to the light irradiation unit 6 on the surface of the skin 90, as shown in FIG. 11B. This is the area AR15. This area AR15 corresponds to the linear area AR10 shown in FIG. 3A. Therefore, captured image data as shown in FIG. 3B can also be obtained by imaging with the one-dimensional image sensor 32A, and the inspection processing intended by the present invention can be appropriately performed. When abnormal data is included in the captured image data by the one-dimensional image sensor 32A, the extinction coefficient can be obtained based on the remaining data excluding the abnormal data.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12A, the two light irradiation units 6 can be set on the surface of the skin 90 so as to sandwich the imaging target area AR1 by the two-dimensional image sensor. The two light irradiation units 6 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center portion Oa of the imaging target area AR1. For example, two point light sources (not shown) are used as means for enabling the two light irradiation units 6 to be set.

According to the present embodiment, the captured image data D2 of the region along the straight line SL1 connecting the two light irradiation units 6 has contents as shown in FIG. 12B, for example. In the captured image data D2, the left and right ends of the imaging target area AR1 have a larger amount of received light than the center side, and the two ranges R2 in the figure represent the imaging position (separated distance from the light irradiation unit) and the received light amount. The range in which the logarithmic value is in a linear relationship. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the extinction coefficient by using data within one or both of the two ranges R2. In the present embodiment, since the two light irradiation units 6 are set, the amount of light received by the image sensor can be increased, and the SN ratio of the captured image signal output from the image sensor can be increased.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13A, the three light irradiators 6 are set at an equiangular interval around the imaging target area AR1 and set to an arrangement having rotational symmetry centered on the central portion Oa of the imaging target area AR1. Has been. Such a setting can be realized by using, for example, three point light sources. Of course, in this invention, it can also be set as the structure which set the number of the light irradiation parts 6 to four or more.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13B, an annular light irradiation unit 6a is set around the imaging target area AR1. The light irradiation unit 6a is concentric with the imaging target area AR1 and has a rotational symmetry centered on the central portion Oa of the imaging target area AR1. The annular light irradiation unit 6a includes an annular light scattering plate having translucency, and a plurality of point light sources for irradiating light at appropriate positions of the light scattering plate, and the light scattering plate is used as a light emitting surface. Can be set by using a light source device.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the amount of light applied to the skin 90 is further increased than in the embodiment shown in FIG. 12A, and the SN ratio of the captured image signal output from the image sensor is further increased. It is possible.
As understood from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A, 13B, in the present invention, the specific number, arrangement, shape, and the like of the light irradiation section are not limited. As the light source, a light source other than the LED light source can be used.

In the inspection apparatus E6 shown in FIG. 14A, as the light source 2B, an annular light source capable of setting an annular light irradiation unit 6a as shown in FIG. 14B on the surface of the skin 90 is used. Of the surface of the skin 90, a portion corresponding to the central portion of the light irradiation unit 6a is an imaging point Pa, and a ball lens 75 is disposed on the imaging point Pa. A two-dimensional image sensor 32 is disposed above the ball lens 75. The ball lens 75 corresponds to an example of a light guide member in the present invention, and enters and diffuses into the living tissue 9 from the light irradiation unit 6a, and reaches the imaging point Pa at a different angle, and then the skin 90 is removed. The light passing upward is guided to be distributed and received by each part of the image sensor 32 at each arrival angle α (inclination angle with respect to the normal in this specification). More specifically, light having a small arrival angle α with respect to the imaging point Pa is guided to and received at a position closer to the center of the image sensor 32, and moves closer to the end of the image sensor 32 as the arrival angle α increases. It is configured to be guided and receive light. For this reason, the image sensor 32 outputs a light reception data signal indicating a light amount distribution for each arrival angle α of the light reaching the imaging point Pa. When light reception data D4 output from a plurality of light receiving elements along a straight line passing through the center of the light receiving surface of the image sensor 32 is selected from the light reception data, the light reception data D4 is as shown in FIG. 14C. Become.

The light that has diffused in the shallow region in the living tissue 9 has a large arrival angle α, and the arrival angle α gradually decreases as the diffusion depth of the light increases. For this reason, the received light data D4 has the same property as the captured image data indicating the relative relationship between the distance from the light irradiation unit and the amount of received light shown in FIG. 12B, for example. Therefore, based on the received light data D4 shown in FIG. 14C, an extinction coefficient for a specific wavelength region in the living tissue 9 is calculated in a data processing unit (not shown), and the serum total bilirubin concentration is obtained based on the extinction coefficient. It is possible.

According to the present embodiment, since the imaging target region by the image sensor 32 can be set to only one imaging point Pa, unlike in the case of setting a plurality of imaging points, the surface information varies for each imaging point. The resulting measurement error is eliminated. More specifically, since the color of the skin 90 is not the same everywhere and varies, when a plurality of imaging points are set, one imaging point has a whiter or blackish skin than the other imaging point. Due to the above setting, there is a possibility that a difference occurs between the captured images at the two imaging points. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the advantage by which such a concern is eliminated suitably is acquired.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C, a point light source may be used as the light source, and a one-dimensional image sensor may be used as the image sensor.

The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the inspection apparatus, attachment, and portable communication terminal according to the present invention can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. The specific contents of the control program according to the present invention can be variously changed within the intended scope of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, the case of measuring the serum total bilirubin concentration in the subcutaneous tissue of the human body has been described as a specific example. However, the measurement target item is not limited to this, and other items can be obtained by changing the wavelength range of light. It is also possible to configure so as to measure the concentration of the specific component (for example, dissolved carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide). The substance to be examined is not limited to human and animal living tissues, and various substances such as plant tissues and foods such as fruits can be examined. Therefore, the wavelength range of light used for inspection is not limited. The optical characteristic information referred to in the present invention is a concept including a light transmission coefficient, a transmittance and the like in addition to an absorption coefficient.

The specific number of pixels, pixel density, photoelectric conversion method, and the like of the image sensor are not limited.
The specific type of portable communication terminal is not limited. For example, a mobile phone or a tablet terminal can be used instead of the smartphone.

Claims

A light source for irradiating the surface of the substance with light so that the light enters the substance to be inspected;
A light receiving means for emitting light emitted from this light source and diffusing in the substance to reach a portion different from the light irradiation part on the surface of the substance, and outputting a signal of a level corresponding to the amount of received light;
A data processing unit that executes processing for obtaining optical characteristic information about a specific wavelength region in the substance based on data of a signal output from the light receiving unit;
An inspection device comprising:
The light receiving means is configured using a one-dimensional or two-dimensional image sensor, and the amount of light reaching each of a plurality of imaging points with different separation distances from the light irradiation unit by imaging the surface of the substance. Can output a signal including captured image data indicating
The data processing unit is configured to use the captured image data as data for obtaining the optical characteristic information.
The inspection apparatus according to claim 1,
The data processing unit determines which range of the captured image data is data of a diffused light receiving region in which a separation distance from the light irradiation unit and a logarithmic value of the amount of received light have a linear relationship. An inspection apparatus configured to determine optical property information in the substance using data determined and determined to be within the range of the diffused light receiving region.
The inspection apparatus according to claim 2,
As the image sensor, a two-dimensional image sensor is used,
The data processing unit selects data corresponding to an image of a linear region on the surface of the substance from two-dimensional captured image data of the surface of the substance acquired by imaging using the two-dimensional image sensor. And an inspection apparatus configured to determine the range of the diffused light receiving area for the selected data.
The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the data processing unit determines whether or not the captured image data includes abnormal data due to non-uniformity of the surface of the substance, and determines that the abnormal data is included The inspection apparatus is configured to execute processing for obtaining the optical characteristic information based on captured image data from which the abnormal data is excluded.
The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
This inspection device
A portable communication terminal including a light source, a camera using an image sensor, and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a signal output from the camera;
An attachment that can be attached to and detached from this portable communication terminal,
Is composed of
As the light source for irradiating light on the surface of the substance, the light receiving means and the data processing unit, the light source, camera and control unit of the portable communication terminal are used, respectively.
The attachment includes an inspection device capable of setting a distance between the surface of the substance and the camera to be an imageable distance of the camera by bringing the attachment into contact with the surface of the substance.
The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
This inspection device
A portable communication terminal including a camera using an image sensor and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a signal output from the camera;
An attachment that can be attached to and detached from this portable communication terminal,
Is composed of
As the light receiving means and the data processing unit, a camera and a control unit of the portable communication terminal are used, respectively.
The attachment includes the light source, and a measurement probe capable of setting a distance between the surface of the substance and the camera to be an imageable distance of the camera by contacting the light source and the surface of the substance. Inspection equipment.
The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The light source, the light receiving means, and the data processing unit are incorporated in one common case,
In the case, the light emitted from the light source can be guided to the surface of the substance, and the distance between the surface of the substance and the light receiving means is imaged by bringing the light into contact with the surface of the substance. An inspection apparatus provided with a measurement probe that can be set to a possible distance.
The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The measurement probe has a flat distal end surface having translucency capable of pressing the entire imaging target region on the surface in a flat shape when being brought into contact with the surface of the substance. Inspection device.
The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An inspection apparatus comprising a light guide for guiding the light to the surface of the substance while suppressing the divergence of the light emitted from the light source.
The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
As the light irradiating unit, a plurality of light irradiating units positioned around the imaging target region by the image sensor and spaced apart from each other, or an annular light irradiating unit surrounding the imaging target region can be set. , Inspection equipment.
A light source for irradiating the surface of the substance with light so that the light enters the substance to be inspected;
A light receiving means for emitting light emitted from this light source and diffusing in the substance to reach a portion different from the light irradiation part on the surface of the substance, and outputting a signal of a level corresponding to the amount of received light;
A data processing unit that executes processing for obtaining optical characteristic information about a specific wavelength region in the substance based on data of a signal output from the light receiving unit;
An inspection device comprising:
The light receiving means includes a one-dimensional or two-dimensional image sensor,
The light that reaches a part of the surface of the substance at a different angle from the inside of the substance and then passes through the surface is guided to be distributed to each part of the image sensor for each arrival angle to the surface. Further comprising an optical member,
As a signal output from the image sensor, a light reception data signal indicating a light amount distribution for each arrival angle of light reaching a part of the surface of the substance is output,
The data processing unit is configured to use the received light data as data for obtaining the optical characteristic information.
The inspection apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the inspection apparatus according to claim 5 or 6 is used by being mounted on a portable communication terminal including a camera using an image sensor and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a signal output from the camera. An attachment used for
A light probe attached to the attachment, or a probe unit for illumination that can irradiate the surface of the substance with light emitted from the light source provided in the portable communication terminal; and
An imaging probe unit for setting a separation distance between the surface of the substance and the camera to be an imageable distance of the camera by bringing a part into contact with the surface of the substance;
An attachment characterized by comprising.
An operation unit, a camera using an image sensor, and a control unit capable of executing data processing of a captured image signal output from the camera;
A portable communication terminal that constitutes an inspection apparatus capable of executing processing for obtaining optical characteristic information about a specific wavelength region in a substance to be inspected by being used in combination with the attachment according to claim 12. ,
The controller is
When a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit, the portable communication terminal is set to the inspection processing mode, and in this mode, the light source attached to the attachment or the portable communication terminal is provided. When the light emitted from the light source is irradiated on the surface of the substance, a part different from the light irradiation part on the surface of the substance is imaged by the camera to diffuse inside the substance and onto the surface of the substance. While obtaining captured image data corresponding to the amount of light that has reached,
From the acquired captured image data, selected is captured image data indicating the amount of light reaching each of a plurality of imaging points with different separation distances from the light irradiation unit, and the optical is based on the selected data. A portable communication terminal configured to execute a process for obtaining characteristic information.
An operation unit, a camera using an image sensor, and a storage unit of the control unit of a portable communication terminal having a control unit capable of executing data processing of a captured image signal output from the camera, and By using a portable communication terminal in combination with the attachment according to claim 12, a portable device used for configuring an inspection apparatus that executes processing for obtaining optical characteristic information about a specific wavelength region in a substance to be inspected. Control program for type communication terminal,
A step of setting the portable communication terminal to an inspection processing mode when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit;
In the inspection processing mode, when light emitted from a light source attached to the attachment or a light source provided in the portable communication terminal is irradiated on the surface of the substance, light irradiation of the surface of the substance is performed. Acquiring captured image data corresponding to the amount of light that has diffused in the substance and reached the surface of the substance by causing the camera to image a portion different from the part;
From the picked-up image data, picked-up image data indicating the amount of light reaching each of a plurality of pick-up points with different separation distances from the light irradiation unit, and the optical characteristics based on the selected data Executing a process for obtaining information;
Including a data for causing the control unit to execute the control program for a portable communication terminal.