Patent Application
20070282178
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for the identification of at least one substance of content of a body fluid, wherein adjacent to a body tissue containing the body fluid at least one radiation source as well as a photo receiver are arranged, wherein the radiation source generates radiation of at least two different wavelengths, wherein the radiation is directed onto the body tissue and the photo receiver receives radiation that is reflected by the body tissue and/or is reduced through the body tissue.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art to conduct a radiography and/or a backscatter at a desired wavelength with a predeterminable intensity on body tissue with wavelength-dependent absorption coefficients and/or with strong light dispersion, in which an adjustment desired and/or predetermined by the user can be conducted manually or through automatic regulation.
The long established pulsoximetry allows for a non-invasive measurement of the oxygen saturation of the arterial blood. For this, for example, the light of two different wavelengths, for example, 660 nm and 905 nm is guided through a finder, and which is partially absorbed by the blood pulsating through the tissue. The degree of absorption is defined through an analysis of the portion of the light exiting on the other side of the radiographed tissue, which allows an immediate conclusion as to the oxygen saturation of the pulsating and thus arterial blood.
The pulse spectroscopy expands the non-invasive diagnostic, among other things, by the following blood parameters: concentration of hemoglobin, absolute oxygen saturation of the blood, carbon monoxide concentration, concentration of methemoglobin, concentration of bile pigment. When conducting a pulse spectroscopy, like in a pulsoximetry, also wavelengths of, for example, 660 nm and 905 nm are used, however, further wavelengths are necessary. The principles of the pulse spectroscopy are illustrated in the following patent documents: DE 103 21 338 A1, DE 102 13 692 A1 and DE 10 2005 020 022 A1.
In media with wavelength-dependent absorption the intensity of the radiation changes with the distance and the spectral composition. This is also true for the scattering of the radiation, because it weakens the radiation due to the size and the number of the dispersion centers and it also changes the radiation spectrally with distance. Therefore, radiation sources are needed that can optimally compensate these changes in order to facilitate an evaluation of the reflected back dispersed portion and/or of the portion after a radiography.
Such changes of radiation are caused, for example, by a wavelength dependent absorption of the substances of content of a body fluid like, for example, hemoglobin, glucose, bile pigment, and water which can be described by approximation through the Beer Lambert law.
The absorption of radiation of a defined wavelength can be quickly estimated with the help of the absorption coefficient. The absorption coefficient of water shows strong wavelength dependency. Water molecules show a strong absorption band at approximately 1450 nm.
Hemoglobin, for example, has two transmission bands in the red and in the blue-green zone.
It is the object of the present invention to create a method and a device which during the identification of substances of content of a body tissue automatically provides the degree of intensity of the radiation source dependent on the absorption and/or reflection, and which changes the radiation characteristics according to necessity and also facilitates a minimized requirement of energy.
The source of electromagnetic radiation is, for example, one or several laser diodes and/or one or several white light sources and/or one or several LED.
The object of the invention is solved by using different light emitting diodes (LED) with same and/or different configuration. The use of light emitting diodes guarantees, on the one hand, a long life span and a low power consumption so that at least two of the above-mentioned conditions would already be fulfilled. The invention is characterized by additional features that take as much advantage of the good activation characteristics as well as its emission characteristics and its different radiation characteristics.
A solution is provided with which a non-invasive identification of at least one substance of content of a body fluid chosen from the group of pulse frequency, ph-value, concentration of hemoglobin (cHb), oxyhemoglobin (HbO2), desoxygenized hemoglobin (HbDe), carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO), methemoglobin (cMetHb), sulfhemoglobin (HbSulf), bile pigment, glucose, bile pigments, SaO2, SaCO, SpO2, CaO2, SpCO, is made possible. Furthermore, a non-invasive identification of several substances of content of a body fluid is possible.
An important feature of light emitting diodes for the realization is their activation through their non-linear power-voltage characteristic curve according to the Shockley equation.
I=Iexp (Uf/nkT)
I: flow stream; UF: flow tension; I: saturation flow; k: Boltzmann constant; T: absolute temperature, n: constant (with a value between 1 and 2).
Since the number of emitted photons over a great flow area is directly proportional to the flow stream, LED are easily controlled over several ranges concerning their light intensity through a small change in the flow tension.
Theoretically, changes in the flow tension of up to 150 mV are possible. This would cause a change of flow tension by factor 10 and a change of luminosity also by 10.
GaAIAs/GaAs (red and infrared): 1.2 to 1.8 V
InGaAIP (red and orange): 2.2 V
GaAsP/GaP (yellow): 2.1 V
GaP/GaP (green): 2.1 V
InGaN (blue and white): 3.3 to 4 V
Silicon diode: 0.7 V
The power input varies from one model to another between 2 mA, 20 mA (for example 5-mm-LED) up to approximately 700 mA or more in LED for purposes of illumination. The conducting state voltage (Uf) hereby ranges from approximately 1.5 V (infrared-LED) to approximately 4 V (InGaN-LED: green, blue UV).
This creates the possibility, when using different LED, to quickly manage and purposefully change an additive complement of the luminosity/light intensity by targeted regulation of one kind of LED.
Thus it is possible, in selective absorption as it can occur in water or in blood (through hemoglobin), to control one kind of LED current-wise by using different LED in such a manner that different tissue thicknesses, skin pigmentations and other factors are considered in such a way that a photo receiver always receives a defined portion of scattered radiation and/or reduced radiation for evaluation.
A further characteristic of LED is its varied irradiation characteristic which can show aperture angles from 20° to 45°; in addition, almost cosine-like irradiation is possible.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
In the drawing:
The LED arrangement 1 as shown in
The LED are respectively connectable with an LED control device. The LED control device regulates the power and/or voltage supply of each individual LED.
The LED are covered with a coating (not shown).
The LED have at least two different emission wavelengths. According to the invention, there are at least two LED for every emission wavelength in the area of the LED device. One of the two LED for one emission wavelength is the main LED, the at least one further LED of the same emission wavelength serves as auxiliary LED.
By means of these auxiliary light emitting diodes 3 those spectral components are added to the over-all spectrum that are missing in the emission spectrum of the active main LED 4 and/or that are not available at a sufficient strength.
Preferably, the main and/or auxiliary LED are configured in such a way that they can emit alternatively and/or complementary the following wavelengths selected from the group:
150 nm±15%, 400 nm±15%, 460 nm±15%, 480 nm±15%, 520 nm±15%, 550 nm±15%, 560 nm±15%, 606 nm±15%, 617 nm±15%, 620±15%, 630 nm±15%, 650 nm±15%, 660 nm±15%, 705 nm±15%, 710 nm±15%, 720 nm±10%, 805 nm±15%, 810 nm±15%, 880 nm±15%, 890 nm, 905 nm±15%, 910 nm±15%, 950 nm±15%, 980 nm±15%, 980 nm±15%, 1000 nm±15%, 1030 nm±15%, 1050 nm±15%, 1100 nm±15%, 1200 nm±15%, 1310 nm±15%, 1380 nm±15%, 1450 nm±15%, 1600 nm±15%, 1650 nm±15%, 1670 nm±15%, 1730 nm±15%, 1800 nm±15%, 2100 nm±15%, 2250 nm±15%, 2500 nm±15%, 2800 nm±15%
Table 1 shows an exemplified list of suitable light emitting diodes, that can be used in accordance with the invention.
According to the invention, al least two LED of a wavelength range are used in an LED configuration. This redundancy regarding the wavelength range makes it possible to compensate for the breakdown of singular LED and/or to chose an alternative radiation entry area for a wavelength range and/or to increase the intensity for one wavelength range through simultaneous use of at least two LED.
According to the invention, it has also been considered to use two-wavelengths emitting LED. According to the invention it is preferred to use such two-wavelengths emitting LED in which the intensity of each of the two wavelengths can be controlled independently.
For example, the main LED emits in the area of, for example, 1450 nm±15%. Due to a thick tissue layer of the examined finger, the leftover intensity of the radiation after passing through the tissue is no longer sufficient for an evaluation. To begin with, the radiation intensity (at 1450 nm) of the main LED can be increased manually and/or automatically through the LED control device. Alternatively and/or complementary an auxiliary LED, that also emits in the area of 1450 nm, can be additionally connected. It is also provided that the auxiliary LED emits at a wavelength range±15% of the wavelength of the main LED. According to the invention, the auxiliary LED is preferably arranged in the area of the LED configuration at a distance of at least 1 mm from the main LED. Through the additional connection of the auxiliary LED, the leftover intensity after passing through the tissue is again sufficient for evaluation.
In another embodiment, the main LED emits in the range of, for example, 660 nm±15%. Due to a local intensive pigmentation in the radiation area of the examined finger, the leftover intensity of the radiation after passing through the tissue is no longer sufficient for evaluation.
First of all, the radiation intensity (at 660 nm) of the main LED can be increased manually or automatically via the LED control device. Alternatively and/or additionally, an additional LED, that also emits in the realm of 660 nm±15%, can be connected. Because the auxiliary LED is arranged at a distance of at least 1 mm from the main LED, the auxiliary LED radiates outside of the local intensive pigmentation. The radiation of the auxiliary LED passes through the finger at a sufficient leftover intensity and an evaluation is possible.
In another embodiment, the main LED emits in the range of infrared 890 nm±15% or 910 nm±15%. Due to a defect in the main LED, the LED control device activates an auxiliary LED which also emits in the infrared realm. Because of the redundance of light emitting diodes that emit in the range of a wavelength, a failing LED can be compensated by another LED of the same wavelength.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2006 018 044.5 | Apr 2006 | DE | national |
