Measuring apparatus, measuring method, and parameter setting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566005-B2
Application number	US-201214356020-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2012
Priority date	Nov 11, 2011
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

There is provided a measuring apparatus, including a light receiving element, provided at a position facing a measurement object region on which is placed a measurement object, which forms an image with light from the measurement object region, light emitting elements, arranged surrounding the light receiving element, which emit light for measuring the measurement object, and reflective optical elements, provided above the light emitting elements, which guide, to the measurement object region, emission light radiated from the light emitting elements. A light receiving surface of the light receiving element and light emission surfaces of the light emitting elements are positioned mutually on a same plane. The emission light radiated from the light emitting elements is reflected by the reflective optical elements, and center lines of the emission light radiated from each of the light emitting elements pass through an approximate center of the measurement object region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring apparatus, comprising:
a light receiving element, provided at a position facing a measurement object region on which is placed a measurement object, which forms an image with light from the measurement object region;
a plurality of light emitting elements, arranged surrounding the light receiving element, which emit light for measuring the measurement object; and
reflective optical elements, provided above the light emitting elements, which guide, to the measurement object region, emission light radiated from the light emitting elements,
wherein a light receiving surface of the light receiving element and light emission surfaces of the plurality of light emitting elements are positioned mutually on a same plane, and
wherein the emission light radiated from the plurality of light emitting elements is reflected by the reflective optical elements, and center lines of the emission light radiated from each of the light emitting elements pass through an approximate center of the measurement object region.

2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an opening section is provided in the measurement object region on which is placed the measurement object, and
wherein a center of the opening section and a center of the light receiving element face each other.

3. The measuring apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein N light emitting elements are arranged as the plurality of light emitting elements, and
wherein the radiated emission light of M (M≦N) types of wavelengths are output from the N light emitting elements.

4. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measurement object is organic matter.

5. The measuring apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the organic matter is skin of a human body.

6. The measuring apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein, in a case where the number of the plurality of light emitting elements is greater than the number of types of wavelengths of the radiated emission light emitted from the light emitting elements, wavelengths of the radiated emission light are selected in an order from a wavelength with a narrowest allowable wavelength width.

7. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a light amount of light reflected from the measurement object and received by the light receiving element is 95% or more on the basis of a light amount of light reflected from a white calibration plate in the case where the white calibration plate is placed as the measurement object.

8. The measuring apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein a separation distance between the light receiving element and the measurement object is 3±0.2 mm,
wherein a size of the light receiving element is 10 mm on all sides, and
wherein a size of a circular opening section is a diameter of 5±0.4 mm.

9. The measuring apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein a numerical aperture NA of the radiated emission light is 0.2, and
wherein an installation angle is 51° for the light emission surfaces of the reflective optical elements.

10. The measuring apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein a number of the light emitting elements is 8,
wherein wavelengths of the radiated emission light emitted from the light emitting elements are five types of λ 1 : 500±25 nm, λ 2 : 540±15 nm, λ 3 : 580 nm±5 nm, λ 4 : 620±15 nm, and λ 5 : 660±15 nm,
wherein one of each of the light emitting elements for respectively emitting the wavelengths of λ 1 and λ 2 are provided, and
wherein two of each of the light emitting elements for respectively emitting the wavelengths of λ 3 to λ 5 are provided.

11. A measuring method, comprising:
emitting light for measuring a measurement object, from a plurality of light emitting elements which emit light for measuring the measurement object, arranged surrounding a light receiving element provided at a position facing a measurement object region on which is placed the measurement object, the light receiving element forming an image with light from the measurement object region;
guiding, to the measurement object region, radiated emission light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements by reflective optical elements provided above the light emitting elements, so that center lines of the radiated emission light pass through an approximate center of the measurement object region; and
receiving light reflected from the measurement object region by the light receiving element,
wherein a light receiving surface of the light receiving element and light emission surfaces of the plurality of light emitting elements are positioned mutually on a same plane.

12. A parameter setting method, comprising:
setting, in a measuring apparatus, a minimum value of a light amount of light reflected from a measurement object and received by a light receiving element, and determining a size of the light receiving element on the basis of the set minimum value of the light amount of reflected light, the measuring apparatus including the light receiving element provided at a position facing a measurement object region on which is placed the measurement object, the light receiving element forming an image with light from the measurement object region, a plurality of light emitting elements that are arranged surrounding the light receiving element and that emit light for measuring the measurement object, and reflective optical elements that are provided above the light emitting elements and that guide, to the measurement object region, emission light radiated from the light emitting elements, wherein a light receiving surface of the light receiving element and light emission surfaces of the plurality of light emitting elements are positioned mutually on a same plane, and wherein the light radiated from the plurality of light emitting elements is reflected by the reflective optical elements, and center lines of the emission light radiated from each of the light emitting elements pass through an approximate center of the measurement object region; and
setting a size of the measurement object region based on a signal-to-noise ratio necessary for the light receiving element and the set minimum value of the light amount of reflected light, and setting a separation distance between the light receiving element and the measurement object based on a light amount incident on the light receiving element and the minimum value of the light amount of reflected light.

Assignees

• Toriumi Yoichi
• Kawabe Hideo
• Kabasawa Kenichi
• Suzuki Tatsuya
• Imai Hirokazu
• Ueno Masatoshi
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Toriumi Yoichi
• Kawabe Hideo
• Kabasawa Kenichi
• Suzuki Tatsuya
• Imai Hirokazu
• Ueno Masatoshi

Classifications

• G01N2021/4761

  Mirror arrangements, e.g. in IR range · CPC title

• G01N21/474 Primary

  Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres · CPC title

• A61B5/0075 Primary

  by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/0079

  using mirrors, i.e. for self-examination · CPC title