Transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus for skin autofluorescence

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723990-B2
Application number	US-201313927712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2013
Priority date	Mar 21, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides a transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus for skin fluorescence, which is configured to perform light irradiation and light detection on a reference sample and a measurement target. The apparatus includes a first light source, a second light source, a first optical detector and a second optical detector, a light source switching controller, and an operator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transmitted light type measurement apparatus measuring skin fluorescence, which is configured to perform light irradiation and light detection on a reference sample or a measurement target, the apparatus comprising:
a first light source configured to irradiate excitation light on the measurement target;
a second light source configured to irradiate light, which has a same wavelength range as light generated from the measurement target by the excitation light from the first light source;
a first optical detector disposed to detect transmitted light through the measurement target by the excitation light from the first light source;
a second optical detector disposed to detect the skin fluorescence generated from the measurement target by the excitation light from the first light source and transmitted light passing through the measurement target by light from the second light source;
a light source switching controller configured to control turning on and off of the first light source and the second light source; and
an operation part configured to calculate a skin fluorescence signal by correcting a signal based on the skin fluorescence and the transmitted light detected by the first optical detector and the second optical detector,
wherein the operation part calculates a skin fluorescence value corrected by an equation:
AF corr= K [ I (λ2 ,t 1)/ I 0 (λ2 ,t 1)]/{[ T (λ1)] k1 [ T (λ2)]} k2

(here,
T (λ1)= I (λ1 ,t 1)/ I 0 (λ1 ,t 1):

Diffuse transmission coefficient in excitation wavelength;
T (λ2)= I (λ2 ,t 2)/ I 0(λ2 ,t 2):

Diffuse transmission coefficient in emission wavelength;
I(λ2,t1): Inherent fluorescence signal value of skin tissue;
I(λ1,t1): Transmitted light signal value of skin tissue in excitation light wavelength;
I(λ2,t2): Transmitted light signal value of skin tissue in emission light wavelength;
k1, k2: Exponents of correction function with respect to excitation light and emission light wavelength;
I0(λ2,t1): Inherent fluorescence signal value of reference sample;
I0(λ1,t1): Transmitted light signal value of reference sample in excitation light wavelength;
I0(λ2,t2): Transmitted light signal value of reference sample in emission light wavelength); and
K: Ratio coefficient that considers the features of the used reference samples).

2. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of optical transmitters configured to transmit the excitation light irradiated from the first light source and the second light source to the measurement target, transmit the transmitted light to the first optical detector and the second optical detector and transmit the skin fluorescence signal to the second optical detector;
wherein the optical transmitters have a mounting surface mounted with the first light source and the second light source or the first optical detector and the second light source, a reflection surface extending from the mounting surface to the measurement target and reflecting light, and a contact surface connected such that light is incident to the measurement target.

3. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pair of optical transmitters comprise a first optical prism connected to the first light source and the second light source and a second optical prism connected to the first optical detector and the second optical detector.

4. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first optical prism and the second optical prism are triangular prisms having a triangular section.

5. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first optical prism has a mounting surface mounted with the first light source and a reflection surface mounted with the second light source.

6. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second optical prism has a mounting surface mounted with the first optical detector and a reflection surface mounted with the second optical detector.

7. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pair of optical transmitters comprise a first optical pipe connected to the first light source and the second light source and a second optical pipe connected to the first optical detector and the second optical detector.

8. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first optical pipe and the second optical pipe have reflection surfaces that are inclined, and have a tapered pillar shape in which a mounting surface is wider than a contact surface.

9. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the reflection surfaces of the first optical pipe and the second optical pipe are tapered such that a cross-sectional area thereof is reduced from the mounting surface to the contact surface.

10. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first optical pipe has a mounting surface mounted with the first light source and the second light source.

11. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the mounting surfaces of the first optical pipe and the second optical pipe are inclined to the reflection surface thereof.

12. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second optical pipe has a mounting surface mounted with the first optical detector and the second optical detector.

13. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a dichroic prism at a side of the mounting surface of the second optical pipe for dividing detected light into two wavelength bands.

14. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 13 , where the first optical detector is disposed to detect reflected light from the dichroic prism, and the second optical detector is disposed to detect transmitted light from the dichroic prism.

15. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first optical pipe and the second optical pipe are vertical-type optical pipes that extend in a perpendicular direction to the contact surface with the measurement target.

16. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first optical pipe and the second optical pipe are horizontal-type optical pipes that extend in a parallel direction to the contact surface with the measurement target.

17. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the reflection surfaces of the first optical pipe and the second optical pipe comprise a bent reflection surface that is inclined to the contact surface, respectively.

18. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the reflection surfaces of the first optical pipe and the second optical pipe are processed by mirror coating.

19. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising: a transfer part configured to move the optical transmitter in a vertical direction; and a thickness indicator configured to measure a distance between the two optical transmitters and indicating a thickness of the measurement target.

20. The transmitted light detection type measurement apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an optical connector disposed over the contact surface of the optical tra

Assignees

• Keri Korea Electrotechnology Res Inst
• Korea Electro Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Kang Uk
• Papayan Garry V
• Shin Il Hyung
• Lee Dae Sic
• Bae Soo Jin
• Kim Guang Hoon

Classifications

• A61B5/7225

  Details of analogue processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation (input circuits for detecting, measuring, or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/30; specific diagnostic methods using bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/316) · CPC title

• A61B5/0071 Primary

  by measuring fluorescence emission · CPC title