Kyushu Institute of Technology

Syscom Japan, Inc.

Softcare Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Kenji Okamoto

Hitoshi Fujii

Noriyoshi Takahashi

Yasushi Kida

Phuong Thuy Le

Takeshi Shirakawa

Tetsu Kuroki

Hiroyuki Ishihara

The present invention images a heartbeat strength representing the strength of pulsations (beats) on a map as a new dynamics index different from the conventional waveform numerical value. A computation section according to the present invention obtains, from time-course changes of the blood flow map obtained as a result of computation of blood flow speed, a signal intensity at a fundamental frequency determined from time-series blood flow data within a predetermined region, and calculates a heartbeat strength which represents the strength of heartbeats on the basis of the signal intensity. A display section images and displays the heartbeat strength calculated by the heartbeat strength computation section. Also, the display section displays the heartbeat strength calculated by the heartbeat strength computation section by superimposing the heartbeat strength on a combined map created by averaging a plurality of blood flow maps arranged in a chronological order.

Apparatus and method for imaging and analyzing hemodynamics

A blood flow image diagnosing device of the present invention includes a laser light irradiation system for applying laser light to an observation region of a biotissue having blood cells; a light receiving section having a plurality of pixels and adapted to detect reflection light from the observation region of the biotissue; an image capturing section for successively capturing a plurality of images on the basis of a signal from the light receiving section; an image storage section for storing the plurality of images; a computation section for computing the speed of blood flow within the biotissue from time course changes of output signals of the pixels throughout the stored images; and a display section for displaying a two-dimensional distribution which is the result of the computation as a blood flow map. The computation section includes a pigment concentration correction section.

Blood flow image diagnosing device and method

A blood flow image diagnosis device which diagnoses a blood flow map by separating, on the basis of a plurality of blood flow maps covering a specified time including one or more cardiac beats, a blood flow of a surface layer blood vessel observed in a surface layer in an observation region of a body tissue from a background blood flow of a peripheral background region. The device distinguishably displays a first blood flow map of the surface layer blood vessel and a second blood flow map of the background blood flow. The device calculates and compares information on a blood flow including blood flow value, blood flow waveform, or blood vessel diameter in the first and second blood flow maps, and displays the calculated information.

Blood flow image diagnosing device

In a personal authentication method using the subcutaneous bloodstream measurement where an expanded laser beam is irradiated onto a finger pad, light reflected from a subcutaneous blood vessel layer is imaged on an image sensor as a laser speckle using an optical system, a quantity that represents the rate of change with respect to time of the amount of light received for each pixel of the laser speckle is calculated, the values are used as a two-dimensional map to obtain a map showing the bloodstream of the finger pad, and the bloodstream map is comparison-checked against pre-registered data of individuals, the laser speckle is imaged on the image sensor using a region separate from a region irradiated by the laser beam as an observation region of the image sensor. A device for use in the method is also provided. Relating to a method and device for authentication using, e.g., a finger print pattern on the basis of the laser speckle, an improved technique capable of extracting, e.g., the finger print pattern accurately is provided.

Personal authentication method using subcutaneous bloodstream measurement and personal authentication device

Individual authentication method and apparatus therefor, wherein at least one information out of an eyeground blood vessel image information obtained by an optical means, eyeground blood flow distribution image information obtained by using a laser, and information relating to the change over time thereof is compared and collated with personal information registered in advance, and at least the one information out of the eyeground blood vessel image information, the eyeground blood flow distribution image information, and the information relating to the change over time thereof within a measurement field of view obtained in a direction of a line of sight fixed by a fixation target registered in advance is compared and collated with the personal information registered in advance. The fixation target for fixing the direction of the line of sight may be selected from a plurality of fixation points, such as a part of a character string, a part of a still image, or a part of a moving picture, and has an information of which of them to fixedly view registered in advance. An improved technology for further reinforcing the individual authentication method using measurement of an eyeground blood vessel pattern or an eyeground blood flow distribution is provided.

Growing community of inventors

Iizuka, Japan

Kenji Okamoto