Omron Tateisi Electronics Co.

Horiba, Ltd.

Japan Science and Technology Agency

Oyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Takuji Suzaki

Koji Yamamoto

Takahiko Otani

Haruyoshi Hirata

Isao Mano

Atsushi Hosokawa

Satoko Nakajima

A bone strength measuring instrument and method is provided for obtaining thickness values of cortical bone, cancellous bone and tissue in a human body part by applying an ultrasonic wave to a measured portion of the human body. Ultrasonic transmitters and receivers can be positioned in contact with the human body to provide a set thickness for the human body while processing the received signals transmitted through and reflected from the human body portions to determine a first wave higher in speed and a second wave lower in speed. Prior to making the measurements, a preliminary measurement procedure can be utilized to optimize the desired measurement site. An acoustic speed of the second wave in a cancellous bone can be assumed to be constant and transit times can be calculated and respective thickness values of the soft tissue of cortical bone and cancellous bone can be determined to indicate the bone strength.

Bone strength measuring instrument and method

An ultrasonic diagnostic method and apparatus is provided wherein an ultrasonic wave is transmitted through a patient to contact the human bone and the corresponding diagnostic waveform is then compared with a standard prestored waveform of a comparable healthy bone. The patient's bone is then judged to determine the osteoporosis condition of the patient.

Ultrasonic bone diagnostic apparatus and method

In order to measure the oxygen saturation in venous blood, a venous blood stream is made time-variant by applying pressure with a peak value of the minimum blood pressure to a proximal portion from a measuring part. Light beams with different wavelengths are transmitted from the measuring part and detected by photodiodes. Photodetected signals are logarithm-converted and venous signal components are separated from logarithm-converted signals with a filter circuit. The oxygen saturation of venous blood is calculated on the basis of separated venous signal components.

Non-invasive measuring method and apparatus of blood constituents

An image analyzing apparatus comprising a source of light for radiating a target object of interest, a measuring light of a first predetermined wavelength and at least one detecting light of a second predetermined wavelength different from the first predetermined wavelength, which detecting light is utilized to detect an optically disturbing component, a camera unit for forming a measured image of the target object radiated by the measuring light and a detected image of the target object radiated by the detecting light, and capable of generating output signals representative of the respective measured and detected images, a processor for deriving an interference equation descriptive of an interference given by the optically disturbing component, on the basis of the measured and detected images outputed from the camera unit, a computer for eliminating the optically disturbing component from the measured image on the basis of the interference equation, and a display device for providing a visual representation of an image output from the computer.

Image analyzing apparatus

An image pick-up device for picking up the image of an object having different degrees of brightness, ranging from a low degree to a high degree. The device includes a light source for irradiating the object, an image pick-up unit for picking up an image of the object, and an optical system disposed between the object and the image pick-up unit for forming the image of the object on the image pick-up unit. A discrimination circuit designates a region of high brightness in the image of the object picked-up by the image pick-up unit, and a detection circuit detects the brightness level of a designated region of high brightness. A light transmittance changing circuit reveives a representation of the detected brightness level of the designated region of high brightness from the detection circuit responsive to a designation of a region of high brightness by the discrimination circuit and decreases the light transmittance in a region of the optical system corresponding to the designated region of high brightness in the image. The discrimination circuit includes a comparison circuit for comparing the brightness of the image of the object with a predetermined reference level to automatically designate a region of high brightness.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Takuji Suzaki