KR20080102581A - Bioelectrical impedance analysis apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A bioelectrical impedance measuring apparatus including an inter-digital electrode, a measuring unit, a display unit, and a controller is provided to reduce manufacturing cost by simplifying an apparatus structure. A bioelectrical impedance measuring apparatus comprises the followings: a display unit(120) for indicating a bioelectrical impedance measurement result; a inter-digital electrode(130) contacted with two legs of a test person; a impedance measuring unit measuring a bioelectrical impedance of the test person; a controller indicating the bioelectrical impedance measurement result through the display unit; and electrodes arranging the inter-digital electrode having a separated form from each other. The electrodes comprises an electrode(131) for current application and an electrode for voltage measuring(132).

Description

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Apparatus

1 is a view showing an example of a conventional bioimpedance measuring device

2 is a diagram illustrating an electrical model of a human body for measuring bioimpedance for each human body part;

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a bioimpedance measuring device capable of measuring bioimpedance for each conventional human body part;

4 is an external view of a bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention

6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power generation pole array structure of a bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention;

7 is a view showing another example of the power generation pole array structure of the bioimpedance measuring device according to the present invention;

8 is a view showing another example of the power generation pole array structure of the bioimpedance measuring device according to the present invention;

9 is a view showing another example of the power generation pole array structure of the bioimpedance measuring device according to the present invention;

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: scaffold 20: upper body

30: support member 100: bioimpedance measuring device

110: operation unit 120: display unit

130: power generation electrode 131: electrode for applying current

132: voltage measuring electrode 140: impedance measuring unit

150: control unit 160: hand electrode body

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bioimpedance measuring apparatus, and more particularly, to a power generation pole structure of a bioimpedance measuring apparatus.

BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) technology is a technique for measuring the body moisture of the body using an electrical method. When a weak alternating current electrical signal is sent to the human body, electricity flows through highly conductive body fluids. Moisture and low determine the wide and narrowness of the passage through which electricity flows, expressed as a measure of impedance.

Impedance (Z) is the force that interrupts the flow of electricity. Impedance is technically determined by the vector sum of the electrical resistance (R) and reactance (Xc).

However, in the case of the human body, the impedance and the electric resistance value only differ by about 2 to 3 Ω, and the difference is small enough to be negligible, so in the field of BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), the impedance is the electric resistance value. It can be seen as

The electrical resistance R of the conductor is proportional to the specific resistance ρ and the length L of the conductor and inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area A.

From this equation, the volume (V) of the conductor can be expressed as a function of the specific resistance (ρ), the length (L) of the conductor, and the electrical resistance (R).

When the formula is applied to the human body, the volume (V) of the conductor corresponds to the body water of the human body, the specific resistance (ρ) corresponds to the resistance (C) per unit volume of the body water, and the length (L) of the conductor corresponds to the height of the human body. Correspondingly, since the electrical resistance R corresponds to the human body resistance, that is, the bioelectrical impedance of the human body, the equation for obtaining the body water is as follows.

The height of the human body is a measurable value, the resistance per unit volume of the body water (C) is a certain amount of electrolyte per unit volume dissolved in the body water, can be represented by a constant value, so know the body's bioelectrical impedance (Bioelectrical Impedance) value You can save your body's body moisture.

Body composition of the body is mainly composed of four components of body water, protein, body fat, mineral (bone). The proportion of these four components in weight is about 55: 20: 20: 5, although there are gender and individual differences. However, knowing the amount of body water and body fat of these components can be obtained naji components. Because protein and body moisture are the main building blocks of muscle, they have a proportional relationship with each other. In other words, about 73% of healthy muscle is water and 27% of the remaining protein is protein. Minerals are the main constituents of bone formation, and bone weight is closely related to muscle mass. Therefore, since the protein amount and the inorganic mass can be obtained from the body water amount, all four components of the body composition can be known by knowing the body water amount and the body fat amount.

In other words, if the body's bioelectrical impedance value is obtained, the body's body water content can be obtained, and the protein amount and the inorganic mass can be obtained from the body water content. You lose. Therefore, it is possible to obtain clinical information, such as body fat of the human body by measuring the body impedance of the human body.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an apparatus for measuring bioimpedance of a human body. As shown in the figure, in order to measure the human body's bioimpedance, an adhesive electrode, such as ECG (ElectroCardioGram), is attached to the right wrist and the back of the human body and the right ankle and the foot, and the electrodes are connected to a bioimpedance measurement device. Let's do it. The bioimpedance measuring device applies a current (i) to the electrodes on the back of the hand and the foot. The current flows through the right arm, the torso, and the right leg to flow through the human body. At this time, the bioimpedance measuring device measures the voltage (V) between the electrode on the back of the hand and the foot. Then, Ohm's law

The body resistance (R) value, that is, the bioimpedance value is obtained. Substituting this body resistance (R) value into the formula for obtaining the body water described above allows the body water content of the human body to be obtained, and as described above, the protein amount and the inorganic mass can be obtained from the body water content, and the protein from the body water content. Subtracting the amount and the inorganic mass gives the body fat mass. Therefore, since the composition ratio of body water, protein, body fat, and minerals, which are four components constituting the body composition of the human body, can be obtained by measuring the body impedance of the human body, clinical information such as body fat of the human body can be obtained.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a principle of measuring bioimpedance for each human body part, and FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a bioimpedance measuring apparatus for measuring bioimpedance for each human body part by applying the principle illustrated in FIG. 2. One drawing.

The arms, legs, and torso of a human body vary considerably in magnitude. Body resistance is very large, about 250Ω in the arm, and the body is only about 25Ω. As shown in FIG. 1, the large difference in bioimpedance for each region greatly affects the accuracy of the bioimpedance measuring device which measures only the impedance of the whole body without distinguishing the arms, legs, and torso.

For example, if more than 1 kg of muscle component is added to the body, a small resistance change of 2 to 3 일으키 will be produced, but if the same amount of muscle is added to the arm, a large difference of 20 to 30 Ω will be produced. . In other words, even if the same amount of water or muscle mass is located in the human body, the sensitivity to the bioimpedance varies greatly.

In the case of a bioimpedance measuring device as shown in FIG. 1, the body resistance (bioimpedance) of the entire body from the wrist to the ankle was measured, and the body resistance value is about 500Ω as the sum of the body impedances of the arms, the torso, and the legs. It was about. If 1kg of muscle is added to the body, the body resistance value changes to 503Ω, but if the same amount is added to the arm, the body resistance value changes to about 530Ω.

The healthy human body maintains a relatively proportional size of arms, legs, and torso, and this problem is not prominent, but as the body ages and activity decreases, the arms and legs tend to decline and the torso tends to enlarge. It appears as a measurement error of the bioimpedance measuring device. Therefore, the conventional bioimpedance measuring apparatus exhibits a large measurement error in the average adult men and women and the other subjects, such as patients, athletes, people with large torso, severe obese patients, elderly and children.

2 illustrates an electrical model of a human body for measuring bioimpedance for each human body part. The electrical model of the human body shown in FIG. 2 does not assume that the human body is a conductor having a single body resistance, as shown in FIG. 1, but has five body resistances in each of the right arm, left arm, torso, right leg and left leg. It is assumed to be a conductor.

In the figure, the electrical resistance for each part is represented by R _RA , R _LA , R _T , R _RL , R _LL . Resistor R ₁ and R ₂ represent thumb and palm resistance, stretching out from branches in the wrist region. Resistances R ₃ and R ₄ represent the resistance of the heel and forefoot area and extend outward by making branches in the ankle area.

For measurement, the subject steps on the power generation poles E5, E6, E7, and E8, holds the hand electrodes E1, E2, E3, and E4, and poses. Automatically measure and output the result. Eight metal surfaces made of a stainless plate were used as the hand electrode and the power pole.

In order to measure the body resistance of each part, for example, in order to measure the body resistance (R _RA ) of the right arm, a current flows between the hand electrode E1 and the power generation electrode E5, and the voltage between the hand electrode E2 and the hand electrode E4 is measured. Measure Current is R ₁ - flows through R _3, voltage is _{R 2 - -> R RA -} > R T -> R RL is measured in the loop formed _{by> R 2 -> R RA -} > R LA. The current is gone passage and the voltage is measured loop is superimposed on the R _RA is measured the body resistance (R _RA) of the right arm. In this measurement, when the input impedance of the voltage measuring terminal of the bioimpedance measuring device is considerably large, the human body resistance value across R ₁ to R ₄ does not affect the measurement of the right arm resistance. This means that even if the contact resistance is changed and the resistance value of R ₁ to R ₄ is changed, it does not affect the measurement of the resistance value for each part of the human body.

The bioimpedance of the other part of the right side is measured similarly to that of the right arm. If a current flows between the hand electrode E1 and the power generation electrode E5, and the voltage is measured between the hand electrode E4 and the power generation electrode E8, the human body resistance (R _T ) of the body is measured, and the voltage is measured between the power generation electrode E6 and the power generation electrode E8. The body resistance (R _RL ) of the right leg can be obtained. In order to obtain the cuts of the biometric impedances of the left hand electrode E3 and the development pole to give flowing a current between the E7, when measuring the voltage between the hand electrode E2 and the hand electrode E4 of the body resistance (R _LA) on the left arm, the development electrode E6 By measuring the voltage between and the power pole E8, the human body resistance (R _LL ) of the left leg can be obtained.

Biometric impedance measurement technology for each part is measured by distinguishing the bioimpedance into the right arm, left arm, torso, right leg, and left leg. Each part is not a perfect cylinder, but it is not a big difference such as the difference between the arm and the body, so the accuracy can be greatly increased. In fact, even in the arm, the cross-sectional area of the wrist and forearm can be 2-3 times the size difference, but the error due to the measurement of bioimpedance is only 2-3%.

The bioimpedance measuring apparatus for measuring the bioimpedance for each human body part shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has a measurement function for each part for measuring the right arm, the left arm, the torso, the right leg, and the left leg. The accuracy of the measurement can be greatly improved by eliminating errors from individual differences. In addition, through body composition analysis provided for each site, body balance such as upper body development, lower body weakness, and edema diagnosis for each site can provide very useful clinical information.

However, the bioimpedance measuring apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has a problem in that it is not only cumbersome to attach and detach electrodes, but also needs to be trained by a trained measurer. In addition, when the subject is lying down, the body water flows from the lower body to the upper body and is redistributed. In this case, the time required is about 5-10 minutes, which takes a lot of measurement time, and requires a large area such as the installation of a bed.

The bioimpedance measuring apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 adopts a touch type structure in which an electrical connection is made by contacting the skin of the human body with an electrode made of a conductor, thereby measuring a measurement error that is a disadvantage of the bioimpedance measuring apparatus shown in FIG. And to minimize the time loss and increase the precision of the measurement. This bioimpedance measuring device does not have the hassle of attaching and detaching electrodes, and because of its simplicity, the eight-point electrode method is applicable to not only the right hand and the foot but also the left hand and the foot. The eight-point electrode method has an advantage in that it is easy to perform a part-by-part measurement technique that can measure impedance for each part of the human body.

By the way, the bioimpedance measuring device having a touch structure as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 includes a fixed power pole 1 in contact with the sole and the heel of the subject. One of these power generating electrodes 1 is an electrode 1a for applying a current to the human body, and the other is an electrode 1b for measuring a voltage. By separating the current electrode 1a and the voltage electrode 1b, it is possible to widen the body contact area and thereby reduce the contact resistance, which is advantageous for obtaining accurate measurement values. In this touch-type bioimpedance measuring device, accurate bioimpedance values can be obtained only when the subject contacts the sole of the sole with one electrode, and at the same time, accurately touches the heel with the other electrode.

Therefore, when the subject stands without stepping on the electrode or when the foot is small, such as a child, it is difficult to measure the bioimpedance when the foot cannot be contacted at the same time with both electrodes. In addition, from the user's point of view, it took time and inconvenience to accurately settle on the development drama. Indeed, it was difficult for most elderly and inexperienced people at the health centers to make accurate measurements without the help of specialists, one of the main reasons for this development.

Moreover, when using the hand electrodes at the same time, there was no room for the subject to move the feet back and forth, so the hand electrodes had to be manufactured in a flowable structure. The hand electrode 2 is installed by connecting the cord from the main body or installed at the end of the bar having a hinge structure. Accordingly, additional design of the hand electrode installation structure is required, and the complexity of the structure increases the manufacturing cost. there was.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to present a power generation pole structure that can be used easily by a user.

Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to propose a power generation pole structure capable of achieving measurement accuracy without any extra effort in measurement.

Furthermore, the present invention further aims to simplify the structure of the hand electrode by providing a flow potential at the foot position of the subject to improve the ease of use while lowering the overall manufacturing cost.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the bio-impedance measuring device according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises at least three electrodes arranged so that the power generating poles contacting each of the feet of the subject to be spaced from each other do.

On the other hand, according to an additional aspect of the present invention, the bioimpedance measuring device according to the present invention is in contact with each of the feet of the subject, each of the power generation pole having at least three electrodes arranged to be spaced apart from each other and each of the hands of the subject And a hand electrode body in contact.

Therefore, it is possible to measure the bioimpedance of the subject no matter which part of the scaffold on which the power generation pole is installed, and furthermore, the subject can freely move the foot, so that a fixed electrode can be employed. Simplified structure has the advantage of lowering the design and manufacturing costs.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and reproduce the present invention. 4 is an external view of a bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of the bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the bioimpedance measuring apparatus 100 according to the present invention is a footrest 10 that the subject can step on, the upper body 20 for the user input and screen display and the footrest 10 And a support member 30 for supporting the upper body 20, an operation unit 110 installed at an appropriate portion of the scaffold 10, the upper body 20, and the support member 30, and a display unit. 120, a power generation electrode 130, an impedance measuring unit 140, and a control unit 150.

The operation unit 110 is an input means such as a key button or a touch pad for performing a user input for measuring the bioimpedance, and is preferably installed in the upper body 20 to facilitate user operation. The display unit 120 is a display means such as an LCD for displaying a bioimpedance measurement result to notify a user, and is preferably installed in the upper body 20 so that a user can easily view the measurement result.

The power generation pole body 130 is a part contacting each of the feet of the person to be measured, and is installed on the upper surface of the scaffold 10. At this time, the power generation electrode 130 is provided with at least three electrodes arranged to be spaced apart from each other, so that the electrode is always in contact with the feet of the subject, no matter which part of the footstep the user to step, so that the measurement of the biological impedance of the subject It becomes easy.

On the other hand, the electrodes arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other of the power generation electrode 130 includes a current application electrode 131, and a voltage measurement electrode 132. The current application electrode 131 is a terminal for connecting a power supply (not shown) to apply a current to the human body through the foot of the subject in contact with the current. The voltage measuring electrode 132 is a terminal for connecting an impedance measuring circuit in order to detect a human body resistance (bioimpedance) flowing through the human body through the foot of the person being measured.

The impedance measuring unit 140 is an impedance measuring circuit for measuring the bioimpedance of the subject, and may be configured inside any one of the scaffold 10, the upper body 20, and the support member 30. The controller 150 controls the overall apparatus, and processes the bioimpedance measured by the impedance measuring unit 140 to control the display to display the bioimpedance measurement result on the display unit 120. It can be installed in the form of an IC chip in any one of the (10), the upper body 20 and the support member 30.

Looking at the bioimpedance measurement operation of the bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention having the above configuration, if the subject touches the foot to the footrest 10 for the measurement of the bioimpedance, the part of the footrest 10 Even when stepped on, the feet of the subject are always in contact with the current application electrode 131 and the voltage measurement electrode 132 which are arranged to be spaced apart from each other of the power generation electrode 130 formed on the upper surface of the scaffold 10.

In this state, when a user input for bioimpedance measurement is performed through the operation unit 110, a current is applied to the human body of the subject through the current applying electrode 131 under the control of the controller 150, and the voltage measurement The bioimpedance of the subject is measured by the method described with reference to FIG. 2 through the impedance measuring unit 140 connected to the dragon electrode 132, and the bioimpedance measurement result is displayed through the display unit 120.

Therefore, in the bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention, the electrode is always in contact with the foot of the subject no matter where the subject steps on the footrest, unlike the conventional bioimpedance measuring apparatus, the subject accurately touches the foot with the electrode. There is no need to be careful, and it is also possible to measure the bioimpedance of children with small feet, so that it is very easy to measure the bioimpedance for the subject.

On the other hand, according to an additional aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the current applying electrode 131 and the voltage measuring electrode 132 are arranged alternately with each other arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other. In this case, the current applying electrode 131 and the voltage measuring electrode 132 may be arranged at an irregular interval, but is preferably arranged at a predetermined interval.

That is, in this embodiment, the current application electrode 131 and the voltage measurement electrode 132 are arranged alternately with each other at, for example, about 3 cm apart, and the current application electrodes 131 are collected to supply a power input terminal (Fig. (Not shown), and the voltage measuring electrodes 132 are collected and connected to an impedance measuring terminal (not shown) to have a 4-pole electrode effect as shown in FIG. According to the present invention, since the small current applying electrodes 131 and the voltage measuring electrodes 132 are arranged to alternate with each other while being spaced apart from each other, the contact resistance is greatly reduced, thereby greatly reducing contact resistance. Can be.

On the other hand, according to an additional aspect of the present invention, the bioimpedance measuring device according to the present invention further includes a hand electrode body 160 in contact with each of the hands of the subject. In the drawings, reference numeral 161 denotes a current application electrode, and 162 denotes a voltage measurement electrode. At this time, by installing the hand electrode body 160 to be fixed to the upper body 20 or the support member 30, the device compared to the conventional bioimpedance measuring device that connects the hand electrode in a line or implemented in the form of a bar The structure is simplified, resulting in lower design and manufacturing costs.

Of course, the conventional bioimpedance measuring devices may also be provided with a fixed hand electrode, but in this case, when the subject holds the hand electrode in the case where the fixed hand electrode is installed because the subject cannot move the foot freely. The posture was not constant according to the height of the subject, so the bioimpedance measurement was inconsistent. In order to solve this problem, conventional bioimpedance measuring devices are installed by connecting hand electrodes with a string or employing a bar-shaped hand electrode extending to both hands of the subject. There was a need for a design, there was a problem that the cost of manufacturing the hand electrode also increased.

However, the bioimpedance measuring device according to the present invention can measure the bioimpedance of the subject by stepping on any part of the scaffold on which the power generation pole is installed. Even if the structure is adopted, it can take a certain posture. In other words, in the case of a short child, the foot is moved closer to the hand electrode body to hold the hand electrode body, and in the case of a tall adult, the foot is moved away from the hand electrode body to hold the hand electrode body, and the posture is stable. In this state, the bioimpedance measurement can be performed. In the case of adopting the fixed structure of the hand electrode, the manufacturing cost can be lowered, and thus the price competitiveness is excellent in the sale.

On the other hand, according to an additional aspect of the present invention, although not shown in the figure, the hand electrode body 160 is configured to include at least three electrodes arranged to be spaced apart from each other, such as the power generation electrode body 130 to measure the subject It is possible to implement such that the electrode is always in contact with the subject's hand no matter which part is held by hand. The electrodes include a current application electrode and a voltage measurement electrode, and the current application electrode and the voltage measurement electrode are alternately arranged to be spaced apart from each other. In this case, the current application electrode and the voltage measurement electrode may be arranged at an irregular interval, but is preferably arranged at a constant interval.

6 to 9 illustrate various embodiments of the power generation pole array structure of the bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a bar-shaped slit-type power generating pole body in which a bar-shaped current application electrode and a voltage measuring electrode are alternately arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a matrix-type power generating electrode in which a rectangular current applying electrode and a voltage measuring electrode are alternately arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a rectangular-ring-type power generating pole body in which a current application electrode having a rectangular ring shape and an electrode for voltage measurement are alternately arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a V-shaped slit type power generating body in which a V-shaped current application electrode and a voltage measuring electrode are alternately arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

The power generating electrode of the bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention includes all types of power generating electrode structures in which current applying electrodes and voltage measuring electrodes are alternately arranged to be spaced apart from each other in addition to those shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. Comprehensive

By configuring as described above, the bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention can measure the bioimpedance of the subject no matter which part of the scaffold on which the power generation pole is installed, and furthermore, the subject can move the foot freely. It is possible to employ a fixed structure of the hand electrode can achieve the above object of the present invention.

As described above, the bioimpedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention can measure the bioimpedance of the subject no matter which part of the footrest on which the power generation pole is installed, and further, the subject can move the foot freely. The fixed electrode structure can be employed to simplify the structure of the device has a very useful effect that can lower the design and manufacturing cost.

While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, which are referred to by the accompanying drawings, it is apparent that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention within the scope covered by the following claims from this description. .

Claims (10)

A display unit for displaying the result of the measurement of the bioimpedance, a power generation pole contacting each of the feet of the subject, an impedance measuring unit measuring the bioimpedance of the subject, and a living body measured by the impedance measuring unit while controlling the overall apparatus A bioimpedance measuring apparatus comprising a control unit which processes an impedance to control a display of a bioimpedance measurement result through the display unit, At least three electrodes arranged such that the power pole bodies are spaced apart from each other; A bioimpedance measuring device comprising a. The method of claim 1, The electrodes are: A bioimpedance measuring device comprising a current application electrode and a voltage measurement electrode. The method of claim 2, And a current measuring electrode and a voltage measuring electrode are alternately arranged. The method of claim 3, wherein The bioimpedance measuring device, characterized in that the current application electrode and the voltage measurement electrode is arranged at a predetermined interval. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The bioimpedance measuring device is: A hand electrode body in contact with each of both hands of the subject; Bioimpedance measuring device further comprises. The method of claim 5, wherein The bioimpedance measuring device is: An operation unit for user input; Bioimpedance measuring device further comprises. The method of claim 6, The hand electrode body is: At least three electrodes arranged to be spaced apart from each other; A bioimpedance measuring device comprising a. The method of claim 7, wherein The electrodes are: A bioimpedance measuring device comprising a current application electrode and a voltage measurement electrode. The method of claim 8, And a current measuring electrode and a voltage measuring electrode are alternately arranged. The method of claim 9, The bioimpedance measuring device, characterized in that the current application electrode and the voltage measurement electrode is arranged at a predetermined interval.

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