Medical Measuring Device

Abstract

A measuring device for the non-invasive measurement of physiological parameters is suited to detect and localize by way of self diagnosis diseases such as, for example, inflammations, tumors or arteriosclerosis. The measuring device includes at least one optical measuring unit, an evaluation unit processing the measuring signals, and a unit for the acquisition of local tissue parameters such as fat content, water content and/or blood perfusion. The evaluation unit is designed such that at least one local metabolic parameter is determined, in particular the local oxygen consumption, from the signals furnished by the optical measuring unit and obtained from tissue parameters. Moreover, the measuring device enables the non-invasive determination of the glucose concentration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for non-invasive determination of physiological parameters, the device comprising:
 at least one optical measuring unit,   an ECG unit, wherein said ECG-unit detects an ECG signal by way of two or more ECG electrodes,   a bioelectric impedance measuring unit, comprising electrodes,   an acquisition unit,   an evaluation unit, and   at least one heat sensor,   wherein the ECG unit and the bioelectric impedance measuring unit have at least one common electrode,   wherein the ECG unit, the bioelectric impedance measuring unit, the acquisition unit, and the at least one optical measuring unit are arranged in a common measuring head,   wherein said acquisition unit acquires local tissue parameters,   wherein said evaluation unit is adapted to determine at least one local metabolic parameter from:
 the signals furnished by the optical measuring unit, the local tissue parameters acquired by the acquisition unit, and the signals furnished by the ECG unit, 
   wherein the at least one heat sensor determines the local heat production, with the evaluation unit being designed to determine the at least one local metabolic parameter taking the signals of the heat sensor into account in addition to the signals of the optical measuring unit and the ECG unit and in addition to the tissue parameters acquired by the acquisition unit, and   wherein the evaluation unit is adapted to determine a local glucose concentration from signals from the at least one optical measuring unit, the at least one heat sensor, the ECG unit, the bioelectric impedance measuring unit, as well as the combination of the units.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the bioelectric impedance measuring unit is adapted to detect comprehensive body tissue parameters. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical unit includes an optical radiation source and a radiation sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an optical sensor for spatially resolved determination of the skin coloring. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to evaluate the variation in respect of time of a plethysmographic signal detected by the at least one optical measuring unit, and wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to determine a pulse wave velocity from the variation in respect of time of the ECG signal and from the variation in respect of time of the plethysmographic signal. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein the evaluation unit is adapted to evaluate the variation in respect of time of the pulse wave velocity and to ascertain the composition of food ingested by a user of the device based on the basis of the variation in respect of time of the pulse wave velocity from the time of food ingestion. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to determine a blood glucose level from the local glucose concentration using the personal physiological state of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said evaluation unit is adapted to determine a blood glucose level of the user of the device using parameters dependent on the physiology of the user. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit,
 wherein the storage unit stores the parameters ascertained by the evaluation unit.   
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a diagnostic unit,
 wherein the diagnostic unit assesses the parameters ascertained by the evaluation unit and records changes in the parameters in dependence on at least one of the measurement location and the measurement time.   
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic unit is adapted to determine the status of the cardiovascular system from the parameters ascertained by the evaluation unit. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic unit is adapted to calculate a comprehensive body fitness index on the basis of the status of the cardiovascular system and comprehensive body tissue parameters. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical measuring unit has at least one radiation source for irradiation of the body tissue being examined and at least one radiation sensor for at least one of detection of the radiation scattered by the body tissue and detection of the radiation transmitted by the body tissue. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical measuring unit has at least one radiation source for irradiation of the body tissue being examined, and at least two radiation sensors for at least one of detection of the radiation scattered by the body tissue and the radiation transmitted by the body tissue, and
 wherein the radiation sensors are arranged at different spacings relative to the radiation source.   
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein at least two radiation sources are provided which irradiate different volume regions of the body tissue being examined. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least two radiation sources have different spatial radiation emission characteristics. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to determine at least one local metabolic parameter from at least one of the radiation of the two radiation sources scattered by the body tissue and the radiation of the two radiation sources transmitted by the body tissue. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 17 , wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to determine at least one of the local oxygen consumption and the blood glucose level on the basic of the intensities of the radiation of the two radiation sources, which is scattered, transmitted, or scattered and transmitted by the body tissue. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 15  wherein the wavelength of the radiation emitted by each of the two radiation sources is in the range of between 600 and 700 nm. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring head includes the at least one heat sensor. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein a housing accommodates the evaluation unit, and
 wherein the measuring head is arranged at the front end of the housing so that the entire device is adapted to be hand-guided.   
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 21 , wherein the housing has at least one further ECG electrode at the outside. 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 22 , wherein the at least one further ECG electrode is also adapted for bioelectrical impedance measurement. 
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a display unit for displaying at least one of the local oxygen concentration of the blood and the at least one local metabolic parameter 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an interface for connecting the device to a computer or another device. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said device is of miniature design and is integrated into an object worn on the body of a user. 
     
     
         27 . A method for non-invasive measuring of physiological parameters, wherein
 signals are produced by at least one optical measuring unit,   ECG signals, detected by an ECG unit by way of two or more ECG electrodes,   a bioelectrical impedance signal is produced by a bioelectrical impedance measuring unit,   an acquisition unit acquires local tissue parameters, and   the measurement signals of the optical measuring unit, the ECG unit, the acquisition unit, and the bioelectrical impedance measuring unit are processed by an evaluation unit,   wherein the ECG unit, the bioelectric impedance measuring unit, the acquisition unit, and the at least one optical measuring unit are arranged in a common measuring head,   wherein the variation in respect of time of the ECG signal is evaluated by the evaluation unit and at least one local metabolic parameter is determined from the signals of the optical measuring unit and the bioelectrical impedance measuring unit and from the local tissue parameters,   wherein the at least one local physiological parameter is also determined on the basis of the ECG signal,   wherein further local tissue parameters are detected by spatially resolved heat measurement carried out by at least one heat sensor,   wherein the further local tissue parameters detected by the at least one heat sensor, comprise a local heat production,   wherein the local oxygen consumption is determined by the evaluation unit from the signals from the at least one optical measuring unit,   wherein further local tissue parameters are collected/detected via the bioelectrical impedance measurement unit as well as the ECG unit, and   wherein the evaluation unit determines the local glucose concentration from the local oxygen consumption and the local heat production.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein further local tissue parameters are measured via the bioelectrical impedance measuring unit. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein further local tissue parameters are optically detected. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein a cardiovascular parameter is determined by the evaluation unit from plethysmographic measurement signals produced by the at least one optical measuring unit and from the ECG signal. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising detection of comprehensive body tissue parameters. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising detection of comprehensive body tissue parameters,
 wherein a comprehensive body fitness index is calculated based on the cardiovascular parameter and the comprehensive body tissue parameters.   
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein different volume regions of the body tissue being examined are irradiated by the optical measuring unit, and
 wherein the at least one local physiological parameter is determined from the ECG signals and from at least one of the radiation scattered by the body tissue and the radiation transmitted by the body tissue in the different volume regions.   
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the optical measuring unit includes at least two radiation sources with different spatial radiation emission characteristics, and
 wherein at least one of the local oxygen consumption and the blood glucose level is determined on the basis of the intensities of the radiation of the two radiation sources, which is scattered by the body tissue, is transmitted by the body tissue, or is scattered and transmitted by the body tissue.   
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein determination of the local glucose concentration is effected with incorporation of data concerning the composition of food ingested by a user on whom the non-invasive measuring takes place. 
     
     
         36 . Method according to  claim 27 , wherein the evaluation unit determines the blood glucose level from the local glucose concentration and from parameters dependent on the physiology of the user on whom the non-invasive measuring takes place. 
     
     
         37 . Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is configured so that a body surface touched by a sensorial surface of the measuring head is less than or equal to 2 cm 2 . 
     
     
         38 . Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical measuring unit generates radiation in at least one of the visible spectrum and the near infrared spectrum.