CONTACT DETECTING APPARATUS, OPTICAL MEASUREMENT APPARATUS, AND CONTACT DETECTING METHOD

摘要

A contact detecting apparatus detects contact between a body tissue and a probe for emitting illumination light onto the body tissue and receiving return light of the illumination light scattered from the body tissue. The contact detecting apparatus includes: a laser light source that emits laser light to irradiate a specified region of the body tissue via the probe; a photoelectric conversion unit that converts light received via the probe into an electric signal; and a signal processing unit that determines whether or not there is contact between a distal end of the probe and the body tissue based on whether the electric signal includes a component of a beat signal caused by interference of the return light of the laser light scattered from each of a surface of the body tissue and a surface of the distal end of the probe.

主权项

1. A contact detecting apparatus for detecting contact between a body tissue and a measurement probe configured to emit illumination light onto the body tissue which is in contact with a distal end of the measurement probe, and to receive return light of the illumination light scattered from the body tissue, the contact detecting apparatus comprising:
a laser light source configured to emit laser light to irradiate a specified region of the body tissue via the measurement probe; a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light received via the measurement probe into an electric signal; and a signal processing unit configured to determine whether or not there is contact between the distal end of the measurement probe and the body tissue based on whether the electric signal converted by the photoelectric conversion unit includes a component of a beat signal caused by interference of the return light of the laser light scattered from each of a surface of the body tissue and a surface of the distal end of the measurement probe.