Method and device for measuring scattering-absorption body

摘要

Light irradiates one light incident position on the surface of a scattering-absorption body. The light that propagates through the interior of the scattering-absorption body is detected at one light detecting position on the surface of the scattering-absorption body. On the basis of a light detection signal, a temporal profile of the light intensity of the detected light is acquired, and on the basis of the temporal profile, an mean optical path length of the light in the interior of the scattering-absorption body and information relating to the amount of substance to be measured in a region to be measured are calculated. The information relating to the amount of substance to be measured is corrected on the basis of the mean optical path length, such that the longer the mean optical path length, the greater the amount of substance to be measured is.

主权项

1. A method for measuring a scattering-absorption body, which is a method for measuring, non-invasively, information relating to an amount of substance to be measured at a region to be measured of a scattering-absorption body that contains the region to be measured and an intervening tissue that is present between the region to be measured and a surface of the scattering-absorption body, the method comprising:
a light incidence step of causing light of a predetermined wavelength to be incident, through one light incident position that is set on the surface of the scattering-absorption body; a light detection step of obtaining a light detection signal by detecting the light of the predetermined wavelength that propagates through the interior of the scattering-absorption body, at one light detecting position that is set on the surface of the scattering-absorption body; a signal processing step of acquiring a temporal profile of light intensity of the detected light, on the basis of the light detection signal; anda calculation step of:
calculating, on the basis of the temporal profile, a mean optical path length, and the information relating to the amount of substance to be measured in the region to be measured, the mean optical path length corresponding to passage of the light of the predetermined wavelength through the entire interior of the scattering-absorption body, and calculating a measurement sensitivity corresponding to a ratio of the mean optical path length and an optical path length of a portion of passage through the region to be measured according to an expression S=LM/L where S is the measurement sensitivity, L is the mean optical path length, and LM is the optical path length of a portion of passage through the region to be measured that is within the mean optical path length L, wherein in the calculation step, the information relating to the amount of substance to be measured is corrected by using the measurement sensitivity, and wherein the region to be measured is muscle, and the intervening tissue is fat, or the region to be measured is brain tissue, and the intervening tissue is skull.