Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Determining rate of fluid loss from body surface
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-15
2001-09-11
Nasser, Robert L. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Determining rate of fluid loss from body surface
C600S356000, C600S573000, C600S584000, C073S029010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287255
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for measuring a transpiration amount, more specifically, to an apparatus suitable for measuring an amount of water transpired locally from the skin surface, ocular surface or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
The amount of water transpired locally from the skin surface or the like has conventionally been determined using an apparatus, as illustrated in
FIG. 19
, comprising a cylindrical body
100
having an opened top and bottom; and two humidity sensors, that is, an upper humidity sensor
200
and a lower humidity sensor
300
disposed inside of the body. Described specifically, a water transpiration amount per unit time and unit area is determined from the difference between the values measured by these two humidity sensors
200
and
300
by making use of the fact that the water concentration at a position upwardly farther from the skin surface is smaller.
The conventional apparatus is however accompanied with the problem that owing to a tendency to be influenced by the external circumstances such as wind, it cannot be always used for measurement at a desired place and what is more important, stable data cannot be obtained easily. In addition, the conventional apparatus involves the drawback that it takes time as long as 1 minute or greater to complete measurement even if an automatic measuring instrument is connected to it, because the absence of a noise must be confirmed upon measurement. A large-scale apparatus is therefore necessary for measurement with excellent accuracy in a short time, but in practice, such an apparatus is utterly unsuited for local measurement of the skin surface or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, the present invention has been completed. An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and convenient apparatus for measuring an amount of water transpired locally from the skin surface, ocular surface or the like, which apparatus makes it possible to acquire stable data in a short time without being influenced by the external circumstances such as wind.
The above-described object of the present invention is attained by an apparatus for measuring a transpiration amount, which comprises a barrel-type body having top and bottom opening portions and also having a humidity sensor inside of the body, wherein a gas introductory path for feeding, from the outside of the body, a gas having a predetermined water content to a surface to be measured inside of the body is disposed at the sidewall portion of the body, and a freely openable or closable shutter is installed at the bottom opening portion of the body.
When the invention apparatus for measuring a water transpiration amount is used, the apparatus is free from the influence of external circumstances such as wind because of a gas, which has a predetermined water content, filled inside of the barrel-type body
1
; and accurate and noise-free measurement of a water transpiration amount from a surface to be measured such as skin surface can be conducted only by simple opening and closing operations of the shutter portion. It is accordingly possible to obtain stable data in a markedly short time, particularly in 10 seconds when an automatic measuring instrument is connected to the apparatus. As a result, this invention can be effectively applied and put into practical use for the evaluation of the relationship between skin condition and water transpiration amount, the evaluation of the barrier function of the skin, monitoring of perspiration, skin diagnosis at a shop front or the like.
In the present invention, particularly when an eye-surrounding attachment is installed, a closed space for the eye portion can be secured, which makes it possible to carry out accurate measurement of a water transpiration amount from the ocular surface which has so far been difficult in fact. As a result, the present invention can be effectively applied and put into practical use, for example, as a monitoring or diagnostic apparatus particularly for dry eyes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4066068 (1978-01-01), Nilsson et al.
patent: 4461303 (1984-07-01), Refojo et al.
Endo Koji
Hoshi Masato
Nakai Ryozo
Shioya Yasushi
Carter Ryan
Kao Corporation
Nasser Robert L.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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