Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of body portion
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-01
2001-02-13
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of body portion
C345S173000, C345S174000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188925
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a body fat determining device, and more particularly to a body fat determining device capable of easily determining a body fat ratio by causing a subject's fingertips to come in contact with an electrodes of the body fat determining device held in hands.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Conventionally, attention has been given to a body fat ratio in respect of maintenance of health. If the body fat ratio is increased, adult diseases and the like are caused. Therefore, measurement of the body fat ratio is available to prevent the adult diseases. There has been known a body fat ratio determining device wherein two electrodes forming a current path and voltage measuring electrodes for measuring an impedance between two points on the current path are provided on a scale. These electrodes are positioned on a base of a scale where feet of the subject are put. By using such a body fat ratio determining device, it is possible to simultaneously measure data on a weight which is necessary when a body fat ratio is to be obtained. Therefore, the body fat ratio determining device is convenient.
There has also been developed a device for determining a body fat ratio by holding a handle in both hands. The body fat determining device has an advantage that a body fat ratio can be measured comparatively easily unlike the above-mentioned device provided to the scale.
Furthermore, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 5-2164 has disclosed a body fat determining device comprising two sets of electrode pairs, each electrode pair having a current path forming electrode and a voltage measuring electrode provided very closely on a surface of a card. In the body fat determining device, one finger of one hand is caused to come in contact with both the current path forming electrode and the voltage measuring electrode of one of the electrode pairs and one finger of the other hand is caused to come in contact with both the current path forming electrode and the voltage measuring electrode of the other electrode pair. The card type body fat determining device has an advantage that a body fat ratio can readily be measured.
The conventional body fat determining device provided to the scale as described above is suitably placed in a bathroom and the like. However, it is necessary to determine the body fat ratio at least with socks taken off. Therefore, the body fat ratio cannot easily be measured. Furthermore, feet are not always placed on a constant position when a subject gets on the base. A distance between impedance measuring points on the current path is varied every measurement so that different results of the measurement are obtained.
On the other hand, the handle type body fat determining device has no trouble that socks should be taken off. Therefore, the body fat ratio can be measured comparatively easily. In the handle type body fat determining device, however, the distance between the impedance measuring points on the current path is varied every measurement depending on a manner of grasping the handle. Consequently, different results of the measurement are obtained. The body fat determining device of this type cannot be carried. Therefore, the body fat ratio cannot easily be measured. Accordingly, the body fat determining device can be used by only purchasers' family.
In the above card type body fat determining device, furthermore, one of fingers should be caused to come in contact with the current path forming electrode and the voltage measuring electrode which form one electrode pair. Accordingly, it is necessary to reduce an electrode area. Consequently, inaccurate results of measurement are inevitably obtained. In addition, the current path forming electrode and the voltage measuring electrode which form one electrode pair should be provided very closely. For this reason, a leakage current is increased between the electrodes so that the results of the measurement become more inaccurate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the body fat determining device according to the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a small-sized body fat determining device capable of determining a body fat ratio easily and comparatively accurately without varying a distance between impedance measuring points on a current path every measurement.
The body fat determining device according to the present invention serves to determine a body fat ratio by using fingers of both hands. More specifically, a current path is formed through a human body between fingers of each of hands and an impedance between two points of fingers of each of hands other than the above-mentioned fingers forming the current path is measured. Thus, the body fat determining device has a structure in which measurement can be performed by the fingers of the hands. Consequently, the body fat determining device can be handy and easy to carry. Furthermore, because the formed current path has a constant length, a variation in a value of the impedance obtained for each measurement is reduced. In addition, a body fat ratio can accurately be measured by a simple operation in which fingers of both hands are caused to come in contact with electrodes.
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Kawanishi Shozo
Masuda Yasutoshi
Yamanaka Masami
Lateef Marvin M.
Lin Jeoyuh
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
Yamato Scale Co. Ltd.
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