Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of body portion
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-21
2004-05-18
Hindenburg, Max F. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of body portion
Reexamination Certificate
active
06738660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resinous cover for use in a bioelectrical impedance measuring apparatus for measuring bioelectrical impedance to calculate a percent fat, a total body water or the like based on said measured bioelectrical impedance.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, a body fat meter with body weight meter for measuring bioelectrical impedance in an organism by using a pair of current supplying electrodes and a pair of voltage measuring electrodes so as to calculate the percent fat or the like (hereinafter referred to as “body fat meter”), has been proposed. As shown in a plane view of the body fat meter in
FIG. 6 and a
sectional side view taken along line C—C of
FIG. 7
, a resinous cover
40
equipped with said electrodes comprises electrode attachment portions
41
, four metal electrodes
42
, double-sided tapes
43
for attaching the electrodes
42
to the attachment portions
41
, lead wires
45
, and an operational display unit
13
for inputting personal data, such as a height, or for displaying the resulting measurements. The operational display unit
13
comprises a display part
13
a
for displaying a weight, a percent fat, etc.; a set button
13
b
for setting an age, a sex, a height, etc.; and a selection button
13
c.
Referring now to a flow chart in
FIG. 8
, processes for manufacturing the resinous cover
40
will be explained. In step S
11
, the metal electrodes
42
are molded. In step S
12
, the resinous cover
40
is molded. In step S
13
, one end of each of the respective lead wires
45
is soldered to each of the electrodes
42
, respectively. In step S
14
, the double-sided tapes
43
are stuck on the back sides of the electrodes
42
, respectively. In step S
15
, the other ends
45
a
of the respective lead wires
45
are respectively drawn through openings
44
to the backside of the resinous cover
40
. In step S
16
, the electrodes
42
are respectively embedded in the attachment portions
41
provided in the resinous cover
40
. In step S
17
, the operational display unit
13
is embedded in the resinous cover
40
. In step S
18
, the resinous cover
40
is embedded in a cover
46
. In step S
19
, the other ends
45
a
of the respective lead wires
45
are respectively wired to a body fat meter control unit which is not shown in the figures.
As described above, conventionally, since the electrodes
42
of the body fat meter are molded independently and then manually attached to the resinous cover
40
, the manufacturing processes are increased in number and components are increased in number, and therefore the cost of the assembly and the components become high. Also, since the materials of the electrodes are metal, when measuring the bioelectrical impedance, these electrodes cause the soles of feet to feel disagreeably cool. In addition, because of the designs and so forth, it becomes difficult to reserve a sufficient area of the electrodes for coming into contact with the soles of feet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a resinous cover for use in a bioelectrical impedance measuring apparatus, in which, to solve the above problems in the prior art, the manufacturing processes are decreased in number and components are decreased in number and therefore the cost is reduced to a low level; apparent shape of the electrode is allowed to be freely designed; and further such a resinous cover prevents the soles of feet from feeling very disagreeably cool and the area of the electrodes for coming into contact with the soles of feet is sufficient.
The feature of the resinous cover for use in the bioelectrical impedance measuring apparatus according to the present invention resides in integrally-molding the electrodes and an insulating portion.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the material of said electrodes is conductive resin.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the integrally-molding method is multicolored molding.
According to further aspect of the present invention, the degree of smoothness of the surfaces of said electrodes is different from that of said insulating portion.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, the surface of either of said electrodes or said insulating portion is made rough and the surface of the other is made smooth.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, the color of said electrodes and that of said insulating portion are different from each other.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, apparent electrodes are formed within the areas occupied by said electrodes.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, each of the areas of said electrodes is more than two times that of its apparent electrode.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, the color of the areas occupied by said electrodes other than the areas occupied by said apparent electrodes and the color of said insulating portion are the same as each other.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5125405 (1992-06-01), Schmid
patent: 6292690 (2001-09-01), Petrucelli et al.
patent: 6507662 (2003-01-01), Brooks
patent: 6532384 (2003-03-01), Fukuda
patent: WO 90/09758 (1990-09-01), None
Hakomori Ikuo
Yoshida Yoshikazu
Hindenburg Max F.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Szmal Brian
Tanita Corporation
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