P
USRE42833EExpiredUtilityPatentIndex 50

Method and apparatus for measuring distribution of body fat

Assignee: TANITA SEISAKUSHO KKPriority: Jun 11, 1999Filed: Jul 9, 2004Granted: Oct 11, 2011
Est. expiryJun 11, 2019(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:SERITA EIICHIHASEGAWA HIROKIHOSOI HIDEKI
G01G 19/50A61B 5/6887A61B 8/0858A61B 5/4872A61B 5/1075A61B 5/0537A61B 5/6823G01G 19/44
50
PatentIndex Score
1
Cited by
34
References
55
Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body. The method comprises the step of measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the personal data such as sex, age, height, weight, etc. The method further comprises the step of calculating an area or an amount of abdominal visceral fat or abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance and the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat as well as the girth of abdomen. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises the step of measuring the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and the girth of abdomen. Thereafter, the area of abdominal visceral fat and the area of abdominal subcutaneous fat are calculated, based upon the measurements of the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and the girth of abdomen.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; and   calculating an area of abdominal visceral fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance and the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat.   
     
     
       2. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; and   calculating an amount of abdominal visceral fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance and the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat.   
     
     
       3. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; and   calculating an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance and the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat.   
     
     
       4. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; and   calculating an amount of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on measurements of the bioelectrical impedance and the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat.   
     
     
       5. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; and   calculating an area of abdominal visceral fat and an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance and the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat.   
     
     
       6. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; and   calculating an amount of abdominal visceral fat and an amount of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance and the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat.   
     
     
       7. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the sex, age, height and weight of a person;   measuring a girth of abdomen; and   calculating an area of abdominal visceral fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance, the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and the girth of abdomen.   
     
     
       8. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance and a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the sex, age, height and weight of a person;   measuring a girth of abdomen; and   calculating an amount of abdominal visceral fat, based on the measurements of the bioelectrical impedance, the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and the girth of abdomen.   
     
     
       9. A method according  claim 1  in which said thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat is measured by using an ultrasonic signal. 
     
     
       10. A method according  claim 1  in which said thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat is measured by using a skin hold caliper. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal visceral fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit and said second input unit. 
 
     
     
       12. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an amount of abdominal visceral fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit and said second input unit. 
 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit and said second input unit. 
 
     
     
       14. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an amount of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit and said second input unit. 
 
     
     
       15. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; 
 a third input unit that enters a girth of abdomen; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal visceral fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit, said second input unit and said third input unit. 
 
     
     
       16. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; 
 a third input unit that enters a girth of abdomen; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an amount of abdominal visceral fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit, said second input unit and a third input unit. 
 
     
     
       17. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; 
 a third input unit that enters a girth of abdomen; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit, said second input unit and said third input unit. 
 
     
     
       18. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; 
 a third input unit that enters a girth of abdomen; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an amount of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit, said second input unit and third input unit. 
 
     
     
       19. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal visceral fat and an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit and said second input unit. 
 
     
     
       20. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, height, or weight; 
 a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance; 
 a second input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an amount of abdominal visceral fat and an amount of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based on the data from said first input unit, said measuring unit and said second input unit. 
 
     
     
       21. An apparatus according  claim 11  in which said second input unit includes an ultrasonic probe. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus according to  claim 21  in which the data detected by said ultrasonic probe is transmitted to said arithmetic element via a radio communication means or an optical communication means. 
     
     
       23. An apparatus according  claim 11  in which said second input unit includes a skin hold caliper. 
     
     
       24. An apparatus according to  claim 23  in which the data detected by said skin hold caliper is transmitted to said arithmetic element via a radio communication means or an optical communication means. 
     
     
       25. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal visceral fat; 
 a second arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat; and 
 a decision unit that determines the type of corpulence by dividing the area of abdominal visceral fat calculated in said first arithmetic element by the area of abdominal subcutaneous fat calculated in said second arithmetic element. 
 
     
     
       26. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and a girth of abdomen; and   calculating an area of abdominal visceral fat, based upon the measurements of the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and the girth of abdomen.   
     
     
       27. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and a girth of abdomen; and   calculating an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based upon the measurements of the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and the girth of abdomen.   
     
     
       28. A method of measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and a girth of abdomen; and   calculating an area of abdominal visceral fat and an area of abdominal subcutaneous fat, based upon the measurements of the thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat and the girth of abdomen.   
     
     
       29. A method according to  claim 26 , in which said thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat is measured by using an ultrasonic signal. 
     
     
       30. A method according to  claim 26 , in which said thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat is measured by using a skin hold caliper. 
     
     
       31. A method according to any one of  claims 26  to  30  in which the step of deriving the area of abdominal visceral fat or the area of abdominal subcutaneous fat further comprises the step of performing a correction process based upon personal data including at least one of sex, age, or height. 
     
     
       32. An apparatus for measuring a distribution of body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters a thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat; 
 a second input unit that enters a girth of abdomen; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an area of abdominal visceral fat based upon the data from said first and second input units. 
 
     
     
       33. An apparatus according to  claim 32  in which said first input unit includes an ultrasonic probe. 
     
     
       34. An apparatus according to  claim 32  in which said first input unit includes a skin hold caliper. 
     
     
       35. An apparatus according to  claim 32 ,  33  or  34  in which it further comprises a third input unit that enters personal data including at least one of sex, age, or height. 
     
     
       36. A method of measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance between two parts of a person; and   calculating an area or amount of abdominal visceral fat based on the measurements of said bioelectrical impedance between the two parts of the person and the age, the height, and the weight of the person.   
     
     
       37. A method of measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 measuring a bioelectrical impedance between two parts of a person;   calculating a total amount of fat based on the measurements of said bioelectrical impedance between the two parts of the person and the age, the height, and the weight of the person; and   calculating an area or amount of abdominal visceral fat based on the calculated total amount of fat.   
     
     
       38. A method according to  claim 36  or  37  in which said two parts are both feet. 
     
     
       39. A method according to  claim 36  or  37  in which said two parts are both hands. 
     
     
       40. A method according to  claim 36  or  37  in which said two parts are a hand and a foot. 
     
     
       41. An apparatus for measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 an input unit that enters at least one personal data including age, height, and weight;   a measuring unit that measures bioelectrical impedance between two parts of a person; and   an arithmetic element that calculates an area or amount of abdominal visceral fat based on the data from said input unit and said measuring unit.   
     
     
       42. An apparatus for measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 an input unit that enters at least one personal data including age, height, and weight;   a measuring unit that measures a bioelectrical impedance between two parts of a person; and   an arithmetic element that calculates a total amount of fat based on the data from said input unit and said measuring unit, and calculates an area or amount of abdominal visceral fat based on said total amount of fat.   
     
     
       43. An apparatus according to  claim 41  or  42  in which said two parts are both feet. 
     
     
       44. An apparatus according to  claim 41  or  42  in which said two parts are both hands. 
     
     
       45. An apparatus according to  claim 41  or  42  in which said two parts are a hand and a foot. 
     
     
       46. A method of measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 inputting a girth of abdomen; and   calculating a total area of fat in abdomen based on the inputted girth of abdomen and personal data including at least a height.   
     
     
       47. A method of measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 inputting girth of abdomen; and   calculating an area of visceral fat based on the inputted girth of abdomen and personal data including at least height.   
     
     
       48. A method according to  claim 46  or  47  in which the girth of abdomen is inputted by a girth measuring unit. 
     
     
       49. A method according to  claim 46  or  47  in which the girth of abdomen is inputted by data input switches. 
     
     
       50. An apparatus for measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters a girth of abdomen;   a second input unit that enters a personal data including at least a height; and   an arithmetic element that calculates total area of fat in abdomen based on the data from said first input unit and second input unit.   
     
     
       51. An apparatus for measuring body fat for human body, characterized in that it comprises:
 a first input unit that enters a girth of abdomen; 
 a second input unit that enters personal data including at least height; and 
 an arithmetic element that calculates an area of visceral fat based on the data from said first input unit and second input unit. 
 
     
     
       52. An apparatus according to claim  50  or  51  in which said first input unit is a girth measuring unit. 
     
     
       53. An apparatus according to  claim 50  or  51  in which said first input unit is data input switches. 
     
     
       54. An apparatus according to  claim 50  or  51  in which said second input unit is data input switches. 
     
     
       55. An apparatus according to  claim 50  or  51 , further comprising a third input unit that enters the personal data including at least one of sex and age.

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