Patent ID: 11911130
Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 6:
7. A brain function measurement method of performing measurement by functional near-infrared spectroscopy using a measurement device which performs optical emission and alternatively optical detection, the measurement device comprising three probes that include a first probe, a second probe, and a third probe, each of the three probes having an optical attenuator provided at a distal end thereof, the three probes supported by a holder and respectively disposed at vertexes of a first regular triangle, the method comprising:
after the measurement device is placed on the head of a subject, initializing transmittances of all optical attenuators of the three probes so that an amount of light emitted from the three probes becomes a desired value, the desired value being read from a storage unit or supplied from an input unit;
identifying, among three channels to be measured by the three probes, a first channel having a maximum light amount obtained through detection performed in advance;
performing detection in a second channel and a third channel respectively positioned between the first probe and the second probe which are disposed at both ends of the first channel and the third probe to detect which of the second channel and the third channel has a smaller light amount:
adjusting the transmittance of the optical attenuator provided for the first probe or the second probe disposed at one end of one of the second channel and the third channel in which the smaller light amount has been detected, so that light amounts detected in the second channel and the third channel become equal;
adjusting the transmittance of the optical attenuator provided for the third probe so that a light amount detected in the second channel or the third channel becomes equal to a light amount detected in the first channel; and
performing measurement by functional near-infrared spectroscopy in a state in which all adjusted transmittances are maintained.