1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biological component measuring apparatus and method capable of measuring a biological component such as glucose without requiring means such as blood drawing.
2. Related Art
Currently, glucose measuring apparatuses of a blood drawing type have been put on the market as apparatuses for causing a patient having a glycemia to measure a blood sugar level individually. These glucose measuring apparatuses serve to draw blood from a patient by himself (herself), to drop the blood onto a glucose sensor chip, and to measure a glucose concentration based on a change in an electrical resistance value or to irradiate a light on the blood itself, thereby calculating the glucose concentration from spectral characteristics thereof. In the method, there is a great problem in that an action for drawing blood is indispensable and a slight pain is caused when drawing blood, a scar is left in a blood taking portion or excessive care is necessary for the hygiene maintenance of an injection needle to be used for drawing blood. The patients having the glycemia who are people to be measured have strongly demanded the development of a glucose measuring apparatus of a non-blood drawing type.
On the other hand, currently, a biosensor for medical research uses has been developed and practically utilized eagerly in the industrial world. In particular, there has been actively developed a technique for sticking a thin film or biological reactive material having a sensing function to a surface of a plate-shaped glass chip and causing a biological tissue or a biological tissue fluid to come in contact with this portion, thereby carrying out sensing. Moreover, there is often carried out an operation for irradiating a light on the thin film or biological reactive material having the sensing function and deciding a result of the sensing based on an optical signal which is obtained. In the sensors for the medical research uses, a sensor for measuring glucose has also been developed (see Japanese Patent Applications, Publication Nos. HEI9-61346, 2000-227, and 2002-191582). However, the measuring apparatuses using the biosensor are restricted to apparatuses for the medical research uses and installed apparatuses in hospitals. At present, there is no example in which the measuring apparatuses are practically utilized as personal and compact measuring apparatuses for the patients having the glycemia.
As sensors directed to medical research apparatuses for deciding a result of sensing by a sensor chip formed of a plate-shaped glass which has a sensing function and an optical signal obtained by irradiating a light on the sensor chip, there has been developed an apparatus having the function of causing a biological tissue to come in contact, thereby measuring a glucose. By practically utilizing the sensor as a personal and compact glucose measuring apparatus, it is possible to meet the expectations of many patients having the glycemia who desire the development of a blood sugar meter of a non-blood taking type.