DE202004017417U1 - Electronic unit for the measurement of blood pressure and pulse rates, in a home situation, has a holder for a memory card to store the measurement data individually for each user - Google Patents

Abstract

The electronic apparatus to measure blood pressure has a memory and display to show the blood pressure and pulse with systolic and diastolic measurements, together with the time and date of measurement. The unit has a holder for a suitable data storage e.g. a secure digital (SD) card, chip card, memory stick, universal serial bus (USB) stick, etc. The card holder is linked to the electronic blood pressure measurement unit through an electronic control module. The system is constantly monitored, and data are transferred automatically to the memory card whenever measurements are taken. The card can be scanned electronically and linked to a printer for a hard copy of the measurements.

Description

Problem Description

In the death statistics of people living in industrial nations Cardiovascular disease first of all.

to Assessing the cardiovascular situation of a person is the Blood pressure causal one of the most important parameters.

The early Recognition and successful treatment of an existing high blood pressure disorder is from a significant Influence on the further life expectancy.

• – Mindestens jeder fünfte Mensch in Deutschland leidet unter einem Bluthochdruck, wobei in neueren Studien von weitaus höheren Raten (bis ca. 40%) die Rede ist
• – Nur ca. 65% aller Betroffenen wissen von ihrem Bluthochdruck
• – Nur ca. 25% aller Betroffenen sind in ärztlicher Behandlung
• – Nur ca. 10% aller Betroffenen sind therapeutisch wirksam eingestellt

The current situation in this area using the example of Germany reflects the following statistics (Source: German League for the Control of Hypertension):

• - At least every fifth person in Germany suffers from hypertension, although recent studies have reported much higher rates (up to 40%)
• - Only about 65% of all affected people know about their hypertension
• - Only about 25% of all those affected are under medical treatment
• - Only about 10% of all those affected are therapeutically effective

The One problem is the recognition and the successful one Therapy of hypertension.

Currently be in the daily Life sphygmomanometers used (both at home and in a professional environment), the individual blood pressure measurement results on different occasions for review.

A systematic, medically adequate assessment and therapy is due to such individual results only unsatisfactory possible.

• – Die derzeit häufigste Dokumentationsform für Blutdruckmessdaten ist der Blutdruckpass, in welchen Messergebnisse handschriftlich eingetragen werden. Studien haben jedoch belegt, dass bei der Eintragung Fehler gemacht und teilweise „geschönte" Werte dokumentiert werden. Problematisch ist weiterhin, dass die Blutdruckpass-Daten nicht ohne weiteres elektronisch weiterverarbeitbar sind.
• – Zunehmend finden Blutdruckmessgeräte mit integriertem Messwert-Speicher Anwendung. Nicht ausreichend hierbei ist die niedrige Anzahl der verfügbaren Speicherplätze, die nicht standardisierte Darstellung der Blutdruckwert-Ergebnisse, der unhandliche Transport des Gerätes zum Arzt und die technisch bedingten, unpraktikablen Darstellungsmöglichkeiten.
• – Weiterhin werden heute Blutdruckmessgeräte mit Computerschnittstelle verwendet, über die eine Übertragung der Werte in einen Homecomputer mit anschließendem Ausdruck möglich ist. Dies setzt das Vorhandensein eines PC-Systems voraus, und die Fähigkeit zum Umgang damit. Für ältere Patienten – die vom Bluthochdruck am stärksten betroffene Gruppe – ist dies zum Teil problematisch.
• – Ein weiteres Problem ist die Vermischung von Blutdruckwerten verschiedener Personen im Speicher des im Haushalt gemeinsam genutzten Blutdruckmessgerätes.

The reliable documentation of a patient's individual blood pressure measurement data over a longer period of time is currently practically unrealizable, due to the following problems and difficulties:

• - Currently the most common form of documentation for blood pressure measurement data is the blood pressure pass, in which measurement results are entered by hand. However, studies have shown that errors are made in the registration process and that some "glossed-out" values are documented.The problem remains that the blood pressure data can not easily be further processed electronically.
• - Increasingly, blood pressure monitors with integrated measured value memory are being used. Not enough here is the low number of available memory locations, the non-standardized representation of blood pressure results, the unwieldy transport of the device to the doctor and the technically-related, impractical display options.
• - Also used today are blood pressure monitors with computer interface, via which a transfer of the values in a home computer with subsequent expression is possible. This requires the presence of a PC system and the ability to handle it. For elderly patients - the group most affected by high blood pressure - this is sometimes problematic.
• - Another problem is the mixing of blood pressure levels of different people in the memory of the shared blood pressure monitor in the home.

Description of the invention

The present invention, the "Electronic System for storing and displaying blood pressure and heart rate data ", the so-called" blood pressure card system ", solves the above Problems.

The Blood pressure card system consists of the following components:

1 Sphygmomanometer with data interface (A)

2 Blood pressure card (chip card, as a special version of a removable data storage medium) in credit card format for the storage of blood pressure values

3 Blood pressure card writing unit with recording device for a type of blood pressure card changing data storage medium

4 Connection cable for connection of sphygmomanometer and blood pressure card writing unit

5 A blood pressure card reading unit with a recording device for a type of blood pressure card exchangeable data storage medium and with a connection possibility for a commercial inkjet color printer

Practical application user side, i.e. Blood pressure measurement and storage of blood pressure measurement data

With the blood pressure card system should in the day all blood pressure measurement data, which are determined by a person by individual measurements, are stored on the blood pressure card.

The device system used consists of a sphygmomanometer with data interface ( 1 ), Blood pressure card ( 2 ) and blood pressure card writing unit ( 3 ). The sphygmomanometer is connected via the connection cable ( 4 ) is connected to the blood pressure card writing unit.

As soon as the device system described above is built, the blood pressure card in the blood pressure card writing unit is plugged in and the blood pressure card write unit is turned on is, every performed Measurement with date and time saved on the blood pressure card.

That the user decides himself when to take a measurement on the card should be saved by the operational readiness of the above described system and then performs the measurement. A once stored measurement can not be deleted by the user.

• – Die gespeicherten Messwerte können nicht im nachhinein manipuliert werden.
• – Durch den Einsatz einer Blutdruckcard mit entsprechender Kapazität können beliebig viele Messungen gespeichert werden, wodurch praktisch beliebig lange Zeiträume abgebildet werden können. Bei Einsatz einer Karte mit 2kBit Kapazität können 200 Messwerte, bei einer Kapazität von 256kBit können z.B. 28.000 Datensätze gespeichert werden. Bei 2-maliger Verwendung täglich entspricht dies einer Speicherkapazität für 38 Jahren.
• – Durch den Einsatz individueller Karten können mehrere Anwender das gleiche System verwenden. Der jeweilige Anwender steckt seine persönliche Blutdruckcard ein, führt die Messung durch und das Ergebnis wird auf seiner Karte gespeichert. Somit ist bei Verwendung eines Systems eine getrennte Speicherung der Messergebnisse von unterschiedlichen Personen möglich.
• – Durch die geringen Abmessungen der Blutdruckcard im Scheckkartenformat ist ein einfacher Transport zur Auswerteeinheit (Arzt, Apotheke, u.a.) möglich.
• – Das System ist einfach zu handhaben und anzuwenden, d.h. auch ältere Personen können damit umgehen. Dazu müssen einfach die Einheiten über das Kabel miteinander verbunden und eingeschaltet werden. Die Betriebsbereitschaft vor der Messung, sowie der erfolgreiche Speichervorgang nach der Messung werden durch einfache Statusmeldungen, z.B. Leuchtdiodenanzeigen signalisiert. Denkbar ist auch die Konstruktion eines Blutdruckmessgeräts mit direkt angebauter oder integrierter Blutdruckcard-Schreibeinheit, so dass die Verwendung eines Verbindungskabels entfällt.

The system offers the following benefits to the user:

• - The stored measured values can not be subsequently manipulated.
• - By using a blood pressure card with the appropriate capacity any number of measurements can be saved, which allows practically any length of time can be mapped. When using a card with 2kBit capacity can read 200 readings, with a capacity of 256kBit, for example, 28,000 records can be stored. When used twice a day, this equates to storage capacity for 38 years.
• - By using individual cards, multiple users can use the same system. The respective user inserts his personal blood pressure card, carries out the measurement and the result is saved on his card. Thus, when using a system, a separate storage of the measurement results of different people is possible.
• - Due to the small dimensions of the blood pressure card in credit card format a simple transport to the evaluation unit (doctor, pharmacy, etc.) is possible.
• - The system is easy to handle and use, which means older people can handle it too. Simply connect the units to each other via the cable and switch them on. The operational readiness before the measurement, as well as the successful storage process after the measurement are signaled by simple status messages, eg LED displays. Also conceivable is the construction of a sphygmomanometer with directly attached or integrated blood pressure card writing unit, so that the use of a connecting cable is eliminated.

Practical application on the value side, i.e. Presentation of stored blood pressure measurement data

After the patient has stored a certain number of blood pressure measurements on his blood pressure card, he can use the card to form an evaluation unit, the blood pressure card reading unit with connection possibility for a commercially available inkjet color printer ( 5 ), which may be in a doctor's office, pharmacy, hospital, etc., for example.

For evaluation, the blood pressure card is simply inserted into the blood pressure card reading unit and the measured values are sent directly to a DIN A4 sheet in compressed form via the connected printer ( 6 ).

• – Die Blutdruckcard-Leseeinheit ist nicht auf ein PC-System angewiesen, sondern ist durch den integrierten Prozessor in der Lage, einen handelsüblichen Drucker selbstständig anzusteuern und einen komprimierten Ausdruck zu erzeugen. Dadurch ist die Aufstellung und Inbetriebnahme auch durch einen Nichtfachmann möglich; es müssen keine Eingriffe und Installationen von Treibern oder Programmen auf bestehenden PC-Systemen durchgeführt werden.
• – Die Blutdruckcard-Leseeinheit ist sehr einfach zu bedienen: In der einfachsten Konfiguration wird die Blutdruckcard eingesteckt, und ohne weiteres Zutun wird ein Standardausdruck mit den letzten 200 Messwerten auf einem DIN-A4 Blatt erzeugt.
• – Es wird ein komprimierter Ausdruck mit 200 Messwerten auf einem DIN-A4 Blatt erzeugt, was die Möglichkeit bietet, in kurzer Zeit einen sehr guten Überblick zur Blutdrucksituation zu erhalten, gemäß dem Motto, ein Bild sagt mehr als tausend Worte.

The specially designed blood pressure card reading unit offers the following significant advantages for the evaluation:

• - The blood pressure card reading unit is not dependent on a PC system, but is by the integrated processor able to independently control a commercial printer and to produce a compressed expression. Thus, the installation and commissioning is also possible by a non-specialist; no intervention or installation of drivers or programs on existing PC systems is required.
• - The blood pressure card reading unit is very easy to use: In the simplest configuration, the blood pressure card is inserted, and without further ado, a standard printout with the last 200 readings is generated on a DIN A4 sheet.
• - A compressed printout with 200 readings is generated on a DIN A4 sheet, which provides the opportunity to get a very good overview of the blood pressure situation in a short time, according to the motto, a picture is worth a thousand words.

When Another evaluation and display option is reading the blood pressure card by a commercially available card reader possible, the connected to a standard PC system.

By corresponding standard PC programs can read the readings subjected to a complex evaluation and printed or on the screen be considered.

Claims (3)

Electronic system for blood pressure measurement and storing or displaying blood pressure and heart rate data , which is a receptacle for any removable data storage medium characterized in that the receiving device for the removable data storage medium is connected to an electronic sphygmomanometer via an electronic control module, and the electronic control module automatically monitors the sphygmomanometer for the purpose of detecting when a performed blood pressure measurement has been completed, thus just ascertained blood pressure and heart rate data taken directly automatically and stored on the located in the recording device removable data storage medium. Electronic system for blood pressure measurement and storage or Representation of blood pressure and heart rate data, a recording device for any Has removable data storage medium, characterized in that the receiving device for the removable data storage medium via a electronic control module connected to an electronic sphygmomanometer is, and the electronic control module automatically, without manual intervention, in regular or irregular temporal intervals read the reading memory of the sphygmomanometer to read blood pressure and take heart rate data and to the removable data storage medium in the cradle save. An electronic system for measuring blood pressure and storing or displaying blood pressure and heart rate data comprising a pick-up device for any removable data storage medium, characterized in that the pick-up device for the removable data storage medium comprises an electronic control module having a printer unit and, as soon as a removable data storage medium is inserted into the removable data storage medium receptacle, the electronic control module automatically reads out the blood pressure and pulse measurement data stored on the removable data storage medium, conditionally preparing the same and automatically delivering it directly to the printer unit or completely, depending on the configuration of the electronic control module.