JP2019083861A - Biological information measurement device and member capable of being gripped by user - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a biological information measurement device that can enhance a degree of freedom regarding variation in a position of a sensing part.SOLUTION: A biological information measurement device 1 includes: a sensor attachment part capable of being attached or installed to a member capable of being gripped by a user; and an optical sensing part capable of being attached to the sensor attachment part, where a position of the sensing part attached to the sensor attachment part is variable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a biological information measurement device and a member that can be gripped by a user.

  There is known a pulse wave sensor that measures pulse wave information (an example of biological information) of a user who operates a computer with a biological information measuring device provided in a housing of a mouse.

JP, 2014-166215, A

  However, in the prior art as described above, it is difficult to increase the degree of freedom regarding the change in the position of the sensing unit of the biological information measurement device. For example, in the prior art as described above, since the position of the sensing unit is fixed, there is no freedom in changing the position of the sensing unit, and the convenience is low. For example, the size of the user's hand varies, and for example, if the sensing unit is placed at a position assumed to be an average adult male hand, a small female or child hand may touch the sensing unit with a finger while holding the mouse. If so, the hand may be unnatural. If measurement is performed with an unnatural hand, the measurement accuracy may be reduced.

  Therefore, in one aspect, the present invention aims to increase the degree of freedom regarding the change in the position of the sensing unit of the biological information measurement device.

In one aspect, a sensor mount attachable to or provided by a user-graspable member by the user;
An optical sensing unit attachable to the sensor attachment unit;
A biological information measuring device is provided, in which a mounting position of the sensing unit with respect to the sensor mounting unit is variable.

  In one aspect, according to the present invention, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom regarding the change in the position of the sensing unit of the biological information measurement device.

FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing the appearance of a biological information measurement apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control system of the biological information measuring device 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a mouse 5 to which a biological information measurement device 1 according to a first embodiment is attached. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of the measurement operation of the biological information measurement device 1 provided in the housing 500 of the mouse 5; FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a variable aspect of the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5; 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing executed by the CPU 138 of the biological information measuring device 1. It is explanatory drawing of the modification of a sensor attachment member. It is sectional drawing along line VIII-VIII of FIG. It is a top view which shows sensor attachment member 80B and sensor case 71B roughly. It is sectional drawing along line XX of FIG.

  Hereinafter, each example will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Example 1
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing the appearance of a biological information measurement apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment.

  The biological information measuring device 1 includes a sensor housing 71, a control unit housing 72, and a sensor mounting member 80 (an example of a sensor mounting portion).

  In the first embodiment, as an example, the sensor housing 71 and the control unit housing 72 are housings separated from each other. However, in the modification, the sensor housing 71 and the control unit housing 72 may be an integral housing. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the electronic component (for example, the drive circuit 110 or the like described later) in the sensor housing 71 and the electronic component (for example, the interface 132 described below) in the control unit housing 72 are connected by the cable 73 However, they may be communicably connected wirelessly.

  The sensor housing 71 functions as a housing for the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30 described later. The control unit case 72 functions as a case of the control unit 170 described later, the wireless communication unit 142, and the like.

  The sensor attachment member 80 is attached to a member that can be gripped by the user. The member which can be gripped by the user is optional, and may be, for example, a mouse type input device, a toothbrush, a shave, a steering wheel, a dryer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a portable game machine, and the like. In the first embodiment, as an example, the member capable of being gripped by the user is the mouse 5 (see FIG. 3) which is a mouse type input device. The sensor attachment member 80 functions when attaching the sensor housing 71 to the mouse 5.

  In the first embodiment, as an example, the sensor attachment member 80 is a magnetic body and is in the form of a sheet. In Example 1, as one example, the sensor mounting member 80 has a flat surface. Further details of the sensor attachment member 80 will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control system of the biological information measuring device 1. An information device 200 is also shown in FIG.

  The biological information measuring device 1 includes a light emitting unit 20, a light receiving unit 30, and a control unit 170.

  The light emitting unit 20 is provided in the sensor housing 71 (see FIG. 1), and emits light toward the outside through the optical window 11 (see FIG. 3) of the sensor housing 71. The light emitting unit 20 is formed of, for example, an LED (Light-Emitting Diode).

  The light receiving unit 30 is provided in the same sensor housing 71 (not shown) as the light emitting unit 20, and receives light through the optical window 11. The light emitting unit 20 is formed of, for example, LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) different in two wavelengths. The light receiving unit 30 is provided in the same sensor housing 71 (not shown) as the light emitting unit 20, and receives light. The light receiving unit 30 is formed of, for example, a photodiode. The light emitting unit 20, the light receiving unit 30, and the optical window 11 form a sensing unit 40 of the biological information measuring device 1.

  The control unit 170 includes an interface 132, a memory 134, a timer 136, a central processing unit (CPU) 138 (an example of a processing unit), and an analog to digital converter (ADC) 140.

  The drive circuit 110 and the amplifier circuit 120 are electrically connected to the control unit 170. Further, the power source 130 is electrically connected to the control unit 170. Further, the wireless communication unit 142 is electrically connected to the control unit 170. The control unit 170 drives and controls the light emitting unit 20 via the drive circuit 110, processes the light receiving signal obtained via the light receiving unit 30 and the ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) 140, and generates biological information.

  In the first embodiment, as an example, the control unit 170 generates, as biological information, measurement values related to pulse waves and hemoglobin based on the light reception amount information obtained by the light receiving unit 30. For example, since a change in the amount of received light occurs in response to a change in volume of a blood vessel, pulse wave information (volume pulse wave) can be obtained. In addition, since changes in the amount of received light occur in response to changes in the concentration of hemoglobin in the bloodstream, measurement values related to hemoglobin can be obtained. For example, the control unit 170 generates a measurement value of a pulse wave and a measurement value of ΔHb which is an example of a measurement value related to hemoglobin. Note that ΔH b has three values: the concentration of oxyhemoglobin, the concentration of deoxyhemoglobin, and their total value.

  The control unit 170 supplies the generated biological information to the wireless communication unit 142 via the interface 132. The wireless communication unit 142 transmits the biological information to the information device 200 via the antenna 144. Further, the wireless communication unit 142 receives a wireless signal from the information device 200 via the antenna 144. Note that wireless communication (data communication) via such an antenna 144 may be based on Bluetooth (registered trademark), for example. Also, in a modification, the biological information measurement device 1 may be electrically connected to the information device 200 by wire such as USB (Universal Serial Bus).

  The switch group 180 is electrically connected to the control unit 170. The switch group 180 includes a plurality of dome switches 181 (see FIG. 4). The on / off information from the dome switch 181 is given to the control unit 170. The arrangement of the dome switch 181 will be described later.

  The information device 200 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC) of a user, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like. The information device 200 has a display unit 201. In the first embodiment, as an example, the information device 200 is assumed to be a PC (PC with display unit 201) that can communicate with the mouse 5 described later. Communication between the mouse 5 and the information device 200 may be realized by wire or wireless.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the mouse 5 to which the biological information measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment is attached.

  The mouse 5 is a mouse-type input device and has a housing 500. The mouse 5 includes various operation units. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the mouse 5 includes a wheel 501 that can be rotated by the user. The mouse 5 also includes an operation portion 502 on which the index finger is placed and an operation portion 503 on which the middle finger is placed when the user's right hand performs an operation. The user can perform various input operations via the mouse 5 by pressing the operation site 502 and the operation site 503 or rotating the wheel 501 while holding the housing 500.

  In the biological information measurement device 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensor housing 71 (and accordingly the sensing unit 40) is attached to the housing 500 of the mouse 5. The sensor housing 71 is removably attached to the housing 500.

  In the first embodiment, as an example, the sensor housing 71 is magnetically coupled to the sensor attachment member 80.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensor attachment member 80 is attached to the housing 500. The sensor attachment member 80 may be removably attached to the housing 500, but may be fixed. For example, the sensor attachment member 80 is fixed to the housing 500 by a double-sided tape, an adhesive, or the like. However, in a modification, the sensor attachment member 80 may be integrally formed on the housing 500. In this case, a part of the housing 500 (a part where the sensor attachment member 80 is formed) is made of a magnetic material.

  A magnet 82 is attached to the sensor housing 71 as schematically shown in FIG. 1 (see FIG. 4). The magnet 82 is provided on the back side of the sensor housing 71 (the side opposite to the side on which the optical window 11 is formed). A plurality of magnets 82 may be provided. In the first embodiment, as an example, as shown in FIG. 1, three magnets 82 are provided. The magnet 82 may be removably attached to the sensor housing 71 but may be fixed. For example, the magnet 82 is fixed to the sensor housing 71 by a double-sided tape or an adhesive. However, in the modification, the magnet 82 may be integrally formed on the sensor housing 71.

  Therefore, the sensor mounting member 80 is attracted to the magnet 82 so that the sensor housing 71 is coupled to the sensor mounting member 80. The adsorption position of the sensor attachment member 80 to the magnet 82 can be easily changed. Thus, in the first embodiment, the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5 is variable.

  The sensor housing 71 is preferably arranged such that the sensing unit 40 is located in a region in the housing 500 of the mouse 5 touched by the thumb of the user's hand to be operated, as shown in FIG. The sensing unit 40 is a portion from which biological information related to the thumb can be obtained when the thumb of the user's hand to be operated is touching. Thereby, the user can measure (generate) biological information while holding the mouse 5 by hand.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the measurement operation of the biological information measuring device 1 provided in the housing 500 of the mouse 5 and is a cross sectional view of the biological information measuring device 1 in a state where the surface of the finger (human body) of the person to be measured is in contact. In a very schematic manner. In FIG. 4, the cross sections of the biological information measuring device 1 and the housing 500 are very schematically shown for the sake of explanation. Further, in FIG. 4, in the biological information measurement device 1, a sensor housing 71 is illustrated, and the control unit housing 72 and the cable 73 are not illustrated. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the control unit case 72 includes the optical window 11. The optical window 11 is formed of a material having high transmittance to the measurement light.

  At the time of measurement, the finger contacts the sensing unit 40 of the biological information measuring device 1. In this contact state, when the light emitting unit 20 emits light to the outside, part of the light passes through the finger toward the light receiving unit 30 as schematically shown by an arrow R1 in FIG. Then, part of the light passing through the finger is incident on the light receiving unit 30. The light receiving unit 30 generates an electrical signal (light receiving signal) according to the light receiving result. The light reception signal from the light reception unit 30 is processed by the control unit 170, and the above-described biological information is generated.

  By the way, the size of the user's hand is different. In general, female and child hands tend to be smaller than average adult male hands. Therefore, when the position of the sensing unit 40 with respect to the mouse 5 is fixed, the position of the sensing unit 40 with respect to the mouse 5 may be deviated from the ideal position where the thumb just touches in the natural state of gripping the mouse 5 . If the thumb does not touch the sensing unit 40 in a natural state of gripping the mouse 5 and the thumb touches the sensing unit 40, the hand may be unnatural. If measurement is performed with an unnatural hand, the measurement accuracy may be reduced.

  In this respect, according to the first embodiment, as described above, since the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5 is variable, the user can change the position of the sensing unit 40. Thereby, for example, the user can change the position of the sensing unit 40 when the thumb does not just touch the sensing unit 40 in a natural state of holding the mouse 5. That is, the user can adjust the position of the sensing unit 40 with respect to the mouse 5 to an ideal position where the thumb just touches the sensing unit 40 in a natural state of gripping the mouse 5. For example, in FIG. 5, the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5 is arranged closer to the user (closer to the wrist along the direction in which the hand is extended) than in FIG. 3. As a result, there is no need to perform measurement in an unnatural hand state, and stable measurement accuracy can be secured for each user even when various users with different hand sizes use it.

  In the first embodiment, the sensor attachment member 80 on the housing 500 side is a magnetic body, and the magnet 82 is attached to the sensor housing 71, but the opposite may be applied. That is, a magnetic body may be provided on the back side (the side opposite to the side on which the optical window 11 is formed) in the sensor housing 71, and a magnet (another example of the sensor attachment portion) may be attached to the housing 500 side. . Moreover, it replaces with a magnetic body and the magnet of the reverse polarity to the polarity (polarity of the end surface of the side which opposes the sensor attachment member 80) of the magnet 82 may be used.

  In the first embodiment, as an example, as shown in FIG. 4, a dome switch 181 formed in a dome shape and capable of reversing operation is provided between the magnet 82 and the sensor attachment member 80. In the modification, the dome switch 181 may be provided only for a part of the plurality of magnets 82.

  In the first embodiment, as an example, as schematically shown in FIG. 1, the dome switch 181 is provided on the magnet 82 side. In this case, wiring (not shown) for electrical connection between the dome switch 181 and the control unit 170 is facilitated. However, in the modification, the dome switch 181 may be provided on the sensor attachment member 80 side. In this case, the control unit 170 may obtain on / off information from the dome switch 181 from the mouse 5 side via, for example, the wireless communication unit 142, or the dome via the information device 200 that can communicate with the mouse 5. On / off information from the switch 181 may be obtained.

  The dome switch 181 has a function of giving a click feeling to the user when the sensor housing 71 is slightly pressed by the user to perform a reverse operation. The pressing force from the user required to cause the reversing operation is set to a level corresponding to the appropriate contact pressure when the finger touches the optical window 11. That is, the finger is set to a level not to be compressed more than necessary. In this case, the user can measure with an appropriate contact pressure by holding the finger in a state where the click feeling is obtained.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing executed by the CPU 138 of the biological information measuring device 1.

  In step S600, the CPU 138 determines whether the dome switch 181 is in the on state based on the on / off information from the dome switch 181. The dome switch 181 being on means that the user is likely to be pressing the sensor housing 71 (sensing unit 40) for measurement. If the determination result is "YES", the process proceeds to step S601. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S610.

  In step S601, the CPU 138 determines whether the sensing unit 40 has been activated (turned on). If the determination result is "YES", the process proceeds to step S602. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S608.

  In step S602, the CPU 138 acquires the light reception amount information from the light receiving unit 30. The received light amount information is stored in a predetermined memory area.

  In step S604, the CPU 138 generates biological information based on the received light amount information (time-series waveform) in the predetermined memory area.

  In step S606, the CPU 138 transmits the biological information generated in step S604 to the information device 200.

  In step S608, the CPU 138 activates the sensing unit 40. That is, the sensing unit 40 is activated in a state in which power from the power supply 130 can be supplied to the sensing unit 40.

  In step S610, the CPU 138 stops the sensing unit 40. When the sensing unit 40 is already in the stop state, the process of step S610 is omitted.

  According to the process shown in FIG. 6, biological information can be generated when the dome switch 181 is in the on state. As a result, the measurement is realized in a state in which the finger is likely to touch the sensing unit 40 with an appropriate contact pressure, and thus the possibility of obtaining biological information with high accuracy can be increased.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 8, modified examples of the sensor attachment member will be described.

  7 and 8 are explanatory views of a sensor mounting member 80A according to a preferred example. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the sensor attachment member 80A. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG.

  The sensor attachment member 80 includes a plurality of holes 801 into which the magnets 82 can be fitted. In the example shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the holes 801 are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix at a predetermined pitch. The predetermined pitch may be the same as the pitch of the magnets 82 in the sensor housing 71. The predetermined pitch may be, for example, about 3 to 4 mm. The two-dimensional arrangement improves the degree of freedom in adjusting the mounting position of the sensing unit 40 with respect to the mouse 5. That is, adjustment in the vertical direction of the mouse 5 is also possible. However, in the modification, the holes 801 may be provided in a line along the front-rear direction of the mouse 5.

  According to the example shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sensor attachment member 80 has a plurality of holes 801 into which the magnet 82 can be fitted, so that the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 with respect to the mouse 5 is variable at each predetermined pitch. Become. That is, the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5 can be changed by changing the holes 801 (the three holes 801 in the first embodiment) in which the magnets 82 of the plurality of holes 801 are fitted.

Example 2
The second embodiment is mainly different from the above-described first embodiment in that the magnet 82 is replaced by the protrusion 83 and the sensor attachment member 80 is replaced by the sensor attachment member 80B, and the other configurations are the same. It may be. In the first embodiment described above, as described above, the sensor housing 71 is coupled to the sensor attachment member 80 by the magnetic force, while in the second embodiment, the sensor housing 71 (and the sensing unit 40 accompanying it) is The sensor mounting member 80B is slidably coupled via a slide mechanism. In the following description, about the component similar to Example 1 mentioned above, description may be abbreviate | omitted using the same referential mark.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically showing the sensor attachment member 80B and the sensor housing 71, and shows a state in which the sensor housing 71 is attached to the sensor attachment member 80B. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. The Y direction is defined in FIG. The Y direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of the mouse 5.

  The sensor housing 71 includes a protrusion 83 on the back side (the side opposite to the side on which the optical window 11 is formed). The protrusion 83 does not have to be a magnet, and is formed of, for example, a resin or the like. The protrusion 83 is provided on the back side of the sensor housing 71 (the side opposite to the side on which the optical window 11 is formed). A plurality of projecting portions 83 may be provided. In the first embodiment, as an example, as shown in FIG. 10, three protrusions 83 are provided. The protrusion 83 may be removably attached to the sensor housing 71, but may be fixed. For example, the protrusion 83 is fixed to the sensor housing 71 by a double-sided tape, an adhesive, or the like. However, in the modification, the protrusion 83 may be integrally formed on the sensor housing 71.

  The projecting portion 83 is configured to fit in a slide groove 810 of a sensor attachment member 80B described later. The protrusion 83 cooperates with the slide groove 810 to form a slide mechanism. As shown in FIG. 10, a convex portion 812 is attached to the side portion of the projecting portion 83 (the side portion having a direction perpendicular to the Y direction as a normal). The convex part 812 is a form fitted to the below-mentioned recessed part 811 by planar view. The convex portion 812 may be configured such that the spherical body is biased by an elastic body toward the outside (the side portion of the slide groove 810).

  The sensor attachment member 80B does not have to be a magnetic body, and is formed of, for example, a resin or the like. The sensor attachment member 80B has a slide groove 810. As shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 83 is slidably fitted in the Y direction in the slide groove 810. In the example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a plurality of slide grooves 810 are formed. In this case, the degree of freedom in adjusting the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5 is improved. That is, adjustment in the vertical direction of the mouse 5 is also possible.

  Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5 can be changed. That is, by sliding the sensor housing 71 with respect to the sensor mounting member 80B, the mounting position of the sensing unit 40 with respect to the mouse 5 becomes variable.

  In the second embodiment, the slide grooves 810 are preferably formed with recesses 811 (recesses recessed in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction) at a predetermined pitch in plan view. That is, in the slide groove 810, the groove width changes periodically, and unevenness is generated periodically. When the sensor casing 71 is slid relative to the sensor mounting member 80B, when the convex portion 812 comes to the position of the concave portion 811, the amount of elastic deformation of the convex portion 812 is reduced, and the convex portion to the position other than the position of the concave portion 811 When 812 comes, the amount of elastic deformation of the convex portion 812 increases. That is, the resistance to the relative movement in the sliding direction between the sensing unit 40 and the sensor attachment member 80B changes at a plurality of positions in the slide stroke. Thereby, when sliding the sensor housing 71 with respect to the sensor attachment member 80B, a click feeling is generated at each predetermined pitch. The side portion of the slide groove 810 in which the convex portion 812 slides (the side portion having a direction perpendicular to the Y direction as a normal) may be formed of metal or the like.

  As mentioned above, although each Example was explained in full detail, it is not limited to a specific example, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range described in the claim. In addition, it is also possible to combine all or a plurality of the components of the above-described embodiment.

  For example, the coupling between the sensor housing 71 and the housing 500 may be realized by Magic Tape (registered trademark), Velcro (registered trademark), or the like. For example, in the case of the velcro, one side (another example of the sensor attachment portion) of the velcro is fixed to the housing 500, and the other side is fixed to the sensor housing 71. Also in this case, the attachment position of the sensing unit 40 to the mouse 5 is variable.

  Moreover, although the dome switch 181 is provided in Example 1 and Example 2 mentioned above, it is not restricted to this. For example, the dome switch 181 may be omitted. Alternatively, instead of the dome switch 181, a dome-shaped portion capable of reversing operation (a portion not functioning as a switch) may be provided. In this case, although the measurement can not be performed using the on state of the dome switch 181 as shown in FIG. 6 as a trigger, the effect of providing a click feeling (appropriate contact pressure) can still be obtained.

Reference Signs List 1 biological information measuring device 5 mouse 11 optical window 20 light emitting unit 30 light receiving unit 40 sensing unit 71 sensor housing 72 control unit housing 73 cable 80 sensor mounting member 80A sensor mounting member 80B sensor mounting member 82 magnet 83 projecting portion 110 drive circuit 120 amplifier circuit 130 power supply 132 interface 134 memory 136 timer 142 wireless communication unit 144 antenna 170 control unit 180 switch group 181 dome switch 200 information device 201 display unit 500 housing 501 wheel 502 operation site 503 operation site 801 hole 810 slide groove 811 recess 812 convex part

Claims (9)

A sensor attachment portion attachable to or provided by a user-graspable member;
An optical sensing unit attachable to the sensor attachment unit;
The living body information measuring device whose attachment position of the sensing part to the sensor attachment part is variable.   The biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the member which can be gripped by a user is at least one of a mouse type input device, a toothbrush, a shave and a steering handle.   The biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is magnetically coupled to the sensor attachment unit. One of the sensing portion and the sensor attachment portion has a magnet, and the other has a plurality of holes into which the magnet can fit.
The biological information measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the mounting position of the sensing unit with respect to the sensor mounting unit is variable by changing a hole into which the magnet of the plurality of holes is fitted.   The biological information measuring device according to claim 4, wherein a dome-shaped switch capable of reversing operation is provided between the magnet and the bottom of the hole.   The biological information measuring device according to claim 5, further comprising: a processing unit that generates biological information of the user based on on / off information from the switch and light reception amount information obtained by the sensing unit.   The biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is slidably coupled to the sensor attachment unit by a slide mechanism.   The living body according to claim 7, wherein the slide mechanism is formed such that resistance to relative movement in the slide direction between the sensing unit and the sensor attachment unit changes at a plurality of positions in a slide stroke. Information measuring device. It is a member that can be gripped by the user, and
A member comprising a sensor attachment unit to which an optical sensing unit of a biological information measuring device is attached in a manner that the attachment position is variable.

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