JP2002263078A - Physiological data measuring instrument and advice system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To output obtained phosiological data to the outside to record the same or to display the same by a graph or to obtain the advice of an expert with respect to the phosiological data. SOLUTION: A memory means 8 and an output means 12 for outputting the same are provided to enable the output to external machinery such as a computer or the like. Therefore, the time series transition or graphing of the phosiological data becomes possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a biological information measuring apparatus for calculating information on a living body based on body impedance, and an advice system using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional biological information measuring device of this type is generally, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-59744. FIG. 9 shows the appearance of a conventional biometric device.

In this apparatus, a hand electrode 3 is provided on a holding portion 4 which can be held by both hands of a main body 22, and an electrode 1 is provided on a foot electrode portion 21 connected by a cable 7. A method in which the subject inputs the subject information of height, weight, and gender with the key group 5, holds the device main body 22 with both hands, and takes a predetermined posture on the foot electrode unit 21 for measurement Met. Thereby, the grip portion 4 and the foot electrode portion 21
The electrodes 1 and 3 provided in the device contact the palm and the sole of the foot to measure the impedance between the limbs, and the information on the living body can be obtained by calculation based on the impedance and the input subject information. It was like.

[0004]

However, in a conventional biological information measuring device, for example, in the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-59744, information on a living body is calculated based on measured impedance and input subject information. Can be obtained, but the obtained information is output to an external printer to keep a record, or the time-series transition of the obtained information can be grasped, or it can be graphed. Could not be output to an external computer.

[0005] The purpose of using this device is to allow the user to grasp the biological information by himself and utilize it for promoting his / her health. However, when utilizing the obtained information to promote health, it is essential that the user of this biological information measuring device has knowledge of eating habits and exercise amount, and a user with little such knowledge is required. For this, measurement with this device could not directly contribute to health promotion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is directed to a biological information measuring apparatus capable of outputting calculated information on a living body of a subject, measured impedance, and subject information to an external device such as a computer. For the purpose of providing. In addition, even if the user does not have knowledge about diet and exercise, the external manager can provide advice on diet and exercise based on the information obtained by measuring with this device, directly contributing to the promotion of the user's health The purpose is to provide a system that can do it.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a biological information measuring apparatus according to the present invention comprises an impedance measuring means for measuring impedance between electrodes, and subject information representing physical characteristics of the subject. Input means for inputting, having a calculating means for calculating information about the living body of the subject from the measured impedance and the information of the subject, information on the living body of the subject calculated by the calculating means, the measured impedance, Alternatively, the information processing apparatus has a storage means for storing at least one piece of the subject information, and an output means for outputting the information stored in the storage means to the outside.

The information thus obtained is output to an external device such as a computer, which makes it possible to grasp the time-series transition, graph it, or output it to a printer.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to a first aspect of the present invention is directed to an electrode for contacting at least two portions of a subject, impedance measuring means for measuring impedance between the electrodes, and a body of the subject. Input means for inputting subject information representing characteristic characteristics, calculating means for calculating information on the living body of the subject from the measured impedance and subject information, and notifying means for notifying the calculation result by the calculating means. And output means for storing at least one piece of information on the living body of the subject calculated by the calculating means, measured impedance, or subject information, and outputting the information stored by the storing means to the outside. The information obtained by the configuration having the means is output to an external device such as a computer, whereby the chronological transition can be grasped and the The output of the rough on or printer becomes available.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the storage means having the output means according to the first aspect is configured to be detachable from other means, so that the whole biological information measuring apparatus is carried and an external device such as a computer is provided. It is not necessary to output the information to the user, and only the small and light storage means, which is a part of the biological information measuring device, needs to be carried.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the storage means having the output means of the first aspect is provided independently of the electrodes and the impedance measuring means, so that the whole biological information measuring apparatus can be carried. There is no need to output to an external device such as a computer, and it is a part of this biological information measuring device, and it is only necessary to carry an independent small and lightweight storage means, and it is very easy to use.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a foot electrode which comes into contact with a foot of a person to be measured, a human body rest provided with the foot electrode, on which the person to be measured rides during measurement, and a hand of the person to be measured. A hand electrode, a hand electrode, a gripping portion provided with a hand to be measured by the subject at the time of measurement, an impedance measuring means for measuring impedance between the foot electrode and the hand electrode, and a physical Input means for inputting the subject information representing the features, and calculating means for calculating information about the living body of the subject from the impedance and the subject information between the foot electrode and the hand electrode,
Storage means having display means for displaying a calculation result by the calculation means, and storing at least one piece of information on the living body of the subject calculated by the calculation means, measured impedance, or subject information; The gripping unit including an output unit for outputting the information stored in the outside to the grip unit and connecting the grip unit and the human body mounting unit with a detachable cable for electrically connecting the grip unit to the grip unit including the output unit Can be attached to and detached from the human body placement section by a cable, so that only the grip portion, which is a part of the biological information measuring device, can be carried to output the obtained information to an external device such as a computer, and the usability can be extremely improved. .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand-operating unit integrally comprising the input means, the notifying means, and the gripper according to the third aspect, and electrically connects the human body placing unit and the hand-operating unit. The portable operation unit including the output means can be attached and detached by a cable from the human body placement unit, so that only the hand operation unit which is a part of this biological information measuring device is carried and the computer is connected. It is possible to output the obtained information to external devices such as a computer, and the display means is also integrated with this hand-held operation unit. Output can be made and operation instructions can be given by this notifying means, so that the usability can be improved.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the biological information measuring device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the personal identification data output from the output means and the subject's calculated by the calculation means are calculated. A structure in which at least one of information on a living body, measured impedance, or subject information is transmitted to an external manager via the Internet, and the external manager performs at least one of advice on diet and exercise based on the data. As a result, even if the user of this biological information measuring device does not have knowledge of eating habits and exercise amount, the external manager can give advice on eating habits and exercise amount based on information obtained by measuring with this device. It is possible to directly contribute to user health promotion. In addition, the user can obtain appropriate advice on diet and exercise by an external manager without medical knowledge based on the obtained biological information, and the payment of the advice fee is definitely ensured. be able to.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the biological information is described as the body fat percentage for the sake of specific description. However, the biological information is calculated from the biological impedance and the subject information representing the physical characteristics of the subject. As long as it measures biological information, for example, even if it is a bone density measurement device, even if it measures muscle mass or muscle fatigue, it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. Absent.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is an external view of a biological information measuring apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram thereof, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory view at the time of measurement.

The biological information measuring apparatus of this embodiment is provided with foot electrodes 1a to 1d and hand electrodes 3a and 3b for measuring the impedance between the foot and the hand of the human body. The foot electrodes 1a to 1d are attached to the human body resting portion 2 and the hand electrodes 3a and 3b are wound around the holding portion 4 with a conductive metal material and fixed. In the present embodiment, 1a and 1b are electrically short-circuited, and are one ends of electrodes of a pair of constant current power supply units 9a.
c and 1d are one end of an electrode of a human body resistance potential detecting section 9b which is electrically short-circuited and formed as a pair. The above-described constant current power supply section 9a and the human body resistance potential detecting section 9b constitute an impedance measuring means 9. I do.

The human body placing section 2 is provided with a group of setting keys 5 as input means for inputting subject information and a liquid crystal display 6 as a notifying means. Human body rest part 2
And the gripper 4 are connected by a cable 7. In the human body placing section 2, which is an outer shell of the apparatus main body, a calculating means 11 for calculating information on the living body of the subject from the measured impedance and the information of the subject, and a living body of the subject calculated by the calculating means 11 Storage means 8 for storing at least one of the following information, measured impedance, or subject information, and an output terminal 12 which is an output means for outputting the stored information to the outside using a cable (not shown). Have.

Reference numeral 3a denotes the other end of the pair of electrodes of the constant current power supply, and 3b denotes the other end of the pair of electrodes of the human body resistance potential detecting means. As shown in FIG. 3, the subject 10 grips the grip portion 4 and rides on the human body placing portion 2 with bare feet. At this time, the hand electrode 3
a, 3b are on the palm of the subject 10 and the foot electrodes 1a,
1b, 1c, and 1d are in contact with the soles of the feet of the subject 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the foot electrodes 1a, 1b, 1
c, 1d and the hand electrodes 3a, 3b are connected to the impedance measuring means 9. The impedance measuring means 9 applies a constant current between the short-circuited foot electrodes 1a and 1b and the hand electrode 3a by a constant current power supply 9a by a four-terminal method, and the other electrode of the foot electrode 1 and the hand electrode 2 The impedance can be measured by measuring the voltage between the other electrodes by the human body resistance potential detecting section 9b. In this embodiment, a weak current of 50 kHz and 500 μA which is not felt by the human body is used. The measured impedance is input to the microcomputer 11 as a calculating means. The microcomputer 11 is connected to the key group 5, the liquid crystal display 6, and the storage means 8 such as a memory, and outputs the stored information from the storage means 8 to an external computer or the like through an output terminal 12 which is an output means. To make things possible. The storage means 8 may be included in the microcomputer 11 which is a calculation means, but this does not depart from the spirit of the present invention.

The foot electrodes 1a, 1b and 1c, 1d in the embodiment
Has been described in the short-circuited state, respectively. However, only 1a and 1c have no 1b and 1d, or 1a has no 1a and 1c.
Even with the configuration of only b and 1d, it is possible to measure the impedance between the hand and the foot. In addition, impedance measuring means 9
The electrodes of the constant current source unit 9a are denoted by 1a, 1b and 3a, and the electrodes of the human body resistance potential detecting unit 9b are denoted by 1c, 1d and 3b.
However, even if the electrodes of the constant current source unit 9a are 1c, 1d and 3b and the electrodes of the human body resistance potential detecting unit 9b are 1a, 1b and 3a, it is possible to measure the impedance between the hands and feet.
(Hereinafter, the foot electrodes 1a, 1b, 1
c and 1d are collectively referred to as foot electrodes 1 and hand electrodes 3a and 3d.
b is collectively called the hand electrode 3).

Next, the operation and operation will be described. Prior to measurement, the subject 10 operates the key group 5 to input height, weight, and gender as subject information. Since the key group 5 is connected to the microcomputer 11, the microcomputer 11 is input with the subject information in advance. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the subject 10 grips the gripper 4 with the arm extended horizontally and rides on the human body placement unit 2. At this time, the hand electrode 3 contacts the palm of the subject 10 and the foot electrode 4 contacts the sole of the subject 10. The hand electrode 3 and the foot electrode 4 are connected to the impedance measuring means 9 and measure the impedance between the limbs of the subject 10.

When the impedance from the impedance measuring means 9 is input to the microcomputer 11, the microcomputer 11 calculates the body fat percentage from the impedance and the information on the subject by a program, and outputs the result to the liquid crystal display 6. Various formulas are known for calculating the body fat percentage, but in this embodiment, the Br
ozec equation (Brozec et al., J. Brozec, F. Grande, JTA
nderson and A. Key; "An NY Acad.sci 110 (196
3) 113-40) is used. This equation is, for example, for a male body density = 1.154-. 0841 × body weight × impedance / height 2 Body fat percentage (%) = (4.95 / body density−4.5) × 10
It is obtained from 0. Although this formula is a formula for a male, it can be applied to a female by changing the coefficient of each unit. Therefore, the formula is switched based on the gender included in the subject information. In addition, many other formulas have been reported for the formula for calculating the body fat percentage, but any formula for calculating the body fat percentage from impedance deviates from the gist of the present invention. Not something.

In the present embodiment, the body fat percentage obtained from the impedance is displayed as it is, but the body fat weight, the lean fat weight, the lean fat percentage, etc., which are determined from the body fat percentage, are displayed. Is also good. Although the key group 5 formed by a combination of an up-down switch and an input switch is used as the input means, any input method using a 10-key or a rotary encoder can be used as long as the target person information can be input. Even a rotating input means does not depart from the scope of the present invention. In addition, although the liquid crystal display is used as the notifying means, other notifying means, for example, those using a light emitting diode and those notifying by voice are also included in the scope.

The frequency and the magnitude of the constant current can be arbitrarily changed as long as the constant current is not felt by the human body. Further, in the present embodiment, the impedance is measured between the right hand and both feet, but if the impedance between the limbs can be measured, the left hand-both feet, the right hand-right foot, the right hand-left foot,
The left hand and the right foot, the left hand and the left foot, and the combination are free. In addition, the grip portion is a cylindrical shape that can be held with one hand, but the shape is not limited, and the shape is arbitrary as long as it is easy to grasp and the hand electrode can securely contact the hand. .

In the embodiment of the present invention, at least two portions of the subject whose impedance is to be measured are set between the hands and feet. However, the range between both hands or both feet does not depart from the scope of the present invention.

After the body fat percentage is measured by the above method, the subject 10 can output the stored information to an external computer or the like via a cable from the output terminal 12 arranged on the human body placing section 2. It is possible to output the obtained information to an external computer or the like in order to grasp the time-series transition of the obtained information or to graph it, for example.

Here, the output means 12 is an output terminal for connecting a cable. However, even if the output means 12 uses a home-made format used by a remote controller or the like or uses infrared rays such as IrDA, a radio system using radio waves The present invention does not depart from the scope of the present invention.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 is an external view of a biological information measuring apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that the memory card 11 is a storage unit having an output unit.
However, the configuration is such that the mounting portion 13 provided on the human body resting portion 2 as a main body is configured to be detachable. This makes it possible to output data to the outside of a computer or the like simply by carrying the memory card 11, which is a small and lightweight storage device having an output means that is detachable from the main body, without carrying the whole biological information measuring device. And it is very convenient to use.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 5 is an external view of an operation / display unit 14 having storage means of a biological information measuring apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that a storage unit having an output terminal 12 as an output unit is provided integrally with a liquid crystal display 6 as a notifying unit and a key group 5 as an input unit to constitute an operation / display unit 14. The operation / display unit 14 is configured to be independent of the human body placement unit 2 (not shown) as the main body. Signal transmission between the impedance measuring means 9 of the main body and the operation / display section 14 is performed by infrared rays or the like. This makes it possible to output data to the outside of a computer or the like simply by carrying an operation / display unit, which is a storage device that is small and lightweight and has an output unit independent of the main body, without carrying the whole biological information measuring device. It is easy to use.

Further, the operation / display unit 14 can be installed on a wall or the like, so that it is very convenient to operate or check the display while attached to the main body. Here, the output means 12 is used as an output terminal for connecting a cable. However, the output means 12 may use a home-made format used by a remote controller or the like, may use an infrared ray such as IrDA, or may be a wireless type using radio waves. Even so, it does not depart from the scope of the present invention.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 6 is an external view of a body fat measuring device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that the holding unit 4 is provided with a storage unit (not shown) and an output terminal 12 as an output unit. In addition, the gripper 4 and the cable 7
Is made detachable.

Thus, the user can carry the data to the outside of a computer or the like simply by carrying the holding unit 4 which is a storage device having a small and lightweight storage device having an output means detachable from the main body without carrying the whole body information measuring device. Can be output, which is very convenient. Here, the output means 12 is used as an output terminal for connecting a cable. However, the output means 12 may use a home-made format used by a remote controller or the like, may use an infrared ray such as IrDA, or may be a wireless type using radio waves. Even so, it does not depart from the scope of the present invention.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 7 is an external view of a grip portion of a body fat measurement device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The difference from the fourth embodiment is that a liquid crystal display 6 as a notifying unit and a key group 5 as an input unit are provided integrally with the holding unit 4 and the hand operation unit 1 is provided.
5. This means that the hand operation unit 15 in which the liquid crystal display 6 and the key group 5 as input means are integrated with the holding unit 4 in the present invention is connected to the human body mounting unit 2 by the cable 7.
And further improved usability. As shown in FIG. 7, the user can hold the gripper 4 with one hand and, if necessary, read it close to his / her eyes.

There is no need to bend down for reading, and no erroneous reading of the measurement result occurs, and accurate measurement can be performed. In the hand operation unit 15 in this embodiment, the key group 5 as input means is provided below the liquid crystal display 6 as notification means in the grip unit. The location such as arrangement is not limited.

After measuring the body fat percentage by the above-described method, the subject 10 makes the cable 7 electrically connected between the hand operation unit 15 used for the measurement and the human body placing unit detachable, and furthermore, the inside thereof is connected. There is provided storage means 8 (not shown) for storing at least one piece of information on the living body of the subject calculated by the calculating means, the measured impedance, or the subject information. An output terminal 12, which is an output unit for outputting to the outside, is provided. Thus, the user can output data to the outside of a computer or the like simply by carrying the holding unit 4 which is a storage device having a small and light-weight and detachable output unit from the main body without carrying the whole biological information measuring device. Can be very convenient. Here, the output means 12 is used as an output terminal for connecting a cable. However, the output means 12 may use a home-made format used by a remote controller or the like, may use an infrared ray such as IrDA, or may be a wireless type using radio waves. Even so, it does not depart from the scope of the present invention.

(Embodiment 6) FIG. 8 shows Embodiments 1 to 5 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a system diagram of an advice system using the body fat measurement device of FIG. Here, reference numeral 16 denotes information obtained from the output means 12 of the human body information collecting device and the external manager 18 and the Internet 1
And an Internet terminal such as a computer connected via the Internet 7. Thus, the computer 16 transmits at least one of the personal identification data (name, password, etc.) and the information on the living body of the subject calculated by the calculating means, the measured impedance, or the subject information via the Internet 17 to the outside. The information is transmitted to the administrator 18, and the external administrator 18 performs at least one of advice on eating habits or exercise based on the data and transmits the advice information to the computer 16.
This allows the external manager to give advice on diet and exercise based on the information obtained by measuring with this device even if the user of this biological information measuring device does not have knowledge about diet and exercise. And can directly contribute to the promotion of the user's health.

Further, the external manager 18 can collect an advice fee from the user of the human body information measuring device based on the amount of advice (number of times and contents). This is very convenient because it can be automatically collected from an account of a financial institution such as a bank established by the user in advance. If the external manager 18 includes the advice amount and the advice fee corresponding to the advice amount in the advice information, the user can confirm the payment fee each time the user uses the information and the user can use the device easily.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a biological information measuring apparatus capable of outputting calculated information on a living body of a subject, measured impedance, and subject information to an external device such as a computer. By outputting the obtained information to an external printer and keeping a record of the obtained information, for example, grasping the chronological transition of the obtained information, and graphing it, for example Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a biological information measurement device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the biological information measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram at the time of measurement in Example 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an external view of a biological information measuring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an external view of a grip portion of the biological information measurement device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an external view of a biological information measuring device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a grip portion of the biological information measuring device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram of an advice system using a biological information measuring device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an external view of a conventional biological information measuring device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Foot electrode 2 Human body mounting part 3, 3a, 3b Hand electrode 4 Gripping part 5 Key group (input means) 6 Liquid crystal display (notification means) 7 Cable 8 Storage means 9 Impedance Measuring means 9a Constant current power supply section 9b Human body resistance potential detecting section 10 Subject 11 Microcomputer (calculating means) 12 Output means 15 Hand operation section 16 Internet 17 External manager

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Koji Yoshimoto 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 4C027 AA06 HH18

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An electrode contacting at least two portions of a subject, impedance measuring means for measuring impedance between the electrodes, and subject information representing physical characteristics of the subject. Input means, calculating means for calculating information on the living body of the subject from the measured impedance and the subject information, and notifying means for notifying the result of calculation by the calculating means; A biological information measuring device comprising: storage means for storing at least one piece of information on a living body of a person, measured impedance, or subject information; and output means for outputting the information stored in the storage means to the outside. 2. The biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit having the output unit is configured to be detachable from another unit. 3. The biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the storage means having the output means is provided independently of the electrodes and the impedance measuring means. 4. A human body mounting portion having a foot electrode contacting a foot of a subject, and a grip portion having a hand electrode contacting a hand of the subject and holding the subject's hand during measurement. And impedance measuring means for measuring impedance between the foot electrode and the hand electrode, input means for inputting subject information representing physical characteristics of the subject, the foot electrode and the hand electrode Calculating means for calculating information on the living body of the subject from the impedance between the subject and the information on the subject, and notifying means for notifying the calculation result by the calculating means, and the living body of the subject calculated by the calculating means. Information, measured impedance, or storage means for storing at least one piece of information about the subject, and an output means for outputting the information stored in the storage means to the outside of the holding unit, and the holding unit and the human body mounting unit Electrically A biological information measuring device connected by a detachable cable for connection. 5. A foot electrode in contact with a foot of a person to be measured, a human body rest provided with the foot electrode and on which the person to be measured rides during measurement, a hand electrode in contact with a hand of the person to be measured, and a hand A gripping part provided with a part electrode and held by the person to be measured at the time of measurement, impedance measuring means for measuring the impedance between the foot electrode and the hand electrode, and information on the person to be measured representing physical characteristics of the person to be measured The input means for inputting the information, the calculating means for calculating information on the living body of the subject from the impedance between the foot electrode and the hand electrode and the subject information, and the notifying means for notifying the calculation result by the calculating means are integrally configured. A storage means for storing at least one piece of information on the living body of the subject calculated by the calculation means, the measured impedance, or the subject information calculated by the calculation means, and the information stored in the storage means to the outside. Output The biological information measuring device according to claim 4, further comprising an output unit provided in the hand operation unit, and connected by a detachable cable for electrically connecting the human body mounting unit and the hand operation unit. 6. The biological information measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the personal identification data output from the output means, the information on the living body of the subject calculated by the calculating means, and the measured impedance. Or an advice system for transmitting at least one piece of information on the subject to an external manager via the Internet, and the external manager performs at least one of advice on diet and exercise based on the data.