JP2005205023A - Method and system of measuring heart rate, respiratory rate or body motion - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a measuring method and system easily and accurately measuring the heart rate or the respiratory rate, giving a subject neither discomfort nor restraint feeling and not disturbing the sleep. <P>SOLUTION: Tubes 1 and 2 filled with liquid therein are clamped between plates 3a and 3b, a pillow is mounted thereon, and the head of the subject whose heart rate, respiratory rate or body motion is measured is mounted thereon. The pressure changes in the water filled in the tubes are measured by a pressure sensor 4 to measure the heart rate or the respiratory rate of the subject. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and system for measuring a heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement of a subject.

Currently, in a hospital or the like, a heart rate, a pulse rate, a respiratory rate, a body motion, and a body temperature are measured together with a human brain wave by a measuring instrument called medical polygraphy.
It is preferable that the heart rate and the respiratory rate can be measured as easily as possible at home in order to manage daily health conditions.
However, since the medical measuring instrument is expensive and difficult to use, it is difficult to use at home. Moreover, since various sensors are directly attached to the body, a sense of incongruity may be felt and sleep is disturbed, which is not preferable.

Therefore, conventionally, a sleep state determination device that measures a heart rate and a respiration rate by arranging a pressure sensor composed of a piezoelectric element in the bedding and detecting a human body movement on the bed with this pressure sensor is known. ing.
There is also known a bedtime monitoring device that detects the internal air pressure of an air mat through an air tube with a differential pressure sensor and monitors the sleep state of the subject.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-109961 JP 2000-214 JP JP 2003-135432 A

However, the sleep state determination apparatus using the pressure sensor has insufficient sensitivity to measure the heart rate / respiration rate because the piezoelectric element contacts the chest, waist, or lower limbs.
The sleep monitoring device using the air mat detects a change in air pressure, but the volume of the air changes depending on the pressure. Therefore, the pressure change based on the body movement is not accurately transmitted to the differential pressure sensor, and the pressure detection sensitivity is poor. Become.

Therefore, there is a need for a heart rate, respiratory rate, or body movement measurement method or system that can measure body movement as a pressure change with high sensitivity and low noise without touching the body during sleep.
The present invention can easily and accurately measure heart rate, respiration rate or body movement, and does not give a sense of incongruity or restraint to the subject and does not disturb sleep. It is an object to provide a method and system for measuring movement.

The present inventor has found that a subject's heart rate, respiration rate, and the like can be measured with high sensitivity and low noise by utilizing the fact that a liquid such as water has less volume change due to pressure than air. And it was proved that heart rate, respiration rate and body movement can be measured with high sensitivity by enclosing the liquid in a flexible container and placing it under the pillow.
In the method for measuring heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement according to the present invention, a liquid is sealed in a flexible container, the container is sandwiched between two upper and lower plates, a pillow is placed on the plate, The subject's heart, breathing rate or body movement is measured by placing the head of the subject whose number, breathing rate or body movement is to be measured on the pillow and measuring the pressure change of the liquid enclosed in the container. It is characterized by measuring.

Instead of sandwiching the container between the plates, the container may be installed on a plate, and a pillow may be installed on the plate so that the container is sandwiched between the plate.
Moreover, the said container may be installed under a board and a pillow may be installed on the said board.
The system for measuring heart rate, respiration rate or body movement according to the present invention comprises a flexible container enclosing a liquid, two upper and lower plates sandwiching the container, a pillow on the plate, and a heart rate. And a pressure measuring means for measuring a change in pressure of the liquid in the container in a state where the head of the subject whose respiratory rate or body movement is to be measured is placed on the pillow.

Instead of preparing two plates, stick the container on one plate, place the pillow up or down, place a pillow on the plate, and measure heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement The pressure change of the liquid in the container may be measured with the subject's head placed on the pillow.
In the heartbeat, the weight of the head changes slightly due to the change in the amount of blood sent into the brain, thereby causing a change in the pressure of the container. As the breathing moves with the movement of the chest, the head also moves around the shoulder, and changes in the pressure of the container appear. By disposing this container under the pillow, it is possible to detect the weight change and movement of the head, reduce the influence of other parts, and perform highly sensitive measurement with less noise.

Particularly in the present invention, since the container is brought into contact with one or two plates, the container is not bent or kinked, and the container can be evenly and sufficiently placed anywhere on the pillow. Since pressure is applied, the pressure measurement sensitivity can be maintained high. Further, the volume of the container can be reduced, and thus the sensitivity can be further increased.
And since the container itself does not touch the head directly, compared with the case where the container directly touches the head, there is no sense of incongruity or pain, and the subject can use a pillow made of a favorite material. For example, even if the pillow is soft like urethane foam or cotton and has a large volume change, it can be measured sufficiently.

The material in the pillow is not particularly limited, but it is packed with granular materials such as buckwheat glass, synthetic resin pipe pieces, synthetic resin beads, and soft, large volume changes such as urethane foam and cotton. can give.
Although the material of the said container is not specifically limited, In order to raise the measurement sensitivity of a pressure change, it is preferable that it is a material with little expansion / contraction. Further, it is preferable to use a material that can withstand pressure during use and has strength, durability, and weather resistance that does not break or crack.

In addition, if a gas such as air or a foreign substance is mixed in the container, the measurement sensitivity deteriorates, so that these must be removed.
The pressure of the liquid sealed in the container is preferably a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure with a lower limit of 0 kPa and an upper limit of 12 kPa. When using a plate, it was found that the higher the differential pressure, the better the sensitivity. However, since the sensitivity does not change much above 12 kPa, the upper limit is set to 12 kPa in consideration of the durability of the container.

The container enclosing the liquid may have a cylindrical tube shape. It is desirable that the diameter of one tube is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, the length is 30 mm or more and 300 mm or less, and the volume of the sealed liquid is 1 cm ³ or more and 24 cm ³ or less. The smaller the tube diameter, the higher the detection sensitivity. However, if the tube diameter is less than 3 mm, it is difficult to produce. If it is larger than 10 mm, the tube may be deformed, and the pressure change may be dispersed inside the liquid, resulting in poor measurement sensitivity. Moreover, the height of the pillow increases as the tube becomes larger, and the subject may feel uncomfortable. The shorter the length of the tube, the better the sensitivity. However, if the length is less than 30 mm, the contact area with the plate becomes too small, the sense of stability for supporting the plate becomes insufficient, and noise increases. If it exceeds 300 mm, the tube tends to be deformed, and the pressure change is dispersed inside the liquid, so that the measurement sensitivity is deteriorated. Also, the board becomes large and the entire system becomes large and heavy, making it difficult to handle.

If the volume of the liquid to be sealed is less than 1 cm ³ , the sensitivity becomes poor and measurement is impossible. The measurement is possible even when the size is larger than 24 cm ³ , but the sensitivity is not preferable.
The container for enclosing the liquid may be a circular, elliptical, or polygonal container (cuff) other than the tube. The thickness of the container is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and the volume of the sealed liquid is preferably 1 cm ³ as the lower limit and 24 cm ³ as the upper limit. If the thickness of the container is less than 3 mm, pressure measurement becomes difficult. When the thickness of the container is 10 mm or more, the height of the pillow changes and the subject may feel uncomfortable. If the volume of the liquid enclosed in the container is less than 1 cm ³ , the sensitivity becomes poor and measurement is not possible. If it is larger than 24 cm ^{3, the} measurement is possible, but the sensitivity is not preferable.

The number of containers may be one or more. Of these, the number of containers for measuring pressure may be one or more. If the number of containers for measuring pressure is small, the number of pressure sensors is reduced, and the apparatus configuration is simplified.
The shape, material, hardness, and thickness of the plate are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the plate has a hardness and thickness that does not bend when the head is placed. The thickness is preferably 2 mm or less. If it is thicker than 2mm, the height of the pillow will change greatly, and you will feel uncomfortable. The shape of the plate is preferably a quadrangle. The corners are preferably rounded for safety. The size of the plate is preferably slightly smaller than a small pillow that is generally sold, and may be, for example, a width of 200 mm to 500 mm and a depth of 100 mm to 300 mm. When the depth is 500 mm or more and the width is 300 mm or more, the plate may protrude from the pillow and hit the neck and feel pain, and the tube for supporting the two plates will be long and large. Therefore, the entire system becomes large and heavy and difficult to handle. When the depth is less than 200 mm and the width is less than 100 mm, the head may come off the board when sleeping.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a heartbeat is obtained by attaching a liquid-sealed container to a plate, placing a pillow thereon, and placing the head of a subject to be measured for heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement. Number, respiratory rate or body movement can be measured easily and accurately. And it does not give the subject a sense of incongruity or restraint, and does not disturb sleep.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig.1 (a) is a top view which shows the system which measures the heart rate of this invention, a respiration rate, or a body motion, FIG.1 (b) is a sectional side view. In this measurement system, tubes 1 and 2 filled with water are installed between two plates 3a and 3b as members for sensing pressure. The plate 3b is drawn as being transparent. The two plates 3a and 3b are fixed with tape (not shown).

The tubes 1 and 2 use synthetic resin sheets as materials, and the sheets are heat-sealed by a sealer and processed into tubes 1 and 2 having a predetermined diameter and length. Although the tubes 1 and 2 are sealed with water, liquids such as silicone oil may be sealed in addition to water.
The thickness of the plates 3a and 3b is 0.5 to 4 mm. Although the material of board 3a, 3b is not limited, Synthetic resin, such as wood or an acryl, is mention | raise | lifted. The hardness should just be the hardness which two plates deform | transform and do not contact when the load of a head is given.

A valve 8 is attached to one end of the tubes 1 and 2. A pressure sensor 4 for measuring the pressure of water in the tubes 1 and 2 is attached to the other ends of the tubes 1 and 2. The pressure sensor 4 measures pressure based on heartbeat and respiration.
The structure of the pressure sensor 4 is not limited. For example, a structure in which a diaphragm is attached to the bottom surface of a metal cylindrical container connected to the tubes 1 and 2 may be used. A strain gauge that converts the deformation of the diaphragm into an electric signal is attached to the diaphragm, and the detection signal is output.

  The detection signal of the pressure sensor 4 is supplied to an amplifier 5 where the voltage is amplified and passed through a high-pass filter inside the amplifier 5 to extract only a change in pressure based on heartbeat, respiration or body movement. The voltage amplification factor of the amplifier 5 is set to an optimum value according to the circuit in order to measure a very small pressure change. For example, it is set from 2 times to 10 times. The reason why the high-pass filter is passed is that the hydrostatic pressure of water sealed in the tubes 1 and 2 and the hydrostatic pressure applied when the head is brought into contact with the tubes 1 and 2 are subtracted, with an offset value of 0 volts as the center. This is because only the change in water pressure due to heartbeat and respiration is to be displayed and recorded. The cutoff frequency of the high pass filter is set to 0.08 Hz, for example. In the amplifier 5, the signal is passed through a low-pass filter in order to remove high-frequency noise. The cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter is set to 3.34 Hz, for example.

FIG. 2 is a specific circuit diagram of the amplifier 5. Only one amplification channel of the amplifier 5 is displayed, but if there are two tubes and two pressure sensors, the amplifier 5 also needs to have two amplification channels.
According to this circuit, the detection signal of the pressure sensor 4 passes through the 0.08 Hz high-pass filter HPF and the 3.34 Hz low-pass filter LPF, and is applied to the operational amplifier 51 through a 10 kΩ resistor. The output of the operational amplifier 51 is fed back to the input side of the operational amplifier 51 through a variable resistor of 50 kΩ, thereby inverting and amplifying the detection signal with a variable amplification factor of 2 (3 dB) to 5 (10 dB). It can be carried out.

The detection signal taken out from the amplifier 5 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 6 and input to the computer 7 through a predetermined input / output interface.
In order to separate the pressure detection signal into a heart rate signal or a respiratory rate signal contained in the path from the amplifier 5 to the inside of the computer 7 through the A / D converter 6, It is desirable to provide a filter with a sharp blocking slope. For example, in order to separate the heart rate signal, the pressure change due to the heart rate alone can be taken out through a bandpass filter of 0.8 to 5 Hz. If it passes through a low-pass filter, it is possible to extract the pressure change due to only the respiratory rate. When these filters are installed in the analog portion from the amplifier 5 to the A / D converter 6, they can be realized by a filter circuit using an IC or a transistor, from the A / D converter 6 to the computer 7. When installed in the digital part, it can be realized by a digital filter constituted by hardware or software.

The pressure detection signal input to the computer 7 is displayed as a graph on a display attached to the computer 7 using calculation software. It may be recorded on a paper chart using a printer simultaneously with display or without display.
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the number of tubes as members for sensing pressure is two, but is not limited to two and may be one or three or more. When one tube is used, as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the tube 1 is sandwiched between two plates 3a and 3b, and the spacer 10 has the same hardness and deformation as the tube. Used with a pinch in between. Another tube may be used as the spacer. In addition, measurement is possible without a spacer.

  In addition to the tube in which the liquid is sealed, a container-like member having a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a quadrangular shape, or the like in plan view may be used as a member for sensing pressure. FIG. 4 shows a circular container, and FIG. 5 shows a square container. In order to manufacture such a container, the periphery of two synthetic resin sheets having the same shape is bonded or fused with the pipe 13 interposed therebetween, and then the liquid is put into the pipe 13 through the pipe 13 until a desired pressure is reached. Finally, by attaching the pressure sensor 4, a liquid-sealed container is produced. In addition, two pipes are sandwiched or bonded to a synthetic resin sheet, and a pressure sensor is attached to one pipe, and then a liquid is put through another pipe until a desired pressure is reached. The end of the “other pipe” may be sealed. Such a container can be used in place of a tube to sense pressure. When used for a pillow, such a container and a spacer having the same hardness and deformation amount are sandwiched between two plates. In addition, measurement is possible even without a spacer.

The position of the tube or container when measuring heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement is not particularly limited. It may be on the parietal side, on the neck side, in the middle, or on the ear side. Arrange so that the two plates do not flex and come into contact when the head is placed.
The method for measuring heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement of the present invention can be measured not only when the subject is lying on his back but also when lying on his side. In addition, when there is body movement of the subject such as the subject turning over, the measurement waveform is greatly disturbed, and this can be used to measure the number of body movements. In addition, various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view (a) and a side view (b) showing a state in which the heart rate or respiration rate is measured using this measurement system.
In this measurement system, a tube 1 filled with water is installed between two plates 3a and 3b as a member for sensing pressure. The other tube 14 is only used as a spacer. A pillow P is placed on the plate 3b.

As the plates 3a and 3b, acrylic plates of 2 mm thickness and 300 × 150 mm were used.
The tube 1 was made from a nylon sheet having a thickness of 0.1 mm. The 100% modulus measured by the method according to JIS-K6251 was 41.84 MPa, the strength was 46.20 MPa, and the elongation was 110%. This sheet was heat-sealed by a sealer and processed into a tube having a predetermined diameter and length.

As the pressure sensor 4, a sensor head AP-12 manufactured by Keyence Corporation and an amplifier unit AP-81A manufactured by the same company were used. The circuit configuration of the amplifier 5 is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 2 before, and includes a high-pass filter. The cutoff frequency of the high pass filter was set to 0.08 Hz, and the amplification factor was set to 3 times.
The tube 1 and the sensor head of the pressure sensor 4 were further connected by a nylon catheter having an inner diameter of 2.4 mm, an outer diameter of 4 mm, and a length of 10 cm.

Further, a differential pressure gauge for measuring a differential pressure (static pressure) between the water pressure in the tube 1 and the atmospheric pressure was attached to the tip of the valve 8. The differential pressure gauge was measured using a digital differential pressure gauge GC50 manufactured by Nagano Keiki Co., Ltd.
The output signal of the amplifier unit AP-81A was collected by a data collection system NR-2000 manufactured by Keyence Corporation, and subjected to A / D conversion. The sampling frequency was 100 Hz. The converted data was taken into the personal computer 7 and the measurement results were processed using data analysis software “MAJLAB” sold by Cybernet System Co., Ltd. and displayed on the display. In this process, in order to separate the heart rate and the respiration rate, a low-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 0.5 Hz is set on the data analysis software to separate the respiration rate, and the passband is used to separate the heart rate. A bandpass filter with a width of 0.8 Hz to 5 Hz was set.

<Example 1>
Two tubes having a diameter of 6.4 mm and a length of 300 mm were prepared, and water was sealed at a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of 4 kPa. The water volume was 9.5 cm ² . Two tubes were sandwiched and fixed between two acrylic plates of 300 mm × 150 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. The position of the tube was 1 cm inside from the end of the acrylic plate. The tube for measuring pressure was the tube closer to the neck. On the acrylic plate, a pillow enclosing a number of short cut synthetic resin pipes was placed. The pipe has a cross-sectional diameter of 4 mm and a length of 5 mm. The amount enclosed is 850 g, and the pillow size is 50 cm × 30 cm.

<Example 2>
The measurement was performed in the same state as in Example 1 except that the pillow was replaced with a millennium neck pillow manufactured by Tempur Japan and size M. The size of this pillow is 54 cm x 32 cm x (11-6) cm. The material is low repulsion urethane.
<Example 3>
The measurement was performed in the same configuration as in Example 1 except that a pillow made of bread was used. The size of the pillow is 60 cm × 45 cm × 10 cm, and the weight is 600 g.

<Example 4>
Two tubes having a diameter of 3.2 mm and a length of 130 cm were prepared, and water was sealed at a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of 4 kPa. The water volume was 1.0 cm ² . The rest is the same as in Example 1.
<Example 5>
Two tubes having a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 300 mm were prepared, and water was sealed at a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of 4 kPa. The water volume was 23.1 cm ² . The rest is the same as in Example 1.

<Example 6>
Two sheets were heat-sealed to produce three circular cuffs with a diameter of 30 mm. Water was sealed at a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of 4 kPa. The water volume was 3.7 cm ² . The thickness of the cuff was 6 mm at the thickest part. Three cuffs were sandwiched and fixed between two acrylic plates of 300 mm × 150 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. The arrangement of the cuff is shown in FIG. For the pressure measurement, one of the neck cuffs was used. The rest is the same as in Example 1.

<Example 7>
Two sheets were heat-sealed to produce three 20 mm × 30 mm square cuffs. Water was sealed up to a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of 4 kPa. The water volume was 3.1 cm ³ . The thickness of the cuff was 6 mm at the thickest part. Three cuffs were sandwiched and fixed between two acrylic plates of 300 mm × 150 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. The arrangement of the cuff is shown in FIG. For the pressure measurement, one of the neck cuffs was used. The rest is the same as in Example 1.

<Example 8>
Two tubes having a diameter of 6.4 mm and a length of 300 mm were prepared, and water was sealed at a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of 4 kPa. The water volume was 9.5 cm ² . Two tubes were fixed to one side of one acrylic plate of 300 mm × 150 mm and thickness 2 mm. The position of the tube was 1 cm inside from the end of the acrylic plate. The tube for measuring pressure was the tube closer to the neck. An acrylic plate was placed with the tube up, and a pillow enclosing a number of short cut synthetic resin pipes was placed thereon. The pipe has a cross-sectional diameter of 4 mm and a length of 5 mm. The amount enclosed is 850 g, and the pillow size is 50 cm × 30 cm.

<Example 9>
The acrylic plate was placed with the tube down, and a pillow was placed on it. Other than that is the same as in Example 8.
<Comparative Examples 1 and 2>
Although the same tube as Example 1 is used, the positions of the two tubes placed on the pillow without being sandwiched between the plates are 10 cm inside from the end on the neck side of the pillow and two further inside 10 cm. The result measured with the cervical tube is Comparative Example 1, and the result measured with the crown is Comparative Example 2. The rest is the same as in Example 1.

<Comparative Example 3>
It is the same as Comparative Example 1 except that the same Tempur pillow as used in Example 2 was used.
<Comparative example 4>
The same as Comparative Example 1 except that the same Panya pillow as in Example 3 was used.
<Comparative Example 5>
A tube having a diameter of 3.2 mm and a length of 30 mm was prepared, and water was sealed at a differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of 4 kPa. The water volume was 0.2 cm ² . The position attached to the plate is the same as in Example 7.

  The above is summarized as shown in Table 1 and Table 2.

<Evaluation method>
Confirmation of sensitivity by internal pressure of liquid to be sealed: One tube prepared in Example 1 is placed on a desk, and an acrylic plate of 30 cm × 15 cm × 2 mm is laid on the tube as shown in FIG. A weight of 2 kg corresponding to when the head is placed on the center is placed thereon, and a smaller weight is placed thereon. The load of the small weight is 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 mg. 20 to 40 mg is equivalent to pressure fluctuation due to heartbeat, and 60 to 100 mg is weight corresponding to pressure fluctuation due to breathing. The voltage change when these small weights are removed is as shown in FIG. Read this voltage change.

  Accuracy check of the sensor of the present invention: A 30-year-old man was asleep for 1 hour and measured. The average heart rate and average respiration rate per minute were calculated, and these 60 values for one hour were summed. At the same time, the heart rate and the respiratory rate were directly measured with a fingertip photoelectric pulse wave and thermistor of “Polymate” AP1000 series medical device approval number 21300BZZ00509000 manufactured by Digitex Laboratories Co., Ltd. The hourly values of the average heart rate and the average breathing rate for each minute are summed. The difference between the average heart rate and the average respiratory rate per minute measured by the sensors of Examples and Comparative Examples and the average heart rate and the average respiratory rate per minute measured by the medical measuring device is calculated. The absolute value of the difference for one hour, that is, 60 values are summed.

The error rate (%) is (total of absolute values of differences) × 100 / (total of average values). The range in which the waveform was greatly disturbed because the subject fell asleep and the average heart rate and average respiration rate could not be calculated was excluded from the error rate calculation.
<Result>
A graph of the measurement results is shown in FIG. From this graph, it can be seen that the higher the water pressure, the higher the voltage and the better the sensitivity. However, when the water pressure is 12 kPa or more, the voltage value is almost constant and no increase in sensitivity is observed. Therefore, the differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure of the liquid to be sealed is preferably 0 kPa or more and 12 kPa or less.

  The sensor according to the present invention has a good error rate of 4% or less. The comparative example exceeds 4%, and the accuracy is poor. In Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, it is considered that the diameter of the tube is small and the contact with the subject's neck or top is not sufficient. Comparative Example 3 and Comparative Example 4 are caused by the fact that the pillow material easily absorbs the change in liquid pressure. In Comparative Example 5, since the volume of the liquid sealed in the tube is too small, it is considered that the sensitivity is lowered and the accuracy is deteriorated.

It is the block diagram (a) and sectional drawing (b) which show the system which measures the heart rate, respiration rate, or body movement using the tube of this invention. 3 is a specific circuit diagram of an amplifier 5. FIG. It is the top view (a) and sectional drawing (b) which show the state which pinched | interposed the square container containing water into two boards. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the circular container which put water. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the square container which put water. It is the top view (a) and sectional drawing (b) which show the state which measures a heart rate or a respiration rate using this measuring system. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of a circular cuff and a board. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of a square cuff and a board. It is the top view (a) which shows a sensitivity measuring method, sectional drawing (b), and the graph (c) which shows a voltage change. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the water pressure in a tube, and the detection voltage of a pressure sensor.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2 Tube 3a, 3b Plate 4 Pressure sensor 5 Amplifier 6 A / D converter 7 Computer 8 Valve 9 Pillow 10, 11, 12 Container (cuff)
14 tubes

Claims (17)

Enclose the liquid in a flexible container,
Sandwich the container between two upper and lower plates;
Set a pillow on the plate,
Put the head of the subject you want to measure heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement on the pillow,
A method for measuring a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body motion, wherein a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body motion of a subject is measured by measuring a pressure change of a liquid sealed in the container. Enclose the liquid in a flexible container,
Placing the container on a plate;
A pillow is placed on the plate so that a container is sandwiched between the plate and
Put the head of the subject you want to measure heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement on the pillow,
A method for measuring a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body motion, wherein a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body motion of a subject is measured by measuring a pressure change of a liquid sealed in the container. Enclose the liquid in a flexible container,
Installing a plate on the container,
Set a pillow on the plate,
Put the head of the subject you want to measure heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement on the pillow,
A method for measuring a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body motion, wherein a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body motion of a subject is measured by measuring a pressure change of a liquid sealed in the container.   The heart rate, the respiratory rate, or the body movement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the liquid is sealed so that a differential pressure with respect to the atmospheric pressure of the liquid sealed in the container is 0 kPa or more and 12 kPa or less. Method.   The method for measuring a heart rate, a respiratory rate, or a body movement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the container for enclosing the liquid is in a tube shape. The heart rate, respiration rate, or respiration rate according to claim 5, wherein the diameter of the one tube is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, the length thereof is 30 mm or more and 300 mm or less, and the volume of the enclosed liquid is 1 cm ³ or more and 24 cm ³ or less. A method of measuring body movement.   The method for measuring a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body movement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the container that encloses the liquid has a circular, elliptical, or polygonal shape. The method for measuring heart rate, respiration rate, or body movement according to claim 7, wherein the container has a thickness of 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and a volume of the sealed liquid is 1 cm ³ or more and 24 cm ³ or less. A system for measuring a subject's heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement,
A flexible container enclosing a liquid;
Two upper and lower plates sandwiching the container;
A pressure measuring means for measuring a pressure change of a liquid in the container in a state where a pillow is placed on the plate and the head of a subject to be measured for heart rate, respiration rate or body movement is placed on the pillow. A system for measuring a heart rate, a respiratory rate, or a body motion characterized by comprising: A system for measuring a subject's heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement,
A flexible container enclosing a liquid;
A plate with the container attached thereto;
A pillow is placed on the side of the plate where the container is affixed or on the opposite side, and the head of the subject whose heart rate, respiratory rate or body movement is to be measured is placed on the pillow. A system for measuring a heart rate, a respiratory rate, or a body motion of a subject, characterized by comprising pressure measuring means for measuring a pressure change of the liquid.   The system for measuring a heart rate, a respiration rate, or a body movement according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the container for enclosing the liquid is in a tube shape.   The system for measuring heart rate, respiration rate or body movement according to claim 11, wherein the diameter of one tube is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and the length thereof is 30 mm or more and 300 mm or less.   The system for measuring heart rate, respiration rate, or body movement according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the container for enclosing the liquid has a circular, elliptical, or polygonal shape.   The system for measuring a heart rate, a respiratory rate, or a body motion according to claim 13, wherein the thickness of the container is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less.   11. The system for measuring heart rate, respiration rate or body movement according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the pressure measuring means includes a filter for separating a heart rate signal and a respiration rate signal.   The system for measuring heart rate, respiration rate or body movement according to claim 15, wherein the filter is a band pass filter for separating a heart rate signal.   The system for measuring heart rate, respiration rate or body movement according to claim 15, wherein the filter is a low-pass filter for separating a respiration rate signal.

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