JP2006288639A - Blood pressure measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a blood pressure measuring apparatus capable of stably mounting a cuff on a tragus of a big individual difference. <P>SOLUTION: A mounting part 3 is formed as an integrated member 50 integrally or individually provided with a shape part 52 to be filled in a space part from the ear concha to the antihelix, a first projection part 54 extended from the shape part toward an external auditory canal, a second projection part 55 roughly orthogonal to the first projection part and extended from the shape part so as to be over the tragus, and an ear hooking part 51 extended from the shape part. An inner side cuff 6 is held at the end part of the first projection part, a holding member 15 is fixed to the end part of the second projection part, and outer side cuffs 7 and 8 are provided on the holding member through a width adjusting screw 11 which makes it possible to adjust a clamping width to the tragus. Further, at the shape part, at least a part to be in contact with the antihelix is constituted of a material softer than the other parts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a blood pressure measurement device, and more particularly to a technique in which an outer ear and its peripheral portion are measured parts.

  The blood pressure fluctuates every moment according to changes in the external environment and internal environment. For this reason, it would be ideal if the beats could be recorded continuously, but even if they could not be recorded continuously, the blood pressure in the day was measured periodically (intermittently) and the change in blood pressure over time was continued. It is also important to perform health care by measuring.

  When blood pressure is regularly measured with a conventional blood pressure measurement device, for example, the blood pressure is measured by wrapping a cuff around the upper arm of the subject. In this case, it is necessary to wear on the body a large-sized cuff that covers the upper arm and the main body of the blood pressure measurement device connected to the cuff. For this reason, the subject needs to wear a cuff on the upper arm and send a daily life with the body of the blood pressure measurement device connected to the cuff attached to the body. In addition, the subject may be burdened by feeling pain because the upper arm is compressed each time pressure is measured.

In order to solve such a problem, there is a measurement method for measuring blood pressure in a state where a small cuff is wound around a finger instead of measuring blood pressure with the upper arm. In this measuring method, since the size of the finger is smaller than that of the upper arm, the cuff and the main body can be reduced in size. (Non-Patent Document 1)
Furthermore, there is a method of measuring a pulse wave by attaching a cuff to the earlobe and pressing the earlobe (Patent Document 1).

As described above, according to the method using the earlobe as the detected portion, the cuff and the main body can be made smaller than the sphygmomanometer that measures the blood pressure by attaching the cuff to the upper arm, and the burden on the subject can be reduced.
Osamu Tochikubo, “Measurement method and clinical evaluation of blood pressure”, Medical Tribune, Inc., published in 1988, pp. 59-61 JP 2005-6906 A

  However, even if the pulse wave and blood pressure are measured with the earlobe as described above, the blood vessels of the earlobe are very thin, and it is difficult to measure the blood pressure stably and accurately. In particular, the blood vessels of the earlobe contract when the outside air temperature is lowered, and it becomes more difficult to measure stably.

  Therefore, it is considered that blood pressure, which is relatively close to the upper arm, can be stably measured by attaching a cuff to a tragus with a larger blood vessel than the earlobe and measuring blood pressure or the like.

  However, since the earlobe is soft and relatively large and highly exposed, the cuff is easy to wear. However, since the tragus is relatively hard and has a great individual difference in shape, the structure of the ear tab wearing cuff disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used. It cannot be used for tragus as it is. That is, even if the structure of the mounting portion disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used, it is difficult to stably obtain the blood pressure measurement result in the tragus. Moreover, there is a risk that the degree of invasiveness to the subject will increase if it is forced to wear.

  On the other hand, it is known that the tragus has a large individual difference in terms of relative positional relationship, shape, size and the like with the ear canal. Moreover, in order to perform an accurate blood pressure measurement, it is necessary to be able to maintain a state in which the inner and outer cuffs can reliably contact the tragus.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and when the inner and outer cuffs are attached to the tragus having a large solid difference, the inner and outer cuffs can reliably contact the tragus. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a blood pressure measurement device capable of performing accurate blood pressure measurement.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a blood pressure measuring device that is more compact, easy to carry, and less discomfort even when worn.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a blood pressure measurement device according to the present invention includes an inner cuff inserted into the ear canal, an outer cuff positioned outside the tragus, and a holding unit that holds the inner cuff and the outer cuff. A pulse wave detection unit that is incorporated in at least one of the inner cuff or the outer cuff and detects a pulse wave signal from blood flowing through a blood vessel, an ear hook extending from the holding unit, and the ear hook A blood pressure measurement main body portion that is directly attached to the earpiece and disposed near the back of the ear when worn. The blood pressure measurement main body portion pressurizes and depressurizes the inner cuff and the outer cuff with a fluid containing air. Pressure increasing / decreasing means, pressure detecting means connected to the pipe and detecting the pressure of the inner cuff and the outer cuff, and blood pressure measurement control means for measuring a blood pressure value from the pulse wave signal, Send fluid Wherein the inner cuff and outer cuff and said pressurizing and depressurizing means in order, characterized in that it is connected by a pipe for feeding exhaust fluid.

  The fluid discharge pipe is disposed inside the ear hook.

  In addition, the holding means includes a shape portion that fills a space portion from the concha to the opposite wheel, and a first protrusion that extends from the shape portion toward the ear canal and holds the inner cuff. A second protrusion for holding the outer cuff and an ear extending from the shape part, which is substantially orthogonal to the first protrusion and extends from the shape part so as to straddle the tragus. The hanging portion is an integral member integrally molded.

  Furthermore, at least a portion of the shape portion that contacts the opposite wheel is made of a softer material than other portions. In addition, at least a portion of the ear hook that contacts the ear is made of a material that is softer than other portions of the ear hook.

  Furthermore, a holding width adjusting portion for adjusting a holding width between the outer cuff and the inner cuff is provided at the other end of the holding member, and the holding width adjusting portion swings the outer cuff at the tip. It has a swing mechanism that enables it.

  Further, the holding member is provided on the second protrusion so as to be adjustable in the vertical direction of the tragus.

  In addition, the curvature radius of the test subject's temporal contact surface in the blood pressure measurement main body is larger than the curvature radius of the non-contact side surface.

  Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the best mode for carrying out the present invention and the accompanying drawings.

  According to the present invention, since the blood pressure measurement main body is directly attached to the ear hook, it is not necessary to pull out the pipe for sending and discharging fluids such as air to the separated main body with a predetermined length. The device itself can be miniaturized without being tangled and getting in the way.

  In addition, according to the present invention, the mounting stability of the cuff is set by setting the cuff mounting portion in the space part from the concha to the opposite wheel, and further using the ear hooking portion, and the inner and outer cuffs are connected to the tragus. Can be evenly contacted to enable accurate blood pressure measurement.

  First, the greatest feature point of the present invention is that the tragus is used as a blood pressure measurement site. The reason for selecting the tragus as the site for measuring blood pressure in this manner is that the tragus is a part of the auricle and is quite small, and therefore has the advantage that the blood pressure detection unit can be miniaturized. Moreover, since the tragus is a part of the head, it has little positional fluctuation and is suitable for blood pressure measurement. In addition, the tragus is not used for purposes other than sound collection, so even if you always wear a cuff here, there are fewer problems with daily life compared to fingers, etc. The degree of invasiveness that causes pain to the subject can be reduced.

  Here, supplementing the point that pain can be reduced during blood pressure measurement by using the tragus as the blood pressure measurement site, the upper arm and fingers perform complicated work as important parts of the body, so that those work can be done Many nerves are stretched around the blood vessels. On the other hand, the tragus, which is part of the pinna, is fixed to the head and used mainly for sound collection purposes. Less than fingers. For this reason, when measuring blood pressure using the outer ear and its peripheral part, the tragus is the least painful part, and the tragus is a small part and the cuff can be made small. Compared to measurement, there is an advantage that pain during blood pressure measurement can be reduced.

  However, since the tragus is a small part of the auricle, if the small blood pressure measurement unit cannot be fixed securely and stably to the tragus, the blood pressure detection unit will move during measurement and accuracy Blood pressure cannot be measured well.

  For example, the blood pressure detection unit includes a pipe for supplying pressurized fluid, pressurized air or pressurized liquid to the cuff for pressurizing the tragus, and power for driving the blood pressure detection unit and blood pressure measurement from the blood pressure detection unit It is connected to a wiring which is a signal line such as an output signal transmitted to the apparatus main body. The piping and wiring are connected to the main body of the blood pressure measurement device. For this reason, when blood pressure is measured over a long period of time, for example, when operating the main body of the blood pressure measurement device, if the hand touches the piping or wiring and the mounting position of the blood pressure detection unit is shifted, it is correct. Blood pressure cannot be measured.

  Hereinafter, blood pressure measuring devices according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, it cannot be overemphasized that the structure of each part of the blood pressure measuring device of each embodiment shown below, a shape, and a dimension are only an example, and the technical scope of this invention is not limitedly interpreted by these.

<Cuff wearing appearance>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state when the mounting part 3 of the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on the tragus 221. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the mounting portion 3.

  In both figures, one outer cuff 7 is provided on the holding member 15 via a width adjusting screw 11.

  Here, the holding means constituted by the holding member 15 and the first and second protruding portions 54 and 55 protruding from the shape portion 52 of the integral member 50 has a “U” shape as shown in the figure. There is no. Here, the “U” shape means that only one end of the holding means is an open end, and a portion where the inner cuff assembly 6 and the outer cuff assembly 7 are installed (the holding member 15 and the first protruding portion 54). It means that they are substantially parallel to each other. The inner cuff assembly 6 is installed in the first projecting portion 54, and the holding member 15 is provided with a screw hole 15a for the clamping width adjusting screw 11 as a clamping width adjusting mechanism. The outer cuff assembly 7 is attached to the tip of the clamping width adjusting screw 11 so as to be able to swing. As a result, the inner cuff assembly 6 and the outer cuff assembly 7 face each other (when the outer cuff assembly 7 is not swung and is in a basic position). When the clamping width adjusting screw 11 is turned clockwise, the clamping width is narrowed, and conversely, when the clamping width adjusting screw 11 is turned counterclockwise, the clamping width is widened.

  With the above configuration, when the first adjusting screw 18 is loosened with a tool, the outer cuff assembly 7 can be rotated and adjusted with respect to the inner cuff assembly 6 so as to adjust the trabecular vertical direction as indicated by the arrow D3. Therefore, it can fix in the position which opposes or the position which clamps a tragus by screwing in the predetermined position after a movement. Before and after this, the width adjusting screw 11 can be adjusted to move the outer cuff 7 in the direction of the arrow D1 and fix it at a position where it does not hurt.

  In this way, adjustment is possible to keep the inner and outer cuff assemblies 6 and 7 in proper contact with the tragus, so that the inner and outer cuffs can be placed at predetermined positions with respect to the tragus that varies greatly from person to person. It will be possible to maintain a stable wearing state.

  On the other hand, resin materials such as polycarbonate, ABS, POM, and PPS can be used as the resin material to be used for forming the shape portion 52 and the ear hook portion 51 as the holding members into the shape shown in the drawing. In addition, a resin material is usually used as a material to be used in terms of mass productivity, dimensional stability, cost, and the like, but is not limited to this, and a hybrid configuration combining light metal, wood, paper, and various materials may be used.

  In addition, the color of each part may be classified according to various sizes, such as orange for hospitals, blue for general use, and white for children.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the sphygmomanometer body 2 is attached to the ear hook 51. As will be described later, the sphygmomanometer body 2 incorporates a circuit necessary for blood pressure measurement, an exhaust valve, a pressure pump, and the like. Further, outside the blood pressure monitor main body 2, a display unit (LCD) 114 for displaying information such as blood pressure, a buzzer (speaker) 115 for outputting a warning sound, an operation sound, and the like, and operation buttons as the operation unit 116 Is provided. The sphygmomanometer main body 2 is also adapted to the shape of the subject's ear, and has a shape just like a small hearing aid.

  For example, one side 2a of the sphygmomanometer body 2 has a flat or smooth curved surface so as to match the shape of the temporal region of the back of the ear. On the other hand, the other side surface 2b may have a shape with a certain degree of swelling in order to secure a volume for accommodating a blood pressure measurement component. That is, the radius of curvature of the side surface 2a is larger than that of the side surface 2b. The shape of the side surface 2b depends on the size and shape of the blood pressure measurement component. However, the smaller the component to be accommodated, the closer the side surface 2b becomes to the flat, and the smaller the main body 2 itself. Of course.

  The pipe 4 and the wiring 5 are extended from predetermined circuits and parts inside the sphygmomanometer main body 2, and are connected to the cuff assemblies 6 and 7 through the ear hooks 50 and the shape part 52. In the figure, the piping 4 is represented by a dotted line, and the wiring 5 is represented by a one-point difference line. Further, the pipe 4 branches off in the middle of the ear hook 51, and one of the pipes 4 protrudes outside the ear hook 51. The protruding one pipe 4 is connected to, for example, the outer cuff assembly 7.

<Configuration of mounting portion 3>
The tragus has large individual differences in terms of relative position, shape, size, etc. with the external auditory canal, and there are also large individual differences by gender, type, and age, so the inner and outer cuffs can be securely attached to the tragus. It becomes difficult to maintain a state in which contact is possible.

  Therefore, in addition to the part that holds the tragus on the mounting part 3 and the part that fills the space part from the concha to the opposite ring, the ear extension part that incorporates cartilage between the ear and the temporal region If an ear hooking portion to be hung is provided, it becomes possible to cope with individual differences.

  FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the mounting portion 3. In this figure, the outer cuff 7 is attached to the clamping width adjusting screw 11. A fitting hole 47 is formed on the substantially central side surface of the outer cuff 7. A female screw hole 15a is formed at the other end of the holding member 15, and a width adjusting screw 11 serving as a holding width adjusting portion is screwed to the holding screw 15 as shown. A ball bearing portion 11a that is press-fitted into the fitting hole 47 and snap-fitted is integrally formed at the tip of the adjusting screw 11, so that the outer cuff 7 can freely swing after fitting. (See also FIG. 12).

  On the other hand, a first protrusion 54 extending toward the ear canal from the shape part 52 having a substantially strawberry shape filled in a space part from the concha to the opposite wheel, and the first protrusion 54 As shown in the figure, the second protrusions 55 straddling the tragus are integrally molded, or each is prepared as an individual part and fixed as shown in the figure by being orthogonally crossed.

  Furthermore, an ear hook 51 having a shape along the above-described ear extending portion is formed upward or downward as an integrated member 50 from the shape portion 52. That is, the integrated member 50 includes an ear hook 51 and a shape portion 52 including first and second protrusions 54 and 55. The molding of the integrated member 50 will be described later.

  The inner cuff 6 is held at the end of the first protrusion 54 as shown. The inner cuff 6 can be naturally inserted into the ear canal by being fixed to the first projection 54 along the longitudinal direction of the ellipse or ellipse. The inner cuff 6 may be fixed to the first protrusion 54 so as to be rotatable or adjustable in the degree of intrusion into the ear canal as shown in the figure, and an internal pipe 53 (shown by a broken line) of the first protrusion 54. It is connected to the piping 4 via the pressure and is configured to pressurize and depressurize.

  As shown in the drawing, a plurality of groove portions 55b are formed radially around the screw hole portion 55a, and the end surface of the second protrusion portion 55 of the shape portion 52 is formed in the hole portion 15b formed in the holding member 15. The mounting portion 3 is completed by screwing the first adjusting screw 18 inserted into the screw hole 55a. Further, the end 52a of the strawberry-shaped shape portion 52 is a portion that comes into contact with the opposite wheel, but since there is a large difference between the concha and the opposite wheel as described above, the shape portion 52 of various sizes is prepared. Good.

<Configuration of integrated member 50>
As described above, the integral member 50 includes the ear hook portion 51 and the shape portion 52 including the first and second protrusion portions 54 and 55.

  In the integrated member 50, a portion (a ring contact portion) that contacts the ear ring 225 of the ear hook 51 and / or a portion (end portion 52 a) that contacts at least the opposite ring 224 of the shape portion 52 is softer than the other portions of the integrated member 50. Composed of materials. In addition, about the shape part 52, you may make it the core part comprise a hard material and to comprise a surface layer with a soft material.

  For example, materials such as silicon rubber, styrene-based / urethane-based / olefin-based elastomer material, PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), POM (polyacetal resin), and various types of rubber are used for the ear ring contact portion 51a and the end portion 52a. Is called. In the other parts, as described above, harder materials such as PC (polycarbonate), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), POM (polyacetal), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin, etc. Used. That is, a hard material is used to obtain a certain rigidity for the entire integrated member 50, and a soft material is used for a portion that contacts the subject's ear. Note that only the first and second protrusions 54 and 55 and the central shaft portion of the integral member 50 may be formed of a hard material in order to obtain a certain rigidity, and the whole may be covered with a soft material.

  A two-color injection molding technique may be used to create the integrated member 50. Briefly, for example, two materials having different melting points (the hard material and the soft material) are injected into a mold shutter. The material with the higher melting point is poured into the mold first, and after the mold is solidified to some extent, the shutter of the mold is removed, and then the material with the lower melting point is poured into the mold. In this way, the integral member 50 is integrally molded.

  As described above, by configuring the part in contact with the ear with at least a soft material, the wearing stability is improved regardless of the individual's ear shape and the psychological burden on the subject is reduced, so wearing for a long time Is possible.

  The blood pressure measuring device main body 2 is attached to the terminal end of the ear hook 51 of the integrated member 50 formed as described above to constitute the blood pressure measuring device 1.

<Internal configuration of sphygmomanometer body 2>
FIG. 4 is an entity layout diagram of the sphygmomanometer body 2 and is shown with the lid removed.

  Electronic components that control each control necessary for blood pressure measurement are mounted on a substrate 140 having a mounting area that occupies the internal space. On the other hand, the pressure pump 108, the condenser tank 107, the fine exhaust valve 105, and the quick exhaust valve 104 are connected to the integrally formed pipe 4 as described above, and have a mutual arrangement relationship as shown in the figure. The power supply unit 121 made of a mercury button battery provided in a replaceable manner can be provided together. In this way, the limited internal space can be effectively used. In addition, rechargeable secondary batteries that can be used repeatedly and mercury button batteries that can be easily obtained can be easily replaced by opening and closing a lid (not shown).

  The pipe 4 is connected to a pressure sensor 106 (see FIG. 5), a rapid exhaust valve 104, a fine exhaust valve 105, and a pressure pump 108 provided on the substrate 140. The wiring 5 is connected to the light amount control unit 118 and the filter amplifier 109 (see FIG. 5), the LCD 114, the buzzer 115, and the operation unit 116 on the substrate 140. The circuit configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

<Circuit configuration of photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operation circuit 100 in the apparatus main body 2 when the ear sphygmomanometer 1 of FIG. 1 is configured as a photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer. In FIG. 5, inside an inner cuff (assembly) 6 of the mounting portion 3 to be mounted on the tragus 221, an LED 20 that is a light emitting element constituting a photoelectric sensor (pulse wave sensor) and a phototransistor 21 that is a light receiving element. It is included. As described above, the pipe 4 is a rubber tube (air tube) and forms a flow path of air into the inner cuff 6. The pressure pump 108 uses an electric small motor as a drive source, sends compressed air into the condenser tank 107, and sends pressurized air into the inner cuff assembly 6 after rectification. Further, the quick exhaust valve 104 branched and connected from the pipe 4 is provided with an electromagnetic valve mechanism (not shown), and rapidly reduces the pressure in the inner cuff assembly 6. Further, the fine exhaust valve 105 branched and connected similarly reduces the pressure in the inner cuff assembly 6 at a constant speed (for example, 2 to 3 mmHg / sec). Further, the pressure sensor 106 branched from the pipe 4 changes the electrical parameter according to the pressure in the cuff 6. A pressure detection amplifier (AMP) 107 connected to the pressure sensor 106 detects an electrical parameter of the pressure sensor 106, converts it into an electrical signal, amplifies it, and outputs an analog cuff pressure signal P. .

  The LED 20 irradiates light to the pulsating vascular blood flow, and the phototransistor 21 detects reflected light from the vascular blood flow. The filter AMP 109 connected via the wiring 5 is a pulse wave detection amplifier, which amplifies the output signal of the phototransistor 21 and outputs an analog pulse wave signal M. Here, the LED 20 is connected to a light amount control unit 118 that automatically changes the light amount via the wiring 5, while the pulse wave detection amplifier 109 has a gain control unit 119 a that automatically changes the gain, A time constant control unit 119b for changing the time constant of a filter amplifier (not shown) constituting the pulse wave detection filter / amplifier 109 is connected. An A / D converter (A / D) 110 connected as shown in the figure converts the analog signals M and P into digital data D.

  A control unit (CPU) 111 performs main control of the photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer. The CPU 111 has an adjustment pressure register 111a for storing the adjustment pressure. Details of this control will be described later according to the flowchart of FIG. 6 and the operation waveform diagram of FIG.

  The ROM 112 stores a control program (program consisting of the flowchart of FIG. 6) executed by the CPU 111. The RAM 113 includes a data memory, an image memory, and the like. A liquid crystal display (LCD) 114 displays the contents of the image memory. The operation unit 116 is used when a measurement start command, an adjustment pressure value, or the like is set by a user operation. The buzzer 115 informs the user that the device has sensed that the key in the operation unit 116 has been pressed, the measurement has been completed, and the like. In this example, the adjustment pressure register 111 a is provided in the CPU 111, but an adjustment pressure storage unit may be provided in the RAM 113.

  Further, the display panel 14 of the LCD uses a dot matrix type display panel, so that various information (for example, characters, figures, signal waveforms, etc.) can be displayed. The operation unit 116 has a measurement start switch (ST) and keys for inputting a cuff pressure value and the like. Further, a power supply unit 121 and a power switch (not shown) that can replace the battery are further provided.

  Further, the apparatus main body 2 is provided with an external communication unit connected to a connector (not shown) or a mobile phone, and by connecting to the personal computer, an operation control parameter setting unit, a data clear unit, a data storage unit, Various data can be exchanged between them and blood pressure measurement results can be saved.

<Operation of photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer>
Next, the operation of the ear sphygmomanometer 1 as the photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer according to the present embodiment will be described below. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the measurement process of the ear sphygmomanometer (photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer) 1. In this figure, when the apparatus is turned on by a power switch, self-initial diagnosis processing (not shown) is first performed to initialize the apparatus. Thereafter, the process is started by pressing the measurement start switch.

  In step S101, the cuff pressure P is read, and in step S102, it is determined whether or not the residual pressure of the cuff 1 is within a specified value. If the residual pressure exceeds the specified value, “residual pressure error” is displayed on the LCD 114 in step S123. If the residual pressure is within the specified value, a cuff pressure value (for example, a value larger than the maximum blood pressure value of 120 to 210 mmHg) is set using the operation unit 118 in step S103, and the light amount and gain are set to predetermined values in step S104. Set to value.

  When the setting of the pressurization value and the light quantity / gain is completed, the quick exhaust valve 104 and the fine exhaust valve 105 are closed in steps S105 and S106. In step S107, driving of the pressure pump 3 is started and pressurization (pressure increase) is started. This is the start of the measurement process during pressurization, and the cuff pressure starts increasing at a constant speed (for example, 2 to 3 mmHg / sec). During this time, data processing by each functional block is performed in step S108, and the measurement of the minimum blood pressure and the maximum blood pressure is performed. When the maximum blood pressure is measured (S109), the drive of the pressurizing pump 103 is stopped in step S112.

  In step S110, it is determined whether or not the cuff pressure is higher than the pressure value U set in S103. If P> U, it is still in the normal measurement range, so measurement is continued. On the other hand, when P> U, the cuff pressure is already higher than the set value, so “measurement error” is displayed on the LCD 114 in step S111. If necessary, detailed information such as “signal abnormality during pressurization” is additionally displayed. In step S113, it is determined whether or not the signal level of the pulse wave signal obtained at the time of pressurization is within a predetermined level range for enabling high-precision blood pressure measurement. If it is determined that it is within the predetermined range, the measured maximum blood pressure value and minimum blood pressure value are displayed on the LCD 114 in step S120, and a tone signal is sent to the buzzer 115 in step S121.

  If it is determined in step S113 that it is not within the predetermined range, the light amount and gain are adjusted based on the signal level of the pulse wave signal in step S114. In step S114, for example, the following processing is performed. When the pulse wave carrier wave is below the standard value (20 to 40% of the full scale of the A / D converter 110), it is checked whether or not the step light amount is maximum. If not, the light amount control unit 118 is controlled. Increase the amount of light, and increase the gain when the amount of light is maximum. On the other hand, if the carrier level is equal to or higher than the standard value, it is checked whether or not the gain is minimum. If not, the gain control unit 119a performs feedback control to lower the gain. If it is minimum, decrease the light intensity.

  When the adjustment of the light amount / gain is completed, the fine exhaust valve 105 is opened in step S115. This is the start of the measurement process at the time of pressure reduction (pressure reduction), and the cuff pressure starts to decrease at a constant speed (for example, 2 to 3 mmHg / sec). During this time, data processing by each functional block is performed in step S116, and the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure are measured. In step S117, it is determined whether or not a minimum blood pressure value is detected during decompression. If not detected, continue measurement. In step S118, it is determined whether or not the cuff pressure is lower than a predetermined value L (for example, 40 mmHg). If P <L, it is still in the normal measurement range, and the flow returns to step S116. On the other hand, when P <L, the cuff pressure is already lower than the normal measurement range, so “measurement error” is displayed on the LCD 114 in step S119. If necessary, display detailed information such as “signal anomaly during decompression”.

  When the measurement is completed in the determination in step S117, the measurement process is completed in the normal measurement range, and the maximum blood pressure value and the minimum blood pressure value measured are displayed on the LCD 14 in step S120, and the tone signal is displayed to the buzzer 115 in step S121. Send. Preferably, different tone signals are sent after normal termination and abnormal termination. In step S122, the remaining air in the cuff 6 is quickly exhausted and the next measurement start is awaited.

<Blood pressure calculation operation>
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the correlation between the cuff pressure and the pulse wave signal. In this figure, the waveforms in the time from the start of measurement during pressurization (step S108) to the end of measurement during depressurization (step S116) are respectively shown.

  The blood pressure measurement is generally performed as follows for the graph of FIG. That is, in the measurement at the time of pressurization, the cuff pressure at the point (a) at which the change in the magnitude of the pulse wave signal has started is set as the minimum blood pressure, and the cuff pressure at the time point (b) when the pulse wave signal disappears is set as the maximum blood pressure. On the other hand, the blood pressure measurement at the time of decompression is opposite to the blood pressure measurement at the time of pressurization. The cuff pressure is the minimum blood pressure.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which reflected light from blood in a blood vessel is detected has been described. Alternatively, transmitted light may be detected instead.

  As described above, the photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer according to the present embodiment makes it possible to adjust the signal level so that the signal level of the pulse wave signal is within a predetermined standard range, and at the same time enables highly accurate measurement, By making it possible to shorten the blood pressure measurement time, it is possible to provide a photoelectric volumetric pulse wave sphygmomanometer that can reduce the physical burden on the user due to the cuff pressure. In addition, since the tragus and its peripheral part are insensitive to pain, there is also an effect that pain due to cuff pressure can be reduced, and this also has an effect that it can be easily applied to continuous measurement of blood pressure. .

  The blood pressure measurement device described above detects a pulse wave using the light emitting element 20 and the light receiving element 21, but includes a cuff that compresses pressure on the tragus, and changes the pressure of the pulsation caused by the blood vessel on the living body surface with the cuff. The pulse wave can also be detected by capturing as That is, a pulsation obtained from a living body is converted into a change in pressure in the cuff by a cuff to which pressure is applied, and a pressure change in the cuff is detected by a pressure detection device. Even with such a configuration, a pulse wave of a living body can be detected. In addition, a small microphone is installed in the cuff part in contact with the living body, Korotkoff sound generated when a part of the living body is compressed with the cuff is detected, and blood pressure is measured based on the occurrence or disappearance of the Korotkoff sound above a predetermined level You may make it do.

<Configuration of cuff bag bodies 22, 23>
8A is a plan view of the cuff bag body 22 constituting a part of the outer cuff assembly 7, FIG. 8B is a front view of the cuff bag body 22, and FIG. It is a bottom view. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG.

  In FIG. 9, the cuff bag body 22 includes a cylindrical portion 22b that is elastically deformed between a pressurized state and a reduced pressure state, and a flat contact surface 25 that extends from the cylindrical portion 22b and contacts the tragus. And is integrally formed as a hat shape having a lid portion 22a. Further, the edge portion of the opening 28 is integrally formed as a flange portion 26. Further, by setting the first dimension t1 of the thickness of the lid portion 22a to be larger than the second dimension t2 of the thickness of the cylindrical portion 22b, the contact surface 25 is always flat with respect to the tragus. It is comprised so that it can contact.

  The lid portion 22a is formed in a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or an oval shape. Similarly, the cylindrical portion 22b is also formed in a circular cylindrical shape, an elliptical cylindrical shape, or an elliptical cylindrical shape, and the cuff member is attached to these cylindrical portions. It is formed into a matching shape.

  Further, the cylindrical portion 22b is formed as a bellows body 27 having one or more desirably two stepped portions, and when the lid portion is circular, the diameter dimension is in the range of 15 to 5 mm, desirably about 8 mm. The first dimension t1 is in the range of 0.4 to 1 mm, preferably about 0.6 mm, and the second dimension t2 is set to 0.1 to 0.8 mm, preferably about 0.3 mm. .

  Next, FIG. 10 (a) is a plan view of the cuff bag body 23, FIG. 10 (b) is a front view of the cuff bag body, FIG. 10 (c) is a right side view of the cuff bag body, and FIG. It is a bottom view of a cuff bag body. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 10A, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 10A.

  In this figure, when the lids of the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 are elliptical or oval, the major axis dimension is in the range of 15 to 5 mm, preferably about 10 mm, and the minor axis dimension is 10 to 4 mm. Range, preferably about 8 mm.

  In FIG. 11A, the first dimension t1 is in the range of 0.4 to 1 mm, preferably about 0.6 mm, and the second dimension t2 is 0.1 to 0.8 mm, preferably about 0.1 mm. Set to 3 mm.

  Further, the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 are integrally formed from an elastic material having a Shore hardness of 30 to 60, preferably about 50, including silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin.

  As described above, the first dimension t1 of the thickness of the cap portions of the cap-shaped cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 having the flat contact surface that contacts the tragus 221 is set to the thickness of the tube portion. By making it larger than the second dimension t2, at the time of pressurization, the contact surface 25 can move to the pressurization position while maintaining the flat state. Further, the contact surface 25 can be moved to the decompression position while maintaining the flat state even during decompression. Further, by forming the cylindrical portion of the cuff bag body in the bellows body (bellows structure) 27, the contact surface 25 can be moved substantially in parallel.

  In addition, by making the side surfaces of the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 into a bellows structure in this way, when the cuff is pressurized, the contact surfaces 25 of the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 are inflated into a dome shape by the air pressure and come into contact with each other. It is possible to prevent the pressing force of the surface 25 from becoming uneven. That is, the air pressure unnecessary for uniformly pressing the tragus 221 is absorbed by the bellows, and the contact surface 25 can be kept flat.

<Attaching the outer cuff assembly 7>
In the configuration of the mounting portion 3 shown in FIG. 3, in order to respond more flexibly to various shapes of the tragus 221, as shown in FIG. 12, the outer cuff assembly 7 is clamped by the ball bearing portion 11 a and the width adjusting screw is held. The outer cuff assembly 7 swings around the ball shaft by being fixed to the shaft 11. Of course, the outer cuff assembly 7 may be fixed to the clamping width adjusting screw 11 so as to always face the inner cuff assembly 6 without providing the ball bearing portion 11a.

<Configuration of fitting member and assembly method>
As shown in FIG. 12, the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 can be configured to withstand pressurization and depressurization by fixing them in an airtight state with respect to the cuff member using an O-ring 24. It is difficult to make the state because both the cuff bag bodies 22, 23 and the O-ring are elastic bodies. Therefore, it is preferable to improve the airtightness and the assembly workability by snapping the cuff bag body to the cuff member using the fitting member.

  FIG. 13 (a) is an exploded view showing how the cuff bag bodies 22, 23 are attached to the cuff member 30, and FIG. 13 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the cuff assembly after completion.

  In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components or parts already described, and the description thereof is omitted. First, the LED 20 and the phototransistor 21 indicated by broken lines are accurately fixed at predetermined positions in the sensor assembly 31. The lead wire extends downward as shown in the figure, and is connected to the wiring 5. The cuff member 30 is injection-molded using a resin material, and is provided with an attachment base 30d of the sensor assembly 31, and the periphery of the base 30d communicates with the flow path 30a. The flow path 30a is formed as a hollow part of the pipe part 30b, and the pipe 4 is connected to the pipe part 30b as shown in the figure.

  The cuff member 30 is formed with an outer peripheral surface 35 that matches the size of the small-diameter portion 44a of the inner peripheral surface 44 of the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23, or has a slightly larger size, and a flange 33 is formed below the outer peripheral surface 35. It is formed as shown in the figure, and a groove 34 serving as one locking portion is formed below the flange 33.

  Further, a flange portion 26 is integrally formed outward from the edge portion of the opening portion 28 of the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23.

  On the other hand, in the fitting member 38, the other locking portion 38d that locks against one locking portion formed on the cuff member 30 is formed at the end of the inclined surface 38c, and the flange portion 26 is pressed. The pressing surface 38a is integrally formed.

  In the above configuration, after the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 are first moved in the arrow direction with respect to the cuff member 30, the inner peripheral surface 44a is press-fitted into the outer peripheral surface 35 or lightly inserted, and then the fitting member 38 is moved. Next, when the press-fitting is performed, the flange portion 26 is fixed in a compressed state by the fitting member 38 as illustrated in FIG.

  Since it can be completed as described above, pressurization and decompression can be performed through the flow path 30a. Further, in FIG. 13B, the inner peripheral surface 30c of the cuff member 30 has a larger dimensional relationship than the outer peripheral surface of the sensor assembly 31 as shown in the figure, so that pressure and pressure reduction can be performed through these gaps. It becomes. Further, in FIG. 13B, since the small substrate 41 connected to the lead wire of each element is provided, the wiring work can be simplified.

  Next, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a cuff assembly according to another embodiment. In this figure, components or components already described are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. After 31 is inserted from below the through hole 30 f formed in the cuff member 30, the edge of the small substrate 41 is fitted to the claw 30 k of the cuff member 30 and fixed in an immobile state. In addition, the fitting member 38 is configured such that a part of the inner peripheral surface has a mountain shape and can be fitted into a valley portion of the cuff member. Further, a sealing agent 42 is laid on the joint surface between the flange portion and the cuff member 30 to ensure further airtightness.

  According to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 14, the inside of the cuff bag body 22 is pressurized, so that the bellows portion 27 extends so that the contact surface 25 can move in parallel from the position illustrated by the solid line to the position illustrated by the broken line. When the inside is depressurized, it can return to the position indicated by the solid line again.

  As described above, when blood pressure is measured periodically and at regular intervals using the upper arm and fingers, various problems occur. The blood pressure can be measured accurately.

<Cuff bag body with light-shielding layer>
If the LED element 20 for optically detecting the pulse wave and the phototransistor 21 are built in the cuff as described above, a part of the cuff is attached when the inner and outer cuffs are attached to the tragus. It will be exposed to the outside. For this reason, it is affected by disturbance light, and it is difficult to measure blood pressure accurately under the usage condition where it goes out outdoors and is directly exposed to sunlight including ultraviolet rays, even if it does not cause much trouble indoors.

  FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the cuff assembly before light shielding measures, and FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the cuff assembly before light shielding measures.

  In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components or parts already described, and the description is omitted. The cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 include transparent or light transmissive silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin. It is integrally formed from an elastic material having a Shore hardness of 30 to 60, preferably about 50. The cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 are provided in an airtight state with respect to the cuff member as described above. As shown in FIG. 15A, the contact surface 25 is positioned between the position indicated by a solid line and the position indicated by a broken line. It is elastically deformed between a pressurized state and a reduced pressure state that are substantially translated between each other.

  If comprised in this way, since the cuff bag bodies 22 and 23 are transparent, translucent, or light-transmitting, the disturbance light L will approach inside. For this reason, when using a sensor highly sensitive to sunlight, it is affected by sunlight, and accurate blood pressure measurement cannot be performed.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15B, a light shielding layer 45 for optically shielding the cuff bag body 22 other than the opening 46 is formed, and the light shielding layer 45 is continuously provided to the inner wall surface 44 of the cylindrical portion. By forming, the disturbance light L is prevented from entering the interior as shown in the figure, the light is irradiated only to the blood pressure measurement site, and the reflected light is received so that accurate blood pressure measurement is always performed regardless of the place. I can do it. The shading layer 45 can be prevented from being worn during use by being formed inside as shown in the figure. Needless to say, the shading layer 45 may be formed outside if abrasion resistance can be ensured.

  Further, when the lid portion 22a of the cuff bag body is circular as described with reference to FIG. 8, the shape of the opening 46 of the light shielding layer 45 is formed as a small circle having a similar shape. On the other hand, when the contact surface 25 is formed in an elliptical shape or an oval shape as described with reference to FIG. 10, the opening 46 of the light shielding layer 45 is an elliptical shape or an oval shape having a small circular shape or a similar shape. A good shape.

  When the contact surface 25 has a diameter (D1) in the range of 15 to 5 mm, preferably about 8 mm, the diameter of the opening 46 is set in the range of 2 to 8 mm, preferably about 5 mm. The Rukoto. Also, the abutment surface 25 has an elliptical shape having a major axis dimension (D2) in the range of 15 to 5 mm, preferably about 10 mm, and a minor axis dimension (D3) in the range of 10 to 4 mm, preferably about 8 mm. In the case of an oval shape, the diameter of the opening 46 is set in a range of 2 to 8 mm, desirably a circle of about 5 mm, or a circle, an ellipse or an oval having an opening area equivalent to this circle. . The light shielding layer 45 provided with the openings 46 can be formed by, for example, a two-color injection molding method.

  FIG. 16 is a printing process diagram for forming a light shielding layer inside the cuff bag body 22, and is shown together with a central sectional view of the cuff bag body 22.

  In this figure, in step S1, it is molded by a rubber molding device, the appearance of the cuff bag body 22 after deburring is inspected, defective products are removed and non-defective products are selected, and the product is set on a coating tray (not shown). In the next step S <b> 2, after degreasing, it is confirmed that no foreign matter is mixed, and a masking sheet 70 having a shape and area corresponding to the opening 46 and having an adhesive surface having a light adhesive force is attached to the cuff bag body 22. Affix to the center on the back of the part. At this time, a jig may be used for positioning.

  Thus, the preparation for applying the silicon-based binder paint mixed with the pigment containing carbon black is completed, and the process proceeds to step S3 to perform the ink application process.

  In this step, the light-shielding layer 45 shown by a broken line is formed by applying the above-mentioned binder paint with a brush or a spray gun. At this stage, since it has not been sufficiently dried, it is left for about 1 hour in the room temperature drying process of the next step S4, and after the drying is promoted, the masking 70 is removed using a tool such as tweezers.

  Then, it progresses to step S5, the cuff bag body after drying is put into an oven apparatus, and the oven process for baking coating is performed at about 200 degreeC for about 10 to 15 minutes. Thereafter, the coating tray is taken out from the oven apparatus, and in the finishing inspection process in step S6, an appearance inspection is performed, and foreign matter, protrusion of paint to the opening 46, coating unevenness, etc. are inspected, and a good product is obtained. Select and finish.

  The cuff bag body 22 completed through each of the above steps is attached and used as shown in FIG.

  In addition, although the above is an example of the process of forming the light shielding layer inside the cuff bag body, a substantially similar process may be used when the light shielding layer is formed outside the cuff bag body. Furthermore, the above two-color injection molding method eliminates the need for the above-mentioned coating process, but since the molding die is complicated and expensive, it is determined which method should be adopted in view of the quantity of cuff production. It will be.

<Another configuration example of the clamping width adjusting mechanism different from the clamping width adjusting screw 11>
As described above, the clamping width adjusting screw 11 is formed by, for example, screwing a male screw portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body of the adjusting screw 11 into a female screw hole formed in the holding member 10 as illustrated. The outer cuff assembly provided with the cuff bag body 23 can be arbitrarily moved by rotating the adjustment screw 11 in the forward / reverse direction, and the ball bearing portion 11a integrally formed at the end portion of the adjustment screw 11 is attached to the cuff member 30. By press-fitting into the fitting hole 47, it is provided so as to freely swing (see FIG. 12).
However, for example, when the movement stroke of the outer cuff assembly is large, the rotation operation of the adjusting screw 11 may be troublesome for a short-minded person or a person who has difficulty with fingertips. Therefore, the brushing bush 49, which is a one-way moving member that allows the outer cuff assembly to move to a desired position at once, regardless of the moving stroke of the outer cuff assembly, can be used instead of the adjusting screw 11.

  That is, in FIG. 17, the brushing bush 49, which is a one-way moving member, has a plurality of elastically deformable flange portions 49b on its outer peripheral surface and the ball bearing portion 49a at its end portion from a predetermined nylon resin material as shown. Are integrally molded. The diameter of the flange 49 b is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the hole 15 a formed at the other end of the third holding member 15. For this purpose, when the brushing bush 49 is inserted into the hole 15a in one direction in the direction of the arrow, the three flanges 49b are obliquely deformed so as to oppose the insertion direction as shown in the figure, and the hole 15a is elastically deformed. It will be in the state contact | abutted with respect to the inner peripheral surface. In this state, the outer cuff assembly can be held. Moreover, it is comprised so that the stopper part not shown can contact | abut to the edge part of the hole 15a, and can be pulled out to the original position by pulling with a bigger force than the time of insertion. The brushing bush 49 has a structure close to that of a so-called one-touch fastener.

<Integrated configuration of piping 4 and wiring 5>
Next, in FIG. 2, the pipe 4 and the wiring 5 are provided separately, but this is inconvenient because they are entangled with each other in use. On the other hand, the pipe 4 is formed so that a hollow portion serving as a flow path for a fluid containing air is formed along the longitudinal direction, so that the wiring 5 is not exposed to the outside by passing the wiring 5 through the hollow portion. can do. However, when configured in this way, a seal portion for securing airtightness is required at the site where the wiring 5 is pulled out of the pipe 4, but since the pipe 4 is bent freely, it is difficult to ensure the sealing performance, and the long term Leave a problem with endurance. In addition, the assembly work will be hindered.

  In view of this, various studies have been made on configurations that can simultaneously improve the sealing performance and increase the working efficiency when the pipe 4 and the wiring 5 are integrated.

  As a result of the examination, the wirings 5 and 5 are laid along the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral surface of the piping 4 as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 18, and the wirings 5 and 5 and the piping 4 are expanded and contracted. It was concluded that it is best to cover and integrate with the covering member 9 having the property.

  Specifically, the wiring 5 connected to the light emitting element and the light receiving element is stranded wires 5a and 5b connected from the light emitting element and the light receiving element, respectively, and the pipe 4 is made of silicon rubber, natural rubber, It is formed into a hollow shape as shown in the figure using an elastic material containing a predetermined synthetic resin, and the covering member 9 is formed in a mesh shape from a fibrous body having a predetermined count. Further, the covering member 9 is subjected to a metal coating process for improving noise resistance, and further covered with a cover (not shown).

  When the pipe 4 and the wiring 5 are integrated as described above, for example, when one of them is gripped in FIG. 18, it can be freely bent in an arc indicated by a one-dot chain line. Furthermore, since the wiring 5 can be directly drawn out from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 4 as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, no seal member is required. Moreover, when metal processing is given to the covering member 9, noise resistance can be further improved.

  As described above, when blood pressure is measured periodically and at regular intervals using the upper arm and fingers, various problems occur. The blood pressure can be measured accurately.

  Thus, in order to continuously and accurately measure blood pressure with a blood pressure measurement device using the tragus as a blood pressure measurement site, pressurized air is sent to each cuff by a battery-driven pressure pump. If a driven pressurizing pump is used, the battery is consumed very much, so that measurement over a long period of time becomes impossible. Therefore, a manual pressurizing pump may be used. The fluid medium to be pressurized includes various fluids. In the case of a gas, there is air, and in the case of a liquid, there are water, fats and oils including silicon oil, alcohol, and the like, which are appropriately selected.

<Other embodiments>
In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, light is applied to the blood flow of the blood vessel only on one side (inside the inner cuff assembly 6) of the pair of cuffs having a configuration to sandwich the tragus 221. An irradiation part (LED 20) and a light receiving part (phototransistor 21) for detecting reflected light from the bloodstream are provided.

  FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ear sphygmomanometer 1 as a photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer according to another embodiment. In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components or parts already described, and the description thereof is omitted. When both the inner cuff assembly 6 and the outer assembly 7 for sandwiching the tragus 221 are disposed, LEDs 20a and 20a and phototransistors 21a and 21b serving as light receiving portions for detecting reflected light are incorporated.

  Thus, a sensor may be provided in the inner and outer cuffs so that the blood pressure on the back side and front side of the tragus can be measured simultaneously. With this configuration, the cuff on one side compresses the blood vessels (arterioles) on the back side of the outer ear and its peripheral part, and the cuff on the other side has a superficial temporal artery on the front side of the outer ear and its peripheral part or The branch vessel can be compressed.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a blood pressure measurement result by simultaneous measurement of the inner and outer cuffs. As shown in the figure, as the pressurization curve W1 is decreased, the pulse wave signal K1 of the inner cuff 6 changes and the pulse wave signal K2 of the outer cuff 7 changes. As shown in the figure, the amplitude of the pulse wave signal K1 starts to change greatly at a point earlier than the waveform of the pulse wave signal K2. By using both of the pulse wave signals that change in this way, it is possible to measure the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure with higher accuracy.

  In addition, there are the following reasons for measuring the blood pressure of the outer ear and its peripheral part (more specifically, the tragus and the peripheral part) in this way.

  That is, it is known that the tragus and its surrounding blood vessels (arterioles) are close to blood vessels in the brain, and it is thought that changes in blood pressure originating in the brain can be measured. On the other hand, in addition to blood vessels (arterioles) present in the cartilage portion (mainly tragus) of the ear, an artery (superficial temporal artery) directly connected to the heart is also located in the vicinity of the tragus. Therefore, there is an advantage that blood pressure having different information (that is, blood pressure derived from the brain and blood pressure derived from the heart) can be measured simultaneously with a small device in the periphery of the tragus. The photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer of the present embodiment makes it possible to set the signal level of the pulse wave signal so that it falls within a predetermined standard range, and it is possible to measure blood pressure with high accuracy in the outer ear periphery. At the same time, by making it possible to shorten the blood pressure measurement time, it is possible to reduce the physical burden on the user due to the cuff pressure.

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a mode that the ear-type blood pressure meter 1 which concerns on this invention was made into the use condition with respect to an auricle. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the mounting portion 3. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the mounting unit 3. FIG. 3 is an entity layout diagram of a sphygmomanometer body 2. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the ear-type blood pressure meter 1 of FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the ear blood pressure monitor 1. It is a wave form diagram of blood pressure measurement. (a) is a plan view of the cuff bag body 22, (b) is a front view of the cuff bag body, and (c) is a bottom view of the cuff bag body. It is XX arrow directional cross-sectional view of Fig.8 (a). (a) is a plan view of the cuff bag body 23, (b) is a front view of the cuff bag body, (c) is a right side view of the cuff bag body, and (d) is a bottom view of the cuff bag body. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 10A, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. It is a figure which shows the ball bearing structure for implement | achieving the swing structure of the outer side cuff assembly. (A) is the exploded view which showed a mode that the cuff bag body was attached to a cuff member, (b) is principal part sectional drawing of the cuff assembly after completion. It is principal part sectional drawing of the cuff assembly of another embodiment. (a) Main part sectional drawing of the cuff assembly before light shielding measures, (b) Main part sectional view of the cuff assembly before light shielding measures. FIG. 4 is a printing process diagram for forming a light shielding layer inside the cuff bag body 22, and is a printing process diagram shown together with a central sectional view of the cuff bag body 22. It is principal part sectional drawing of the cuff assembly provided with a degree of freedom in the edge part of the brushing bush of a one-way moving member. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a mode that wiring and piping were integrated. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the ear-type blood pressure meter 1 of another embodiment. It is a figure which shows the blood-pressure measurement result by the internal / external cuff simultaneous measurement.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ear type blood pressure monitor 2 Apparatus main body 3 Wearing part 4 Piping 5 Wiring (signal and power supply line)
6 Inner cuff assembly 7 Outer cuff assembly 9 Cover member 10 Holding member 11 Holding width adjusting screw 12 Branch pipe 13 First holding member 14 Second holding member 15 Third holding member 17 Spacer 18 First adjusting screw 19 Second adjustment Screw 20 Light emitting element (LED)
21 Light receiving element (phototransistor)
22, 23 Cuff bag body 24 O-ring 25 Contact surface 26 Flange portion 27 Bellows portion 28 Opening portion 38 Fitting member 42 Sealing agent 44 Inner wall surface 45 Light shielding layer 46 Opening portion 50 Brushing bush 51 Ear hook portion 52 Shape portion 53 Inside Pipe 54 First projection 55 Second projection

Claims (9)

An inner cuff inserted into the ear canal and an outer cuff located outside the tragus;
Holding means for holding the inner cuff and the outer cuff;
A pulse wave detecting means built in at least one of the inner cuff or the outer cuff and detecting a pulse wave signal from blood flowing in the blood vessel;
An ear hook extending from the holding means;
A blood pressure measurement main body part that is directly attached to the ear hook part and is arranged in the vicinity of the back part of the ear when worn,
The blood pressure measurement main body part is:
Pressurizing and depressurizing means for pressurizing and depressurizing the inner cuff and the outer cuff with a fluid containing air;
Pressure detecting means connected to the pipe for detecting the pressure of the inner cuff and the outer cuff;
Blood pressure measurement control means for measuring a blood pressure value from the pulse wave signal,
In order to send the fluid, the inner cuff, the outer cuff, and the pressure-increasing / decreasing means are connected by a fluid discharge pipe.   The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid discharge pipe is disposed inside the ear hook. The holding means is
A shape part filled in a space part from the concha to the opposite wheel;
A first protrusion extending from the shape portion toward the ear canal and holding the inner cuff;
A second protrusion that is substantially orthogonal to the first protrusion, extends from the shape part so as to straddle the tragus, and holds the outer cuff;
The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an ear hook portion extending from the shape portion is an integrally formed member.   4. The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the shape portion that contacts the opposite wheel is made of a softer material than other portions.   5. The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the ear hooking portion that contacts the ear is made of a material softer than other portions of the ear hooking portion. .   6. The clamping width adjusting portion according to claim 1, further comprising: a clamping width adjusting unit configured to adjust a clamping width between the outer cuff and the inner cuff at the other end of the holding member. Blood pressure measurement device.   The blood pressure measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the clamping width adjusting unit has a swing mechanism that enables the outer cuff to swing at a tip thereof.   The blood pressure measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the holding member is provided on the second protrusion so as to be adjustable in a vertical direction of the tragus.   The blood pressure measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a radius of curvature of a subject's temporal contact side surface of the blood pressure measurement main body is larger than a curvature radius of a non-contact side surface.

Images