JP2008043513A - Blood pressure measuring apparatus, cuff device and control method of blood pressure measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the measurement of blood pressure with higher repetition precision without being affected by piping and wiring connected to cuffs by supporting the apparatus with an ear hook member when a pulse wave signal is detected from changes in light passing through an antilobium or the light reflected on it. <P>SOLUTION: An ear hook member 54 which is mounted on a holding member 16 adapted to hold an inner cuff 6 to be inserted into an external auditory meatus and an outer cuff 7 positioned outside the antilobium facing each other from the side of a face with respect to at least either the right or left ear is formed in an integral configuration or as a separate member. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cuff device, a blood pressure measurement device including the cuff device, and a control method for the blood pressure measurement device, and more particularly, to a technique using a tragus as a measurement site.

  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 continuously (intermittently) to measure the change in blood pressure over time. 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 test 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, but this causes a great hindrance in the daily life. 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 Okubo, “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 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 and the like.

  Here, 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 varies greatly in individual shape, the structure of the ear tab wearing cuff disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. 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.

  In this way, when a cuff is loaded on the tragus and blood pressure measurement is performed, a set of optical elements is incorporated in the inner and outer cuffs, and a pulse wave signal is detected based on a change in light transmitted through the tragus. We focused on the fact that accurate blood pressure measurement is possible. However, when the cuff is fixedly attached to the tragus, the cuff moves downward due to the weight of the piping and wiring connected to the cuff, and the optical axes of one set of optical elements are made to coincide with each other to stably stabilize the blood pressure. The measurement cannot be performed.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a set of optical elements is incorporated in the inner and outer cuffs, the inner and outer cuffs are loaded on the tragus, and the light transmitted through the tragus. When detecting a pulse wave signal based on the change in the blood pressure, it is possible to measure the blood pressure with high repetition accuracy by securely loading the cuff inside and outside the tragus without being affected by the piping and wiring connected to the cuff. An object of the present invention is to provide a blood pressure measurement device and a blood pressure measurement method that can be performed.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, according to the blood pressure measurement device of the present invention, the inner cuff inserted into the ear canal, the outer cuff positioned outside the tragus, the inner cuff, and the A holding member that holds the outer cuff facing each other, a pulse wave detection unit that is built in the inner cuff and the outer cuff and detects a pulse wave signal from blood flowing through the blood vessel, and the inner cuff and the outer cuff. After sandwiching the tragus, pressurizing means for pressurizing the inner cuff and the outer cuff with a pressurized fluid containing air, decompression means for decompressing the inner cuff and the outer cuff, the inner cuff and the A pipe connected between the outer cuff and the pressurizing means and the pressure reducing means; a pressure detecting means connected to be branched from the pipe and detecting the pressure of the inner cuff and the outer cuff; and the pulse wave Blood pressure from signal Blood pressure measurement control means for measuring the blood pressure, and wiring connected between the pulse wave detection means and the blood pressure measurement control means, the pulse wave detection means from the change of the light passing through the tragus The holding member includes a pair of optical elements that detect a pulse wave signal, and the holding member is provided with an ear hook member that is worn from the face side with respect to at least one of the right ear and the left ear. It is characterized by.

  Further, the ear hooking member is characterized in that a gripping protrusion formed so as to face the end is integrally formed.

  Further, the holding member includes a swinging means for holding at least one of the inner cuff and the outer cuff so as to freely swing so that the optical axes between the one set of optical elements are substantially coincident with each other. It is characterized by.

  The one set of optical elements includes a light emitting diode and a light receiving phototransistor, the light emitting diode is built in the outer cuff or the inner cuff, and the light receiving phototransistor is built in the inner cuff or the outer cuff. It is characterized by.

  Further, the swinging means is fixed to the holding member via an adjusting means for adjusting a holding width between the inner cuff and the outer cuff by means including screwing.

  In addition, the holding member further includes sub-oscillation means for holding the inner cuff so that the inner cuff is swingable smaller than the swing angle of the outer cuff.

  The inner cuff and the outer cuff form a pressing surface formed in a convex shape or a depressed convex shape from the lid portion of the cuff bag body, and the thickness of the pressing surface is larger than the thickness of the cuff body portion. In addition, a light transmission layer is formed on the pressing surface.

  The cuff bag body is integrally formed from an elastic material having a Shore hardness of 30 to 60 and about 50 including silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin. The pulse wave detecting means, the pressure increasing / decreasing means, and the blood pressure measurement control means are built in the apparatus main body, and a connector that simultaneously connects the pipe and the wiring between the holding means and the apparatus main body. It is characterized by being connected.

  Further, according to the cuff device of the present invention, the cuff device has a holding member that holds the inner cuff inserted into the ear canal and the outer cuff positioned outside the tragus so as to face each other, and at least one of the right ear and the left ear On the other hand, an ear hook member attached from the face side is formed integrally with the holding member or as a separate member, and a signal line and an air pipe are connected below the holding member. Further, the ear hooking member is characterized in that a gripping protrusion formed so as to face the end is integrally formed. Further, the holding member includes a swinging means for holding at least one of the inner cuff and the outer cuff so as to freely swing so that the optical axes between the one set of optical elements are substantially coincident with each other. It is characterized by. The one set of optical elements includes a light emitting diode and a light receiving phototransistor, the light emitting diode is built in the outer cuff or the inner cuff, and the light receiving phototransistor is built in the inner cuff or the outer cuff. It is characterized by. Further, the swinging means is fixed to the holding member via an adjusting means for adjusting a clamping width between the inner cuff and the outer cuff by means including screwing. In addition, the holding member further includes sub-oscillation means for holding the inner cuff so that the inner cuff is swingable smaller than the swing angle of the outer cuff. The inner cuff and the outer cuff form a pressing surface formed in a convex shape or a depressed convex shape from the lid portion of the cuff bag body, and the thickness of the pressing surface is larger than the thickness of the cuff body portion. In addition, a light transmission layer is formed on the pressing surface. The cuff bag body is integrally formed from an elastic material having a Shore hardness of 30 to 60 and about 50 including silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin.

  Then, an ear hooking member that is formed integrally with the holding member or provided as a separate member is hung from the face side to the ear, the inner cuff and the outer cuff are held facing each other by the holding member, and the inner cuff is inserted into the outer ear canal, After the outer cuff is positioned outside the tragus and sandwiching the tragus, the inner cuff and the outer cuff are pressurized with a pressurized fluid containing air by a pressurizing unit, and the inner cuff is decompressed by a depressurizing unit. And a step of depressurizing the outer cuff, a step of detecting a pulse wave signal from blood flowing through the blood vessel by means of pulse wave detection means built in the inner cuff and the outer cuff, and a branching connection from the pipe A step of detecting the pressure of the inner cuff and the outer cuff by a pressure detection means, and a step of measuring a blood pressure value from the pulse wave signal by a blood pressure measurement control means. In order to detect the pulse wave signal from a change in light passing therethrough, the holding member holds the outer cuff so as to freely swing so that the optical axes between the one set of optical elements are substantially aligned by a swinging means. In addition, blood pressure is measured through a wire connected between the pulse wave detection means and the blood pressure measurement control means.

  According to the present invention, a set of optical elements is incorporated in the inner and outer cuffs, the inner and outer cuffs are loaded on the tragus, the inner and outer cuffs are loaded on the tragus, and light transmitted through the tragus. Alternatively, when detecting a pulse wave signal based on a change in reflected light, it is possible to measure blood pressure with high repeatability without being affected by piping and wiring connected to the cuff by supporting it with an ear hooking member. .

  First, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the tragus is used as a blood pressure measurement site. The reason for selecting the tragus as the blood pressure measurement site in this way is that the tragus is a part of the auricle and is quite small, so that the blood pressure detector can be downsized. Moreover, since the tragus is a part of the head, it has little positional fluctuation and is suitable for blood pressure measurement. In addition, trabeculae are not used for purposes other than sound collection, so even if you are wearing a cuff, even when you are sleeping, there are fewer problems with daily life compared to fingers, etc., and the blood pressure detector can be downsized. For example, the degree of invasiveness that causes pain to the subject during measurement can be reduced.

  Here, to further supplement the point that pain can be reduced during blood pressure measurement by using the tragus as a 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 these 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. There is an advantage that pain at the time of blood pressure measurement can be reduced compared to the blood pressure measurement to be used.

  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 A wiring that is a signal line for an output signal to be transmitted to the apparatus main body is connected. The piping and wiring are generally connected to the main body side 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.

  A blood pressure measuring device according to each preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below as an ear blood pressure monitor 1 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 interpreted limitedly by these.

  First, FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the left auricle 220 on which the ear blood pressure monitor 1 which is a blood pressure measurement device of the present invention is loaded. In this figure, the auricle 220 of the left ear includes an tragus 221, an antitragus 222, an ear concha 223, an antipodal 224, an earring 225, and an antipodal leg 226 that are continuously formed from the edge of the ear canal 230. The mutual positional relationship is as follows. Further, on the back side of the opposite wheel 224, an extending portion (not shown) in which cartilage is built as an ear-hanging portion continuous with the side surface of the head is formed. It is known that the shape and size of each of these parts vary greatly by sex, sex, age, or individual type.

  Next, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the overall configuration of the ear sphygmomanometer 1 according to one embodiment. In this figure, an ear-type sphygmomanometer 1 includes a small device main body 2 that executes a blood pressure measurement calculation, and a cuff assembly that serves as an inner cuff that is inserted into an external auditory canal 230 that is the inner side of the subject's tragus 221. 6 and a holding member 16 for detachably mounting the cuff assembly 7 serving as an outer cuff to the tragus 221. Further, in order to suspend the holding member 16 from the left and right ears (FIG. 2 shows the case of the left ear), an outer cuff 7 shown by a broken line in which the ear hooking member 54 is built in the holding member 16 is shown. It is configured to be fixed as illustrated so as to extend from above.

  The ear hooking member 54 has a shape that is attached to at least one of the right ear and the left ear from the face side, and is formed integrally with the holding member 16 so as to have an optimum attachment angle α. It is provided as a separate member. Further, the ear hooking member 54 is formed as a shape member 51 having a shape as shown in the figure, and is integrally formed with a gripping projection 52 that is integrally formed facing upward from the end 51a. Yes. The extending portion 51 b of the shape member 51 is fixed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the holding member 16.

  From the lower side of the holding member 16 to which the extending portion 51b is fixed, a bifurcated member 35 connected to the pipes 4 and 4 shown by broken lines is built in, and the pipes 4 and 4 and the wiring 5 covered with the covering member 9 are connected. It is provided so as to extend downward as shown in the figure.

  As described above, the ear sphygmomanometer 1 illustrates the inner cuff assembly 6 serving as an inner cuff inserted into the ear canal 230 and the outer cuff assembly 7 serving as an outer cuff positioned outside the tragus 221. The holding member 16 held as described above, and the apparatus main body 2 to which the holding member 16 is covered with the covering member 9 via the pipe 4 and the wiring are connected.

  Further, the ear hooking member 54 is formed to have a shape that can be attached along the root of the earring 225 shown in FIG. 1, and as shown in FIG. 9 is hung from below the holding member 16. On the other hand, the end 51a of the shape member 51 of the ear hook member 54 is formed so as to bend backward as shown in the figure, and has a part of the same shape as the ear hook portion of the spectacle frame. It is comprised so that stability after mounting | wearing of can be aimed at.

  Resin materials such as polycarbonate, ABS, POM, and PPS can be used as the resin material to be used for forming the shape member 51 of the ear hook 54 as shown in the figure. In addition, as a material used, a resin material is usually used in view of mass productivity, dimensional stability, cost, and the like, but the material 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.

  In FIG. 2, the covering member 9 includes a coupling portion 300 serving as a dual-purpose connector for coupling the apparatus main body 2 to the pipe 4 and the wiring 5 at the other end. Further, a branch pipe 35 (shown by a broken line) is connected to the pipe 4 and is configured to be connectable to the inner and outer cuff assemblies 6 and 7 by branching the pipe 4 into two flow paths. . Further, the coupling part 300 is configured to be detachable by providing a dual-purpose connector function for coupling the pipe 4 and the wiring 5 covered with the covering member 9 to the apparatus main body 2. Specifically, the coupling portion 300 is inserted into the apparatus main body 2 until the pair of left and right locking portions 322 of the coupling portion 300 are locked in the locking holes 320 of the device main body 2. Then, the female connector 305 of the coupling part 300 is engaged with the male connector 318 of the apparatus main body 2, and the piping plug 304 of the coupling part 300 is engaged with the piping plug hole 319 of the apparatus main body 2. On the other hand, the coupling part 300 can be detached from the apparatus main body 2 by depressing the detachable button 303 to remove the locking part 322 from the locking hole 320 and pulling the coupling part 300 out of the apparatus main body 2. Yes.

  The outer cuff assembly 7 is provided to the holding member 16 via a main swing mechanism described later and further via a width adjusting screw member described later. Further, the inner cuff assembly 6 is incorporated and fixed in a member having a “substantially saddle” shape in cross section so that the cuffs face each other with respect to the holding member 16 as shown in the figure. The inner cuff assembly 6 may be directly fixed to the holding member 16.

  Next, FIGS. 3A to 3D are schematic views illustrating a state after mounting the inner cuff assembly 6 and the outer cuff assembly 7 which are built in the holding member 16 and held by the ear hooking member 54. It is.

  In this figure, components or parts already described are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. First, in FIG. 3A, the inner cuff assembly 6 is inserted into the ear canal 230 and the outer cuff assembly 7 is inserted. A pulse wave is detected by the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 incorporated in the outer cuff. That is, light is applied to the blood vessel in the tragus, and pulse wave detection (so-called photoelectric pulse wave detection using reflected light) is performed by detecting the reflected light.

  3B, the inner cuff assembly 6 is inserted into the external ear canal 230 and the tragus is sandwiched between the outer cuff assembly 7 and the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor built in the inner cuff. 21 detects pulse waves. That is, light is irradiated to the blood vessel in the tragus and pulse wave detection is performed by detecting reflected light (so-called photoelectric pulse wave detection using reflected light).

  Further, in FIG. 3C, the inner cuff assembly 6 is inserted into the external auditory canal 230 to sandwich the tragus with the outer cuff assembly 7, and light is emitted from the light emitting diode 20 built in the inner cuff. The pulse wave detection is performed by receiving the light as a transmitted light in the tragus by the light receiving phototransistor 21 incorporated in the outer cuff assembly 7. Light is transmitted through a blood vessel in the tragus, and pulse wave detection (so-called photoelectric pulse wave detection using transmitted light) is performed by detecting the light after transmission. In this way, pulse wave detection is performed without being influenced by external light. At this time, the light-emitting diode (light-emitting portion) 20 and the light-receiving phototransistor (light-receiving portion) 21 are configured to have substantially the same optical axis. Thus, in the photoelectric pulse wave detection method using transmitted light, the optical axes L of the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 substantially coincide with each other in this state, so that the pulse wave of the blood vessel in the tragus 221 can be accurately detected. It will be possible.

  In FIG. 3D, the inner cuff assembly 6 is inserted into the outer ear canal 230 to sandwich the tragus between the outer cuff assembly 7 and the light emitting diode 20 built in the outer cuff assembly 7. The emitted light is received by the light-receiving phototransistor 21 incorporated in the inner cuff assembly 7 as transmitted light in the tragus, thereby allowing the light to pass through the blood vessel in the tragus and detecting the light after transmission. Wave detection (so-called photoelectric pulse wave detection using transmitted light) is performed. In this way, pulse wave detection is performed without being influenced by external light. At this time, the light-emitting diode (light-emitting portion) 20 and the light-receiving phototransistor (light-receiving portion) 21 are configured to have substantially the same optical axis. Thus, in the photoelectric pulse wave detection method using transmitted light, the optical axes L of the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 substantially coincide with each other in this state, so that the pulse wave of the blood vessel in the tragus 221 can be accurately detected. It will be possible. Not only the photoelectric pulse wave detection but also the pressure pulse wave detection may be used. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 built in the inner cuff.

  Next, FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment in which the outer cuff assembly 7 is provided on the holding member 16 via a main swing mechanism provided at the end of a width adjusting screw member 18 for adjusting the clamping width, and further the inner cuff assembly It is principal part sectional drawing which showed a mode that the solid set 6 was provided in a holding member via a sub swing mechanism. In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components or parts that have already been described, and the description thereof is omitted. The “substantially ⊃” -shaped holding member 16 includes the first extending portion 16a and the second extending portion 16b. It is integrally resin-molded to form. The first extending portion 16a of the holding member 16 is formed with a fine female screw hole portion 16c, and the male screw portion 18c of the width adjusting screw member 18 is screwed into the female screw hole portion 16c.

  The width adjusting screw member 18 has a knurled surface gripped at the time of rotation on the outer peripheral surface, a dial portion 18f larger than the diameter of the male screw portion 18c, a through-hole portion 18a penetrating the center, and the through-hole portion 18a. A step hole 18b having an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter is formed to a depth of about half. A pedestal component 34 to which the light emitting diode 20 is fixed is press-fitted or bonded to the step hole 18b of the width adjusting screw member 18. Therefore, the pedestal component 34 is a through-hole portion for guiding the pedestal portion 34b of the light-emitting diode 20 and the lead wire 20a of the light-emitting diode 20 to the through-hole portion 18a of the width adjusting screw member 18 by inserting as shown in the figure. 34a and a resin component having an outer peripheral surface 34c that is inserted into the stepped hole 18b without a gap are prepared.

  As described above, before the base part 34 is fixed to the width adjusting screw member 18, the fitting part 35 is set as illustrated. That is, the base part 34 is inserted into the hole 35 a of the fitting part 35, and the fitting surface 35 c of the fitting part 35 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface 17 a of the outer cuff body 17 by a method including fitting. The pedestal portion 34b prevents it from being removed. As described above, the outer cuff main body 17 can swing around the pedestal part 34 by the clearance between the fitting part 35 and the hole 35a, and the main swing mechanism is configured.

  The resin-made outer cuff body 17 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to accommodate the light emitting diode 20 as shown in the figure, and the light transmitting lid member 36 that allows the optical axis emitted from the light emitting diode to pass is provided on the step surface 17b. It is fixed with airtightness. In addition, the outer cuff body 17 is integrally formed with a mouth portion 17 f that communicates with a flow path 17 k that communicates with the pipe 4. The outer cuff body 17 is provided with a cuff bag body 22 that is fixed in an airtight state using an O-ring 33 so that pressurized air and reduced pressure air are sent to the cuff bag body 22 through the mouth portion 17f. It is configured. In addition, a light transmission layer 30 is integrally formed in the cuff bag body 22.

  On the other hand, the inner cuff assembly 6 positioned on the outer side of the tragus is fixed in an airtight state to the inner cuff member 116 that branches from the pipe 4 and communicates with the pipe 4 that is connected using the O-ring 33. Cuff bag body 22 is provided. Each of these cuff bag bodies 22 has basically the same shape, and an elliptical shape or an oval shape can be used in addition to the circular shape shown in the figure. The cuff bag body 22 is made of, for example, silicon rubber and is fixed by an O-ring 33. Needless to say, the cuff bag body 22 can be fixed by a method such as adhesion or press-fitting.

  The inner cuff member 116 is integrally formed with an opening 116k communicating with the flow path 116t so that the inside of the cuff bag 22 can be expanded and contracted. A light receiving phototransistor 21 is provided opposite to the light transmission layer 30 of the cuff bag body 22, and the lead wire 21 a of the light receiving phototransistor 21 is externally sealed and connected to the wiring 5. ing.

  The inner cuff member 116 can be integrally formed with the holding member 16, but in the illustrated example, the inner cuff member 116 is also attached via a sub-oscillation mechanism. The sub-oscillation mechanism includes a body part 40a of the spherical part 40 on the fitting part 41 formed with the outer peripheral surface 41c and the hole part 41a to be fitted into the hole part 16d formed in the second extending part 16b of the holding member 16. Is completed by assembling after setting as shown.

  Further, as shown in the figure, a cuff cover is further provided so that the O-ring 33 is not exposed to the outside.

  With the above configuration, the body portion of the cuff bag 22 is inflated by the air pressure relayed through the condenser tank 107 from the pressurizing pump 108, which will be described later, into the cuff bag body 22, and contracts when the pressure is reduced. These operations are repeated.

  Here, in the case where the tragus is used as a measurement site, in order to perform accurate blood pressure measurement, as an important function of the cuff bag body 22, in addition to being able to make the tragus pressurized and depressurized as described above. It is also important that the inner and outer cuffs are evenly contacted with the inner and outer surfaces of the tragus in a flat state and that the inner and outer cuffs are held opposite each other. The inner and outer cuffs can be held opposite to each other by the swing mechanism that can freely swing three-dimensionally as described above, but the inner and outer cuffs are flat against the inner and outer surfaces of the tragus. Since it is difficult to make contact evenly in a state, as a result of repeated trial and error with respect to the shape in which the cuff bag body 22 can be uniformly contacted with the inner and outer surfaces of the tragus, as described later, the pressing surface 25 is used. It was confirmed that it is best to make the shape convex.

  In addition to this, the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 which are a set of optical elements are incorporated in the inner and outer cuffs, the inner and outer cuffs are loaded on the tragus, and the light transmitted through the tragus is changed. When detecting a pulse wave signal based on this, it is important to make the optical axes of the optical elements completely coincide.

  FIG. 6A is a view in which the outer cuff assembly 7 held by the swing mechanism 19 is positioned so as to match the substantially horizontal tragus, and FIG. 6B matches the tragus having an inclined shape. It is the figure positioned so. First, in FIG. 6A, the width adjusting screw 18 is rotated, and the outer cuff assembly 7 and the inner cuff assembly 6 are set so that the pressing surface can be brought into contact with the tragus 221 evenly. In this state, the optical axes L of the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 substantially coincide with each other, so that the pulse wave of the blood vessel in the tragus 221 can be detected with high accuracy.

  6B, even if the tragus 221 is inclined, the outer cuff assembly 7 can swing with a maximum angle α of 10 degrees, so that it can be in close contact with the tragus. It becomes like this. At this time, since the optical axis L of the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 is located within the range of the light transmission layer 30 and can be completely matched, the pulse wave of the blood vessel in the tragus 221 is similarly detected. It becomes possible.

  Further, since the inner cuff assembly 6 is also held with a certain degree of freedom by the sub-swing mechanism 49 configured as described above, the optical axis L of the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 is within the range of the light transmitting layer 30. You will be able to get inside.

  The configuration of each of the above swing mechanisms is best in consideration of the assembly work, but it is needless to say that the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the light emitting diode 20 is placed in the inner cuff assembly 6 and the light receiving phototransistor 21 is placed. Various other configurations are possible, such as being provided in the outer cuff assembly 7.

  As described above, the tragus has large individual differences in terms of relative positional relationship with the ear canal, shape, size, etc., and there are also large individual differences by gender, type, and age, but the inner and outer cuffs are used as tragus. On the other hand, it is possible to maintain a state where it can be reliably contacted, and by matching the optical axis L, it is possible to flexibly cope with a difference between solids.

  Fig.7 (a) is sectional drawing at the time of pressure reduction of the cuff bag body 22 provided with the press surface formed in the depression convex shape, FIG.7 (b) is sectional drawing at the time of pressurization. In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components or parts already described, and the description of dimensions, materials, etc. is omitted, and the pressing surface 25 may be formed as a convex portion. There may be a sense of incongruity. Therefore, the cuff bag body 22 is formed so that the pressing surface 25 is positioned substantially flush with the edge 27a of the body 27 during decompression and elastically deforms so as to protrude above the edge 27a during pressurization. This makes it possible to obtain a better wearing feeling. Further, the thickness T1 of the pressing surface 25 is approximately three times the thickness T2 of the body 27, so that the pressing surface can expand and contract while moving in parallel.

  Here, in order to continuously and accurately measure blood pressure with the ear-type sphygmomanometer 1 using the tragus 221 as a blood pressure measurement site, pressurized air is sent to each cuff by a battery-driven pressure pump. However, if a battery-driven pressurization pump is used, battery consumption is significant, and measurement over a long period of time becomes impossible, so a manual pressurization pump may be used. In addition, there are various fluids as the fluid medium to be pressurized. In the case of gas, there is air, and in the case of liquid, there are water, fats and oils including silicon oil, alcohol, and the like, which are appropriately selected. .

  If the light emitting diode 20 and the phototransistor 21 for detecting pulse waves optically as described above are built in the cuff, a part of the cuff is attached when the inner and outer cuffs are attached to the tragus. 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. 8A to FIG. 8D are front views of the cuff bag body 22 with a light shielding measure. In this figure, components and components that have already been described are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted, and the cuff bag body 22 has a shore hardness including transparent or light transmissive silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin. Is integrally formed from 30-60, preferably around 50 elastic material. The cuff bag body 22 is provided in an airtight state with respect to the cuff members 16 and 17, and is elastically deformed between a pressurized state and a reduced pressure state when the pressing surface 25 is substantially translated.

  If comprised in this way, since the cuff bag body 22 is transparent, translucent, or light-transmitting, disturbance light will enter the 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 the figure, the cuff bag body 22 is formed of a material that does not allow light to pass therethrough, and the light transmitting layer 30 (indicated by dots in the figure) is formed on the pressing surface 25, so that disturbance light enters the inside. By preventing light from passing through the tragus and receiving it, accurate blood pressure measurement can always be performed regardless of the location. When the pressing surface 25 is circular, the light transmission layer 30 is formed as a small circle having a similar shape, and is set to have a diameter of about 3 mm. In the case of an ellipse, the ellipse has a major axis of 3.4 mm and a minor axis of 2.9 mm. Further, as shown in FIG. 8D, it may be set so as to be offset to one side and be close to the temporal region of the tragus.

  As described above, in the case of the cuff bag body 22 in which the pressing surface 25 has a convex shape or a depressed shape, the same 50 mmHg ejection point is obtained with an insertion amount of 1 mm and 2 mm, and the tendency tends to decrease slightly at 3 mm and is stable. On the other hand, in the cuff bag body 22 in the case where the lid portion is flat, it has been found that the stroke point varies greatly depending on the insertion amounts of 1 mm, 2 mm and 3 mm. From the above, it was confirmed that by using the cuff bag body 22 having the pressing surface 25 convex, it is possible to perform accurate blood pressure measurement even if repeated mounting is performed without being affected by the amount of insertion.

  Furthermore, in the case of the cuff bag body 22 having the pressing surface 25 convex, the same 50 mmHg starting point was obtained with a tightening amount in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm. On the other hand, in the cuff bag body 22 in the case where the lid portion is flat, it has been found that the stroke point gradually decreases from the tightening amount of 1 mm to 3 mm. From the above, it was confirmed that by using the cuff bag body 22 having the pressing surface 25 convex, accurate blood pressure measurement can be performed without being affected by the tightening amount.

  The cuff bag body 22 is integrally formed as a hat shape having a trunk portion 27 and a lid portion 23 that extends from the trunk portion 27 and forms a flat pressing surface 25 that becomes a convex portion that comes into contact with the tragus. Is done. Further, the edge portion of the opening 28 is integrally formed as a flange portion 26. Further, by setting the thickness dimension of the pressing surface 25 to be larger than the thickness dimension of the body portion 27, the pressing surface 25 can be always brought into contact with the tragus in a flat state. Further, the pressing surface 25 is formed to protrude by about 1.5 mm. Furthermore, considering the size of the auricle, the diameter of the lid 23 is in the range of 5 to 10 mm in order to enable appropriate pulse wave detection, and the diameter of the pressing surface 25 to ensure a reliable ischemic area. The dimension is in the range of 3-6 mm, the thickness dimension of the pressing surface is in the range of 0.4-1 mm, preferably about 0.6 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.1-0.8 mm, preferably about 0. .25mm is set. The height is set to 4-8 mm. Thus, reliable ischemia can be performed, appropriate pulse wave detection can be performed, and blood pressure can be measured with high accuracy. Further, the cuff assemblies 6 and 7 having a plurality of types of cuff bag bodies 22 may be selected in accordance with the user (for example, adult, dwarf, male, female, etc.) within the range of the numerical values. . Other dimensions are shown as numbers (mm) in the drawings.

  The lid portion 23 is formed in a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or an oval shape close to the track shape of the stadium, and the pressing surface 25 is also formed in a similar circular cylindrical shape, elliptical cylindrical shape, or elliptical cylindrical shape. Thus, the cuff member is formed in a shape that matches these cylindrical portions. The cuff bag body 22 is 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 thickness dimension of the lid portion of the cap-shaped cuff bag body 22 having the lid portion 23 formed with the flat pressing surface 25 abutting on the tragus 221 as a convex portion is determined from the thickness dimension of the trunk portion. By increasing the pressure, the pressing surface 25 can move to the pressing position while maintaining a flat state during pressing. In addition, the pressing surface 25 can move to the decompression position while maintaining the flat state even during decompression. Further, the pressing surface 25 may be moved substantially in parallel by forming the body portion 27 of the cuff bag body as a bellows bellows (not shown).

  In particular, the cuff assembly 6 serving as the inner cuff can be inserted into the external auditory canal naturally along the longitudinal direction by using an ellipse or an ellipse. Further, as the cuff bag body 22 having a pressing surface formed in a depressed convex shape, the pressing surface 25 is positioned substantially on the same surface as the edge of the body 27 during decompression, and protrudes above the edge during pressing. The cuff bag body 22 may be formed so as to be elastically deformed so as to obtain a better wearing feeling.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart in which a light-shielding layer is formed inside the cuff bag body 22 and the light transmission layer 30 is provided, and is shown together with a central sectional view of the cuff bag body 22. In this figure, in step S1, an opening 25a is integrally formed on the pressing surface 25 as shown in the figure from a silicon-based material mixed with a pigment containing carbon black by a rubber molding device. At this time, it is in a semi-vulcanized state. In addition, non-defective products are selected. Next, it progresses to step S2 and the light transmissive layer 30 shape | molded from the transparent silicon type material is inserted in the opening part 25a. Then, in order to form again in step S3, it is set in a predetermined mold and integrated by full vulcanization.

  Then, if necessary, post-crosslinking in step S4 is performed, appearance inspection is performed in the final step, inspection of foreign matter and protrusion of the opening is performed, and non-defective products are selected and the process ends. The cuff bag body 22 completed through the above steps is attached and used as shown in FIG.

  Note that the light shielding layer may be formed inside the cuff bag body, or the light shielding layer may be formed outside the cuff bag body.

  In FIG. 2, it has been described that the pipe 4 and the wiring 5 are covered with the covering member 9 so that they are not tangled 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, with such a configuration, a seal portion for securing airtightness is required at a portion where the wiring 5 is pulled out of the pipe 4. However, since the pipe 4 is freely bent, 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 pipe 4 as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 10, and the wirings 5 and 5 and the pipe 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 wires 5 connected to the light emitting diode and the light receiving phototransistor are stranded wires 5a and 5b, respectively, and the piping 4 is made of an elastic material containing silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin. As shown in the figure, it is formed into a hollow shape to form an air pipe, and the covering member 9 is formed in a mesh shape from a fibrous body such as nylon having a predetermined count. The covering member 9 is subjected to a metal coating treatment for improving noise resistance as necessary, and further covered with a cover tube 8.

  In the case where the pipe 4 and the wiring 5 are integrated as described above, for example, when one of them is gripped in FIG. 10, it can be freely bent in the arc H indicated by a one-dot chain line. Furthermore, since the wiring 5 can be drawn directly from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 4, no seal member is required. Moreover, when metal processing is given to the covering member 9, noise resistance can be further improved. Further, the branch pipe 35 can be arranged in a good manner at the end of the above-described ear hook member 51 by reducing the size as shown in the figure.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the operation circuit 100 in the apparatus main body 2 when the ear sphygmomanometer 1 of FIG. 2 is configured as a photoelectric volume pulse wave sphygmomanometer. In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components or parts already described, and the description is omitted. The light-emitting diode 20 and the light-receiving phototransistor 21 for detecting the pulse wave optically are built in the cuff. With this configuration, when the inner and outer cuffs are attached to the tragus 221, a part of the cuff is exposed to the outside. For this reason, it is affected by ambient light, and even if it does not cause much trouble indoors, it is difficult to measure blood pressure accurately under the usage conditions where it goes outdoors and is directly exposed to sunlight including ultraviolet rays. The transmission layer 330 enables effective measurement.

  A light receiving phototransistor 21 is built in the inner cuff assembly 6 attached to the tragus 221, and a light emitting diode 20 is built in the outer cuff assembly 7. A pulse wave is generated from a change in light passing through the tragus 221. Is detected.

  On the other hand, the pipe 4 is a hollow resin pipe and forms a flow path of air into the inner cuff 6. The pressurizing device 15 as a pressurizing means generates a pressurized fluid by using the electric motor 108 as a driving source, sends compressed air into the condenser tank 407 connected to the pipe 4 and rectifies the inside of the tank. The three-dimensional body 6 and the outer cuff assembly 7 are configured to feed pressurized air, respectively.

  Further, a solenoid valve mechanism (not shown) is provided in the quick exhaust valve 104 branched and connected from the pipe 4 so as to rapidly reduce the pressure in the cuff assemblies 6 and 7. Further, the fine exhaust valve 105 branched and connected is configured to decrease 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 light emitting diode 20 irradiates light to the pulsating vascular blood flow, and the phototransistor 21 detects transmitted light due to 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, a light amount control unit 118 that automatically changes the light amount via the wiring 5 is connected to the light emitting diode 20, while a gain control unit 119 a that automatically changes the gain is connected to the pulse wave detection amplifier 109. And a time constant control unit 119b for changing a 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 that stores the adjustment pressure. The ROM 112 stores a later-described control program 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 apparatus has sensed that the key in the operation unit 116 has been pressed, the measurement has been completed, or 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 114 of the LCD uses a dot matrix type display panel, and therefore can display a variety of information (for example, characters, figures, signal waveforms, etc.). 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. The apparatus body 2 has a vertical dimension of about 120 mm, a width dimension of about 80 mm, a thickness dimension of 27 mm, and an overall weight of 180 grams. In this way, by making it as small and light as possible, even if it is always carried, it does not interfere with daily life.

  In addition, the electronic components that control each control described above are mounted on a substrate 140 having a mounting area that occupies the internal space. On the other hand, the pressurizing means 15, the condenser tank 407, the fine exhaust valve 105, and the quick exhaust valve 104 are connected to the integrally formed pipe 4 as shown in the figure, and four AAA batteries that are replaceably provided. The power supply unit 121 is provided together with the power supply unit 121 so that a limited internal space can be used effectively. In addition, rechargeable secondary batteries that can be used repeatedly and commercially available AAA batteries can be easily replaced by opening and closing a lid (not shown).

  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. 12 is a flowchart for explaining measurement processing 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, this process is started by pressing the measurement start switch.

  In step S101, the cuff pressure P of the cuff is read. In step S102, it is determined whether or not the residual cuff pressure 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, pressurization (pressure increase) is started by the pressurization device 15 as described above. 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 driving of the pressurizing device 15 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.

  FIG. 13 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 is measured for this graph as follows. 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, and the cuff pressure at the present time (c) when the pulse wave signal is output is the maximum blood pressure, and the change in the magnitude of the pulse wave signal is eliminated (d) The cuff pressure is the minimum blood pressure. The maximum blood pressure and the minimum blood pressure may be obtained from the pulse wave only when the cuff is decompressed.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which transmitted light due to blood in a blood vessel is detected has been described, but reflected 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 further, this allows continuous measurement of blood pressure once or at intervals of 2 to 30 minutes. This also has the effect that it can be easily applied.

  The blood pressure measuring device described above detects a pulse wave using the light emitting diode 20 and the light receiving phototransistor 21, but includes a cuff that compresses pressure on the tragus, and the pulsation caused by blood vessels on the surface of the living body is pressurized with the cuff. The pulse wave can also be detected from the oscillometric method by capturing it as a change. 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.

  In the above-described embodiment, the irradiation unit (light emitting diode 20) that irradiates light to the blood flow of the blood vessel only on one side (inside the inner cuff assembly 6) of the pair of cuffs having the configuration to sandwich the tragus 221. Although a light receiving unit (phototransistor 21) for detecting reflected light from the bloodstream is provided, both the inner cuff assembly 6 and the outer cuff assembly 7 for sandwiching the tragus 221 have a light irradiation unit and The light emitting diode 20 and the phototransistor 21 serving as a light receiving unit for detecting reflected light may be built in, and by providing a sensor on the inner and outer cuffs in this way, blood pressure on the back side and front side of the tragus can be measured simultaneously. You may comprise so that it may do.

  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. 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.

  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.

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 presses the pressure on the measurement site, and the pulsation caused by the blood vessel on the surface of the living body is pressurized with the cuff. A pulse wave can also be detected by grasping it as a change.
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 to detect Korotkoff sounds that occur when a part of the living body is pressed with the cuff, and blood pressure is measured based on the occurrence or disappearance of Korotkoff sounds above a predetermined level. You may make it do.

It is a front view which shows the pinna 220 of the left ear. 1 is an external perspective view showing an overall configuration example of an ear sphygmomanometer 1. (a)-(d) is the schematic diagram which illustrated the mode after mounting | wearing about the inner side cuff assembly 6 and the outer side cuff assembly 7 which are built in the holding member 16 and hold | maintained by the ear hook member 54. FIG. It is the front view which illustrated a mode that the ear hook member and the holding member were set to the pinna 220 of the left ear. The outer cuff assembly 7 is provided on the holding member 16 via a main swing mechanism provided at the end of a width adjusting screw member 18 for adjusting the clamping width, and the inner cuff assembly set 6 is further provided via a sub-shake mechanism. It is principal part sectional drawing which showed a mode that it provided in a holding member. (A) is a diagram in which the outer cuff assembly 7 held by the swing mechanism 19 is positioned so as to match a substantially horizontal tragus, and (b) so as to match an inclined tragus. FIG. (A) is sectional drawing at the time of pressure_reduction | reduced_pressure of the cuff bag body 22 provided with the pressing surface formed in a concave convex shape, (b) is sectional drawing at the time of pressurization. (a)-(d) is a front view of the cuff bag body 22 which took the countermeasure against light shielding. 4 is a flowchart in which a light shielding layer is formed inside the cuff bag body 22 and a light transmission layer 30 is provided, and is shown together with a central sectional view of the cuff bag body 22. 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 structure of the operation circuit 100 in the apparatus main body 2 at the time of comprising the ear | style blood pressure meter 1 of FIG. 2 as a photoelectric volumetric pulse wave blood pressure meter. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the measurement process of the ear-type blood pressure meter (photoelectric volume pulse wave blood pressure meter) 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the correlation of a cuff pressure and a pulse wave signal.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ear type blood pressure monitor 2 Apparatus main body 3 Holding member 4 Piping 5 Wiring (signal / power supply line)
6 Inner cuff assembly 7 Outer cuff assembly 9 Cover member 16 Holding member 19, 49 Oscillating mechanism 20 Light emitting diode (optical element)
21 Light receiving phototransistor (optical element)
22 Cuff bag body 51 Shape member 54 Ear hook member L Optical axis

Claims (18)

An inner cuff inserted into the ear canal and an outer cuff located outside the tragus;
A holding member that holds the inner cuff and the outer cuff opposite to each other;
A pulse wave detection means built in the inner cuff and the outer cuff, for detecting a pulse wave signal from blood flowing through a blood vessel;
Pressurizing means for pressurizing the inner cuff and the outer cuff with a pressurized fluid including air after the tragus is sandwiched between the inner cuff and the outer cuff;
Decompression means for decompressing the inner cuff and the outer cuff;
A pipe connected between the inner cuff and the outer cuff and the pressurizing means and the decompressing means;
Branching from the pipe and connected, pressure detecting means 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;
A wiring connected between the pulse wave detection means and the blood pressure measurement control means,
The pulse wave detection means includes a set of optical elements that detect the pulse wave signal from a change in light passing through the tragus,
The blood pressure measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is provided with an ear hook member that is worn from the face side with respect to at least one of the right ear and the left ear.   The blood pressure measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the ear hooking member is integrally formed with a gripping protrusion formed opposite to an end portion.   The holding member includes a swinging means for holding at least one of the inner cuff and the outer cuff so as to freely swing so that optical axes between the pair of optical elements substantially coincide with each other. The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1 or 2.   The one set of optical elements includes a light emitting diode and a light receiving phototransistor, the light emitting diode is built in the outer cuff or the inner cuff, and the light receiving phototransistor is built in the inner cuff or the outer cuff. The blood pressure measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   4. The swinging means is fixed to the holding member via an adjusting means for adjusting a clamping width between the inner cuff and the outer cuff by means including screwing. 4. The blood pressure measurement device according to 4.   The said holding member is further equipped with the sub swinging means for hold | maintaining the said inner cuff so that it can swing freely smaller than the swing angle of the said outer cuff. Blood pressure measuring device.   The inner cuff and the outer cuff form a pressing surface formed in a convex shape or a depressed convex shape from the lid portion of the cuff bag body, and the thickness of the pressing surface is larger than the thickness of the cuff body portion, The blood pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a light transmission layer is formed on the pressing surface.   8. The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 7, wherein the cuff bag body is integrally formed from an elastic material having a Shore hardness of 30 to 60 and about 50 including silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin. . The pulse wave detecting means, the pressure increasing / decreasing means, and the blood pressure measurement control means are incorporated in the apparatus body,
The blood pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the holding means and the device main body are connected by a connector that simultaneously connects and disconnects the pipe and the wiring. A holding member that holds the inner cuff inserted into the ear canal and the outer cuff positioned outside the tragus facing each other;
An ear hooking member to be worn from the face side with respect to at least one of the right ear and the left ear is formed integrally with the holding member or as a separate member, and the signal line and the air pipe are connected below the holding member. Characteristic cuff device.   11. The cuff device according to claim 10, wherein the ear hooking member is integrally formed with a gripping protrusion formed opposite to the end.   The holding member includes a swinging means for holding at least one of the inner cuff and the outer cuff so as to freely swing so that optical axes between the pair of optical elements substantially coincide with each other. The cuff device according to claim 10 or 11.   The one set of optical elements includes a light emitting diode and a light receiving phototransistor, the light emitting diode is built in the outer cuff or the inner cuff, and the light receiving phototransistor is built in the inner cuff or the outer cuff. The cuff device according to any one of claims 10 to 12.   13. The swinging means is fixed to the holding member via an adjusting means for adjusting a clamping width between the inner cuff and the outer cuff by means including screwing. Or the cuff apparatus of 13.   The said holding member is further equipped with the sub swinging means for hold | maintaining the said inner cuff so that swing is smaller than the swing angle of the said outer cuff, The one of Claims 12 thru | or 14 characterized by the above-mentioned. Cuff device.   The inner cuff and the outer cuff form a pressing surface formed in a convex shape or a depressed convex shape from the lid portion of the cuff bag body, and the thickness of the pressing surface is larger than the thickness of the cuff body portion, The cuff device according to claim 10, wherein a light transmission layer is formed on the pressing surface.   The cuff device according to claim 16, wherein the cuff bag body is integrally formed from an elastic material having a Shore hardness of about 30 to 60 and about 50 including silicon rubber, natural rubber, and a predetermined synthetic resin. An ear hook member that is formed integrally with the holding member or provided as a separate member is hung on the ear from the face side, the inner cuff and the outer cuff are held facing each other by the holding member, the inner cuff is inserted into the outer ear canal, After pinching the tragus with the outer cuff positioned outside the tragus,
Pressurizing the inner cuff and the outer cuff with a pressurized fluid containing air by a pressurizing means;
Decompressing the inner cuff and the outer cuff by a decompression means;
A step of detecting a pulse wave signal from blood flowing through a blood vessel by means of pulse wave detection means built in the inner cuff and the outer cuff;
A step of detecting the pressure of the inner cuff and the outer cuff by means of pressure detection means branched and connected from the pipe;
Measuring a blood pressure value from the pulse wave signal by a blood pressure measurement control means,
In order to detect the pulse wave signal from a change in light passing through the tragus by a set of optical elements, the holding member is configured so that the optical axes between the set of optical elements are substantially aligned by a swinging means. While holding the outer cuff so that it can swing freely,
A method for controlling a blood pressure measurement device, comprising: measuring blood pressure via a wire connected between the pulse wave detection means and the blood pressure measurement control means.

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