JP2009112596A - Biological information detecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a biological information detecting apparatus detecting every interval (period) of very little biological vibration (biological information) such as breath, heartbeat, body movement or the like regardless of presence of vibration noise from outside. <P>SOLUTION: The biological information detecting apparatus 1 comprises six pressure sensors 10 to sense a heartbeat of a man 2, a filtering part 20 to receive a signal 11 from the pressure sensor 10 and to select only the signal within a predetermined frequency band, a characteristic point selection part 30 to receive a signal 21 from the filtering part 20 and to select a characteristic point 36, and a vibration timing selection part 40 to find a vibration timing 41 from a signal 31 of the characteristic point selection part 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a biological information detection apparatus that detects biological vibrations such as respiration, heartbeat, and body motion.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of biological information detection apparatus, a device that detects a minute vibration signal based on a heartbeat of a human body as a living body with a vibration sensor to detect heartbeat information of the living body has been proposed. This means that the human body vibrates at a resonance frequency (about 4 to 7 Hz) due to the heart's pumping activity, and the minute vibration synchronized with the heartbeat is detected by a vibration sensor to calculate and display the heart rate and the like. There is an advantage that detection can be performed without any electrode attached to the living body. However, since the vibration signal synchronized with the heartbeat is minute, there is a problem that the heartbeat cannot be detected because the vibration signal synchronized with the heartbeat is affected if there is external vibration noise.

  In order to solve this problem, another vibration sensor has been proposed in which a heartbeat signal is detected based on the difference between the output signals of the two vibration sensors (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, it is disclosed that the difference between the power spectra of the output signals of the two vibration sensors is calculated for each frequency, and the frequency at which the difference between the power spectra is maximized in the preset basic frequency region of the heartbeat is obtained as heartbeat information. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-5950 JP 2005-74059 A

  However, in the conventional biological information detection apparatus, there is a problem that minute biological vibrations (biological information) such as respiration, heartbeat, and body movement are buried by vibrations of the movement of the human body.

  Moreover, there are individual differences in biological vibrations, which are influenced by the installation state of the vibration sensor and the human body, and the vibration waveform from the vibration sensor is not constant. Accurate detection is difficult only by removing external vibration noise. In order to improve the detection accuracy, a method of calculating from long-term data is also conceivable, but there are problems in that it is impossible to detect a detection delay or an interval (cycle) for each beat of biological vibration.

  Further, in the method of obtaining biological information from the difference in power spectrum, there is a problem that the interval (cycle) for each beat of the biological vibration cannot be detected.

  In addition, in the method of subtracting the noise component using two vibration sensors, high accuracy is required for the vibration sensor. If the accuracy of the vibration sensor is low, there is a problem in that the accuracy of detecting a heartbeat or the like decreases due to the influence of noise other than the movement of the human body.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. Even if there is vibration noise from the outside, the interval (cycle) of each minute vibration (biological information) such as breathing, heartbeat, and body movement is determined. It is an object of the present invention to provide a biological information detection device capable of detection.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 receives at least two or more detection means for detecting a vibration generated from a living body and outputting a signal corresponding to the vibration, and a signal from the detection means. Filter processing means for converting to a predetermined vibration waveform, feature point extraction means for receiving a signal from the filter processing means and extracting a feature point and the generation timing of the feature point, and the same extracted from the detection means It comprises vibration timing extraction means for calculating an evaluation score from the feature point of the generation timing and obtaining a vibration timing generated from the living body from the evaluation score and a threshold value.

  The invention according to claim 2 is configured such that the threshold value can be changed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the threshold value is configured to be automatically updated according to a change in the evaluation score.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the detecting means is constituted by a pressure sensor capable of detecting a biological vibration of breathing, heartbeat, and body movement under the load of the living body.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, minute biological vibrations such as respiration, heartbeat, and body movement are detected by at least two detection means. The biological vibration is detected by all the detection means, and the vibration noise is superimposed as a different vibration element by each detection means. However, since the biological vibrations of breathing, heartbeat, and body movement are the same timing for all the detection means, the vibration timing extraction means can detect vibration by looking at the difference in the evaluation score of feature points at the same timing extracted from each detection means. Timing can be extracted accurately. In addition, although the characteristics of the biological vibration vary depending on the installation position of the detection means, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the vibration timing due to the difference in vibration characteristics by looking at the generation timing of breathing, heartbeat, and body motion, which are common information. In addition, the interval (cycle) for each beat can be detected from the vibration timing without calculating long-term data.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 2, since the threshold value of the evaluation score is configured to be changeable, the threshold value can be set even with different biological vibrations due to individual differences (for example, an elderly person and a youth) or a difference in the installation position of the detection means. By changing, it becomes possible to detect the vibration timing accurately.

  In the invention described in claim 3, the threshold value is automatically updated according to the change in the evaluation score. Even if the state of the living body changes during detection of the biological vibration, the threshold value is automatically updated, so that accurate vibration timing can be detected. Further, even when detecting biological vibrations with individual differences, the threshold value is automatically updated, so that it is not necessary to individually set the threshold value, and usability is improved.

  In the invention according to claim 4, since the detecting means is constituted by a pressure sensor capable of detecting a vibration of breathing, heartbeat, and body movement under the load of a living body, the heartbeat is detected without using a highly accurate vibration sensor. It is possible to detect the vibration timing of breathing and body movement. In addition, the position of the pressure sensor is not particularly limited as long as it is a place to receive a load, and it is not necessary to make contact with a living body.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the biological information detection apparatus 1 of the present invention. In this state, the person 2 (living body) that is the detection target is lying on the bed 3 in an unconstrained state. The biological information detection apparatus 1 receives six pressure sensors 10 (detection means) of 1ch to 6ch that detect a heartbeat (biological information) of the person 2 and a signal 11 from the pressure sensor 10 and converts them into a predetermined vibration waveform. A filter processor 20 (filter processor), a feature point extractor 30 (feature point extractor) that receives the signal 21 from the filter processor 20 and extracts a feature point 36 (FIG. 3), and a feature point extractor 30 The vibration timing extraction unit 40 (vibration timing extraction means) for obtaining the vibration timing 41 (FIG. 4) from the signal 31 of

  FIG. 2 is a waveform 12 of the heartbeat vibration of the person 2 detected by the pressure sensor 10. Since the heartbeat vibration is minute vibration, movement of the person 2 and vibration noise from the outside are superimposed. The amplitude of the waveform 12 of ch1 to ch6 varies depending on the installation position of the pressure sensor 10.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow until the feature point 36 is extracted from the waveform 12 of the heartbeat vibration of the person 2 detected by the pressure sensor 10. The waveform 12 of the heartbeat vibration of the person 2 detected by the pressure sensor 10 is sent as a signal 11 to the filter processing unit 20.

  The filter processing unit 20 includes a band pass filter 22 (BPF), a rectifying filter 23, and a low pass filter 24 (LPF). The waveform 12 of the heartbeat vibration is converted into a waveform 25 by the band pass filter 22 and becomes an enveloped line 26 by the low pass filter 24. The signal 21 of the envelope 26 is sent to the feature point extraction unit 30.

  The feature point extraction unit 30 includes a peak detection 32, a peak value detection 33, and an AND element 34, and converts the envelope 26 into a digital signal waveform 35 of “1” and “0”. A feature point 36 (“1”) and a generation timing 37 of the feature point 36 are extracted from the waveform 35.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for obtaining the vibration timing 41 in the vibration timing extraction unit 40. The heartbeat vibration from each of the pressure sensors 10 of ch1 to ch6 is converted into the digital signal waveform 35 as described with reference to FIG. 3, and the feature point 36 and the generation timing 37 of the feature point 36 are extracted.

  The evaluation score is calculated from the total number of feature points 36 at the same occurrence timing 37. At the generation timing A, feature points 36 are detected in ch1 to ch4 and ch6, and the evaluation score is “5”. At the occurrence timing B, feature points 36 are detected in ch1 and ch4, and the evaluation score is “2”. Similarly, at the occurrence timing C, the evaluation score is “5”.

  The maximum evaluation score is determined by the number of pressure sensors 10. Since six pressure sensors 10 are used in this embodiment, the maximum evaluation score is “6”.

  The threshold value is between “1” at which at least one feature point 36 is detected and the maximum is “6” that is the same as the maximum evaluation score. The threshold value can be arbitrarily set, but in this embodiment, the threshold value is set to “4” obtained by subtracting “2” from the maximum evaluation score. Note that the threshold value may be automatically updated according to a change in the evaluation score. For example, the heart rate is usually 30 to 100 times / minute, but when the threshold is high (for example, “6” in this embodiment), the number of heartbeats is detected to be small. By automatically updating the threshold value so that the number of heartbeats falls within the normal range, the heartbeat can be positively detected.

  The occurrence timing A is positive detection because the evaluation score is “5” and is larger than the threshold value “4”. The generation timing B is false detection because the evaluation score is “2” and is smaller than the threshold value “4”. The generation timing C is positive detection because the evaluation score is “5” and is larger than the threshold value “4”. The vibration timing 41 is obtained from the generation timing A and the timing C, which are positive detections, and the cycle for each beat is obtained from the interval.

  The biological information detection apparatus 1 of the present invention detects heartbeat vibrations by using six pressure sensors 10. The heartbeat vibration is detected by all the pressure sensors 10, and the vibration noise is superimposed as a different vibration element in each pressure sensor 10. However, since the heartbeat vibration is at the same timing for all the pressure sensors 10, the evaluation score is calculated from the feature point 36 of the same generation timing 37 extracted from each pressure sensor 10 by the vibration timing extraction unit 40, and the vibration timing 41 is calculated. Can be extracted.

  Although the characteristics of heartbeat vibration vary depending on the installation position of the pressure sensor 10, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the vibration timing 41 due to the difference in vibration characteristics by looking at the timing of heartbeat vibration that is common information. In addition, the interval (cycle) for each beat can be detected without calculating long-term data.

  Moreover, since the threshold value of the evaluation score can be changed, it is possible to detect positively by changing the threshold value even for heartbeat vibrations that differ depending on individual differences (for example, an elderly person and a young person) or a difference in installation position of the pressure sensor 10.

  Further, when the threshold value is automatically updated according to the change in the evaluation score, even if the biological state of the person 2 changes during the detection of the heartbeat vibration, the threshold value is automatically updated, so that positive detection is possible. Further, even when heartbeat vibration having individual differences is detected, the threshold value is automatically updated, so that it is not necessary to individually set the threshold value, and usability is improved.

  Moreover, the installation position of the pressure sensor 10 may be a place that receives the load of the person 2 and does not need to be brought into contact with the human body. Therefore, the installation of the pressure sensor 10 is facilitated by installing it in the bed 3 in advance.

  In this embodiment, the evaluation score is calculated from the feature points 36 of ch1 to ch6 with a width of 100 ms for the “same occurrence timing”, but is not limited to 100 ms and can be arbitrarily changed. When a plurality of feature points 36 are detected within 100 ms, the first detected feature point 36 is positively detected, but the last detected feature point 36 may be positively detected.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the heart rate vibration is detected using the pressure sensor 10 as the vibration detecting means. However, the present invention is not limited to the pressure sensor 10, and a sensor that can detect biological vibrations such as breathing, heartbeat, and body movement ( For example, an acceleration sensor or the like may be used.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the biometric information detection apparatus of this invention. It is a waveform of a person's heartbeat vibration detected by a pressure sensor. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow until it extracts a feature point from the waveform of a person's heartbeat vibration detected with the pressure sensor. It is explanatory drawing which shows the method of calculating | requiring the vibration timing in a vibration timing extraction part.

Explanation of symbols

1 Biological information detection device 2 Person (living body)
10 Pressure sensor (detection means)
20 Filter processing unit (filter processing means)
30 feature point extraction unit (feature point extraction means)
36 feature points 37 generation timing 40 vibration timing extraction unit (vibration timing extraction means)
41 Vibration timing

Claims (4)

At least two detection means for detecting vibrations emitted from a living body and outputting a signal corresponding to the vibrations;
Filter processing means for receiving a signal from the detection means and converting the signal into a predetermined vibration waveform;
A feature point extracting unit that receives a signal from the filter processing unit and extracts a feature point and a generation timing of the feature point;
A biological information detection apparatus comprising: a vibration timing extraction unit that calculates an evaluation score from the feature points of the same occurrence timing extracted from each of the detection units and obtains a vibration timing generated from the living body from the evaluation score and a threshold value. The biological information detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value can be changed. The biological information detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the threshold is automatically updated according to a change in the evaluation score. 4. The biological information detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is a pressure sensor capable of detecting biological vibrations of respiration, heartbeat, and body movement in response to a biological load. 5. .

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