JP2012152374A - Radio-optical pulsimeter system for medical environment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radio-optical pulsimeter for medical environment which monitors biological information and position information of a large number of people in real time from a remote position inexpensively.SOLUTION: A pulse rate of a user is collected from a pulse sensor 1, and automatically radio-transmitted to a USB receiver 2. Other vital sign data (for instance, body temperature, blood pressure) are manually input using a multi-vital sign recorder 4 and then radio-transmitted to a USB receiver 2. A plurality of installed USB receivers 2 transmits biological information and position information from the pulse sensors 1 and the multi-vital sign recorders 4 by a cable or radio to a monitoring PC 3. The monitoring PC 3 determines abnormal information by using software, and, when abnormal information is detected, notifies the user about it by a visible/audible alarm. Anyone wearing the pulse sensor in the coverage is monitored in real time, and long-time and large-scale biological information monitoring is achieved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless optical pulse meter system for a medical environment, and in particular, can monitor patient position information and biological information (for example, pulse, body temperature, blood pressure, etc.) in real time, and when detected data is abnormal. The present invention relates to a wireless optical pulse meter system that generates an alarm.

  Heart rate is one of the important indicators that reflect human physiological condition. Conventionally, electrocardiogram analysis and pulse detection are frequently used as methods for monitoring heart rate. ECG analysis is widely used in hospitals because it provides detailed information on heart activity and helps doctors find the root cause of the disease. In most cases, the pulse rate is equal to the heart rate calculated on the electrocardiogram. Therefore, measuring the pulse rate using a pulse oximeter or sphygmomanometer is another method for evaluating individual health conditions other than the electrocardiogram.

A number of wireless medical devices have been developed over the last few years, such as wireless sphygmomanometers, wireless oximeters, and wireless electrocardiographs. By combining miniaturization technology and wireless communication technology, medical devices can be easily carried around. A patient wearing a wireless medical device is not restricted in behavior within a specific range near the medical device, and the range of behavior of the patient is greatly expanded. Furthermore, the wireless medical device can transmit the patient's biological information to the hospital via wireless communication or the Internet and use it for diagnosis.
Medical devices generally use a frequency band of 2.4 GHz (frequency bands used in the industrial, scientific, and medical fields called ISM bands), and different wireless communication standards (WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee) are applied.

  Telemedicine is a technology that has developed over the last few years. One of the merits of telemedicine devices is the ability to transmit biological information from a local medical device to a remote monitoring terminal through wireless communication or the Internet, and to screen for patients with abnormalities.

In the medical environment, it is important to detect the patient's condition early in order to prevent the patient's condition from worsening, but there are not enough medical devices (such as electrocardiographs) to monitor vital signs in real time. It is. This is due to the high cost of large-scale introduction.

  In recent years, a pulse measurement method using a plethysmographic sensor, which is relatively inexpensive as compared with an electrocardiograph, has been frequently used. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless optical pulse meter system that can monitor the conditions of a large number of patients in real time at a reasonable cost and that issues an alarm when an abnormality is detected.

  The present invention provides a wireless optical pulse meter system used on a large scale and used to monitor a patient's pulse rate in real time. In many medical facilities, patient monitors are assigned only to a small number of patients because it is difficult for nurses to track all walkable patients in the facility. According to the present invention, as long as it is within the target range of the wireless optical pulse meter system of the present invention, it is possible to monitor all patients wearing pulse sensors anywhere in a medical facility. Photoelectric finger probes such as rings are designed for long-term wearing. The pulse sensor can be used in accordance with the size of any user's hand with a flexible coil cable. In the present invention, the wireless optical pulse meter system can display the user's pulse and position information on the monitoring PC while automatically updating it, thereby reducing the burden on the caregiver. The wireless optical pulse meter system of the present invention can be easily integrated with other Zigbee standard wireless medical devices such as the multi-vital sign recorder described in the present invention. In contrast to the prior art, the wireless optical pulse meter system of the present invention is more suitable for long-term and large-scale biological signal monitoring.

  A first invention of the present application wirelessly transmits a pulse signal, a body temperature signal, and a blood pressure signal from the pulse sensor that detects the pulse, body temperature, and blood pressure in order to transmit the pulse signal, the body temperature signal, and the blood pressure signal. USB receiver that wirelessly transmits the pulse rate, position information, body temperature, and blood pressure of the user wearing the pulse sensor to the monitoring PC, and displays the user's pulse rate, position information, body temperature, and blood pressure A wireless optical pulse meter system for a medical environment, comprising: monitoring software executed on a monitoring PC.

  According to a second invention of the present application, the pulse sensor is a photoelectric finger probe for acquiring a pulse signal of a user, and a pulse signal class 4 amplification circuit for amplifying the pulse signal obtained from the photoelectric finger probe; , Processing the pulse signal, calculating the pulse rate from the pulse signal, further transmitting the pulse rate, receiving the pulse rate from the microprocessor, and transmitting the pulse rate wirelessly to the USB receiver A wireless optical pulse meter system according to the first aspect of the present invention.

  According to a third invention of the present application, the photoelectric finger probe can be expanded and contracted in accordance with the size of the user's hand, and the elastic coil cable and the user's pulse signal are detected to detect the user's pulse signal. The wireless optical pulsometer system according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a soft chip attached to a user's finger and an adapter for fixing a coil cable to the pulse sensor.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the soft chip includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and functions as a plethysmographic sensor, a recess for embedding the optical sensing device, A strap with a protruding protrusion that can adjust the ring size of the soft tip, a plastic buckle that fixes the strap, a latch that binds the remaining strap after fixing the strap, and fits the shape of a finger, A wireless optical pulsometer system according to the third aspect of the invention, comprising a curved structure designed to enhance contact between the optical sensing device and a finger.

  The fifth invention of the present application is characterized in that the pulse signal is provided to the pulse signal class 4 amplification circuit in real time using the principle that the amount of infrared rays absorbed by the optical sensing device is influenced by the blood vessel volume of the finger. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to the fourth invention is provided.

  The sixth invention of the present application provides the wireless optical pulse meter system according to the first invention, characterized in that the step of acquiring the pulse rate wirelessly from the pulse sensor is based on Zigbee technology.

  A seventh invention of the present application provides the wireless optical pulse meter system according to the sixth invention, wherein a data frame of the Zigbee technology includes the number of pulse sensors and pulse rate data.

  In an eighth aspect of the present invention, the transmission means transmits a pulse rate to an arbitrary USB receiver within the wireless communication range, acquires the pulse rate from the pulse sensor, and displays a built-in wireless signal intensity A USB receiver that estimates a distance from the pulse sensor by a device, and a USB extender or a wireless repeater that transmits information from the USB receiver to a monitoring PC. A wireless optical pulse meter system is provided.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present application, the display means includes software for displaying the pulse rate data, position information, pulse sensor movement, radio signal state, user profile, and upper and lower limits where the pulse rate data is preset. The wireless of the first invention, comprising: an adjustable visual and audible alarm for notifying a user when a value is exceeded, and a naming function device capable of setting the location information of the USB receiver An optical pulse meter system is provided.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention provides the wireless optical pulse meter system according to the first aspect, wherein the medical environment includes a hospital, a care facility, a home, or another medical facility.

  The eleventh invention of the present application further includes a first-line screening function used in a medical environment for detecting a patient exhibiting abnormal pulse data caused by a complex physiological abnormality. Provides a wireless optical pulse meter system.

  The twelfth invention of the present application further provides a wireless optical pulse meter system according to the first invention, characterized by including a multi-vital sign recorder that collects various vital signs and transmits them to a monitoring PC.

  The thirteenth invention of the present application is the wireless optical pulse meter system according to the first invention, wherein the wireless optical pulse meter system is a real-time wireless optical pulse meter system that monitors a user in real time. Provide a system.

  As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides the following effects.

(1) High-risk patients can be screened by audible and visual alarms, which is useful for caregivers. Screened patients can undergo detailed examination and diagnosis early.

(2) The patient's safety is enhanced, and not only the burden on the caregiver who measures vital signs on a regular basis is reduced, but also the conventional medical procedure is changed.

(3) The portable design allows the user to act freely.

(4) With the wireless roaming design, the pulse signal can be detected in real time without interruption.

(5) The pulse signal can be received and monitored from the pulse sensor even in a room where care is not taken, such as a toilet or basement, within the wireless range of the wireless optical pulse meter system.

(6) The limit of restricted areas can be set by software. When the patient enters a preset off-limit zone, an alarm is generated.

(7) The upper and lower limits of the pulse rate can be set according to each user through software.

(8) The emergency button attached to the pulse sensor can be used as a method for the user to request assistance himself.

(9) The pulse sensor using the low power consumption wireless communication standard “Zigbee” can be operated for more than 5 days by a 550 mAh lithium polymer battery.

(10) All data collected by the system of the present invention can be stored in the monitoring PC and used as a reference.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the pulse sensor 1 in this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the photoelectric finger probe in this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the USB receiver in this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the radio | wireless optical pulse meter system of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows embodiment of the wireless optical pulse meter system of this invention in a medical environment. It is a block diagram which shows the pulse sensor 1 in this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the USB receiver 2 in this invention. It is a flowchart of the biological signal processing software of the present invention, taking as an example the case where the pulse rate is acquired as a biological signal.

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

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a wireless optical pulse meter system of the present invention. The wireless optical pulse meter system for medical environment of the present invention includes a pulse sensor 1, a wireless USB receiver 2, a monitoring PC 3, and a multi-vital sign recorder 4. The user's pulse rate is collected by the pulse sensor 1 and automatically wirelessly transmitted to the USB receiver 2. Other vital sign data (for example, body temperature, blood pressure) is manually input to the multi-vital sign recorder 4 and then wirelessly transmitted to the USB receiver 2. The plurality of installed USB receivers 2 transmit biometric information and position information from the plurality of pulse sensors 1 and the plurality of multi-vital sign recorders 4 to the monitoring PC 3 in a wired or wireless manner. The monitoring PC 3 is connected to a hospital information system (Hospital Information System / HIS) or the Internet. Therefore, the medical staff can access the data collected by the monitoring PC 3 through the HIS or the Internet. The wireless optical pulse meter system for medical environments of the present invention can be used in medical facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, homes, and many other locations where constant patient care or monitoring is required. The wireless optical pulse meter system for medical environment of the present invention functions as a first-line screening method in the medical environment, and can detect patients exhibiting abnormal pulse data that can be caused by complex physiological abnormalities The pulse data and position information of each user can be displayed on the monitoring PC 3, and the user profile and pulse limit value can be set by software. In addition, a naming function that can set the position information of the USB receiver 2 is also provided.

  FIG. 1 is a top view of a pulse sensor 1 according to the present invention. A photoelectric finger probe 151 used for detecting a pulse signal is connected to the pulse sensor 1. The switch 152 turns on or off the pulse sensor 1. Two LEDs 153 can indicate the wireless transmission status and other related information. By pressing the emergency button 154, anyone who needs assistance can activate the emergency call function. Moreover, the band slot 155 like a pair of ears is used, and the pulse sensor 1 is fixed to the wrist of the user with the wristband.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a photoelectric finger probe in the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2A, the photoelectric finger probe 151 is attached to the user's finger and connected to the pulse sensor 1. The photoelectric finger probe 151 is designed with several features for long-time wearing.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the soft tip 1512 has a ring-like shape and is attached to the base of the finger. Designed to be worn at the base of the finger so that it does not get in the way of daily life and sleep. The coil cable 1511 connecting the soft chip 1512 and the adapter 1513 is easy to organize and the flexibility is improved.

  FIG. 2C is a top sectional view of the soft tip 1512 of the photoelectric finger probe 151. The optical sensing device inside the photoelectric finger probe 151 includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and functions as a plethysmographic sensor. An optical sensing device composed of a light emitting LED 111 and a light receiving photodiode 112 is embedded in a recess 15121 on the inner surface of the soft chip 1512. The curved structure 15125 fits the shape of the finger and enhances contact between the finger and the optical sensing device. The strap 15122 with the striped protrusion is used to adjust the size of the soft chip 1512. First, the strap 15122 with stripe-like protrusions is passed through a plastic buckle 15123, whereby the soft chip 1512 has a closed structure like a ring. Then, the ring size of the soft tip 1512 can be easily adjusted by pulling or loosening the strap 15122 with stripe-like projections. If the strap 15122 with the striped protrusion is too long, the excess strap is put in the latch 15124 and fixed.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a USB receiver according to the present invention. The USB receiver LED 242 indicates the wireless transmission status and other related information. The USB socket 241 is used for connecting the USB receiver 2 to the monitoring PC 3. The software of the present invention is executed on the monitoring PC 3, and the measured related biological information is displayed.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a wireless optical pulse meter system for the medical environment of the present invention. First, the biological information collected from the pulse sensor 1 and the multi-vital sign recorder 4 is transmitted to the USB receiver 2 by wireless communication. Next, the USB receiver 2 can receive the pulse rate from the pulse sensor 1 and estimate the distance between the pulse sensor 1 and the USB receiver 2 by using a built-in wireless signal strength indicator. Further, the detected biological signal and position information are transmitted from the USB receiver 2 to the monitoring PC 3. The transmission distance from the USB receiver 2 to the monitoring PC 3 can be extended by using a USB extender or a wireless repeater.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the wireless optical pulse meter system of the present invention in a medical environment. The monitoring PC 3 is disposed in the monitor base 93. The USB receiver 2 is disposed in a place such as a hospital room 91, a toilet 92, an exit 94, or a basement. When a person wearing the pulse sensor 1 approaches the outlet 94, the USB receiver 2 disposed at the outlet 94 receives a pulse signal from the user, and monitors the user's pulse rate and position information in real time. Transmit to. A caregiver in the hospital room 91 can also transmit the measured vital sign to the monitoring PC 3 via the USB receiver 2 using the multi-vital sign recorder 4.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a pulse sensor according to the present invention. The pulse sensor 1 detects a pulse signal according to the principle that the amount of absorbed infrared rays is influenced by the blood vessel volume of the finger via the biological signal module 11 including the built-in light emitting LED 111 and the light receiving photodiode 112. Next, the detected pulse signal is filtered and amplified through the pulse signal class 4 amplification circuit 12. Then, the microprocessor control module 13 calculates the amplified pulse signal with an algorithm, and obtains the pulse rate and other related information. Finally, the pulse rate and other relevant information obtained from the microprocessor control module 13 is transmitted to the USB receiver 2 through the wireless transceiver module 14 based on Zigbee technology.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a USB receiver according to the present invention. The pulse rate and other related information received by the wireless transmission module 23 are controlled and processed by the microprocessor control module 22 and transmitted to the monitoring PC 3 through the USB interface module 21. The pulse rate and other related information are displayed on the screen of the monitoring PC 3.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the biological signal processing software of the present invention, taking as an example the case where the pulse rate is acquired as a biological signal. The software of the present invention can display pulse rate data, position information, pulse sensor movement, radio signal status, user profile, etc. of 100 or more people. As shown in FIG. 8, first, the pulse rate and position information are acquired. Next, the software indicates the current position of the user and determines whether the pulse rate has exceeded the upper and lower limits. When the pulse rate exceeds the preset upper and lower limits, the software draws the caregiver's attention with an adjustable audible / visual alarm.

  The present invention has the following advantages and inventive step.

1. Monitor user or patient pulse in real time. Every 3 seconds without interruption, the pulse rate of each patient is shown on the monitoring PC.

2. The wireless optical pulse meter system of the present invention saves power, uses the wireless communication standard “Zigbee”, saves the power of the secondary battery, and can operate for more than 5 days.

3. The Zigbee technology data frame contains only the number of pulse sensors of the USB receiver and the patient's pulse rate data.

4). The position information of each patient can be known through the monitoring PC.

5). The wireless optical pulse meter system of the present invention can reduce labor.

  The position information of the user can be detected by the wireless signal strength of the receiver. For example, for the user RR, the radio signal strength received by the receiver (a) is 2.1, the radio signal strength received by the receiver (b) is 3.7, and the radio signal strength received by the receiver (c) is If the intensity is 0.5, it can be seen that the user RR is close to the receiver (b) showing the maximum radio signal intensity of 3.7.

  A user's body temperature and blood pressure can be detected by a pulse sensor, wirelessly transmitted to a receiver, and displayed on the monitoring PC 3 of each user. When the user wears a wireless thermometer (not shown) and a wireless sphygmomanometer (not shown), the body temperature signal and the blood pressure signal are transmitted to the USB receiver 2 wirelessly.

1 Pulse Sensor 11 Biological Signal Module 12 Pulse Signal Class 4 Amplifier 13 Microprocessor Control Module 14 Wireless Transceiver Module 111 Light-Emitting LED
112 Photodiode 151 Photoelectric Finger Probe 1511 Coil Cable 1512 Soft Chip 1513 Adapter 15121 Recess 15122 Strap 15123 with Striped Projection 15123 Plastic Buckle 15124 Latch 15125 Curved Structure 152 Switch 153 LED
154 Emergency button 155 Band slot 2 USB receiver 21 USB interface module 22 Microprocessor control module 23 Wireless transmission module 241 USB socket 242 USB receiver LED
3 Monitoring PC
4 Multi Vital Sign Recorder 91 Hospital Room 92 Toilet 93 Monitor Base 94 Exit

Claims (13)

A pulse sensor that detects a user's pulse, body temperature, or blood pressure and transmits the pulse signal, body temperature signal, or blood pressure signal;
A USB receiver that wirelessly receives a pulse signal, a body temperature signal, or a blood pressure signal from one or more of the pulse sensors, and wirelessly transmits position information of a user wearing the pulse sensor to a monitoring PC;
Monitoring software executed on the monitoring PC to display the user's pulse rate, location information, body temperature or blood pressure;
A wireless optical pulse meter system for medical environment, characterized by comprising: The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, wherein the pulse sensor is
A photoelectric finger probe for acquiring a user's pulse signal; and
A pulse signal class 4 amplification circuit for amplifying the pulse signal obtained from the photoelectric finger probe;
A microprocessor that processes the pulse signal, calculates a pulse rate from the pulse signal, and further transmits the pulse rate;
A wireless transceiver module that receives the pulse rate from the microprocessor and wirelessly transmits the pulse rate to a USB receiver;
A wireless optical pulse meter system comprising: The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 2, wherein the photoelectric finger probe is
A flexible coil cable that can be expanded and contracted to fit different user sizes, and
In order to detect the user's pulse signal, a soft tip that is worn on the user's finger like a ring,
An adapter for fixing the coil cable to the pulse sensor;
A wireless optical pulse meter system comprising: 4. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 3, wherein the soft chip is
An optical sensing device composed of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit and functioning as a plethysmographic sensor;
A recess for embedding the optical sensing device;
A strap with stripe-shaped projections that can adjust the ring size of the soft tip;
A plastic buckle for fixing the strap;
After fixing the strap, a latch that binds the excess strap;
A curved structure designed to fit in the shape of a finger and enhance contact between the optical sensing device and the finger;
A wireless optical pulse meter system comprising:   5. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 4, wherein the optical sensing device amplifies the pulse signal in real time using the principle that the amount of infrared rays absorbed is affected by the blood vessel volume of the finger. A wireless optical pulse meter system, characterized in that it is provided in a circuit.   2. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the pulse rate wirelessly from one or more of the pulse sensors is based on Zigbee technology.   7. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 6, wherein the Zigbee technology data frame includes the number of pulse sensors and pulse rate data. 2. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means is
A pulse sensor that transmits the pulse rate to any USB receiver within the wireless communicable range; and
A USB receiver that acquires a pulse rate from the pulse sensor and estimates a distance from the pulse sensor with a built-in wireless signal strength indicator;
A USB extender or wireless repeater that transmits information from the USB receiver to a monitoring PC;
A wireless optical pulse meter system comprising: The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, wherein the display means is
Software for displaying the pulse rate data, position information, pulse sensor movement, wireless signal status, user profile;
Adjustable visual and audible alarms to draw caregiver's attention when the pulse rate data exceeds preset upper and lower limits;
A naming function device capable of setting the installation position information of the USB receiver;
A wireless optical pulse meter system comprising:   The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, wherein the medical environment includes a hospital, a care facility, a home, or other medical facility.   The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, further comprising a first line screening function for use in a medical environment for detecting a patient exhibiting abnormal pulse data that may be caused by complex physiological abnormalities. A wireless optical pulse meter system, comprising:   2. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, further comprising a multi-vital sign recorder that collects various vital signs and transmits them to a monitoring PC.   2. The wireless optical pulse meter system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless optical pulse meter system is a real-time wireless optical pulse meter system that monitors a user in real time. Pulse meter system.

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