JP2020078016A - Electrocardiograph - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electrocardiograph capable of achieving stable radio communication.SOLUTION: The electrocardiograph, recording an electrocardiogram on the basis of a signal obtained from an electrode mounted on a subject, includes first communication means and second communication means for executing radio communication with an external apparatus and control means for controlling operations of the first communication means and the second communication means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrocardiograph, and particularly to an electrocardiograph having a wireless communication function.

  BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a patient-worn electrocardiograph such as a Holter electrocardiograph or a telemeter device that uses wireless communication is known (Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, by making the connection between the electrode mounted on the body surface and the main body or PC for recording wireless, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the location of the main body or PC.

JP, 2001-70267, A

  In recent years, there are products that can be equipped with a function of wirelessly transmitting a measurement result to an external system such as an in-hospital information system even in a general electrocardiograph that is not worn by a patient. On the other hand, the increase in the number of medical devices and information processing devices having wireless communication devices may cause problems such as competition of access to access points (AP), reduction of communication speed due to radio wave interference between access points, and disconnection of communication.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the conventional art, and an object thereof is to provide an electrocardiograph that realizes stable wireless communication.

  The above-mentioned object is an electrocardiograph that records an electrocardiogram based on a signal obtained from an electrode attached to a subject, and a first communication unit and a second communication unit that perform wireless communication with an external device. And a control means for controlling the operations of the first communication means and the second communication means.

  With such a configuration, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrocardiograph that realizes stable wireless communication.

It is a block diagram showing an example of functional composition of an electrocardiograph concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a setting of wireless I / F in the electrocardiograph which concerns on embodiment. 7 is a flowchart regarding a communication control operation in the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a dedicated electrocardiograph will be described, but the present invention can be applied to any other electronic device that can realize the same function as the dedicated electrocardiograph. Such electronic devices include not only medical devices such as monitor devices, but also computer devices (personal computers, tablet terminals, smartphones, etc.) on which appropriate application software runs.

(Structure of electrocardiograph)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electrocardiograph 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The electrode group 110 includes, for example, extremity electrodes (four) and chest electrodes (six). The type and number of electrodes included in the electrode group 110 are determined by the type and number of electrocardiographic signals (leads) measured by the electrocardiograph 100.

The electrode group 110 (electrocardiogram electrode) is connected to a connector included in the input unit 111 of the electrocardiograph 100. The input unit 111 has, for example, a protection circuit, an induction selector, an amplification circuit, and the like, and outputs an electrocardiogram signal of a preset type and number.
The A / D conversion unit 112 digitizes each of the electrocardiogram signals output from the input unit 111, and outputs the electrocardiogram waveform data. The input unit 111 and the A / D conversion unit 112 are also called an analog front end (AFE).

The filter processing unit 113 applies a noise removal filter to the electrocardiogram waveform data input via the A / D conversion unit 112 according to the setting from the control unit 120. In the present embodiment, as an example, the filter processing unit 113 can selectively apply a myoelectric noise removal filter, an AC noise removal filter, and a drift noise removal filter. It is not limited to these.
The speaker 114 is used by the control unit 120 to output a warning sound or a voice message, for example.

  The control unit 120 includes, for example, a ROM (nonvolatile memory), a RAM, and a programmable processor. The control program stored in the ROM is expanded in the RAM and executed by the programmable processor to control the overall operation of the electrocardiograph 100. .. In addition to the control program, the ROM stores various setting values, GUI data, and the like, which are appropriately used when the control program is executed. Further, at least a part of the ROM may be rewritable.

  Note that, for example, the filter processing unit 113 may be realized by a programmable processor included in the control unit 120 executing a program, or may be realized by hardware such as ASIC or ASSP. The filter processing unit 113 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software.

  The analysis unit 1201 corresponds to the automatic analysis function of the electrocardiogram waveform data realized by the control unit 120, and applies the automatic analysis processing to the measured electrocardiogram waveform data. The automatic analysis process can be roughly divided into two types, that is, a measurement process and a finding classification process. The measurement process is a process of detecting the division points (P, QRS, T) of the electrocardiogram and obtaining the measurement values (RR interval, ST level, PQ, QRS width, QT, etc.). Further, the finding classification process is a process of deciding an finding from the measured value and the determination condition determined in advance. Note that the measured values given here are merely examples, and other measured values may be obtained.

  A memory card is attachable / detachable to / from the card slot 116, and the control unit 120 can record the electrocardiographic examination data in the attached memory card or read the recorded electrocardiographic examination data from the attached memory card. .. The electrocardiogram test data includes electrocardiogram waveform data and subject information data. When the electrocardiogram waveform data is automatically analyzed, the inspection data also includes the data of the automatic analysis result. The electrocardiogram test data is generated for each test in a predetermined data format. The electrocardiogram test data may be composed of a plurality of data files, or may be composed of one data file.

  The operation unit 117 is an input device through which a user (medical personnel) inputs various settings and instructions to the electrocardiograph 100, and buttons, keys, touch panels (software keys), etc. are generally used, but not limited to these. .. An input method that does not require a physical input operation such as voice input may be supported. The operation unit 117 has a normal recording button for giving a normal recording start instruction / end instruction, and a review recording button for giving a review recording instruction.

  The display unit 118 is a display device such as an LCD, and under the control of the control unit 120, an electrocardiogram being measured, or an electrocardiogram and / or an analysis report based on electrocardiographic examination data stored in a memory card mounted in the card slot 116. Or display the menu screen. In this embodiment, the display unit 118 is a touch display.

  The printer 119 is, for example, a thermal printer, and has a carry motor, a carry roller, a recording head, a drive circuit for the print head, and the like. The printer 119 prints out an electrocardiogram waveform and an analysis report in a predetermined format under the control of the control unit 120. It should be noted that it is not essential in the present invention to incorporate the printer 119, and the printer 119 may be an external printer. The electrocardiograph 100 only needs to be capable of outputting an electrocardiogram to a built-in or external printer.

  The power supply unit 121 is, for example, a secondary battery or a commercial power supply (AC adapter), and supplies power to each unit of the electrocardiograph 100.

  The first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are wireless communication interfaces. The control unit 120 controls the setting and operation of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b. In the present embodiment, the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are interfaces that conform to the wireless LAN standard (IEEE 802.11 series). However, one may be a wireless LAN standard and the other may be a wireless interface based on different standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b may be compatible with a plurality of wireless LAN standards. For example, the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b include a wireless LAN standard using the 2.4 GHz band (for example, IEEE 802.11b / g / n) and a wireless LAN standard using the 5 G band (for example, IEEE 802.11a). / N / ac) may be supported.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the first wireless I / F 123a is built in the housing and is not removable by the user, whereas the second wireless I / F 123b is an external I / F (for example, an external I / F) included in the electrocardiograph 100. It is assumed that the user is detachably attached to the USB I / F). In addition, the antenna of the first wireless I / F 123a and the antenna of the second wireless I / F 123b are provided on two facing or adjacent two surfaces of the housing of the electrocardiograph 100 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Not arranging two antennas on the same surface of the housing makes it easy to obtain a good reception state in at least one wireless I / F for various radio wave states by making the directivity of the two antennas different. This is because.

  The first access point (AP) 150a and the second AP 150b are a part of a plurality of access points installed in a medical institution (for example, a hospital) in which the electrocardiograph 100 is used. The APs 150a and 150b are connected to the in-hospital information system 200 through the in-hospital LAN 160. Therefore, the electrocardiograph 100 can communicate with the in-hospital information system 200 through the first AP 150a or the second AP 150b. In this embodiment, the first AP 150a and the second AP 150b may be, for example, wireless LAN access points provided on different floors in the hospital and have different SSIDs, or wireless LAN access points provided on the same floor in the hospital and having the same SSID. May be

FIG. 2 shows an example of types and settings of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b. Here, seven examples are shown, but not limited to these.
The first to third examples show examples of combinations of communication frequency bands. Here, it is assumed that the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b both comply with the wireless LAN standard. The wireless LAN standard (IEEE802.11b, g, a, n, ac) generally used at present uses 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band. The first to third examples show examples of combinations of communication frequency bands used by the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b.

  The standard used in each frequency band can be set separately from the standards supported by the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b. For example, when using the 2.4 GHz band, any of 802.11b, g, and n can be used. When using the 5 GHz band, any of 802.11a, n, and ac can be used. When the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b use the same frequency band, they may be configured to communicate according to the same standard or may be configured to communicate according to different standards.

  The fourth example shows an example of a configuration in which the first wireless I / F 123a complies with the wireless LAN standard and the second wireless I / F 123b complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. In this case, the first wireless I / F 123a is configured to perform communication according to any of the supported wireless LAN standards.

  For example, the electrocardiograph 100 is paired with the maintenance management device through the second wireless I / F 123b, and the parameters acquired at the time of pairing are stored in the ROM. For example, when a worker who has visited the maintenance of the electrocardiograph 100 brings the paired maintenance management device closer to the communication range of the second wireless I / F 123b, the control unit 120 requires the maintenance of the electrocardiograph 100. The predetermined information is transmitted from the second wireless I / F 123b to the maintenance management device. In this way, one wireless I / F is configured to communicate with an external device only when a specific external device exists in the communicable range, thereby saving power consumption and supporting, for example, maintenance work. be able to.

  The fifth and sixth examples are setting examples regarding access destinations of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b. Here, an example is shown in which the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are set to connect to the same access point, and an example is set to connect to different access points.

  The seventh example is a setting example regarding the operation modes of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b. Here, the first wireless I / F 123a is in a communication mode (a mode in which the electrocardiograph 100 communicates with an access point), and the second wireless I / F 123b is in a relay mode (a mode in which wireless communication from another device is relayed. ) Is set.

  The first to sixth examples describe the setting of one kind of parameter among a plurality of parameters (communication parameters) used by the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b for wireless communication. Is. There is no limitation on the setting of parameters not illustrated. For example, since the first to third examples and the fifth to sixth examples target different parameters, they can be combined.

  When the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are configured to communicate according to the same standard, if they are connected to the same access point, the communication speed can be increased and they can be connected to different access points. By doing so, it is possible to separately communicate with different external devices. Further, if the communication is configured to communicate with different standards, it is possible to communicate with external devices having different compatible standards.

  Further, by setting the operation mode of one wireless I / F to the relay mode, it is possible to allow a wireless device existing outside the communication range of the access point to communicate with the access point. Thereby, for example, if the communication of the telemeter is relayed, the movable range of the patient wearing the telemeter (the movable range without disconnecting the communication of the telemeter) can be expanded.

  In addition, normally, only one of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b (for example, the first wireless I / F 123a) is used, and the other one has a failure or the reception strength is less than the threshold value. It may be configured to be used only in some cases. Thus, when the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are exclusively used, the communication parameters of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b can be the same.

  Communication parameters (SSID, password, standard used for communication, pairing information, operation mode, relay destination access point information, etc.) for setting the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are, for example, It can be stored in a non-volatile memory included in the control unit 120.

  The user can specify and change the communication parameters to be set in the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b through a menu screen or the like.

  When measuring and recording an electrocardiogram signal using the electrocardiograph 100 having such a configuration, the connector provided at the other end of the electrode group 110 is connected to the input unit 111 so that the electrocardiograph 100 is powered on. In the ON state, an electrode pad provided at one end of the electrode group 110 is attached to a predetermined position on the subject's chest body surface, and an electrode clip is attached to the subject's limbs.

  When the electrode group 110 is connected to the input unit 111, the detected electrocardiogram signal is input to the input unit 111, and is processed by the A / D conversion unit 112, the filter processing unit 113, and the like, and is transmitted to the control unit 120 as electrocardiographic waveform data. Is entered. The control unit 120 uses a part of the internal RAM as a buffer, and temporarily stores the latest electrocardiographic waveform data for a predetermined number of seconds. The control unit 120 also starts displaying the electrocardiogram on the display unit 118 using the electrocardiogram waveform data in the buffer.

  When the recording start instruction is input from the operation unit 117, the control unit 120 executes the recording operation according to the set measurement mode (for example, 12-lead automatic measurement mode), and the set recording time elapses or the operation is performed. When the input of the recording end instruction from the unit 117 is detected, the recording operation is ended.

  When executing the automatic analysis process, the control unit 120 (analysis unit 1201) executes the automatic analysis process on the electrocardiographic waveform data for the recording period accumulated in the buffer. The control unit 120 generates examination data including electrocardiogram waveform data, data of the automatic analysis result thereof, and data of subject information, and records the examination data in a memory card mounted in the card slot 116, or the first wireless I / I. It is output to an external device such as a hospital system through the F123a and / or the second wireless I / F 123b.

  The format of the inspection data is not limited, and may be composed of a plurality of data files or one data file. For example, when a data file including subject information and electrocardiogram waveform data and data of the automatic analysis result are generated as different data files, a plurality of data files related to the same examination are recorded so that they can be distinguished. For example, each data file can be recorded in the same folder, or the same file name but different extension can be recorded. When the examination data is composed of one data file, a data file including the electrocardiogram waveform data, the data of the automatic analysis result thereof, and the subject information data is generated. These are merely examples, and the inspection data may be generated by other methods.

  In the 12-lead automatic measurement mode, when the automatic analysis process is completed, the control unit 120 outputs the electrocardiogram waveform accumulated in the buffer and the automatic analysis result to the display unit 118 and / or the printer 119 in a predetermined format. ..

  Next, an example of the control operation of the wireless I / F in the electrocardiograph 100 of the present embodiment will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 3 can be implemented by the control unit 120 executing a program. The operation shown in FIG. 3 may be executed as a background process separately from the measurement operation. Here, it is assumed that both the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b perform communication in conformity with the wireless LAN standard.

  In S103, the control unit 120 acquires information about the detected access point from the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b. The information acquired here includes at least identification information (SSID), frequency band, operation mode (b / g / n / a / ac), and reception intensity for each access point. At this point, the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b may be connected to a preset access point.

  In S105, the control unit 120 determines whether or not there is a significant difference between the reception intensities of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b based on the acquired information. Here, the reception strength for the same access point may be compared, or the maximum reception strength in each wireless I / F may be compared. When comparing the maximum reception intensities, the access points whose communication parameters are stored in the ROM (that is, connectable) are targeted. The control unit 120 can determine that there is a significant difference between the two if the difference between the compared reception intensities is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. The control unit 120 advances the process to S107 if it is determined that there is a significant difference in the reception intensities of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b, and proceeds to S111 if not.

In S107, the control unit 120 determines that the wireless I / F having a high reception strength is valid and the wireless I / F having a low reception strength is invalid.
In S109, the control unit 120 does not change the setting of the valid wireless I / F if the valid wireless I / F compares the reception strengths of the currently connected access points in S105. The control part 120 returns a process to S103, after a predetermined time passes.

  On the other hand, when the maximum reception strength is compared in S105 and the compared maximum reception strength is obtained at an access point different from the access point currently connected to the wireless I / F to be validated, the control unit The process advances to S110, the process advances to S110, the communication parameters read from the ROM are set in the valid wireless I / F, and the access point to be connected is changed to the access point having the maximum reception strength.

  Regarding the invalid wireless I / F, the control unit 120 may stop the operation, or may not use it for the communication of the electrocardiograph 100.

  On the other hand, if it is not determined in S105 that there is a significant difference in the reception intensities of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b, the control unit 120 determines in S111 that the respective reception intensities are the predetermined threshold values. It is determined whether or not the above. The threshold value here can be set in advance as a value for determining that the communication state is good.

  If it is determined that the reception intensities of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are both equal to or greater than the threshold value, and a good communication state is obtained, the control unit 120 advances the process to S113, and the first wireless I / F 123a Both the I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b are valid. Then, the control unit 120 advances the processing to S109, and determines whether or not the connection destination needs to be changed.

On the other hand, when it is determined that at least one of the reception intensities of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b is less than the threshold value, the control unit 120 advances the process to S115.
In S115, the control unit 120 is a registered access point whose communication parameters are stored in the ROM among the detected access points for each of the first wireless I / F 123a and the second wireless I / F 123b, Moreover, it is determined whether or not there is an access point whose reception strength is equal to or higher than the threshold value.

  If it is determined that there is an access point that meets the conditions, the control unit 120 advances the process to S117. In S117, the control unit 120 sets the first wireless I / F 123a and / or the second wireless I / F 123b so as to connect to the access point having the highest reception strength among the access points determined to meet the condition in S115. To do. Then, the control unit 120 returns the process to S103 after the lapse of the predetermined time.

  On the other hand, if it is not determined in S115 that there is an access point satisfying the conditions, the control unit 120 advances the process to S119, and executes a communication error process. In the communication error processing, the control unit 120 displays a message dialog such as “No connectable access point found” on the display unit, or displays a GUI screen prompting the user to register communication parameters of a new access point. You can

  In addition, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which two wireless I / Fs are provided in the electrocardiograph has been described, but three or more wireless I / Fs may be provided. The wireless I / F may directly wirelessly communicate with an external device (for example, a printer or a maintenance management device) without going through an access point.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by providing a plurality of wireless I / Fs in the electrocardiograph, it is difficult to disconnect, and more stable wireless communication is realized, or higher speed wireless communication is realized. be able to. Further, wireless communication can be performed simultaneously with different devices according to the purpose, and for example, it becomes possible to transmit maintenance data to the maintenance management device while transmitting measurement data to the in-hospital system. Further, by including a wireless I / F set to perform relay between another wireless communication device and an access point, for example, while communicating with the in-hospital system, the communicable range of the other wireless communication device is expanded. be able to.

  The electrocardiograph according to the present invention is realized as a program (application software) that implements the above-described operation by mounting a plurality of wireless I / Fs on a general-purpose information processing device such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal, and a smartphone. You can also The present invention can also be implemented as a program stored in the ROM of the electrocardiograph and causing the processor of the electrocardiograph to realize the operation of the control unit 120 described above. Therefore, such a program and a recording medium (such as an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic disk, or a semiconductor memory card) that stores the program also constitute the present invention. ..

100 ... Electrocardiograph, 118 ... Display unit, 120 ... Control unit, 123a, 123b ... Wireless I / F, 150a, 150b ... Access point

Claims (11)

An electrocardiograph that records an electrocardiogram based on a signal obtained from an electrode attached to a subject,
First communication means and second communication means for performing wireless communication with an external device;
Control means for controlling operations of the first communication means and the second communication means;
An electrocardiograph comprising:   The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the first communication unit and the second communication unit so as to communicate with the same external device.   The control unit is configured to communicate with the external device by one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit that has a better communication state with the external device, and the first communication unit and the second communication unit. The electrocardiograph according to claim 1 or 2, which controls the communication means.   When one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit fails, the control unit uses the other so as to communicate with the external device. The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, which controls two communication means.   The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the first communication unit and the second communication unit so as to communicate with different external devices.   The control unit controls the second communication unit to communicate with the specific external device only when the specific external device exists. Electrocardiograph.   The electrocardiograph according to claim 6, wherein the specific external device is a maintenance management device of the electrocardiograph.   The control unit causes one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit to function as a relay unit that relays communication from another wireless device to the external device. The electrocardiograph according to 5.   9. The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit is configured to be detachable from the electrocardiograph.   The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit and the second communication unit are configured to perform communication based on different standards.   The control means included in the electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein a processor included in the electrocardiograph including a first communication unit and a second communication unit that perform wireless communication with an external device is included in the electrocardiograph. A program for realizing the functions of.

Images