JP4461996B2 - Sphygmomanometer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sphygmomanometer, and more particularly to a sphygmomanometer that starts blood pressure measurement based on a predetermined condition.

  With the aging of society, dealing with adult lifestyle-related diseases has become a major social issue. It is recognized that long-term blood pressure data collection is very important, especially for diseases related to high blood pressure. From such a point of view, various biological information measuring devices including blood pressure have been developed. Among these, a portable patient monitor device has been proposed in which an ear is selected as a wearing part that does not interfere with daily life and behavior, and can be inserted into the external auditory canal or other parts in the outer ear and worn at all times (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

  This device calculates blood pressure, pulse, pulse wave, electrocardiogram, body temperature, arterial blood oxygen saturation, etc. from the amount of received infrared light and visible light scattered light into the living body. Since various types of biological data can be measured simply by inserting and wearing, it is supposed that the patient's physical condition can be automatically monitored with almost no restriction on the degree of freedom of physical activity of the patient.

  Among these biometric information measurements, the pulse, pulse wave, oxygen saturation, etc. can be constructed relatively easily using a photoelectric sensor and an electronic circuit because the pulse wave signal of the blood vessel part and the absorption spectrum of blood may be measured. On the other hand, when measuring blood pressure, it is necessary to grasp the pulse wave that changes in the process of increasing and decreasing the measurement site of the living body. Therefore, in general, the blood pressure measurement device uses air to the cuff and cuff to increase and decrease the measurement site. An air system consisting of pumps and valves for sending and exhausting air is required.

Among blood pressure measuring devices, there is a blood pressure measuring device (eg A & D TM2431) that measures and records blood pressure continuously for 24 hours with the upper arm, and what antihypertensive agent and how to take when treating hypertension It is used as a means for determining the most effective treatment. However, it is useful to measure blood pressure with the upper arm continuously for 24 hours at intervals of 30 minutes, for example, because the upper arm is compressed with a pressure of more than a few tens of mmHg each time it is measured, and the measurement subject is extremely painful. Is known, but is not used so often. In addition, when measuring with the upper arm during daily life, a change in the height of the measurement site with the heart causes measurement errors.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-128203

  One of the purposes of continuously measuring blood pressure as described above is to obtain blood pressure values corresponding to various states in daily life including physical activity and when mental stress is applied. Not all blood pressures in various states during a 24-hour period are meaningful, and it is often sufficient to know the blood pressure values in a specific physical state for a certain physical condition. In such a case, measuring the blood pressure continuously for 24 hours increases the burden on the subject more than necessary. Moreover, there is also a problem that power is excessively consumed by measuring blood pressure continuously for 24 hours.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sphygmomanometer that starts blood pressure measurement only in a predetermined state.

  The above-described problem can be solved by an activity measurement unit that measures the activity level of the measurement subject and a sphygmomanometer that starts measuring blood pressure based on the activity level measured by the activity level measurement unit.

  More specifically, blood pressure measurement is started when the activity measured by the activity measuring means is equal to or less than a preset threshold. The blood pressure measurement may be started when the activity measured by the activity measuring means is equal to or greater than a preset threshold.

  The apparatus further comprises a pulse rate detecting means for detecting the pulse rate of the person being measured, and the blood pressure is measured based on the activity measured by the activity measuring means and the pulse rate detected by the pulse rate detecting means. It is also possible to start the measurement. Here, for example, the measurement is started when the activity level is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value and the pulse rate is equal to or higher than a preset pulse rate. Further, the measurement may be started when the activity level is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value and the pulse rate is equal to or less than a preset pulse rate. Further, the present invention is configured as a program that causes the sphygmomanometer to function as an activity measurement unit that measures the activity level of the person to be measured and a unit that starts measuring blood pressure based on the activity level measured by the activity level measurement unit. You can also

  According to the present invention, the blood pressure measurement is performed only when the activity level satisfies a predetermined condition, so that an accurate result can be obtained with a small number of measurements. In addition, the burden on the measurement subject can be reduced, and the power consumption of the sphygmomanometer can be reduced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, a basic configuration of the ear blood pressure monitor according to the present embodiment will be described, and then a configuration for measuring blood pressure based on the activity level and the like will be described. Further, a configuration that enables recording of an action history will be described.

(Basic configuration of ear blood pressure monitor)
First, the structure of the auricle and the name of each part related to the description of the ear type sphygmomanometer will be described with reference to the structural diagram of the auricle shown in FIG.

  An auricle is a so-called ear and is a general term for the entire ear shown in FIG. Each part of the auricle is referred to as a tragus 1, a tragus 2, an auricle 3, an auricle 4, an auricle 5, a leg 6, an auricle leg 7, and a concha cavity 8. In the present application, the “inner side of the tragus” refers to the side of the concha cavity 8 of the tragus 1 in FIG. “Outside of tragus” refers to the side of tragus 1 opposite to concha cavity 8 in FIG. The ear including the pinna and the external auditory canal is called the outer ear. Further, the temporal region around the auricular root is referred to as the outer ear periphery, and the “ear part” in the present specification and the claims is a part including the outer ear and the outer ear periphery. In addition, there are branch arteries under the pinna and external auditory canal, and there is a superficial temporal artery in the temporal region around the base of the pinna, especially in the surface of the skin around the tragus and extending upwards. To do. These are all useful parts for pulse wave measurement (blood pressure measurement).

  2A and 2B are diagrams showing a configuration example of the measurement unit 30 of the ear blood pressure monitor, FIG. 2A is a front view, and FIG. 2B is a plan view. 2 (A) and 2 (B), 31 is a first arm, 32 is a second arm, 33 and 34 are cuffs, 35 is a support shaft, 36 is an air tube (hollow tube), 37 is a signal line, Reference numeral 40 denotes a distance variable mechanism, 41 denotes a rotation mechanism, and the cuff 33 accommodates a photoelectric sensor composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element.

  The measurement unit 30 is connected to an air tube 36 for sending and exhausting air to each of the cuffs 33 and 34, and a signal line 37 for sending and receiving signals to the photoelectric sensor. The air tube 36 and the signal line 37 are Each passes through the first arm 31 and the second arm 32, and is drawn out to the outside at the other end. A destination connected by the air tube and the signal line is a main body in which an air supply / exhaust system and an electronic circuit system are accommodated in one casing.

  The measuring unit 30 includes a first arm 31, a second arm 32, and a support shaft 35, and one end of each of the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 is connected to the support shaft 35. In addition, the measuring unit 30 includes, for example, a portion where each of the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 is connected to the support shaft 35, or the support shaft 35, and the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 are connected to each other. A distance variable mechanism that adjusts the distance between the opposite ends is provided.

In the configuration example of the measurement unit 30 shown in FIG. 2A, the support shaft 35 and the first arm 31 are used as a variable mechanism that varies the distance between the surfaces of the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 facing each other. The first arm 31 and the second arm 32 have a function of adjusting the distance between the surfaces facing each other by changing the angle α shown in FIG. Here, the mechanism for changing the angle of the distance variable mechanism 40 may be any of a mechanism for adjusting the angle between the support shaft 35 and the first arm 31 with a screw, a mechanism for using both friction and screw fixing, or the like. Further, as a mechanism for adjusting the distance between the other ends of the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 facing each other, a mechanism for expanding and contracting the length of the support shaft 35 may be used. 2A includes a rotation mechanism 41 that moves the first arm 31 in the rotation direction around the support shaft 35 at the connection portion between the first arm 31 and the support shaft 35. The rotation mechanism 41 has a function of changing an angle β formed by the direction of the first arm 31 and the direction of the second arm 32 as viewed from the axial direction of the support shaft 35 shown in FIG. Note that the rotation mechanism 41 is optional.
The measurement unit 30 has a function of detecting pulse wave information by bringing cuffs 33 and 34 into contact with a part of the projections of the auricle of the human body, for example, both sides of the tragus 1 of the auricle. FIG. 3 shows an example of mounting the ear blood pressure monitor on the auricle. In FIG. 3, the measurement unit 30 is attached to the tragus 1 so as to be in contact with both sides, the cuff 33 provided in the first arm 31 is outside the tragus 1, and the cuff 34 provided in the second arm 32 is the tragus 1. Mounted in contact with the inside. Since a part of the second arm 32 and the cuff 34 are inside the tragus 1, they are indicated by broken lines.

Here, when the cuffs 33 and 34 are brought into contact with both sides of the tragus 1, the distance between the cuffs is changed by the distance variable mechanism 40 to change the distance between the opposing surfaces of the first arm 31 and the second arm 32. Thus, the position of contact between the cuff 33 and the cuff 34 is adjusted to an appropriate position by changing the angle β shown in FIG. In addition, when attaching the measurement part 30 to a tragus like this example, mounting | wearing stability is bad only by pinching an tragus with the cuffs 33 and 34. FIG. Therefore, when the cuff 34 is attached in contact with the inside of the tragus 1, a sponge material or the like that substantially fills the space between the second arm 32 and the concha 3 is integrated with the back side of the second arm 32. Provided. As a result, the measurement unit 30 is supported at multiple points so that the sponge material is placed in the concha 3 at the same time that the cuff unit is in contact with the tragus surface, and the entire measurement unit 30 is stably attached to the ear.
As shown in FIG. 3, the main body part detects a pressure part that sends air to the cuff to inflate, a decompression part that exhausts air from the inflated cuff at a constant rate and decompresses the cuff, and detects the pressure inside the cuff. An air system composed of a pressure detecting unit, a light emitting circuit for driving the light emitting element, a pulse wave circuit for detecting a pulse wave signal obtained by irradiating the light emitting element with an artery, and a control unit for controlling the pulse wave circuit are provided in one casing. It is mounted with high density and is large enough to fit into a breast pocket. The main body unit further includes a display unit, a storage unit, a timer, a battery, and the like. Here, the storage unit is, for example, a memory. In the following description, it is assumed that a memory is used for the storage unit. The display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or a 7-segment numeric display. Details of the battery and the memory will be described later. Further, as will be described later, an activity level measuring unit and the like are further provided.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a photoelectric sensor installed in the cuff. As shown in FIG. 4, a light emitting element 61 and a light receiving element 62 are installed on the surface where the cuff 33 is in contact with the tragus 1, and incident light obtained by causing the light emitted from the light emitting element 61 to enter the tragus 1 is inside the tragus 1. The scattered light 66 is received by the light receiving element 62. Here, the light receiving element 62 is installed at a position where the incident light incident on the tragus 1 from the light emitting element 61 receives the scattered light 66 scattered in the tragus 1.

  With such a light emitting / receiving element pair, it is possible to detect a waveform due to vascular vibration generated in conjunction with expansion / contraction of the heart, a so-called pulse wave. Then, in the process of detecting the pulse wave, the tragus 1 is pressed by the cuffs 33 and 34, and the blood flow of the blood vessel is gradually reduced from the state where the blood flow of the blood vessel is stopped. If the pulse wave corresponding to the pulsation of the blood vessel is measured as a pulse wave signal, the blood pressure can be measured from the pulse wave signal.

  In FIG. 4, the light emitting element 61 and the light receiving element 62 are not necessarily set on the expansion surface of the cuff 33, but by fixing the light emitting element 61 and the light receiving element 62 on the expansion surface of the cuff 33, When the pressure is applied to the tragus 1 by inserting air into the tragus 1 and when the pressure applied to the tragus 1 is reduced by removing the air from the cuff 33 and the cuff 34, the cuff 33 and the light emitting element 61 and the cuff 55 and the light receiving element 62 Since the positional relationship between the cuff 34, the light emitting element 61, and the light receiving element 62 is stabilized, the pulse wave is detected with higher accuracy, and the blood pressure is measured more accurately from the detected pulse wave. can do.

  In FIG. 4, a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element is arranged in the cuff 33 so as to detect light scattered in the reflection direction of the irradiation light, but the light emitting element is placed in the cuff 34 in the cuff 33. A light-receiving element may be disposed in the transmission type to detect light scattered in the transmission direction of irradiation light. Moreover, in both types, it is possible to set an appropriate arrangement such as reversing the positions of the light emitting element and the light receiving element.

  FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the cuff pressure 74 applied by the cuffs 33 and 24, the pulse wave signal 75 corresponding to the pulsation of the blood vessel, and the blood pressure waveform 70. In FIG. 5, the blood pressure changes as a whole gently swells while showing a sawtooth waveform due to the motion of the heart as indicated by the blood pressure waveform 70. The blood pressure waveform 70 is shown for explaining the principle of blood pressure measurement, and can be measured by a precise blood pressure measuring instrument inserted into the blood vessel.

  The cuff pressure 74 shown in FIG. 5 is obtained by gradually removing air from the cuff from a state in which air is inserted into the cuff and pressure is applied to the tragus 1 so that the blood flow is stopped. It shows how the cuff pressure is gradually reduced over time. FIG. 5 shows the pulse wave waveform measured as the pulse wave signal 75 in the process of decreasing the cuff pressure 74. As shown in FIG. 5, when the cuff pressure 74 is sufficiently high, the blood flow stops and the pulse wave signal 75 hardly appears. However, as the cuff pressure 74 decreases, the pulse wave signal 75 becomes a small triangle. Appears as a wavy waveform. The point in time when the pulse wave signal 75 appears is shown as S1 point 76. Further, when the cuff pressure 74 is lowered, the amplitude of the pulse wave signal 75 increases and reaches the maximum value at the point S 2 77. Further, when the cuff pressure 74 is lowered, the amplitude of the pulse wave signal 75 gradually decreases, and then the upper end becomes a constant value and shows a flat state. After a slight time delay, the lower end of the pulse wave signal 75 Is also converted to a constant value, but the point in time at which the value at the lower end of the pulse wave signal 75 changes to a constant value is indicated by S3 point 78. In the above process of decreasing the cuff pressure 74, the value of the cuff pressure 74 corresponding to the S1 point 76 is the maximum blood pressure 71, the value of the cuff pressure 74 corresponding to the S2 point 77 is the average blood pressure 72, and S3 It is known that the value of the cuff pressure 74 corresponding to the point 78 is the minimum blood pressure 73.

  As described above, the pulse wave signal 75 changes and shows a unique shape in the process of reducing the cuff pressure 74 from a pressure high enough to stop blood flow in the blood vessel. If the shape of the pulse wave signal 75 corresponding to is stored, it is determined from the pulse wave signal 75 measured at an arbitrary time point which position between the maximum blood pressure and the minimum blood pressure corresponds to the blood pressure value at the time of measurement. can do. The pulse wave signal 75 shows particularly remarkable waveform changes at the S1 point 76 corresponding to the maximum blood pressure 71, the S2 point 77 corresponding to the average blood pressure 72, and the S3 point 78 corresponding to the minimum blood pressure 73. It is also possible to memorize the characteristics of the waveform changes and to measure the blood pressure from the characteristics of the waveform changes. For example, when the cuff pressure 74 is controlled so that the pulse wave signal 75 always has the maximum value when the S2 point 77 corresponding to the average blood pressure 72 having the maximum amplitude of the pulse wave signal 75 is measured, The mean blood pressure 72 can be measured. Based on the same principle, it is possible to continuously measure the maximum blood pressure 71 and the average blood pressure 72.

  The above is an example in which the systolic blood pressure and the systolic blood pressure are obtained by detecting the volume pulse wave by the photoelectric sensor. In this ear type blood pressure monitor, a pressure pulse wave system can be used in which a photoelectric sensor is changed to a piezoelectric sensor and the piezoelectric sensor is pressed against the tragus to detect a pulse wave signal. In addition, a Korotkoff method can be adopted by using a small microphone instead of the photoelectric sensor. Furthermore, you may use the vibration sensor which detects a pulse wave from the vibration of a cuff.

  Moreover, as an ear-type blood pressure monitor that is the basis of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 in addition to an ear-type blood pressure monitor that measures blood pressure by sandwiching a part of the pinna with the arm as described above. An ear sphygmomanometer in which a measurement unit is inserted into the ear canal may be used. The measurement part of the sphygmomanometer shown in FIG. 1 includes a hollow frame 15, a holding part 16 that holds the hollow frame 15 in the ear canal, and a sensing part 17 attached to the hollow frame 15. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the holding portion 16 is attached to the outer ear 11. In the production of the holding portion, for example, the shape of the outer ear 11 and the ear canal 12 of the measurement subject is molded with a polymeric resin impression material or the like, and the entire shape is made with, for example, a silicone resin or the like based on this mold. A hollow portion for securing a passage is cut out to form a frame 15 and a sensing unit 17 is installed. The sensing unit includes a light emitting element 171, a light receiving element 172, and a pressure generating mechanism 173, and is connected to the main body as shown in FIG. 3 by an air tube, a signal line, or the like. In this sphygmomanometer, blood pressure is measured by pressing an artery of the ear canal. The principle of measuring blood pressure is the same as that of the sphygmomanometer shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a suspension portion 18 that suspends the holding portion 16 from the outer ear 11 may be provided. The shape of the suspension portion 18 may be a shape that surrounds the auricle 10 toward the back of the head as shown in FIG. 7A, or a shape that surrounds the face side of the auricle 10 as shown in FIG. It may be circular or linear.

  Further, instead of providing the main body and the measurement unit separately in each of the above-described ear-type blood pressure monitors, as shown in FIG. 8, the main body and the measurement unit can be configured integrally. In this case, an air tube that connects the main body and the measurement unit is not necessary. FIG. 8 shows an example of a type that is inserted into the ear canal. However, even in the sphygmomanometer shown in FIG. 3, the main body portion and the measurement portion can be configured integrally by attaching the main body portion to the arm. Is possible.

[Detailed configuration example]
Since the ear blood pressure monitor includes a battery, a memory, and a timer, the blood pressure can be measured at a predetermined time interval for a minimum of 24 hours and the measured value can be continuously stored. The operation when blood pressure is measured at a predetermined time interval is as follows.

  A predetermined time interval is set in the storage unit. Then, the control unit controls the light emitting circuit, the pressurization unit, the decompression unit and the like so as to perform blood pressure measurement every time it detects that the predetermined time has come by referring to the value and the timer. The result of blood pressure measurement is recorded in the storage unit in association with the measurement time. In addition to saving the result, the blood pressure value and pulse at that time are displayed on a display unit (liquid crystal panel, 7-segment numeric display, etc.). It is also possible to display blood pressure values in time series after blood pressure measurement is completed.

  Hereinafter, a detailed configuration example from the viewpoint of measuring blood pressure for at least 24 hours, storing the measured value, and using the stored data will be described.

  First, a rechargeable battery is used as a battery used in the main body, and a charging connector is provided in the main body. Examples of the rechargeable battery include a Li ion battery and a Ni—Cd battery. By using such a rechargeable battery, a blood pressure monitor suitable for continuous measurement can be provided. Note that the main body may be provided with a battery box so that the battery can be replaced, and the battery may be a single battery, a single battery, a single battery, a single battery, a 006P, a button battery, or the like.

  Furthermore, instead of using a battery, a power generation unit may be provided, and power may be supplied from the power generation unit to each functional unit. An alcohol battery, a fuel cell, or the like can be used as the power generation unit.

  In addition, a removable memory may be used as the memory, and the main body may have a memory slot as a configuration for making the memory removable. As the memory, a memory for a personal computer such as a USB memory, an SD card, a PCMCIA card, or a memory stick can be used. Thus, by using a removable memory, it is possible to easily transfer measurement data to a personal computer or the like and perform analysis using the personal computer.

  Further, the main body may be provided with a function of automatically setting the time of a timer by communication with the outside. An example of a function for automatically setting the time is NTP. In that case, the main body unit includes a communication connector and a network communication function. As the communication connector, a USB connector, a RS-232C D-sub 15-pin connector, a LAN RJ-45 connector, or the like can be used. In addition, automatic time adjustment can also be performed using a GPS radio wave or a standard radio wave using a wireless communication function described later.

  Thus, by providing the function of automatically adjusting the time, it is possible to grasp the blood pressure value at an accurate time.

  The main unit is equipped with communication connectors such as a USB connector, a D-sub 15-pin connector for RS-232C, and an RJ-45 connector for LAN, and the measurement values stored in the memory are output to the outside of the main unit without removing the memory. It is good also as a structure. In addition, the measurement value stored in the memory can be output to the outside of the main body using wireless communication. In that case, the main body unit includes a wireless communication unit. As a function of the wireless communication unit, for example, Bluetooth, weak wireless, specific power saving wireless, wireless LAN (802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, etc.) can be used.

  Thus, by providing the function of outputting the measurement result to the outside wirelessly, for example, the blood pressure value of the measurement subject can be monitored remotely.

  Note that the above-described memory and communication function technologies are well-known technologies, and those skilled in the art can easily implement them in a sphygmomanometer.

  According to the ear sphygmomanometer having the above-described configuration, the area to be compressed is significantly smaller than that of the upper arm by measuring the blood pressure with the ear, so that the blood pressure is compared with other methods (arm type, etc.). The load on the person being measured at the time of measurement is greatly present. In addition, the height between the ear and the heart hardly changes in daily life in postures other than lying such as standing, sitting, etc., so that the measurement error can be remarkably reduced as compared with the upper arm. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to provide a sphygmomanometer that can measure and record blood pressure continuously for 24 hours or more.

(Configuration to perform blood pressure measurement based on activity etc.)
In the present embodiment, the sphygmomanometer is provided with a sensor for detecting the degree of activity, a physical load is detected from the degree of activity, and blood pressure measurement is started using that as a trigger.

  FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of the main body of the sphygmomanometer in the present embodiment. As a sensor for detecting the activity level, in this embodiment, an acceleration sensor is provided in the main body (or a measurement unit). The acceleration sensor is not necessarily installed in the blood pressure monitor, and may be attached anywhere as long as it can detect the movement of the person being measured. However, the acceleration sensor and the main body are connected by a signal line.

  In addition to the acceleration sensor, an activity measuring unit and a pulse rate detecting unit are provided. The activity measuring unit according to the present embodiment has a function of detecting the number of steps of the person to be measured per unit time based on a signal from the acceleration sensor. In the present embodiment, the number of steps per unit time is referred to as “activity”. The unit time can be set arbitrarily, but is set as 5 minutes, for example. The activity level is not limited to the number of steps per unit time, and any amount may be used as long as it indicates the level of human activity.

  The pulse rate detection unit has a function of detecting the pulse rate based on the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave circuit.

  Using the sphygmomanometer having such a configuration, measurement is automatically started when the activity level is equal to or higher than a set threshold value, and thereafter, at a predetermined time interval, for a predetermined time period or a predetermined time period. Measure blood pressure as many times as necessary. More specifically, a threshold value is set in advance in the storage unit. Then, the activity level measurement unit refers to the value, and instructs the control unit to start blood pressure measurement when the activity level exceeds the value. Then, the control unit instructs each functional unit that measures blood pressure to perform an operation.

  The measurement result is displayed from the display unit, and is stored in the storage unit together with the measurement time and the activity value at the time of measurement. That is, the blood pressure measurement result is stored in association with the measurement time and the activity level. This makes it possible to perform blood pressure measurement in a situation where a physical load is applied.

  If you try to do this with a sphygmomanometer for measuring blood pressure continuously in the prior art, measure blood pressure continuously for a long time, and compare the activity level and blood pressure measurement value after measurement. Complicated work is required. In addition, since blood pressure must be continuously measured for a long time, there are problems such as a burden on the subject and insufficient battery capacity. On the other hand, according to the blood pressure monitor of the present embodiment, such a problem is solved.

  Alternatively, the measurement may be automatically started when the activity level is equal to or less than a set threshold value. Thereby, blood pressure measurement can be performed in a situation where no physical load is applied.

  Furthermore, by using the pulse wave number detection unit, it is possible to automatically start measurement when the activity level is equal to or lower than a preset threshold value and the pulse rate is equal to or higher than a preset pulse rate. When the activity level is low and the pulse rate is high, it is considered that a mental load has been applied. It is possible to perform blood pressure measurement at

  Alternatively, the measurement may be automatically started when the activity level is equal to or less than a preset threshold value and the pulse rate is equal to or less than a preset pulse rate. This enables measurement in a state where neither physical load nor mental load is applied.

  The combination of the activity level and the pulse rate used as the blood pressure measurement start trigger is not limited to the above, and may be arbitrarily set. For example, “activity is greater than or equal to a preset threshold and pulse rate is greater than or equal to a preset pulse rate”, “activity is greater than or equal to a preset threshold and pulse rate is less than or equal to a preset pulse rate”, “activity The degree is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, or the pulse rate is equal to or greater than a preset pulse rate, “the activity level is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, or the pulse rate is equal to or less than a preset pulse rate”, “the activity level is preset. It is possible to adopt conditions such as “the threshold value is greater than or equal to the preset pulse rate”, “the activity level is equal to or greater than the preset threshold value, or the pulse rate is equal to or less than the preset pulse rate”. is there.

  In each of the above measurement methods, when the state that triggers the start of blood pressure measurement continues for a long time, for example, the measurement may be performed after a certain period of time. Moreover, what is necessary is just to perform setting of which measurement method of each said measurement method is used from the input part with which a main-body part is equipped.

  In addition, by providing an input unit and a search unit described later, extracting a blood pressure value corresponding to the activity level input from the input unit, extracting a blood pressure value corresponding to the pulse rate input from the input unit, Furthermore, information including the activity level and the pulse rate corresponding to the blood pressure value input from the input unit can be extracted. Furthermore, it is possible to extract information including an action history.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to detect an abnormality such as, for example, that blood pressure does not increase despite high activity, without measuring blood pressure continuously for a long time. In addition, since the ear blood pressure monitor held in the ear portion is used, blood pressure can be measured even during activities such as walking, and the relationship between the activity level and blood pressure can be easily grasped. These cannot be realized by the conventional ABPM sphygmomanometer. In addition, the structure which measures a blood pressure based on an activity degree etc. can be employ | adopted not only to an ear | style blood pressure meter but other blood pressure meters.

(Configuration to record action history)
In the above-mentioned ear blood pressure monitor, the blood pressure measurement result is recorded with year / month / day / hour / minute / second information added, and the action history of the measured person is added with year / month / date / hour / minute / second information and recorded together with the blood pressure value The added configuration will be described. Thus, by recording the action history together with the time, it becomes possible to grasp the relationship between the activity level and the blood pressure and the action.

  FIG. 10 shows a configuration example of the main body in this case. As shown in FIG. 10, an input unit for data input and a search unit for data search are provided for the configuration of FIG. The input unit includes a keyboard or buttons. Further, as the input unit, a mechanism for directly inputting from a liquid crystal display as a display unit may be used.

  In the present embodiment, input items are displayed on the display unit, and selection is performed using the input unit. For example, the middle item is selected first, and then the input item is selected using a pull-down menu or the like. Of course, the action content may be directly input without using the menu selection. FIG. 11 shows an example of selection items. In addition, as input items for symptoms when there is a subjective symptom, there are “chest pain”, “palpitations”, “shortness of breath”, “vertigo”, “malaise”, and the like.

  The input data is stored in the storage unit with the current time (including year / month / day / hour / minute / second information) output from the timer added. Further, instead of automatically adding the time, the current time may be manually input. The user can select automatic or manual.

  In this way, since the action history can be stored in association with the time, it is easy to grasp what kind of action the blood pressure value measured at a constant time interval and stored in association with the time is. Can do. The process of storing the action history in the storage unit in association with the time and the process of storing the blood pressure measurement result in the storage unit in association with the time are executed under the control of the control unit.

  The action history and blood pressure data stored in the storage unit can be searched and displayed under various conditions. For example, when a range of a predetermined blood pressure value is input, search results (year / month / day / hour / minute / second, behavior history, symptom, systolic blood pressure value, diastolic blood pressure value, etc.) within the range are displayed in time series.

  More specifically, for example, it is possible to input “systolic blood pressure OO or more” and “diastolic blood pressure OO or more” and perform a search using these AND conditions or these OR conditions. The user can select AND or OR. It is also possible to search with an AND condition or an OR condition of “systolic blood pressure XX or lower” or “diastolic blood pressure XX or lower”. It should be noted that the input of the condition such as “systolic blood pressure OO or more” may be configured such that the condition can be selected by a pull-down menu or the like in addition to directly inputting a numerical value.

  Also, by inputting a specific action history as a search keyword, a search is performed using that action history as a key, and the search results (year / month / day / hour / minute / second, symptom, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure) are displayed in time series. It can also be displayed. Furthermore, symptoms may be used as search keywords.

  The search process described above may be performed by using a search unit, or by loading a search program in the storage unit and executing the search program by the control unit.

  Although various searches are possible as described above, the above search is not necessarily performed in the sphygmomanometer. For example, the behavior history, blood pressure value, and time data corresponding thereto may be transferred to a personal computer by the method described above, and the above search may be performed within the personal computer.

  Conventionally, there has been a problem that it is necessary to perform complicated work such as recording the action history by writing on paper and then comparing this record with the blood pressure value. However, according to the present embodiment, this problem is solved. To do.

  In addition, you may implement | achieve the process of the main-body part in embodiment described so far using a program. In that case, the program is stored in the storage unit, and the control unit (corresponding to the CPU of the computer) executes the program. The activity measurement unit, the pulse rate detection unit, the display unit, the input unit, which have been described so far, Implement processing such as the search unit. For example, the program is stored in a readable / writable memory, and is executed in the main body by setting the memory in the sphygmomanometer. In addition to the above, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a CD-ROM, or the like can be used as a recording medium for storing the program.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications can be made within the scope of the claims.

It is a structural diagram of the auricle. It is a figure which shows the basic structural example of the measurement part 30 of an ear | style blood pressure meter. It is a figure which shows the example of the mounting | wearing to the pinna of the ear type blood pressure monitor, and the structure of a main-body part. It is a figure which shows an example of the photoelectric sensor installed in a cuff. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the cuff pressure 74, the pulse wave signal 75 corresponding to the pulsation of the blood vessel, and the blood pressure waveform 70. It is a figure which shows the other example of the measurement part of an ear | style blood pressure meter. It is a figure which shows the example of the holding | maintenance part of a measurement part. It is a figure which shows the example at the time of uniting a measurement part and a main-body part. It is a structural example of the main-body part of the blood pressure meter in embodiment of this invention. It is the other structural example of the main-body part of the sphygmomanometer in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of an input item to a blood pressure meter.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 tragus, 2 pair of beads, 3 ear concha, 4 pairs of rings, 5 ear rings, 6 pairs of ring legs, 7 ear ring legs, 8 concha cavity 31 first arm, 32 second arm, 33, 34 cuff 35 support shaft, 36 air tube, 37 signal line, 40 distance variable mechanism, 41 rotating mechanism, 61 light emitting element, 62 light receiving element 10 pinna, 11 outer ear, 12 ear canal, 15 frame, 16 holding part, 17 sensing part, 18 Suspension

Claims (8)

An activity measuring means for measuring the activity of the measured person;
Comprising a pulse rate detection means for detecting the pulse rate of the measurement subject,
A sphygmomanometer that starts measuring blood pressure based on the activity measured by the activity measuring means and the pulse rate detected by the pulse rate detecting means ;
The blood pressure monitor is
A pressure application unit for applying pressure to the tragus;
And a detection unit for detecting a pulse wave in the tragus.
A blood pressure monitor characterized by that . The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, wherein the measurement is started when the activity level is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value and the pulse rate is equal to or higher than a preset pulse rate. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, wherein the measurement is started when the activity level is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value and the pulse rate is equal to or less than a preset pulse rate. Storage means for storing blood pressure measurement results;
A time measuring means for measuring time,
The blood pressure monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a blood pressure measurement result is stored in the storage means in association with a measurement time and an activity level. It has an input means to input activity,
The sphygmomanometer according to claim 4, wherein information including a blood pressure value corresponding to the degree of activity input from the input unit is extracted. It has an input means to input the pulse rate,
Information including a blood pressure value corresponding to the pulse rate input from the input means is extracted.
The sphygmomanometer according to claim 4. An input means for inputting a blood pressure value;
The sphygmomanometer according to claim 4, wherein information including an activity level or a pulse rate corresponding to a blood pressure value input from the input unit is extracted. Said pressure applying part has an arm sandwiching the tragus in the arm, the blood pressure meter according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure vessels of tragus.

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