JP6511501B2 - Biological information monitor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for monitoring biological information of a patient or the like.

  A device that measures biological information having periodically changing values such as arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and end expiratory carbon dioxide concentration (ETCO2), and is known to output voice in synchronization with the period of the biological information. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 3273295

  In the device described in Patent Document 1, the scale of the sound to be output is changed according to the value of the biological information to be measured, in order to enable the user to distinguish the measurement value without visual observation. However, it is difficult for the user without absolute sense of speech to distinguish the slight difference in scale and identify the measurement value.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for making it possible to identify measurement values without depending on the absolute pitch of the user in a biological information monitor that outputs voice corresponding to the measurement values.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect that the present invention can take is a biological information monitor,
A measurement unit that measures biological information having a periodically changing value;
An audio output unit that outputs an audio including a first sound and a second sound in synchronization with the period of the biological information;
And a voice control unit which causes the second sound to be output following the first sound and changes the second sound according to the value of the biological information.

  According to the above configuration, the sound (synchronization sound) output in synchronization with the period of the biological information includes the first sound and the second sound, and the second sound changes in accordance with the measurement value. In order to identify the difference between the first sound and the second sound, it is not necessary to have an absolute sense of sound, so it becomes easy to identify the measurement value based on the synchronization sound.

  The sound control unit may be configured to change at least one of a scale, a timbre, a number of sounds, a sound length, and a volume of the second sound.

  In particular, when the scale is changed, the absolute sound is not necessary to identify the change, so that it is easier to identify the measurement value based on the synchronization sound. In addition, since the measurement values can be easily associated with the scale, it is easy to intuitively identify the measurement values.

  The voice control unit may be configured to change the second sound when the value of the biological information is out of the normal range.

  Therefore, the user can recognize the subject's modulation only by the fact that the first sound and the second sound have changed. This enables quick response to the subject's modulation.

  Here, if the sound control unit controls the sound so as to continuously change the first sound to the second sound, it is possible to more easily recognize the change in the synchronization sound.

  Examples of the biological signal include end expiratory carbon dioxide concentration, blood oxygen saturation, and invasive blood pressure.

It is a functional block diagram showing composition of a monitor concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the audio | voice control processing which a monitor apparatus performs. It is a figure explaining the modification of the voice control processing which a monitor apparatus performs. It is a figure explaining the modification of the voice control processing which a monitor apparatus performs.

  Examples of embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the scale is appropriately changed in order to make each member have a recognizable size.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a monitor 10 (an example of a biological information monitor) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The monitor device 10 includes an instruction receiving unit 11, a control unit 12, a measuring unit 13, a display unit 14, and an audio output unit 15.

  The instruction receiving unit 11 is a man-machine interface provided on the outer surface of the monitor device 10, and is configured to be able to receive an instruction input by a user in order to cause the monitor device 10 to perform a desired operation.

  The control unit 12 includes a CPU for executing various arithmetic processing, a ROM for storing various control programs, a RAM used as a work area for data storage and program execution, and the like, and executes various controls in the monitor device 10 . The control unit 12 is communicably connected to the instruction receiving unit 11. The instruction receiving unit 11 inputs a signal corresponding to the received instruction to the control unit 12.

  The measurement unit 13 is communicably connected to a capnometer 20 provided outside the monitor device 10. The capnometer 20 is a sensor attached to the living body 100 to measure end tidal carbon dioxide concentration (ETCO2). ETCO 2 is an example of biological information that changes periodically according to the respiration of the living body 100. The capnometer 20 outputs a signal according to the value of ETCO2.

  The measurement unit 13 receives the signal output from the capnometer 20, and acquires a measured value of ETCO2. The measurement unit 13 is communicably connected to the control unit 12, and inputs the acquired measured value to the control unit 12.

  The display unit 14 is a man-machine interface provided on the outer surface of the monitor device 10, and includes a display for displaying visible information. The display unit 14 is communicably connected to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 generates a signal corresponding to the displayed information based on the measurement value of ETCO 2 acquired from the measurement unit 13 and inputs the signal to the display unit 14. The display unit 14 displays information according to the input signal. The information is displayed in an appropriate manner such as numerical values, characters, waveforms, colors and the like.

  The audio output unit 15 is configured to include a speaker and is communicably connected to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 generates a signal corresponding to the voice to be output based on the measured value of ETCO 2 acquired from the measurement unit 13, and inputs the signal to the voice output unit 15. The voice output unit 15 outputs voice according to the input signal.

  Specifically, a sound including the first sound and the second sound is output from the sound output unit 15 in synchronization with the period of the biological information. In addition, although the measured value of biological information fluctuates periodically, the cycle also fluctuates. For example, the measured value of ETCO2 periodically increases and decreases according to the subject's respiration. However, since the breathing cycle is not constant, the increase / decrease cycle of the measurement value is also not constant. "Synchronization" in the present specification means that a predetermined reference value is determined within the fluctuation range of the measurement value, and the timing at which the measurement value matches the reference value is used as a trigger for audio output.

  That is, the control unit 12 generates a signal that causes the sound output unit 15 to output a sound including the first sound and the second sound at timing when the measured value of ETCO 2 acquired from the measurement unit 13 matches the predetermined reference value. The signal is input from the control unit 12 to the audio output unit 15, and is output from the audio output unit 15 as a synchronization sound.

  The control unit 12 functions as an example of the voice control unit, and outputs the second sound following the first sound. That is, the above-mentioned synchronous sound is output from the audio output unit 15 with the first sound and the second sound following it as one unit.

  The control unit 12 is also configured to change the second sound according to the measured value of ETCO2. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the process performed by the control unit 12. The circle with the symbol S1 shown in the table indicates the first sound, and the circle with the symbol S2 shows the second sound. The higher the circle, the higher the scale, and the lower the circle, the lower the scale.

  In the present embodiment, the measured values of ETCO 2 are divided into three ranges. If the measured value is 35-40 mmHg, it is considered to be in the normal range. If the measured value exceeds 40 mm Hg, it is considered to be an outlier that is higher than the normal range. If the measured value is below 35 mm Hg, it is considered to be an outlier below the normal range.

  When the measured value is in the normal range, the control unit 12 generates an audio signal so that the second sound S2 of the same scale is output following the first sound S1 (for example, mi → mi). When the measured value is an abnormal value higher than the normal range, the control unit 12 causes the audio signal to be output so that the second tone S2 of the higher scale is output following the first tone S1 (for example, Mi → Soe). Generate At this time, the second sound S2 of the high scale is output a plurality of times (for example, Mi → S → S →) or the second sound S 2 is output for a longer time than usual (for example, M → →). May be When the measured value is an abnormal value lower than the normal range, the control unit 12 causes the audio signal to be output so that the second sound S2 of the lower tone is output following the first sound S1 (for example, mid->). Generate At this time, it is an aspect (for example, mi → do → do) in which the second sound S2 of the bass scale is output a plurality of times, or an aspect (for example, mi → do) in which the second sound S2 is output for a longer time than usual May be

  In order to distinguish the scale of the synchronization sound output as a single sound, an absolute sense of sound is necessary. Therefore, even if the relation between the scale of the synchronization sound and the measurement value is given in advance, it is difficult to directly distinguish the measurement value from the scale of the synchronization sound that has been heard. However, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the synchronous sound includes the first sound S1 and the second sound S2, and the second sound S2 changes in accordance with the measurement value. In order to identify the difference between the first sound S1 and the second sound S2, there is no need for an absolute sense of sound, so that it becomes easy to identify the measurement value based on the synchronization sound.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the control unit 12 changes the scale of the second sound S2 according to the measurement value. The identification of the measurement based on the synchronization sound is made easier, since absolute pitch is not necessary to identify changes in the scale. In addition, since the measurement values can be easily associated with the scale, it is easy to intuitively identify the measurement values.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 12 changes the second sound S2 when the measured value is out of the normal range. Therefore, the user can recognize the subject's modulation only by the fact that the first sound S1 and the second sound S2 have changed. This enables quick response to the subject's modulation.

  The above embodiments are for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. It is obvious that the present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and that the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  The sensor attached to the living body 100 is not limited to the capnometer 20. Any appropriate sensor may be used in addition to or instead of the capnometer 20 as long as the sensor detects biological information having a periodically changing value. For example, a pulse oximeter can be used to measure arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) whose value changes periodically according to the pulse. Similarly, a catheter for measuring an invasive blood pressure whose value changes periodically according to the pulse can be used.

  In the above embodiment, the scale of the second sound S2 is changed according to the measurement value. However, other attributes relating to speech may be changed in combination with changes in scale.

  FIG. 3A shows an example in which the sound length of the second sound S2 is changed. The control unit 12 changes the scale when the measurement value of the biological information acquired by the measurement unit 13 is not in the normal range, and the sound length of the second sound S2 is longer than the sound length of the first sound S1. Generate an audio signal.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to recognize the modulation of the subject based on the fact that the sound length of the second sound S2 is longer than the sound length of the first sound S1. Further, since the output of the second sound S2 after the scale change continues for a long time, it is easy to recognize the change of the scale.

  FIG. 3B shows an example of changing the volume of the second sound S2. The control unit 12 changes the scale when the measurement value of the biological information acquired by the measurement unit 13 is not in the normal range, and the audio signal so that the volume of the second sound S2 becomes larger than the volume of the first sound S1. Generate

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to recognize the modulation of the subject based only on the fact that the volume of the second sound S2 is higher than the volume of the first sound S1. Also, since the second sound S2 after the scale change is output at a large volume, it is easy to recognize the change in scale.

  Note that only the volume of the second sound S2 may be changed while keeping the scale of the second sound S2 the same as the scale of the first sound S1. For example, if the measured value is an abnormal value exceeding the normal range, the volume of the second sound S2 is made larger than the volume of the first sound S1, and if the measured value is an abnormal value below the normal range, the second The volume of the sound S2 may be smaller than the volume of the first sound S1.

  FIG. 3C shows an example of changing the tone of the second sound S2. When the measurement value of the biological information acquired by the measurement unit 13 is not within the normal range, the control unit 12 generates an audio signal so that the tone of the second sound S2 is different from the tone of the first sound S1 while maintaining the scale. Do.

  "The tone is different" refers to the case where the scales themselves are the same but sound differently. For example, if the first sound S1 is output as the sound of a wind instrument and the second sound S2 is output as the sound of a stringed instrument, different timbres can be obtained.

  According to such a configuration, the modulation of the subject can be recognized based on the fact that the tone of the second sound S2 is different from the tone of the first sound S1. Also, since it is not necessary to recognize the change in tone, it is easy to recognize the change in voice.

  In the above embodiment, the first sound S1 and the second sound S2 are composed of single tones. However, at least one of the first sound S1 and the second sound may be formed by overlapping a plurality of sounds having different scales, such as a chord. In this specification, a change from a single sound to a chord, a change from a chord to a single sound, and a change from one chord to another are also included in the case of “changing the scale”.

  In the above embodiment, the output of the first sound S1 and the output of the second sound S2 are performed discontinuously. However, as shown in (d) of FIG. 3, the synchronization sound may be output so as to continuously change from the first sound S1 to the second sound S2. In this case, it is possible to more easily recognize the change in the synchronization sound.

  In the above embodiment, the measurement value is divided into three ranges, and the synchronization sound is composed of two sounds S1 and S2. However, the number of divisions of the measurement value and the number of sounds constituting the synchronization sound are arbitrary as long as both are plural.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the measured value may be divided into five ranges. In this case, the range of the abnormal value above the normal range and the range of the abnormal value below the normal range are divided into a case of low urgency and a case of high urgency. When the measured value is in the abnormal range where the degree of urgency is high, the control unit 12 generates an audio signal so that the third sound S3 is output following the second sound S2. The relationship between the high and low of the measurement value and the high and low of the scale is the same as in the above embodiment.

  According to such a configuration, the user can easily recognize that the urgency of the situation in which the subject is placed is increasing by the fact that the number of sounds constituting the synchronization sound increases. Also, by adding the number of sounds to the item that changes the sound, the range of associated measurement values can be further subdivided.

  10: monitor device 12: control unit 13: measurement unit 15: audio output unit S1: first sound S2: second sound

Claims (3)

A measuring unit for obtaining a measurement of the biological information based on the periodically varying signal,
An audio output unit that outputs audio including at least a first sound and a second sound as one unit based on the measurement value ;
Wherein the operation to output subsequent to the same second sound and the first sound to the first sound, the sound floor, timbre, tone length, and at least one second sound different from the first sound volume A voice control unit that switches an operation of outputting the first sound following the first sound according to the degree of urgency of the biological information ;
Equipped with
Biological information monitor. The biological information monitor according to claim 1, wherein the sound control unit controls the scale, the timbre, or the volume so as to continuously change the first sound to the second sound. The biological information monitor according to claim 1, wherein the biological information is any one of end expiratory carbon dioxide concentration, blood oxygen saturation, and invasive blood pressure.

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