KR101025611B1 - Blood flow measurement apparatus having piezoresistive sensor and blood flow measurement method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a blood flow measuring device and a blood flow measuring method provided with a piezoresistive sensor, and more particularly, to a blood flow measuring device and a blood flow measuring method including a piezoresistive sensor capable of measuring the flow of blood according to a temperature change. It is about. Means for achieving this, a blood flow measuring unit having a piezoresistive sensor for measuring the temperature distribution according to the blood flow at regular intervals; And a blood flow receiver connected to the blood flow measurement unit for receiving and recording a resistance value measured by the blood flow measurement unit. According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether blood in blood vessels normally flows through a plurality of piezoresistive layers provided in the piezoresistive sensor, thereby making it possible to measure a wide range and minute blood flow. In addition, blood flow can be measured and managed at regular intervals, thereby preventing the development of circulatory diseases. In addition, since the structure of the piezoresistive sensor is simple, the device using the piezoresistive sensor can be miniaturized, and it can be used for portable measurement of blood flow regardless of the place.

Blood flow, blood flow measurement device, piezoresistive sensor, matrix structure

Description

Blood flow measuring device with piezoresistive sensor and blood flow measuring method using same {Blood flow measurement apparatus having piezoresistive sensor and blood flow measurement method

The present invention relates to a blood flow measuring device and a blood flow measuring method provided with a piezoresistive sensor, and more particularly, to a blood flow measuring device and a blood flow measuring method including a piezoresistive sensor capable of measuring the flow of blood according to a temperature change. It is about.

Most diseases of the human circulatory system are caused by poor blood flow. Blood flow refers to the flow of blood that travels through blood vessels in humans and animals to supply oxygen and nutrients, and to transport waste products. If this blood flow is not smooth, the human body will not normally exchange nutrients and waste products.

Blood is not normal flow due to a variety of causes, the most common causes are smoking, modern people stress due to complex lifestyle patterns or exposure to electromagnetic waves from the use of mobile phones. In particular, if the blood flow of capillaries distributed in the hands or feet is not smooth, hands and feet may experience cold and numbness. In addition, blood clots in the blood vessels, the blood flow is not smooth, may cause health problems.

In order to maintain a smooth blood flow, blood flow must be measured and managed from time to time.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to measure the blood flow temperature of the blood vessel resistance sensor and blood flow measurement device equipped with a piezoresistance sensor that can measure the flow of blood flowing through the blood vessel and To provide a blood flow measurement method.

As a means for achieving the above object,

Blood flow measurement unit provided with a piezoresistive sensor for measuring the temperature distribution according to the blood flow at a constant cycle; And a blood flow receiver connected to the blood flow measurement unit for receiving and recording a resistance value measured by the blood flow measurement unit.

In addition, the piezoresistive sensor is a plate-shaped substrate; A plurality of lower electrode layers disposed parallel to each other on one surface of the substrate; A plurality of upper electrode layers vertically arranged in a matrix structure with each lower electrode layer and installed in parallel with each other; A plurality of piezoresistive layers disposed between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer; And a resistance measurement unit connected to the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer for measuring a change in resistance value according to an external temperature change.

In addition, the substrate is characterized by being formed of polyethylene or glass.

In addition, the piezoresistive layer is provided at a point where the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer intersect.

In addition, the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer is characterized in that they are installed in parallel with each other at intervals of 1 ~ 3mm.

In addition, the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer is characterized in that each formed in a strip form.

In addition, the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer is characterized in that formed of gold, silver or aluminum in the form of a plate.

In addition, the piezoresistive layer is characterized by being formed with a reduced pressure ink.

In addition, the reduced pressure ink is characterized by being formed by screen printing or inkjet printing.

In addition, the piezoresistive layer is characterized by being formed with a width of 1 to 3mm, a length of 1 to 3mm, a height of 10 to 15mm.

In addition, the blood flow measuring unit body portion that the piezoresistive sensor is installed on one surface; And a band part provided at the body part to fix the body part to a body part for measuring blood flow.

In addition, the body portion data transmission unit for transmitting the resistance value measured by the resistance measurement unit to the outside; And a power supply unit connected to the data transmission unit to supply power.

In addition, the blood flow measurement unit is characterized in that the insulating layer is further provided on the upper surface to protect the piezoresistive sensor.

In addition, the blood flow measurement unit is characterized in that connected to the blood flow receiver and the wire.

In addition, the blood flow receiver includes a data receiver for receiving a signal for the changed resistance value transmitted from the blood flow measurement unit; A converter for converting the resistance value received by the data receiver into a temperature distribution; A display unit displaying the temperature distribution converted by the converter; And a memory unit in which the temperature distribution converted by the converter is stored.

In addition, the blood flow measurement method using the above-described blood flow measuring device comprises the steps of measuring the temperature of the blood flowing in the blood vessels after fixing to the body; Measuring the changed resistance value of the piezoresistive layer provided in the piezoresistive sensor by the measured temperature in the resistance measuring unit; Transmitting the resistance through the data transmitter of the blood flow measurement unit; Receiving the transmitted resistance value through the data receiver of the blood flow receiver; Converting the received resistance value into a temperature distribution in a conversion unit; And storing and displaying the converted temperature distribution.

In addition, the blood flow measurement unit in the transmitting step is characterized in that connected to the blood flow receiving unit by wire.

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether blood in blood vessels normally flows through a plurality of piezoresistive layers provided in the piezoresistive sensor, thereby making it possible to measure a wide range and minute blood flow.

In addition, blood flow can be measured and managed at regular intervals, thereby preventing the development of circulatory diseases.

In addition, since the structure of the piezoresistive sensor is simple, the device using the piezoresistive sensor can be miniaturized, and it can be used for portable measurement of blood flow regardless of the place.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, in adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings.

In addition, in the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

1 is a perspective view of a blood flow measuring device including a blood flow measuring unit and a blood flow receiving unit provided with a piezoresistive sensor according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the blood flow measuring apparatus 1 includes a blood flow measuring unit 300 connected to the blood flow measuring unit 200 and a wired line 290.

Blood flow measurement unit 200 is composed of a body portion 220 and the band portion 250. Body portion 220 is formed in a flexible plate shape to be worn on a portion for measuring the blood flow of the human body, such as a human wrist. At this time, the piezoresistive sensor 100 is attached to one surface of the body part 220 to measure blood flow using a change in the resistance value of the piezoresistive sensor 100 according to the temperature change. Band portion 250 is formed of a structure that can be easily fixed to the body portion 220, wrist or ankle, the bar, preferably using a rubber band or Velcro fasteners. On the upper surface of the piezoresistive sensor 100 of the blood flow measuring unit 200, a heat insulating layer 230 for protecting the installed piezoresistive sensor 100 to maintain a temperature is further formed. That is, at this time, the thickness of the heat insulation layer 230 is formed so that the resistance value of the piezoresistive sensor 100 can be changed by an external temperature change.

The blood flow receiver 300 receives a resistance value measured by the piezoresistive sensor 100 provided in the blood flow measurement unit 200, converts a temperature distribution according to the resistance value, and displays it on the display unit 328.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a piezoresistive sensor according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the piezoresistive sensor 100 installed in the blood flow measuring unit 200 has upper and lower electrode layers 120 and 130 formed in a matrix structure on the substrate 110 and the substrate 110. And a piezoresistive layer 140.

The substrate 110 is formed of polyethylene (PE) or glass in the form of a plate.

On the upper surface of the substrate 110, a plurality of lower electrode layers 120 are provided in a strip form. The upper electrode layer 130 is disposed in parallel with each other on the upper surface of the lower electrode layer 120. At this time, the plurality of upper electrode layers 130 and the lower electrode layers each made of gold, silver, or aluminum in the form of a plate are installed perpendicular to each other to form a matrix structure. In addition, the upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120 are provided on the substrate 110 in parallel with each other at intervals of 1 to 3 mm, respectively.

In this case, the piezoresistive layer 140 is formed as a reduced pressure ink, and a plurality of piezoresistive layers 140 are disposed between the upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120. The carbon particles contained in the reduced pressure ink react sensitively to small external temperature changes to change the resistance value. That is, when the external temperature is changed, the resistance value is changed by the carbon particles included in the piezoresistive layer 140, so that the external temperature change can be confirmed through the change in the resistance value. In addition, through the wide range of electrode layers and the plurality of piezoresistive layers 140, the blood flow may be measured in each piezoresistive layer 140 in a wide range, and the blood flow according to the temperature change of the minute capillary portion may be measured. . The reduced pressure ink forms the piezoresistive layer 140 through screen printing or ink jet printing. The piezoresistive layer 140 is formed to have a size of 1 to 3 mm in width, 1 to 3 mm in length, and 10 to 15 mm in height. At this time, if the horizontal and vertical sizes of the piezoresistive layer 140 are too small, the area of contact with the electrode layer is small so that the external temperature cannot be transmitted smoothly. In addition, if the height of the piezoresistive layer 140 is less than 10 mm, the sensitivity of the temperature decreases, and if it is larger than 15 mm, the piezoresistive layer 140 may be easily broken by an external temperature change.

In this case, the lower electrode layer 120 is formed in the masking pattern on the substrate 110, and the lower electrode layer 120, the upper electrode layer 130, and the piezoresistive layer 140 are also formed in the masking pattern. In addition, by controlling the number of the upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120, the number of piezoresistive layers 140 installed at the intersections of the respective electrode layers can be adjusted, so that the fine temperature using the plurality of piezoresistive layers 140 can be adjusted. The change can be measured.

4 is a block diagram of the blood flow measurement unit shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the body 220 of the blood flow measuring unit 200 is connected to the piezoresistive sensor 100 and measured with a resistance measuring unit 222 for measuring a resistance value changed by an external temperature. The data transmitter 224 for transmitting the resistance value and the power transmitter 226 for supplying power in connection with the data transmitter 224 are formed. The resistance measuring unit 222 is connected to the lower electrode layer 120 and the upper electrode layer 130, respectively, and measures the resistance value and calculates the changed resistance value of the piezoresistive layer 140 provided at the intersection point. The power supply unit 226 uses a battery or a piezoelectric generator.

5 is a block diagram of the blood flow receiver shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the blood flow receiver 300 includes a data receiver 324, a converter 326, a display 328, and a memory 329. The data receiver 324 receives the resistance value transmitted from the data transmitter 224 of the blood flow measuring unit 200, and the converter 326 converts the received resistance value into a temperature distribution according to each resistance value. The converted temperature distribution is displayed by numbers or graphs through the display unit 328. In this case, the converted temperature distribution may be stored in the memory unit 329 according to the measured position and time of each piezoresistive layer 140 to compare and analyze periodically measured blood flow. In addition, the blood flow measurement device 1 can specify a time for the user to measure the blood flow, it is possible to periodically measure the blood pressure.

The power supply unit 226 of FIG. 4 may be installed in FIG. 5.

Hereinafter, a method of measuring blood flow using the blood flow measuring apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of measuring blood flow using a blood flow measuring apparatus equipped with a piezoresistive sensor according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, first, the body part 220 of the blood flow measuring part 200 is fixed to the band part 250 so that the piezoresistive sensor 100 is positioned at a portion of which blood flow is to be measured. Blood flow measurement unit 200 is in direct contact with the human skin to measure the temperature change of blood flowing in the blood vessels (S100).

The temperature of the capillaries through which the blood passes is higher than the temperature of the non-capillary portion. Therefore, the carbon particles in the piezoresistive layer 140 in contact with the capillaries are changed in resistance value by temperature change, and the changed resistance value is the resistance measurement unit 222 connected to the upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120. It is measured at (S200).

The measured resistance value is transmitted from the data transmitter 224 to the blood flow receiver 300 (S300).

At this time, the transmitted resistance value is received by the data receiver 324 of the blood flow receiver 300 connected by the wire 290 (S400).

The received resistance value is converted into a temperature distribution in the converter 326. In other words, because the capillary and non-capillary blood passing portion is a minute temperature difference occurs it can be determined whether the flow of blood flow and the degree of blood flow through the temperature difference (S500).

The temperature distribution of the blood flow thus converted is displayed by the display unit 328 as a number or a graph. In addition, the measured blood flow information is stored in the position of each piezoresistive layer 140, and stored in the memory unit 329 for each piezoresistive layer 140, and periodically the body (back of the hand, instep, waist, shoulder, neck, etc.) It is possible to determine whether the blood flows properly.

7A is a plan view of a piezoresistive sensor composed of two upper electrode layers and two lower electrode layers. As shown in FIG. 7A, when the piezoresistive sensor 100 is configured of two upper electrode layers 130 and two lower electrode layers 120, the resistance values measured in the respective piezoresistive layers 140 are represented by It can be calculated using Equation 1]. The lower electrode layer 120 is represented by A1 and A2, respectively, and the upper electrode layer 130 is represented by B1 and B2. In this case, the resistance value measured in the piezoresistive layer 140 provided at the intersection of A1 and B1 is represented by R11, and the resistance value measured in A1 and B1 is represented by R _A1B1 . .)

That is, the resistance measuring unit 222 is connected to the resistance layer 140 and the upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120 which are the measurement targets, respectively, to calculate the changed resistance value according to the external temperature change.

7B is a plan view of a piezoresistive sensor composed of three upper electrode layers and three lower electrode layers. As shown in FIG. 7B, the resistance values of the piezoresistive layer 140 to be measured using the three upper electrode layers 130 and the lower electrode layers 120 may be calculated through Equation 2 below. .

That is, it is possible to measure the resistance value in the piezoresistive sensor 100 composed of a plurality of upper electrode layers 130 and lower electrode layers 120 by using the equation as described above.

8 is a graph showing a temperature distribution measured using a piezoresistive sensor composed of ten upper and lower electrode layers, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, the temperature change graph 500 shows that the temperature changes according to the resistance value changed by using the ten lower electrode layers 120 and the ten upper electrode layers 130 as the X and Y axes. .

1 is a perspective view of a blood flow measuring device including a blood flow measuring unit and a blood flow receiving unit provided with a piezoresistive sensor according to the present invention.

2 is an exploded perspective view of a piezoresistive sensor according to the present invention.

3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG.

Figure 4 is a block diagram of the blood flow measurement unit shown in FIG.

5 is a block diagram of the blood flow receiver shown in FIG.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of measuring blood flow using a blood flow measuring apparatus equipped with a piezoresistive sensor according to the present invention.

7A is a plan view of a piezoresistive sensor composed of two upper electrode layers and two lower electrode layers.

7B is a plan view of a piezoresistive sensor composed of three upper electrode layers and three lower electrode layers.

8 is a graph showing a temperature distribution measured using a piezoresistive sensor composed of ten upper and lower electrode layers, respectively.

1: blood flow measurement device 100: piezoresistive sensor

110 substrate 120 lower electrode layer

130: upper electrode layer 140: piezoresistive layer

200: blood flow measurement unit 220: body

222: resistance measurement unit 224: data transmission unit

226: power supply section 250: band section

290: mammary gland 300: blood flow receiving unit

324: data receiver 326: converter

328: display unit 329: memory unit

500: temperature change graph 230: heat insulation layer

Claims (17)

Blood flow measurement unit 200 is provided with a piezoresistive sensor 100 for measuring the temperature distribution according to the blood flow at a constant cycle; And And a blood flow receiver 300 connected to the blood flow measurement unit 200 to receive and record a resistance value measured by the blood flow measurement unit 200. The piezoresistive sensor 100 A substrate 110 in the form of a plate; A plurality of lower electrode layers 120 disposed on one surface of the substrate 110 in parallel with each other; A plurality of upper electrode layers 130 perpendicular to each of the lower electrode layers 120 and installed in a matrix structure in parallel to each other; A plurality of piezoresistive layers 140 disposed between the lower electrode layer 120 and the upper electrode layer 130; And The piezoresistive sensor comprises a; resistance measurement unit 222 connected to the lower electrode layer 120 and the upper electrode layer 130 for measuring a change in resistance value according to an external temperature change. Blood flow measurement device. delete The method of claim 1, The substrate 110 is a blood flow measurement device having a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that formed of polyethylene or glass. The method of claim 1, The piezoresistive layer 140 is provided with a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that it is installed at the point where the upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120 intersects. The method of claim 1, The upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120 is provided with a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that installed in parallel with each other at intervals of 1 ~ 3mm. The method of claim 5, The upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120 is provided with a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that each formed in a strip form. The method of claim 6, The upper electrode layer 130 and the lower electrode layer 120 is a blood flow measurement device having a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that formed of a plate-shaped gold, silver or aluminum. The method of claim 4, wherein The piezoresistive layer 140 is a blood flow measurement device having a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that formed by a reduced pressure ink. The method of claim 8, The decompression ink is blood flow measurement device having a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that formed by screen printing or inkjet printing. The method of claim 8, The piezoresistive layer 140 is a blood flow measurement device having a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that formed in the horizontal 1 ~ 3mm, vertical 1 ~ 3mm, height 10 ~ 15mm. The method of claim 1, The blood flow measuring unit 200 A body part 220 in which the piezoresistive sensor 100 is installed on one surface; And And a band part 250 provided at the body part 220 to fix the body part 220 to a body part for measuring blood flow. The method of claim 11, The body portion 220 is A data transmitter 224 for transmitting the resistance value measured by the resistance measurer 222 to the outside; And And a power resistance unit 226 connected to the data transmitter 224 for supplying power. The method of claim 11, The blood flow measuring unit 200 is provided with a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that the upper surface further comprises a heat insulating layer 230 for protecting the piezoresistive sensor 100 and maintaining the temperature. The method of claim 1, The blood flow measuring unit 200 is a blood flow measuring device having a piezoresistive sensor, characterized in that connected to the blood flow receiving unit 300 and the wired (290). The method of claim 1, The blood flow receiver 300 is A data receiver 324 which receives a signal for a resistance value transmitted from the blood flow measuring unit 200; A converter 326 converting the resistance value received by the data receiver 324 into a temperature distribution; A display unit 328 for displaying the temperature distribution converted by the conversion unit 326; And And a memory unit (329) for storing the temperature distribution converted by the conversion unit (326). A method of measuring blood temperature flowing through blood vessels after fixing the blood flow measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 or 3 to 15 (S100); Measuring the changed resistance value of the piezoresistive layer (140) provided in the piezoresistive sensor (100) by the measured temperature in the resistance measuring unit (222) (S200); Transmitting the resistance through the data transmitter 224 of the blood flow measuring unit 200 (S300); Receiving the transmitted resistance value through the data receiver 324 of the blood flow receiver 300 (S400); Converting the received resistance value into a temperature distribution in a conversion unit (326) (S500); And Storing and displaying the converted temperature distribution (S600); Blood flow measurement method using a blood flow measurement device comprising a. The method of claim 16, In the transmitting step (S300), the blood flow measurement unit 200 is a blood flow measurement method using a blood flow measurement device, characterized in that connected to the blood flow receiver 300 and the wired (290).

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