KR20150112226A - Apparatus and method for measuring pulse wave velocity by using body communication - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for measuring pulse wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention, which may include: an electrocardiogram module which obtains electrocardiogram signals of an object through at least one electrocardiogram electrode attached to a first part of the object; a bio-impedance module which obtains bio-impedance signals of the object through at least one bio-impedance electrode attached to a second part of the object and receives the electrocardiogram signals transferred through body communications of the object from the electrocardiogram module; and a signal processing unit which measures the pulse wave velocity of the object by using the electrocardiogram signals and the bio-impedance signals. The bio-impedance module includes a converting unit which converts the electrocardiogram signals and the bio-impedance signals into digital signals by sampling the electrocardiogram signals and the bio-impedance signals with a fixed sampling frequency and delivers the converted electrocardiogram signals and the bio-impedance signals to the signal processing unit.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MEASURING PULSE WAVE VELOCITY BY USING BODY COMMUNICATION [0002]

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for measuring a pulse wave velocity of a subject. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for measuring a pulse wave velocity of a subject using a human body communication.

U-Health, which combines IT and medical services to provide medical services such as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases at anytime and anywhere, has become an increasingly popular concern for the pursuit of high quality of life along with the worldwide well- It is getting bigger and bigger.

Utilizing the convergence of IT and medical technology, U-Health has created a platform for medical services in the daily life of home, school, office and so on, beyond the spatial limitation that medical service is done only in the hospital. In addition, through U-Health, the elderly, the disabled, and children will be able to regularly check their health status through various networks of wired and wireless in their daily life, and they will be able to maintain a high level of health through preventive measures. In addition, healthcare providers will be able to improve the quality of healthcare services by allowing them to review the status of their patients at any time.

A particularly important indicator in the medical field based on U-Health is the vital-sign, which represents the human metabolism. By constantly observing the vital sign, it is possible to identify the condition of the body, prevent various diseases in advance, and avoid the emergency situation.

In highly industrialized countries, cardiovascular disorders such as myocardial infarction, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension are common, which is one of the major causes of death. It is important to continuously measure the pulse wave velocity (PWV), which has a high correlation with cardiovascular disease, in order to prevent sudden death from such cardiovascular diseases.

Conventional techniques for measuring the pulse wave velocity can roughly be classified into three types. The first technique is a technique for measuring a pulse wave velocity using a Doppler ultrasound device. The Doppler ultrasound device has a drawback that it is expensive and has a large noise level against interference of the surrounding environment.

The second technique is a technique using electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG), which is widely used technology. However, PPG sensor for measuring pulse wave is expensive, And the sensor can not be integrated.

Finally, the third technique is a technique using a pressure sensor, which is disadvantageous in that it gives pain and inconvenience to the user because it is invasive to the testee.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a non-invasive method for the testee because the cost is low, the generation of noise due to the surrounding environment is small, and integration is possible.

In consideration of this demand, Patent No. 10-1056016 discloses a method of measuring a person's pulse wave transmission rate using a human electrocardiogram signal and a bio-impedance signal. The patent discloses a method of measuring an electrocardiogram signal and a bio- The ECG module and the bioimpedance module were each connected to the data processing module by wires for collecting by the data processing module. However, the wires connecting the electrocardiogram module and the data processing module and the wires connecting the bioimpedance module and the data processing module may be a great inconvenience to the user.

An apparatus and method for measuring a pulse wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention aims at not requiring a wire which may cause an inconvenience to a subject by using human body communication.

In addition, an apparatus and method for measuring a pulse wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an integrated ultra low-power sensor of low power.

Also, an apparatus and method for measuring a pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention aims at effectively synchronizing a sampling rate of an electrocardiogram signal and a bio-impedance signal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention,

An electrocardiogram module for acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the subject through at least one electrocardiographic electrode attached to a first part of the subject; A bioimpedance module for acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the target object through at least one bioimpedance electrode attached to a second portion of the target object and receiving the electrocardiogram signal transmitted through the human body communication of the target object from the electrocardiogram module; And a signal processing unit for measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject using the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal, wherein the bioimpedance module samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency, And a converting unit converting the signal and the bio-impedance signal into a digital signal, and transmitting the ECG signal and the bio-impedance signal converted into the digital signal to the signal processing unit.

The electrocardiogram module includes: a modulator for modulating an electrocardiogram signal of the subject; And a transmitting electrode for transmitting the modulated electrocardiogram signal to the bioimpedance module.

Wherein the bioimpedance module includes a receiving electrode for receiving the modulated electrocardiogram signal, wherein the converting unit comprises: an AD converter for sampling the bio-impedance signal at the predetermined sampling frequency to convert the bio-impedance signal into a digital signal; And a demodulation unit for demodulating the modulated electrocardiogram signal received by the receiving electrode at the predetermined sampling frequency and generating a demodulated electrocardiogram signal.

Wherein the at least one bioimpedance electrode includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode, wherein the bioimpedance module includes a first electrode, a second electrode, A current source for flowing current; And a voltmeter connected to the second electrode and the third electrode to obtain a potential difference generated by the measurement current as the bioimpedance signal.

Wherein the bioimpedance module includes an oscillator for generating an oscillation signal of a predetermined frequency, wherein the converting unit samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal by setting a predetermined frequency of the oscillation signal to the predetermined sampling frequency .

Wherein the signal processing unit obtains a pulse wave velocity of the subject using a pulse wave transmission time which is a time interval between an R peak value of the electrocardiogram signal and a pole value of the bioimpedance signal, And a pole value of the bioimpedance signal may correspond to a maximum value of the bioimpedance signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention,

A bioimpedance module for acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the subject through at least one bioimpedance electrode attached to a first portion of the subject; An electrocardiogram module for acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the target object through at least one electrocardiogram electrode attached to a second portion of the target object and receiving the bioimpedance signal transmitted through the human body communication of the target object from the bioimpedance module; And a signal processing unit for measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject using the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal, wherein the electrocardiogram module samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency, And a converting unit converting the bio-impedance signal into a digital signal, and transmitting the ECG signal and the bio-impedance signal converted into the digital signal to the signal processing unit.

A method for measuring a pulse wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

A method for measuring a pulse wave velocity by a pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus including an electrocardiogram module and a bio-impedance module, the method comprising: acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the subject through the at least one electrocardiogram electrode attached to a first portion of the subject; step; Acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the subject through the bioimpedance module through at least one bioimpedance electrode attached to a second portion of the subject; Transmitting the electrocardiogram signal from the electrocardiogram module to the bioimpedance module using human body communication of the subject; Converting the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal by sampling the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency in the bioimpedance module; And measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject based on the electrocardiogram signal converted into the digital signal and the bio-impedance signal converted into the digital signal.

According to another embodiment of the present invention,

A keyboard pedestal for measuring a pulse wave velocity of a subject, comprising: a main body supporting an arm of the subject; A first electrocardiogram electrode and a second electrocardiogram electrode positioned at a predetermined distance from each other on an upper surface of the main body to be attached to the first portion of the arm; An electrocardiogram module for acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the subject through the first electrocardiogram electrode and the second electrocardiogram electrode; At least one bioimpedance electrode positioned on an upper surface of the body portion to be attached to a second portion of the arm; A bioimpedance module for acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the target object through the at least one bioimpedance electrode and receiving the electrocardiogram signal transmitted through the human body communication of the target object from the electrocardiogram module; And a signal processing unit for measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject using the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal, wherein the bioimpedance module samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency, And a conversion unit converting the signal and the bio-impedance signal into a digital signal.

The apparatus and method for measuring pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention do not require wires that may cause inconvenience to a subject by using human body communication.

In addition, the apparatus and method for measuring pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide an integrated ultra low-power sensor of low power.

Also, the apparatus and method for measuring pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention can effectively synchronize the sampling rate of the ECG signal and the bioimpedance signal.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus for measuring a pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram showing electrocardiogram signals and bioimpedance signals measured from a subject.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in detail.
4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus for measuring a pulse-wave velocity according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a pulse wave velocity measuring method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing a keyboard pedestal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

The term " part " used in this embodiment means a hardware component such as software, FPGA, or ASIC, and 'part' performs certain roles. However, 'minus' is not limited to software or hardware. The " part " may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium and configured to play back one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, and by no means, the terms " component " or " component " means any combination of components, such as software components, object- oriented software components, class components and task components, Subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables. The functions provided in the components and parts may be combined into a smaller number of components and parts or further separated into additional components and parts.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus 100 for measuring a pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one electrocardiogram electrode 110, an electrocardiogram module 130, at least one bioimpedance electrode 150, a bioimpedance module 170, (190).

At least one electrocardiogram electrode 110 and electrocardiogram module 130 may be implemented as an integrated microchip or may be implemented as an electronic patch that may be attached to the skin of a subject. Also, at least one bioimpedance electrode 150 and the bioimpedance module 170 may be implemented as one integrated microchip, or may be implemented as an electronic patch that may be attached to the skin of a subject .

The signal processing unit 190 includes a microchip including at least one electrocardiogram electrode 110 and an ECG module 130 and a microchip including at least one bioimpedance electrode 150 and a bioimpedance module 170, Or may be included in a microchip including at least one bioimpedance electrode 150 and a bioimpedance module 170. [

At least one ECG electrode 110 is attached to the first portion of the object. The first portion of the object may include a plurality of points and may include various points from which the electrocardiogram signal of the object can be measured.

The electrocardiogram module 130 acquires the electrocardiogram signal of the object through at least one electrocardiogram electrode 110, performs predetermined signal processing on the obtained electrocardiogram signal, and then transmits the electrocardiogram signal through the human body communication of the object to the bio- Module 170. [ The human body communication is a communication using a human or animal body as one path for transmitting a predetermined signal, and the concept of human body communication is well known in the art, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

At least one bioimpedance electrode 150 is attached to the second portion of the object. The second portion of the object may include various points from which the bio-impedance signal of the object can be measured.

The bioimpedance module 170 acquires the bioimpedance signal of the object through at least one bioimpedance electrode 150 and receives the electrocardiogram signal transmitted from the electrocardiogram module 130 through human body communication.

The bioimpedance module 170 samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency, and converts the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into digital signals.

The signal processing unit 190 measures the pulse wave velocity of the object using the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal.

The pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits the electrocardiogram signal obtained through the electrocardiogram electrode 110 to the bioimpedance module 170 through human body communication, .

In addition, the pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 can measure a more accurate pulse wave velocity by sampling the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at the same sampling frequency in the bioimpedance module 170. In other words, even when the electrocardiogram module 130 samples the electrocardiogram signal at the first sampling frequency and the bioimpedance module 170 samples the bioimpedance signal at a second sampling frequency equal to the first sampling frequency, The first sampling frequency and the second sampling frequency may be different from each other. There arises a problem that an accurate pulse wave velocity can not be measured. Accordingly, the pulse-wave-velocity measuring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention samples both the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal in the bioimpedance module 170 so that the sampling frequency for the electrocardiogram signal and the sampling frequency for the bioimpedance signal Can be prevented from being different from each other.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, the bioimpedance module 170 transmits the bioimpedance signal to the electrocardiogram module 130 through human body communication, and the electrocardiogram module 130 converts the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal It is possible.

2 is a diagram showing an electrocardiogram signal and a bioimpedance signal obtained from a subject.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are the most frequently used diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in subjects. The electrocardiogram signal includes a plurality of parameters that can be evaluated genuinely, and the plurality of parameters include six pole values (P, Q, R peak, S, T, U). The six pole values can be divided into three peak values (P, R peak, T) and three minimum values (Q, S, U) ), Which is the second highest value among the three peak values (P, R peak, T), occurs at the moment when the myocardium begins to contract during the heartbeat. Therefore, the R peak (R peak) occurs regularly according to the heartbeat of the subject. Generally, the R peak value indicates the maximum value of the electrocardiogram signal.

The bioimpedance signal is used to measure the pulse wave velocity in the pulse wave velocity measurement apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention in place of the optical blood flow measurement signal (PPG signal) measured in the conventional optical blood flow measurement technique. In view of the fact that the impedance of the blood vessel changes finely according to the pulse wave in the blood vessel, the bioimpedance signal detects the potential difference of the blood vessel portion through which a minute current flows in a part of the body of the subject, Generated signal. That is, it means an electrical signal according to the change of the blood vessel impedance measured in the body of the subject. Therefore, like the optical blood flow measurement signal, the bioimpedance signal has a regular pole value synchronized with a peak value of an electrocardiogram signal, that is, an R peak value. The pole of the bioimpedance signal represents the maximum value of the bioimpedance signal.

Pulse transit time (PTT) is the time it takes for a pulse to travel from the subject's heart to the peripheral artery. 2, in the pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pulse wave transmission time PTT is divided into a time Trpeak at which the R peak value of the electrocardiogram signal is detected and a time at which the bio- And a time (Tpole) at which a pole value of the magnetic pole is detected. That is, the pulse wave transmission time PTT can be calculated as shown in the following equation (1).

[Equation 1]

PTT = Tpole-Trpeak

(D) between the pulse wave propagation time (PTT) calculated through Equation (1) and the point at which the bioimpedance signal from the heart is measured, that is, the point at which at least one bioimpedance electrode 150 is attached The pulse wave velocity can be measured. Specifically, it can be calculated according to the following equation (2).

&Quot; (2) "

Pulse wave velocity = d / PTT

Hereinafter, an apparatus 100 for measuring a pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing in detail the configuration of an apparatus 100 for measuring a pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The at least one electrocardiogram electrode 110 may include two electrocardiogram electrodes 110 and two electrocardiogram electrodes 110 may be attached around the heart of the subject 10, Any one electrocardiographic electrode 110 may be attached to the right cuff of the subject 10 and the other electrocardiogram electrode 110 may be attached to the left cuff. That is, the first part of the object 10 to which the at least one electrocardiogram electrode 110 is attached may include a plurality of points, and may include various points capable of measuring the electrocardiographic signal of the object 10 .

The electrocardiogram module 130 may include an electrocardiogram signal amplification unit 132, a modulation unit 134, a first amplification unit 136, and a transmission electrode 138.

The electrocardiogram signal amplifying unit 132 can generate the amplified electrocardiogram signal based on the electrocardiogram signal obtained from the at least one electrocardiogram electrode 110. [ In one embodiment, the electrocardiogram signal amplifying unit 132 may be implemented in the form of a device amplifier including three operational amplifiers. In this case, the electrocardiogram signal amplifying unit 132 may include three operational amplifiers and a plurality of resistive elements, and may have a high input impedance and a high common mode rejection ratio characteristic.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the electrocardiogram signal amplifying unit 132 may be connected to a band-pass filter and a notch filter.

The bandpass filter may pass a frequency of a certain frequency band among the amplified electrocardiogram signals. In one embodiment, the band-pass filter may be a second-order band-pass filter. In this case, the frequency passband of the bandpass filter may be between about 0.05 Hz and about 50 Hz.

The notch filter may remove the noise of the output signal of the band pass filter and provide the electrocardiogram signal to the modulator 134. In one embodiment, the notch filter may be designed to have a high Q value and inhibit the 60 Hz component. In this case, it is possible to remove only 60 Hz power supply noise.

The modulator 134 modulates the electrocardiogram signal and transmits the modulated electrocardiogram signal to the first amplifier 136. The modulator 134 can frequency modulate the electrocardiogram signal. That is, the frequency of the carrier wave can be modulated according to the intensity value of the electrocardiogram signal, and the frequency-modulated carrier wave can be transmitted to the first amplification unit 136.

The first amplifying unit 136 amplifies the electrocardiogram signal before the electrocardiogram signal is transmitted to the bioimpedance module 170 through human body communication. However, according to the embodiment, the first amplifying unit 136 may be omitted from the pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The transmission electrode 138 transmits the modulated electrocardiogram signal to the bioimpedance module 170 through human body communication of the target object 10.

At least one bioimpedance electrode 150 may be attached to the second portion of the object 10. For example, at least one bioimpedance electrode 150 may include a first electrode 152, a second electrode 154, a third electrode 156, and a fourth electrode 158, (152, 154, 156, 158) may all be attached to the arms of the object (10).

The bioimpedance module 170 includes a current source 171, a bioimpedance signal amplification unit 172, a reception electrode 173, a second amplification unit 174, a demodulation unit 175, an AD converter 179 and an oscillator 180 ). The demodulation unit 175 and the AD converter 179 may be included in the conversion unit described above.

The current source 171 supplies a measurement current to the target body 10 through the first electrode 152 and the fourth electrode 158 and a voltmeter (not shown) connected to the second electrode 154 and the third electrode 156, Obtains a potential difference generated by the measuring current. The function of the voltmeter, that is, the function of acquiring the potential difference through the second electrode 154 and the third electrode 156, may be performed by the bio-impedance signal amplifier 172 described later. In this case, the voltmeter may be omitted from the pulse-wave-velocity measuring device 100. [

The bioimpedance signal amplifying unit 172 can amplify the potential difference of the second part of the target object 10 detected through the second electrode 154 and the third electrode 156 to generate an amplified bioimpedance signal. In one embodiment, the bioimpedance signal amplification unit 172 may be implemented in the form of an instrumentation amplifier including three operational amplifiers. Alternatively, the bioimpedance signal amplifying unit 172 can be implemented with only passive components, and can be designed with low power, and the common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) can be improved through a chopping technique.

Although not shown in Fig. 3, the bioimpedance signal amplifying part 172 may be connected to an envelope detector and a band-pass filter. The envelope detector can detect the envelope of the amplified bioimpedance signal. The band pass filter may pass the frequency of a certain band among the output signals of the envelope detector and provide it to the AD converter 179.

The receiving electrode 173 receives the modulated electrocardiogram signal transmitted from the transmitting electrode 138.

The second amplifying unit 174 can amplify the electrocardiogram signal having a weakened intensity while being transmitted through human body communication. However, according to the embodiment, the second amplifying unit 174 may be omitted from the pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The oscillator 180 generates an oscillation signal having a predetermined frequency and provides the generated oscillation signal to the AD converter 179 and the demodulation unit 175. The oscillator 180 may include a silicon oscillator, thereby enabling integration of the bioimpedance module 170.

The demodulator 175 demodulates the modulated electrocardiogram signal received by the receiving electrode 173 based on a predetermined frequency of the oscillation signal, and generates a demodulated electrocardiogram signal. More specifically, the demodulator 175 may include a counter 176, a D-FF (D-filp-flop) 177, and an adder 178.

The counter 176 detects how many cycles of electrocardiogram signals are received during one cycle of the oscillation signal generated from the oscillator 180 and the adder 178 adds the output values of the counter 176 and the D- And generates a demodulated electrocardiogram signal based on the digital signal. That is, the demodulator 175 generates a quantized value of the electrocardiogram signal based on the number of cycles of the electrocardiogram signal detected every one cycle of the oscillation signal. Since the frequency modulation adjusts the frequency of the carrier according to the intensity of the signal, the demodulator 175 measures the number of cycles of the modulated ECG signal for one period of the oscillation signal, quantizes the measured value, The electrocardiogram signal can be converted into a digital signal while demodulating the signal. Techniques for demodulating a frequency-modulated analog signal into a digital signal have been used in the art, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

The AD converter 179 converts the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal by sampling the bioimpedance signal with a predetermined frequency of the oscillation signal as a sampling frequency. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the AD converter 179 may be connected to a quantization unit that quantizes the sampled bioimpedance signal. In accordance with an implementation, the AD converter 179 may include a time-based AD converter using a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), thereby achieving performance improvements over the process, Thereby reducing power consumption.

The AD converter 179 and the demodulator 175 of the pulse-wave-velocity measuring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention detect an electrocardiogram signal and a bio-impedance signal according to a predetermined frequency of an oscillation signal generated from one oscillator 180, The sampling frequency for the electrocardiogram signal and the sampling frequency for the bioimpedance signal can be prevented from being different from each other and there is no need to provide a clock to the electrocardiogram module 130 side.

Each of the AD converter 179 and the demodulator 175 transfers the bioimpedance signal converted into the digital signal and the electrocardiogram signal demodulated into the digital signal to the signal processor 190. The signal processor 190 converts the bio- And the ECG signal received from each of the demodulation unit 175 and the demodulation unit 175, respectively.

It has been described above that the bioimpedance module 170 transmits the bioimpedance signal to the electrocardiogram module 130 through human body communication and the electrocardiogram module 130 can convert the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal. 4, the modulating unit 134, the first amplifying unit 136, and the transmitting electrode 138 of the electrocardiogram module 130 will be located in the bioimpedance module 170, and the bioimpedance The receiving electrode 173 of the module 170, the second amplifying unit 174, the demodulating unit 175, the oscillator 180 and the AD converter 179 will be placed in the electrocardiogram module 130.

5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a pulse wave velocity measuring method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the pulse-wave velocity measuring method according to an embodiment of the present invention is comprised of the steps of time-series processing in the pulse-wave-velocity measuring apparatus 100 shown in FIG. Therefore, it is understood that the contents described above with respect to the pulse-wave-velocity measuring apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 apply to the pulse-wave-velocity measuring method of FIG. 5, even if omitted from the following description.

In step S510, the pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 acquires an electrocardiogram signal of the subject through the electrocardiogram module 130 through at least one electrocardiogram electrode 110 attached to the first part of the subject.

In step S520, the pulse-wave-velocity measuring apparatus 100 acquires the bioimpedance signal of the subject through the bioimpedance module 170 through at least one bioimpedance electrode 150 attached to the second portion of the subject.

In step S530, the pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 transmits an electrocardiogram signal from the electrocardiogram module 130 to the bioimpedance module 170 using the human body communication of the subject. The pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 may frequency-modulate the electrocardiogram signal and transmit the frequency-modulated electrocardiogram signal to the bioimpedance module 170 before transmitting the electrocardiogram signal to the bioimpedance module 170.

In step S540, the pulse-wave-velocity measuring device 100 samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bio-impedance signal with a predetermined sampling frequency to convert the electrocardiogram signal and the bio-impedance signal into digital signals. The pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus 100 can acquire a demodulated electrocardiogram signal by demodulating the modulated electrocardiogram signal based on a predetermined sampling frequency.

In step S550, the pulse-wave-velocity measuring device 100 measures the pulse-wave velocity of the subject based on the electrocardiogram signal converted into the digital signal and the bio-impedance signal converted into the digital signal.

6 is a view showing a keyboard pedestal 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 100 for measuring a pulse-wave velocity according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as the keyboard pedestal 600 shown in FIG.

The keyboard support 600 may include a body 610, an electrocardiogram electrode 630, a bioimpedance electrode 650, an electrocardiogram module, a bioimpedance module, and a signal processor.

The body portion 610 supports the arm of the object. The main body portion 610 is located on one side of the keyboard, and can support the arm of the target body when the target body desires to use the keyboard.

The electrocardiogram electrode 630 includes two electrocardiographic electrodes 630 and each of the two electrocardiographic electrodes 630 is positioned at a predetermined distance from each other on the upper surface of the main unit 610. As shown in FIG. 6, each of the two electrocardiographic electrodes 630 may be attached to the right arm and the left arm of the subject by a predetermined distance from each other.

The bioimpedance electrode 650 is positioned on the upper surface of the main body portion 610 so as to be attached to the second portion of the arm. The bioimpedance electrode 650 may include four electrodes as described above.

The electrocardiogram module may be implemented as a microchip together with any one electrocardiographic electrode 630 of two electrocardiographic electrodes 630, or may be located inside the main unit 610. The transmitting electrode 138 of the electrocardiogram module may also be included in one of the two electrocardiographic electrodes 630.

The bioimpedance module may be implemented as a microchip together with the bioimpedance electrode 650, or may be located inside the main body 610. The reception electrode 173 of the bioimpedance module described above may be included in the bioimpedance electrode 650.

The electrocardiogram module can apply a predetermined signal processing to the electrocardiogram signal obtained through the two electrocardiographic electrodes 630 and transmit the electrocardiogram signal to the bioimpedance module through the transmitting electrode 138. [

The bioimpedance module may convert the bioimpedance signal obtained through the bioimpedance electrode 650 and the electrocardiogram signal received through the receiving electrode 173 to a digital signal at a predetermined sampling frequency.

The signal processing unit may be included in the microchip including the bioimpedance electrode 650 and the bioimpedance module, or may be located inside the main body 610. The signal processor may measure the pulse wave velocity of the subject using the electrocardiogram signal converted into the digital signal and the bioimpedance signal converted into the digital signal.

The keyboard pedestal 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention can measure the pulse wave velocity of a subject by simply supporting the arm on the keyboard pedestal 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention to use the keyboard .

The above-described embodiments of the present invention can be embodied in a general-purpose digital computer that can be embodied as a program that can be executed by a computer and operates the program using a computer-readable recording medium.

The computer readable recording medium may be a magnetic storage medium such as a ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, etc., an optical reading medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD and a carrier wave such as the Internet Lt; / RTI > transmission).

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

100: pulse wave velocity measuring device
110: Electrocardiogram electrode
130: ECG module
150: bioimpedance electrode
170: bioimpedance module
190: Signal processor
600: keyboard stand
610:
630: electrocardiogram electrode
650: bioimpedance electrode

Claims (9)

An electrocardiogram module for acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the subject through at least one electrocardiographic electrode attached to a first part of the subject;
A bioimpedance module for acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the target object through at least one bioimpedance electrode attached to a second portion of the target object and receiving the electrocardiogram signal transmitted through the human body communication of the target object from the electrocardiogram module; And
And a signal processing unit for measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject using the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal,
Wherein the bioimpedance module samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency to convert the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal and outputs the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal, And transmits the pulse wave velocity measurement result to the signal processing unit.
The method according to claim 1,
The electrocardiogram module comprises:
A modulator for modulating the electrocardiogram signal of the object; And
And a transmitting electrode for transmitting the modulated electrocardiogram signal to the bioimpedance module.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the bioimpedance module comprises:
And a receiving electrode for receiving the modulated electrocardiogram signal,
Wherein,
An AD converter for sampling the bio-impedance signal at the predetermined sampling frequency to convert the bio-impedance signal into a digital signal; And
And a demodulator for demodulating the modulated electrocardiogram signal received by the receiving electrode at the predetermined sampling frequency to generate a demodulated electrocardiogram signal.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one bioimpedance electrode comprises:
A first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode,
Wherein the bioimpedance module comprises:
A current source for passing a measurement current to the target object through the first electrode and the fourth electrode; And
And a voltmeter connected to the second electrode and the third electrode to obtain a potential difference generated by the measurement current as the bioimpedance signal.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the bioimpedance module comprises:
And an oscillator for generating an oscillation signal of a predetermined frequency,
Wherein,
Wherein the sampling means samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal with the predetermined frequency of the oscillation signal as the predetermined sampling frequency.
The method according to claim 1,
The signal processing unit,
The pulse wave velocity of the subject is obtained using a pulse wave transmission time which is a time interval between the R peak value of the ECG signal and the pole value of the bioimpedance signal,
Wherein the R peak value of the electrocardiogram signal corresponds to a third pole value among a plurality of pole values appearing in the electrocardiogram signal and a pole value of the bioimpedance signal corresponds to a maximum value of the bioimpedance signal. Measuring device
A bioimpedance module for acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the subject through at least one bioimpedance electrode attached to a first portion of the subject;
An electrocardiogram module for acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the target object through at least one electrocardiogram electrode attached to a second portion of the target object and receiving the bioimpedance signal transmitted through the human body communication of the target object from the bioimpedance module; And
And a signal processing unit for measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject using the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal,
Wherein the electrocardiogram module samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency to convert the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal and outputs the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal, And transmits the pulse wave velocity measurement signal to a signal processing unit.
A method for measuring a pulse wave velocity by a pulse wave velocity measuring apparatus including an electrocardiogram module and a bioimpedance module,
Acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the subject through the electrocardiogram module through at least one electrocardiogram electrode attached to a first portion of the subject;
Acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the subject through the bioimpedance module through at least one bioimpedance electrode attached to a second portion of the subject;
Transmitting the electrocardiogram signal from the electrocardiogram module to the bioimpedance module using human body communication of the subject;
Converting the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal by sampling the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency in the bioimpedance module; And
And measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject based on the electrocardiogram signal converted into the digital signal and the bio-impedance signal converted into the digital signal.
A keyboard pedestal for measuring a pulse wave velocity of a subject,
A main body supporting an arm of the target object;
A first electrocardiogram electrode and a second electrocardiogram electrode positioned at a predetermined distance from each other on an upper surface of the main body to be attached to the first portion of the arm;
An electrocardiogram module for acquiring an electrocardiogram signal of the subject through the first electrocardiogram electrode and the second electrocardiogram electrode;
At least one bioimpedance electrode positioned on an upper surface of the body portion to be attached to a second portion of the arm;
A bioimpedance module for acquiring a bioimpedance signal of the target object through the at least one bioimpedance electrode and receiving the electrocardiogram signal transmitted through the human body communication of the target object from the electrocardiogram module; And
And a signal processing unit for measuring a pulse wave velocity of the subject using the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal,
Wherein the bioimpedance module samples the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal at a predetermined sampling frequency to convert the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal into a digital signal and outputs the electrocardiogram signal and the bioimpedance signal, And a conversion unit for transferring the converted signal to the signal processing unit.

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