JP5405860B2 - Sphygmomanometer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sphygmomanometer having an air bag that presses an upper arm of a person to be measured inserted therein, and a pressurizing unit that supplies air to the air bag.

  Home blood pressure monitors are becoming popular so that blood pressure can be measured on a daily basis for health management. It is desirable that a home sphygmomanometer not only accurately measures blood pressure but also has a simple operation method, is inexpensive, and is compact.

  An arm-in sphygmomanometer (see, for example, Patent Document 1) is suitable for home use because blood pressure can be automatically measured simply by inserting the upper arm and operating a predetermined button.

  There are mainly Korotkoff method and oscillometric method for blood pressure measurement methods in sphygmomanometers. In the Korotkoff method, a sensor for detecting Korotkoff sound (hereinafter also referred to as K sound) is provided in the air bag, and blood pressure values (maximum blood pressure and minimum blood pressure) are obtained based on the pressure state of the air bag and the generation and disappearance of the K sound. . The Korotkoff method is characterized by the fact that the blood pressure value can be obtained with high accuracy and the K sound is detected by bringing the sensor into close contact with the upper arm, so there is no influence of the capacity of the air bag. Affected by.

  In the oscillometric method, the blood pressure value is obtained based on the pressure state of the air bag and the fluctuation state of the arterial wave of the air bag. The oscillometric method is characterized by the fact that the sensor can be placed anywhere as long as it communicates with the air bag and is less affected by ambient noise and vibrations. Fluctuation is less likely to occur and the measurement error increases. That is, the Korotkoff method and the oscillometric method each have advantages and disadvantages.

Japanese Patent No. 3826938

  For arm-in sphygmomanometers (ie, methods that do not require air bags to be wrapped around the upper arm to measure blood pressure), the cylindrical housing is set to a reasonably large diameter so that it can be measured even with a thick upper arm Has been. On the other hand, the internal air bag is configured to be sufficiently inflatable toward the inner diameter side so that measurement can be performed even for a thin upper arm.

  However, in order to enable sufficient expansion in this way, it is necessary to increase the capacity of the air bag, and the oscillometric method decreases the measurement accuracy. For this reason, a sphygmomanometer equipped with a winding mechanism that winds a spiral air bag to reduce the capacity of the air bag has been put into practical use. Soaring is inevitable.

  In the sphygmomanometer described in Patent Document 1, the air bag is made into two layers, a cylindrical flexible member which can be expanded and contracted is provided between them, and the flexible bag is compressed by inflating the fluid bag for compressing the outer flexible member. The diameter of the sex member is reduced, and then the living body is compressed by the inner layer air bag for compressing the living body. According to such a sphygmomanometer, a winding mechanism for winding the air bag is unnecessary, and a relatively simple and inexpensive sphygmomanometer can be obtained.

  However, in the sphygmomanometer described in Patent Document 1, the flexible member provided between the two layers of air bags is reduced in diameter by the outer layer flexible member compression fluid bag, Is set to a large diameter so that the thick upper arm does not touch it. Therefore, the fluid bag for compressing the flexible member needs to have a pressure enough to reduce the diameter of the flexible member.

  In addition, providing a two-layer air bag is not always simple and inferior in assemblability.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sphygmomanometer with high measurement accuracy with a simpler and less expensive configuration.

  The sphygmomanometer according to the present invention is provided by being rolled up, and a support band that can be expanded by elastic flexibility, is provided inside the support band, and compresses the upper arm of the measurement subject inserted therein. An air bag, a fixing means for fixing and releasing a part of the support band so that the diameter of the support band does not expand, and a pressurizing means for supplying air to the air bag. When the air bag is in a non-pressurized state, the support band is expanded through the air bag by inserting an upper arm therein, and then the support band is fixed by the fixing means. It is characterized by that.

  As described above, since the support band is elastically expanded by inserting the upper arm therein, the air bag is crushed in that state. Since the support band is fixed so as not to expand further by the fixing means, the air bag can be compressed by slightly inflating, so the capacity of the air bag is small, and blood pressure measurement accuracy is sufficient. Is expensive. An air bag take-up mechanism is unnecessary, and it is simple and inexpensive.

  The inner diameter of the support band at the initial stage may be 50 mm to 80 mm.

  The support band may be rolled into a vortex shape, one end on the outer layer side may be fixed to the base body, and the fixing means may be fixed and released at the overlapping portion of the support band. By fixing the overlapping portion, the support band can be stably fixed.

  The fixing means may be interlocked with the actuator and automatically perform a fixing operation by an operator's blood pressure measurement start operation, and may automatically perform a releasing operation upon completion of blood pressure measurement. Thereby, simple operability is obtained.

  The fixing means may have one or more advancing and retreating parts that advance and retreat, and the support band may be provided with a group of holes in which the advancing and retreating parts are fitted in the circumferential direction. Thereby, a fixing means can be automated easily.

  The fixing means may be a clamper that holds a part of the support band.

  The actuator may be driven by the pressurizing means.

  According to the sphygmomanometer according to the present invention, since the support band is elastically expanded by inserting the upper arm therein, the air bag is crushed in that state. Since the support band is fixed so as not to expand further by the fixing means, the air bag can be compressed by slightly inflating, so the capacity of the air bag is small, and blood pressure measurement accuracy is sufficient. Is expensive. An air bag take-up mechanism is unnecessary, and it is simple and inexpensive.

It is a perspective view of the sphygmomanometer according to the present embodiment. It is a front view of the sphygmomanometer according to the present embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the arm band in this Embodiment. It is a perspective view of a support belt. It is a perspective view of the air bag of the developed state. It is a perspective view of the air bag of the developed state. It is a cross-sectional front view of the armband with the upper arm inserted. It is a block block diagram of the main body in this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of blood-pressure measurement. It is a block block diagram of the main body which concerns on a modification. It is a front view of a sphygmomanometer using a clamper as a fixing means.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the sphygmomanometer according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the sphygmomanometer 10 according to the present embodiment is a so-called arm-in type, and an arm band (also referred to as a cuff or a manchette) 12 into which the upper arm of the measurement subject is inserted. And a main body (base body) 16 that supports the armband 12. The sphygmomanometer 10 is a desktop type and is driven by a commercial AC power supply or a battery (including a secondary battery). 1 and 2, the cloth cover 38 is omitted so that the armband 12 can be visually recognized.

  The main body 16 includes a housing 30 having a cylindrical insertion portion into which the upper arm of the person to be measured is inserted, a pressurizing means 18 for supplying air to the arm band 12, and a control for measuring the blood pressure of the person to be measured. A display unit 22 for displaying the blood pressure obtained by the control unit 20, and an operation button 24;

  The housing 30 has, for example, a weight of about 350 g, an outer diameter of about 140 mm, and an inner diameter of about 135 mm. The housing 30 may be separate from the main body 16 (the pressurizing unit 18, the control unit 20, the display unit 22, and the operation button 24).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the armband 12 is disposed inside the insertion portion of the housing 30. The arm band 12 is provided with two actuators 32 arranged in parallel in the axial direction, a support band 34 that is provided in a spiral shape inside the insertion portion of the housing 30 and can be expanded in diameter by elastic flexibility, and a support An air bag 36 (also referred to as an air bag or a bladder) that is provided inside the belt 34 and presses the upper arm of the measurement subject inserted therein, and a flexible cloth cover 38 that covers these members so as not to be exposed. Have The housing 30 has, for example, a weight of about 350 g, an outer diameter of about 140 mm, and an inner diameter of about 135 mm. The housing 30 may be integrated with the main body 16. The cloth cover 38 is formed of a stretch material that can expand and contract in the axial direction and the circumferential direction. The cloth cover 38 includes a cylindrical cover main body and two ring-shaped frames provided at both ends of the cover main body.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the arm band 12 further includes a cloth cover 38 inserted into the housing 30 in a state where the support band 34 and the air bag 36 are arranged, and both ends of the housing 30 (of the insertion portion). The cloth cover 38 is assembled by fitting the cloth cover 38 into the insertion opening and the insertion opening).

  The actuator 32 is a solenoid, a cylinder, or the like, and can advance and retract a pin (fixing means, advance / retreat portion) 32a. The advancing / retreating direction of the pin 32 a is a radial direction with respect to the housing 30. The actuator 32 is fixed to the lower portion of the housing 30 or the main body 16. In the initial state, the pin 32a is degenerated by a weak spring and / or its own weight.

  The air bag 36 is connected to the pressurizing means 18 by the tube 14, is supplied and exhausted, and has an annular shape so as to press the upper arm of the measurement subject inserted therein over the entire circumference.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the support band 34 is, for example, a thin resin plate and can be expanded in diameter by elastic flexibility in the bending direction as a plate material, but elongation and distortion occur in addition to flexibility. Hard material that is difficult. Therefore, the support band 34 does not transmit pressure fluctuation to the outside or attenuate pressure fluctuation.

  The support band 34 has a curled shape when there is no external force. When the air bag 36 is in a non-pressurized state at the beginning of blood pressure measurement, the upper arm is inserted into the support band 34 to The diameter is expanded via the bag 36. When the upper arm of the measurement subject is thin, the diameter is slightly increased, and when the upper arm is thick, the diameter is increased greatly.

  The support band 34 is set to have an inner diameter D of 50 mm to 80 mm so that the support band 34 can be appropriately wound even in the case of a thick upper arm as well as a thin upper arm. When the inner diameter is set to 80 mm or less, the diameter can be increased moderately even when a thin upper arm is inserted, and the upper arm can be contacted. By setting the inner diameter to 50 mm or more, a thick upper arm is obtained. Easy to insert.

  The outer layer end 34a of the support band 34 is provided with two holes 37 through which the pins 32a are inserted. The hole 37 is sufficiently larger than the pin 32a. The support band 34 is provided with two rows of hole groups 39 into which the pins 32a are fitted. In the hole group 39, two rows are arranged in parallel in the circumferential direction corresponding to the two actuators 32, and extend from the vicinity of the inner layer end by an appropriate length along the circumferential direction. The pitch of each hole in the hole group 39 is set to be moderately narrow. The outer layer end 34 a of the support band 34 is fixed to the lower end portion of the housing 30.

  In the following description of the armband 12 and its components, the vertical direction in which the upper arm is inserted is the X direction, and the direction along the circumference of the housing 30 is the Y direction. When the person to be measured inserts the upper arm in the armband 12, the side close to the elbow is set to the X1 side, and the side close to the shoulder is set to the X2 side. In order to make it easier to understand the insertion direction of the upper arm of the armband 12, for example, the X1 direction side may be slightly narrowed.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the air bladder 36 is formed of a resin sheet 40. The resin sheet 40 is a transparent urethane sheet having a width of about 120 mm and a length of about 420 mm, for example.

  The resin sheet 40 is folded in half at the center in the Y-direction bend line 48 and the periphery is welded into a bag shape to form a base body of the air bag 36. The resin sheet 40 has a nozzle 50 at the end. The nozzle 50 is, for example, urethane vinyl chloride, and is connected to the tube 14. In the resin sheet 40, the inner peripheral portion (X1 side from the bent line 48 in FIG. 6) is the inner peripheral surface 40a, and the outer peripheral portion (X2 side from the bent line 48 in FIG. 6) is the outer peripheral surface. 40b. At the end of the inner peripheral surface 40a, a folding allowance 40c that is folded back with respect to the outer peripheral surface 40b is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the arm band 12, the outer peripheral surface 40 b of the air bag 36 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the support band 34, and when the support band 34 is fixed by the actuator 32, it does not spread further outward. . The inner peripheral surface 40a of the air bag 36 is moved inward by being pressurized from the pressurizing pump 78, and the diameter of the air bag 36 is reduced. When air is supplied to the air bag 36, the air bag 36 can be appropriately pressurized and inflated toward the inner diameter side to compress the periphery of the upper arm. This applied pressure is controlled based on a signal from the pressure sensor 86 (see FIG. 8).

  As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 20 is a part that integrally controls the entire sphygmomanometer 10, and is configured based on a CPU 60, and includes an A / D converter 66, a pump driver 68, and the like. The exhaust valve driver 70, the lock driver 72, and the storage unit 76 are included.

  The pressurizing means 18 includes a pressurizing pump 78, an exhaust valve 80, a pressure sensor 86, and the like. The A / D converter 66 converts the analog signal of the pressure sensor 86 into a digital value and supplies it to the CPU 60. The pump driver 68, the exhaust valve driver 70, and the lock driver 72 control the pressurizing pump 78, the exhaust valve 80, and the actuator 32 under the action of the CPU 60. The exhaust valve 80 can control the degree of opening so that the internal pressure of the air bladder 36 can be gradually reduced.

  The storage unit 76 is a part that stores programs of the CPU 60, variables, blood pressure measurement values, and the like, and includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, and the like.

  As a software processing unit, the CPU 60 includes a calculation unit 87 for obtaining blood pressure by an oscillometric method based on a pulse wave component obtained through the pressure sensor 86, a sequence unit 88 for defining an operation procedure of blood pressure measurement, and a calculation unit 87. And a result determination unit 90 for evaluating the obtained blood pressure value.

  The result determination unit 90 determines whether the blood pressure value obtained by the calculation unit 87 is appropriate, and if it is normal, displays the value on the display unit 22. Here, the term “normal” means that the signal state is appropriate, not as a health barometer. The result determination unit 90 displays a predetermined error when the blood pressure value obtained by the calculation unit 87 is not normal.

  The result determination unit 90 may determine whether the blood pressure value is appropriate, for example, whether the pulse is weak and the pulse wave cannot be recognized and the blood pressure cannot be determined.

  The sequence unit 88 controls the operation of each unit based on the operation of the operation button 24. In general, when the blood pressure measurement is started by the operation button 24, the air bag 36 is pressurized while controlling the pressurizing pump 78 and monitoring the signal of the pressure sensor 86. Thereafter, the air valve 36 is depressurized by controlling the exhaust valve 80.

  The sequence unit 88 monitors the operation of the operation button 24, and performs a predetermined process corresponding to a predetermined interruption operation during blood pressure measurement. Moreover, display control of a pulse value, a past measurement value, etc. is performed based on a predetermined operation. The sequence unit 88 controls the procedure shown in FIG.

  Next, the operation of the sphygmomanometer 10 configured as described above will be described. In the sphygmomanometer 10, the exhaust valve 80 is opened in the initial state, and the air bag 36 is in a non-pressurized state. The pin 32a of the actuator 32 is degenerated.

  First, the person to be measured inserts the upper arm A into the arm band 12 as shown in FIG. Since the inner diameter D of the support band 34 at the initial stage is 50 mm to 80 mm (see the phantom line in FIG. 7), the support band 34 is interposed via the air bag 36 by inserting the upper arm into the arm band 12. Will be expanded. In this state, the support band 34 is moderately soft so as not to be blocked.

  The air bag 36 is sandwiched between the support band 34 and the upper arm and is elastically biased, and its volume is substantially zero. Even if some air remains in the air bag 36, it is discharged from the exhaust valve 80.

  Next, when the measurement subject operates the operation button 24, measurement of blood pressure is started under the action of the control unit 20.

  In step S1 of FIG. 9, the exhaust valve 80 is closed.

  In step S2, each pin 32a protrudes from the two actuators 32 and is inserted into one of the holes in the inner layer side hole group 39 in the support band 34, and fixed so that the support band 34 does not further expand in diameter. Although the pin 32a may not be inserted into any hole of the hole group 39 depending on the diameter of the support band 34, the pin 32a may be moved by slightly moving the upper arm or by expanding the air bag 36 in a later step S3. 32a is inserted into one of the holes.

  In step S <b> 3, the pressurizing pump 78 is driven to supply air to the air bag 36.

  In step S <b> 4, the control unit 20 monitors the internal pressure applied to the air bladder 36 and the tube 14 based on a signal from the pressure sensor 86.

  In step S5, the end of pressurization to the air bladder 36 is determined while monitoring the internal pressure. That is, when there is almost no gap between the air bag 36 and the support belt 34 when the air bag 36 is inflated, the internal pressure immediately rises. Therefore, it is confirmed that the air pressure has risen to a predetermined ischemic pressure, and the process proceeds to step S6. When pressurization to air bag 36 is continued, it returns to Step S4.

  Thus, since the air bag 36 is inflated from the lightly crushed state by the support band 34, the amount of expansion is sufficiently small, and the air bag 36 may have a small capacity.

  In step S6, pressurization by the pressurization pump 78 is terminated.

  In step S7, the exhaust valve 80 is appropriately opened, and the air bag 36 is depressurized to about 2 to 5 mmHg / sec. In order to obtain a stable measurement state, the air bag 36 is depressurized at a substantially constant speed.

  In step S <b> 8, the calculation unit 87 detects the magnitude of the pulse wave obtained from the pressure sensor 86. At this time, the air bag 36 has a sufficiently small capacity, and when the artery opens and a pulse wave is generated, the pulse wave is easily transmitted to the pressure sensor 86.

  In step S9, the calculation unit 87 temporarily determines the systolic blood pressure value based on the sudden increase in the pulse wave amplitude. If no pulse wave is generated or is sufficiently small, the process returns to step S8.

  The pulse wave amplitude further increases and reaches its peak. This pressure is the mean blood pressure. Thereafter, the pulse wave amplitude decreases, and at a certain pressure, the pulse wave amplitude rapidly decreases.

  In step S <b> 10, the calculation unit 87 temporarily determines the minimum blood pressure value based on the sudden decrease in the pulse wave. When the pulse wave has not decreased, the process returns to step S8.

  In step S11, the exhaust valve 80 is opened, the air bag 36 is exhausted, and the internal pressure is set to zero. The air bag 36 is elastically pressed by the support band 34 and can be quickly exhausted.

  In step S <b> 12, each pin 32 a is retracted and removed from the hole in the inner layer side hole group 39 in the support band 34. As a result, the support band 34 is opened, and the measurement subject can remove the upper arm from the arm band 12.

  As described above, the support band 34 is fixed and opened by the pin 32a in accordance with the fully closed timing (steps S1 and S2) and the open timing (steps S11 and S12) of the exhaust valve 80.

  In step S13, the result determination unit 90 determines whether or not the systolic blood pressure value and the diastolic blood pressure value tentatively obtained in steps S9 and S10 are appropriate.

  In step S14, the determined maximum blood pressure value and minimum blood pressure value are displayed on the display unit 22 in units of mmHg or Pa. The display unit 22 may display additional information such as a pulse and a pulse pressure. When there is an abnormality, a predetermined error is displayed.

  Thus, according to the sphygmomanometer 10 according to the present embodiment, when the air bag 36 is in the non-pressurized state at the beginning of blood pressure measurement, the support band 34 is inflated by inserting the upper arm therein. The diameter is expanded via the bag 36. As a result, the support band 34 is lightly squeezing the upper arm alone in that state, and the air bag 36 is sandwiched between the support bands 34, so that the subsequent expansion amount can be small and the capacity can be reduced. Thus, it is easy to detect the signal of the pressure sensor 86 and the measurement accuracy is high. One air bag 36 is sufficient for the blood-blocking means, which is simple and excellent in assemblability.

  The sphygmomanometer 10 does not require a winding mechanism for winding the air bag 36 and is simple and inexpensive.

  The support band 34 is rolled into a vortex shape, the outer layer end 34 a is fixed to the main body 16, and the actuator 32 is fixed and released at the overlapping portion of the support band 34. By fixing the overlapping portion of the support band 34 in this way, the support band 34 can be stably fixed.

  The pin 32a is interlocked with the actuator 32, and automatically performs a fixing operation by an operator's blood pressure measurement start operation, and automatically performs a releasing operation upon completion of blood pressure measurement, so that a simple operability can be obtained.

  The pin 32a as a fixing means of the support band 34 can be simply and reliably fixed by fitting into any hole of the hole group 39, and automation is easy. A pair of pins 32a and hole groups 39 are provided apart in the X direction, and the support band 34 can be stably fixed.

  The actuator 32 is electrically controlled by the lock driver 72, but may be pneumatically driven by a pressurizing pump 78 as shown in FIG. This simplifies the structure and simplifies the control procedure. That is, it is not necessary for the CPU 60 and the sequence unit 88 to generate an independent signal for driving the actuator 32, and the pin 32 a is protruded by driving the pressurizing pump 78 and the exhaust valve 80 is opened to degenerate. Can be made.

  The fixing means for the support band 34 is not limited to the pin 32a, and a clamper 92 that holds the overlapping portion of the support band 34 may be used as shown in FIG. In this case, it is preferable to provide a large number of streaks extending in the X direction on the opposing surface of the overlapping portion of the support band 34 to prevent circumferential displacement. The clamper 92 is driven by the actuator 32 and is preferably operated in reverse to the pin 32a. The fixing means of the support band 34 may be a manual type by lever operation or the like.

  The sphygmomanometer according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Blood pressure monitor 12 ... Arm band 14 ... Tube 16 ... Main body 18 ... Pressurizing means 20 ... Control part 32 ... Actuator 32a ... Pin (fixing means)
34 ... support band 34a ... outer layer end 36 ... air bag 39 ... hole group 78 ... pressure pump 80 ... exhaust valve 86 ... pressure sensor 92 ... clamper (fixing means)

Claims (7)

A support band that is rolled up and expandable by elastic flexibility;
An air bag that is provided inside the support band and compresses the upper arm of the measurement subject inserted therein;
Fixing means for fixing and releasing a part of the support band so as not to expand the diameter;
Pressurizing means for supplying air to the air bag;
Have
The orthotic, when the air bag at the initial time of blood pressure measurement start is in a non-pressurized state, the upper arm is enlarged through the bladder by being inserted into,
Said fixing means includes a said Rukoto that having a actuator automatically fixing the support band on the basis of the operator of the blood pressure measurement start operation, automatically unlock the said support band with the blood pressure measurement ends Blood pressure monitor. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1,
The inner diameter of the support band, sphygmomanometer to feature that the 50mm~80mm in the initial stage. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1 or 2,
The support band is rounded into a vortex shape, one end on the outer layer side is fixed to the base body,
The sphygmomanometer, wherein the fixing means is fixed and released at an overlapping portion of the support band. The blood pressure monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The pressurizing means has an exhaust valve that regulates the discharge of air from the air bag in a closed state and permits the discharge of air from the air bag in an open state;
The sphygmomanometer, wherein the actuator fixes the support band based on closing of the exhaust valve and releases the support band based on opening of the exhaust valve. The sphygmomanometer according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The actuator has one or more advancing and retreating parts that advance and retreat,
A sphygmomanometer, wherein a hole group into which the advance / retreat portion is fitted is arranged in the support band in the circumferential direction. The sphygmomanometer according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The sphygmomanometer, wherein the actuator includes a clamper that holds a part of the support band. The sphygmomanometer according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The sphygmomanometer, wherein the actuator is driven by the pressurizing means.

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