sphygmomanometer

Abstract

The blood pressure monitor of the present invention is a blood pressure monitor (100) having an automatic blood pressure measurement mode that automatically starts blood pressure measurement according to a predetermined schedule, wherein the blood pressure monitor (100) comprises: a blood pressure monitor body (20) worn on a measured part (210); and a plurality of operating units (40) provided on the blood pressure monitor body for inputting different instructions. The operating units include an automatic blood pressure measurement mode operating unit (42B) for inputting an automatic blood pressure measurement mode instruction for switching the mode to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. The blood pressure monitor includes a limiting unit (110) for limiting the function of the operating unit when the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operating unit is operated to set the blood pressure monitor to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a blood pressure monitor, and more particularly to a blood pressure monitor having an automatic (sleep time) blood pressure measurement mode. Background Art

[0002] Generally, in order to reliably investigate the blood pressure of the subject, it is preferred to perform blood pressure measurement at the same time every day. In addition, the blood pressure measurement also needs to be performed in the subject's daily life. Therefore, it is preferred to use a blood pressure monitor that does not put as much physical burden on the subject as possible. Patent document 1 discloses a wrist-type blood pressure monitor that automatically performs blood pressure measurement when a preset time is reached to meet this requirement. With the above-mentioned wrist-type blood pressure monitor, for example, blood pressure measurement can be automatically performed even at night when the subject is asleep without disturbing the subject's sleep.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Rep. No. 2012 / 018029 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] On the other hand, the sleeping subject may easily turn over, causing the measurement posture, especially the wrist direction, to change. In this case, the switch provided on the wrist blood pressure monitor body may be pressed by bedding, etc. and erroneously operated, which may make it impossible to perform automatic blood pressure measurement.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a blood pressure monitor that can prevent the automatic blood pressure measurement from being incorrectly performed due to unintentional operation when the automatic blood pressure measurement mode is set.

[0009] Means used to solve problems

[0010] In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the blood pressure meter of the present invention has an automatic blood pressure measurement mode that automatically starts blood pressure measurement according to a predetermined schedule, characterized in that:

[0011] The blood pressure monitor has:

[0012] The main body of the blood pressure monitor worn on the part to be measured; and

[0013] A plurality of operation sections provided on the blood pressure monitor body for inputting different instructions,

[0014] The operation unit includes an automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit that inputs an automatic blood pressure measurement mode instruction for switching the mode to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0015] The sphygmomanometer includes a restriction unit that restricts a function of the operation unit when the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit is operated to set the sphygmomanometer to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0016] In this specification, the "operating unit" typically refers to a switch provided on the main body of the blood pressure monitor, which receives instructions from the user (mainly the subject) by turning on the switch. Furthermore, the blood pressure monitor itself may be operated by instructions received via wireless communication from a smartphone or the like located outside the monitor.

[0017] “Limiting” the function of the operation unit includes, for example, a state in which no instruction is input even when the user operates the operation unit, and a state in which it is difficult to input an instruction, such as requiring the user to long-press a switch.

[0018] In the blood pressure monitor of the present invention, for example, while the subject is wearing the blood pressure monitor body on the measured area, they can input an automatic blood pressure measurement mode instruction for switching the mode to an automatic blood pressure measurement mode that automatically starts blood pressure measurement according to a predetermined schedule, using an automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit included in a plurality of operation units for inputting different instructions. When the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, a restriction unit restricts the function of the operation unit. This prevents situations in which automatic blood pressure measurement cannot be correctly performed due to unintentional operation when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. Consequently, automatic blood pressure measurement can be performed accurately.

[0019] In one embodiment of the sphygmomanometer, it is characterized in that:

[0020] The operation unit includes a normal blood pressure measurement operation unit for inputting the blood pressure measurement instruction of a normal blood pressure measurement mode for performing blood pressure measurement according to the input blood pressure measurement instruction.

[0021] The limiting unit limits blood pressure measurement according to the blood pressure measurement instruction of the normal blood pressure measurement operation unit when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0022] In this embodiment of the blood pressure monitor, when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the limiting unit limits blood pressure measurement according to the blood pressure measurement instruction from the normal blood pressure measurement operation unit (for inputting a blood pressure measurement instruction for the normal blood pressure measurement mode). This prevents the blood pressure monitor from being interrupted and performing unintended blood pressure measurement while the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0023] In one embodiment of the sphygmomanometer, it is characterized in that:

[0024] The operation unit includes a power instruction operation unit for inputting an instruction to turn on or off the power of the blood pressure monitor.

[0025] The restriction unit restricts operation of the power instruction operation unit to turn off the power of the blood pressure monitor when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0026] In this embodiment of the blood pressure monitor, when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the limiting unit limits the possibility of turning off the blood pressure monitor's power by operating the power instruction operation unit (inputting an instruction to turn the blood pressure monitor's power on or off). This prevents the blood pressure monitor from being accidentally turned off when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. Consequently, automatic blood pressure measurement can be performed reliably.

[0027] In one embodiment of the sphygmomanometer, it is characterized in that:

[0028] The restriction unit restricts release of the automatic blood pressure measurement mode when the sphygmomanometer is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0029] In this embodiment of the blood pressure monitor, the limiting unit limits the release of the automatic blood pressure measurement mode when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. This prevents the automatic blood pressure measurement mode from being mistakenly released when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. Consequently, automatic blood pressure measurement can be reliably performed.

[0030] In one embodiment of the sphygmomanometer, it is characterized in that:

[0031] The blood pressure monitor body has a display.

[0032] When the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, if the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit is operated, the restriction unit causes the display to maintain the display indicating that the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode until a predetermined display time has elapsed.

[0033] When the display maintains the display, the restriction unit releases the automatic blood pressure measurement mode by continuously operating the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit for longer than a predetermined input time at a predetermined time interval.

[0034] Here, the "display" is, for example, an LED (light emitting diode) provided on the main body of the blood pressure monitor, which can light up to indicate that the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, or it can be an LCD (liquid crystal display) which displays text such as "automatic blood pressure measurement mode ON" to indicate that the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0035] The “predetermined display time” is, for example, 10 seconds.

[0036] In addition, the “predetermined time interval” is, for example, 1 second.

[0037] Furthermore, the “predetermined input time” refers to, for example, the time during which the user keeps turning on the switch when the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit is a switch, and is, for example, 3 seconds.

[0038] In the blood pressure meter of this embodiment, when the blood pressure meter is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, for example, the subject operates the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit, so that the limiting unit causes the display to maintain the display (the display indicating that the blood pressure meter is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode) until a predetermined display time has passed. At this time, the subject continues to operate the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit for a period longer than a predetermined input time at predetermined time intervals, thereby releasing the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. Therefore, when the blood pressure meter is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the automatic blood pressure measurement mode is released only by the subject's intentional operation. As a result, it is possible to avoid the situation where the automatic blood pressure measurement mode is mistakenly released.

[0039] In one embodiment of the sphygmomanometer, it is characterized in that:

[0040] The operation unit includes a clock setting instruction operation unit for inputting a clock setting instruction for setting the clock of the blood pressure monitor.

[0041] The restriction unit restricts the clock setting by operating the clock setting instruction operation unit when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0042] Here, “clock setting” means advancing or rewinding the clock of the blood pressure monitor that serves as a reference for the schedule of blood pressure measurement performed in the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0043] In the blood pressure monitor of this embodiment, the limiting unit limits operation of the clock setting instruction operation unit (inputting a clock setting instruction for setting the clock of the blood pressure monitor) to perform the clock setting when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. This prevents the blood pressure monitor from erroneously setting the clock and starting blood pressure measurement at a time different from the scheduled time when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0044] In one embodiment of the blood pressure monitor, the measured site is a wrist.

[0045] Since the blood pressure monitor of this embodiment compresses the wrist, the measured area, it is expected to interfere less with the subject's sleep than blood pressure monitors that compress the upper wrist (Imai et al., "Development and evaluation of a home nocturnal blood pressure monitoring system using a wrist-cuff device," Blood Pressure Monitoring 2018, 23, pp. 318-326). Therefore, this blood pressure monitor is suitable for automatic (sleep) blood pressure measurement.

[0046] In one embodiment of the sphygmomanometer, it is characterized in that:

[0047] The sphygmomanometer has a blood pressure measurement cuff integrally provided with the sphygmomanometer body.

[0048] The sphygmomanometer body is equipped with a blood pressure measurement unit that measures blood pressure using an oscillometric method in which the wrist is temporarily compressed by the blood pressure measurement cuff to detect the pressure within the cuff, the operation unit, and the regulating unit.

[0049] Here, the “blood pressure measurement unit” includes, for example, a pump that supplies pressurized fluid to the blood pressure measurement cuff, a valve that discharges fluid from the blood pressure measurement cuff, and a member that drives and controls these pumps and valves.

[0050] The blood pressure monitor of this embodiment can be constructed in an integrated and compact manner, thereby facilitating operation by the user.

[0051] Effects of the Invention

[0052] As can be seen from the above, according to the blood pressure monitor of the present invention, when set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, it is possible to avoid a situation where the automatic blood pressure measurement cannot be correctly performed due to unintentional operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a wrist blood pressure monitor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic diagram of a wrist blood pressure monitor wrapped around the left wrist.

[0055] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Block diagram of a wrist blood pressure monitor shown.

[0056] Figure 4 is Figure 1 Flowchart of automatic blood pressure measurement performed by a wrist sphygmomanometer shown.

[0057] Figure 5 It means in Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing switching conditions between the normal blood pressure measurement mode and the automatic blood pressure measurement mode in the wrist blood pressure monitor shown.

[0058] Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing the flow of the automatic blood pressure measurement mode release process for releasing the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Hereinafter, embodiments of the wrist blood pressure monitor according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] [Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor]

[0061] Figure 1 The schematic structure of a wrist blood pressure monitor (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a "blood pressure monitor") 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As described later, this blood pressure monitor 100 has a normal blood pressure measurement mode, in which blood pressure measurement begins immediately after the blood pressure measurement switch is turned on, and an automatic blood pressure measurement mode, in which blood pressure measurement begins according to a predetermined schedule.

[0062] [Structure of a wrist blood pressure monitor]

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, the sphygmomanometer 100 includes a blood pressure measurement cuff 10 that is wrapped around a portion to be measured of a subject, and a sphygmomanometer body 20 that is integrally mounted on the cuff 10 .

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, the blood pressure monitor 100 of the embodiment is a wrist blood pressure monitor. Therefore, the cuff 10 has a long and narrow band shape to be wrapped around the left wrist 210 of the subject 200, for example. The cuff 10 has an air bag 12 (see FIG. 1 ) for compressing the left wrist 210. Figure 3 ). In addition, in order to always maintain the cuff 10 in an annular shape, a loop (not shown) having appropriate flexibility may be provided in the cuff 10.

[0065] The sphygmomanometer body 20 is integrally attached to a substantially longitudinally central portion of the band-shaped cuff 10. In the embodiment, the portion where the sphygmomanometer body 20 is to be attached corresponds to the palmar side surface 210a of the left wrist 210.

[0066] The sphygmomanometer body 20 has a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that conforms to the outer peripheral surface of the cuff 10 and is formed to be small and thin so as not to disturb the sleep of the subject 200. Figure 1 The illustrated sphygmomanometer body 20 has a curved chamfered corner where the top surface and the surrounding side surfaces meet.

[0067] like Figure 1 As shown, a screen display unit 30 constituting a display screen is provided on the upper surface of the outer surface of the blood pressure monitor body 20, which is the side farthest from the left wrist 210. Furthermore, an operation unit 40 for inputting instructions from the subject 200 is provided on this upper surface and on the side surface on the front side in the figure.

[0068] In the embodiment, the screen display unit 30 includes an LCD (liquid crystal display) that displays predetermined information, such as the maximum blood pressure (unit: mmHg), the minimum blood pressure (unit: mmHg), and the pulse (unit: beats per minute), in response to control signals from the CPU (central processing unit) 110 (described later). Alternatively, the screen display unit 30 may be an organic EL (electroluminescence) display or an LED (light-emitting diode).

[0069] The operation unit 40 includes a plurality of buttons or switches for operation by the subject 200. In the embodiment, the operation unit 40 includes a blood pressure measurement switch (normal blood pressure measurement operation unit) 42A for the subject 200 to input a blood pressure measurement instruction in the normal blood pressure measurement mode; an automatic measurement switch (automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit) 42B for the subject 200 to input a blood pressure measurement instruction in the automatic blood pressure measurement mode; and a clock setting switch (clock setting instruction operation unit) 42C for the subject 200 to input a clock setting instruction for setting the clock of the blood pressure monitor body 20. When the blood pressure monitor 100 is set to the normal blood pressure measurement mode or the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the blood pressure measurement switch 42A functions as a switch that stops the blood pressure measurement in progress when pressed during the blood pressure measurement.

[0070] In the following description, "normal blood pressure measurement" refers to blood pressure measurement initiated immediately after blood pressure measurement switch 42A is turned on. Furthermore, in the following description, "automatic blood pressure measurement" refers to blood pressure measurement automatically performed according to a predetermined schedule after a blood pressure measurement instruction is input via automatic measurement switch 42B, for example, while subject 200 is asleep. Blood pressure measurement performed according to a predetermined schedule includes, for example, blood pressure measurement performed at predetermined times such as 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, or 3:00 AM, or blood pressure measurement performed at intervals of, for example, two hours from the time automatic measurement switch 42B is pressed.

[0071] In the embodiment, the blood pressure measurement switch 42A, the automatic measurement switch 42B, and the clock setting switch 42C are all momentary (automatic reset) switches that are ON only while being pressed and return to OFF when released.

[0072] like Figure 1 、 2 As shown, an LED lighting unit (display) 32 is provided at the end of the automatic measurement switch 42B. When the blood pressure monitor 100 is switched to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, pressing the automatic measurement switch 42B causes the LED lighting unit 32 to illuminate continuously for 10 seconds (displaying the time). The duration of the LED lighting unit 32 illumination is not limited to this, and may be, for example, 5 seconds or 20 seconds.

[0073] Figure 3 The block structure of the sphygmomanometer 100 is shown.

[0074] The air bladder 12 included in the cuff 10 and various fluid control devices (described below) included in the sphygmomanometer body 20 are connected via air piping 50 so that fluid can flow therethrough.

[0075] In addition to the aforementioned screen display unit 30, LED lighting unit 32, and operation unit 40, the sphygmomanometer body 20 further includes a CPU 110 as a control unit, a memory 112 as a storage unit, a power supply unit 114, a pressure sensor 62, a pump 72, and a valve 82. Furthermore, the sphygmomanometer body 20 includes an A / D conversion circuit 64 that converts the output of the pressure sensor 62 from an analog signal to a digital signal; a pump drive circuit 74 that drives the pump 72; and a valve drive circuit 84 that drives the valve 82. The pressure sensor 62, pump 72, and valve 82 are connected to the air bladder 12 via the air piping 50 to allow fluid to flow.

[0076] The memory 112 stores programs for controlling the sphygmomanometer 100, data for controlling the sphygmomanometer 100, setting data for setting various functions of the sphygmomanometer 100, and data on blood pressure measurement results. The memory 112 is also used as a working memory for temporarily storing various information during program execution. In particular, the sphygmomanometer memory 112 in the embodiment serves as a program storage unit, storing a normal blood pressure measurement program and an automatic blood pressure measurement program for calculating blood pressure using the oscillometric method described below.

[0077] The CPU 110 is configured to control the overall operation of the sphygmomanometer 100. Specifically, the CPU 110 comprises the following components: a pressure control unit that drives the pump 72 or valve 82 according to a program for controlling the sphygmomanometer 100 stored in the memory 112; a limiting unit that limits the functions of the blood pressure measurement switch 42A, the automatic measurement switch 42B, and the clock setting switch 42C provided on the operating unit 40 when the sphygmomanometer 100 mode is switched to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode; and a measurement execution unit that performs blood pressure measurements using either the normal blood pressure measurement program or the automatic blood pressure measurement program described below. The CPU 110 also displays the blood pressure value obtained from the blood pressure measurement on the screen display unit 30 and stores it in the memory 112. Furthermore, when the sphygmomanometer 100 mode is switched to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the CPU 110 causes the LED lighting unit 32 to illuminate continuously for 10 seconds when the automatic measurement switch 42B is pressed.

[0078] In the embodiment, when the clock setting switch 42C is pressed, the CPU 110 sets the clock of the sphygmomanometer 100. Specifically, after the clock setting switch 42C is pressed, if the CPU 110 continues to press the blood pressure measurement switch 42A, the clock of the sphygmomanometer 100 is advanced. If the CPU 110 continues to press the automatic measurement switch 42B, the clock of the sphygmomanometer 100 is reversed. Then, if the clock setting switch 42C is pressed again, the CPU 110 sets the clock adjusted as described above. In the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the CPU 110 refers to this clock to determine whether it is the measurement time specified in the above-mentioned timetable.

[0079] The power supply unit 114 is composed of a secondary battery and supplies power to the CPU 110, the pressure sensor 62, the pump 72, the valve 82, the screen display unit 30, the LED lighting unit 32, the memory 112, the A / D conversion circuit 64, the pump drive circuit 74, and the valve drive circuit 84. The power supply unit 114 is also configured to switch between an on / off state. For example, when the power is off, if the blood pressure measurement switch (power indication operation unit) 42A is pressed for more than 3 seconds, the power is switched to the on state. In addition, in the normal blood pressure measurement mode, when the power is on, if the blood pressure measurement switch (power indication operation unit) 42A is pressed for more than 3 seconds, the power is switched to the off state.

[0080] The pump 72 supplies air as a fluid to the air bladder 12 via the air piping 50, thereby increasing the pressure within the air bladder 12 of the cuff 10 (hereinafter referred to as "cuff pressure" as appropriate). The valve 82 is configured to control the cuff pressure by opening to discharge air from the air bladder 12 via the air piping 50 or by closing to maintain the cuff pressure. The pump drive circuit 74 drives the pump 72 based on a control signal provided by the CPU 110. The valve drive circuit 84 opens and closes the valve 82 based on a control signal provided by the CPU 110.

[0081] The pressure sensor 62 and the A / D conversion circuit 64 are configured to detect cuff pressure. In the embodiment, the pressure sensor 62 is a piezo-resistive pressure sensor that detects and outputs the cuff pressure of the air bag 12 as resistance due to the piezoelectric impedance effect. The A / D conversion circuit 64 converts the output (resistance) of the pressure sensor 62 from an analog signal to a digital signal and outputs it to the CPU 110. In the embodiment, the CPU 110 obtains the cuff pressure based on the resistance output from the pressure sensor 62.

[0082] [Blood Pressure Measurement Procedure]

[0083] The blood pressure measurement program calculates the blood pressure of a subject 200 wearing the blood pressure monitor body 20 on the left wrist 210. The blood pressure measurement program includes a normal blood pressure measurement program and an automatic blood pressure measurement program. The normal blood pressure measurement program assumes that the subject 200 is sitting on a chair, etc., and maintains the left wrist 210 wearing the blood pressure monitor body 20 at the same height as the heart of the subject 200. The automatic blood pressure measurement program assumes that the subject 200 is lying on a bed, etc., and places the left wrist 210 wearing the blood pressure monitor body 20 at a position lower than the heart of the subject 200. It is known that the relationship between the height of the blood pressure monitor body 20 and the height of the heart of the subject 200 is different, and thus different blood pressure values ​​are calculated. Therefore, in the normal blood pressure measurement program and the automatic blood pressure measurement program, the parameters used in the blood pressure calculation are pre-adjusted in consideration of the relationship between the height of the blood pressure monitor body 20 and the height of the heart of the subject 200, which are respectively assumed.

[0084] When executing the normal blood pressure measurement program or the automatic blood pressure measurement program, CPU110 obtains a pulse wave signal from the variation component of the pulse wave contained in the cuff pressure obtained by the pressure sensor 62, and uses various programs stored in the memory 112 to calculate the blood pressure values ​​(maximum blood pressure and minimum blood pressure).

[0085] [Automatic blood pressure measurement mode]

[0086] Automatic blood pressure measurement will be described. The cuff 10 of the blood pressure monitor 100 is wrapped around the left wrist 210 of the subject 200. When the power is on (normal blood pressure measurement mode), if the subject 200, who is not asleep, presses the automatic measurement switch 42B on the blood pressure monitor body 20 once, an instruction (automatic blood pressure measurement mode instruction) to switch to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode is output to the CPU 110.

[0087] Then, the automatic blood pressure measurement procedure is performed according to the predetermined schedule.

[0088] In the embodiment, the automatic blood pressure measurement schedule is configured to execute the automatic blood pressure measurement program at the time a predetermined time (e.g., four hours) has elapsed since the automatic measurement switch 42B was pressed, and, if necessary, at each predetermined time (e.g., two hours) from that time until a predetermined time (e.g., 7:00 AM). In the embodiment in which the time to perform the automatic blood pressure measurement is calculated based on the time when the automatic measurement switch 42B is pressed, the automatic blood pressure measurement program includes a program (not shown) for determining the measurement time, and the measurement time is determined based on this time determination program.

[0089] The execution schedule of the automatic blood pressure measurement is not limited to this, and the automatic blood pressure measurement program may be set to be executed at a predetermined scheduled time, for example, at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, or 3:00 AM.

[0090] Figure 4 The flowchart shows the operation flow when the subject 200 performs automatic blood pressure measurement using the blood pressure monitor 100. During the automatic blood pressure measurement, the subject 200 wearing the blood pressure monitor 100 on the left wrist 210 remains lying on a bed.

[0091] In this state, if Figure 4 As shown in step S1, when the subject 200 presses the automatic measurement switch 42B provided on the sphygmomanometer body 20 to input the blood pressure measurement instruction of the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the CPU 110 determines whether it is the measurement time specified in the automatic blood pressure measurement schedule (step S2). If it is not the measurement time specified in the schedule (when the branch to "No" in step S2), it waits until it becomes the measurement time.

[0092] When the measurement time is reached (when the answer is "Yes" in step S2), CPU 110 initializes pressure sensor 62 (step S3). Specifically, CPU 110 initializes the processing memory area and adjusts pressure sensor 62 to 0 mmHg (setting atmospheric pressure to 0 mmHg) while stopping pump 72 and opening valve 82.

[0093] Next, CPU 110 closes valve 82 via valve drive circuit 84 (step S4), and then drives pump 72 via pump drive circuit 74 to begin pressurizing cuff 10 (air bag 12) (step S5). At this time, CPU 110 controls the pressurization rate of the cuff pressure (the pressure within air bag 12) based on the output of pressure sensor 62 while supplying air from pump 72 to air bag 12 via air piping 50.

[0094] Next, in step S6 , the CPU 110 calculates the blood pressure values ​​(maximum blood pressure and minimum blood pressure) based on the pulse wave signal acquired at that time using the aforementioned automatic blood pressure measurement program stored in the memory 112 .

[0095] At this moment, if CPU 110 is unable to calculate the blood pressure value due to insufficient data (when branching to "No" in step S7), the processing of steps S5 and S6 is repeated as long as the cuff pressure does not reach the upper limit pressure (for example, predetermined to 300 mmHg for safety reasons).

[0096] When the blood pressure value is calculated (when the control branch goes to “YES” in step S7 ), CPU 110 controls to stop pump 72 (step S8 ), open valve 82 (step S9 ), and exhaust the air in cuff 10 (air bladder 12 ).

[0097] Then, the CPU 110 controls the screen display unit 30 to display the calculated blood pressure value and stores the blood pressure value in the memory 112 (step S10 ).

[0098] When a blood pressure measurement specified in the schedule is completed, CPU 110 determines whether all blood pressure measurements specified in the schedule have been completed (step S11). If a blood pressure measurement specified in the schedule is still scheduled (if the "Not Completed" decision is taken in step S11), CPU 110 returns to step S2 to determine whether the next measurement time specified in the schedule has arrived. If it is not the next measurement time (if the "No" decision is taken in step S2), CPU 110 waits until the next measurement time arrives.

[0099] When the next measurement time specified in the above schedule comes (when the decision branches to "Yes" in step S2), CPU 110 repeats the processing of steps S3 to S10, and in step S11, determines again whether all blood pressure measurements specified in the above schedule have been completed.

[0100] When all the blood pressure measurements specified in the above-mentioned schedule are completed (when the process branches to "END" in step S11), the CPU 110 ends the automatic blood pressure measurement.

[0101] Figure 5 The conditions when the CPU 110 switches the mode of the sphygmomanometer 100 between the normal blood pressure measurement mode and the automatic blood pressure measurement mode are shown.

[0102] As described above, when the sphygmomanometer 100 is in the normal blood pressure measurement mode, if the automatic measurement switch 42B is pressed, the mode of the sphygmomanometer 100 is switched to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, that is, the automatic blood pressure measurement mode is set. Then, the CPU 110 performs the following operations according to the Figure 4 The action flow shown is to perform automatic blood pressure measurement.

[0103] In the embodiment, when the blood pressure monitor 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, even if the blood pressure measurement switch 42A is pressed, the CPU (restriction unit) 110 restricts the blood pressure monitor 100 from performing blood pressure measurement in accordance with the blood pressure measurement instruction from the blood pressure measurement switch 42A. This prevents the blood pressure monitor 100 from interrupting the automatic blood pressure measurement mode and performing unintended blood pressure measurement.

[0104] Furthermore, when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to automatic blood pressure measurement mode, CPU 110 restricts the power supply 114 of the sphygmomanometer 100 from being switched to the off state. That is, even if the blood pressure measurement switch 42A is pressed continuously for more than three seconds, CPU 110 restricts the power supply 114 of the sphygmomanometer 100 from being switched to the off state. This prevents the power supply 114 from being mistakenly disconnected when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to automatic blood pressure measurement mode. Therefore, automatic blood pressure measurement can be performed reliably. Furthermore, restricting the power supply 114 from switching to the off state does not impair the function of terminating an ongoing blood pressure measurement when the blood pressure measurement switch 42A is pressed during the measurement.

[0105] Furthermore, when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the CPU 110 restricts the clock setting by pressing the clock setting switch 42C. This prevents the sphygmomanometer 100 from mistakenly setting the clock and starting blood pressure measurement at a time different from the scheduled time when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0106] The automatic blood pressure measurement mode is released (in this example, switched to the normal blood pressure measurement mode) by Figure 6 The automatic blood pressure measurement mode release process shown in FIG. Specifically, when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, if the automatic measurement switch 42B is pressed as shown in step S51 (if the answer in step S51 is "Yes"), the LED lighting unit 32 is continuously illuminated for 10 seconds (displaying the time), as shown in step S52. The illumination of the LED lighting unit 32, located at the end of the automatic measurement switch 42B, indicates that the sphygmomanometer 100 is in the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. While the LED lighting unit 32 is continuously illuminated, if the automatic measurement switch 42B is continuously pressed for 3 seconds (input time) or longer at intervals of 1 second or longer (if the answer in step S53 is "Yes"), an instruction to release the automatic blood pressure measurement mode is output to the CPU 110, switching the sphygmomanometer 100 from the automatic blood pressure measurement mode to the normal blood pressure measurement mode, as shown in step S54. The automatic blood pressure measurement mode is then released (in this example, the mode is switched to the normal blood pressure measurement mode). Therefore, when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, the automatic blood pressure measurement mode is canceled only if the subject 200 intentionally performs the above-mentioned operations (steps S51 and S53). This prevents the automatic blood pressure measurement mode from being accidentally canceled.

[0107] Furthermore, when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, in addition to the above-mentioned automatic blood pressure measurement mode release process ( Figure 6 ), the CPU (restriction unit) 110 restricts the cancellation of the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. This prevents the automatic blood pressure measurement mode from being mistakenly cancelled when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. Therefore, automatic blood pressure measurement can be performed reliably.

[0108] As described above, according to the sphygmomanometer 100 , it is possible to avoid a situation where automatic blood pressure measurement cannot be correctly performed due to unintentional operation when the sphygmomanometer 100 is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

[0109] Blood pressure monitor 100 compresses the wrist (left wrist 210 in the embodiment, but may also be the right wrist) as the measured site. Therefore, compared to blood pressure monitors that compress the upper arm, it is expected to be less likely to interfere with the sleep of subject 200 (Imai et al., "Development and evaluation of a home nocturnal blood pressure monitoring system using a wrist-cuff device," Blood Pressure Monitoring 2018, 23, pp. 318-326). Therefore, blood pressure monitor 100 is suitable for automatic (sleep) blood pressure measurement.

[0110] Furthermore, the sphygmomanometer 100 is integrally and compactly configured as a wrist sphygmomanometer, and thus is easy for the subject 200 to operate.

[0111] [Other embodiments]

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the CPU 110 calculates the blood pressure while the cuff 10 (air bladder 12) is being inflated. However, the CPU 110 may calculate the blood pressure while the cuff is being deflated.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the blood pressure monitor 100 has a blood pressure measurement switch 42A for inputting a normal blood pressure measurement instruction and an automatic measurement switch 42B for inputting an automatic blood pressure measurement instruction. However, for example, the signal receiving unit of the blood pressure monitor may receive instructions from a smartphone or the like outside the blood pressure monitor via wireless communication, and the signal received by the signal receiving unit may replace the signal output from the normal blood pressure measurement switch or the automatic measurement switch to the CPU.

[0114] In the above embodiment, the blood pressure monitor 100 is configured such that the blood pressure measurement switch 42A outputs a signal indicating normal blood pressure measurement to the CPU 110, and the automatic measurement switch 42B outputs a signal indicating automatic blood pressure measurement to the CPU 110. However, for example, the configuration may be such that by pressing the blood pressure measurement switch once, the signal indicating normal blood pressure measurement is output to the CPU, and by pressing the blood pressure measurement switch twice within a fixed time, the signal indicating automatic blood pressure measurement is output to the CPU.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the sphygmomanometer body 20 is provided integrally with the cuff 10 , but may be provided separately from the cuff and connected to the cuff 10 (air bladder 12 ) via a flexible air tube so as to allow fluid to flow.

[0116] In the above embodiment, the normal blood pressure measurement program, the automatic blood pressure measurement program, and their processes are stored as software in the memory 112. However, they may also be stored in a non-transitory medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a flash memory. By installing the software stored in such a medium into a physical computer device such as a personal computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a smartphone, such a computer device can execute the above-described programs and processes.

[0117] Description of reference numerals:

[0118] 100: Blood pressure monitor, 20: Blood pressure monitor body, 40: Operation unit, 42B: Automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit (automatic measurement switch), 110: Limiting unit (CPU), 210: Measured area (wrist)

Claims

1. A blood pressure monitor having an automatic blood pressure measurement mode for automatically starting blood pressure measurement according to a predetermined schedule, characterized in that: The blood pressure monitor has: The main body of the blood pressure monitor is worn on the part to be measured; and The operation unit is provided on the blood pressure monitor body and is used to input different instructions. The operation unit includes an automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit that inputs an automatic blood pressure measurement mode instruction for switching the mode to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode. The sphygmomanometer includes a restriction unit that restricts a function of the operation unit when the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit is operated to set the sphygmomanometer to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

2. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 1, wherein The operation unit includes a normal blood pressure measurement operation unit for inputting the blood pressure measurement instruction of a normal blood pressure measurement mode for performing blood pressure measurement according to the input blood pressure measurement instruction. The limiting unit limits blood pressure measurement according to the blood pressure measurement instruction of the normal blood pressure measurement operation unit when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

3. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The operation unit includes a power instruction operation unit for inputting an instruction to turn on or off the power of the blood pressure monitor. The restriction unit restricts operation of the power instruction operation unit to turn off the power of the blood pressure monitor when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

4. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The restriction unit restricts release of the automatic blood pressure measurement mode when the sphygmomanometer is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

5. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 4, wherein: The blood pressure monitor body has a display. When the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode, if the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit is operated, the restriction unit causes the display to maintain the display indicating that the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode until a predetermined display time has elapsed. When the display maintains the display, the restriction unit releases the automatic blood pressure measurement mode by continuously operating the automatic blood pressure measurement mode operation unit for longer than a predetermined input time at a predetermined time interval.

6. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The operation unit includes a clock setting instruction operation unit for inputting a clock setting instruction for setting the clock of the blood pressure monitor. The restriction unit restricts the clock setting by operating the clock setting instruction operation unit when the blood pressure monitor is set to the automatic blood pressure measurement mode.

7. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The measured part is the wrist.

8. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 7, wherein: The sphygmomanometer has a blood pressure measurement cuff integrally provided with the sphygmomanometer body. The sphygmomanometer body is equipped with a blood pressure measurement unit that measures blood pressure using an oscillometric method in which the wrist is temporarily compressed by the blood pressure measurement cuff to detect the pressure within the cuff, the operation unit, and the regulating unit.

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