MEASURING DEVICE FOR BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Abstract

A biological information measuring device includes: pulse detection means configured to detect a user's pulse; pulse interval calculation means configured to calculate, based on the pulse, a pulse interval between one beat and a beat immediately before the one beat; display means configured to display a level indicator visually indicating the pulse interval; and a display resolution determination unit configured to determine, using information about the pulse interval, a minimum value and a maximum value of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a biological information measuring device for measuring pulses of a living body, and more particularly to a biological information measuring device for providing information regarding an interval of measured pulses. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] In recent years, it has become widespread to perform health management by measuring information related to an individual's body and health, such as blood pressure, with a measuring device and then recording and analyzing the measurement results. In particular, arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF) can lead to cerebral and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it is effective to use the device described above to detect a fluctuation in a pulse interval and notify a user, allowing the user to easily detect the fluctuation.

[0003] It is known in the art to provide information regarding such a pulse interval based on biological information acquired during blood pressure measurement with a blood pressure monitor. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a blood pressure monitor that can store a pulse wave for measuring a blood pressure value and simultaneously display a pulse wave diagram with the blood pressure value. Patent Literature 1 also discloses that, during the calculation of the blood pressure value, a heart symbol displayed on a screen flashes according to the pulse.

[0004] According to the blood pressure monitor described in Patent Literature 1, a user can detect a pulse interval by checking the blinking interval of the heart symbol that flashes according to the pulse rate during blood pressure measurement. Since a time series diagram of pulse wave signal levels is subsequently displayed as a pulse wave time series diagram, it is possible to check a pulse interval (and its fluctuation) by reading such a diagram. LITERATURE LISTPatent literature

[0005] Patent Literature 1: JP 2007-98003 A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTechnical Problem

[0006] However, simply flashing the character according to the pulse rate, as in the technique described in Patent Literature 1, is not sufficient to easily detect fluctuations in a pulse interval, and there is a problem that an important fluctuation in a pulse interval may be missed. In this regard, for example, instead of flashing the character, it is conceivable to display a pulse interval for each beat using a level indicator such as a bar graph counter, so that the fluctuation in the pulse interval can be easily detected.

[0007] A pulse interval varies greatly from person to person, and the size of the interval and its average value vary from person to person. For example, with a general blood pressure monitor, the pulse rate range to be measured is 40 to 180 beats / minute, and an average pulse interval is 1.5 seconds for a user with a pulse rate of 40 beats / minute and 0.3 seconds for a user with a pulse rate of 180 beats / minute.

[0008] Therefore, in order to display a fluctuation in a pulse interval during real-time measurement using the level indicator as described above, it is necessary to set the maximum value of the level indicator so that an assumed maximum pulse interval (e.g., 1.5 seconds) can be displayed. This poses the problem that the display resolution of the level indicator becomes low for a user with a small pulse interval (i.e., a high pulse rate), making it difficult for the user to detect a fluctuation in a pulse interval.

[0009] In view of the circumstances described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that optimizes the resolution of a display area displaying a pulse interval in a measuring device capable of detecting pulses and makes it easier to visually recognize a fluctuation in a pulse interval regardless of individual differences in the pulse interval. Solution to the problem

[0010] The present invention employs the following configurations to solve the problems described above. That is, a biological information measuring device includes: a pulse detection means configured to detect a user's pulse; a pulse interval calculation means configured to calculate, based on the pulse, a pulse interval between a beat and a beat immediately before the one beat; Display means configured to display a level indicator visually indicating the pulse interval; and a display resolution determining unit configured to determine a minimum value and a maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using information of the pulse interval.

[0011] The level indicator described here only needs to indicate the magnitude of a given characteristic using a non-numeric display (e.g., the size of a display area), and its shape and display method are not limited. For example, the level indicator can visually indicate the pulse interval or the amount of change using at least one of a length, an area, an angle of a region in which the display is activated on the display means, or the number of regions in which the display is activated on the display means.

[0012] With such a configuration, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the pulse interval displayed on the level indicator can be optimized for the user, so that a fluctuation in the pulse interval is clearly visible regardless of an individual difference in the pulse interval.

[0013] The display resolution determination unit may determine a value obtained by multiplying a maximum value of a plurality of calculated and consecutive pulse intervals by a predetermined first ratio as the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator. With such a configuration, since a value obtained by providing a predetermined tolerance from an actually measured maximum pulse interval of the user can be set as the maximum value on the level indicator, the resolution of the level indicator can be determined based on the maximum value optimized for the user.

[0014] The display resolution determination unit may determine a value obtained by multiplying a minimum value of a plurality of calculated and consecutive pulse intervals by a predetermined second ratio as the minimum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator. With such a configuration, since a value obtained by providing a predetermined tolerance from an actually measured minimum pulse interval of the user can be set as the minimum value on the level indicator, the resolution of the level indicator can be optimized for the user based on the maximum value optimized for the user.

[0015] The display resolution determining unit may calculate an average value of a plurality of the calculated and consecutive pulse intervals, determine a value obtained by multiplying a positive maximum deviation from the average value by a third ratio as the maximum value of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator, and determine a value obtained by multiplying a negative maximum deviation from the average value by a fourth ratio as the minimum value of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator.

[0016] With such a configuration, the resolution of the level indicator can be optimized for the user by setting the minimum and maximum values ​​of the level indicator to values ​​obtained by providing predetermined tolerances for the positive and negative maximum deviations from the average value of the actually measured pulse intervals. Furthermore, by changing the third ratio and the fourth ratio so that the average value becomes the median value of the level indicator, instead of setting the third ratio and the fourth ratio to fixed values, it is possible to realize a level indicator display with improved visibility.

[0017] The pulse detecting means may include a cuff and a pressure sensor and detect the pulse by pressurizing a blood vessel of the user with the cuff and detecting a pressure pulse wave of the blood vessel with the pressure sensor, and the display resolution determining unit may determine the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using information about a plurality of the pulse intervals calculated from the start of pressurizing the blood vessel until a first predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0018] The first predefined condition can be, for example, that a predefined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed since the start of cuff pressurization of the blood vessel, or that the cuff pressure reaches a predefined pressure (e.g., 40 mHg). With such a configuration, information about the multiple consecutive pulse intervals can be obtained to determine the maximum and minimum values ​​of the level indicator without requiring separate measurements for both the pressure build-up and pressure release measurements.

[0019] The biological information measuring device may further include a storage means configured to store information about the detected pulse interval, wherein the pulse detecting means includes a cuff and a pressure sensor and can detect the pulse by pressurizing a blood vessel of the user with the cuff and detecting a pressure pulse wave of the blood vessel with the pressure sensor, and the display resolution determining unit can determine the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using the information about the pulse interval stored in the storage means and satisfying a second predetermined condition.

[0020] For example, the second predefined condition could be all pulse intervals calculated at the time of the last biological information measurement. With such a configuration, the minimum and maximum values ​​of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator can be determined with high accuracy by using a sufficient amount of information about the user's pulse interval.

[0021] The pulse detecting means may include a cuff and a pressure sensor and detect the pulse by pressurizing a blood vessel of the user with the cuff and detecting a pressure pulse wave of the blood vessel with the pressure sensor, and the display resolution determining unit may determine the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using information on a plurality of consecutive pulse intervals calculated until a fluid supplied to the cuff is discharged.

[0022] With such a configuration, during pressure release measurement, the minimum and maximum values ​​of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator can be determined with high accuracy by using a sufficient amount of information about the user's pulse interval acquired in a pressure build-up step.

[0023] The level indicator can consist of a plurality of display segments and represent the pulse interval by the number of display segments in which the display is activated.

[0024] Here, "display activation" refers to a transition to a display state in a region that can be switched between a display state and a non-display state (that is, display deactivation refers to a transition to a non-display state). For example, when the display means is an LCD, "display activation" refers to a display output in a display area on the display of the LCD; and when the display means is an LED lamp or the like, "display activation" corresponds to turning on the lamp. Each display segment is a unit of a display area that can be individually switched between a display activation state and a display deactivation state, and its shape is not particularly limited.

[0025] The configurations and processing described above can be combined to form the present invention, provided there are no technical contradictions. Furthermore, in the above description, the first to fourth ratios may have different values ​​or the same value. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for optimizing the resolution of a display area displaying a pulse interval in a measuring device capable of detecting pulses and for facilitating visual recognition of a fluctuation in a pulse interval regardless of an individual difference in the pulse interval. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overview of a device configuration and a functional configuration of a blood pressure measuring device according to Example 1. Fig. 2(A) is a first diagram illustrating an example of a level indicator displayed on an image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example 1. Fig. 2(B) is a second diagram illustrating an example of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example 1. Fig. 2(C) is a third diagram illustrating an example of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram for describing a pulse wave signal and a pulse interval detected during blood pressure measurement. Fig. Figure 4 is a graph illustrating an example of the variation of a pulse interval between a person with sinus rhythm and a person with atrial fibrillation. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram for describing the display resolution of the level indicator of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed in the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow performed in a third modified example of Example 1. Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow performed in a fourth modified example of Example 1. Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow performed in a fifth modified example of Example 1. Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow performed in a sixth modified example of Example 1. Fig. 11(A) is a first diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 11(B) is a second diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 11(C) is a third diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 12(A) is a fourth diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 12(B) is a fifth diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 12(C) is a sixth diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 13(A) is a seventh diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. Fig. 13(B) is an eighth diagram illustrating a variation of the level indicator displayed on the image display means of the blood pressure measuring device according to Example. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSExample 1

[0027] Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the material, shape, relative arrangement, and the like of the configurations described in these examples, unless otherwise stated, are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these configurations alone.

[0028] The present invention can be applied, for example, to a blood pressure measuring device 1 as shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overview of a device configuration and a functional configuration of the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to the present example. As shown in Fig. 1, the blood pressure measuring device 1 generally includes a main body portion 11, a cuff portion 12, and an air tube 13. As indicated by the functional blocks in Fig. 1, the blood pressure measuring device 1 includes functional units of a control unit 100, a sensor unit 110, a cuff pressure control unit 120, a storage unit 130, an operation unit 140, and an image display unit 150.

[0029] The main body portion 11 includes an image display means 151 such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), various operation buttons 141, and, although not illustrated, a sound output means such as a speaker, a power supply unit such as a battery, a pump and a valve communicating with the cuff portion, a casing housing these components, and the like. The cuff portion 12 is a member used by wrapping it around a user's upper arm and includes an air cushion (cuff) communicating with the pump and valve of the main body portion 11 via the air tube 13, a belt enclosing the cuff, a pressure sensor provided on the belt (none of which are illustrated), and the like. When blood pressure measurement is performed by the Korotkoff method, a microphone may be included.

[0030] The belt of the cuff portion 12 is provided with a fastening means (for example, a hook and loop fastener) for fastening the cuff portion 12 to the upper arm of the user, and the cuff portion 12 is wrapped around the upper arm of the user by the belt when the blood pressure measurement is performed using the blood pressure measuring device 1.

[0031] The control unit 100 is a means for controlling the blood pressure measurement device 1 and includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). After receiving the user's operation via the operation unit 140, the control unit 100 controls each component of the blood pressure measurement device 1 to execute various types of processing, such as blood pressure measurement and the provision of various types of information, according to a predetermined program. The predetermined program is stored in and read from the storage unit 130 described below. The control unit 100 includes, as functional modules, a blood pressure value calculation unit 101, a pulse interval calculation unit 102, a display resolution determination unit 103, and a level indicator (LI) display resolution determination unit 104. These functional modules will be described in detail below.

[0032] The sensor unit 110 includes the pressure sensor (for example, a piezoresistive sensor with a piezoelectric element) provided on the cuff portion 12 as described above, and detects at least a user's pulse wave. The sensor unit 110 may include a sensor other than the pressure sensor and may include a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor when detecting a pulse wave by a photoelectric method. The blood pressure measurement device 1 according to the present example detects a user's pulse based on a pulse wave detected by the sensor unit 110. That is, in the present example, the cuff and the sensor unit 110 (including the pressure sensor) on the cuff portion 12 correspond to the pulse detecting means.

[0033] The cuff pressure control unit 120 controls the pump and valve of the main body portion 11 to adjust the cuff pressure of the cuff portion 12 at the time of blood pressure measurement. Specifically, at the time of blood pressure measurement, control is performed to drive the pump in a state where the cuff portion 12 is wrapped around the upper arm to inject air into the cuff to inflate the cuff (increase the cuff pressure). In this way, the blood flow is blocked once by compressing the blood vessel of the user's upper arm, and then control is performed to stop the pump and open the valve to gradually discharge air from the cuff to deflate the cuff (decrease the cuff pressure).In the following, a step to increase the cuff pressure is also called a cuff inflation step and a step to decrease the cuff pressure is also called a cuff deflation step.

[0034] The storage unit 130 includes a main storage device such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or the like, and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory, or the like, and stores various types of information such as application programs, various types of measurement results such as a blood pressure value, a pulse rate, a pulse wave, and a pulse interval for each beat, as well as other acquired biological information. A measured blood pressure value, a measured pulse rate, and the like are stored in the storage unit 130 in association with time information such as a detection time and a measurement time. As time information, for example, information measured with reference to a real-time clock (RTC) can be used. The auxiliary storage device can be configured to be attachable to and detachable from the main body portion 11.

[0035] The operation unit 140 includes various operation buttons 141 (for example, a power button, a measurement execution button, and a selection and designation button) and has the function of receiving an input operation from the user and causing the control unit 100 to perform processing according to the operation.

[0036] The image display unit 150 includes the image display means 151 of the main body portion 11 and provides information to the user by displaying various types of information, such as measured blood pressure values, the current time, and information related to a cuff attachment state, on the image display means 151. Fig. 2(A) to Fig. 2(C) illustrate examples of the display content of the image display means 151. As in Fig. 2(A) to Fig. As illustrated in Figure 2(C), the image display means 151 is provided with a region, to be described below, for displaying a level indicator LI1 indicating information about a pulse interval. The level indicator LI1 will be described in more detail below.

[0037] Each functional module of the control unit 100 will be described below. The blood pressure value calculation unit 101 calculates a blood pressure value (and pulse rate) of the user based on a pulse wave detected by the sensor unit 110. As a method for calculating the blood pressure, any known technique can be used, and for example, an oscillometric method in which blood pressure is measured by detecting a pressure pulse wave with a pressure sensor can be employed. A microphone can be provided at the cuff portion 12, and the Korotkoff method for detecting Korotkoff sounds can be applied. The blood pressure value and pulse rate calculated by the blood pressure value calculation unit 101 can be stored in the storage unit 130 in association with a time of blood pressure measurement.

[0038] The pulse interval calculation unit 102 calculates a time interval between the peaks of the pulse wave for each beat from a waveform of the pulse wave detected by the sensor unit 110 (for example, a pressure pulse wave detected by the pressure sensor). The calculation of the pulse interval is described with reference to Fig. 3 described. Fig. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a relationship between a pulse wave signal and time. In Fig. 3, if the time at which the peak of a certain wave is detected is defined as t0 and the time at which the peak of the next wave is detected is defined as t1, the interval between the certain wave and the next wave is t1 - t0 = T1. In this way, the pulse interval calculation unit 102 calculates t x - t x-1 = T x as pulse interval.

[0039] The display resolution determination unit 103 determines the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed on the level indicator LI1 using information about the pulse interval calculated by the pulse interval calculation unit 102. Here, the display content of the level indicator LI1 is determined with reference to Fig. 2(A) to Fig. 2(C). The level indicator LI1 according to the present example includes a plurality of display segments S that can be switched between a display state and a non-display state, and can indicate the size of the pulse interval calculated by the pulse interval calculation unit 102 based on the number of display segments S in a state where the display is enabled (in the display state, not in the non-display state).

[0040] The level indicator LI1 in the present example is provided with ten display segments S, and the level indicator display content determining unit 104 described below determines how many of the ten display segments S are to be activated, and the determined display segments S are displayed on the level indicator LI1, whereby the size of the pulse interval can be visually displayed.

[0041] A pulse interval varies greatly from person to person, and the size of the interval and its average value vary from person to person. In addition, as in Fig. 4 illustrates that the variation of a pulse interval in a person with atrial fibrillation is greater than in a person with sinus rhythm (healthy person). Fig. Figure 4 is a graph illustrating an example of the variation in a pulse interval between a person with sinus rhythm and a person with atrial fibrillation. The horizontal axis (X-axis) represents the pulse rate from the start of measurement, and the vertical axis (Y-axis) represents the variation in a pulse interval. The variation in the pulse interval is indicated by a ratio (%) to an average pulse interval. In the Fig. In the diagram illustrated in Figure 4, the variation of the pulse interval in the person with sinus rhythm is 10% or less, while in the person with atrial fibrillation it reaches about 80%.

[0042] For this reason, if the upper and lower limits of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator LI1 are set as predetermined fixed values, the range between the upper and lower limits must be large, and thus the display resolution of the level indicator LI1 becomes insufficient for a user with a high pulse rate (ie, a user with a short pulse interval). For example, if ±100% of the average pulse interval is set as the upper and lower limits of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator LI1, taking into account the variation of the pulse interval of the person with atrial fibrillation described above, and the average pulse interval is estimated to be 1.5 seconds (ie, large) based on a minimum pulse rate of 40 beats / min that can be measured with a general blood pressure monitor, the pulse interval displayed by one display segment S will be 0.3 seconds.That is, the upper and lower limits of the pulse interval displayed on the level indicator LI1 are (0.3 seconds to 3 seconds).

[0043] However, assuming a user with a low heart rate as described above, the upper and lower limits cannot adequately represent the heart rate interval of a user with a high heart rate (e.g., 180 beats / min, where the average heart rate interval is 0.3 seconds). Fig. 5 illustrates a comparison relationship between a display indicating an average pulse interval of a user with a pulse rate of 40 beats / min and a display indicating an average pulse interval of a user with a pulse rate of 180 beats / min, assuming that the number of display segments is 10 and the upper and lower limits of the pulse interval displayed on the level indicator LI1 are set to 0.3 to 3 seconds.

[0044] In this regard, the display resolution determination unit 103 according to the present example determines the minimum and maximum values ​​of the pulse interval displayed on the level indicator LI1 using information on an actually measured pulse interval for each user. Accordingly, the display resolution of the level indicator LI1 can be dynamically adjusted, and a fluctuation in the pulse interval can be clearly displayed regardless of the user's pulse rate. A specific method for determining the minimum and maximum values ​​of the pulse interval is described below.

[0045] The level indicator display content determination unit 104 determines the display content of the level indicator LI1 displayed on the image display means 151. Specifically, the level indicator display content determination unit 104 determines the number of display segments S to be activated based on the pulse interval T calculated for each beat. x and determines the display content on the level indicator LI1 for each stroke.

[0046] Here, a specific example is described in which the level indicator display content determination unit 104 determines the number of display segments S to be activated. The level indicator display resolution determination unit 104 receives the number N x of the display segments S corresponding to the calculated pulse interval, using equations (1) and (2) described below, where T min , T max and N maxthe minimum value of the pulse interval, the maximum value of the pulse interval, and the maximum number of display segments S, respectively, determined by the display resolution determination unit 103. [Equation 1] Δt=(Tmax−Tmin) / (Nmax−1) [Equation 2] Nx=⌊(Tx−Tmin) / Δt+1⌋

[0047] That means N x is the maximum integer that exceeds the value of (T x -T min ) / Δt+1. By determining N x and displaying N xBy displaying segments S on the level indicator LI1 for each beat, it is possible to indicate a fluctuation in the pulse interval. Specifically, the display activation range of the level indicator LI1 becomes large when the number of display segments S in which the display is activated is large, and conversely, the display activation range of the level indicator LI1 becomes small when the number of display segments S in which the display is activated is small. That is, the display activation range of the level indicator LI1 becomes larger as the pulse interval becomes larger (longer), and the display activation range of the level indicator LI1 becomes smaller as the pulse interval becomes smaller (shorter). Thus, by observing the display, the user can intuitively recognize a change in the size of the display activation range, thereby recognizing an amount of change in the pulse interval for each beat.

[0048] By inventing a display mode, it is possible for the display segments S displayed on the level indicator LI1 to indicate the amount of change in the pulse interval to the user in an easily understandable manner. For example, in a mode in which the display segments S are arranged in a straight line running in the left-right direction, as shown in the Fig. 2(A) to Fig. 2(C) illustrates the display activation of the display segments S at the leftmost display segment S, the number of display segments S to be displayed is successively increased by one to the right until N x Display segments S are displayed, and after the N x Display segments S have been displayed, the display segments S are hidden one after the other from the right.

[0049] Fig. 2(A) to Fig. 2(C) illustrates an example of such a display transition of the display segments S. Fig. Figure 2(A) illustrates the level indicator LI1 in a case where the pulse interval indication T x at a specific time N x 9. In this example, N max 10. That is, a state is illustrated in which a total of 10 display segments S are present in the level indicator LI1 and 9 display segments S are displayed left-aligned (activated).

[0050] Fig. 2(B) illustrates a state in which the display segments S are successively faded from the right. As in Fig. 2(B), the display of the N x -th display segment S (in this case the ninth display segment S) is activated when the display segments S are successively hidden, making it possible to facilitate the detection of a fluctuation in the pulse interval based on a change in the position of the remaining display segment S. However, this is not absolutely necessary, and the display of all Nx Display segments S can be activated simultaneously and all N x Display segments S can remain displayed until the next pulse interval is received.

[0051] When the peak of the next pulse wave is detected and the level indicator display content determination unit 104 calculates the display content of the pulse interval T based on the peak of the next pulse wave. x+1 six display segments S are displayed in an activated state on the level indicator LI1, as shown in Fig. 2(C). In this example, the display of the level indicator LI1 changes synchronously with the waveform of the detected pulse. That is, when the pulse interval is short, the timing at which the display of the level indicator LI1 changes is advanced accordingly, and when the pulse interval is long, the timing at which the display changes is delayed. However, the timing at which the display of the level indicator LI1 changes does not necessarily have to be synchronized with the pulse waveform, and it is possible to adjust the timing at which the display of the pulse interval starts and ends for each beat accordingly.

[0052] Next, with reference to Fig. 6 describes a processing flow performed when blood pressure measurement is performed by the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the present example and a fluctuation in the user's pulse interval during the blood pressure measurement is indicated by the level indicator LI1. Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing performed when blood pressure measurement is performed by the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to the present example.

[0053] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 6, when the user performs an operation to start blood pressure measurement, the sensor unit 110 initializes the pressure sensor (S101). Subsequently, the cuff pressure control unit 120 closes the valve (S102) and drives the pump (S103) to supply air into the cuff, thereby inflating the cuff. Then, the control unit 100 determines whether the current time is a predetermined pressure build-up start period (S104). Whether the current time is the predetermined pressure build-up start period can be determined based on a condition such as whether a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) has passed since the start of a measurement operation or whether the cuff pressure has reached a predetermined value (e.g., 40 mHg), for example.

[0054] If it is determined in step S104 that the current time is the predetermined pressure build-up start period, information about the pulse interval calculated by the pulse interval calculation unit 102 is acquired (S105). Specifically, information about, for example, the pulse interval calculated for each beat is stored in the storage unit 130. If the process of step S105 is executed, processing proceeds to step S106, and it is determined whether the cuff pressure has reached a predetermined pressure (e.g., 200 mHg) (S106). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S104 that the current time is not the predetermined pressure build-up start period, processing proceeds directly to S106.

[0055] If it is determined in step S106 that the cuff pressure has not reached the predetermined pressure, the processing returns to step S103 and the subsequent processing is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S106 that the cuff pressure has reached the predetermined pressure, the cuff pressure control unit 120 stops the pump (S107).

[0056] Then, the display resolution determination unit 103 determines the maximum value and the minimum value of the pulse interval displayed on the level indicator LI1 based on information about a plurality of consecutive pulse intervals acquired in S105. That is, the display resolution of the level indicator LI1 is determined (S108). Specifically, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the minimum value from the acquired plurality of consecutive pulse intervals by a preset ratio (e.g., 90%) can be determined as the minimum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator LI1. A value obtained by multiplying the maximum value from the acquired plurality of consecutive pulse intervals by a preset ratio (e.g., 110%) can be determined as the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator LI1.Since the display resolution determined in this way is based on the user's actual recorded pulse interval, the display resolution is optimized for the user.

[0057] Following the process of step S108, the cuff pressure control unit 120 gradually opens the valve to deflate the cuff (S109). Then, the pulse interval calculation unit 102 calculates a pulse interval for each beat from a pulse wave detected during this period (S110). Based on this, the level indicator display content determination unit 104 determines the number of display segments S to be activated for each beat. The image display unit 150 then displays the determined content on the level indicator LI1 (S111), allowing the user to easily visually detect a fluctuation in the pulse interval for each beat during blood pressure measurement.

[0058] Furthermore, the blood pressure value calculation unit 101 measures blood pressure values ​​(a systolic blood pressure and a diastolic blood pressure) during cuff deflation, and in step S112, the blood pressure value calculation unit 101 determines whether the calculation of the blood pressure value has been completed (S112). If it is determined here that the calculation of the blood pressure value has not been completed, the processing returns to step S110, and the subsequent processing is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S112 that the calculation of the blood pressure value has been completed, the cuff pressure control unit 120 opens the valve to quickly release air from the cuff to deflate the cuff (S113). Then, the image display unit 150 displays measured values ​​(which may include a pulse rate and the like in addition to the blood pressure values) (S114), and a series of processing operations ends.The various measured values ​​can be stored in the storage unit 130.

[0059] According to the blood pressure measurement device 1 with the above-described configuration, the user can intuitively detect fluctuations in the pulse interval during blood pressure measurement and more easily detect the pulse rate. Therefore, when an abnormality such as arrhythmia exists, a pulse abnormality can be easily detected from the associated discomfort, which can contribute to the early detection of circulatory disease through daily blood pressure measurement. Furthermore, since the display resolution determination unit 103 determines the display resolution of the level indicator LI1 optimized for the user, a fluctuation in the pulse interval can be displayed with an appropriate resolution regardless of the difference in the pulse interval between users. Modified Example 1

[0060] In Example 1 described above, an example was described in which the values ​​obtained by multiplying the minimum value and the maximum value from the plurality of consecutive pulse intervals detected in step S105 by the preset ratios are determined as the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator LI1, but this is not essential. Such processing may be performed only for one of the minimum value and the maximum value, and a fixed value may be used for the other. For example, the display resolution determination unit 103 may determine a fixed value (e.g., 0 seconds) as the minimum value of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator LI1. Modified Example 2

[0061] Alternatively, the display resolution determination unit 103 may calculate an average value of the plurality of consecutive pulse intervals detected in step S105, and may determine values ​​obtained by multiplying positive and negative maximum deviations from the average value among the detected plurality of consecutive pulse intervals by a predetermined ratio (e.g., 110%) as the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval indicated by the level indicator LI1, respectively. The predetermined multiplication ratio may be different between the positive maximum deviation and the negative maximum deviation.In addition, by changing the ratio to be multiplied by the positive and negative maximum deviations so that the average value becomes the median value of the level indicator, instead of setting the ratio to be multiplied by the positive and negative maximum deviations to a fixed value, it is possible to realize a display of the level indicator with improved visibility. Modified Example 3

[0062] In Example 1 described above, the processing performed when the blood pressure measurement is performed by a so-called pressure release measurement was described, but the present invention can also be applied to a case where the blood pressure measurement is performed by a so-called pressure build-up measurement method. The processing in such a case is described in Fig. 7. It should be noted that the configuration of the biological information measuring device in the present modified example is the same as that in Example 1. In the Fig. In the processing illustrated in Fig. 7, the same steps as those described in Example 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] As in Fig. 7, in the present modified example, the processing from step S101 to step S105 is the same as in Example 1. In the present modified example, after step S105, the control unit 100 executes a process that determines whether the display resolution has been determined, that is, whether the minimum and maximum values ​​of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator LI1 have been optimized for the user (S201). At this time, if it is determined that the display resolution has not been determined yet, the display resolution determination unit 103 executes a process for determining the display resolution (S108). The method for determining the display resolution may be the same as that in Example 1, or the method described in Modified Example 1 or 2 may be used.

[0064] Here, in the present modified example, since blood pressure measurement is performed using the pressure buildup measurement method, a process for calculating blood pressure values ​​by the blood pressure value calculation unit 101 is performed together with the process for determining the display resolution. For this reason, if it is determined in step S201 that the display resolution has been determined, immediately after the display resolution is determined in step S108, the pulse interval calculation unit 102 calculates a pulse interval (S110), and the image display unit 150 displays the calculated pulse interval on the level indicator LI1 for each beat (S111). Then, the blood pressure value calculation unit 101 determines whether the blood pressure value calculation has been completed (S112), and if it is determined that the blood pressure value calculation has not been completed, the processing returns to step S104, and the subsequent processing is repeated.On the other hand, if it is determined in step S112 that the calculation of the blood pressure value is complete, the cuff pressure control unit 120 stops the pump (S202) and opens the valve to deflate the cuff (S113). Subsequently, the image display unit 150 displays the measured values ​​(S114), and a series of processing operations are terminated.

[0065] As described above, by determining the display resolution using information about the pulse interval obtained in the initial stage of blood pressure measurement (more precisely, in the initial stage of cuff pressure build-up), not only in the pressure release measurement but also in the pressure build-up measurement, it is possible to optimize the display resolution of the level indicator LI1 for the user and display a fluctuation in the pulse interval for each beat. Modified Example 4

[0066] Only in a case where the blood pressure measurement is performed using the pressure release measurement method, the processing procedure described below can be used. Fig. Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a processing flow executed in the blood pressure measuring device 1 in the present modified example. As shown in Fig. 8, the flow of processing of the present modified example is the same as that of Example 1, except that the processing in step S104 is omitted in Example 1. That is, in the present modified example, processing is performed such that pulse intervals are sequentially detected during a cuff inflation phase for pressure release measurement, a display resolution is determined using information about the detected plurality of consecutive pulse intervals, and then a pulse interval calculated in a cuff deflation phase for blood pressure measurement is displayed on the level indicator LI1 for each beat.

[0067] Because this configuration allows for a larger amount of data to be used to determine the display resolution than using only the pulse interval information acquired during the initial phase of cuff inflation, the display resolution can be determined with greater accuracy. Modified Example 5

[0068] Next, a fifth modified example according to the present invention will be described. The device configuration of the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to the present modified example is the same as that of the blood pressure measurement device 1 of Example 1, and thus the same reference numerals as those in Example 1 are used, and redundant parts are omitted. In the present modified example, the processing related to determining the display resolution is different from that in Example 1, and thus this point will be mainly described.

[0069] In the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to the present modified example, information about a plurality of consecutive pulse intervals calculated during a blood pressure measurement performed in the past is stored in the storage unit 130. Hereinafter, a set of information about a plurality of pulse intervals is also referred to as "a group of pulse interval information."

[0070] Fig. 9 illustrates a processing flow performed when the blood pressure measurement is performed by the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the present modified example. As shown in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 9, when the user performs an operation to start blood pressure measurement, the sensor unit 110 initializes the pressure sensor (S301). Subsequently, the display resolution determination unit 103 reads and acquires a group of pulse interval information acquired during the previous (i.e., last) blood pressure measurement and stored in the storage unit 130 (S302), and determines a display resolution based on this information (S303). The display resolution can be determined using the same method as that in Example 1 and Modified Example 1 or 2, and thus, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0071] Next, the cuff pressure control unit 120 closes the valve (S304) and drives the pump (S305) to supply air into the cuff to inflate the cuff. Then, the cuff pressure control unit 120 determines whether the cuff pressure has reached a predetermined pressure (e.g., 200 mHg) (S306). If it is determined that the cuff pressure has not reached the predetermined pressure, the processing returns to step S305, and the subsequent processing is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S306 that the cuff pressure has reached the predetermined pressure, the cuff pressure control unit 120 stops the pump (S307).

[0072] Following the process of step S307, the cuff pressure control unit 120 gradually opens the valve to deflate the cuff (S308). Then, the pulse interval calculation unit 102 calculates a pulse interval for each beat from a pulse wave detected during this period (S309). Based on this, the level indicator display content determination unit 104 determines the number of display segments S to be activated for each beat. The image display unit 150 then displays the determined content on the level indicator LI1 (S310), allowing the user to easily visually detect a fluctuation in the pulse interval for each beat during blood pressure measurement.

[0073] Furthermore, the blood pressure value calculation unit 101 measures blood pressure values ​​during cuff deflation, and in step S311, it is determined whether the blood pressure value calculation is completed (S311). If it is determined here that the calculation of the blood pressure value is not completed, the processing returns to step S309, and the subsequent processing is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S311 that the calculation of the blood pressure value is completed, the cuff pressure control unit 120 opens the valve to quickly release air from the cuff to deflate the cuff (S312). Then, the image display unit 150 displays the measured values ​​(S313), and then the control unit 100 executes a process of storing the group of pulse interval information calculated this time in the storage unit 130 (S314), and a series of processing operations are terminated.

[0074] As described above, in the present modified example, since the pulse interval information used to determine the display resolution is a group of pulse interval information stored during the previous blood pressure measurement, the display resolution can be set with high accuracy based on sufficient data. Modified Example 6

[0075] In the modified example described above, the processing performed when measuring blood pressure values ​​by a so-called pressure release measurement method was described, but a display resolution can also be determined in a process for measuring blood pressure by a pressure build-up measurement method using a group of pulse interval information. The processing in such a case is described in Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. As illustrated in FIG. 10, in the present modified example, blood pressure values ​​are measured in the course of increasing the cuff pressure, rather than using the pressure-deflation method in which the cuff is inflated until the cuff pressure reaches a predetermined pressure and then the pressure in the cuff is gradually released to measure the blood pressure, and thus the processing steps from step S306 to step S308 are omitted. Except for the above points, the same processing as in modified example 5 is performed. As described above, the method of determining a display resolution using a group of pulse interval information acquired in advance can be suitably used when the blood pressure measurement is performed by the pressure-deflation measurement. Other points

[0076] The description of the above examples is merely illustrative of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific examples described above. Various modifications and combinations can be made within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described examples, the level indicator LI1 is configured such that the display segments S are arranged in a straight line extending in the left-right direction. However, the level indicator may be configured differently depending on the device shape and structure of the image display means 151. Fig. 11(A) to Fig. 11(C), Fig. 12(A) to Fig. 12(C) and Fig. 13(A) and Fig. 13(B) illustrate display modes of level indicators according to modified examples.

[0077] The shape of the level indicator can be circular instead of linear, for example like a Fig. 11(A) illustrated level indicator LI2. As a Fig. 11(B), the level indicator LI3 may be configured in a linear form extending in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the level indicator may be a level indicator LI4 having a mode in which the display segments S are arranged radially in a plurality of rows and the display is activated from the inside out, as shown in Fig. 11(C) illustrates.

[0078] The level indicator does not necessarily have to be configured with a large number of display segments. Fig. 12(A) to Fig. 12(C) illustrate examples of a level indicator LI5 in such a case. Fig. 12(A) illustrates a state in which, as an indication of the pulse interval T xat a given time a continuous bar B runs from left to right. In the case of this modified example, it may be that N x is not calculated as the number of display segments, but as the length (or area) of a display activation area in a total displayable area of ​​the level indicator LI5. Fig. Figure 12(B) illustrates a state in which the bar is successively faded from the right. At this time, as in Example 1, the display of a peak level portion of the bar B remains in Fig. 12(A) activated. Fig. 12(C) illustrates a state in which the bar indicating a pulse interval runs from left to right and a pulse interval T x+1 is displayed.

[0079] The method of displaying a fluctuation in a pulse interval is not limited to increasing or decreasing the display area (the number of display segments in which the display is activated, the length or area of ​​the bar) in the level indicator as described above. Fig. 13(A) and Fig. 13(B) illustrate display modes of such level indicators. Fig. 13(A) and Fig. The level indicators illustrated in Fig. 13(B) have a shape including a part of a circumference (arc) and a pointer extending from the inside of the arc toward the arc, and have a configuration like a so-called analog meter.

[0080] Fig. Figure 13(A) is a diagram illustrating a modified example of Example 1 for indicating a pulse interval for each beat. A pointer of a level indicator LI6 is displayed to indicate each position between the minimum and maximum positions on a circumference corresponding to the pulse interval for each beat. That is, the angle of the pointer changes at each beat according to the pulse interval.

[0081] On the other hand, Fig.13(B) shows an example of a level indicator LI7 displayed to indicate, with reference to an average value calculated using a group of pulse interval information, a position on the arc corresponding to a deviation from the average value for each beat. Specifically, the level indicator LI7 is displayed such that a reference line K located in a central part of the arc and indicating an average value calculated using a group of pulse interval information is set as the standard position, and when the most recently calculated pulse interval assumes a value with a positive deviation from the average value, the pointer moves to the right by the amount of deviation from the reference line K.On the other hand, if the calculated last pulse interval takes a value with a negative deviation from the average value, the indication is made in such a way that the pointer moves to the left by the amount of deviation from the reference line K. If the calculated last pulse interval corresponds to the average value (depending on the resolution, in the same range as the average value), the pointer does not move from the reference line K to the left or right, but to easily recognize that the calculated last pulse interval corresponds to the average value, a special indication, for example, a flashing pointer, can be made.

[0082] In each of the examples described above, an example was described in which the level indicator is displayed by the LCD, but instead, the display segments can also be configured with a plurality of LED indicator lights. In such a case, turning on the LED indicator lights corresponds to activating the display segments.

[0083] Although a pressure pulse wave is detected by the pressure sensor in each of the above-described examples, a volume pulse wave can be detected by a PPG sensor. Although the blood pressure measurement device was described as an example in each of the above examples, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to other biological information measurement devices (for example, an electrocardiograph, a body composition meter, and the like) as long as the devices include a sensor capable of detecting a pulse. List of reference numbers 1 blood pressure measuring device 11 Main body section 12 cuff section 13 Air hose 151 Image display devices 100 control unit 110 Sensor unit 120 Cuff pressure control unit 130 storage unit 140 Control unit 150 Image display unit level indicator LI1, LI2, LI3, LI4, LI5, LI6, LI7 S display segment B bar K Reference line QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2007-98003 A

[0005]

Claims

[1] Device for measuring biological information, comprising: a pulse detecting means configured to detect a pulse of a user; Pulse interval calculating means configured to calculate, based on the pulse, a pulse interval between a beat and a beat immediately before the one beat; Display means configured to display a level indicator visually indicating the pulse interval; and a display resolution determining unit configured to determine a minimum value and a maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using information of the pulse interval. [2] The biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the display resolution determining unit determines a value obtained by multiplying a maximum value of a plurality of the calculated and consecutive pulse intervals by a predetermined first ratio as the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator. [3] The biological information measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the display resolution determining unit determines a value obtained by multiplying a minimum value of a plurality of the calculated and consecutive pulse intervals by a predetermined second ratio as the minimum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator. [4] The biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the display resolution determining unit calculates an average value of a plurality of the calculated and consecutive pulse intervals, determines a value obtained by multiplying a positive maximum deviation from the average value by a third ratio as the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator, and determines a value obtained by multiplying a negative maximum deviation from the average value by a fourth ratio as the minimum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator. [5] A biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the pulse detecting means includes a cuff and a pressure sensor and detects the pulse by pressurizing a blood vessel of the user with the cuff and detecting a pressure pulse wave of the blood vessel with the pressure sensor, and the display resolution determining unit determines the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using information about a plurality of the pulse intervals calculated from a start of pressurization of the blood vessel until a first predetermined condition is satisfied. [6] A biological information measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage means configured to store information about the detected pulse interval, wherein the pulse detecting means includes a cuff and a pressure sensor and detects the pulse by pressurizing a blood vessel of the user with the cuff and detecting a pressure pulse wave of the blood vessel with the pressure sensor, and the display resolution determining unit determines the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using the information about the pulse interval stored in the storage means and satisfying a second predetermined condition. [7] A biological information measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the pulse detecting means includes a cuff and a pressure sensor and detects the pulse by pressurizing a blood vessel of the user with the cuff and detecting a pressure pulse wave of the blood vessel with the pressure sensor, and the display resolution determining unit determines the minimum value and the maximum value of the pulse interval displayed by the level indicator using information on a plurality of consecutive pulse intervals calculated until a fluid supplied to the cuff is drained. [8] The biological information measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the level indicator visually displays the pulse interval using at least one of a length, an area, an angle of a region in which the display is activated on the display means, and the number of regions in which the display is activated on the display means. [9] A biological information measuring device according to claim 8, wherein the level indicator consists of a plurality of display segments and represents the pulse interval by the number of display segments in which the display is activated.

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