Pulse oximeter

Abstract

To provide a pulse oximeter capable of preventing light leakage.SOLUTION: A pulse oximeter includes: a body part which can be fitted to the finger of a measured person; and a pad part which is provided between the body part and the finger of the measured person and contacts the finger of the measured person. The body part is configured to store a light emitting part illuminating light to the finger of the measured person and a light receiving part receiving light transmitting the finger of the measured person and receiving light reflected on the finger of the measured person. The pad part has: a light transmission part where light irradiated by the light emitting part and / or light received by the light receiving part transmit; and an inclination part which is inclined from the light transmission part to an outside in a radial direction and the finger side of the measured person.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pulse oximeter capable of measuring the SpO2 (transcutaneous arterial oxygen saturation) and pulse wave of a subject. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, pulse oximeters capable of measuring the SpO2 (transcutaneous arterial oxygen saturation) and pulse wave of a subject have been known (Patent Document 1, etc.). Conventional pulse oximeters can be used, for example, by being attached to the subject's finger, and calculate the SpO2 and pulse wave based on the amount of light irradiated toward the subject's finger and the amount of light transmitted through or reflected by the subject's finger. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-175097 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional pulse oximeters, including the pulse oximeter described in Patent Document 1, during measurement, the subject's finger directly contacts the sensor unit that emits or receives light, the planar light-transmitting member that allows light to pass through, or the opening that allows light to pass through.

[0005] However, since the shape of a finger is not flat and the size of the finger varies depending on the person being measured, the contact between the sensor unit, the light-transmitting member or the opening and the finger of the person being measured is low, and therefore there is a risk of light leakage from between the sensor unit, the light-transmitting member or the opening and the finger of the person being measured. Such light leakage during measurement causes problems such as a long measurement time and a measurement error.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pulse oximeter capable of preventing light leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The pulse oximeter of the present invention comprises a main body portion that can be attached to the finger of a person to be measured, and a pad portion that is provided between the main body portion and the finger of the person to be measured and that comes into contact with the finger of the person to be measured. The main body portion is configured to accommodate a light-emitting portion that irradiates light onto the finger of the person to be measured, and a light-receiving portion that receives light that has passed through the finger of the person to be measured or light that has been reflected by the finger of the person to be measured. The pad portion is characterized in that it has a light-transmitting portion through which light emitted from the light-emitting portion and / or light received by the light-receiving portion passes, and an inclined portion that inclines radially outward from the light-transmitting portion and toward the finger of the person to be measured.

[0008] In the pulse oximeter of the present invention, it is preferable that the pad portion has an inverted inclined portion that inclines radially outward from the tip of the inclined portion and toward the main body portion, and a space is formed between the tip of the inverted inclined portion and the main body portion.

[0009] In the pulse oximeter of the present invention, the main body has a pad accommodating recess capable of accommodating the pad, and the pad accommodating recess has a bottom surface facing the tip of the reverse inclination portion of the pad, and a wall portion extending from the outer edge of the bottom surface toward the finger side of the person being measured, and a space may be formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion and the wall portion.

[0010] In the pulse oximeter according to the present invention, it is preferable that a space is formed between the main body and the inclined portion and the reverse inclined portion of the pad portion.

[0011] In the pulse oximeter of the present invention, the main body portion has a first main body portion and a second main body portion that are arranged so that they can approach or separate from each other, and the pad portion may be arranged between the first main body portion and the finger of the person being measured, and between the second main body portion and the finger of the person being measured. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the pulse oximeter of the present invention, it is possible to prevent light leakage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a pulse oximeter according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a pulse oximeter according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the pulse oximeter according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a plan view showing the pad section according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the pad section according to this embodiment taken along line AA. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a pulse oximeter according to the present embodiment is used; [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the pulse oximeter according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In addition, in the present embodiments, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0015] [Overall configuration of pulse oximeter] The pulse oximeter 1 according to this embodiment is a measuring device for measuring the SpO2 (transcutaneous arterial oxygen saturation) and pulse wave of a subject. As shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the pulse oximeter 1 includes a probe 10 capable of measuring the SpO2 and pulse wave of the subject, a main body 20 that can be attached to the subject's finger, and a pad 30 that is provided between the main body 20 and the subject's finger and comes into contact with the subject's finger.

[0016] In the following, for the sake of convenience, the direction in which the main body 20 is attached to the subject's finger will be described as "forward" and the opposite direction as "rearward". In addition, when the main body 20 is attached to the subject's finger, the direction in which the subject's fingernail is located will be described as "upward" and the opposite direction in which the subject's finger pad is located will be described as "downward". However, the front-rear and up-down directions referred to here are not necessarily the front-rear and up-down directions in actual usage.

[0017] [Probe configuration] The configuration of the probe 10 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The probe 10 is a measuring device for measuring the SpO2 and pulse wave of a subject. Specifically, the probe 10 includes a long string-like first probe 11 having a tip 11a bent substantially vertically, and a long string-like second probe 12 having a tip 12a bent substantially vertically.

[0018] The tip 11a of the first probe 11 is provided with a light emitting section 11b that irradiates light onto the subject's finger, and the tip 12a of the second probe 12 is provided with a light receiving section 12b that receives light that has passed through the subject's finger. The tip 11a of the first probe 11 is provided with an engagement protrusion 11c that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the tip 11a toward the outside in the radial direction of the tip 11a, and the tip 12a of the second probe 12 is provided with an engagement protrusion 12c that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the tip 12a toward the outside in the radial direction of the tip 12a.

[0019] The rear ends of the first probe 11 and the second probe 12 are connected to a monitor (not shown), which displays the SpO2 and pulse wave of the subject calculated based on the amount of light irradiated from the light-emitting unit 11b to the subject's finger and the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 12b. Note that the probe 10 and the monitor (not shown) can be configured in various known ways, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0020] [Main body configuration] The main body 20 includes a first main body 40 that covers the nail side of the finger and a second main body 50 that covers the pad side of the finger when the main body 20 is attached to the subject's finger (see FIG. 5), and is formed into an elongated shape extending in the front-rear direction as a whole. Note that the first main body 40 may cover the pad side of the finger, and the second main body 50 may cover the nail side of the finger.

[0021] The configuration of the first main body 40 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The first main body 40 includes an elongated base 41 extending in the front-rear direction, a peripheral wall 42 extending upward from the outer edge of the base 41, a lid 43 covering the upper surface (front surface) of the base 41, and side surfaces 44 extending downward from both ends of the base 41 in the short side direction. The first main body 40 is configured to be able to accommodate a part of the first probe 11 (the tip 11a side) in an accommodation space 45 formed by the base 41, the peripheral wall 42, and the lid 43.

[0022] The base portion 41 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and has a circular opening 41a between the front end and the center of the base portion 41. The opening 41a is formed penetrating from the upper surface of the base portion 41 to the lower surface of the base portion 41 (the inner surface of the first main body portion 40 and the surface facing the finger of the subject). The base portion 41 also has a pair of protrusions 41b formed near the rear end of the opening 41a, and a U-shaped groove portion 41c formed from near the rear end of the base portion 41 to the rear end of the first main body portion 40. That is, in this embodiment, the peripheral wall portion 42 is not formed in the portion where the U-shaped groove portion 41c is formed.

[0023] The pair of protrusions 41b are each formed in a block shape, and are erected on the upper surface of the base portion 41 so as to face each other along the short side direction of the base portion 41. The groove portion 41c is provided in the vicinity of one end portion of the base portion 41 in the short side direction, and has a groove width capable of accommodating the first probe 11.

[0024] The base portion 41 is configured to be able to detachably mount the first probe 11 by using the opening 41a, the pair of protruding portions 41b, and the groove portion 41c. Specifically, the base portion 41 is configured to be able to mount the first probe 11 by inserting the tip portion 11a of the first probe 11 into the opening 41a and inserting the first probe 11 between the pair of protruding portions 41b and into the groove portion 41c, and is configured to be able to detach the first probe 11 by performing the opposite operation. This has the advantage that even if either the probe 10 or the main body portion 20 breaks down or is damaged, the pulse oximeter 1 can be used again by simply replacing only the broken or damaged probe 10 or the main body portion 20.

[0025] The base portion 41 also includes an engagement protrusion 41d formed so as to protrude inward from the vicinity of the lower end of the inner wall formed by the opening 41a.

[0026] The underside of the front end of the base portion 41 has a shape that is gently curved upward to fit the surface of the subject's finger. A pad accommodating recess 46 capable of accommodating the pad portion 30 is formed on the underside of the front end of the base portion 41. The pad accommodating recess 46 has a bottom surface 46a that faces the tip of a reverse inclined portion 34 of the pad portion 30, which will be described later, and a wall portion 46b that extends from the outer edge (outer periphery) of the bottom surface 46a toward the subject's finger (downward), and has a shape that is recessed upward from the underside of the base portion 41 as a whole.

[0027] The bottom surface 46a is formed in a circular shape, and the opening 41a of the base portion 41 is disposed in the center of the bottom surface 46a. The wall portion 46b is formed inclined from the outer edge of the bottom surface 46a toward the radial outside of the bottom surface 46a and toward the finger side (downward) of the person to be measured. The bottom surface 46a may be configured to extend vertically from the outer edge of the bottom surface 46a toward the finger side (downward) of the person to be measured (see FIG. 6).

[0028] The lid portion 43 is formed to be large enough to cover the upper surface of the base portion 41, and is configured to be detachable from the base portion 41. Specifically, the lid portion 43 includes an engagement portion 43a that can be engaged with a pair of protrusions 41e formed on the upper surface of the front end portion of the base portion 41, and protruding pieces 43b that can be fitted into a pair of notches 42a formed by cutting out parts of the peripheral wall portion 42 at the rear end portion of the first main body portion 40.

[0029] The lid portion 43 is configured to be attached to the base portion 41 when the engaging portion 43a engages with the protrusion portion 41e of the base portion 41 and the protruding piece portion 43b fits into a pair of notches 42a of the peripheral wall portion 42, and is configured to be detached from the base portion 41 when the opposite action is performed. The side portion 44 is formed in a substantially inverted triangular shape whose area decreases downward, and is configured to block external light together with the side portion 54 of the second main body portion 50 described later.

[0030] In this embodiment, the base portion 41, the peripheral wall portion 42, and the side portion 44 can be integrally formed from materials such as ABS, PC (polycarbonate), etc. The lid portion 43 can be formed from materials such as ABS, PC (polycarbonate), etc. The base portion 41, the peripheral wall portion 42, and the side portion 44 may be integrally formed.

[0031] 1 to 3, the configuration of the second body 50 will be described. The second body 50 includes an elongated base 51 that faces the base 41 of the first body 40 and extends in the front-rear direction, a peripheral wall 52 that extends downward from the outer edge of the base 51, a lid 53 that covers the lower surface of the base 51, and side surfaces 54 that extend upward from both ends of the base 51 in the short side direction. The second body 50 is configured to be able to accommodate a part of the second probe 12 (the tip 12a side) in an accommodation space 55 formed by the base 51, the peripheral wall 52, and the lid 53.

[0032] In this embodiment, the second body portion 50 basically has a shape that is the first body portion 40 rotated 180 degrees, and each configuration of the second body portion 50 is similar to each configuration of the first body portion 40, so detailed explanations will be omitted and only the configurations that differ from the first body portion 40 will be explained below.

[0033] The base portion 51 of the second main body portion 50 is formed to be slightly longer than the base portion 41 of the first main body portion 40 in the short side direction. Therefore, the side portion 54 of the second main body portion 50 is formed to cover the surface of the side portion 44 of the first main body portion 40. This side portion 54 is provided from near the center of the base portion 51 to the front end, and is formed in a generally mountain shape with an area that decreases slightly toward the top. The side portion 54 is configured to block external light together with the side portion 44 of the first main body portion 40.

[0034] The upper surface of the front end of the base portion 51 has a shape that is curved downward with a curvature similar to that of the lower surface of the front end of the base portion 41 of the first main body portion 40. A pad accommodating recess 56 that faces the pad accommodating recess 46 of the first main body portion 40 and can accommodate the pad portion 30 is formed on the upper surface of the front end of the base portion 51. The upper surface of the front end of the base portion 51 is provided with a stopper 57 that is inclined toward the first main body portion 40 and toward the rear at the rear portion of the pad accommodating recess 56. Since the stopper 57 is provided on the second main body portion 50, the main body portion 20 can prevent the finger of the subject from entering the rear end of the main body portion 20 when the subject's finger is worn.

[0035] In addition, the second main body portion 50 differs in configuration from the first main body portion 40 in that a pair of engagement portions 53a are formed near both ends of the lateral side of the lid portion 53, and are provided at the front end of the lid portion 53 and engage with protrusions (not shown) formed on the underside of the front end of the base portion 51.

[0036] The first body 40 and the second body 50 having the above-mentioned configuration are provided so as to be able to approach or separate from each other. Specifically, the first body 40 and the second body 50 are connected by a shaft portion (not shown) so as to be able to open and close, and when the rear ends of the first body 40 and the second body 50 are separated from each other, the front ends of the first body 40 and the second body 50 are close to each other, and when the rear ends of the first body 40 and the second body 50 are close to each other, the front ends of the first body 40 and the second body 50 are separated from each other. Note that the shaft portion can adopt various known configurations, such as a configuration in which it is integrally molded or formed integrally with the first body 40 or the second body 50, or a configuration in which it is a member independent of the first body 40 and the second body 50, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] [Pad section configuration] The configuration of the pad section 30 will be described below with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the pad section 30 is provided between the first body section 40 and the subject's finger, and between the second body section 50 and the subject's finger. As shown in Fig. 4(b), the pad section 30 is formed in an umbrella shape in a side view (cross-sectional view), and as shown in Fig. 4(a), it is formed in a circular shape that is vertically symmetrical and bilaterally symmetrical in a front view. Specifically, the pad section 30 includes a connecting section 31 that can be connected to the first body section 40 or the second body section 50 (the body section 20), a light-transmitting section 32 through which the light emitted from the light-emitting section 11b or the light received by the light-receiving section 12b passes, an inclined section 33 that is inclined radially outward from the light-transmitting section 32 toward the subject's finger, and an inverse inclined section 34 that is inclined radially outward from the tip of the inclined section 33 toward the first body section 40 or the second body section 50 side (the body section 20 side).

[0038] In this embodiment, the pad section 30 provided between the first main body section 40 and the subject's finger, and between the second main body section 50 and the subject's finger, all have the same configuration, and therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the pad section 30 will be described using the pad section 30 provided between the first main body section 40 and the subject's finger.

[0039] The connecting portion 31 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape extending in the up-down direction, and has a size that allows it to be accommodated in the opening 41a of the first main body portion 40. An engagement groove portion 31a is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting portion 31, the engagement groove portion 31a being formed by cutting out the center portion of the connecting portion 31 in the up-down direction along the circumferential direction of the connecting portion 31. The pad portion 30 is configured to be attached to the first main body portion 40 by the engagement of the engagement groove portion 31a of the connecting portion 31 with the engagement protrusion 41d of the first main body portion 40.

[0040] Moreover, an engagement recess 31b is provided along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion 31, the engagement recess 31b being formed by recessing the center in the up-down direction of the connecting portion 31. The engagement recess 31b of the connecting portion 31 is configured to engage with the engagement protrusion 11c of the first probe 11 when the tip end 11a of the first probe 11 is inserted into the opening 41a of the first main body portion 40.

[0041] The light-transmitting portion 32 is an opening defined by the inner circumferential surface of the connecting portion 31 and penetrating the connecting portion 31 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 32 is configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting portion 11b by inserting the tip portion 11a of the first probe 11 into the opening serving as the light-transmitting portion 32, that is, by positioning the light-emitting portion 11b in the opening serving as the light-transmitting portion 32. This point is also true in the case of transmitting light received by the light-receiving portion 12b.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 32 has been described as an opening penetrating the connecting portion 31 along the axial direction, but is not limited thereto, and for example, a sheet-like or flat member formed of various known materials capable of transmitting light may be adopted as the light-transmitting portion 32, and the finger side of the opening of the connecting portion 31 of the subject may be covered with this sheet-like or flat member (see FIG. 6). Also, the opening of the connecting portion 31 may be filled with various known materials capable of transmitting light, and the filled portion may be adopted as the light-transmitting portion 32.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the light-transmitting section 32 has been described as being configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting section 11b by positioning the light-emitting section 11b in the opening of the light-transmitting section 32. However, this is not limited to this, and the light-transmitting section 32 may be configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting section 11b when the tip 11a of the first probe 11 is not inserted into the opening 41a of the first main body section 40 and is positioned in the storage space 45 of the first main body section 40.

[0044] The inclined portion 33 is formed to be inclined radially outward from the light-transmitting portion 32 toward the subject's finger, and is formed in a ring shape in a plan view (see FIG. 4(a)). In this specification, "inclined radially outward from the light-transmitting portion toward the subject's finger" includes both a configuration in which the inclination is from the radial end of the light-transmitting portion toward the subject's finger, and a configuration in which the inclination is from the vicinity of the radial end of the light-transmitting portion, i.e., a position away from the radial end of the light-transmitting portion, toward the subject's finger.

[0045] 4(b), the inclined portion 33 formed in a ring shape in a plan view preferably has an outer diameter L1 of 7 mm to 11 mm in order to improve the adhesion between the subject's finger and the pad portion 30 and prevent light leakage, and preferably has an outer diameter L1 of 8 mm to 10 mm in order to improve the adhesion between the subject's finger and the pad portion 30 and accommodate various finger sizes. In particular, in the case of a pulse oximeter 1 intended for adults, the outer diameter L1 is preferably 9 to 11 mm, and in the case of a pulse oximeter 1 intended for infants or children, the outer diameter L1 is preferably 7 to 9 mm.

[0046] In this embodiment, the inclined portion 33 is formed to extend from the vicinity of the radial end of the light transmitting portion 32 toward the subject's finger. Specifically, the inclined portion 33 is formed on the surface of the connecting portion 31 (the surface on the subject's finger side) and extends from the outer circumferential edge of the connecting portion 31 toward the subject's finger. The inclined portion 33 is formed in a curved shape that curves from the base end of the inclined portion 33 (the end on the main body portion 20, i.e., the first main body portion 40 side) to the tip end of the inclined portion 33 (the end on the subject's finger side).

[0047] The reverse inclined portion 34 is formed so as to be inclined from the tip of the inclined portion 33 radially outward and toward the first main body portion 40 side (main body portion 20 side). The reverse inclined portion 34 is formed in a curved shape that curves from the base end of the reverse inclined portion 34 (the tip of the inclined portion 33) to the tip of the reverse inclined portion 34 (the end on the main body portion 20, i.e., the first main body portion 40 side). Specifically, the reverse inclined portion 34 has the same curvature as the inclined portion 33. This has the advantage that when the subject's finger comes into contact with the pad portion 30, the pad portion 30 is uniformly crushed and deformed, preventing the subject's finger from shifting from the pad portion 30 and causing light leakage, and improving the adhesion between the subject's finger and the light-emitting portion 11b and the light-receiving portion 12b.

[0048] In this embodiment, a space is formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the first main body portion 40 (main body portion 20). This has the advantage that when the subject's finger comes into contact with the pad portion 30, the pad portion 30 is crushed and deformed by the amount of the space formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the first main body portion 40, resulting in good adhesion between the subject's finger and the light-emitting portion 11b and the light-receiving portion 12b.

[0049] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the distance L2 between the tip of the reverse inclined portion 34 and the bottom surface 46a of the first main body portion 40 is the height L3 (see FIG. 4(b)) from the surface of the connecting portion 31 to the tip of the inclined portion 33 ±0.2 to 0.3 mm. However, this height L3 is set large in the case of a thin material with a soft hardness, and set small in the case of a thick material with a hard hardness, depending on the material of the pad portion 30 and the thickness of the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34. From the above viewpoint, it is preferable that the distance L2 is set within a range that can sufficiently secure the deformation amount of the pad portion 30 depending on the height L3, the material of the pad portion 30, and the thickness of the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34.

[0050] For example, in the case of a material with a hardness of 50° or more, it is difficult to bend, so the distance L2 needs to be equal to or greater than the height L3, and conversely, in the case of a material with a hardness of 30° or less, the distance L2 needs to be equal to or less than L3 for pressure contact. As an example of the distance L2, when an elastomer with a hardness of 30° and a thickness of 0.5 mm is used, it is preferable that the height L3 is set to about 1±0.2 mm, so the distance L2 is set to 0.8 to 1.0 mm.

[0051] In this embodiment, a space is formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the wall portion 46b of the first main body portion 40. This has the advantage that when the subject's finger comes into contact with the pad portion 30, the pad portion 30 is crushed and deformed by the amount of the space formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the wall portion 46b of the first main body portion 40, thereby improving the adhesion between the subject's finger and the light-emitting portion 11b and the light-receiving portion 12b.

[0052] 3, the distance between the tip of reverse inclination portion 34 and the portion of wall portion 46b that is closest to reverse inclination portion 34, i.e., the distance L4 between the tip of reverse inclination portion 34 and the outer peripheral edge of bottom surface 46a of first main body portion 40, is preferably set to 0.2 to 0.3 mm + (height L3 - thickness of inclination portion 33 and reverse inclination portion 34). For example, when height L3 is 1.1 mm and thickness of inclination portion 33 and reverse inclination portion 34 is 0.5 mm, distance L4 is set to 0.8 to 0.9 mm.

[0053] In this embodiment, a space is formed between the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34 of the pad portion 30 and the first main body portion 40 (main body portion 20). That is, in this embodiment, since the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34 are formed in a curved shape, a space is formed between the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34 and the first main body portion 40 (main body portion 20).

[0054] In this embodiment, the connecting portion 31, the light-transmitting portion 32, the inclined portion 33, and the reverse inclined portion 34 are integrally formed from an elastomer. This has the advantage that the pad portion 30 is elastically deformed and functions as a non-slip surface for the subject's finger. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 31, the light-transmitting portion 32, the inclined portion 33, and the reverse inclined portion 34 are integrally formed from an elastomer, but this is not limited thereto, and the pad portion 30 may be formed from various other known materials, or the connecting portion 31, the light-transmitting portion 32, the inclined portion 33, and the reverse inclined portion 34 may be integrally formed.

[0055] [How to use a pulse oximeter] A method of using the pulse oximeter 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 5. First, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a first probe 11 having a rear end connected to a monitor (not shown) is attached to a first main body 40, and a second probe 12 having a rear end connected to a monitor (not shown) is attached to a second main body 50.

[0056] 5, with the first probe 11 housed in the first body 40 and the second probe 12 housed in the second body 50, the subject's finger is sandwiched between the first body 40 and the second body 50 to measure the SpO2 and pulse wave of the subject. At this time, the subject's finger comes into close contact with the pad section 30, and the pad section 30 deforms to bring the subject's finger into close contact with the light-emitting section 11b of the first probe 11 and the light-receiving section 12b of the second probe 12, so that the light emitted from the light-emitting section 11b and the light received by the light-receiving section 12b do not leak out.

[0057] In this embodiment, the pulse oximeter 1 has been described as being attached to the subject's finger for use, but this is not limited to this. For example, the pulse oximeter 1 may be attached to another part of the subject, such as the earlobe, where the SpO2 and pulse wave of the subject can be measured, and measurements may be performed.

[0058] [Advantages of the pulse oximeter according to this embodiment] Thus, the pulse oximeter 1 of this embodiment comprises a main body section 20 that can be attached to the subject's finger, and a pad section 30 that is provided between the main body section 20 and the subject's finger and comes into contact with the subject's finger. The main body section 20 is configured to accommodate a light-emitting section 11b that irradiates light onto the subject's finger, and a light-receiving section 12b that receives light that has passed through the subject's finger. The pad section 30 has a light-transmitting section 32 through which light emitted from the light-emitting section 11b or light received by the light-receiving section 12b passes, and an inclined section 33 that inclines radially outward from the light-transmitting section 32 toward the subject's finger.

[0059] According to the pulse oximeter 1 having such a configuration, the pad section 30 is provided between the main body section 20 and the finger of the subject, and the subject's finger is in close contact with the pad section 30, the light-emitting section 11b, and the light-receiving section 12b, so there is an advantage that no light leakage occurs between the subject's finger and the light-emitting section 11b and the light-receiving section 12b. Therefore, the measurement time and measurement error can be reduced.

[0060] In the pulse oximeter 1 according to this embodiment, the pad section 30 has an inversely inclined section 34 that is inclined from the tip of the inclined section 33 radially outward and toward the main body section 20, and a space is formed between the tip of the inversely inclined section 34 and the main body section 20. According to the pulse oximeter 1 having such a configuration, when the finger of the person to be measured comes into contact with the pad section 30, the pad section 30 is crushed and deformed by the amount of the space formed between the tip of the inversely inclined section 34 and the main body section 20, which has the advantage of improving the adhesion between the finger of the person to be measured and the light-emitting section 11b and the light-receiving section 12b.

[0061] Furthermore, in the pulse oximeter 1 according to this embodiment, the main body 20 has a pad accommodating recess 46 (56) capable of accommodating the pad 30, and the pad accommodating recess 46 (56) has a bottom surface 46a facing the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 of the pad 30 and a wall portion 46b extending from the outer edge of the bottom surface 46a toward the subject's finger, and a space is formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the wall portion 46b. According to the pulse oximeter 1 having such a configuration, when the subject's finger comes into contact with the pad 30, the pad 30 is crushed and deformed by the amount of the space formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the wall portion 46b of the main body 20, which has the advantage of improving the adhesion between the subject's finger and the light-emitting portion 11b and the light-receiving portion 12b.

[0062] In the pulse oximeter 1 according to this embodiment, a space is formed between the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34 of the pad portion 30 and the main body portion 20. According to the pulse oximeter 1 having such a configuration, when the finger of the person to be measured comes into contact with the pad portion 30, the pad portion 30 is easily crushed and deformed, which has the advantage of improving the adhesion between the finger of the person to be measured and the light-emitting portion 11b and the light-receiving portion 12b.

[0063] Furthermore, in the pulse oximeter 1 according to this embodiment, the main body 20 has a first main body 40 and a second main body 50 that are arranged so as to be able to approach or separate from each other, and the pad section 30 is arranged between the first main body 40 and the subject's finger and between the second main body 50 and the subject's finger. According to the pulse oximeter 1 having such a configuration, since the pad section 30 is arranged both between the first main body 40 and the subject's finger and between the second main body 50 and the subject's finger, it has an advantage of reliably preventing light leakage occurring between the subject's finger and the light-emitting section 11b and the light-receiving section 12b, and reducing the measurement time and measurement error.

[0064] [Variations] The pulse oximeter according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0065] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the pad portion 30 has the reverse inclined portion 34 that inclines radially outward from the tip of the inclined portion 33 toward the main body portion 20, and the shape of the pad portion 30 in a side view (cross-sectional view) is umbrella-shaped, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the pad portion 30 may be configured not to include the reverse inclined portion 34. Also, in the above-described embodiment, a space is formed between the tip of the reverse inclined portion 34 and the main body portion 20, but this is not limited thereto, and a space may not be formed between the tip of the reverse inclined portion 34 and the main body portion 20.

[0066] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the main body portion 20 has a pad accommodating recess 46 (56) capable of accommodating the pad portion 30, and the pad accommodating recess 46 (56) has a bottom surface 46a facing the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 of the pad portion 30 and a wall portion 46b extending from the outer edge of the bottom surface 46a toward the finger side of the person being measured, and a space is formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the wall portion 46b. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the main body portion 20 may be configured not to have a pad accommodating recess 46 (56), or a configuration in which no space is formed between the tip of the reverse inclination portion 34 and the wall portion 46b.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a space is formed between the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34 of the pad portion 30 and the main body portion 20, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the space between the inclined portion 33 and the reverse inclined portion 34 of the pad portion 30 and the main body portion 20 may be filled with various known elastically deformable materials.

[0068] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the main body portion 20 has a first main body portion 40 and a second main body portion 50 that are arranged so that they can move toward or away from each other, and the pad portion 30 is described as being arranged between the first main body portion 40 and the subject's finger, and between the second main body portion 50 and the subject's finger, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the main body portion 20 may be configured to include either the first main body portion 40 or the second main body portion 50, or the pad portion 30 may be configured to be arranged either between the first main body portion 40 and the subject's finger, or between the second main body portion 50 and the subject's finger.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the probe 10 is described as including the first probe 11 having the light-emitting unit 11b and the second probe 12 having the light-receiving unit 12b, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, a configuration in which the light-emitting unit 11b and the light-receiving unit 12b are provided in one probe may also be used.

[0070] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the light-receiving unit 12b, which is arranged opposite the light-emitting unit 11b, is configured to receive light that has passed through the subject's finger, and the light-transmitting unit 32 of the pad unit 30 is described as passing light emitted from the light-emitting unit 11b or light received by the light-receiving unit 12b. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the light-emitting unit 11b and the light-receiving unit 12b may be arranged side by side, the light-receiving unit 12b is configured to receive light reflected from the subject's finger, and the light-transmitting unit 32 of the pad unit 30 may pass light emitted from the light-emitting unit 11b and light received by the light-receiving unit 12b, which is a so-called reflection-type pulse oximeter.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the pulse oximeter 1 has been described as having the first probe 11 having the light-emitting unit 11b attached to the first body unit 40, and the second probe 12 having the light-receiving unit 12b attached to the second body unit 50. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the first probe 11 having the light-emitting unit 11b may be attached to the second body unit 50, and the second probe 12 having the light-receiving unit 12b may be attached to the first body unit 40.

[0072] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the base portion 41 is described as being configured to detachably attach the first probe 11 by the opening 41a, the pair of protrusions 41b, and the groove portion 41c, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the base portion 41 may be configured to not detach the first probe 11.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the lid portion 43 is described as being configured to be detachable from the base portion 41, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the lid portion 43 may be configured to be non-detachable from the base portion 41.

[0074] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the pad portion 30 has been described as having the same configuration for the pad portion 30 provided between the first main body portion 40 and the subject's finger and the pad portion 30 provided between the second main body portion 50 and the subject's finger, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the pad portion 30 provided between the first main body portion 40 and the subject's finger and the pad portion 30 provided between the second main body portion 50 and the subject's finger may have different configurations, such as being of different sizes.

[0075] Furthermore, the pulse oximeter 1 has been described as having the first probe 11 having the light-emitting unit 11b attached to the first body 40 and the second probe 12 having the light-receiving unit 12b attached to the second body 50, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured, for example, as in the pulse oximeter 1' shown in Fig. 6, in which various known elements functioning as the light-emitting unit 11b' and the light-receiving unit 12b' are provided inside the body 20'. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, the connecting unit 31' of the pad unit 30' may be configured to fit into a groove formed in the bottom surface 46a' of the first body 40' (second body 50').

[0076] In the above embodiment, the pad portion 30 is described as being formed in a vertically symmetrical and horizontally symmetrical circular shape when viewed from the front, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the pad portion 30 may be formed in a vertically asymmetrical shape or a horizontally asymmetrical shape. In addition, a circular shape is optimal from the viewpoint of preventing light leakage from all directions, but this is not limited thereto, and various shapes such as an elliptical shape or a tile shape can be adopted.

[0077] It is apparent from the claims that the above-mentioned modifications are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1, 1´ : Pulse oximeter 10: Probe 11: First probe 11a:Tip 11b, 11b´: Light emitting part 11c: Engagement convex part 12: Second probe 12a:Tip 12b, 12b´: Light receiving part 12c: Engagement convex part 20, 20´: Main body 30, 30´: Pad section 31, 31´: Connection part 31a: Engagement groove 31b: Engagement recess 32:Transparent part 33: Inclined part 34: Reverse slope part 40, 40´: First body part 41: Base section 41a: Opening 41b:Protrusion 41c:Groove 41d: Engagement protrusion 41e:Protrusion 42: Peripheral wall part 42a: Notch 43: Lid 43a: Engagement part 43b:Protruding piece 44: Side part 45: Containment space 46: Pad receiving recess 46a, 46a´: bottom 46b: Wall part 50, 50´: Second body part 51: Base part 52: Peripheral wall part 53: Lid 53a: Engagement part 54: Side part 55: Containment space 56: Pad receiving recess 57:Stop part

Claims

1. A main unit that can be attached to the finger of the person being measured, A pad portion is provided between the main body and the finger of the person being measured, and the pad portion comes into contact with the finger of the person being measured. Equipped with, The main body is configured to house a light-emitting unit that illuminates the finger of the person being measured with light, and a light-receiving unit that receives light that has passed through the finger of the person being measured or light that has been reflected from the finger of the person being measured. The pad portion has a light-transmitting portion through which light emitted from the light-emitting portion and / or light received by the light-receiving portion passes, an inclined portion that slopes radially outward from the light-transmitting portion and toward the finger of the person being measured, and a reverse inclined portion that slopes radially outward from the tip of the inclined portion and toward the main body portion. The inclined portion and the reverse inclined portion are configured to be elastically deformable when the fingers of the person being measured come into contact with them. A space is formed between the tip of the inverted inclined portion and the main body. A pulse oximeter characterized by the following features.

2. The main body has a pad housing recess capable of housing the pad portion, The pad housing recess has a bottom surface facing the tip of the inverted inclined portion of the pad, and a wall portion extending from the outer edge of the bottom surface toward the finger side of the person being measured. A space is formed between the tip of the inverted inclined portion and the wall portion. The pulse oximeter described in feature 1.

3. A space is formed between the inclined portion and the reverse inclined portion of the pad portion and the main body portion. The pulse oximeter according to feature 1 or 2.

4. The main body comprises a first main body and a second main body, which are arranged to be able to approach or separate from each other. The pad portion is provided between the first main body and the fingers of the person being measured, and between the second main body and the fingers of the person being measured. The pulse oximeter according to feature 1 or 2.

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