Biological signal monitoring wear

Abstract

To provide biological signal monitoring wear for measuring stable biological signals with less noise over a desired period for a subject leading a daily life.SOLUTION: Biological signal monitoring wear includes: a plurality of electrodes brought into contact with the skin of a subject; a wear body mounted on the subject; and a conduction unit arranged on the reverse face opposed to the skin of the subject of the front and reverse faces of the wear body for connecting biological signal measuring equipment for measuring biological signals of the subject and the plurality of electrodes so that they are conductive to each other. The wear body includes an annular trunk around the waist of the subject, an elastic body provided at the trunk of the back body of the wear body of the trunk so as to be long in a circumferential direction of the trunk, which has the length of 30% or more and 60% or less of the length around the waist in the solar plexus area of the subject in a longitudinal direction, and a non-elastic cloth base provided at the trunk of the front body of the wear body where the conduction unit is arranged of the trunk.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a garment for monitoring biological signals used for monitoring biological signals such as electrocardiograms. [Background technology]

[0002] As a method for comfortably and easily measuring biosignals such as heart rate and electrocardiograms in everyday living environments, attempts have been made to utilize so-called wearable biosignal monitoring systems, which consist of electrodes and measuring instruments attached to clothing, belts, etc.

[0003] Generally, clothing used in a wearable biosignal monitoring system (i.e., clothing for monitoring biosignals) is divided into an electrode section that comes into contact with the living body, a terminal connector for attaching a terminal that measures the biosignal, a lead wire that connects the electrode section and the terminal connector, and a body fabric section that serves as a base for attaching the electrode section, terminal connector, and lead wire. Of the various components of this clothing for monitoring biosignals, only the electrode section, terminal connector, and lead wire are made conductive, and the body fabric section is made of an insulator. By configuring clothing for monitoring biosignals in this way, it is possible to obtain the desired biosignal only from the electrode section.

[0004] In order to monitor biosignals for a long period of time (one week or more) using biosignal monitoring clothing, it is important that the clothing can be put on and taken off for bathing, that the positioning of electrodes and other sensors can be easily performed even by subjects without specialized knowledge, and that stable information with little noise that can be used to diagnose diseases, such as electrocardiogram analysis, can be obtained. In order to meet these requirements, many biosignal monitoring clothing incorporating electrodes and other sensors have been developed. Below, we will introduce some representative conventional technologies related to biosignal monitoring clothing.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses clothing for electrocardiogram measurement that includes a fastening means for tightly fitting a sheet portion provided with electrodes to the body surface of a subject. In this clothing for electrocardiogram measurement, button-shaped electrodes with fixed lead wires are inserted into buttonhole-like slits provided in the sheet portion, so that the electrodes and lead wires are detachably attached to the clothing for electrocardiogram measurement. Clothing for electrocardiogram measurement having such a configuration can be easily washed because it is free from the electrodes and lead wires.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a wearable electrode comprising a garment having an outer fabric and an inner fabric, an electrode part attached to the inner fabric on the opposite side of the outer fabric to acquire a biosignal by contacting the body of a subject, and a lead wire arranged between the outer fabric and the inner fabric. In this wearable electrode, the electrode part and the lead wire are freely attached and detached by snap buttons, and a slit is provided in the inner fabric of the garment at the electrode attachment position. A measuring instrument to which the lead wire is connected is stored in a pocket provided on the inside of the garment. As with the electrocardiogram measuring garment described in Patent Document 1, the wearable electrode is free from the electrode part, the lead wire, and the measuring instrument, and can be washed as needed. In addition, in this wearable electrode, the lead wire is arranged between the outer fabric and the inner fabric of the garment, so that discomfort caused by the lead wire directly touching the skin of the subject is avoided. Furthermore, this garment does not have a fastening means for closely contacting the electrode part with the body surface of the subject, but has an electrode having a fiber structure composed of nanofibers and conductive polymer as the electrode part. This increases the adhesion between the electrode portion and the subject's skin, so that even if the garment moves due to the subject's body movements, the electrode portion can be prevented from moving out of the subject's skin, resulting in a stable biological signal.

[0007] Patent Document 3 discloses a garment including an attachment member made of an electrically insulating material, an electrode portion made of a conductive material fixed to the surface of the attachment member that comes into contact with the living body, and a connector electrically connected to the electrode portion. In this garment, the attachment member is fixed to the surface of the garment that comes into contact with the living body. The connector includes a conductive portion for connection to a biosignal measuring device, and is fixed to the attachment member so that the conductive portion is exposed on the surface of the garment opposite to the surface that comes into contact with the living body.

[0008] Patent Document 4 discloses a garment for monitoring bioelectrical signals, which includes a biosignal measuring device, two bioelectrodes to be in contact with the human body, a stretchable fabric on which the bioelectrodes are placed, and a removable engagement member sewn to the stretchable fabric. It is described that in this garment for monitoring bioelectrical signals, the engagement members are engaged with each other in a stretched state of the stretchable fabric, thereby pressing the bioelectrodes against the human body and bringing them into close contact, thereby improving the quality of reception of the biosignal by the biosignal measuring device.

[0009] Patent Document 5 discloses a biosignal detection garment comprising a half-top or brassiere-type clothing body, an underbelt with a fastener that allows the chest size to be adjusted and placed at the bottom of the clothing body, two or more electrodes made of conductive fibers, a connector for attaching a measuring device that detects biosignals, and a wiring section that electrically connects the electrodes and the connector, the electrodes, the connector, and the wiring section being placed on the underbelt. It is described that this biosignal detection garment detects biosignals continuously and stably for a long period of time without causing discomfort when worn. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-70897 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 007016 [Patent Document 3] JP 2018-153666 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2016-179250 A [Patent Document 5] International Publication No. 2018 / 047814 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] However, the electrocardiogram measurement garment described in Patent Document 1 has multiple lead wires with fixed electrodes, which may cause problems such as the subject attaching the electrodes in the wrong position, discomfort caused by the lead wires touching the subject's skin directly, noise caused by the lead wires being pulled when the subject moves, the cost of the lead wires with electrodes, and the need for a separate fixture to fasten the measuring device. In fact, although a patent application for electrocardiogram measurement garment described in Patent Document 1 was filed more than 25 years ago, no product has been put to practical use.

[0012] In addition, in the wearable electrode described in Patent Document 2, since the lead wire is placed between the outer and inner fabrics, the "discomfort caused by the lead wire touching the subject's skin directly" assumed in the electrocardiogram measurement wear described in Patent Document 1 above is avoided, but the work of inserting the lead wire into the wear is time-consuming, and it is expected that there will be many problems due to the electrode part being attached in the wrong position during this work. Furthermore, in the wearable electrode described in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to provide wear that is perfectly matched to the size of the individual subject, and if the subject's waist size is smaller than the standard size of the wear, the force pressing the electrode part from the wear to the skin is weak, and the adhesion between the electrode part and the skin is weakened, making it difficult to obtain a biosignal at a level that allows electrocardiogram analysis. In addition, if the wearer's tightening force against the skin is too strong, excessive pressure is applied to the subject, causing discomfort.

[0013] In addition, in the wear with bioelectrodes described in Patent Document 3, the electrically insulating member (the above-mentioned attachment member) to which the conductive part connecting to the electrode and the biosignal measuring device is fixed is generally made of resin, etc., and therefore has poor moisture absorption and texture, which impairs the comfort of the wear. In addition, when the wear is washed to remove sweat and dirt, there is a concern that problems such as damage to the conductive part and connector fixed to the wear, a decrease in conductivity, and disconnection may occur. Furthermore, since the conductive member and the electrically insulating member are fixed to the wear, the cost of the wear is high, and the cost of preparing a replacement for washing is also a burden on the subject. In addition, the manufacturing process of the wear is complicated. Specifically, various manufacturing processes are required, such as adhesion of the electrically insulating member to the fabric of the wear, attachment processing of the conductive part and the connector, and quality control for checking the electrical conductivity of the conductive part and the connector after attachment.

[0014] In addition, in the clothing for monitoring bioelectrical signals disclosed in Patent Document 4, an example is shown in which the bioelectrodes are attached to the human body by elastic fabric among the fabrics constituting the clothing, but with such a configuration, it is difficult to stably attach the bioelectrodes to the skin of the human body for a long period of time. This is because, in the clothing for monitoring bioelectrical signals described in Patent Document 4, the area of ​​the clothing including the location where the bioelectrodes are installed is made of elastic fabric, so if the elastic fabric is fixed in a state stretched to a length shorter than the subject's waist circumference, the elastic force of the elastic fabric to press the bioelectrodes against the human body may be insufficient. In this case, the bioelectrodes fixed to the elastic fabric rise from the skin surface of the human body, which causes a lot of noise in the biosignal. In addition, Patent Document 4 describes that a means for measuring pressure is required to confirm that an appropriate pressure is applied to the bioelectrodes, and a mechanism for monitoring pressure is required to obtain a stable biosignal, which causes the cost of the clothing to be high.

[0015] In addition, in the half-top or brassiere type biosignal detection clothing described in Patent Document 5, the underbelt on which the electrodes and wiring are provided is made of elastic fabric, but has a structure that surrounds the entire waist of the subject, so the adjustment range of the pressure is narrow. Therefore, in order to fit the biosignal detection clothing to the subject's body shape, it is necessary to prepare many sizes of the clothing main body, which causes high costs and difficult inventory management. Furthermore, in the biosignal detection clothing described in Patent Document 5, as in Patent Document 3 described above, it is necessary to cover the wiring parts that connect to the electrodes and measuring device with an electrically insulating material made of resin, etc., which causes a problem that the comfort of the clothing is impaired. In addition, in the biosignal detection clothing described in Patent Document 5, there is a concern that the conductive parts and connectors may be damaged or broken by washing the clothing. Furthermore, there are high manufacturing costs and the trouble of quality control at medical institutions due to the reuse of the clothing, and many other disadvantages are considered to be in the widespread use of the clothing as a diagnostic tool.

[0016] As described above, it is concluded that in the known technical fields, in order to monitor vital signs over a long period of time in everyday living environments, there is a need for the development of vital sign monitoring clothing that can be easily washed even if it gets dirty, can measure stable vital signs with enough little noise to enable diagnosis of diseases such as electrocardiogram analysis, and furthermore, can reduce the cost burden on the subject.

[0017] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide inexpensive biosignal monitoring wear that can comfortably and easily measure stable biosignals with little noise for a desired period of time from subjects going about their daily lives. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The present inventors have completed the present invention as a result of intensive research to solve the above problems. That is, in order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the present invention comprises a plurality of electrodes to be brought into contact with the skin of a subject, a conductive unit that electrically connects a biological signal measuring instrument that measures the biological signal of the subject to the plurality of electrodes, and a garment body to which the conductive unit is detachably attached and worn by the subject, the conductive unit comprising a flexible sheet-like insulator, a plurality of electrode connectors provided on a first surface of the insulator in the thickness direction and connecting the plurality of electrodes, a measuring instrument connector provided on a second surface of the insulator opposite to the first surface and detachably connecting the biological signal measuring instrument, and a conductor provided on the insulator to electrically connect the plurality of electrode connectors and the measuring instrument connector.

[0019] In addition, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the wear body comprises a torso portion forming a ring around the waist of the subject, an elastic body provided in the torso portion of the rear torso portion of the wear body so as to be longitudinal in the circumferential direction of the torso and having a length in the longitudinal direction that is 30% to 60% of the waist circumference length at the subject's epigastrium area, and a cloth backing of a non-elastic structure provided in the torso portion of the front torso portion of the wear body, and the conductive unit is removably attached to the torso portion of the front torso where the cloth backing is provided.

[0020] In addition, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the force required to stretch the elastic body by 30% in its longitudinal direction is 3N or more and 9N or less.

[0021] In addition, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the force required to stretch the elastic body by 20% in its longitudinal direction is 2N or more and 6N or less.

[0022] In addition, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the rate of increase in the force required when the elastic body is stretched in its longitudinal direction from a state where it is stretched 10% to a state where it is stretched 30% is 0.1 N / % or more and 0.2 N / % or less.

[0023] In addition, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, it is provided with a fabric member that covers the first surface of the insulator in the conductive unit other than the multiple electrode connectors.

[0024] Furthermore, the biological signal monitoring wear according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the biological signal measuring device is an electrocardiograph.

[0025] Moreover, the biological signal monitoring wear according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the plurality of electrodes are made of conductive fiber.

[0026] In addition, the biosignal monitoring wear according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the plurality of electrodes are made of nanofibers having a fiber diameter of 10 nm or more and 5000 nm or less.

[0027] In addition, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the multiple electrodes are provided with a conductive sheet having an adhesive strength of 200 g / 20 mm or less measured by a 90-degree peel method conforming to the JIS-Z0237 regulations. Effect of the Invention

[0028] The present invention has the effect of providing inexpensive biosignal monitoring wear that can comfortably and easily measure stable biosignals with little noise for a desired period of time on subjects going about their daily lives. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the front side of a garment for monitoring biological signals according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the rear side of the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the electrode connector side of a conduction unit that is applied to the biological signal monitoring wear according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the measuring instrument connector side of the conduction unit applied to the biological signal monitoring wear according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the front piece of the garment body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a front body piece to which a conductive unit is attached according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the rear piece of the garment body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the biological signal monitoring wear according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the electrode connector side of a conduction unit that is applied to the biological signal monitoring wear according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the measuring instrument connector side of the conduction unit applied to the biological signal monitoring wear according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a sheet-like insulator applied to the conduction unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the front piece of the garment body according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the biological signal monitoring wear according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the back part of a garment body that is applied to the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a unit storage body attached to the front part of a garment main body according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B is an enlarged view showing one configuration example of the loop tape of the unit storage body shown in FIG. 13A. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the back side of the front body of the garment main body according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the electrode side of a conduction unit that is applied to the biological signal monitoring wear according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the measuring instrument connector side of a conductive unit that is applied to the biological signal monitoring wear according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a registered waveform of an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a compressed waveform of an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] A preferred embodiment of the biosignal monitoring wear according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and that the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element may differ from the actual ones. The drawings may also include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios. In addition, the same components are given the same reference numerals in each drawing.

[0031] (Embodiment 1) First, a description will be given of the wear for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the front side of the wear for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the rear side of the wear for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a view of the wear for monitoring biological signals 100 according to the first embodiment as seen from the right front of a subject in a state where the wearer is wearing the wearer. FIG. 2 shows a view of the wear for monitoring biological signals 100 according to the first embodiment as seen from the left rear of the subject in a state where the wearer is wearing the wearer. Hereinafter, the term "subject" refers to a subject whose biological signals are to be monitored, that is, a subject who wears the wear for monitoring biological signals 100 in the first embodiment.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the biosignal monitoring wear 100 of this embodiment 1 comprises a plurality of electrodes 11-13, an electrocardiograph 200, a conductive unit 10 that electrically connects these electrodes 11-13 and the electrocardiograph 200, and a wear body 30 to which these parts and devices can be detachably attached and which is worn by a subject.

[0033] The electrodes 11-13 are an example of electrodes to be in contact with the skin of the subject. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrodes 11-13 (three in the present embodiment 1) are arranged on the back surface of the garment body 30 so as to be in contact with the skin of the subject. In detail, they are detachably attached to the back surface of the conductive unit 10 arranged on the back side of the torso 36 of the garment body 30. The number of electrodes 11-13 arranged on the garment 100 for monitoring biological signals is not limited to three as shown in FIG. 1, and may be two or more. The arrangement of the electrodes 11-13 is not limited to the positions indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 1. For example, the number and arrangement of the electrodes 11-13 are determined according to the measurement method of the biological signals obtained from the subject, etc.

[0034] In the biosignal monitoring wear 100 according to the first embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the "reverse side" refers to the surface facing the skin of the subject wearing the wear body 30 (the surface facing the skin). Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the "front side" refers to the surface opposite to the "reverse side". The above definitions of "reverse side" and "front side" also apply to each of the components of the biosignal monitoring wear 100, such as the electrodes 11-13, the conductive unit 10, and the wear body 30.

[0035] The conduction unit 10 is an example of a unit that electrically connects a biosignal measuring device (an electrocardiograph 200 in the first embodiment) that measures a biosignal of a subject to a plurality of electrodes 11 to 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the conduction unit 10 is disposed on the back surface of a garment body 30. Specifically, the conduction unit 10 is detachably attached to the back surface of a portion of the torso 36 of the garment body 30 that corresponds to the abdomen of the subject. A plurality of electrodes 11 to 13 are detachably attached to the back surface of the conduction unit 10. In addition, an electrocardiograph 200 is detachably attached to the conduction unit 10 from the front surface side of the garment body 30 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] The electrocardiograph 200 is an example of a biosignal measuring device that measures a biosignal of a subject. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrocardiograph 200 is detachably attached to a conductive unit 10 from the surface side of the torso 36 of the wear main body 30, and is conductively connected to a plurality of electrodes 11 to 13 through the conductive unit 10. If the electrocardiograph 200 is charged in advance, it has a function of continuously measuring the electrocardiogram signal (an example of a biosignal) of the subject for a period of two weeks or more without charging, and a function of storing the obtained electrocardiogram data (data of an electrocardiogram waveform shown by the electrocardiogram signal). In addition to these functions, the electrocardiograph 200 preferably further has a function of transferring data by communication with a mobile terminal or a personal computer. With this function, for example, it is possible to easily transfer and store data from the electrocardiograph 200 in a personal computer, and perform an electrocardiogram analysis of the subject based on the stored data.

[0037] The garment body 30 is an example of a garment to which the above-mentioned conductive unit 10 is detachably attached and worn by a subject. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the garment body 30 is composed of a front body 31, a rear body 32, and shoulder straps 33. In detail, the front body 31 and the rear body 32 are connected together by the two shoulder straps 33. The front body 31 and the rear body 32 are separated at both side portions (portions corresponding to the subject's flanks). The both side portions of the front body 31 and the rear body 32 are detachably connected as shown in Fig. 1.

[0038] As described above, the front body 31 and the back body 32 are preferably detachably separated at both side portions, but may be detachably separated at at least one of the side portions. This makes it easier for the subject to wear the garment 30. As described above, the front body 31 and the back body 32 are preferably detached at at least one of the side portions, but may be connected at both side portions. As described above, the front body 31 and the back body 32 are preferably connected by two shoulder straps 33, but may be connected by at least one shoulder strap 33. This makes it possible to prevent the garment 30 from shifting relative to the subject when the subject wears the garment 30.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the garment body 30 has a torso 36 that is annular around the torso of the subject. In the present embodiment 1, the torso 36 of the garment body 30 is formed by connecting the torso 34 of the front body 31 and the torso 35 of the back body 32. The torso 34 of the front body 31 is a portion that extends from the front to the side (flank) of the abdomen of the subject wearing the garment body 30. As shown in FIG. 1, a joint 40 is provided on the surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31 for detachably connecting the torso 34 of the front body 31 and the torso 35 of the back body 32. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a non-elastic cloth mount is provided on the back surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31 of the garment body 30 in the torso 36 by, for example, attaching it. The details of this cloth mount will be described later. The conductive unit 10 is detachably attached to the back surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31 where the cloth mount is provided. On the other hand, the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 is the section extending from the waist to the sides of the subject wearing the garment body 30. The torso section 35 of the rear body 32 has side tabs 35a at both ends. The torso section 35 of the rear body 32 is connected to the torso section 34 of the front body 31 by attaching these side tabs 35a to joint sections 40 of the torso section 34 of the front body 31. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a shrinkable binder tape 43 is sewn around the periphery of the garment body 30 to prevent the edges of the cut fabric from unraveling.

[0040] 2, the garment body 30 has an elastic body 37 for expanding and contracting the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 in accordance with the waist circumference of the subject. The elastic body 37 is provided inside the torso section 35 of the rear body 32. The elastic body 37 is stretched by pulling the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 toward the side tab 35a. When the side tab 35a is attached to the joint 40 of the torso section 34 of the front body 31 in this stretched state, the elastic body 37 contracts so as to bring the annularly connected torso section 34 of the front body 31 and torso section 35 of the rear body 32 (i.e., the torso section 36 of the garment body 30) into close contact with the torso of the subject.

[0041] In the biosignal monitoring wear 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the fabric of the wear body 30, i.e., the fabric of the front body 31, the back body 32, and the shoulder straps 33 constituting the wear body 30, is preferably a fabric with excellent elasticity, such as 2-way tricot or smooth knit used in underwear, and more preferably a fabric that is sweat-absorbent and feels good on the skin in addition to elasticity. Examples of materials that can be used for such fabrics include polyester-based synthetic fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate, and polyamide-based synthetic fibers such as nylon. Furthermore, natural materials such as cotton and linen can also be used as the material for the above fabrics.

[0042] Next, the conduction unit 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electrode connector side of the conduction unit applied to the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the measurement instrument connector side of the conduction unit applied to the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the conduction unit 10 includes a sheet-like insulator 1, electrode connectors 2a to 2c, measurement instrument connectors 3a to 3d, and lead wires 4a to 4c. The conduction unit 10 is a unit in which the electrode connectors 2a to 2c, the measurement instrument connectors 3a to 3d, and the lead wires 4a to 4c are integrated into the sheet-like insulator 1. The conduction unit 10 also includes fixing parts 5 and 6 for detachably attaching to the garment body 30.

[0043] The insulator 1 is an example of a sheet-like insulator having flexibility. In detail, the insulator 1 is formed by overlapping a plurality of insulating sheets. For example, the insulator 1 is formed by overlapping and adhering an insulating sheet on the electrode connector side where the electrode connectors 2a to 2c are provided and an insulating sheet on the meter connector side where the meter connectors 3a to 3d are provided. These two insulating sheets are adhered by a method such as heat welding the outer periphery of the sheet with a heat sealer or the like. The insulator 1 has flexibility that allows it to be easily curved in response to an external force, and electrically insulates the electrode connectors 2a to 2c, the meter connectors 3a to 3d, and the lead wires 4a to 4c from each other. As the insulating material constituting the insulator 1, for example, thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride resin, polystyrene, polyamide, or foams of these resins are preferable, and further, crosslinked foam resins are preferable.

[0044] The electrode connectors 2a to 2c are an example of a plurality of electrode connectors that respectively connect a plurality of electrodes 11 to 13 that are to be in contact with the skin of a subject. As shown in FIG. 3A, the plurality of electrode connectors 2a to 2c (three in the present embodiment 1) are provided on a first surface (back surface A1) of both surfaces in the thickness direction of the insulator 1. For example, these electrode connectors 2a to 2c are provided on the insulating sheet on the electrode connector side described above, and are arranged so as to be exposed only from the back surface A1 during the manufacturing process of the insulator 1. In the present embodiment 1, the electrode 11 is conductively connected to the electrode connector 2a, the electrode 12 is conductively connected to the electrode connector 2b, and the electrode 13 is conductively connected to the electrode connector 2c. The number and arrangement of the electrode connectors 2a to 2c in the insulator 1 are determined according to the number and arrangement of the electrodes 11 to 13 described above.

[0045] The measuring instrument connectors 3a to 3d are an example of a measuring instrument connector that detachably connects a biosignal measuring instrument. As shown in FIG. 3B, the measuring instrument connectors 3a to 3d (four in the present embodiment 1) are provided on the second surface (surface A2) of the two surfaces in the thickness direction of the insulator 1. The second surface is the surface (opposite surface) opposite to the first surface described above. For example, these measuring instrument connectors 3a to 3d are provided on the insulating sheet on the measuring instrument connector side described above, and are arranged so as to be exposed only from the surface A2 during the manufacturing process of the insulator 1. In the present embodiment 1, the measuring instrument connectors 3a to 3d are detachably conductively connected to an electrocardiograph 200 (see FIG. 1), which is an example of a biosignal measuring instrument. The number and arrangement of the measuring instrument connectors 3a to 3d in the insulator 1 are determined according to the number and arrangement of the terminals of the electrocardiograph 200.

[0046] The above-mentioned electrode connectors 2a-2c and measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d are preferably made of metal dot buttons having high corrosion resistance suitable for use in measuring instruments such as wearable terminal devices and medical devices, and for measuring biosignals such as electrocardiogram signals. Note that the electrode connectors 2a-2c and measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d are not limited to those described above, and may be connectors such as sockets generally used for connecting cords.

[0047] The lead wires 4a to 4c are an example of a conductor that electrically connects the electrode connectors 2a to 2c and the measuring instrument connectors 3a to 3d. As shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, the lead wires 4a to 4c (three in the first embodiment) are provided on the insulator 1 so as not to be exposed from either the back surface A1 or the front surface A2 of the insulator 1. For example, the lead wires 4a to 4c are formed so as to be sandwiched between the insulating sheet on the electrode connector side and the insulating sheet on the measuring instrument connector side, and are wired inside the insulator 1. In the first embodiment, the lead wire 4a electrically connects the electrode connector 2a and the measuring instrument connector 3a, the lead wire 4b electrically connects the electrode connector 2b and the measuring instrument connector 3c, and the lead wire 4c electrically connects the electrode connector 2c and the measuring instrument connector 3d.

[0048] The above-mentioned lead wires 4a to 4c are preferably formed by a method of printing conductive resin on a flexible printed circuit board or thin insulating resin used in electronic devices, etc. Furthermore, the above-mentioned lead wires 4a to 4c are more preferably formed from fibers such as conductive metal wires.

[0049] When the lead wires 4a to 4c are formed from conductive fibers (hereinafter referred to as conductive fibers), examples of the conductive fibers include metal-covered yarns obtained by covering polyester or nylon fibers with metal fibers containing metals such as silver, aluminum, or stainless steel, composite fibers obtained by compositely arranging carbon black in a portion of the core or sheath of polyester or nylon in the length direction of the fibers, and metal-coated yarns obtained by coating polyester or nylon fibers with metals such as silver, aluminum, or stainless steel. Among these conductive fibers, metal-covered yarns are particularly preferred from the viewpoints of durability and versatility. Specifically, hitoe (registered trademark) medical lead wires and hitoe (registered trademark) medical lead wires II manufactured by Toray Medical Co., Ltd. can be used as the lead wires 4a to 4c.

[0050] The fixing parts 5 and 6 are members for realizing detachable attachment of the members related to the conductive unit 10. In detail, the fixing part 5 is a member for detachably connecting a cover member covering the back surface A1 (the surface facing the skin of the subject) of the conductive unit 10 to the conductive unit 10 in a state where the conductive unit 10 is attached to the back surface of the front body 31 of the wear body 30. For example, a unit cover (described later) provided on the back surface of the front body 31 is given as an example of this cover member. As shown in FIG. 3A, a plurality of fixing parts 5 (three in the present embodiment 1) are provided on the back surface A1 of the conductive unit 10. For example, these fixing parts 5 are disposed in the vicinity of the side of the back surface A1 that will be the lower side when the conductive unit 10 is attached to the back surface of the front body 31. As such fixing parts 5, for example, a reusable urethane adhesive sheet, a hook-and-loop fastener with an A surface (hook surface) or a B surface (loop surface), or the like can be used.

[0051] On the other hand, the fixing parts 6 are members for detachably attaching the conductive unit 10 to the back surface of the front body 31 of the garment body 30. As shown in FIG. 3B, a plurality of fixing parts 6 (two in the first embodiment) are provided on the front surface A2 of the conductive unit 10. For example, these fixing parts 6 are disposed on the front surface A2 near each side that will be the left and right ends when the conductive unit 10 is attached to the back surface of the front body 31. As such fixing parts 6, for example, a member such as a reusable urethane adhesive sheet or a hook-and-loop fastener with an A side (hook side) or a B side (loop side) can be used.

[0052] Next, the front body 31 of the garment body 30 in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one example of the configuration of the front body of the garment body in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the front body 31 from the back side in a state in which the conductive unit 10 is not attached. As shown in FIG. 4, the front body 31 includes a fabric mount 38 to which the conductive unit 10 is attached, a unit cover 39 that covers the conductive unit 10, and a fixing part 41. The front body 31 also includes side tabs 34a at both side ends of the torso part 34. As with the above-mentioned garment body 30, a shrinkable binder tape 43 is sewn around the unit cover 39 to prevent the edges of the cut fabric from unraveling.

[0053] The cloth mount 38 is an example of a cloth mount having a non-elastic structure provided in a portion of the torso 36 (see FIG. 1) of the wear body 30 to which the conductive unit 10 is detachably attached. The cloth mount 38 has a non-elastic structure, and is attached to the back surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31 of the torso 36 of the wear body 30 as shown in FIG. 4. The non-elastic structure of the cloth mount 38 means a structure (structure such as flexibility) that has both a property of being difficult to stretch or inelastic and a property of being easy to bend. For example, the cloth mount 38 can be deformed, such as curved, together with the torso 34 of the front body 31 to which it is attached, but is difficult to stretch compared to the torso 34. The fixing portion 6 of the conductive unit 10 shown in FIG. 3B is detachably connected to such cloth mount 38, and the conductive unit 10 is detachably attached to the cloth mount 38. By attaching the conductive unit 10 to the cloth backing 38 in this manner, the cloth backing 38 can prevent the torso portion 34 from expanding and contracting even if the front body portion 31 expands and contracts due to the subject's movements or the action of the elastic body 37 of the back body portion 32.

[0054] For example, a thick adhesive core or a hook-and-loop fastener can be used as the cloth mount 38. Specifically, when the cloth mount 38 is an adhesive core, the fixing part 6 (see FIG. 3B) attached to the surface A2 of the conductive unit 10 described above is made of an adhesive material such as a reusable urethane adhesive sheet. When the cloth mount 38 is a hook-and-loop fastener, the fixing part 6 is made of a hook-and-loop fastener of the cloth mount 38 that can be attached and detached. That is, when the cloth mount 38 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the A side (hook side), the fixing part 6 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the B side (loop side). When the cloth mount 38 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the B side (loop side), the fixing part 6 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the A side (hook side). In particular, when a hook-and-loop fastener is used as the cloth mount 38, the cloth mount 38 faces the skin of the subject, and therefore, from the viewpoint of alleviating discomfort caused by contact with the skin, it is preferable that the hook-and-loop fastener be a hook-and-loop fastener on the B side (loop side).

[0055] As shown in Fig. 4, the torso 34 and the cloth mount 38 of the front body 31 are provided with a plurality of (for example, four) metering instrument connector holes 51-54. These metering instrument connector holes 51-54 are through holes for exposing the metering instrument connectors 3a-3d (see Fig. 3B) of the conductor unit 10 from the cloth mount 38 side to the surface side of the front body 31 when the conductor unit 10 is attached to the cloth mount 38. Specifically, the conductor unit 10 is connected to the fixed part 6 after the conductor unit 10 is aligned with the metering instrument connector holes 51-54, respectively, so that the conductor unit 10 is detachably attached to the cloth mount 38. At this time, the metering instrument connector 3a is exposed to the surface side of the front body 31 from the metering instrument connector hole 51, and the metering instrument connector 3b is exposed to the surface side of the front body 31 from the metering instrument connector hole 52. Similarly, meter connector 3c is exposed on the surface side of front body 31 from meter connector hole 53, and meter connector 3d is exposed on the surface side of front body 31 from meter connector hole 54. The number and arrangement of these meter connector holes 51-54 are determined according to the number and arrangement of meter connectors 3a-3d provided in conduction unit 10.

[0056] On the other hand, the above-mentioned joint 40 is provided on the surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the joint 40 is provided by sewing or the like in a portion of the surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31, from a position spaced apart from the meter connector holes 51-54 to the side tab 34a. In this way, the joint 40 is configured not to block the meter connector holes 51-54.

[0057] The unit cover 39 is an example of a fabric member that covers a portion of the back surface A1 (first surface) of the insulator 1 in the conductive unit 10 other than the electrode connectors 2a to 2c (see FIG. 3A). As shown in FIG. 4, the unit cover 39 is sewn to the back surface of the torso part 34 of the front body 31 so that the portion of the back surface of the front body 31 to which the conductive unit 10 is attached (specifically, the portion to which the fabric mount 38 is adhered) can be opened and closed.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4, the unit cover 39 is provided with a fixing portion 41 and electrode connector holes 57 to 59. The fixing portion 41 is a member for detachably connecting the unit cover 39 to the conductive unit 10 attached to the back surface of the front body 31 of the garment body 30. In detail, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of fixing portions 41 (three in the first embodiment) are provided on the unit cover 39. The number and arrangement of the fixing portions 41 are determined according to the number and arrangement of the fixing portions 5 (see FIG. 3A) attached to the back surface A1 of the conductive unit 10 described above. As such fixing portion 41, for example, a member such as a hook fastener with an A surface (hook surface) or a B surface (loop surface) can be used. For example, when the fixing portion 5 of the conductive unit 10 is a hook fastener with an A surface (hook surface), the fixing portion 5 of the conductive unit 10 is a hook fastener with a B surface (loop surface). When the fixing part 5 of the conductive unit 10 is a surface-B (loop surface) hook-and-loop fastener, the fixing part 5 of the conductive unit 10 is a surface-A (hook surface) hook-and-loop fastener.

[0059] The electrode connector holes 57-59 are through holes that allow the electrode connectors 2a-2c (see FIG. 3A) of the conduction unit 10 attached to the fabric mount 38 to be exposed from the unit cover 39. Specifically, the electrode connector hole 57 exposes the electrode connector 2a from the unit cover 39. The electrode connector hole 58 exposes the electrode connector 2b from the unit cover 39. The electrode connector hole 59 exposes the electrode connector 2c from the unit cover 39. The number and arrangement of these electrode connector holes 57-59 are determined according to the number and arrangement of the electrode connectors 2a-2c provided in the conduction unit 10.

[0060] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the front body in a state where the conduction unit is attached in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the unit cover 39 closes the conduction unit 10 attached to the cloth mount 38, and covers the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 10 except for the electrode connectors 2a to 2c. At this time, the fixing part 41 of the unit cover 39 is detachably connected to the fixing part 5 provided on the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 10. By covering the conduction unit 10 in this manner, the unit cover 39 can prevent the conduction unit 10 from contacting the skin of the subject. In addition, the unit cover 39 covers the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 10 as described above, and supports the conduction unit 10 between the cloth mount 38. As a result, the unit cover 39 can prevent the conduction unit 10 from being displaced from the cloth mount 38 and from falling off the torso part 34 of the front body 31.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5, the conduction unit 10 covered by the unit cover 39 is electrically connected to a plurality of electrodes 11 to 13 to be in contact with the skin of the subject. In detail, the electrode 11 is detachably connected to the electrode connector 2a of the conduction unit 10 through the electrode connector hole 57 of the unit cover 39. The electrode 12 is detachably connected to the electrode connector 2b of the conduction unit 10 through the electrode connector hole 58 of the unit cover 39. The electrode 13 is detachably connected to the electrode connector 2c of the conduction unit 10 through the electrode connector hole 59 of the unit cover 39. In the present embodiment 1, the arrangement of these electrodes 11 to 13 is based on CC5, which is one of the lead methods of the Holter electrocardiogram. In this case, the electrode 11 is a positive electrode, the electrode 12 is a ground electrode, and the electrode 13 is a negative electrode.

[0062] In the biosignal monitoring wear 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the multiple electrodes 11-13 for detecting biosignals such as electrocardiogram signals from the body of a subject are, for example, structures made of conductive fibers (i.e., conductive fiber structures). The conductive fibers are preferably fibers impregnated with a conductive substance. More preferably, the conductive fiber structure is a multifilament, and a conductive polymer is supported on the surfaces of and between the individual fibers constituting the conductive fiber structure.

[0063] The conductive material used in the electrodes 11 to 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive compound. Examples of the conductive material include conductive polymers such as PEDOT / PSS, conductive materials containing carbon black, CNT (Carbon Nanotube), metal fine particles, etc. However, when a material having elasticity such as an elastomer resin is used as the conductive material, the conductivity changes depending on the degree of elasticity of the material, which makes it difficult to stably detect (measure) a biosignal from a subject. Therefore, the above-mentioned material having elasticity is not preferable as the conductive material. In addition, the conductive polymer used in the electrodes 11 to 13 is a conductive polymer in which the resin itself has electrical conductivity. As such a conductive polymer, for example, PEDOT / PSS in which polystyrene sulfonic acid (poly-4-styrene sulfonate: PSS) is doped into PEDOT, a thiophene-based conductive polymer, is more preferable from the viewpoint of safety and processability. In addition, when carbon black, CNT, metal fine particles, etc. are used as the conductive material, polymers such as urethane-based polycarbonate and urethane-based polyether can be used as binders.

[0064] Examples of the form of the conductive fiber structure used in the above-mentioned electrodes 11 to 13 include fabric-like materials such as knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics, and string-like materials. Among these, it is preferable to use knitted fabrics or woven fabrics.

[0065] Examples of fiber materials that can be used in the conductive fiber structure of the present invention include fibers made of polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, etc., aromatic polyester fibers obtained by copolymerizing these with a third component, aliphatic polyester fibers represented by fibers mainly composed of L-lactic acid, polyamide fibers such as nylon 6 and nylon 66, acrylic fibers mainly composed of polyacrylonitrile, polyolefin fibers such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and synthetic fibers such as polyvinyl chloride fibers.Furthermore, examples of the above-mentioned fiber materials that can be used include fibers containing additives such as titanium oxide, and fibers modified with a polymer to impart functionality such as improved moisture absorption.

[0066] In the present invention, the conductive fiber structure preferably contains multifilaments having a fiber diameter of 0.2 dtex or less from the viewpoint of supporting the conductive resin on the fiber surface and in the gaps between the fibers. The mixing ratio of multifilaments having a fiber diameter of 0.2 dtex or less in the fiber structure is not particularly limited as long as it does not affect the performance, but from the viewpoint of conductivity and durability, it is preferable that it is high, and more preferably 50% or more and 100% or less. Furthermore, the more the number of single fibers, the more the gaps (i.e., the part where the conductive resin is supported) formed by a plurality of single fibers are divided, and thus the conductive resin can be supported by the fiber structure more easily. In addition, the smaller the fiber diameter, the more the continuity of the conductive resin is maintained even if the gaps are divided. Therefore, when the number of single fibers and the fiber diameter satisfy the above conditions, the conductive fiber structure can have excellent high conductivity and washing durability. Furthermore, when the electrodes 11-13 are made of a fiber structure impregnated with a conductive substance, the electrodes 11-13 are preferably made of microfibers having a fiber diameter of 5 μm or less, such as fiber structures used in artificial leather, outerwear materials, etc. In particular, the electrodes 11-13 are more preferably made of nanofibers having a fiber diameter of 10 nm or more and 5000 nm or less.

[0067] As the nanofibers constituting the electrodes 11 to 13, for example, a fiber structure containing nanofibers produced by a known method, such as a nanofiber staple yarn assembly produced from "NANOALLOY (registered trademark)" fiber, or an assembly of monofilament yarns produced by an electrospinning method, is preferably used. As this fiber structure, in particular, a fiber structure containing a nanofiber multifilament yarn is more preferable. The nanofiber multifilament yarn can be produced by a known composite spinning method. As an example, a nanofiber multifilament yarn with small variation in fiber diameter obtained by removing the sea part from a composite fiber using a composite spinneret exemplified in JP2013-185283A can be effectively used, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0068] Furthermore, the above-mentioned electrodes 11-13 are not limited to those made of conductive fibers, and may be those having a conductive sheet such as an adhesive film containing a conductive material. In this case, the conductive sheet constituting each of the electrodes 11-13 preferably has an adhesive strength of 200 g / 20 mm or less measured by a 90-degree peeling method in accordance with the JIS-Z0237 standard.

[0069] Furthermore, the size and shape of each of the above-mentioned electrodes 11-13 are not particularly limited as long as they can detect a biosignal. For example, it is preferable that each of the vertical and horizontal lengths of these electrodes 11-13 is 2.0 cm or more and 5.0 cm or less. Specifically, hitoe (registered trademark) medical electrodes or hitoe (registered trademark) medical electrodes II manufactured by Toray Medical Co., Ltd. can be used as these electrodes 11-13.

[0070] On the other hand, the side tabs 34a of the front body 31 shown in Fig. 4 correspond to the subject's flanks, and are connected so as to overlap with the torso section 35 of the rear body 32. At this time, the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 is detachably joined to a joining section 40 provided on the surface of the front body 31. As a result, the torso section 34 of the front body 31 and the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 are joined in a ring shape to form the torso section 36 of the garment body 30 (see Fig. 1).

[0071] Next, the rear body 32 of the garment body 30 in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing one configuration example of the rear body of the garment body in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 6, the rear body 32 includes a back portion 32a, a torso portion 35, an elastic body 37, and a joining portion 42. The rear body 32 also includes side tabs 35a on both ends of the torso portion 35.

[0072] The back portion 32a corresponds to the back of a subject wearing the garment body 30. As shown in Fig. 6, the back portion 32a is integrally connected to the front body 31 via one or more (two in the first embodiment) shoulder straps 33. A torso portion 35 is provided at the lower end of the back portion 32a (the end opposite to the shoulder straps 33).

[0073] The torso section 35 is connected to the torso section 34 of the front body 31 described above to form a torso section 36 (see Figs. 1 and 2) of the garment body 30 that is annular around the torso of the subject. As shown in Fig. 6, the torso section 35 is belt-shaped and provided at the lower end of the back section 32a. The torso section 35 is formed, for example, in a stretchable hollow belt-like shape, and includes an elastic body 37 therein. The torso section 35 also has side tabs 35a at both ends of the belt-like shape, and includes a joining section 42 on the back surface of the side tabs 35a.

[0074] The elastic body 37 applies elastic force (stretching force) to the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 so as to be stretchable in the longitudinal direction of the belt-like shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic body 37 is provided on the torso section 36 of the garment body 30 so as to be elongated in the circumferential direction of the annular torso section 36. In detail, as shown in FIG. 6, the elastic body 37 is incorporated inside the belt-like torso section 35 of the rear body 32 of the torso section 36 so as to be elongated in the longitudinal direction of the torso section 35. The elastic body 37 has a length in the longitudinal direction that is, for example, 30% to 60% of the waist circumference at the epigastrium of the subject. By setting the longitudinal length of the elastic body 37 to the above length, the electrodes 11 to 13 (see FIG. 5) attached to the back surface of the garment body 30 can be brought into contact with the skin of the subject with an appropriate pressure. As a result, biosignals can be acquired from the subject through the electrodes 11-13 without giving the subject an excessively strong sense of pressure due to wearing the garment body 30. The elastic body 37 preferably has a length (width) of 25 mm or more and 50 mm or less in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the stress and strain characteristics of the elastic body 37 do not change over a long period of time. In the first embodiment, for example, flat rubber having a width of 40 mm is used as the elastic body 37. Polyurethane, natural rubber, etc. are used as the material of the elastic body 37.

[0075] In addition, the force required to stretch the elastic body 37 by 30% in its longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as 30% stretching force) is preferably 3N or more and 9N or less. If the 30% stretching force of the elastic body 37 is less than 3N, the pressure on the subject's skin becomes too small, which may cause the subject's skin to be unintentionally released from contact with the electrodes 11 to 13, making it difficult to obtain a biological signal from the subject. If the 30% stretching force of the elastic body 37 is greater than 9N, the subject feels too much pressure when wearing the garment body 30, which reduces comfort when wearing the garment body 30 and reduces the fit of the garment body 30. In addition, the force required to stretch the elastic body 37 by 20% in its longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as 20% stretching force) is preferably 2N or more and 6N or less.

[0076] Moreover, it is preferable that the rate of increase in the force required to stretch the elastic body 37 in its longitudinal direction from a 10% elongated state to a 30% elongated state is 0.1 N / % or more and 0.2 N / % or less. As the elastic body 37 as described above, for example, LY-40 manufactured by Kitani Co., Ltd. can be used.

[0077] The joining portion 42 is a member for joining the torso 35 of the rear body 32 and the torso 34 of the front body 31. The joining portion 42 is made of a detachable adhesive member such as a hook-and-loop fastener, and is provided by sewing to the back surface of the torso 35 of the rear body 32 (specifically, the back surface of the side tab 35a of the torso 35) as shown in FIG. 6. The joining portion 42 is detachably joined to the joining portion 40 (see FIG. 1) provided on the surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31. Specifically, when the joining portion 42 of the rear body 32 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the A side (hook side), the joining portion 40 of the front body 31 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the B side (loop side). When the joining portion 42 of the rear body 32 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the B side (loop side), the joining portion 40 of the front body 31 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the A side (hook side). By joining these joints 40, 42 together, the torso portion 35 of the rear body portion 32 is joined to the torso portion 34 of the front body portion 31 so as to form a ring around the torso of the subject.

[0078] Moreover, the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 is stretched together with the elastic body 37 in accordance with the waist circumference of the subject, such as the abdominal circumference, and is joined in annular shape to the torso section 34 of the front body 31 by joining the above-mentioned joints 40, 42 together. In other words, the joint 42 of the rear body 32 and the joint 40 of the front body 31 function as a size adjustment functional section that can adjust the circumferential size of the torso section 36 of the garment body 30 in accordance with the waist circumference of the subject.

[0079] As described above, in embodiment 1 of the present invention, a plurality of electrode connectors 2a-2c, measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d and lead wires 4a-4c are integrated with a sheet-like insulator 1 to form a bendable, flexible conductive unit 10, which is removably attached to a garment body 30 worn by a subject, and electrodes 11-13 to be in contact with the subject's skin and a biosignal measuring instrument (e.g., an electrocardiograph 200) that measures the subject's biosignals are removably attached to the electrode connectors 2a-2c and measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d of this conductive unit 10, respectively.

[0080] Therefore, the wear 100 for monitoring biological signals can be easily prepared by attaching the conductive unit 10, the electrodes 11-13, and the biological signal measuring instrument to the wear body 30 without making a mistake in the conductive wiring between the electrodes 11-13 and the biological signal measuring instrument. In addition, when the subject wears the wear 100 for monitoring biological signals, the conductive unit 10 can be flexibly deformed in response to the movement of the subject, and the electrodes 11-13 can be kept in contact with the skin of the subject. As a result, the discomfort and annoyance of the subject caused by the conductive unit 10 can be alleviated, making the wear 100 for monitoring biological signals comfortable to wear, and the lead wires 4a-4c in the conductive unit 10 can be easily and continuously measured for a long period of time of one week or more with a stable biological signal with little noise to the extent that a diagnosis of a disease such as an electrocardiogram analysis can be performed, without applying excessive tensile stress to the lead wires 4a-4c in the conductive unit 10.

[0081] Furthermore, even when the garment body 30 needs to be replaced due to sweat or dirt, the subject can easily remove the conductive unit 10, the electrodes 11-13, and the biosignal measuring instrument from the garment body 30. This allows the subject to wear the new garment 100 for biosignal monitoring replaced with a clean garment body 30, and the garment body 30 can be washed after removal. As a result, the garment 100 for biosignal monitoring can be kept clean, allowing the subject to comfortably measure biosignals.

[0082] Furthermore, since the conductive unit 10, the electrodes 11-13, and the biosignal measuring device can be easily attached to and detached from the garment body 30, the cost required to manufacture the garment 100 for monitoring biosignals can be reduced compared to garments in which components such as wiring and electrodes are fixed to the garment, and the cost required to prepare replacement garment bodies 30 can also be reduced. As a result, the garment 100 for monitoring biosignals can be provided to many subjects at low cost.

[0083] In the first embodiment of the present invention, an elastic body 37 is provided in the torso section 36 of the garment body 30, and the torso section 36 can be stretched and contracted together with the elastic body 37 in the direction around the torso of the subject. This allows the torso section 36 of the garment body 30 to be freely stretched and contracted in accordance with various body shapes, sizes, and movements of subjects who go about their daily lives, including walking and climbing stairs. This allows the torso section 36 of the garment body 30 to be clamped with an appropriate pressure around the subject's torso, making it easy to maintain contact between the subject's skin and the electrodes 11 to 13.

[0084] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of a wear for monitoring biological signals according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the wear for monitoring biological signals according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a view of the front body 31A of the wear body 30A, which is one component of the wear for monitoring biological signals 100A according to the second embodiment, as viewed from the back side. As shown in FIG. 7, the wear for monitoring biological signals 100A according to the second embodiment includes a wear body 30A instead of the wear body 30 of the wear for monitoring biological signals 100 according to the first embodiment described above, and includes a conductive unit 20 instead of the conductive unit 10. The wear body 30A includes a front body 31A instead of the front body 31 of the wear body 30 in the first embodiment described above. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, the subject means a subject who wears the wear for monitoring biological signals 100A according to the second embodiment.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 7, a conductive unit 20 having a cover 25 is detachably attached to the back surface of the torso 34 of the front body 31A. Similar to the first embodiment, a plurality of electrodes 11-13 to be brought into contact with the skin of the subject are detachably attached to this conductive unit 20. Although not shown in FIG. 7, an electrocardiograph 200 (see FIG. 1), which is an example of a biosignal measuring device, is detachably attached to the front body 31A surface so as to be conductively connected to the electrodes 11-13 through the conductive unit 20, similar to the first embodiment. In addition, the front body 31A is integrally connected to the above-mentioned back body 32 (see FIG. 2) via two shoulder straps 33.

[0086] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electrode connector side of the conductive unit applied to the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the measuring instrument connector side of the conductive unit applied to the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the conductive unit 20 includes a sheet-like insulator 21, electrode connectors 22a-22c, measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d, lead wires 24a-24c, and a cover portion 25. The conductive unit 20 is a unit in which the electrode connectors 22a-22c, measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d, and lead wires 24a-24c are integrated with the sheet-like insulator 21. The conductive unit 20 also includes fixing portions 26 and 27 for detachably attaching to the garment body 30A.

[0087] The insulator 21 is an example of a sheet-like insulator having flexibility. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a sheet-like insulator applied to the conductive unit in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the insulator 21 is configured in a flexibly bendable sheet shape by an insulating flexible board or the like. As shown in FIG. 9, the insulator 21 is formed with lead wires 24a to 24c and terminals 28a to 28c, 29a to 29d. For example, the lead wire 24a is formed to electrically connect the terminal 28a to the terminal 29a. The lead wire 24b is formed to electrically connect the terminal 28b to the terminal 29c. The lead wire 24c is formed to electrically connect the terminal 28c to the terminal 29d. The terminals 28a to 28c are terminals for electrically connecting the electrode connectors 22a to 22c, respectively. On the other hand, the terminals 29a to 29d are terminals for electrically connecting the measurement instrument connectors 23a to 23d, respectively. Insulator 21 is fabricated by using a polyester film as a base film substrate and forming an insulating protective film on this base film substrate to protect lead wires 24a-24c. This protective film is formed on the substrate surface of the base film substrate constituting insulator 21 except for terminals 28a-28c and 29a-29d. Such insulator 21 has flexibility that allows it to be easily curved in response to an external force, and electrically insulates between electrode connectors 22a-22c, measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d, and lead wires 24a-24c shown in Figures 8A and 8B.

[0088] The electrode connectors 22a-22c are an example of a plurality of electrode connectors that respectively connect the plurality of electrodes 11-13 to be in contact with the skin of the subject. As shown in FIG. 8A, the plurality of electrode connectors 22a-22c (three in the second embodiment) are provided on the back surface A1 of the insulator 21 in the thickness direction. For example, these electrode connectors 22a-22c are provided on the terminals 28a-28c of the insulator 21 shown in FIG. 9, and are configured to be exposed only from the back surface A1 of the insulator 21. The electrodes 11-13 (see FIG. 7) are detachably connected to these electrode connectors 22a-22c, respectively, in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The number and arrangement of the electrode connectors 22a-22c in the insulator 21 are determined according to the number and arrangement of the electrodes 11-13 described above.

[0089] The measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d are an example of a measuring instrument connector for detachably connecting a biosignal measuring instrument. As shown in FIG. 8B, the measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d (four in the second embodiment) are provided on the surface A2 of both sides in the thickness direction of the insulator 21. For example, these measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d are provided on the terminals 29a to 29d of the insulator 21 shown in FIG. 9, respectively, and are configured to be exposed only from the surface A2 of the insulator 21. As in the first embodiment described above, the measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d are detachably conductively connected to an electrocardiograph 200 (see FIG. 1), which is an example of a biosignal measuring instrument. The number and arrangement of the measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d on the insulator 21 are determined according to the number and arrangement of the terminals of the electrocardiograph 200.

[0090] As in the above-described embodiment 1, it is preferable to use metallic dot buttons having high corrosion resistance as the electrode connectors 22a-22c and the measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d in this embodiment 2. Note that these electrode connectors 22a-22c and measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d are not limited to those described above, and may be connectors such as sockets generally used for connecting cords.

[0091] The lead wires 24a to 24c are an example of a conductor that electrically connects the electrode connectors 22a to 22c and the measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d. As shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, the lead wires 24a to 24c (three in the second embodiment) are covered by, for example, a protective film of the insulator 21 and are not exposed from either the back surface A1 or the front surface A2 of the insulator 21. The lead wires 24a to 24c are preferably wired by printing a conductive resin on the surface of the insulator 21. In the second embodiment, the lead wire 24a electrically connects the electrode connector 22a and the measuring instrument connector 23a, the lead wire 24b electrically connects the electrode connector 22b and the measuring instrument connector 23c, and the lead wire 24c electrically connects the electrode connector 22c and the measuring instrument connector 23d.

[0092] The cover part 25 is a member for preventing direct contact between the subject's skin and the conductive unit 20. The cover part 25 is made of, for example, the same fabric material as the garment body 30, and is provided on a first surface (rear surface A1) of the insulator 21 in the conductive unit 20. In detail, as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, the cover part 25 is adhered to the rear surface A1 of the insulator 21 so as to cover a portion of the rear surface A1 other than the electrode connectors 22a to 22c.

[0093] The fixing parts 26, 27 are members for detachably attaching the conduction unit 20 to the back surface of the front body 31A of the garment body 30A. For example, as shown in Fig. 8B, the fixing parts 26 are provided on the front surface A2 of the conduction unit 20 at portions corresponding to the electrode connectors 22a-22c. The fixing parts 27 are provided on the front surface A2 of the conduction unit 20 at portions corresponding to the measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d. As the fixing parts 26, 27, for example, a reusable urethane adhesive sheet, a hook-and-loop fastener with an A side (hook side) or a B side (loop side) or other member can be used.

[0094] Next, the front body 31A of the garment body 30A in the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the front body of the garment body in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows the front body 31A without the conductive unit 20 attached, as seen from the back side. As shown in FIG. 10, the front body 31A includes a fabric mount 38, a side tab 34a, and a joint 40 in the torso 34, as in the first embodiment described above. Meanwhile, in the second embodiment, the front body 31A does not include the unit cover 39 and the fixing part 41 shown in the first embodiment described above. Note that, as shown in the front body 31A in FIG. 10, a binder tape 43 is sewn around the periphery of the garment body 30A in the second embodiment to prevent the edges of the cut fabric from unraveling, as in the first embodiment described above.

[0095] In the second embodiment, the fixing parts 26 and 27 (see FIG. 8B) of the conductive unit 20 described above are detachably connected to the cloth mount 38 shown in FIG. 10, and the conductive unit 20 is detachably attached to the cloth mount 38. As in the first embodiment described above, the cloth mount 38 can be made of a thick adhesive interlining or a hook-and-loop fastener. Specifically, when the cloth mount 38 is an adhesive interlining, the fixing parts 26 and 27 attached to the surface A2 of the conductive unit 20 described above are made of an adhesive material such as a reusable urethane adhesive sheet. When the cloth mount 38 is a hook-and-loop fastener, the fixing parts 26 and 27 are made of a hook-and-loop fastener of the cloth mount 38 and a hook-and-loop fastener. That is, when the cloth mount 38 is a hook-and-loop fastener on the A side (hook side), the fixing parts 26 and 27 are hook-and-loop fasteners on the B side (loop side). When the cloth mount 38 is a hook-and-loop fastener on its B side (loop side), the fixing parts 26, 27 are hook-and-loop fasteners on its A side (hook side).

[0096] When the conductive unit 20 is attached to the back surface of the garment body 30A (specifically, the surface of the fabric mount 38) as described above (see FIG. 7), the cover part 25 of the conductive unit 20 is interposed between the skin of the subject wearing the garment for monitoring biological signals 100A and the conductive unit 20. As a result, the cover part 25 prevents direct contact between the skin of the subject and the conductive unit 20. That is, in the present embodiment 2, even if the unit cover 39 of the first embodiment is not provided on the back surface of the front body 31A, the cover part 25 eliminates discomfort of the subject caused by contact between the skin and the conductive unit 20.

[0097] In addition, in this embodiment 2, when the conductive unit 20 is detachably attached to the cloth mount 38, the measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d are aligned with the measuring instrument connector holes 51 to 54, respectively, and then the fixing parts 26, 27 of the conductive unit 20 are connected to the cloth mount 38.

[0098] As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the cover part 25 is provided on the back surface A1 of the conductive unit 20, and the cover part 25 is interposed between the conductive unit 20 detachably attached to the cloth mount 38 on the back surface of the garment body 30A by the fixing parts 26, 27 and the skin of the subject, and the rest is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Therefore, it is possible to enjoy the same effects as in the first embodiment described above, and to save the trouble of sewing the unit cover 39 to the back surface of the front body 31A of the garment body 30A. As a result, the garment body 30A can be produced more easily than in the first embodiment, and the cost required for manufacturing and preparing the garment 100A for biosignal monitoring can be further reduced.

[0099] (Embodiment 3) Next, a description will be given of a garment for monitoring vital signs according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the garment for monitoring vital signs according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11 shows a view of the garment for monitoring vital signs 100B according to the third embodiment as seen from the front side (front side). Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the back part of the garment main body applied to the garment for monitoring vital signs according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the wear 100B for monitoring biological signals according to the third embodiment includes a wear body 30B instead of the wear body 30 of the wear 100 for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment. The wear body 30B according to the third embodiment includes a front body 31B instead of the front body 31 of the wear body 30 in the first embodiment, a rear body 32B instead of the rear body 32, and a shoulder strap 33A instead of the shoulder strap 33. In the third embodiment, the front body 31B of the wear body 30B includes a unit housing 60 instead of the torso part 34 of the front body 31 in the first embodiment. Although not shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the conduction unit in the third embodiment is removably stored inside the unit housing 60 instead of the conduction unit 10 in the first embodiment. An electrocardiograph 200 (see Fig. 1), which is an example of a biological signal measuring device, is removably attached to the surface of the unit housing 60, as in the first embodiment. The back body 32B of the garment main body 30B has a band-shaped (belt-shaped) elastic body 37A instead of the torso section 35 and elastic body 37 of the back body 32 in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The other configurations are the same as those in embodiment 1, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment 3, the subject refers to a subject who wears the garment for biological signal monitoring 100B according to this embodiment 3.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 11, the front body 31B is connected integrally to the back body 32B by two shoulder straps 33A. A unit storage body 60 is provided at the end (lower end) of the front body 31B opposite the shoulder straps 33A, as shown in Fig. 11. The unit storage body 60 is a bag-shaped structure that is longitudinal in the waist direction of the subject, and stores the conductive unit of the present embodiment 3 in a removable manner. The conductive unit of the present embodiment 3 will be described later.

[0102] 11, the unit housing 60 has the same measuring instrument connector holes 51-54 as in the first embodiment, a pair of belt loops 61, and a pair of loop tapes 62. The measuring instrument connector holes 51-54 are formed in a portion of the surface of the unit housing 60 where the electrocardiograph 200 is attached. The pair of belt loops 61 are provided by sewing or the like at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the unit housing 60. The pair of loop tapes 62 are provided by sewing or the like at the surface of the unit housing 60 so as to be located between the measuring instrument connector holes 51-54 and the belt loops 61. It is preferable that the belt loops 61 and the loop tapes 62 are provided so as to be symmetrically positioned with respect to the center position of the unit housing 60 in the longitudinal direction.

[0103] As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the rear body 32B has a back part 32b that is integrated with the front body 31B via two shoulder straps 33A. The rear body 32B does not have the torso part 35 of the rear body 32 in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, but has a belt-shaped elastic body 37A instead. The elastic body 37A is a stretchable belt-shaped member that is longitudinal in the circumferential direction of the subject's waist, and as shown in Fig. 12, it is directly sewn to the lower end part (the end part opposite to the shoulder straps 33A) of the back body 32B. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, hooks 63 are provided on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 37A. The hooks 63 are members for detachably connecting the elastic body 37A in a state stretched according to the length of the subject's waist to the unit storage body 60 of the front body 31B. For example, the hooks 63 are joined to the elastic body 37A by a hook attachment tape 64. The elasticity and material of the elastic body 37A in the third embodiment are similar to those of the elastic body 37 in the first embodiment described above.

[0104] Fig. 13A is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a unit housing attached to the front body of a garment main body in the third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13A shows an enlarged view of the unit housing 60 shown in Fig. 11 as viewed from the front side (front side). Fig. 13B is an enlarged view showing an example of a configuration of a loop tape of the unit housing shown in Fig. 13A. Fig. 13B shows one of a pair of loop tapes 62. As shown in Fig. 13A, a pair of belt loops 61 and a pair of loop tapes 62 are sewn to the surface of the unit housing 60 so as to be symmetrical with respect to, for example, the measuring instrument connector holes 51-54.

[0105] Each of the pair of loop tapes 62 has a plurality of loops 69 arranged at equal intervals from the center side in the longitudinal direction of the unit storage body 60 (the side of the measuring instrument connector holes 51-54 in FIG. 13A) toward the end side in the longitudinal direction of the unit storage body 60 (the side of the belt loop 61 in FIG. 13A). For example, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, eleven loops 69 are provided on each of the pair of loop tapes 62 at intervals of 1 cm from the side of the measuring instrument connector holes 51-54 toward the side of the belt loop 61. Although not shown in particular, the unit storage body 60 is provided with a cloth mount having a non-elastic structure in order to prevent the unit storage body 60 from being stretched and deformed by the elasticity (stretching force) of the elastic body 37A. For example, this cloth mount is attached to the inner surface of the fabric constituting the bag-shaped unit storage body 60. For such a cloth mount, a thick adhesive interlining having a smooth surface is used so that the conductive unit can be smoothly inserted and removed from the unit storage body 60.

[0106] The elastic body 37A is connected to the unit storage body 60 by passing each of the elastic bodies 37A on both sides through a pair of belt loops 61, and then hanging each hook 63 of the elastic body 37A on the loop 69 of a pair of loop tapes 62. For example, if the underbust size of the subject is 80 cm to 100 cm, a medium-sized garment that fits the subject is applied as the garment main body 30B. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 13B, the loop tape 62 has eleven loops 69 corresponding to the sizes of 80 cm to 100 cm.

[0107] Specifically, when the size of the underbust of the subject is 88 cm, the left hook 63 of the hooks 63 on both sides of the elastic body 37A is hooked by insertion or the like into the loop 69 at "88 cm" on the left loop tape 62 of the pair of loop tapes 62. The remaining right hook 63 is hooked by insertion or the like into the loop 69 at "88 cm" on the remaining left loop tape 62. For example, as shown in FIG. 13B, the loop 69 at "88 cm" is the fifth loop from the side of the measuring instrument connector holes 51-54 (connector hole side) toward the belt loop 61 side (belt loop side). Also, when the size of the underbust of the subject is 85 cm, the left hook 63 of the hooks 63 on both sides of the elastic body 37A is hooked by insertion or the like into the loop 69 at "86 cm" on the left loop tape 62 of the pair of loop tapes 62. The remaining right hook 63 is hooked by insertion or the like into the loop 69 at "84 cm" on the remaining left loop tape 62. For example, as shown in Fig. 13B, the loop 69 of "86 cm" is the fourth loop from the connector hole side toward the belt loop side. The loop 69 of "84 cm" is the third loop from the connector hole side toward the belt loop side. The hooks 63 on both sides of the elastic body 37A may be hooked from the right side, from the left side, or on both sides simultaneously.

[0108] Next, the back surface of the front body 31B of the wear body 30B of the wear for monitoring biological signals 100B according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the back surface side of the front body of the wear body according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 14 shows a diagram of the front body 31B of the wear for monitoring biological signals 100B according to the third embodiment, viewed from the back surface, in a state where the conduction unit is not attached.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 14, a bag-shaped unit storage body 60 is attached by sewing or the like to the lower end of the front body 31B (the end opposite to the shoulder strap 33A). A plurality of electrode holes 65-67 (three in FIG. 14) are provided on the back surface of this unit storage body 60. The unit storage body 60 also has a unit insertion / removal opening 68 at one end in the longitudinal direction. The unit insertion / removal opening 68 is an opening for inserting and removing the conductive unit into and from the unit storage body 60. The unit storage body 60 detachably stores the conductive unit inserted through the unit insertion / removal opening 68. The stored conductive unit can be easily removed from the unit storage body 60 through the unit insertion / removal opening 68.

[0110] Next, the conduction unit in the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 15A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electrode side of the conduction unit applied to the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the measurement instrument connector side of the conduction unit applied to the garment for monitoring biological signals according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0111] As shown in Figs. 15A and 15B, the conduction unit 10A in the third embodiment has the same configuration as the conduction unit 10 in the first embodiment (see Figs. 3A and 3B) except for the following configuration. That is, the conduction unit 10A in the third embodiment has electrodes 11-13 that are connected in advance to the electrode connectors 2a-2c, respectively. Moreover, the conduction unit 10A does not have the fixing portion 5 of the first embodiment on the back surface A1 (electrode side), and does not have the fixing portion 6 of the first embodiment on the front surface A2 (measurement instrument connector side). By omitting these fixing portions 5 and 6, the conduction unit 10A can be smoothly inserted and removed from the unit storage body 60.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 14, electrode holes 65-67 are provided on the back surface of the unit storage body 60. Therefore, the conductive unit 10A can be inserted into and removed from the unit storage body 60 without removing the electrodes 11-13. The conductive unit 10A is inserted into and stored in the unit storage body 60 through a unit insertion / removal opening 68 (see FIG. 14). At this time, the electrodes 11-13 of the conductive unit 10A shown in FIG. 15A are exposed from the inner surface of the unit storage body 60 to the back surface of the garment body 30B (specifically, the back surface of the unit storage body 60) through the electrode holes 65-67 (see FIG. 14). Also, the measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d of the conductive unit 10A shown in FIG. 15B are exposed from the inner surface of the unit storage body 60 to the front surface of the garment body 30B (specifically, the front surface of the unit storage body 60) through the measuring instrument connector holes 51-54 (see FIG. 11). The electrocardiograph 200 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the measurement instrument connectors 3a-3d thus exposed, as in the above-described embodiment 1. As a result, the conductive unit 10A is detachably attached inside the unit storage body 60 with the electrodes 11-13 to be in contact with the skin of the subject and the electrocardiograph 200 in a conductive connection state.

[0113] In the biosignal monitoring wear 100B according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the front body 31B, the back body 32B (particularly the back part 32b), and the shoulder straps 33A constituting the wear main body 30B are made of so-called free-cut fabrics that can be used as cut. The unit storage body 60 provided in the front body 31B is also made of the same free-cut fabric. The free-cut fabric is a fabric that has excellent elasticity and is imparted with a moisture-absorbing and quick-drying function and is also used for underwear. Generally, free-cut fabrics are made of, for example, recycled fiber rayon, synthetic fiber nylon, and polyurethane, but recently, those made of natural fiber cotton thread have also been developed. In the third embodiment, the free-cut fabric is made of a material of 68% nylon and 32% polyurethane that is imparted with a moisture-absorbing and quick-drying function. The greatest advantage of using free-cut fabric is that, in the manufacture of the garment for monitoring vital signs, it is possible to omit the sewing process using binder tape, which was used in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2 to prevent fraying of the edges of the cut fabric. Such garment for monitoring vital signs 100B provides the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2, in addition to the effects provided by the above-mentioned free-cut fabric. EXAMPLES

[0114] Next, specific examples of the garment for monitoring vital signs according to the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the garment for monitoring vital signs according to the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below.

[0115] Comparative Example 1 In Comparative Example 1 for the present invention, a garment for monitoring biological signals was produced based on the conventional technology described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 3 (JP Patent Publication 2018-153666 A) in such a way that the electrode connector and the measuring instrument connector are connected by a lead wire, and these lead wires, the electrode connector and the measuring instrument connector are insulated even if the main fabric absorbs moisture from sweat, rain, etc. The shape of the garment for monitoring biological signals in Comparative Example 1 was the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0116] In the preparation of the biosignal monitoring wear of Comparative Example 1, components such as the lead wire, the electrode connector, and the measuring instrument connector are directly attached to the wear body. For this reason, the parts of the body fabric of the wear body to which these components are attached, except for the electrodes that are to be in contact with the subject's skin, need to be covered with a waterproof insulating material. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, a manufacturing process is required to provide insulation to the wear body, and the manufacturing process is complicated, so the manufacturing cost is high. Table 1 shows each work process and the time required for each work process for preparing the biosignal monitoring wear of Comparative Example 1. Examples of work processes required to prepare the biosignal monitoring wear of Comparative Example 1 include wiring processing, adhesive interlining processing, snap button attachment, seam tape processing, wiring and connector attachment processing, and final wear attachment processing. As can be seen from Table 1, among these, the time required for the covering process of the lead wire and each connector with an insulating material (wiring and connector attachment processing) accounts for more than half of the total work processes of the biosignal monitoring wear of Comparative Example 1.

[0117] [Table 1]

[0118] Example 1 In Example 1, a garment 100 for monitoring biological signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention was produced. In this case, the electrode connectors 2a-2c, the measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d, and the lead wires 4a-4c were integrated into a flexible sheet-like insulator 1, thereby producing the conductive unit 10 shown in Figs. 3A and 3B. In producing the conductive unit 10, the lead wires 4a-4c were hitoe (registered trademark) medical lead wire II. The electrode connectors 2a-2c were snap buttons manufactured by YKK Corporation. The measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d were snap buttons manufactured by Hisanaga Corporation. The insulator 1 was a polyolefin foam manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. (TORAYPEF (registered trademark)).

[0119] Table 1 shows each work step and the time required for each work step for producing the biosignal monitoring wear of Example 1. Referring to Table 1, Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were compared with each other with respect to each of the work steps and the time required for each work step. As a result, Example 1 does not require the installation process of wiring and connectors (covering the main fabric of the wear body with the lead wires and each connector with an insulating material) required in Comparative Example 1, and therefore the time required for the work steps is shorter than that of Comparative Example 1. Specifically, the work steps for producing the biosignal monitoring wear of Example 1 are consolidated into the work steps required for producing the conductive unit 10 in which the electrode connectors 2a to 2c, the measuring instrument connectors 3a to 3d, and the lead wires 4a to 4c are integrated into the insulator 1. As a result, the time required for all the work steps of Example 1 can be reduced to 1 / 4 or less of that of Comparative Example 1. As a result, Example 1 allows a significant cost reduction in the biosignal monitoring wear compared to Comparative Example 1.

[0120] Example 2 In Example 2, a biosignal monitoring garment 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention was produced. In this case, the electrode connectors 22a to 22c, the measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d, and the lead wires 24a to 24c were integrated into a sheet-like insulator 21, such as a flexible printed circuit board, to produce the conductive unit 20 shown in Figs. 8A and 8B. In producing the conductive unit 20, a flexible board having a base film substrate of a polyester film having a thickness of 50 μm was used as the insulator 21, and silver nano ink was printed on the flexible board and copper plating was applied to form conductive parts such as the lead wires 24a to 24c on the insulator 21. The conductive parts were then covered with a solder resist, thereby maintaining the insulation of the conductive parts of the insulator 21. The electrode connectors 22a to 22c and the measuring instrument connectors 23a to 23d were made of the same materials as those in Example 1. To prevent direct contact between the insulator 21 and the subject's skin, the surface of the insulator 21 on the electrode connector side (back surface A1) is covered with a cover 25 made of a fabric made of a blend of polyester and cotton. A hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the surface of the conductive unit 20 on the measuring instrument connector side (front surface A2) so that the conductive unit 20 can be detachably attached to the garment body. A hook-and-loop fastener is sewn to the attachment surface of the conductive unit 20 on the garment body, which is relatively less irritating to the subject's skin.

[0121] Table 1 shows each work step and the time required for each work step for producing the biosignal monitoring wear of Example 2. With reference to Table 1, Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 were compared with respect to each of the work steps and the time required for each work step. As a result, in Example 2, as in Example 1, the wiring and connector mounting process required in Comparative Example 1 is not required, and therefore the time required for the work steps is shorter than that of Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, in Example 2, a flexible substrate on which a conductive portion is printed is used as the substrate of the conduction unit 20, and therefore the wiring process of the lead wires 4a to 4c required for producing the conduction unit 10 of Example 1 is not required. In addition, in Example 2, as shown in FIG. 8A, the cover portion 25 is provided on the conduction unit 20, and therefore the time required for the work step of processing the cover material is shorter than that of Example 1 in which the unit cover 39 (see FIG. 4) is provided on the wear body 30. As a result, as shown in Table 1, the time required for all work steps in Example 2 can be shorter than not only Comparative Example 1 but also Example 1.

[0122] Example 3 In Example 3, a subject was made to wear the biosignal monitoring wear according to the present invention, and the biosignal of the subject was measured. The biosignal monitoring wear of Example 3 was the biosignal monitoring wear 100A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 2, and the biosignal measuring device applied to this wear was a Holter electrocardiograph (EV-301 manufactured by Parama Tech Co., Ltd.). The subject was a male, and electrocardiogram signals were measured for this subject in his daily life environment for 7 days, and then electrocardiogram signals were additionally measured for about 3 days continuously. In Example 3, the electrocardiograph cable connected to the biosignal measuring device was hitoe (registered trademark) medical lead wire II manufactured by Toray Medical Co., Ltd., and the electrocardiogram electrodes (electrodes 11 to 13 shown in FIG. 7) that were brought into contact with the skin of the subject were hitoe (registered trademark) medical electrodes II manufactured by Toray Medical Co., Ltd. In the garment for monitoring biological signals of Example 3, the elastic body 37 applied to the torso of the garment body 30A was a flat elastic band (LY-40 manufactured by Kitani Co., Ltd.) with a width of 4 cm and a length of 40 cm. The material of the garment body 30A was a 2-way tricot (polyester / polyurethane). The waist circumference of the subject's epigastrium was 80 cm to 100 cm (medium size). The longitudinal extension rate of the elastic body 37 was 30%, and the force obtained by the elastic body 37 in the extended state at this extension rate was 5.9 N.

[0123] In the third embodiment, an electrocardiogram analysis was performed based on an electrocardiogram signal measured from a subject wearing the biosignal monitoring wear 100A. The software used for this electrocardiogram analysis was a long-term Holter electrocardiogram analysis viewer (NEY-HEA3000) manufactured by Nexis. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in the third embodiment of the present invention. The electrocardiogram analysis report shown in FIG. 16 is a cover page of a report on an electrocardiogram analysis performed based on the measurement results of an electrocardiogram signal for an additional three days for the subject. The electrocardiogram analysis report summarizes the results of the electrocardiogram analysis. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the electrocardiogram analysis report summarizes the analysis results of heartbeat information, PVC (premature ventricular contraction), PAC (premature supraventricular contraction), ST level, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter on one page. The electrocardiogram acquisition rate based on the electrocardiogram signals obtained during the additional measurement time (approximately 71 hours) was 99.8%, which indicates that the biosignal monitoring wear 100A was able to obtain stable electrocardiogram signals from the subjects that could be used for electrocardiogram analysis over a long period of time.

[0124] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a registered waveform of an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in Example 3 of the present invention. FIG. 17 shows a portion of the registered waveform (electrocardiogram waveform of the subject) of this electrocardiogram analysis report. As shown in FIG. 17, this registered waveform shows a typical supraventricular extrasystole, and P waves, QRS waves, and T waves can be clearly read. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a compressed waveform of an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in Example 3 of the present invention. The compressed waveform shown in FIG. 18 is a summary of one hour of the subject's electrocardiogram on a single graph.

[0125] In Example 3, the subject's electrocardiogram signal was measured and electrocardiogram analysis was performed using the biosignal monitoring wear 100A according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, but the electrocardiogram signal measurement results and electrocardiogram analysis results can be obtained in the same way when the biosignal monitoring wear 100, 100B according to embodiments 1 and 3 of the present invention are used.

[0126] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 3, and the present invention also includes configurations in which the above-mentioned components are appropriately combined. In addition, other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 3 are all included in the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0127] As described above, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is useful for monitoring a subject's biosignals, and is particularly suitable as inexpensive biosignal monitoring wear that can comfortably and easily measure stable biosignals with little noise over a desired period of time for subjects going about their daily lives. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1, 21 Insulator 2a, 2b, 2c, 22a, 22b, 22c electrode connector 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d instrument connector 4a, 4b, 4c, 24a, 24b, 24c lead wire 5, 6, 26, 27 Fixed part 10, 10A, 20 Conduction Unit 11, 12, 13 electrodes 25 Cover part 28a, 28b, 28c, 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d terminals 30, 30A, 30B Wear body 31, 31A, 31B Front 32, 32B back 32a, 32b Rear part 33, 33A shoulder strap 34, 35, 36 Torso 34a, 35a Side tabs 37, 37A Elastic body 38 Cloth mount 39 Unit cover 40, 42 joint 41 Fixed part 43 Binder Tape 51, 52, 53, 54 Instrument connector holes 57, 58, 59 Electrode connector holes 60 Unit Storage Unit 61 Belt loop 62 Loop Tape 63 Hook 64 Hook mounting tape 65, 66, 67 Electrode holes 68 Unit insertion / removal opening 69 Loop 100, 100A, 100B Biosignal Monitoring Wear 200 Electrocardiograph A1 Back A2 surface

Claims

1. A plurality of electrodes that are in contact with the skin of the subject; A wear body to be worn by the subject; a conductive unit disposed on the back surface of the garment body facing the skin of the subject, the conductive unit electrically connecting the electrodes to a biosignal measuring device that measures a biosignal of the subject; Equipped with The wear body includes: A torso portion that is annularly arranged around the torso of the subject; an elastic body provided on a torso portion of the rear body of the garment body so as to be longitudinal in a circumferential direction of the torso portion, the elastic body having a length in a longitudinal direction of 30% to 60% of a waist circumference length at an epigastrium portion of the subject; a non-elastic cloth backing provided on a torso portion of a front body of the garment body where the conductive unit is disposed; A garment for monitoring biological signals, comprising:

2. The conductive unit includes: A flexible sheet-like insulator; a plurality of electrode connectors provided on a first surface of the insulator in a thickness direction, the electrode connectors connecting the electrodes to each other; a measuring instrument connector provided on a second surface of the insulator opposite to the first surface in a thickness direction, the measuring instrument connector being adapted to detachably connect the biosignal measuring instrument; a conductor provided on the insulator and electrically connecting the electrode connectors to the measuring instrument connector; The biosignal monitoring wear according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The force required to stretch the elastic body by 30% in its longitudinal direction is 3 N or more and 9 N or less.

3. The biological signal monitoring wear according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The force required to stretch the elastic body by 20% in its longitudinal direction is 2 N or more and 6 N or less.

3. The biological signal monitoring wear according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The rate of increase in the force required when the elastic body is stretched in its longitudinal direction from a 10% elongated state to a 30% elongated state is 0.1 N / % or more and 0.2 N / % or less.

3. The biological signal monitoring wear according to claim 1 or 2.

6. 3. The garment for monitoring biological signals according to claim 2, further comprising a fabric member that covers the first surface of the insulator in the conductive unit other than the plurality of electrode connectors.

7. 3. The garment for monitoring vital signs according to claim 1, wherein the vital sign measuring device is an electrocardiograph.

8. 3. The garment for monitoring biological signals according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of electrodes are made of conductive fibers.

9. 9. The garment for monitoring biological signals according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of electrodes are made of nanofibers having a fiber diameter of 10 nm or more and 5000 nm or less.

10. The biosignal monitoring garment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the multiple electrodes are provided with a conductive sheet having an adhesive strength of 200 g / 20 mm or less as measured by a 90-degree peel method conforming to the provisions of JIS-Z0237.

Images