Biological information measuring device, control method and program for biological information measuring device

Abstract

This system prevents users from mistaking inaccurate blood pressure readings for accurate readings when arrhythmias are detected, and also notifies users of arrhythmias detected during blood pressure measurement. [Solution] A biological information measuring device comprising: a blood pressure measuring means for acquiring information for measuring the blood pressure of a living organism; an arrhythmia information acquiring means for acquiring information related to determining the presence or absence of arrhythmia in the living organism during blood pressure measurement; a display means including an area capable of displaying blood pressure; an input means for receiving user operation input; a storage means for storing information related to blood pressure measurements performed in the past; and a control unit, wherein the control unit calculates a blood pressure value based on the information acquired by the blood pressure measuring means, and if the information acquired by the arrhythmia information acquiring means indicates that there was an arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement, it displays comparison information on the display unit that allows recognition of the difference between the calculated blood pressure value and a normal blood pressure value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a biological information measurement device capable of measuring the blood pressure of a living body, a control method for the biological information measurement device, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, it has been increasingly popular to perform health management by measuring information related to an individual's body and health, such as blood pressure values, using a measuring device and recording and analyzing the measurement results. In particular, since arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF) may lead to cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, it is desirable that such abnormalities can be easily recognized by the user himself / herself when they occur.

[0003] In this regard, for example, when atrial fibrillation is detected during blood pressure measurement, a sphygmomanometer has been proposed that displays the fact that atrial fibrillation has occurred together with the blood pressure measurement result (for example, Patent Document 1). According to such a sphygmomanometer, the user can quickly recognize the presence of arrhythmia while performing daily health management such as blood pressure measurement.

[0004] Also, in Patent Document 2 that discloses a biological information acquisition device, it is described that when an arrhythmia is detected in an electrocardiogram examination performed prior to blood pressure measurement, the user can be notified of a decrease in the reliability of the blood pressure measurement by notifying the user to that effect.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, if a blood pressure value is displayed as the measurement result even when an arrhythmia is occurring, users may focus on the displayed blood pressure value and overlook the fact that an arrhythmia is occurring. When an arrhythmia is detected, the blood pressure measurement result is inaccurate because the blood pressure value was not accurately measured. If information related to the occurrence of the arrhythmia is overlooked, users may mistakenly believe that the inaccurate blood pressure value is the result of a properly measured blood pressure value.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to prevent users from mistaking inaccurate blood pressure values ​​at the time of arrhythmia detection for accurate blood pressure values, and to provide a technology that can notify users of arrhythmias detected during blood pressure measurement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following configuration. That is, A blood pressure measurement means for acquiring information to measure the blood pressure of a living organism, An arrhythmia information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the determination of the presence or absence of arrhythmia in the living body during the measurement of blood pressure, Display means including at least an area capable of displaying the blood pressure, An input means for receiving user input, A storage means for storing information related to the blood pressure measurements performed in the past, It has a control unit, The control unit, Based on the information acquired by the blood pressure measurement means, the blood pressure value is calculated. If the information acquired by the arrhythmia information acquisition means indicates that an arrhythmia occurred during the measurement of blood pressure, the display means will display comparative information that allows recognition of the difference between the calculated blood pressure value and the normal blood pressure value. It is a biological information measurement device.

[0009] Furthermore, the information regarding the presence or absence of arrhythmias acquired by the arrhythmia information acquisition means may be information regarding the presence or absence of arrhythmias detected by other biomedical information measuring devices, or the bio-signals themselves measured by other devices. In addition, "arrhythmia" can be exemplified by atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, premature contractions, etc.

[0010] Furthermore, the "comparison information" may be the average value of the blood pressure of the organism measured when there is no arrhythmia, or it may be a value that shows the difference between the calculated blood pressure value and the average value of the blood pressure of the organism measured when there is no arrhythmia.

[0011] With this configuration, if an arrhythmia is detected during blood pressure measurement, not only the calculated blood pressure value but also comparative information showing the difference from the normal blood pressure value (calculated when there is no arrhythmia) is displayed. This prevents the user from mistakenly assuming the blood pressure value at the time of arrhythmia detection as the accurate blood pressure value, while also notifying the user of any arrhythmia detected during blood pressure measurement.

[0012] Furthermore, the control unit, The input means receives a request to display information related to past blood pressure measurements held in the storage means to the display means. If the information relating to the blood pressure measurement related to the display request includes information indicating that an arrhythmia occurred during the measurement, the display means may display the past blood pressure values ​​and the comparison information related to the display request.

[0013] With this configuration, users can view their past measurement history, and even if an arrhythmia was detected during a past measurement, it prevents users viewing the measurement results from mistakenly identifying the blood pressure value at the time of arrhythmia detection as the accurate blood pressure value, while also allowing them to recognize the arrhythmia detected during blood pressure measurement.

[0014] Further, the control unit may detect body movement during the measurement of the blood pressure based on the information acquired by the blood pressure measurement means, and if the number of detections of body movement during the measurement of the blood pressure is a predetermined value or more, cause the display means to display that fact. According to such a configuration, when there is a lot of body movement during measurement, it is possible to show the user the possibility that the accuracy of the measured blood pressure value has decreased.

[0015] Further, the arrhythmia information acquisition means may acquire information regarding the presence or absence of arrhythmia of the living body based on the pulse wave information acquired by the blood pressure measurement means. For example, when the blood pressure measurement means calculates blood pressure based on the pressure pulse wave, arrhythmia can be detected based on the pressure pulse wave.

[0016] Further, the living body information measuring device may further include an electrocardiogram waveform acquisition means for acquiring an electrocardiogram waveform of the living body, and the arrhythmia information acquisition means may acquire information regarding the presence or absence of arrhythmia of the living body based on the electrocardiogram waveform during the measurement of the blood pressure.

[0017] Further, the present invention can also be grasped as the following method. That is, A control method for a living body information measuring device A step of measuring the blood pressure of a living body, A step of determining the presence or absence of arrhythmia of the living body during the measurement of the blood pressure, A step of displaying the measurement result of the blood pressure, and including, When it is determined that there is arrhythmia in the step of determining the presence or absence of arrhythmia, in the step of displaying the measurement result, comparative information that enables recognition of the difference between the measured blood pressure value and the normal blood pressure value is displayed. It is a control method for a living body information measuring device.

[0018] Further, the present invention can also be grasped as a program for causing the living body information measuring device to execute the above control method, and a computer-readable recording medium in which such a program is non-temporarily recorded.

[0019] In addition, each of the above configurations and processes can be combined with each other to constitute the present invention as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a user from misrecognizing an inaccurate blood pressure value at the time of arrhythmia detection as an accurate blood pressure value, and to notify an arrhythmia detected during blood pressure measurement.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the device configuration of the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional modules realized by the control unit of the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of blood pressure measurement processing by the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4A is a first diagram showing an example of a measurement result display screen when an arrhythmia is detected during blood pressure measurement. FIG. 4B is a second diagram showing an example of a measurement result display screen when an arrhythmia is detected during blood pressure measurement. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when the history viewing mode is executed by the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of the device configuration of the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing functional modules realized by the control unit of the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of the device configuration of the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing functional modules realized by the control unit of the biological information measuring device according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 10]Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic of the information processing system according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 11] Figure 11A is a block diagram showing a functional module implemented by the control unit of the biological information processing device according to Embodiment 4. Figure 11B is a block diagram showing a functional module implemented by the control unit of the information processing terminal according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a first flowchart showing the processing flow of the biological information measuring device and the information processing terminal in the information processing system according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a second flowchart showing the processing flow of the biological information measuring device and the information processing terminal in the information processing system according to Embodiment 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] <Embodiment 1> The following describes specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the specific details of each configuration and their arrangement described below are not intended to limit the scope of this invention to those specific components.

[0023] The present invention can be applied, for example, to a biological information measuring device 1 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the device configuration of the biological information measuring device 1 in this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional module realized by the control unit 100 of the biological information measuring device 1.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the biological information measuring device 1 according to this embodiment generally has the following components: a power supply unit 10, a display unit 20, an operation unit 30, a storage unit 40, a control unit 100, and a blood pressure measurement unit 200. Although not shown, its external appearance is similar to that of a typical portable upper arm blood pressure monitor consisting of a main body housing, a cuff, and an air tube.

[0025] The power supply unit 10 is the power source for the biological information measuring device 1, and can be a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, but is not limited to this, and can also be a primary battery, a terminal that can be connected to an external power supply, etc.

[0026] The display unit 20 is a functional unit for displaying various information and can be a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The operation unit 30 is a functional unit that accepts user operations such as turning the power on / off, executing measurements, and selecting / confirming menus, and can be configured with operation switches. A touch panel display can also be used to serve as both the display unit 20 and the operation unit 30.

[0027] The storage unit 40 is configured to include a main memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD and flash memory, and stores various types of information such as application programs, measurement results such as blood pressure and pulse rate, information on the presence or absence of arrhythmias (described later), and other acquired biological information. The measurement results such as blood pressure and other acquired biological information may be stored in the storage unit 40 in association with time information such as the measurement (acquisition) time. The time information can be measured by, for example, referring to the RTC (Real Time Clock) of the control unit 100 (described later). Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device may be configured to be detachable from the main unit housing.

[0028] The control unit 100 is a functional unit that oversees the control of the entire biological information measurement device 1, and is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). When the control unit 100 receives user input via the operation unit 30, it controls each component of the biological information measurement device 1 to perform various processes such as blood pressure measurement and presentation of various information according to a predetermined program. The predetermined program is stored in the storage unit 40 and read from there. In addition to the CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) can also be used as a processor. Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Grid Array), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated circuits and other technologies can be employed.

[0029] Furthermore, the blood pressure calculation unit 101, pulse rate calculation unit 102, body movement detection unit 103, arrhythmia detection unit 104, display control unit 105, and operation reception unit 106 shown in Figure 2 are all implemented by the control unit 100. These functional modules will be described in detail later.

[0030] The blood pressure measurement unit 200 consists of a cuff 210, a pressure sensor 221, an AFE (Analog Front End) 222 including an A / D (Analog-to-Digital) converter, a pressurizing pump 231, a pump drive circuit 232, an exhaust valve 241, and a valve drive circuit 242, and is a functional unit that measures the user's blood pressure using the so-called oscillometric method. Since blood pressure measurement using the oscillometric method is a well-known technique, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0031] The cuff 210 is a component that is wrapped around the user's upper arm and has a configuration that includes a pressurizing pump 231 (pump drive circuit 232) located in the main housing, an air bag (not shown) communicating with an exhaust valve 241 (valve drive circuit 242) via an air tube (not shown), a belt (not shown) containing the air bag, and a pressure sensor 221 provided on the belt.

[0032] The cuff 210's belt is equipped with a fastening mechanism (for example, a hook-and-loop fastener) for securing the cuff 210 to the user's upper arm. When measuring blood pressure using the biometric information measuring device 1, the cuff 210 is wrapped around the user's upper arm using the belt.

[0033] The pressure sensor 221 can be, for example, a piezoresistive sensor equipped with a piezoelectric element, and acquires at least the user's pressure pulse wave. Furthermore, the bio-information measuring device 1 according to this embodiment calculates the user's blood pressure and pulse rate based on the pressure pulse wave acquired by the pressure sensor 221, and also detects the user's body movement and the presence or absence of arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement, as described later.

[0034] During blood pressure measurement, the control unit 100 controls the pressurizing pump 231 (pump drive circuit 232) and the exhaust valve 241 (valve drive circuit 242) to adjust the cuff pressure of the cuff 210. Specifically, it controls the pressurizing pump 231 to send air into the cuff 210 and inflate the cuff 210 (increase the cuff pressure). After temporarily obstructing blood flow by compressing the blood vessels in the user's upper arm in this way, it controls the pressurizing pump 231 to stop and open the exhaust valve 241, gradually releasing air from the cuff 210 and deflating the cuff 210 (decrease the cuff pressure).

[0035] Next, each functional module shown in Figure 2 will be described. The blood pressure value calculation unit 101 calculates the user's blood pressure value based on the pressure pulse wave acquired by the pressure sensor 221. In this embodiment, the blood pressure value is calculated using the oscillometric method, but it is also possible to calculate the blood pressure value using the Korotkoff method, for example, by providing a microphone on the cuff 210 and detecting Korotkoff sounds.

[0036] The pulse rate calculation unit 102 calculates the user's pulse rate based on the pressure pulse wave (number of pulse wave peaks, etc.) acquired by the pressure sensor 221. The body movement detection unit 103 determines whether and how many times the body moves during blood pressure measurement based on the pressure pulse wave (irregularities in the pulse wave waveform, etc.) acquired by the pressure sensor 221.

[0037] Furthermore, the arrhythmia detection unit 104 determines (detects) the presence or absence of arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement based on the pressure pulse wave (information such as the time interval between peaks of the pulse wave) acquired by the pressure sensor 221. In other words, in this embodiment, the combination of the arrhythmia detection unit 104 and the pressure sensor 221 corresponds to the arrhythmia information acquisition means.

[0038] The display control unit 105 controls the display unit 20 (and its display content). For example, it displays menu selections, measurement results, past history data, etc., on the display unit 20, but the specific display of measurement results is not controlled. Details will be provided later.

[0039] The operation reception unit 106 receives user input via the operation unit 30. For example, when the user presses a measurement start button, an item selection button, a confirmation button, etc. (including interfaces represented on images), the unit controls the biological information measuring device 1 to perform the corresponding action.

[0040] (Flow of blood pressure measurement process) Next, the process flow when measuring blood pressure using the biometric information measuring device 1 will be explained based on Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the process flow by the biometric information measuring device 1 when measuring blood pressure. Prior to performing blood pressure measurement, the user wraps the cuff 210 around their upper arm and then instructs the device to perform blood pressure measurement via the control unit 30.

[0041] After receiving an instruction to measure blood pressure, the biological information measuring device 1 acquires the user's pressure pulse wave using the blood pressure measurement unit 200 (S101). Based on the acquired pressure pulse wave, the control unit 100 (blood pressure value calculation unit 101, pulse rate calculation unit 102, body movement determination unit 103) detects the user's body movement (S102), calculates the blood pressure value (S103), and calculates the pulse rate (S104). Furthermore, the control unit 100 (arrhythmia determination unit 104) determines whether or not there is an arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement based on the acquired pressure pulse wave (S105).

[0042] If, in step S105, an arrhythmia is detected during blood pressure measurement, the control unit 100 (display control unit 105) displays on the display unit 20 not only the calculated blood pressure value (inaccurate blood pressure value) but also comparative information that allows the user to recognize the difference from a normal blood pressure value (S106). Figure 4A shows an example of the display unit 20 when displaying the measurement results when an arrhythmia is detected during blood pressure measurement.

[0043] In the example shown in Figure 4A, the blood pressure display area 21 of the display unit 20, which displays the calculated blood pressure value, shows the calculated blood pressure value on the left, and comparison information C1, which shows the difference between this value and the average value of blood pressure measured when no arrhythmia was detected (hereinafter referred to as normal blood pressure), is displayed to its right. In addition, a mark indicating that atrial fibrillation has been detected is flashing on the lower left side of the screen. The average value of normal blood pressure can be obtained, for example, by calculating the average of all blood pressure data from past measurement data stored in the memory unit 40 where no arrhythmia was detected at the time of measurement, or by calculating the average of the most recent N measurements (e.g., 10 measurements).

[0044] On the other hand, if in step S105 it is determined that there was no arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement, the control unit 100 (body movement determination unit 103) determines whether the number of body movements detected during blood pressure measurement exceeds a predetermined threshold (S107). If in step S107 it is determined that the number of body movements is below the threshold, the control unit 100 (display control unit 105) displays the blood pressure value in the blood pressure display area 21 of the display unit 20 (S109).

[0045] If, in step S107, the control unit 100 (display control unit 105) determines that the number of body movements exceeds a threshold, it displays a message in an area of ​​the display unit 20 other than the blood pressure display area 21 indicating that body movement has been detected (and that this may reduce the accuracy of the blood pressure value) (S108), and displays the blood pressure value in the blood pressure display area 21 (S109). Steps S108 and S109 may be executed simultaneously.

[0046] In step S106 or step S109, the biological information measuring device 1 displays the blood pressure measurement result on the display unit 20, then stores the measurement result in the storage unit 40 in association with the measurement time information, and ends the series of processes.

[0047] By displaying the measurement results as described above, if an arrhythmia is detected during blood pressure measurement, it is possible to prevent the user from mistaking an inaccurate blood pressure value for an accurate one, and to notify the user of the arrhythmia detected during blood pressure measurement. Furthermore, even if no arrhythmia is detected, if the number of body movements exceeds a threshold, the system can alert the user by displaying a message indicating that the accuracy of the calculated blood pressure value has decreased, along with the blood pressure value.

[0048] (Process flow for displaying past data) Next, the process flow for displaying past measurement data stored in the memory unit 40 on the display unit 20 will be explained based on Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process flow for referencing past measurement data (history viewing mode) in the biological information measuring device 1. As shown in Figure 5, first the user selects the past measurement data they wish to refer to (for example, data read from the memory unit 40 and displayed in a list on the display unit 20) via the operation unit 30 (S201).

[0049] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the measurement data selected by the user is one in which an arrhythmia was detected during measurement (S202). Specifically, since measurement data in which an arrhythmia was detected is stored with the fact that an arrhythmia was detected and the details of the arrhythmia associated with it, the control unit determines whether the data is such or not. If, in step S202, it is determined that the measurement data selected is not one in which an arrhythmia was detected during measurement, the control unit 100 reads the information of the measured blood pressure value (S203), displays it on the display unit 20 (S205), and terminates the series of processes.

[0050] On the other hand, if step S202 determines that the measurement data indicates the detection of an arrhythmia during measurement, the control unit 100 reads out the arrhythmia information (S204), displays a measurement result screen (as shown in Figure 4A) on the display unit 20 showing the measured blood pressure value and comparison information together (S205), and terminates the series of processes.

[0051] This process allows users to view past measurement results, prevents them from mistaking inaccurate blood pressure values ​​for accurate values ​​even if arrhythmias were detected during past measurements, and notifies them of arrhythmias detected during blood pressure measurement.

[0052] ((modified version)) In the above embodiment, the comparison information displayed along with the blood pressure value when an arrhythmia is detected during blood pressure measurement was a value indicating the difference between the blood pressure value at the time of arrhythmia detection and the average value of normal blood pressure. However, the comparison information may be other information. Figure 4B shows an example of a display screen according to such a modified example. In the figure shown in Figure 4B, the blood pressure display area 21 displays the calculated blood pressure value on the right, and the comparison information C2, which shows the average value of normal blood pressure, is displayed to its left. In other words, in this modified example, the blood pressure value calculated when an arrhythmia is detected is displayed in a manner that compares it with the average value of normal blood pressure. This allows the user to check their average normal blood pressure and easily see the difference between that and the current blood pressure value.

[0053] In addition, the comparison information can also include general "suitability values" based on user attributes (e.g., age, gender, etc.), the difference from those suitability values, and so on.

[0054] <Embodiment 2> Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The biological information measuring device 2 according to this embodiment is a hybrid type biological information measuring device capable of measuring not only blood pressure but also electrocardiogram waveforms. Since the biological information measuring device 2 includes many components in common with the biological information measuring device 1 of Embodiment 1, the same reference numerals will be used for components similar to those in Embodiment 1, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0055] As shown in Figure 6, the biological information measuring device 2 has the same configuration as the biological information measuring device 1, plus an electrocardiogram waveform measuring unit 300. The electrocardiogram waveform measuring unit 300 includes multiple electrodes (first electrode 301 and second electrode 302) and an electrocardiogram signal measurement circuit 303. The electrocardiogram signal measurement circuit 303 is a circuit for measuring an electrocardiogram waveform based on an electrocardiogram signal obtained based on the potential difference between two electrodes in contact with the living body, and is composed of an amplifier, filter, A / D conversion circuit, etc.

[0056] Although not shown in the diagram, the first electrode 301 and the second electrode 302 are positioned at separate locations on the main body housing. When the user places one finger of their left or right hand in contact with the first electrode 301 and the other finger of their left or right hand in contact with the second electrode 302, the electrocardiogram signal measurement circuit 303 measures the potential difference between the first electrode 301 and the second electrode 302 as an electrocardiogram waveform (so-called lead I), and by recording this, an electrocardiogram waveform (ECG) is measured.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the biological information measuring device 2 includes the following functional modules, which are implemented by the control unit 120: a blood pressure value calculation unit 101, a pulse rate calculation unit 102, a body movement determination unit 103, a display control unit 105, and an arrhythmia determination unit 121.

[0058] In this embodiment, the arrhythmia detection unit 121 detects arrhythmias based on the electrocardiogram waveform measured by the electrocardiogram signal measurement circuit 303, rather than the pulse wave. Specifically, by simultaneously performing blood pressure measurement by the blood pressure measurement unit 200 and electrocardiogram waveform measurement by the electrocardiogram waveform measurement unit 300, the arrhythmia detection unit 121 determines the presence or absence of arrhythmias during blood pressure measurement based on the electrocardiogram waveform acquired during blood pressure measurement. In other words, in this embodiment, the combination of the arrhythmia detection unit 121 and the electrocardiogram waveform measurement unit 300 corresponds to the arrhythmia information acquisition means. Furthermore, the display control unit 105 displays a graph of the acquired electrocardiogram waveform on the display unit 20 in response to user operation.

[0059] The blood pressure measurement process in the biological information measuring device 2 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the biological information measuring device 1 in Embodiment 1, except that arrhythmia detection is performed based on the electrocardiogram waveform rather than the pulse wave. The display content of the blood pressure measurement results and the ability to view past history data of blood pressure values ​​are also the same as in the case of the biological information measuring device 1.

[0060] As shown in the biological information measuring device 2 of this embodiment, arrhythmias can be detected more accurately during blood pressure measurement by detecting arrhythmias based on the electrocardiogram waveform.

[0061] <Embodiment 3> Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The biological information measuring device 3 according to this embodiment is a hybrid type biological information measuring device capable of measuring not only blood pressure but also blood oxygen saturation (SpO2).

[0062] As shown in Figure 8, the biological information measuring device 3 has the same configuration as the biological information measuring device 1, plus an SpO2 measuring unit 400. The SpO2 measuring unit 400 is composed of an LED 401 as a light-emitting element and a photodiode 402 as a light-receiving element, and acquires information for calculating blood oxygen saturation by receiving the reflected red light or infrared light emitted from the LED 401 with the photodiode 402.

[0063] Furthermore, the SpO2 measurement unit 400 not only measures blood oxygen saturation, but also detects changes in blood flow associated with pulsation as changes in reflected light received by the photodiode 402, and can acquire a pulse wave based on this.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the biological information measuring device 3 is realized by the control unit 100. It is equipped with the following functional modules: a blood pressure value calculation unit 101, a pulse rate calculation unit 102, a body movement detection unit 103, a display control unit 105, an arrhythmia detection unit 131, and an SpO2 calculation unit 132.

[0065] The SpO2 calculation unit 132 calculates the blood oxygen concentration using the information acquired by the SpO2 measurement unit 400 (the intensity of reflected light received by the photodiode 402).

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the arrhythmia detection unit 131 detects arrhythmias based on photoelectric pulse waves acquired by the SpO2 measurement unit 400, rather than on pressure pulse waves. Specifically, by simultaneously performing blood pressure measurement by the blood pressure measurement unit 200 and measurement by the SpO2 measurement unit 400, the arrhythmia detection unit 131 determines the presence or absence of arrhythmias during blood pressure measurement based on the pulse wave information acquired by the SpO2 measurement unit 400. In other words, in this embodiment, the combination of the arrhythmia detection unit 131 and the SpO2 measurement unit 400 corresponds to the arrhythmia information acquisition means.

[0067] Furthermore, the blood pressure measurement process in the biological information measuring device 3 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the biological information measuring device 1 in Embodiment 1, except that arrhythmia detection is performed based on photoplethysmography rather than pressure pulse wave analysis. The display content of the blood pressure measurement results and the ability to view past history data of blood pressure values ​​are also the same as in the case of the biological information measuring device 1.

[0068] <Embodiment 4> (System Configuration) In the embodiments described above, the detection of arrhythmias during blood pressure measurement (determination of the presence or absence of arrhythmias) was performed by the biometric information measuring device. However, the detection of arrhythmias during blood pressure measurement may be configured to be performed by another device. That is, the present invention can also be applied as a system including a biometric information measuring device and an information processing terminal, as described in the embodiments below. Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the information processing system 4 according to this embodiment.

[0069] As shown in Figure 10, the information processing system 4 according to this embodiment includes a biological information measuring device 61 equipped with a blood pressure measuring unit 200 and an electrocardiogram waveform measuring unit 300, and a smartphone 62 as an example of an information processing terminal, and these are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0070] The biological information measuring device 61 has a hardware configuration that is almost the same as the biological information measuring device 2 according to Embodiment 2, differing only in that it is equipped with a communication unit 50. The communication unit 50 performs the function of communicating with the smartphone 62 and can employ an appropriate communication interface depending on the communication network to be connected, such as a wired communication port or a wireless communication antenna. The method of communication between the biological information measuring device 61 and the smartphone 62 is not particularly limited, but for example, pairing using BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) communication or communication using Wi-Fi® (LAN) can be employed.

[0071] As shown in Figure 10, the smartphone 62 includes a power supply unit 510, a display and operation unit 520, a storage unit 540, a communication unit 550, a control unit 500, and other components.

[0072] The power supply unit 510 is the power source for the smartphone 62 and can be a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery. The display and operation unit 520 can be a touch panel display that combines the functions of information display and input operation reception.

[0073] The memory unit 540 is configured to include main memory such as RAM and ROM, and auxiliary memory such as flash memory, and stores various types of information, such as application programs and various biological information. Furthermore, measurement results such as blood pressure and other acquired biological information may be stored in the memory unit 540 in association with time information such as the measurement (acquisition) time. For example, the time can be measured by referring to the RTC of the control unit 500. Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device may be configured to be detachable from the main unit housing (not shown).

[0074] The communication unit 550 performs the function of communicating with the biological information measuring device 61, and can employ an appropriate communication interface depending on the communication network to which it is connected, such as a wired communication port or a wireless communication antenna.

[0075] The control unit 500 is a functional unit that controls the smartphone and includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU and a GPU. When the control unit 500 receives user input via the display operation unit 520, it controls the various components of the smartphone to perform various functions according to a predetermined application program. The predetermined program is stored in the storage unit 540 and read from there.

[0076] Figure 11A is a block diagram showing a part of the functional module realized by the control unit 140 of the biological information measuring device 61, and Figure 11B is a block diagram showing a part of the functional module realized by the control unit 500 of the smartphone 62.

[0077] As shown in Figure 11A, the functional module of the biological information measuring device 61 differs from that of the biological information measuring device 2 of Embodiment 2 in that a communication control unit 109 is added, and an arrhythmia detection unit is absent. The communication control unit 109 performs communication with an external device (e.g., a smartphone 62) via the communication unit 50.

[0078] As shown in Figure 11B, the control unit 500 of the smartphone 62 implements the following functional modules: a communication control unit 501, a display control unit 502, and an arrhythmia detection unit 504. The communication control unit 109 performs communication with an external device (for example, a biological information measuring device 61) via the communication unit 50.

[0079] The display control unit 502 controls the display content of the display operation unit 520. For example, depending on the application program related to cooperation with the biological information measuring device 61, it displays a menu screen (operation reception screen), guidance related to the progress of biological information measurement, biological information measurement results, etc., on the display operation unit 520.

[0080] The operation reception unit 503 receives user input via the user interface displayed on the display operation unit 520. For example, it receives operation input such as starting measurement by the biological information measuring device 61, selecting items, and screen transitions, according to the application program related to cooperation with the biological information measuring device 61.

[0081] As will be described later, the arrhythmia detection unit 504 determines (detects) the presence or absence of arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement, which is performed simultaneously with the acquisition of the electrocardiogram waveform, based on the electrocardiogram waveform information transmitted from the bio-information measuring device 61. In other words, in this embodiment, the arrhythmia detection process during blood pressure measurement is performed by the smartphone 62, not the bio-information measuring device 61. The information regarding the presence or absence of arrhythmia determined by the arrhythmia detection unit 504 is transmitted from the communication unit 550 and received by the communication unit 50 of the bio-information measuring device 61. In other words, in the bio-information measuring device 61 in this embodiment, the communication unit 50 corresponds to the arrhythmia information acquisition means.

[0082] (Process flow) Next, the blood pressure and electrocardiogram simultaneous measurement process and the flow of information executed in the information processing system 4 according to this embodiment will be explained based on Figures 12 and 13. In the information processing system 4 according to this embodiment, the smartphone 62 can be used to initiate simultaneous measurement of blood pressure and electrocardiogram. For this reason, the control unit 500 (operation reception unit 5) of the smartphone 62 03) receives an operation input to start simultaneous blood pressure and electrocardiogram measurement via the display operation unit 520 (S601). The instruction for this operation input is transmitted from the smartphone 62 to the biological information measuring device 61 via the communication unit 550, and simultaneous measurement of blood pressure and electrocardiogram is started in the biological information measuring device 61 (S501).

[0083] When batch measurement is started, the biological information measuring device 61 determines whether the first electrode 201 and the second electrode 202 are in proper contact with the body based on the signals acquired by the electrocardiogram waveform measuring unit 300 (S502). If it is determined that both electrodes are not in proper contact, the electrode contact determination process is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S502 that both electrodes are in proper contact with the body, the biological information measuring device 61 simultaneously acquires the pressure pulse wave by the blood pressure measuring unit 200 and the electrocardiogram waveform by the electrocardiogram waveform measuring unit 300 (S503, S521).

[0084] The electrocardiogram waveform acquired by the biological information measuring device 61 in step S521 is transmitted to the smartphone 62 via the communication unit 50 (S522), and the smartphone 62 receives the electrocardiogram waveform (S602). The biological information measuring device 61 (control unit 140) continues to acquire the electrocardiogram waveform and determines whether a predetermined time (for example, enough time to acquire a pulse wave for blood pressure measurement) has elapsed (S523). If it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S522 and the subsequent steps are repeated.

[0085] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S523 that a predetermined time has elapsed, the biological information measuring device 61 terminates the acquisition of the electrocardiogram waveform and transmits this information to the smartphone 62 via the communication unit 50 (S524), and the smartphone 62 receives information that the acquisition of the electrocardiogram waveform has terminated (S603). The smartphone 62, having received the electrocardiogram waveform for the predetermined time, then has the control unit 500 (arrhythmia determination unit 504) perform an analysis process to determine (detect) the presence or absence of arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement (pressure pulse wave acquisition) based on the electrocardiogram waveform (S604).

[0086] Meanwhile, in the biological information measuring device 61, in parallel with acquiring electrocardiogram waveforms, the blood pressure measurement unit 200 acquires pressure pulse waves for blood pressure measurement (S503). Furthermore, based on the acquired pressure pulse waves, the control unit 140 (blood pressure value calculation unit 101, pulse rate calculation unit 102, body movement determination unit 103) detects the user's body movement (S504), calculates the blood pressure value (S505), and calculates the pulse rate (S506).

[0087] Next, referring to Figure 13, the smartphone 62 transmits the result of the arrhythmia determination performed in step S604 to the bio-information measuring device 61 via the communication unit 550 (S605), and the bio-information measuring device 61 receives the determination result (S507). If the determination result received in step S507 indicates that there is an arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement, the bio-information measuring device 61 (display control unit 105) displays the calculated blood pressure value and comparison information together on the display unit 20 (S508, S509). The content of the comparison information is as previously explained.

[0088] On the other hand, if the received determination result is that there was no arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement, the biological information measuring device 61 (body movement determination unit 103) then determines whether the number of body movements detected during blood pressure measurement exceeds a predetermined threshold (S508, S510). If, in step S510, it is determined that the number of body movements is below the threshold, the biological information measuring device 61 (display control unit 105) displays the blood pressure value and pulse rate on the display unit 20 (S512).

[0089] If step S510 determines that the number of body movements exceeds a threshold, the biological information measuring device 61 (display control unit 105) displays a message indicating that body movement has been detected in an area of ​​the display unit 20 other than the blood pressure display area 21 (S511), and displays the blood pressure value in the blood pressure display area 21 (S512). Steps S511 and S512 may be executed simultaneously.

[0090] Subsequently, the bio-information measuring device 61 transmits the calculated blood pressure value, pulse rate, and number of body movement detections (hereinafter collectively referred to as blood pressure measurement data) to the smartphone 62 via the communication unit 50 (S513), and ends the series of processes. Meanwhile, the smartphone 62 receives the blood pressure measurement data (S606), displays the blood pressure measurement data and electrocardiogram waveform (ECG) on the display operation unit 520 (S607), and ends the series of processes.

[0091] The order of processing described above can be rearranged or omitted as appropriate. For example, the transmission of blood pressure measurement data from the biological information measuring device 61 is not limited to after step S512, but may be performed at other times, such as before or after step S507. Furthermore, the smartphone 62 may terminate the series of processes after step S605 without transmitting blood pressure measurement data from the biological information measuring device 61.

[0092] Furthermore, since it is undetermined which process—blood pressure calculation or arrhythmia detection—will finish first, step S507 (and step S605) may be executed before the blood pressure calculation in step S505. Also, after receiving the electrocardiogram waveform in step S602, the smartphone 62 may display the electrocardiogram waveform in real time on the display operation unit 520.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above example, step S523 determined whether a predetermined time had elapsed since the start of acquiring the electrocardiogram waveform, but this process may also be performed on the smartphone 62 side. In that case, after the predetermined time has elapsed, the smartphone 62 may send a command to the biometric information measuring device 61 to terminate the acquisition of the electrocardiogram waveform.

[0094] According to the information processing system 4 described above, the determination of whether or not an arrhythmia is present during blood pressure measurement can be performed by an information processing terminal such as a smartphone 62, rather than by the biometric information measuring device 61. This reduces the computational load on the biometric information measuring device, prevents the display of inaccurate blood pressure measurement results to the user without the need for a high-performance computing device, and allows for notification of arrhythmias detected during blood pressure measurement.

[0095] <Other> The above description of embodiments is merely illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to the specific forms described above. The present invention can be modified and combined in various ways within the scope of its technical concept. For example, the configuration according to Embodiment 2 and the configuration according to Embodiment 3 may be combined to create a biological information measuring device that includes a blood pressure measurement unit 200, an electrocardiogram waveform measurement unit 300, and an SpO2 measurement unit 400.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when displaying that an arrhythmia has been detected during blood pressure measurement, the manner of the display may be made different from the manner of display used to notify other measurement errors or equipment malfunctions. Specifically, it can be made clearly distinguishable from other errors by differences in whether the display is lit or flashing, differences in the flashing interval, differences in the display color, etc.

[0097] Furthermore, in embodiments 2 and 3 described above, the electrocardiogram waveform measurement unit 300 and the SpO2 measurement unit 400 are shown as an integrated device with the blood pressure measurement unit 200, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. The electrocardiogram waveform and photoplethysmography waveform acquired by a separate measuring device can be acquired via a communication means. In this case, the communication means becomes the arrhythmia information acquisition means. The present invention can also be applied to wearable type biometric information measurement devices such as wristwatches.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 4, the biological information measuring device 61 includes a blood pressure measuring unit 200 and an electrocardiogram waveform measuring unit. Although the device was equipped with unit 300, the technology for determining the presence or absence of arrhythmia during blood pressure measurement using another information processing terminal is naturally applicable to other biological information measurement devices such as those shown in Embodiments 1 and 3. Furthermore, the information processing terminal is not limited to a smartphone 62; other computers, whether portable or stationary, can be used.

[0099] Furthermore, while atrial fibrillation was used as an example of arrhythmia in the above examples, if other arrhythmias (such as atrial flutter or premature contractions) are detected, the system may, in the same manner as in the above embodiments, display a message indicating that atrial flutter or premature contractions have been detected without displaying the blood pressure value. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 1, 2, 3, 62... Biological information measuring device 4. Information Processing Systems 10, 510...Power supply section 20...Display section 21. Blood pressure display area 30...Operation unit 40, 540...Storage section 61... Smartphone 100, 120, 130, 140, 500... Control Unit 101... Blood pressure calculation unit 102...Pulse rate calculation unit 103...Body movement detection unit 104, 121, 131, 503...Arrhythmia detection unit 105, 502... Display Control Unit 109, 501... Communications Control Unit 132...SpO2 calculation section 200... Blood pressure measurement unit 210... Cuff 221... Pressure sensor 222···AFE 231... Pressure pump 232... Pump drive circuit 241... Exhaust valve 242... Valve drive circuit 300...Electrocardiogram waveform measurement section 301...1st electrode 302...Second electrode 303...Electrocardiogram signal measurement circuit 400···SpO2 measurement section 401...LED 402... Photodiode 520...Display operation section

Claims

1. A blood pressure measurement means for acquiring information to measure the blood pressure of a living organism, An arrhythmia information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the determination of the presence or absence of arrhythmia in the living body during the measurement of blood pressure, Display means including at least an area capable of displaying the blood pressure, An input means for receiving user input, A storage means for storing information related to the blood pressure measurements performed in the past, It has a control unit, The control unit, Based on the information acquired by the blood pressure measurement means, the blood pressure value is calculated. If the information acquired by the arrhythmia information acquisition means indicates that an arrhythmia occurred during the measurement of blood pressure, the display means will display comparative information that allows recognition of the difference between the calculated blood pressure value and the normal blood pressure value. A device for measuring biological information.

2. The comparison information is the average value of the blood pressure of the living organism measured when there is no arrhythmia. A biological information measuring device according to claim 1.

3. The comparison information is the difference between the calculated blood pressure value and the average blood pressure value of the body measured when there is no arrhythmia. A biological information measuring device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit, The input means receives a request to display information related to past blood pressure measurements held in the storage means to the display means. If the information relating to the blood pressure measurement related to the display request includes information indicating that an arrhythmia occurred during the measurement, the display means will display the past blood pressure values ​​and the comparison information related to the display request. A biological information measuring device according to claim 1.

5. The control unit, Based on the information acquired by the blood pressure measurement means, body movement during the blood pressure measurement is detected. If the number of body movements detected during the blood pressure measurement exceeds a predetermined value, the display means will display a message indicating this. A biological information measuring device according to claim 1.

6. The arrhythmia information acquisition means acquires information regarding the presence or absence of arrhythmia in the living body based on the pulse wave information acquired by the blood pressure measurement means. A biological information measuring device according to claim 1.

7. The system further includes an electrocardiogram waveform acquisition means for acquiring the electrocardiogram waveform of the aforementioned living organism, The arrhythmia information acquisition means acquires information regarding the presence or absence of arrhythmia in the living body based on the electrocardiogram waveform during the measurement of blood pressure. A biological information measuring device according to claim 1.

8. A method for controlling a biological information measuring device. The steps include measuring the blood pressure of a living organism, A step of determining whether or not the body has an arrhythmia during the measurement of the blood pressure, The method includes the step of displaying the blood pressure measurement result, If, in the step of determining the presence or absence of arrhythmia, it is determined that arrhythmia was present, then in the step of displaying the measurement results, comparative information that allows recognition of the difference between the measured blood pressure value and the normal blood pressure value shall be displayed. A control method for a biological information measurement device.

9. A program for causing a biological information measuring device to perform each of the steps described in claim 8.

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