Cuff for blood pressure measuring device and blood pressure measuring device including the same

Abstract

A cuff for a blood pressure measuring device according to one embodiment of the present application includes an air supply unit including an air inlet through which air flows in from the outside and an air outlet through which air inside is discharged, a pressurizing unit connected to the air supply unit and inflating when air flows in from the air supply unit to pressurize the radial artery located at the wrist of a subject, and a folding unit including a first air flow path located between the air supply unit and the pressurizing unit to communicate with each other. The pressurizing unit is disposed to contact the wrist of the subject and includes a main air bladder connected to the air supply unit, at least one sub-air bladder stacked on one side of the main air bladder, and a communication flow path connecting the main air bladder and the sub-air bladder to communicate with each other. In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​the main air bladder is larger than that of the sub-air bladder.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cuff for a blood pressure measurement device and a blood pressure measurement device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Blood pressure information is an important piece of information for understanding one's health. Blood pressure refers to the pressure that blood exerts on the walls of blood vessels. The pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts and pushes blood out is called systolic blood pressure or systolic blood pressure, and the pressure in blood vessels when the heart expands and accepts blood is called diastolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure.

[0003] Generally, a healthy person has a systolic blood pressure of less than 120mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure of less than 80mmHg. On the other hand, a person with a systolic blood pressure of 140mmHg or more and a diastolic blood pressure of 90mmHg or more has high blood pressure, while a person with a systolic blood pressure of 90mmHg or less and a diastolic blood pressure of 60mmHg or less has low blood pressure.

[0004] When blood pressure is high or low, abnormal signals may occur in health, so it is important to measure blood pressure to obtain blood pressure information. Common methods for measuring blood pressure include auscultation, oscillometric, and tonometric methods.

[0005] Of these, the oscillometric method measures systolic and diastolic blood pressure by detecting pulse waves that occur when a body part through which arterial blood flows is pressurized sufficiently to block arterial blood flow, and then the pressure is reduced at a constant rate, or when the body part through which arterial blood flows is pressurized at a constant rate.

[0006] The tonometric method applies a certain amount of pressure to a body part without completely blocking the blood flow in the artery, and measures blood pressure using the size and shape of the pulse wave generated at this time.

[0007] Most conventional devices for measuring a subject's blood pressure using an oscillometric method are configured to measure blood pressure by being wrapped around the subject's arm, but conventional blood pressure measuring devices configured to measure blood pressure by being wrapped around the subject's arm have a problem in that they are bulky and inconvenient to carry around.

[0008] To solve this problem, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1349767 (hereinafter referred to as the "prior document") discloses a wristwatch-type blood pressure monitor that is worn on the wrist of a subject to improve portability and has an air chamber that can pressurize the subject's arteries. The wristwatch-type blood pressure monitor in the prior document is configured to measure the pressure in the air chamber when the air chamber pressurizes the subject's arteries, and to calculate the subject's blood pressure based on the measured pressure in the air chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent No. 10-1349767 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] On the other hand, the more air is stored in the air chamber, the more accurately the pressure in the air chamber can be measured. However, if the air chamber does not contain a sufficient amount of air, errors may occur when measuring the pressure in the air chamber.

[0011] The prior art documents disclose air chambers capable of storing air therein, but do not disclose how to configure the air chamber to store as much air as possible therein.

[0012] Furthermore, the larger the contact area between the wrist and the inflated air chamber when air is injected, the more effectively the subject's arteries can be pressurized. However, the air chambers in the prior art documents expand like a balloon when air is injected inside, which presents a problem in that the contact area between the air chamber and the wrist cannot be effectively increased.

[0013] [Technical issues] One object of the present invention is to solve the problem of inaccuracies in blood pressure measurements caused by low pressure in the cuff bladder.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to solve the problem of air not moving smoothly due to bending of the flow path at the folded portion of the cuff.

[0015] The technical problems to be solved by this embodiment are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems may also exist. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] A cuff for a blood pressure measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as technical means for solving the above-mentioned technical problems, includes an air supply unit including an air inlet through which air flows in from the outside and an air outlet through which internal air is discharged, a pressurizing unit connected to the air supply unit and inflating when air flows in from the air supply unit to pressurize the radial artery located at the wrist of a subject, a folding unit located between the air supply unit and the pressurizing unit and including a first air flow path connecting the air supply unit and the pressurizing unit to communicate with each other, the pressurizing unit including a main air bladder arranged to contact the wrist of the subject, at least one sub-air bladder stacked on one side of the main air bladder, and a communication path connecting the main air bladder and the sub-air bladder to communicate with each other, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the main air bladder is wider than that of the sub-air bladder.

[0017] The device may further include a stent formed in a coil spring shape and positioned inside the first air passage of the folded portion.

[0018] The air supply device may also include a first branch flow path that connects the air supply unit and the first air flow path, and that branches from one end of the first air flow path into two flow paths and is connected to the air supply unit, and a second branch flow path that connects the first air flow path and the main air bag, and that branches from the other end of the first air flow path into two flow paths and is connected to the main air bag.

[0019] The airbag may further include at least one auxiliary air bag connected to the air supply and positioned opposite the first air flow path.

[0020] The folding portion may have an extra length so that it can bend into an S-shape when connected to the wrist strap.

[0021] A blood pressure measuring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a first strap that wraps around a portion of a subject's wrist adjacent to the ulnar artery, a second strap that is connected to the first strap so as to wrap around the wrist and includes a cuff that wraps around a portion of the wrist adjacent to the radial artery, and a main body that is attached to the first strap or the second strap, and the main body includes a pump unit that supplies air to the cuff or sucks in air to discharge air from the cuff, a measuring unit that measures the pressure in the cuff, and a control unit that calculates the user's blood pressure based on the pressure measured by the measuring unit.

[0022] The main body may also include a display unit that displays the calculated blood pressure.

[0023] The main body may also include a communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the above-described means for solving the problems, the cuff for a blood pressure measurement device of the present invention has the effect of enabling accurate measurement of blood pressure by forming the cross-sectional area of ​​the main air bag adjacent to the subject's wrist larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the sub-air bag, thereby causing the main air bag to inflate preferentially and applying sufficient pressure to the radial artery located at the subject's wrist.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention has the advantage that a stent is disposed inside the flow path of the folded portion of the cuff, and the flow path can be prevented from being blocked even when the folded portion is bent. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a cuff for a blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' in FIG. [Figure 3] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a pressure unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of a pressure unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4(b) is a bottom view of the pressure unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing a main body of a blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present application. However, the present application may be embodied in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to clearly explain the present application in the drawings, parts that are not relevant to the description are omitted, and similar parts are designated by similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0028] Throughout this specification, when a part is described as being "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where the part is "directly connected" but also the case where the part is "electrically connected" via another element therebetween.

[0029] Throughout this specification, when a member is described as being "on" another member, this includes not only when the member is in contact with the other member, but also when there is another member between the two members.

[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cuff for a blood pressure measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a pressurizing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of the pressurizing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4(b) is a bottom view of the pressurizing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a blood pressure measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a main body of a blood pressure measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Hereinafter, a cuff 100 of a blood pressure measurement device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "cuff 100") will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0033] The cuff (100) includes an air supply section (110), a pressure section (120), and a folding section (130).

[0034] The air supply unit 110 includes an air inlet 111 through which air flows in from the outside and an air outlet 112 through which internal air is discharged. In other words, the air supply unit 110 is connected to the main body 400 of the blood pressure measuring device 10 (described later), receives air from a pump unit 410 of the main body 400, and serves to supply air to the cuff 100 or discharge air from the cuff 100. For example, the air supply unit 110 has a predetermined space capable of accommodating the inflowing air, and the inflowing air can be transmitted to the inflator 120 through a first air flow path 131 of the folding unit 130.

[0035] The pressurizing unit 120 is connected to the air supply unit 110 and expands when air flows in from the air supply unit 110, thereby applying pressure to the radial artery located in the wrist of the subject. The pressurizing unit 120 is formed by stacking a plurality of air bags 121, 122 in a bellows shape, and the air bags 121, 122 may be connected to each other. The pressurizing unit 120 may be made of an elastic material such as silicone, urethane, or rubber that expands when air is injected therein and contracts when the injected air is released therefrom. A detailed description of the pressurizing unit 120 will be provided below.

[0036] The folding unit (130) is located between the air supply unit (110) and the pressure unit (120), and includes a first air flow path (131) that connects the air supply unit (110) and the pressure unit (120) so that they communicate with each other.

[0037] The folding portion 130 allows the inflatable portion 120 to contact the area where the user's radial artery is located when the cuff 100 is attached to the blood pressure measuring device 10. To achieve this, the folding portion 130 can be bent in an S-shape to ensure a length that is longer than the required length, thereby adjusting the overall length of the folding portion 130 and making it possible to adjust the position of the inflatable portion 120. The bent shape of the folding portion 130 can be seen in Figure 4.

[0038] In addition, the folded portion 130 may further include a stent 140 formed in the form of a coil spring and positioned inside the first air flow path 131. Since the folded portion 130 is bent in an S-shape, a cylindrical stent 140 may be disposed in the first air flow path 131 to prevent the first air flow path 131 from being blocked at the bent portion, thereby forming a flow path through which air passes inside the stent 140. Illustratively, the stent 140 may be made of a metal material such as stainless steel, but is not limited thereto.

[0039] 1, the cuff (100) may include a first branch flow path (132) that connects the air supply unit (110) and the first air flow path (131) and branches into two flow paths from one end of the first air flow path (131) to be connected to the air supply unit (110), and a second branch flow path (133) that connects the first air flow path (131) and the main air bag (121) and branches into two flow paths from the other end of the first air flow path (131) to be connected to the main air bag (121). In other words, the branch flow paths (132, 133) that branch into two flow paths are located at both ends of the first air flow path (131), so that air supplied from the air supply unit (110) can smoothly flow into the first air flow path (131) and be smoothly supplied to the main air bag (121). In addition, when the air in the pressurizing unit (120) is discharged, the air moves through the first branch channel (132) and the second branch channel (133) to the air supply unit (110) and can be discharged.

[0040] Hereinafter, the pressurizing unit (120) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, the pressurizing unit (120) includes a main air bag (121), at least one sub-air bag (122), and a communication channel (123).

[0042] The main air bag 121 is disposed at a location where the wrist of the subject is located, and is connected to the air supply unit 110 so that it can receive a supply of air from the air supply unit 110. For example, the main air bag 121 has a protruding portion that contacts the wrist of the subject, and when air flows in, the main air bag 121 expands, thereby expanding in a direction from the inside to the outside.

[0043] Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the main air bag (121) may be wider than that of the sub-air bag (122). The above-mentioned cross-sectional area may refer to the area of ​​the portion that will be inflated by the inflow of air when viewed from above before air flows into the air bags (121, 122). For example, as shown in Figure 4, the cross-sectional area (B) of the main air bag (121) may be wider than the cross-sectional area (A) of the sub-air bag (122).

[0044] 3, air flowing into the main air bag 121 does not immediately flow into the sub-air bag 122, but is supplied to the sub-air bag 122 through the communication channel 123 after the main air bag 121 is inflated. In this manner, the pressurizing unit 120 inflates the main air bag 121 first, and then inflates the sub-air bag 122. In the blood pressure measurement process according to the present invention, the pressure of the air supplied to the air bags increases sequentially, and in the initial stage when the air pressure is low, the pressurizing unit 120 may not be able to properly pressurize the radial artery. Furthermore, the weight of multiple sub-air bags 122 may make it difficult for the main air bag 121 to inflate easily. To address this issue, the main air bag 121 is inflated first, allowing the pressurizing unit 120 to effectively pressurize the radial artery in the subject's wrist even when the air pressure is low.

[0045] The sub-air bladders 122 are stacked on one side of the main air bladder 121. As described above, the sub-air bladders 122 may be formed to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the main air bladder 121. In other words, when the main air bladder 121 and the sub-air bladders 122 are inflated with air, the inflated volume of each sub-air bladders 122 may be smaller than the inflated volume of the main air bladder 121.

[0046] The communication flow path 123 may connect the main air bag 121 and the plurality of sub-air bags 122 to communicate with each other. For example, the communication flow path 123 may be formed by drilling a hole in the top surface of the main air bag 121 and drilling holes in the top and bottom surfaces of each sub-air bag 122 at positions corresponding to the holes in the main air bag 121. In this case, the uppermost sub-air bag 122 may have holes drilled only in its bottom surface.

[0047] 1, the cuff 100 may further include at least one auxiliary air bag 150 that is connected to the air supply unit 110 and located on the opposite side of the first air flow path 131. The auxiliary air bag 150 may be located inside the first strap 200 when the cuff 100 is attached to the blood pressure measurement device 10, so that the user's wrist does not come into direct contact with the first strap 200, which is made of a relatively hard material, but comes into contact with the air-filled auxiliary air bag 150, thereby minimizing the load on the wrist during blood pressure measurement.

[0048] A blood pressure measurement device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0049] The blood pressure measuring device (10) is configured to be wearable on the wrist of a subject and includes a first strap (200) that wraps around a portion of the subject's wrist, a second strap (300) that wraps around another portion of the subject's wrist, and a main body (400) that calculates blood pressure.

[0050] The first strap (200) is positioned to wrap around a portion of the subject's wrist near the ulnar artery, and is made of a material having a predetermined strength or greater, preventing the subject's wrist and ulnar artery from being compressed by the first strap (200) and preventing blood flowing through the ulnar artery from being blocked.

[0051] The second strap (300) is connected to the first strap (200) so as to wrap around the other part of the wrist, wraps around a part of the wrist close to the radial artery, and includes the cuff (100). Illustratively, the second strap (300) has a first Velcro (310) connected to its middle part and a second Velcro (320) disposed at its end, and the blood pressure measuring device (10) can be fixed to the wrist by adhering the second Velcro (320) to the first Velcro (310).

[0052] The main body (400) is attached to the first strap (200) or the second strap (300). The main body (400) can control the operation of the blood pressure measuring device (10) and calculate the subject's blood pressure, and can include a pump unit (410), a measuring unit (420), a control unit (430), a display unit (440), a power supply unit (460), and a communication unit (470).

[0053] The pump section (410) can supply air to the cuff (100) or draw air to expel air from the cuff (100).

[0054] The measurement unit 420 can perform the function of measuring the pressure of the cuff 100, which is the basis for calculating blood pressure, and can be configured with a conventional pressure sensor or the like.

[0055] The control unit 430 can control the operation of the components constituting the blood pressure measurement device 10. For example, the control unit 430 can control the operation of the cuff 100 so that the cuff 100 applies pressure to the subject's wrist at a desired pressure, and can control the display unit 440 to output specific information. The control unit 430 can also calculate the user's blood pressure based on the pressure measured by the measurement unit 420 and store the subject's blood pressure data.

[0056] The display unit 440 may display the calculated blood pressure. For example, the display unit 440 may display information about the subject's blood pressure calculated by the control unit 430 in numerical form, but is not limited thereto.

[0057] The power supply unit 460 can perform the function of supplying power for operating the blood pressure measurement device 10, and can be configured with a power supply means such as a conventional battery.

[0058] The communication unit 470 is configured with a conventional communication module or the like capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device, and may utilize communication technologies suitable for transmitting and receiving data, such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), UWB (Ultra Wide Band), Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless sensor network, etc. The blood pressure measurement device 10 can transmit the subject's blood pressure data or an emergency rescue signal to an external device through the communication unit 470.

[0059] An embodiment of the present invention may also be realized in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as a program module executed by a computer. A computer-readable medium is any available medium that can be accessed by a computer and can include both volatile and nonvolatile media, and separate and non-separate media. A computer-readable medium can also include computer storage media. A computer storage medium can include both volatile and nonvolatile, separate and non-separate media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.

[0060] Although the methods and systems of the present invention have been described with reference to specific embodiments, some or all of their components or operations may be implemented using a computer system having a general-purpose hardware architecture.

[0061] The above description of the present application is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present application may be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present application. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not limiting. For example, each component described as a single component may be implemented in a distributed form, and similarly, each component described as a distributed form may be implemented in a combined form.

[0062] The scope of the present application is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed description, and all modifications and variations that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being within the scope of the present application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10: Blood pressure measuring device 100: Cuff 110: Air supply section 111: Air inlet 112: Air outlet 120: Pressure section 121: Main air bladder 122: Sub-air bag 123: Connecting channel 130: Folding section 131: First air passage 132: First branch channel 133: Second branch channel 140: Stent 150: Auxiliary air bag 200: First strap 300: Second strap 310: 1st Velcro 320: 2nd Velcro 400: Main body 410: Pump section 420: Measuring section 430: Control section 440: Display unit 460: Power supply section 470: Communications Department

Claims

1. In a cuff for a blood pressure measuring device, an air supply unit including an air inlet through which air flows in from the outside and an air outlet through which internal air is discharged; a pressurizing unit connected to the air supply unit, which expands when air flows in from the air supply unit to pressurize the radial artery located in the wrist of the subject; a folding portion located between the air supply portion and the pressure portion, the folding portion including a first air flow path connecting the air supply portion and the pressure portion so that they communicate with each other; The pressure applying unit is a main air bladder disposed in contact with the subject's wrist and connected to the air supply; at least one sub-bladder stacked on one side of the main bladder; a communication flow path that connects the main air bag and the sub-air bag so that they communicate with each other; A cuff for a blood pressure measuring device, wherein the main air bag has a cross-sectional area larger than that of the sub-air bag.

2. 2. The cuff for a blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1, 10. The cuff for a blood pressure measuring device, further comprising a stent formed in a coil spring shape and positioned inside the first air flow path of the folded portion.

3. 2. The cuff for a blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1, a first branch flow path that connects the air supply unit and the first air flow path, branches from one end of the first air flow path into two flow paths, and is connected to the air supply unit; and a second branch flow path that connects the first air flow path and the main air bag, and that branches off from the other end of the first air flow path into two flow paths and is connected to the main air bag.

4. 2. The cuff for a blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1, A cuff for a blood pressure measuring device, further comprising at least one auxiliary air bag communicating with the air supply portion and positioned in an opposite direction to the first air flow path.

5. 2. The cuff for a blood pressure measurement device according to claim 1, A cuff for a blood pressure measuring device, wherein the folding portion has an extra length so that it can be bent into an S-shape when connected to a strap for wearing on the wrist.

6. In the blood pressure measuring device, a first strap encircling a portion of the subject's wrist proximate the ulnar artery; a second strap connected to the first strap so as to wrap around the wrist and encircle a portion of the wrist proximate the radial artery, the second strap including the cuff of any one of claims 1 to 5; a main body provided on the first strap or the second strap; The body includes: a pump section for supplying air to the cuff or for drawing air in to discharge air from the cuff; a measuring unit for measuring the pressure of the cuff; and A blood pressure measuring device comprising: a control unit that calculates the blood pressure of a user based on the pressure measured by the measurement unit.

7. The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 6, The blood pressure measuring device, wherein the main body includes a display unit that displays the calculated blood pressure.

8. The blood pressure measurement device according to claim 6, The blood pressure measuring device, wherein the main body includes a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from an external device.

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