Cuff structure and blood pressure measuring device

Abstract

To provide a cuff structure and a blood pressure measuring device capable of controlling the generated wrinkles. 【Solution means】The cuff structure used in the blood pressure measuring device includes one or more air bags that expand by fluid, and one or more members included in or laminated on the air bags. At least two of the air bags and the one or more members are provided with a bent portion, one of which is formed by an opening or splitting, and the other of which is formed by an opening, splitting, notch, recess or groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cuff structure and a blood pressure measuring device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, blood pressure measuring devices used for measuring blood pressure have been used not only in medical facilities but also at home as a means for checking health conditions. A blood pressure measuring device measures blood pressure by detecting vibrations of an arterial wall, for example, by expanding and contracting a cuff wrapped around the upper arm or wrist of a living body and detecting the pressure of the cuff with a pressure sensor.

[0003] As a cuff used in such a blood pressure measuring device, a laminated cuff is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The laminated cuff realizes a cuff that can prevent lateral bulging by providing a connecting portion and making the side wall portion hard, and can be efficiently compressed without changing the width even when expanded. On the other hand, the laminated cuff has a problem that providing a connecting portion inhibits the outward bulge of the gusset portion, resulting in a trade-off between compression efficiency and ease of lateral bulging.

[0004] In addition, it is generally difficult to adjust by changing the material strength, that is, the thickness and hardness of the sheet member forming the cuff, and it is a strength adjustment of the entire cuff, and it is not possible to take measures such as increasing the strength only at locations where lateral bulging is likely to occur. Further, the laminated cuff has a problem that since a large number of sheet members are laminated, it is thick and wrinkles are likely to occur. When wrinkles occur in the cuff, the space inside the cuff is divided, resulting in a problem that the blood pressure measurement accuracy decreases.

[0005] Therefore, as a conventional method for controlling wrinkles of a cuff, a technique is known in which a notch is provided in a partition sheet to control wrinkles (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This technique aims to form large bent wrinkles as gentle wrinkles and reduce stress concentration.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-224558 Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent No. 6751462 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] In the above-described cuff wrinkle control method, when winding around a measurement site with a small curvature, wrinkles occur not only at positions other than the notch, and thus a sufficient effect cannot be exerted. Further, when the cuff itself has a thickness as in the above-described laminated structure, a sufficient effect cannot be exerted due to this.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cuff structure and a blood pressure measuring device capable of controlling generated wrinkles. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0009] According to one aspect, there is provided a cuff structure used in a blood pressure measuring device, including one or more air bags inflated by a fluid, and one or more members included in or laminated on the air bags, wherein at least two of the air bags and the one or more members are provided with a bent portion, one of which is formed by an opening or division, and the other of which is formed by an opening, division, notch, recess or groove.

[0010] According to this aspect, the cuff structure can control wrinkles generated in the curved air bag when worn on a living body because the strength of two or more members is weakened by the bent portion including the opening. Therefore, since the cuff structure can generate desired wrinkles, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of unintended wrinkles such as excessively deep wrinkles. Thus, the cuff structure can stably perform blood pressure measurement using the blood pressure measuring device.

[0011] The cuff structure of the above aspect, comprising: a curler, which is the member and bends following the circumferential shape of the part of the living body to be worn; a pressing cuff, which is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the curler and includes the airbag; a back plate, which is the member and is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the pressing cuff; and a sensing cuff, which is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the back plate and includes the airbag. A cuff structure is provided.

[0012] According to this aspect, it is possible to control the wrinkles of the pressing cuff and the sensing cuff that compress the living body, which are greatly affected by stress concentration and reduced compression efficiency, and blood pressure measurement can be stably performed.

[0013] The cuff structure of the above aspect, wherein the airbag includes an intermediate sheet member, and the bent portion formed in the airbag is one or more openings formed in the intermediate sheet member and / or recesses formed on the surface of the airbag. A cuff structure is provided.

[0014] According to this aspect, the cuff structure can reduce the strength of the airbag where wrinkles occur, making it easier to control the wrinkles generated in the airbag. Thereby, the cuff structure can reduce the influence of the control of wrinkles by the hardness of the airbag.

[0015] The cuff structure of the above aspect, wherein the bent portion formed on the back plate is an opening, split, notch or groove formed on the back plate. A cuff structure is provided.

[0016] According to this aspect, the cuff structure can reduce the strength of the back plate to which the sensing cuff is fixed, making it easier to control the wrinkles generated in the sensing cuff.

[0017] The cuff structure of the above aspect, wherein the curler, the pressing cuff, the back plate and the sensing cuff are formed long in one direction, and a plurality of the bent portions provided on at least two of the curler, the pressing cuff, the back plate and the sensing cuff are arranged side by side in the one direction. A cuff structure is provided.

[0018] According to this aspect, the cuff structure can disperse wrinkles generated in the airbag by providing a plurality of bending portions arranged in one direction. By dispersing the wrinkles, the cuff structure can suppress the generation of deep wrinkles.

[0019] The cuff structure according to the above aspect, wherein the bending portions provided on at least two of the curler, the pressing cuff, the back plate, and the sensing cuff are arranged such that they at least partially overlap with adjacent bending portions in the stacking direction, and / or are arranged offset in the one direction from adjacent bending portions in the stacking direction. A cuff structure is provided.

[0020] According to this aspect, by at least partially overlapping the bending portions provided on two or more members, wrinkles can be generated at a target predetermined position. Also, by shifting the bending portions provided on two or more members, the wrinkles can be finely dispersed. In this way, the cuff structure can arbitrarily set the position and number of wrinkles by the arrangement of the bending portions.

[0021] According to one aspect, there is provided a blood pressure measuring device including the cuff structure according to the above aspect, a device body fixed to the cuff structure, and a band provided on the device body for fixing the cuff structure.

[0022] According to this aspect, by using the blood pressure measuring device having the above cuff structure, variations in the generation of wrinkles due to the wearing state and the shape of the wrist can be suppressed, and variations in the blood pressure measurement accuracy caused by wrinkles can be suppressed.

Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cuff structure and a blood pressure measuring device capable of controlling the generated wrinkles.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, an example of a blood pressure measuring device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 24.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the blood pressure measuring device 1. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the blood pressure measuring device 1 in a state of being worn on the wrist 300. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the device main body 3 of the blood pressure measuring device 1.

[0027] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cuff structure 4 used in the blood pressure measuring device 1, when unfolded and viewed from the side. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the pressing cuff 52 and the sensing cuff 54 as the cuffs used in the cuff structure 4. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the pressing cuff 52. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the sensing cuff 54. FIGS. 9 to 21 are diagrams schematically showing examples of the bending portion 55 provided on each member of the cuff structure 4. FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing the evaluation results of the cuff structure 4 in comparison with a comparative example.

[0028] The blood pressure measuring device 1 is an electronic blood pressure measuring device to be worn on a living body. In the example of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the blood pressure measuring device 1 is a wearable device to be worn on the wrist 300. The blood pressure measuring device 1 is, for example, an electronic blood pressure measuring device having a mode of measuring blood pressure from the arteries 311 and 312 of the wrist 300.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the blood pressure measuring device 1 includes, for example, a device main body 3, a cuff structure 4, and a band 5.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the device main body 3 includes, for example, a housing 11, a display unit 12, an operation unit 13, a pump 14, an acceleration sensor 15, a valve 16, a pressure sensor 17, a battery 18, a communication unit 19, a charging circuit unit 21, a memory 22, and a processor 23.

[0031] The housing 11 is a case that houses the components of the device main body 3. The housing 11 houses, for example, the display unit 12, the operation unit 13, the pump 14, the acceleration sensor 15, the valve 16, the pressure sensor 17, the battery 18, the communication unit 19, the biological sensor 20, the charging circuit unit 21, the memory 22, and the processor 23. Further, the housing 11 houses, for example, a fluid circuit 24. Here, the fluid circuit 24 may include, for example, a pipe or a flow path plate that forms a flow path of the fluid supplied from the pump 14 to the cuff structure 4, components such as a fluid resistance that controls the supply amount and pressure of the fluid supplied to the cuff structure 4, and a check valve that controls the flow direction of the fluid.

[0032] The housing 11 includes, for example, an outer case 31, a windshield 32 that covers the upper opening of the outer case 31, and a back cover 33 that covers the lower part of the outer case 31.

[0033] The outer case 31 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape, a rectangular tube shape, a polygonal tube shape, or the like. In the present embodiment, an example in which the outer case 31 is formed in a rectangular tube shape is shown. The outer case 31 has a loop portion 31a provided on one surface of the outer peripheral surface. The loop portion 31a is a rectangular annular member having an opening that is long in one direction through which the band 5 can be inserted in order to pass the band 5 and fold back the band 5. The loop portion 31a is integrally formed with the outer case 31. The windshield 32 is a glass plate having the same shape as the outer peripheral edge shape of the outer case 31, which is rectangular in the present embodiment. Note that the windshield 32 is not limited to a glass plate as long as it is made of a transparent or translucent material. The back cover 33 closes the bottom of the outer case 31. Note that the housing 11 may be configured not to have the back cover 33 and to close the bottom of the outer case 31 with a later-described curler 51 of the cuff structure 4 fixed to the housing 11.

[0034] The display unit 12 is disposed directly below the windshield 32. The display unit 12 is electrically connected to the processor 23. The display unit 12 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display. The display unit 12 displays various information including the date and time, blood pressure values such as the maximum blood pressure and the minimum blood pressure, measurement results such as the heart rate, and information such as the charging status and remaining amount of the battery 18. The display unit 12 is formed, for example, in the same shape as the windshield 32 in plan view.

[0035] The operation unit 13 is configured to be able to input a command from the user. The operation unit 13 includes, for example, a plurality of buttons 41 provided on the housing 11, a sensor that detects the operation of the buttons 41, and a touch panel 43 provided on the display unit 12 or the windshield 32. The operation unit 13 converts a command into an electrical signal when the user operates it. The sensor and the touch panel 43 are electrically connected to the processor 23 and output an electrical signal to the processor 23.

[0036] The pump 14 is, for example, a piezoelectric pump. The pump 14 compresses, for example, air as a fluid and supplies the compressed air to a later-described pressing cuff 52 and a sensing cuff 54 of the cuff structure 4 through a fluid circuit. The pump 14 is electrically connected to the processor 23.

[0037] The acceleration sensor 15 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor. The acceleration sensor 15 measures acceleration and outputs an analog signal, for example. The acceleration sensor 15 is connected to the processor 23 via an A / D conversion circuit, for example.

[0038] The valve 16 is, for example, an on-off valve. The valve 16 opens and closes a fluid circuit connecting the pump 14 and the cuff structure 4 and / or a fluid circuit connecting the cuff structure 4 and the standby state. The valve 16 is electrically connected to the processor 23. For example, the valve 16 is opened and closed under the control of the processor 23.

[0039] As a specific example, the valve 16 is a safety valve that releases the air supplied to the pressing cuff 52 and the sensing cuff 54, which will be described later, of the cuff structure 4 to the atmosphere. The valve 16 is switched to the closed state under the control of the processor 23, for example, when supplying air to the pressing cuff 52 and the sensing cuff 54 during blood pressure measurement. Also, the valve 16 is switched from the closed state to the open state under the control of the processor 23 when exhausting the pressing cuff 52 and the sensing cuff 54. Further, the valve 16 may be formed so that its opening degree can be adjusted. Note that the valve 16 may be provided on the fluid circuit 24 or may be integrally provided inside the housing of the pump 14.

[0040] The pressure sensor 17 is provided in the fluid circuit 24, for example. The pressure sensor 17 detects the pressure of the pressing cuff 52 and / or the sensing cuff 54. For example, the pressure sensor 17 detects the pressure of the sensing cuff 54. The pressure sensor 17 is electrically connected to the processor 23 via an A / D conversion circuit, for example, converts the detected pressure into an electrical signal, and outputs it to the processor 23.

[0041] The battery 18 is a secondary battery such as a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, for example. The battery 18 is electrically connected to the processor 23. The battery 18 supplies power to the processor 23. The battery 18 supplies driving power to each component of the processor 23, and to the display unit 12, the operation unit 13, the pump 14, the acceleration sensor 15, the valve 16, the pressure sensor 17, and the communication unit 19 via the processor 23.

[0042] The communication unit 19 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information wirelessly and / or wiredly with an external device. The communication unit 19 is, for example, a wireless communication module compliant with a wireless communication standard. The communication unit 19 transmits information such as information controlled by the processor 23 and measured blood pressure values and pulse to an external device, and also receives a program for software update and the like from the external device and sends it to the control unit. In the present embodiment, the external device is an external terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, a smartwatch, or the like.

[0043] In the present embodiment, the communication unit 19 and the external terminal may be directly connected or may be connected via a network. The communication unit 19 and the external terminal may be connected via a mobile communication network such as 4G or 5G, or a wireless communication line such as Wimax or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Also, the communication unit 19 and the external device may be connected by wireless communication means such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), NFC (Near Filed Communication), or infrared communication. Further, the communication unit 19 has, for example, in addition to the wireless communication module, a general-purpose connector such as a micro USB (Universal Serial Bus) or a dedicated connector for the blood pressure measuring device 1, and is directly connected to the external terminal or connected via a wired communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network) connection by various cables such as a USB cable. Therefore, the communication unit 19 may be configured to include a plurality of communication means such as a wireless antenna and a micro USB connector. Note that the connector for wired communication may be a dedicated connector for the blood pressure measuring device 1.

[0044] The biological sensor 20 is formed to be capable of detecting biological information by contacting or facing the wrist 300. The biological sensor 20 converts the detected biological information into an electrical signal and outputs it to the processor 23. The biological sensor 20 may be, for example, a sensor that measures physical quantities such as heart rate and body temperature, or may also be a sensor that measures chemical values such as blood glucose level and blood oxygen concentration. For example, the biological sensor 20 is provided on the back cover 33 of the housing 11 and / or the curler 51 of the cuff structure 4 described later. In the present embodiment, an example in which the biological sensor 20 is provided on the curler 51 is shown. Note that the blood pressure measuring device 1 may be configured not to have the biological sensor 20.

[0045] The charging circuit unit 21 includes, for example, an antenna unit 211, a power receiving unit 212, and a charging unit 213. The charging circuit unit 21 charges the battery 18 by wireless power supply. For example, the charging circuit unit 21 receives the transmitted power transmitted from the antenna unit 103 of the external power transmission device 100 and charges the battery 18.

[0046] The antenna unit 211 receives the transmitted power from the antenna unit of the power transmission device. The antenna unit 211 is, for example, a power receiving coil as a power receiving resonance circuit. The antenna unit 211 supplies the received power to the power receiving unit 212. The power receiving surface of the antenna unit 211 is formed in a planar shape. The antenna unit 211 is disposed, for example, inside the housing 11. As a specific example, the antenna unit 211 is provided adjacent to the display unit 12 inside the housing 11 and on the side opposite to the windshield 32 of the display unit 12. The antenna unit 211 includes, for example, a resonance capacitor and constitutes a power receiving resonance circuit.

[0047] The power receiving unit 212 rectifies the power received by the antenna unit 211 and supplies it to the charging unit 213. As a specific example, the power receiving unit 212 rectifies the received power supplied from the antenna unit 211 and converts it from alternating current to direct current. For example, the power receiving unit 212 includes a rectifying circuit and a control circuit, and the control circuit controls the operation of the rectifying circuit and outputs the rectified direct current power to the charging unit 213.

[0048] The charging unit 213 supplies the power supplied from the power receiving unit 212 to the battery 18 as charging power. For example, the charging unit 213 converts the power supplied from the power receiving unit 212 into a predetermined current value and voltage value and supplies it to the battery 18. Further, for example, the charging unit 213 may have a circuit that outputs the charging state of the battery 18 to the power receiving unit 212 and / or the processor 23.

[0049] The memory 22 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The memory 22 stores various data. For example, the memory 22 stores in advance various program data such as programs and applications for controlling the entire blood pressure measuring device 1 and the pump 14, setting data for setting various functions of the blood pressure measuring device 1, calculation data for calculating blood pressure values and pulse rates from the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 17, etc. in a changeable manner.

[0050] The processor 23 controls the operations of the entire blood pressure measuring device 1 and the operations of the pump 14 and the valve 16 based on the programs stored in the memory 22, and causes predetermined operations (functions) to be executed. Further, the processor 23 executes predetermined calculations, analyses, processes, etc. according to the loaded programs. The processor 23 is an arithmetic device such as a CPU. The processor 23 may include, for example, a sub-CPU in addition to the main CPU. Further, the processor 23 displays the situations and results of various operations, calculations, analyses, processes, etc. executed on the display unit 12 by a program or an application.

[0051] The cuff structure 4 includes, for example, a curl 51, a pressing cuff 52, a back plate 53, a sensing cuff 54, and a bending portion 55. The cuff structure 4 is formed by laminating the curl 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54. Further, in the cuff structure 4, the bending portion 55 is formed in at least two of the members including the curl 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54, which are the plurality of members constituting the cuff structure 4. Further, for example, the cuff structure 4 may be configured such that the bending portion 55 is formed in a plurality of members constituting the pressing cuff 52 and / or the sensing cuff 54, for example, the sheet members 75 and 85 and the intermediate sheet members 76 and 86 described later.

[0052] Hereinafter, a specific example of the cuff structure 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, FIGS. 5 to 23. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 5, the cuff structure 4 includes a curl 51, a pressing cuff 52, a back plate 53, a sensing cuff 54, and a plurality of bending portions 55 formed in each of the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54.

[0053] One end side of the curl 51 is fixed to the wrist side of the housing 11, for example. The curl 51 is formed in a belt shape that curves in a shape following the circumferential direction of the wrist 300. The curl 51 is made of a resin material. Further, the curl 51 has a decorative sheet 51a such as an outer cloth provided on the outer peripheral surface side by welding, adhesion, integral molding, etc. to improve the design. The curl 51 has a hardness having flexibility and shape retention. Here, flexibility means that the shape of the curl 51 deforms in the radial direction when an external force of the band 5 is applied to the curl 51. Shape retention means that the curl 51 can maintain the pre-shaped shape when no external force is applied. That is, the curl 51 is formed of a resin material having a hardness that does not undergo compressive deformation or substantially does not undergo compressive deformation, but can undergo elastic deformation such as bending deformation in which the shape, particularly the curvature of the curved portion, changes. Therefore, the curl 51 is formed to be elastically deformable so that when an external force is applied, the internal space in which the wrist 300 is disposed becomes larger or smaller following the shape of the wearing wrist.

[0054] In addition, one side of the curler 51 is formed longer than the other side from the portion fixed to the housing 11. Both ends of the curler 51 are formed to have a length and shape that are located on one side portion of the wrist 300 between the palm side and the back side of the wrist 300 when worn on either the wrist 300 with the longest circumference or the wrist 300 with the shortest circumference among the users for whom wearing is assumed. Also, the curler 51 may have a shape that curves such that all of its longitudinal direction follows the shape of the wrist 300, or a part of it may be formed in a flat plate shape.

[0055] As a specific example, the curler 51 is fixed to, for example, the outer case 31 or the back cover 33 of the housing 11. The curler 51 includes a fixed portion 61 formed in a flat plate shape at the portion fixed to the back cover 33, a first curved portion 62 provided at one end of the fixed portion 61 and curved with a predetermined radius of curvature, and a second curved portion 63 provided at the other end of the fixed portion 61 and curved with a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0056] The first curved portion 62 is formed to have a length from the fixed portion 61 to one side portion of the wrist 300. Also, a biological sensor 20 is provided, for example, on the inner surface of the end side of the first curved portion 62. The second curved portion 63 is formed to have a length from the fixed portion 61 to the other side portion of the wrist 300 and beyond the palm side of the wrist 300 to one side portion of the wrist 300 where the end of the first curved portion 62 is disposed.

[0057] For example, one of the end of the first curved portion 62 and the end of the second curved portion 63 is located outward in the radial direction from the other. As a specific example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the end of the second curved portion 63 is located outward in the radial direction from the end of the first curved portion 62. Also, for example, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, in the state before an external force is applied to the curler 51, the end of the second curved portion 63 is located outward in the radial direction from the end of the first curved portion 62 and is separated in the circumferential direction, and the ends of the first curved portion 62 and the second curved portion 63 may be configured to be separated.

[0058] For example, the lengths of the first bending portion 62 and the second bending portion 63 are such that when the blood pressure measuring device 1 is worn on the wrist 300 with the longest circumference among the wrists 300 where the wearing of the blood pressure measuring device 1 is assumed, the second bending portion 63 faces the portion of the wrist 300 where the two arteries 311 and 312 are located, the second bending portion 63 is disposed at a part of the side portion of the wrist 300, and the length is such that the end of the first bending portion 62 and the end of the second bending portion 63 are separated. Here, the two arteries 311 and 312 are the radial artery 311 and the ulnar artery 312.

[0059] Also, for example, the lengths of the first bending portion 62 and the second bending portion 63 are such that when the blood pressure measuring device 1 is worn on the wrist 300 with the shortest circumference among the wrists 300 where the wearing of the blood pressure measuring device 1 is assumed, the second bending portion 63 faces the portion of the wrist 300 where the two arteries 311 and 312 are located, and the length is such that the first bending portion 62 and the second bending portion 63 overlap at the side portion of the wrist 300.

[0060] Such a curler 51 has the largest curvature at the boundary (ridge portion) between the fixed portion 61 and the first bending portion 62, and at the boundary (ridge portion) between the fixed portion 61 and the second bending portion 63.

[0061] The pressing cuff 52 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the curler 51 by means of a double-sided tape, an adhesive, heat welding, etc. The pressing cuff 52 is provided at least in the region of the wrist 300 where the artery of the second bending portion 63 is located. As a specific example, the pressing cuff 52 is provided in the longitudinal region of the curler 51 from the side of the fixed portion 61 of the first bending portion 62 including the ridge portion between the fixed portion 61 and the first bending portion 62 to the end side of the second bending portion 63. The pressing cuff 52 extends along the inner surface of the curler 51 and has the largest curvature at the boundary between the fixed portion 61 and the first bending portion 62, and at the boundary between the fixed portion 61 and the second bending portion 63.

[0062] The pressing cuff 52 is fluidly connected to the pump 14 via a fluid circuit. One main surface of the pressing cuff 52 is fixed to the inner surface of the curler 51. For example, the pressing cuff 52 is attached to the inner surface of the curler 51 with a double-sided tape or an adhesive. By expanding, the pressing cuff 52 presses the back side of the wrist 300 and presses the back plate 53 and the sensing cuff 54 toward the wrist 300 side.

[0063] The pressing cuff 52 includes, for example, one or more air bags 71 and a connection part such as a nipple provided on the air bag 71 and connected to the fluid circuit 24. Here, the air bag 71 is a bag-shaped structure. In this embodiment, since the blood pressure measuring device 1 uses air by the pump 14, the air bag will be described. However, when a fluid other than air is used, the bag-shaped structure may be a fluid bag that expands by the fluid. The air bag 71 is formed in a rectangular bag shape that is long in one direction.

[0064] For example, the air bag 71 includes a plurality of sheet members 75 and a single intermediate sheet member 76 in which an opening 76a is formed at least partially. The air bag 71 is formed into a bag shape in which the internal space is partitioned by the intermediate sheet member 76 and partitioned into two chambers that communicate fluidly with each other by fixing the plurality of sheet members 75 and the single or plurality of intermediate sheet members 76 by heat welding or the like.

[0065] The air bag 71 has, for example, a cuff structure in which the side walls are recessed in a Σ shape. In the thickness direction, the air bag 71 has a pair of main walls 71a each formed by a part of each sheet member 75, and in the short direction, the air bag 71 has a pair of side walls 71b formed by the end portions in the short direction of each sheet member 75.

[0066] The sheet member 75 forms, for example, a pair of main walls 71a in the thickness direction of the air bag 71 and a part of a pair of side walls 71b of the air bag 71. The side wall 71b is recessed in a Σ shape toward the inside of the air bag 71 on the central side in the thickness direction (radial direction of the curler 51) of the air bag 71.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 6, when the airbag 71 provided in the pressing cuff 52 is singular, the curler 51 and the back plate 53 are fixed to the main wall 71a. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the airbag 71 provided in the pressing cuff 52 is plural, the plural airbags 71 are formed integrally by being laminated, and the curler 51 is fixed to one main wall 71a of the airbag 71 on one end side in the thickness direction among the plural airbags 71, and the back plate 53 is fixed to a part of one main wall 71a of the airbag 71 on the other end side in the thickness direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the main walls 71a of the adjacent airbags 71 among the plural airbags 71 are fixed integrally by welding or the like, or are shared, and one or a plurality of openings 75a for fluidly communicating the adjacent airbags 71 are formed. In other words, as shown in FIG. 7, one or a plurality of openings 75a for fluidly communicating the adjacent airbags 71 are formed in the opposing main walls 71a of the adjacent airbags 71 or the sheet member 75 forming the shared main wall 71a.

[0068] The sheet member 75 forms an airbag 71 having a pair of main walls 71a and a pair of side walls 71b by welding a plurality of sheets. Here, one airbag 71 may be formed by two sheet members 75, or may be formed by three or more sheet members 75, for example, four sheet members 75 respectively constituting each main wall 71a and each side wall 71b. That is, the number of sheet members 75 for forming the airbag 71 is not limited.

[0069] Further, in the case of the airbags 71 integrally laminated in plurality, the sheet members 75 forming the main walls 71a of the adjacent airbags 71 may be welded to each other, or the main walls 71a of the adjacent airbags 71 may be formed by one sheet member 75, and the adjacent airbags 71 may be shared by one main wall 71a.

[0070] The intermediate sheet member 76 is provided at the innermost position of the side wall 71b. The intermediate sheet member 76 partitions the inside of the airbag 71 into two chambers (spaces) in the thickness direction of the airbag 71. Further, one or a plurality of openings 76a for fluidly communicating the two chambers in the airbag 71 are formed in the intermediate sheet member 76.

[0071] For the materials of the sheet member 75 and the intermediate sheet member 76, for example, thermoplastic elastomers are used. Here, examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include thermoplastic polyurethane resins (Thermoplastic PolyUrethane, hereinafter referred to as TPU), polyvinyl chloride resins (PolyVinyl Chloride), ethylene-vinyl acetate resins (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate), thermoplastic polystyrene resins (Thermoplastic PolyStyrene), thermoplastic polyolefin resins (Thermoplastic PolyOlefin), thermoplastic polyester resins (ThermoPlastic Polyester), and thermoplastic polyamide resins (Thermoplastic PolyAmide). Note that it is preferable to use TPU as the thermoplastic elastomer used for the sheet member 75 and the intermediate sheet member 76. Also, the sheet member 75 and the intermediate sheet member 76 may have a single-layer structure, or may have a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of resin materials are laminated. Further, the airbag 71 may be laminated with a cloth material after being formed of a thermoplastic elastomer such as TPU, for example.

[0072] The back plate 53 is fixed to the surface of the pressure cuff 52 on the wrist 300 side by means of a double-sided tape, an adhesive, or the like. The back plate 53 is formed of a resin material. The back plate 53 is formed, for example, in a rectangular plate shape that is long in one direction. Note that the back plate 53 may be configured to be divided, that is, formed by arranging a plurality of rectangular pieces in one direction. The back plate 53 has shape followability.

[0073] Here, the shape followability refers to a function in which the back plate 53 can be deformed so as to follow the shape of the contacted portion of the wrist 300 to be arranged. The contacted portion of the wrist 300 refers to the region where the back plate 53 of the wrist 300 contacts. Here, the contact includes both direct contact of the back plate 53 and indirect contact via the sensing cuff 54 of the back plate 53.

[0074] The sensing cuff 54 is fixed to the main surface on the wrist side of the back plate 53. The sensing cuff 54 directly or indirectly contacts the area where the arteries 311 and 312 of the wrist 300 are located, either directly or via a cover or the like. The sensing cuff 54 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in one direction. Note that the sensing cuff 54 may be configured to contact the area where one of the arteries 311 and 312 of the wrist 300 is located. In the longitudinal direction, the sensing cuff 54 is smaller than the pressing cuff 52. Also, in the short-side direction, the sensing cuff 54 is the same as or smaller than the pressing cuff 52. The sensing cuff 54 has the same shape as the back plate 53 or is smaller than the back plate 53 in the longitudinal and width directions of the back plate 53. The sensing cuff 54 compresses the area where the artery on the palm side of the wrist is located by expanding. The sensing cuff 54 is pressed against the living body side via the back plate 53 by the expanded pressing cuff 52.

[0075] As a specific example, the sensing cuff 54 includes one airbag 81 and a flow path body 82. Here, the airbag 81 is a bag-shaped structure. In the present embodiment, since the blood pressure measuring device 1 uses air by the pump 14, the airbag will be described. However, when a fluid other than air is used, the bag-shaped structure may be a liquid bag or the like.

[0076] The airbag 81 is configured in a rectangular shape that is long in one direction. For example, the airbag 81 includes a plurality of sheet members 85 and a single intermediate sheet member 86 in which an opening 86a is formed at least partially. The airbag 81 is formed into a bag shape in which the internal space is partitioned by the intermediate sheet member 86 and is partitioned into two chambers that communicate fluidly with each other by fixing the plurality of sheet members 85 and the single or plural intermediate sheet members 86 by heat welding or the like.

[0077] The airbag 81 has, for example, a cuff structure in which the side walls are recessed in a Σ shape as shown in FIG. 6. The airbag 81 has a pair of main walls 81a formed by a part of each sheet member 85 in the thickness direction, and a pair of side walls 81b formed by the end portions in the short side direction of each sheet member 85 in the short side direction. Note that the airbag 81 may have a single cuff structure in which the outer peripheral edges of two sheet members 85 are welded, instead of the cuff structure in which the side walls are recessed in a Σ shape, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0078] The sheet member 85 forms, for example, a pair of main walls 81a in the thickness direction of the airbag 81 and a part of the pair of side walls 81b of the airbag 81. A back plate 53 is fixed to one main wall 81a, and the other main wall 81a is in direct or indirect contact with the region where the two arteries 311 and 312 of the wrist 300 are located, either directly or via a cover or the like. The side wall 81b is recessed in a Σ shape inward in the thickness direction (radial direction of the curler 51) of the airbag 81.

[0079] A plurality of sheet members 85 are welded to form the airbag 81 having a pair of main walls 81a and a pair of side walls 81b. Here, one airbag 81 may be formed by two sheet members 85, or may be formed by three or more sheet members 85, for example, four sheet members 85 that respectively constitute each main wall 81a and each side wall 81b. That is, the number of sheet members 85 for forming the airbag 81 is not limited.

[0080] The intermediate sheet member 86 is provided at the innermost part of the side wall 81b. The intermediate sheet member 86 partitions the inside of the airbag 81 into two chambers (spaces) in the thickness direction of the airbag 81. In addition, the intermediate sheet member 86 is formed with one or more openings 86a that fluidly communicate the two chambers inside the airbag 81.

[0081] For the materials of the sheet member 85 and the intermediate sheet member 86, for example, thermoplastic elastomers are used. Here, examples of the thermoplastic elastomers include thermoplastic polyurethane-based resins (Thermoplastic PolyUrethane), polyvinyl chloride resins (PolyVinyl Chloride), ethylene-vinyl acetate resins (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate), thermoplastic polystyrene-based resins (Thermoplastic PolyStyrene), thermoplastic polyolefin resins (Thermoplastic PolyOlefin), thermoplastic polyester-based resins (ThermoPlastic Polyester), and thermoplastic polyamide resins (Thermoplastic PolyAmide), etc. Note that as the thermoplastic elastomer used for the sheet member 85 and the intermediate sheet member 86, it is preferable to use TPU. Also, the sheet member 85 and the intermediate sheet member 86 may have a single-layer structure, or may have a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of resin materials are laminated. Further, the airbag 81 may be laminated with a cloth material after being formed of a thermoplastic elastomer such as TPU, for example.

[0082] The flow path body 82 is integrally provided, for example, at a part of one edge in the longitudinal direction of the airbag 81. The flow path body 82 is provided at an end portion close to the apparatus main body 3 of the airbag 81. Also, the flow path body 82 is formed in a shape that is long in one direction with a width smaller than the width in the short direction of the airbag 81. The flow path body 82 has a connection portion such as a nipple at its tip. The flow path body 82 is connected to the fluid circuit 24 via the connection portion and constitutes a flow path between the fluid circuit 24 and the airbag 81.

[0083] The bending portion 55 is formed in at least two of the members among the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54. The bending portion 55 is wound around the wrist 300 with the cuff structure 4, and suppresses the wrinkles generated in the pressing cuff 52 and / or the sensing cuff 54 when the pressing cuff 52 and the sensing cuff 54 expand, and controls the position where the wrinkles are generated.

[0084] For suppressing and controlling wrinkles, the bending portion 55 is provided singly or plurally in the curler 51, pressing cuff 52, back plate 53, and sensing cuff 54 to be formed. For example, among at least two members of the curler 51, pressing cuff 52, back plate 53, and sensing cuff 54, the bending portion 55 formed in at least one member is formed by an opening, and the bending portion 55 formed in another member is formed by an opening, groove, notch, recess, or by dividing the member. Further, the shape of the bending portion 55 can be set to various shapes including a polygonal shape including a rectangular shape, a circular shape, a linear shape, an irregular shape, etc. Further, the number and arrangement of the bending portions 55 can be set as appropriate.

[0085] Hereinafter, specific examples of the bending portion 55 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 23. In FIGS. 5 to 23, in explaining the bending portion 55, the curler 51, pressing cuff 52, back plate 53, and sensing cuff 54 may also be explained in the same drawing, and a single configuration may be assigned a plurality of reference numerals. For this reason, in each drawing, the shape is shown with appropriate reduction, enlargement, or omission.

[0086] For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 22, the bending portion 55 is formed, for example, in the pressing cuff 52, back plate 53, and sensing cuff 54. As another example, as shown in FIG. 23, the bending portion 55 is formed, for example, in the curler 51, pressing cuff 52, back plate 53, and sensing cuff 54.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 23, the bent portion 55 formed in the curler 51 is, for example, a plurality of recesses 51b formed on the inner surface of the curler 51. The recess 51b is a groove that depresses from the inner surface of the curler 51 toward the outer surface side. The recess 51b extends, for example, in the short direction of the curler 51. The plurality of recesses 51b are arranged side by side in one direction on the inner surface of the curler 51 at equal intervals or at two or more different predetermined intervals as shown in FIG. 23. Also, the shapes of the plurality of recesses 51b may be the same, or may be formed in different shapes such as width and depth. Further, the bent portion 55 formed in the curler 51 may be an opening, a notch, etc., as long as the function of the curler 51 is not impaired. Also, the number, shape, and arrangement of the bent portions 55 formed in the curler 51 can be set as appropriate.

[0088] The bent portion 55 formed in the pressing cuff 52 is, for example, one or more openings 76a formed in the intermediate sheet member 76, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, FIGS. 9 to 15, and FIGS. 17 to 19. Also, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the bent portion 55 formed in the pressing cuff 52 may be a recess 75b formed in the sheet member 75 in addition to or instead of the opening 76a formed in the intermediate sheet member 76. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 19, when the pressing cuff 52 is formed by laminating a plurality of air bags 71, the bent portion 55 formed in the pressing cuff 52 may be one or more openings 75a formed in the main walls 71a of the adjacent air bags 71 in addition to or instead of the opening 76a formed in the intermediate sheet member 76. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 15 and FIG. 18, the number, shape, and arrangement of the bent portions 55 formed in the pressing cuff 52, which are the openings 75a and / or the openings 76a, can be set as appropriate.

[0089] For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 13 and FIG. 15, the plurality of openings 75a are formed in the same shape, or as shown in FIGS. 14 and 18, are formed in two or more different shapes. The plurality of openings 75a are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the sheet member 75, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, 12, 15 and 18, or at two or more predetermined intervals, as shown in FIGS. 11, 13 and 14. Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, the plurality of openings 75a may be formed side by side in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the sheet member 75.

[0090] The recess 75b extends in the transverse direction of the sheet member 75, for example. The recess 75b is, for example, a welded line recessed by heating with a jig that extends in the transverse direction from the surface of the sheet member 75 to the sheet member 75. Note that the bent portion 55 formed in the pressing cuff 52 may be a groove or a notch as long as it does not inhibit the function of the pressing cuff 52. The plurality of recesses 75b are arranged side by side in one direction on the inner surface of the sheet member 75 at equal intervals or at two or more predetermined different intervals, as shown in FIG. 16. Further, the shapes of the plurality of recesses 75b may be the same, or may be formed in different shapes such as width and depth, for example.

[0091] For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 13 and FIG. 15, the plurality of openings 76a are formed in the same shape, or as shown in FIGS. 14 and 18, are formed in two or more different shapes. The plurality of openings 76a are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate sheet member 76, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, 12, 15 and 18, or at two or more predetermined intervals, as shown in FIGS. 11, 13 and 14. Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, the plurality of openings 76a may be formed side by side in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the intermediate sheet member 76.

[0092] In addition, the openings 75a formed in the sheet member 75 and the openings 76a formed in the intermediate sheet member 76 may be the same or different in terms of number, shape, interval, etc. For example, in the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the plurality of openings 75a formed in the sheet member 75 and the plurality of openings 76a formed in the intermediate sheet member 76 have different arrangement relationships, specifically, they are arranged offset in the longitudinal direction. Also, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 19, the plurality of openings 75a formed in the sheet member 75 and the plurality of openings 76a formed in the intermediate sheet member 76 have the same arrangement relationship, specifically, they are arranged at the same position in the longitudinal direction, and the openings 75a and 76a face each other.

[0093] The bent portion 55 formed in the back plate 53 is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5, 9 to 15, and 18, one or a plurality of openings 53a. Also, the bent portion 55 formed in the back plate 53 may be, as shown in FIG. 16, a plurality of recesses 53b, or may be, as shown in FIG. 20, a plurality of notches 53c. Here, the recess 53b is, for example, a groove formed in the back plate 53. Also, the bent portion 55 formed in the back plate 53 may be, as shown in FIG. 21, by dividing the back plate 53 into a plurality of small pieces 53d, arranging these divided small pieces 53d in one direction, and using the gaps between adjacent small pieces 53d. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 15, 18, 20, and 21, the number, shape, and arrangement of the bent portion 55 formed in the back plate 53 can be set as appropriate.

[0094] For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 13, the plurality of openings 53a are formed in the same shape, or, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 18, are formed in two or more different shapes. The plurality of openings 53a are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the back plate 53, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, and 21, or at two or more predetermined intervals, as shown in FIGS. 11, 13, and 14. Also, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, the plurality of openings 53a may be formed side by side in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the back plate 53.

[0095] The recess 53b extends in the lateral direction, for example, to the back plate 53. The recess 53b is, for example, a groove formed by a mold during molding that extends in the lateral direction from the surface of the back plate 53 to the back plate 53. As shown in FIG. 16, the plurality of recesses 53b are arranged side by side in one direction on the inner surface of the back plate 53 at equal intervals or at two or more different predetermined intervals. Also, the shapes of the plurality of recesses 53b may be the same, or may be formed in different shapes such as width and depth, for example.

[0096] The notches 53c are formed in a pair, for example, in the lateral direction of the back plate 53 as shown in FIG. 20. In other words, the plurality of notches 53c are symmetrically arranged about the center line along the longitudinal direction of the back plate 53. Also, the notches 53c are formed, for example, at the edge along the longitudinal direction of the back plate 53 and are arranged side by side in one direction at equal intervals or at two or more different predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the back plate 53. As shown in FIG. 21, the divided small pieces 53d are arranged side by side in one direction, for example, at equal intervals.

[0097] The bent portions 55 formed in the sensing cuff 54 are, for example, one or more openings 86a formed in the intermediate sheet member 86 as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, FIGS. 9 to 15, and FIGS. 17 to 19. Also, the bent portions 55 formed in the sensing cuff 54 may be recesses 85b formed in the sheet member 85 in addition to or instead of the openings 86a formed in the intermediate sheet member 86.

[0098] For example, the plurality of openings 86a are formed in the same shape as shown in FIGS. 9 to 13 and FIG. 15, or are formed in two or more different shapes as shown in FIGS. 14 and 18. The plurality of openings 86a are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate sheet member 86 as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, 12, 15, and 18, or at two or more predetermined intervals as shown in FIGS. 11, 13, and 14. Also, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, the plurality of openings 86a may be formed side by side in the longitudinal and lateral directions of the intermediate sheet member 86.

[0099] The recess 85b extends in the short direction of the sheet member 85, for example. The recess 85b is, for example, a welded line that is recessed by heating with a jig that extends in the short direction from the surface of the sheet member 85 to the sheet member 85. Note that the bent portion 55 formed in the sensing cuff 54 may be a groove or a notch as long as it does not inhibit the function of the sensing cuff 54. As shown in FIG. 16, the plurality of recesses 85b are arranged side by side in one direction on the inner surface of the sheet member 75 at equal intervals or at two or more different predetermined intervals. Further, the shapes of the plurality of recesses 85b may be the same, or may be formed in different shapes such as width and depth, for example.

[0100] The cuff structure 4 configured as described above may be arranged such that, for example, as shown in FIG. 22, in the stacking direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54, the bent portions 55 formed in each member partially overlap, and are displaced in the longitudinal direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54. Further, the cuff structure 4 may be arranged such that, for example, in the stacking direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54, the bent portions 55 formed in each member do not overlap, and are displaced in the longitudinal direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54.

[0101] Further, the cuff structure 4 may be arranged such that, for example, as shown in FIG. 23, in the stacking direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54, a part of the bent portions 55 formed in each member completely overlaps, and are arranged at the same position in the longitudinal direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54, and the remaining bent portions 55 formed in each member are arranged partially or completely displaced in the longitudinal direction.

[0102] Further, the cuff structure 4 may be arranged such that, for example, in the stacking direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54, all of the bent portions 55 formed in each member overlap, and are arranged at the same position in the longitudinal direction of the curler 51, the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54.

[0103] The band 5 brings the cuff structure 4 into close contact with the wrist 300 and secures the cuff structure 4 in place. The band 5 is attached to either the first curved portion 62 or the second curved portion 63 of the curler 51. The band 5 is formed, for example, in a belt shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the band 5 is inserted into a loop portion 31a provided on the outer case 31 and then folded back. The band 5 has, for example, a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners 5a, one of which has a hook and the other has a loop, which engage with each other to secure the band 5, the end of which is inserted into the loop portion 31a.

[0104] In this embodiment, the band 5 is provided at the tip of the second curved portion 63, and the loop portion 31a is provided on the outer surface of the outer case 31 on the side where the first curved portion 62 is provided.

[0105] The band 5 may be configured to include a first band, which is called a "prong" and has a buckle, and a second band, which is called a "point" and has a plurality of small holes into which the pin of the buckle is inserted.

[0106] Next, an example of a power transmitting device 100 that transmits power to the charging circuit unit 21 of the device main body 3 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the power transmitting device 100 includes a power supply 101, a power transmitting unit 102, and an antenna unit 103. The power supply 101 is, for example, an AC adapter connected to a commercial power source. The power supply 101 converts AC power input from the commercial power source into DC power and supplies the DC power to the power transmitting unit 102.

[0107] The power transmitting unit 102 generates AC power as transmission power from the DC power supplied from the power source 101 and supplies the AC power to the antenna unit 103. The power transmitting unit 102 generates AC power with a frequency that is the same as or approximately the same as the resonant frequency of the power transmitting resonant circuit formed by the antenna unit 103, for example.

[0108] The antenna unit 103 is, for example, a power transmission coil as a power transmission resonance circuit. The power transmission surface of the antenna unit 103 is formed in a planar shape. The antenna unit 103 transmits power to the antenna unit 211 of the apparatus main body 3. The antenna unit 103 includes, for example, a resonance capacitor and constitutes a power transmission resonance circuit.

[0109] According to the blood pressure measuring device 1 configured as described above, bending portions 55 are formed in at least two of the plurality of members constituting the cuff structure 4, namely, the curler 51, the air bag 71 of the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the air bag 81 of the sensing cuff 54. Further, among at least two of the curler 51, the air bag 71 of the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the air bag 81 of the sensing cuff 54 in which the bending portions 55 are formed, the bending portion 55 formed in at least one member includes an opening, and the bending portion 55 formed in the remaining members includes an opening, a split, a notch, or a groove.

[0110] With these configurations, in the bending portion 55, the strength, here the bending strength, of the portions where the bending portions 55 of the curler 51, the air bag 71 of the pressing cuff 52, the back plate 53, and the sensing cuff 54 are formed is smaller than that of the portions where the bending portions 55 are not formed. Therefore, the portions where the bending portions 55 are provided are more likely to be bent than the portions where the bending portions 55 are not provided, serving as the starting points for wrinkles to occur in the air bag 71 of the pressing cuff 52 and the air bag 81 of the sensing cuff 54. Here, the wrinkles generated in the air bags 71 and 81 are caused by factors such as the inner and outer peripheral differences when the air bag 71 expands in a curved state and the shape of the wrist 300. However, the bending portions 55 can control the generated wrinkles. For example, since the position where wrinkles occur can be adjusted by the number, arrangement, and shape of the bending portions 55, the number of wrinkles generated in the air bag 71 of the pressing cuff 52 and the air bag 81 of the sensing cuff 54 can be adjusted, and the depth of each wrinkle can be adjusted according to the number of wrinkles.

[0111] In this way, the cuff structure 4 can generate wrinkles in the air bags 71 and 81 at a desired number, position, and depth by adjusting the bending strength with the bent portion 55. Further, as shown in FIG. 22, by shifting the bent portions 55 of the respective members in the longitudinal direction of the respective members so that the bent portions 55 are staggered, the wrinkles can be finely dispersed. Also, as shown in FIG. 23, by overlapping the bent portions 55 of the respective members, wrinkles can be generated at a desired predetermined position. That is, even if the characteristics such as the bending strength of the cuff structure 4 are different, desired wrinkles can be generated by adjusting the number, arrangement, and shape of the bent portions 55.

[0112] Therefore, even if the air bags 71 and 81 are formed as a cuff structure having a relatively thick thickness and side walls recessed in a Σ shape, the wrinkles can be controlled. In this way, the cuff structure 4 can prevent the space in the air bags 71 and 81 from being divided by the wrinkles due to the wrinkles becoming excessively deep, etc., and thus the measurement accuracy of the blood pressure measuring device 1 can be stabilized. That is, the blood pressure measuring device 1 can suppress the variation in the generation of wrinkles due to the state of the cuff structure 4 when worn on the wrist 300 and the shape of the wrist 300, and can suppress the variation in the blood pressure measurement accuracy caused by the wrinkles.

[0113] Also, in the blood pressure measuring device 1, by setting the number, arrangement, and shape of the bent portions 55, at positions where the curvature is relatively large, such as the boundary (ridge portion) between the fixed portion 61 and the first curved portion 62, and the boundary (ridge portion) between the fixed portion 61 and the second curved portion 63, etc., it is preferable to bend the cuff structure 4 significantly intentionally, or to prevent wrinkles from occurring in the vicinity of the arteries 311 and 312 that are easily affected by a decrease in compression efficiency, so as to disperse the wrinkles. Thereby, the cuff structure 4 can reduce the influence on stress concentration and a decrease in compression efficiency.

[0114] Also, the member and position where the bent portion 55 is provided, the number, shape, and arrangement of the bent portions 55 can be an arbitrarily selected combination. For this reason, the cuff structure 4 can realize the control of wrinkles by setting the bent portion 55 from the viewpoints of ease of manufacture, cost, etc.

[0115] Further, by forming the air bags 71 and 81 into a cuff structure with side walls recessed in a Σ shape, lateral bulging can be prevented, and thus high compression efficiency can also be obtained. Further, when openings 76a and 86a are provided in the intermediate sheet members 76 and 86, if lateral bulging occurs in the air bags 71 and 81, the shape of the openings 76a and 86a can be set small to suppress lateral bulging. When lateral bulging does not occur, the openings 76a and 86a can be set large. Further, the size of the openings 76a and 86a can be partially changed according to the size and depth of the wrinkles generated. As described above, the cuff structure 4 adjusts the strength of the intermediate sheet members 76 and 86 according to the shape of the openings 76a and 86a, etc., and based on the relationship between the suppression of the occurrence of lateral bulging and the control of wrinkles when the air bags 71 and 81 are formed into a cuff structure with side walls recessed in a Σ shape, the bending portions 55 formed in each member can be set with a high degree of freedom.

[0116] Next, with reference to FIG. 24, the evaluation test results of the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the embodiment will be described. As an evaluation test, the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the embodiment, and the blood pressure measuring devices (cuff structures) of Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2 were inflated, and the wrinkles generated in the sensing cuff 54 were evaluated.

[0117] Note that the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the embodiment used in the evaluation test provided a plurality of recesses 75b, which are welding lines, as bending portions 55 in the sheet member 75 of the sensing cuff 54 at equal intervals of 8 mm, and provided a plurality of openings 76a as bending portions 55 in the intermediate sheet member 76. Further, the sensing cuff 54 was formed of TPU and laminated with a cloth material on the surface.

[0118] The blood pressure measuring device of Comparative Example 1 was configured such that a plurality of recesses 75b, which are welding lines, as bending portions 55 were provided in the sheet member 75 of the sensing cuff 54 at equal intervals of 8 mm, and a plurality of openings 76a as bending portions 55 were not provided in the intermediate sheet member 76. Further, the blood pressure measuring device of Comparative Example 1 was formed of TPU without providing a cloth material on the surface of the sensing cuff 54.

[0119] The blood pressure measuring device of Comparative Example 2 was configured such that a plurality of recesses 75b, which are welding lines, as bending portions 55, were provided at equal intervals of 8 mm in the sheet member 75 of the sensing cuff 54, and a plurality of openings 76a as bending portions 55 were not provided in the intermediate sheet member 76. Further, the blood pressure measuring device of Comparative Example 2 was formed with the sensing cuff 54 made of TPU and the surface laminated with a cloth material.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 24, when the cuff structure 4 of the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the embodiment was inflated, the wrinkles generated in the sensing cuff 54 could be evenly dispersed. As a result, the cuff structure 4 according to the embodiment was provided with, as the bending portion 55, at least one member, for example, an opening 76a in the intermediate sheet member 76, and by combining it with the sheet member 75 as another member, wrinkles could be generated evenly and dispersed.

[0121] On the other hand, in the cuff structure of the blood pressure measuring device of Comparative Example 1, since the sensing cuff 54 does not have a cloth laminate, it is softer than the sensing cuff 54 of the cuff structures of the embodiment and Comparative Example 2. Also, since the intermediate sheet member does not have an opening, there was variation in the size of the wrinkles and they could not be evenly dispersed.

[0122] Also, in the cuff structure of the blood pressure measuring device of Comparative Example 2, since it has a cloth laminate, the sensing cuff 54 is harder compared to Comparative Example 1. For this reason, wrinkles did not occur in some of the plurality of recesses 75b (welding lines).

[0123] From the results of such evaluation tests as well, it became clear that according to the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to control the generated wrinkles.

[0124] As described above, according to the blood pressure measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment, by forming the bending portion 55 including an opening in at least two of the members constituting the cuff structure 4, it becomes possible to control the generated wrinkles.

[0125] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. That is, the cuff structure 4 may be configured to provide the bending portions 55 to at least two members. Therefore, the cuff structure 4 may be configured to include one or more air bags and one or more other members included in or laminated with the air bags. For this reason, for example, the cuff structure 4 may be configured to have only one cuff, or may be configured to further include other cuffs in addition to the pressing cuff 52 and the sensing cuff 54.

[0126] That is, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof at the implementation stage. Also, each embodiment may be implemented in appropriate combination as much as possible, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Further, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof at the implementation stage. Also, each embodiment may be implemented in appropriate combination, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Further, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combinations selected from a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments, if the problem can be solved and the effects can be obtained, the configuration with these constituent elements deleted can be extracted as an invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0127] 1... Blood pressure measurement device 3... Device main body 4... Cuff structure 5... Band 5a... Hook-and-loop fastener 11... Housing 12... Display unit 13... Operation unit 14... Pump 15... Acceleration sensor 16... Valve 17... Pressure sensor 18... Battery 19…Communication unit 20…Biosensor 21…Charging circuit unit 22…Memory 23…Processor 24…Fluid circuit 31…Outer case 31a…Loop part 32…Windshield 33…Back cover 41…Button 43…Touch panel 51…Curler 51a…Cosmetic sheet 51b…Recess 52…Pressing cuff 53…Back plate 53a…Opening 53b…Recess 53c…Notch 53d…Small piece 54…Sensing cuff 55…Bending part 61…Fixed part 62…First bending part 63…Second bending part 71…Airbag 71a…Main wall 71b…Side wall 75…Sheet member 75a…Opening 75b…Recess 76…Intermediate sheet member 76a…Opening 81…Airbag 81a…Main wall 81b…Side wall 82…Flow path body 85…Sheet member 85b…Recess 86…Intermediate sheet member 86a…Opening 100…Power transmission device 101…Power supply 102…Power transmission part 103…Antenna part 211…Antenna part 212…Power receiving part 213…Charging part 300…Wrist 311…Radial artery 312…Ulnar artery

Claims

1. A cuff structure for use in a blood pressure measurement device, a longitudinally extending bladder that is inflated with a fluid; a plurality of longitudinally extending sheet members contained within the bladder; Equipped with One of the plurality of sheet members has a plurality of folding portions formed by a plurality of rectangular openings arranged along the longitudinal direction, A cuff structure, wherein another one of the plurality of sheet members has a plurality of folded portions formed by a plurality of notches arranged along the longitudinal direction.

2. the plurality of folding portions formed by the plurality of openings are equally spaced, The cuff structure according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of folded portions formed by the plurality of cutouts are equally spaced.

3. the internal space of the air bag is partitioned by the sheet member having the plurality of openings formed therein; The cuff structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings fluidly connect the two compartmented chambers of the bladder.

4. the internal space of the air bag is partitioned by the sheet member having the plurality of openings formed therein; The cuff structure of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of openings fluidly connect the two compartmented chambers of the bladder.

5. The cuff structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a device body fixed to the cuff structure; a band provided on the device body and configured to fix the cuff structure; A blood pressure measuring device comprising:

Images