Biosignal monitoring wear

Abstract

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

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As a method for comfortably and easily measuring biosignals such as heart rate and electrocardiograms in everyday living environments, attempts are being made to utilize so-called wearable biosignal monitoring systems, which involve attaching electrodes and measuring devices to clothing or belts.

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

[0004] To monitor biosignals over a long period of time (a week or more) using biosignal monitoring wear, it is important that the wearer be able to remove the wear for occasions such as bathing, that the positioning of electrodes and other sensors can be easily performed even by subjects without specialized knowledge, and that stable information with little noise that can be used for diagnosing diseases, such as electrocardiogram analysis, can be obtained. To meet these requirements, numerous biosignal monitoring wears incorporating electrodes and other sensors have been developed. Below, we will introduce some representative prior art related to biosignal monitoring wear.

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

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a wearable electrode comprising a garment with an outer and inner lining, an electrode portion attached to the lining opposite the outer lining to contact the subject's body and acquire biosignals, and a lead wire disposed between the outer and inner lining. In this wearable electrode, the electrode portion and lead wire are easily attached and detached using snap fasteners, and a slit is provided in the lining of the garment at the electrode attachment position. A measuring instrument connected to the lead wire is stored in a pocket provided inside the garment. Similar to the electrocardiogram measurement garment described in Patent Document 1, this wearable electrode garment is free from the electrode portion, lead wire, and measuring instrument, making it washable as needed. Furthermore, since the lead wire is disposed between the outer and inner lining of the garment, discomfort caused by the lead wire directly contacting the subject's skin is avoided. Furthermore, this garment does not include a fastening mechanism for tightly attaching the electrode portion to the subject's body surface, but instead includes a fibrous electrode composed of nanofibers and a conductive polymer. This increases the adhesion between the electrode portion and the subject's skin, so that even if the garment moves due to the subject's body movements, the electrode portion can be prevented from moving away from the subject's skin, resulting in a stable biological signal.

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

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

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

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

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

[0012] Furthermore, the wearable electrode described in Patent Document 2 places the lead wires between the outer and inner layers, avoiding the discomfort caused by the lead wires directly touching the subject's skin, as anticipated with the electrocardiogram measurement garment described in Patent Document 1. However, inserting the lead wires into the garment is time-consuming, and it is anticipated that problems due to incorrect electrode placement during this process will frequently occur. Furthermore, with the wearable electrode described in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to provide garments perfectly tailored to the subject's size. If the subject's waist circumference is smaller than the standard garment size, the force pressing the electrode parts against the skin from the garment will be weak, weakening the adhesion between the electrode parts and the skin, making it difficult to obtain biosignals at a level sufficient for electrocardiogram analysis. Furthermore, if the garment tightens too tightly against the skin, excessive pressure will be applied to the subject, causing discomfort.

[0013] Furthermore, in the bioelectrode-equipped garment described in Patent Document 3, the electrically insulating member (the attachment member) to which the electrodes and conductive parts connecting to the biosignal measurement device are attached is generally made of resin, which has poor moisture absorption and a soft feel, making the garment uncomfortable to wear. Furthermore, when washing the garment to remove sweat and dirt, there is a risk of problems such as damage to the conductive parts and connectors attached to the garment, reduced conductivity, and disconnection. Furthermore, since the conductive and insulating members are attached to the garment, the cost of the garment is high, and the expense of preparing replacement parts after washing is also a burden on the subject. In addition, the manufacturing process of the garment is complex. Specifically, various manufacturing processes are required, such as bonding the electrically insulating members to the garment fabric, attaching the conductive parts and connectors, and quality control to check the electrical conductivity of the conductive parts and connectors after attachment.

[0014] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a bioelectric signal monitoring garment in which the bioelectrodes are attached to the human body using a stretchable fabric. However, this configuration makes it difficult to maintain stable adhesion of the bioelectrodes to the human skin for a long period of time. Because the bioelectric signal monitoring garment described in Patent Document 4 includes a stretchable fabric in the area where the bioelectrodes are to be placed, if the stretchable fabric is stretched to a length shorter than the subject's waist circumference and secured, the stretchable fabric may not have sufficient elasticity to press the bioelectrodes against the human body. In this case, the bioelectrodes secured to the stretchable fabric may rise above the skin surface, resulting in significant noise in the biosignals. Patent Document 4 also describes the need for a pressure measurement device to ensure that the appropriate pressure is being applied to the bioelectrodes. This necessitates a pressure monitoring mechanism to obtain stable biosignals, which increases the cost of the garment.

[0015] Furthermore, in the half-top or brassiere-type biosignal detection garment described in Patent Document 5, the underbelt equipped with electrodes and wiring is made of stretchy fabric, but its structure encircles the subject's entire waist, narrowing the range of pressure adjustment. Therefore, in order to fit the biosignal detection garment to the subject's body shape, it is necessary to prepare various sizes of the garment body, which increases costs and makes inventory management difficult. Furthermore, in the biosignal detection garment described in Patent Document 5, as in Patent Document 3, the wiring connecting to the electrodes and measurement device must be covered with an electrically insulating material such as resin, which reduces the comfort of the garment. Furthermore, the biosignal detection garment described in Patent Document 5 also raises concerns about damage or breakage of conductive parts and connectors due to washing the garment. Furthermore, high manufacturing costs and the hassle of quality control at medical institutions due to the reuse of the garment pose numerous obstacles to the widespread use of the garment as a diagnostic tool.

[0016] As described above, in the known technical fields, it is concluded that in order to monitor biological signals over a long period of time in everyday living environments, it is desirable to develop biological signal monitoring wear that can be easily washed even if it gets dirty, can measure stable biological signals with low enough noise to allow for disease diagnosis such as electrocardiogram analysis, and furthermore, can reduce the cost burden on the subject.

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

[0018] The present inventors have completed the present invention as a result of extensive research aimed at solving the above-mentioned problems. Specifically, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a biological signal monitoring garment comprising: a plurality of electrodes to be brought into contact with the skin of a subject; a conduction unit that electrically connects the plurality of electrodes to a biological signal measuring instrument that measures the biological signals of the subject; and a garment body to which the conduction unit is detachably attached and that is worn by the subject, wherein the conduction unit comprises: a flexible sheet-like insulator; a plurality of electrode connectors provided on a first one of the two thickness-wise surfaces of the insulator and connecting the plurality of electrodes, a measuring instrument connector provided on a second thickness-wise surface of the insulator opposite the first surface and detachably connecting the biological signal measuring instrument; and a conductor provided on the insulator and providing electrical conductivity between the plurality of electrode connectors and the measuring instrument connector.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0027] Furthermore, the biosignal monitoring wear of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the plurality of electrodes are provided with a conductive sheet having an adhesive strength of 200 g / 20 mm or less as measured by a 90-degree peeling method in accordance with the provisions of JIS-Z0237. [Effects of the Invention]

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

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

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

[0031] (Embodiment 1) First, a description will be given of a biological signal monitoring garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the front side of the biological signal monitoring garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the rear side of the biological signal monitoring garment according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the biological signal monitoring garment 100 according to the first embodiment worn by a subject, viewed from diagonally forward right of the subject. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the biological signal monitoring garment 100 according to the first embodiment worn by a subject, viewed from diagonally rear left of the subject. Hereinafter, the term "subject" refers to a subject whose biological signals are to be monitored, i.e., a subject wearing the biological signal monitoring garment 100 in the first embodiment.

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

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

[0034] In the biosignal monitoring wear 100 according to the first embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the "rear surface" refers to the surface facing the skin of the subject wearing the wear body 30 (the surface facing the skin). Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the "front surface" refers to the surface opposite to the "rear surface." The definitions of the "rear surface" and "front surface" also apply to the electrodes 11 to 13, the conduction unit 10, the wear body 30, and other components that make up the biosignal monitoring wear 100.

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

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

[0037] The garment body 30 is an example of a garment to which the above-described conduction unit 10 is detachably attached and which is worn by a subject. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the garment body 30 is composed of a front body 31, a back body 32, and shoulder straps 33. Specifically, the front body 31 and the back body 32 are integrally connected by two shoulder straps 33. The front body 31 and the back body 32 are separated at both side portions (portions corresponding to the subject's flanks). As shown in FIG. 1, both side portions of the front body 31 and the back body 32 are detachably connected.

[0038] The front body 31 and the back body 32 are preferably detachably separated at both side portions as described above, but may be detachably separated at at least one of these side portions. This makes it easier for the subject to put on the garment 30. The front body 31 and the back body 32 are preferably detached at at least one of the side portions, but may be connected at both side portions. The front body 31 and the back body 32 are preferably connected by two shoulder straps 33 as described above, but may be connected by at least one shoulder strap 33. This prevents the garment 30 from shifting relative to the subject when the subject is wearing the garment 30.

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

[0040] 2, the garment body 30 has elastic bodies 37 for stretching and contracting the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 in accordance with the waist circumference of the subject. The elastic bodies 37 are provided inside the torso section 35 of the rear body 32. The elastic bodies 37 are stretched by pulling the torso section 35 of the rear body 32 toward the side tabs 35a. When the side tabs 35a are attached to the joints 40 of the torso section 34 of the front body 31 in this stretched state, the elastic bodies 37 contract so as to fit the annularly connected torso sections 34 of the front body 31 and the torso section 35 of the back body 32 (i.e., the torso section 36 of the garment body 30) closely to the torso of the subject.

[0041] In the biosignal monitoring wear 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the fabric of the wear body 30, i.e., the fabric of the front body 31, back body 32, and shoulder straps 33 constituting the wear body 30, is preferably a fabric with excellent elasticity, such as two-way tricot or smooth knit used in underwear, and more preferably a fabric that is not only elastic but also sweat-absorbent and comfortable to the touch. Examples of materials that can be used for such fabrics include polyester-based synthetic fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate, and polyamide-based synthetic fibers such as nylon. Furthermore, natural materials such as cotton and linen can also be used for the fabric.

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

[0043] The insulator 1 is an example of a flexible sheet-like insulator. Specifically, the insulator 1 is formed by stacking multiple insulating sheets. For example, the insulator 1 is formed by stacking and adhering an insulating sheet on the electrode connector side (where the electrode connectors 2a-2c are provided) and an insulating sheet on the meter connector side (where the meter connectors 3a-3d are provided). These two insulating sheets are adhered by, for example, thermally welding the outer periphery of the sheet using a heat sealer. The insulator 1 is flexible enough to bend easily in response to external forces and electrically insulates the electrode connectors 2a-2c, the meter connectors 3a-3d, and the lead wires 4a-4c from each other. Examples of insulating materials that constitute the insulator 1 include thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl chloride resin, polystyrene, and polyamide, as well as foams of these resins. Cross-linked foam resins are also preferred.

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

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

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

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

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

[0049] When the lead wires 4a-4c are formed from conductive fibers (hereinafter referred to as "conductive fibers"), examples of the conductive fibers that can be used include metal-covered yarns made by covering polyester or nylon fibers with metal fibers containing metals such as silver, aluminum, or stainless steel; composite fibers made by arranging carbon black in the core or sheath of a polyester or nylon fiber along its length; and metal-coated yarns made by coating polyester or nylon fibers with metals such as silver, aluminum, or stainless steel. Among these conductive fibers, metal-covered yarns are particularly preferred from the standpoints of durability and versatility. Specifically, the lead wires 4a-4c can be manufactured by Toray Medical Co., Ltd., such as hitoe® Medical Lead Wire and hitoe® Medical Lead Wire II.

[0050] The fastening parts 5 and 6 are components for detachably attaching components related to the conduction unit 10. Specifically, the fastening part 5 is a component for detachably connecting a cover member covering the back surface A1 (the surface facing the subject's skin) of the conduction unit 10 to the back surface of the front body 31 of the garment body 30. An example of this cover member is a unit cover (described later) provided on the back surface of the front body 31. As shown in FIG. 3A , a plurality of fastening parts 5 (three in the first embodiment) are provided on the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 10. For example, these fastening parts 5 are disposed on the back surface A1 near the edge that will be on the lower side when the conduction unit 10 is attached to the back surface of the front body 31. Examples of such fastening parts 5 include a reusable urethane adhesive sheet and a hook-and-loop fastener with an A-side (hook surface) or a B-side (loop surface).

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

[0052] Next, the front body 31 of the garment body 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the front body of the garment body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the front body 31 viewed from the back side when the conduction unit 10 is not attached. As shown in FIG. 4, the front body 31 includes a fabric backing 38 to which the conduction unit 10 is attached, a unit cover 39 that covers the conduction unit 10, and a fixing portion 41. The front body 31 also includes side tabs 34a on both side edges of the torso portion 34. As with the garment body 30 described above, a shrinkable binder tape 43 is sewn around the periphery of the unit cover 39 to prevent the edges of the cut fabric from unraveling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0060] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a front body piece with a conduction unit attached thereto according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the unit cover 39 closes the conduction unit 10 attached to the fabric mount 38 and covers the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 10 except for the electrode connectors 2a to 2c. At this time, the fixing portion 41 of the unit cover 39 is detachably connected to the fixing portion 5 provided on the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 10. By covering the conduction unit 10 in this manner, the unit cover 39 can prevent the conduction unit 10 from coming into contact with the subject's skin. Furthermore, as described above, the unit cover 39 covers the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 10 and supports the conduction unit 10 between itself and the fabric mount 38. This prevents the conduction unit 10 from shifting position from the fabric mount 38 and from falling off the torso portion 34 of the front body piece 31.

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

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

[0063] The conductive material used for the electrodes 11 to 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive compound. Examples of such conductive materials include conductive polymers such as PEDOT / PSS, and conductive materials containing carbon black, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and metal particles. However, when a stretchable material such as an elastomer resin is used as the conductive material, the conductivity changes depending on the degree of stretching of the material, making it difficult to stably detect (measure) biosignals from the subject. Therefore, such stretchable materials are not preferable as the conductive material. Furthermore, the conductive polymer used for the electrodes 11 to 13 is a conductive polymer in which the resin itself is conductive. For example, PEDOT / PSS, which is a thiophene-based conductive polymer doped with polystyrene sulfonic acid (poly-4-styrene sulfonate: PSS), is more suitable as such a conductive polymer from the standpoints of safety and processability. When carbon black, CNTs, metal particles, or the like are used as the conductive material, polymers such as urethane-based polycarbonate and urethane-based polyether can be used as binders.

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

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

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

[0067] The nanofibers constituting the electrodes 11 to 13 are preferably nanofiber-containing fiber structures produced by known methods, such as nanofiber staple fiber assemblies produced from "NANOALLOY (registered trademark)" fibers and monofilament fiber assemblies produced by electrospinning. As such fiber structures, fiber structures containing nanofiber multifilament yarns are particularly preferred. Nanofiber multifilament yarns can be produced by known composite spinning methods. As an example, nanofiber multifilament yarns with small fiber diameter variation obtained by removing the sea layer from composite fibers using the composite spinneret exemplified in JP 2013-185283 A can be effectively used, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0068] Furthermore, the above-described plurality of electrodes 11 to 13 are not limited to those made of conductive fibers, and may be those comprising conductive sheets such as adhesive films containing conductive materials. In this case, the conductive sheets constituting each of the plurality of electrodes 11 to 13 preferably have an adhesive strength of 200 g / 20 mm or less as measured by a 90-degree peel method in accordance with JIS-Z0237.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0075] Furthermore, the force required to stretch the elastic body 37 by 30% in its longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as the 30% stretching force) is preferably 3 N or more and 9 N or less. If the 30% stretching force of the elastic body 37 is less than 3 N, the pressure on the subject's skin will be too small, which may result in unintended release of contact between the subject's skin and the electrodes 11 to 13, making it difficult to acquire biological signals from the subject. If the 30% stretching force of the elastic body 37 is greater than 9 N, the pressure felt by the subject when wearing the garment body 30 will be too high, which will reduce comfort when wearing the garment body 30 and make it less comfortable to wear. Furthermore, the force required to stretch the elastic body 37 by 20% in its longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as the 20% stretching force) is preferably 2 N or more and 6 N or less.

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

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

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

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

[0080] Therefore, the biosignal monitoring wear 100 can be easily prepared by attaching the conductive unit 10, the electrodes 11-13, and the biosignal measuring device to the wear body 30 without making any mistakes in the conductive wiring between the electrodes 11-13 and the biosignal measuring device. Furthermore, when a subject wears the biosignal monitoring wear 100, the conductive unit 10 can be flexibly deformed in accordance with the subject's movements, and the electrodes 11-13 can be maintained in contact with the subject's skin. As a result, the discomfort or annoyance caused by the conductive unit 10 is alleviated, making the biosignal monitoring wear 100 comfortable to wear. Furthermore, the lead wires 4a-4c in the conductive unit 10 are not subjected to excessive tensile stress, and stable biosignals with low noise enough to enable disease diagnosis, such as electrocardiogram analysis, can be easily and continuously measured for a long period of time, such as one week, from a subject going about their daily lives.

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

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

[0083] Furthermore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, an elastic body 37 is provided in the torso section 36 of the garment body 30, and the torso section 36, together with the elastic body 37, is stretchable in the direction of the subject's waist. This allows the torso section 36 of the garment body 30 to stretch freely in accordance with various body shapes, sizes, and movements of subjects engaged in daily life, including walking and climbing stairs. This allows the torso section 36 of the garment body 30 to apply an appropriate amount of pressure to the subject's torso, making it easy to maintain contact between the subject's skin and the electrodes 11 to 13.

[0084] (Embodiment 2) Next, a biological signal monitoring garment according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the biological signal monitoring garment according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a back view of the front body 31A of a garment body 30A, which is one component of the biological signal monitoring garment 100A according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the biological signal monitoring garment 100A according to the second embodiment includes a garment body 30A instead of the garment body 30 of the biological signal monitoring garment 100 according to the first embodiment, and a conduction unit 20 instead of the conduction unit 10. The garment body 30A includes a front body 31A instead of the front body 31 of the garment body 30 according to the first embodiment. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals. Note that in the second embodiment, the term "subject" refers to a subject wearing the biological signal monitoring garment 100A according to the second embodiment.

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

[0086] 8A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electrode connector side of a conduction unit used in biosignal monitoring wear according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the measuring instrument connector side of a conduction unit used in biosignal monitoring wear according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, conduction unit 20 includes sheet-like insulator 21, electrode connectors 22a-22c, measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d, lead wires 24a-24c, and cover 25. Conduction unit 20 is a unit in which electrode connectors 22a-22c, measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d, and lead wires 24a-24c are integrated with sheet-like insulator 21. Conduction unit 20 also includes fixing portions 26 and 27 for detachably attaching to garment body 30A.

[0087] The insulator 21 is an example of a flexible sheet-like insulator. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sheet-like insulator used in the conduction unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the insulator 21 is formed in a flexibly bendable sheet shape using an insulating flexible substrate or the like. As shown in FIG. 9, the insulator 21 is provided with lead wires 24a to 24c and terminals 28a to 28c and 29a to 29d. For example, the lead wire 24a is formed to electrically connect the terminal 28a to the terminal 29a. The lead wire 24b is formed to electrically connect the terminal 28b to the terminal 29c. The lead wire 24c is formed to electrically connect the terminal 28c to the terminal 29d. The terminals 28a to 28c are terminals for electrically connecting the electrode connectors 22a to 22c, respectively. Meanwhile, the terminals 29a to 29d are terminals for electrically connecting the measurement instrument connectors 23a to 23d, respectively. Insulator 21 is fabricated by using a polyester film as a base film substrate and forming an insulating protective film on this base film substrate to protect lead wires 24a-24c. This protective film is formed on the surface of the base film substrate constituting insulator 21 except for terminals 28a-28c and 29a-29d. Insulator 21 as described above is flexible enough to bend easily in response to an external force, and provides electrical insulation between electrode connectors 22a-22c, measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d, and lead wires 24a-24c shown in Figures 8A and 8B.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0094] Next, the front body 31A of the garment body 30A according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the front body of the garment body according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows the front body 31A viewed from the back side without the conductive unit 20 attached. As shown in FIG. 10, the front body 31A includes a fabric backing 38, side tabs 34a, and a joining portion 40 in the torso portion 34, similar to the first embodiment. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the front body 31A does not include the unit cover 39 and the fixing portion 41 shown in the first embodiment. As shown in the front body 31A shown in FIG. 10, a binder tape 43 is sewn around the periphery of the garment body 30A according to the second embodiment to prevent the edges of the cut fabric from unraveling, similar to the first embodiment.

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

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

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

[0098] As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion 25 is provided on the back surface A1 of the conduction unit 20, and the cover portion 25 is interposed between the conduction unit 20, which is detachably attached to the fabric mount 38 on the back surface of the garment body 30A by the fastening portions 26, 27, and the subject's skin, and the other components are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Therefore, while achieving the same effects as in the first embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the need to sew the unit cover 39 to the back surface of the front body 31A of the garment body 30A. As a result, the garment body 30A can be manufactured more easily than in the first embodiment, thereby further reducing the costs required for manufacturing and preparing the biological signal monitoring garment 100A.

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

[0100] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , a biological signal monitoring garment 100B according to the third embodiment includes a garment body 30B instead of the garment body 30 of the biological signal monitoring garment 100 according to the first embodiment. The garment body 30B according to the third embodiment includes a front body 31B instead of the front body 31 of the garment body 30 according to the first embodiment, a back body 32B instead of the back body 32, and shoulder straps 33A instead of the shoulder straps 33. In the third embodiment, the front body 31B of the garment body 30B includes a unit housing 60 instead of the torso section 34 of the front body 31 according to the first embodiment. Although not shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the conduction unit according to the third embodiment is removably stored inside the unit housing 60 instead of the conduction unit 10 according to the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, an electrocardiograph 200 (see FIG. 1 ), which is an example of a biological signal measuring device, is removably attached to the surface of the unit housing 60. The back body 32B of the garment body 30B has a band-like (belt-like) elastic body 37A instead of the waist section 35 and elastic body 37 of the back body 32 in the above-described first embodiment. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, the subject refers to the subject wearing the biological signal monitoring garment 100B according to the third embodiment.

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

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

[0103] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the back body 32B has a back section 32b that is integrated with the front body 31B via two shoulder straps 33A. The back body 32B does not have the torso section 35 of the back body 32 in the first embodiment described above, but instead has a belt-like elastic body 37A. The elastic body 37A is a stretchable belt-like member that extends circumferentially around the waist of the subject. As shown in FIG. 12, it is directly sewn to the lower end of the back body 32b of the back body 32B (the end opposite the shoulder straps 33A). As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, hooks 63 are provided on both longitudinal ends of the elastic body 37A. The hooks 63 are components that detachably connect the elastic body 37A, stretched according to the waist length of the subject, to the unit storage body 60 of the front body 31B. For example, the hooks 63 are joined to the elastic body 37A by hook attachment tape 64. The elastic body 37A in the third embodiment has the same stretching characteristics and material as the elastic body 37 in the first embodiment described above.

[0104] Fig. 13A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a unit housing attached to the front body of a garment main body in embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 13A shows an enlarged view of the unit housing 60 shown in Fig. 11 as viewed from the front side (front side). Fig. 13B is an enlarged view showing an example of the configuration of the loop tapes of the unit housing shown in Fig. 13A. Fig. 13B shows one loop tape 62 of a pair of loop tapes 62. As shown in Fig. 13A, a pair of belt loops 61 and a pair of loop tapes 62 are sewn onto the surface of the unit housing 60 so as to be symmetrical with respect to, for example, the measuring instrument connector holes 51-54.

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

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

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

[0108] Next, the back surface of the front body 31B of the garment body 30B of the garment 100B for biological signal monitoring according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the back surface of the front body of the garment body according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 14 shows a view of the back surface of the front body 31B of the garment 100B for biological signal monitoring according to the third embodiment, with no conduction unit attached.

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

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

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

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

[0113] In a biological signal monitoring garment 100B according to a third embodiment of the present invention, the front body 31B, the back body 32B (particularly the back portion 32b), and the shoulder straps 33A constituting the garment body 30B are made of so-called free-cut fabric, which can be used as cut. The unit storage body 60 provided in the front body 31B is also made of a similar free-cut fabric. Free-cut fabrics are highly stretchable and have moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties, making them suitable for use in underwear and other garments. Generally, free-cut fabrics are made from recycled rayon or synthetic nylon and polyurethane fibers. Recently, however, fabrics made from natural cotton yarn have also been developed. In this third embodiment, the free-cut fabric is made of 68% nylon and 32% polyurethane, which has moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties. The greatest advantage of using free-cut fabric is that, in the manufacture of biosignal monitoring wear, it is possible to eliminate the sewing process using binder tape, which was used in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2 to prevent fraying of the edges of the cut fabric. In addition to the effects of the above-mentioned free-cut fabric, such biosignal monitoring wear 100B provides the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2. [Example]

[0114] Next, specific examples of the biological signal monitoring wear according to the present invention will be described in detail. However, the biological signal monitoring wear according to the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below.

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

[0116] In the fabrication of the biosignal monitoring garment of Comparative Example 1, components such as the lead wires, electrode connectors, and measuring instrument connectors are directly attached to the garment body. Therefore, the fabric portion of the garment body to which these components are attached, except for the electrodes that come into contact with the subject's skin, must be covered with a waterproof insulating material. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, a manufacturing process is required to provide insulation to the garment body, and this manufacturing process is complex, resulting in high manufacturing costs. The work steps and the required time for each work step for fabricating the biosignal monitoring garment of Comparative Example 1 are shown in Table 1. Examples of work steps required to fabricate the biosignal monitoring garment of Comparative Example 1 include wiring, interfacing, snap button attachment, seam tape application, wiring and connector attachment, and final garment attachment. As can be seen from Table 1, the time required for covering the lead wires and each connector with an insulating material (wiring and connector attachment) accounts for more than half of the total work steps for the biosignal monitoring garment of Comparative Example 1.

[0117] [Table 1]

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

[0119] Table 1 shows the steps and the time required for each step for fabricating the biosignal monitoring garment of Example 1. Referring to Table 1, Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were compared for each step and the time required for each step. As a result, Example 1 does not require the wiring and connector attachment process (covering the body fabric of the garment body with an insulating material from the lead wires and each connector) required in Comparative Example 1, and therefore the time required for each step is shorter than that of Comparative Example 1. Specifically, the steps for fabricating the biosignal monitoring garment of Example 1 are reduced to the step required for fabricating the conduction unit 10, which integrates the electrode connectors 2a-2c, the measuring instrument connectors 3a-3d, and the lead wires 4a-4c into the insulator 1. As a result, the time required for all steps in Example 1 can be reduced to less than one-quarter of that in Comparative Example 1. This allows for a significant cost reduction in the biosignal monitoring garment of Example 1 compared to Comparative Example 1.

[0120] Example 2 In Example 2, a biological signal monitoring garment 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention was fabricated. The electrode connectors 22a-22c, the measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d, and the lead wires 24a-24c were integrated into a sheet-like insulator 21, such as a flexible printed circuit board, to fabricate the conductive unit 20 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. In fabricating the conductive unit 20, a flexible substrate with a 50 μm-thick polyester film as the base film substrate was used as the insulator 21. Silver nanoink was printed on the flexible substrate, followed by copper plating, to form conductive portions such as the lead wires 24a-24c on the insulator 21. The conductive portions were then covered with solder resist, thereby maintaining the insulating properties of the conductive portions of the insulator 21. The electrode connectors 22a-22c and the measuring instrument connectors 23a-23d were made of the same materials as those used in Example 1. To prevent direct contact between the insulator 21 and the subject's skin, the surface of the insulator 21 facing the electrode connector (back surface A1) is covered with a cover 25 made of a polyester and cotton blend. A hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the surface of the conduction unit 20 facing the measuring instrument connector (front surface A2) so that the unit can be detachably attached to the garment body. A hook-and-loop fastener is sewn to the attachment surface of the conduction unit 20 on the garment body, with a hook-and-loop fastener that is relatively less irritating to the subject's skin (side B).

[0121] Table 1 shows the steps and the time required for each step for fabricating the biosignal monitoring garment of Example 2. Table 1 was used to compare Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 with respect to the steps and the time required for each step. As a result, Example 2, like Example 1, eliminates the wiring and connector installation processes required in Comparative Example 1, thereby shortening the time required for each step compared to Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, Example 2 uses a flexible substrate with a printed conductive portion as the substrate for the conduction unit 20, eliminating the wiring process for the lead wires 4a to 4c required for fabricating the conduction unit 10 of Example 1. In addition, in Example 2, as shown in FIG. 8A , the conduction unit 20 is provided with a cover portion 25. Therefore, the time required for the cover material fabrication process is shorter than in Example 1, in which a unit cover 39 (see FIG. 4 ) is provided on the garment body 30. As a result, as shown in Table 1, the time required for all steps in Example 2 is shorter than not only Comparative Example 1 but also Example 1.

[0122] Example 3 In Example 3, a subject wore biosignal monitoring wear according to the present invention, and the subject's biosignals were measured. The biosignal monitoring wear of Example 3 was the biosignal monitoring wear 100A according to the above-described embodiment 2, and the biosignal measuring device used in this wear was a Holter electrocardiogram monitor (EV-301 manufactured by Parama Tech). The subject was a male, and electrocardiogram signals were measured in the subject's everyday environment for seven days, followed by additional electrocardiogram measurements for approximately three consecutive days. In Example 3, the electrocardiogram cable connected to the biosignal measuring device was a hitoe (registered trademark) medical lead wire II manufactured by Toray Medical Co., Ltd., and the electrocardiogram electrodes (electrodes 11 to 13 shown in FIG. 7) that came into contact with the subject's skin were hitoe (registered trademark) medical electrodes II manufactured by Toray Medical Co., Ltd. In the biosignal monitoring wear of Example 3, the elastic body 37 applied to the torso of the wear body 30A was a flat elastic band (LY-40 manufactured by Kitani Co., Ltd.) 4 cm wide and 40 cm long. The material of the wear body 30A was a 2-way tricot (polyester / polyurethane). The waist circumference of the subject at the epigastrium was 80 cm to 100 cm (medium size). The longitudinal extension rate of the elastic body 37 was 30%, and the force exerted by the elastic body 37 in an elongated state at this extension rate was 5.9 N.

[0123] In Example 3, electrocardiogram analysis was performed based on electrocardiogram signals measured from a subject wearing the biosignal monitoring garment 100A. The software used for this electrocardiogram analysis was a long-term Holter electrocardiogram analysis viewer (NEY-HEA3000) manufactured by Nexis. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in Example 3 of the present invention. The electrocardiogram analysis report shown in FIG. 16 is the cover page of a report on electrocardiogram analysis performed based on the electrocardiogram signal measurement results for the subject over an additional three days. This electrocardiogram analysis report summarizes the results of the electrocardiogram analysis. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, this electrocardiogram analysis report summarizes the analysis results of heart rate information, PVCs (premature ventricular contractions), PACs (premature supraventricular contractions), ST level, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter on a single page. The electrocardiogram acquisition rate based on the electrocardiogram signals obtained during the additional measurement time (approximately 71 hours) was 99.8%, which indicates that the biosignal monitoring wear 100A was able to obtain stable electrocardiogram signals from the subjects that could be used for electrocardiogram analysis over a long period of time.

[0124] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a registered waveform in an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in Example 3 of the present invention. FIG. 17 shows a portion of the registered waveform (the electrocardiogram waveform of the subject) in this electrocardiogram analysis report. As shown in FIG. 17, this registered waveform shows a typical supraventricular premature contraction, and P waves, QRS waves, and T waves can be clearly read. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a compressed waveform in an electrocardiogram analysis report obtained in Example 3 of the present invention. The compressed waveform shown in FIG. 18 is a graph that summarizes the electrocardiogram of the subject over one hour.

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

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

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

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

Claims

1. a plurality of electrodes that are in contact with the subject's skin; a wear body to be worn by the subject; a conductive unit disposed on the back surface of the garment body facing the skin of the subject, the conductive unit electrically connecting the plurality of electrodes to a biosignal measuring device that measures a biosignal of the subject; Equipped with The wear body includes: A torso portion that forms a ring around the torso of the subject; an elastic body provided in a torso portion of the rear body of the garment body so as to be longitudinal in a circumferential direction of the torso portion, the elastic body having a length in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body that is 30% to 60% of the waist circumference at the epigastrium portion of the subject; a non-elastic fabric backing provided in a torso portion of a front body of the garment body where the conductive unit is disposed; Equipped with The conducting unit includes: a flexible sheet-like insulator; a plurality of electrode connectors provided on a first surface of the insulator in a thickness direction, the electrode connectors connecting the electrodes to each other; a measuring instrument connector provided on a second surface of the insulator in the thickness direction, the second surface being the opposite surface to the first surface, for detachably connecting the biosignal measuring instrument; a conductor provided on the insulator and electrically connecting the plurality of electrode connectors and the measuring instrument connector; Equipped with A garment for monitoring biological signals, characterized in that the torso portion of the front body and the cloth backing are provided with a measuring instrument connector hole that exposes the measuring instrument connector from the cloth backing side to the surface side of the front body.

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

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

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

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

4. the rate of increase in force required when the elastic body is stretched in its longitudinal direction from a state where it is stretched 10% to a state where it is stretched 30% is 0.1 N / % or more and 0.2 N / % or less; 2. The biological signal monitoring wear according to claim 1.

5. 2. The biological signal monitoring garment according to claim 1, further comprising a fabric member that covers the first surface of the insulator of the conductive unit other than the plurality of electrode connectors.

6. 2. The biological signal monitoring garment according to claim 1, wherein the biological signal measuring device is an electrocardiograph.

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

8. 8. The biological signal monitoring garment according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of electrodes are made of nanofibers having a fiber diameter of 10 nm or more and 5000 nm or less.

9. The biosignal monitoring wear described in claim 1, characterized in that the multiple electrodes are provided with a conductive sheet having an adhesive strength of 200 g / 20 mm or less as measured by a 90-degree peel method in accordance with JIS-Z0237.

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