Sphygmomanometer, blood pressure measurement method, and blood pressure measurement program

Abstract

To provide a sphygmomanometer, method, and program for accurately determining the act of getting up or going to bed and acquiring blood pressure data that enables correct evaluation of health status. [Solution] A blood pressure monitor (10) comprises a cuff (14) to be attached to the upper arm of the person being measured, a main body (12) fixed to the cuff, blood pressure measuring means (14, 21, 22, 23, 32) that measures the blood pressure of the person being measured by supplying air to the cuff and detecting the pressure, movement detecting means (24) that detects movement of the upper arm, and activity determining means (33) that determines whether the person being measured has woken up or gone to bed based on the posture of the upper arm and the amount of activity of the upper arm from the detected value of the movement detecting means.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sphygmomanometer, a method, and a program for measuring the blood pressure of a person to be measured. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, blood pressure monitors that measure blood pressure while sleeping have been proposed. For example, the blood pressure monitor disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a cuff that is attached to the wrist and a main body fixed to the cuff, and an operation switch on the main body can be used to switch to a mode that automatically measures blood pressure while sleeping. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7400342 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is known that blood pressure constantly fluctuates with human activity, especially around the time of waking up and going to bed. For this reason, it is desirable to measure blood pressure every day under the same conditions for waking up and going to bed (i.e., at the same time intervals from the time of waking up or going to bed) and compare blood pressure under the same conditions to understand the state of health.

[0005] However, with a blood pressure monitor worn on the wrist as in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to determine when the user wakes up and goes to bed due to the large movement of the area where the monitor is worn, making it difficult to accurately detect the time of waking up and going to bed. For this reason, conventional blood pressure monitors are designed to consider the pre-input planned time of waking up as the time of waking up, and the time when blood pressure is measured before going to bed as the time of going to bed, and measure blood pressure a predetermined time after each time. Therefore, there are cases where the time of waking up and the time of going to bed do not match actual activities, which poses a problem in that the measurement data cannot be accurately evaluated when comparing blood pressures.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a blood pressure monitor, method, and program that can accurately determine the act of getting up and going to bed and obtain blood pressure data that can accurately evaluate health status. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a blood pressure monitor of a first aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a cuff to be attached to the upper arm of a person to be measured; a main body fixed to the cuff; a blood pressure measuring means for measuring the blood pressure of the person to be measured by supplying air to the cuff and detecting the pressure; a movement detecting means provided to the main body or the cuff for detecting movement of the upper arm; and an activity determining means for detecting movement of the upper arm from the detection value of the movement detecting means, and determining a wake-up activity of the person to be measured based on the posture of the upper arm and the amount of activity of the upper arm.

[0008] In the blood pressure monitor of the second aspect, in the first aspect, it is also preferable that the activity determination means assumes that the activity is a wake-up activity when the detection value of the movement detection means satisfies a first wake-up condition, and sets that time as a tentative wake-up time, and when the detection value of the movement detection means satisfies a second wake-up condition, confirms the judgment of the wake-up activity and determines the tentative wake-up time as the wake-up time.

[0009] In the blood pressure monitor of the third aspect, in the second aspect, it is also preferable that the activity determination means calculates, from the detection values ​​of the movement detection means, an average value per unit time of the gravity direction value of the upper arm, a sum of the amount of movement of the upper arm, and a sum of the number of times the upper arm moves, and determines that the first wake-up condition is met when the average value exceeds a posture threshold or when either of the sums exceeds an activity threshold, and determines that the second wake-up condition is met when the sum and the average value used to determine the first wake-up condition exceed the posture threshold and the activity threshold, respectively, by predetermined standards.

[0010] In the blood pressure monitor of the fourth aspect, in the second or third aspect, it is also preferable to include a waiting time management means for controlling the blood pressure measurement means so that the blood pressure value after the wake-up action is automatically measured a predetermined waiting time after the action determination means has confirmed the determination of the wake-up action, a waiting time setting means for setting the waiting time, and a storage means for storing the blood pressure value after the wake-up action in association with the wake-up time and the waiting time.

[0011] In the blood pressure monitor of the fifth aspect, in any of the second to fourth aspects, it is also preferable that the main body notifies the person being measured whether the first wake-up condition and / or the second wake-up condition has been met.

[0012] In the blood pressure monitor of the sixth aspect, in the first aspect, it is also preferable that the activity determination means assumes that the activity is a going-to-bed activity when the detection value of the movement detection means satisfies a first going-to-bed condition, and sets that time as a provisional going-to-bed time, and when the detection value of the movement detection means satisfies a second going-to-bed condition, confirms the judgment of the going-to-bed activity and determines the provisional going-to-bed time as the going-to-bed time.

[0013] In the blood pressure monitor of the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, it is also preferable that the activity determination means calculates at least the sum of the amount of movement of the upper arm and the sum of the number of times the upper arm moves for a unit time from the detection values ​​of the movement detection means, and determines that the first bed condition is met when either of the sums falls below an activity threshold, and determines that the second bed condition is met when the sum used to determine the first bed condition falls below the activity threshold by a predetermined standard.

[0014] In the eighth aspect of the blood pressure monitor, in the sixth or seventh aspect, it is also preferable to include a waiting time management means for controlling the blood pressure measurement means so that the blood pressure value after the bedtime action is automatically measured a predetermined waiting time after the activity determination means has confirmed the determination of the bedtime action, a waiting time setting means for setting the waiting time, and a memory means for storing the blood pressure value after the bedtime action in association with the bedtime and the waiting time.

[0015] In the sphygmomanometer of the ninth aspect, in any of the sixth to eighth aspects, it is also preferable that the main body notifies the person being measured whether the first bed condition and / or the second bed condition has been met.

[0016] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a tenth aspect of the present invention provides a blood pressure measurement method comprising: blood pressure measurement means for measuring the blood pressure of a person being measured by supplying air to a cuff attached to the person's upper arm and detecting the pressure; and movement detection means for detecting movement of the upper arm, and comprising the steps of: determining whether a detected value of the movement detection means satisfies a first wake-up condition; assuming that the first wake-up condition is met to be a wake-up action and setting that time as a tentative wake-up time; determining whether a detected value of the movement detection means satisfies a second wake-up condition; determining that the second wake-up condition is met to confirm the determination of the wake-up action and set the tentative wake-up time as the wake-up time; and automatically measuring the blood pressure value after the wake-up action a predetermined waiting time after confirming the determination of the wake-up action, and storing the blood pressure value in association with the wake-up time and the waiting time.

[0017] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a blood pressure measurement method according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention includes blood pressure measuring means for measuring the blood pressure of a person being measured by supplying air to a cuff attached to the person's upper arm and detecting the pressure, and movement detecting means for detecting movement of the upper arm, and is characterized by comprising the steps of: determining whether a value detected by the movement detecting means satisfies a first bedtime condition; assuming that the person is going to bed when the first bedtime condition is satisfied and setting that time as a provisional bedtime; determining whether a value detected by the movement detecting means satisfies a second bedtime condition; determining that the person is going to bed when the second bedtime condition is satisfied and determining the provisional bedtime as the bedtime when the second bedtime condition is satisfied; and automatically measuring the blood pressure value after the person has gone to bed a predetermined waiting time after determining that the person is going to bed, and storing the blood pressure value in association with the bedtime and the waiting time.

[0018] In addition, as a twelfth aspect, a blood pressure measurement program characterized in that the blood pressure measurement method of the tenth aspect is written as a computer program and made executable is also preferable.

[0019] In addition, as a thirteenth aspect, a blood pressure measurement program characterized in that the blood pressure measurement method of the eleventh aspect is written as a computer program and made executable is also preferable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a blood pressure monitor, method, and program that can accurately determine the act of getting up or going to bed and obtain blood pressure data that can accurately evaluate health status. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blood pressure monitor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a sphygmomanometer 10. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing blood pressure measurement using the sphygmomanometer 10 upon waking up. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a determination flow diagram of the action determination unit 33. [Figure 5] 10 is a schematic diagram of posture flag detection by the action determination unit 33. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram of activity amount flag detection by the action determination unit 33. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing blood pressure measurement using the sphygmomanometer 10 during bedtime. [Figure 8] 10 is a comparison diagram for considering posture flag detection by the action determination unit 33. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a comparison diagram between a case where determination is made using an algorithm based only on the amount of activity and a case where determination is made using an algorithm adopted by the blood pressure monitor 10. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 shows a display unit 27 of a sphygmomanometer 10A according to a first modification. [Figure 11]10 shows a display unit 27 of a sphygmomanometer 10B according to a second modification. [Figure 12] 10 shows a display unit 27 of a sphygmomanometer 10C according to a third modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blood pressure monitor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a structural block diagram of the blood pressure monitor 10. The blood pressure monitor 10 is composed of a main body 12 and a cuff 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the cuff 14 is formed in a belt shape and is detachably wrapped around the upper arm of the person being measured. The main body 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is fixed to the surface of the cuff 14 so that its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the wrapping direction of the cuff 14. In other words, when the cuff 14 is worn on the upper arm of the person being measured, the main body 12 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the extension direction of the upper arm.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, a display unit 27 and operation buttons 28 are provided on the outer surface of main body 12 (i.e., the surface opposite to the portion fixed to cuff 14). As shown in Fig. 2, a collapsible air bag 18 is provided inside cuff 14. A pump 21, an on-off valve 22, a pressure sensor 23, a movement detection unit 24, a memory unit 25, a communication unit 26, and a control unit 30 are provided inside the housing of main body 12.

[0025] Operation button 28 is a switch for turning the power on and off, and in the normal blood pressure measurement mode described below, is also used as a button for starting / stopping blood pressure measurement and for user selection. In this embodiment, display unit 27 and operation button 28 are provided separately, but a touch panel that serves both functions may also be used. Furthermore, multiple operation buttons may be provided in addition to operation button 28, and different operation functions may be assigned to these operation buttons.

[0026] Air bag 18 is connected to pump 21 and on-off valve 22, and air can be supplied from pump 21 to inflate air bag 18 and released by on-off valve 22 to deflate air bag 18. Air bag 18 is connected to pressure sensor 23 in main body 12, and the pressure inside air bag 18 is measured by pressure sensor 23. Sphygmomanometer 10 of this embodiment is of the oscillometric type, and measures the pressure in air bag 18 with pressure sensor 23 while inflating air bag 18 of cuff 14 to compress the blood vessels in the upper arm and deflating air bag 18 to release the compression on the blood vessels, and calculates the blood pressure value from the measurement value.

[0027] The motion detection unit 24 is a three-axis acceleration sensor that detects the motion of the main body 12. As described above, the main body 12 is fixed to the cuff 14 and is disposed so as to be parallel to the upper arm when the cuff 14 is worn on the upper arm. Therefore, by setting one of the x-axis, y-axis, or z-axis, for example the x-axis, to coincide with a direction parallel to the upper arm (see FIG. 1 ), and detecting the motion of the main body 12 with the motion detection unit 24, the motion of the upper arm (amount of movement in the three axes directions) can be detected. Note that, although the motion detection unit 24 is provided inside the main body 12 in this embodiment, the motion detection unit 24 may also be provided in the cuff 14.

[0028] The control unit 30 is embodied by a microcomputer in which a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs arithmetic processing, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) that serve as auxiliary storage units are implemented in an integrated circuit. The control unit 30 includes an air supply / exhaust control unit 31, a blood pressure calculation unit 32, an activity determination unit 33, a waiting time management unit 34, and a waiting time setting unit 35. These functional units 31 to 35 are configured by logic circuits or dedicated circuits formed in an integrated circuit or the like. These circuits may be realized by one or more integrated circuits, and multiple processes may be realized by a single integrated circuit.

[0029] The air supply / exhaust control unit 31 controls the pump 21, the on-off valve 22, and the pressure sensor 23. The blood pressure calculation unit 32 calculates blood pressure values ​​from the measurements of the pressure sensor 23, stores the calculated values ​​in the memory unit 25, and displays the calculated blood pressure values ​​on the display unit 27. When the waiting time management unit 34 receives a signal indicating that the act of getting up or the act of going to bed has been "confirmed" as determined by the act determination unit 33 (described later), the waiting time management unit 34 transmits a control signal to the blood pressure measurement means to start blood pressure measurement after the "waiting time" set for each act has elapsed. The waiting time setting unit 35 is connected to the communication unit 26, and stores the "waiting time after getting up" and the "waiting time after going to bed" set via the communication unit 26 in the memory unit 25, as described later, and sets them in the waiting time management unit 34.

[0030] The storage unit 25 is realized by a small storage medium such as a solid state drive (SSD) or flash memory. The storage unit 25 stores information related to the "waiting time after getting up" and the "waiting time after going to bed," information related to the measured "blood pressure value," and information on the "first wake-up / going to bed condition" and the "second wake-up / going to bed condition" determined by the behavior determination unit 33 during measurement, as well as information on the "wake-up time" and "going to bed time" determined as a result of the determination (described below). In addition, if there are multiple subjects, the storage unit 25 identifies and stores the IDs of the subjects.

[0031] The communication unit 26 has a function for communicating with an external communication device 50, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, and is located inside the mark 29 in FIG. 1 . Examples of communication functions include FeliCa (registered trademark) and BLUETOOTH (registered trademark). A dedicated blood pressure measurement application is pre-installed in the external communication device 50, and communication with the communication unit 26 occurs when the external communication device 50 is brought close to the mark 29. Data stored in the memory unit 25 is transmitted to the external communication device 50 via the communication unit 26, and the blood pressure value is also displayed on the display unit of the external communication device 50. Furthermore, when the user inputs the waiting time after waking up and the waiting time after going to bed using the external communication device 50, the data is input to the waiting time setting unit 35 via the communication unit 26 and stored therein. The "waiting time after waking up" refers to the time from waking up until the start of blood pressure measurement. The "waiting time after waking up" is set by default to, for example, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the user can select from these settings. The "waiting time after going to bed" refers to the time from when the patient goes to bed until blood pressure measurement begins, and is similarly set by default to 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 hour and 30 minutes, etc., from which the patient can select and set the time. The waiting time after waking up and the waiting time after going to bed may be set so that when one of them is set, the other also becomes the same waiting time. Multiple waiting times may also be set, such as measuring three times at 30-minute intervals after going to bed. While the waiting time is set via the external communication device 50 in this embodiment, it may also be set on the main unit 12 by providing an operation button separate from the operation button 28.

[0032] The cuff 14, pump 21, on-off valve 22, pressure sensor 23, and blood pressure calculation unit 32 are the "blood pressure measurement means" in the claims, and the motion detection unit 24, which is a three-axis acceleration sensor, is the "motion detection means" in the claims. The activity determination unit 33, waiting time management unit 34, and waiting time setting unit 35, which are configured in the control unit 30, are the "activity determination means," "waiting time management means," and "waiting time setting means," respectively, and the memory unit 25 is the "memory means" in the claims.

[0033] Blood pressure measurement using the sphygmomanometer 10 configured as described above will now be described. The sphygmomanometer 10 has a normal blood pressure measurement mode (hereinafter referred to as "normal mode") and a sleep blood pressure measurement mode (hereinafter referred to as "sleep mode"). In the normal mode, blood pressure measurement is performed from waking up until before going to bed, and blood pressure is measured when the subject operates the operation button 28. In the sleep mode, blood pressure measurement is performed from going to bed until around the time of getting up, and after the activity determination unit 33 "confirms" the bedtime activity, the blood pressure value after the bedtime activity is automatically measured after a set waiting time has elapsed (multiple waiting times are often set). Then, after the activity determination unit 33 "confirms" the wake-up activity, the blood pressure value after the wake-up activity is automatically measured after a set waiting time has elapsed (multiple waiting times may also be set).

[0034] (Wake up judgment) The following describes blood pressure measurement at wake-up using the sphygmomanometer 10. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing blood pressure measurement at wake-up using the sphygmomanometer 10, and Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing determination by the behavior determination unit 33.

[0035] Before waking up, the sphygmomanometer 10 is in sleep mode. As shown in FIG. 3, when the program is started in sleep mode, in step S1, the blood pressure measurement means is controlled according to a set schedule (waiting time after going to bed), and blood pressure is automatically measured and stored. In parallel with this, the activity determination unit 33 monitors the upper arm movement (detection value of the movement detection unit 24) (step S2). The activity determination unit 33 determines whether the detection value of the movement detection unit 24 satisfies a "first wake-up condition" (described later) (step S3). If the detection value satisfies the first wake-up condition (YES), it "assumes" that a wake-up activity has occurred, and sets that time as the tentative wake-up time (step 4). If the detection value does not satisfy the first wake-up condition (NO), it resets the tentative wake-up time and returns to step S1 (step S5). The activity determination unit 33 continues to monitor the upper arm movement (detection value of the movement detection unit 24) and determines whether the detection value satisfies a "second wake-up condition" (described later) (step S6). If the condition is met (YES), the assumption of the wake-up action in step S4 is "confirmed," and the tentative wake-up time in step S4 is determined as the "wake-up time" (step S7). At the same time, the action determination unit 33 transmits a signal indicating that the wake-up action has been "confirmed" to the waiting time management unit 34. Receiving this signal, the waiting time management unit 34 transmits a control signal so that the blood pressure measurement means starts measuring blood pressure after the waiting time after wake-up set by the waiting time setting unit 35 has elapsed (step S8). The blood pressure measurement means measures blood pressure after the waiting time after wake-up has elapsed, and the blood pressure value after the wake-up action is measured and stored (step S9). When this is done, the action determination unit 33 switches from sleep mode to normal mode (step S10), and the blood pressure measurement flow at wake-up is terminated.

[0036] With reference to FIG. 4, the wake-up determination performed by the behavior determination unit 33 in steps S2 to S7 of the above-described blood pressure measurement flow upon waking up will be described.

[0037] 3, the action determination unit 33 acquires detection data for the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis from the motion detection unit 24 (step S11). The action determination unit 33 monitors the detection values ​​and checks whether the following two flags are set:

[0038] (1) Detecting the attitude flag (step S13) The activity determination unit 33 calculates the average value per unit time of the detected values ​​of the axis (x-axis in this embodiment) set parallel to the extension direction of the upper arm among the x-, y-, and z-axes (step S13-1). The unit time (first unit time) used for posture flag detection is preset, for example, one minute. The activity determination unit 33 determines whether the average value of the x-axis exceeds a threshold (step S13-2). The threshold (posture threshold) used for posture flag detection is determined by statistical analysis based on the results of clinical trials and is preset. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of posture flag detection by the activity determination unit 33. As shown in Figure 5, when the subject sits upright, the x-axis points in the direction of gravity, and the average value of the x-axis increases. When the average value of the x-axis exceeds the posture threshold, the activity determination unit 33 sets the posture flag to "ON" (step S13-3). If the average value of the x-axis is equal to or less than the posture threshold, the posture flag remains "OFF" (step S13-4).

[0039] (2) Detection of activity amount flag (step S12) Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of activity amount flag detection by the action determination unit 33. As shown in Fig. 6(A), the action determination unit 33 calculates the sum of deviations of detected values ​​for each of the x, y, and z axes, for example, every 2 seconds (40 samples) (step S12-1).

[0040] Next, the activity determination unit 33 selects the axis with the largest sum of deviations (the largest movement) from among the three axes. For the selected axis, the activity determination unit 33 calculates the area of ​​the shaded portion of the detection value for a unit time as shown in FIG. 6B, and calculates this as the sum of fluctuations v1 (step S12-2). At the same time, for the selected axis, the activity determination unit 33 calculates the number of times the detection value exceeds the average detection value for a unit time (the number of black circles in the figure), and calculates this as the sum of fluctuations v2 (step S12-3), as shown in FIG. 6C. The unit time (second unit time) used for activity amount flag detection is set in advance, and may be, for example, one minute. This second unit time may be the same as or different from the first unit time of the posture flag.

[0041] The activity determination unit 33 calculates the weighted sum of the activity amounts using equation (1) shown in FIG. 6D (step S12-4). Equation (1) is a general equation for calculating the weighted sum of the activity amounts and is expressed as a function using n. From this, the equation for calculating the weighted sum of the fluctuation amounts y1 is equation (2) shown in FIG. 6E, and the equation for calculating the weighted sum of the number of fluctuations y2 is equation (3) shown in FIG. 6E. Here, when m=7, the following equations (4) and (5) are obtained. These are equation (4) in which the weighted sum of the fluctuation amounts y1 is weighted by 7 minutes of data, and equation (5) in which the weighted sum of the number of fluctuations y2 is weighted by 7 minutes of data, respectively. The values ​​of the parameters p1i in equations (4) and (5) can be set by machine learning so as to minimize the error based on the results of clinical trials.

[0042]

number

[0043]

number

[0044] Next, the activity determination unit 33 determines whether the weighted sum of the fluctuation amounts y1 or the weighted sum of the number of fluctuations y2 exceeds a threshold used for activity amount flag detection (step S12-5). The threshold (activity threshold) for the weighted sum of the fluctuation amounts y1 is set to, for example, 10,000, and the activity determination unit 33 determines whether the determination formula (i) satisfies y1(n)>10,000. The threshold (activity threshold) for the weighted sum of the number of fluctuations y2 is set to, for example, 7,000, and the activity determination unit 33 determines whether the determination formula (ii) satisfies y2(n)>7,000. These activity thresholds are examples, and values ​​can be set by machine learning to minimize error based on the results of clinical trials.

[0045] If the activity determination unit 33 determines that either the weighted sum y1 or y2 exceeds the activity threshold (satisfies the determination formula (i) or (ii)), it sets the activity amount flag to "ON" (step S12-6). If it determines that both are equal to or less than the activity threshold, it leaves the activity amount flag to "OFF" (step S12-7).

[0046] Next, the activity determination unit 33 determines whether the "first wake-up condition" is met in step S3 of FIG. 3. The activity determination unit 33 determines that the "first wake-up condition" is met when the average value of the x-axis exceeds the posture threshold or when either of the weighted sums y1 and y2 exceeds the activity threshold. That is, when the posture flag is "ON" in step S13-3 or the activity amount flag is "ON" in step S12-6, the activity determination unit 33 determines that the "first wake-up condition" is met (step S14). If the "first wake-up condition" is met (YES), the activity determination unit 33 "assumes" that the activity is a wake-up activity and proceeds to step S15. If the "first wake-up condition" is not met (NO), the activity determination unit 33 proceeds to the bedtime determination flow described later (step S16).

[0047] Next, the activity determination unit 33 determines whether the "second wake-up condition" is met in step S6 of FIG. 3. The activity determination unit 33 determines that the "second wake-up condition" is met when the number of times the average value of the x-axis exceeds the posture threshold exceeds the wake-up reference number of times, and the number of times either of the weighted sums y1 and y2 exceeds the activity threshold exceeds the wake-up reference number of times (step S15). The wake-up reference number of times may be, for example, five times. Alternatively, the "second wake-up condition" may be determined to be met when the posture flag is set for the wake-up reference time consecutively, and the activity amount flag is set for the wake-up reference time consecutively. The wake-up reference time may be, for example, five minutes. In the wake-up determination, the wake-up reference number of times and the wake-up reference time are the "predetermined standards" referred to in the claims. If the "second wake-up condition" is met (YES), the activity determination unit 33 "confirms" the wake-up activity and proceeds to step S7 of FIG. 3. If the "second wake-up condition" is not met, that is, if either the "posture" or the "amount of activity" is not met, the wake-up action remains assumed, and the process returns to step S14.

[0048] (Bedtime judgment) The following describes blood pressure measurement at bedtime using the sphygmomanometer 10. Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing blood pressure measurement at bedtime using the sphygmomanometer 10.

[0049] Before going to bed, the sphygmomanometer 10 is in the normal mode. As shown in FIG. 7, when the program is started in the normal mode, in step S21, the blood pressure measurement means is controlled when the subject operates the device, and blood pressure is measured and stored. In parallel with this, the activity determination unit 33 monitors the upper arm movement (detection value of the movement detection unit 24) (step S22). The activity determination unit 33 determines whether the detection value of the movement detection unit 24 satisfies a "first bedtime condition" (described later) (step S23). If the detection value satisfies the first bedtime condition (YES), it "assumes" that a bedtime activity has occurred, and sets that time as the tentative bedtime (step S24). If the detection value does not satisfy the first bedtime condition (NO), it resets the tentative bedtime and returns to step S21 (step S25). The activity determination unit 33 continues to monitor the upper arm movement (detection value of the movement detection unit 24) and determines whether the detection value satisfies a "second bedtime condition" (described later) (step S26). If the condition is met (YES), the assumption of going to bed in step S14 is "confirmed" (step S27), and the tentative time of going to bed in step S24 is determined as the time of going to bed (step S27). At the same time, the activity determination unit 33 transmits a signal indicating "confirmation" of the bedtime activity to the waiting time management unit 34. Receiving this signal, the waiting time management unit 34 transmits a control signal to the blood pressure measurement means to start blood pressure measurement after the waiting time after going to bed set by the waiting time setting unit 35 has elapsed (step S28). The activity determination unit 33 then switches from normal mode to sleep mode (step S29), and the blood pressure measurement flow for going to bed is terminated. After this, the system transitions to sleep mode (step 1 in FIG. 3), and the blood pressure measurement means is controlled according to the set schedule (waiting time after going to bed), and blood pressure is automatically measured and stored.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 4, the bedtime determination performed by the behavior determination unit 33 in steps S22 to S27 of the above-described flow of blood pressure measurement during bedtime will be described.

[0051] In determining whether or not to go to bed, the activity determination unit 33 proceeds to step S12 in Fig. 4, monitors the detection value of the motion detection unit 24, and checks the "activity amount" flag (steps S12-5, S12-6, S12-7). If the "wake-up condition" is not met in step S14, the activity determination unit 33 proceeds to step S16 and determines whether or not to go to bed.

[0052] When the process proceeds to step S16, the activity determination unit 33 determines that the "first bed condition" is satisfied when either the weighted sum y1 or y2 falls below the activity threshold (below the threshold). That is, when the activity amount flag is set to "OFF" in step S12-7, the "first bed condition" is satisfied. If the "first bed condition" is satisfied (YES), the activity determination unit 33 "assumes" that this is a bedtime activity, and proceeds to step S17. If the "first bed condition" is not satisfied (NO), the process returns to step S14 to continue monitoring. Note that the activity threshold in step S12-5 may be set to different values ​​for waking up determination and for going to bed determination.

[0053] When the process proceeds to step S17, the activity determination unit 33 determines whether the "second bed condition" is met in step S26 of FIG. 7. The activity determination unit 33 determines that the "second bed condition" is met when the weighted sum y1 of the activity amount is below (less than) the activity threshold for a consecutive bedtime reference time. That is, when the activity amount flag is not set for a consecutive bedtime reference time, the "second bed condition" is determined to be met. The bedtime reference time is, for example, 20 minutes. In determining whether to go to bed, the bedtime reference time is the "predetermined standard" referred to in the claims. If the "second bed condition" is met (YES), the activity determination unit 33 determines that the bedtime behavior is "confirmed," and the process proceeds to step S27 of FIG. 7. If the "second bed condition" is not met (NO), that is, if the decrease in the "activity amount" is not maintained for a predetermined time, the bedtime behavior remains assumed, and the process returns to step S14.

[0054] In determining whether or not to go to bed, the behavior determination unit 33 may check the "posture" flag in step S13. In addition, in determining whether or not to go to bed, the "predetermined standard" may be when the number of times that the weighted sum y1 of the activity amounts falls below the activity threshold exceeds the standard number of times to go to bed.

[0055] (Action and effect) As described above, the blood pressure monitor 10 according to this embodiment is an upper arm type blood pressure monitor in which the cuff 14 is worn on the upper arm, and makes a judgment based on the "posture" and "amount of activity" of the upper arm, so that the actions of getting up and going to bed can be accurately judged. Therefore, blood pressure can be measured under the same conditions for the actions of getting up and going to bed (i.e., at the same time intervals from the time of getting up or going to bed), and blood pressure data measured under the same conditions can be obtained and compared to understand the health condition.

[0056] If the wake-up behavior were determined based solely on the "posture" of the upper arm, it would be impossible to distinguish between, for example, the standing posture shown in (A) of Figure 8 and the side-lying posture shown in (B). However, by determining the upper arm movement based on two conditions, "posture" and "amount of activity," it is possible to distinguish between these two.

[0057] Furthermore, determining wake-up behavior based solely on the "activity level" of the upper arm may result in a delayed determination. Specifically, FIG. 9 compares the rise of wake-up detection when wake-up is determined solely based on the activity level algorithm and when wake-up is determined using the algorithm of this embodiment. The Comparison line represents the rise of wake-up determined in steps S12 and S15 of FIG. 4, i.e., using only the activity level algorithm, while the Embodiment line represents the rise of wake-up determined in steps S12, S13, S14, and S15 of FIG. 4, i.e., using an algorithm that combines activity level and posture. Since equations (1) and (2) for calculating the weighted sums y1 and y2 of activity levels are based on collecting data for seven minutes, the Comparison line in FIG. 9 requires at least seven minutes to detect wake-up (first wake-up condition). However, as in this embodiment, by combining the "activity level" and "posture" of the upper arm and determining whether or not a person has woken up, and determining when the "posture" flag is set to "on", it is possible to accurately detect whether or not a person has woken up in the early stages without waiting for data to be accumulated.

[0058] In the blood pressure monitor 10 according to this embodiment, when the "first wake-up / go-to-bed condition" is satisfied, a tentative wake-up time / tentative bedtime is captured, and when the "second wake-up / go-to-bed condition" is confirmed, the time when the "first condition" is satisfied is acquired as the "wake-up time" and "go-to-bed time." If the time of determination of the "second condition" is acquired as the wake-up / go-to-bed time, a certain amount of time is required to "confirm" the "second condition," resulting in a problem that the wake-up / go-to-bed time differs from the actual time. In the blood pressure monitor 10, the "first condition" is set, the time of the initial stage of the wake-up / go-to-bed action is captured, and after confirming that the determination of the "second condition" is correct, the time when the "first condition" is satisfied is acquired as the wake-up / go-to-bed time. This solves the problem of the wake-up / go-to-bed time differing from the actual time.

[0059] Furthermore, in the blood pressure monitor 10 according to this embodiment, getting up can be detected with high accuracy by determining whether two conditions, "posture" and "amount of activity," are met (step S15 in FIG. 4). On the other hand, since lying down does not equal sleeping, getting up can be detected with high accuracy by determining whether only the condition, "amount of activity," is met (step S17 in FIG. 4).

[0060] In addition, in the blood pressure monitor 10 of this embodiment, the measured blood pressure value is linked to and stored with information on the judgment of the "first wake-up / go-to-bed condition" and the "second wake-up / go-to-bed condition" made by the behavior judgment unit 33, so that the data can also be referenced based on the judgment of the "first wake-up / go-to-bed condition" or the "second wake-up / go-to-bed condition."

[0061] Next, a preferred modification of the above-described embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0062] (Variation 1) In the first modification, the "first wake-up / go-to-bed condition" performed by the sphygmomanometer 10 is visualized and communicated to the subject. FIG. 10 shows the display unit 27 of the sphygmomanometer 10A according to the first modification. The display unit 27 displays a posture determination icon 41 and / or an activity amount determination icon 42 to indicate whether the posture and / or activity amount determination is met at step S3 in FIG. 3 for the wake-up determination or at step S23 in FIG. 7 for the go-to-bed determination. The determination icons 41 and 42 display, for example, "◯" if the determination is met and "×" if the determination is not met. The subject can know whether the posture and activity amount conditions are met by looking at the posture and activity amount determination icons 41 and 42.

[0063] (Variation 2) In the second modification, the "second wake-up / go-to-bed condition" performed by the sphygmomanometer 10 is visualized and communicated to the subject. FIG. 11 shows the display unit 27 of the sphygmomanometer 10B according to the second modification. The display unit 27 displays a timer icon 43 to indicate whether the "◯" judgments of the posture and activity amount judgment icons 41 and 42 continue for the wake-up / go-to-bed reference time during steps S4 to S6 of FIG. 3 for the wake-up judgment and during steps S24 to S26 of FIG. 7 for the go-to-bed judgment. The timer icon 43 indicates the remaining time or elapsed time relative to the wake-up / go-to-bed reference time. By looking at the timer icon 43, the subject can know how long they need to maintain the posture and activity amount conditions.

[0064] (Variation 3) In Modification 3, the "weighted sum y1 of fluctuation amounts" and / or the "weighted sum y2 of the number of fluctuations" calculated by the sphygmomanometer 10 are visualized and communicated to the subject. FIG. 12 shows the display unit 27 of a sphygmomanometer 10C according to Modification 3. During steps S12-4 to S12-5 in FIG. 4, the display unit 27 displays a level meter 44 of the weighted sum y1 of fluctuation amounts of the upper arm and / or the weighted sum y2 of the number of fluctuations, along with a reference bar 45 corresponding to the activity threshold. By looking at the level meter 44 and the reference bar 45, the subject can know how much more the activity amount should be increased or decreased relative to the activity amount condition.

[0065] In addition, when the predetermined standard for the "second wake-up / go-to-bed condition" according to the second modification example uses the standard number of times to wake up / go to bed instead of the standard time to wake up / go to bed, an icon similar to the level meter 44 and the standard bar 45 described above may be used to inform the user how long the posture and activity conditions need to be maintained.

[0066] These modifications 1 to 3 may be displayed in combination. Furthermore, the icons 41 to 45 are not limited to the displays shown in the figures, and other characters or figures may be used. Furthermore, the means for notifying the subject is not limited to the display unit 27. If the sphygmomanometer 10 is equipped with a buzzer or an LED light source, the contents of modifications 1 to 3 may be notified by sound or flashing light instead of or in addition to the display unit 27. Alternatively, the pump 21 may be temporarily inflated to notify the subject through the cuff 14 (the subject's tactile sense). Furthermore, the external communication device 50 may be used via the communication unit 26 as a means for notifying the subject. By using the display unit of the external communication device 50, the contents of the icons 41 to 45 can be conveyed in more detail. Furthermore, advertising communication with the external communication device 50 may be resumed when the "first wake-up / go-to-bed condition" is satisfied, and notification may be made using a speaker or vibrator provided in the external communication device 50 when the "second wake-up / go-to-bed condition" is satisfied.

[0067] Although the preferred embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these can be modified and combined based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10...sphygmomanometer, 12...main body, 14...cuff (blood pressure measuring means), 21...pump, 22...opening / closing valve, 23...pressure sensor, 24...motion detection unit, 25...storage unit, 26...communication unit, 27...display unit, 28...operation button, 29...mark, 30...control unit, 31...air supply / exhaust control unit, 32...blood pressure calculation unit, 33...action determination unit, 34...standby time management unit, 35...standby time setting unit, 50...external communication device

Claims

1. a cuff to be attached to the upper arm of the subject; a main body fixed to the cuff; a blood pressure measuring means for measuring the blood pressure of the subject by supplying air to the cuff and detecting the pressure; a movement detection means provided on the main body or the cuff for detecting the movement of the upper arm; and activity determination means for detecting the movement of the upper arm from the detection value of the movement detection means and determining a wake-up activity of the person being measured based on the posture of the upper arm and the amount of activity of the upper arm, The action determination means When a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means exceeds a posture threshold or an activity threshold, it is determined that a first wake-up condition is satisfied, and the time is set as a tentative wake-up time, assuming that a wake-up action has occurred; When a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means exceeds predetermined criteria related to the posture threshold and the activity threshold, the second wake-up condition is deemed to be satisfied, and the wake-up action is confirmed, and the tentative wake-up time is determined to be the wake-up time. A blood pressure monitor characterized by:

2. The action determination means From the detection value of the motion detection means, an average value of the upper arm's gravity direction value per unit time; Calculating the sum of the upper arm movement amounts and the sum of the upper arm movement counts for a unit time; determining that the first wake-up condition is satisfied when the average value exceeds the posture threshold or when either the sum exceeds the activity threshold; When the sum and the average value for determining the first wake-up condition exceed the activity threshold and the posture threshold by a predetermined standard, respectively, it is determined that the second wake-up condition is satisfied.

2. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 1 .

3. a standby time management means for controlling the blood pressure measurement means so that the blood pressure value after the wake-up action is automatically measured after a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the wake-up action determination means finalized the determination of the wake-up action; a standby time setting means for setting the standby time; 2. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 1, further comprising a storage means for storing the blood pressure value after the wake-up action in association with the wake-up time and the waiting time.

4. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 1 , wherein the main body notifies the subject whether the first wake-up condition and / or the second wake-up condition is satisfied.

5. The blood pressure monitor of claim 1, wherein the activity determination means determines that a first bedtime condition is met when a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means falls below the activity threshold, assumes that the activity is going to bed, and sets that time as a provisional bedtime time; and determines that a second bedtime condition is met when a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means falls below a predetermined standard related to the activity threshold, confirms the determination that the activity is going to bed, and determines the provisional bedtime as the bedtime.

6. The action determination means From the detection value of the motion detection means, Calculating at least the sum of the upper arm movement amounts and the sum of the upper arm movement counts for a unit time; When either of the sums falls below the activity threshold, it is determined that the first bed condition is satisfied; 6. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 5, wherein the second bed condition is determined to be satisfied when the sum used to determine the first bed condition is lower than the activity threshold by a predetermined standard.

7. a standby time management means for controlling the blood pressure measurement means so that the blood pressure value after the bedtime activity is automatically measured after a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the activity determination means confirmed the bedtime activity; and a standby time setting means for setting the standby time; 6. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 5, further comprising a storage means for storing the blood pressure value after the bedtime activity in association with the bedtime and the waiting time.

8. 6. The blood pressure monitor according to claim 5, wherein the main body notifies the subject whether the first bed condition and / or the second bed condition is satisfied.

9. A blood pressure measuring device measures the blood pressure of the subject by supplying air to a cuff attached to the subject's upper arm and detecting the pressure, and a movement detecting device detects the movement of the upper arm. determining whether a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means exceeds a posture threshold or an activity threshold to determine whether a first wake-up condition is satisfied; a step of assuming that a wake-up action has occurred when the first wake-up condition is satisfied and setting the time as a tentative wake-up time; determining whether a second wake-up condition is satisfied based on whether a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means exceeds predetermined criteria related to the posture threshold and the activity threshold; a step of determining the wake-up action as a final determination when the second wake-up condition is satisfied and determining the tentative wake-up time as a wake-up time; a step of automatically measuring a blood pressure value after the wake-up action after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the determination of the wake-up action was confirmed, and storing the blood pressure value in association with the wake-up time and the waiting time; A blood pressure measuring method comprising:

10. A blood pressure measuring device measures the blood pressure of the subject by supplying air to a cuff attached to the subject's upper arm and detecting the pressure, and a movement detecting device detects the movement of the upper arm. determining whether a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means is below an activity threshold value, thereby satisfying a first bedtime condition; a step of assuming that the first bedtime condition is met as a bedtime behavior and setting the time as a tentative bedtime; determining whether a second bedtime condition is satisfied based on whether a value based on the detection value of the movement detection means is below a predetermined standard related to the activity threshold; a step of determining the bedtime as the tentative bedtime by determining that the bedtime has occurred when the second bedtime condition is satisfied; a step of automatically measuring a blood pressure value after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the determination of the bedtime behavior was confirmed, and storing the blood pressure value in association with the bedtime and the waiting time; A blood pressure measuring method comprising:

11. A blood pressure measurement program for causing a computer to execute the steps recited in claim 9.

12. A blood pressure measurement program for causing a computer to execute the steps recited in claim 10.

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