Flow path plate unit and blood pressure measurement device

Abstract

Provided is a flow path plate unit in which flow paths for a fluid are formed, and connection parts for connection with a pump and a cuff are provided, the flow path plate unit comprising: a first plate member having at least a connection part for connection with the pump; a second plate member having at least a connection part for connection with the cuff; a thin film sheet disposed between the first plate member and the second plate member, and provided with at least one orifice; a first thick film sheet disposed between the first plate member and the thin film sheet, and including a flow path that provides communication between the connection part of the first plate member for connection with the pump and the orifice of the thin film sheet, the first thick film sheet having a thickness greater than that of the thin film sheet; and a second thick film sheet disposed between the second plate member and the thin film sheet, and including a flow path that provides communication between the connection part of the second plate member for connection with the cuff and the orifice of the thin film sheet, the second thick film sheet having a thickness greater than that of the thin film sheet.

Description

Flow path plate unit and blood pressure measuring device

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of healthcare-related technology, and particularly relates to a blood pressure measuring device and a flow path plate unit used therein.

[0002] A commonly known blood pressure measurement device is, for example, an oscillometric device that measures blood pressure by inflating and deflating a cuff wrapped around the upper arm or wrist of a living subject and detecting the pressure of the cuff using a pressure sensor to detect a pressure pulse wave. In recent years, it has become common for individuals to measure their own physical and health information (hereinafter also referred to as biological information) such as blood pressure values ​​on a daily basis using measuring devices and to utilize the measurement results for health management. This has led to an increasing demand for devices that emphasize portability, and many portable measuring devices have been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0003] In such portable devices, a unit in which a flow path is formed inside a plate-shaped member is used. In wearable devices, not only blood pressure measurement devices, miniaturization and weight reduction are required to make them as easy to wear as possible, while appropriate sharing and discharge of fluid is required for accurate blood pressure measurement, and therefore appropriate (highly accurate) setting of flow path resistance within the flow path is required.

[0004] Although not related to the field of blood pressure measurement devices, one known invention related to such a flow path unit is a microchannel chip used in immunochromatography (Patent Document 2). In the invention described in Patent Document 2, a plurality of substrates and membrane members are stacked, a flow path pattern is provided on each layer, and these are joined to form a three-dimensional flow path, and appropriate flow path resistance is achieved by changing the width of the flow path provided in the horizontal direction of the membrane member.

[0005] JP 2018-143557 A JP 2003-114229 A

[0006] In the invention described in Patent Document 2, flow path resistance is provided by flow paths arranged in the horizontal plane (XY plane) of the film-like member, which causes a problem of large flow path resistance errors due to the manufacturing method. Flow path resistance errors include dimensional errors in the flow path shape itself, gaps that occur when joining sheets, excess adhesive material, and variations in flow path length due to misalignment of each sheet. It is technically difficult to reduce these errors with the flow path plate configuration described in Patent Document 2, and even if it were possible to achieve this, increased costs are expected.

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology for realizing a fluid circuit with small flow path resistance error at low cost.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration: That is, a flow path plate unit in which a fluid flow path is formed and which is provided with a connection portion with a pump and a cuff, the flow path plate unit comprising: a first plate member in which at least the connection portion with the pump is formed, a second plate member in which at least the connection portion with the cuff is formed, a thin film sheet disposed between the first plate member and the second plate member and provided with one or more orifices, a first thick film sheet disposed between the first plate member and the thin film sheet and which is provided with a flow path connecting the connection portion with the pump of the first plate member and the orifice of the thin film sheet and which is formed to be thicker than the thin film sheet, and a second thick film sheet disposed between the second plate member and the thin film sheet and which is provided with a flow path connecting the connection portion with the cuff of the second plate member and the orifice of the thin film sheet and which is formed to be thicker than the thin film sheet.

[0009] With this configuration, the flow resistance for controlling the flow rate (flow velocity) can be designed as a simple hole (orifice). Furthermore, by separating the thin film sheet layer with the orifice (control flow resistance) from other layers, the flow resistance can be controlled by the performance of the orifice portion, minimizing the impact on the performance of the pump or valve. This makes it possible to realize a flow path plate unit with low error in flow path resistance at low cost.

[0010] The first plate member, the first thick film sheet, the thin film sheet, the second thick film sheet, and the second plate member may be joined by an adhesive member. Furthermore, the first thick film sheet and the second thick film sheet may be double-sided tape, and the first thick film sheet may be joined to the first plate member on one side and to the thin film sheet on the other side, and the second thick film sheet may be joined to the second plate member on one side and to the thin film sheet on the other side.

[0011] With this configuration, the first and second thick film sheets themselves can also serve as adhesive members, which can easily prevent thickness errors in the flow path plate unit. Also, the layers of the first plate member, the first thick film sheet, the thin film sheet, the second thick film sheet, and the second plate member can be easily bonded, which can contribute to simplifying assembly.

[0012] The thin film sheet may be a metal sheet on which the orifice is provided and may be formed to have a smaller area than the first plate member, the second plate member, the first thick film sheet, and the second thick film sheet. This configuration reduces the manufacturing cost of the flow path plate unit compared to forming the thin film sheet as a sheet with the same area as the other members. When the thin film sheet is made of metal, it can be formed by laser processing, electroforming, or other methods depending on the size and shape of the thin film sheet.

[0013] The flow path plate unit may further include a film member disposed between the first plate member and the second plate member, having a thickness comparable to that of the thin film sheet and having an opening shaped to accommodate the thin film sheet in a plan view, and the thin film sheet may be disposed in the opening of the film member. With this configuration, even if the thin film sheet is formed to have a smaller area than each of the first plate member, the second plate member, the first thick film sheet, and the second thick film sheet, the overall thickness of the layer in which the thin film sheet is disposed can be made comparable to that of the thin film sheet. This stabilizes the bonding state between adjacent members, such as the first and second thick film sheets, and reduces the risk of air leakage.

[0014] The first thick film sheet and the second thick film sheet may be double-sided tapes, and the flow path plate unit may further include a first film sheet arranged between the first thick film sheet and the thin film sheet, a first adhesive sheet arranged between the first film sheet and the thin film sheet, a second film sheet arranged between the second thick film sheet and the thin film sheet, and a second adhesive sheet arranged between the second film sheet and the thin film sheet.

[0015] This configuration allows for complex flow path wiring and reduces the area of ​​the flow path plate unit. Furthermore, even if the thin film sheet has an orifice-forming portion and a film portion, it is possible to prevent flow path narrowing.

[0016] The orifice may be formed to have a tapered shape that is open on the side where the fluid flows in. With this configuration, the pressure dependency of the flow path resistance caused by the fluid viscosity can be reduced, the flow rate from low pressure to the cuff can be increased during pressurization (cuff inflation), and air can be prevented from remaining at low pressure during exhaust.

[0017] Furthermore, each of the first plate member, the first thick film sheet, the thin film sheet, the second thick film sheet, and the second plate member may have a notch or a hole formed therein for positioning during bonding, thereby reducing positioning errors of each layer.

[0018] The present invention can also be applied to a blood pressure measuring device including the flow path plate unit.

[0019] The present invention can be achieved by combining the above-described configurations and processes as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for realizing a fluid circuit with small flow path resistance error at low cost.

[0021] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an outline of a blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of a blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship when the blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment is worn on the wrist. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment as seen from the side. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a flow path plate unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the functional configuration of a blood pressure measurement device according to an embodiment and the air flow path within the flow path plate unit. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a flow path plate unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a flow path plate unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of an orifice portion in the flow path plate unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a flow path plate unit according to a modified example.

[0022] <Embodiment 1> Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, and the like of the components described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those.

[0023] (Device Configuration) Fig. 1 is an external perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of a blood pressure measurement device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the outline of the configuration of the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the blood pressure measurement device 1 is generally a wristwatch-type wearable device having a main body 10 and a belt 20, and can measure blood pressure values ​​while worn on a human wrist T. Fig. 3 shows the positional relationship between the wrist T and each component of the blood pressure measurement device 1 when the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to this embodiment is worn on the wrist T.

[0024] 1 and 2, the main body 10 includes a main body housing 11 and a cuff cover 16, which will be described later. The main body housing 11 is provided with a display 12 (e.g., an organic EL display), operation buttons 13a and 13b, a lug 14, and the like. In this embodiment, the side on which the display 12 is formed is referred to as the front surface of the main body housing 11, and the side on which the cuff cover 16 is provided is referred to as the bottom surface of the main body housing 11. In the following description, the front surface side of the main body housing 11 may be referred to as the upper side, and the bottom surface side of the main body housing 11 may be referred to as the lower side.

[0025] The belt unit 20 includes a belt 21 and a hook-and-loop fastener 25 for fixing the blood pressure measuring device 1 to the wrist T, as well as a pressure cuff 22 for compressing an artery in the wrist T and a sensing cuff 24 for detecting a pressure pulse wave. The connection portions of the pressure cuff 22 and the sensing cuff 24 with the main body housing 11 are covered by a cuff cover 16. The cuff cover 16 protects the connection portions of the pressure cuff 22 and the sensing cuff 24 with the main body housing 11, and also has the function of fixing each cuff to the main body housing 11.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main body housing 11 as viewed from the side, showing an overview of the internal configuration of the main body housing 11 of the blood pressure measuring device 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the main body housing 11 houses a rechargeable battery 91, a control board 17, a pump 31, a valve 32, a pressure sensor 33, a flow path plate unit 100, and the like. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic external appearance of the flow path plate unit 100.

[0027] The rechargeable battery 91 may be a general-purpose secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, and can be repeatedly charged by receiving power via a charging terminal (not shown). The control board 17 also has a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and other components mounted thereon (not shown).

[0028] The pump 31 is, for example, a piezoelectric pump, electrically connected to the control board 17, compresses air, and supplies it to the pressure cuff 22 and the sensing cuff 24 via the flow path plate unit 100. The valve 32, as will be described later, is connected to a valve connection portion 102 of the flow path plate unit 100, and releases the air supplied to the pressure cuff 22 to the atmosphere. The valve 32 is electrically connected to the control board 17, and is opened and closed under the control of the processor. The pressure sensor 33 is connected to a sensor connection portion 103 of the flow path plate unit 100, and detects the pressure of the sensing cuff 24 via the air flowing through a flow path formed in the flow path plate unit 100. That is, the pressure sensor 33 is electrically connected to the control board 17, converts the detected pressure into an electrical signal, and outputs it to the processor.

[0029] The pressure cuff 22 is connected to a pressure cuff connection part 106 (not shown in FIG. 5 ) disposed below the flow path plate unit 100, and is inflated by air sent from the pump 31 to tighten the wrist T of the attachment part, applying external pressure to the artery in the wrist T. The sensing cuff 24 is a fluid bag for detecting the pressure applied to the area compressed by the pressure cuff 22, and is connected to a sensing cuff connection part 107 (not shown in FIG. 5 ) of the flow path plate unit 100. When a small amount of air is contained in the sensing cuff 24, the internal pressure is detected by the pressure sensor 33, thereby measuring the pressure applied to the compressed area.

[0030] (Functional Configuration of the Device) Next, the functional configuration of the blood pressure measurement device 1 will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the functional configuration of the blood pressure measurement device 1 and the air flow path. Note that the thick solid lines in FIG. 6 schematically show the air flow path through each layer in the flow path plate unit 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the blood pressure measurement device 1 according to this embodiment has various functional units, including a control unit 40, a display unit 50, an operation unit 60, a communication unit 70, a storage unit 80, and a power supply unit 90. These functional units are realized, for example, by the processor of the control board 17 reading and executing a program from memory to control the various components of the blood pressure measurement device 1.

[0031] The control unit 40 includes a processor (not shown) on the control board 17 and controls the entire blood pressure measurement device 1. Specifically, it controls, for example, the pump 31, the valve 32, the pressure sensor 33, etc., and measures blood pressure by the so-called oscillometric method. Blood pressure measurement by the oscillometric method is a well-known technique, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0032] The display unit 50 includes a display 12 and displays various information such as blood pressure measurement results, menu screens, etc. The operation unit 60 includes operation buttons 13a and 13b and accepts input operations from the user via these buttons.

[0033] The communication unit 70 includes an interface (not shown) for wired or wireless communication, and communicates information with an external device such as an information processing terminal, for example, via BLE communication. Specifically, the communication unit 70 transmits information such as measured blood pressure values ​​and pulse rate to the external device, and also receives programs for software updates from the external device and sends them to the control unit 40. The external device is, for example, an information processing terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or a smartwatch.

[0034] The storage unit 80 includes a main storage device such as RAM and stores various types of information such as application programs and measured biological information. In addition to RAM, the storage unit 80 may also include a long-term storage medium such as a flash memory. The power supply unit 90 includes a rechargeable battery 91 and functions as a power supply source for each component of the blood pressure measurement device 1.

[0035] 5 to 9, the details of the configuration of the flow path plate unit 100 and the air flow within the blood pressure measurement device 1 will be described. Figures 7 and 8 are exploded perspective views of the flow path plate unit 100, and Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the flow path plate unit 100 showing the structure of an orifice (second orifice 196) described later.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5 , the flow path plate unit 100 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, e.g., 40 mm long, 25 mm wide, and 1 mm thick, and is provided with bosses and nozzles for connection to other components of the blood pressure measurement device 1. The upper surface of the flow path plate unit 100 is provided with openings such as a pump connection portion 101 for connection to the pump 31, a valve connection portion 102 for connection to the valve 32, a sensor connection portion 103 for connection to the pressure sensor 33, and an air vent 104. An opening 108 is also provided through the flow path plate unit 100 near its center in plan view to avoid interference with components (not shown) housed inside the main body housing 11. Screw insertion holes 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d are provided near each of the four corners of the rectangle for passing screws used to fasten the flow path plate unit to the main body housing 11. Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 5, the underside of the flow path plate unit 100 is provided with openings for a pressure cuff connection part 106 that connects to the pressure cuff 22 and a sensing cuff connection part 107 that connects to the sensing cuff.

[0037] 7 and 8, the flow path plate unit 100 is formed by joining five sheet-like members, namely, a first metal plate 110, a first thick film sheet 130, a thin film sheet 190, a second thick film sheet 140, and a second metal plate 120, in layers arranged in this order from the top. Specifically, the first thick film sheet 130 and the second thick film sheet 140 are each double-sided tape, and the first thick film sheet 130 is joined to the first metal plate 110 and the thin film sheet 190, and the second thick film sheet 140 is joined to the second metal plate 120 and the thin film sheet 190.

[0038] The first metal plate 110 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and is provided with a pump connection hole 111 that constitutes the pump connection portion 101, a valve connection hole 112 that constitutes the valve connection portion 102, a sensor connection hole 113 that constitutes the sensor connection portion 103, and an atmosphere connection hole 114 that constitutes the atmosphere vent 104. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8 , positioning openings 119a, 119b, 119c, and 119d are provided near the four corners of the first metal plate 110. These positioning openings function as positioning portions when joining the layers together, and also constitute screw insertion holes 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d. The thickness of the first metal plate 110 is, for example, 0.35 mm.

[0039] The first thick film sheet 130 is a double-sided tape having a base material such as an acrylic foam material, and is formed with a first communication flow path 131, which is an opening that branches the air sent from the pump 31 and connects it to the flow path in the thin film sheet 190, a valve connection hole 132 that forms an air flow path to the valve 32, a sensor connection hole 133 that forms an air flow path to the pressure sensor 33, and an air connection hole 134 that forms an air flow path to the air vent 104. Also, as shown in Figure 8, four positioning openings (139a, 139b, 139c, and one not shown in the drawing) are provided near the four corners of the first thick film sheet 130, which function as positioning portions when joining the various layers and also form screw insertion holes 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d. The thickness of the first thick film sheet 130 is, for example, 0.15 mm.

[0040] The thin film sheet 190 is formed of a metal such as nickel, and by laser processing or the like, pressure cuff connection holes 191a and 191b that form an air flow path to the pressure cuff 22, a valve connection hole 192 that forms an air flow path to the valve 32, a sensor connection hole 193 that forms an air flow path to the pressure sensor 33, and a first orifice 195 and a second orifice 196 that are openings that function as flow resistances are formed.

[0041] The first orifice 195 is a connecting hole that constitutes a flow path for air from the first communication flow path 131 of the first thick film sheet 130 to the fifth communication flow path 145 of the second thick film sheet 140, which will be described later. Because the hole diameter of the first orifice 195 is smaller than the width of the first communication flow path 131, the first orifice 195 acts as a flow resistance, and the air flow rate is lower in the flow path subsequent to the first orifice 195 than in the flow path preceding it. The second orifice 196 is a connecting hole that constitutes a flow path for air from the fourth communication flow path 144 of the second thick film sheet 140, which will be described later, to the atmosphere connection hole 134 of the first thick film sheet 130. Because the hole diameter of the second orifice 196 is smaller than the width of the fourth communication flow path 144, the second orifice 196 acts as a flow resistance, and the air flow rate is lower in the flow path subsequent to the second orifice 196 than in the flow path preceding it. The first thick film sheet 130 and the second thick film sheet 140 are formed to be thicker than the thin film sheet 190. As a result, the fluid resistance values ​​of the flow paths formed in the first thick film sheet 130 and the second thick film sheet 140 are negligibly small compared to the fluid resistance values ​​of the first orifice 195 and the second orifice 196, and the fluid resistance values ​​can be set with high precision by the hole diameters of the first orifice 195 and the second orifice 196.

[0042] Here, the orifice may be a cylindrical conduit, but it may also be a tapered conduit that opens toward the air inflow side. For example, as shown in FIG. 9 , the second orifice 196 is formed in a tapered shape that opens toward the second thick film sheet 140. The white arrow in FIG. 9 indicates the direction of air flow. Forming the orifice in such a tapered shape allows for easier processing than a cylindrical shape, and the flow path resistance can be set by the hole diameter on the narrow side of the orifice. The diameter of the tapered shape is, for example, approximately 50 μm on the wide side and approximately 30 μm on the narrow side. Forming a tapered orifice in a thin sheet reduces the pressure dependence of flow path resistance due to fluid viscosity, increasing the flow rate from low pressure to the cuff during pressurization and preventing air from remaining at low pressure during exhaustion.

[0043] 8, four positioning openings (199a, 199b, 199c, and one not shown in the drawing) are provided near the four corners of thin film sheet 190. These openings function as positioning portions when joining the layers together, and also form screw insertion holes 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d. Thin film sheet 190 has a thickness of, for example, 0.05 mm.

[0044] Second thick film sheet 140 is a double-sided tape having a base material such as an acrylic foam material, and is formed with pressure cuff connection holes 141a and 141b that form a flow path for air toward pressure cuff 22. Second thick film sheet 140 also has a second communication flow path 142 that connects pressure cuff connection hole 121c of second metal plate 120 (described later) with valve connection hole 192 of thin film sheet 190, and serves as a flow path for air exhausted from pressure cuff 22. Second thick film sheet 140 also has a third communication flow path 143 that connects sensing cuff connection hole 122b of second metal plate 120 (described later) with sensor connection hole 193 of thin film sheet 190, and forms a flow path for air from sensing cuff 24 to pressure sensor 33. Also, second thick film sheet 140 is formed with a fourth communication flow path 144 that connects sensing cuff connection hole 122c of second metal plate 120 (described later) and second orifice 196 of thin film sheet 190. Also, second thick film sheet 140 is formed with a fifth communication flow path 145 that connects first orifice 195 of thin film sheet 190 and sensing cuff connection hole 122a of second metal plate 120 (described later) and serves as a flow path for air toward sensing cuff 24.

[0045] 8, four positioning openings (149a, 149b, 149c, and one not shown in the drawing) are provided near the four corners of the second thick film sheet 140. These openings function as positioning portions when joining the layers together, and also form the screw insertion holes 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d. The thickness of the second thick film sheet 140 is, for example, 0.15 mm.

[0046] Second metal plate 120 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and is formed near one longitudinal end with pressure cuff connection holes 121a and 121b that form a flow path for air flowing into pressure cuff 22, and pressure cuff connection hole 121c that forms a flow path for air exhausted from pressure cuff 22. Further, near the other longitudinal end, sensing cuff connection hole 122a that forms a flow path for air flowing into sensing cuff 24, and sensing cuff connection holes 122b and 122c that form a flow path for air exhausted from sensing cuff 24. Pressure cuff connection holes 121a, 121b, and 121c form pressure cuff connection part 106, and sensing cuff connection holes 122a, 122b, and 122c form sensing cuff connection part 107.

[0047] 8, four positioning openings (129a, 129b, 129c, and one not shown in the drawing) are provided near the four corners of the second metal plate 120. These openings function as positioning portions when joining the layers together, and also form the screw insertion holes 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d. The thickness of the second metal plate 120 is, for example, 0.35 mm.

[0048] (Effects of this embodiment) According to the configuration of the flow path plate unit 100 as described above, the flow resistance of the flow path can be adjusted by the first orifice 195 and the second orifice 196 formed in the thin film sheet 190, and the resistance error of the flow path can be reduced, so that a flow path with small resistance error can be realized at low cost. Furthermore, the flow path plate unit 100 is formed by joining two metal plates and a thin film sheet with double-sided tape on which the flow paths are formed, and the flow paths can be appropriately sealed.

[0049] <Modification> In the above embodiment, the flow path plate unit 100 is formed from five sheet-like members, but this configuration is not necessarily required. Below, a flow path plate unit 200 according to a modification will be described. In the following description, components common to the blood pressure measurement device 1 of embodiment 1 will be designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the flow path plate unit 200. The appearance of the flow path plate unit 200 is almost the same as that of the flow path plate unit 100, as shown in Fig. 5. The air flow between the pump 31, pressure cuff 22, sensing cuff 24, valve 32, pressure sensor 33, and atmosphere vent 104 via the flow path plate unit 200 is also the same as in the first embodiment. That is, the air flow within the flow path plate unit 200 is also the same as that of the flow path plate unit 100.

[0051] 10 , the flow path plate unit 200 includes, as components, a first metal plate 110, a first thick film sheet 130, a thin film sheet 290, a second thick film sheet 140, and a second metal plate 120, similar to the flow path plate unit 100. In addition to these sheet-like members, a buffer film 250 and a double-sided tape 270 are disposed between the first thick film sheet 130 and the thin film sheet 290, and a buffer film 260 and a double-sided tape 280 are disposed between the second thick film sheet 140 and the thin film sheet 290, respectively.

[0052] The buffer films 250 and 260 are each made of a resin (PET) film and have a thickness of, for example, 0.025 mm. The double-sided tapes 270 and 280 each have a base material such as an acrylic foam material and have a thickness of, for example, 0.03 mm.

[0053] The buffer films 250, 260 and the double-sided tapes 270, 280 all have the same shape in plan view and are provided with the same openings, specifically, an opening that forms a flow path for air flowing from the pump 31 to the pressure cuff 22, an opening that forms a flow path connecting the first communication flow path 131 of the first thick film sheet 130 and the fifth communication flow path 145 of the second thick film sheet 140, an opening that forms a flow path connecting the second communication flow path 142 of the second thick film sheet 140 and the valve 32, an opening that forms a flow path connecting the third communication flow path 143 of the second thick film sheet 140 and the pressure sensor 33, and an opening that forms a flow path connecting the fourth communication flow path 144 of the second thick film sheet 140 and the atmosphere vent 104.

[0054] In addition, the buffer films 250, 260 and the double-sided tapes 270, 280 are also provided with openings that form the screw insertion holes 109a, 109b, 109c, 109d, and openings that form the opening 108 for preventing interference with components housed inside the main body housing 11.

[0055] The thin film sheet 290 of this modified example is composed of orifice forming portions 291 and 292 made of metal (for example, nickel). In addition, a film portion 293 made of resin (for example, PET) formed to have approximately the same thickness as the orifice forming portions 291 and 292 is arranged in the same layer as the thin film sheet 290. Specifically, the film portion 293 is provided with openings that are slightly larger in area than the orifice forming portions 291 and 292, and the orifice forming portions 291 and 292 and the film portion 293 are arranged so that the orifice forming portions 291 and 292 fit into the openings in a plan view.

[0056] A first orifice 295 is formed in the orifice forming portion 291, and a second orifice 296 is formed in the orifice forming portion 292. The orifice forming portions 291, 292 may be formed by, for example, electroforming. Forming the orifice forming portions 291, 292 (thin film sheet 290) by electroforming allows the orifice diameter to be formed with high precision, and also reduces the overall area of ​​the thin film sheet 290, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0057] Since the orifice forming portions 291, 292 and the film portion 293 are separate members, the bonding stability of each member and the sealing of the flow path can be strengthened by providing layers of double-sided tape 270, 280. Furthermore, the provision of layers of buffer films 250, 260 can prevent the flow path from being constricted in the Z direction.

[0058] Moreover, by forming the flow path plate units 200 in multiple layers as in this modified example, it is possible to configure a complex flow path.

[0059] <Others> The above examples are merely illustrative of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Various modifications and combinations of the present invention are possible within the scope of the technical concept. For example, in the above examples, the thin film sheet is configured to have two orifices, but the number of orifices is not necessarily limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. In other words, the flow paths within the flow path plate unit can be freely designed.

[0060] 10, the film portion 293 covers the entire area except for the thin film sheet 290 when the flow path plate unit 200 is viewed from above, is formed in a shape having openings that accommodate the orifice forming portions 291 and 292, and is arranged on the same layer as the thin film sheet 290 (the orifice forming portions 291 and 292), but this configuration is not necessarily required. For example, the film portion 293 may be arranged in a dispersed manner on the same layer as the thin film sheet 290, or may not have any film portion 293.

[0061] Furthermore, the fluid flowing through the flow path plate unit is not limited to gas such as air, and the flow path plate unit can also be used to form a flow path for liquid.Furthermore, the flow path plate unit can be used in blood pressure measurement devices other than wristwatch-type devices.

[0062] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Blood pressure measuring device 10... Main body 11... Main body housing 12... Display 13a, 13b... Operation buttons 14... Lug 16... Cuff cover 17... Control board 20... Belt section 21... Belt 22... Pressure cuff 24... Sensing cuff 25... Hook-and-loop fastener 31... Piezoelectric pump 32... Valve 33... Pressure sensor 91... Rechargeable battery 100, 200... Flow path plate unit 101... Pump connection section 102... Valve connection section 103... Sensor connection section 104... Atmospheric release port 106... Pressure cuff connection section 107... Sensing cuff connection section 108... Opening section 109a, 109b, 109c, 109d... Screw insertion hole 110... First metal plate 111... Pump connection hole 112, 132, 192... Valve connection hole 113, 133, 193...Sensor connection holes 114, 134...Atmosphere connection holes 119a, 119b, 119c, 119d, 129a, 129b, 129c, 139a, 139b, 139c, 149a, 149b, 149c, 199a, 199b, 199c...Positioning openings 120...Second metal plate 121a, 121b, 121c, 141a, 141b, 191a, 191b...Pressure cuff connection holes 122a, 122b, 122c...Sensing cuff connection holes 130...First thick film sheet 131...First communication flow path 140...Second thick film sheet 142...Second communication flow path 143...Third communication flow path 144...Fourth communication flow path 145: Fifth connecting flow path 190, 290: Thin film sheets 195, 295: First orifices 196, 296: Second orifices 250, 260: Buffer films 270, 280: Double-sided tape 291, 292: Orifice forming portions 293: Film portion T: Wrist

Claims

1. A flow path plate unit in which a fluid flow path is formed and in which a connection portion with a pump and a cuff is provided, comprising: a first plate member in which at least a connection portion with the pump is formed; a second plate member in which at least a connection portion with the cuff is formed; a thin film sheet arranged between the first plate member and the second plate member and in which one or more orifices are provided; a first thick film sheet arranged between the first plate member and the thin film sheet and in which a flow path connects the connection portion of the first plate member with the pump and the orifice of the thin film sheet, and in which the thickness is greater than that of the thin film sheet; and a second thick film sheet arranged between the second plate member and the thin film sheet and in which a flow path connects the connection portion of the second plate member with the cuff and the orifice of the thin film sheet, and in which the thickness is greater than that of the thin film sheet.

2. The flow path plate unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the first plate member, the first thick film sheet, the thin film sheet, the second thick film sheet, and the second plate member are joined together by an adhesive member.

3. The flow path plate unit described in claim 2, characterized in that the first thick film sheet and the second thick film sheet are double-sided tapes, the first thick film sheet is joined to the first plate member on one side and to the thin film sheet on the other side, and the second thick film sheet is joined to the second plate member on one side and to the thin film sheet on the other side.

4. The flow path plate unit described in claim 1, characterized in that the thin film sheet is a metal sheet in which the orifice is provided, and is formed into a shape having a smaller area than each of the first plate member, the second plate member, the first thick film sheet, and the second thick film sheet.

5. The flow path plate unit according to claim 4, wherein the thin film sheet is formed by electroforming.

6. A flow path plate unit as described in claim 4, further comprising a film member disposed between the first plate member and the second plate member, having a thickness approximately equal to that of the thin film sheet and having an opening shaped to accommodate the thin film sheet in a planar view, the thin film sheet being disposed in the opening of the film member.

7. The flow path plate unit described in claim 1, characterized in that the first thick film sheet and the second thick film sheet are double-sided tapes, and further comprising: a first film sheet arranged between the first thick film sheet and the thin film sheet; a first adhesive sheet arranged between the first film sheet and the thin film sheet; a second film sheet arranged between the second thick film sheet and the thin film sheet; and a second adhesive sheet arranged between the second film sheet and the thin film sheet.

8. The flow path plate unit according to claim 1, wherein the orifice is formed to have a tapered shape that opens toward the side into which the fluid flows.

9. A flow path plate unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that each of the first plate member, the first thick film sheet, the thin film sheet, the second thick film sheet and the second plate member has a notch or hole formed therein for positioning during bonding.

10. A blood pressure measuring device comprising the flow path plate unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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