Portable bio-signal measuring device including pen-shaped main body

Abstract

Disclosed is a portable bio-signal measuring device including a pen-shaped main body, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The portable bio-signal measuring device including a pen-shaped main body, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a first electrode which is located in a first region of the main body and measures a first potential of a subject when in contact with a first body part of the subject; a second electrode which is located in a second region of the main body and measures a second potential of the subject when in contact with a second body part of the subject; and one or more processors for calculating an electrocardiogram signal of the subject on the basis of the first potential and the second potential.

Description

Portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to a biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body.

[0002] [Cross-reference to related applications]

[0003] This application claims priority to Republic of Korea Provisional Patent Application No. 10-2023-0102168, filed August 4, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] Medical ECGs typically used in hospitals and clinics utilize 12 channels, six of which are limb leads and the remaining six are thoracic leads. The limb leads are measured using the extremities of the upper and lower extremities, while the thoracic leads are measured by attaching electrodes to the skin of the chest. Therefore, a medical 12-channel ECG uses multiple wires to connect electrodes to the upper, lower, and thoracic regions to measure the ECG.

[0005] Recently, simplified electrocardiogram devices designed for personal use or wearables have become increasingly popular. While portable, these devices have limitations, such as limited ability to measure ECGs from limb leads or within a very limited area above the rib cage. ECGs measured in this manner fail to capture the full cardiac profile, providing only partial assessments, and even these are often distorted, leading to serious limitations. Furthermore, most ECG AI systems are trained on data obtained from medical 12-channel ECGs, making them inapplicable to data from devices with these limitations.

[0006] Furthermore, existing ECG equipment has limitations in measuring pulse and blood pressure information in addition to the ECG signal (especially in a synchronized manner). These data are just as important as the ECG itself in assessing a patient's overall hemodynamics, making their combined measurement invaluable. Using artificial intelligence to integrate these data can provide a powerful health assessment.

[0007] The disclosed embodiments are intended to provide a biosignal measuring device that improves user convenience and friendliness by using a portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body.

[0008] The disclosed embodiments are for predicting estimated blood pressure using electrocardiogram signals and photoplethysmography (PPG) measured synchronously in a portable bio-signal measuring device including a pen-shaped body.

[0009] A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment is a portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, the device including a first electrode positioned in a first region of the body to measure a first potential of a subject when in contact with a first body part of the subject; a second electrode positioned in a second region of the body to measure a second potential of the subject when in contact with a second body part of the subject; and one or more processors for calculating an electrocardiogram signal of the subject based on the first potential and the second potential.

[0010] The first region may be located at one end of the main body, and the second region may be located at the other end of the main body.

[0011] The first body part may be located on the subject's chest, and the second body part may be located on at least one body part among the subject's extremities.

[0012] The above body may further include a PPG sensor located in a third region of the body and configured to measure a photoplethysmographic signal of the subject when in contact with a second body part of the subject.

[0013] The third region may be positioned around the second region such that the second body part is in contact with the PPG sensor simultaneously with the second electrode.

[0014] The main body further includes a third electrode provided in a fourth region located between one end and the other end of the main body, the third electrode being configured to measure a third potential of the subject when located in the fourth region and in contact with a fourth body part of the subject, and the one or more processors can perform a linear combination of the first potential, the second potential, and the third potential to produce an electrocardiogram signal.

[0015] The above body further includes: a reel configured to be rotatable; a spring member configured to elastically restore the reel when rotated; and a cable wound around the reel, the reel being connected at one end and the other end connected to a fourth electrode, the fourth electrode being built into a fifth region inside the body, and when the fourth electrode is pulled by an external force, the cable wound around the reel can be released and pulled out of the body.

[0016] At least one of the second electrode and the PPG sensor may be configured to be electrically connected to a portable biosignal measuring device including the pen-shaped body, and the electrical connection may be deactivated when an external force is applied to the fourth electrode and the cable is pulled out of the body.

[0017] The body may further include a pressure sensor arranged near at least one of the first to fourth regions, configured to detect contact between the subject and at least one of the first electrode, the second electrode, the PPG sensor, and the third electrode.

[0018] The above body may further include a speaker that provides audible guidance to a plurality of first specific points within the first body part that should be sequentially contacted with the first electrode based on the number of contacts detected by the pressure sensor.

[0019] The above body may include an indicator in which at least one of a light emission pattern, light emission intensity, and light emission color of an internal light source is controlled by the processor of the one director based on an electric signal generated in response to the number of contacts detected by the pressure sensor.

[0020] The one or more processors may: receive a first potential for each specific point detected by the first electrode sequentially contacting a specific point within a first body part of the subject, receive a second potential detected by the second electrode contacting a second body part of the subject, generate a lead-by-lead electrocardiogram signal based on the first potential for each specific point and the second potential, generate an asynchronous lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array of the subject based on the lead-by-lead electrocardiogram signal, and input data generated by integrating the lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array into a pre-trained model to output a heart health result corresponding to the input data.

[0021] The above heart health outcome may include at least one of: presence of a heart rhythm abnormality, presence of a heart disease, abnormalities in heart function, and heart health status.

[0022] The one or more processors may: receive a first potential for each specific point detected by the first electrode sequentially contacting a specific point within a first body part of the subject, receive a second potential detected by the second electrode contacting a second body part of the subject, derive a lead-by-lead electrocardiogram signal based on the first potential for each specific point and the second potential, generate an asynchronous lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array of the subject based on the lead-by-lead electrocardiogram signal, generate a photoplethysmogram array based on a photoplethysmogram signal detected by the PPG sensor contacting the second body part, wherein the photoplethysmogram signal corresponds to the second potential, synchronously map the electrocardiogram array and the photoplethysmogram array to generate an array pair, and analyze a relationship between the electrocardiogram array and the photoplethysmogram array included in the array pair to output a health result of the subject.

[0023] The one or more processors may be configured to calculate a pulse transit time (PTT) based on a difference between a first point in time corresponding to a specific waveform of an electrocardiogram signal corresponding to the electrocardiogram array and a second point in time corresponding to a specific waveform of a photoplethysmogram signal corresponding to the photoplethysmogram array.

[0024] The first time point may include a time point corresponding to an R peak of the electrocardiogram signal, and the second time point may include a time point corresponding to a pulse waveform start point of the photoplethysmographic signal.

[0025] The one or more processors may: use a learned regression model to calculate a relationship between the pulse transit time and the estimated blood pressure of the subject.

[0026] The one or more processors may output, as the health result, an estimated blood pressure of the subject.

[0027] The disclosed embodiments can freely measure limb-lead and chest-lead electrocardiograms through a single pen-shaped body, thereby providing a function for measuring a 12-lead electrocardiogram using only a small portable device.

[0028] The disclosed embodiments can measure electrocardiograms by having a thin pen-shaped body inserted between the buttons of a subject's upper body, thereby providing an electrocardiogram measurement environment without removing the patient's clothes.

[0029] The disclosed embodiments enable the subject to maintain a correct posture during electrocardiogram measurement through the grip by strategically placing electrodes for measuring biosignals on the body.

[0030] The disclosed embodiments can synchronously measure two signals by placing electrodes for electrocardiogram signals and sensors for photoplethysmography in close proximity to a pen-shaped biosignal measuring device.

[0031] The disclosed embodiments can measure a subject's blood pressure signal without a separate blood pressure measuring device by comparing specific points of a synchronously measured electrocardiogram signal and a photoplethysmogram signal.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figures 2a to 2d are exemplary drawings for explaining the shape of a portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process for estimating blood pressure by a portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0037] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of one embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the sensor described herein. However, this is merely an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0038] In describing certain embodiments, detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention will be omitted if they are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiments. Furthermore, numbers (e.g., "first," "second," etc.) used in the description of the embodiments are merely identifiers used to distinguish one component from another.

[0039] In the course of describing the embodiments, when it is said that a member is located “on”, “above”, “upper”, “lower”, “lower”, or “lower” another member, this includes not only cases where a member is in contact with another member, but also cases where another member exists between the two members.

[0040] Furthermore, the embodiments described herein may have aspects that are entirely hardware, partially hardware and partially software, or entirely software. As used herein, the terms "unit," "apparatus," "module," "device," "server," or "system" refer to hardware, a combination of hardware and software, or a computer-related entity such as software. For example, a unit, apparatus, module, device, server, or system may refer to hardware that constitutes part or all of a platform and / or software such as an application for operating the hardware. As a specific example, a unit, apparatus, module, device, server, or system may be implemented by a processor.

[0041] The terms described below are terms defined in consideration of their functions in the present invention, and may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be made based on the contents throughout this specification. The terminology used in the detailed description is only for the purpose of describing one embodiment and should never be limited. Unless clearly used otherwise, the singular form includes the plural form. In this description, expressions such as "comprises" or "having" are intended to indicate certain components, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and should not be construed to exclude the presence or possibility of one or more other components, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof other than those described.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body includes a body (10), a first electrode (110), a second electrode (120), and a processor (not shown).

[0044] The main body (10) may have the shape of a column formed with a thin thickness and a predetermined length. For example, the main body (10) may have the shape of a pen or a stamp. It is preferable that the main body (10) has a thickness that can be inserted between the gaps in the clothing of the subject, and a length that can be gripped even when inserted between the gaps in the clothing.

[0045] The specific structure and shape of the main body (10) will be described later in FIGS. 2a to 2d.

[0046] The first electrode (110) is an electrode located in the first region of the main body (10) and configured to measure the first potential of the subject when in contact with the first body part of the subject.

[0047] The second electrode (120) is an electrode located in the second region of the main body (10) and configured to measure the second potential of the subject when in contact with the second body part of the subject.

[0048] The first region may be located at one end of the main body (10), and the second region may be located at the other end of the main body (10).

[0049] The first region may be located at the extreme end of the main body (10). The first region may be located at the extreme end of the main body (10) so that the first electrode (110) can come into contact with the skin of the subject when the main body (10) is inserted between gaps in the clothes worn by the subject.

[0050] The second region may be located at the other end of the main body (10) in the opposite direction of the first end. The second region may be located at the other end of the main body (10) so that a second body part of the subject holding the main body (10) can come into contact with the second electrode (120).

[0051] A processor (not shown) can generate an electrocardiogram signal based on a first potential and a second potential. At this time, the electrocardiogram signal can be generated in voltage units.

[0052] Here, the first body part may be located within the subject's chest, and the second body part may be located within any one of the subject's extremities.

[0053] In particular, the first body part may include a plurality of first specific points within the chest for generating lead-specific electrocardiogram signals. The first body part may include medically defined body parts for measuring potential values ​​on leads V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, and V6.

[0054] For example, the plurality of first specific points may include a first point located near the fourth right rib as a body part within the chest that should be touched to measure the work potential in lead V1. The plurality of first specific points may include a second point located near the fourth left rib as a body part within the chest that should be touched to measure the work potential in lead V2. The plurality of first specific points may include a third point located near the left side of the fourth left rib as a body part within the chest that should be touched to measure the work potential in lead V3. In this case, the third point may be located near the left side relative to the second point. The plurality of first specific points may include a fourth point located near the fifth right rib as a body part within the chest that should be touched to measure the work potential in lead V4. The plurality of first specific points may include a fifth point located near the left side of the fifth right rib as a body part within the thorax to be contacted to measure the work potential in lead V5. The plurality of first specific points may include a sixth point located near the middle of the fifth right rib as a body part within the thorax to be contacted to measure the work potential in lead V6.

[0055] The second body part may include a plurality of second specific points within the extremity for generating leads V1 to V6. The second body part may include a medically designated body part for measuring potential values ​​necessary for generating leads V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, and V6. For example, the second specific points may be located on at least one of the left arm, the right arm, the left leg, and the right leg.

[0056] That is, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment can produce leads V1 to V6 from a combination of first and second body parts that are in contact with the first and second electrodes (120), respectively.

[0057] In another embodiment, the first body part and the second body part may include body parts to be contacted to produce leads I, II, III, aVR, aVL and aVF.

[0058] For example, the first and second body parts may be body parts within a limb that need to be touched to measure the potential of Lead I, and may include points located on the left arm and the right arm, respectively. The first and second body parts may be body parts within a limb that need to be touched to measure the potential of Lead II, and may include points located on the left leg and the right arm, respectively. The first and second body parts may be body parts within a limb that need to be touched to measure the potential of Lead III, and may include points located on the left leg and the left arm, respectively.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a PPG sensor (130).

[0060] Here, the PPG sensor (130) is located in the third region and can measure the photoplethysmographic signal of the subject when in contact with the second body part of the subject.

[0061] At this time, the third region may be located around the second region so that the PPG sensor (130) and the second electrode (120) come into contact with the second body part simultaneously. For example, the third region may include a region that includes the remaining area of ​​the second body part of the subject excluding the second region.

[0062] Again, referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a third electrode (140).

[0063] The third electrode (140) may be an electrode located in the fourth region and configured to measure the third potential of the subject when in contact with the fourth body part of the subject.

[0064] The fourth region may be located between the first region and the second region of the main body (10). In other words, the fourth region may be located between both ends of the main body (10).

[0065] The fourth body part may be a body part opposite the second body part. For example, if the right hand is the second body part and is in contact with the second electrode (120), the fourth body part may be a body part including the left hand.

[0066] At this time, the processor (not shown) can produce an electrocardiogram signal for each lead through a linear combination of each potential (first potential, second potential, third potential) measured at the first electrode (110), the second electrode (120), and the third electrode (140).

[0067] A processor (not shown) can generate at least one of leads aVR, aVL and aVF using the first to third potentials measured by varying the combination of body parts contacted by the first electrode (110), the second electrode (120) and the third electrode (140).

[0068] For example, the first electrode (110) can be in contact with the left leg, the second electrode (120) with the right hand, and the third electrode (140) with the left hand. Through this, two of leads I, II, and III can be measured in a synchronized manner, and the remaining one and aVR, aVL, and aVF can be calculated through a linear combination of these.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a pressure sensor (150).

[0070] The pressure sensor (150) may be a sensor configured to detect contact between a subject and at least one of the first electrode (110), the second electrode (120), the PPG sensor (130), and the third electrode (140) by being positioned near at least one of the first to fourth regions.

[0071] The pressure sensor (150) can measure the pressure applied to the main body (10) by contacting the skin of the subject with at least one of the first electrode (110), the second electrode (120), the PPG sensor (130), and the third electrode (140) based on the action-reaction principle.

[0072] For precise measurement, the pressure sensor (150) is preferably placed in the first to fourth regions where the first electrode (110), the second electrode (120), the PPG sensor (130), and the third electrode (140) are placed.

[0073] Meanwhile, the pressure sensor (150) has been described as being located near the first electrode (110), the second electrode (120), the PPG sensor (130), and the third electrode (140), but this is exemplary and is intended to be located near the measuring device that the subject comes into contact with, without limitation on the type of measuring device.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a plurality of indicators.

[0075] Multiple indicators can control the operating status of light sources, etc., to visually display real-time information or instructions to the user. Indicators can control the operation of light sources to provide guidance on the current contact sequence, stage, status, etc.

[0076] Users can be guided by the visual instructions of the indicator by understanding the order of contact, step status, etc. associated with the operation of the light source.

[0077] Specifically, the first indicator (161) can guide contact with the next body part by changing the light emission pattern, intensity, color, etc. of the light source.

[0078] At this time, the first indicator (161) can change the light-emitting state according to an electrical signal generated based on the number of contacts detected by the pressure sensor (150).

[0079] For example, the first indicator (161) may determine that the user has followed the visual instruction as the number of contacts detected by the pressure sensor (150) increases, and may guide the user to the next visual instruction.

[0080] On the other hand, if the number of contacts does not increase, the first indicator (161) can re-guide the user to follow the current visual instruction. For example, the first indicator (161) can re-implement the light emission state of the light source corresponding to the current visual instruction.

[0081] The second indicator (162) can guide the status of a portable bio-signal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body. For example, the second indicator (162) can guide whether the portable bio-signal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body is currently in use or has poor contact through the color of a light source.

[0082] In particular, the second indicator (162) can guide the user to determine which biosignal the multiple electrodes are currently measuring. That is, the second indicator (162) can guide the user to identify whether the biosignal currently being measured is an electrocardiogram signal or a photoplethysmogram signal.

[0083] The third-first indicator (163) can display the remaining capacity of components processing electrocardiogram signals. The third-second indicator (164) can display the remaining capacity of components processing photoplethysmography.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a measurement time setting unit (165).

[0085] The measurement time setting unit (165) can adjust the minimum unit time that the electrode must be in contact with the subject to measure the biosignal of the portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body.

[0086] For example, the measurement time setting unit (165) can adjust the time for which the electrode must be in contact with the subject to measure a biosignal in units of 10 seconds, 15 seconds, or 20 seconds.

[0087] At this time, the first indicator (161) and the second indicator (162) can maintain the current light emission state of the light source so that the user can follow the current visual instructions again if the set minimum unit has not passed since the contact point detected by the pressure sensor.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a speaker (170).

[0089] The speaker (170) can guide the next body part to be contacted with the subject based on the number of contacts with the subject detected by the pressure sensor (150).

[0090] Specifically, the speaker (170) can vocally guide a plurality of first specific points within a first body part that should be sequentially contacted with the first electrode (110) based on the number of contacts with the subject detected by the pressure sensor (150).

[0091] For example, when measuring an electrocardiogram, if the pressure sensor (150) has made 0 contacts with the subject, the speaker (170) may first guide the user to the first characteristic point where the first electrode (110) and / or the second electrode (120) should come into contact in order to measure the V1 lead signal. At this time, the speaker (170) may guide the user to make contact with the first electrode (110) near the fourth right rib of the subject and the second electrode (120) with the subject's index finger.

[0092] For example, when measuring an electrocardiogram, if the pressure sensor (150) comes into contact with the subject once, the speaker (170) may guide the user to the first characteristic point where the first electrode (110) and / or the second electrode (120) should come into contact in order to measure the V2 lead signal in the second order. At this time, the speaker (170) may guide the user to place the first electrode (110) near the fourth left rib of the subject and the second electrode (120) in contact with the subject's index finger.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a connector (180).

[0094] The connector (180) may include a physical connection configured to transmit data and supply power between different devices. The connector (180) may be provided at one end of the main body (10) and include a data pin for transmitting and receiving data and a power pin for supplying power.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a power supply unit (191).

[0096] When the power supply (191) is turned on, it can electrically connect an external power source and a portable bio-signal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body so that the portable bio-signal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body can start operating.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may further include a reset unit (192).

[0098] The reset unit (192) can transmit a reset signal when turned on so that the settings of the portable bio-signal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body are initialized. For example, when turned on, the reset unit (192) can be set to restart the light-emitting operation of the indicator from the initial state.

[0099] FIGS. 2A to 2D are exemplary drawings for explaining the shape of a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0100] As shown in FIGS. 2a to 2d, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body may be provided with a pen-shaped body (10) formed in a thin column shape with a predetermined length.

[0101] Here, the main body (10) may have a thickness that allows the subject to easily grasp the main body (10) with their fingers. For example, the main body (10) may have a thickness that allows it to be grasped between the thumb and index finger. As another example, the main body (10) may have a thickness that allows the electrodes formed on the front surface to be grasped with the palm.

[0102] Preferably, when the main body (10) is a cylinder, the diameter of the cross-section of the main body (10) may be about 5 cm or less. When the main body (10) is a polygonal column, the width and height of the cross-section of the main body (10) may each be about 5 cm or less.

[0103] The length of the main body (10) may be such that one end and the other end of the main body (10) can comfortably contact the subject's chest and hand, respectively. For example, the length of the main body (10) may include a known average body length between the subject's fist and chest when the subject's lower arm is in line with the chest.

[0104] Preferably, the length of the main body (10) is approximately 12 cm to 20 cm. Meanwhile, the thickness and length of the main body (10) described above are merely exemplary and are not limited to a limited range. For example, the length of the main body (10) may include a short length of 12 cm or less.

[0105] Referring again to FIGS. 2A to 2D, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body includes a second electrode (120) and a PPG sensor (130).

[0106] As shown in FIG. 1, the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) can be placed in a third area around the second area where the second electrode (120) is located so that they can be simultaneously contacted by one body part.

[0107] Unlike as described above in FIG. 1, the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) may be placed in positions where they can be contacted by different body parts, but can be gripped by different body parts.

[0108] As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) can be placed in different areas so that they can be held by different body parts, such as the thumb and index finger or the thumb and middle finger.

[0109] For example, the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) may be placed on opposite surfaces of the main body (10). As another example, the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) may be placed on adjacent surfaces of the main body (10).

[0110] As shown in FIG. 2d, the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) may be arranged so that the front of the main body (10) is surrounded by the second electrode (120) so that the second electrode (120) can be held by fingers and palms, and the PPG sensor (130) may be arranged so as to be formed on one surface of the main body (10).

[0111] Meanwhile, in FIGS. 2A to 2D, the shape of the main body (10) is described as a columnar shape including a cylinder, a triangular column, and a square column, but this is exemplary, and the shape of the main body (10) is not limited thereto.

[0112] The shape and structure of the portable biosignal measuring device (100) including the pen-shaped body illustrated in the aforementioned FIGS. 2A to 2D are exemplary embodiments, and are not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various shapes and structures.

[0113] FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0114] Referring to FIG. 3, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment may further include a fourth electrode (350).

[0115] The first electrode (310), second electrode (320), PPG sensor (330), and third electrode (340) of FIG. 3 are the same as those of FIG. 1, and for convenience of explanation, description of overlapping components is omitted.

[0116] The fourth electrode (350) is an electrode used to measure electrocardiogram signals and can maintain contact with the subject through an adhesive material. Preferably, the fourth electrode (350) is brought into contact with the subject through the assistance of another person, and can be used for patients who have difficulty holding the main body (10).

[0117] The fourth electrode (350) is built into the fifth region inside the main body (10), but when pulled by an external force, the cable connected to one end of the fourth electrode (350) is released and can be pulled out of the main body (10).

[0118] The cable may be wound around a rotatable reel built into the main body (10), with one end connected to the reel and the other end connected to the fourth electrode (350). The main body (10) may further include a spring member configured to be elastically restored when the reel rotates so that the fourth electrode (350) can be elastically embedded again in the fifth region when an external force is removed.

[0119] The fourth electrode (350) is an electrode equipped for electrocardiogram measurement, similar to the first electrode (110), and its activation can be determined based on whether the person holding the main body (10) (e.g., user) and the subject to be measured (e.g., subject) are the same person.

[0120] Hereinafter, the cases where the user and the subject are the same and different are defined as self-measurement mode and other-measurement mode, respectively.

[0121] Specifically, the fourth electrode (350) is preferably activated in the other person measurement mode. Meanwhile, the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) are preferably deactivated in the other person measurement mode so that the user's biosignals are not mistaken as the subject's measurement results.

[0122] On the other hand, in the self-measurement mode, it is preferable that the fourth electrode (350) be deactivated and the first electrode (110), the second electrode (120), and the PPG sensor (130) be activated.

[0123] The self-measurement mode and the other-measurement mode can be determined by the user through input means including buttons, switches, levers, etc. provided on the main body (10), but such input means are not limited to the examples described above.

[0124] For example, the setting of the self-measurement mode and the other-measurement mode can be triggered by an external force generated by withdrawing the fourth electrode (350). The setting of the self-measurement mode and the other-measurement mode can be triggered by an input means set to be operated by an external force.

[0125] Specifically, the fourth electrode (350) may be configured to be electrically connected to a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body when an external force equivalent to that applied when the cable is pulled out of the body (10) is provided. When the external force is provided, an input means connected to the cable may be switched on.

[0126] That is, at least one of the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) may be configured to be electrically inactivated with the portable biosignal measuring device (100) including the pen-shaped body when an external force equivalent to that applied when the cable is pulled out of the body (10) is applied.

[0127] Meanwhile, in this specification, the user may refer to an examiner, as a person who holds the main body (10). That is, in the self-measurement mode, the user may refer to the examinee as the same person as the subject, but in the other-measurement mode, the user may refer to the examinee as a person other than the subject.

[0128] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 4, a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment includes a processor (410) and a memory (420).

[0130] Meanwhile, the electrodes, bio-signals, body parts, etc. here are the same as those described in Fig. 1, and descriptions of overlapping parts are omitted.

[0131] A portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment can measure an electrocardiogram signal using a first electrode (110) and a second electrode (120), and analyze the measured electrocardiogram signal to analyze electrocardiogram health.

[0132] First, the processor (410) receives a first potential for each specific point detected by the first electrode (110) by sequentially contacting specific points within the first body part.

[0133] Thereafter, the processor (410) receives the second potential detected by the second electrode (120) when it comes into contact with the second body part. The second potential can be measured multiple times at the same time as the first potential is measured multiple times by making contact with different points within the first body part. In other words, the second potential can be measured multiple times in correspondence with the first potential so that it can be paired with the first potential.

[0134] For example, when the first electrode (110) sequentially contacts the first specific point such as the fourth left and right ribs to measure the first potential of the 6 leads, the second potential can also be measured 6 times at the same time.

[0135] The processor (410) can generate an asynchronous lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array of the subject based on the first potential and the second potential.

[0136] For example, an asynchronous lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array may refer to an electrocardiogram array generated by separating non-simultaneous first potentials for each lead. This is because the lead-by-lead first potentials are obtained by repeatedly contacting different points with the first electrode (110).

[0137] At this time, the lead-specific ECG array may include a vector having a 1*N array. The lead-specific ECG array is converted into an embedding vector processed by an encoder. The encoder may be trained to output a corresponding embedding vector when a lead-specific ECG signal is input. The encoder may be trained to preprocess the lead-specific ECG signal and then output a corresponding embedding vector when the preprocessed lead-specific ECG signal is input. To train such an encoder, the training data may be randomly time-shifted so that the lead-specific ECG signals have an asynchronous relationship with each other. The encoder may be trained to output an embedding vector corresponding to each preprocessed lead-specific ECG signal. At this time, the embedding vector is generated by processing a single-channel signal and may be an embedding vector extracted for each lead.

[0138] Here, N may refer to a value obtained by multiplying the time at which the first and second potentials were measured and the frequency of the first and second potentials. Meanwhile, it is assumed that the measurement time and frequency of the first and second potentials, which are measured synchronously, are the same.

[0139] The processor (410) inputs input data generated by integrating the lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array into a pre-trained model and outputs a heart health result corresponding to the input data.

[0140] Here, the input data may include a vector having an L*N array. For example, the input data may include a vector of an L*N array generated by concatenating lead-by-lead electrocardiogram arrays. L may represent the number of leads.

[0141] As another example, the input data may mean electrocardiogram image data in which electrocardiogram waveforms generated based on preprocessed lead-by-lead electrocardiogram signals are arranged on a two-dimensional plane in a specific format.

[0142] Here, the lead-specific ECG signals, as described above, can refer to data that visually represents asynchronous relationships, and these are arranged in a predetermined format to create a single image (e.g., 12-lead ECG, 6-lead ECG: I, II, III, aVR, aVL, aVF). At this time, the encoder can extract an embedding vector based on the image as input data for a pre-trained model. To train such an encoder, lead-specific ECG signals that are randomly shifted along the time axis and desynchronized, as described above, can be used as training data.

[0143] Meanwhile, the encoder may be an encoder generated based on at least one of a convolutional neural network, a recurrent neural network, a multilayer perceptron, and a transformer.

[0144] The pre-trained model may be a model trained to classify at least one of the following: whether there is an abnormality in heart rhythm, whether there is a heart disease, and whether there is an abnormality in heart function corresponding to the input data.

[0145] As a specific example, the learned model can be trained to classify whether there is an abnormality in the heart rhythm, such as at least one of atrial fibrillation, atrial quiver, atrial tachycardia, atrial decompensation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, autonomous ventricular rhythm, premature atrial tachycardia, nodal ventricular rhythm, atrioventricular block, escape rhythm, and premature atrial rhythm.

[0146] As a specific example, the trained model can be trained to classify at least one of cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, myocardial infarction, myocardial damage, and pulmonary edema as a heart disease.

[0147] As a specific example, the pre-trained model can be trained to classify at least one of left ventricular failure, right ventricular failure, cardiac structural change, and valve dysfunction as an abnormality in cardiac function.

[0148] As another example, the learned model may be a model trained to predict a health status corresponding to input data.

[0149] As a specific example, the learned model may be trained to output a predicted value of at least one of heart health age, heart life expectancy, risk of developing cardiovascular disease, heart exercise capacity, and risk of heart surgery as a health status.

[0150] Meanwhile, the pre-trained model is a learning model including a fully connected layer and / or a dense layer, and can be trained to perform classification and / or regression tasks.

[0151] A portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment can measure electrocardiogram (ECG) signals as well as photovolume signals using a first electrode (110) to a PPG sensor (130), and estimate blood pressure using the ECG signals and photovolume signals.

[0152] First, the processor (410) receives a first potential for each specific point detected by the first electrode (110) by sequentially contacting the specific point within the first body part.

[0153] The processor (410) receives a second potential detected by the second electrode (120) when it comes into contact with a second body part.

[0154] The processor (410) can generate an asynchronous lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array of the subject based on the first potential and the second potential. The processor (410) generates the photoplethysmogram array based on the photoplethysmogram signal detected by the PPG sensor (130) when in contact with the second body part.

[0155] The photoplethysmography signal corresponds to the second potential. Here, correspondence may mean that the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130) touch the body part simultaneously and are measured at the same time. In other words, the photoplethysmography signal can be measured synchronously with the second potential through strategic placement of the second electrode (120) and the PPG sensor (130).

[0156] Here, the photoplethysmography array may include a vector generated based on the photoplethysmography signal. The photoplethysmography array may include an embedding vector processed by an encoder. In this case, when a photoplethysmography signal is input, the encoder may output a corresponding embedding vector.

[0157] The photoplethysmography array may include a vector having an array size of W*N'. Here, W may represent the number of times the photoplethysmography signal is measured in response to the second potential. N' may be calculated as the product of T' and F'. Here, T' may represent the time at which the photoplethysmography signal is measured, and F' may represent the frequency of the photoplethysmography signal.

[0158] The processor (410) synchronously maps the electrocardiogram array and the photoplethysmography array to create an array pair.

[0159] The processor (410) can generate an array pair by mapping an electrocardiogram array and a photoplethysmogram array generated based on biosignals measured in the same section to each other.

[0160] For example, the processor (410) may generate an array pair by mapping an electrocardiogram array generated based on a first potential measured between 0 and 15 seconds for lead V1 measurement and a second potential measured between 0 and 15 seconds for lead V1 measurement with a photoplethysmogram array generated based on a photoplethysmogram signal measured between 0 and 15 seconds.

[0161] The processor (410) analyzes the relationship between the electrocardiogram array and the photoplethysmography array included in the array pair and outputs the subject's health results. Specifically, the processor (410) can output an estimated blood pressure as a health test.

[0162] The processor (410) can predict the estimated blood pressure of a subject by analyzing the difference between a specific point in time of an electrocardiogram array and a photoplethysmogram array included in an array pair. The processor (410) can predict the estimated blood pressure based on the difference between a first point in time corresponding to a specific waveform of an electrocardiogram signal corresponding to the electrocardiogram array and a second point in time corresponding to a photoplethysmogram signal corresponding to the photoplethysmogram array.

[0163] At this time, the processor (410) can calculate the pulse transit time (PTT) based on the difference between the first time point and the second time point. The processor (410) can predict the estimated blood pressure of the subject based on the pulse transit time.

[0164] The memory (420) stores one or more instructions to be executed by the processor (410).

[0165] The memory (420) can store various data used by the processor (410). For example, the memory (420) can include software (e.g., input data or output data for a program executed by the processor (410) and / or instructions related to the program).

[0166] FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process for estimating blood pressure by a portable biosignal measuring device (100) including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment.

[0167] The biosignal graph at the top is an electrocardiogram signal generated based on the first and second potentials. The biosignal graph at the bottom is a photoplethysmogram signal generated based on the photoplethysmogram signal.

[0168] The processor can detect a first point corresponding to an R peak of an electrocardiogram signal corresponding to the electrocardiogram array, and can detect a second point corresponding to a foot point of a photoplethysmogram signal corresponding to the photoplethysmogram array.

[0169] The R-peak is the point with the highest voltage among the waveforms in an electrocardiogram signal. The R-peak can indicate the point in the heart's electrical activity where the ventricles contract and blood begins to be pumped from the ventricles to the body. The foot point is a reference point in the photoplethysmogram signal, which can indicate the starting point of the photoplethysmogram.

[0170] At this time, the processor can calculate the pulse transit time based on the time difference between a first time point corresponding to the R peak in the electrocardiogram signal and a second time point corresponding to the foot point appearing in the photoplethysmographic signal.

[0171] Meanwhile, embodiments of the present invention may include a program for performing the methods described herein on a computer, and a computer-readable recording medium including the program. The computer-readable recording medium may include program commands, local data files, local data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be one commonly used in the field of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of the program may include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0172] While representative embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications to the above-described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the claims set forth below but also by equivalents thereof.

[0173] A portable bio-signal measuring device including a pen-shaped body according to one embodiment is capable of freely measuring electrocardiograms through the pen-shaped body in which electrodes and sensors are strategically placed, and medical analysis is possible based on the measured bio-signals, and thus can be used in the medical device and digital medical industries.

Claims

1. A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, A first electrode located in a first region of the main body, which measures a first potential of the subject when in contact with a first body part of the subject; A second electrode located in a second region of the main body, which measures a second potential of the subject when in contact with a second body part of the subject; and; A portable biosignal measuring device comprising a pen-shaped body, the body including one or more processors that produce an electrocardiogram signal of the subject based on the first potential and the second potential.

2. In paragraph 1, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein the first region is located at one end of the body, and the second region is located at the other end of the body.

3. In paragraph 1, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein the first body part is located on the chest of the subject, and the second body part is located on at least one body part among the extremities of the subject.

4. In paragraph 1, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein the body further includes a PPG sensor located in a third region of the body and measuring a photoplethysmogram signal of the subject when in contact with a second body part of the subject.

5. In paragraph 4, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body positioned around the second area such that the third area is in contact with the PPG sensor simultaneously with the second electrode.

6. In paragraph 3, The above body further includes a third electrode provided in a fourth region located between one end and the other end of the above body, The third electrode is configured to measure the third potential of the subject when positioned in the fourth region and in contact with the fourth body part of the subject, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein the one or more processors perform a linear combination of the first potential, the second potential, and the third potential to produce an electrocardiogram signal.

7. In paragraph 4, The above body: A reel configured to rotate; A spring member configured to elastically restore the reel when it rotates; and The reel further comprises a cable wound around the reel, the reel being connected at one end and the other end being connected to a fourth electrode, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein the fourth electrode is embedded in a fifth region inside the body, and when the fourth electrode is pulled by an external force, the cable wound around the reel is released and pulled out of the body.

8. In paragraph 7, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein at least one of the second electrode and the PPG sensor is electrically connected to the portable biosignal measuring device including the pen-shaped body, and is configured such that when an external force is applied to the fourth electrode and the cable is pulled out of the body, the electrical connection is deactivated.

9. In paragraph 6, The above body: A portable biosignal measuring device comprising a pen-shaped body, further comprising a pressure sensor arranged near at least one of the first to fourth regions and configured to detect contact between a subject and at least one of the first electrode, the second electrode, the PPG sensor, and the third electrode.

10. In paragraph 9, The above body: A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, further including a speaker that provides audible guidance on a plurality of first specific points within the first body part that should be sequentially contacted with the first electrode based on the number of contacts detected by the pressure sensor.

11. In paragraph 10, The above body: A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, which includes an indicator in which at least one of a light emission pattern, light emission intensity, and light emission color of an internal light source is controlled by a processor of the one director based on an electric signal generated in response to the number of contacts detected by the pressure sensor.

12. In paragraph 1, One or more of the above processors: The first electrode sequentially contacts a specific point within the first body part of the subject and receives a first potential for each of the detected specific points, The second electrode receives a second potential detected by contacting the second body part of the subject, Generate an electrocardiogram signal for each lead based on the first potential and the second potential for each specific point, Generating an asynchronous lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array of the subject based on the lead-by-lead electrocardiogram signal, A portable bio-signal measuring device including a pen-shaped body that inputs input data generated by integrating the above lead-specific electrocardiogram array into a pre-trained model and outputs a heart health result corresponding to the input data.

13. In paragraph 12, A portable bio-signal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein the heart health result includes at least one of abnormal heart rhythm, heart disease, abnormal heart function, and heart health status.

14. In paragraph 4, One or more of the above processors: The first electrode sequentially contacts a specific point within the first body part of the subject and receives a first potential for each of the detected specific points, The second electrode receives a second potential detected by contacting the second body part of the subject, Generate an electrocardiogram signal for each lead based on the first potential and the second potential for each specific point, Generating an asynchronous lead-by-lead electrocardiogram array of the subject based on the lead-by-lead electrocardiogram signal, The PPG sensor generates a photoplethysmography array based on a photoplethysmography signal detected by contacting the second body part, wherein the photoplethysmography signal corresponds to the second potential. By synchronously mapping the electrocardiogram array and the photoplethysmography array, an array pair is created, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body that analyzes the relationship between the electrocardiogram array and the photoplethysmogram array included in the array pair and outputs the health results of the subject.

15. In paragraph 14, One or more of the above processors: A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body that calculates a pulse transit time (PTT) based on the difference between a first point in time corresponding to a specific waveform of an electrocardiogram signal corresponding to the electrocardiogram array and a second point in time corresponding to a specific waveform of a photoplethysmogram signal corresponding to the photoplethysmogram array.

16. In paragraph 15, A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body, wherein the first point in time includes a point in time corresponding to the R peak of the electrocardiogram signal, and the second point in time includes a point in time corresponding to the pulse waveform start point of the photoplethysmogram signal.

17. In paragraph 15, One or more of the above processors: A portable biosignal measuring device including a pen-shaped body that calculates the relationship between the pulse transmission time and the estimated blood pressure of the subject using a learned regression model.

18. In paragraph 14, One or more of the above processors: A portable bio-signal measuring device including a pen-shaped body that outputs the estimated blood pressure of the subject as the health result.

Images