Sensor module for measuring blood pressure

Abstract

A sensor module for measuring blood pressure, according to an embodiment of the present application, comprises: a substrate part; a pressure equalization sheet positioned on one side surface of the substrate part and into which a liquid or gas has been filled; a sensor unit including at least one sensor positioned on one side surface of the pressure equalization sheet; and stoppers positioned on one side surface of the substrate part, in close contact with the pressure equalization sheet, and positioned so as to face each other.

Description

Sensor module for blood pressure measurement

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor module for measuring blood pressure.

[0002] Blood pressure is an indicator of circulatory disease, and risk analysis based on blood pressure is effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, heart failure, and myocardial infarction. Furthermore, morning hypertension, a rise in blood pressure in the early morning, is associated with heart disease and stroke. In particular, a rapid rise in blood pressure within an hour to an hour and a half after waking has been found to be causally related to stroke.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to measure blood pressure continuously over a long period of time, as understanding the interrelationship between time and blood pressure changes is useful for interpreting the risk of cardiovascular disease.

[0004] Accordingly, research is actively being conducted on wearable blood pressure measuring devices that can easily check one's blood pressure.

[0005] [Prior Art Literature]

[0006] [Patent Document]

[0007] Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0063471 (Title of invention: Wristband-type blood pressure measuring device)

[0008] The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and aims to provide a sensor module capable of accurately measuring blood pressure by supporting a plurality of sensors with uniform pressure.

[0009] However, the technical task that this embodiment seeks to achieve is not limited to the technical task described above, and other technical tasks may exist.

[0010] As a technical means for solving the above-described technical problem, a sensor module for measuring blood pressure according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a base part, a pressure-equalizing sheet located on one side of the base part and filled with liquid or gas therein, a sensor part including at least one sensor located on one side of the pressure-equalizing sheet, and a stopper located on one side of the base part, in close contact with the pressure-equalizing sheet, and positioned to face each other.

[0011] Additionally, the height of the stopper can be formed lower than the height of the equalizing sheet.

[0012] Additionally, the stopper may be formed to surround the equalizing sheet.

[0013] In addition, the sensor module may further include a circuit unit, wherein the circuit unit may include a communication unit that communicates with the outside, a control unit that receives a sensor signal measured from the sensor unit, a display unit that displays information received by the control unit, and a battery unit that supplies power to at least one of the communication unit, the control unit, the display unit, and the sensor unit.

[0014] Additionally, the sensor unit includes a first sensor, a second sensor positioned at a predetermined distance from the first sensor, and a step unit positioned on one side of the first sensor, and a reference surface of the first sensor and a reference surface of the second sensor may have a step difference of a first distance.

[0015] Additionally, the sensor unit may further include a third sensor positioned a predetermined distance away from the second sensor.

[0016] According to the aforementioned means for solving the problem of the present invention, a sensor module for measuring blood pressure according to one embodiment of the present invention has the effect of accurately measuring blood pressure by supporting a plurality of sensors so that they are as closely attached to the measured portion as possible with a uniform pressure.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sensor module for measuring blood pressure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a sensor module for measuring blood pressure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sensor module for measuring blood pressure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a sensor module for measuring blood pressure according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a sensor module for measuring blood pressure according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram of a circuit unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail to facilitate easy implementation by those skilled in the art. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, irrelevant parts have been omitted for clarity, and similar reference numerals have been used throughout the specification to indicate similar elements.

[0024] Throughout this specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected" but also cases where it is "electrically connected" with another element in between.

[0025] Throughout this specification, when it is said that an element is “on” another element, this includes not only cases where the element is in contact with the other element, but also cases where another element exists between the two elements.

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sensor module (100) for measuring blood pressure according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a sensor module (100) for measuring blood pressure according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sensor module (100) for measuring blood pressure according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sensor module (100) for measuring blood pressure according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sensor module (100) for measuring blood pressure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a circuit unit (160) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] A sensor module (100) for measuring blood pressure according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “sensor module (100)”) includes a substrate (110), a pressure-equalizing sheet (120), a sensor portion (130), and a stopper (150). In addition, the sensor module (100) is mounted on a wrist strap for measuring a user’s blood pressure, and can measure the user’s arterial blood pressure through the sensor portion (130), but is not limited thereto.

[0029] The substrate (110) may be formed in a plate shape with one side flat. In addition, the substrate (110) may support the pressure applied to the pressure-balancing sheet (120) described below, and for this purpose, may be manufactured from a material having a predetermined strength.

[0030] The equalizing sheet (120) is positioned on one side of the substrate (110) and is filled with liquid or gas inside. In addition, the equalizing sheet (120) can serve to ensure that the sensor portion (130) is pressed against the measured portion with a uniform pressure.

[0031] For example, the pressure-equalizing sheet (120) may be formed of a flexible material and provided with liquid or air filled inside, but is not limited thereto. It may also be connected to a pump that provides liquid or air, and may be provided so that liquid or air is provided to the pressure-equalizing sheet (120) only when measuring blood pressure, thereby maintaining a constant pressure inside.

[0032] The sensor unit (130) includes at least one sensor located on one side of the equalizing sheet (120).

[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, the sensor unit (130) may include a first sensor (131), a second sensor (132) positioned a predetermined distance away from the first sensor (131), and a step unit (140) positioned on one side of the first sensor (131). In addition, a reference surface of the first sensor (131) and a reference surface of the second sensor (132) may have a step difference equal to a first distance.

[0034] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the first sensor (131) may be positioned on the upper portion of the step portion (140), and the step portion (140) and the second sensor (132) may be positioned on the reference surface of the equalizing sheet (120). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first sensor (131) and the second sensor (132) may be positioned on the reference surface of the equalizing sheet (120), and the step portion (140) may be positioned on the upper portion of the first sensor portion (131). At this time, the first sensor (131) may measure the blood pressure at a portion where the upper surface of the first sensor (131) comes into contact, and the second sensor (132) may measure the blood pressure at a portion where the upper surface of the step portion (140) comes into contact. Accordingly, the first sensor (131) and the second sensor (132) each have a difference in distance to the artery, and the sensor module (100) can measure blood pressure using the difference in distance. At this time, the step portion (140) may be integral with the first sensor (131) or may be a separate component.

[0035] At this time, the first sensor (131) and the second sensor (132) may be a strain gauge-based semiconductor thin film sensor, a capacitive thin film sensor that detects a change in capacity according to pressure, a piezoresistive sensor using the piezoresistive effect, or various other pressure sensors.

[0036] Here, strain gauge-based thin-film sensors have the advantage of having four resistors arranged on a diaphragm in a Wheatstone bridge configuration, requiring only resistance changes to be controlled. Capacitive thin-film sensors offer excellent heat and corrosion resistance and high-precision pressure measurement. Piezoresistive sensors offer high sensitivity, linearity, and reproducibility in pressure measurement, as well as ease of mass production.

[0037] The stopper (150) is positioned on one side of the substrate (110), is in close contact with the pressure-equalizing sheet (120), and is positioned to face each other. In other words, the stopper (150) is positioned to support the front and rear of the pressure-equalizing sheet (120), so that when pressure is applied to the sensor portion (130) and the pressure is transmitted to the pressure-equalizing sheet (120), the pressure-equalizing sheet (120) is supported by the stopper (150) and prevents deformation of the shape. Accordingly, the pressure-equalizing sheet (120) can support the first sensor (131) and the second sensor (132) at a constant pressure, thereby stably measuring blood pressure through the sensor.

[0038] In addition, the upper surface of the stopper (150) may come into contact with the surface of the measured portion when the sensor portion (130) comes into contact with the measured portion. In addition, when no pressure is applied to the sensor portion (130), the upper surface of the stopper (150) may be positioned lower than the measurement surfaces of the first sensor (131) and the second sensor (132). In other words, the height of the stopper (150) may be formed lower than the height of the equalizing sheet (120).

[0039] In addition, the stoppers (150) may be formed in a bar shape, as shown in FIG. 1, and may be formed to face each other, and an equalizing sheet (120) may be positioned between the stoppers (150). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the stoppers (150) may be formed in an arc shape, as shown in FIG. 3, and may be formed to face each other.

[0040] Also, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the stopper (150) may be formed to surround the equalizing sheet (120). In other words, the stopper (150) may be in close contact with the periphery of the equalizing sheet (120) to support the equalizing sheet (120).

[0041] For example, referring to FIG. 4, the stopper (150) may be formed in a rectangular column shape with a predetermined height on one side of the substrate (110) and an open top, and an equalizing sheet (120) may be positioned inside the stopper (150). In addition, referring to FIG. 5, the stopper (150) may be formed in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined height on one side of the substrate (110), and an equalizing sheet (120) may be positioned inside the stopper (150). At this time, the stopper (150) may be formed in a single cylindrical shape by combining a plurality of stoppers (150) formed in an arc shape, or may be formed as a single cylindrical member.

[0042] The pressure equalization sheet (120) is not deformed in shape even when pressure is applied to the sensor section (130) through the stopper (150) located on the circumference and the pressure is transmitted to the pressure equalization sheet (120), and the first sensor (131) and the second sensor (132) can be stably supported at a constant pressure.

[0043] In addition, referring to FIG. 4, the sensor module (100) may further include a third sensor (133) positioned a predetermined distance apart from the second sensor (132). In other words, the sensor unit (130) may include three sensors positioned a predetermined distance apart from each other. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the sensor unit (130) may include four or more sensors. In addition, the control unit (162) may be used to measure pressure by multiple sensors, compare the measured values, and derive an optimal value or determine whether the sensor is abnormal.

[0044] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, a circuit unit (160) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0045] The sensor module (100) may further include a circuit unit (160). The circuit unit (160) may include a communication unit (161), a control unit (162), a display unit (163), and a battery unit (164).

[0046] The communication unit (161) can communicate with the outside. Specifically, the communication unit (161) can communicate with various external devices (servers or terminals) in a set communication format, thereby transmitting and receiving data.

[0047] The control unit (162) can receive a measured sensor signal from the sensor unit (130). In addition, the control unit (162) can control the sensor unit (130) to measure blood pressure through the communication unit (161) when blood pressure measurement is required, and display the measured information on the display unit (163). For example, blood pressure can be measured on an hourly basis, the measured information can be displayed on the display unit (163), and when a blood pressure outside a preset range is measured, an alarm can be generated or information can be transmitted to a designated user using the communication unit (161).

[0048] The display unit (163) can display information received by the control unit (162). For example, the display unit (163) can be implemented as a display monitor of various types, such as a liquid crystal display, a reflective display, or an OLED display. The display unit (163) can display blood pressure or other information calculated by the control unit (162).

[0049] The battery unit (164) can supply power to at least one of the communication unit (161), the control unit (162), the display unit (163), and the sensor unit (130).

[0050] An embodiment of the present invention may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by a computer. Computer-readable media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer, and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Computer-readable media may also include computer storage media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.

[0051] Although the methods and systems of the present invention have been described with respect to specific embodiments, some or all of their components or operations may be implemented using a computer system having a general-purpose hardware architecture.

[0052] The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0053] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

[0054] [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 100: Sensor module capable of measuring blood pressure

[0056] 110: Ministry of Finance

[0057] 120: Equalizing sheet

[0058] 130: Sensor section

[0059] 131: First sensor 132: Second sensor

[0060] 133: Third sensor

[0061] 140: Step section

[0062] 150: Stopper

[0063] 160: Circuit section

[0064] 161: Communications Department 162: Control Department

[0065] 163: Display section 164: Battery section

Claims

1. In a sensor module for measuring blood pressure, Ministry of Finance; An equalizing sheet located on one side of the above-mentioned substrate and filled with liquid or gas inside; A sensor unit including at least one sensor located on one side of the equalizing sheet; and A sensor module comprising a stopper positioned on one side of the above-mentioned substrate, in close contact with the equalizing sheet, and positioned so as to face each other.

2. In paragraph 1, A sensor module wherein the height of the stopper is formed lower than the pressure equalizing sheet.

3. In paragraph 1, A sensor module wherein the above stopper is formed in a bar shape or an arc shape.

4. In paragraph 1, A sensor module wherein the stopper is formed to surround the equalizing sheet.

5. In paragraph 1, The above sensor module further includes a circuit portion, The above circuit part Communication unit that communicates with the outside world; A control unit that receives a sensor signal measured from the above sensor unit; A display unit that displays information received by the above control unit; and A sensor module comprising a battery unit that supplies power to at least one of the communication unit, control unit, display unit, and sensor unit.

6. In paragraph 1, The above sensor part First sensor, A second sensor positioned a predetermined distance away from the first sensor, and Including a step portion located on one side of the first sensor, A sensor module in which the reference surface of the first sensor and the reference surface of the second sensor have a step difference equal to the first distance.

7. In paragraph 6, A sensor module, wherein the sensor unit further includes a third sensor positioned at a predetermined distance from the second sensor.

Images