Device for managing blood flow rate using visual stimulation

Abstract

This blood flow rate management device capable of managing a blood flow rate using visual stimulation includes: a patch unit including a first patch attached to a common carotid artery region of a user and sensing a first blood rate (V1) which corresponds to the blood rate of the common carotid artery and a second patch attached to a radial artery region of the user and sensing a second blood rate (V2) which corresponds to the blood rate of the radial artery; a terminal unit for quantitatively calculating a rate difference between the first blood rate and the second blood rate received from the patch unit; a HMD unit for providing a visual stimulus corresponding to a black-and-white spot flickering at a predetermined interval to the user, on the basis of quantification data calculated by the terminal unit, so that the rate difference between the first blood rate and the second blood rate is minimized.

Description

Blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation

[0001] The present invention relates to a blood flow velocity management device capable of managing blood flow velocity using visual stimulation.

[0002] Vascular problems cause a variety of diseases and abnormalities in the vascular system. These vascular problems can be categorized into cardiovascular disease, arterial disease, venous disease, and other vascular diseases.

[0003] Cardiovascular diseases include coronary artery disease, which causes symptoms such as angina and myocardial infarction; cardiac arrhythmia, which is an abnormal heart rhythm; and heart failure, which is a condition in which the heart does not work effectively and does not pump blood effectively throughout the body.

[0004] Arterial diseases include high blood pressure, which puts excessive pressure on the artery walls and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and arteriosclerosis, which is a buildup of lipids and calcium in the blood on the artery walls, hardening and narrowing the arteries, which can lead to blood clots and heart disease.

[0005] Venous diseases include varicose veins, which are swollen and abnormally enlarged veins, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a condition in which blood clots form within veins, especially in the deep veins of the legs, and can move to cause blockages and other serious complications.

[0006] Other vascular diseases include stroke and aneurysm.

[0007] Early detection and management are important because vascular problems can lead to serious complications.

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention discloses a blood flow velocity management device capable of managing blood flow velocity using visual stimulation.

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a blood flow velocity management device capable of managing blood flow velocity using visual stimulation.

[0010] A blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a patch unit including a first patch attached to a common carotid artery of a user to sense a first blood flow velocity (V1) which is a blood flow velocity of the common carotid artery, and a second patch attached to a radial artery of the user to sense a second blood flow velocity (V2) which is a blood flow velocity of the radial artery; a terminal unit quantitatively calculating a velocity difference between the first and second blood flow velocities received from the patch unit; An HMD unit for providing a visual stimulus corresponding to a black and white spot that flashes at a predetermined cycle to the user so that a difference in speed between the first and second blood flow rates is minimized based on the quantification data produced from the terminal unit; wherein the HMD unit includes an HMD control unit for varying the brightness and the flashing cycle of the black and white spot, and the HMD control unit tracks the difference between the peak value of the first blood flow rate and the peak value of the second blood flow rate produced from the terminal unit while varying the brightness and the flashing cycle of the black and white spot, thereby obtaining an optimal brightness and flashing cycle that minimize the difference between the peak value of the first blood flow rate and the peak value of the second blood flow rate, and then operates the HMD unit to generate a visual stimulus corresponding to the black and white spot with the obtained optimal brightness and flashing cycle.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a blood flow velocity management device capable of managing blood flow velocity using visual stimulation can be provided.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a patch section.

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal portion.

[0015] Figure 4 is an example diagram to explain the process of calculating blood flow velocity.

[0016] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the blood flow velocity in the common carotid artery and the radial artery, respectively.

[0017] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the blood flow velocity in the common carotid artery and the radial artery superimposed.

[0018] Figure 7 is a drawing showing an example of a screen provided through a display unit.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical components in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of identical components are omitted.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, a blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a patch unit (100: 101, 102), a terminal unit (200), an HMD unit (300, Head Mount Display), and a display unit (400).

[0023] The patch unit (100) includes a first patch (101) attached to the user's common carotid artery area and a second patch (102) attached to the radial artery area.

[0024] The first patch (101) senses the blood flow velocity in the common carotid artery area (hereinafter, the first blood flow velocity), and the second patch (102) senses the blood flow velocity in the radial artery area (hereinafter, the second blood flow velocity). The detailed configuration of the first patch (101) and the second patch (102) constituting the patch unit (100) will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

[0025] Blood pumped from the heart is supplied to the brain through several arteries. The common carotid artery connects with the blood vessels supplying blood to the entire brain, and the radial artery connects with the blood vessels supplying blood to the posterior part of the brain.

[0026] Therefore, when the blood flow velocity of the common carotid artery and the blood flow velocity of the radial artery are the same, blood can be supplied evenly to the anterior and posterior parts of the brain.

[0027] However, if the blood flow speed of the common carotid artery and the radial artery are different, blood supply to all parts of the brain may not be smooth, which may cause headaches or decreased concentration, and in severe cases, may even lead to dementia.

[0028] Accordingly, the terminal unit (200) receives the first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity from the patch unit (100) and quantitatively calculates the velocity difference between the received first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity. Based on the calculation result, the terminal unit (200) can operate the HMD unit (300) to provide a visual stimulus to the subject. This terminal unit (200) will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0029] The HMD unit (300) applies visual stimulation to the user's eyes so that the difference in velocity between the first and second blood flow rates is minimized. When appropriate visual stimulation is applied to the eyes, stress on the cerebral blood vessels can be reduced, thereby improving the blood flow rate in the cerebral blood vessels.

[0030] The display unit (400) provides a visual representation of the speed difference between the first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity calculated from the terminal unit (200).

[0031] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a patch section.

[0032] The patch section (100: 101, 102) includes a first patch (101) and a second patch (102), and the first patch (101) and the second patch (102) are formed with substantially the same configuration, except that the attachment portion is different.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, each patch (101, 102) may include a blood flow sensor (110), a control unit (120), a communication unit (130), and a battery (140).

[0034] The battery (140) can provide the power voltage required for the operation of the blood flow sensor (110), the control unit (120), and the communication unit (130). The battery (140) may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery.

[0035] The communication unit (130) can perform wired or wireless communication with the terminal unit (200) via wired or wireless communication. For example, the communication unit (130) can transmit and receive data with the terminal unit (200) via cable or Bluetooth communication.

[0036] The blood flow sensor (110) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of the artery located at the bottom and provide it to the control unit (120).

[0037] For example, the blood flow sensor (110) included in the first patch (101) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) in the common carotid artery located at the bottom and provide it to the control unit (120), and the blood flow sensor (110) included in the second patch (102) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) in the radial artery and provide it to the control unit (120).

[0038] The blood flow sensor (110) may be a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. The PPG sensor is used to measure and monitor the body's bio-signals, such as blood pressure and pulse, and can detect changes in blood pressure that occur according to the body's blood circulation. Generally, the blood flow sensor (110) can detect changes in blood pressure from the blood flow velocity by utilizing the inversely proportional relationship between blood flow velocity and blood pressure. Since the configuration and operation of the PPG sensor are widely known, a detailed description of the operation of the blood flow sensor (110) is omitted here.

[0039] In addition, the blood flow sensor (110) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of an artery by utilizing the Doppler effect of ultrasound. For example, the blood flow sensor (110) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of an artery by radiating ultrasound of a certain frequency to an artery located below, sense the frequency of the ultrasound reflected by red blood cells in the blood flowing through the artery, and then sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of the artery based on the difference between the frequency of the radiated ultrasound and the frequency of the reflected ultrasound. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the blood flow sensor (110) can also sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of an artery by various methods known in the artery.

[0040] The control unit (120) can transmit the blood flow velocity (BV) received from the blood flow sensor (110) to the terminal unit (200) through the communication unit (130).

[0041] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal portion.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, the terminal unit (200) may include a communication unit (210), a quantification unit (220), a storage unit (230), and a control unit (240).

[0043] The communication unit (210) can communicate with the patch unit (100) and the display unit (400) via wired or wireless communication. The communication unit (210) can receive the first and second blood flow rates from the patch unit (100) via wired or wireless communication. The communication unit (210) can transmit data visualizing the speed difference between the first blood flow rate and the second blood flow rate to the display unit (400). The storage unit (230) stores various data required for operating the terminal unit (200), and the control unit (240) controls the overall function of the terminal unit (200).

[0044] The quantification unit (220) quantitatively calculates the velocity difference between the first blood flow velocity (V1) and the second blood flow velocity (V2) received from the patch unit (100). This will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the process of calculating the blood flow velocity.

[0045] Referring to Figure 4, the velocity of normal blood flow changes periodically between peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) according to the cardiac cycle.

[0046] However, end-diastolic blood flow velocity can be very small, and in some cases, blood may temporarily flow backward at end-diastolic, resulting in a negative end-diastolic velocity (EDV). Therefore, comparing the magnitude of blood flow velocity in the common carotid artery with that in the radial artery using end-diastolic blood flow velocity (EDV) may yield inaccurate results.

[0047] Therefore, it is desirable to compare the magnitudes of the first blood flow velocity (V1) and the second blood flow velocity (V2) based on the maximum systolic blood flow velocity (PSV) corresponding to the peak value in the blood flow velocity graph at the common carotid artery site and the maximum systolic blood flow velocity (PSV) corresponding to the peak value in the blood flow velocity graph at the radial artery site.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the first blood flow velocity (V1) in the common carotid artery and the second blood flow velocity (V2) in the radial artery, respectively, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the two blood flow velocities superimposed, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen provided through a display unit.

[0049] Referring to Figure 5, it can be confirmed that the peak values ​​of the two blood flow velocities are shifted (S). The shift size is proportional to the distance between the measurement sites, and the shift itself is unrelated to the presence or absence of a blood vessel abnormality.

[0050] Referring to Figure 6, it can be confirmed that the peak values ​​(P1, P2) of the two blood flow velocities differ by H. In this way, when the first blood flow velocity (V1) of the common carotid artery and the second blood flow velocity (V2) of the radial artery are not the same but differ, blood supply to all parts of the brain may not be smooth, which may cause headaches or reduced concentration.

[0051] The quantification unit (220) quantitatively calculates the velocity difference between the first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity using the following equation (1).

[0052] Equation (1): Result = {(V1 - V2) / max(V1, V2)} X 100 [Unit: %]

[0053] In Equation (1), if V1 = V2, that is, if the two peaks are P1 = P2, the result is calculated as 0. If V1 = 20, V2 = 10, the result is calculated as 50. And, if V1 = 10, V2 = 20, the result is calculated as -50. If the result is positive, it can be quantified as V1 > V2, indicating slow blood flow in the radial artery, and if the result is negative, it can be quantified as V1 < V2, indicating slow blood flow in the common carotid artery.

[0054] The result value produced by the quantification unit (220) is displayed through the display unit (400). The display unit (400) displays the result value by distinguishing it in blue if it is positive, in red if it is negative, etc., and displays it in a block proportional to the size of the result value, so that the practitioner (or user) can intuitively understand the difference in blood flow velocity in the common carotid artery and the radial artery. The block displayed on the display unit (400) reflecting the result value produced by the quantification unit (220) is called a measurement block (see FIG. 7, B). This display unit (400) is provided only for the convenience of the user and is not essential.

[0055] The HMD (300) is worn on the user's head like goggles and provides visual stimulation to the subject's eyes. The visual stimulation applied to the eyes can reduce stress on cerebral blood vessels, thereby improving blood flow in the cerebral blood vessels. For example, the visual stimulation may be a black and white spot that flashes at a predetermined rate.

[0056] The HMD unit (300) includes an HMD control unit (not shown) that provides a function for adjusting parameters such as intensity (brightness / darkness), frequency, and duration (cycle) of visual stimulation. The HMD control unit (not shown) may be provided separately from the HMD unit (300) in the form of a remote controller, or may be formed integrally with the HMD unit (300).

[0057] The HMD control unit can obtain optimal stimulus variables (intensity, frequency, period of visual stimulus, etc.) that minimize the difference between the peak values ​​(P1, P2) of the two blood flow rates calculated by the quantification unit (220) by operating the HMD unit (300) while periodically or aperiodically varying the intensity, frequency, period, etc. of the visual stimulus. That is, the HMD control unit can automatically change stimulus variables such as intensity, frequency, period, etc. of the visual stimulus while tracking the result value calculated from the quantification unit (220), and obtain optimal stimulus variables that make the result value as close to 0% as possible.

[0058] The HMD controller can obtain the optimal stimulus parameters by applying visual stimulation while changing the saturation / brightness of the spot from completely white to completely black and also changing the spot's blinking frequency. Of course, the same applies to other colors.

[0059] The HMD control unit can first apply visual stimulation to one of the subject's two eyes to obtain an optimal stimulus parameter, apply visual stimulation to the other eye to obtain an optimal stimulus parameter for that eye, and then provide a visual stimulus to which the individual optimal stimulus parameter is applied to each eye.

[0060] Therefore, the visual stimulation applied to the user's left eye by the HMD control unit and the visual stimulation applied to the user's right eye may differ in intensity, frequency, cycle, etc.

[0061] When the optimal stimulus variable is obtained, the HMD control unit operates the HMD unit (300) with the optimal stimulus variable for a certain period of time to generate a visual stimulus corresponding to the optimal stimulus variable. Afterwards, after a certain period of time has elapsed, the blood vessels may develop inertia with respect to the visual stimulus, and the effect of the visual stimulus may become minimal. In this case, the HMD control unit may again vary the stimulus variable to obtain the optimal stimulus variable that minimizes the difference between the peak values ​​(P1, P2) of the two blood flow rates, and operate the HMD unit (300) with the obtained optimal stimulus variable for a certain period of time.

[0062] In this way, the blood flow velocity management device of the present invention can operate the HMD unit (300) to automatically find the optimal stimulus variable and generate a corresponding visual stimulus.

[0063] Meanwhile, the blood flow velocity management device of the present invention can provide a measurement block (B) visualizing the result value calculated from the quantification unit (220) to the practitioner (or user) through the display unit (400). While observing the measurement block (B) displayed on the display unit (400), the practitioner can provide an appropriate visual stimulus to the subject through the HMD unit (300).

[0064] Specifically, the operator can obtain optimal stimulus variables that make the result value displayed on the measurement block (B) as close to 0% as possible by applying a visual stimulus to the user's eyes while changing the stimulus variables (intensity, frequency, cycle, etc. of the visual stimulus) through the HMD control unit after attaching the HMD unit (300) to the user's eyes. Thereafter, the operator can generate a visual stimulus by fixing the stimulus variables to the obtained optimal stimulus variables.

[0065] Of course, instead of the operator manually changing the stimulus parameters, the HMD control unit automatically changes the stimulus parameters to apply visual stimulation. However, the difference in peak blood flow velocity (P1, P2) according to the changing visual stimulus can be visualized through a measurement block to provide user convenience. The process of obtaining the optimal stimulus parameters again by considering the inertial effect is the same as described above.

[0066] In the above description, the operator and recipient are distinguished for convenience. However, the operator is not necessarily required. In other words, a single user can perform both the operator and recipient simultaneously.

[0067] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computing device (TN100) of FIG. 8 may be a hardware configuration of the blood flow rate management device described herein.

[0068] In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the computing device (TN100) may include at least one processor (TN110), a transceiver (TN120), and a memory (TN130). In addition, the computing device (TN100) may further include a storage device (TN140), an input interface device (TN150), an output interface device (TN160), and the like. The components included in the computing device (TN100) may be connected by a bus (TN170) to communicate with each other.

[0069] The processor (TN110) can execute program commands stored in at least one of the memory (TN130) and the storage device (TN140). The processor (TN110) may refer to a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor in which methods according to embodiments of the present invention are performed. The processor (TN110) may be configured to implement procedures, functions, methods, etc. described in relation to embodiments of the present invention. The processor (TN110) may control each component of the computing device (TN100).

[0070] The memory (TN130) and the storage device (TN140) can each store various information related to the operation of the processor (TN110). The memory (TN130) and the storage device (TN140) can each be configured with at least one of a volatile storage medium and a non-volatile storage medium. For example, the memory (TN130) can be configured with at least one of a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

[0071] The transceiver (TN120) can transmit or receive wired or wireless signals. The transceiver (TN120) can be connected to a network to perform communication.

[0072] Meanwhile, the present invention can also be implemented as a computer program. The present invention can be implemented as a computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium, combined with hardware.

[0073] Methods according to embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of readable programs via various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Here, the recording medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., singly or in combination.

[0074] The program commands recorded on the recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software.

[0075] For example, recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CDROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories.

[0076] Examples of program instructions may include machine language, such as that produced by a compiler, as well as high-level languages ​​that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0077] Such hardware devices may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0078] Above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but a person having ordinary skill in the art will be able to modify and change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting or adding components, etc., within the scope that does not depart from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims, and this will also be considered to be included within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A patch unit including a first patch attached to a user's common carotid artery area to sense a first blood flow velocity (V1) which is a blood flow velocity of the common carotid artery, and a second patch attached to a user's radial artery area to sense a second blood flow velocity (V2) which is a blood flow velocity of the radial artery; A terminal unit that quantitatively calculates the velocity difference between the first and second blood flow velocities received from the patch unit; and An HMD unit is provided to the user to provide a visual stimulus corresponding to a black and white spot that flashes at a predetermined cycle so that the difference in speed between the first and second blood flow velocities is minimized based on the quantitative data produced from the terminal unit, The above HMD unit includes an HMD control unit that changes the brightness and blinking cycle of the black and white spot, A blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation, wherein the HMD control unit tracks the difference between the peak of the first blood flow velocity and the peak of the second blood flow velocity calculated from the terminal unit while varying the brightness and blinking cycle of the black and white spot, and obtains an optimal brightness and blinking cycle that minimizes the difference between the peak of the first blood flow velocity and the peak of the second blood flow velocity, and then operates the HMD unit to generate a visual stimulus corresponding to the black and white spot with the obtained optimal brightness and blinking cycle.

2. In claim 1, A blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation, wherein the first patch and the second patch include a photoplethysmographic pulse sensor.

3. In claim 1, The terminal unit includes a quantification unit that quantitatively calculates the velocity difference between the first blood flow velocity (V1) and the second blood flow velocity (V2) using the following equation (1). Equation (1): Result = {(V1 - V2) / max(V1, V2)} X 100 A device for managing blood flow velocity using visual stimulation.

4. In claim 1, The above HMD control unit is a blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation, which first applies visual stimulation to one of the user's two eyes to obtain the optimal brightness and blinking cycle, and then applies visual stimulation to the other eye to obtain the optimal brightness and blinking cycle for that eye, and then applies the individual optimal brightness and blinking cycle to each eye.

5. In claim 3, A blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation, further comprising a display unit that displays the result value produced by the quantification unit, and wherein the display unit outputs a measurement block reflecting the result value produced by the quantification unit.

6. In claim 5, A blood flow velocity management device using visual stimulation, wherein the above measurement block is output in a size proportional to the result value, allowing the operator to intuitively identify the difference between the first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity.

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