Biological information acquisition device and method for operating same

Abstract

This biological information acquisition device is provided with a first sensor, a second sensor, a fixing part, and an adjustment part. The first sensor is brought into contact with a biological surface of a person to be measured and detects first biological information related to vibration from the heart. The second sensor irradiates the biological surface of the person with light and optically detects second biological information. The fixing part fixes the first sensor and the second sensor toward the biological surface of the chest of the person. The adjustment part includes: a contact pressure adjustment unit that adjusts contact pressure from the first sensor onto the biological surface; and a distance adjustment unit that adjusts the distance from the second sensor to the biological surface.

Description

Biometric information acquisition device and operation method thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a biometric information acquisition device and an operating method thereof.

[0002] A method for stably measuring a pulse wave in a device worn on a part of a subject's body to measure the subject's biological information has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a pulse wave measuring device in which a sensor unit that measures pulse waves is fixed to the measurement site using an elastic belt. This pulse wave measuring device has an elastic body surrounding the sensor unit to absorb external forces and the subject's body movements, thereby preventing the sensor unit from shifting, and allowing for stable measurement of the pulse wave.

[0003] Furthermore, devices have been proposed that are worn on parts of the body of a subject to measure multiple types of biological information. For example, Patent Literature 2 discloses a biological information measuring device that includes electrocardiogram electrodes, a pulse wave sensor, and a vibration sensor and can be worn on the upper arm of a subject using a belt.

[0004] JP 2009-226167 A JP 2023-23136 A

[0005] When multiple sensors for measuring biological information are used to simultaneously acquire multiple types of biological information, adjustments must be made according to the type of sensor in order to acquire accurate biological information for each of the multiple sensors. Conventional technologies have room for improvement in the method of adjusting sensors when acquiring biological information using multiple sensors.

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of the present disclosure, which has been made with the above points in mind, is to provide a biometric information acquisition device that can simultaneously acquire first biometric information related to vibrations from the heart and second biometric information detected by irradiating light onto the surface of the living body.

[0007] A biometric information acquisition device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes (1) a first sensor that contacts the biological surface of a subject to be measured to detect first biometric information related to vibrations from the heart, a second sensor that irradiates the biological surface of the subject to be measured with light to optically detect second biometric information, a fixing unit that fixes the first sensor and the second sensor toward the biological surface of the subject's chest, and an adjustment unit, wherein the adjustment unit includes a contact pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the contact pressure of the first sensor against the biological surface, and a distance adjustment unit that adjusts the distance of the second sensor against the biological surface.

[0008] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, (2) in the biometric information acquisition device of (1) above, it is preferable that the second sensor is movable relative to the first sensor.

[0009] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (3) in the bioinformation acquisition device of (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the adjustment unit includes a motor, a gear that transmits the power of the motor, and a screw that converts the rotational motion of the gear into linear motion relative to the surface of the body.

[0010] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, (4) in any one of the biometric information acquisition devices (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the biometric information acquisition device includes two or more first sensors.

[0011] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (5) in any of the biometric information acquisition devices (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the biometric information acquisition device comprises a first housing to which the fixing portion is attached and a second housing in which the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged, and the contact pressure adjustment portion adjusts the contact pressure by moving the second housing relative to the first housing.

[0012] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (6) in the biometric information acquisition device of (5) above, it is preferable that the second sensor is arranged inside a hole having an opening on the side of the biological surface provided in the second housing, and the distance adjustment unit is arranged inside the second housing, and the distance is adjusted by moving the second sensor within the hole.

[0013] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (7) in the biometric information acquisition device of (6) above, it is preferable that the first sensor is arranged horizontally adjacent to the opening of the hole portion of the second housing.

[0014] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (8) in any of the biometric information acquisition devices (5) to (7) above, it is preferable that the second sensor is located at the center of gravity of the surface of the second housing that contacts the biological surface in a planar view.

[0015] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, (9) in any of the biometric information acquisition devices (1) to (8) above, it is preferable that the biometric information acquisition device further includes a control unit that acquires the vibration waveform from the first sensor, and when it determines that a predetermined first feature can be calculated from the vibration waveform, causes the contact pressure adjustment unit to determine the contact pressure, and acquires the second biometric information from the second sensor, and when it determines that a predetermined second feature can be calculated from the second biometric information, causes the distance adjustment unit to determine the distance.

[0016] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (10) in the biometric information acquisition device of (9) above, it is preferable to include an alarm unit that notifies the outside of the status of calculation of at least one of the first feature amount and the second feature amount.

[0017] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, (11) in the biometric information acquisition device according to any one of (1) to (10) above, it is preferable that the fixing part includes an adhesive layer that can be attached to the surface of the living body.

[0018] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (12) in any of the bioinformation acquisition devices (5) to (8) above, it is preferable that the fixing portion includes an adhesive layer that can be attached to the surface of the living body, the adhesive layer includes a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the end face of the first housing on the side of the living body surface, and an electrocardiogram electrode is provided on the protruding portion.

[0019] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, (13) in any of the biometric information acquisition devices (1) to (12) above, it is preferable that the first sensor is a heart sound sensor that detects heart sounds, and the second sensor is a pulse wave sensor that detects pulse waves.

[0020] An operating method as one aspect of the present disclosure is (14) an operating method executed by a control unit of a biometric information acquisition device including a first sensor that contacts the biological surface of the subject to be measured to detect first biometric information related to vibrations from the heart, and a second sensor that irradiates the biological surface of the subject to be measured with light to optically detect second biometric information, the operating method including adjusting the contact pressure of the first sensor against the biological surface and adjusting the distance of the second sensor against the biological surface while the first sensor and the second sensor are fixed toward the biological surface of the chest of the subject to be measured.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, first biological information relating to vibrations from the heart and second biological information detected by irradiating the surface of the living body with light can be simultaneously acquired with high accuracy.

[0022] 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the general configuration of a biometric information acquisition device according to one embodiment attached to the biological surface of a subject. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a first example of the configuration of a drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a view of the biometric information acquisition device of FIG. 2 from the side in contact with the biological surface. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the configuration of the drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a third example of the configuration of the drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a fourth example of the configuration of the drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a view of an adhesive sheet for fixing the biometric information acquisition device toward the biological surface, as viewed from the side in contact with the biological surface. FIG. 7 is a view of the configuration of a first example in which electrocardiographic electrodes are added to the adhesive sheet of FIG. 7, as viewed from the side in contact with the biological surface. FIG. 7 is a view of the configuration of a second example in which electrocardiographic electrodes are added to the adhesive sheet of FIG. 7, as viewed from the side in contact with the biological surface. FIG. 7 is a view of the configuration of a third example in which electrocardiographic electrodes are added to the adhesive sheet of FIG. 7, as viewed from the side in contact with the biological surface. FIG. 7 is a view of the configuration of a fourth example in which electrocardiographic electrodes are added to the adhesive sheet of FIG. 7, as viewed from the side in contact with the biological surface. 14 is a diagram showing a fifth example of the configuration in which electrocardiogram electrodes are added to the adhesive sheet of FIG. 7, as viewed from the side in contact with the surface of a living body. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control mechanism of the bioinformation acquisition devices of FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit of FIG. 13. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a fifth example of the configuration of a drive mechanism of the bioinformation acquisition device of FIG. 1. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the bioinformation acquisition device of FIG. 15, as viewed from the opposite side to the side in contact with the surface of a living body. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing another example of the bioinformation acquisition device of FIG. 15, as viewed from the opposite side to the side in contact with the surface of a living body. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control mechanism of the bioinformation acquisition device of FIG. 15. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the procedure carried out by a measurement subject to measure bioinformation using the bioinformation acquisition device of FIG. 15.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings used in the following description are schematic. The dimensional ratios and the like in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones. In each drawing, the same or similar components may be assigned the same reference numerals. In the description of each embodiment, the description of components that are the same or similar to those in the embodiments already described may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0024] (Schematic Configuration of Biometric Information Acquisition Device) A schematic configuration of a biometric information acquisition device 10 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view, seen from above, of the biometric information acquisition device 10 worn on the chest of a subject 1. The biometric information acquisition device 10 is a device that allows the subject 1 to measure their own biometric information. The subject 1 is, for example, a patient receiving home treatment. The biometric information acquisition device 10 may be used by a user other than the subject 1, such as a person assisting the subject 1, to measure the biometric information of the subject 1.

[0025] The biometric information acquisition device 10 includes a first sensor 11, a second sensor 12, a fixing unit 13, a contact pressure adjustment unit 14, a distance adjustment unit 15, a first housing 16, and a second housing 17. There may be one or more first sensors 11 and one or more second sensors 12. The contact pressure adjustment unit 14 and the distance adjustment unit 15 constitute an adjustment unit. The biometric information acquisition device 10 may further include a control device 50, a start switch 55, and an alarm unit 56.

[0026] The first sensor 11 contacts the biological surface 2 of the subject 1 to detect first biological information related to vibrations from the heart 3. The first sensor 11 converts vibrations, including heart sounds, apex beats, and ballistocardiograms, into electrical signals. The first sensor 11 may be a capacitor microphone that detects changes in capacitance between a diaphragm (diaphragm) and a back plate (electrode), a piezoelectric microphone using a piezoelectric element, or an electrodynamic microphone that combines a permanent magnet and a coil. The first sensor 11 can output the detected electrical signal to the control device 50. The first sensor 11 includes a heart sound sensor. Heart sound sensors acquire biological information such as heart rate and heart rate variability and are used for health monitoring, cardiac disease diagnosis, and exercise monitoring. Adjusting the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 against the biological surface 2 is essential for improving measurement accuracy. Multiple first sensors 11 may be provided. Each first sensor 11 may output a detected electrical signal to the control device 50. The control device 50 may select the signal with the best waveform from the waveforms of the multiple electrical signals as the output of the first sensor 11 .

[0027] The second sensor 12 optically detects second biological information by irradiating light onto the biological surface 2 of the subject 1. The second sensor 12 is, for example, an optical pulse wave sensor consisting of a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. The optical pulse wave sensor measures the temporal variation in the amount of light absorbed by irradiating the biological surface 2 of the subject 1 with infrared or red light from the light-emitting unit and detecting the light reflected from the subject 1's body with the light-receiving unit. Because the amount of light absorption depends on the amount of oxyhemoglobin in the blood, the optical pulse wave sensor can noninvasively obtain information on the temporal variation in blood flow, i.e., pulse wave information. When fixed to the chest of the subject 1, the second sensor 12 can measure the pulse wave of the arteries or capillaries on the biological surface 2 of the subject 1's chest. The pulse wave sensor measures intravascular pressure changes caused by the beating of the heart 3 as a waveform and is used to evaluate the heart rate, heart rhythm, and abnormal activity of the heart 3. Generally, the accuracy of measuring the pulse wave waveform is improved by adjusting the light intensity, but increasing the light intensity can result in excessive power consumption. In the bioinformation acquisition device 10 disclosed herein, the measurement accuracy of the second sensor 12 is adjusted by adjusting the distance from the biological surface 2, so that the measurement accuracy of the pulse waveform can be improved with relatively little power consumption.

[0028] The fixing unit 13 fixes the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 as a single unit toward the biological surface 2 of the subject 1's chest. The first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 are arranged in the same second housing 17. The second housing 17 is fixed so that its position relative to the first housing 16 is adjustable. The fixing unit 13 is coupled to the first housing 16 and fixes the first housing 16 and the second housing 17 so that the surface of the second housing 17 on which the first sensor 11 is provided is pressed toward the biological surface 2. The fixing unit 13 may be, for example, a stretchable belt or an adhesive sheet. When an adhesive sheet is used for the fixing unit 13, it is desirable to provide the adhesive sheet around the second housing 17 on the side (front) of the first housing 16 that abuts against the biological surface 2.

[0029] The contact pressure adjusting unit 14 adjusts the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 against the biological surface 2. The contact pressure adjusting unit 14 includes a drive mechanism for driving the first sensor 11 toward the biological surface 2. In Fig. 1, the contact pressure adjusting unit 14 is schematically shown using a double-headed arrow. The contact pressure adjusting unit 14 may include a drive mechanism such as a motor, an electromagnet, and / or a pump.

[0030] The distance adjustment unit 15 adjusts the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2. The distance adjustment unit 15 includes a drive mechanism for driving the second sensor 12 in a direction perpendicular to the biological surface 2. In FIG. 1 , the distance adjustment unit 15 is schematically shown using a double-headed arrow. Like the contact pressure adjustment unit 14, the distance adjustment unit 15 may include a drive mechanism such as a motor, an electromagnet, and / or a pump. The contact pressure adjustment unit 14 and the distance adjustment unit 15 are configured to be able to operate independently without interfering with each other.

[0031] The first housing 16 houses the entire drive mechanism and control mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device 10. The first housing 16 can be referred to as the device main body. Various components of the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 and the distance adjustment unit 15 may be arranged in the first housing 16. The first housing 16 may have, for example, a cylindrical outer shape, but is not limited to this and may have any shape. The first housing 16 may be made of any material, including resin and metal, as long as it has a predetermined strength.

[0032] The second housing 17 is at least partially housed within the first housing 16. The second housing 17 is configured to be movable relative to the first housing 16 toward the biological surface 2 by the driving force of the contact pressure adjuster 14 while fixed to the chest of the subject 1. The first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 are disposed on the side of the second housing 17 that contacts the biological surface 2. Hereinafter, the sides of the first housing 16 and the second housing 17 that contact the biological surface 2 may be referred to as the "front side." The surface of the second housing 17 that contacts the biological surface 2 is preferably flat. The second housing 17 may be cylindrical, for example, but is not limited to this, and may have any shape. The second housing 17 may be made of any material, including resin and metal, as long as it has a predetermined strength.

[0033] The control device 50 controls the operation of the biometric information acquisition device 10. For example, the control device 50 can acquire output signals from the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12, analyze the waveforms of each signal, and determine whether a desired waveform is obtained. The control device 50 may also be capable of electrically controlling the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 and the distance adjustment unit 15. The control device 50 is housed in any location in the biometric information acquisition device 10. The control device 50 is electrically connected to each of the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 via wiring. Some functions of the control device 50 may be executed by an information processing device capable of wired or wireless communication with the biometric information acquisition device 10. The information processing device may be, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a portable information terminal, a smartphone, or the like.

[0034] The activation switch 55 instructs the control device 50 to start measurement by the biometric information acquisition device 10. The activation switch 55 may be operated by the subject 1 or another user. The activation switch 55 is not an essential component. For example, the biometric information acquisition device 10 may be configured to start measurement upon detecting that it has been attached to the biological surface 2.

[0035] The notification unit 56 notifies the measurement status to the subject 1 or another user. The notification unit 56 may include, for example, a light-emitting element such as an LED (light emission diode), a speaker, or a vibrator, and may provide notification using light, sound, vibration, or the like. The notification unit 56 may also include a communication device and may transmit notification information to other devices via the communication device so that the other devices can provide notifications. For example, the notification unit 56 may have light-emitting elements corresponding to the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12, and may be configured to light the light-emitting elements in blue if the measurement is performed correctly and light the light-emitting elements in red if the measurement is not performed correctly. The notification unit 56 may further include a display element for displaying images, such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) or organic EL (electroluminescence). The light-emitting element and the display element may be disposed on the side of the first housing 16 opposite to the side that contacts the biological surface 2. Hereinafter, the side of the first housing 16 opposite to the side that contacts the biological surface 2 may be referred to as the "rear side."

[0036] The biometric information acquisition device 10 further includes a battery for operating the contact pressure adjustment unit 14, the distance adjustment unit 15, the control device 50, the notification unit 56, etc. The battery is disposed at any position in the biometric information acquisition device 10. Instead of using a battery, the biometric information acquisition device 10 may receive power from an external source.

[0037] (First Example of Drive Mechanism of Biometric Information Acquisition Device) A more specific configuration of the drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, some of the components of the control system, such as the control device 50, the activation switch 55, and the notification unit 56, are omitted.

[0038] The biometric information acquisition device 10A in FIG. 2 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, composed of a first housing 16 and a second housing 17. The thickness dimension of the cylindrical shape may be smaller than the radius of the cylindrical base. A smaller thickness dimension of the cylindrical shape is preferable because it reduces the pressing force when fixing the device to the biological surface 2 of the chest of the subject 1. The first housing 16 has a cylindrical space that opens to the front side and accommodates the second housing 17. The second housing 17 is configured to be slidable within the cylindrical space relative to the first housing 16 in a direction along the central axis C of the first housing 16 and the second housing 17.

[0039] The second housing 17 has a columnar first portion 171 and a cylindrical second portion 172 .

[0040] The first portion 171 is located closer to the front than the second portion 172. The first portion 171 is provided with a hole 173 having an opening on the front side. The second sensor 12 is slidably disposed in the hole 173. The second sensor 12 may be disposed on the central axis C of the first housing 16 and the second housing 17. Furthermore, the first portion 171 is provided with a hole extending from the hole 173 to the rear side along the central axis C, through which a shaft 26 (described later) is inserted. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first sensor 11 is disposed on the front side of the second housing 17 horizontally adjacent to the opening of the hole 173 of the first portion 171. In other words, the first sensor 11 is disposed on the front side of the second housing 17 horizontally adjacent to the second sensor 12.

[0041] The second portion 172 of the second housing 17 is located on the rear side of the first portion 171. The central axis C of the second portion 172 coincides with the central axis C of the first portion 171. A female screw 174 is provided on the cylindrical inner surface of the second portion 172.

[0042] A first motor 21 is provided inside the first housing 16. The first motor 21 may be, for example, a stepping motor whose rotation angle can be controlled. The first motor 21 is connected to a switch 212 provided on the back surface of the first housing 16 via a wire 211. The switch 212 is used by the subject 1 or another user to operate the first motor 21. If the first motor 21 is controlled by the control device 50, the wire 211 and the switch 212 may be omitted. A first input gear 214 is provided at the tip of a motor shaft 213 of the first motor 21. The first input gear 214 meshes with a first output gear 23 provided inside the first housing 16.

[0043] The first output gear 23 is held inside the first housing 16 so as to be rotatable about the central axis C of the first housing 16. The first output gear 23 is further coupled, via a joint surface, to a rotary screw 24 that is rotatable about the central axis C of the first housing 16. When the first output gear 23 rotates about the central axis C, the rotary screw 24 rotates about the central axis C. As shown in FIG. 2 , the rotary screw 24 may be a large-diameter screw. A male thread is provided on the outer periphery of the rotary screw 24, which threadably engages with a female thread 174 provided on the inner surface of the second portion 172 of the second housing 17. The first output gear 23 and the rotary screw 24 are provided with a hole along the central axis C, through which a shaft 26 (described later) is inserted.

[0044] With this configuration, the rotational power of the first motor 21 is transmitted from the first input gear 214 to the first output gear 23. Furthermore, the rotational motion transmitted to the first output gear 23 is converted into linear motion in a direction along the central axis C of the second housing 17 by the engagement between the rotary screw 24 and the female screw 174. Therefore, by driving the first motor 21, the second housing 17 is driven toward the biological surface 2, so that the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 with respect to the biological surface 2 can be adjusted. Therefore, in the biometric information acquisition device 10A, the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 includes the first motor 21, the first input gear 214, the first output gear 23, the rotary screw 24, and the female screw 174 of the second housing 17.

[0045] A second motor 22 is also provided inside the first housing 16, at a position separate from the first motor 21. Like the first motor 21, the second motor 22 may be a stepping motor whose rotation angle is controllable. The second motor 22 is connected to a switch 222 provided on the rear surface of the first housing 16 via a wire 221. The switch 222 is used by the subject 1 or another user to operate the second motor 22. Like the first motor 21, if the second motor 22 is controlled by the control device 50, the wire 221 and the switch 222 may be omitted. A second input gear 224 is provided at the tip of the motor shaft 223 of the second motor 22. The second input gear 224 meshes with a second output gear 25 provided inside the first housing 16.

[0046] The second output gear 25 is held inside the first housing 16 so as to be rotatable around the central axis C of the first housing 16. The second output gear 25 forms a gear shaft together with a shaft 26 extending along the central axis C of the first housing 16. The shaft 26 passes through holes along the central axis C of the first output gear 23 and the rotating screw 24, and extends to a hole 173 in the second housing 17. The tip of the shaft 26 forms a male threaded portion 27 having a male thread formed on the outer periphery. The male threaded portion 27 screws into a female thread provided on the inner surface of a cylindrical member 28 disposed in the hole 173. The cylindrical member 28 is coupled to the second sensor 12 on the front side.

[0047] With this configuration, the rotational power of the second motor 22 is transmitted from the second input gear 224 to the second output gear 25. Furthermore, the rotational motion transmitted to the second output gear 25 is converted into linear motion of the second sensor 12 by the threaded engagement between the male thread portion 27 at the tip of the shaft 26 and the female thread provided on the inner surface of the tubular member 28. Therefore, by driving the second motor 22, the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2 can be adjusted. The second sensor 12 can be moved relative to the front surface of the second housing 17 in which the first sensor 11 is disposed. Therefore, in the biometric information acquisition device 10A, the distance adjustment unit 15 includes the second motor 22, the second input gear 224, the second output gear 25, the shaft 26, the tubular member 28, etc.

[0048] As described above, in the biometric information acquisition device 10A, the positions of the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 can be adjusted individually by driving the first motor 21 and the second motor 22, respectively. Furthermore, the position of the first sensor 11 is not affected by driving the second motor 22. Therefore, in the biometric information acquisition device 10A, after adjusting the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 with respect to the biological surface 2 with the first motor 21, the second motor 22 can be operated to adjust the distance of the second sensor 12 with respect to the biological surface 2. In this way, the distance of the second sensor 12 with respect to the biological surface 2 can be adjusted without affecting the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 with respect to the biological surface 2.

[0049] 3, a rotation restricting portion 29 may be provided to restrict rotation between the first housing 16 and the second housing 17 so that the first housing 16 and the second housing 17 do not rotate relative to each other around the central axis C. The rotation restricting portion 29 may be, for example, a groove provided in the first housing 16 and the second housing 17 and extending in a direction parallel to the central axis C. A rotation restricting portion may also be provided between the second housing 17 and the cylindrical member 28 so that they do not rotate relative to each other.

[0050] As described above, the biometric information acquisition device 10A can integrate the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 into a single device. This allows the biometric information acquisition device 10A to simultaneously acquire first biometric information from the first sensor 11 and second biometric information from the second sensor 12. The first sensor 11 can improve measurement accuracy by adjusting its contact pressure with the biological surface 2. Furthermore, by providing multiple first sensors 11, the control device 50 can select the first sensor 11 that can best acquire the first biometric information for each measurement. The second sensor 12 can improve measurement accuracy while saving power by adjusting its distance from the biological surface 2 without increasing the light output of the light-emitting unit. Furthermore, by converting the rotational motion of the first motor 21 and the second motor 22 into linear motion by engaging a screw via gears with an appropriately selected gear ratio, precise adjustment of the direction along the central axis C is possible.

[0051] The overall external shape of the biometric information acquisition device 10A, including the first housing 16 and the second housing 17, is not limited to a generally cylindrical shape. For example, when viewed from the front, the first housing 16 and the second housing 17 may have a shape similar to an oval, triangle, or rectangle. In this case, the second sensor 12 can be positioned near the center of gravity of the front surface of the second housing 17, which is the surface that contacts the biological surface 2, in a plan view. This allows multiple first sensors 11 to be arranged in a balanced manner around the second sensor 12. Furthermore, it is preferable that the central axis of rotation of the rotation screw 24 passes through the center of gravity of the front surface of the second housing 17. This allows the driving force of the second housing 17 by the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 to be applied toward the center of gravity of the front surface of the second housing 17, preventing uneven force application to the second housing 17.

[0052] 4, a description will be given of a biometric information acquisition device 10B having a second example of the configuration of the drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device 10. The biometric information acquisition device 10B has many points in common with the biometric information acquisition device 10A, and therefore only the differences will be described.

[0053] In the biometric information acquisition device 10B, the first output gear 23 and the second output gear 25 are arranged at different positions on the rear side of the second housing 17 so as not to interfere with each other. Furthermore, the second portion 172 of the second housing 17 is arranged biased toward a portion on the rear side of the first portion 171. The central axis of rotation of the first output gear 23 and the rotary screw 24 does not coincide with the central axis of rotation of the second output gear 25 and the shaft 26. Therefore, the second sensor 12 is not located at the center or center of gravity of the front side of the second housing 17.

[0054] 2, the biometric information acquisition device 10B does not need to insert the shaft 26 through the internal holes of the first output gear 23 and the rotary screw 24. Therefore, the biometric information acquisition device 10B can have a simpler configuration than the biometric information acquisition device 10A.

[0055] (Third Example of Drive Mechanism of Biometric Information Acquisition Device) With reference to Fig. 5, a description will be given of a biometric information acquisition device 10C having a configuration of a third example of the drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device 10. The biometric information acquisition device 10C has many points in common with the biometric information acquisition device 10B shown in Fig. 4, and therefore, differences will be described.

[0056] Unlike the biometric information acquisition device 10B, the first output gear 23 and the rotary screw 24 of the biometric information acquisition device 10C are disposed so as to be located at the center or center of gravity of the front surface of the second housing 17 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the second housing 17. The second housing 17 is provided with a screw hole having a female thread 174 that threadably engages with the rotary screw 24. Furthermore, in the biometric information acquisition device 10C, a connecting gear 31 is disposed between the first input gear 214 and the first output gear 23 inside the first housing 16. The connecting gear 31 includes a shaft 311 extending in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the second housing 17 and a first gear 312 and a second gear 313 disposed on both ends of the shaft 311. The connecting gear 31 is configured to be rotatable around the shaft 311 inside the first housing 16. The first gear 312 meshes with the first input gear 214. The second gear 313 meshes with the first output gear 23. The gear ratio between the first gear 312 and the first input gear 214, and the gear ratio between the second gear 313 and the first output gear 23 are selected appropriately.

[0057] With the above configuration, in the biometric information acquisition device 10C, the rotational power of the first motor 21 is transmitted to the first output gear 23 via the connecting gear 31, rotating the rotary screw 24. The rotation of the rotary screw 24 causes the second housing 17 to move the first sensor 11 in a direction perpendicular to the biological surface 2. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the second housing 17, the rotary screw 24 is located at the center or center of gravity of the front surface of the second housing 17. Therefore, compared to the biometric information acquisition device 10B of FIG. 4 , the biometric information acquisition device 10C does not experience a bias in the force applied to the second housing 17. Therefore, the biometric information acquisition device 10C can evenly press the front surface of the second housing 17, on which the first sensor 11 is located, against the biological surface 2.

[0058] (Fourth Example of Drive Mechanism of Biometric Information Acquisition Device) With reference to Fig. 6, a description will be given of a biometric information acquisition device 10D having a configuration of a fourth example of the drive mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device 10. The biometric information acquisition device 10D has many points in common with the biometric information acquisition device 10A shown in Fig. 2, and therefore, differences will be described.

[0059] In the biometric information acquisition device 10D, the distance adjustment unit 15 is disposed inside the second housing 17, not inside the first housing 16. That is, in the biometric information acquisition device 10D, the second motor 22, the motor shaft 223, the second input gear 224, and the second output gear 25 are located inside the second housing 17. The central axes of rotation of the second output gear 25 and the shaft 26, and the second sensor 12 may or may not be located at the center or center of gravity when the front surface of the second housing 17 is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the second housing 17.

[0060] With the above-described configuration, in the biometric information acquisition device 10D, the position of the second sensor 12 in the hole 173 is not affected by the relative positional relationship of the second housing 17 with respect to the first housing 16. Therefore, in the biometric information acquisition device 10D, the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 on the biological surface 2 and the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2 can be adjusted independently without interfering with each other. Therefore, in the biometric information acquisition device 10D, the order of adjustment of the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 does not matter. In the biometric information acquisition device 10D, after the distance adjustment unit 15 adjusts the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2, the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 can adjust the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 on the biological surface 2.

[0061] 7 to 12 , an example in which an adhesive sheet 40 is used as the fixing unit 13 will be described. Fig. 7 is a view of the biometric information acquisition device 10 having the adhesive sheet 40 as the fixing unit 13, as seen from the front side of the second housing 17.

[0062] The adhesive sheet 40 includes an adhesive layer on one side that can be attached to the biological surface 2. The first housing 16 is fixed to the side of the adhesive sheet 40 opposite the adhesive layer. The adhesive sheet 40 has a shape with a hollowed-out portion through which the second housing 17 passes. By hollowing out the portion of the adhesive sheet 40 through which the second housing 17 passes, the second housing 17 can slide relative to the first housing 16 so that the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 contact the biological surface 2. The adhesive sheet 40 may include a protruding portion 40a that protrudes outward from the end face of the first housing 16 facing the biological surface 2. The protruding portion 40a increases the area of ​​the adhesive sheet 40 and strengthens its adhesion to the biological surface 2. With the adhesive sheet 40 attached to the biological surface 2, the biological information acquisition device 10 can press the first sensor 11 on the front surface of the second housing 17 toward the biological surface 2.

[0063] The adhesive sheet 40 is flexible. Therefore, the adhesive sheet 40 can be deformed to fit the shape of the biological surface 2. The adhesive layer of the adhesive sheet 40 is formed over the entire lower surface of the adhesive sheet 40. The adhesive layer of the adhesive sheet 40 may be provided only in a partial area of ​​the lower surface of the adhesive sheet 40. The adhesive sheet 40 may be formed from multiple layers including, for example, a base layer and an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer may be formed from an adhesive such as a rubber-based adhesive, an acrylic-based adhesive, or a silicone-based adhesive.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12 , two or more electrocardiogram electrodes 41 for measuring an electrocardiogram may be arranged on the protruding portion 40a of the adhesive sheet 40. The electrocardiogram electrodes 41 contact the biological surface 2 when the adhesive sheet 40 is attached to the subject 1. The biometric information acquisition device 10 can measure an electrocardiogram using the electrocardiogram electrodes 41 in addition to the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12. The electrocardiogram electrodes 41 include a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a ground electrode, etc. FIGS. 8 , 9 , and 10 show examples of two, three, and four electrocardiogram electrodes 41, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 , the adhesive sheet 40 may have protruding portions 40a of various shapes depending on the number of electrocardiogram electrodes 41. Depending on the position of each electrocardiogram electrode 41, the protruding portions 40a may extend from a central portion fixed to the first housing 16 to a position that encompasses each electrocardiogram electrode 41. 11, at least a portion of the electrocardiogram electrodes 41 may be disposed on the front surface of the first housing 16 or the second housing 17. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 12, the biometric information acquisition device 10 may include electrocardiogram electrodes 41 connected by conductors 42 so as to be fixable to a site of the measurement subject 1 away from the position where the biometric information acquisition device 10 is fixed.

[0065] (Configuration of Control Mechanism) Next, the configuration of the control mechanism of the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The control device 50 is electrically connected to the first sensor 11, the second sensor 12, the first motor 21, the second motor 22, the start switch 55, and the alarm unit 56. Furthermore, if the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D include electrocardiogram electrodes 41, the electrocardiogram electrodes 41 and the control device 50 are also electrically connected.

[0066] The control device 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, and a communication unit 53. In the following description using Figures 13 and 14, the first sensor 11 is a heart sound sensor, and the second sensor 12 is a pulse wave sensor. The heart sound may be interpreted as first biological information. The pulse wave may be interpreted as second biological information.

[0067] The control unit 51 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0068] The control unit 51 controls each unit of the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D and executes processes related to the operation of the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D. The control unit 51 includes the following functional blocks: a cardiac sound waveform calculation unit 511, a contact pressure control unit 512, a pulse waveform calculation unit 513, a distance control unit 514, and an electrocardiogram waveform calculation unit 515. Each functional block may be a hardware module or a software module. The processes executed by each functional block can be rephrased as processes executed by the control unit 51.

[0069] The cardiac sound waveform calculation unit 511 detects heart sounds from the signal acquired from the first sensor 11. The cardiac sound waveform calculation unit 511 analyzes the waveform of the heart sounds and attempts to calculate a first feature quantity characteristic of the heart sounds. The first feature quantity is, for example, the volume and / or occurrence timing of the first and second sounds. The first feature quantity is not limited to this. The cardiac sound waveform calculation unit 511 determines whether the first feature quantity can be calculated.

[0070] The contact pressure control unit 512 controls the first motor 21 of the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 depending on whether the phonocardiogram waveform calculation unit 511 is able to calculate the first feature quantity. The contact pressure control unit 512 changes the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 against the biological surface 2 to cause the first sensor 11 to perform measurement. When it is determined that the phonocardiogram waveform calculation unit 511 is able to calculate the first feature quantity, the contact pressure control unit 512 controls the first motor 21 to fix the first sensor 11 in that position. Note that the first motor 21 can also be operated by the subject 1 or another user operating the switch 212. In this case, the subject 1 or another user operates the switch 212 to change the contact pressure, and the contact pressure control unit 512 is not necessary.

[0071] The pulse waveform calculation unit 513 detects a pulse wave from the signal acquired from the second sensor 12. The pulse waveform calculation unit 513 analyzes the waveform of the pulse wave and attempts to calculate a second feature quantity that is characteristic of the pulse wave. The second feature quantity includes, for example, the wave heights and occurrence timing of waves a to e included in the pulse wave. The second feature quantity is not limited to these. The pulse waveform calculation unit 513 determines whether the second feature quantity can be calculated.

[0072] The distance control unit 514 controls the second motor 22 of the distance adjustment unit 15 depending on whether the pulse waveform calculation unit 513 is able to calculate the second feature amount. The distance control unit 514 changes the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2 and causes the second sensor 12 to perform measurement. When it is determined that the pulse waveform calculation unit 513 is able to calculate the second feature amount, the distance control unit 514 controls the second motor 22 to fix the second sensor 12 in that position. Note that the second motor 22 can also be operated by the subject 1 or another user operating the switch 222. In that case, the subject 1 or another user operates the switch 222 to change the distance, and the distance control unit 514 is not necessary.

[0073] The electrocardiogram waveform calculation unit 515 calculates an electrocardiogram waveform based on the signal acquired from the electrocardiogram electrodes 41 .

[0074] The control unit 51 repeats measurements using the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 up to a predetermined number of times depending on the status of calculation of the first feature amount and the second feature amount. The control unit 51 can notify the measurement subject 1 or another user of the status of calculation of the first feature amount and the second feature amount using the notification unit 56. The "calculation status" of the feature amount means whether or not the feature amount has been calculated. When the measurement subject 1 or another user operates the switch 212 to operate the first motor 21, the measurement subject 1 or another user can check the calculation status notified by the notification unit 56 and change the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 with respect to the biological surface 2 to perform measurement using the first sensor 11. When the subject 1 or another user operates the switch 222 to operate the second motor 22, the subject 1 or another user can check the calculation status notified by the notification unit 56, change the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2, and perform measurement using the second sensor 12.

[0075] The storage unit 52 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or the like, but is not limited to these. The storage unit 52 stores any information used in the operation of the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D. For example, the storage unit 52 may sequentially store a system program, an application program, a first feature calculated by the phonocardiogram waveform calculation unit 511, and a second feature calculated by the pulse waveform calculation unit 513. The storage unit 52 may also store the waveforms of signals acquired from the first sensor 11, the second sensor 12, and the electrocardiogram electrode 41. A portion of the storage unit 52 may be installed external to the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D. In this case, the externally installed portion of the storage unit 52 may be connected to the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D via any interface.

[0076] The communication unit 53 can send and receive information to and from an external server via a communication network. The communication network is, for example, the Internet or a dedicated communication line. The external server is, for example, a server at a hospital used by the subject 1 who is performing measurements at home, or a server dedicated to the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D located in the cloud. The communication unit 53 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface, and an interface for a mobile communication system such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation).

[0077] The control unit 51 may transmit the first feature amount and the second feature amount of the subject 1 to an external server via the communication unit 53. Furthermore, the control unit 51 may transmit the phonocardiogram waveform, pulse waveform, electrocardiogram waveform, etc. of the subject 1 to the external server. This information may be stored once in the storage unit 52 and then transmitted to the external server. The information stored in the external server can be used to assist medical professionals such as doctors in checking the patient's condition and, if necessary, in making interventions such as changing prescriptions.

[0078] (Processing Executed by Control Unit) The processing executed by the control unit 51 when measuring biometric information using the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the example of Fig. 14, the contact pressure control unit 512 and the distance control unit 514 control the first motor 21 and the second motor 22, respectively, and the switches 212 and 222 are not operated.

[0079] First, it is assumed that the activation switch 55 is operated in a state in which the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 of the biometric information acquisition device 10A to 10D are fixed by the fixing unit 13 so as to face the biological surface 2 of the chest of the subject 1. The control unit 51 performs a preliminary measurement in steps S101 to S108 and checks the measurement state.

[0080] The control unit 51 acquires the output signal from the first sensor 11 and determines whether or not a cardiac sound waveform can be acquired (step S101). The control unit 51 may determine that a cardiac sound waveform can be acquired if a waveform that fluctuates at a constant period can be acquired from the output signal. If a cardiac sound waveform can be acquired (step S101: Yes), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S102. If a cardiac sound waveform cannot be acquired (step S101: No), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S103.

[0081] In step S102, the control unit 51 determines whether a first feature amount can be calculated from the cardiac sound waveform of the output signal of the first sensor 11. If the first feature amount can be calculated (step S102: Yes), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S105. If the first feature amount cannot be calculated (step S102: No), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S103.

[0082] In step S103, if the number of times that heart sounds are acquired is within the predetermined number (step S103: Yes), the control unit 51 increases the contact pressure of the first sensor 11, which is a heart sound sensor, on the biological surface 2 by one level (step S104). The control unit 51 repeatedly acquires a heart sound waveform from the first sensor 11 (step S101) and calculates the first feature amount (step S102) while increasing the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 on the biological surface 2 until the first feature amount is calculated in step S102. The predetermined number of times can be set to any number. For example, the predetermined number of times can be three or five times.

[0083] If the number of times that the first sensor 11 acquires heart sounds exceeds the predetermined number of times (step S103: No), the control unit 51 proceeds to step S109.

[0084] In step S105, the control unit 51 acquires the output signal from the first sensor 11 and determines whether or not a pulse waveform can be acquired. The control unit 51 may determine that a pulse waveform can be acquired if a waveform that fluctuates at a constant period can be acquired from the output signal. If a pulse waveform can be acquired (step S105: Yes), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S106. If a pulse waveform cannot be acquired (step S105: No), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S107.

[0085] In step S106, the control unit 51 determines whether a second feature amount can be calculated from the pulse waveform of the output signal of the second sensor 12. If the second feature amount can be calculated (step S106: Yes), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S110. If the second feature amount cannot be calculated (step S106: No), the control unit 51 proceeds to processing of step S107.

[0086] If the number of pulse wave acquisitions is within the predetermined number in step S107 (step S107: Yes), the control unit 51 reduces the distance of the second sensor 12, which is a pulse wave sensor, from the biological surface 2 by one step (step S108). The control unit 51 repeatedly acquires pulse waveforms from the second sensor 12 (step S105) and calculates the second feature amount (step S106) while reducing the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2 until the second feature amount can be calculated in step S106. As with the acquisition of heart sounds, the predetermined number of times can be set to any number. The predetermined number of times can be, for example, three or five times.

[0087] If the number of times that the second sensor 12 acquires the pulse wave exceeds the predetermined number of times (step S107: No), the control unit 51 proceeds to step S109.

[0088] In step S109, the control unit 51 issues an error notification via the notification unit 56 because the first feature amount or the second feature amount could not be calculated within a predetermined number of measurements by the first sensor 11 or the second sensor 12. For example, the control unit 51 may light up a light-emitting element provided on the back surface of the first housing 16 in red. Alternatively, the notification unit 56 may output a sound indicating the measurement failure from a speaker. Upon receiving the notification from the notification unit 56, the subject 1 or another user may change the position at which the biometric information acquisition device 10A-10D is worn and perform the measurement again.

[0089] Immediately before step S110, the control unit 51 is able to calculate the first feature amount and the second feature amount. This completes preparations for measurement. In step S110, signals are acquired from the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 to perform the actual measurement. If the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D are equipped with electrocardiogram electrodes 41, the control unit 51 may measure an electrocardiogram waveform in addition to measuring heart sounds and pulse waves. When the measurement is completed successfully, the control unit 51 may notify the notification unit 56 that the measurement has been completed successfully. For example, the control unit 51 may light up a light-emitting element provided on the back surface of the first housing 16 in blue. Alternatively, the notification unit 56 may output a sound from a speaker indicating that the measurement is complete.

[0090] In the actual measurement, the control unit 51 may calculate parameters related to cardiac function using information on heart sounds, pulse waves, and electrocardiograms acquired by the biological information acquisition devices 10A to 10D. The parameters related to cardiac function may include, for example, STIs (Systolic Time Intervals) such as PEP (Preejection Period) or LVET (Left Ventricular Ejection Time). The control unit 51 may also estimate parameters indicating intracardiac hemodynamics, including intracardiac pressure, as the parameters related to cardiac function. The intracardiac pressure may include, for example, any of left cardiac pressure, right cardiac pressure, and pressure waveform. Examples of intracardiac pressures include, but are not limited to, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PWP), which is also referred to as pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), or pulmonary artery occlusion pressure. The parameters related to cardiac function may be stored in the storage unit 52 together with the measurement results and transmitted at an appropriate time to an external server from the communication unit 53. The parameters related to cardiac function may also be calculated or estimated in the external server based on the measurement results.

[0091] (Fifth Example of Drive Mechanism of Biometric Information Acquisition Device) In the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D of the above-described embodiments, the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 and the distance adjustment unit 15 drive the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 using the first motor 21 and the second motor 22, respectively. However, the contact pressure adjustment unit 14 and the distance adjustment unit 15 may be manually adjusted. Fig. 15 shows the configuration of a drive mechanism of a biometric information acquisition device 10E that manually adjusts the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 on the biological surface 2 and the distance of the second sensor 12 on the biological surface 2.

[0092] 2, the biometric information acquisition device 10E does not include the first motor 21, wiring 211, switch 212, motor shaft 213, or first input gear 214. Also, the biometric information acquisition device 10E does not include the second motor 22, wiring 221, switch 222, motor shaft 223, or second input gear 224. Furthermore, the biometric information acquisition device 10E includes a first manual rotation unit 61 instead of the first output gear 23 of the biometric information acquisition device 10A. Also, the biometric information acquisition device 10E includes a second manual rotation unit 62 instead of the gear shaft including the second output gear 25 and shaft 26. The tip of the shaft 63 of the second manual rotation unit 62 is formed with a male thread 27 similar to the male thread 27 of the biometric information acquisition device 10A. The first manual rotation unit 61 is included in the contact pressure adjustment unit 14. The second manual rotation unit 62 is included in the distance adjustment unit 15.

[0093] The first manual rotation unit 61 and the second manual rotation unit 62 are configured to be rotatable independently of each other around the same central axis of rotation. The first manual rotation unit 61 and the second manual rotation unit 62 are exposed on the rear side of the first housing 16, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 . The first manual rotation unit 61 has an annular shape when viewed from the rear side of the first housing 16. The second manual rotation unit 62 has a circular shape when viewed from the rear side of the first housing 16. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , the first manual rotation unit 61 and the second manual rotation unit 62 are provided with convex knobs 65a and 65b or concave recesses 66a and 66b, respectively, to facilitate manual rotation. Furthermore, the first housing 16 may incorporate a mechanism for rotating the first manual rotation unit 61 and the second manual rotation unit 62 in units of a predetermined angle. This makes it easy to adjust the rotation angles of the first manual rotation unit 61 and the second manual rotation unit 62. This mechanism may be a ratchet mechanism that limits rotation in only one direction. For example, the first manual rotation unit 61 may be limited to moving only in a direction that increases the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 against the biological surface 2. The second manual rotation unit 62 may be limited to moving only in a direction that decreases the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2.

[0094] The first manual rotation unit 61 is connected to the rotation screw 24, and by rotating the first manual rotation unit 61, the second housing 17 moves in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the second housing 17. This makes it possible to adjust the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 with respect to the biological surface 2. Furthermore, by rotating the second manual rotation unit 62, the second sensor 12 moves in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the second housing 17 due to threading between the male thread portion 27 at the tip of the shaft portion 63 and the female thread provided on the inner surface of the tubular member 28. This makes it possible to adjust the distance of the second sensor 12 with respect to the biological surface 2.

[0095] In the following description, the first sensor 11 is a heart sound sensor, and the second sensor 12 is a pulse wave sensor. The configuration of the control mechanism of the biometric information acquisition device 10E shown in FIG. 15 will be described with reference to FIG. 18 . Components identical or similar to those in the control mechanism shown in FIG. 13 are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Because the biometric information acquisition device 10E does not include the first motor 21 and the second motor 22, the control device 50 of the biometric information acquisition device 10E does not include the contact pressure control unit 512 and the distance control unit 514, unlike the control devices 50 of the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D. The control unit 51 notifies the notification unit 56 whether the heart sound waveform calculation unit 511 has calculated a first feature value from the heart sound waveform. The control unit 51 notifies the notification unit 56 whether the pulse waveform calculation unit 513 has calculated a second feature value from the pulse waveform.

[0096] If the first feature amount cannot be calculated, the subject 1 or another user rotates the first manual rotation unit 61 to manually adjust the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 on the biological surface 2. If the second feature amount cannot be calculated, the subject 1 or another user rotates the second manual rotation unit 62 to manually adjust the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2.

[0097] The procedure for measurement performed by the subject 1 using the biometric information acquisition device 10E of Fig. 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 19. This procedure may not be performed by the subject 1 himself / herself, but may be performed by another user assisting the subject 1.

[0098] First, the subject 1 wears the biometric information acquisition device 10E on the body surface 2 of the chest near the heart 3 (step S201). In step S201, the biometric information acquisition device 10E may be attached to the body surface 2 by the fixing unit 13.

[0099] Next, the subject 1 rotates the first manual rotation unit 61 to increase the contact pressure of the first sensor 11, which is a heart sound sensor (step S202). While adjusting the contact pressure, the subject 1 can check whether the heart sound waveform is being acquired correctly using the notification unit 56 provided in the first housing 16 of the biometric information acquisition device 10E. For example, the notification unit 56 may include a light-emitting element that lights up blue when the heart sound waveform is acquired correctly by the first sensor 11 and lights up red when the heart sound waveform is not acquired correctly. Alternatively, when a medical professional, such as a doctor, performs step S202, the notification unit 56 may include a display element that displays the heart sound waveform so that the medical professional can check the shape of the waveform and adjust the contact pressure of the first sensor 11, which is a heart sound sensor.

[0100] If the phonocardiogram waveform is successfully acquired (step S203: Yes), the subject 1 proceeds to step S204. If the phonocardiogram waveform cannot be successfully acquired even after adjusting the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 (step S203: No), the subject 1 proceeds to step S206. In step S206, the subject 1 adjusts the attachment position of the biometric information acquisition device 10E (step S206) and executes step S202 and the subsequent steps again.

[0101] In step S204, the subject 1 rotates the second manual rotation unit 62 to adjust the distance between the second sensor 12 and the biological surface 2. The subject 1 checks, using the notification unit 56 provided in the first housing 16 of the biological information acquisition device 10E, whether the pulse waveform has been properly acquired, as well as the cardiac sound waveform (step S205).

[0102] If the pulse waveform is successfully acquired (step S205: Yes), the measurement subject 1 proceeds to step S207. If the pulse waveform cannot be successfully acquired in step S205 (step S205: No), the measurement subject 1 proceeds to step S206. In step S206, the measurement subject 1 adjusts the attachment position of the biometric information acquisition device 10E (step S206) and executes the processes from step S202 onwards again.

[0103] Immediately before step S207, the biometric information acquisition device 10E is in a state where it can normally acquire the cardiac sound waveform and pulse waveform. In this state, the biometric information acquisition device 10E performs the actual measurement (step S207). The actual measurement may be initiated by the subject 1 operating the biometric information acquisition device 10E, or may be automatically performed by the control unit 51 after the pulse wave is normally acquired in step S205. If the biometric information acquisition device 10E includes electrocardiogram electrodes 41, the control unit 51 may measure the electrocardiogram waveform in addition to the cardiac sound and pulse wave measurements. As in step S110 of FIG. 14 , the control unit 51 may store the measurement results in the storage unit 52 and transmit them to an external server at an appropriate time. The control unit 51 may also calculate or estimate parameters related to cardiac function using the measurement results and transmit them together with the measurement results to an external server, etc.

[0104] As described above, the biometric information acquisition device 10E makes it possible to adjust the contact pressure of the first sensor 11 on the biological surface 2 and the distance of the second sensor 12 from the biological surface 2 without using a driving mechanism such as a motor. This allows the biometric information acquisition device 10E to be configured simply, lightly, and inexpensively compared to the biometric information acquisition devices 10A to 10D.

[0105] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the shape and arrangement of each component of the biometric information acquisition device shown in each embodiment are merely illustrative. Furthermore, for example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components or steps can be combined or separated into one. While the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described primarily in terms of an apparatus, the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a method including steps executed by each component of the apparatus. The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a method, a program executed by a processor included in the apparatus, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program recorded thereon. It should be understood that these are also encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0106] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Measurement subject 2 Biological surface 3 Heart 10 Biometric information acquisition device 11 First sensor 12 Second sensor 13 Fixing portion 14 Contact pressure adjustment portion 15 Distance adjustment portion 16 First housing 17 Second housing 171 First portion 172 Second portion 173 Hole portion 174 Female screw 21 First motor (contact pressure adjustment portion) 211 Wiring 212 Switch 213 Motor shaft 214 First input gear 22 Second motor (distance adjustment portion) 221 Wiring 222 Switch 223 Motor shaft 224 Second input gear 23 First output gear 24 Rotating screw 25 Second output gear 26 Shaft 27 Male thread portion 28 Cylindrical member 29 Rotation restriction portion 31 Connecting gear 311 Shaft 312 First gear 313 Second gear 40 Adhesive sheet (fixing portion) 40a Protruding portion 41, 41a-41e Electrocardiogram electrodes 50 Control device 51 Control portion 511 Heart sound waveform calculation portion 512 Contact pressure control portion 513 Pulse wave waveform calculation portion 514 Distance control portion 515 Electrocardiogram waveform calculation portion 52 Memory portion 53 Communication portion 55 Start switch 56 Notification portion 61 First manual rotation portion (contact pressure adjustment portion) 62 Second manual rotation portion (distance adjustment portion) 63 Shaft portion 65a, 65b Knob 66a, 66b Recess

Claims

1. A biometric information acquisition device comprising: a first sensor that contacts the biological surface of a subject to be measured and detects first biometric information related to vibrations from the heart; a second sensor that irradiates the biological surface of the subject to be measured with light to optically detect second biometric information; a fixing unit that fixes the first sensor and the second sensor toward the biological surface of the chest of the subject to be measured; and an adjustment unit, wherein the adjustment unit includes a contact pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the contact pressure of the first sensor against the biological surface, and a distance adjustment unit that adjusts the distance of the second sensor against the biological surface.

2. The biometric information acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is movable relative to the first sensor.

3. The bioinformation acquisition device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit comprises a motor, a gear for transmitting the power of the motor, and a screw for converting the rotational motion of the gear into linear motion relative to the surface of the body.

4. The biometric information acquisition device according to claim 1, comprising two or more first sensors.

5. A biometric information acquisition device as described in claim 1, comprising a first housing to which the fixed portion is attached and a second housing in which the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged, and the contact pressure adjustment portion adjusts the contact pressure by moving the second housing relative to the first housing.

6. A biometric information acquisition device as described in claim 5, wherein the second sensor is positioned inside a hole having an opening on the side of the biological surface provided in the second housing, and the distance adjustment unit is positioned inside the second housing and adjusts the distance by moving the second sensor within the hole.

7. The biometric information acquisition device according to claim 6, wherein the first sensor is disposed horizontally adjacent to the opening of the hole in the second housing.

8. The biometric information acquisition device according to claim 5, wherein the second sensor is located at the center of gravity of a surface of the second housing that contacts the biological surface in a plan view.

9. The biometric information acquisition device of claim 1, further comprising a control unit that acquires the vibration waveform from the first sensor, and when it is determined that a predetermined first characteristic can be calculated from the vibration waveform, causes the contact pressure adjustment unit to determine the contact pressure, and acquires the second biometric information from the second sensor, and when it is determined that a predetermined second characteristic can be calculated from the second biometric information, causes the distance adjustment unit to determine the distance.

10. The biometric information acquisition device according to claim 9, further comprising an alarm unit that notifies an external device of a calculation status of at least one of the first characteristic amount and the second characteristic amount.

11. The biometric information acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion includes an adhesive layer that can be attached to the surface of the living body.

12. The bioinformation acquisition device of claim 5, wherein the fixing portion includes an adhesive layer that can be attached to the biological surface, the adhesive layer includes a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the end face of the first housing on the side of the biological surface, and an electrocardiogram electrode is provided on the protruding portion.

13. The biometric information acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a heart sound sensor that detects heart sounds, and the second sensor is a pulse wave sensor that detects pulse waves.

14. An operating method executed by a control unit of a biometric information acquisition device including a first sensor that contacts the biological surface of the subject to be measured to detect first biometric information related to vibrations from the heart, and a second sensor that irradiates the biological surface of the subject to be measured with light to optically detect second biometric information, the operating method including: adjusting the contact pressure of the first sensor against the biological surface of the subject to be measured while the first sensor and the second sensor are fixed facing the biological surface of the chest of the subject to be measured; and adjusting the distance of the second sensor against the biological surface.

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