Electrocardiograph

Abstract

This electrocardiograph has a main body part and a band part and is used while being attached to a part to be measured. The electrocardiograph is characterized in that: the band part is formed from an elastic material that can stretch and contract, the band part being provided, in the longitudinal direction, with a plurality of electrode placement parts in which electrodes are disposed and a plurality of inter-electrode connection parts for connecting the electrode placement parts; each of the inter-electrode connection parts is shaped to be divided in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction so that a plurality of bridge parts are present; the dimension of each of the bridge parts in the thickness direction is smaller than the dimension thereof in the width direction; and a wiring electrically connected to an electrode is disposed on the inside of at least one of the bridge parts of the inter-electrode connection parts.

Description

Electrocardiograph

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field related to healthcare, and particularly relates to a band structure for an electrocardiograph.

[0002] Conventionally, it has become common practice for individuals to personally measure personal physical and health information such as blood pressure values and electrocardiographic waveforms (hereinafter also referred to as biological information) on a daily basis using measuring instruments, and utilize the measurement results for health management. Particularly in recent years, there has been increasing demand for early detection of diseases and appropriate treatment by constantly wearing a measuring device on the body in daily life and continuously acquiring biological information, and many devices that meet such needs have been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a wearable biological information measuring device that includes an electrocardiographic electrode and is capable of measuring electrocardiographic waveforms. The biological information measuring device described in Patent Document 1 has a band (belt) that is belt-shaped and extends along the longitudinal direction, and a main body portion provided on the band, and has a configuration in which a plurality of electrodes are respectively arranged on the band and the main body portion. This makes it possible to constantly detect biological information such as heart rate and electrocardiographic signals while the device is operating, simply by wearing the device on one arm.

[0004] In the case of using a wearable device, there are individual differences in the size of the site where the device is worn. Therefore, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a part (end portion) of the band is made elastic to extend in the circumferential direction, and the portion where the wiring connecting the electrode and the main body is arranged inside is made non-elastic (or low elasticity). This prevents disconnection of the internal wiring of the band while accommodating individual differences in the size of the wearing site (and improving wearability).

[0005] In addition, Patent Document 2 proposes a band structure for a wearable device to be worn on a wrist or the like, which has an extended state and a curved state, in which a first device island and a second device island are spaced apart, electrically coupled in a bonding region, and have a conductive and stretchable interconnection (i.e., wiring).

[0006] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-141955 Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2016-526417

[0007] Incidentally, the limbs of the human body, such as the arms, have a shape that narrows from the central to the peripheral side (although there are individual differences) (hereinafter also referred to as a tapered shape). Therefore, even with the technology described in the above-mentioned patent document, when attaching the device to the arm (for example, the upper arm), the ability to follow the contact surface that is inclined with respect to the axis of the arm is insufficient, and there are also changes in the shape of the arm due to bending and straightening of the elbow, which presents challenges in ensuring that electrodes placed in various locations adhere to the skin.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a technology that can improve the conformability of the band portion to the attachment site in a wearable bio-information measuring device equipped with electrodes in the band portion.

[0009] An electrocardiograph having a main body and a band, which is used when attached to a part to be measured, wherein the band is made of a stretchable elastic material and has a plurality of electrode placement parts where electrodes are arranged and a plurality of inter-electrode connection parts connecting the electrode placement parts in the longitudinal direction, each of the inter-electrode connection parts has a shape in which a plurality of bridge parts exist that are divided in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, each of the bridge parts has a thickness dimension smaller than the width dimension, and wiring that is directly connected to the electrode is arranged inside at least one of the bridge parts of each inter-electrode connection part.

[0010] In this specification, the longitudinal direction of each component of the electrocardiograph refers to the direction along the circumference of the upper arm when worn, and the width direction refers to the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction (i.e., the direction along the axial direction of the upper arm when worn). Furthermore, the proximal side refers to the side closer to the torso of the human body, and the peripheral side refers to the side closer to the fingertips.

[0011] Thus, the presence of multiple bridge sections across the width of the band creates a configuration with gaps between each bridge section. This configuration, which combines the band's elasticity (flexibility) with these gaps, improves the band's ability to deform in the longitudinal and torsional directions. Therefore, the device can be easily fitted to conform to the shape of the attachment site (e.g., the upper arm), increasing the adhesion of the electrodes to the skin surface and reducing device displacement during prolonged use.

[0012] Furthermore, in the electrode connection portion, the bridge portion is provided on both sides of the central portion in the width direction, and the bridge portion on one side in the width direction and the bridge on the other side may be formed to have different expandability.

[0013] If both sides of the bridge section are not very stretchable, the band will be too tight. Conversely, if both sides are very stretchable, the band will simply be too loose (lacking proper adhesion and conformability to the area of ​​application). In this regard, as described above, by configuring the band so that one side has different elasticity (i.e., making only one side more stretchable), it is possible to maintain the tightening force while improving the ability to conform to the tapered shape of the area of ​​application (e.g., the upper arm) and the shape changes associated with bending and straightening the elbow.

[0014] Furthermore, the band portion may be configured such that the wiring is arranged only in the bridge portion on one side. With such a configuration, the elasticity can be reduced on one side of the bridge portion compared to the other side by having the wiring inside, and the wiring can be given the role of having different elasticity on one side of the bridge portion and the other side (without providing a new separate configuration).

[0015] Furthermore, in the band portion, at least one of the bridge portions may be formed to have a meandering shape in plan view, and the wiring may be arranged in a manner that means it meanders in plan view. Having such a shape for the bridge portion and the wiring arranged inside it can prevent the wiring from breaking when a load is applied in the pulling or twisting direction.

[0016] Furthermore, in the band portion, the bridge portion on one side may be formed wider in plan view than the bridge portion on the other side. With such a configuration, the elasticity of the wider bridge portion will be lower than that of the other, and the elasticity (ease of deformation) of the other bridge portion can be increased.

[0017] Furthermore, the electrode may be part of an electrode unit comprising a substrate having at least a circuit for digitally converting biological signals acquired through the electrode, and a cover member that is positioned opposite the electrode with the substrate in between and covers the substrate together with the electrode.

[0018] For wearable measuring devices, it is desirable for the device size to be as small as possible. However, in the case of an electrocardiograph, if all the signals (analog signals) acquired from multiple electrodes are transmitted to the main unit and Analog-to-Digital (A / D) conversion is performed in the main unit, then an A / D conversion circuit corresponding to each electrode will be provided in the main unit, which will increase the size of the main unit. Therefore, by unitizing the electrodes and the A / D conversion circuits for those electrodes and arranging them on a band, the overall size can be reduced.

[0019] Furthermore, the band portion is formed by insert molding using the main body portion and the electrode unit as insert parts, and the housing of the main body portion, the cover member of the electrode unit, and the electrodes may each be provided with openings so that resin is filled inside during the insert molding process.

[0020] The material of the band component (i.e., the resin that is filled) can be, for example, silicone rubber. This configuration improves the bonding strength between the band material (silicone rubber) and dissimilar materials (such as stainless steel (SUS) used for electrodes, and ABS resin or polycarbonate used as the case for the electrode unit or main body housing).

[0021] Furthermore, the band portion comprises a first band portion extending from one side of the main body in the circumferential direction of the part to be measured when worn, and a second band portion extending from the other side in the circumferential direction. Both the first band portion and the second band portion may be formed to extend toward the side that contacts the part to be measured when worn, rather than toward the horizontal plane, when the electrocardiograph is viewed from the side.

[0022] In this context, "side" refers to the surface perpendicular to the bottom surface, with the side that contacts the part of the person being measured being the bottom surface, and where the longitudinal direction of the band portion is in the left-right direction rather than the front-to-back direction (i.e., the depth direction). With this configuration, compared to a shape where the longitudinal direction of the band portion extends straight horizontally, the band portion is shaped as if it is curved towards the circumferential side of the attachment area, improving the convenience of attaching the device to the part of the person being measured.

[0023] Furthermore, the band portion may be provided with an engagement portion to which a length adjustment member that can be detachably attached to the band portion can be attached. The length adjustment member can be, for example, a rubber band with high elasticity such as urethane. With such a configuration, by combining length adjustment members, it is possible to accommodate a wider range of differences in the arm circumference of the person being measured.

[0024] Furthermore, each of the above components can be combined with one another to constitute the present invention, provided that no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0025] According to the present invention, in a wearable bio-information measuring device equipped with electrodes in the band portion, the ability of the band portion to conform to the attachment site can be improved.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the external appearance of an electrocardiograph according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic bottom view showing the external appearance of an electrocardiograph according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic side view showing the external appearance of an electrocardiograph according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is an exploded view showing the schematic hardware configuration of an electrocardiograph according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of an electrocardiograph according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6A is an explanatory diagram illustrating the arrangement of resin filling ports provided in the main body of the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment. Figure 6B is an explanatory diagram illustrating the arrangement of resin filling ports provided in the electrode unit of the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the electrode unit of the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the wiring arranged in the band portion of the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment. Figure 9 is a schematic plan view showing the external appearance of the band cover of the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment. Figure 10 is a schematic plan view showing the external appearance of the adhesive member of the band cover of the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment.

[0027] <Embodiment 1> The present invention can be applied, for example, to a wearable electrocardiograph used by being attached to the upper arm of a person being measured. Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this invention to those.

[0028] (Overall Configuration of the Device) Figures 1, 2, and 3 are schematic diagrams showing the external configuration of the electrocardiograph 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the electrocardiograph 1, Figure 2 is a schematic bottom view of the electrocardiograph 1, and Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the electrocardiograph 1. Figure 4 is an exploded view showing the schematic hardware configuration of the electrocardiograph 1. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the main components of the electrocardiograph 1. Figure 1 shows the side of the electrocardiograph 1 that does not come into contact with the human body when worn, and the bottom surface shown in Figure 2 is the side that comes into contact with the human body when worn. Hereinafter, the top surface shown in Figure 1 will be referred to as the surface side, the bottom surface shown in Figure 2 as the contact surface side, and so on.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the electrocardiograph 1 is generally composed of a main body 10, a band 20, a band cover 40 provided to cover the contact surface side of the band 20, double-sided tape 50 to fix the band cover 40 to the band 20, and an adjuster band 60 that engages with the band 20. Note that the adjuster band 60 is not shown in Figures 1 and 2. The adjuster band 60 in this embodiment corresponds to the length adjustment member in the present invention.

[0030] (Configuration of the main unit) Figure 6A is a schematic diagram showing the general appearance of the housing 101 (external view) of the main unit 10. The main unit 10 of the electrocardiograph 1 is equipped with a control board 11, a power supply 13, and electrodes 15 inside the main unit housing 101 which is made of thermoplastic resin (for example, polycarbonate). The control unit 12, notification unit 14, signal processing unit 16, and operation unit 17 functions are realized by circuits and components mounted on the control board 11.

[0031] In this embodiment, the main body portion 10 is integrally formed with the band portion 20 by insert molding. During insert molding, the resin (e.g., silicone) that forms the band portion 20 is filled into the space inside the housing of the main body portion 10, thereby improving the bonding strength between the main body portion 10 and the band portion 20 and increasing the strength of the main body portion 10. The resin is filled into the interior through multiple resin filling ports 102, which are openings provided along the perimeter of the side surface of the main body housing 101.

[0032] The control board 11 can be implemented using a general component mounting board such as a rigid board or an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) board. The power supply 13 can be a known secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, but is not limited to this. If the power supply is a secondary battery, a mechanism for charging it (either wired or wireless) is also provided. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electrodes 15 are positioned so as to be exposed on the bottom side of the main body 10, that is, on the side that comes into contact with the skin surface when worn. The material of the electrodes 15 can be stainless steel, but other metals may also be used. The electrodes 15 can serve as reference electrodes to provide a reference potential in electrocardiogram measurement.

[0033] The control unit 12 is a means for controlling the electrocardiograph 1 and is composed of, for example, a desired processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC. The notification unit 14 is a functional unit for notifying the user of status information of the electrocardiograph 1, such as battery level and error occurrence, and as an example of its hardware configuration, an LED indicator 141 can be used as shown in Figure 1. The operation unit 17 is a functional unit that accepts user operation input such as power ON / OFF, and as an example of its hardware configuration, an operation button 171 can be used as shown in Figure 1.

[0034] (Regarding the electrode units) Electrode units 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, and 30f are provided in the band portion 20 of the electrocardiograph 1 by insert molding. In this embodiment, electrode units 30a and 30b are arranged in the first band portion 201, and electrode units 30c, 30d, 30e, and 30f are arranged in the second band portion 202, with a gap between them. In the following description, multiple identical components such as each electrode unit 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, and 30f will be described collectively (for example, as electrode unit 30) unless it is necessary to explain each separately.

[0035] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of the electrode unit 30, and Figure 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of resin filling ports 311 and 341 in the electrode unit 30. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 7, each electrode unit 30 (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f) has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, and is configured to include an electrode substrate 33 on which electrodes 31 (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f), signal processing units 32 (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e, 32f) are mounted, and an electrode cover 34 that covers the electrode substrate 33. Each electrode 31 is rectangular in shape similar to that of each electrode unit 30.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, the electrode unit 30 is integrally provided by insert molding so as to fit within the band portion 20, except for the electrode 31 which is exposed so as to slightly protrude from the contact surface side of the band portion 20, which will be described later. The electrode unit 30 has an internal space formed by an electrode cover 34 made of resin (e.g., polycarbonate) and an electrode 31 which is formed in a bathtub shape so as to be convex toward the contact surface side in cross-section as shown in Figure 7. Inside this space is an electrode substrate 33 equipped with a signal processing unit 32 for converting the analog electrocardiogram signal acquired by the electrode into digital, an amplifier, and a filter (none of which are shown). In this embodiment, the electrode substrate 33 is an FPC substrate, but it is not limited to this and a rigid substrate can also be used.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6B, the electrode 31 and electrode cover 34 are each provided with multiple resin filling ports 311 and 341. During insert molding, the material that forms the band portion 20 is filled into the inside of the electrode unit 30 through the resin filling ports 311 and 341, thereby improving the bonding strength between the electrode unit 30 and the band portion 20 and increasing the strength of the electrode unit 30. Furthermore, by configuring each electrode unit 30 to include a signal processing unit 32, as in this embodiment, the signal processing units 32 corresponding to each electrode 31 can be dispersed from the main body 10, thereby reducing the overall size of the electrocardiograph 1.

[0038] Although not shown in Figure 7, the electrode substrate 33 of the electrode unit 30 is connected to wiring such as signal and power lines for transmitting signals acquired by the electrode 31 and A / D converted by the signal processing unit 32 to the control board 11 of the main unit 10. The routing of the wiring within the band section 20 will be explained in more detail later.

[0039] (ECG measurement processing) The signal acquired by the electrode 31 of the electrode unit 30 is sent via wiring to the control board 11 of the main unit 10, and the signal processing unit 16 measures the ECG signal based on the reference potential acquired by the electrode 15 and the detected potentials of each electrode 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f. In other words, in the electrocardiograph 1 according to this embodiment, information can be obtained not only from one electrode pair (a pair of electrodes) but from multiple electrode pairs. Generally, the greater the distance between a pair of electrodes, the greater the potential difference, but the distance between a pair of electrodes changes depending on the thickness (circumference) of the arm, so it is sufficient to select the combination of electrodes that will produce the largest potential difference each time.

[0040] The measured electrocardiogram signal may be stored as time-series waveform data (ECG data) in the storage means (not shown) of the main unit 10, or, instead or in addition to this, it may be transmitted to an external device via communication means (not shown). Since the measurement of electrocardiogram waveforms is a well-known technique, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0041] (Band Structure) The band portion 20 of the electrocardiograph 1 in this embodiment is made of an elastic and stretchable resin (for example, silicone rubber) and comprises a first band portion 201 and a second band portion 202 that extend in a direction along the circumference of the upper arm when worn, sandwiching the main body portion 10. As shown in Figure 3, the first band portion 201 and the second band portion 202 are formed in an arch shape so that their longitudinal direction extends not in the horizontal direction but towards the contact surface when viewed from the side. This shape improves the convenience (ease of wearing) when worn compared to a shape in which the longitudinal direction simply extends horizontally.

[0042] Furthermore, annular members 251 and 252 for engaging with the adjuster band 60, which will be described later, are provided at the longitudinal ends of the first band portion 201 and the second band portion 202, respectively. The annular members 251 and 252 are formed of, for example, ABS resin. The annular members 251 and 252 in this embodiment correspond to the engaging portion according to the present invention.

[0043] The adjuster band 60 is an elastic band formed of, for example, elastic fabric, and can be detachably attached to the band portion 20 by being wound around one of the annular members 251 and 252 and engaged by means such as a hook-and-loop fastener. Then, with the adjuster band 60 engaged with the band portion 20 in this manner, the electrocardiograph 1 is wrapped around an appropriate position of the upper arm, the adjuster band 60 is wound around the other of the annular members 251 and 252 and fixed with a hook-and-loop fastener, whereby the electrocardiograph 1 can be mounted on the upper arm. However, the band portion 20 may be configured to be mounted on the upper arm without using the adjuster band 60.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the band portion 20 includes electrode arrangement portions 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, and 21f where electrode units 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, and 30f are respectively arranged, and inter-electrode connection portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d connecting between the plurality of electrode arrangement portions 21. Further, wiring for connecting each electrode unit 30 and the main body portion 10 is enclosed in the band portion 20 by insert molding. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing how the wiring is arranged in the band portion 20.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, each inter-electrode connection portion 22 is constituted by a wiring bridge portion 23 (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d) provided near one end in the width direction of the band portion 20, and an elastic bridge portion 24 (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) provided near the other end. The portion between the wiring bridge portion 23 and the elastic bridge portion 24 (that is, the intermediate portion in the width direction) is formed into a shape with a gap (hereinafter, may also be expressed as being open). Further, between the electrode arrangement portion 21b and the main body portion 10, and between the electrode arrangement portion 21c and the main body portion 10, bridge portions are provided not only at both ends in the width direction of the band portion 20 but also at the central portion. Note that the length in the longitudinal direction between the electrode arrangement portion 21b and the main body portion 10, and between the electrode arrangement portion 21c and the main body portion 10 is formed shorter than that of each inter-electrode connection portion 22.

[0046] Each of the wiring bridge portions 23 is formed in a meandering shape (inverted "S" shape) in plan view, as shown in FIG. 1, and each of the expansion / contraction bridge portions 24 is formed in a shape drawing an arc that protrudes from the widthwise end side toward the center side. Further, the wiring bridge portion 23 has a wider shape than the expansion / contraction bridge portion 24, whereby the stretchability (ease of deformation) of the expansion / contraction bridge portion 24 is higher than that of the wiring bridge portion 23.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8, inter-electrode wirings 35a, 35b, 35c, and 35d are respectively arranged inside wiring bridge portions 23a, 23b, 23c, and 23d so as to meander in plan view along the shape of the wiring bridge portion 23. Further, a main body connection wiring 36a connecting the electrode unit 30b and the main body portion 10, and a main body connection wiring 36b connecting the electrode unit 30c and the main body portion 10 are respectively arranged in a central bridge portion provided between the electrode units 30b, 30c and the main body portion 10. More specifically, each of the inter-electrode wirings 35 and the main body connection wirings 36 are provided on an FPC substrate, and the FPC substrate is enclosed in the band portion 20 by insert molding.

[0048] (Regarding the band cover) Next, based on FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the band cover 40 provided on the contact surface side of the band portion 20 will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the external shape of the band cover 40, and FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the external shape of a double-sided tape 50 for detachably fixing the band cover 40 to the band portion 20.

[0049] The band cover 40 is provided on the contact surface side of the band portion 20, and comes into contact with the user's skin surface when the electrocardiograph 1 is worn on the upper arm. For this reason, in consideration of wearing comfort of the electrocardiograph 1, it is desirable that the band cover 40 is formed of a fabric (for example, a polyester fabric) having sufficient air permeability, quick-drying property, and water absorbability (sweat absorbability). Further, from the viewpoint of hygiene, the band cover 40 is detachable from the band portion 20 by a double-sided tape 50 described later to enable easy replacement.

[0050] As shown in Figure 9, the band cover 40 is composed of a first cover portion 401 with a shape corresponding to the first band portion 201 and a second cover portion 402 with a shape corresponding to the second band portion 202. The first cover portion 401 has a contour that is generally similar to the contour of the first band portion 201 when viewed from the bottom side, and the second cover portion 402 has a contour that is generally similar to the contour of the second band portion 202 when viewed from the bottom side.

[0051] Furthermore, the first cover portion 401 has cover openings 41a and 41b for exposing electrodes 31a and 31b, and the second cover portion 402 has cover openings 41c, 41d, 41e, and 41f for exposing electrodes 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f. On the other hand, the band cover 40 is shaped to cover the portion corresponding to the gap between each bridge portion in the band portion 20 on the contact surface side.

[0052] The double-sided tape 50 is an adhesive member for detachably fixing the band cover 40 to the band portion 20, and is a sheet body that holds adhesive on both sides (for example, different adhesives such as a silicone-based adhesive on the band portion 20 side and an acrylic-based adhesive on the band cover 40 side). As shown in Figure 10, the double-sided tape 50 is composed of a first adhesive portion 501 with a shape corresponding to the first band portion 201 and a second adhesive portion 502 with a shape corresponding to the second band portion 202. The first adhesive portion 501 has a contour that is roughly the same as the contour of the first band portion 201 when viewed from the bottom side, and the second adhesive portion 502 has a contour that is roughly the same as the contour of the second band portion 202 when viewed from the bottom side.

[0053] Furthermore, the double-sided tape 50, like the band cover 40, has electrode openings 51 formed therein for exposing each electrode 31. Specifically, the first adhesive portion 501 has electrode openings 51a and 51b formed therein for exposing electrodes 31a and 31b, and the second adhesive portion 502 has electrode openings 51c, 51d, 51e, and 51f formed therein for exposing electrodes 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f.

[0054] In addition, the double-sided tape 50 has tape openings 52 formed in positions and shapes corresponding to the gaps between the electrodes 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d of the band portion 20. Specifically, the first adhesive portion 501 has a tape opening 52a, and the second adhesive portion 502 has tape openings 52b, 52c, and 52d. Furthermore, the first adhesive portion 501 has an opening for the gap between the bridge portion provided between the electrode unit 30b and the main body portion 10 of the band portion 20, and the second adhesive portion 502 has an opening for the gap between the bridge portion provided between the electrode unit 30c and the main body portion 10. By forming openings in the double-sided tape 50 that correspond to the gaps in the band portion 20 in this way, it is possible to prevent impairing the breathability and quick-drying properties when the electrocardiograph 1 is attached.

[0055] According to the electrocardiograph 1 of this embodiment, the band portion 20 has a portion that is shaped like the inter-electrode connection portion 22 (i.e., a portion that has an opening that forms a gap), which makes the entire band portion 20 easier to deform (twist and stretch), and improves the ability of the electrocardiograph 1 to follow the shape of the upper arm when worn. Furthermore, in the inter-electrode connection portion 22, since the inter-electrode wiring 35 is arranged only on one side in the width direction (the side on which the wiring bridge portion 23 is provided), the elasticity of one side of the band portion 20 in the width direction can be made low, and the elasticity of the other side (the side on which the stretchable bridge portion 24 is provided) can be made high. As a result, while maintaining the tightening force on the upper arm, the ability to follow the tapered shape of the upper arm and the shape changes due to bending and straightening of the elbow can be improved.

[0056] <Modifications> The above description of embodiments is merely illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to the specific forms described above. The present invention can be modified and combined in various ways within the scope of its technical idea, in addition to the examples described above.

[0057] (Modification 1) For example, in the above embodiment, the wiring bridge portion 23 of the band portion 20 is made wider than the expandable bridge portion 24, and the wiring is placed only on the wiring bridge portion 23, so that the expandability differs between one end and the other end in the width direction of the band portion 20. However, various other methods can be used as means to make the expandability differ between one end and the other end in the width direction of the band portion 20.

[0058] Specifically, the area in cross-sectional view may be made different in the bridge sections at both ends of the band section 20 in the width direction, in addition to (or in addition to) the width in the plan view. For example, the thickness may be made different, or one end may be made hollow to increase the elasticity of the hollow end. Alternatively, the elasticity of both ends may be made different by placing a material (such as thread, wire, or gel) with different tensile stress and elasticity from the material of the band section 20 itself at one end (whether it is completely inserted into the band section 20 or partially or completely exposed). Furthermore, the elasticity may also be made different by changing the number of arcs in the bridge section and the distance of the arcs in the width direction of the bridge section (the amplitude of the meandering shape).

[0059] (Modification 2) In the above embodiment, the inter-electrode wiring 35 was provided on the FPC substrate and arranged in the wiring bridge portion 23 in a meandering manner in plan view, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, lead wires with extra length and that can be bent may be used, or the lead wires may be arranged in a spiral shape (like the cord of a telephone receiver). Also, for example, a stretchable conductive circuit using a conductive elastomer may be used as wiring.

[0060] (Modification 3) In the above embodiment, the adjuster band 60 is shown as being attached to the upper arm by wrapping each of its longitudinal ends around the annular members 251 and 252 and securing them with hook-and-loop fasteners. However, the configuration of the adjuster band and the method of attaching it to the upper arm are not limited to this. For example, a fixing part such as a hook-and-loop fastener may be provided on at least one of the surfaces of the first band portion 201 and the second band portion 202 of the band portion 20, and the band portion 20 may be wrapped around the upper arm, and the hook-and-loop fastener of the adjuster band, which is engaged with either the annular members 251 or 252, may be fixed to the hook-and-loop fastener of the band portion 20 to attach an electrocardiograph. It is also possible to use a mechanism other than a hook-and-loop fastener (such as a snap button) as the fixing member.

[0061] (Modification 4) In the above embodiment, the band cover 40 was configured to cover only the contact surface side of the band portion 20, but it is not limited to this shape as long as it covers the contact surface side of the band portion 20 and is configured to be detachable from the band portion 20. For example, it may be a bag-like or cylindrical shape that covers the entire band portion 20, except for the electrode exposed portion and the upper surface side of the main body portion 10. In such a configuration, an opening may be formed on the upper surface side at a location corresponding to the gap in the band portion 20. Furthermore, the method of fixing the band cover to the band portion 20 may use an adhesive material other than double-sided tape, or it may be fixed without using an adhesive material (for example, with hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, etc.).

[0062] (Other) In the above embodiment, the electrocardiograph 1 only measures electrocardiogram waves, but the present invention can also be applied to a bio-information measuring device that is equipped with sensors capable of measuring other biological information (pulse waves, blood pressure, etc.) in addition to electrocardiogram waves. In the above embodiment, the upper arm was used as an example of the part to be measured, but the present invention can also be applied to electrocardiographs that measure parts other than the upper arm. In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the main body and electrode unit are formed integrally with the band by insert molding, but it is also possible to manufacture an electrocardiograph without using insert molding. Furthermore, the main body may be configured to be detachable from the band.

[0063] 1...Electrocardiograph 10...Main unit 101...Main unit housing 102, 311, 341...Resin filling port 11...Control board 12...Control unit 13...Power supply 14...Notification unit 141...LED indicator 15, 31, 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f...Electrodes 16, 32, 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e, 32f...Signal processing unit 17...Operation unit 171...Operation buttons 20...Band unit 201...First band unit 202...Second band unit 21, 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, 21f...Electrode placement unit 22, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d...Electrode connection unit 23, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d...Wiring bridge unit 24, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d... Telescopic bridge section 251, 252... Annular member 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f... Electrode unit 33... Electrode substrate 34... Electrode cover 35, 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d... Inter-electrode wiring 36, 36a, 36b... Main body connection wiring 40... Band cover 401... First cover section 402... Second cover section 41, 41a, 41b, 41c, 41d, 41e, 41f... Cover opening 50... Double-sided tape 501... First adhesive section 51, 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, 51e, 51f... Electrode opening 52, 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d... Tape opening 502... Second adhesive section 60... Adjustable Band

Claims

1. An electrocardiograph having a main body and a band, which is used when attached to a part to be measured, wherein the band is made of a stretchable elastic material and has a plurality of electrode placement sections where electrodes are arranged and a plurality of inter-electrode connection sections connecting the electrode placement sections in the longitudinal direction, each of the inter-electrode connection sections has a shape in which a plurality of bridge sections exist in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, each of the bridges has a thickness dimension smaller than the width dimension, and wiring electrically connected to the electrodes is arranged inside at least one of the bridge sections of each inter-electrode connection section.

2. In the electrode connection portion, one bridge portion is provided on each side of the central portion in the width direction, and the bridge portion on one side in the width direction and the bridge on the other side are formed to have different elasticity, as described in claim 1.

3. The electrocardiograph according to claim 2, wherein the wiring is arranged only in the bridge portion on one side.

4. The electrocardiograph according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the bridge portions is formed to have a meandering shape in plan view, and the wiring is arranged in a manner that means it means it means it means it means it means it means it means it means it means it means it means it means it is 5. The electrocardiograph according to claim 2, wherein the bridge portion on one side is formed to be wider in plan view than the bridge portion on the other side.

6. The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is part of an electrode unit comprising a substrate having at least a circuit for digitally converting a biological signal acquired through the electrode, and a cover member disposed opposite the electrode with the substrate in between, and covering the substrate together with the electrode.

7. The electrocardiograph according to claim 6, wherein the band portion is formed by insert molding using the main body portion and the electrode unit as insert parts, and the housing of the main body portion, the cover member of the electrode unit, and the electrodes are each provided with openings so that resin is filled inside during the insert molding process.

8. The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein the band portion comprises a first band portion extending from one side of the main body portion in the circumferential direction of the part to be measured when worn, and a second band portion extending from the other side in the circumferential direction, and both the first band portion and the second band portion are formed to extend toward the side that contacts the part to be measured when worn, rather than toward the horizontal plane, when the electrocardiograph is viewed from the side.

9. The electrocardiograph according to claim 1, wherein the band portion is provided with an engagement portion to which a length adjustment member that can be detachably attached to the band portion can be attached.

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