Annular Biosensor for Sleep Blood Pressure via Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biosensors for measuring blood pressure during sleep are cumbersome and prone to handling errors due to the need for separate sensors to obtain posture and height information, leading to inaccuracies caused by hydrostatic pressure differences between the measurement location and the heart.
Innovation Solution
A biosensor with an annular shape designed for the finger or wrist, equipped with a sensor unit for blood pressure detection, an acceleration sensor for sleep and posture determination, and a control unit that estimates the difference in height relative to the heart, allowing for automatic blood pressure measurement without additional sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate sensors are worn at multiple body locations to obtain posture and height information, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor functions into a single integrated biosensor worn at one location. The sensor unit includes both the blood pressure sensor and acceleration sensor integrated in the same main body portion, eliminating the need for separate sensors at multiple body locations. This merging maintains measurement precision by integrating necessary sensors while reducing device complexity and improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The single biosensor worn at one location performs multiple functions: it measures blood pressure through the sensor unit and simultaneously obtains posture and height information through the integrated acceleration sensor. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated sensors for each measurement type, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If separate sensors are worn at multiple body locations to obtain posture and height information, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensor functions into a single wearable device. The biosensor integrates the blood pressure sensor and acceleration sensor in one main body portion, allowing users to wear only one device instead of multiple separate sensors at different body locations. This significantly improves ease of operation while maintaining measurement precision through the integrated sensor unit.
3Reliability
If multiple sensors are used to obtain posture and height information, then reliability of posture determination is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated acceleration sensor within the single biosensor performs multiple functions: it determines posture by detecting acceleration patterns and calculates height information by integrating acceleration data. This multi-functional approach provides reliable posture and height information while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate sensor systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The acceleration sensor serves multiple purposes within the same device - it not only provides posture information but also derives height information through signal processing. This self-service capability of the integrated sensor maintains reliability while reducing device complexity compared to using separate dedicated sensors for each function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The biosensor simplifies handling, reduces measurement errors, and accurately accounts for hydrostatic pressure effects by determining sleep state and posture, enabling precise blood pressure measurement during sleep.
Implementation Method 1
an acceleration sensor disposed in the main body portion and detecting an acceleration of the main body portion and an inclination of the main body portion relative to a vertical direction
Implementation Method 2
When a location at which a blood pressure is to be measured is positioned at a level higher than a heart, a measured value of the blood pressure decreases corresponding to a difference in hydrostatic pressure inside blood vessels, the difference being caused by gravity
Data Source
AI summary
An annular biosensor is provided that includes a main body having in an annular shape to be worn on a finger of a hand or a wrist, a sensor unit for detecting biodata including a blood pressure, an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration of the main body and an inclination of the main body relative to a vertical direction, and a control unit that determines, from the detected acceleration, whether a user is sleeping, that estimates a posture of the user during measurement from the detected inclination and determines whether a difference in height between the main body and a heart of the user is within a predetermined range. Based on a result of determining whether the user is sleeping and a result of determining the posture of the user during the measurement, the control unit executes processing of the biodata including the blood pressure.