Multi-axis Pressure Sensor Pulse Wave Synthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
The tonometry method for blood pressure measurement is cumbersome, requires assistance for proper use, is inaccurate during body movement, and has high power consumption due to its large sensor array, making it unsuitable for portable and continuous monitoring, especially during exercise.
Innovation Solution
A biological information acquiring device equipped with multi-axis pressure sensors that detect pressure along intersecting axes, an arithmetic unit for synthesizing pulse waveforms, and a sensor position moving mechanism to optimize sensor placement, allowing for accurate blood pressure measurement without the need for external assistance and with reduced power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor array with tens of channels is used for tonometry method, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the measurement task into two parts: a small number of pressure sensors (3-10 channels) for direct pressure measurement, and multiple optical sensors for pulse wave detection. This segmentation allows the system to achieve accurate blood pressure measurement without requiring a large sensor array, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple measurement functions (pressure measurement and pulse wave detection) into a single integrated device. The pressure sensors and optical sensors work together to provide both blood pressure and pulse wave information, eliminating the need for separate measurement systems and reducing overall device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If a sensor array with tens of channels is used for tonometry method, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement functions between pressure sensors and optical sensors, allowing the system to use fewer high-power pressure sensor channels (3-10 instead of tens) while supplementing with lower-power optical sensors for pulse wave detection, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameters by using optical sensors for pulse wave detection instead of relying solely on pressure sensors. This parameter change allows the system to reduce the number of active pressure sensor channels, directly reducing power consumption while maintaining the ability to accurately measure blood pressure through combined analysis.
3Measurement precision
If the sensor is pressed against the blood vessel to obtain pulse waveform, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability decreases when body movement occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces optical sensors as an intermediary measurement method. When body movement occurs and pressure sensor measurements become unreliable, the optical sensors continue to provide pulse wave information. The system can then use the optical pulse wave data to compensate for or replace pressure sensor data, maintaining measurement reliability during movement while preserving measurement precision when conditions are stable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the measurement system to self-adjust and self-correct during body movement. By continuously monitoring both pressure sensor and optical sensor outputs, the system can automatically detect when movement occurs and switch to or rely more heavily on the optical sensor data, which is less affected by movement, thereby maintaining reliability without external intervention.
4Reliability
If a large-sized body anchor is used to restrain the body, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the movement-restraining function from the measurement device itself. Instead of requiring a large body anchor to prevent movement, the system uses dual measurement modalities (pressure sensors and optical sensors) that can compensate for movement effects. This allows the device to be lightweight and portable while maintaining measurement reliability through software-based compensation rather than physical restraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical restraint system (large body anchor) with a signal processing-based solution. By using optical sensors to detect pulse waves and comparing them with pressure sensor data, the system can mathematically compensate for movement effects without requiring physical restraint, thereby improving ease of operation and portability while maintaining reliability.
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
Enables continuous, accurate pulse waveform acquisition during body movement with low power consumption, facilitating easy and precise blood pressure monitoring without the burden of a large sensor array.
Implementation Method 1
one or a plurality of multi-axis pressure sensors for detecting pressure in directions along two or more axes intersecting at a predetermined angle
Implementation Method 2
an arithmetic unit for calculating outputs of the multi-axis pressure sensors, each of the multi-axis pressure sensors including a signal detection means for detecting a signal of a pressure component for each axis of a pulse wave of the subject, the arithmetic unit including a pulse waveform synthesizing means for synthesizing a pulse waveform based on the signals of the pressure components for respective axes detected by the multi-axis pressure sensors
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4D
AI summary
The purpose of the invention is to provide a biological information acquiring device that has low power consumption and can acquire an accurate pulse waveform even when there is body movement. A biological information acquiring device comprises one or a plurality of multi-axis pressure sensors to detect the pressure in two or more axial directions that intersect at a prescribed angle, and a computing device to compute the output of the multi-axis pressure sensors. The multi-axis pressure sensor comprises a signal detecting means for detecting a signal for each axial pressure component of the pulse wave of the subject being measured. The computing device comprises a pulse waveform synthesizing means for synthesizing a pulse waveform from the signals for the axial pressure components detected by the multi-axis pressure sensor.