Variable Inflation Speed Control for Electronic Blood Pressure Meter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic blood pressure meters face challenges in accurately measuring blood pressure due to limitations in pump size and energy consumption, leading to inconsistent cuff pressure inflation and potential errors in blood pressure measurement, especially when the driving voltage exceeds the upper limit.
Innovation Solution
An electronic blood pressure meter with a control unit that adjusts the inflation speed target based on the driving voltage, ensuring the voltage remains within a safe range for the pump, and includes a target changing unit that modifies the inflation speed target during inflation to maintain accurate pressure measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the pump size is reduced to meet demands for smaller and lower-cost blood pressure meters, then the device size and cost are improved, but the output flow rate of the pump decreases, making it difficult to increase cuff pressure at a constant speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the inflation speed target variable rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the inflation speed target dynamically based on the detected cell voltage, allowing the system to adapt its performance characteristics to match available power resources. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the small pump to achieve constant speed inflation when voltage is sufficient, while preventing voltage overload when the pump operates at its maximum capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of inflation speed target based on cell voltage conditions. By detecting the cell voltage and adjusting the inflation speed target accordingly, the system optimizes the balance between pump output capability and power availability. This parameter adjustment allows accurate blood pressure measurement to be achieved despite the limitations of a small pump with reduced output flow rate.
2Measurement precision
If feedback control is executed to maintain constant inflation speed, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the driving voltage may exceed the upper limit, preventing further speed increase and causing measurement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by detecting the cell voltage during inflation and using this information to adjust the inflation speed target. The control unit continuously monitors the power source status and modifies the inflation profile in real-time. This feedback mechanism prevents the driving voltage from exceeding the upper limit while maintaining accurate blood pressure measurement, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and control reliability.
3Productivity
If the inflation speed target is increased to reduce measurement time, then productivity is improved, but the driving voltage exceeds the upper limit, causing the pump to fail to maintain constant speed inflation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the inflation speed target dynamic rather than fixed at a high constant value. By adjusting the inflation speed target based on detected cell voltage, the system can optimize measurement speed within the constraints of pump capability and power availability. This dynamic adjustment maintains constant speed inflation reliability while achieving efficient blood pressure measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment by autonomously detecting its own power source status and modifying its operation accordingly. The control unit monitors cell voltage and automatically adjusts the inflation speed target without external intervention, enabling the system to maintain reliable constant speed inflation while optimizing measurement productivity based on available power resources.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic blood pressure meter includes a cuff, an inflation control unit that controls a pump for outputting a fluid into the cuff so that a pressure in the cuff is increased at an inflation speed target in accordance with a driving voltage, a pressure detection unit that detects a cuff pressure signal indicating a cuff pressure, a blood pressure calculation unit that calculates a blood pressure value based on a pulse wave superimposed on the detected cuff pressure signal, and a target changing unit that varies the inflation speed target during an inflation process in which the cuff pressure begins to increase at an initial inflation speed target and continues to increase. The target changing unit varies the inflation speed target so that the driving voltage measured during the inflation process stays within a voltage range corresponding to a range in which the pump is capable of output.