Omron Healthcare Company Ltd.

Omron Corporation

Masao Hashimoto

Kazuhisa Tanabe

Kazunobu Itonaga

Hironori Sato

Tomoki Kitawaki

Ryo Fukui

Yoshinori Miyawaki

Takashi Inagaki

Satoshi Nozoe

Hironori Satoh

Daisuke Kuzuyama

Yasushi Shimomoto

In an array type capacitance sensor (), a slit () is provided between each pair of adjacent ones of multiple movable electrodes () on a movable-electrode-side substrate () so as to extend in parallel with the movable electrodes (). This allows providing an array type capacitance sensor capable of being produced inexpensively and measuring pressure precisely and stably even on a curved surface.

Array type capacitance sensor

A pressing cuff presses a pressure sensor above an artery. The level of the pressure applied to the pressure sensor is changed while the pulse wave is measured based on information about the pressure from the pressure sensor. In order to adjust the level of the applied pressure using the pressure of gas in the pressing cuff, a three-port valve and a two-port valve are controlled so that the connection is changed to establish a state of holding the amount of the gas in the pressing cuff. Then, the state is changed to a state of isolating and discharging gas in which a part of the held gas is isolated from the remaining amount of the gas to be discharged. Then, the state is changed to the state of holding the remaining amount of gas in the pressing cuff.

Pulse wave measuring apparatus

A pulse wave measuring apparatus is disclosed which is capable of measuring the pulse wave accurately in stable fashion and which can be reduced in size and integrated for an improved convenience. The pulse wave measuring apparatus comprises a sensor unit having a plurality of semiconductor pressure sensors, a fixing stand for fixing a living organism in position, a pressure cuff for pressing the semiconductor pressure sensors against the living organism, and a press operation control unit for controlling the press operation of the pressure cuff. The press operation control unit is arranged in the fixing stand.

A sensor is pressurized adjustably against a patient's wrist and detects a pressurized pulse wave of a radial artery in a noninvasive manner so as to measure blood pressure on an arm band wound around the patient's predetermined portion. A CPU calculates indices reflecting a reflecting phenomenon of a pulse wave as organism information different from the blood pressure based on the detected pulse waveform, and relates the measured blood pressure value with calculated indices so as to display them on an indicator. A doctor checks displayed contents so as to clearly understand a state of a circulatory system represented by a correlation between the patient's blood pressure and the indices so as to be capable of obtaining information which supports a diagnosis and prescription quickly.

Pulse wave monitoring device

A pulse wave measuring apparatus is disclosed, in which a sensor unit can be fixed easily under an appropriate pressure at an appropriate position on a living organism. With the living organism fixed by a living organism fixing device, a pressure sensitive portion arranged on the sensor unit is pressed against the living organism thereby to measure the pulse wave. The living organism fixing device includes a fixing stand for fixing the living organism in position, and fastening bands for connecting the fixing stand and the sensor unit and fastening the living organism fixedly to the fixing stand while at the same time activating by pressing the sensor unit against the living organism. The fastening bands include a first band portion with one end mounted on the sensor unit and the other end mounted on the fixing stand and a second band portion with one end mounted on the sensor unit and the other end removably mounted on the fixing stand. The fixing stand has a constant force spring for pulling the other end of the first band portion with a constant force.

Provided is a pulse wave measuring apparatus preventing breakage of a pressure sensing surface in the non-measurement stage. The pulse wave measuring apparatus includes: a housing and a pressure sensing section, wherein an opening is formed at the bottom surface of the housing, the pressure sensing section is mounted inside of the housing, the pressure sensing section moves freely upwardly and downwardly through the opening between a measuring position at which a pressure sensing surface is pressed to a human body to measure a pulse wave and a waiting position at which the pressure sensing sectionis accommodated inside of the housing to be on standby and the housing has a slide cover protecting the pressure sensing surface in a state where the pressure sensing section is located at the waiting position.

Provided are an apparatus and method of detecting a pulse wave at the certain position of an artery. A pressure sensor array has a pressurization surface on which plural pressure sensors are disposed in a direction intersecting with an artery. The pressurization surface, when a pulse wave is detected, is pressed against a surface of a living human body by a cuff pressure in a pressurization cuff. CPU, when a pulse wave is detected, inputs voltage signals indicating pressure information from the plural pressure sensors simultaneously along with the time axis. CPU extracts the DC component indicating a pressure component caused by a hard member from a voltage signal to specify the pressure sensor located above the hard member from the extracted DC component. The pressure sensors left after the specified pressure sensor located above the hard member among the plural pressure sensors are selected as candidates of the pressure sensor located above the artery to detect a pulse wave generated in the artery based on pressure information outputted from the selected pressure sensors.

Apparatus and method for detecting pulse wave

An array-type capacitive pressure pulse wave sensor includes m rows of lower electrodes arranged in parallel with each other to extend substantially linearly in a direction approximately orthogonal to the extending direction of the artery at the time of measurement, n columns of upper electrodes arranged in parallel with each other at a prescribed distance from the m lower electrodes to extend in a direction crossing the extending direction of the m lower electrodes, and m&#xd7;n capacitive elements formed at intersections of the m lower electrodes and the n upper electrodes. The m&#xd7;n capacitive elements are arranged in a staggered manner when the pressure detecting portion is seen in two dimensions. Thus, it is possible to provide an array-type capacitive pressure pulse wave sensor that can be manufactured inexpensively and that ensures accurate and stable measurement of the pressure pulse wave.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Masao Hashimoto