Colin Electronics Co., Ltd.

Colin Corporation

Nippon Colin Co., Ltd.

Norio Kawamura

Hifumi Yokoe

Ye Aung

Tsuneo Nakagawa

Kiyoyuki Narimatsu

Chikao Harada

Hideichi Tsuda

Noriyuki Kaida

Masanobu Yasui

Hideto Tsuchida

Tatsushi Kondo

Toshimasa Yamazaki

Arihiro Takahashi

Ryuji Nakashima

A pressure pulse wave sensor for detecting a pressure pulse wave produced from an arterial vessel of a living subject in synchronism with heartbeat of the subject, the sensor having a press surface adapted to be pressed on a body surface of the subject, a protruding portion protruding from the press surface and having a top surface, and at least one pressure sensing element provided in the top surface of the protruding portion, for detecting the pressure pulse wave produced from the arterial vessel, the top surface of the protruding portion being covered with a resilient protective layer, the pulse wave sensor further comprising a hard member which surrounds the protruding portion such that a top end of the hard member is substantially flush with the resilient protective layer covering the top surface of the protruding portion.

Pulse wave sensor

A blood pressure monitor system, including a pulse wave detecting device detecting a pulse wave produced from an artery of a living subject, a blood pressure measuring device including a pressing device, for measuring a blood pressure of the subject by pressing a body portion of the subject with the pressing device, a relationship determining device determining a relationship between blood pressure and pulse wave magnitude, based on a pulse wave magnitude detected by the pulse wave detecting device and a blood pressure value measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a blood pressure monitor device continuously determining, according to the relationship, blood pressure values of the subject based on magnitudes of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, the relationship determining device updating the relationship at intervals of time, based on blood pressure values measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a blood pressure variation determining device determining a variation of the blood pressure of the subject, based on at least two of the magnitudes of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, and an update-interval changing device changing the interval of updating based on the blood pressure variation determined by the blood pressure variation determining device.

Blood pressure monitor system

A pressure pulse wave transmitting sheet for being interposed between a skin surface of a living subject such as a patient and a pressure pulse wave sensor set on the skin surface in pressed contact therewith, the sensor having a press surface in which at least one pressure sensing element is provided and which is pressed against the skin surface so that the at least one pressure sensing element detects a pressure pulse wave transmitted from an artery of the subject underlying the skin surface, to the press surface via the sheet, the sheet being formed of an elastic material having a hardness substantially equal to a hardness of human being's skin.

Pressure pulse wave transmitting sheet used with pressure pulse wave

Wrist brace

A probe protector for protecting a heartbeat-synchronous pulse wave detecting probe set on a limb of a living subject, from contacting a medical staff attending to the subject on the side of the limb, the limb being supported on a support member having a side surface, the protector including (a) a flat portion adapted to be inserted between the support member, and a part of the limb on which part the detecting probe is set, the flat portion having a pair of opposite ends, (b) a protect portion extending from one of the opposite ends of the flat portion in a direction away from the flat portion, the protect portion protecting the detecting probe from contacting the medical staff, and (c) a stop portion extending from the one end of the flat portion in a direction opposite to the direction in which the protect portion extends, the stop portion being adapted to engage the side surface of the support member when the medical staff contacts the protect portion, so that the probe protector is prevented from being displaced more than a limited distance in the direction in which the medical staff moves.

Protector for heartbeat-synchronous pulse wave detecting probe

A pulse wave sensor for detecting a pressure pulse wave produced from an arterial vessel of a living subject in synchronism with heartbeat of the subject, the sensor having a press surface adapted to be pressed on a body surface of the subject over the arterial vessel, the sensor including (a) a protruding portion protruding from the press surface, the protruding portion having a top surface adapted to be pressed on the body surface of the subject, (b) a sensing device provided in the top surface of the protruding portion, for detecting the pressure pulse wave from the arterial vessel via the body surface, and (c) a sheet spring provided around the protruding portion and having a height generally equal to, or greater than, a height of the protruding portion as measured from the press surface, the sheet spring being deflectable in a direction in which the top surface of the protruding portion is pressed on the body surface.

A contact pressure sensor including a semiconductor chip having opposite surfaces, at least one pressure sensing element provided in one of the opposite surfaces of the chip, a spacer member supporting the other surface of the chip, a substrate having a surface to which the spacer member is fixed, the one surface of the chip being pressed against an object which produces a pressure, so that the at least one sensing element detects the pressure produced by the object, a first connection terminal provided in the one surface of the chip, a second connection terminal provided in the surface of the substrate, and a flexible flat cable connecting between the first and second connection terminals, the flexible flat cable being bent into two portions one of which extends along a side surface of the spacer member and the other of which extends along the surface of the substrate. The contact pressure sensor may further comprise a light-shading layer covering the one surface of the chip in which the at least one pressure sensing element is provided.

Contact pressure sensor

A method and an apparatus for measuring blood pressure of a subject by using a pulse wave sensor for detecting pulse wave produced from an arterial vessel of the subject, and pressing device for pressing the pulse wave sensor against the arterial vessel via a body surface of the subject, the method comprising the steps of pressing the pulse wave sensor against the arterial vessel with a continuously variable pressing force produced by the pressing device, detecting variation in magnitude of the pulse wave with the pulse wave sensor while the pressing force of the pressing device is continuously varied, and determining blood pressure of the subject based on the detected magnitude variation of the pulse wave.

Method and apparatus measuring blood pressure

An apparatus for automatically measuring a blood pressure of a subject, including a device for defining an inflatable pressure chamber, the device being set on a body portion of the subject, a flexible piping, a device for supplying a pressurized fluid to the inflatable pressure chamber via the flexible piping so as to increase fluid pressure in the pressure chamber and thereby press the body portion of the subject, and a relief device for discharging the pressurized fluid in the inflatable pressure chamber, into atmosphere, if the fluid pressure in the pressure chamber exceeds a predetermined value, the relief means being supported by the means for defining the pressure chamber.

Automatic blood pressure measuring apparatus having pressure

An apparatus for detecting and displaying a pulse wave based on pulsations of an arterial vessel of a human body, with an improved accuracy irrespective of variations in pressing force of a sensing unit against a body member and/or irrespective of deviation of the depressed sensing unit from the arterial vessel to be detected, thereby providing the user of the apparatus with reliable medical diagnostic information on blood circulating organs.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Norio Kawamura