Sony Corporation

Yoshiki Satoh

Mitsuru Takashima

An apparatus simulating blood circulation in the human body which allows sphygmic diagnosis simulation to be performed by measuring simulated arterial pulses along a simulated artery portion which simulates an artery portion leading to either the left or right hand of the blood circulating system of the human body. The simulated artery portion is included in a simulated blood circulating passage formed by a layout of tubes representative of the human circulatory system. Each tube has a circular section of rubber resin made of both silicon and natural rubbers in which the wall thickness of the tube, Young Modulus, tensile strength, dimension, and compliance are predetermined to simulate the human body. Sphygmic diagnosis simulation can be performed by measuring the simulated arterial pulses at three points along of a radial artery portion corresponding to three positions of shun, khan, and shaku of the sunko as in the practice of Oriental medicine. Three pressure sensors may be used to detect the simulated pulses and blood circulation at the shun, khan, and shaku spots of the sunko. Information on blood viscosity, artery hardness, and inner wall condition is also obtained.

Apparatus for simulating blood circulation

An apparatus for observing and evaluating blood circulation utilizing pressure sensors disposed along an artery. Three pressure sensors may be used to detect pulses at the shun, khan, and shaku spots of the sunko as in the practice of Oriental medicine. In one embodiment observing blood circulation, a first pressure sensor detects a pulse in the artery on a heart side and a second pressure sensor detects an artery pulse between the heart side and a peripheral side. First and second level detecting means detect when the respective first and second pressure signals exceed predetermined levels and provide output signals to a measuring means. A biasing pressure controlling means controls the biasing force exerted by a biasing means upon the blood flow through the artery and is responsive to the output of the second level detecting means. The measuring means measures a first period of time after the first level detecting means detects that the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and a second period of time from when a notch occurs in the first pressure signal until a notch occurs in the second pressure signal. Information on blood viscosity, artery hardness, and inner wall condition is also obtained.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiki Satoh