Meridian point-probing device and curative effect-determining device

• US 20030125631A1
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Amano, Kazuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,821,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02116 of pulse wave amplitude A61B5/02225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0532 specially adapted for acupuncture or moxibustion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/02 Devices for locating such points

Abstract

A meridian point-probing device includes a pulse wave-detecting unit for detecting pulse waves, a stimulation unit having an end that stimulates a position of skin of a trial subject, a memory unit for storing pulse waveforms detected by the pulse wave-detecting unit before and after the stimulation of the position by the stimulation unit, and a meridian point determination unit for determining whether the stimulated position is a meridian point, according to the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit. The position of the meridian point can be objectively determined with high reproducibility.

Claims

1. A meridian point-probing device comprising:

a pulse wave-detecting unit which detects pulse waves;

a stimulation unit having an end that stimulates a position of skin of a trial subject;

a memory unit which stores pulse waveforms detected by the pulse wave-detecting unit before and after the stimulation of the position by the stimulation unit; and

a meridian point determination unit which determines whether the stimulated position is a meridian point, according to the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit.

2. The meridian point-probing device according to claim 1, wherein the meridian point determination unit comprises a waveform parameter calculation subunit that calculates a parameter on the pulse waveforms and determines whether the stimulated position is a meridian point, according to the parameter.

3. A meridian point-probing device comprising:

a pulse wave-detecting unit which detects pulse waves;

a stimulation unit having an end that stimulates skin of a trial subject;

a memory unit which stores pulse waveforms detected by the pulse wave-detecting unit after the stimulation of a plurality of positions of the skin of the trial subject by the stimulation unit; and

a meridian point determination unit which determines whether each of the stimulated positions is a meridian point, according to the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit.

4. The meridian point-probing device according to claim 3, wherein the meridian point determination unit comprises a waveform parameter calculation subunit that calculates a parameter on the pulse waveforms and determines whether the stimulated position is a meridian point, according to the parameter.

5. The meridian point-probing device according to claim 4, wherein the waveform parameter calculation subunit calculates a pulse pressure that is a differential pressure between a systolic blood pressure and a diastolic blood pressure, a post-ejection pressure that is a differential pressure between a blood pressure at a dicrotic notch and the systolic blood pressure, a dicrotic wave height that is a differential pressure between the blood pressure at the dicrotic notch and a maximum blood pressure of the dicrotic wave, an post-ejection pressure ratio that corresponds to the post-ejection pressure normalized by the pulse pressure, a dicrotic wave height ratio that corresponds to the dicrotic wave height normalized by the pulse pressure, a tidal wave height ratio that corresponds to the tidal wave height normalized by the pulse pressure wherein the tidal wave height is a differential pressure between the blood pressure of the post-ejection pressure and a maximum blood pressure of a tidal wave, or a pulse from the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit.

6. A curative effect-determining device comprising:

a pulse wave-detecting unit which detects pulse waves;

an acupuncture unit having an acuminate tip for performing an acupuncture treatment;

a memory unit which stores pulse waveforms detected by the pulse wave-detecting unit before and after the acupuncturing treatment by the acuminate tip; and

a curative effect determination unit which determines the curative effect of the acupuncturing treatment, according to the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit.

7. The curative effect-determining device according to claim 6, wherein the curative effect determination unit comprises a waveform parameter calculation subunit that calculates a parameter on the pulse waveforms and determines the curative effect of the acupuncturing treatment by the acuminate tip according to the parameter.

8. The curative effect-determining device according to claim 7, wherein the waveform parameter calculation subunit calculates a pulse pressure that is a differential pressure between a systolic blood pressure and a diastolic blood pressure, a post-ejection pressure that is a differential pressure between a blood pressure at a dicrotic notch and the systolic blood pressure, a dicrotic wave height that is a differential pressure between the blood pressure at the dicrotic notch and a maximum blood pressure of the dicrotic wave, an post-ejection pressure ratio that corresponds to the post-ejection pressure normalized by the pulse pressure, a dicrotic wave height ratio that corresponds to the dicrotic wave height normalized by the pulse pressure, a tidal wave height ratio that corresponds to the tidal wave height normalized by the pulse pressure wherein the tidal wave height is a differential pressure between the blood pressure of the post-ejection pressure and a maximum blood waveforms stored in the memory unit.