Standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value determining apparatus and pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value obtaining apparatus

• US 20030167011A1
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Colin Corporation (Fukuda Denshi Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Hideichi, Yamashina, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,881,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/490
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg

Abstract

An apparatus for determining a standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value for a living subject, comprising: a blood-pressure measuring device for measuring a blood pressure of the subject; an age determining device for determining an age of the subject; and a standard-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value determining device for determining the standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value for the subject, based on the blood pressure of the subject measured by the blood-pressure measuring device and the age of the subject determined by the age determining device, according to a predetermined relationship between (A) (a1) blood pressure and (a2) age and (B) standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value for a living subject, comprising:

a blood-pressure measuring device for measuring a blood pressure of the subject;

an age determining means for determining an age of the subject; and

a standard-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value determining means for determining the standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value for the subject, based on the blood pressure of the subject measured by the blood-pressure measuring device and the age of the subject determined by the age determining means, according to a predetermined relationship between (A) (a1) blood pressure and (a2) age and (B) standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sexuality determining means for determining a sexuality of the subject,

wherein the predetermined relationship between (A) (a1) blood pressure and (a2) age and (B) standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value comprises two predetermined relationships between (A) (a1) blood pressure and (a2) age and (B) standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value that correspond to male and female, respectively, and

wherein the standard-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value determining means determines the standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value for the subject, according to one of the two predetermined relationships between (A) (a1) blood pressure and (a2) age and (B) standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value that corresponds to the sexuality of the subject determined by the sexuality determining means.

3. An apparatus for obtaining a pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value for a living subject, comprising:

a standard-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value determining apparatus according to claim 1;

an actual-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value measuring device for measuring an actual pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value that is related to a velocity at which a pulse wave propagates in the subject; and

a display device which displays the standard pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value determined by the standard-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value determining apparatus and the actual pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value measured by the actual-pulse-wave -propagation-velocity-related-value measuring device.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the actual-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value measuring device comprises:

an upper-arm-pulse-wave detecting device which includes an upper-arm cuff adapted to be wound around an upper arm of the subject and detects an upper-arm pulse wave of the subject;

an ankle-pulse-wave detecting device which includes an ankle cuff adapted to be wound around an ankle of the subject and detects an ankle pulse wave of the subject; and

means for determining the actual pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related value of the subject, based on the upper-arm pulse wave detected by the upper-arm-pulse-wave detecting device and the ankle pulse wave detected by the ankle-pulse-wave detecting device.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the actual-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value measuring device comprises an actual-pulse-wave-propagation-time determining means for determining an actual pulse-wave-propagation time as a time difference between a time of detection of a prescribed point of the upper-arm pulse wave and a time of detection of a corresponding prescribed point of the ankle pulse wave.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the actual-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-value measuring device further comprises an actual-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity determining means for determining an actual pulse-wave-propagation velocity at which the pulse wave propagates, by dividing a propagation distance which is a difference between a distance between an aortic valve of the heart of the subject and a portion of the upper arm around which the upper-arm cuff is wound, and a distance between the aortic valve of the heart of the subject and a portion of the ankle around which the ankle cuff is wound, by the actual pulse-wave-propagation time determined by the actual-pulse-wave-propagation-time determining means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input device operable for inputting the age of the subject, wherein the age determining means determines, as the age of the subject, the age inputted through the input device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an input device operable for inputting the sexuality of the subject, wherein the sexuality determining means determines, as the sexuality of the subject, the sexuality inputted through the input device.