Wrist-worn high-accuracy pulsation measuring apparatus

• US 20040243009A1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shinichi, Murata, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/503
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

A wrist-worn apparatus capable of sensing pulsation of blood in the blood tubes of a user'"'"'s wrist with high accuracy. The apparatus comprises a body of the apparatus, a band to be used to wear the body of the apparatus on the user'"'"'s wrist, and a fluid-containing pulsation-sensing fluid chamber provided on the user'"'"'s wrist side of the case. A part of an outer wall that defines the fluid chamber comprises an elastically deformable member that is elastically deformed depending on pulsation of blood transmitted from the band to thereby change the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber. A deformation preventing member is bonded by vulcanization to a part of a side of the deformable member that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist for preventing the part of the deformable member from being elastically deformed.

Claims

1. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on a user'"'"'s wrist;

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation sensing unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber containing a fluid and having a bottom that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the fluid chamber having an outer wall that defines the fluid chamber and that comprises the bottom, the outer wall comprising an elastically deformable member elastically deformed depending on pulsation of blood in the blood tubes of the user'"'"'s wrist transmitted through the band from the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist to thereby change the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber; and

a deformation preventing member provided on the bottom of the fluid chamber for preventing its elastic deformation.

5. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deformable member having a brim, the body of the apparatus further comprising a case therefor and a stop member that fixes the deformable member in a pressed state at its brim to the case, the brim comprising a first ring-like ridge abutting on the case and a second ring-like ridge abutting on the stop member.

6. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 5, wherein the deformable member that composes the bottom of the fluid chamber is made of a material having a higher elasticity than the brim, the bottom of the fluid chamber being made of a material having resistance to the environment.

7. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 6, wherein the deformation preventing member is fixed to an inner surface of the bottom of the fluid chamber.

8. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 6, wherein the deformation preventing member is provided inside the bottom of the fluid chamber such that a space is formed between the deformation preventing member and the bottom of the fluid chamber, and further comprising an announciator provided on the deformation preventing member in the space between the deformation preventing member and the bottom of the fluid chamber.

9. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 6, wherein the deformation preventing member is fixed to an outer surface of the bottom of the fluid chamber.

10. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 9, wherein the stop member is superimposed on the brim of the deformation preventing member.

11. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 7, wherein the deformation preventing member and the bottom of the fluid chamber are molded integral with each other.

12. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 6, wherein the stop member comprises a ridge provided thereon and engaged in a recess provided on the deformable member.

13. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 6, wherein the deformable member comprises a soft part made of a soft material elastically deformable depending on a force exerted from the user'"'"'s wrist on which the body of the apparatus is worn, and a hard part made of a harder material than the soft material and including at least the brim thereof fixed to the case.

14. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 13, wherein the hard part is made of metal or plastic and molded integral with the soft part.

19. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body of the apparatus further comprises a case for the body of the apparatus, and the case has housed a timepiece function unit that counts time, and a display that displays the counted time.

2. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on a user'"'"'s wrist;

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation sensing unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber containing a fluid and that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the fluid chamber having an outer wall that defines the fluid chamber, the outer wall and the band being molded integral with each other and made of a soft material

15. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body of the apparatus further comprises a case for the body of the apparatus, and the soft material has a higher vibration transmittance than the material of the case.

16. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 2, wherein the soft material comprises a plurality of different soft members molded integral with each other.

17. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 2, wherein the deformable member and the band are made of a soft material of a high pulsation transmittance to transmit pulsation therethrough.

3. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on the user'"'"'s wrist; and

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation measuring unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber that contains a fluid and that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the pulsation sensing unit comprising a pulsation sensor provided within the pulsation sensing fluid chamber for sensing changes in the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber as pulsation of blood in the blood tubes of the user'"'"'s wrist, the sensor being positioned at a position deviating the center of the fluid chamber.

18. The wrist-worn apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises a piezoelectric element that converts changes in the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber to an electric signal.

4. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on a user'"'"'s wrist;

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation sensing unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber containing a fluid and having a bottom that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the fluid chamber having an outer wall that defines the fluid chamber and that comprises the bottom, the outer wall comprising an elastically deformable member elastically deformed depending on pulsation of blood in the blood tubes of the user'"'"'s wrist transmitted through the band from the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist to thereby change the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber; and

a deformation preventing member bonded by vulcanization to the bottom of the fluid chamber for preventing its elastic deformation.

20. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on a user'"'"'s wrist;

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation sensing unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber containing a fluid and having a bottom that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the fluid chamber having an outer wall defining the fluid chamber and comprising the bottom, the outer wall comprising an elastically deformable member elastically deformed depending on pulsation of blood in the blood tubes of the user'"'"'s wrist transmitted through the band from the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist to thereby change the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber; and

a deformation preventing member provided on the bottom of the fluid chamber for preventing its elastic deformation.

21. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on a user'"'"'s wrist;

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation sensing unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber containing a fluid and having a bottom will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the fluid chamber having an outer wall that defines the fluid chamber, the outer wall and the band being molded integral with each othre and made of a soft material.

22. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on the user'"'"'s wrist; and

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation measuring unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber that contains a fluid and that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, and a pulsation sensor provided within the pulsation sensing fluid chamber for sensing changes in the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber as pulsation of blood in the blood tubes of the user'"'"'s wrist, the sensor being positioned at a position deviating from the center of the fluid chamber.

23. A wrist-worn apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a band attached to the body of the apparatus to be used for wearing the body of the apparatus on a user'"'"'s wrist;

the body of the apparatus comprising a pulsation sensing unit that in turn comprises a pulsation sensing fluid chamber containing a fluid and having a bottom that will come into contact with the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, the fluid chamber having an outer wall that defines the fluid chamber and that comprises the bottom, the outer wall comprising an elastically deformable member elastically deformed depending on pulsation of blood in the blood tubes of the user'"'"'s wrist transmitted through the band from the user'"'"'s wrist when the body of the apparatus is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist to thereby change the fluid pressure within the fluid chamber; and

a deformation preventing member bonded by vulcanization to the bottom of the fluid chamber for preventing its elastic deformation.