Capacitance-type pressure sensor and heart beat / respiration measuring device using the same

• US 20050215915A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoneda, Fumiiki, Noda, Satoshi, Minamiura, Takeshi, Sakai, Hidetaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,641,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/535
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats

Abstract

A heart beat/respiration measuring device comprising a sheet-like capacitance-type pressure sensor adapted to be pressed against the human body, and a measuring circuit for measuring a heart rate and/or respiration rate from the output of the sensor. The capacitance-type pressure sensor includes a sheet-like dielectric body elastically deformable in all directions and a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric body. The measuring circuit comprises a resonant circuit wherein the capacitance-type pressure sensor serves as an oscillation capacitor, and a calculation processing circuit for detecting variations in the oscillation frequency of the resonant circuit and calculating the heart rate and/or respiration rate based on the frequency component or components of heart beats and/or respiration included in the variations.

Claims

1. A capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising a sheet-like dielectric body elastically deformable in all directions and a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric body.

2. A capacitance-type pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of through holes or projections and depressions are formed on the sheet-like dielectric body.

3. A capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising two sheet-like dielectric bodies elastically deformable in all directions superposed on each other with one conductive cloth interposed therebetween, and two conductive clothes disposed on opposite sides of the two sheet-like dielectric bodies, the two conductive clothes being electrically connected to each other.

4. A capacitance-type pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of through holes or projections and depressions are formed on each of the two sheet-like dielectric bodies, and the through holes or projections and depressions provided on one sheet-like dielectric body and the through holes or projections and depressions provided on the other sheet-like dielectric body are staggered.

5. A heart beat/respiration measuring device comprising a sheet-like capacitance-type pressure sensor adapted to be pressed against a human body, and a measuring circuit for measuring a heart rate and/or respiration rate from the output of the sensor, the capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising a sheet-like dielectric body elastically deformable in all directions and a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric body, the measuring circuit comprising a resonant circuit wherein the capacitance-type pressure sensor serves as an oscillation capacitor, and a calculation processing circuit for detecting variations in the oscillation frequency of the resonant circuit and calculating the heart rate and/or respiration rate based on the frequency component or components of heart beats and/or respiration included in the variations.

6. A heart beat/respiration measuring device according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of through holes or projections and depressions are formed on the sheet-like dielectric body of the capacitance-type pressure sensor.

7. A heart beat/respiration measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the capacitance-type pressure sensor comprises two sheet-like dielectric bodies elastically deformable in all directions superposed on each other with one conductive cloth interposed therebetween, and two conductive clothes disposed on opposite sides of the two sheet-like dielectric bodies, the two conductive clothes being electrically connected to each other.

8. A heart beat/respiration measuring device according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of through holes or projections and depressions are formed on each of the two sheet-like dielectric bodies, and the through holes or projections and depressions provided on one sheet-like dielectric body and the through holes or projections and depressions provided on the other sheet-like dielectric body are staggered.

9. A capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability and flexibility, and a sheet-like dielectric body with stretchability and flexibility provided on at least one of two opposed sides of the pair of conductive clothes.

10. A capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising a conductive cloth with stretchability and flexibility, a conductive plate, and a sheet-like dielectric body with stretchability and flexibility provided on at least one of two opposed sides of the conductive cloth and the conductive plate.

11. A capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability and flexibility, sheet-like dielectric bodies with stretchability and flexibility provided on two opposed sides of the pair of conductive clothes, a conductive cloth with stretchability and flexibility disposed between the pair of conductive clothes, a connection for electrically connecting the pair of conductive clothes to each other, and a dielectric body with stretchability and flexibility provided on a side of the connection facing the conductive cloth.

12. A capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability and flexibility, a conductive cloth with stretchabliity and flexibility disposed therebetween, dielectric bodies with stretchability and flexibility provided on opposite sides of the conductive cloth, and a connection for electrically connecting the pair of conductive clothes to each other.

13. A heart beat/respiration measuring device comprising a sheet-like capacitance-type pressure sensor adapted to be pressed against a human body, and a measuring circuit for measuring a heart rate and/or respiration rate from the output of the sensor, the capacitance-type pressure sensor comprising a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability and flexibility, and a sheet-like dielectric body with stretchability and flexibility provided on at least one of two opposed sides of the pair of conductive clothes, the measuring circuit comprising a resonant circuit wherein the capacitance-type pressure sensor serves as an oscillation capacitor, and a calculation processing circuit for detecting variations in the oscillation frequency of the resonant circuit and calculating the heart rate and/or respiration rate based on the frequency component or components of heart beats and/or respiration included in the variations.

14. A heart beat/respiration measuring device according to claim 13, wherein the capacitance-type pressure sensor comprises a conductive cloth with stretchability and flexibility, a conductive plate, and a sheet-like dielectric body with stretchability and flexibility provided on at least one of two opposed sides of the conductive cloth and the conductive plate.

15. A heart beat/respiration measuring device according to claim 13, wherein the capacitance-type pressure sensor comprises a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability and flexibility, sheet-like dielectric bodies with stretchability and flexibility provided on two opposed sides of the pair of conductive clothes, a conductive cloth with stretchability and flexibility disposed between the pair of conductive clothes, a connection for electrically connecting the pair of conductive clothes to each other, and a dielectric body with stretchability and flexibility provided on a side of the connection facing the conductive cloth.

16. A heart beat/respiration measuring device according to claim 13, wherein the capacitance-type pressure sensor comprises a pair of conductive clothes with stretchability and flexibility, a conductive cloth with stretchabliity and flexibility disposed therebetween, dielectric bodies with stretchability and flexibility provided on both sides of the conductive cloth, and a connection for electrically connecting the pair of conductive clothes to each other.