Non-invasive radial artery blood pressure waveform measuring apparatus system and uses thereof

• US 20060195035A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dehchuan Sun
• Original Assignee: Dehchuan Sun
• Inventors: Sun, Dehchuan
• Application Number:
  US11/066,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195035A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/503
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• 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 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a non-invasive apparatus system for measuring radial artery blood pressure waveform, and its uses in heart rate variability measurement, autonomic nervous system measurement, personal identification, respiratory cycle and cough monitoring, home quarantine, and hospital quarantine thereof.

Claims

1. A non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system, comprising:

a piezoelectric sensor used for measuring wrist radial artery BP, which can continuously record and generate electric waves on behave of BP pulse waves;

a wristlet with an included air bag, which can be put on one'"'"'s wrist, and press said piezoelectric sensor;

an air pump capable of pumping up said air bag;

an air escape valve, which is connected with one end of said air bag;

a air duct, which is connected with said air bag;

a circuit module, comprising a central processing unit (CPU), memory, as well as operating software;

a barometer, which is connected with the air duct of said air bag;

a power source, and

a host capable of including the above-mentioned devices.

2. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric sensor can be ceramic Lead piezoelectric zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric transducer, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric transducer, Strain Gauge piezoelectric devices, or Semi-Conductor silicon piezoelectric device.

3. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body of said piezoelectric sensor may be a thin film in circular, square, or other geometric shape;

its thickness may range between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, and its diameter or width may range between 1 mm and 100 mm.

4. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric sensor is a rectangle thin film, which is installed in the wristlet;

wherein one side of said thin film contacts with the air bag in the wristlet, and another side contacts with the outer cloth of said wristlet;

when a test is conducted, the wristlet along with the host installed thereon only need to be put on one'"'"'s wrist to proceed subsequent testing.

5. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a piezoelectric sensing module of said piezoelectric sensor may comprise a number of (at least two) piezoelectric devices, which are disposed in the wristlet;

each device is a rectangle (or circular-shaped) piezoelectric thin film, while the length of each side (or diameter) is 3˜

5 mm;

the base of the sensing module is a soft printed circuit board, which is assembled according to steps as follows;

aligning a plurality of piezoelectric devices in one line parallel to hand width, fastening said piezoelectric devices onto a soft printed circuit board, a slot (0.1˜

1 mm) is provided between a device and another to prevent the interference of adjacent electric waves.

6. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circuit module is equipped with a multi-plexer and related driver software for use in receiving electric wave signals from sensing devices, and connected with the filter and magnification circuits.

7. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein using the air filling step to obtain optimal testing air pressure, pressurizing the air bag until (or close) this pressure value, and then monitoring the BP waveform.

8. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) monitor system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said Optimal testing air pressure (OPAP) represents the maximum air pressure value of primary peak height;

under such pressure value, the sensor'"'"'s BP waveform signal is strongest ever, and its signal-to-noise ratio is highest.

9. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wristlet may be cloth wristlet with an included air bag;

the size of said air bag depends on conventional regulation for measuring one'"'"'s wrist BP (its length (parallel to hand length) is about 60 to 90 mm, and its width (parallel to hand width) is about 80˜

150 mm.

10. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said air bag can be added with a cramp pocket by which the piezoelectric sensing devices can be put therein to press the piezoelectric sensor when the air bag is filled with air.

11. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) monitor system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air escape valve may be an analog electromagnetic valve switch;

its size depends on the voltage or current value.

12. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base of said circuit module is a printed circuit board provided with a central processing unit (CPU), memory (i.e. Flash or RAM), barometer, signal filtering device, signal magnification device, buzzer, real-time clock), and other electric components thereon.

13. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said circuit module may comprise a LCD or LED display;

a multi-plexer can be installed to meet prefer circuit requirements.

14. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circuit module is loaded with a software program.

15. The non-invasive wrist radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the operation procedures of said software program include:

controlling the air pressure of said air bag;

searching for Optimal testing air pressure;

measuring radial artery waveform under Optimal testing air pressure;

filtering and magnifying the measured waveform signals;

analyzing and estimating the measured waveform signals.

16. The non-invasive radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power source can be typical dry cells (disposable), a lithium battery (rechargeable), a Ni-NM battery (rechargeable), or other kinds.

17. The non-invasive radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power source can be supplied by conventional alternating current (AC, i.e. 110V or 220V);

if alternating current (AC) is used, an AC/DC transformer can be added onto the circuit module to enable devices that only accept the power source for direct current (DC) circuit components.

23. A new physiological signal monitoring apparatus system for uses in hospital quarantine monitoring, comprising:

using the non-invasive accurate BP waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1;

using said body temperature measuring technique, and placing temperature sensor into the wristlet;

installing a set of wireless transmission module in the host, and another set into the bedside analyzer in the ward, which can receive patients'"'"' physiological signals;

judging if the patient has palpitations, tachypnoea, cough or sneeze in accordance with the HR, BP (SBP, DBP, and PMBP), respiratory waveform and frequency measured through the above-mentioned system;

using said temperature sensor to measure the patient'"'"'s body temperature from his wrist, and judge if he has favor or not;

using the wireless module to transmit said-physiological signals from the host to bedside analyzer;

using said bedside analyzer to transmit the patient'"'"'s physiological signals and analysis results out of a ward through Local Area Network (LAN) or the Internet.

24. The new physiological signal monitoring apparatus system for uses in hospital quarantine monitoring as claimed in claim 23, wherein said body temperature measuring technique can employ a small thermocouple, a resistor-type electric device, or infrared optical device;

the three devices are thermal-sensitive devices capable of transforming body temperature to voltage or current signals.

25. The new physiological signal monitoring apparatus system for uses in hospital quarantine monitoring as claimed in claim 23, wherein said wireless transmission technique can employ a set of commercial radio frequency (RF) wireless module, its frequency domain may be within frequently-used ISM Band (that is, Industry, Science, Medicine sharing band).

26. An apparatus system for uses in home quarantine monitoring, comprising:

using the non-invasive, accurate BP waveform measuring apparatus system as claimed in claim 1;

using the above-mentioned apparatus system to measure home quarantine person'"'"'s physiological signals such as HR, BP (SBP, DBP, and PMBP), BP waveform, respiratory waveform and frequency, etc., and adjust if the person has symptoms of palpitations, rapid BP variations, tachypnoea, cough or sneeze accordingly;

using a conventional measuring technique to measure the person'"'"'s body temperature and adjust if the person has symptoms of favor accordingly;

using conventional wireless transmission techniques to regularly transmit physiological information to a signal processor at home;

using said signal processor to restore, analyze (or reveal) the physiological information, and regularly transmitting the information to related halth organizations through the Internet or Modem;

compiling statistics and regularly summarizing the demographic data of the healthy, sick, and recovered.

18. A non-invasive radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system application, wherein the steps of measuring PMBP include:

using the digital BP monitor oscillometric method to measure SBP and DBP;

measuring BP waveforms, and drawing a diagram with X-Y plane (FIG. 7),

wherein Y-axle is relative voltage value V, X-axle is real time t;

measuring the V(mean) of pre-measured BP waveform according to the following formula;

V(mean)=V-t integral value/(t2-t1) 

 

(1)

Wherein V(mean) represents relative mean voltage, V-t integral value represents the integral value within t1 (the staiting point of waveform) to t2 (the endpoint of waveform) domain in V-t waveform diagram, t2-t1 represents time interval of individual waveform. PMBP can be measured according to the following formula;

PMBP=V(mean)*(SBP−

DBP)/(VS−

VD) 

 

(2)

Wherein PMBP represents physiological mean blood pressure;

V(mean) represents relative mean voltage;

SBP represents systolic blood pressure;

DBP represents diastolic blood pressure;

VS represents the maximum value (peak) of BP waveforms;

VD represents the minimum value (trough) of BP waveform;

PMBP of each BP waveform can be estimated according to the following formula;

the mean of these PMBP are then estimated according to the following formula;

PMBP(mean)=SUM(PMBP)/N 

 

(3)

Wherein PMBP(mean) represents the mean of physiological mean blood pressure (PMBP), SUM(PMBP) represents the sum of N PMBP, N represents the number of BP waveform.

19. A non-invasive radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system application, wherein the steps for identifying testees include:

collecting continuously testees'"'"' BP waveform on a regular time (i.e. 50 sec. or 1 min.);

finding out the starting point (trough), endpoint (the starting point of next waveform), and each peak and trough of each BP waveform;

estimating the characteristic parameters of peak number, time, pressure, tilting angle, area, and their normalized characteristic parameters of each BP waveform;

estimating the mean of these parameters within the test period, and defining them as characteristic baseline of the testee'"'"'s BP waveform;

comparing the testee'"'"'s BP waveform characteristic parameters with the characteristic baseline described above;

if there is a cerain degree of Similarity, the testee can be identified as the same one, otherwise the testee is identified as a different one;

If a group of people (i.e. more than two) undergo measurement of BP waveform characteristic baseline, if one takes the test with unknown identification, the testee'"'"'s BP waveform characteristic parameters can be compared with others one by one to select one with highest similarity, which can be used to judge if said testee is an identified one;

the so-called similarity can be regulated according to experiemtns and identification requirements.

20. The non-invasive radial artery blood pressure (BP) monitor system as claimed in claim 19, wherein personal identification is performed by defining peak number (normally 1.0 to 3.0) of the parameters and normalized time, pressure, tilting angle, and area characteristic parameters as important parameters that satisfy similarity.

21. A non-invasive radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system application, wherein the steps for identifying testees through measuring respiratory waveform and frequency include:

collecting continuously testee'"'"'s BP waveform within the test period (i.e. 1˜

10 min.), and drawing a X-Y diagram, wherein X-value represents time, Y-value represents voltage or pressure;

finding out X value (time value) and Y value (voltage or pressure value) of primary peak point of each waveform;

drawing a continuous XY diagram as the testee'"'"'s respiratory waveform;

estimating the waveform number (i.e. eight) within a regular period (i.e. one min.) as respirotary frequency or respiratory rate (i.e. eight times per minute).

22. A non-invasive radial artery blood pressure (BP) waveform measuring apparatus system application, wherein the steps for monitoring symptoms of cough or sneeze include:

collecting continuously testees'"'"' BP waveform;

estimating the mean and standard division of testees'"'"' three parameters (that is, primary peak-to-pimary peak time interval, pressure value of primary peak, and pressure value of primary trough) of BP waveform within the initial stage (i.e. one min.), and defining the mean as baseline of the three parameters;

monitoring the three parameters of BP waveform all the time within the test period;

if one (or more) of the parameters deviate the baseline and attains predetermined multiple (i.e. triple) of standard division or above, this waveform can be called suspicious irregular data point;

As suspicious irregular data dot occurs randomly (without regular frequency), it can be defined as cough or sneeze;

Cough or sneeze frequency can be obtained (i.e. three times per minute) through statistics.