Biologic Information Detecting Apparatus

• US 20080319325A1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Koizumi, Hiroshi, Mino, Shinji, Aihara, Kimihisa, Tatara, Naoe, Shimada, Junichi, Miura, Hidetoshi, Oguchi, Taisuke, Hayashida, Shoichi, Tochikubo, Osamu, Sudo, Shoichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,657,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/480
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02241 of small dimensions, e.g. adapted to fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 Ear lobe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44427 with position locking-means for gripping members

Abstract

In measurement requiring application of pressure to a tissue of a living body such as blood pressure measurement, noise due to vibration tends to occur. It is therefore difficult to accurately measure a pulse wave and a blood pressure value, and there is a problem of measuring blood pressure stably. It is also difficult to measure blood pressure in daily life activities or to measure blood pressure at predetermined intervals or continuously in a state where a tonometer is always attached. There is consequently a problem of providing a method of holding a biologic information detecting apparatus. The present invention has been achieved to solve the problems and an object of the invention is to provide an easy-to-wear biologic information detecting apparatus for stably detecting biologic information.

In order to achieve the above object, biologic information detecting apparatus according to the invention has a structure in which the apparatus includes a sensor for detecting biologic information in a pair of arms connected via a spindle, and the sensor is tightly attached to a projecting part in a living body, particularly, a tragus of an auricle.

Claims

1. A biologic information detecting apparatus comprising:

a pair of arms that face each other;

a spindle connecting the pair of arms at one end of each of the pair of arms;

a distance varying mechanism provided for the spindle and adjusting an interval between the other ends of the pair of arms;

a sensor for detecting biologic information, which is attached to the other end of at least one of the pair of arms and attached on the facing sides of the pair of arms; and

an extensible member for shortening the interval between the other ends of the pair of arms.

3. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor is mounted at a tip of an adjusting screw attached to a screw hole penetrating the other end of the arm.

4. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor is a light emitting element for emitting output light to a living body such as an auricle, and a light receiving element for receiving the output light from the light emitting element, which is scattered by the living body, or passed through the living body.

5. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor is a cuff for applying pressure to a living body and detecting pressure from the living body.

6. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cuff for pressing a living body, which is attached to the other end of at least one of the pair of arms and attached on the facing sides of the pair of arms,

characterized in that the sensor is provided in the cuff.

12. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11, further comprising a rotating mechanism for rotating at least one of the pair of arms around the spindle as a center axis.

13. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11, characterized in that the pair of arms sandwiches a projecting part of an auricle in the human body by an arm disposed on one of side face sides of the projecting part of the auricle in the human body and an arm disposed on the other side face side of the projecting part of the auricle in the human body.

14. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the pair of arms sandwiches a tragus as a projecting part of an auricle in a human body by an arm disposed on one of side face sides of the tragus as the projecting part of the auricle in the human body and an arm disposed on the other side face side of the tragus as the projecting part of the auricle in the human body.

15. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising an ear attachment that is placed around the base of an auricle in a human body.

16. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a cushion provided on an auricle side of an arm disposed on the auricle side in the pair of arms;

a magnet provided for at least one of the arm provided with the cushion and the ear attachment; and

a magnet or a magnetic member provided for the other one of the arm and the ear attachment.

17. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11, further comprising:

a bridge connecting the pair of arms attached to one of right and left auricles of a human body and the other auricle to which the pair of arms is not attached; and

a power supply unit disposed in some midpoint of the bridge and driving the sensor.

18. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11, further comprising:

an ear attachment which is hung from the base of an auricle of a human body; and

a power supply unit disposed in the ear attachment.

2. A biologic information detecting apparatus comprising:

a pair of arms that face each other;

a spindle connecting the pair of arms at one end of each of the pair of arms;

a distance varying mechanism provided for the spindle and adjusting an interval between the other ends of the pair of arms;

a sensor for detecting biologic information, which is attached to the other end of at least one of the pair of arms and attached on the facing sides of the pair of arms; and

a latch for temporarily regulating widening of the interval between the other ends of the pair of arms.

7. A biologic information detecting apparatus comprising:

a pair of arms that face each other;

a spindle connecting the pair of arms at one end of each of the pair of arms;

a distance varying mechanism provided for the spindle and adjusting an interval between the other ends of the pair of arms; and

a cuff for pressing a living body, which is attached to the other end of at least one of the pair of arms and attached on the facing sides of the pair of arms,

characterized in that an arm to which the cuff is attached or a frame surrounding the cuff comes into contact with a living body in a state where air is exhausted from the cuff and, the cuff comes into contact with a living body surface and presses a tragus in a state where air is supplied to the cuff.

8. A biologic information detecting apparatus comprising:

a pair of arms that face each other;

a spindle connecting the pair of arms at one end of each of the pair of arms;

a distance varying mechanism provided for the spindle and adjusting an interval between the other ends of the pair of arms; and

a cuff for pressing a living body, which is attached to the other end of at least one of the pair of arms and attached on the facing sides of the pair of arms,

characterized in that at least the cuff is detachable from an arm to which the cuff is attached.

9. A biologic information detecting apparatus comprising:

a pair of arms that face each other;

a spindle connecting the pair of arms at one end of each of the pair of arms;

a distance varying mechanism provided for the spindle and adjusting an interval between the other ends of the pair of arms; and

a cuff for pressing a living body, which is attached to the other end of at least one of the pair of arms and attached on the facing sides of the pair of arms,

characterized in that at least one of the cuffs can vary a direction in which the cuff comes into contact with the living body.

10. A biologic information detecting apparatus comprising:

a pair of arms that face each other;

a spindle connecting the pair of arms at one end of each of the pair of arms;

a distance varying mechanism provided for the spindle and adjusting an interval between the other ends of the pair of arms; and

a cuff for pressing a living body, which is attached to the other end of at least one of the pair of arms and attached on the facing sides of the pair of arms,

characterized in that at least one of the cuffs can slide in a long axis direction of an arm to which the cuff is attached.

11. The biologic information detecting apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an extensible member for moving the cuff toward the other end of the arm to which the cuff is attached.