BIOLOGICAL SIGNAL MEASURING APPARATUS

• US 20130066177A1
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Katsuyoshi, TONE, Katsuhide
• Granted Patent: US 9,125,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/324
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

The calculation amount of the whole can be reduced. A biological signal measuring apparatus includes a biological signal measuring unit which measures a biological signal; and a calculation processing unit which performs calculation processes on the measured biological signal, wherein the calculation processing unit has: a first calculation processing unit which performs calculation processes required for calculating the biological signal, and which is independently controllable; and a second calculation processing unit which performs a specific calculation process, and which is independently controllable, and, when the first calculation processing unit satisfies given conditions, the second calculation processing unit is caused to perform the specific calculation process.

Claims

1. A biological signal measuring apparatus including:

a biological signal measuring unit that measures a biological signal; and

a calculation processing unit that performs calculation processes on the measured biological signal, wherein

the calculation processing unit has;

a first calculation processing unit that performs calculation processes required for calculating the biological signal; and

a second calculation processing unit that performs a specific calculation process,

the first calculation processing unit and the second calculation processing unit are independently controllable with each other, and,

when the first calculation processing unit satisfies given conditions, the second calculation processing unit is caused to perform the specific calculation process.

2. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second calculation processing unit performs the specific calculation process with a smaller calculation amount as compared with a case of the first calculation processing unit.

3. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the specific calculation process is at least one of a simple process, a routine process, and a parallel process.

4. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1, wherein

the specific calculation process is a calculation process specialized for elimination of at least one of body motion noise and extraneous light noise which are contained in the measured biological signal.

5. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the given conditions include at least one of reduction of a quality of the measured biological signal, detection of a body motion, and detection of extraneous light.

6. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

in the second calculation processing unit, a unit data length for the calculation process is variable in accordance with a kind of the calculation process, and shorter than a unit data length for the calculation processes performed by the first calculation processing unit.

7. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first calculation processing unit determines whether the first calculation processing unit causes the second calculation processing unit to perform the calculation process or not, based on predetermined conditions, and, only when the first calculation processing unit determines to cause the second calculation processing unit to perform the calculation process, supplies data to the second calculation processing unit.

8. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

in a case where a load of the calculation process due to a noise component exceeds a predetermined level, the first calculation processing unit supplies data to the second calculation processing unit.

9. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the calculation processing unit further has

a disturbance detecting unit which can detect a disturbance cause that generates noises in a result of the measurement of the biological signal, and,

in a case where the disturbance detecting unit detects the disturbance cause, the first calculation processing unit causes the second calculation processing unit to perform the specific calculation process.

10. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the disturbance detecting unit includes at least one of an acceleration sensor which detects a body motion, and an optical sensor which detects extraneous light.

11. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the calculation processing unit further has

a determining unit that determines which one of a first calculation result obtained by the first calculation processing unit and a second calculation result obtained by the second calculation processing unit is optimum, and

outputs a calculation result which is determined to be optimum by the determining unit.

12. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the biological signal measuring unit includes:

a light emitter which illuminates living tissue containing arterial blood flow, with light beams of two different wavelengths at different timings; and

a light receiver which receives the light beams that are emitted from the light emitter and transmitted through or reflected from the living tissue, and which converts the light beams to an electric signal corresponding to the receiving intensities of the light beams of the respective wavelengths, and

the first calculation processing unit calculates a ratio of pulsation components of an absorbance due to the arterial blood flow with respect to the light beams of two wavelengths, from data which are produced based on the electric signal, and calculates an oxygen saturation of arterial blood based on the ratio of pulsation components.

13. A biological signal measuring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the light beams of two different wavelengths include a red light beam and an infrared light beam.