ELECTRONIC BLOOD PRESSURE METER

• US 20140276146A1
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Yuki, Kobayashi, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,723,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/494
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02225 using the oscillometric method
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0225 the pressure being controlled by electric signals, e.g. derived from Korotkoff sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02255 the pressure being controlled by plethysmographic signals, e.g. derived from optical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/001 limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/002 limiting inrush current on switching on of inductive loads subjected to remanence, e.g. transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/802 Circuitry or processes for operating piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices not otherwise provided for, e.g. drive circuits

Abstract

An electronic blood pressure meter includes a cuff that is to be worn on a measurement area, a piezoelectric pump that adjusts a pressure applied to the cuff, a drive circuit that drives the piezoelectric pump, and a controller that outputs, to the drive circuit, a pulse signal defining a driving timing of the piezoelectric pump. The drive circuit includes a switching circuit for switching a connection relationship between respective voltages applied to both ends of the piezoelectric pump in response to corresponding first and second driving signals, and a signal generation circuit that outputs the first and second driving signals based on the pulse signal outputted from the controller. The signal generation circuit has a signal conditioning circuit hat adjusts timings of the first and second driving signals so that the phases of the first and second driving signals do not overlap.

Claims

1. An electronic blood pressure meter comprising:

a cuff that is to be worn on a measurement area;

a piezoelectric pump that adjusts a pressure applied to the cuff;

a drive circuit that drives the piezoelectric pump; and

a controller that outputs, to the drive circuit, a pulse signal defining a driving timing of the piezoelectric pump,

wherein the drive circuit includes;

a switching circuit that switches a connection relationship between respective voltages applied to both ends of the piezoelectric pump in response to corresponding first and second driving signals; and

a signal generation circuit that outputs the first and second driving signals based on the pulse signal outputted from the controller, and

wherein the signal generation circuit has a signal conditioning circuit that adjusts timings of the first and second driving signals so that the phases of the first and second driving signals do not overlap.

2. The electronic blood pressure meter according to claim 1,

wherein the signal generation circuit further includes an inverting circuit that outputs an inverted pulse signal obtained by inverting the pulse signal, and

wherein the signal conditioning circuit adjusts a duty ratio of at least one of the pulse signal and the inverted pulse signal.

3. The electronic blood pressure meter according to claim 2, wherein the signal conditioning circuit has a delay circuit that delays the phase of a signal and a waveform shaping circuit

4. The electronic blood pressure meter according to claim 3, wherein the delay circuit is configured of a resistance element and a capacitance element.

5. The electronic blood pressure meter according to claim 4, wherein the resistance element is a variable resistance element whose resistance value changes in accordance with an instruction from the exterior.

6. The electronic blood pressure meter according to claim 4, wherein the capacitance element is a variable capacitance element whose capacitance component changes in accordance with an instruction from the exterior.