DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MONITORING VARIATION OF ANIMAL RESPIRATION AND/OR HEARTBEAT
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of monitoring variation in either or both respiration and heartbeat of an animal comprising the steps of vibrating a piezoelectric vibrator by continuously or intermittently applying an AC voltage of a frequency corresponding to a natural resonance frequency of the vibrator to the piezoelectric vibrator under such condition that the vibrator is placed directly or indirectly in contact with the surface of the animal'"'"'s body; collecting a current generated by the vibrator under vibration; and calculating an impedance of the vibrator from a value of the current and a value of the AC voltage applied to the vibrator so as to continuously or intermittently detect variation of the impedance by lapse of time is effective to monitor variation of respiration and/or heartbeat of animals including humans who are in sleep or under exercise and take a variety of positions with high sensitivity.
14 Citations
27 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
- 15. A device for monitoring variation in either or both respiration and heartbeat of an animal which comprises a piezoelectric vibrator, an impedance-detecting circuit electrically connected to the piezoelectric vibrator, which is capable of applying continuously or intermittently to the vibrator an AC voltage of a frequency corresponding to the natural resonance frequency of the vibrator, detecting a current generated by the vibrator under vibration and calculating impedance of the vibrator from a value of the current and a value of the AC voltage applied to the vibrator, and a computing circuit for detecting continuously or intermittently variation of impedance with the passage of time.
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27. A method for monitoring variation in either or both respiration and heartbeat of an animal which comprises the steps of:
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vibrating a piezoelectric vibrator placed directly or indirectly in contact with the surface of the body of the animal under pressure by continuously or intermittently applying to the vibrator an AC voltage of a frequency corresponding to the natural resonance frequency of the vibrator; detecting a current generated by the vibrator under vibration; and calculating an impedance of the vibrator from a value of the current and a value of the AC voltage applied to the vibrator to detect continuously or intermittently variation of impedance with the passage of time.
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Specification