PULSE MONITOR AND PROGRAM

• US 20150046095A1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yusuke, Kuroda, Masao
• Application Number:
  US14/383,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046095A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02444 Details of sensor A61B5/02427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/005 by electrical means and not provided for in G01L1/06 - G01L1/22

Abstract

A pulse monitor, a program, and the like which perform determination of an appropriate pressing force and store and display holding state specification information when it is determined to be an appropriate pressing force, thereby facilitating device mounting in an appropriate state are provided. A pulse monitor includes a pulse wave detection unit 10 which has a pulse wave sensor 11 configured to output a pulse wave sensor signal, a processing unit 100 which calculates pulse information based on the signal from the pulse wave detection unit 10, a display unit 70 which displays a processing result in the processing unit 100, a storage unit 90 which stores the processing result in the processing unit 100, and a holding mechanism which holds the pulse monitor on a subject.

Claims

1. A pulse monitor comprising:

a pulse wave detection unit which has a pulse wave sensor configured to output a pulse wave sensor signal;

a processing unit which calculates pulse information based on the signal from the pulse wave detection unit;

a storage unit which stores a processing result in the processing unit,

a holding mechanism which holds the pulse monitor on a subject,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not a pressing force on the subject in the pulse wave detection unit is an appropriate pressing force, and

the storage unit stores holding state specification information for specifying the holding state of the holding mechanism when it is determined that the pressing force on the subject in the pulse wave detection unit is the appropriate pressing force.

2. The pulse monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force based on the pulse wave sensor signal.

3. The pulse monitor according to claim 2,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force based on at least one of an AC component signal corresponding to an AC component of the pulse wave sensor signal and a DC component signal corresponding to a DC component of the pulse wave sensor signal.

4. The pulse monitor according to claim 3,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force based on the change characteristic of the AC component signal when the pressing force is changed.

5. The pulse monitor according to claim 4,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force based on the change characteristic in amplitude of the AC component signal when the pressing force is changed.

6. The pulse monitor according to claim 3,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force based on the change characteristic of the DC component signal when the pressing force is changed.

7. The pulse monitor according to claim 6,

wherein the processing unit detects an inflection point of the DC component signal based on the change characteristic of the DC component signal when the pressing force is changed and determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force based on the detected inflection point.

8. The pulse monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit which displays the processing result in the processing unit,

wherein the processing unit performs control for displaying, on the display unit, an instruction screen for giving an instruction to set an environment for determination about whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force.

9. The pulse monitor according to claim 8,

wherein the processing unit performs control for displaying, on the display unit, a screen for giving an instruction to stabilize body motion of the subject as the instruction screen.

10. The pulse monitor according to claim 8,

wherein the processing unit performs control for displaying, on the display unit, a screen for giving an instruction to the subject to take a given posture for determination as the instruction screen.

11. The pulse monitor according to claim 8,

wherein the processing unit performs control for displaying, on the display unit, a screen for giving an instruction to the subject to stay on standby for a given time as the instruction screen.

12. The pulse monitor according to claim 9,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the condition of the environment for determination displayed on the instruction screen is satisfied, and determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force when it is determined that the condition is satisfied.

13. The pulse monitor according to claim 12,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the condition of the environment for determination displayed on the instruction screen is satisfied based on at least one of a body motion detection signal from a body motion sensor and time measurement information from a time measurement unit, and determines whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force when it is determined that the condition is satisfied.

14. The pulse monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the processing unit has a holding state specification information acquisition mode and a pulse information calculation mode, in which the pulse information is calculated, as a processing mode,

when the holding state specification information acquisition mode is set, the processing unit acquires the holding state specification information based on the determination result about whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force and stores the acquired holding state specification information in the storage unit, and

when the pulse information calculation mode is set after the holding state specification information is acquired, the processing unit performs control for reading the holding state specification information stored in the storage unit and displaying the read holding state specification information on the display unit.

15. The pulse monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the holding mechanism takes first to N-th (where N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) states, in which the pressing force on the subject in the pulse wave detection unit is different, as the holding state, and

the processing unit acquires information corresponding to at least one of the first to N-th states as the holding state specification information based on a determination result about whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force in each of the first to N-th states.

16. The pulse monitor according to claim 15,

wherein, after determination about whether or not the pressing force is the appropriate pressing force in an i-th (where i is an integer which satisfies 1≦

i≦

N) state, the processing unit performs control for displaying, on the display unit, an instruction screen for giving an instruction to change the holding state of the holding mechanism to a j-th (where j is an integer which satisfies 1≦

j≦

N and j≠

i) state in which the pressing force is less than the i-th state.

17. A program which causes a computer to function as:

a pulse wave detection unit which has a pulse wave sensor configured to output a pulse wave sensor signal;

a processing unit which calculates pulse information based on the signal from the pulse wave detection unit;

an output unit which outputs a processing result in the processing unit; and

a storage unit which stores the processing result in the processing unit,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not a pressing force on a subject in the pulse wave detection unit is an appropriate pressing force,

the storage unit stores holding state specification information for specifying the holding state of a holding mechanism configured to hold a pulse monitor on the subject when it is determined that the pressing force on the subject in the pulse wave detection unit is the appropriate pressing force, and

the processing unit performs control for outputting the holding state specification information from the output unit.

18. A pulse monitor comprising:

a pulse wave detection unit which has a pulse wave sensor configured to output a pulse wave sensor signal;

a processing unit which calculates pulse information based on the signal from the pulse wave detection unit;

an output unit which outputs a processing result in the processing unit;

a storage unit which stores the processing result in the processing unit; and

a holding mechanism which holds a pulse monitor on a subject,

wherein the processing unit determines whether or not a pressing force on the subject in the pulse wave detection unit is an appropriate pressing force,

the storage unit stores holding state specification information for specifying the holding state of the holding mechanism when it is determined that the pressing force on the subject in the pulse wave detection unit is the appropriate pressing force, and

the processing unit performs control for outputting the holding state specification information from the output unit.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)