Test device for blood pressure monitor

• US 4,301,512 A
• Filed: 11/09/1979
• Issued: 11/17/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valeron Corp. (Sandvik AB)
• Original Assignee: Valeron Corp. (Sandvik AB)
• Inventors: Cook, Kenneth J., Ruszala, Frederick B., Power, Joseph S., Keith, Everette R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US06/093,087
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 235/92 MS, 235/92 EA, 235/92 MT, 364/415-417, 364/578, 364/579, 364/580, 364/801, 128/668, 128/672, 128/695, 128/699, 340/753, 340/754, 340/802
• US Class Current: 703/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/60 for living beings, e.g. their nervous systems ; for problems in the medical field

Abstract

A device for testing the operability of a blood pressure monitor. The device includes a signal generator for generating a plurality of different output signals simulating a variety of static blood pressure levels. A plurality of display devices are included, each device corresponding to one of the given static blood pressure levels. Control circuitry coupled to a single push button switch simultaneously selects a different blood pressure level to be generated and energizes its corresponding display device upon each sequential activation of the switch.

Claims

1. A device for testing the operability of a blood pressure monitor, said device comprising:

generator means for selectively generating a plurality of output signals, each output signal having a different signal level corresponding to preselected static blood pressure levels for testing the operability of the blood pressure monitor;

a plurality of display devices, each device corresponding to one of the preselected static blood pressure levels;

a push button switch;

control means coupled to said switch, said generator means, and to said display devices, said control means providing control signals operative for simultaneously selecting a different blood pressure level output signal for generation by said generator means and for energizing its corresponding display device upon each sequential activation of the switch.

2. The device of claim 1 which further comprises:

a battery for providing power to the device; and

low battery indicator means coupled to the battery, operative to provide a visual indication when the voltage level from the battery has fallen below a predetermined reference level.

3. The device of claim 2 which further comprises timer means for automatically disconnecting said battery from internal device components if said switch is not activated within a given time period.

4. In a device for testing the operability of a blood pressure monitor, said device including a bridge network having a plurality of the resistive legs, an input coupled to an excitation signal from the blood pressure monitor, and an output coupled to the blood pressure monitor for supplying signals to the monitor for testing its operability, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of resistors having one of their ends commonly coupled to one node of the bridge network;

multiplexer means having a plurality of outputs, each of said outputs being coupled to the other end of separate ones of said resistors, said multiplexer means having an input coupled to an adjacent node of said bridge network, and said multiplexor means having control inputs operative to selectively couple one of said outputs to said input thereby selectively coupling one of said resistors across the bridge leg bounded by said nodes, said resistors having different resistive values such that the output of said bridge network provides a plurality of different static blood pressure levels to the monitor for testing the operability thereof;

a plurality of display devices, each device associated with one of the resistors for generating a given static blood pressure level;

decoder means having a plurality of outputs, each output coupled to one of said display devices, said decoder means having a control input for selecting one of said outputs for activating its associated display device;

a single manually selectable push button select switch; and

control circuit means coupled between the switch and the control inputs of both said multiplexer and said decoder means, operative to successively select one of said resistors and simultaneously activate the display device associated with the static blood pressure level generated by the selected resistor upon each sequential activation of the switch.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said control means comprises a first counter, operative to increase its output signal count by one for each sequential activation of the switch.

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said control means further comprises;

zero detector means coupled between the output of said first counter and said multiplexer, operative to inhibit the multiplexer when the counter output is zero to thereby prevent said resistors from being coupled to said bridge betwork upon initialization of the device to permit zeroing.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein said control means further comprises:

a potential source;

a power switch having an input coupled to the potential source and an output coupled to electrical components in the device;

a first flip flop having set and reset inputs coupled for sequential receipt of set and reset signals upon activation of said selector switch, and an output;

a second flip flop having a set input coupled to the output of the first flip flop, and an output coupled to said power switch, operative to enable said power switch upon initial activation of said selector switch whereby power is supplied to the electrical components of the device.

8. The improvement of claim 7 which further comprises:

means for coupling the output of said first flip flop to said first counter for incrementing it upon each sequential activation of the selector switch; and

RC delay means for gating said first flip flop output to said first counter after a predetermined time period has elapsed from power being initially applied to the device components whereby to initialize the count signal in said first counter.

9. The improvement of claim 8 which further comprises:

timer means for disabling said power switch after a given time period has elapsed without further activation of said selector switch.

10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein said timer means comprises:

oscillator means for providing a series of pulses;

second counter means having an input coupled for receipt of said pulses from the oscillator means, said second counter having an output coupled to a reset input of said second flip flop for resetting same to thereby disable said power switch when the second counter reaches a given count; and

means for coupling the output of said first flip flop to a reset input of said second counter, operative to reset the second counter upon each activation of said selector switch whereby power is supplied to the circuitry as long as the selector switch has been activated before the second counter reaches said given count.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said display devices are light emitting diodes having their associated cathodes separately coupled to an output of the decoder means and having their anodes commonly connected together;

and

wherein said oscillator means is further coupled to said commonly connected light emitting diode anodes for providing duty cycle control of the ultimately selected light emitting diode thereby minimizing power dissipation thereof.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the source of potential is a battery, and wherein said improvement further comprises:

battery detector means coupled to the battery for detecting a low battery condition and activating a display to indicate said detected condition.

13. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said battery detector means comprises:

a comparator having one input coupled to the output of said power switch and another input coupled to a predetermined voltage level, operative to provide an energization signal at its output to activate the battery detector display device when the voltage level at said one input falls below said predetermined level.

14. Electrical circuitry for initializing and incrementing a counter upon sequential activation of a single push button switch, said circuitry comprising:

a single push button switch;

a potential source;

a power switch having an input coupled to the potential source and an output;

a first flip flop having set and reset inputs coupled for sequential receipt of power from said source upon each activation of said push button switch thereby setting and resetting said first flip flop, said first flip flop having an output;

a second flip flop having a set input coupled to the output of the first flip flop, said second flip flop having an output;

counter means having a clock input for incrementing the count signal output of said counter means, said counter having a reset input for resetting the count signal, and a power input coupled to the output of said power switch for controlling power to the counter means;

means for coupling the output of said second flip flop to the power switch, operative to enable said power switch on the first activation of said selector switch;

delay means coupled to the output of said power switch, operative to provide a reinitializing signal to the reset input of the counter means until a given time period has elapsed from power being initially applied to the counter means; and

gating means coupled to the output of said delay means and to the output of said first flip flop, operative to increment the count signal in said counter by providing a pulse to said clock input of the counter means upon each subsequent sequential activation of said selector switch.

15. The circuitry of claim 14 which further comprises:

timer means coupled to a reset input of said second flip flop, operative to reset the second flip flop to thereby disenable said power switch if said selector switch has not been activated within a predetermined time period.