Apparatus for simulating blood circulation

• US 5,396,895 A
• Filed: 04/27/1993
• Issued: 03/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Satoh, Yoshiki, Takashima, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREEN, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US08/052,605
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 434/262, 434/265, 434/267, 434/268, 434/272, 434/126, 73/865.8, 73/866.4, 128/672, 128/687, 128/697
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02241 of small dimensions, e.g. adapted to fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02422 within occluders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4854 Diagnosis based on concepts of traditional oriental medicine

Abstract

An apparatus simulating blood circulation in the human body which allows sphygmic diagnosis simulation to be performed by measuring simulated arterial pulses along a simulated artery portion which simulates an artery portion leading to either the left or right hand of the blood circulating system of the human body. The simulated artery portion is included in a simulated blood circulating passage formed by a layout of tubes representative of the human circulatory system. Each tube has a circular section of rubber resin made of both silicon and natural rubbers in which the wall thickness of the tube, Young Modulus, tensile strength, dimension, and compliance are predetermined to simulate the human body. Sphygmic diagnosis simulation can be performed by measuring the simulated arterial pulses at three points along of a radial artery portion corresponding to three positions of shun, khan, and shaku of the sunko as in the practice of Oriental medicine. Three pressure sensors may be used to detect the simulated pulses and blood circulation at the shun, khan, and shaku spots of the sunko. Information on blood viscosity, artery hardness, and inner wall condition is also obtained.

Claims

1. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:

an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood and for providing said simulated blood to an artificial heart unit;

said artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir and pumping said simulated blood in response to an artificial heart driving unit to provide volumetric pulses of the simulated blood to a simulated blood circulating passage means;

wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises a layout of open-ended tubes connected to one another so as to be representative of the layout of the human circulatory system extending from the heart to at least one hand;

said layout of open-ended tubes directing and exerting pressure on said volumetric pulses of said simulated blood traveling therethrough for simulating the flow of a human pulse; and

said layout of open-ended tubes including artery tubing comprised of at least one tube portion, responsive to said volumetric pulses, through which said volumetric pulses of said simulated blood travel in a single direction of flow.

2. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein, said at least one tube portion changes along its length due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery.

3. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said layout of open-tubes exerts a resistance to said flow, and further including resistance adjusting means for changing the resistance exerted by said layout of said open-ended tubes to the flow of simulated blood through said simulated blood circulating passage means.

4. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein, said resistance adjusting means adjustably restricts the flow along said single direction into and out of the at least one tube portion.

5. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein, said resistance adjusting means comprise clips for constricting the flow of simulated blood through a tube at said clip, each clip having a screw means for adjusting the resistance to the flow exerted by said tube at said clip.

6. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, comprising:

pressure sensing means

for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated blood.

7. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein,

said pressure sensing means comprises pressure sensors disposed along the at least one tube simulating an artery at spots simulating shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine, wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on the sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

8. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises a curved aorta tube simulating the arch of the aorta connected to the artery tubing;

said artery tubing comprises a subclavian artery tube, a radial artery tube, an ulnar artery tube, and a hand artery tube, each tube in said artery tubing means having at least two ends;

wherein, said at least one tube portion of said artery tubing comprises the radial artery tube,

said subclavian artery tube connected at one end to a curve of the curved aorta tube;

said radial artery tube is connected in parallel with the ulnar artery tube, both the radial artery tube and ulnar artery tube have one end connected in common with the other end of the subclavian tube and have their other downstream ends connected in common with said hand artery tube.

9. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises a curved aorta tube having a curve for simulating the arch of the aorta connected to a right and a left artery tubing;

said right artery tubing comprises a right subclavian artery tube, a right radial artery tube, a right ulnar artery tube, and a right hand artery tube, each of said tubes having at least two ends;

said left artery tubing comprises a left subclavian artery tube, a left radial artery tube, a left ulnar artery tube, and a left hand artery tube, each of said tubes having at least two ends;

wherein, said at least one tube portion where the simulated blood pulses pass comprises the right radial artery tube and the left radial artery tube,

said right subclavian artery tube connected at one end to a tube juncture located along the curve of the curved aorta tube down from the artificial heart unit and up along said curve of the curved aorta tube from the left subclavian artery tube;

said left subclavian artery tube connected at one end along the curve of the curved aorta tube down from the tube juncture leading to the right subclavian artery tube;

said each right and left radial artery tube is connected in parallel with the respective right and left ulnar artery tube, both the radial artery tube and ulnar artery tube have one end connected in common with the other end of the respective right and left subclavian tube and have their other ends connected in common with a respective right and left hand artery tube.

10. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein,

the curve of the aorta tube comprises a circular arc curve;

said tube juncture, a left common carotid artery tube, and the left subclavian artery tube being connected to and sequentially along said curve, wherein, said tube juncture is connected up along said curve towards the artificial heart unit from the left common carotid artery tube and said left common carotid is connected up along said curve towards the artificial heart unit from the left subclavian artery tube;

said tube juncture further comprising a brachiocephalic artery tube having at least two ends, one end being connected to the curve of the aorta tube and the other end to a common connection between the right subclavian artery tube and a right common carotid artery tube.

11. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from the right and left common carotid artery tubes, the aorta tube, and the left and right hand artery tubes.

12. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein,

diameter of said aorta tube gets progressively smaller away from the end connected to the artificial heart;

the right and left common carotid artery tubes have equal diameters;

the right and left subclavian artery tubes have same diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the common carotid artery tubes; and

all the artery tubes have a diameter smaller than the end of the aorta tube furthest from the artificial heart unit.

13. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 10, further including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating passage means.

14. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubes having a circular section made of rubber resin, whereby each of said tubes have a preset wall thickness, Young Modulus, tensile strength, dimension, and compliance such that changes in the tubes due to the simulated blood pulses passing therethrough in said tubes simulate the changes in an artery in a human circulatory system as human blood pulses pass therethrough.

15. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a length of the at least one tube simulating shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine, wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on the inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

22. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said at least one tube portion changes along a length of the tube due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery.

16. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:

an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;

an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;

an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit for driving the artificial heart unit; and

a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is supplied from said artificial heart unit,

wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the artificial heart unit pass;

wherein,

the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery; and

further including resistance adjusting means connected to said artery tubing means for changing the resistance of the flow of simulated blood through said simulated blood circulating passage means;

wherein, said resistance adjusting means comprises clips, each clip gripping the artery tubing means and having a screw means to allow the constriction of the tube by the clip to be adjusted, whereby, said resistance adjusting means adjustably restricts the flow into and out of the at least one tube portion.

17. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:

an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;

an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;

an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit for driving the artificial heart unit; and

a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is supplied from said artificial heart unit,

wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the artificial heart unit pass,

wherein the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery,

wherein said tubing means of said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises a curved aorta tubing means having a curve simulating the arch of the aorta connected to the artery tubing means;

said artery tubing means comprises a subclavian artery tube, a radial artery tube, an ulnar artery tube, and a hand artery tube and each tube of said artery tubing means has at least two ends;

wherein, said at least one tube portion through which the simulated blood pulses pass comprises the radial artery tube,

said subclavian artery tube connected at one end to the curve of the curved aorta tubing means;

said radial artery tube is connected in parallel with the ulnar artery tube, both the radial artery tube and ulnar artery tube have one end connected in common with the other end of the subclavian tube and have their other ends connected in common with a hand artery tube.

18. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, further comprising:

vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from said tubing means.

19. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein,

a diameter of said curved aorta tubing means gets progressively smaller away from the end connected to the artificial heart unit;

and

said tubes in said artery tubing means each have a diameter smaller than the end of the aorta tube furthest from the artificial heart unit.

20. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, further including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating passage means.

21. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein:

said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubes having a circular section made of rubber resin, whereby each of said tubes have a preset wall thickness, Young Modulus, tensile strength, dimension, and compliance such that changes in the tubes due to the simulated blood pulses passing therethrough in said tubes simulate the changes in an artery in a human circulatory system as human blood pulses pass therethrough.

23. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a length of the at least one tube simulating shun, khan, and shaku points along an artery in Oriental medicine;

wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

24. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, comprising:

pressure sensing means for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated blood.

25. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein

said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;

wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond substantially to spots on the processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

26. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:

an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;

an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the simulated blood is supplied from said artrium reservoir;

an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit for driving the artificial heart unit; and

a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is supplied from said artificial heart unit,

wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the artificial heart unit pass,

wherein, the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery,

wherein said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises a curved aorta tubing means having a curve for simulating the arch of the aorta connected to a right and a left artery tubing means;

said right artery tubing means comprises a right subclavian artery tube, a right radial artery tube, a right ulnar artery tube, and a right hand artery tube;

said left artery tubing means comprises a left subclavian artery tube, a left radial artery tube, a left ulnar artery tube, and a left hand artery tube, each of said tubes having at least two ends;

wherein, said at least one tube portion where the simulated blood pulses pass comprises the right radial artery tube and the left radial artery tube, each of said tubes having at least two ends;

said right subclavian artery tube connected at one end to a tube juncture located along the curve of the curved aorta tubing means down from the artificial heart unit and up along the aorta curve from the left subclavian artery tube;

said left subclavian artery tube connected at one end along the curve of the curved aorta tubing means down from the tube juncture leading to the right subclavian artery tube;

said each right and left radial artery tube being connected in parallel with the respective right and left ulnar artery tube, both the radial artery tube and ulnar artery tube have one end connected in common with the other end of the respective right and left subclavian tube and have their other ends connected in common with a respective right and left hand artery tube.

27. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein,

the curve of the curved aorta tubing means comprises a circular arc curve;

said tube juncture means, a left common cartid artery tube, and the left subclavian artery tube being connected in sequence along said curve;

wherein, said tube juncture means is connected up from the left common carotid artery tube and said left common carotid artery tube is connected up along said curve towards the artificial heart unit from the left subclavian artery tube;

said tube juncture means further comprising a brachiocephalic artery tube having at least two ends, one end being connected to the curve of the curved aorta tubing means and the other end to a common connection between the right subclavian artery tube and a right common carotid artery tube.

28. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 27, further comprising:

vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from the right and left common carotid artery tubes, the curved aorta tubing means, and the left and right hand artery tubes.

29. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein,

a diameter of said curved aorta tubing means gets progressively smaller away from the end connected to the artificial heart;

the right and left common carotid artery tubes have equal diameters;

the right and left subclavian artery tubes have a same diameter, smaller than the diameter of the common carotid arteries; and

all the tubes in said artery tubing means have a diameter smaller than the end of the aorta tube furthest from the artificial heart unit.

30. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 29, further including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating passage means.

31. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, further comprising:

vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from said tubing means.

32. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein,

the diameter of said aorta tubing means gets progressively smaller away from the end connected to the artificial heart unit;

and said tubes in said artery tubing means each has a diameter smaller than the end of the aorta tubing means furthest from the artificial heart unit.

33. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, further including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating passage means.

34. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein:

said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubes having a circular section made of rubber resin, whereby each of said tubes have a preset wall thickness, Young Modulus, tensile strength, dimension, and compliance such that changes in the tubes due to the simulated blood pulses passing therethrough in said tubes simulate the changes in an artery in a human circulatory system as human blood pulses pass therethrough.

35. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said at least one tube portion changes along a length of the at least one tube due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery.

36. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a length of the at least one tube simulating the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;

wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

37. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, comprising:

pressure sensing means for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated blood.

38. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 37, wherein,

said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;

wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

39. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:

an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;

an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;

an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit for driving the artificial heart unit; and

a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is supplied from said artificial heart unit,

wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the artificial heart unit pass.

wherein the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery, wherein;

said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubes having a circular section made of rubber resin, whereby said tubes have a preset wall thickness, Young Modulus, tensile strength, dimension, and compliance such that changes in the tubes due to the simulated blood pulses passing therethrough in said tubes simulate the changes in an artery in a human circulatory system as human blood pulses pass therethrough.

40. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein said at least one tube portion changes along a length of the tube due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery.

41. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 39, comprising:

pressure sensing means for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated blood.

42. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 41, wherein,

said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;

wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

43. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:

an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;

an artificial heart unit connected to said artrium reservoir to which the simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;

an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit for driving the artificial heart unit; and

a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is supplied from said artificial heart unit,

wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the artificial heart unit pass,

wherein, the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an artery;

wherein, said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a length of the tube simulating the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;

wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on the sunko correspond substantially to spots on the processus styloideus radii on the inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.

44. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:

an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;

an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;

an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit for driving the artificial heart unit; and

a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is supplied from said artificial heart unit,

wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the artificial heart unit pass, comprising;

pressure sensing means disposed along a tube simulating an artery;

said pressure sensing means detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated blood;

wherein,

said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating a shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;

wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.