Physical-information abnormality informing endoscope

• US 5,785,652 A
• Filed: 09/13/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Colin Corporation (Fukuda Denshi Company Limited)
• Inventors: Oka, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahr, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): YARNELL, BRYAN KEITH
• Application Number:
  US08/710,139
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 128/630, 128/632, 128/633, 128/666, 128/668, 128/672, 128/677, 128/681, 128/687, 128/690, 128/701, 128/706, 128/903, 600/101, 600/103, 600/109, 600/113, 600/300, 600/309, 600/310, 600/479, 600/481, 600/485, 600/500, 601/46
• US Class Current: 600/342
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera

Abstract

An apparatus for informing an operator of an abnormality of a physical information obtained from a living subject, including a physical-information obtaining device which obtains the physical information from the subject via an endoscope and outputs a physical-information signal representing the obtained physical information, a signal converting device which converts the physical-information signal into an analog speech signal having a waveform representing a speech corresponding to the obtained physical information, a speech outputting device which outputs the speech represented by the speech signal, a judging device for judging whether the obtained physical information represented by the physical-information signal is abnormal, and a frequency shifting device which shifts, when the judging means makes a positive judgment, frequencies of the speech output by the speech outputting device, so that the operator is informed of the abnormality of the physical information obtained from the subject.

Claims

1. An apparatus for informing an operator of an abnormality of a physical information obtained from a living subject, comprising:

an endoscope which is operable by the operator for carrying out an endoscopy on the subject;

a physical-information obtaining device which obtains said physical information from the subject under said endoscopy and outputs a physical-information signal representing the obtained physical information;

a signal converting device which converts said physical-information signal into an analog speech signal having a waveform representing a speech corresponding to said obtained physical information;

a speech-signal storing device which prestores a plurality of digital speech signals, wherein the signal converting device converts one of the digital speech signals which corresponds to said physical-information signal, into said analog speech signal having said waveform representing said speech corresponding to said obtained physical information;

a speech outputting device which outputs said speech represented by said analog speech signal;

judging means for judging whether said obtained physical information represented by said physical-information signal is abnormal; and

a frequency shifting device which shifts, when said judging means makes a positive judgment, frequencies of said speech output by said speech outputting device, so that the operator is informed of the abnormality of the physical information obtained from the subject.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said speech outputting device comprises a speaker.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said speaker comprises a portable speaker which is adapted to be worn on the head of the operator.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said portable speaker comprises at least one of an earphone and a headphone.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said judging means comprises means for making said positive judgment that said obtained physical information is abnormal, when a measured value as said obtained physical information does not fall within a predetermined normal range.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said physical-information obtaining device comprises at least one of a blood-pressure measuring device, a blood-oxygen-saturation measuring device, and a heart-rate measuring device.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frequency shifting device comprises means for shifting the frequencies of said speech up to higher frequencies, when said judging means makes said positive judgment.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frequency shifting device comprises means for modulating said speech signal provided by said signal converting device, thereby shifting the frequencies of said speech output by said speech outputting device.

9. An apparatus for informing an operator of an abnormality of a physical information obtained from a living subject, comprising:

an endoscope which is operable by the operator for carrying out an endoscopy on the subject;

a physical-information obtaining device which obtains said physical information from the subject under said endoscopy and outputs a physical-information signal representing the obtained physical information;

judging means for judging whether said obtained physical information represented by said physical-information signal is abnormal; and

a portable vibrator which is adapted to be worn on the operator who carries out said endoscopy and which produces, when said judging means makes a positive judgment, a vibration which is transmitted to the operator so that the operator is informed of the abnormality of the physical information obtained from the subject under the endoscopy.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said portable vibrator comprises means for producing said vibration having a frequency falling within a range of 1 to 100 Hz.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said portable vibrator comprises an eccentric rotor whose center of gravity is eccentric with respect to an axis of rotation thereof, and an electric motor which rotates said rotor about said axis of rotation.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said portable vibrator further comprises a wrist band which supports said rotor and said motor and which is adapted to be wound around a wrist of the operator.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said judging means comprises means for making said positive judgment that said obtained physical information is abnormal, when a measured value as said obtained physical information does not fall within a predetermined normal range.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said physical-information obtaining device comprises at least one of a blood-pressure measuring device, a blood-oxygen-saturation measuring device, and a heart-rate measuring device.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a signal converting device which converts said physical-information signal into an analog speech signal having a waveform representing a speech corresponding to said obtained physical information;

a speech outputting device which outputs said speech represented by said speech signal; and

a frequency shifting device which shifts, when said judging means makes said positive judgment, frequencies of said speech output by said speech outputting device, so that the operator is informed of the abnormality of the physical information obtained from the subject.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a speech-output switch which is operable for selectively placing the speech outputting device in a first mode in which the speech outputting device outputs said speech and a second mode in which the speech outputting device does not output said speech.

17. An apparatus for informing an operator of an abnormality of a physical information obtained from a living subject, comprising:

an endoscope which is operable by the operator for carrying out an endoscopy on the subject;

a physical-information obtaining device which obtains said physical information from the subject under said endoscopy and outputs a physical-information signal representing the obtained physical information;

a signal converting device which converts said physical-information signal into an analog speech signal having a waveform representing a speech corresponding to said obtained physical information;

a speech outputting device which outputs said speech represented by said speech signal;

judging means for judging whether said obtained physical information represented by said physical-information signal is abnormal; and

a frequency shifting device which shifts, when said judging means makes a positive judgment, frequencies of said speech output by said speech outputting device, so that the operator is informed of the abnormality of the physical information obtained from the subject.

18. An apparatus of claim 17, wherein said physical-information obtaining device comprises at least one of a blood-pressure measuring device, a blood-oxygen-saturation measuring device, and a heart-rate measuring device.