Organism information measuring method and arm wear type pulse-wave measuring method

• US 5,906,582 A
• Filed: 09/12/1995
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kondo, Yutaka, Honda, Katsuyuki, Kawata, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Peffley, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): YARNELL, BRYAN KEITH
• Application Number:
  US08/527,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 128/633, 128/664-7, 128/690, 356/39-41, 600/310, 600/322, 600/324, 600/340, 600/388-391, 600/473, 600/476, 600/479, 600/480, 600/481, 600/485, 600/500, 600/502, 600/503
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate

Abstract

An organism information measuring method and an arm wear type pulse-wave measuring method having a sensor unit having a size that does not cause any inconvenience to a user when the user is doing an exercise, such as jogging, so that information about an organism, such as the pulse rate, is measured. The arm wear type pulse-wave measuring apparatus has a wrist band for putting the body of the apparatus on the arm; and a sensor unit that is put on the root of a finger by a sensor securing band. If the finger is irradiated with light by a LED in the foregoing state, light reaches the blood vessel and is reflected. The reflected light is received by a phototransistor in such a manner that the quantity of received light corresponds to change in the quantity of blood occurring due to pulse waves of the blood. The LED is of a type capable of emitting blue light and has a light emission wavelength peak of 450 nm. The phototransistor has a light receiving wavelength region in a range from 300 nm to 600 nm.

Claims

1. A method of operating an arm wear type pulse-wave measuring device, comprising:

securing a sensor means to a band,

mounting said band on a region from a root of a finger to a joint of said finger such that a light receiving surface of a light receiving means and a light emitting surface of a light emitting means face a surface of said finger,

emitting and detecting light from said sensor means,

said emitting and detecting light step including irradiating said surface of said finger with light from said light emitting means, receiving light emitted by said light emitting means and reflected by said finger with said light receiving means, and producing detection results based on said received light,

transmitting said detection results produced by said light receiving means to a pulse-wave measuring means;

measuring pulse waves, and displaying information about pulse waves in accordance with said detection results produced by said light receiving means, and

wherein said light emitting step includes emitting light having a wavelength in a range from 350 nm to 600 nm, and said light receiving step includes receiving light having a wavelength λ

nm in a range that satisfies the following expression;

3. A method of operating an arm wear type pulse-wave measuring device as in claim 1 wherein said emitting and detecting light step includes emitting light from an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

5. A method of operating an arm wear type pulse-wave measuring device as in claim 1 wherein said emitting and detecting light step includes detecting light with a GaAsP type (Gallium-Arsenic-Phosphorus type) phototransistor.

6. A method of operating an arm wear type pulse-wave measuring device as in claim 1 wherein said securing a sensor means step includes securing said sensor means in a hole in said band.

2. <

λ

≦

700.

4. A method of operating an arm wear type pulse-wave measuring device as in claim 2 wherein said emitting and detecting light step includes emitting light from an InGaN type (Indium-Gallium-Nitrogen type) blue LED.