Measuring arrangement

• US 6,616,612 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Miettinen, Jari, Nissilä, Seppo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/522,576
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 600/481, 600/485, 600/500-504, 600/508-509
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist

Abstract

The invention relates to a measuring arrangement for measuring a pressure signal from a living body. The measuring arrangement comprises a sensor structure comprising a converter for converting the effect of the pressure signal measured from the body into an electrical signal. The measuring arrangement of the invention comprises a pressure transmission structure prior to the converter in the sensor structure, the pressure transmission structure comprising one or more pressure transmission elements. The pressure transmission structure is, through one or more pressure transmission elements, meant to be in direct or indirect contact with the body for detecting the pressure signal measurable from the body. The pressure transmission structure is, through one or more pressure transmission elements, connected to the converter for transmitting the effect of the pressure signal detected in the body to the converter in the sensor structure by means of one or more pressure transmission elements of the pressure transmission structure.

Claims

1. A measuring arrangement for measuring a pressure signal from a living body including a sensor structure which comprises a converter for converting the effect of the pressure signal measured from the body to an electrical signal comprising:

a pressure transmission structure, said pressure transmission structure being a mechanical connection piece positionable between said converter and the body, said pressure transmission structure further comprises one or more pressure transmission elements and which pressure transmission structure is adapted through said one or more pressure transmission elements, for direct or indirect contact with the body for detecting the pressure signal measurable from the body, and which pressure transmission structure is, through said one or more pressure transmission elements, mechanically connected to the converter for transmitting the effect of the pressure signal detected in the body by said one or more pressure transmission elements to the converter of the sensor structure, and wherein said pressure transmission elements have a disc form structure.

2. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more pressure transmission elements have a first surface area, and a second surface area, said first surface area being positionable against the body to detect the pressure signal of the body, said first surface area being greater than said second surface area, said second surface area being positionable against the converter in the same pressure transmission element and which is meant to transmit the pressure signal effect to the converter.

3. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein in a pressure transmission element, the surface area which is to be against the body is at least 20% greater than the surface area which is against the converter in the same pressure transmission element.

4. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein an extension of the pressure transmission structure comprising one or more pressure transmission elements and located prior to the converter, between the area to be against the body and the area against the converter is at least triple in relation to the thickness of the converter.

5. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein extension of the pressure transmission structure comprising said one more pressure transmission elements and located prior to the converter, is at least 1 mm in the direction between the surface to be against the body and the converter.

6. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring arrangement has multiple channels and, thus, the pressure transmission structure comprises two or more pressure transmission elements for transmitting the effect of a pressure signal measured from the body to the converter.

7. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pressure transmission elements are adjacent to each other.

8. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said pressure transmission elements form a surface for placing against the body and said surface is curved.

9. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pressure transmission elements are parallel to each other.

10. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the multi-channel measuring arrangement comprises a support structure against which two or more pressure transmission elements of the pressure transmission structure are supported and that between the support structure and the pressure transmission elements, the measuring arrangement comprises supports enabling movement, which, after a pressure signal has been detected, enables both the movement of said two or more pressure transmission elements towards the converter and the movement of the pressure transmission elements between each other.

11. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pressure transmission elements form a surface for placing against the body and one or more pressure transmission elements is such that the surface of the pressure transmission element is further out in the mid-area of the pressure transmission element than at the sides, thus making the surface of the pressure transmission element curved.

12. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring arrangement comprises a support structure against which one or more pressure transmission elements are supported.

13. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein between the support structure and said one or more pressure transmission elements, the measuring arrangement comprises a support enabling the movement of said one or more pressure transmission elements of the pressure transmission structure towards the converters when the pressure transmission element has detected a pressure signal.

14. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein to implement the support enabling the movement of said one or more pressure transmission elements, the measuring arrangement comprises one or more clearances between the support structure and said one or more pressure transmission elements.

15. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the support structure comprises a socket for said one or more pressure transmission elements of the pressure transmission structure and that clearance is in the support structure between the pressure transmission element and the socket of the support structure.

16. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein to implement the support enabling the movement of said one or more pressure transmission elements, the support structure said of one or more pressure transmission elements of the measuring arrangement is made of a flexible material, and that said one or more pressure transmission elements of the pressure transmission structure are supported against this flexible support structure.

17. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more pressure transmission elements are made of an insulating material.

18. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the converter of the sensor structure, to which the pressure transmission structure is connected, is a capacitive converter whose capacitance changes according to the pressure transmitted by the pressure transmission structure to the converter.

19. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 18, wherein the capacitive converter comprises a conductive ground plane, one or more conductive signal outputs and an intermediate part between the ground plane and each signal output.

20. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 19, wherein the pressure transmission structure is connected to the converter through the ground plane of the converter.

21. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the converter of the sensor structure, to which the pressure transmission structure is connected, is a resistive converter whose resistance changes according to the pressure transmitted by the pressure transmission structure to the converter.

22. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the converter comprises one or more channel-specific signal outputs, each signal output being paired with the corresponding pressure transmission element.

23. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claims 21, wherein in the resistive converter, the signal outputs are resistive elements.

24. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring arrangement is one meant for measuring a pressure pulse of an artery in a human body.

25. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring arrangement is one meant for measuring a pressure pulse of an artery, and that the measuring arrangement also comprises a definition means connected to the converter for determining the heart rate on the basis of measuring the pressure pulse of the artery, and that the measuring arrangement also comprises a display connected to the definition means for displaying the heart rate value.

26. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring arrangement is for use in a heart rate monitor attached to a person'"'"'s hand, or wrist.

27. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring arrangement is one meant for measuring a pressure pulse of an artery in a human body, and that the measuring arrangement also comprises a pulse strength definition means connected to the converter for determining the strength of the pressure pulse of the artery, and that a sensor is connected to the measuring arrangement, measuring the strength of the active pressure generated by a pressure generator, and that the measuring arrangement comprises a blood pressure definition means which from the signal of the pressure pulse strength definition means determines the blood pressure value on the basis of the signal from the sensor measuring the magnitude of the active pressure, the blood pressure value then being shown on the display of the measuring arrangement.

28. A measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring arrangement is for use in a blood pressure gauge attachable to a person'"'"'s hand, or wrist.