Electronic blood pressure monitor and blood pressure data processing system

• US 6,699,195 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Fumio, Sakai, Kiyoshi, Takizawa, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALLARI, PATRICIA C
• Application Number:
  US10/228,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20030060721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300-301, 600/485, 600/490-496
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

In a blood pressure monitor, time habit data representing daily time habits of a patient and a plurality of timings for blood pressure measurement determined by a medical doctor are inputted. The predetermined timings are variably adjusted based on the daily time habit data, and results of blood pressure measurements at the specified timings are stored in a memory. A personal computer for the doctor of a medical facility receives and outputs information read out from the memory of the blood pressure monitor. Accordingly, blood pressure measurements can be performed in timings adjusted in accordance with the daily habit pattern of the patient, so that more accurate measurement can be achieved. Because information including such measurement data is presented to the doctor with diagnostic authority via the personal computer, the doctor can acquire useful information for assisting diagnosis and treatment of hypertension symptoms of the patient.

Claims

1. An electronic blood pressure monitor, comprising:

a measuring portion configured to measure a blood pressure of a subject;

a first input interface for inputting time habit data of the subject to the blood pressure monitor, the time habit data being indicative of a daily habit pattern of the subject;

a second input interface for inputting measurement pattern data to the blood pressure monitor, the measurement pattern data identifying a timing of a plurality of blood pressure measurements on the subject;

a timing adjustment device for altering the timing of the measurements defined by the measurement pattern data based on the time habit data of the subject; and

an output portion for outputting measurement data to an external device or an internal detachable data storage medium, the measurement data including results of the blood pressure measurements.

2. The blood pressure monitor of claim 1, further comprising an alarm device notifying a time of blood pressure measurement based on the timing altered by the timing adjustment device.

3. The blood pressure monitor of claim 1, wherein the timing of the blood pressure measurements defined by the measurement pattern data is configured to diagnose a type of hypertension of the subject.

4. The blood pressure monitor of claim 1, further comprising a first input portion providing the first input interface and a second input portion providing the second input interface, the second input portion being accessible only to a person with the authority to diagnose the subject.

5. The blood pressure monitor of claim 4, further comprising an event input interface for inputting event occurrence data into the blood pressure monitor, wherein the event input interface comprises a first event input portion disposed on the first input portion.

6. The blood pressure monitor of claim 4, further comprising an event input interface for inputting event occurrence data into the blood pressure monitor, wherein the event input interface comprises a second event input portion disposed on the second input portion.

7. The blood pressure monitor of claim 6, wherein the event occurrence data inputted by the second event input portion is used by the blood pressure monitor to display therapeutic instructions for the person with authority to diagnose the subject.

8. The blood pressure monitor of claim 6, wherein the event occurrence data inputted by the second event input portion is a record of administering medicine to the subject.

9. The blood pressure monitor of claim 8, further comprising,

a memory portion storing data including the time habit data, the measurement pattern data and the measurement data, the measurement data being stored in the memory portion chronologically, and

a computation portion which selects a set of the measurement data stored in the memory portion based on selection criteria for hypertension diagnosis, performs a computation on the selected data based on computation criteria for hypertension diagnosis, performs a judgment on a result of the computation based on judging criteria for hypertension diagnosis, and transfers a result of the judgement to the output portion,

wherein the computation includes calculating a difference of the results of the measurements before and after a passage of a predetermined time from a start of the administering the medicine.

10. The blood pressure monitor of claim 1, further comprising a memory portion for storing data including the time habit data, the measurement pattern data and the measurement data, the measurement data being stored in the memory portion chronologically.

11. The blood pressure monitor of claim 10, further comprising an event input interface for inputting event occurrence data into the blood pressure monitor, the event occurrence data being stored in the memory portion chronologically.

12. The blood pressure monitor of claim 11, wherein an event corresponding to the event occurrence data has an influence on blood pressure measurements.

13. The blood pressure monitor of claim 10, further comprising a computation portion which selects a set of the measurement data stored in the memory portion based on selection criteria for hypertension diagnosis, performs a computation on the selected data based on computation criteria for hypertension diagnosis, performs a judgment on a result of the computation based on judging criteria for hypertension diagnosis, and transfers a result of the judgement to the output portion.

14. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, further comprising an event input interface inputting event occurrence data into the blood pressure monitor, the event occurrence data being stored in the memory portion chronologically, wherein the computation includes calculating a difference of the results of the measurements before and after an occurrence of an event specified by the event occurrence data.

15. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, wherein the result of the judgment is stored in the memory portion.

16. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, wherein

the plurality of the blood pressure measurements includes a first measurement performed when the subject wakes up, a second measurement performed when the subject completes a work day, and a third measurement performed when the subject goes to bed, and

the computation includes dividing a result of the second measurement by a result of the third measurement or an average of a result of the first measurement and the result of the third measurement.

17. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, wherein

the plurality of the blood pressure measurements includes night-time measurements performed when the subject is asleep and day-time measurements performed when the subject is awake, and

the computation includes calculating an average of results of the night-time measurements, calculating an average of results of the day-time measurements, a first day-time measurement and a last day-time measurement being excluded from the average calculation, and dividing the average of the results of the day-time measurements by the average of the results of the night-time measurements.

18. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, wherein

the plurality of the blood pressure measurements includes day-time measurements performed when the subject is awake, and

the computation includes calculating an average of results of the day-time measurements, a first day-time measurement and a last day-time measurement being excluded from the average calculation, calculating an average of results of the first and last day-time measurements, and dividing the average of the results of the day-time measurements by the result of the last day-time measurement or the average of the results of the first and last day-time measurements.

19. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, wherein

the plurality of the blood pressure measurements includes night-time measurements performed when the subject is asleep and a day-time measurement performed when the subject completes a work day, and

the computation includes calculating an average of results of the night-time measurements, and dividing the day-time measurement by the average of the results of the night-time measurements.

20. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, wherein

the plurality of the blood pressure measurements includes a first measurement performed when the subject wakes up and a second measurement performed when a predetermined time passes after the first measurement, and

the computation includes dividing a result of the second measurement by a result of the first measurement.

21. The blood pressure monitor of claim 13, wherein

the plurality of the blood pressure measurements includes day-time measurements performed when the subject is awake, and

the computation includes calculating an average of results of the day-time measurements, a first day-time measurement and a last day-time measurement being excluded from the average calculation, and dividing a result of a blood pressure measurement performed on the subject when the subject is at a medical facility with the authority to diagnose the subject by the average of the results of the day-time measurements, the result of the blood pressure measurement performed at the medical facility being stored in the memory portion.

22. The blood pressure monitor of claim 21, wherein the blood pressure measurement at the medical facility is performed when a person with authority to diagnose the subject is present with the subject.

23. The blood pressure monitor of claim 10, wherein a readout from the memory portion is allowed only for the person with authority to diagnose the subject.

24. A blood pressure data processing system comprising:

an electronic blood pressure monitor configured to measure a blood pressure of a subject and to output measurement data including a result of a blood pressure measurement, the electronic blood pressure monitor including a memory portion for storing the measurement data; and

an information processing system receiving the measurement data from the electronic blood pressure monitor, wherein

the electronic blood pressure monitor comprises a timing adjustment portion which receives time habit data indicative of a daily habit pattern of the subject and measurement pattern data identifying a timing of a plurality of blood pressure measurements on the subject, and alters the timing of the measurements defined by the measurement pattern data based on the time habit data of the subject, and

the information processing system comprises an information reception device for receiving the measurement data read out from the memory portion of the electronic blood pressure monitor in response to a read request and an output device outputting the measurement data received by the information receiving device.

25. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 24, wherein the electronic blood pressure monitor further comprises a computing portion performing a predetermined computation on the measurement data stored in the memory portion based on criteria for hypertension diagnosis and storing a result of the computation in the memory portion.

26. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 24, wherein the electronic blood pressure monitor further comprises an information sending portion sending the measurement data in response to the read request, the information processing system comprises a request sending portion sending the read request, and the information reception device comprises an information receiving portion for receiving the measurement data sent from the information sending portion.

27. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 24, wherein the electronic blood pressure monitor is configured to be directly connected to the information processing system by a data transmitting cable.

28. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 24, wherein the memory portion comprises a detachable storage medium, the electronic blood pressure monitor comprises a first medium access portion selectively engaging with the detachable storage medium and accessing the detachable storage medium engaged with the first medium access portion, and information reception device comprises a second medium access portion selectively engaging with the detachable storage medium and accessing the detachable storage medium engaged with the second medium access portion when the read request is inputted.

29. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 24, wherein the measurement data is read out only when the read request is verified.

30. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 24, further comprising a patient record registry device registering a patient record and a patient record management device managing the patient record, wherein

the electronic blood pressure monitor further comprises an information sending portion for sending the measurement data read out from the memory portion,

the patient record management device receives the measurement data sent from the information sending portion and stores the measurement data in the patient record registry device as a part of the patient record, and

the information processing system receives a patient record of the subject stored in the patient record registry through the patient record management device and performs a predetermined computation on the measurement data based on criteria on hypertension diagnosis and the patient record of the subject.

31. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 30, wherein the blood pressure monitor is allowed to send the measurement data to the patient record management device only when the patient record management device verifies the blood pressure monitor.

32. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 30, wherein the blood pressure monitor is connected to the patient record management device via a communication network and a network connection device.

33. The blood pressure data processing system of claim 32, wherein the network connection device comprises a mobile communication terminal.