Inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index measuring apparatus

• US 6,716,177 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Colin Medical Technology Corporation (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Colin Corporation (Fukuda Denshi Company Limited)
• Inventors: Nomura, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US10/237,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 600/490, 600/485, 600/481, 600/492, 600/493, 600/494, 600/495, 600/496, 600/497, 600/498, 600/499, 600/500, 600/503
• US Class Current: 600/490
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, including an inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which measures an inferior-limb blood pressure of an inferior limb of the subject, a superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which measures a superior-limb blood pressure of a superior limb of the subject, an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index determining device for determining the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index based on the inferior-limb blood pressure measured by the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device and the superior-limb blood pressure measured by the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, a heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device which detects a heartbeat-synchronous signal that is produced from the subject, a pulse-period-related-information obtaining device for obtaining, based on the heartbeat-synchronous signal detected by the heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device, pulse-period-related information that is related to a pulse period of the subject, and a neuropathy-related-information obtaining device for obtaining, based on the pulse-period-related information obtained by the pulse-period-related-information obtaining device, neuropathy-related information that is related to diabetic neuropathy.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, comprising:

an inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which measures an inferior-limb blood pressure of an inferior limb of the subject;

a superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which measures a superior-limb blood pressure of a superior limb of the subject;

an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index determining means for determining the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index based on the inferior-limb blood pressure measured by the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device and the superior-limb blood pressure measured by the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device;

a heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device which detects a heartbeat-synchronous signal that is produced from the subject;

a pulse-period-related-information obtaining means for obtaining, based on the heartbeat-synchronous signal detected by the heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device, pulse-period-related information that is related to a pulse period of the subject; and

a neuropathy-related-information obtaining means for obtaining, based on the pulse-period-related information obtained by the pulse-period-related-information obtaining means, neuropathy-related information that is related to diabetic neuropathy.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a blood-pressure-measurement starting means for operating the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device and the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device to start respective blood-pressure measuring operations, after a pre-set resting time has elapsed,

wherein the pulse-period-related-information obtaining means obtains the pulse-period-related information based on the heartbeat-synchronous signal detected by the heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device during the resting time.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a measurement-start-command input device for inputting a measurement start command, wherein the blood-pressure-measurement starting means operates the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device and the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device to start the respective blood-pressure measuring operations, after the pre-set resting time has elapsed from a time when the measurement start command is inputted through the measurement-start-command input device.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a neuropathy judging means for judging that the subject has the diabetic neuropathy, when the neuropathy-related information does not fall within a pre-determined normal range.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the neuropathy-related-information obtaining means determines, as the neuropathy-related information, a coefficient of variance of the pulse-period-related information, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

an age input device for inputting an age of the subject; and

a normal-range determining means for determining the normal range, based on the age inputted through the age input device, according to a relationship between age and lower limit of normal range wherein, as age increases, lower limit decreases.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device which simultaneously displays the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index and the neuropathy-related information.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device comprises an upper-arm cuff that is adapted to be wound around an upper arm of the subject, and determines the superior-limb blood pressure based on a change of respective amplitudes of respective heartbeat-synchronous pulses of a cuff pulse wave that is produced in the upper-arm cuff while a pressure of the cuff is changed.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device detects, as the heartbeat-synchronous signal, the cuff pulse wave that is produced in the upper-arm cuff in a state in which the pressure of the cuff is maintained at a pre-set pressure that would be lower than a diastolic blood pressure of the subject.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device comprises an inferior-limb cuff that is adapted to be wound around a portion of the inferior limb of the subject, and determines the inferior-limb blood pressure based on a change of respective amplitudes of respective heartbeat-synchronous pulses of a cuff pulse wave that is produced in the inferior-limb cuff while a pressure of the cuff is changed.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device detects, as the heartbeat-synchronous signal, the cuff pulse wave that is produced in the inferior-limb cuff in a state in which the pressure of the cuff is maintained at a pre-set pressure that would be lower than a diastolic blood pressure of the subject.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device comprises an electrocardiograph including a plurality of electrodes that are adapted to be worn on the subject.