Heart rate monitor and heart rate measuring method

• US 6,783,501 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Seimitsu Sokki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Seimitsu Sokki Company Limited
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yoshikazu, Koshino, Shinji, Mitsuhashi, Shintaro, Baker, Wayne, Shiogai, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Mary Beth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US10/185,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 600/500, 600/476, 600/477, 600/479, 600/480, 600/481, 600/501, 600/502, 600/504, 600/507
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 Ear lobe

Abstract

Accurate occurrences of pulsation per unit time, that is, a heart rate is measured with a burden on a subject person being reduced to be very small and without being susceptible to body vibrations accompanying exercise. A heart rate monitor is produced, in which a light-emitting element 11 and a light-receiving element 12 are fitted to a head of a human body, light from the light-emitting element 11 is reflected at or transmitted through a subcutaneous artery 4 and/or blood running in the subcutaneous artery, the reflected or transmitted light is detected at the light-receiving element 12, and by using a CPU 14, the pulsation of the subcutaneous artery 4 and/or a change in bloodstream running in the subcutaneous artery 4 is measured from a change in intensity of the light detected at the light-receiving element 12, a pulse rate of the change in the bloodstream per unit time is calculated from this measured value, and the calculated pulse rate of the change in the bloodstream per unit time is regarded as a heart rate.

Claims

1. A heart rate monitor comprising a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element, and a CPU,

light from said light-emitting element being reflected at or transmitted through blood running in a subcutaneous artery,

said light-receiving element detecting the reflected or transmitted light,

said CPU measuring a change in the bloodstream running in the a subcutaneous artery from a change in intensity of the light detected at said light-receiving element, and

said CPU calculating a pulse rate of the change in the bloodstream per unit time from the measured value, and regarding the calculated pulse rate of the change in the bloodstream per unit time as a heat rate,

wherein said light-emitting element and said light-receiving element are fitted to a human head and have a space of 4 mm to 10 mm between them, and

wherein light with a wavelength of 900 nm to 1200 nm emitted by said light-emitting element is reflected at or transmitted through the subcutaneous artery and/or blood running in the subcutaneous artery and is detected at said light-receiving element.

2. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit for displaying the calculated heart rate,

wherein said display unit transmits the calculated heart rate to a measuring person and/or a subject person by means of an optical display, a voice, radio, and/or bone conduction.

3. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage device for storing the calculated heart rate.

4. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a head band fitted to the head of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU, and said display unit are attached to said head band.

5. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

an eyeglass frame fitted to the head of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said eyeglass frame.

6. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sun visor fitted to the head of the human body;

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said sun visor.

7. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a container engaged in an ear pinna of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said container.

8. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element is arranged inside an ear canal of the human body, the light-receiving element being arranged outside the ear so that the subcutaneous artery is positioned between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element.

9. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element and light-receiving element are arranged to have an optical path from an internal portion of an ear of the human body to a position outside the ear where the subcutaneous artery is positioned in the optical path.

10. The heart rate monitor according to claim 1, wherein an arrangement of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element has an optical path from an internal part of an ear to a position outside the ear where the subcutaneous artery is positioned between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element.

12. The heart rate monitor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage device for storing the calculated heart rate.

13. The heart rate monitor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a head band fitted to the head of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU, and said display unit are attached to said head band.

14. The heart rate monitor according to claim 3, further comprising:

a head band fitted to a the head of a the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU, and said display unit are attached to said head band.

15. The heart rate monitor according to claim 2, further comprising:

an eyeglass frame fitted to the head of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said eyeglass frame.

16. The heart rate monitor according to claim 3, further comprising:

an eyeglass frame fitted to the head of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said eyeglass frame.

17. The heart rate monitor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a sun visor fitted to the head of the human body;

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said sun visor.

18. The heart rate monitor according to claim 3, further comprising:

a sun visor fitted to the head of the human body;

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said sun visor.

19. The heart rate monitor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a container engaged in an ear pinna of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said container.

20. The heart rate monitor according to claim 3, further comprising:

a container engaged in an ear pinna of the human body,

wherein said light-emitting element, said light-receiving element, said CPU and said display unit are attached to said container.

11. A method of measuring a heart rate comprising the steps of:

fitting a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element to a head of a human body;

reflecting or transmitting light emitted by said light-emitting element at or through blood running in a subcutaneous artery and detecting it at said light-receiving element;

measuring a change in the bloodstream running inside the subcutaneous artery from a change in intensity of the light detected at said light-receiving element; and

calculating a pulse rate of the change in the bloodstream per unit time from the measured value and regarding the calculated pulse rate of the change in the bloodstream per unit time as a heart rate,

wherein said light-emitting element and said light-receiving element are fitted to the head of a human body and have a space of 4 mm to 10 mm between them, and

wherein light with a wavelength of 900 nm to 1200 nm emitted by said light-emitting element is reflected at or transmitted through the subcutaneous artery and/or blood running in the subcutaneous artery and is detected at said light receiving element.