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

• US 6,843,772 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Colin Medical Technology Corporation (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogura, Toshihiko, Narimatsu, Kiyoyuki, Nunome, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALLARI, PATRICIA C
• Application Number:
  US10/300,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 600481-507, 600/465
• US Class Current: 600/481
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02116 of pulse wave amplitude A61B5/02225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index of a patient, including an inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, a superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, an index determining device for determining the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index, based on a blood pressure of an inferior limb measured by the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device and a blood pressure of a superior limb measured by the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, an inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information, obtaining device which obtains inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information, an upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device which obtains upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information, and an evaluation-information obtaining device for obtaining, based on the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information, evaluation information that is related to evaluation of reliability of the inferior-and superior-limb blood-pressure index.

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 includes an inferior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around an inferior limb of the subject and measures a blood pressure of the inferior limb;

a superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which includes a superior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around a superior limb of the subject and measures a blood pressure of the superior limb;

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

an inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device which obtains inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information that is related to a velocity at which an inferior-limb pulse wave propagates in a first portion of the subject that includes the inferior limb;

an upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device which obtains upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information that is related to a velocity at which an upper-half-body pulse wave propagates in a second portion of an upper half body of the subject; and

an evaluation-information obtaining means for obtaining, based on comparison of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device, evaluation information that is related to evaluation of reliability of the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index determined by the inferior-and-superior-limb-blood-pressure-index determining means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device includes the inferior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around an ankle of the subject and measures a blood pressure of the ankle,

wherein the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device includes the superior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around an upper arm of the subject and measures a blood pressure of the upper arm,

wherein the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device obtains the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information related to the velocity at which the inferior-limb pulse wave propagates in the first portion of the subject that includes the ankle and the upper arm, and

wherein the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device obtains the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information related to the velocity at which the upper-half-body pulse wave propagates in the second portion of the upper half body of the subject that includes a portion between the heart of the subject and the upper arm of the subject.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation-information obtaining means obtains, as the evaluation information, a ratio of one of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device to the other of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the evaluation-information obtaining means judges whether the ratio of said one of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information to the other of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information falls within a pre-set normal range, and thereby automatically judges whether the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index is reliable.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation-information obtaining means obtains, as the evaluation information, a difference of one of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device from the other of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the evaluation-information obtaining means judges whether the difference of said one of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information from the other of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information falls within a pre-set normal range, and thereby automatically judges whether the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index is reliable.

7. 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 includes an inferior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around an inferior limb of the subject and measures a blood pressure of the inferior limb;

a superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which includes a superior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around a superior limb of the subject and measures a blood pressure of the superior limb;

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

an inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device which obtains inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information that is related to a velocity at which an inferior-limb pulse wave propagates in a first portion of the inferior limb of the subject;

an upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device which obtains upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information that is related to a velocity at which an upper-half-body pulse wave propagates in a second portion of the subject that includes an upper half body of the subject; and

an evaluation-information obtaining means for obtaining, based on comparison of the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the inferior-limb-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device and the upper-half-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information obtained by the upperhalf-body-pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related-information obtaining device, evaluation information that is related to evaluation of reliability of the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index determined by the inferior-and-superior-limb-blood-pressure-index determining means.