Blood rheology measuring apparatus

• US 8,277,388 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Hiroyuki, Nakamura, Takahiko, Yamamoto, Minao, Shinogi, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US11/602,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,143 Days
• Field of Search: 600504-507, 600453-457
• US Class Current: 600/504
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00

Abstract

A blood rheology measuring apparatus has a measuring portion for measuring a flow velocity of the blood flowing in a blood vessel of a person in a mode of a Doppler shift signal by transmitting and receiving a wave to and from a surface of the person'"'"'s skin. An information processing portion calculates an intensity at each of frequency components of the Doppler shift signal, extracts a maximum frequency in a signal at an intensity level equal to or larger than a threshold in the histogram or a maximum frequency when an integrated value from a low frequency component reaches a predetermined rate of a total thereof in the histogram, and provides a temporal change waveform of the extracted frequency. The blood rheology is analyzed by an area value of a portion at and above a line connecting a minimum value of one pulse waveform and a minimum value of a successive pulse waveform of the frequency waveform.

Claims

1. A blood rheology measuring apparatus comprising:

a measuring portion for measuring a flow velocity of the blood flowing in a blood vessel of a person in a mode of a Doppler shift signal by transmitting and receiving a wave to and from a surface of the person'"'"'s skin; and

an information processing portion having means for calculating an intensity at each of frequency components of the Doppler shift signal, means for extracting a maximum frequency in a signal at an intensity level equal to or larger than a threshold in the histogram or a maximum frequency when an integrated value from a low frequency component reaches a predetermined rate of a total thereof in the histogram, and means for providing a temporal change waveform of the extracted frequency;

wherein a blood rheology is analyzed by an area value of a portion at and above a line connecting a minimum value of one pulse waveform and a minimum value of a successive pulse waveform of the frequency waveform.

2. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the measuring portion comprises an ultrasonic wave transmitter and receiver for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave to and from an artery at a tip portion of the person'"'"'s finger.

3. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the measuring portion comprises an ultrasonic wave transmitter and receiver for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave to and from an artery at the person'"'"'s finger.

4. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a temperature measuring portion for measuring a temperature of the blood vessel used for detecting the flow velocity of blood; and

wherein the information processing portion has means for operating and compensating for an amount of changing the flow velocity of the blood based on expansion and contraction of the blood vessel by a value of the temperature measured by the temperature measuring portion.

5. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising blood pressure measuring means for measuring a blood pressure of the person;

wherein the information processing portion has means for operating and compensating for a change amount based on a blood pressure by dividing by a value of the blood pressure measured by the blood pressure measuring means.

6. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a blood pressure measuring portion for measuring the person'"'"'s maximum blood pressure; and

wherein the information processing portion has means for operating and compensating for a change amount based on a blood pressure by dividing the maximum frequency in the frequency waveform by a value of the maximum blood pressure measured by the blood pressure measuring portion.

7. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the measuring portion and the information processing portion are integrally or individually made portable to thereby enable the information concerning the blood rheology to be obtained continuously or daily.

8. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a data inputting portion for inputting individual information of a person to be measured.

9. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein life habit information suitable for a person to be measured is informed to a subject based on information concerning the blood rheology of the person to be measured.

10. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a data holding portion for storing the information concerning the measured blood rheology to enable a daily change in the blood rheology of the person to be measured to be assessed from data stored to the data holding portion.

11. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a pressure measuring portion.

12. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a cuff;

a mechanism for adjusting a pressure of fastening the cuff; and

a pressure measuring portion for measuring the pressure.

13. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 12;

wherein the information concerning the blood rheology provided by the pressure measuring portion is operated and corrected.

14. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a data inputting portion for inputting individual information of a person to be measured, the individual information being information about a food.

15. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the measuring portion measures the information by a predetermined timing and when a predetermined value of the blood rheology is reached, the value is detected by the person to be measured.

16. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a temperature measuring portion for measuring a temperature inside of the person'"'"'s body or a surface of the person'"'"'s body at a vicinity of the measuring portion.

17. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a temperature elevating portion for elevating the temperature inside of the persons'"'"'s body or the surface of the person'"'"'s body at the vicinity of the measuring portion.

18. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 17;

wherein the temperature elevating portion is the same as the measuring portion.

19. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the measuring portion is held by a holding structure capable of holding the measuring portion by bringing the measuring portion into contact with the surface of the person'"'"'s body.

20. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 19;

wherein the holding structure is a member having an insulating property.

21. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 19;

wherein the holding structure is a member having an elasticity of a rubber.

22. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 19;

wherein the holding structure has a shape of a cylindrical finger ring, and the measuring portion is integrated to an inner peripheral portion of the finger ring to be brought into contact with the living body.

23. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 22;

wherein the measuring portion is integrated to the inner peripheral portion of the finger ring to be brought into contact with the living body by being shifted to either of a right side or a left side from a portion of the belly of the finger.

24. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 22;

wherein the temperature measuring portion is integrated to the inner peripheral portion of the finger ring to be brought into contact with the living, body by being shifted to either of a right side or a left side from a portion of the belly of the finger.

25. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 19;

wherein the holding structure has a shape of a cylindrical finger ring capable of identifying an upper side and a lower side of a cut face when the finger ring is cut by a face orthogonal to an axial direction thereof, and the measuring portion is disposed at a position of 10 degrees through 80 degrees when a lower direction of the cut face is defined as 0 degree centering on an axis of the cylinder.

26. A blood rheology measuring apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the measuring portion measures a change in a blood flow velocity at a capillary of a finger tip.