MEASUREMENT APPARATUS FOR HEART RATE VARIABILITY

• US 20100274109A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chung-Yuan Christian University
• Original Assignee: Chung-Yuan Christian University
• Inventors: HU, WEI-CHIH, CHANG, CHAO-FENG
• Application Number:
  US12/726,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274109A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a measurement apparatus for heart rate variability, which comprises an earpiece, a measurement module for photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal measuring an ear and producing a first physiological signal of a person under test, a measurement module for electrocardiographic (ECG) signal measuring a second physiological signal of the person under test, and a control and processing unit transmitting a sound signal to the earpiece. By playing the sound signal from the earpiece, the attention of the person under test can be detracted from the measurement module for PPG signal or the measurement module for ECG signal. Thereby, nervousness and impatience of the person under test can be eliminated, and hence the real heart rate variability of the person under test can be measured.

Claims

1. A measurement apparatus for heart rat variability, comprising:

an earpiece, placed into an ear of a person under test;

a measurement module for photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal, set on one side of the earpiece, measuring the physiological status of the person under test via the ear, and producing a first physiological signal;

a processing module for PPG signal, transmitting a sound signal to the earpiece, receiving the first physiological signal, and producing a first measured signal according to the first physiological signal;

a measurement module for electrocardiographic (ECG) signal, measuring the physiological status of the person under test, and producing a second physiological signal;

a processing module for ECG signal, receiving the second physiological signal, and producing a second measured signal according to the second physiological signal; and

a control and processing unit, transmitting a sound signal, receiving the first measured signal and the second measured signal, and producing a corresponding first waveform diagram and a corresponding second waveform diagram, respectively.

2. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 1, wherein the measurement module for PPG signal comprises:

a light source, set on one side of the earpiece, illuminating the skin of the ear, and producing reflection light; and

a photodetector, set on the earpiece and on the same side of the light source, receiving the reflection light, producing the physiological signal according to the reflection light, and transmitting the first physiological signal to the processing module for PPG signal.

3. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 2, wherein the light source includes red light.

4. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 3, wherein the wavelength of the red light is 640 nm.

5. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 2, wherein the light source is a red-light LED.

6. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 2, wherein the photodetector includes a light-receiving transistor.

7. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 2, wherein the light source passes through the epidermis of the ear to the derma, and the derma reflects the light and produces the reflection light.

8. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 2, wherein the earpiece has a speaker.

9. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 8, wherein the earpiece comprises:

an embedded part, placed into the ear, and holding the speaker; and

a holding part, set on one side of the embedded part, and holding the light source and the photodetector.

10. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 1, and further comprising a first storage unit, coupled to the control and processing unit, and storing the first measured signal and the second measured signal.

11. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 10, wherein the first storage unit includes a Compact Flash (CF) card.

12. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 1, and further comprising one or more second storage units, storing multimedia data, and the control and processing unit reading and converting the multimedia data and playing the sound signal.

13. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 1, and further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD), coupled to the control and processing unit, and the control and processing unit transmitting the first waveform diagram and the second waveform diagram to the LCD for displaying.

14. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 13, wherein the LCD is a thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT-LCD).

15. The measurement apparatus for heart rate variability of claim 1, and further comprising a USB transmission module, the control and processing unit transmitting the first measured signal and the second measured signal to the USB transmission module for further transmitting to a computer.