Apparatus for measuring and evaluating blood circulation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for observing and evaluating blood circulation, comprising:
- first and second pressure sensors adapted to be disposed along an artery outputting respective first and second pressure signals, wherein, the first pressure sensor is adapted to detect an artery pulse in said artery on a heart side and the second pressure sensor is adapted to detect said artery pulse between said heart side and a peripheral side;
a first level detecting means for detecting when the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and providing an output signal representative thereof;
a second level detecting means for detecting when the second pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and providing an output signal representative thereof;
biasing pressure controlling means responsive to the output of the second level detecting means for controlling the biasing force exerted by a biasing means;
wherein, said biasing means is adapted to exert said biasing force upon the blood flow through the artery;
measuring means for measuring a first period of time after the first level detecting means detects that the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and a second period of time from when a notch occurs in the first pressure signal until a notch occurs in the second pressure signal; and
outputting means for outputting an output signal from said measuring means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for observing and evaluating blood circulation utilizing pressure sensors disposed along an artery. Three pressure sensors may be used to detect pulses at the shun, khan, and shaku spots of the sunko as in the practice of Oriental medicine. In one embodiment observing blood circulation, a first pressure sensor detects a pulse in the artery on a heart side and a second pressure sensor detects an artery pulse between the heart side and a peripheral side. First and second level detecting means detect when the respective first and second pressure signals exceed predetermined levels and provide output signals to a measuring means. A biasing pressure controlling means controls the biasing force exerted by a biasing means upon the blood flow through the artery and is responsive to the output of the second level detecting means. The measuring means measures a first period of time after the first level detecting means detects that the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and a second period of time from when a notch occurs in the first pressure signal until a notch occurs in the second pressure signal. Information on blood viscosity, artery hardness, and inner wall condition is also obtained.
68 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for observing and evaluating blood circulation, comprising:
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first and second pressure sensors adapted to be disposed along an artery outputting respective first and second pressure signals, wherein, the first pressure sensor is adapted to detect an artery pulse in said artery on a heart side and the second pressure sensor is adapted to detect said artery pulse between said heart side and a peripheral side; a first level detecting means for detecting when the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and providing an output signal representative thereof; a second level detecting means for detecting when the second pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and providing an output signal representative thereof; biasing pressure controlling means responsive to the output of the second level detecting means for controlling the biasing force exerted by a biasing means;
wherein, said biasing means is adapted to exert said biasing force upon the blood flow through the artery;measuring means for measuring a first period of time after the first level detecting means detects that the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and a second period of time from when a notch occurs in the first pressure signal until a notch occurs in the second pressure signal; and
outputting means for outputting an output signal from said measuring means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A blood viscosity measuring apparatus, comprising:
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first and second pressure sensors adapted to be disposed along an artery outputting respective first and second pressure signals, wherein the first pressure sensor is adapted to detect a pulse in the artery on a heart side and the second pressure sensor is adapted to detect said artery pulse between the heart side and a peripheral side; a first level detecting means for detecting when the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and providing an output signal representative thereof; a second level detecting means for detecting when the second pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and providing an output signal representative thereof; biasing pressure controlling means responsive to the output of the second level detecting means for controlling the biasing force exerted by a biasing means;
wherein, said biasing means is adapted to exert said biasing force upon the blood flow through said artery;timer means which starts measuring in response to the output signal from said first level detecting means and terminates measuring in response to the output signal from said second level detection means and provides an output signal; and outputting means which receives the output signal from the timer means and outputs an output signal;
whereby said output signal from said outputting means provides blood viscosity information based on said output signal from said timer means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An artery hardness observing apparatus, comprising:
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biasing means for exerting a biasing force, whereby, said biasing means restricts the flow of blood at three biasing positions closely located along an artery at about the same pressure; biasing controlling means for controlling the biasing force exerted by said biasing means; first and second pressure sensors, wherein, said first pressure sensor is adapted to detect arterial pulses in an intermediate position of the three biasing positions and to provide an output signal representative thereof, and said second pressure sensor is adapted to detect arterial pulses on a peripheral side of said first pressure sensor and to provide an output signal representative thereof; a third pressure sensor, detecting the biasing force exerted by said biasing means and providing an output signal representative thereof; a first level detecting means for detecting when the output signal from the first pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined level and for providing an output signal representative thereof; a second level detecting means for detecting when the output signal from the second pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined level and for providing an output signal representative thereof; operating means for operating a difference between a first latch output signal which is obtained by latching the output signal from the third pressure sensor in response to the output signal from said first level detecting means and a second latch output signal which is obtained by latching the output signal from the third pressure sensor in response to the output signal from said second level detecting means; and outputting means for outputting an output signal from said operating means, whereby, said output signal is indicative of artery hardness. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for observing the condition of the inner wall of blood vessels, comprising:
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first and second pressure sensors adapted to be disposed along an artery outputting respective first and second pressure signals, wherein, the first pressure sensor is adapted to detect a pulse in the artery on a heart side and the second pressure sensor is adapted to detect an artery pulse between the heart side and a peripheral side; level detecting means for detecting when the second pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and providing an output signal representative thereof; biasing controlling means for controlling the biasing force exerted by a biasing means, said biasing means being adapted to establish a restricted blood flow passage condition based on the output signal obtained from said level detecting means; and outputting means for outputting a comparison output signal between a reference waveform signal based upon the first pressure signal and the second pressure signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for observing and evaluating blood circulation, comprising:
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first, second, and third pressure sensors adapted to be disposed along an artery outputting respective first, second and third pressure signals, wherein, the first pressure sensor is adapted to detect a pulse in the artery on a heart side, the second pressure sensor is adapted to detect an artery pulse between the heart side and a peripheral side, and the third pressure sensor is adapted to detect an artery pulse on the peripheral side of the second pressure sensor; a first level detecting means for detecting when the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and for providing an output signal representative thereof; a second level detecting means for detecting when the second pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and for providing an output signal representative thereof; a third level detecting means for detecting when the third pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level for providing an output signal representative thereof; a biasing means for exerting a biasing force; biasing pressure controlling means, responsive to the output signal of the second level detecting means, for controlling the biasing force exerted by said biasing means;
wherein, said biasing means is adapted to exert said biasing force upon the blood flow through said artery;a fourth pressure sensor detects the biasing force exerted by the biasing means and outputs a fourth pressure signal; measuring means for measuring a first period of time after the first level detecting means detects that the first pressure signal exceeds a predetermined level and a second period of time from when a notch occurs in the first pressure signal until a notch occurs in the second pressure signal; operating means for operating a difference between a first latch output signal which is obtained by latching the fourth pressure signal in response to the output signal from said second level detecting means and a second latch output signal which is obtained by latching the fourth pressure signal in response to the output signal from said third level detecting means; timer means for starting measuring in response to the output signal from said first level detecting means and terminating measuring in response to the output signal from said second level detection means and for providing an output signal; and outputting means for outputting output signals from said measuring means, said operating means, and said timer means.
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Specification