Health management device and exercise support device

• US 5,941,837 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Amano, Kazuhiko, Ishiyama, Hitoshi, Uebaba, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US08/894,457
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 600/502, 600/503, 600/587, 600/595
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0255 Recording instruments specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7239 using differentiation including higher order derivatives

Abstract

A health management device is provided, which enables the user himself to make a determination of the quality of his state of health, without the presence of a physician or nurse specialist. However, this device may of course be employed to receive measurement directives from, or provide notification to, a third party. Pulse sensor 4 measures the user'"'"'s fingertip pulse wave. Acceleration sensor calculates an acceleration value from the user'"'"'s body. These outputs are converted to digital signals at sensor interface 6. CPU1 determines whether or not the user is exercising based on the acceleration value read out from sensor interface 6. Based on this result, CPU1 takes up the user'"'"'s pulse waves before and after exercise, and determines the acceleration pulse wave. CPU1 then calculates the amplitude ratio of inflection points included in the acceleration pulse waveform, evaluates the exercise performed by the user based on the pre-exercise and post-exercise amplitude ratios, and displays this result on display device 7.

Claims

1. A health management device comprising:

pulse wave measuring means for measuring a user'"'"'s pulse waves;

body movement measuring means for measuring said user'"'"'s body movement;

calculating means for obtaining an indicator showing the state of circulation in said user from said pulse waveform when the measured results of said body movement measuring means are below a prespecified value; and

notifying means for notifying said user of said indicator.

2. A health management device according to claim 1, further comprising:

pulse measuring means for measuring the heart rate or pulse rate of said user;

wherein when the measured result of said body movement measuring means exceeds said prespecified value, said notifying means notifies said user of said measured pulse rate.

3. A health management device according to claim 1, further comprising:

evaluation means for measuring an indicator when the measured result of said body movement measuring means is below said prespecified value, and measures the indicator again after the measured result of said body movement measuring means exceeds said prespecified value and then again returns below said prespecified value, and then carries out an evaluation of the exercise performed by said user based on the difference in these indicators;

wherein said notifying means notifies said user of the results of said exercise evaluation.

4. A health management device according to claim 1, wherein said notifying means provides notice of said indicator to a third party.

5. A health management device according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means obtains said pulse wave'"'"'s acceleration pulse wave, selects two peaks and valleys from among the plurality of peaks and valleys appearing in said acceleration pulse wave, obtains an amplitude ratio for said selected peaks and valleys, and defines said ratio as the indicator.

6. A health management device according to claim 5, wherein said indicator is defined as the value obtained by dividing the amplitude value of the second valley by the amplitude value of the first peak in said acceleration pulse wave.

7. A health management device according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means calculates the time interval between adjacent pulse waves, carries out spectral analysis on the change over said time interval, and sets the amplitude value of the spectral component obtained from said spectral analysis as said indicator.

8. A health management device according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means calculates the time interval between adjacent pulse wave, conducts spectral analysis on the change over said time interval, calculates the ratio of the amplitudes of the low frequency and high frequency spectral components which are obtained from said spectral analysis, and sets said value as said indicator.

9. A health management device according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means calculates the time interval between adjacent pulse waves, and sets the number of times in which the amount of change in continuous said time intervals exceeds a prespecified time as said indicator.

10. A health management device according to claim 1, wherein the exercise to be performed by said user consists of a plurality of stages, said device further comprising:

recording means in which target values for said indicator which are to be reached at each stage of exercise are prestored at each exercise stage; and

comparing means for comparing the indicator calculated by said calculating means and said target value corresponding to each exercise stage, at the point in time when said user completes each exercise stage;

wherein when the results of this comparison indicate that said indicator calculated by said calculating means has reached said target value, said notifying means notifies said user to proceed to the next stage of exercise.

11. A health management device according to claim 1, further comprising:

recording means for recording said indicator obtained at prespecified times and the moving average for said indicators obtained over a past prespecified time interval; and

control means for reading out from said recording means past indicators which were obtained at the same clock time as the present time, calculates the moving average of said past and current indicators, for storing the result in said recording means together with the current time, for determining the difference between said moving average of the indicators obtained over a past prespecified time interval and the current indicator, and for comparing this difference to a prespecified value;

wherein if said difference exceeds the prespecified value, said notifying means provides a warning to said user.

12. A health management device comprising:

a pulse wave measurer which measures a user'"'"'s pulse waves;

a body movement measurer which measures said user'"'"'s body movement;

a calculator which obtains an indicator showing the state of circulation in said user from said pulse waveform when the measured results of said body movement measurer are below a prespecified value; and

a notifier which notifies said user of said indicator.

13. A health management device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a pulse measurer which measures the heart rate or pulse rate of said user;

wherein when the measured result of said body movement measurer exceeds said prespecified value, said notifier notifies said user of said measured pulse rate.

14. A health management device according to claim 12, further comprising:

an evaluator which measures an indicator when the measured result of said body movement measurer is below said prespecified value, and measures the indicator again after the measured result of said body movement measurer exceeds said prespecified value and then again returns below said prespecified value, and then carries out an evaluation of the exercise performed by said user based on the difference in these indicators;

wherein said notifier notifies said user of the results of said exercise evaluation.

15. A health management device according to claim 12, wherein said notifier provides notice of said indicator to a third party.

16. A health management device according to claim 12, wherein said calculator obtains said pulse wave'"'"'s acceleration pulse wave, selects two peaks and valleys from among the plurality of peaks and valleys appearing in said acceleration pulse wave, obtains an amplitude ratio for said selected peaks and valleys, and defines said ratio as the indicator.

17. A health management device according to claim 16, wherein said indicator is defined as the value obtained by dividing the amplitude value of the second valley by the amplitude value of the first peak in said acceleration pulse wave.

18. A health management device according to claim 12, wherein said calculator calculates the time interval between adjacent pulse waves, carries out spectral analysis on the change over said time interval, and sets the amplitude value of the spectral component obtained from said spectral analysis as said indicator.

19. A health management device according to claim 12, wherein said calculator calculates the time interval between adjacent pulse waves, and sets the number of times in which the amount of change in continuous said time intervals exceeds a prespecified time as said indicator.

20. A health management device according to claim 12, wherein the exercise to be performed by said user consists of a plurality of stages, said device further comprising:

a recorder in which target values for said indicator which are to be reached at each stage of exercise are prestored at each exercise stage; and

a comparator which compares the indicator calculated by said calculator and said target value corresponding to each exercise stage, at the point in time when said user completes each exercise stage;

wherein when the results of this comparison indicate that said indicator calculated by said calculator has reached said target value, said notifier notifies said user to proceed to the next stage of exercise.

21. A health management device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a recorder which records said indicator obtained at prespecified times and the moving average for said indicators obtained over a past prespecified time interval; and

a controller which reads out from said recorder past indicators which were obtained at the same clock time as the present time, calculates the moving average of said past and current indicators, stores this result in said recorder together with the current time, determines the difference between said moving average of the indicators obtained over a past prespecified time interval and the current indicator, and compares this difference to a prespecified value;

wherein if said difference exceeds the prespecified value, said notifier a warning to said user.