Superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index measuring apparatus

• US 6,355,000 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fukuda Denshi Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Colin Corporation (Fukuda Denshi Company Limited)
• Inventors: Ogura, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): NATNITHITHADHA, NAVIN
• Application Number:
  US09/556,417
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 600/490, 600/485, 600/481, 600/492, 600/493, 600/494, 600/495, 600/496, 600/497, 600/498, 600/499, 600/500, 600/503
• US Class Current: 600/490
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02225 using the oscillometric method

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring a superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, including a first blood-pressure measuring device which measures a first blood pressure of an inferior limb of the subject, a second blood-pressure measuring device which measures a second blood pressure of a superior limb of the subject, an index determining device for determining the superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index, based on the first blood pressure measured by the first blood-pressure measuring device and the second blood pressure measured by the second blood-pressure measuring device, an information obtaining device which obtains propagation-velocity-relating information relating to a velocity of propagation of a pulse wave which propagates between two different portions of the subject, and a display device which simultaneously displays the superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index determined by the index determining device and the propagation-velocity-relating information obtained by the information obtaining device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring a superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, comprising:

a first blood-pressure measuring device which measures a first blood pressure of an inferior limb of the subject;

a second blood-pressure measuring device which measures a second blood pressure of a superior limb of the subject;

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

an information obtaining device which obtains propagation-velocity-relating information relating to a velocity of propagation of a pulse wave which propagates from a heart of the subject to each of two different portions of the subject; and

a display device which simultaneously displays the superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index determined by the index determining means and the propagation-velocity-relating information obtained by the information obtaining device.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an identifying device which identifies each one of a plurality of living subjects from the other living subjects; and

a storing device which stores, for said each one living subject identified by the identifying device, at least one first superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index value determined by the index determining means and at least one first propagation-velocity-relating information obtained by the information obtaining device,

wherein the display device displays, for said each one living subject, the first superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index value and the first propagation-velocity-relating information which are stored in the storing device, and a second superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index value currently determined by the index determining means and a second propagation-velocity-relating information currently obtained by the information obtaining device, so that an observer can compare the first and second superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index values with each other and compare the first and second propagation-velocity-relating information with each other.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display device comprises simultaneously displaying means for displaying, in a two-dimensional plane which is defined by a first axis representing superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index and a second axis representing propagation-velocity-relating information, a symbol at a position corresponding to the superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index determined by the index determining means and the propagation-velocity-relating information obtained by the information obtaining device.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display device comprises timewise-change displaying means for displaying, in a two-dimensional plane which is defined by a first axis representing superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index and a second axis representing propagation-velocity-relating information, at least one first symbol at at least one position corresponding to the at least one first superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index value and the at least one first propagation-velocity-relating information which are stored in the storing device, and a second symbol at a position corresponding to the second superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index value currently determined by the index determining means and the second propagation-velocity-relating information currently obtained by the information obtaining device.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the index determining means comprises means for determining, as the superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index, a ratio of the first blood pressure to the second blood pressure, or a ratio of the second blood pressure to the first blood pressure.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information obtaining device comprises two pulse-wave sensors which are worn on the two different portions of the living subject, respectively, and each of which detects the pulse wave at a corresponding one of the two portions.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the identifying device comprises:

an input device which is operable by an operator for inputting a batch of identification information identifying said each one living subject from said other living subjects;

a memory device which stores a plurality of batches of identification information identifying said plurality of living subjects, respectively; and

judging means for judging the batch of identification information input through the input device is identical with each of batches of identification information stored in the memory device, and thereby identifying said each one living subject from said other living subjects.