Meridian point-probing device and curative effect-determining device

• US 6,821,255 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Amano, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US10/224,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 600/485-503, 600/548
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02116 of pulse wave amplitude A61B5/02225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0532 specially adapted for acupuncture or moxibustion
• 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: A61H 39/02 Devices for locating such points

Abstract

A meridian point-probing device includes a pulse wave-detecting unit for detecting pulse waves, a stimulation unit having an end that stimulates a position of skin of a trial subject, a memory unit for storing pulse waveforms detected by the pulse wave-detecting unit before and after the stimulation of the position by the stimulation unit, and a meridian point determination unit for determining whether the stimulation position is a meridian point, according to the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit. The position of the meridian point can be objectively determined with high reproducibility.

Claims

1. A meridian point-probing device, comprising:

a pulse wave-detecting unit which detects pulse waves;

a stimulation unit having an end that stimulates a position of skin of a trial subject;

a memory unit which stores pulse waveforms detected by the pulse wave-detecting unit before and after the stimulation of the position by the stimulation unit; and

a meridian point determination unit which determines whether the stimulated position is a meridian point, according to the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit, the meridian point determination unit including a waveform parameter calculation subunit that calculates a pressure parameter based on a point located on the pulse waveforms and determines whether the stimulated position is a meridian point, according to the pressure parameter.

2. A meridian point-probing device, comprising:

a pulse wave-detecting unit which detects pulse waves;

a stimulation unit having an end that stimulates skin of a trial subject;

a memory unit which stores pulse waveforms detected by the pulse wave-detecting unit after the stimulation of a plurality of positions of the skin of the trial subject by the stimulation unit; and

a meridian point determination unit which determines whether each of the stimulated positions is a meridian point, according to the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit, the meridian point determination unit including a waveform parameter calculation subunit that calculates a pressure parameter based on a point located on the pulse waveforms and determines whether the stimulated position is a meridian point, according to the pressure parameter.

3. The meridian point-probing device according to claim 2, wherein the waveform parameter calculation subunit calculates the pressure parameter that includes at least one of a pulse pressure that is a differential pressure between a systolic blood pressure and a diastolic blood pressure, a post-ejection pressure that is a differential pressure between a blood pressure at a dicrotic notch and the systolic blood pressure, a dicrotic wave height that is a differential pressure between the blood pressure at the dicrotic notch and a maximum blood pressure of the dicrotic wave, a post-ejection pressure ratio that corresponds to the post-ejection pressure normalized by the pulse pressure, a dicrotic wave height ratio that corresponds to the dicrotic wave height normalized by the pulse pressure, a tidal wave height ratio that corresponds to the tidal wave height normalized by the pulse pressure wherein the tidal wave height is a differential pressure between the blood pressure of the post-ejection pressure and a maximum blood pressure of a tidal wave, or a pulse from the pulse waveforms stored in the memory unit.