Electrocardiographic signal detection device

• US 8,332,019 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Shimuta, Toru, Takahashi, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US13/248,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 600/509
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/302 for capacitive or ionised electrodes, e.g. metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers

Abstract

An electrocardiographic signal detection device that includes at least one pair of electrodes that detect electrical signals of a living body; an insulating film disposed on the at least one pair of electrodes, the insulating film having a living body contact surface; a differential amplifier that generates an electrocardiographic signal by differentially amplifying the electrical signals of the living body; and an arithmetic processing unit that obtains biological information based on the electrocardiographic signal generated by the differential amplifier, wherein the insulating film and the at least one pair of electrodes are arranged such that the electrical signals of the living body are detected through capacitive coupling between the living body in contact with the living body contact surface of the insulating film and the at least one pair of electrodes.

Claims

1. An electrocardiographic signal detection device comprising:

at least one pair of electrodes that detect electrical signals of a living body;

an insulating film disposed on the at least one pair of electrodes, the insulating film having a living body contact surface;

a differential amplifier that generates an electrocardiographic signal by differentially amplifying the electrical signals of the living body; and

an arithmetic processing unit that obtains biological information based on the electrocardiographic signal generated by the differential amplifier,

wherein the insulating film and the at least one pair of electrodes are arranged such that the electrical signals of the living body are detected through capacitive coupling between the living body in contact with the living body contact surface of the insulating film and the at least one pair of electrodes.

2. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a respective filter unit connected to each of the at least one pair of electrodes, the filter units configured to reduce noise in the detected electrical signals of a living body.

3. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 2, wherein the filer unit comprises a low pass filer.

4. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 2, further comprising a baseline variation suppression unit disposed between the respective filter units and the differential amplifier, the baseline variation suppression unit operable to suppress variations in a baseline of signals output from the respective filter units.

5. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes are connected to input terminals of the differential amplifier, the electrocardiographic signal detection device further comprising:

at least one clamp circuit connected to the input terminal of the differential amplifier, the at least one clamp circuit including at least one high-impedance element, and

the at least one clamp circuit configured such that a potential at a connected end of the clamp circuit is held constant, and an impedance of the differential amplifier from the connected end of the clamp circuit is larger than an impedance of the clamp circuit.

6. An electrocardiographic signal detection device comprising:

a housing having a display window;

at least one pair of transparent electroconductive electrodes disposed on a surface of the display window that detect electrical signals of a living body;

a transparent insulating film disposed on the at least one pair of electrodes, the insulating film having a living body contact surface;

a differential amplifier that generates an electrocardiographic signal by differentially amplifying the electrical signals of the living body;

an arithmetic processing unit that obtains biological information based on the electrocardiographic signal generated by the differential amplifier;

a display panel disposed in the housing and configured to display information through the display window, the at least one pair of transparent electroconductive electrodes, and through the transparent insulating film; and

an information display circuit operable to display the display information on the display panel,

wherein the transparent insulating film and the at least one pair of transparent electroconductive electrodes are arranged such that the electrical signals of the living body are detected through capacitive coupling between the living body in contact with the living body contact surface of the transparent insulating film and the at least one pair of transparent electroconductive electrodes.

7. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 6, wherein the transparent insulating film covers substantially an entire surface of the display window.

8. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 6, further comprising a touch panel disposed at an underside of the display window and adapted for entering input information through the display window, a drive circuit for driving the touch panel, and a control unit for controlling the arithmetic processing unit in accordance with the input information entered through the touch panel.

9. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 6, further comprising a respective filter unit connected to each of the at least one pair of electrodes, the filter units configured to reduce noise in the detected electrical signals of a living body.

10. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 9, wherein the filer unit comprises a low pass filer.

11. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 9, further comprising a baseline variation suppression unit disposed between the respective filter units and the differential amplifier, the baseline variation suppression unit operable to suppress variations in a baseline of signals output from the respective filter units.

12. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 6, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes are connected to input terminals of the differential amplifier, the electrocardiographic signal detection device further comprising:

at least one clamp circuit connected to the input terminal of the differential amplifier, the at least one clamp circuit including at least one high-impedance element, and

the at least one clamp circuit configured such that a potential at a connected end of the clamp circuit is held constant, and an impedance of the differential amplifier from the connected end of the clamp circuit is larger than an impedance of the clamp circuit.

13. An electrocardiographic signal detection device comprising:

a housing having a display window;

an operating button disposed on the housing;

a first electroconductive electrode disposed on the operating button that detects an electrical signal of a living body;

a first insulating film disposed on the first electroconductive electrode and having a first living body contact surface;

at least one second transparent electroconductive electrode disposed on a surface of the display window that detects an electrical signal of the living body;

a second transparent insulating film disposed on the at least one second transparent electroconductive electrode and having a second living body contact surface;

a differential amplifier that generates an electrocardiographic signal by differentially amplifying a first electrical signal of the living body detected through capacitive coupling between the living body in contact with the second living body contact surface of the second transparent insulating film and the at least one second transparent electroconductive electrode, and a second electrical signal of the living body detected through capacitive coupling between the living body in contact with the first living body contact surface of the first insulating film and the first electroconductive electrode;

an arithmetic processing unit that obtains biological information based on the electrocardiographic signal generated by the differential amplifier;

a display panel disposed in the housing and configured to display information through the display window, the at least one second transparent electroconductive electrode, and through the second transparent insulating film; and

an information display circuit operable to display the display information on the display panel.

14. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 13, wherein the second transparent insulating film covers substantially an entire surface of the display window.

15. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a touch panel disposed adjacent the display window and configured to accept input information through the display window;

a drive circuit that drives the touch panel; and

a control unit that controls the arithmetic processing unit in accordance with the input information.

16. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 13, wherein the at least one pair of electrodes are connected to input terminals of the differential amplifier, the electrocardiographic signal detection device further comprising:

at least one clamp circuit connected to the input terminal of the differential amplifier, the at least one clamp circuit including at least one high-impedance element, and

the at least one clamp circuit configured such that a potential at a connected end of the clamp circuit is held constant, and an impedance of the differential amplifier from the connected end of the clamp circuit is larger than an impedance of the clamp circuit.

17. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 13, further comprising a respective filter unit connected to each of the at least one pair of electrodes, the filter units configured to reduce noise in the detected electrical signals of a living body.

18. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 17, wherein the filer unit comprises a low pass filer.

19. The electrocardiographic signal detection device according to claim 17, further comprising a baseline variation suppression unit disposed between the respective filter units and the differential amplifier, the baseline variation suppression unit operable to suppress variations in a baseline of signals output from the respective filter units.