Abstract: A blood pressure meter includes an air bladder for attachment to a measurement area, a pressure sensor, a pump a valve, drive circuits, a CPU connected to the pressure sensor and the drive circuits, for controlling the adjustment of the internal pressure of the air bladder and calculating a blood pressure value based on a change in the internal pressure resulting from the adjustment, and a holding portion, into and from which air can flow from and to the air bladder, that has a lower volume than the air bladder. The air can flow from the holding portion into the air bladder in the case where a predetermined pressure is applied to the holding portion. The CPU starts the adjustment of the internal pressure in the case where a change in the internal pressure prior to the start of the adjustment of the internal pressure is a predefined change.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat-insulating structure which can be used, for example, to reduce the cooling loss of an engine. The heat-insulating structure includes a hollow particle layer made of a lot of hollow particles densely packed on a surface of a metallic base material. The hollow particle layer is covered with a coating.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat-insulating structure which can be used, for example, to reduce the cooling loss of an engine. The heat-insulating structure includes a hollow particle layer made of a lot of hollow particles densely packed on a surface of a metallic base material. The hollow particle layer is covered with a coating.

Abstract: An arteriosclerosis evaluating apparatus 10 includes an arteriosclerosis evaluating procedure 46 (Steps S7, S8, S9, and S10) that evaluates arteriosclerosis of a living subject, based on a relationship between difference ?P of internal and external pressure of an artery of the subject in the state in which the pressure difference ?P is in equilibrium, and amplitude AM of a pulse wave produced from the artery. Therefore, the present apparatus 10 can as easily as possible evaluate the arteriosclerosis of the subject based on a characteristic curve 58 representing the relationship between in-equilibrium pressure difference ?P and pulse-wave amplitude AM which curve is obtained from a pressing pressure Pc of a cuff 12 wound around a certain portion of the subject, and the pulse wave produced from the artery.

Abstract: An arteriosclerosis evaluating apparatus 10 includes an arteriosclerosis evaluating means 46 (Steps S7, S8, S9, and S10) that evaluates arteriosclerosis of a living subject, based on a relationship between difference &Dgr;P of internal and external pressure of an artery of the subject in the state in which the pressure difference &Dgr;P is in equilibrium, and amplitude AM of a pulse wave produced from the artery. Therefore, the present apparatus 10 can as easily as possible evaluate the arteriosclerosis of the subject based on a characteristic curve 58 representing the relationship between in-equilibrium pressure difference &Dgr;P and pulse-wave amplitude AM which curve is obtained from a pressing pressure Pc of a cuff 12 wound around a certain portion of the subject, and the pulse wave produced from the artery.

Abstract: A blood-pressure monitor, including a blood-pressure measuring device including a cuff, an information obtaining device which iteratively obtains, from a living subject, physical information which changes with change of blood pressure of the subject, a measurement starting device for starting a measurement of the blood-pressure measuring device, when a subsequent piece of information obtained by the obtaining device after the measuring device has measured a last blood pressure of the subject in a last measurement thereof has been deviated by not less than a predetermined amount from an initial piece of information obtained by the obtaining device when the measuring device measured the last blood pressure of the subject, a display device which displays a graph representing the pieces of information obtained by the obtaining device, and a control device which controls the display device to display the graph representing the initial piece of information and each one of subsequent pieces of information iterativel

Abstract: A blood-pressure monitoring apparatus including an inflatable cuff adapted to apply a pressing pressure to a body portion of a living subject, a cuff-pulse-wave detecting device which detects a cuff pulse wave which is produced in the inflatable cuff when the cuff applies the pressing pressure to the body portion of the subject, a pressure control device which increases the pressing pressure of the inflatable cuff to a predetermined value lower than a mean blood-pressure value of the subject, an index-value calculating device for iteratively calculating an index value indicative of a condition of a circulatory system of the living subject, a starting device for judging whether each of the index values calculated by the index-value calculating device is abnormal and, when the each index value is judged as being abnormal, starting the pressure control device to increase the pressing pressure of the cuff to the predetermined value, and an abnormality judging device for judging whether the subject has an abnormal

Abstract: A blood-pressure monitoring apparatus including a measuring device which includes an inflatable cuff adapted to apply a pressing pressure to a first body portion of a living subject and which measures a blood-pressure value of the living subject by changing the pressing pressure of the inflatable cuff, a blood-pressure-relating-information obtaining device which iteratively obtains a piece of blood-pressure-relating information which changes in relation to a change of the blood pressure of the living subject, a starting device for starting, when the obtained blood-pressure-relating information satisfies a predetermined condition with respect to at least one reference value, a blood-pressure measurement of the measuring device, and a display device which displays a first graphical representation of the obtained blood-pressure-relating information, and a second graphical representation of the reference value, so that the first graphical representation can be compared with the second graphical representation by

Abstract: A blood pressure measuring apparatus including an inflatable cuff which is adapted to be wound around a body portion of a living subject, an air pump which supplies a pressurized air to the cuff to inflate the cuff and thereby increase an air pressure in the cuff, so that the cuff presses the body portion of the subject, an air tank which is connected to the air pump, an air restrictor which is provided between the air tank and the cuff, a deflation-control valve which is provided between the restrictor and the cuff to control an amount of discharging of the pressurized air from the cuff and thereby control deflation of the cuff, a control device which controls the air pump to supply the pressurized air to the cuff while controlling the deflation-control valve to discharge a controlled amount of the pressurized air therethrough from the cuff, so as to increase the pressure of the cuff linearly at a predetermined first rate, and a measuring device which measures at least one blood pressure value of the subject

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, including: a first judging device for judging whether a physical parameter which is obtained from the subject and which changes in relation with the blood pressure of the subject falls within a first reference range; an alarm device which outputs an alarm when the first judging device makes a first negative judgment that the physical parameter does not fall within the first reference range; a second judging device for judging whether the physical parameter falls within a second reference range which is contained in the first reference range; and a blood-pressure measuring device which includes a pressing band adapted to press a portion of the subject, and which automatically measures, using the pressing band, a blood pressure of the subject when the second judging device makes a second negative judgment that the physical parameter does not fall within the second reference range.

Abstract: When it is judged by a blood-pressure-abnormality judging means that a first blood pressure value determined by a first blood pressure determining means, based on a pulse-synchronous signal produced while a pressure of a cuff is slowly increased, is abnormal, a second blood pressure value is determined by a second blood pressure determining means without needing another first blood pressure value determination. Thus, it is possible to eliminate the time necessary for decreasing and re-increasing the pressure of the cuff, thereby reducing the discomfort of the patient. Additionally, since the present blood pressure measuring apparatus can measure a second blood pressure value relatively speedily, it does not need a device for removing noise from the signal.

Abstract: A blood pressure measuring apparatus comprises an inflatable cuff which is adapted to be wound around a body portion of a living subject, an air pump which supplies a pressurized air to the cuff to inflate the cuff and thereby increase an air pressure in the cuff, to press a body portion of the subject, a pump-output-power control device which controls an output power of the air pump to increase an air pressure in the pump to a predetermined target pressure value, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the cuff, first-pump-output setting means for setting a predetermined first pump output power, a timer which measures a basic time period needed to increase the pressure in the cuff, second-pump-output power determining means for determining a second pump output power corresponding to a predetermined pressure-increase rate of the cuff, a cuff pressure decreasing device that decreases the pressure of the cuff, and a measuring device which measures at least one blood pressure value of the living subject w

Abstract: A signal input device which includes an operation panel having an input area in which data are input by touching the operation panel, a plurality of sensors located at different places on the operation panel, the sensors receiving vibrations propagated from a touched point on the operation panel, a detection circuit for detecting times at which the sensors receive the vibrations, an arithmetic means for identifying the position of the touched point, a memory means for storing numerical values whereby the input area is divided into a plurality of minor areas, and means for judging which minor areas the touched points belong to, on the basis of the arithmetic results of the numerical values and data about the positions of the touched points.

Abstract: A blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, including a blood-pressure measuring device which includes an inflatable cuff adapted to be wound around a body portion of a living subject and measures a blood pressure of the subject by changing a pressing pressure of the cuff to not lower than a systolic blood pressure of the subject, a cuff-pressure control device which iteratively changes, after a predetermined rest period following the blood pressure measurement of the blood-pressure measuring device, the pressure of the cuff to a predetermined value lower than the systolic blood pressure of the subject, and a blood-pressure-change identifying device for identifying a change of the blood pressure of the subject based on (a) respective amplitudes of first heartbeat-synchronous pulses obtained from the cuff during the blood pressure measurement of the blood-pressure measuring device, (b) respective pressures of the cuff when the first pulses are obtained, (c) respectiv

Abstract: The tooth portion of a metal ring gear is subjected to shot peening after the ring gear is mechanically connected to a metal boss portion by plastic deformation of the metal material.

Abstract: In subjecting a steel workpiece to nitriding by glow discharge, formation of brittle nitrogen compound is restrained and the surface hardened layer with a nitrogen diffusion layer of high toughness is obtained by making the gas atmospheric condition the gas mixing ratio of N.sub.2 :H.sub.2 =1:2-40. By mixing Ar gas in the above gas atmospheric condition additionally, glow width is adjusted and glow discharge is allowed to enter into narrow concaves at the surface of a workpiece.