Abstract: The present invention provides a medical ceramic material with a color other than black or white, especially blue, with which it is possible to secure sufficient durability and to maintain a good appearance by sufficiently suppressing a color difference between before and after the irradiation of gamma-rays for sterilization. The medical ceramic material is formed using a composite material containing alumina and zirconia. The composite material contains cobalt oxide. The content of cobalt oxide is set to be 0.2 wt % to 1.0 wt % with respect to 100 wt % of the composite material excluding cobalt oxide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical ceramic material with a color other than black or white, especially blue, with which it is possible to secure sufficient durability and to maintain a good appearance by sufficiently suppressing a color difference between before and after the irradiation of gamma-rays for sterilization. The medical ceramic material is formed using a composite material containing alumina and zirconia. The composite material contains cobalt oxide. The content of cobalt oxide is set to be 0.2 wt % to 1.0 wt % with respect to 100 wt % of the composite material excluding cobalt oxide.

Abstract: A biomedical member having high strength, high toughness and high hardness and an artificial joint that uses the same are provided. In addition, a biomedical member that exhibits high wear resistance even in in vivo environment and an artificial joint are provided. Such a composite ceramic is used that contains 65% by weight or more Al2O3, 4 to 34% by weight of ZrO2 and 0.1 to 4% by weight of SrO, while Sr forms a solid solution with part of the ZrO2 grains. The composite ceramics further contains TiO2, MgO and SiO2 as sintering additives, while controlling the amounts to 0.20% by weight or more SiO2, 0.22% by weight or more TiO2 and 0.12% by weight or more MgO, and the total amount of SiO2, TiO2 and MgO within a range from 0.6 to 4.5% by weight.

Abstract: In wrapping a blood pressure measurement cuff enclosing therein a bladder, which is inflated when supplied with air, around a region for measurement, first, a predetermined amount of air is supplied to the bladder and then enclosed therein. Then, the blood pressure measurement cuff is wrapped around the region for measurement of a subject for the purpose of measuring his/her blood pressure. During this wrapping process, relative variations in the pressure in the bladder are sequentially detected. The time period in which the detection results indicate that the variation has not reached a predetermined threshold value, the wrapping proceeds. When the detection results indicate that the variation has reached the predetermined threshold value, the wrapping is terminated.

Abstract: A biomedical member having high strength, high toughness and high hardness and an artificial joint that uses the same are provided. In addition, a biomedical member that exhibits high wear resistance even in in vivo environment and an artificial joint are provided. Such a composite ceramic is used that contains 65% by weight or more Al2O3, 4 to 34% by weight of ZrO2 and 0.1 to 4% by weight of SrO, while Sr forms a solid solution with part of the ZrO2 grains. The composite ceramics further contains TiO2, MgO and SiO2 as sintering additives, while controlling the amounts to 0.20% by weight or more SiO2, 0.22% by weight or more TiO2 and 0.12% by weight or more MgO, and the total amount of SiO2, TiO2 and MgO within a range from 0.6 to 4.5% by weight.

Abstract: A blood pressure measurement device includes a fixed main body unit and a removable display unit. The main body unit includes a cuff mounted on a region for measurement of a living body, a control unit including a CPU for measuring a blood pressure with adjusting a pressure of the cuff, and a main body operation unit operated by a subject to externally provide instructions for a measurement operation of the control unit. The display unit includes a display memory storing data of the measurement with the control unit, a display portion displaying measurement data in the display memory, and a display operation unit operated by a subject to externally provide instructions for a display operation of the display portion. A measurement result stored in the display memory of the removable display unit can be displayed on the display portion by operating the display operation unit when the display unit is removed from the main body unit.

Abstract: A blood pressure monitor includes a main unit casing placed on a table, a living body insert portion casing of an approximately cylindrical shape, positioned on the main unit casing in a non-use state and having a cuff arranged on its inner peripheral surface, the cuff having a hollow portion to which an upper arm of a subject is inserted, and a connection mechanism for connecting the living body insert portion casing with the main unit casing in a movable manner such that, upon application of the cuff to the subject, the living body insert portion casing can move to come closer to the subject than the main unit casing. Thus, a blood pressure monitor provided with an automatic cuff winding mechanism enabling measurement of blood pressure with high accuracy, not giving unnecessary pain to the subject, and allowing measurement with an unconstrained posture can be provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring biological data such as blood pressure of a user has a pulse detector for simultaneously obtaining fingerprint data and a first signal from the user's body such as a pulse wave signal. The fingerprint data are used to check if the user is a registered user. After the user's biological data such as pulse waves are measured and a second signal is obtained from the user, the first and second signals are compared to check if this is the same user from whom the fingerprint data were taken in order to prevent the apparatus from being used by a wrong person. Comparison may be made between the first signal and a pattern of pulse waves extracted from earlier obtained pulse waves stored in a memory. Similar components may be used for an exercising machine to prevent it from being used by a person not preliminarily registered or a person different from the one who passed the fingerprint test on the machine.

Abstract: A device for securing a living body by pressing includes a living body pressing air bag, a curled elastic member of an approximately cylindrical shape, disposed on the outside of the living body pressing air bag and changeable in size in a radial direction, and a curled elastic member pressing air bag, disposed on the outside of the curled elastic member and inflated to press an outer peripheral surface of the curled elastic member inward to reduce a diameter of the curled elastic member, to thereby press the living body pressing air bag against the living body via the curled elastic member. This can provide a living body pressing and securing device provided with a novel automatic cuff winding mechanism that can simplify and downsize the winding mechanism, hardly causes skin tension on the body surface, and ensures uniform winding strength over the entire surface of the pressed site.

Abstract: Prior to blood pressure calculations, air is enclosed in a blood pressure measurement bladder to be wound and mounted around the region for measurement, in advance. By referring to the variation in the pressure therein, the circumferential length of the region for measurement is detected based on the variation in the pressure therein during the winding correction determination process for the region for measurement. Then, the process enters blood pressure measurement, and the blood pressure measurement bladder is pressurized or depressurized. The pressure in the blood pressure measurement bladder is detected. A blood pressure based on the detected pressure is calculated according to the circumferential length of the region for measurement which has been detected in advance.

Abstract: In wrapping a blood pressure measurement cuff enclosing therein a bladder, which is inflated when supplied with air, around a region for measurement, first, a predetermined amount of air is supplied to the bladder and then enclosed therein. Then, the blood pressure measurement cuff is wrapped around the region for measurement of a subject for the purpose of measuring his/her blood pressure. During this wrapping process, relative variations in the pressure in the bladder are sequentially detected. The time period in which the detection results indicate that the variation has not reached a predetermined threshold value, the wrapping proceeds. When the detection results indicate that the variation has reached the predetermined threshold value, the wrapping is terminated.

Abstract: Prior to blood pressure calculations, air is enclosed in a blood pressure measurement bladder to be wound and mounted around the region for measurement, in advance. By referring to the variation in the pressure therein, the circumferential length of the region for measurement is detected based on the variation in the pressure therein during the winding correction determination process for the region for measurement. Then, the process enters blood pressure measurement, and the blood pressure measurement bladder is pressurized or depressurized. The pressure in the blood pressure measurement bladder is detected. A blood pressure based on the detected pressure is calculated according to the circumferential length of the region for measurement which has been detected in advance.