Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for measuring the smoothness of grains. In one embodiment, the arrangement includes a channel for supplying grains, especially rice grains, an obstacle arranged at the channel to slow down grains falling on the obstacle, so that the flow of grains forms a heap on the obstacle and an image capturing device placed facing the obstacle. The image capturing device is arranged to capture an image of the heap, where the area under the curve of the captured heap image indicates the degree of smoothness of the grains or the course of the curve of the captured heap image indicates the degree of smoothness of the grains.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for measuring the smoothness of grains. In one embodiment, the arrangement includes a channel for supplying grains, especially rice grains, an obstacle arranged at the channel to slow down grains falling on the obstacle, so that the flow of grains forms a heap on the obstacle and an image capturing device placed facing the obstacle. The image capturing device is arranged to capture an image of the heap, where the area under the curve of the captured heap image indicates the degree of smoothness of the grains or the course of the curve of the captured heap image indicates the degree of smoothness of the grains.

Abstract: An automatic blood pressure measuring system employs an oscillometric method, a cuff applying pressure to an arterial vessel and then gradually reducing the pressure. On a distal side of the cuff, as seen from the heart of the subject, a pulse wave sensor presses against a distal section of the vessel. If the pulse wave sensor detects a pulse wave from the distal section of the vessel after the force applied by the cuff reaches a first target value, indicating that the initial pressure was insufficiently low, the force is increased to a second target value. After determining a relationship between the blood pressure and the magnitude of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave sensor, blood pressure can be monitored by the pulse wave sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for measuring a respiration rate of a living subject, including a pulse rate measuring device which iteratively determines a pulse rate of the subject based on a pulse wave continuously produced from a peripheral portion of the subject; a systolic blood pressure measuring device which iteratively determines a systolic blood pressure of the subject based on a magnitude of a pressure pulse wave continuously produced from an arterial vessel of an extremity of the subject; a calculating device for iteratively calculating a product of two or more factors which include one of the iteratively determined pulse rates and one of the iteratively determined systolic blood pressures; and a respiration rate determining device for determining a respiration rate of the subject based on a period of a cyclic change of the iteratively calculated products.

Abstract: A blood pressure monitor system, including a pulse wave detecting device detecting a pulse wave produced from an artery of a living subject, a blood pressure measuring device including a pressing device, for measuring a blood pressure of the subject by pressing a body portion of the subject with the pressing device, a relationship determining device determining a relationship between blood pressure and pulse wave magnitude, based on a pulse wave magnitude detected by the pulse wave detecting device and a blood pressure value measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a blood pressure monitor device continuously determining, according to the relationship, blood pressure values of the subject based on magnitudes of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, the relationship determining device updating the relationship at intervals of time, based on blood pressure values measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a blood pressure variation determining device determining a variation o

Abstract: A pressure pulse wave transmitting sheet for being interposed between a skin surface of a living subject such as a patient and a pressure pulse wave sensor set on the skin surface in pressed contact therewith, the sensor having a press surface in which at least one pressure sensing element is provided and which is pressed against the skin surface so that the at least one pressure sensing element detects a pressure pulse wave transmitted from an artery of the subject underlying the skin surface, to the press surface via the sheet, the sheet being formed of an elastic material having a hardness substantially equal to a hardness of human being's skin.

Abstract: An oscillometric-type automatic blood pressure measuring apparatus, including a pressure device such as a cuff, an oscillometric-type blood pressure measuring device for (a) occluding an artery of a patient by increasing the cuff pressure, (b) detecting a first pulse wave transmitted from the artery to the cuff by reducing the increased cuff pressure, and (c) determining a first systolic blood pressure of the patient based on variation in amplitude of successive pulses of the first pulse wave, a display for indicating the determined first systolic blood pressure, a detecting device disposed downstream of the cuff, for detecting a second pulse wave produced from a portion of the artery located downstream of the cuff, a first determining device for determining, as an initial-pulse detection pressure, a cuff pressure at the time of detection of an initial pulse of the second pulse wave after the commencement of reduction of the cuff pressure in each of periodic measurement cycles, a second determining device for

Abstract: A blood pressure monitor system for monitoring blood pressure of a living subject, including a pulse wave detecting device detecting a first pulse wave produced from an artery of the subject via a body surface of the subject over the artery, an inflatable cuff pressing a body portion of the subject, a blood pressure measuring device measuring a systolic and a mean blood pressure of the subject, based on variation in amplitude of pulses of a second pulse wave transmitted to the cuff by changing a pressure in the cuff, and a blood pressure determining device determining a relationship between blood pressure and pulse wave magnitude, based on the systolic and mean blood pressure values measured by the blood pressure measuring device and an upper-peak magnitude and a mean magnitude of the first pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, and continuously determining, according to the relationship, blood pressure values of the subject based on magnitudes of the first pulse wave detected by the pulse wa

Abstract: A blood pressure measure system for iteratively measuring a blood pressure of a living subject at predetermined intervals of time, the monitor system including a pressing device pressing a body portion of the subject; a regulating device regulating the pressing force of the pressing device; a blood pressure measuring device iteratively measuring at least a systolic blood pressure of the subject at the intervals of time, each of the iterative blood pressure measurements being effected when the pressing force of the pressing device is decreased at a predetermined rate by the regulating device; a pulse rate measuring device measuring, as a pulse rate, a pulse number per unit time of the subject; a first determining device determining, by utilizing the pulse rate, a pressing force increase amount such that as the pulse rate is increased the increase amount is decreased; and a second determining device determining a target pressing force to be greater by the increase amount than a systolic blood pressure measured