Pulse-induced Pressure Fluctuation In Occluder Generates Electric Signal Patents (Class 600/494)
  • Publication number: 20040082865
    Abstract: One of pairs of an exciter and a sensor is selected in accordance with the detection signal which is derived from an exciter waveform induced in an artery transmitted therethrough. The pairs of exciters and sensors are arranged on a substrate in various formations. A/D converters are provided to respective detection signals. A frequency of the oscillation signal supplied to the exciter is controlled by various oscillation signal generation circuits. Bandpass filtering for extracting the exciter waveform, low-pass-filtering for extracting a natural blood pressure waveform, phase difference detection processes are provided by a microprocessor, wherein the bandpass filtering and low-pass-filtering processes may be replaced: with a bandpass filter and a low pass filter, and their outputs are selected by a switching circuit and supplied to the microprocessor through one a/d converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kinya Hasegawa, Yushi Nishimura, Hisashi Hagiwara
  • Publication number: 20040077957
    Abstract: One of pairs of an exciter and a sensor is selected in accordance with the detection signal which is derived from an exciter waveform induced in an artery transmitted therethrough. The pairs of exciters and sensors are arranged on a substrate in various formations. A/D converters are provided to respective detection signals. A frequency of the oscillation signal supplied to the exciter is controlled by various oscillation signal generation circuits. Bandpass filtering for extracting the exciter waveform, low-pass-filtering for extracting a natural blood pressure waveform, phase difference detection processes are provided by a microprocessor, wherein the bandpass filtering and low-pass-filtering processes may be replaced with a bandpass filter and a low pass filter, and their outputs are selected by a switching circuit and supplied to the microprocessor through one a/d converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kinya Hasegawa, Yushi Nishimura, Hisashi Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 6719702
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring blood pressure using linearly varying air pressure, including a compression unit; an air pump that injects air into the compression unit; a pressure sensor that senses and outputs the air pressure of the compression unit; an ADC that converts and outputs the result of the sensing as a pressure signal; a controller that calculates a current pressure value of the compression unit from the pressure signal and a linear pressure of the compression unit that is linearly dropped corresponding to the current pressure value and generates the first control signal in response to the current pressure value and a second control signal from the result of a comparison of the current pressure value and the linear pressure; a DAC that converts and outputs the second control signal as an exhaust control signal; and a proportional control valve that exhausts air from the compression unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-youn Lee, Gil-won Yoon
  • Patent number: 6719703
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring blood pressure by the oscillometric technique. The method incorporates variable PIP's. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a value for the peak amplitude Amax of an oscillometric envelope; determining a cuff pressure, CP, which corresponds in time with Amax, this pressure representing the MAP of the subject; computing a variable value PIPSBP as a function of MAP; performing the calculation Asbp=Amax*PIPSBP to determine a systolic amplitude value Asbp along the oscillometric envelope; and determining the cuff pressure C which corresponds in time to Asbp, this value representing the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of the subject. PIP can be calculated using a piece-wise linear, polynomial, exponential or other function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: VSM Medtech Ltd.
    Inventors: Yunquan Chen, Anton Bogdan Zorn, Kevin Daryl Strange
  • Patent number: 6716177
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, including an inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which measures an inferior-limb blood pressure of an inferior limb of the subject, a superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device which measures a superior-limb blood pressure of a superior limb of the subject, an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index determining device for determining the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index based on the inferior-limb blood pressure measured by the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device and the superior-limb blood pressure measured by the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, a heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device which detects a heartbeat-synchronous signal that is produced from the subject, a pulse-period-related-information obtaining device for obtaining, based on the heartbeat-synchronous signal detected by the heartbeat-synchronous-signal detecting device, pulse-period
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Nomura
  • Patent number: 6712768
    Abstract: An augmentation-index determining apparatus, including a cuff, a cuff-pressure changing device which changes a pressing pressure of the cuff, a pulse-wave extracting device which extracts a pulse wave from the cuff, a peak-occurrence-time determining device for determining, based on a high-cuff-pressure pulse wave which is extracted by the pulse-wave extracting device when the cuff-pressure changing device makes the pressing pressure of the cuff higher than a systolic blood pressure of a subject, a time of occurrence of a peak point of an incident-wave component of the high-cuff-pressure pulse and a time of occurrence of a peak point of a reflected-wave component of the high-cuff-pressure pulse wave, and an augmentation-index determining device for determining, based on the respective times of occurrence of the respective peak points of the incident-wave and reflected-wave components of the high-cuff-pressure pulse, respective times of occurrence of respective peak points of incident-wave and reflected-wave c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ogura, Kiyoyuki Narimatsu, Akira Tampo, Takashi Honda
  • Publication number: 20040059232
    Abstract: A blood pressure measuring apparatus, including a cuff adapted to be worn on a body portion of a living subject, and determining a blood pressure value of the subject based on a signal obtained from the cuff when a pressure in the cuff is changed, wherein the apparatus includes: a cuff pulse wave detecting device which detects a cuff pulse wave as a pulse wave produced from an artery of the subject and transmitted to the cuff, the cuff pulse wave comprising at least one heartbeat-synchronous pulse produced from the artery in synchronism with at least one heartbeat of the subject; a converting device which converts, based on the blood pressure value determined by the apparatus, a magnitude of each point of the heartbeat-synchronous pulse of the cuff pulse wave, into a pressure value; and a pseudo-pressure-pulse-wave determining device which determines a pseudo pressure pulse wave by correcting the respective pressure values of the respective points of the pulse, provided by the converting device, according to
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: COLIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kiyoyuki Narimatsu
  • Patent number: 6702754
    Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting arteriosclerosis of a living subject, including a pulse-wave detecting device which detects a pulse wave from a portion of the subject, an augmentation-index determining device for determining, based on the pulse wave detected by the pulse-wave detecting device, an augmentation index indicating a proportion of a reflected-wave component of the pulse wave to an incident-wave component thereof, so that the arteriosclerosis of the subject is inspected based on the augmentation index determined by the augmentation-index determining device, a waveform-related-information obtaining device which obtains waveform-related information that is related to a change of a waveform of the pulse wave detected by the pulse-wave detecting device, a display device, an augmentation-index displaying device for operating the display device to display the augmentation index determined by the augmentation-index determining device, and a waveform-related-information displaying device for operating the displ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ogura, Kiyoyuki Narimatsu, Akira Tampo, Takashi Honda
  • Patent number: 6699196
    Abstract: Simulative electronic blood pressure meter in which by means of internal program, a central processor/controller converts and outputs the sensed blood pressure signal to a liquid crystal display to show a column-type indication simulating the mercury column of a traditional blood pressure meter. A digital counting circuit is combined, whereby when simulating the mercury column, an auxiliary display of digital change is provided for the user to easily know the value. The central processor/controller cooperates with a sound emitting unit which synchronously emits a sound simulating the sensed pulse from the start to the end. The volume of the emitted sound is varied with the strength of the pulse. The electronic blood pressure meter is used in a state like the mercury column-type blood pressure meter for a user to more accurately and lively judge the measured value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Inventor: George Hung
  • Patent number: 6695789
    Abstract: A non-invasive blood pressure measurement device is used for determining blood pressure of an artery. The device comprises a housing unit, a base unit and a sensing unit. The base unit is pivotally connected to the housing unit and comprises electrical circuitry, a flexible ring, and a receptacle. The sensing unit comprises a pressure transducer for sensing pulses of the underlying artery, the transducer having a sensing surface, a flexible diaphragm having an active portion for transmitting blood pressure pulses of the underlying artery, interface means coupled between the sensing surface of the transducer and the flexible diaphragm for transmitting the blood pressure pulses within the underlying artery from the flexible diaphragm to the sensing surface of the transducer, a compressible ring, and connection means for detachably connecting the sensing unit to the receptacle of the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Medwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger C. Thede, Kevin R. Evans
  • Patent number: 6669646
    Abstract: An arteriosclerosis evaluating apparatus including a left-superior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device including a cuff, a right-superior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device including a cuff, a ratio determining means for determining a ratio between a left-superior-limb blood pressure measured by the left-superior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device and a right-superior-limb blood pressure measured by the right-superior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device, an information obtaining device which obtains information that is related to a velocity at which a pulse wave propagates in a first body portion of the subject that includes at least a portion of the left superior limb or a second body portion of the subject that includes at least a portion of the right superior limb, and a display device which displays the left-and-right-superior-limb blood-pressure ratio determined by the left-and-right-superior-limb-blood-pressure-ratio determining device, and the pulse-wave-propagation-velocity-related information o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoyuki Narimatsu, Toshihiko Ogura
  • Patent number: 6666827
    Abstract: An apparatus for evaluating arteriosclerosis of a living subject, including a pulse-wave detecting device which detects a pulse wave from each of a first portion and a second portion of the subject, each of the respective pulse waves detected from the first and second portions containing an incident-wave component, an augmentation-index determining device for determining, based on the pulse wave detected from the first portion by the pulse-wave detecting device, a first augmentation index indicative of a degree of augmentation of an amplitude of the pulse wave detected from the first portion, from an amplitude of the incident-wave component of the pulse wave detected from the first portion, and determining, based on the pulse wave detected from the second portion by the pulse-wave detecting device, a second augmentation index indicative of a degree of augmentation of an amplitude of the pulse wave detected from the second portion, from an amplitude of the incident-wave component of the pulse wave detected fro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoyuki Narimatsu
  • Patent number: 6662130
    Abstract: An uncalibrated sensor located at a first location relative to a physical phenomenon is calibrated using a calibrated sensor spaced away from the uncalibrated sensor at a second location relative to the physical phenomenon and a frequency-domain transfer function that relates the physical phenomenon at the second location to the output of the uncalibrated sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Harry Herbert Peel, III, Keith Alan Bartels
  • Publication number: 20030208127
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for calculating blood pressure of an artery having a pulse. The method includes applying a varying pressure to the artery. Pressure waveforms are sensed to produce pressure waveform data. Waveform parameters are derived from the sensed pressure waveform data. Blood pressure is then determined using the derived parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Medwave, Inc.
    Inventors: G. Kent Archibald, Timothy G. Curran, Orland H. Danielson, Marius O. Poliac, Roger C. Thede
  • Publication number: 20030199776
    Abstract: A blood-pressure measuring apparatus including a cuff which is adapted to be worn on a portion of a living subject to press the portion, a waveform analyzing device for analyzing a form of a cuff pulse wave which is obtained from the cuff, and a cuff-pulse-wave obtaining device for obtaining, before the cuff presses the portion of the subject for measuring a blood pressure of the subject, the cuff pulse wave from the cuff so that the waveform analyzing device analyzes the form of the cuff pulse wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: COLIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyoyuki Narimatsu, Akira Tampo, Toshihiko Ogura
  • Patent number: 6602200
    Abstract: An electronic blood pressure meter determines, in an inflation process, pressure Ps correlated to systolic pressure, pressure Pd correlated to diastolic pressure and pulse wave period Pc, and then calculates deflation rate def−v in a deflation process based on a first formula (def−v=(Ps−Pd−mb1)×Pc/N, where N represents the number of required beats). Further, maximum inflation value Inf−max is calculated based on a second formula (Inf−max=def−v·(np×Pc+&agr;)+Ps+&bgr;1). The pressure is increased to reach the calculated maximum value and then deflation is started at the calculated deflation rate . The blood pressure meter can thus perform a precise measurement in a shortest time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Kubo, Masashi Fukura, Akira Nakagawa, Yoshinori Miyawaki
  • Patent number: 6602199
    Abstract: Apparatus for measuring a physiological parameter of a patient, such as blood pressure, takes a sequence consisting of a predetermined number of individual measurements. The apparatus computes a best estimate of the physiological parameter from values obtained in two or more of the measurements. The apparatus automatically takes a sequence of measurements and then stops. The apparatus can operate unattended so that it is not necessary for a physician or other health care worker to be present while measurements are being made. The use of the invention to measure blood pressure of a patient reduces the effect of “white coat” hypertension on the best estimate. Preferred embodiments of the apparatus ignore results of a first measurement in the sequence. The patient is already familiar with the apparatus when subsequent measurements are taken. This further reduces the possibility that the patient's reaction to the process of measurement will affect the results of the measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: VSM Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Yunquan Chen, Anton Bogdan Zorn, David Sholom Waterman, Mark Elliot Gelfer, Paul Richard Christensen, Kevin Daryl Strange
  • Patent number: 6589185
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for calculating blood pressure of an artery having a pulse. The method includes applying a varying pressure to the artery. Pressure waveforms are sensed to produce pressure waveform data. Waveform parameters are derived from the sensed pressure waveform data. Blood pressure is then determined using the derived parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Medwave, Inc.
    Inventors: G. Kent Archibald, Timothy G. Curran, Orland H. Danielson, Marius O. Poliac, Roger C. Thede
  • Patent number: 6589186
    Abstract: A blood-pressure measuring apparatus including a cuff worn on a body portion of a subject to apply a pressure to the body portion; a changing device which changes the cuff pressure; a determining device which determines a diastolic and mean blood pressure of the subject; a detecting device which detects a cuff pulse wave as an oscillation of the cuff pressure; a pulse-wave-magnitude determining device for operating the changing device; and a systolic-blood-pressure determining device for determining a systolic blood pressure of the subject, based on the determined diastolic and mean blood pressure and the determined minimal, mean, and maximal magnitudes of the cuff pulse wave, according to a fact that the minimal, mean, and maximal magnitudes of the cuff pulse wave correspond to the diastolic, mean, and systolic blood pressure of the subject, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Nishibayashi
  • Patent number: 6582374
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically measuring a blood pressure of a living subject, including a cuff which is wound around a portion of the subject, a cuff pulse wave occurring to the cuff when a pressure in the cuff is changed, a pulse-wave detecting device which is worn on another portion of the subject and detects a volumetric pulse wave, a correction-factor determining device for iteratively determining, for each of respective pulses of the volumetric pulse wave, a correction factor to correct an amplitude of the each pulse to a predetermined value, a first determining device for iteratively multiplying, by the correction factor determined for the each of the pulses of the volumetric pulse wave, an amplitude of one of the pulses of the cuff pulse wave that corresponds to the each pulse of the volumetric pulse wave, and thereby determining a corrected amplitude of the one pulse of the cuff pulse wave, and a second determining device for determining a blood pressure of the subject based on a change of the respec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Yokozeki
  • Patent number: 6565515
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining information relating to a velocity at which a pulse wave propagates in a living subject, the apparatus including a first inflatable cuff and a second inflatable cuff which are adapted to be worn on two different portions of the subject, respectively, at least one cuff-pulse-wave detecting device which detects the pulse wave occurring to each of the first and second cuffs worn on the two different portions of the subject, and a velocity-relating-information obtaining device which obtains the information relating to the velocity, based on a time difference between a first time when the cuff-pulse-wave detecting device detects the pulse wave occurring to the first cuff, and a second time when the cuff-pulse-wave detecting device detects the pulse wave occurring to the second cuff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ogura
  • Patent number: 6561985
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically measuring a blood pressure of a living subject, including in inflatable cuff which is adapted to be wound around a portion of the subject, a cuff pulse wave including heartbeat-synchronous pulses occurring to the cuff while a pressure in the cuff is changed, a blood-pressure determining device for determining a blood pressure of the subject based on a change of respective amplitudes of the heartbeat-synchronous pulses of the cuff pulse wave, a display device which has a two-dimensional screen consisting of picture elements, and an amplitude displaying device for successively displaying, on the two-dimensional screen of the display device and while the pressure of the cuff is changed, the amplitude of each of the heartbeat-synchronous pulses of the cuff pulse wave, such that the amplitude of the each heartbeat-synchronous pulse of the cuff pulse wave is comparable with at least one prior amplitude of at least one prior heartbeat-synchronous pulse of the cuff pulse wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Hisashi Ito
  • Patent number: 6554773
    Abstract: A method and arrangement for blood pressure measurement are disclosed. In the method, a variable, compressive, acting pressure is applied to a compression, such as a person's extremity, by a pressure generator, and simultaneously, the effect of the variable acting pressure on the extremity is measured at a second point, the second point being farther from the heart than the compression point. The method determines diastolic and systolic pressure. The measured value of the variable acting pressure acting on the compression point is transferred to an interpreting unit, which also receives a pressure pulse generated by the heart. The pressure pulse is measured by a sensor at the second point for determining the effect of the variable acting pressure on the extremity. Further, diastolic pressure is determined int he interpreting unit based on the variable acting pressure, as the pressure when the interpreting unit detects a change in a trend of a characteristic of the pressure pulse indicative of magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
    Inventors: Seppo Nissilä, Antti Ruha, Hannu Sorvoja, Mika Niemimäki, Mika Sorvisto
  • Patent number: 6547742
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a propagation velocity of a pulse wave which is propagated through an artery of a living subject, the apparatus including an electrocardiographic-waveform detecting device which detects an electrocardiographic waveform from the subject, a pulse-wave sensor which is adapted to be worn on the subject and which detects the pulse wave from the subject, a time-difference determining device for determining a time difference between a first periodic point relating to the detected electrocardiographic waveform and a second periodic point relating to the detected pulse wave, and a propagation-velocity determining means for determining the propagation velocity of the pulse wave based on the determined time difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Tohru Oka, Hiroshi Sakai, Hidekatsu Inukai, Toshihiko Ogura, Tomoko Ikawa, Takashi Nomura
  • Publication number: 20030045801
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring blood pressure by the oscillometric technique. The method incorporates variable PIP's. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a value for the peak amplitude Amax of an oscillometric envelope; determining a cuff pressure, CP, which corresponds in time with Amax, this pressure representing the MAP of the subject; computing a variable value PIPSBP as a function of MAP; performing the calculation Asbp=Amax*PIPSBP to determine a systolic amplitude value Asbp along the oscillometric envelope; and determining the cuff pressure C which corresponds in time to Asbp, this value representing the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of the subject. PIP can be calculated using a piece-wise linear, polynomial, exponential or other function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: VSM Medtech Ltd.
    Inventors: Yunquan Chen, Anton Bogdan Zorn, Kevin Daryl Strange
  • Patent number: 6527725
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a blood pressure of a living subject, including a measuring device which iteratively measures a blood pressure of the subject, a first device for obtaining first information relating to velocity of propagation of pulse wave, a second device for obtaining at least one of second information relating to heart rate and third information relating to area defined by volume pulse wave, a memory which stores groups of information each group of which includes the blood pressure, the first information, and at least one of the second information and the third information, a determining device for determining an expression representing a relationship between (A) blood pressure, and (B1) first information and (B2) at least one of (B21) second information and (B22) third information, and having a first coefficient for the first information, at least one second coefficient for at least one of the second and third information, and a constant, the determining device determining the coefficients and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekatsu Inukai, Akihiro Yokozeki, Keizoh Kawaguchi, Kiyoyuki Narimatsu
  • Patent number: 6524257
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, including an inferior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device which includes an inferior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around an inferior limb of the subject and which measures an inferior-limb blood pressure of the inferior limb, a superior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device which includes a superior-limb cuff adapted to be wound around a superior limb of the subject and which measures a superior-limb blood pressure of the superior limb, a blood-pressure-index determining device for determining the superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index, based on the inferior-limb blood pressure measured by the inferior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device and the superior-limb blood pressure measured by the superior-limb-blood-pressure measuring device, an inferior-limb-pulse-wave detecting device which is adapted to be worn on an inferior limb of the subject and which detects an inferior-limb pulse wave from the inferi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ogura
  • Patent number: 6520919
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, including an inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, a superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, an index determining means for determining the inferior-and-superior-limb blood-pressure index, based on a systolic blood pressure of an inferior limb, measured by the inferior-limb blood-pressure measuring device and a systolic blood pressure of a superior limb, measured by the superior-limb blood-pressure measuring device, an estimated-inferior-limb-systolic-blood-pressure determining means for determining an estimated systolic blood pressure of the inferior limb, an estimated-superior-limb-systolic-blood-pressure determining means for determining an estimated systolic blood pressure of the superior limb, and a cuff-pressure control means for controlling at least one of respective pressures of the inferior-limb cuff and the superior-limb cuff, such that when the respective pressures of an inferior-limb
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nunome, Hideo Nishibayashi
  • Patent number: 6517495
    Abstract: Blood pressure of an human being is read by a process that places a cuff around a portion of the human being's body. The cuff is inflated to a predefined pressure which occludes the flow of blood and then the cuff is deflated in a controlled manner. At a plurality of deflation pressure levels, pressure oscillations that occur in the cuff are measured to produce a series of measurements representing the waveform of the oscillations. The systolic pressure and mean arterial pressure are derived from the measurements in conventional manners. A portion of the waveform for one cardiac cycle is analyzed by locating points which correspond to the occurrence of the systolic and mean arterial pressures. The diastolic pressure, which occurs at the minimum point of the waveform, is derived from those points and the systolic and mean arterial pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence T. Hersh
  • Patent number: 6517493
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, including a first blood-pressure measuring device which measures a first blood pressure of a right inferior limb of the subject, a second blood-pressure measuring device which measures a second blood pressure of a left inferior limb of the subject, a third blood-pressure measuring device which measures a third blood pressure of a superior limb of the subject, a first information obtaining device which obtains first information relating to a first velocity of propagation of a first pulse wave which propagates through a first route a portion of which runs in the right inferior limb, a second information obtaining device which obtains second information relating to a second velocity of propagation of a second pulse wave which propagates through a second route a portion of which runs in the left inferior limb, a selecting device for selecting one of the measured first and second blood pressures that corresponds to on
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ogura, Hidenori Suzuki, Tomohiro Nunome
  • Patent number: 6511435
    Abstract: A blood pressure measurement device and associated operating method utilize a measurement algorithm based on a plurality of measurements, supplying a unique ability to increase diagnostic and analytical success in detection. In an illustrative implementation, three measurement techniques are used in combination to improve overall measurement accuracy. A first of the three techniques is an ascultatory technique. A sound measurement acquired from a microphone located in the measurement cuff detects start and end Korotkoff sounds using a combination of filters. The auscultatory technique is a conventional method that is recommended by the American Heart Association and is similar to manual techniques used by a nurse or technician. The auscultatory technique and associated filtering techniques are well known by those having ordinary skill in the art. A second technique is an oscillometric technique that is commonly found in many low-cost blood pressure measurement devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Computerized Screening, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Bluth, James Bluth
  • Patent number: 6497668
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a systolic blood pressure of a living subject, including an inflatable cuff which is adapted to be wound around a body portion of the subject and includes a first inflatable bag which is inflatable to press an artery of the body portion, a first amplitude determining device for determining a first amplitude of each of a plurality of heartbeat-synchronous pulses of a first pulse wave which is produced in the first inflatable bag when a pressure in the first bag is changed, a pulse-wave detecting device which detects a second pulse wave which propagates from the artery to a downstream-side portion of the cuff as seen in a blood-flow direction in which blood flows in the artery, a second amplitude determining device for determining a second amplitude of each of a plurality of heartbeat-synchronous pulses of the second pulse wave which is detected by the pulse-wave detecting device when the pressure of the first inflatable bag is changed, a ratio calculating device for calculating a rat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Nishibayashi
  • Patent number: 6491638
    Abstract: A blood-circulation monitor including a heartbeat-synchronous-wave sensor, a first judging device for judging whether an arrhythmia has occurred to a living subject, based on a heartbeat-synchronous wave detected by the sensor, a first determining device including a cuff and determining a first blood pressure of the subject based on a first pulse wave produced in the cuff, an information obtaining device for iteratively obtaining a piece of blood-pressure-relating information which changes in relation with blood pressure of the subject, a relationship determining device for determining a relationship between blood pressure and blood-pressure-relating information, a second determining device for iteratively determining, according to the relationship, a second blood pressure of the subject based on each of the pieces of blood-pressure-relating information, a calculating device for calculating a change value of the second blood pressure values, and a second judging device for judging that the condition of blood
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Tohru Oka
  • Patent number: 6485429
    Abstract: In a device or in a method for oscillometric measurement of the blood pressure, the pulse time differences are determined associated with the measurement of the blood pressure. Subsequent pulse time differences are stored in a storing unit (15). A distribution of pulse time differences is calculated in a calculating unit (16) and compared in a comparing unit (17) with predetermined reference values. If the distribution or the values of pulse time differences exceed a predetermined amount, an indication means (19) is activated which indicates existence of arrhythmic activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Microlife Intellectual Property GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Forstner
  • Publication number: 20020169380
    Abstract: One of pairs of an exciter and a sensor is selected in accordance with the detection signal which is derived from an exciter waveform induced in an artery transmitted therethrough. The pairs of exciters and sensors are arranged on a substrate in various formations. A/D converters are provided to respective detection signals. A frequency of the oscillation signal supplied to the exciter is controlled by various oscillation signal generation circuits. Bandpass filtering for extracting the exciter waveform, low-pass-filtering for extracting a natural blood pressure waveform, phase difference detection processes are provided by a microprocessor, wherein the bandpass filtering and low-pass-filtering processes may be replaced with a bandpass filter and a low pass filter, and their outputs are selected by a switching circuit and supplied to the microprocessor through one a/d converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial, Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kinya Hasegawa, Yushi Nishimura, Hisashi Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 6475154
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for non-invasive blood-pressure measurement performing step-by-step inflating and deflating of the cuff pressure are disclosed. The step-by-step inflation-and-deflation process of the invention can determine the highest inflating pressure and provide enough data to obtain a curve fitting envelope. Therefore, the inflation pressure of the cuff to be pumped much higher than the normal systolic pressure of the conventional method can be prevented. A comfortable systolic and diastolic pressure determination method applying fuzzy control is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Taidoc Corp., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shu-Mei Wu, Yao Ou-Yang, Ja-Shi Wu, Tung-Chuang Jan, Chao-Wang Chen
  • Publication number: 20020147402
    Abstract: A method for measuring arterial diastolic blood pressure in a subject includes deriving values of a delay between pulses in two signals indicative of cardiac induced pulsatile variations of a cardiovascular parameter in a first region and a second region of the subject's body. A variable pressure applied to a region of the subject's body causes variation of the delay. A difference curve is calculated by subtracting from the delay values a monotonic mathematical function adjusted as a best-fit to the data. A value of the variable pressure for which the difference curve exhibits a stationary point is then identified as the diastolic blood pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: NINBAR Ltd.
    Inventors: Meir Nitzan, Chaim Rosenfeld
  • Patent number: 6458085
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for oscillometric blood-pressure measurement taking heart pulses for reference to determine the systolic and diastolic pressure are disclosed. The cuff is merely inflated to a cuff pressure above the mean arterial pressure of the artery. Therefore, the inflation pressure of the cuff to be pumped much higher than the normal systolic pressure of the conventional method can be prevented. A comfortable systolic and diastolic pressure determination method applying fuzzy control is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Taidoc Corp., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shu-Mei Wu, Xing Ou-Yang, Yeong-Dar Chen, Tung-Chuang Jan, Chao-Wang Chen
  • Patent number: 6450966
    Abstract: An inventive apparatus and method as disclosed for the automatic identification of a given one of a predetermined plurality of cuff assemblies interconnectable to a sphygmomanometer for use in a blood pressure measurement procedure. The invention provides for the obtainment of a pressure measurement(s) during deflation of an inflatable cuff, and utilization of such measurement(s) to identify the cuff assembly. More particularly, each different cuff assembly may be provided with a corresponding gas-flow restrictor which allows the pressure measurement(s) made during deflation of a given cuff assembly to be correlated in fashion that allows for identification. Preferably, first and second pressure transducers are provided for automatic pressure measurements both upstream and downstream of a cuff assembly during the deflation portion of a cuff identification operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Datex-Ohmeda, Inc.
    Inventor: D. Alan Hanna
  • Publication number: 20020120199
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a blood pressure of a living subject, including a blood pressure measuring device which measures a blood pressure value of the subject, a first memory which stores a plurality of blood pressure values measured by the blood pressure measuring device, in an order of measurement of the blood pressure values, a pulse wave detecting device which detects a pulse wave produced from an arterial vessel of the subject in synchronism with heartbeat of the subject while each of the blood pressure values is measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a second memory which stores a waveform of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, in the order, the second memory storing the respective waveforms of the pulse waves each of which is detected by the pulse wave detecting device while a corresponding one of the blood pressure values is measured by the blood pressure measuring device, and an output device which outputs the blood pressure values stored in the first memory, in t
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ogura, Toru Oka
  • Patent number: 6440080
    Abstract: Blood pressure of an human being is read by a process that places a cuff around a portion of the human being's body. The cuff is inflated to a predefined pressure which occludes the flood of blood and then the cuff is deflated in a controlled manner. At a plurality of deflation pressure levels, pressure pulses that occur in the cuff are integrated to produce a plurality of integral values. A diastolic pressure of the human being is derived in response to the deflation pressure level at which occurred the integral value that is greatest in magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Booth, Bruce A. Friedman
  • Patent number: 6440079
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a superior-and-inferior-limb blood-pressure index of a living subject, including a first measuring device which measures a first blood pressure of an inferior limb; a second measuring device which measures a second blood pressure of a superior limb; an information obtaining device for iteratively obtaining information changing in relation with change of blood pressure of the subject; a change-value determining device for determining a change value of blood pressure of the subject between a first time when the first blood pressure is measured and a second time when the second blood pressure is measured, based on a first piece of information obtained by the information obtaining device at the first time and a second piece of information obtained by the information obtaining device at the second time; a corrected-blood-pressure determining device for determining, based on the determined change value, one of the first and second blood pressures to a corrected blood pressure that would h
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ogura, Takashi Honda, Hideichi Tsuda
  • Publication number: 20020107449
    Abstract: In a dialysis means the blood pressure is normally monitored at intervals of 5 minutes. According to the invention the current blood pressure curve (33) is measured only during the first 45 minutes at intervals of 5 minutes and then compared with the stored blood pressure curves of previous treatments of the same patient. On the basis of statistical analyses that blood pressure curve is determined from a data storage, which shows the largest similarity to the current blood pressure curve and used as the basic curve (35) for blood pressure control during the current treatment. During further treatment the blood pressure measurement is carried out at intervals from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. This considerably reduces the number of blood pressure measurements and the resultant discomfort of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Inventor: Otfried Roeher
  • Publication number: 20020099297
    Abstract: An inflatable cuff for being wound and inflated around a body portion pressing a body portion of a living subject to press the body portion in measuring a blood pressure of the subject, the cuff comprising: an inflatable bag which is located in a portion of the cuff in a lengthwise direction thereof and a connector which is attached to a portion of the inflatable bag that is distant, by a predetermined distance, from a distal end of the cuff in a widthwise direction thereof, and which is adapted to connect the inflatable bag to a gas-supply pipe to supply a pressurized gas from the pipe to the inflatable bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo Nakagawa, Takeshi Kurosaki
  • Publication number: 20020099298
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically measuring a blood pressure of a living subject, including a cuff which is wound around a portion of the subject, a cuff pulse wave occurring to the cuff when a pressure in the cuff is changed, a pulse-wave detecting device which is worn on another portion of the subject and detects a volumetric pulse wave, a correction-factor determining device for iteratively determining, for each of respective pulses of the volumetric pulse wave, a correction factor to correct an amplitude of the each pulse to a predetermined value, a first determining device for iteratively multiplying, by the correction factor determined for the each of the pulses of the volumetric pulse wave, an amplitude of one of the pulses of the cuff pulse wave that corresponds to the each pulse of the volumetric pulse wave, and thereby determining a corrected amplitude of the one pulse of the cuff pulse wave, and a second determining means for determining a blood pressure of the subject based on a change of the respect
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: COLIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro Yokozeki
  • Patent number: 6423010
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for measuring blood pressure. Both include a first sensor for detecting an instantaneous pulse rate, an inflatable cuff, and a second sensor to monitoring the pressure within the cuff. The cuff sensor adapted to detect oscillometric complexes associated with a patient's pulse. Both the apparatus and the method provide for detecting arrhythmia from the patient's instantaneous pulse rate. A characteristic of the oscillometric complexes is measured, and match determination means provided for determining whether at least two adjacent oscillometric complexes are equivalent. A first set matching criteria are used under normal conditions. A second set of matching criteria are used when arrhythmia are detected. A controller is provided for controlling the pressure within the cuff. At the outset of a blood pressure measurement the cuff is inflated to a pressure greater than the patient's systolic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Critikon Company, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bruce Friedman, Lawrence T. Hersh, Christopher J. Dedyo
  • Publication number: 20020091328
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining information relating to a velocity at which a pulse wave propagates in a living subject, the apparatus including a first inflatable cuff and a second inflatable cuff which are adapted to be worn on two different portions of the subject, respectively, at least one cuff-pulse-wave detecting device which detects the pulse wave occurring to each of the first and second cuffs worn on the two different portions of the subject, and a velocity-relating-information obtaining device which obtains the information relating to the velocity, based on a time difference between a first time when the cuff-pulse-wave detecting device detects the pulse wave occurring to the first cuff, and a second time when the cuff-pulse-wave detecting device detects the pulse wave occurring to the second cuff.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Applicant: Colin Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ogura
  • Publication number: 20020087087
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a propagation velocity of a pulse wave which is propagated through an artery of a living subject, the apparatus including an electrocardiographic-waveform detecting device which detects an electrocardiographic waveform from the subject, a pulse-wave sensor which is adapted to be worn on the subject and which detects the pulse wave from the subject, a time-difference determining device for determining a time difference between a first periodic point relating to the detected electrocardiographic waveform and a second periodic point relating to the detected pulse wave, and a propagation-velocity determining means for determining the propagation velocity of the pulse wave based on the determined time difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Applicant: COLIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tohru Oka, Hiroshi Sakai, Hidekatsu Inukai, Toshihiko Ogura, Tomoko Ikawa, Takashi Nomura
  • Patent number: 6406434
    Abstract: An apparatus for iteratively measuring a blood pressure of a living subject who is undergoing a blood-dialysis treatment, including an inflatable cuff which applies a pressing force to a body portion of the subject, a blood-pressure measuring device which measures a blood pressure of the subject by changing the pressing force of the cuff, a starting device for starting the blood-pressure measuring device at a predetermined period in the dialysis duration, so that the blood-pressure measuring device iteratively measures a blood pressure of the subject at the predetermined period, a period memory device which stores, for a plurality of living subjects including the subject, a plurality of sets of predetermined periods each set of which includes respective predetermined periods for a plurality of partial durations of the dialysis duration, an identifying device for identifying the subject, and a selecting device for selecting, from the sets of predetermined periods stored in the period memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Colin Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekatsu Inukai, Tohru Oka
  • Patent number: RE37852
    Abstract: A blood pressure monitoring system includes a blood pressure measurement device for measuring blood pressure using a cuff, a memory for storing an externally inputted pulse wave propagation time fluctuation threshold, a time interval detection reference point detection section for detecting a time interval detection reference point in a pulse wave on the side of aortae of a living organism, a pulse wave detection section for detecting a pulse wave on the side of peripheral blood vessels appearing with a time lag with respect to the pulse wave on the side of aortae, a pulse wave propagation time measurement section for measuring a pulse wave propagation time based on respective detected outputs from the time interval detection reference point detection section and the pulse wave detection section, an operation device for calculating a pulse wave propagation fluctuation from two measured pulse wave propagation times, a judgment device for judging whether or not the calculated pulse wave propagation time fluctua
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Aso, Hiroshi Sakata, Yoshihiro Sugo, Hidehiro Hosaka