 |
Claims  |
|
|
What is claimed is:
1. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human
blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:
an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood and for
providing said simulated blood to an artificial heart unit;
said artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir and pumping
said simulated blood in response to an artificial heart driving unit to
provide volumetric pulses of the simulated blood to a simulated blood
circulating passage means;
wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises a layout
of open-ended tubes connected to one another so as to be representative of
the layout of the human circulatory system extending from the heart to at
least one hand; said layout of open-ended tubes directing and exerting
pressure on said volumetric pulses of said simulated blood traveling
therethrough for simulating the flow of a human pulse; and
said layout of open-ended tubes including artery tubing comprised of at
least one tube portion, responsive to said volumetric pulses, through
which said volumetric pulses of said simulated blood travel in a single
direction of flow.
2. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein,
said at least one tube portion changes along its length due to the passage
of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses
through an artery.
3. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
said layout of open-tubes exerts a resistance to said flow, and further
including resistance adjusting means for changing the resistance exerted
by said layout of said open-ended tubes to the flow of simulated blood
through said simulated blood circulating passage means.
4. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein,
said resistance adjusting means adjustably restricts the flow along said
single direction into and out of the at least one tube portion.
5. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein,
said resistance adjusting means comprise clips for constricting the flow
of simulated blood through a tube at said clip, each clip having a screw
means for adjusting the resistance to the flow exerted by said tube at
said clip.
6. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1,
comprising:
pressure sensing means
for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated blood.
7. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein,
said pressure sensing means comprises pressure sensors disposed along the
at least one tube simulating an artery at spots simulating shun, khan, and
shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine, wherein, said shun,
khan, and shaku spots on the sunko correspond substantially to spots on a
processus styloideus radii on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot
being on a heart side, said khan spot being between said heart side and a
distal end side, and said shaku spot being on said distal end side.
8. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating
passage means comprises a curved aorta tube simulating the arch of the
aorta connected to the artery tubing;
said artery tubing comprises a subclavian artery tube, a radial artery
tube, an ulnar artery tube, and a hand artery tube, each tube in said
artery tubing means having at least two ends;
wherein, said at least one tube portion of said artery tubing comprises the
radial artery tube,
said subclavian artery tube connected at one end to a curve of the curved
aorta tube;
said radial artery tube is connected in parallel with the ulnar artery
tube, both the radial artery tube and ulnar artery tube have one end
connected in common with the other end of the subclavian tube and have
their other downstream ends connected in common with said hand artery
tube.
9. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating
passage means comprises a curved aorta tube having a curve for simulating
the arch of the aorta connected to a right and a left artery tubing;
said right artery tubing comprises a right subclavian artery tube, a right
radial artery tube, a right ulnar artery tube, and a right hand artery
tube, each of said tubes having at least two ends;
said left artery tubing comprises a left subclavian artery tube, a left
radial artery tube, a left ulnar artery tube, and a left hand artery tube,
each of said tubes having at least two ends;
wherein, said at least one tube portion where the simulated blood pulses
pass comprises the right radial artery tube and the left radial artery
tube,
said right subclavian artery tube connected at one end to a tube juncture
located along the curve of the curved aorta tube down from the artificial
heart unit and up along said curve of the curved aorta tube from the left
subclavian artery tube;
said left subclavian artery tube connected at one end along the curve of
the curved aorta tube down from the tube juncture leading to the right
subclavian artery tube;
said each right and left radial artery tube is connected in parallel with
the respective right and left ulnar artery tube, both the radial artery
tube and ulnar artery tube have one end connected in common with the other
end of the respective right and left subclavian tube and have their other
ends connected in common with a respective right and left hand artery
tube.
10. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein,
the curve of the aorta tube comprises a circular arc curve;
said tube juncture, a left common carotid artery tube, and the left
subclavian artery tube being connected to and sequentially along said
curve, wherein, said tube juncture is connected up along said curve
towards the artificial heart unit from the left common carotid artery tube
and said left common carotid is connected up along said curve towards the
artificial heart unit from the left subclavian artery tube;
said tube juncture further comprising a brachiocephalic artery tube having
at least two ends, one end being connected to the curve of the aorta tube
and the other end to a common connection between the right subclavian
artery tube and a right common carotid artery tube.
11. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 10, further
comprising:
vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from the right and
left common carotid artery tubes, the aorta tube, and the left and right
hand artery tubes.
12. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 10,
wherein,
diameter of said aorta tube gets progressively smaller away from the end
connected to the artificial heart;
the right and left common carotid artery tubes have equal diameters;
the right and left subclavian artery tubes have same diameter which is
smaller than the diameter of the common carotid artery tubes; and
all the artery tubes have a diameter smaller than the end of the aorta tube
furthest from the artificial heart unit.
13. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 10, further
including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow
of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating
passage means.
14. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:
said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage
means comprises tubes having a circular section made of rubber resin,
whereby each of said tubes have a preset wall thickness, Young Modulus,
tensile strength, dimension, and compliance such that changes in the tubes
due to the simulated blood pulses passing therethrough in said tubes
simulate the changes in an artery in a human circulatory system as human
blood pulses pass therethrough.
15. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a length of
the at least one tube simulating shun, khan, and shaku spots along an
artery in Oriental medicine, wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on
a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii
on the inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side,
said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and
said shaku spot being on said distal end side.
16. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human
blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:
an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;
an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the
simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;
an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit
for driving the artificial heart unit; and
a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is
supplied from said artificial heart unit,
wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing
means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory
system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube
portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the
artificial heart unit pass; wherein,
the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at least one
tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human pulses
and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of pulses
therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through an
artery; and
further including resistance adjusting means connected to said artery
tubing means for changing the resistance of the flow of simulated blood
through said simulated blood circulating passage means;
wherein, said resistance adjusting means comprises clips, each clip
gripping the artery tubing means and having a screw means to allow the
constriction of the tube by the clip to be adjusted, whereby, said
resistance adjusting means adjustably restricts the flow into and out of
the at least one tube portion.
17. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human
blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:
an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;
an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the
simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;
an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit
for driving the artificial heart unit; and
a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is
supplied from said artificial heart unit,
wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing
means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory
system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube
portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the
artificial heart unit pass,
wherein the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at
least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human
pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of
pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through
an artery,
wherein said tubing means of said simulated blood circulating passage means
comprises a curved aorta tubing means having a curve simulating the arch
of the aorta connected to the artery tubing means;
said artery tubing means comprises a subclavian artery tube, a radial
artery tube, an ulnar artery tube, and a hand artery tube and each tube of
said artery tubing means has at least two ends;
wherein, said at least one tube portion through which the simulated blood
pulses pass comprises the radial artery tube,
said subclavian artery tube connected at one end to the curve of the curved
aorta tubing means;
said radial artery tube is connected in parallel with the ulnar artery
tube, both the radial artery tube and ulnar artery tube have one end
connected in common with the other end of the subclavian tube and have
their other ends connected in common with a hand artery tube.
18. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, further
comprising: vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from
said tubing means.
19. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17,
wherein,
a diameter of said curved aorta tubing means gets progressively smaller
away from the end connected to the artificial heart unit; and
said tubes in said artery tubing means each have a diameter smaller than
the end of the aorta tube furthest from the artificial heart unit.
20. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, further
including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow
of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating
passage means.
21. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17,
wherein:
said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage
means comprises tubes having a circular section made of rubber resin,
whereby each of said tubes have a preset wall thickness, Young Modulus,
tensile strength, dimension, and compliance such that changes in the tubes
due to the simulated blood pulses passing therethrough in said tubes
simulate the changes in an artery in a human circulatory system as human
blood pulses pass therethrough.
22. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein
said at least one tube portion changes along a length of the tube due to
the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood
pulses through an artery.
23. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein
said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a length of
the at least one tube simulating shun, khan, and shaku points along an
artery in Oriental medicine; wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on
a sunko correspond substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii
on an inner side of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side,
said khan spot being between said heart side and a distal end side, and
said shaku spot being on said distal end side.
24. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 17,
comprising:
pressure sensing means for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated
blood.
25. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein
said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along
said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating
the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;
wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond
substantially to spots on the processus styloideus radii on an inner side
of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being
between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being
on said distal end side.
26. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human
blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:
an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;
an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the
simulated blood is supplied from said artrium reservoir;
an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit
for driving the artificial heart unit; and
a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is
supplied from said artificial heart unit,
wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing
means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory
system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube
portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the
artificial heart unit pass,
wherein, the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at
least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human
pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of
pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through
an artery,
wherein said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises a curved
aorta tubing means having a curve for simulating the arch of the aorta
connected to a right and a left artery tubing means;
said right artery tubing means comprises a right subclavian artery tube, a
right radial artery tube, a right ulnar artery tube, and a right hand
artery tube;
said left artery tubing means comprises a left subclavian artery tube, a
left radial artery tube, a left ulnar artery tube, and a left hand artery
tube, each of said tubes having at least two ends;
wherein, said at least one tube portion where the simulated blood pulses
pass comprises the right radial artery tube and the left radial artery
tube, each of said tubes having at least two ends;
said right subclavian artery tube connected at one end to a tube juncture
located along the curve of the curved aorta tubing means down from the
artificial heart unit and up along the aorta curve from the left
subclavian artery tube;
said left subclavian artery tube connected at one end along the curve of
the curved aorta tubing means down from the tube juncture leading to the
right subclavian artery tube;
said each right and left radial artery tube being connected in parallel
with the respective right and left ulnar artery tube, both the radial
artery tube and ulnar artery tube have one end connected in common with
the other end of the respective right and left subclavian tube and have
their other ends connected in common with a respective right and left hand
artery tube.
27. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26,
wherein,
the curve of the curved aorta tubing means comprises a circular arc curve;
said tube juncture means, a left common cartid artery tube, and the left
subclavian artery tube being connected in sequence along said curve;
wherein, said tube juncture means is connected up from the left common
carotid artery tube and said left common carotid artery tube is connected
up along said curve towards the artificial heart unit from the left
subclavian artery tube;
said tube juncture means further comprising a brachiocephalic artery tube
having at least two ends, one end being connected to the curve of the
curved aorta tubing means and the other end to a common connection between
the right subclavian artery tube and a right common carotid artery tube.
28. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 27, further
comprising:
vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from the right and
left common carotid artery tubes, the curved aorta tubing means, and the
left and right hand artery tubes.
29. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 28,
wherein,
a diameter of said curved aorta tubing means gets progressively smaller
away from the end connected to the artificial heart;
the right and left common carotid artery tubes have equal diameters;
the right and left subclavian artery tubes have a same diameter, smaller
than the diameter of the common carotid arteries; and
all the tubes in said artery tubing means have a diameter smaller than the
end of the aorta tube furthest from the artificial heart unit.
30. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 29, further
including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow
of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating
passage means.
31. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, further
comprising:
vein reservoir means for receiving the simulated blood from said tubing
means.
32. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26,
wherein,
the diameter of said aorta tubing means gets progressively smaller away
from the end connected to the artificial heart unit; and said tubes in
said artery tubing means each has a diameter smaller than the end of the
aorta tubing means furthest from the artificial heart unit.
33. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, further
including resistance adjusting means for changing resistance to the flow
of simulated blood through each tube of said simulated blood circulating
passage means.
34. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26,
wherein:
said layout of open-ended tubes of said simulated blood circulating passage
means comprises tubes having a circular section made of rubber resin,
whereby each of said tubes have a preset wall thickness, Young Modulus,
tensile strength, dimension, and compliance such that changes in the tubes
due to the simulated blood pulses passing therethrough in said tubes
simulate the changes in an artery in a human circulatory system as human
blood pulses pass therethrough.
35. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein
said at least one tube portion changes along a length of the at least one
tube due to the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of
human blood pulses through an artery.
36. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein
said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a length of
the at least one tube simulating the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an
artery in Oriental medicine;
wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond
substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of
a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being
between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being
on said distal end side.
37. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 26,
comprising:
pressure sensing means for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated
blood.
38. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 37,
wherein,
said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along
said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating
shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;
wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond
substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of
a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being
between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being
on said distal end side.
39. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human
blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:
an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;
an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the
simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;
an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit
for driving the artificial heart unit; and
a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is
supplied from said artificial heart unit,
wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing
means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory
system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube
portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the
artificial heart unit pass.
wherein the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at
least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human
pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of
pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through
an artery, wherein:
said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubes having a
circular section made of rubber resin, whereby said tubes have a preset
wall thickness, Young Modulus, tensile strength, dimension, and compliance
such that changes in the tubes due to the simulated blood pulses passing
therethrough in said tubes simulate the changes in an artery in a human
circulatory system as human blood pulses pass therethrough.
40. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein
said at least one tube portion changes along a length of the tube due to
the passage of pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood
pulses through an artery.
41. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 39,
comprising:
pressure sensing means for detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated
blood.
42. A simulated blood circulating apparatus as defined in claim 41,
wherein,
said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along
said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating
the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;
wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond
substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of
a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being
between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being
on said distal end side.
43. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human
blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:
an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;
an artificial heart unit connected to said artrium reservoir to which the
simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;
an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit
for driving the artificial heart unit; and
a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is
supplied from said artificial heart unit,
wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing
means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory
system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube
portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the
artificial heart unit pass,
wherein, the volumetric pulses of simulated blood passing through said at
least one tube portion in said simulated circulatory system simulate human
pulses and said at least one tube portion changes due to the passage of
pulses therethrough to simulate the travel of human blood pulses through
an artery;
wherein, said at least one tube portion changes at three spots along a
length of the tube simulating the shun, khan, and shaku spots along an
artery in Oriental medicine;
wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on the sunko correspond
substantially to spots on the processus styloideus radii on the inner side
of a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being
between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being
on said distal end side.
44. A simulated blood circulating apparatus for simulating a sphygmic human
blood flow through the human circulatory system, comprising:
an atrium reservoir for holding a supply of simulated blood;
an artificial heart unit connected to said atrium reservoir to which the
simulated blood is supplied from said atrium reservoir;
an artificial heart driving unit connected to said artificial heart unit
for driving the artificial heart unit; and
a simulated blood circulating passage means to which the simulated blood is
supplied from said artificial heart unit,
wherein, said simulated blood circulating passage means comprises tubing
means, arranged in a layout simulating portions of the human circulatory
system, including an artery tubing means comprised of at least one tube
portion through which volumetric pulses of the simulated blood from the
artificial heart unit pass, comprising:
pressure sensing means disposed along a tube simulating an artery;
said pressure sensing means detecting said volumetric pulses of simulated
blood;
wherein,
said pressure sensing means comprises three pressure sensors disposed along
said at least one tube portion simulating an artery at spots simulating a
shun, khan, and shaku spots along an artery in Oriental medicine;
wherein, said shun, khan, and shaku spots on a sunko correspond
substantially to spots on a processus styloideus radii on an inner side of
a wrist with said shun spot being on a heart side, said khan spot being
between said heart side and a distal end side, and said shaku spot being
on said distal end side. |
|
 |
|
 |
Claims |
|
|
|
Description |
|
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an observation apparatus, and in
particular to an apparatus for observing the blood circulating function of
a patient with no contact with the blood by observing the waveform of the
arterial pulses.
(b) Prior Art
Cardiographic or ultrasonic tomographic diagnosis apparatus has heretofore
been used for examination of heart disease.
Since the arterial pulses related with the motion of the heart contain
important information representative of the condition of the blood
circulating function, they are widely used for determining whether or not
the blood circulating function is good. Observation of the volumetric
pulses representative of the content of blood in the capillary vessels has
generally been conducted.
A method of converting changes in pressure due to the heart beat into
electrical signals by using a piezo-electric element or capacitor
microphone and a method for optically detecting changes in the amount of
blood flow by using optical modulating action of hemoglobin in blood have
been adopted for detecting the arterial pulses.
In the Oriental medicine, the conditions of a patient are determined by
sphygmic diagnosis solely relying on the sense of touch of the arterial
pulses on the "sunko", that is, the processus styloideus radii on the
inner side of the wrist. In the sphygmic diagnosis of the Oriental
medicine, the pulses on the "sunko" are classified into those on three
spots, such as upper, middle and lower spots which are referred to as
"shun", "khan" and "shaku", respectively and two kinds of pulsation
condition "myakki" on the pulse route "keimyaku" appeared on respective
spots are sensed.
The term "shun" means the distal end side of the artery of the wrist. The
pulses on the "shun" represent the health conditions of the patient from
the head to the chest. The term "khan" means the middle artery of the
wrist between the distal end and the heart. The pulses on the "khan"
represents the health conditions between the chest and the navel. The term
"shaku" means the heart side of the artery in the wrist and the pulses on
the "shaku" represents the health conditions between the navel and the
toe.
A sphygmic diagnosis apparatus in which arterial pulses are detected from
the artery of a human being by means of sensors such as an infra-red ray
sensor or a pressure sensor for performing the diagnosis by observation of
the sphygmogram has heretofore been known as is disclosed in the
specification of the Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 57-52054.
The disclosed diagnosis apparatus comprises three pressure sensor 51, 52
and 53 for converting the arterial pulses on the three spots such as
"shun", "khan" and "shaku" of the "sunko" into electrical signal waves and
a cuff band 55 which is mounted on the wrist 54 of a patient for biasing
the pressure sensors 51, 52 and 53 upon the artery of the wrist as shown
in FIG. 1.
The pressure sensors 51, 52 and 53 are disposed on the wrist 54, that is,
on and along the artery in the "sunko" and the cuff 55 is wrapped around
the wrist. A compressed air is pumped into an air bag (not shown) provided
on the cuff 55 from a pneumatic pump via a conduit 56. The arterial pulses
can be measured by adjusting the amount of the pumped air to change the
pressure applied upon the artery.
The pressure sensors 51, 52 and 53 comprise, for example, so-called
electrostatic microphones or piezoelectric microphones. Specifically, in
case of the electrostatic microphone, a high d.c. voltage is applied
across an electrode of a vibrating plate and a fixed electrode of the
vibrating plate is brought into direct contact with a spot on which a
pressure is detected, for example the artery of the "sunko". The spacing
between the electrode of the vibrating plate and the fixed electrode is
changed due to pressure to change the electrostatic capacity therebetween.
The voltage generated at this time is detected. The pressure sensors 51,
52 and 53 are connected with an electromagnetic oscillograph and the like
through connection codes 51a, 52a and 53a respectively so that the
measured arterial pulses are recorded on a recording paper and the like
for observing the sphygmogram.
Although the cardiography or ultrasonic tomography has been used for
examination of heart disease as mentioned above, it is very hard to
quantitatively diagnose the condition of the heart disease by observing
the condition of the blood circulating function with no contact with the
blood. Confirmation of an abnormality has been visually carried out by
well experienced medical docters.
There has been no means for measuring the viscosity of the blood in the
artery which is changed by the disease of the internal organs such as
heart disease or liver disease except for the blood circulating function
for examining the heart disease. Information on the viscosity of blood can
not be used for diagnosis of the disease of the internal organs.
It is hard to observe the hardness of the artery, which changes with an
advance in the heart disease, with no contact with the blood. A method of
estimating the hardness of the artery by pressing a sensor for
investigating the relation between stress and strain upon the radial
artery has been known as a method of measuring the hardness of the artery
without contacting blood. However, this method is strongly influenced by
the tissue between the artery and the upper skin. Accordingly, this method
is inaccurate so that the hardness of the artery can not be quantified.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention was made in view of such circumstances.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a blood
circulating function observing apparatus which is capable of properly
determining the condition of the blood circulating function of a patient
in with no contact with the patient's blood.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a blood viscosity
observing apparatus which is capable of properly observing the viscosity
of the blood in the artery of a patient in with no contact with the
patient's blood.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide an artery hardness
observing apparatus which is capable of properly observing the hardness of
the artery of a patient with no contact with blood without any experience.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vascular wave detecting means for
detecting the pulses of the shun, khan and shaku of the sunko in the
Oriental medicine;
FIG. 2 is block diagram showing the structure of a sphygmic diagnosis
apparatus in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the disposition of three pressure
sensors in the sphygmic diagnosis apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the biasing upon the artery by the three
pressure sensors in the sphygmic apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the changes in the levels of the detection output
signals which are obtained by the three pressure sensors in the sphygmic
diagnosis apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a waveform chart showing the waveforms of the detection output
signals obtained by the first and second pressure sensors in the sphygmic
diagnosis apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a waveform chart showing the wave form representative of an
abnormality in pressure of the blood circulating function observed in the
sphygmic diagnosis apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a wave form chart showing the wave form representative of an
abnormality in blood flow of the blood circulating function observed in
the sphygmic diagnosis apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 9 is a waveform chart showing the wave form representative of the
inner wall condition of a blood vessel observed by the sphygmic diagnosis
apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 10 is a view showing the appearance of a simulated blood circulating
apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of a simulated blood circulating
passage of the simulated blood circulating apparatus shown in FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a view showing the arch of the aorta portion in the simulated
blood circulating passage shown in FIG. 11; and
FIG. 13 is a view showing a measuring point where sphygmic diagnosis
simulation of Oriental medicine is conducted by the simulated blood
circulating apparatus shown in FIG. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
An embodiment of a blood circulating function observing apparatus of the
present invention will be described in detail with reference to the
drawings.
The blood circulating function observing apparatus of the present invention
is formed as shown in FIG. 2.
The blood circulating function observing apparatus of the present invention
is applied to a sphygmic diagnosis apparatus which determines the disease
of a patient by detecting the arterial pulses at spots such as "shun",
"khan", "shaku" of "sunko" in Oriental medicine. The observing apparatus
comprises first to third pressure sensors 1, 2 and 3 which detect the
arterial pulses of "shun, "khan", "shaku" of the sunko and convert them
into electrical signals. Output signals S.sub.1, S.sub.2 and S.sub.3 from
the pressure sensors 1, 2 and 3 are supplied to an output unit 4 for
observing the waveforms of the detection output signals S.sub.1, S.sub.2
and S.sub.3. The output unit 4 may be a display for displaying the
waveforms of the signals S.sub.1, S.sub.2 and S.sub.3 on a screen or a
printer for printing the waveforms of the detected output signals S.sub.1,
S.sub.2 and S.sub.3 on a recording paper.
The first to third pressure sensors 1, 2 and 3 comprise pressure-electric
converting elements such as piezoelectric microphones for detecting the
arterial pulses of the shun, khan and shaku of the sunko as changes in
pressure. The first to third pressure sensors 1, 2 and 3 are disposed on
the inner wall of a fixing plate 6 having opposite ends which are
connected each other via a cuff band 5 which will be worn around the wrist
of a patient as shown in FIG. 3. The first to third pressure sensors 1, 2
and 3 are pressed upon the positions of detection corresponding to the
shun, khan and shaku of the sunko in Oriental medicine by the admission of
air into an air bag 7 provided on the cuff band 5 for pressing a skin
tissue 20 of the wrist of the patient to block an artery 21.
Air is charged into or from the air bag 7 provided in the cuff band 5 from
an air pump (not shown) which is controlled by a biasing control unit 8
and the air is discharged via an exhaust valve (not shown) which is
controlled by the biasing control unit 8. The biasing pressure supplied by
the first to third pressure sensors 1, 2 and 3 of the air bag 7 are
detected by a fourth pressure sensor 9.
The first pressure sensor 1 which detects the shun of the sunko, i.e. the
artery pulse on the side of the heart, supplies the detection output
signal S.sub.1 to the output unit 4 and to a first level detecting circuit
10 and a notch detecting circuit 11.
The first level detecting circuit 10 detects when the detection output
signal S.sub.1 from the first pressure sensor 1 assumes a predetermined
output level. A detection output signal from the first level detecting
circuit 10 is supplied to first and third timer circuit 12 and 15 as a
timer start signal.
The first notch detecting circuit 11 detects a notch (omitted portion of
the waveform) contained in the arterial pulses on the side of the heart,
i.e. in the detection output signal S.sub.1 from the first pressure sensor
1. The first notch detecting circuit 11 comprises a low pass filter 11A
for extracting a fundamental wave component of the detection output signal
S.sub.1 from the first pressure sensor 1 and a subtracter 11B for
subtracting the fundamental wave component extracted by the low pass
filter 11A from the detection output signals of the first pressure sensor
1. A first notch signal which is obtained as the subtraction output signal
from the subtracter 11B is supplied to the first timer circuit 12 as a
timer stop signal and to an integrating circuit 14 and to a second timer
circuit 13 as a timer start signal.
The first timer circuit 12 measures a period of time from when the first
level detecting circuit 10 detects that the detection output signal
S.sub.1 having a level higher than a predetermined level is obtained until
the first notch detecting circuit 11 detects the notch contained in the
detection output signal S.sub.1 from the first pressure sensor 1. A
measurement output signal from the first timer circuit 12 is supplied to
the output unit 4. The integrating circuit 14 integrates the first notch
detection signal from the first notch detecting circuit 11. The
integration output signal from the integrating circuit 14 is supplied to
the output unit 4.
The second pressure sensor 2 which detects the khan of the sunko, i.e. the
artery pulse between the heart and peripheral side supplies the detection
output signal S.sub.2 to the output unit 4 and to a second level detecting
circuit 16 and a notch detecting circuit 17.
The second level detecting circuit 16 detects when the detection output
signal S.sub.2 from the second pressure sensor 2 reaches a predetermined
output level. An output signal from the second level detecting circuit 16
is supplied to the output unit 4 and the biasing control unit 8 and to a
third timer circuit 15 as a timer stop signal and to a first latch circuit
18 as a first latch signal.
The third timer circuit 15 measures a period of time from when the first
level detecting circuit 10 detects that the detection output signal
S.sub.2 having a level higher than a predetermined level is obtained until
the second level detecting circuit 10 detects that the detection output
signal S.sub.2 higher than a predetermined level is obtained from the
second pressure sensor 2. A measurement output signal from the third timer
circuit 15 is supplied to the output unit 4.
The second notch detecting circuit 17 detects a notch (omitted portion of
the waveform) contained in the detection output signal S.sub.2 from t | | |
