A pulse counter is provided in which the value displayed for the detected value is highly reliable. An SN condition detecting means detects the SN condition of a pulse wave signal (step S201). The SN condition detecting means then determines whether or not the detected SN condition is good based on a specific threshold value (step S202). When a determination is made that the SN condition is good, a display control signal to display the pulse rate on a display means is output to a display method switching means (step S203). Conversely, when a determination is made in step S202 that the SN condition is not good, the pulse rate is not displayed on the display means, but rather a display control signal indicating that no information at all be displayed is output to the display method switching means (step S204).
An apparatus for detecting a pressure pulse wave produced by an artery of a living subject, including a pressure-pulse-wave sensor which is adapted to be pressed against the artery of the subject via a skin of the subject, detects the pressure pulse wave produced by the artery, and generates a pressure-pulse-wave signal representing the detected pressure pulse wave, a band-pass filter which extracts, from the pressure-pulse-wave signal, a blood-flow-noise signal having frequencies in a prescribed blood-flow-noise frequency range, and an output device which outputs the blood-flow-noise signal extracted by the band-pass filter.
