Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Cardiovascular
Patent
1998-08-04
2000-06-27
Kamm, William E.
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Cardiovascular
600484, A61B 504
Patent
active
060817429
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a physiological state measuring device suitable for monitoring health, and particularly measuring the respiratory rate, during exercise. The present invention also concerns a relaxation guidance device which determines a subject's degree of relaxation during meditation or exercise based on changes in the respiratory rate calculated by the aforementioned physiological state measuring device, and then guides the subject into a relaxed state by informing the subject of the result of the determination.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known that the relationship between pulse and respiratory rates may serve as an indicator of a subject's psychological or physical health. For example, in the case of illness, the pulse rate/respiratory rate ratio may increase or decrease.
The following is known about the relationship between the respiratory rate and the physiological state. Namely: at rest performs exercise of moderate intensity change rate of the respiratory rate becomes large
Autonomic training, also known as concentrated self-relaxation technique, is known to be helpful in promoting or restoring health by reducing tension. This type of training emphasizes placing the mind in a state of relaxation. However, the subject may become too focused on his efforts to relax, so that tension results instead. Breathing exercise has been developed as a part of autonomic training, to aid the subject in easing tension and shifting into a state of relaxation. For example, the subject chants a phrase such as "breath slowly" to himself repeatedly. As a result, the subject is able to enter a state of relaxation.
Various Eastern meditation and health methods emphasize breathing manner. For example, regularity of breathing in very important in Zen meditation which teaches the subject to regulate "the body, breathing and mind." Similarly, breathing exercise is one of the eight training steps in yoga. In addition, meditation employs abdominal breathing. These Eastern breathing methods share the common feature of training the subject to conduct abdominal breathing, in order to accomplish mental relaxation.
The change rate of the respiratory rate is known to decrease when the mind has been placed in a relaxed such as described above.
Considerable medical attention has also been directed on respiration during sleep. As a result, it is now known that there is a high likelihood of sudden death in the presence of apnea syndromes. In Eastern medicine, the heart rate of a healthy subject is viewed to be four times of his respiratory rate. A heart rate which is less than this is referred to as a slow pulse, while a heart rate which is greater than this is called a fast pulse. In these cases, it is very likely that the subject suffers from some sort of physiological illness. In other words, the respiration pulse rate ratio may become indicator of health. Moreover, the present inventors discovered that this respiration pules rate relationship is maintained during exercise.
Namely, subjects with slow pulse frequently suffer from parasympathetic dominance, asthma, autonomic imbalances, hynoteneion, and so on. On the other hand, subjects with fast pulse frequently suffer from high blood pressure, pneumonia, hepatitis, or other inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, if data can be obtained for pulse and respiratory rates during daily activities, it is possible to estimate the subject's state of health. In recent years, however, there has also been an increasing need to detect a subject's physiological state not only during daily activities, but also when the subject is active or exercising (pulse rate, arrhythmia, respiratory rate, etc.), such as in the case of scientific training or health monitoring of an athlete.
How the respiratory rate is measured is an important problem. Typical method for measuring the respiratory rate in a sedentary subject, such as a sick patient, include applying a band around the subject's chest or stomach, and then counting the number of expansions and contractio
REFERENCES:
patent: 4805629 (1989-02-01), Farges
patent: 5360008 (1994-11-01), Campbell, Jr.
patent: 5759156 (1998-06-01), Hayakawa et al.
patent: 5776070 (1998-07-01), Kitazawa et al.
patent: 5830148 (1998-11-01), Inukai et al.
Amano Kazuhiko
Ishiyama Hitoshi
Uebaba Kazuo
Janofsky Eric B.
Kamm William E.
Layno Carl H.
Seiko Epson Corporation
LandOfFree
Organism state measuring device and relaxation instructing devic does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Organism state measuring device and relaxation instructing devic, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Organism state measuring device and relaxation instructing devic will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1792042