Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Cardiovascular
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-10
2002-04-30
Winakur, Eric F. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Cardiovascular
C600S499000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06379310
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a wrist sphygmomanometer for measuring blood pressure by wrapping a cuff around the wrist to pressurize the wrist.
BACKGROUND ART
One example of conventional wrist sphygmomanometers of this type is shown in
FIG. 9. A
wrist sphygmomanometer
65
includes a body
70
and. a cuff
80
which is integrally attached to body
70
and wrapped around the wrist. Body
70
has a display unit
71
which can stand up to display blood pressure measurements (maximum and minimum blood pressures), pulse rate and the like, and an operation unit
72
for a power ON/OFF (measurement start/stop) switch and the like. Cuff
80
contains therein a curler (not shown) for elastically maintaining cuff
80
in a substantially circular shape, and the curler is provided inside a cuff band
81
having on its surface a hook-and-loop fastener.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, sphygmomanometer
65
requires that cuff
80
is wrapped around the wrist of the left arm L, for example, with body
70
located on the inside (palm side) of left arm L and that the site of measurement (wrist) is matched in height with the heart (represented by the heart-shaped symbol) in order to accurately measure the blood pressure.
The conventional sphygmomanometer
65
described above requires the posture for measurement as shown in FIG.
10
. Therefore, in use of sphygmomanometer
65
, measurement is desirably conducted in the condition that the user sits on a chair or the like with the elbow rested on a table or the like, the measurement site (wrist) and the heart are matched in height, and the left arm is placed on an armrest such as a cushion in order to stabilize the measurement site.
However, there is a certain distance between the chest and the measurement site of the user in this posture so that it is difficult to match the height of the measurement site with that of the heart. A resultant problem is difficulty in obtaining a precise measurement of blood pressure. In addition, each time the blood pressure is measured, the height of the measurement site is likely to vary, causing an error of the blood pressure measurement due to the varying height of the measurement site and accordingly causing a problem that an accurate fluctuation of the blood pressure (blood pressure variation) is difficult to know. Another problem is that the location for measuring the blood pressure is restricted because of the need for an armrest for stabilizing the arm as well as a desk or the like on which the elbow is rested, in order to allow the user to take the posture illustrated above.
FIG. 11
shows another example of the conventional wrist sphygmomanometers. A sphygmomanometer
66
shown in
FIG. 11
is similar to that shown in
FIG. 9
in that the former includes a body
74
and a cuff
84
which is integrally attached to body
74
and wrapped around the wrist. Body
74
of sphygmomanometer
66
also has a display unit
76
for indicating blood pressure measurements (maximum and minimum blood pressures), pulse rate and the like and an operation unit
77
for a power ON/OFF (measurement start/stop) switch and the like.
Sphygmomanometer
66
is used by wrapping cuff
84
around the wrist of the left arm with body
74
located on the inner side (palm side) of the left arm, for example. When cuff
84
(i.e. air bag) is inflated for measurement of blood pressure, cuff
84
pressurizes the inner side of the left arm. In order to prevent the air bag from expanding outward (toward body
74
), body
74
has its surface (back side) facing cuff
84
, that is formed into C-shape (recessed) according to the curve of the corresponding opposite portion of cuff
84
.
In order to realize a posture for measurement for allowing body
74
to be located on the inner side of the left arm, some heavy loads (mainly battery, motor, pump and the like) are arranged in sections
75
a
and
75
b
with the boundary represented by the dotted line in
FIG. 11
such that the weights of the loads are balanced. Then, the fitness of sphygmomanometer
66
to the wrist is improved.
Sphygmomanometer
66
shown in
FIG. 11
also requires that the measurement site (wrist) is matched with the heart in height for accurate measurement of blood pressure, and accordingly the wrist is placed lightly on the chest for measurement. This posture for measurement leads to a problem that sphygmomanometer
66
of this type cannot be reduced in size. Specifically, if the width of body
74
in the direction of extension of cuff
84
is decreased in order to avoid the side face of body
74
on the palm side from heavily pressing the chest, it would be difficult to balance the heavy loads in body
74
. Further, body
74
would become unstable on the inner side of the left arm, resulting in deteriorated fitness.
Since heavy internal components are arranged within body
74
with their weights well-balanced, body
74
fitted on the wrist (the cuff has not been wrapped therearound which means that the body is just put on the wrist) sits on the wrist in a stable manner. However, when cuff
84
is being wrapped around the wrist, one end of cuff
84
is pulled so that body
74
is likely to shift from its original position on the wrist. Consequently, body
74
which was balanced is going to turn along the wrist and the weight balance is lost. When cuff
84
is actually wrapped around the wrist, body
74
could be shifted from the original desired position and attached as it is to the wrist. Therefore, the attachment is troublesome because the wrapping must be done carefully.
The present invention is made to address these problems. One object of the invention is to provide a wrist sphygmomanometer which is easier to handle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a wrist sphygmomanometer to enable an accurate blood pressure measurement and an accurate blood pressure fluctuation to be obtained without restriction on the location for measuring blood pressure.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a wrist sphygmomanometer of a smaller size which is easily attached.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the objects above, a wrist sphygmomanometer according to the present invention includes a body and a cuff which is integrally attached to the body and wrapped around a wrist. The body is attached to the cuff such that the body is located on thumb side of the arm when the sphygmomanometer is fitted on the wrist.
When this sphygmomanometer is fitted on the wrist with its cuff wrapped around the wrist, the body is located on the thumb side of the arm, while the conventional sphygmomanometer has its body located on the inner side (palm side) of the arm. Therefore, the sphygmomanometer of the invention allows a measurement site (wrist) to be placed on the chest for measuring blood pressure. As a result, the distance between the measurement site and the chest becomes shorter, and the height of the measurement site can easily be matched with that of the chest. Precise measurement of blood pressure is thus possible. In addition, since there are fewer instances in which the height of the measurement site varies each time blood pressure is measured, the fluctuation of blood pressure can accurately be known. Further, since the posture can be realized such that the measurement site is placed on the chest, the armrest, table on which the elbow is rested, and the like are unnecessary and thus the location for measuring blood pressure is less limited. As a result, it is possible to provide a wrist sphygmomanometer which is easier to handle and which can take an accurate blood pressure measurement as well as a precise blood pressure fluctuation without limitation on the location for measuring blood pressure.
According to another aspect of the invention, a wrist sphygmomanometer includes a body having a power supply housing portion and a cuff which is integrally attached to the body and wrapped around a wrist. The body is attached to the cuff such that the body is located on thumb side of the arm when the sphygmomanometer is fitted on the wrist. The power sup
Kojima Iwao
Mori Kentaro
Nakagawa Akira
Tanaka Takahide
Carter Ryan
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Omron Corporation
Winakur Eric F.
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