Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
277 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer, comprising: pressure detecting means for detecting a cuff pressure; first pressure-increasing means for increasing said cuff pressure at a high pressure-increasing rate; pulse-wave signal detecting means for detecting the amplitude of a pulse-wave signal of a subject while said first pressure-increasing means is increasing said cuff pressure; predicting means for predicting predicted maximal and minimal blood pressures from the amplitude of said pulse-wave signal; first determining means for determining whether said cuff pressure has increased to a predetermined level below said predicted maximal blood pressure; second pressure-increasing means for increasing said cuff pressure at a low pressure-increasing rate slower than said high pressure-increasing rate of said first pressure-increasing means when said first determining means has determined that said cuff pressure is at least as high as the predetermined level below said predicted maximal blood pressure; maximal blood pressure measuring means for measuring a measured maximal blood pressure while said second pressure-increasing means is increasing said cuff pressure; first pressure-reducing means for reducing said cuff pressure at a high pressure-reducing rate immediately after said measured maximal blood pressure has been measured; second determining means for determining whether said cuff pressure has decreased to a predetermined level above said predicted minimal blood pressure; second pressure-reducing means for reducing said cuff pressure at a low pressure-reducing rate slower than said high pressure-reducing rate of said first pressure-reducing means after said second determining means has determined that said cuff pressure is at least as low as a predetermined level above said predicted minimal blood pressure; and minimal blood pressure measuring means for measuring a measured minimal blood pressure while said second pressure-reducing means is reducing said cuff pressure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
277 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer, comprising: pressure detecting means for detecting a cuff pressure; first pressure-increasing means for increasing said cuff pressure at a high pressure-increasing rate; pulse-wave signal detecting means for detecting the amplitude of a pulse-wave signal of a subject while said first pressure-increasing means is increasing said cuff pressure; predicting means for predicting predicted maximal and minimal blood pressures from the amplitude of said pulse-wave signal; first determining means for determining whether said cuff pressure has increased to a predetermined level below said predicted maximal blood pressure; second pressure-increasing means for increasing said cuff pressure at a low pressure-increasing rate slower than said high pressure-increasing rate of said first pressure-increasing means when said first determining means has determined that said cuff pressure is at least as high as the predetermined level below said predicted maximal blood pressure; maximal blood pressure measuring means for measuring a measured maximal blood pressure while said second pressure-increasing means is increasing said cuff pressure; first pressure-reducing means for reducing said cuff pressure at a high pressure-reducing rate immediately after said measured maximal blood pressure has been measured; second determining means for determining whether said cuff pressure has decreased to a predetermined level above said predicted minimal blood pressure; second pressure-reducing means for reducing said cuff pressure at a low pressure-reducing rate slower than said high pressure-reducing rate of said first pressure-reducing means after said second determining means has determined that said cuff pressure is at least as low as a predetermined level above said predicted minimal blood pressure; and minimal blood pressure measuring means for measuring a measured minimal blood pressure while said second pressure-reducing means is reducing said cuff pressure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, including means for energizing said first pressure-increasing means after said cuff pressure has reached approximately 20 mmHg, said cuff pressure being rapidly increased until said cuff pressure reaches approximately 20 mmHg.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, wherein said high pressure-increasing rate of said first pressure-increasing means is approximately 50 mmHg/7 seconds.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, wherein said predicting means predicts said predicted maximal and minimal blood pressure by utilizing a proportion of the amplitude of said pulse-wave signal to the maximum amplitude thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined level below said predicted maximal blood pressure is a pressure corresponding to the maximum amplitude of said pulse-wave signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, wherein the low pressure-increasing rate of said second pressure-increasing means is approximately 50 mmHg/12 seconds.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, wherein said first pressure-reducing means is energized by opening an exhaust valve.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 1, said predetermined level above said predicted minimal blood pressure is equal to approximately 10 mmHg plus a pressure corresponding to the maximum amplitude of said pulse-wave signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 8, wherein said pressure reducing rate of said second pressure-reducing means is approximately 50 mmHg/12 seconds.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 8, further comprising means for rapidly exhausting cuff charged air after said measuring means has measured said minimal blood pressure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
An automatic sphygmomanometer according to claim 8 further including a limiter means for preventing said cuff pressure from exceeding a predetermined pressure.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
148 words
A method for automatically measuring blood pressure, comprising the steps of: (a) detecting a cuff pressure; (b) increasing the cuff pressure at a first pressure-increasing rate; (c) detecting the amplitude of a pulse-wave signal of a subject while the cuff pressure is increasing at the first pressure-increasing rate in step (b); (d) predicting a predicted maximal blood pressure from the amplitude of the pulse-wave; (e) determining whether the cuff pressure has increased to a predetermined level below the predicted maximal blood pressure; (f) increasing the cuff pressure at a second pressure-increasing rate slower than the first pressure-increasing rate after said determining in step (e); (g) measuring a measured maximal blood pressure while the cuff pressure is increasing at the second pressure-increasing rate in step (f); and (h) ending said increasing in step (f) after said measuring in step (g) of the measured maximum blood pressure has been completed.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
148 words
A method for automatically measuring blood pressure, comprising the steps of: (a) detecting a cuff pressure; (b) increasing the cuff pressure at a first pressure-increasing rate; (c) detecting the amplitude of a pulse-wave signal of a subject while the cuff pressure is increasing at the first pressure-increasing rate in step (b); (d) predicting a predicted maximal blood pressure from the amplitude of the pulse-wave; (e) determining whether the cuff pressure has increased to a predetermined level below the predicted maximal blood pressure; (f) increasing the cuff pressure at a second pressure-increasing rate slower than the first pressure-increasing rate after said determining in step (e); (g) measuring a measured maximal blood pressure while the cuff pressure is increasing at the second pressure-increasing rate in step (f); and (h) ending said increasing in step (f) after said measuring in step (g) of the measured maximum blood pressure has been completed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
114 words
A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of: (i) reducing the cuff pressure at a first pressure-reducing rate immediately after said ending in step (h); (j) predicting a minimal blood pressure from the amplitude of the pulse-wave signal; (k) determining whether the cuff pressure has decreased to a second predetermined level above the predicted minimal blood pressure; (l) reducing the pressure at a second pressure-reducing rate slower than the first pressure-reducing rate after said determining in step (k) has determined that the cuff pressure has reached the second predetermined level above the predicted minimal blood pressure; and (m) measuring a measured minimal blood pressure during said decreasing in step (l).