Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
An apparatus for measuring a transmission velocity of a pulse wave comprising: sensor means for sensing heart sounds, and pulse wave signals at upstream and downstream sides of a blood flow; analog to digital conversion means, coupled to said sensor means, for converting signals from said sensor means from analog to digital form; data processing means, coupled to said analog to digital conversion means, for processing data received from said analog to digital conversion means; and display means, coupled to said data processing means, for displaying waveforms and numerical data received from said data processing means, wherein said data processing means comprises: first processor means, coupled to said analog to digital conversion means, for detecting a first heart sound and generating a marker signal; second and third processor means, coupled to said analog to digital conversion means, for transforming digital signals received from said analog to digital conversion means into data for display; fourth processor means, coupled to the first, second, and third processor means, for detecting the marker signal from the first processor means and obtaining predetermined data from the data received from said second and third processor means; fifth processor means, coupled to the second and third processor means, for temporarily storing data received from said second and third processor means; sixth processor means, coupled to said fourth processor means, for determining a transmission time of a pulse wave to derive a transmission velocity of the pulse wave; and seventh processor means, coupled to said sixth processor means, for transforming signals from the sixth processor means for display.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
260 words
An apparatus for measuring a transmission velocity of a pulse wave comprising: sensor means for sensing heart sounds, and pulse wave signals at upstream and downstream sides of a blood flow; analog to digital conversion means, coupled to said sensor means, for converting signals from said sensor means from analog to digital form; data processing means, coupled to said analog to digital conversion means, for processing data received from said analog to digital conversion means; and display means, coupled to said data processing means, for displaying waveforms and numerical data received from said data processing means, wherein said data processing means comprises: first processor means, coupled to said analog to digital conversion means, for detecting a first heart sound and generating a marker signal; second and third processor means, coupled to said analog to digital conversion means, for transforming digital signals received from said analog to digital conversion means into data for display; fourth processor means, coupled to the first, second, and third processor means, for detecting the marker signal from the first processor means and obtaining predetermined data from the data received from said second and third processor means; fifth processor means, coupled to the second and third processor means, for temporarily storing data received from said second and third processor means; sixth processor means, coupled to said fourth processor means, for determining a transmission time of a pulse wave to derive a transmission velocity of the pulse wave; and seventh processor means, coupled to said sixth processor means, for transforming signals from the sixth processor means for display.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means comprises a heart sound microphone, a pulse wave pick-up at the upstream side of the blood flow, a pulse wave pick-up at the downstream side of the blood flow, and respective pre-amplifiers, coupled to the microphone and pick-ups, for amplifying signals therefrom and providing the amplified signals to said analog to digital conversion means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said analog to digital conversion means comprises at least one series connection of a filter, a sample and hold circuit, an analog to digital converter, and an interface circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means comprises waveform display devices for displaying waveforms based on outputs from said fifth and said seventh processor means, and a numerical data display device for displaying numerical data based on output from said sixth processor means.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
178 words
A method of measuring a transmission velocity of a pulse wave, comprising the steps of: receiving heart sound signals and pulse wave signals associated with the pulse wave at an upstream and a downstream side of a blood flow; detecting a first heart sound from the heart sound signals received in said receiving step; obtaining a pulse wave signal at the upstream side of the blood flow and a pulse wave signal at the downstream side of the blood flow based on the first heart sound signal; detecting a comparison reference point based on the first heart sound signal and the pulse wave signals at the upstream side of the blood flow and the downstream side of the blood flow; performing waveform coincidence processing for the pulse wave signals at the upstream side of the blood flow and the downstream side of the blood flow and, based on the waveform coincidence processing, measuring a transmission time of the pulse wave; and deriving a transmission velocity of the pulse wave using the measured transmission time of the pulse wave.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
178 words
A method of measuring a transmission velocity of a pulse wave, comprising the steps of: receiving heart sound signals and pulse wave signals associated with the pulse wave at an upstream and a downstream side of a blood flow; detecting a first heart sound from the heart sound signals received in said receiving step; obtaining a pulse wave signal at the upstream side of the blood flow and a pulse wave signal at the downstream side of the blood flow based on the first heart sound signal; detecting a comparison reference point based on the first heart sound signal and the pulse wave signals at the upstream side of the blood flow and the downstream side of the blood flow; performing waveform coincidence processing for the pulse wave signals at the upstream side of the blood flow and the downstream side of the blood flow and, based on the waveform coincidence processing, measuring a transmission time of the pulse wave; and deriving a transmission velocity of the pulse wave using the measured transmission time of the pulse wave.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the step of detecting the first sound from the heart sound signals, further comprises superimposing a marker signal on the detected first heart sound signal, and, wherein the step of detecting the comparison reference point, further comprises detecting the marker signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the step of obtaining of the pulse wave signal at the upstream side of the blood flow and at the downstream side of the blood flow further comprises: acquiring data within a predetermined length of time from the detection of the marker signal, obtaining lowest points and highest points of amplitudes of the pulse waves at the upstream and downstream sides of the blood flow, deriving the comparison reference points are derived from the acquired data, and obtaining a time difference between the derived comparison reference points is obtained.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein the measuring of the transmission time further comprises: performing a waveform coincidence processing by a least square method for predetermined ranges from the comparison reference points based on the comparison reference points and the time difference therebetween, and based on the waveform coincidence processing, measuring the transmission time of the pulse wave.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein data processing in the method steps is carried out by using a parallel digital data processing system, a real time processing in synchronization with the heart beat being thereby achieved.