JP2010069021A - Biological information detector and bed apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a biological information detector which can reduce false detections. <P>SOLUTION: The detector comprises a detecting portion 10 which detects strain due to pressure and a pressure-transmitting member 11 which can resiliently transform by pressure from a pressure detection direction K. The detecting portion 10 and the pressure-transmitting member 11 communicate through an insensible space P with a size S between which the detecting portion 10 and the pressure-transmitting member 11 contacts each other at a threshold level of prescribed or higher pressure. When no living body is present, even if small vibration is given, the pressure is not transmitted to the detecting portion 10 and so no signal are output from the detecting portion 10 because the insensible space P is present between the detecting portion 10 and the pressure-transmitting member 11. When a prescribed or higher pressure is applied to the pressure-transmitting member 11 e.g. a living body gets on it, it resiliently transforms until the insensible space P disappears, and contacts the detecting portion 10 to achieve high sensitivity. Even when the pressure-transmitting member 11 does not contact the detecting portion 10, the detecting portion 10 transforms and strains by application of big vibration from the outside. Consequently, the detecting portion 10 outputs signals according to its strain. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a biological information detector whose sensitivity changes depending on the state of use, and a bed apparatus employing the biological information detector.

In order to detect biological information, a bedtime monitor device having a pressure detection unit is disclosed (Patent Document 1). This bedtime monitor device is “a sensing unit for detecting a biological reaction such as breathing, heartbeat, and body movement at bedtime includes a pair of plates (4, 5) and a pressure-sensitive sensor (6). A pair of plates (4, 5) are arranged in a substantially triangular shape between the mat and the bed placed on the lower side of the head of the sleeping person. (5), one side of both plates (4, 5) is connected by a hinge (10), and is provided so as to be rotatable about the hinge (10). A rubber protrusion (11) is attached to the rotating end toward the lower plate (5) The pressure sensor (6) is a rotating end (corner) of the lower plate (5). It is installed at a position opposite to the rubber protrusion (11) attached to the upper plate (4). Sleeper's weight applied to the upper plate (4) (the weight of the main head) is applied via the rubber projections (11). "Is intended. Claim 5 of Patent Document 1 discloses a device having a dead zone for a pressure lower than an in-bed determination value as a pressure sensitive means.
JP-A-2001-401 (Claims 1, 5, etc.)

  By the way, since vibrations by a living body such as respiration and heartbeat are minute, a sensor for detecting living body information is required to be very sensitive. Therefore, even when a small vibration is applied to the bed, such as throwing an object on the bed or touching the bed surface, the sensor outputs a large signal, causing erroneous detection. For this reason, it is necessary to add complicated logic in order to distinguish the signal from the living body.

  In addition, if the measurement circuit is optimized for detecting biological information that is minute vibrations, the sensor signal exceeds the measurement range when there is a large body movement on the bed, and therefore the size of the body movement cannot be determined. Further, as in Patent Document 1, by providing a dead zone in the pressure sensor, it becomes impossible to detect the pressure at all unless a pressure exceeding the dead zone is applied.

  The present invention has been completed in view of the above circumstances, and solves the problem of providing a biological information detector capable of reducing erroneous detection and a bed apparatus capable of reliably detecting biological information using the biological information detector. It should be a challenge.

The biological information detector according to claim 1 that solves the above problem is applied from a detection unit that detects distortion caused by an applied pressure, and a pressure detection direction that is a direction in which pressure from a detection target is applied. A pressure transmission member that is elastically deformable in a direction in which the detection unit is pressed by the pressure of
The detection unit and the pressure transmission member are configured so that the pressure of the detection unit and the pressure transmission member when a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value that can be arbitrarily set as a threshold value of the measurable pressure is applied to the pressure transmission member from the pressure detection direction. It exists in being arrange | positioned through the dead space which is the clearance gap in the said pressure detection direction formed in the magnitude | size which contacts between.

  The biological information detector according to claim 2 that solves the above-described problem is characterized in that, in claim 1, the pressure transmission member is provided with the detection portion attached to an inner surface, and is axially perpendicular to the pressure detection direction. It is that it is the cylindrical member which faced.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the biological information detector according to the first aspect, wherein the pressure transmission member is provided with the detection portion on one opposing surface, and the thickness direction faces the pressure detection direction. A pair of film sheets arranged in parallel, and a spacer interposed between the pair of film sheets to form the dead space.

  A feature of the biological information detector according to a fourth aspect that solves the above-described problem is that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the detection section is formed of a thin film piezoelectric element. .

The feature of the bed apparatus according to claim 5 for solving the above problem is that the mattress body for the living body lays down,
A biological information detector array in which a plurality of the biological information detectors according to any one of claims 1 to 4 are arranged in the form of dots in the horizontal spreading direction of the mattress;
Biological information calculation means for processing pressure fluctuations detected by each of the plurality of biological information detectors;
Have
The predetermined pressure value is set to be equal to or less than a pressure value applied when the living body lies on the mattress body.

The bed apparatus according to claim 6 for solving the above-described problem is characterized in that, in claim 5, the biological information calculation means includes a plurality of the biological information detectors.
Detecting a heartbeat and / or respiration by a part of a living body information detector to which a living body is located and a pressure higher than the predetermined pressure value is applied;
The object is to detect a large body movement by the remaining living body information detection body to which a living body is not positioned and a pressure less than the predetermined pressure value is applied.

  The bed apparatus according to claim 7 that solves the above-described problem is the bed apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the biological information calculation means detects a pressure value that is equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value among the plurality of biological information detectors. There is provided a position calculating means for determining that the living body is located.

  The biological information detecting body according to claim 1 configured as described above has the above-described configuration, and therefore exhibits the following operational effects. When a biological information detector such as a bed is applied, and there is no living body such as a person, even if a small vibration is applied to the biological information detector through the target, such as a light touch, the detection unit and the pressure transmission There is a dead space between the members and no pressure is transmitted to the detection unit, so no signal is output from the detection unit.

  On the other hand, when a pressure higher than an assumed predetermined pressure value is applied to the pressure transmission member such as when a living body is on top, the pressure transmission member is elastically deformed until there is no dead space, and the pressure transmission member is detected by the detection unit. To come into contact. As a result, the pressure is transmitted to the detection unit as it is, so that even a slight pressure change (due to heartbeat, respiration, etc.) generated by the living body can be detected with high sensitivity. Therefore, it is possible to easily distinguish vibrations generated by heartbeat or breathing from vibrations generated by light touch. Further, it can be determined from a signal when the pressure transmission member comes into contact with the detection unit that there is no dead space for body movement such as turning over. That is, a large input can be measured until the magnitude applied to the pressure transmission member reaches a predetermined pressure value, and a small input can be measured when the pressure transmission member exceeds the predetermined pressure value.

  Here, Patent Document 1 also discloses a configuration that employs pressure-sensitive means having a dead zone. However, in the present invention, a strain sensor that does not have a dead zone is used as the detection unit, and thus a large external force is applied. Even if the pressure transmission member is not in contact with the detection unit because the dead space remains, the vibration is slightly applied to the detection unit due to large external vibrations such as jumping. The detection unit is distorted by the transmission and vibration. As a result, the detection unit outputs a signal according to the distortion.

  Therefore, it is possible to distinguish and detect weak vibrations such as heartbeats, body movements caused by turning over, large vibrations caused by jumping, and the like without using particularly complicated logic as means for performing signal processing. In particular, as in the invention described in claim 4, by forming the detection unit from a thin film piezoelectric element, the detection unit can be greatly deformed even with a small external force, and output from the detection unit by pressure transmission. The signal becomes a differential value of the magnitude of distortion. Therefore, the input from the outside can be measured with high sensitivity.

  The biological information detector according to claim 2 configured as described above can be easily manufactured. Similarly, the third embodiment can be easily manufactured.

  In the bed apparatus according to claim 5 configured as described above, the biological information can be detected with high accuracy in each part of the bed by arranging a plurality of the biological information detectors in the form of dots. In particular, by configuring as in the sixth aspect, it is possible to detect biological information having a wide range of sizes with high sensitivity. Furthermore, by configuring as in the sixth aspect, it is possible to detect the position where the living body exists based on the biological information detected by the respective biological information detection bodies arranged. In particular, even when not directly riding on the biological information detection body, it can be detected when a large vibration (such as being placed on a bed apparatus) is applied, so that the position information of the living body can be obtained with higher accuracy. It can be detected.

(Biological information detector)
Hereinafter, the biological information detector of the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments. The biological information detection body of this embodiment has a detection part and a pressure transmission member. The detection unit is a strain sensor that detects strain. Although it does not specifically limit as a strain sensor, It is desirable to form from a piezoelectric element. Moreover, it is desirable to use a thin film shape in which pressure is applied in the thickness direction.

  The pressure transmission member is a member that is elastically deformed by the pressure applied from the detection target. The elastically deformed pressure transmission member presses the detection unit. The deformation is performed so as to press the detection unit at least when the pressure is applied from the direction in which the pressure is applied from the detection target (pressure detection direction). The pressure transmission member and the detection unit are disposed through a dead space that is a gap in the pressure detection direction. The pressure transmission member cannot contact the detection unit unless it is elastically deformed by the size of the dead space in the pressure detection direction, and blocks the pressure change from the outside from the detection unit by the size of the dead space. The size of the dead space is determined by a predetermined pressure value that can be arbitrarily set as a pressure threshold value that can be measured by the biological information detector of the present embodiment. The pressure transmission member and the detection unit are formed in such a size that the detection unit and the pressure transmission member come into contact with each other when a pressure higher than a predetermined pressure value is applied to the pressure transmission member from the pressure detection direction until the pressure transmission member and the detection unit come into contact with each other. It is sufficient that the dead space exists in at least a part between the pressure transmission member and the detection unit. For example, in the case where the pressure transmission member is configured to transmit pressure by sandwiching the thin-film detection unit from the thickness direction, a dead space is provided between one surface side of the detection unit and the pressure transmission member, and the other surface It is also possible to adopt a form in which the side is directly fixed to the pressure transmission member. Further, even when a dead space is provided on one surface side, it is not essential to dispose the pressure transmission member over the entire surface of the detection unit via the dead space, and a form in which part of the pressure contact member is in contact can also be adopted.

  Although it does not specifically limit as a shape of a pressure transmission member, A cylinder shape, flat plate shape, etc. are mentioned. Examples of the cylindrical form include a flat form that is flat in the direction perpendicular to the pressure detection direction. The axial direction of the pressure transmission member adopting the tubular form is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the pressure detection direction. A detection part is attached to the inner surface of a cylindrical form. The detection unit is preferably in the form of a thin film having a thickness direction in the pressure detection direction. A dead space is interposed in the pressure detection direction between the pressure transmission member and the one surface side of the detection unit. As a flat form, a pair of film sheets can be exemplified. Attached to one opposing surface of the pair of film sheets on one surface side of the detection unit. A dead space is interposed between the other surface side of the detection unit and the other film sheet. A spacer having a thickness that forms a gap corresponding to the thickness of the detection portion and the size of the dead space is interposed between the pair of film sheets. An example of the spacer is an annular member that can surround the detection unit.

(Bed equipment)
The bed apparatus has a mattress for a living body to lay, a biological information detection array in which a plurality of the biological information detection bodies of the present embodiment described above are combined, and a biological information calculation means. At least a part of the mattress is made of a soft member, and a living body information detection array is disposed inside or on the surface of the soft member. The biological information detection array is configured by disposing a plurality of detectors in the form of dots in the spreading direction of the mattress. By arranging a plurality of biological information detectors, the living body is located, and the biological information detector to which a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value is detected detects heartbeats and respiration that are minute vibrations, and the living body is not located. Large body movements such as turning over or jumping onto a bed, which are large vibrations, can be detected by other biological information detection bodies to which only a pressure less than a predetermined pressure value is applied. Furthermore, information including movement in the width direction of the living body can be obtained by arranging the biological information detection bodies side by side in the width direction of the mattress. In particular, it is possible to obtain important information such as heartbeat and respiration by arranging it near the chest. The biological information calculation means is means for detecting the state of the living body on the mattress in more detail by analyzing the detection results by the respective detection units, and can be realized by logic on the computer. For example, it can be detected that the living body is approaching the end of the mattress and is about to fall. There is a method for inferring that the position of the living body is located at a position where a body to which a pressure higher than a predetermined pressure value is applied among a plurality of biological information detection bodies provided in the biological information detection array.

  Hereinafter, the biological information detector and the bed apparatus of the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the biological information detector 1 of the present embodiment includes a detection unit 10 and a pressure transmission member 11. The pressure transmission member 11 is formed of an elastic body such as resin and has a cylindrical shape that is flat and flat in the direction perpendicular to the pressure detection direction K. The axial direction of the pressure transmission member 11 is perpendicular to the pressure detection direction K. Such a pressure transmission member 11 is provided with a detection unit 10 on the inner surface. The detection unit 10 is in the form of a thin film having a thickness direction in the pressure detection direction K.

  Between the pressure transmission member 11 and the detection unit 10, a dead space P having a size S in the pressure detection direction K is interposed (FIG. 1A). By applying an external force F (when the pressure is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure value) from the pressure detection direction K, it is deformed so that the dead space P disappears, and the detection unit 10 is pressed from the thickness direction by the pressure transmission member 11. (FIG. 1B). When the applied pressure is less than the predetermined pressure value, the deformation of the pressure transmission member 11 is reduced, and the dead space P remains, so that the pressure is directly transmitted from the pressure transmission member 11 to the detection unit 10. Not done. Even when only a pressure less than the predetermined pressure value is applied, the detection unit 10 itself does not have a dead zone, and therefore, if the vibration is large, the vibration is transmitted to the detection unit 10 (FIG. 1A ) Vibration can be transmitted only from below. As a result, vibrations having a wide range of magnitudes from small vibrations such as heartbeats to large vibrations in large body movements can be detected by one sensor.

  The size of the predetermined pressure value can be arbitrarily adjusted by changing the size S of the dead space P, the material forming the pressure transmission member 11, the thickness, the length in the axial direction, and the like. The pressure transmission member 11 of this form can be formed by simple extrusion or the like and can be easily manufactured.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIG. 2, the biological information detector 2 of the present embodiment includes a detection unit 20 and a pressure transmission member 21. The pressure transmission member 21 is formed of an elastic body such as a resin, and the pressure transmission member includes a pair of disk-shaped film sheets 21 and 22 and a spacer 23 disposed therebetween. The pair of film sheets 21 and 22 are arranged side by side with the thickness direction in the pressure detection direction K. Of the pair of film sheets 21 and 22, one surface side of the detection unit 20 is attached to the facing surface of one film sheet 22.

  A dead space P (a size in the pressure detection direction K is S) is provided between the other surface side of the detection unit 20 and the other film sheet 22. The size of the dead space P can be adjusted by the thickness of the spacer 23. The spacer 23 has an annular shape. The detection unit 20 is in the form of a thin film having a thickness direction in the pressure detection direction K. When an external force F (having a magnitude equal to or larger than a predetermined pressure value) is applied from the pressure detection direction K, the film sheet 21 (and / or 22) bends so that the dead space P disappears, and the detection unit 20 The film sheets 21 and 22 are pressed from the thickness direction (FIG. 2B).

  When the applied pressure is less than the predetermined pressure value, the deformation of the film sheet 21 (and / or 22) is reduced, and the dead space P remains, so that the pressure from the film sheets 21 and 22 toward the detection unit 20 is maintained. No direct communication is made. The size of the predetermined pressure value can be arbitrarily adjusted by changing the size S of the dead space P, the material / thickness forming the film sheets 21 and 22, the inner diameter of the spacer 23, and the like.

  Of the film sheets 21 and 22, the film sheet 22 can be omitted. When the film sheet 22 is omitted, the same effect can be exhibited by attaching the detection unit to an arbitrary base (such as a base of a bed apparatus or a skeleton of a chair).

(Embodiment 3)
As shown in FIG. 3, the biological information detector 3 of the present embodiment is a pressure transmission member 1 having a diameter similar to that of the detector 30 on the other surface side of the detector 30 in the biological information detector of the second embodiment. A film sheet 34 is provided, and the thickness of the spacer 33 is increased by the thickness of the film sheet 34. By providing the film sheet 34, the thickness of the biological information detector 3 can be increased without changing the predetermined pressure value, and the durability of the detection unit 30 can be improved.

(Embodiment 4)
(Constitution)
As shown in FIG. 4, the bed apparatus B of the present embodiment includes a biological information detection array 40 and a mattress body 50. The biological information detection array 40 includes the biological information detectors 1 of the first embodiment (setting the pressure when the user H lies on the bed apparatus B as a predetermined pressure value) in the longitudinal direction x 2 in the width direction ( A total of 6 pieces) are arranged and sandwiched by urethane foam cushions 41 and 42 from both sides in the thickness direction (pressure detection direction K) of each pressure transmission member 11. The cushions 41 and 42 are fixed with an adhesive. A signal line 15 extends from each of the plurality of biological information detectors 1 and transmits signals detected from the respective biological information detectors 1.

  The six signal lines 15 are combined into a collective signal line 16, and transmitted to the biological information calculating means 70 through the signal processing means 60 via the connector 17 and the collective signal line 18. The signal line 15 held between the cushions 41 and 42 is also fixed to the cushions 41 and 42. The living body information detection array 50 is formed by wrapping the outer sides of the cushions 41 and 42 with a sheet member 43 made of cloth or the like and thermally fusing the peripheral portion (FIG. 5). A holding member 44 is fixed to the sheet member 43. The holding member 44 is a hook-and-loop fastener.

  This biological information detection array 40 is disposed in the mattress body 50 (FIG. 4). The mattress main body 50 is provided with a mattress main body 51 formed with a recess that is large enough to accommodate a user H who is supposed to lie above the center, and a mattress surface 52 that can be fitted into the recess without any gaps. And a holding member 53 that is formed of a hook-and-loop fastener corresponding to the holding member 44 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the mattress main body 41 and attached to the surface of the recess. The biological information detection array 40 is disposed with a holding member 44 fixed to a holding member 53. The biological information detection array 40 is arranged with its longitudinal direction facing the width direction of the bed apparatus B. The biological information detection array 40 is disposed in the bed device B where the heart, lungs, and shoulders of the user H are located.

(Function and effect)
Since it has the above structure, the bed apparatus of this embodiment exhibits the following effects. That is, since it is disposed at a position close to the user's heart or the like, the biological information emitted by the user can be detected with high sensitivity. In particular, the biological information detector 1 employed in the biological information detection array 40 changes the sensitivity of detecting vibration between a state in which a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value is applied and a state in which a pressure is not applied. Can be obtained. Specifically, in a state where the user H is positioned on the biological information detector 1 and a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value is applied, the sensitivity of the biological information detection is improved. It can be acquired with high sensitivity. On the other hand, when the user H is not located on the biological information detection body 1, the sensitivity of the biological information detection body 1 decreases, so that even if an action such as pointing the surface of the mattress surface portion 52 is performed, the detection is performed. As a result, noise is reduced. Even if the user H is not up and the sensitivity is low, if there is a large body movement, vibration is slightly transmitted to the detection unit 10 included in the biological information detector 1 and detected. Become.

  In this way, it is possible to accurately detect from biological information such as heartbeats that are small vibrations to large body movements that are large vibrations. In addition, since a plurality of biological information detectors 1 are arranged in the width direction of the bed apparatus B, it is possible to detect whether there is a user H on the bed apparatus B, as well as from each of the biological information detectors 1. It is also possible to detect the position where the user H is on the bed apparatus B from the detection result.

It is (a) and (b) cross-sectional schematic diagram of the biological information detection body in Embodiment 1, (c) It is a perspective view. It is the (a) and (b) cross-sectional schematic diagram of the biological information detection body in Embodiment 2, (c) It is an exploded perspective view. It is the (a) and (b) cross-sectional schematic diagram of the biological information detection body in Embodiment 3, (c) It is a perspective view. It is the (a) upper surface schematic diagram of the bed apparatus in Embodiment 4, (b) It is sectional drawing. 6 is a schematic top view of a biological information detection array in Embodiment 4. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 3, ... biological information detector 10, 20, 30 ... detector 11, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 34 ... pressure transmission member 40 ... biological information detection array 50 ... mattress body 51 ... mattress Main body 52 ... Mattress surface 60 ... Signal processing means 70 ... Biological information calculation means

Claims (7)

A detection unit that detects distortion caused by an applied pressure, and a pressure transmission member that is elastically deformable in a direction in which the detection unit is pressed by pressure applied from a pressure detection direction that is a direction in which pressure from a detection target is applied And
The detection unit and the pressure transmission member are configured so that the pressure of the detection unit and the pressure transmission member when a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value that can be arbitrarily set as a threshold value of the measurable pressure is applied to the pressure transmission member from the pressure detection direction. A biological information detector, which is disposed through a dead space which is a gap in the pressure detection direction and is formed in such a size as to contact each other.   The biological information detector according to claim 1, wherein the pressure transmission member is a cylindrical member having the detection unit attached to an inner surface and having an axial direction perpendicular to the pressure detection direction.   The pressure transmission member is provided between the pair of film sheets, the detection unit being attached to one opposing surface, and arranged in parallel with the pressure detection direction facing the thickness direction, and the insensitiveness. The living body information detector according to claim 1 provided with the spacer which forms space.   The living body information detection object according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is formed of a thin film piezoelectric element. A mattress body for the living body to lie down;
A biological information detector array in which a plurality of the biological information detectors according to any one of claims 1 to 4 are arranged in the form of dots in the horizontal spreading direction of the mattress;
Biological information calculation means for processing pressure fluctuations detected by each of the plurality of biological information detectors;
Have
The bed apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined pressure value is set to be equal to or less than a pressure value applied when the living body lies on the mattress body. The biological information calculation means includes a plurality of the biological information detectors.
Detecting a heartbeat and / or respiration by a part of a living body information detector to which a living body is located and a pressure higher than the predetermined pressure value is applied;
The bed apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a large body motion is detected by a remaining living body information detection body to which a living body is not positioned and a pressure less than the predetermined pressure value is applied.   The bed according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the biological information calculation means includes a position calculation means for determining that the living body is located at a part where a pressure value equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value is detected among the plurality of biological information detection bodies. apparatus.

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