JP5830120B2 - Method and apparatus for upgrading biological information monitor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an upgrade method for enhancing the function of a biological information monitor such as an old-type pulse oximeter and an upgrade apparatus therefor.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (a), a conventional pulse oximeter for measuring oxygen saturation is attached to a monitor body (for example, fingertip), and a sensor 1 is attached to a monitor body (oximeter body) 10 and necessary. The display signal was processed as a sensor signal and output as a display.

FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional pulse oximeter.
A conventional pulse oximeter includes a sensor and a monitor (oximeter) main body.

  The sensor includes an infrared light LED that irradiates the fingertip with infrared light, a red light LED that irradiates the fingertip with red light, a light-receiving diode that receives infrared light and red light transmitted through the fingertip, and a sensor. And an identification ID.

The oximeter body includes an LED drive circuit that supplies drive signals to the infrared light LED and the red light LED, an infrared light signal (hereinafter referred to as an IR signal), and a red light received from the output signal from the light receiving diode. A signal processing unit that performs processing such as extraction of an optical signal (hereinafter referred to as R signal) and an output signal from the signal processing unit and a signal given from the sensor identification ID are input, and oxygen saturation (SpO2 value) is output. It has an SpO2 arithmetic processing unit and a display unit for displaying SpO2 values.
In order to display the pulse waveform, the extracted IR signal or R signal is converted into an appropriate signal size via the SpO2 arithmetic processing unit and then supplied to the display unit.

In the pulse oximeter configured as described above, infrared light and red light are alternately generated as shown in FIG.
And the light which permeate | transmitted the fingertip is received with a light receiving diode, and the signal synchronized with each LED is obtained (refer FIG.6 (b)).

In summary, the IR signal and R signal shown in FIG. 6C can be obtained by applying pulse irradiation to the pulse wave of the living body. Also, if these envelopes are IR and R,
IR = dIR (variation component) + IRDC (DC component)
R = dR (change component) + RDC (DC component)
Can be expressed as Then, the SpO2 value can be calculated from the value of (dIR / IRDC) / (dR / RDC).

  As an upgrade method for removing noise due to body movement in a conventional pulse oximeter and enhancing the measurement function, an adapter is inserted between the sensor unit and the oximeter body, and the light receiving means and sensor provided in the sensor unit First processing means for receiving a signal from the identification ID and outputting an oxygen saturation signal and an infrared light signal; generating a red light signal based on the infrared light signal; and generating the infrared light signal and the generated A device including a second processing means for outputting a red light signal and a sensor identification ID is known. (See Patent Document 1)

  And in the said structure, in a 1st process part, SpO2 value is calculated from the infrared-light signal and red light signal which are output from the light-receiving means of a sensor part. The first processing unit outputs the calculated SpO2 value and the infrared light waveform signal as digital values to the second processing unit. The second processing unit generates an analog red light waveform signal based on the input SpO2 value and the infrared light waveform signal and reproduces the infrared light waveform signal as an analog waveform. Therefore, the infrared light waveform signal and the red light waveform signal are input to the oximeter body as analog waveforms, and the oximeter body receives SpO2, beats based on the two analog waveform signals of the input infrared light and red light. The number is calculated and displayed together with the waveform signal if necessary.

  Body movement noise is removed in the process of processing in the adapter. A known method may be adopted as a method for removing body movement noise. If the adapter has a body motion noise removal function, the correct SpO2 value and beat number can be obtained even if the oximeter body is an old type that does not have such a function.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-210438

  However, in the conventional upgrade method, the biological signal processing is executed by both the upgrade device and the monitor main body connected between the sensor and the monitor main body, so that the signal processing becomes two stages and the delay time increases. There was a problem.

  In addition, since the signal input to the monitor main body is a signal processed by the upgrade apparatus, there is a problem that the original signal detected by the sensor cannot be observed.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for upgrading the function of a biological information monitor capable of reducing a delay in signal processing time and / or observing a waveform of biological information detected by a sensor by a monitor body, and therefore It is to provide an upgrade device.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the upgrade method calculates the detected biological signal waveform detected by the sensor and outputs the first measured value data and the first biological signal waveform corresponding to the first measured value data to the outside. A method of upgrading a monitor main body using a biological signal processing device capable of outputting as digital data and / or analog data, the step of installing software for processing a signal from the upgrade device in the monitor main body, and the biological signal Connecting the upgrade device between the processing device and the monitor main body, and analyzing and calculating digital data and / or analog data received from the biological signal processing device in the upgrade device, A second biological signal waveform corresponding to the second measurement value data is obtained. A step of transmitting the second measurement value data and a second biological signal waveform corresponding to the second measurement value data to the monitor body as an analog signal; and at least a second measurement value in the monitor body Or a step of displaying one of the second biological signal waveforms.

The measurement value data is a digital signal including at least oxygen saturation or / and a pulse rate, the biological signal waveform is a pulse wave waveform, and an infrared light pulse wave waveform detected by the sensor and The measurement value data and the biological signal waveform, which are at least one analog signal of a red light pulse wave waveform, are modulated in synchronization with the drive signal and sent to the monitor body.
In addition, the measurement value transmitted from the upgrade device to the monitor main body is converted into amplitude information for each biological information unit and sequentially transmitted as a time-division serial signal.

The measurement value transmitted from the upgrade device to the monitor main body is converted into code data for each biometric information unit and sequentially transmitted as a time-division serial signal.
In addition, before and after the time-divided serial signal, a synchronization signal for the monitor body to identify the serial signal is added.

  An upgrade device for solving the above-described problems is an upgrade device connected between a biological signal processing device and a monitor body, and analyzes and calculates digital data and / or analog data received from the biological signal processing device. Measurement value / status data generation means for generating measurement value data and / or status data, waveform data generation means for generating the pulse waveform corresponding to the calculated measurement value data, and the measurement value / status data And generating means for modulating the output of the waveform data generating means in synchronism with the drive signal and outputting the analog signal as an analog signal.

  In the upgrade apparatus, the generation unit and the sending unit are included in a part of a connection line connecting the sensor and the monitor body.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the upgrade method of the function of the biological information monitor which can reduce the delay of the processing time of a signal and / or can observe the waveform of the biological information detected with the sensor by the monitor main body, and for that An upgrade device can be realized.

It is a block block diagram which shows an example of the upgrade method which is a reference example. It is a block block diagram which shows an example of the upgrade method which is embodiment of the upgrade apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 1st signal form example of the 1st signal and 2nd signal which are output to the monitor main body from the upgrade apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 2nd signal form example of the 1st signal output to the monitor main body from the upgrade apparatus of this invention, and a 2nd signal. It is a figure which shows the outline and the structure of the conventional pulse oximeter which measures oxygen saturation. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted / received between the sensor of the conventional pulse oximeter, and the monitor main body.

Next, a reference example and a biological information monitor upgrade method and upgrade apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an upgrade method as a reference example.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a sensor, which is the same as the conventional sensor 1 of FIG. 5, 3 is a monitor body, and the conventional monitor body 10 of FIG. 5 receives an analog signal received from the sensor on the display unit 3-5. A second biological signal processing unit 3- capable of processing an upgraded measurement value unique to the reference example is what is only the first biological signal processing unit 3-3 that performs signal processing for display. 4 and the change-over switch 3-2 are the same except that they are installed as new software (S / W).
The change-over switch 3-2 is connected to the second biological signal processing unit when the upgrade device 2 is connected to the monitor body 3.
Further, when the sensor 1 is directly connected to the monitor body 3, the monitor is switched so that the first biological signal processing unit is selected.
Reference numeral 2 denotes an upgrade apparatus of a reference example, which includes a biological signal processing unit 2-1, a measurement value / Status data generation unit 2-2, a waveform data generation unit 2-3, and a conversion unit 2-4. .

Next, the operation of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The drive signal, modulation signal, and identification signal between the sensor 1 and the upgrade device 2 in FIG. 1 are signals corresponding to the conventional LED drive signal, light receiving element current, and sensor identification ID in FIG.
That is, the signal between the conventional sensor 1 and the monitor body and the signal between the sensor and the upgrade device in the reference example are the same.

In the upgrade device 2, the modulation value and the identification signal from the sensor 1 are processed by the measurement value / Status data generation unit 2-2 via the biological signal processing unit 2-1, so that the oxygen saturation (SpO2) ( (First measurement value), pulse rate (pulse rate) (second measurement value) and coded signal state and device status are obtained as Status signals, and these signals are serial continuous data. Signal. (In this calculation process, a measurement value obtained by improving functions that cannot be realized by a conventional monitor main body is obtained.)
Further, the modulation signal and the identification signal from the sensor 1 are generated from the waveform data generation unit 2-3 via the biological signal processing unit 2-1, and this signal is used as the second signal.

In the modulation unit 2-4, the first signal and the second signal are modulated in accordance with a driving signal between the conventional sensor and the monitor body (as an analog signal) and output to the monitor body.
In addition, the communication speed that is modulated by the modulation unit 2-4 and transmitted to the monitor main body adopts a value within the frequency characteristic range used for transmission of the conventional analog signal, so that the monitor main body Other than the software to be installed, it can remain the same as before.
It is also possible to install and ship software from the beginning in consideration of future upgrades.

  Since the upgrade device 2 is connected between the monitor body 3 and the sensor 1, the second biological signal processing unit is connected by the changeover switch 3-2, and the function processed by the second biological signal processing unit is improved. The measured value is displayed on the display unit. (This display data can be stored in a storage means (not shown).)

Next, the form of output signals of the measurement value / Status data generation unit 2-2 and the waveform data generation unit 2-3 and the form of output to the monitor body will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a first signal form example of the first signal and the second signal output from the upgrade apparatus of the present invention to the monitor main body.
FIG. 3 (a) shows oxygen saturation (SpO2) (first measurement value), pulse rate (pulse rate) (second measurement value), and the status signal indicating the status of the encoded signal and the device. The analog data (multi-valued) is used as the amplitude value, and is time-divided and output as a serial analog signal as the first signal.
It is desirable to output a synchronization signal for identification (analysis) of the serial signal by the monitor main body before and after the serial signal. (In this case, the amplitude of the synchronization signal uses an amplitude outside the setting of the amplitude of the measurement value.)
FIG. 3B shows a waveform signal output as the second signal, and the infrared waveform signal or red waveform detected by the sensor is output to the monitor main body as it is or after being processed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a second signal form example of the first signal and the second signal output from the upgrade apparatus of the present invention to the monitor main body.
FIG. 4 (a) shows oxygen saturation (SpO2) (first measured value), pulse rate (pulse rate) (second measured value), and the status signal indicating the status of the encoded signal and the device. Is converted into a digital signal and a check bit (Check-Bit) for checking is added, and the first signal is output as a serial digital signal in a time division manner.
It is desirable to output a synchronization signal for identification (analysis) of the serial signal by the monitor main body before and after the serial-digital signal. (In FIG. 4A, the amplitude of the synchronization signal is different from that of the digital signal.)
FIG. 4B shows a waveform signal output as the second signal, and the infrared waveform signal or red waveform detected by the sensor is output to the monitor main body as it is or after being processed.

Next, an example of the upgrade method which is an embodiment of the upgrade apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a biological signal processing apparatus having functions of a sensor and a monitor main body, which calculates a detected biological signal waveform detected by the sensor and displays measured value data and a biological signal waveform corresponding to the measured value data on the apparatus main body. In addition to being displayed on the screen, it can be output to the outside as digital data and / or analog data.
In order to improve the function and performance of the monitor main body, the upgrade apparatus 5 of the present invention is connected between the biological signal processing apparatuses of the monitor main bodies 3 and 4.

Also in this case, the monitor main body 3 in the conventional monitor main body 10 of FIG. 5 performs the first biological signal processing unit 3- that performs signal processing for displaying the analog signal received from the sensor on the display unit 3-5. 3 is a new software (S / W) including a second biological signal processing unit 3-4 and a changeover switch 3-2 capable of processing an upgraded measurement value unique to the present invention. ) Is the same except that it is installed.
The change-over switch 3-2 is connected to the second biological signal processing unit when the upgrade device 2 is connected to the monitor main body 3, and when the sensor 1 is directly connected to the monitor main body 3, Switching is made so that the first biological signal processing unit is selected.
5 is an upgrade device of the present invention,
Message analysis unit 5-1 for analyzing output from other device 4, measurement value / Status data generation unit 5-2
, A waveform data generation unit 5-3 and a conversion unit 5-4 are included.

Next, the operation of FIG. 2 will be described.
The external output signal input to the upgrade device 5 in FIG. 2 is a signal obtained by digitizing a measurement value and a biological signal waveform relating to a biological signal detected by another device 4 and / or an analog signal.

In the upgrade device 5, the measured value / Status data generation unit 5-2 performs arithmetic processing on the input external output signal via the message analysis unit 5-1, thereby obtaining the oxygen saturation (SpO2).
(First measurement value), pulse rate (pulse rate) (second measurement value) and coded signal status and status signal indicating the status of the apparatus are obtained, and these signals are serial continuous data. 1 signal. (In this calculation process, a measurement value obtained by upgrading a function that could not be realized by a conventional monitor main body is obtained.)
Further, the external output signal is processed through the message analysis unit 5-1, and waveform data is generated in 5-3, and this waveform data is set as the second signal.
The subsequent processing is the same as in the case of FIG.

  In the above description, the configuration of the upgrade device is described as a single device as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, but the calculation means and the sending means in the upgrade device in FIG. And a part of a connection line for connecting the monitor main body.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in the present invention, measurement values and biological signal waveforms related to biological signals are sent from the upgrade device to the monitor body. However, it is possible to add functions that the monitor main body itself did not have by transmitting accompanying information such as carbon monoxide hemoglobin saturation and sensor individual information. Many other design changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1: Sensor 2: Upgrade device 2-1: Biological signal processing unit 2-2: Measurement value / Status data generation unit 2-3: Waveform data generation unit 2-4: Modulation unit 3: Monitor body 3-1: Analog unit 3-2: Changeover switch 3-3: First biological signal processing unit 3-4: Second biological signal processing unit 3-5: Display (storage) unit

Claims (6)

An upgrade device connected to a biological information monitor having a signal processing function for displaying biological information based on an output signal from a sensor attached to the biological body,
A biological signal processing unit to which an input signal from a sensor attached to the biological body is input;
A data generation unit that generates a first signal including a plurality of information that cannot be obtained by the signal processing function based on the input signal, and a second signal including waveform data corresponding to a detection waveform of the sensor ;
A modulation unit the biological information monitor modulating the first signal and the second signal to match the transmission speed to allow, and outputs to the biological information monitor as a serial signal sequentially including a plurality of information,
And it is, upgrade device equipped with a. The data generation unit generates the serial signal to include a synchronization signal before and after the plurality of information ,
The upgrade apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal is used for identification of the serial signal in the biological information monitor. A sensor attached to a living body;
An upgrade device;
A biological information monitor capable of connecting either the sensor or the upgrade device;
With
The biological information monitor is
A first signal processing unit for performing signal processing for displaying biological information based on a first input signal from the sensor;
A second signal processing unit that performs signal processing for displaying biological information based on a second input signal that cannot be processed by the first signal processing unit;
A changeover switch;
With
The upgrade device is configured to generate the second input signal based on the first input signal;
When the sensor is connected to the biological information monitor, the changeover switch operates to input the first input signal to the first signal processing unit,
When the upgrade apparatus is connected to the biological information monitor, the changeover switch operates to input the second input signal to the second signal processing unit.   The biological information monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the second signal processing unit and the changeover switch are realized by software additionally installed on the biological information monitor. The biological information monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the second input signal is a serial signal that sequentially includes a plurality of pieces of information related to biological information parameters.   The biological information monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the upgrade device includes a modulation unit that modulates the serial signal so as to conform to a communication speed allowed by the biological information monitor and outputs the modulated serial signal to the biological information monitor. .

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