Patent ID: 6758819
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An apparatus for measuring a velocity at which a pulse wave propagates between a first portion and a second portion of a living subject, the apparatus comprising:a propagation-signal producing device which is adapted to be worn on the first portion of the subject and produces a propagation signal; a propagation-signal detecting device which is adapted to be worn on the second portion of the subject and detects the propagation signal that has been produced by the propagation-signal producing device, has propagated through a body tissue of the subject, and has reached the second portion; a blood-vessel-length determining means for determining a length of a blood vessel of the subject that is located between the first and second portions of the subject, based on a signal propagation time from a time when the propagation signal is produced by the propagation-signal producing device, to a time when the propagation signal is detected by the propagation-signal detecting device, and a pre-stored velocity at which the propagation signal propagates through a body tissue of a human person; and a pulse-wave-propagation-velocity determining means for determining the velocity at which the pulse wave propagates between the first and second portions of the subject, based on the length of the blood vessel determined by the blood-vessel-length determining means.