Patent ID: 6955649
Filing Date: 2005-10-18
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for evaluating arteriosclerosis of a living subject, comprising: a blood-pressure measuring device which measures at least one blood-pressure value of the subject; a pulse-wave detecting device which detects a pulse wave from a portion of the subject; a relationship determining means for determining a relationship between pulse-wave magnitude and blood pressure, based on at least one magnitude of the pulse wave detected by the pulse-wave detecting device and said at least one blood-pressure value measured by the blood-pressure measuring device; an incident-wave-peak determining means for determining a magnitude of a peak point of an incident-wave component which is contained in the pulse wave detected by the pulse-wave detecting device; a reflected-wave-occurrence-time determining means for determining a time of occurrence of a peak point of a reflected-wave component which is contained in the pulse wave detected by the pulse-wave detecting device; a pressure-difference determining means for determining, according to the relationship between pulse-wave magnitude and blood pressure determined by the relationship determining means, a pressure difference corresponding to a magnitude difference between a magnitude of the pulse wave at the time of occurrence of the peak point of the reflected-wave component determined by the reflected-wave-occurrence-time determining means, and the magnitude of the peak point of the incident-wave component determined by the incident-wave-peak determining means; and a display device which displays the pressure difference determined by the pressure-difference determining means.