Patent Publication Number: US-2007100243-A1

Title: Blood pressure sphygmomanometer for use with a common apparatus

Description:
CROSS RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application takes priority from U.S. Provision Application Ser. No. 60/731,663 filed Oct. 31, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to blood pressure monitoring devices. More specifically, the invention hereof relates to a conventional prolific device such as a cell phone or computer mouse controller which incorporates a blood pressure cuff for monitoring blood pressure and displaying measured data either at the computer with which the mouse is associated, on the cell phone or computer display to which the wrist cuff is connected, or on a television screen of a television having a remote control to which the cuff is connected. Such data display provides an easily understood representation of the measured parameters.  
      2. Background Art  
      Hypertension is one of modern society&#39;s most insidious diseases. Left untreated, it causes life-threatening problems including atherosclerosis, strokes and aneurysms. Long-term hypertension can result in diminished cardio-vascular and kidney function. Yet while high blood pressure is one of the simplest problems to detect in an entirely non-invasive process, it is all too commonly undetected in a large portion of the population. In the past twenty years or so, with the advent of low-cost microprocessor chips and miniature digital electronics and electromagnetic devices, the self-measurement of blood pressure by non-medical personnel has become more readily available. Nevertheless, blood pressure sphygmomanometers are still too sophisticated for a large segment of the population. Even those who are entirely capable of operating such devices tend to put them away in drawers and other out of the way places where they often remain mostly forgotten and unused.  
      It would be highly advantageous to the early detection of hypertension and thus to the general health of the population if there were a way to provide prolific availability of blood pressure monitoring devices that were readily accessible and even easier to use than currently available digital sphygmomanometers. Having a blood pressure sphygmomanometer at virtually every computer or television set with a pressure cuff always immediately adjacent to each computer or television remote control unit, would go a long way to serving such an advantageous function. Such is the purpose of the present invention.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention combines the blood pressure sphygmomanometer with the most commonly available devices of the modern world, the computer mouse and the cell phone. Moreover, the invention incorporates the sphygmomanometer cuff into the computer mouse in a manner which makes it extremely simple and convenient to initiate and carry out the blood pressure measurement process. Three alternative mouse embodiments are illustrated and discussed herein. In one such embodiment the sphygmomanometer cuff is nominally positioned within the mouse structure and is extended outside the mouse housing during the measurement. In another embodiment, the cuff is always external of the mouse structure and is easily connected to the mouse at special ports during the measurement. In yet another embodiment, the cuff is always internal of the mouse structure and is readily accessible through an aperture in the housing surface of the mouse to permit the measurement to take place. Preferably, in each of these alternative embodiments a hinged or slidable door or panel protects the cuff or cuff ports between measurements. In the cell phone embodiment, a wrist cuff and its associated pump, sensor and valve are connected to the cell phone which has received associated software. In yet another embodiment, a pressure cuff and associated components are connected directly to a television remote control for wireless transmission to a television or set-top box connected to a television. In all of the embodiments shown herein, the sphygmomanometer cuff is configured for receiving a human finger or wrist in circumambient pressured engagement using controlled air pressure to vary the cuff engagement pressure in a precise manner.  
      In a well-known manner used in blood pressure sphygmomanometers of all kinds, the pressure of the cuff/finger engagement is initially increased until arterial vessel pulsation is beyond cutoff (total occlusion of the artery). The cuff pressure is then slowly decreased until first detection of arterial vessel pulsation (commonly known as Korotkoff Phase I). The corresponding cuff pressure at this point will be substantially equal to systolic blood pressure which is one significant parameter to be monitored. As cuff pressure continues to be decreased, arterial vessel pulsations will eventually become undetectable through the cuff because of the lack of adequate cuff pressure to sense those pulsations (commonly known as Korotkoff Phase V). The pressure of the cuff at this point will be substantially equal to diastolic blood pressure which is another significant parameter to be monitored. Moreover, the frequency of pulsations sensed between the systolic and diastolic pressures is measured and will be substantially equal to the heartbeat rate or pulse rate which is also a parameter of some significance to be monitored. These two cuff pressures and the pulsation frequency are the measured parameter data of the process and corresponding digital data are sent to the computer to which the mouse controller is associated.  
      Computer software, to be described herein, can then utilize this digital data (typically in binary form) to create a suitable display of the measured parameters on the computer&#39;s monitor. Other functions can also be carried out such as recording the data, graphically plotting data over numerous measurements and communicating the data to others such as by means of the internet for example by e-mail to pre-assigned medical personnel.  
      The principal advantage of the present invention is therefore clearly the proliferation of a simple and convenient way for the great number of computer and cell phone users to have the benefits of frequent blood pressure monitoring. Moreover, because the computer mouse can normally be readily replaced in existing computers, this clearly beneficial health-related device can be enjoyed by substantially every computer user and his or her family with relatively little investment. Moreover, virtually any cell phone user will ultimately be able to easily monitor and record his or her blood pressure and pulse rate by simply placing a wrist cuff on their wrist and connect it to their cell phone. Society as a whole will benefit from the likely increase in the early detection of hypertension and the resulting timely treatment thereof and prevention of related diseases.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The various embodiments, features and advances of the present invention will be understood more completely hereinafter as a result of a detailed description thereof in which reference will be made to the following drawings:  
       FIGS. 1 through 6  are various views of a first embodiment of the invention in which a sphygmomanometer pressure cuff is selectively ejected from within a mouse controller for blood pressure measurement;  
       FIGS. 7 through 9  are various views of a sphygmomanometer cuff and attendant devices for applying occluding pressure to a human finger and releasing the pressure in a precise manner for carrying out the measurement;  
       FIGS. 10 through 11  are views of a second embodiment of the invention in which a sphygmomanometer pressure cuff is selectively affixed to ports at the exterior of a mouse controller for the measurement;  
       FIGS. 12 through 13  are views of a third embodiment of the invention in which a sphygmomanometer pressure cuff is fixedly positioned within the housing of a mouse controller and is accessible through at least one aperture in the housing for the measurement;  
       FIG. 14  is a block diagram of the sphygmomanometer and computer interface which may be employed using an embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIGS. 15 and 16  are representations of a computer monitor display of a record of blood pressure measurements;  
       FIG. 17  is a representation of a cell phone/wrist cuff embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 18  is a representation of another wrist cuff embodiment wherein the cuff and associated components are connected directly to a computer such as by means of a USB connector; and  
       FIG. 19  is a representation of still another wrist cuff embodiment wherein the cuff and associated components are connected to a remote control device which wirelessly transmits the measured data to a television directly or through a television set top box.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Mouse Controller Embodiments  
      Referring to the accompanying figures and to  FIGS. 1 through 6  initially, it will be seen that a first embodiment mouse controller  10  comprises a housing  12 , click buttons  13  and  15  and control device  14 . It will be understood that the precise configuration of the mouse controller hereof may be varied to virtually any of the many conventional designs. Therefore the shape, location and number of click buttons, the control device  14  and the shape of the housing  12  are all shown herein as illustrative only and should not be deemed limiting of the scope hereof. However, what is a significant improvement over conventional mouse controllers now follows.  
      As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a hinged door  16  is provided on the side of mouse housing  12 . Hinged door  16 , when opened about a hinge  17 , leads to the interior of housing  12  where a sphygmomanometer  21  and its cuff assembly  18  are located. As will be hereafter more fully described, upon activation of the sphygmomanometer  21 , cuff assembly  18  extends through door  16  to the exterior of the mouse housing as shown best in FIGS.  3  to  5 . This extension of the cuff assembly is facilitated by folding door  16  about hinge  17  until it is in alignment with an inner door stage  19  which is, in turn, extended beyond the housing  12  and rotated about its hinge  20  until the door assembly is fully rotated about 270 degrees into a rectangular recess  22  in the bottom surface  24  of the housing as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  in particular. When the cuff assembly  18  is fully extended into the position shown in  FIG. 5 , the cuff assembly is in suitable position for insertion of a person&#39;s extended finger for measurement of blood pressure and pulse rate. The assembly may then be re-inserted into the housing and the door assembly rotated back into position for closure of the housing and normal, conventional usage of the mouse controller  10 .  
      The sphygmomanometer  21  including pressure cuff assembly  18  is shown in  FIG. 6  as it sits within the housing  12  and the cuff assembly and attendant components are shown in detail in FIGS.  7  to  9 . As seen in those figures, the sphygmomanometer  21  comprises an inflatable air bag  25  within the annular interior of cuff assembly  18 . Also forming sphygmomanometer  21  are solenoid  26 , extender arm  28 , motorized air pump  30 , pressure sensor  32  and release valve  34 . Solenoid  26  and extender arm  28  provide the ability to extend the cuff assembly  18  out of the housing  12  as previously described in conjunction with FIGS.  3  to  5 . Air pump  30  provides the pressurized air to selectively expand air bag  25  to forcefully grasp a finger protruding through cuff assembly  18 . Pressure sensor  32  senses the pressure at the air bag/finger surface interface and release valve  34  releases air from the air bag  25  at a rate that is commensurate with sensor  32  oscillometrically sensing the systolic and diastolic blood pressure at the inserted finger.  
       FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate a second embodiment mouse controller  40  having a housing  42 , click buttons  43  and  45  and control device  45 . In this embodiment, the housing provides jacks  46  and  48  to which an external cuff assembly  50  having an air bag  52 , is attached by connectors  54  and  56 . A connector brace  58  mates with a brace receptacle  60  to further support the cuff assembly  50 . The remaining components of the sphygmomanometer (less extender arm  28  and solenoid  26  which aren&#39;t required in this second embodiment) are interior to housing  42 . Once the cuff assembly  50  is attached to the controller  40 , the operation of the second embodiment is identical to that of the first embodiment  10 . A jack cover  47  may be employed to protect the jacks  46  and  48  when the sphygmomanometer is not in use.  
       FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate a third illustrative embodiment mouse controller  70  having a housing  72 , click buttons  73  and  75  and control device  74 . In this embodiment a sphygmomanometer is fully contained in a fixed position interior of housing  72  which has apertures  76  axially aligned on opposed side surfaces of the housing. Within apertures  76  is positioned a cuff assembly  78  and an air bag  80  to receive a person&#39;s finger for blood pressure and pulse rate measurement as previously described.  
       FIG. 14  is a block diagram of the sphygmomanometer/computer interface showing that the air bag is connected through air tubes to the pump, the pressure sensor and release valve. These components, in turn, receive commands and provide pressure data to a computer through an MCU and USB to UART bridge and the computer&#39;s USB port.  FIG. 15  shows the typical data transmitted to the computer during the blood pressure measurement and from which the systolic, diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate parameters are obtained.  FIG. 16  illustrates a typical display presented on the computer monitor after a measurement is completed. The data may be logged and graphically displayed over multiple measurements to provide a time-based record of changes in blood pressure and pulse rate.  
      Cell Phone and Direct Computer Embodiments  
       FIG. 17  illustrates a wrist cuff/cell phone version of the invention in which a sphygmomanometer  90  comprises a pressure cuff  92  configured for compressively engaging a person&#39;s wrist. A small attached housing  94  contains an air pump, pressure sensor and release valve (not shown) of the type previously described in conjunction with the finger cuff of  FIGS. 1 through 14 . The cuff  92  and housing  94  may be electrically connected to a cell phone  95  by a cable  96  and connector  97 . The cell phone  95  may preferably have a display  98  for presenting the same type of information as shown in  FIG. 16  including graphical data as well as data in alphanumeric form. Cell phone  95  may preferably be connectable to a PC or laptop computer (not shown) to download such data to the computer and/or to receive programming for operation with the sphygmomanometer  90  as required for compatible operation.  
      As shown in  FIG. 18 , the wrist cuff of  FIG. 17  may also be connected directly to a computer  100  such as through a USB connector  101  thereby bypassing the cell phone and displaying health status data on a computer display  102  in real time.  
      Television Remote Control Unit  
      As shown in  FIG. 19 , the wrist cuff of  FIG. 17  may also be connected to a television remote control unit  110  which wirelessly transmits the measured data to a nearby television  112  for display thereon. A set-top box  114  may be used to receive the data from the remote control unit  110  and configure the data as a corresponding message to be displayed on the television screen  115  such as shown in  FIG. 19 . Direct interface to a television set is also contemplated.  
      It will now be understood that the present invention provides a novel, convenient way of measuring and tracking health-based parameters by utilizing either a modified computer mouse controller that facilitates obtaining such parameters at virtually every computer or a cell phone and wrist cuff combination that facilitates measurement of such parameters using otherwise conventional cell phones. While various alternative embodiments have been disclosed herein, other variations will now be perceived by those having the benefit of the description herein. Accordingly, the scope hereof is not limited by the illustrative features described herein, but only by the appended claims and their equivalents.