Abstract:
A pressurizing apparatus and method for adjusting an optimal pressurizing rate according to a cuff of various lengths. The pressurizing method measures the pressure values at two reference points and time duration to calculate a pressurizing rate. A control adjustment routine to control an adjustment of the pressurizing rate is decided according the calculated pressurizing rate and at least one control condition. The pump is pressurized according to the adjustment of the pressurizing rate. A diastolic pressure value is measured and the pressurizing of the pump is kept to measure a systolic pressure value. Afterward, the pressurizing is stopped to prevent uncomfortable feeling of user caused by rapidly pressurizing and de-pressurizing process.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a smart pressurizing apparatus and a smart pressurizing method, more particularly to a smart pressurizing apparatus and a smart pressurizing method, which adjust an optimal pressurizing rate according to various cuff lengths, thus providing comfortable measurement for user.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     The present electronic sphygmomanometer generally uses a pouch connected to a cuff thereof to pump the cuff up. When the electronic sphygmomanometer is in operation, a CPU in the electronic sphygmomanometer controls a pressurizing pump to pump the cuff with air in the pouch. Certain information, like systolic pressure (high pressure), diastolic pressure (low pressure), and pulse pressure signal can be measured with the electronic sphygmomanometer.  
         [0005]     According to the regulation of EN1060-3 Clause 4/AAMI SP 10 Clause 4.6.1.1, the width of the cuff should be 40% of user limb and the length of the cuff should be 80-100% of the user limb. The cuff and pouch of wrong sizes will influence the accuracy of measurement.  
         [0006]     Therefore, the conventional electronic sphygmomanometer uses the CPU to send on/off signals to control the pressurizing pump. However, the conventional electronic sphygmomanometer uses similar procedures for measurement, namely fast pressurize the cuff and then release the pressure of the cuff to measure systolic pressure value (high pressure) and diastolic pressure value (low pressure). The similar procedures are applied for users of different conditions, including normal people, hypertension people, and hypotension people. The electronic sphygmomanometer should constantly supply pressure to the cuff to precisely measure the systolic pressure value. If the pressure is not enough, the pressurizing step should be conducted again. It is inconvenience to user and some user may have blood stasis problem.  
         [0007]     Japanese laid-open No. 2-234740 discloses an electronic sphygmomanometer, which uses sensor to control the pressurizing pump with reference to the specific systolic pressure value and diastolic pressure value of user. More particularly, the proposed electronic sphygmomanometer uses a sensor to measure the diastolic pressure value of user after a fast pressurizing step and then the proposed electronic sphygmomanometer switches to a slowly pressurizing step to measure the systolic pressure value and then ceases pressurizing step.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention is intended to provide a smart pressurizing apparatus and a smart pressurizing method, which adjust an optimal pressurizing rate according to various cuff lengths, thus providing comfortable measurement for user.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, the present invention provides a smart pressurizing apparatus and method adjusting an optimal pressurizing rate according to cuff of various lengths. The smart pressurizing method measures the pressure values at two reference points and time duration to calculate a pressurizing rate. A control adjustment routine to control an adjustment of the pressurizing rate is decided according the calculated pressurizing rate and at least one control condition. The pump is pressurized according to the adjustment of the pressurizing rate. A diastolic pressure value is measured and the pressurizing of the pump is kept to measure a systolic pressure value. Afterward, the pressurizing is stopped to prevent uncomfortable feeling of user caused by rapidly pressurizing and de-pressurizing process. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING  
       [0010]     The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself however may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, which describes certain exemplary embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of a smart pressurizing apparatus of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows the flowchart for operating the smart pressurizing apparatus of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a control adjustment routine for a specific control condition.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows a control adjustment routine for another specific control condition.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a control adjustment routine for still another specific control condition. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of a smart pressurizing apparatus of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the smart pressurizing apparatus of the present invention comprises a CPU  1 , a pump  2  electrically connected to the CPU  1 , an electromagnetic valve  3 , an input unit  4  and a display unit  5 , and above-mentioned components are assembled in a main body (not shown) of an electronic sphygmomanometer. The electromagnetic valve  3  is connected to a cuff  7  external to the electronic sphygmomanometer. Moreover, a sensor  6  is electrically connected to the CPU  1  and the electromagnetic valve  3  to sense a pressurizing state in the cuff  7  for pouches of different standards. The sensed result is sent to the CPU  1  for further processing to control a pressurizing rate of the pump  2  to provide a comfortable measurement for user.  
         [0017]     During a first pressurizing procedure of the pump  2 , the sensor  6  will measure the pressure value at a first checkpoint and a second checkpoint. The measurements at the first checkpoint and the second checkpoint will be sent to the CPU  1  for calculating control parameters and calculation parameters, those parameters determine a controlled pressurizing way and a pressurizing speed. The CPU  1  comprises a program to calculate a pressurizing rate at initial stage and compares the pressurizing rate with a default value to adjust later pressurizing rate and pressurizing way. For example, the later pressurizing way can be one of maintaining a feasible pressurizing rate, rapidly de-pressurizing to a preset value and then keeping a preferable pressurizing rate, increasing pressurizing rate and then switching to a feasible pressurizing rate. Therefore, the information of systolic pressure value, diastolic pressure value and heartbeat rate can be measured and the measured result is shown on the display unit  5 .  
         [0018]     Meanwhile, the pump  2  will cease pressurizing after the systolic pressure value is measured. Afterward, the pressure inside the cuff is decreased by operating the electromagnetic valve  3  to prevent uncomfortable feeling of user caused by rapid pressurizing step and to reduce measurement time.  
         [0019]     With reference to FIGS.  2  to  5 , in the present invention, the pressures at the first checkpoint and the second checkpoint during the pressurizing step are measured and then sent to the CPU  1  for parameter calculation and control adjustment.  
         [0020]     The pressurizing rate of pump can be calculated as followings: 
 
 R =( X−Y )/ T  
 
         [0021]     where R is pressurizing rate of pump;  
         [0022]     T is a pressurizing time between the first checkpoint and the second checkpoint (T=t 2 −t 1 );  
         [0023]     X is a preset pressure value for the second checkpoint;  
         [0024]     Y is a preset pressure value for the first checkpoint, wherein  
         [0025]     X&gt;Y, namely, the preset pressure value for the second checkpoint should be larger than the preset pressure value for the first checkpoint  
         [0026]     t 1  is the time for pressurizing to the preset pressure value Y from the initial pressure;  
         [0027]     t 2  is the time for pressurizing to the preset pressure value X from the initial pressure;  
         [0028]     R 1  is the first control condition for the pressurizing rate of pump;  
         [0029]     R 2  is the second control condition for the pressurizing rate of pump, wherein  
         [0030]     R 2 &gt;R 1 , namely, the pressurizing rate of the second control condition is larger than the pressurizing rate of the first control condition.  
         [0031]     The program in the CPU  1  comprises at least one control condition value and a control adjustment way corresponding to the control condition value. The control adjustment way includes following criterions.  
         [0032]     (1) When R&gt;R 2 , the pressure is rapidly reduced and then the pump is adjusted to a preset pressurizing rate, as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0033]     (2) When R&lt;R 1 , the pressurizing rate of the pump is increased to the preset pressurizing rate and then keeps operation at the preset pressurizing rate, as shown in  FIG. 4   
         [0034]     (3) When R 1 &lt;R&lt;R 2 , the pump is kept to current pressurizing rate, as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0035]     In above description, the control condition value R is the pressurizing rate R with the range R 1 &lt;R&lt;R 2 .  
         [0036]     The CPU  1  is electrically connected to the pump  2  and has operation steps as following. The CPU is started in step  800 . In step  802 , the CPU  1  controls the pump  2  to perform a first pressurizing stage.  
         [0037]     The sensor  6  measures the pressure at the first checkpoint and the second checkpoint, respectively in step  804  and sends the measurement result to the CPU  1  to calculate the pressurizing rate in the first pressurizing stage.  
         [0038]     Afterward, the control adjustment routine is performed in steps  806 - 810 , wherein the pressurizing rate in the first pressurizing stage is used to determine the pressurizing rate in the second pressurizing stage.  
         [0039]     Step  806  judges whether the measured pressurizing rate in the first pressurizing stage is larger than R 2 . If true, the CPU  1  activates the electromagnetic valve  3  to rapidly reduce pressure in step  808 . Step  810  judges whether the measured pressurizing rate is within R 1  and R 2 , namely, R 1 &lt;R&lt;R 2 . If false, step  812  is performed to still rapidly reduce pressure. If the measured pressurizing rate is within R 1  and R 2 , then the current pressurizing rate R is used for pressurizing the cuff  7  in step  824 . Afterward, the systolic pressure value, diastolic pressure value and heartbeat rate are measured in step  826 . Afterward, the pressure is rapidly reduced using the electromagnetic valve  3  in step  828  and the measured blood pressures are displayed in the display unit  5  in step  830 .  
         [0040]     If in step  806  the measured pressurizing rate R in the first pressurizing stage is not larger than R 2 , then step  814  judges whether the measured pressurizing rate R is smaller than R 1 . If true, the pressurizing rate is increased in step  816  and then step  818  judges whether the measured pressurizing rate is within R 1  and R 2 , namely, R 1 &lt;R&lt;R 2 . If false, step  822  is performed to still increase pressure. If the measured pressurizing rate is within R 1  and R 2 , then the current pressurizing rate R is used for pressurizing the cuff  7  in step  824 . Afterward, the systolic pressure value, diastolic pressure value and heartbeat rate are measured in step  826 . Afterward, the pressure is rapidly reduced using the electromagnetic valve  3  in step  828  and the measured blood pressures are displayed in the display unit  5  in step  830 .  
         [0041]     If in step  814  the measured pressurizing rate R is not smaller than R 1 , then the pressurizing rate R is used for pressurizing the cuff  7  in step  824 . Afterward, the systolic pressure value, diastolic pressure value and heartbeat rate are measured in step  826 . Afterward, the pressure is rapidly reduced using the electromagnetic valve  3  in step  828  and the measured blood pressures are displayed in the display unit  5  in step  830 .  
         [0042]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have suggested in the foregoing description, and other will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.