JP6215637B2 - Biological information collection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wearable biological information collecting apparatus that enables collective collection of biological information of various human bodies.

  Estimate the state of the autonomic nerve from biological information (blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, etc.) measured by a wearable sensor worn on the human body, determine the stress level, and evaluate the quality of sleep from the cycle of REM sleep and non-REM sleep In addition, high-quality human health maintenance and management are performed by monitoring a large amount of biological information (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional biological information collecting apparatus, which is a system for monitoring a heart rate during exercise. In FIG. 9, the bioelectrode 11 is attached between the chest band and the body, the potential difference between the bioelectrodes 11 is amplified, subjected to predetermined processing, and then transmitted as a radio signal. The transmitted wireless signal is received by the wristwatch type monitor 18, and the heart rate is counted and displayed on the display 20.

  Further, the amount of exercise can be managed by accumulating the obtained data in the memory 19 and transferring and analyzing the data to a PC (Personal Computer) after the exercise is completed. In such a system, as the bioelectrode, a resin having affinity for human skin, a silver electrode, and a silver-silver chloride electrode are often used.

“A Wireless Sensor Network Compatible Wearable U-healthcareMonitoring System Using Integrated ECG, Accelerometer and SpO2,” Wan-Young Chung, Young-Dong Lee and Sang-Joong Jung, 30th Annual International IEEE EMBS Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, August 20-24, 2008 “Wearable ECG module for long-term recordings using a smartphone processor”, Mankodiya K, Ali Hassan Y, Vogt S, Gehring H, Hofmann UG, Proceedings of the 5th international workshop on ubiquitous health and wellness, UbiComp 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark

  However, in the configuration of FIG. 9, the biological electrode 11 needs to be in close contact with the human body 10, so the belt must be tightened strongly. In the electrocardiograph for medical use, the bioelectrode is attached with an adhesive seal in order to bring the bioelectrode into close contact with the body, so that there is a problem that some people may be irritated and it is difficult to sense a biosignal for a long time. Further, the biological information collecting apparatus of FIG. 9 is limited to use during exercise such as jogging or cycling, and is not suitable for the case of constantly measuring biological information. For this reason, it is expected to realize a sensor interface using so-called minimally invasive electrodes that have a small influence on the human body. In addition, in order to realize highly reliable health management, it is necessary to monitor not only heart rate but also various biological information such as body temperature, blood pressure, skin humidity, electrocardiogram waveform, and respiration.

  In addition, the wearable biological signal acquisition technology of the belt type or the type wound around the body described in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 has a structure that acquires a biological signal with a small amplitude without GND (GROUND). In addition, since a biological electrode for acquiring a biological signal is fixed to a specific part of the human body, a belt or the like must be tightened so that the biological electrode does not come off the body due to vertical and horizontal movements and twists of the body. Therefore, it is impossible to solve the problem that it is difficult to obtain a biological signal for a long time.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems. In the inner-type biometric information collection device, the biometric signal can be measured in a state where the measurement subject is active, and can be used in daily life. It is intended to enable measurement of biological signals such as blood flow, heart rate, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body fat, body temperature and the like stably even during exercises such as body twist, up / down motion, left / right motion and rolling over.

In order to achieve the above object, in the biological information collecting apparatus of the present invention, when the biological information collection device of the present invention is placed at a predetermined position on the clothes determined according to the biological information to be measured and comes into contact with the living body wearing the clothes. A plurality of detection means for detecting a biological signal of the living body; wiring for transmitting the biological signal detected by the detection means; and a ground electrode that contacts the living body and supplies a reference potential And biological signal processing means for processing the biological signal received through the wiring with reference to the reference potential of the ground electrode.

  In a state where the living body is wearing the clothes, at least a part of the ground electrode may be in constant contact with the living body while detecting the biological signal.

  The ground electrode may be installed at a position surrounding all or part of the periphery of the living body or on the back surface of the living body.

  At least a part of the detecting means may be an electrode with a protrusion provided with a conductive protrusion.

  At least a part of the detection means may be a strip electrode disposed at a predetermined position of the clothes.

  The biological signal processing means may include gain control means for setting the amplitude of the biological signal to a predetermined value.

  At least a part of the detection means may be made of a fiber coated or vapor-deposited with a conductive substance or metal.

  The wiring may be a wiring in which a conductive material or a metal-coated or vapor-deposited fiber is knitted or attached to the garment, or a wiring coated with a conductive material or a metal.

  According to the present invention, in an inner-type biological information collecting apparatus that measures biological signals using biological electrodes provided on clothes worn by a measurement subject, a plurality of biological electrodes are installed according to biological information to be measured. This makes it possible to measure biological signals while the person being measured is active, and can stabilize blood flow, heart rate, and even during exercises such as body twists, vertical movements, left and right movements and rollovers that occur in daily life. Measurement of biological signals such as electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body fat, and body temperature is possible.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a biological information collection apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the correlation between biological information according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a biological information collecting apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a biological information collecting apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a feedback control circuit for stabilizing a biological signal according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a bioelectrode with protrusions according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an example of a measurement result of the heart rate when the bioelectrode with protrusions according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a strip-shaped bioelectrode according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional biological information collecting apparatus.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a biological information collection apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The biometric information collecting device 31 is installed in a distributed manner at a plurality of positions of the inner shirt 40, and is a bioelectrode or sensor (30 for measuring electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration, fat, acceleration, ultrasound and sound). 51 to 59), wiring installed in the inner shirt for transmitting signals from those bioelectrodes and the like, and a biosignal processing circuit 39 for processing the biosignal received through the wiring from each bioelectrode etc. Has been.

  The installation location of the bioelectrode or sensor (30, 51 to 59) in the inner shirt 40 is appropriately selected according to biometric information to be measured such as before and after the underline of the body, clavicle, chest, and healthy bone. Here, it is a feature of the present embodiment that bioelectrodes and sensors are installed at a plurality of locations according to biometric information.

  In the case of biological information that is normally measured with a GND electrode and one biological electrode, etc., by installing one or more biological electrodes, etc., the twisting of the body, the vertical movement, the left and right movement, the rollover, etc. that occur in daily life Even when some of the electrodes cannot contact the human body due to exercise, other biological electrodes can contact the body, so that it is possible to measure biological signals while the person being measured is active. . For convenience of description of the embodiment, the bioelectrode, the sensor, and the GND electrode are described as being installed on the front side of the inner shirt, but in actuality, they are installed on the back side of the inner shirt in contact with the living body. The same applies to the following embodiments.

  For example, in electrocardiogram measurement, evaluation is generally performed with three terminals. However, by installing two electrodes at the electrocardiogram measurement site, some of the electrodes may be affected by body twisting or other exercises that occur in daily life. Even when the contact cannot be made, the other bioelectrode can contact the body, so that the electrocardiographic waveform data can be continuously measured.

  The same applies to other biological information, and by setting the installation location and number of biological electrodes and sensors according to the biological information to be measured, blood flow and heart rate can be stabilized even during exercise that occurs in daily life. It is possible to stably measure a plurality of biological signals such as electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body fat, and body temperature.

  Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the reference GND electrode 41 is widely installed on all or part of the waistline, so that the reference GND electrode can be obtained by exercises such as twisting, vertical movement, left and right movement, and turning over in daily life. Even if the contact area between the body 41 and the body changes, it can be configured such that at least a part of the reference GND electrode 41 is always in contact with the body, so that weak electrode signals and signals from sensors can be stably obtained. .

  For example, when acquiring an electrocardiogram, measurement is usually performed using three terminals including the GND electrode. However, since the electrocardiogram signal is a very weak signal, it is essential that the reference GND is stable. is there. As in the present embodiment, if the reference GND electrode 41 is widely installed all or part of the waistline and an electrocardiographic signal is received with reference to the reference potential of the reference GND electrode, the heart is stably provided. The electric signal can be received.

  In the present embodiment, the biological information collecting apparatus in which the periphery of the abdomen is the reference GND electrode 41 has been described. However, the reference GND electrode need not be related to the periphery of the abdomen. The surroundings of the chest may be used, and stable biological information can be obtained even if the entire back is used as a reference GND electrode. The same applies to other embodiments described below.

  In the present embodiment, in addition to the biological electrode 51 for acquiring an electrocardiogram waveform, a variety of biological electrodes and sensors (52 to 59) are mounted, whereby a variety of biological information can be collected. ing. For example, the blood pressure and the pulse can be measured by the pressure sensor and the infrared sensor 52. If the microphone 54 is provided, the state of the bronchial system, heart sounds, heart noise, and carotid artery noise can be monitored by breathing sounds. If the electrical conductivity is measured by the bioelectrode 55, the body fat can be estimated. If the acceleration sensor 56 is attached, the amount of exercise can be monitored. Further, by configuring the ultrasonic diagnostic circuit 57, it is possible to monitor the state of the organ in the body. If a large number of ultrasonic transducers 58 and microphones 59 are arranged around the body, the state of the organ is three-dimensionally displayed. It becomes possible to observe. When applied to pregnant women, fetal status can be observed at all times.

  For example, when the correlation between heart rate and acceleration is measured as shown in FIG. 2, if the heart rate increases as the acceleration increases, the merit of obtaining a variety of biological information is estimated to be during exercise. it can. If the heart rate is increasing even though the acceleration is not changing, it may be in a stressed state. In addition, information on body temperature can be added, and fever may be some kind of illness, and attention can be drawn.

  The biological information collecting apparatus 31 uses the stable reference GND electrode 41 installed in the vicinity of the biological signal processing circuit 39 to stably transmit the collected biological signal information to other apparatuses by wireless communication. Can do. In this embodiment, the wireless communication is configured to use a wireless LAN that can use a large amount of information, for example, and can be wirelessly connected to a portable wireless terminal such as a watch-type terminal or a smartphone or a personal computer. Yes.

  Furthermore, for bioelectrodes, fibers, fabrics, woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics (hereinafter referred to as fabrics) coated and vapor-deposited with conductive polymer materials such as PEDOT-PSS, which have high affinity with the human body, and conductive materials composed of silver and silver chloride. ), And the wiring with the biological signal processing circuit uses knitting, embroidery with conductive fibers, wiring with conductive ink, etc., so even if multiple biological electrodes and sensors are installed, there is a sense of incongruity. It has a configuration that provides a comfortable fit.

  For the inner shirt, a material having shrinkage may be used for the material itself typified by hair or polyurethane, or it may be due to shrinkage due to fiber weaving.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, in an inner-type biological information collecting apparatus that measures a biological signal with a biological electrode provided on a garment worn by a measurement subject, before and after the underline of the body By installing biological electrodes at multiple sites according to the biological information to be measured, such as the clavicle, chest, and healthy bones, it is possible to measure biological signals while the subject is active, It is possible to stably measure a plurality of biological signals such as blood flow and heartbeat even during exercise that occurs in daily life.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a biological information collecting apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is a configuration in which the first embodiment of FIG. 1 is applied to inner pants.

  In the biometric information collection device 31 of FIG. 3, the bioelectrodes are installed in a distributed manner at a plurality of positions of the inner pants 42, and are used for measuring electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body temperature, breathing, fat, acceleration, ultrasound and sound. Sensors (30, 51 to 59), wiring installed in inner pants for transmitting signals from the biological electrodes, and the like, and biological signal processing circuits for processing biological signals received through the wirings from the biological electrodes and the like 39. The type of the bioelectrode or sensor is the same as that in FIG. 1, but the location of the bioelectrode or sensor is different.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the reference GND electrode 41 is widely installed around the human torso as in FIG. 1, and the potential of the reference GND electrode 41 is used as a reference from the biological electrode or sensor (30, 51 to 59). The biological signal processing circuit 39 is configured to stably receive the signal. With the configuration as described above, it is possible to collect biological information in the lower half of the human body 10.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the biological information collecting apparatus 31 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The present invention has a configuration in which the first embodiment of FIG. 1 and the second embodiment of FIG. 3 are combined, and biological information of the whole body can be stably collected.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a feedback control circuit for stabilizing a biological signal according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  A plurality of bioelectrodes and sensors provided on the inner side are not always in contact with the body due to body twisting, vertical movement, left-right movement, rollover, and the like that occur in daily life. For this reason, the signal level that can be picked up by a plurality of biological electrodes or the like may vary greatly for each of the plurality of electrodes. In FIG. 5, the peak value of the electrical waveform of the biological signal is detected by feedback control, and the gain of the amplifier circuit is controlled so that the output amplitude is constant. Thereby, even when the signal level of the biological signal greatly fluctuates, a stable electric waveform of the biological signal can be obtained.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the biological electrode 73 with protrusions according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. A projection fiber 72 of several millimeters is formed on the conductive cloth 71 by using a conductive fiber in order to make the projection have conductivity by using a fiber having a projecting property in a portion where a biological signal is measured. By adopting such a configuration, it can be expected that the biological electrode is prevented from being in a non-contact state with respect to the skin 70 and the biological signal can be stably measured.

  As a method for forming such a bioelectrode with protrusions, for example, a flexible material typified by a urethane material is coated with a conductive polymer typified by PEDOT-PSS, or a conductive material made of silver or silver chloride. There is a method for producing a vapor-deposited projection-shaped bioelectrode.

  FIG. 7 shows the result of measuring the heart rate when a cloth coated with PEDOT-PSS was used as a bioelectrode with protrusions. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 7 is time, and the vertical axis is heart rate. It can be seen that the heart rate can be measured stably even by the bioelectrode with protrusions.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a strip-shaped bioelectrode according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. By widely disposing the strip-shaped bioelectrode 80 on the inner side, it is possible to prevent the bioelectrode 80 from being in non-contact with the body during exercises such as twisting, vertical motion, left-right motion, and turning over that occur in daily life. This strip-like bioelectrode can be realized by printing or applying a conductive polymer on the inner side.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by providing biological electrodes for measuring biological information at a plurality of locations, body twisting, vertical movement, left-right movement, rollover, etc. that occur in daily life are provided. Biological information can be obtained stably during exercise.

  In addition, a large area such as the waistline is used as a reference GND electrode, and a plurality of biological signals are measured and transmitted to the outside using a plurality of biological electrodes and sensors based on the reference potential of the reference GND electrode, thereby stabilizing a plurality of biological signals. Measurement and stable transmission to external devices.

  Furthermore, the bioelectrode is made of a conductive polymer material such as PEDOT-PSS, which has high affinity with the human body, or a fiber coated or vapor-deposited with a conductive substance made of silver or silver chloride. By using braiding with conductive fibers, wiring with conductive ink, and the like, even when a plurality of bioelectrodes and sensors are installed, it is possible to obtain a comfortable feeling without discomfort.

  In addition, by making the bioelectrode into a bioelectrode with protrusions or a strip-like bioelectrode, the bioelectrode is prevented from coming into non-contact with the body, and the body twist, vertical movement, left-right movement and rollover that occur in daily life It is expected that the biological signal can be measured stably even during exercise.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a wearable biological information collection apparatus that enables collective collection of biological information on a wide variety of human bodies.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Human body, 11 ... Bioelectrode, 12 ... Wireless transmitter, 13 ... Amplifier circuit, 14 ... Transmission processing circuit, 15 ... Radio signal amplifier circuit, 16 ... Wireless transmission circuit part, 17 ... Electrocardiogram waveform, 18 ... Wristwatch Type monitor, 19 ... Memory, 20 ... Display, 21 ... Received signal processing circuit, 22 ... Received signal amplification circuit, 23 ... Interface circuit, 30 ... Bioelectrode and sensor, 31 ... Biological information collecting device, 32 ... Power supply, 33- DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 38 ... Amplification circuit for electrodes and sensors, 39 ... Biological signal processing circuit, 40 ... Inner shirt, 41 ... Reference GND, 42 ... Inner pants, 43 ... Personal computer, 44 ... Wireless communication circuit, 45 ... Wireless signal amplification circuit, 46 ... Antenna, 51 ... electrocardiographic bioelectrode, 52 ... blood pressure sensor, 53 ... body temperature sensor, 54 ... respiratory sensor, 55 ... fat bioelectrode, 56 ... acceleration electrode, 57 Ultrasonic diagnostic circuit, 58 ... ultrasonic transducer, 59 ... microphone, 60 ... unstable waveform, 61 ... stable waveform output, 62 ... variable gain amplification circuit, 63 ... filter, 64 ... peak value detection circuit of waveform, 65 ... comparison circuit, 66 ... reference voltage, 67 ... feedback control circuit, 68 ... output, 70 ... skin, 71 ... conductive cloth, 72 ... conductive protrusion, 73 ... bioelectrode, 80 ... band-like bioelectrode.

Claims (6)

A plurality of detection means which are arranged at predetermined positions of clothes determined according to biological information to be measured and detect biological signals of the living body when contacting the living body wearing the clothes;
Wiring for transmitting a biological signal provided in the clothes and detected by the detection means;
An earth electrode that contacts the living body and supplies a reference potential;
Biosignal processing means for processing the biosignal received through the wiring with reference to the reference potential of the ground electrode ,
The ground electrode is installed on the entire surface of the back of the living body or the position surrounding the whole or part of the circumference of the abdomen or chest of the living body,
In a state where the living body wears the clothes, at least a part of the ground electrode is always in contact with the living body while detecting the biological signal.
A biological information collecting apparatus characterized by the above . The biological information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the detection means is an electrode with a protrusion provided with a conductive protrusion. The biological information collecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein at least a part of the detection means is a strip electrode arranged at a predetermined position of the clothes. The biological information collecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the biological signal processing means includes gain control means for setting the amplitude of the biological signal to a predetermined value. The biological information collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein at least a part of the detection means is made of a fiber coated or vapor-deposited with a conductive substance or metal. The wiring is a wiring in which a conductive material or a metal-coated or vapor-deposited fiber is knitted or attached to the clothing, or a wiring coated with a conductive material or metal. The biological information collecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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