FLUID CONTROL DEVICE AND SPHYGMOMANOMETER
20190331101 ยท 2019-10-31
Inventors
Cpc classification
A61B5/02141
HUMAN NECESSITIES
F04B17/003
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F04B49/06
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F04B17/03
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F04B43/095
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
A61B5/0225
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
F04B17/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Abstract
Provided are a fluid control device capable of operating a piezoelectric pump even in a case where a low discharge pressure or a slow pressurization speed is required and a sphygmomanometer including the fluid control device. A fluid control device includes a piezoelectric pump that includes a piezoelectric element, a self-excited circuit that performs, upon application of a driving power source voltage thereto, self-excited oscillation to drive the piezoelectric element, a switch that interrupts the driving power source voltage for the self-excited circuit, and a control circuit that changes an on duty ratio of the self-excited circuit by switching between states of the switch at a predetermined switching frequency and a predetermined on duty ratio.
Claims
1. A fluid control device comprising: a piezoelectric pump comprising a piezoelectric element; a self-excited circuit configured to, upon application of a driving power source voltage, self-excitedly oscillate and apply a driving voltage to the piezoelectric element, thereby driving the piezoelectric element; and a control circuit configured to determine an on-time duty ratio for driving the piezoelectric element.
2. The fluid control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a switch configured to selectively apply or interrupt the application of the driving power source voltage to the self-excited circuit.
3. The fluid control device according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit is further configured to change a state of the switch according to the on-time duty ratio.
4. The fluid control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a switch configured to selectively apply or interrupt the application of the driving voltage to the piezoelectric element.
5. The fluid control device according to claim 4, wherein the control circuit is further configured to change a state of the switch according to the on-time duty ratio.
6. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the on-time duty ratio is predetermined.
7. The fluid control device according to claim 2, wherein the switch comprises: a field-effect transistor (FET), and a circuit configured to drive the FET according to the on-time duty ratio.
8. The fluid control device according to claim 4, wherein the switch comprises: a field-effect transistor (FET), and a circuit configured to drive the FET according to the on-time duty ratio.
9. The fluid control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a DC/DC converter configured to convert a DC input power source voltage to the driving power source voltage.
10. The fluid control device according to claim 9, wherein the control circuit is further configured to selectively control output of the driving power source voltage from the DC/DC converter according to the on-time duty ratio.
11. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein: when a desired operating pressure of the piezoelectric pump is below a predetermined value, the on-time duty ratio corresponds to a ratio at which the applied driving power source voltage is the lowest voltage at which the self-excited circuit is operable, and when the desired operating pressure of the piezoelectric pump is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the driving power source voltage is greater than a lowest voltage corresponding to an on-time duty ratio of 100%.
12. The fluid control device according to claim 2, wherein: when a desired operating pressure of the piezoelectric pump is below a predetermined value, the on-time duty ratio corresponds to a ratio at which the applied driving power source voltage is the lowest voltage at which the self-excited circuit is operable, and when the desired operating pressure of the piezoelectric pump is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the driving power source voltage is greater than a lowest voltage corresponding to an on-time duty ratio of 100%.
13. The fluid control device according to claim 10, wherein: when a desired operating pressure of the piezoelectric pump is below a predetermined value, the on-time duty ratio corresponds to a ratio at which the applied driving power source voltage is the lowest voltage at which the self-excited circuit is operable, and when the desired operating pressure of the piezoelectric pump is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the driving power source voltage is greater than a lowest voltage corresponding to an on-time duty ratio of 100%.
14. The fluid control device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises a microcontroller including a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generation circuit configured to generate a PWM signal, wherein the on-time duty ratio corresponds to the PWM signal.
15. A sphygmomanometer comprising: a cuff; the fluid control device of claim 1 configured to pressurize the cuff by an output of the piezoelectric pump; a valve configured to adjust pressure inside the cuff by controlling a supply of the output of the piezoelectric pump; and a controller and a sensor together configured to measure a blood pressure of a subject based on the pressure of the cuff.
16. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 15, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the blood pressure of the subject based further on a pulse wave of the subject or Korotkoff sounds.
17. A sphygmomanometer comprising: a cuff; the fluid control device of claim 3 configured to pressurize the cuff by an output of the piezoelectric pump; a valve configured to adjust pressure inside the cuff by controlling a supply of the output of the piezoelectric pump; and a controller and a sensor together configured to measure a blood pressure of a subject based on the pressure of the cuff, wherein the control circuit is further configured to change a state of the switch at a predetermined frequency.
18. The sphygmomanometer according to claim 17, wherein the frequency is greater than or equal to ten times the reciprocal of a measurement period of the controller and sensor, and is less than or equal to one tenth a driving frequency of the piezoelectric element.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028]
[0029]
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
[0034]
[0035]
[0036]
[0037]
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[0039]
[0040]
[0041]
[0042]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments for exploitation of the present disclosure will be described by taking for example some specific examples with reference to the drawings. The same portions in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals. By considering the ease of describing or understanding main points, a division into a plurality of embodiments are made and illustrated for the sake of convenience; however, it is possible to partially exchange between or combine configurations described in different embodiments. In the description of each of the embodiments, a redundant description about things in common will be omitted and in particular different points will be described. In addition, substantially the same operations and effects based on substantially the same configuration will not be stated one by one in every embodiment.
First Embodiment
[0044]
[0045] An input power source BAT illustrated in
[0046] The control circuit 30 switches between the states of the switch 40 at a predetermined switching frequency and a predetermined on duty ratio, and gradually increases the on duty ratio in accordance with time elapsed from the startup of the fluid control device 101.
[0047]
[0048] In
[0049] In
[0050] With the circuit configuration described above, the current flowing in the piezoelectric element 1 and the voltage applied across the piezoelectric element 1 are in a positive feedback relationship, thereby performing self-excited oscillation. As a result, an alternating voltage having both positive and negative polarities is applied to the piezoelectric element 1.
[0051]
[0052] The order that is illustrated in
[0053] The shorter the rise time ts is, the lower the risk of non-oscillation of the self-excited circuit 20 becomes. Thus, the rise time ts can be shorter. Thus, the FET M1 illustrated in
[0054]
[0055] As illustrated in
[0056]
[0057] In contrast to this, in a case where the driving power source voltage is continuously applied (an on duty ratio of 100%) and gradually increased from 0 V under the same conditions, self-excited oscillation starts only when the driving power source voltage is 6 V or higher. When this is converted into an on duty ratio in an 8-V application state, the relationship between the on duty ratio and the discharge pressure is represented by a characteristic line CL0 as in
[0058]
[0059]
[0060] The example of
[0061]
[0062] In contrast, the DC/DC converter 50 also operates intermittently with the configuration illustrated in
[0063]
[0064] Note that the differential amplifier circuit 21 may have low pass filter characteristics for attenuating a region higher than the oscillation frequency. In addition, either the filter 22 or the comparator 23 illustrated in
[0065] Note that, in the examples described above, the examples are described in which the on duty ratio is gradually increased in accordance with time elapsed from the startup of the fluid control device 101, 102. Through this control, the pressurization speed is gradually increased with time elapsed from the startup. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and control is possible such that the on duty ratio is gradually decreased in accordance with time elapsed from the startup of the fluid control devices. For example, right after the startup of a fluid control device, assurance of flow rate may be more desired than that of pressure. In such a case, control is possible such that the on duty ratio is set to a little too large value at the time of startup of the fluid control device, the on duty ratio is gradually decreased with time elapsed thereafter, and the pressurization speed of the container is slowed down.
Second Embodiment
[0066] In a second embodiment, an example will be described in which not only the duty ratio but also the voltage of the driving power source voltage of the self-excited circuit 20 is changed.
[0067]
[0068] The DC/DC converter 50 boosts or steps down the voltage of an input power source BAT to apply the driving power source voltage to the self-excited circuit 20. The self-excited circuit 20 performs self-excited oscillation with this driving power source voltage and applies an alternating voltage to the piezoelectric element 1.
[0069] In the control circuit 30, a driving voltage controller determines an output voltage through, for example, controlling of the on duty ratio of a switching element of the DC/DC converter 50. In addition, a duty ratio controller determines the on duty ratio of the switch 40.
[0070]
[0071]
[0072] In this manner, in a normal range of the driving power source voltage when the piezoelectric pump is used as a pump, the driving power source voltage of the self-excited circuit 20 is roughly proportional to the discharge pressure of the piezoelectric pump 10. After the on duty ratio of the self-excited circuit 20 reaches 100%, the fluid control device 102 of the second embodiment further increases the discharge pressure of the piezoelectric pump by increasing the driving power source voltage.
[0073]
[0074] According to the present embodiment, since the pressure is continuously controlled over the wide range, pressures can be generated with high accuracy from a predetermined low pressure to intermediate pressures, and to high pressures.
Third Embodiment
[0075] In a third embodiment, an example will be described in which the on duty ratio of self-excited oscillation of a self-excited circuit is determined by interrupting a driving voltage for a piezoelectric element.
[0076]
[0077] Unlike the first embodiment, in the present embodiment, the driving voltage for the piezoelectric element 1 is interrupted while the self-excited circuit 20 keeps performing self-excited oscillation.
[0078] An input power source BAT illustrated in
[0079] The configuration of the DC/DC converter 50 and that of the self-excited circuit 20 are the same as those illustrated in the first embodiment.
[0080] According to the present embodiment, on/off of the driving voltage for the piezoelectric element 1 can be switched at higher speed than with the configuration for interrupting the driving voltage for the self-excited circuit 20 (
Fourth Embodiment
[0081] In a fourth embodiment, a sphygmomanometer will be described.
[0082] The configuration of the fluid control device 101 is the same as that illustrated in the first embodiment. The cuff 70 is connected to a discharge unit of the piezoelectric pump 10 of the fluid control device 101 with the valve 60 interposed therebetween. The pressure sensor 80 detects an air pressure of the cuff 70. In a state in which the piezoelectric pump 10 discharges air, the valve 60 sends the air to the cuff, and in a case where the air pressure of the cuff is reduced, the valve 60 releases the air into the atmosphere at a predetermined flow rate. The measurement unit 90 (e.g., a controller) detects pulse waves on the basis of a detection value from the pressure sensor in a pressurization process and determines the maximum blood pressure and the minimum blood pressure on the basis of the oscillometric method. Thereafter, the air is removed from the valve 60 in a pressure release process. In this manner, a method for measuring a blood pressure in a pressurization process can exhaust air rapidly in a pressure release process after the measurement, and thus total time required for blood pressure measurement is short, and current consumption is low since the battery is consumed only during boosting time. Note that, pressurization to a predetermined pressure may be performed in the pressurization process for the cuff, and a blood pressure may be measured in a subsequent pressure release process.
[0083] Lastly, the embodiments described above are examples in every respect and are not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may deform and make changes as needed. The scope of the present disclosure is represented not by the embodiments described above but by claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present disclosure includes changes from embodiments within the scope of the claims and the scope of equivalents of the claims.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0084] BAT input power source [0085] R0 output current detection resistor [0086] R1, R2, R3, R4 resistor [0087] 1 piezoelectric element [0088] 10 piezoelectric pump [0089] 20 self-excited circuit [0090] 21 differential amplifier circuit [0091] 22 filter [0092] 23 comparator [0093] 24 phase inversion comparator [0094] 30 control circuit [0095] 40 switch [0096] 50 DC/DC converter [0097] 60 valve [0098] 70 cuff [0099] 80 pressure sensor [0100] 90 measurement unit [0101] 101, 102, 103 fluid control device [0102] 201 sphygmomanometer