JP7516791B2 - Portable electrocardiogram device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable electrocardiogram device capable of measuring electrocardiogram waveforms in daily life, etc.

Portable electrocardiogram measuring devices (hereinafter also referred to as "portable electrocardiogram devices") have been proposed that can immediately measure electrocardiogram waveforms when abnormalities such as chest pain or palpitations occur in daily life. When symptoms such as palpitations occur at home or on the go, doctors and others can detect heart disease early and provide appropriate treatment based on the electrocardiogram waveform data measured by the electrocardiogram device.

As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a device having a flat and elongated, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape is known as such a portable electrocardiogram device. In this electrocardiogram device, a positive electrode is arranged on one end face in the longitudinal direction of the device body, and a negative electrode and a ground electrode are arranged on the other end face. In addition, a battery that serves as the power source for the portable electrocardiogram device is housed along the short side of the device body. During measurement, the electrocardiogram device is held near one end face with the right hand and the fingers of the right hand are brought into contact with the negative electrode and the ground electrode, while the other end face is pressed against a predetermined location on the chest to bring the positive electrode into contact with the skin at that location. If the longitudinal dimension of the device body is considerably longer than the width of the hand holding the device body, the force pressing against the chest acts in a direction that rotates the device body around an axis along the other end face, making the contact state of the electrodes unstable. In addition, portability is reduced when the dimensions of the device body are large.

JP 2010-166961 A

In view of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, the present invention aims to provide a portable electrocardiogram device that has high stability of electrode contact and is highly portable.

In order to solve the above problems, the portable electrocardiogram device according to the present invention comprises:
A circuit board on which electronic components are mounted;
a housing for accommodating the circuit board and a battery;
a first electrode and a second electrode for detecting an electrocardiogram signal, the first electrode and the second electrode being provided on a pair of surfaces facing each other along a longitudinal direction of the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board;
The battery is housed in the housing such that the longitudinal direction of the battery is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the housing;
The first electrode and the second electrode are arranged at a distance such that when a subject places the index finger of his/her right hand in contact with the first electrode and then places the second electrode in contact with his/her chest, the wrist of the right hand can touch the chest.

In this way, when the subject detects an electrocardiogram signal by touching the second electrode to the chest with the index finger of the right hand in contact with the first electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode are provided at a distance such that the carpal part of the right hand, which is touching the index finger to the first electrode provided on one of a pair of surfaces facing each other along the longitudinal direction of the housing, can contact the chest. Therefore, the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode can be shortened to reduce the size of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 in the longitudinal direction, thereby improving portability. In addition, when the right index finger is touched to the first electrode and the second electrode is touched to the chest to detect an electrocardiogram signal, the rotation moment of the force acting on the first electrode from the index finger of the right hand, which has a relatively high degree of freedom of movement, can be reduced with the second electrode touched to the chest as a fulcrum, so that the posture of the portable electrocardiogram device can be stabilized and the contact state of the electrodes can be stabilized.

In the present invention,
The first electrode and the second electrode may be arranged in the housing so as to sandwich the cylindrical battery from both ends in the longitudinal direction thereof.

In this way, the first and second electrodes are arranged in the housing so as to sandwich the cylindrical battery from both ends in the longitudinal direction, so that the portable electrocardiogram device can be configured compactly in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing, thereby improving portability.

In the present invention,
The housing may have a battery opening for inserting the battery into the housing or removing the battery from the housing, and an opening/closing member for opening and closing the battery opening.

In this way, the battery can be inserted into or removed from the housing by opening the battery opening with the opening/closing member, so convenience is not compromised even if the portable electrocardiogram device is made smaller.

In the present invention,
a battery housing portion that is built into the housing and that houses the battery;
In the battery accommodating section, the positive electrode side end face on which the protruding portion of the positive terminal of the battery is formed may be formed with a positive electrode side end face on which a finger or nail can be hooked from the outside in the longitudinal direction of the battery, so that the battery accommodating section may be arranged in the housing such that a gap is provided between the inner edge of the positive electrode terminal side of the battery opening and the positive electrode side end face into which the finger or nail can be inserted.

In this way, the battery storage section is arranged in the housing so that a gap is provided between the inner edge of the positive terminal side of the battery opening and the positive electrode side end face, allowing a finger or nail to be inserted into the positive electrode side end face of the battery opening from the outside in the longitudinal direction of the battery. This shortens the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode without compromising the ease of removing the battery, thereby improving the portability of the portable electrocardiogram device.

In the present invention,
The battery accommodating section may be arranged in the housing such that the gap is provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the housing, corresponding to the batteries accommodated so that the positive terminals are oriented in opposite directions relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing.

In this way, even when multiple batteries are used as the power source, the distance between the first and second electrodes of the portable electrocardiogram device can be shortened without compromising the ease of removing the batteries.

In the present invention,
The batteries housed such that the positive terminals are oriented in opposite directions relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing may be housed in the battery housing section with the positive terminals shifted toward the negative terminals.

In this way, the distance between the first and second electrodes of the portable electrocardiogram device can be shortened without compromising the ease of removing the battery, thereby improving the portability of the portable electrocardiogram device.

The present invention provides a portable electrocardiogram device with highly stable electrode contact and portability.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a portable electrocardiogram device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a usage mode of the portable electrocardiogram device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of the portable electrocardiogram device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an external view showing a battery storage structure of a portable electrocardiogram device according to a comparative example. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of a portable electrocardiogram device according to a comparative example. FIG. 6 is an external view showing a battery storage structure of the portable electrocardiogram device according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the portable electrocardiogram device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of the portable electrocardiogram device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of the portable electrocardiogram device according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the attachment of the battery cover to the main housing in the portable electrocardiogram device according to the embodiment.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those alone.

(Configuration of portable electrocardiogram device)
Figures 1(A) to (C) are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a portable electrocardiogram device 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1(A) is a perspective view of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 as viewed from the upper left of the front side. Figure 1(B) is a perspective view of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 as viewed from the upper left of the back side. Figure 1(C) is a perspective view of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 as viewed from the lower left of the front side. The up-down direction described below refers to the up-down direction on the paper with respect to the portable electrocardiogram device 1 in the posture shown in Figures 1(A) to (C).

As shown in Fig. 1 (A) to (C), the main body of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 is in the shape of a substantially rectangular prism with rounded corners, and is flattened between the front and back. At the top of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, a finger electrode 4 is provided on the right side as viewed from the front, and a ground electrode (hereinafter referred to as "GND electrode") 3 is provided on the left side. At the bottom of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, a chest electrode 2 is provided. The top of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 is smoothly curved so that the subject's right index finger can easily contact it. Specifically, the top of the main body is an upwardly convex shape in which the central part sandwiched between the finger electrode 4 and the GND electrode 3 is higher in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the left-right direction as viewed from the front. Moreover, the top of the main body is an upwardly concave shape in which the central part is lower in the lateral direction as viewed from the front, i.e., the short side direction. At the front of the main body of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, a measurement notification LED 12 and an abnormal wave detection LED 13 are arranged vertically. The measurement notification LED 12 is a light-emitting element that lights up or blinks when an electrocardiogram waveform (electrocardiogram signal) is measured. The abnormal waveform detection LED 13 is a light-emitting element that lights up when an abnormal waveform is detected in the measured electrocardiogram waveform. The subject is notified of the presence or absence of an abnormal waveform detected from the measurement data of the electrocardiogram waveform through the lighting of the abnormal waveform detection LED 13. On the left side of the main body of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 as viewed from the front, a power LED 6, a power switch 7, a communication LED 8, a communication switch 9, a memory remaining display LED 10, and a battery replacement LED 11 are arranged vertically in a line. The power switch 7 is a push switch for turning on the power of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, and the power LED 6 is a light-emitting element that lights up when the power is turned on. The communication switch 9 is an operating part for functioning communication with a device that complies with a predetermined communication method, and the communication LED 8 is a light-emitting element that lights up during communication. The communication function of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 may be a wireless communication method such as BLE, infrared communication, and information transmission by ultrasound, or a wired communication method connected via a cable or connector, etc., and is not limited thereto. The remaining memory display LED 10 is a light-emitting element that indicates the state of free space in the memory section, which will be described later. The battery replacement LED 11 is a light-emitting element that lights up when the power of the power source (battery) provided in the portable ECG device 1 falls below a predetermined value, prompting battery replacement. A chest electrode 2 is provided at the bottom of the main body of the portable ECG device 1. In addition, a removable rectangular battery cover 5 with rounded corners is provided on the back of the main body of the portable ECG device 1, occupying most of the back surface. The finger electrode 4 and the GND electrode 3 correspond to the first electrode of the present invention. In addition, the chest electrode 2 corresponds to the second electrode of the present invention. The battery cover 5 corresponds to the opening and closing member of the present invention.

When I-lead measurement is performed in electrocardiogram measurement, the chest electrode 2 provided at the bottom of the device is placed in contact with the palm of the left hand while holding the portable electrocardiogram device 1 in the right hand. The index finger of the right hand holding the portable electrocardiogram device 1 is pressed against the GND electrode 3 at the tip end and against the finger electrode 4 at the base end, following the concave processing on the upper side of the device. In this state, the chest electrode 2 is pressed from the upper side of the device toward the left palm. Here, the "tip side" that is in contact with the GND electrode 3 includes the area corresponding to the distal phalange of the right index finger. The "base side" that is in contact with the finger electrode 4 includes, for example, the area corresponding to the middle phalange of the right index finger.

When chest lead measurement is performed in electrocardiogram measurement, as shown in Figure 2, the subject holds the portable electrocardiogram device 1 in the right hand 16 and places the chest electrode 2 in contact with, for example, the chest 17. As in the case of I-lead measurement, the index finger 161 of the right hand holding the portable electrocardiogram device 1 is pressed against the GND electrode 3 at the tip and against the finger electrode 4 at the base, following the concave processing on the upper side of the main body, and the chest electrode 2 is pressed against the chest 17 from the upper side of the main body.

As described above, when the index finger 161 is pressed against the finger electrode 4 and the GND electrode 3 on the upper part of the main body and the chest electrode 2 is pressed against the chest 17, the thumb 162 of the right hand 16 holding the portable electrocardiogram device 1 is placed on the front side, and the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are placed on the back side, as shown in FIG. 2. At this time, the carpal part 163 of the right hand 16 can be brought into contact with the chest 17. That is, the distance between the finger electrode 4 and the GND electrode 3 arranged on the upper and lower surfaces facing each other along the longitudinal direction of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 and the chest electrode 2 is set to a distance that allows the carpal part 163 of the right hand 16 to be in contact with the chest 17 when the index finger of the right hand is brought into contact with the finger electrode 4 and the GND electrode 3 and the chest electrode 2 is brought into contact with the chest 17. In this way, the length between the finger electrode 4 and the GND electrode 3 and the chest electrode 2 can be shortened to reduce the size of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, thereby improving portability. In addition, when performing chest lead measurement using the portable electrocardiogram device 1, by contacting the wrist 163 of the right hand 16 holding the portable electrocardiogram device 1 with the chest 17, the rotational moment of the force acting on the finger electrode 4 and GND electrode 4 from the index finger of the right hand, which has a relatively high degree of freedom of movement, can be reduced with the chest electrode 2 in contact with the chest 17 as a fulcrum, thereby stabilizing the position of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 with respect to the chest 17 and enabling accurate measurement.

(System configuration of portable electrocardiogram device)
Next, the system configuration of the portable electrocardiogram device will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the portable electrocardiogram device 1 includes an electrode section 101, an amplifier section 102, an AD (Analog to Digital) conversion section 103, a control section 104, and a timer section 105. The portable electrocardiogram device 1 also includes a memory section 106, a display section 107, an alarm section 108, an operation section 109, and a power supply section 110.
and a communication unit 111. The control unit 104, the timer unit 105, the memory unit 106, the display unit 107, the notification unit 108, the operation unit 109, the power supply unit 110, and the communication unit 111 are connected to each other.

The electrode unit 101 includes a chest electrode 2 and a finger electrode 4 that function as a pair of measurement electrodes, and a GND electrode 3. An electrocardiogram waveform within a predetermined period is detected through the electrode unit 101 that is in contact with the subject's skin. The electrocardiogram waveform detected by each electrode of the electrode unit 101 is input to an amplifier unit 102 connected to the electrode unit. In the amplifier unit 102, the signal detected by the electrode unit 101 is amplified and output to an AD conversion unit 103. In the AD conversion unit 103, the detection signal of the electrocardiogram waveform amplified through the amplifier unit 102 is digitally converted and output to the control unit 104.

The control unit 104 is a means for controlling the portable electrocardiogram device 1, and is configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). When the control unit 104 receives an instruction from the subject via the operation unit 109 to start measuring the electrocardiogram waveform, the control unit 104 records measurement data related to the electrocardiogram waveform detected by the electrode unit 101 within a predetermined period in the memory unit 106. The control unit 104 then analyzes the electrocardiogram waveform detected within the predetermined period and stores the analysis result in the memory unit 106. When an abnormal waveform is detected as a result of the analysis of the electrocardiogram waveform, the control unit 104 turns on the abnormal waveform detection LED 13. In addition, the control unit 104 controls each component of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 to execute processing according to the operation of the subject via the operation unit 109.

The data on the electrocardiogram waveform measured within a specified period and recorded in the memory unit 106, and the analysis results of the electrocardiogram waveform are provided to a linked information processing device such as a smartphone or PC via BLE communication or the like. In medical institutions and the like, it becomes possible to detect cardiac diseases early and provide appropriate treatment based on the measurement data of the electrocardiogram waveform and the analysis results provided from the portable electrocardiogram device 1.

The timer unit 105 is a means for receiving instructions from the control unit 104 and counting various periods related to the measurement of the electrocardiogram waveform. The memory unit 106 is configured to include a long-term storage medium such as a flash memory in addition to a main storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory unit 106 stores various programs related to the measurement and analysis of the electrocardiogram waveform, and various information for detecting abnormal waveforms, etc. The display unit 107 is a means for displaying various information related to the measurement of the electrocardiogram waveform. The display unit 107 includes a power LED 6, a communication LED 9, a memory remaining display LED 10, a battery replacement LED 11, a measurement notification LED 12, and an abnormal waveform detection LED 13. The display unit 107 may include a means for displaying various information by images or videos such as a liquid crystal display. The notification unit 108 is a means for notifying the subject of various information such as the end of measurement by vibrating the portable electrocardiogram device 1. The notification unit 108 may include a speaker or the like for notifying the subject of an audio message.

The operation unit 109 is a means for accepting operation input from the subject. The operation unit 109 includes a power switch 7 and a communication switch 9. The power supply unit 110 is a means for supplying power for functioning the portable electrocardiogram device 1, and includes a battery, a secondary battery, and the like. The communication unit 111 is a communication interface that controls the transmission and reception of signals with devices such as a smartphone. An example of a communication function provided by the communication unit 111 is BLE communication, but other well-known wireless communication methods and wired communication methods can also be used.

(Outline of electrocardiogram waveform measurement process)
Below, an outline of the electrocardiogram waveform measurement process using the portable electrocardiogram device 1 will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the portable electrocardiogram device 1 measures the electrocardiogram waveform by itself. The electrocardiogram waveform measurement process described below is realized by the control unit 104 of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 executing a program stored in the memory unit 106.

First, when the subject presses the power switch 7 of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, the power LED 6 lights up. When the subject's contact state with the chest electrode 2, the finger electrode 4, and the GND electrode 3 is detected and it is determined that the electrode contact state is good, measurement of the electrocardiogram waveform is started. When the measurement of the electrocardiogram waveform is started, the measurement notification LED 12 lights up or blinks. When the measurement of the electrocardiogram waveform is started, the electrocardiogram waveform data is recorded in the memory unit 106 together with time information. When the measurement is continued for a predetermined time, the electrocardiogram waveform of the subject is analyzed based on the measured electrocardiogram waveform data. At this time, the electrocardiogram waveform is analyzed based on the time-series data recorded in the memory unit 106. The analysis result is stored in the memory unit 106. When an abnormal waveform is detected as a result of the analysis of the electrocardiogram waveform, the abnormal waveform detection LED 13 lights up or blinks. After that, when the subject presses the power switch 7 again, the power supplied from the power supply unit 110 is cut off and the power LED 6 is turned off.
When the portable electrocardiogram device 1 is used in conjunction with a smartphone or the like, communication is performed with the smartphone or the like via the communication unit 11, and at that time, information regarding the communication status is displayed by the communication LED 9 lighting up or blinking.

(Battery storage structure)
Next, the battery housing structure in the portable electrocardiogram device 1 will be described. Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams showing a portable electrocardiogram device 1000 serving as a comparative example of the present invention. Except for the configuration related to the battery housing, the portable electrocardiogram device 1000 has an overall configuration similar to that of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, and similar reference numerals are used and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Figure 4 is a rear view of the portable electrocardiogram device 1000 with the battery cover removed. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the portable electrocardiogram device 1000 in the A-A cross section shown in Figure 4.
As shown in Fig. 4, the portable electrocardiogram device 1000 houses two AAA batteries 14 and 15 with the electrodes facing up and down. That is, the battery 14 is housed with the positive electrode 14a facing up and the negative electrode end surface 14b facing down, and the battery 15 is housed with the negative electrode 15b facing up and the positive electrode 112a facing down. As shown in Fig. 4, the A-A cross section is a cross section passing through the central axis of the battery 14, which is substantially cylindrical.

The batteries 14 and 15 are housed in a battery holder 1002 stored inside a main housing 1001 that constitutes the case of the portable electrocardiogram device 1000. The battery holder 1002 includes a side wall 10021 having a shape in which partial cylindrical surfaces that follow the outer shapes of the batteries 14 and 15 are arranged in parallel, and end walls 10022 and 10023 that are connected to both ends of the side wall 10021 in the longitudinal direction and face both ends of the batteries 14 and 15 in the longitudinal direction. A positive electrode side contact 10024 is provided on the inner surface 10022a of the end wall 10022. In addition, a spiral spring 10025 is provided on the inner surface 10023a of the end wall 10023, which is interposed between the negative electrode side end surface 14b on which the negative electrode terminal of the battery 14 is formed, and presses the battery 14 toward the end wall 10022 and also serves as a negative electrode side contact. In addition, the end wall 10023 of the battery holder is integrally formed with the chest electrode support part 1023b that supports the chest electrode 2.

A spiral spring 10026 is provided on the inner surface 10022a of the end wall 10022, which is interposed between the end wall 10022 and the negative end surface 15b on which the negative terminal of the battery 15 is formed, and which presses the battery 15 toward the end wall 10023 and also serves as a contact on the negative side. A positive contact is provided on the inner surface 10023a of the end wall 10023. A lead wire 10025a connected to the power supply unit 110 on the substrate 1003 is drawn from the spiral spring 10025 provided on the inner surface 10023a of the end wall 10023, and a lead wire is similarly drawn from the contact facing the protrusion 15a of the positive terminal of the battery 15. A positive contact 10024 provided on the inner surface 10022a of the end wall 10022 and the spiral spring 10026 are electrically connected. In this manner, the protruding portion 14a of the positive terminal of the battery 14 is connected to the negative end surface 15b of the battery 15, and the batteries 14 and 15 are connected in series.

In the portable electrocardiogram device 1000, a space Sp10 is provided between the positive electrode side end surface 14c on which the protrusion 14a of the positive electrode terminal of the battery 14 is formed and the opposing inner surface 10022a of the end wall 10022 of the battery holder 1002 and the edge 10011a of the opening 10011 of the main housing 1001. This space Sp10 is for the subject to insert a finger or nail to hook onto the positive electrode side end surface 14c of the battery 14 when removing the battery 14 from the battery holder 1002. In this embodiment, the edge 10011a of the opening 10011 of the main housing 1001 and the inner surface 10022a of the end wall 10022 of the battery holder 1002 are located on approximately the same plane, so the distance C10 between these and the positive electrode end face 14c of the battery 14 defines the size of the space Sp10, but if they are not on approximately the same plane, the distance C10 between either of them closer to the positive electrode end face 14c of the battery 14 as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the battery 14 is taken as C10, and this distance C10 defines the size of the space Sp10. A spiral spring 10025 is provided on the negative electrode end face 14b side of the battery 14, and the biasing force of this spiral spring 10025 presses the protrusion 14a of the positive terminal of the battery 14 against the contact 10024. Therefore, on the negative end surface 14b side of the battery 14, the distance between the edge 10011b of the opening 10011 of the main housing 1001 and the inner surface 10023a of the end wall 10023 of the battery holder 1002 is relatively large. The same is true for the battery 15.

In the portable electrocardiogram device 1000 configured as described above, if one were to attempt to pack and arrange components other than the batteries 14 and 15 more densely in order to reduce the overall height of the portable electrocardiogram device 1000 in the longitudinal direction of the batteries 14 and 15, the space Sp10 between the batteries 14 and 15 and the edge 10011a of the opening 10011 of the main housing 1001 would become narrower, making it difficult to remove the batteries 14 and 15.

The battery housing structure of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a rear view of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 with the battery cover 5 removed to expose the opening 202. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 at the B-B cross section. Here, the opening 202 corresponds to the battery opening in the present invention.
In the portable electrocardiogram device 1, two AAA batteries 14 and 15 are housed so that the electrodes are oriented vertically in an alternating manner. That is, the battery 14 is housed so that the protruding portion 14a of the positive terminal faces upward and the negative electrode side end surface 14b on which the negative electrode terminal is formed faces downward, while the battery 15 is housed so that the negative electrode side end surface 15b faces upward and the protruding portion 15a of the positive electrode terminal faces downward, so that they are oriented in the opposite direction to the longitudinal direction of the main housing 201. As shown in FIG. 6, the B-B cross section is a cross section passing through the central axis of the battery 14, which is substantially cylindrical. Here, the AA batteries 14 and 15 correspond to the cylindrical batteries in the present invention.

The batteries 14 and 15 are housed in a battery holder 500 that is housed (built-in) inside the main housing 201 that constitutes the case of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 and is exposed to the outside. The battery holder 500 includes a side wall 501 having a shape in which partial cylindrical surfaces that follow the external shapes of the batteries 14 and 15 are arranged in parallel, and end walls 502 and 503 that are connected to both ends of the side wall 501 in the longitudinal direction and face both ends of the batteries 14 and 15 in the longitudinal direction. A spiral spring 505 that presses the battery 14 toward the end wall 503 and also serves as a contact point on the positive electrode side is provided on the inner surface 502a of the end wall 502. In addition, a spiral spring 506 that presses the battery 14 toward the end wall 502 and also serves as a contact point on the negative electrode side is provided on the inner surface 503a of the end wall 503 and is interposed between the end surface on the negative electrode side end surface 14b side of the battery 14. The spiral spring 506 presses the battery 14 toward the end wall 502 and also serves as a contact point on the negative electrode side. The end wall 503 of the battery holder is integrally formed with a chest electrode holder 504 that supports the chest electrode 2. As shown in Fig. 7, a circuit board 60 on which electronic components such as the control unit 104 and power supply unit 110 are mounted is housed between the battery holder 500 and the main housing 201. The chest electrode 2, finger electrodes 4, and GND electrode 3, which are electrically connected to the circuit board 60, are provided on a pair of opposing surfaces along the longitudinal direction of the main housing 201 (the vertical direction of the portable electrocardiogram device 1). The batteries 14 and 15 are housed in the main housing 201 via the battery holder 500 so as to be aligned along the longitudinal direction of the main housing 201. Here, the battery holder 500 corresponds to the battery housing section of the present invention.

A spiral spring 507 is provided on the inner surface 502a of the end wall 502, which is interposed between the end wall 502 and the negative end surface 15b of the battery 15, and which presses the battery 15 toward the end wall 503 and also serves as a contact point on the negative side. A spiral spring 508 is provided on the inner surface 503a of the end wall 503, which presses the battery 15 toward the end wall 502 and also serves as a contact point on the positive side. Lead wires 506a and 508a connected to the power supply unit 110 on the circuit board 60 are drawn out from the spiral spring 506 and the spiral spring 508 provided on the inner surface 503a of the end wall 503, respectively. The spiral spring 505 and the spiral spring 507 provided on the inner surface 502a of the end wall 502 are formed of an integral member that is electrically connected. In this way, the protruding portion 14a of the positive terminal of the battery 14 is connected to the negative end surface 15b of the battery 15, and the batteries 14 and 15 are connected in series.

An opening 202 is opened on the back surface of the main housing 201 of the portable electrocardiogram device 1, which communicates with the inside when the battery cover 5 is removed. The opening 202 is a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the longitudinal direction of the batteries 14 and 15, and has rounded corners. The opening 202 has a frame portion 2021 that bends inward from the surface of the main housing 201, an extension portion 2022 that bends from the inner end of the frame portion 2021 toward the center of the opening 202, and a flange portion 2023 that bends outward from the end of the extension portion 2022 on the center side of the opening 202. The battery cover 5 has a flange portion 52 that is perpendicular to the surface 51 around the approximately plate-shaped surface 51. The frame portion 2021 of the opening faces the end surface 52 of the battery cover 5 when the battery cover 5 is attached to the opening 202. When the battery cover 5 is removed, the flange portion 2023 is located at the center of the opening 202. Therefore, the positional relationship between the flange portion 2023 and the batteries 14 and 15 affects the ease of removing the batteries 14 and 15.

In the portable electrocardiogram device 1, the inner surface 503a of the end wall 503 of the battery holder 500 is located in a position retreated toward the chest electrode 2 in the longitudinal direction of the battery 14 with respect to the inner surface 2023b of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202. On the other hand, on the end wall 502 side of the battery holder 500, the inner surface 502a is located in a position retreated toward the GND electrode 3 and finger electrode 4 in the longitudinal direction of the battery 14 with respect to the inner surface 2023a of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202, and the inner surface 502a on which the spiral spring 505 is arranged is located in a position protruding toward the chest electrode 2 in the longitudinal direction of the battery 14 with respect to the inner surface 2023a of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202. In other words, the battery 14 is located relatively closer to the negative end surface 14b side in the longitudinal direction (the chest electrode 2 side, which is the lower side when viewed as a whole of the portable electrocardiogram device 1) with respect to the opening 202. This allows the distance C1 between the inner surface 2023a of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202 and the positive electrode side end surface 14c on which the protrusion 14a of the positive electrode terminal of the battery 14 is formed to be set large, and the gap formed between the inner surface 2023a of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202 and the positive electrode side end surface 14c of the battery 14 into which a finger or nail can be inserted, i.e., the space Sp1 for hooking a finger or nail on the positive electrode side end surface 14c from the outside in the longitudinal direction of the battery 14 to remove the battery 14, can be set wide. On the other hand, the space Sp2 formed between the inner surface 2023b of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202 and the negative electrode side end surface 14b of the battery 14 becomes narrow. Here, the inner surface 2023a of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202 corresponds to the inner edge of the positive electrode terminal side of the battery opening in the present invention.

The battery 15 is disposed at a position closer to the negative electrode side end face 15b side in the longitudinal direction (the GND electrode 3 and finger electrode 4 side, which are on the upper side when viewed as a whole of the portable electrocardiogram device 1) relative to the opening 202. This allows a gap into which a finger or nail can be inserted, that is, a space Sp3 for hooking a finger or nail on the positive electrode side end face 14c from the outside in the longitudinal direction of the battery 15, to be set wide, which is formed between the inner surface 2023b of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202 and the end face 15c on the protruding portion 15a side of the positive electrode terminal of the battery 15. On the other hand, a space Sp4 formed between the inner surface 2023a of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202 and the negative electrode 15b of the battery 15 becomes narrow. Since the batteries 14 and 15 are arranged with the positive and negative poles reversed in the longitudinal direction, the batteries 14 and 15 are positioned in opposite directions relative to the entire portable electrocardiogram device 1. In addition, spaces Sp1 and Sp3, which are gaps into which a finger or nail can be inserted, are provided on both sides of the main housing 201 in the longitudinal direction.

Fig. 8(A) is a cross-sectional view of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 taken along the line CC shown in Fig. 8(B). Fig. 8(B) is a cross-sectional view of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 taken along the line DD shown in Fig. 8(A).
As described above, the batteries 14 and 15 are shifted toward the negative electrode end faces 14b and 15b, respectively, with respect to the opening 202 for attaching and detaching the batteries 14 and 15, thereby widening the spaces Sp1 and Sp3 for the subject to insert his/her finger or nail and hook it on the positive electrode end faces 14c and 15c. In this way, by configuring the portable electrocardiogram device 1 so that the batteries 14 and 15 are arranged with respect to the opening 202, the ratio of the height of the entire device to the longitudinal height of the battery can be reduced. Specifically, the ratio of the height of the entire portable electrocardiogram device 1 (the distance from the top 201p located at the top of the main housing 201 formed to be convex upward when viewed from the front side to the chest electrode 2) H2 to the height of the battery 14 (the distance from the longitudinal tip of the protruding part 14a of the positive electrode terminal to the negative electrode end face 14b) H1 can be set to 1:1.41 (71%). In this way, the overall height of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 can be reduced without compromising the ease of removing the batteries 14 and 15.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a procedure for assembling the battery cover 5, which opens and closes the opening 202, to the main housing 201. As shown in FIG.
The battery cover 5 includes a surface 51 which constitutes the exterior of the portable electrocardiogram device 1 together with the main housing 201, and a flange portion 52 bent from an end of the surface 51. The opening 202 is closed by the battery cover 5 by engaging a releasable engagement portion of the battery cover 5 with a corresponding engagement portion of the main housing 201. At this time, the flange portion 52 of the battery cover 5 fits into the outer periphery of the flange portion 2023 of the opening 202 of the main housing 201.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1: Portable electrocardiogram device 2: Chest electrode 3: GND electrode 4: Finger electrode

Claims (5)

A circuit board on which electronic components are mounted;
a housing for accommodating the circuit board and a battery;
a first electrode and a second electrode for detecting an electrocardiogram signal, the first electrode and the second electrode being provided on a pair of surfaces facing each other along a longitudinal direction of the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board;
The battery is housed in the housing such that the longitudinal direction of the battery is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the housing;
the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed in the housing so as to sandwich the cylindrical battery from both ends in the longitudinal direction thereof;
The longitudinal length of the housing is 1.41 times the length of the battery,
A portable electrocardiogram device characterized in that the first electrode and the second electrode are positioned at a distance such that when a subject touches the second electrode to his chest while touching the first electrode with the index finger of his right hand, the wrist of the right hand can touch the chest. The portable electrocardiogram device according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing has a battery opening for inserting the battery into the housing or removing the battery from the housing, and an opening/closing member for opening and closing the battery opening. a battery housing portion that is built into the housing and that houses the battery;
The portable electrocardiogram device of claim 2, characterized in that the battery accommodating section is arranged in the housing so that a gap is provided between the inner edge of the positive terminal side of the battery opening and the positive electrode side end face on which the protruding portion of the positive electrode terminal of the battery is formed, so that a finger or nail can be inserted into the positive electrode side end face of the battery accommodating section from the outside in the longitudinal direction of the battery. The portable electrocardiogram device according to claim 3, characterized in that the battery storage section is arranged in the housing so that the gap is provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the housing, corresponding to the batteries stored so that the positive terminals are oriented in opposite directions relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing. The portable electrocardiogram device according to claim 4, characterized in that the batteries, whose positive terminals are housed so as to face in opposite directions relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing, are housed in the battery housing section shifted toward their respective negative terminals.

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