Cardiac function measurement device, cardiac function measurement method, and cardiac function measuring program

#The present disclosure generally relates to a cardiac function measuring apparatus, a cardiac function measuring method, and a cardiac function measuring program configured to measure data for evaluating cardiac functions.

#When a cardiac output is lowered due to a decrease of cardiac action, a biological mechanism for maintaining the cardiac output can be activated to help prevent or reduce deterioration of the output. However, this can result in a burden to various part of a body, and consequently, symptoms may appear. Cardiac arrest is not a disease name, and means a “physical state arrived as a result of insufficient cardiac action” as described above.

#When cardiac arrest occurs, a pumping function of the heart is deteriorated, and thus the heart cannot deliver a sufficient amount of blood. Therefore, blood failed to be delivered from the heart is accumulated in an internal organ immediately before the heart in a circulatory system and symptoms may appear. In a case of left cardiac arrest, symptoms may appear in a pulmonary circulation, and in the case of right cardiac arrest, symptoms may appear in a systemic circulation. Blood returning from the entire body flows to a right side of the heart. However, the right cardiac arrest blocks the blood flow to the right side of the heart and results in hemostasis in the systemic circulation. As a result, symptoms such as distention of jugular veins, hepatic enlargement, ascites fluid, and edema may appear.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a cardiac function measuring apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

#FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating a display side of the cardiac function measuring apparatus.

#FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustrating a measurement surface side of the cardiac function measuring apparatus.

#Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings below. Note that dimensional ratios of the drawings may be exaggerated and thus may be different from actual ratios for the sake of convenience of description.

#A cardiac function measuring apparatus 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure is an apparatus configured to monitor complexity level in shape of a jugular vein in a jugular from a body surface. The jugular vein expands (is enlarged) and assumes a complex shape due to deterioration of functions of the right ventricle. As used herein the term “complex shape” is intended to include dimensions, sizes, angles and the like of various parts, being not constant and varying. Therefore, observing the complexity level of the jugular vein enables determination of deterioration of the functions of the right side of the heart (right cardiac arrest). The jugular vein includes an external jugular vein and an internal jugular vein. Therefore, the jugular vein to be observed by the cardiac function measuring apparatus 10 may include the external jugular vein or the internal jugular vein. The cardiac function measuring apparatus 10 is used on the daily basis by a person being measured by him/herself and is capable of monitoring a change of a cardiac status on a relatively long-term basis. The cardiac function measuring apparatus 10 may also be used for a purpose of short-term monitoring such as determining presence or absence of cardiac arrest for a couple of days under the instruction of a doctor to achieve diagnosis with a relatively higher degree of accuracy than a short time observation at the hospital.

#As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the cardiac function measuring apparatus 10 includes an imaging unit 20 configured to take an image, a brightness detection unit 30 configured to detect brightness, an irradiation unit 80 configured to irradiate a subject with light, a memory unit 40 configured to store various data, a control unit 50, an input unit 70, a display unit 60, and a housing 90. The housing 90 is configured to house the imaging unit 20, the brightness detection unit 30, the irradiation unit 80, the memory unit 40, the control unit 50, the input unit 70, and the display unit 60. The control unit 50 and the memory unit 40 constitute a computer that executes a program. Therefore, the operation of the cardiac function measuring apparatus 10 may be executed by a program.