PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an arterial vessel examination apparatus capable of evaluating the thickness of a vessel wall of an artery using inexpensive equipment.SOLUTION: A non-pressed pressure pulse wave computing section P4-1 estimates non-pressed pressure pulse waves in an artery of a portion which is not pressed by a pressing band (cuff) 12 on the basis of a pulse wave propagation velocity hbPWV of an artery 16 from a previously stored relation. A pressed pressure pulse wave computing section P4-2 estimates pressed pressure pulse waves in the artery of a portion which is pressed by the pressing band 12 on the basis of the non-pressed pressure pulse waves and the pressing pressure of the pressing band 12 from the previously stored relation. A blood vessel compliance computing section P9 computes a boundary wall penetrating pressure Pba as the blood vessel wall thickness index value BVTH showing the blood vessel thickness of the brachial artery 16 on the basis of the volume pulse waves and the pressed pressure pulse waves. Thus, the basic structure of a blood pressure measuring apparatus (arterial blood vessel examination apparatus)14 is almost the same as that of a sphygmomanometer using the pressing band 12, and the blood vessel wall thickness of the artery 16 can be inexpensively evaluated on the basis of blood vessel wall thickness index value BVTH.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】安価な機器で動脈の血管壁厚を評価できる動脈血管検査装置を提供する。【解決手段】非圧迫下圧脈波計算部P4-1は、予め記憶された関係から動脈16の脈波伝播速度hbPWVに基づいて圧迫帯(カフ)12により圧迫されていない部位の動脈内の非圧迫下圧脈波を推定し、圧迫下圧脈波計算部P4-2は、予め記憶された関係から前記非圧迫下圧脈波および圧迫帯12の圧迫圧力に基づいて圧迫帯12により圧迫されている部位の動脈内の圧迫下圧脈波を推定し、血管コンプライアンス計算部P9は、前記容積脈波と前記圧迫下圧脈波とに基づいて、上腕動脈16の血管壁厚を示す前記血管壁厚指標値BVTHとして境界貫壁圧力Pbaを算出するので、血圧測定装置(動脈血管検査装置)14の基本的構成は圧迫帯12を用いる血圧計ど同様のものであり、上記血管壁厚指標値BVTHに基づいて安価に動脈16の血管壁厚を評価できる。【選択図】図5
