JP2001054505A - Ear hole type clinical thermometer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ear hole type clinical thermometer which is capable of exactly receiving the IR rays from the eardrum and exactly measuring a body temperature. SOLUTION: An IR detecting part 6 is composed of at least one detecting units consisting of one piece of the body temperature measuring element 7 described above and at least a pair of comparing elements 8 facing each other across this body temperature measuring element 7. In such a case, the clinical thermometer described above is provided with an arithmetic section, which compares the temperatures detected by the body temperature measuring element 7 and a pair of the comparing elements 7 and makes decision that the body temperature measuring element 7 receives the IR rays from the eardrum when the body temperature measuring element 7 indicates the detected temperature higher than the temperature detected by the comparing elements 7 and makes decision that the body temperature measuring element 7 does not received the IR rays from the eardrum when the body temperature measuring element 7 indicates the detected temperature lower than at least one of temperatures detected by the comparing elements 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ear canal thermometer for measuring the temperature of a human body by detecting infrared rays radiated from an eardrum in an ear canal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as a device for measuring a subject's body temperature in a short time, infrared rays radiated from an eardrum in an ear canal are detected, and the temperature of the eardrum is measured in a non-contact manner to obtain the subject's body temperature. Ear cavity thermometers are known.

First, the significance of setting the temperature of the eardrum in the ear canal to body temperature will be described. An artery that shares blood flow with the hypothalamus, the center that regulates body temperature, runs near the eardrum, so the eardrum reflects the temperature of the hypothalamus, the core temperature that is homeostatic in the human body. It is the part that is. Also, the inside of the ear canal is relatively unaffected by the outside air temperature,
Earlier, the temperature of the eardrum in the ear canal has been noted as core body temperature. It is also known that the eardrum is the hottest part in the ear canal, and that the temperature of the inner wall of the ear canal decreases as the eardrum is separated from the eardrum.

A conventional ear canal thermometer is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-7-184866 and JP-A-10-23467.
No. 7 publication. JP 7
The ear canal thermometer described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 184866 discloses a probe that incorporates a plurality of infrared detecting elements, and calculates the temperature from the amount of infrared light detected by the plurality of infrared detecting elements, and determines the highest temperature among the calculated temperatures to the eardrum. And a temperature calculating means for obtaining the temperature as the body temperature. Further, the ear canal thermometer described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-234677 has a second detection temperature among the three detection temperatures consecutively detected in time series detected from the infrared detecting element, in which the first detection temperature and the third detection temperature are the same. When the temperature is higher than the temperature, a determination means is provided for determining the second detection temperature as the temperature of the eardrum, that is, the body temperature.

[0005]

However, in the ear canal thermometer described in JP-A-7-184866, when a probe having a plurality of infrared detecting elements is inserted into the ear canal to measure the body temperature, a plurality of probes are required. Even if all of the infrared detectors do not capture the infrared radiation from the eardrum in the ear canal in the field of view, the earliest temperature of the eardrum, which is the highest temperature determined from the amount of infrared detected by the multiple infrared detectors, There was a problem that there is a possibility that the temperature may be obtained as a body temperature.

In the ear canal thermometer described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-234677, of the three time-sequentially detected temperatures detected by the infrared detecting element, the second detected temperature is measured from the eardrum. Even if the second detection temperature is closer to the eardrum than the first and third detection temperatures, the second detection temperature is not detected. Temperature, that is, the body temperature.

[0007] Even if the infrared detecting element captures infrared radiation from the eardrum in the visual field, if there is an obstacle such as earwax in the ear canal, the infrared element at the obstructed portion is:
Since the temperature of the eardrum cannot be accurately detected, there is a problem that the body temperature cannot be measured.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and to provide an ear canal thermometer capable of accurately receiving infrared rays from the eardrum and accurately measuring body temperature.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides at least one body temperature measuring element formed on the surface of a predetermined substrate for detecting infrared rays emitted from the eardrum, In an ear-hole type thermometer having an infrared detection unit composed of a plurality of comparison elements that are arranged around the element and detect infrared rays from around the eardrum, the infrared detection unit includes one body temperature measurement element and the body temperature. Consisting of at least one detection unit consisting of at least one pair of the comparison elements opposed to each other across the measurement element, in the detection unit, comparing the detection temperature of the body temperature measurement element and the detection temperature of the pair of comparison elements, When the body temperature measurement element shows a higher detected temperature than the pair of comparison elements, it is determined that the body temperature measurement element has received infrared light from the eardrum, and all In the detection unit, when the body temperature measuring device exhibits at least one temperature lower than the pair of comparative element and determining the arithmetic unit and the temperature measuring element does not receive the infrared rays from the eardrum,
When the calculation unit determines that infrared light from the eardrum has been received, the detected temperature of the body temperature measurement element is displayed as body temperature, and when it is determined that the body temperature measurement element has not received infrared light from the eardrum. And a display unit for displaying that measurement has failed.

In the present invention, the infrared detector comprises a body temperature measuring element and a comparison element, and detects infrared rays radiated from the eardrum having the highest temperature in the ear canal by the body temperature measuring element. Infrared light radiated from the peripheral portion of the eardrum having a low temperature is detected by a comparison element provided around the body temperature measurement element. Then, for at least one detection unit composed of one body temperature measurement element and a pair of comparison elements opposed to each other with the body temperature measurement element interposed therebetween, the output signals determine the temperature of the body temperature measurement element and the pair of comparison elements. Is calculated.

Next, the detected temperatures of the body temperature measuring element and the pair of comparative elements in the detecting unit are compared. Here, when the detection temperature of the body temperature measurement element is higher than any of the pair of comparison elements, the calculation unit determines that infrared light from the eardrum has been received, and the display unit uses the detection temperature of the body temperature measurement element as the body temperature. indicate. Also, in all of the detection units, when the detected temperature of the body temperature measurement element is lower than at least one of the pair of comparison elements, the calculation unit determines that infrared light from the eardrum is not received, and the display unit can measure. Show that it was not.

The eardrum always has a higher temperature than its periphery. Therefore, when the body temperature measurement element detects infrared rays from the eardrum and the comparison element detects infrared rays from the periphery of the eardrum, the body temperature measurement element always includes a pair of comparison elements facing each other across the element. The detected temperature is higher than the detected temperature of the element. In that case, it can be confirmed that the body temperature measuring element detects infrared rays from the eardrum, and accurate measurement of the body temperature becomes possible.

When the temperature detected by the body temperature measurement element is lower than at least one of the pair of comparison elements in all the detection units, the reason is that the body temperature measurement element emits infrared rays from the peripheral portion of the eardrum. For example, even if infrared rays from the eardrum are detected in the field of view, infrared rays from the eardrum cannot be detected due to obstacles. In that case, the fact that the measurement could not be performed is displayed on the display unit, so that by performing the measurement again, the accurate measurement of the body temperature becomes possible.

Further, it is preferable that the arithmetic section has a body temperature measuring element selecting means for selecting only a detected temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined value of the body temperature measuring element before comparing the detected temperatures with the detecting unit. If the temperature detected by the body temperature measurement element is lower than the predetermined value, the reason may be that the body temperature measurement element does not catch the infrared ray from the eardrum in its visual field, or even if it is in the visual field, it is obstructed by obstacles. And that infrared light from the eardrum is not detected. Therefore, by excluding the measured value of the body temperature measuring element that does not detect infrared rays from the eardrum, more accurate measurement of the body temperature becomes possible.

It is preferable that the comparison element is composed of a plurality of groups, and that the operation section has a comparison element selection means for excluding a comparison element detection temperature which is a temperature equal to or lower than a predetermined value in each group. . When the detection temperature of the comparison element is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, there may be a reason that infrared light from the peripheral portion of the eardrum is not detected due to the presence of an obstacle. By excluding the detected temperature of the comparison element that does not detect infrared rays from the peripheral portion of the eardrum, a more accurate measurement of the body temperature becomes possible.

Further, the determination section determines the direction of the eardrum,
It is preferable to have direction discriminating means for indicating the direction to the display unit. When the detected temperature of the comparative element is higher than that of the body temperature measuring element, it is considered that the comparative element captures infrared rays from the eardrum in the visual field. In this case, the determination unit can determine that the eardrum is present in the viewing direction of the comparison element. Therefore, when the probe is inserted into the ear canal, an instruction can be given as to the insertion position and the direction to direct the visual field of the body temperature measuring element toward the eardrum, so that accurate measurement of the body temperature is possible.

It is preferable that when the body temperature measuring element determines that infrared light from the eardrum is not received, the display unit displays the direction of the eardrum according to an instruction of the direction discriminating means. Since the eardrum direction is displayed on the display unit, it is easy to insert the probe into the ear canal during measurement.

It is preferable that a plurality of body temperature measuring elements adjacent to each other and a plurality of comparison elements adjacent to the body temperature measuring element are arranged in a grid on a predetermined substrate. Because it is easy to manufacture, it can be manufactured at lower cost.

[0019]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ear canal thermometer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Embodiment 1 FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the ear canal thermometer according to the first embodiment includes a main body 1, a probe 2, a power switch 3, a measurement start switch 4, and a display panel 5 for display.
It is composed of The main body 1 is a part that is supported by the hand when measuring the body temperature, the probe 2 is a part that is inserted into the ear canal when the body temperature is measured, and the power switch 3 turns on or off the power.
This is a switch for FF. The display panel 5 detects an infrared ray from the eardrum by the body temperature measuring element, and when the body temperature measurement can be performed accurately, notifies the measurer of the value of the body temperature and the fact that the body temperature measurement was performed accurately, or measures the body temperature. If the device does not detect infrared light from the eardrum and cannot accurately measure the body temperature, it informs the measurer that the eardrum position in the ear canal to be measured and the body temperature cannot be accurately measured. Display device.

Next, the electrical configuration of the ear canal thermometer according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The ear canal thermometer according to the first embodiment has an infrared detection unit 6 including a plurality of infrared detection elements, an ambient temperature measurement unit 10, and an output for switching between the output of the infrared detection unit 6 and the output of the ambient temperature measurement unit 7. Switch section 13 and infrared detection section 6
, And an amplifier 14 for amplifying the output of the ambient temperature measuring unit 10, an arithmetic unit 15, and a display unit 16.
Here, the infrared detecting section 6 includes a body temperature measuring element and a comparative element as described later. The calculating unit 15 calculates the output of the infrared detecting unit 6 and the output of the ambient temperature measuring unit 10 as the body temperature, then determines whether the body temperature measuring element detects infrared light from the eardrum, and further calculates the infrared light from the eardrum. When it is determined that is not detected, the direction of the eardrum is instructed to the display unit 16 via the direction determining means.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the structure of the ear canal thermometer according to the first embodiment when the probe is inserted into the ear canal. A lens 12 as an optical means is attached to the tip of the probe 2, and a sensor case 11 is arranged near a connection between the probe 2 and the main body 1. The inside of the sensor case 11 includes a substrate 9, an infrared detecting element 6 formed on the surface of the substrate 9, and an ambient temperature measuring section 10. The infrared detecting element 6 further includes a body temperature measuring element 7 and the surroundings. And a comparative element 8 provided. Here, a thermopile or a pyroelectric infrared sensor can be used for the infrared detecting element, and a temperature-sensitive resistor can be used for the ambient temperature measuring unit.

As shown in FIG. 3, the infrared radiation emitted from the eardrum having the highest temperature in the ear canal is measured by the lens 12 at the tip of the probe 2 formed at the center of the substrate 9 in the sensor case 11 on the substrate 9. Is focused on the element 7 for
Infrared light radiated from the periphery of the eardrum in the ear canal whose temperature is lower than that of the eardrum is a comparative element formed around the body temperature measuring element 7 on the substrate 9 in the sensor case 11 by the lens 12 at the tip of the probe 2. 8 is collected.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the substrate 9 and shows an example of the arrangement of elements in the infrared detector 6 and the detected temperature. In the infrared detecting unit 6, a plurality of body temperature measuring elements adjacent to each other and a plurality of comparison elements adjacent to the body temperature measuring elements are arranged on the substrate 9 in a grid pattern. here,
The elements are a comparative element group 22 composed of comparative elements 22a to 22l, and body temperature measuring elements 20a to
And a body temperature measurement element group 20 composed of 20d. Note that reference numeral 21 denotes a focusing range of infrared light estimated from the eardrum collected by the lens 12.

As shown in FIG.
a, 20c, and 20d indicate higher temperatures than the detected temperature of the comparative element group 22, but only 20b indicates a lower temperature. Here, a method of comparing the detected temperatures of the body temperature measurement element and the comparison element will be specifically described. First, in a detection unit including the body temperature measurement element 20a and a pair of comparison elements 20b and 20j opposed to each other across the body temperature measurement element 20a, the detection temperature of the body temperature measurement element 20a is the highest. In this case, the calculation unit determines that the detection unit including the body temperature measuring element 20a is receiving infrared rays from the eardrum. Further, the body temperature measuring elements 20c, 2
Since the temperature of the element for measuring body temperature is also the highest for the detection units including 0d respectively,
It is determined that 0c and 20d are respectively receiving infrared rays from the eardrum.

On the other hand, considering the detection unit including the body temperature measuring element 20b and the comparing elements 22c and 22k, the detected temperature of the body temperature measuring element 20b is the lowest. In this case, the calculation unit determines that the body temperature measuring element 20b has not received infrared light from the eardrum, and excludes the detected temperature of the body temperature measuring element 20b from the calculation of the body temperature. Then, the detected temperature of the body temperature measuring element having the highest temperature among the plurality of detecting units including the body temperature measuring elements 20a, 20c, and 20d is displayed on the display unit as the body temperature.

Before comparing the detected temperatures of the body temperature measuring element and the comparative element for each detecting unit, the detected temperature of the body temperature measuring element 20b may be excluded from the calculation of the body temperature by the following method. That is, the detection temperature of the body temperature measurement element indicating the lower detection temperature than the comparison element group may be excluded, and only the body temperature measurement element indicating the detection temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined value may be selected. Here, as the predetermined value, a temperature obtained by adding the measurement accuracy of the infrared detection element to the detection temperature of the comparison element group can be used.

Embodiment 2 FIG. In the second embodiment, except that the calculation unit has a direction determining unit that determines the direction of the eardrum,
The configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows the case where the detected temperature of the body temperature measuring element group 20 is lower than the detected temperature of the comparative element group 22. This is because the body temperature measurement element group 2
It is conceivable that 0 indicates that the infrared ray from the eardrum cannot be accurately received due to an obstacle such as earwax or that the infrared ray is not correctly directed to the eardrum. In this case, the body temperature measuring elements 20a,
In each of the detection units including 20b, 20c, and 20d, the direction discriminating means discriminates a comparison element having the largest temperature difference from the body temperature measurement element, and the comparison element captures infrared rays from the eardrum in a visual field. The direction in which the comparative element is arranged is determined as the direction of the eardrum. Then, the display unit displays that the measurement could not be performed and the direction of the eardrum.

Embodiment 3 The third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the comparison elements are divided into a plurality of groups, and a comparison element selection unit that excludes a comparison element detection temperature equal to or lower than a predetermined value is provided in the calculation unit. Be composed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the comparison element group 22 includes:
It is composed of groups 22A, 22B, 22C and 22D. The comparison element selecting means compares the detected temperatures of the comparison elements within the group and excludes the detected temperatures of the comparison elements that are equal to or less than a predetermined value. For example, among the detected temperatures of the elements 22a to 22d of the group 22A, if the detected temperature of the element 22b is lower than the other elements, the detected temperature of the element 22b is excluded because there is an obstacle in the ear canal, and the other elements are excluded. 2
The detected temperatures of 2a, 22c, and 22d are set as the detected temperatures of the comparison element. Here, the temperature obtained by adding the measurement accuracy of the infrared detection element to the detection temperature of the comparison element group can be used as the predetermined value.

Similarly, groups 22B, 22C, 22D
, The detected temperature of each element is compared, and the detected temperature of each group is calculated. Next, for a plurality of detection units, the detection temperatures of the body temperature measurement element and the comparison element are compared,
The detected temperature of the body temperature measuring element showing the highest temperature among the plurality of detection units is displayed on the display unit as the body temperature.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, the infrared detector is composed of one of the above-mentioned body temperature measuring elements and at least one pair of the above-mentioned comparison elements opposed to each other with the body temperature measuring element interposed therebetween. Comparing at least one detecting unit, the calculating unit compares the detected temperatures of the body temperature measuring element and the pair of comparative elements, and when the body temperature measuring element shows a higher detected temperature than the comparative element, the body temperature measurement is performed. The device for temperature measurement receives infrared light from the eardrum when it is determined that the device for temperature has received infrared light from the eardrum, and in all of the detection units, the temperature measurement device shows a temperature lower than at least one of the comparison devices. Since it is determined that the temperature has not been measured, it can be confirmed that the body temperature measuring element has detected infrared rays from the eardrum, so that accurate measurement of the body temperature is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an ear canal thermometer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, wherein a is a plan view, b is a side view, and c is a rear view.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the ear canal thermometer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a structure of a probe when measuring the body temperature of the ear canal thermometer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an infrared light receiving section showing an arrangement of infrared detecting elements of the ear canal thermometer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of an infrared receiving section showing an arrangement of infrared detecting elements of an ear canal thermometer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an infrared receiving section showing an arrangement of infrared detecting elements of an ear canal thermometer according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Ear hole thermometer main body, 2 Probe, 3 Power switch, 4 Measurement start switch, 5 Display panel, 6 Infrared detector, 7 Body temperature measurement element, 8 Comparison element, 9
Substrate, 10 Ambient temperature measuring section, 11 Sensor case, 1
2 lens, 13 switches, 14 amplifying unit, 15 arithmetic unit, 16 display unit, 20 body temperature measuring element group, 20a to
20d element for measuring body temperature, 21 infrared focusing area, 22
Comparative element group, 22a to 22l Comparative element, 22A
２２22D Comparative element group.

Claims (6)

[Claims] At least one body temperature measuring element formed on the surface of a predetermined substrate and detecting infrared rays emitted from the eardrum, and arranged around the body temperature measuring element to detect infrared rays from around the eardrum. In an ear canal thermometer having an infrared detection unit composed of a plurality of comparison elements, the infrared detection unit is one of the body temperature measurement element and at least one pair of the comparison elements opposed to each other across the body temperature measurement element. The detection unit comprises at least one detection unit, and in the detection unit, compares the detected temperatures of the body temperature measurement element and the pair of comparison elements, and the body temperature measurement element is higher than the pair of comparison elements. When the detected temperature is indicated, it is determined that the body temperature measuring element has received infrared light from the eardrum, and in all the detecting units, the body temperature measuring element is An arithmetic unit that determines that the body temperature measuring element does not receive infrared light from the eardrum when the temperature indicates a temperature lower than at least one of the pair of comparative elements; and the arithmetic unit receives infrared light from the eardrum. When it is determined that the measurement has been performed, the detected temperature of the body temperature measurement element is displayed as a body temperature, and when it is determined that the body temperature measurement element has not received infrared light from the eardrum, a display unit that indicates that measurement was not possible is displayed. And an ear canal thermometer. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit has a body temperature measuring element selecting unit that selects only a detected temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined value of the body temperature measuring element before comparing the detected temperatures with the detecting unit. Ear hole thermometer. 3. The comparison element comprises a plurality of groups, and the arithmetic unit has a comparison element selection means for excluding a comparison element detection temperature which is a temperature equal to or less than a predetermined value in each of the groups. The ear canal thermometer according to any one of 1 and 2. 4. The ear canal thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit has a direction discriminating unit for discriminating a direction of the eardrum. 5. The ear canal thermometer according to claim 4, wherein the display section displays the direction of the eardrum based on the direction determining means. 6. A plurality of said body temperature measuring elements adjacent to each other and a plurality of said comparison elements adjacent to said body temperature measuring element are arranged in a grid on said predetermined substrate. The ear canal thermometer according to any one of the above.