JP2007105495A - Measuring instrument of oral cavity-related pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a measuring instrument of oral cavity-related pressure which is handled safely and easily with high accuracy, and to achieve a measuring instrument of oral cavity-related pressure which is easy to carry, consuming less power, and operable on a battery. <P>SOLUTION: In the measuring instrument of oral cavity-related pressure, at a place for sorting to a side where a probe, a pressure sensor and a pressurizing pump whose pressurizing speed can be controlled and which is driven by a pulse width modulation system are communicated and a side where a pressurizing pump, a safety valve and an exhausting apparatus are communicated, an air path shut off apparatus is arranged for stopping the pressurizing pump and exhausting air in abnormality during pressurization. IN rehabilitation performed with the tongue, reference of counting the number of times of repeating can be displayed on a display means. At the hollow body of the probe, a net for preventing swelling over a fixed value is provided or a water feeding means integrally fitted to the probe is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to the human body, such as tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, lip pressure, cheek pressure, anal pressure, etc. for the purpose of diagnosing and rehabilitating the function of moving parts such as tongue, sublingual muscle, lips, cheeks and anus. The present invention relates to a device for measuring pressure related to human body, mainly oral cavity.

  There is an example of a tongue pressure measuring device as a method for measuring the pressure related to the oral cavity, which uses a balloon that has been manually air-fed in advance by a squeezing ball before measurement and used as a probe, and is inserted into the oral cavity to insert the tongue. In the pressure sensor that is pressed and communicated with the balloon, the tongue pressure is detected by detecting the air pressure and converting it into an electrical signal, and the detected tongue pressure is transmitted to the multi-purpose computer, and the maximum value of the tongue pressure is the multi-purpose The determination is made by a program running on a computer (see Patent Document 1).

  Also, there is a configuration in which a probe including a holder coupled to a balloon is used to detect the air pressure inside the balloon by a pressure detection unit communicating with the inside of the balloon (see Patent Document 2).

  Conventionally, there is an electronic sphygmomanometer as a device for measuring a human body related pressure. The schematic configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. This electronic sphygmomanometer is wound around a subject's arm as a blood pressure measurement location, a cuff 100 that is an air bag for compressing an artery, a pressurizing pump 102 that is operated to pressurize the cuff 100, and a cuff 100 An electromagnetic exhaust valve 103 for depressurizing the inside, a pressure sensor 104 for detecting the pressure in the cuff 100, and a safety valve for mechanically exhausting when the pressure in the cuff 100 exceeds a certain level. 105, an arithmetic control processing device (CPU) 106 for executing various controls, a display unit (LCD) 107 for displaying various information, and switches 108 operated externally. The pressurization pump 102, the exhaust valve 103, the pressure sensor 104, the safety valve 105, and the cuff 100 are connected by a rubber tube 101 to form an air path.

  When measuring pressure related to the oral cavity using such a sphygmomanometer, it is very dangerous if the balloon is accidentally pressurized with a pressure pump or the balloon is abnormally inflated with the probe inserted in the oral cavity. Therefore, a mechanism and control for safety measures that the electronic sphygmomanometer does not have are essential, but the prior art oral pressure measuring device has no such configuration.

  Moreover, since the pressurization pump 102 and the safety valve 105 of the sphygmomanometer are generally not highly confidential due to the structure, even if the cuff 100 is replaced with the probe to constitute an oral pressure measuring device, it is possible to measure tongue pressure and rehabilitation. Repeated pressing and suction of the balloon that becomes the hollow body causes air leakage, making accurate measurement difficult.

Even if an attempt is made to install the safety valve 105 as configured in the electronic blood pressure monitor, a pressure measured by the balloon inflated to a certain pressure is further applied during pressure measurement, and the limit pressure at which the safety valve is activated is set. It was very difficult. Specifically, in the tongue pressure measurement, the relationship between the air pressure and the balloon diameter in the natural rubber balloon used this time is shown in FIG. 5, but when the balloon is continuously inflated in the oral cavity at a pressure of 30 kPa or more. It continues to expand to a size (diameter 25 mm or more) that closes the oral cavity of the subject, which is very dangerous for the subject. On the other hand, when measuring the tongue pressure value by pressing, the balloon is initially pressurized to 20 kPa, inserted into the oral cavity, and the balloon is pressed and compressed, so that the maximum air pressure in the balloon may reach 70 kPa. . Therefore, if the operating value of the safety valve is set to 30 kPa, the above-described tongue pressure measurement becomes impossible.
US Pat. No. 5,609,161 JP 2001-275994 A

  An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and realize an oral-related pressure measuring device that is highly accurate, can be handled safely and easily. Another object is to realize an oral-related measuring device that consumes less power, can be battery-operated, and is easy to carry.

  The present invention comprises a probe including a hollow body made of an elastic material or a flexible material, a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure change in the hollow body, and a pressurizing pump for pressurizing the hollow body. In the oral cavity-related pressure measurement device that forms an air path in which the probe, the pressure sensor, and the pressure pump communicate with each other, the air path includes a side that communicates the probe and the pressure sensor, and a pressure pump side. An electrically driven air path interrupting device is arranged at a location to be distributed. With such a configuration, air leakage is minimized and accurate measurement is possible.

  In addition, by providing a safety valve on the pressure pump side of the air path distributed by the air path shut-off device, it is possible to set a limit value at which the safety valve operates regardless of the pressure applied by measuring the pressure on the hollow body. Thus, not only can a highly safe oral pressure measuring device be provided, but air leakage from the safety valve will not affect the measurement.

  In addition, it is preferable to dispose an electrically driven exhaust device on the pressure pump side of the air path distributed by the air path shut-off device. This allows the pressure value of the balloon to be changed and the gauge pressure to be corrected. Therefore, the probe is not removed every time, and the air pressure in the balloon can be automatically reduced, thereby facilitating the operation. In an emergency such as abnormal balloon inflation, the air inside the balloon can be exhausted and reduced in pressure by the exhaust device. In addition, a pressure pump, a safety valve, and an exhaust valve, which cause air leakage, are arranged in an air path that communicates with each other, and the air path is cut off by the air path blocker to shut off the probe and pressure sensor from the air path that communicates. Suppressing and accurate measurement becomes possible.

  In addition, by using an electromagnetic valve (such as a latching valve) that keeps the air shut-off device and the exhaust device shut off and communicated by energizing for a short time, power consumption can be suppressed, making it suitable for battery driving and easy to carry. .

  In addition, since the pressing force is generally larger than the suction when measuring the pressure, the air path blocking device is constituted by a movable valve that is held in a direction pressed by the pressure from the probe side. Is desirable. This increases the degree of sealing at the time of measurement and further improves air leakage.

  Moreover, in the probe and the air path on the pressure sensor side distributed by the air path blocking device, it is preferable that the volume of the air path other than the probe is smaller than the total volume of the probe. As a result, the pressure change rate inside the hollow body due to the volume change of the hollow body accompanying the pressing or suction of the tongue can be increased, and the reproducibility of the measured value is enhanced.

  When the pressurization pump is driven by a battery, the calculation control processor monitors the pressurization speed drop due to battery voltage drop due to battery consumption and the pressurization speed fluctuation due to pressurization pump deterioration and dispersion. By automatically correcting the speed and adjusting the pressurization speed to the balloon, the pressurization speed can be varied with power saving by controlling the drive voltage waveform applied to the pressurization pump by pulse width modulation. , Stable pressurization can always be performed. Further, the pressurization speed can be gradually increased, and fine adjustment to the optimal pressurization speed can be performed.

  In addition, in order to accurately pressurize the preset pressurization value, pressurize the balloon after pressurizing to a predetermined pressure, taking into account the decrease in the pressure inside the air path due to stoppage of the pressurization pump When stopping the pressurization of the pump, it is desirable to stop the pressurization of the pressurization pump after blocking the air path with the air path blocking device.

  Further, as a characteristic of the pressurizing pump, a larger pulsation is generated as the pressurizing speed is higher during pressurization, and a delay occurs until the air compressed and injected by the pressurizing pump is stabilized in the air path. In order to accurately pressurize the pressurized value in a short time, the pressure in the air path is temporarily stopped or decelerated before the pressure in the air path reaches the preset pressure. After the pressure is stabilized, stable pressurization can always be performed by gradually changing the pressurization speed of the pressurization pump again.

  The present invention comprises a probe including a hollow body made of an elastic material or a flexible material. When this hollow body abnormally expands, there is a possibility of rupture or in a state where the probe is accidentally inserted into the oral cavity. If you do, it is very dangerous. Therefore, a function to stop the pressurization of the pressurization pump by detecting an operation of temporarily reducing the pressure before the abnormal expansion due to the characteristics of the hollow body during the pressurization with the pressurization pump is provided. . As a result, the abnormal expansion of the hollow body could be prevented, and the safety was excellent.

  Furthermore, a pressurization stop switch may be provided as an emergency stop means when the hollow body abnormally expands, but in order to avoid an erroneous operation such as a careless mistake in an emergency, any one attached to the oral cavity related pressure measurement device By enabling the pressurization to be stopped even when the switch is pressed, it is possible to respond urgently to an abnormal situation, and the safety is improved.

  Further, by connecting the air path to the atmosphere before pressurization and monitoring whether the air path has been reduced to a predetermined pressure, it is possible to determine whether the air path shut-off device and the exhaust device are operating normally. It was possible to detect, and it was excellent in safety.

  Further, when the abnormality is detected, the air path is communicated with the atmosphere, and the air path is reduced to atmospheric pressure, so that danger can be avoided immediately and safety is improved. In addition, when the power is turned off, by connecting the air path to the atmosphere, foreign matter such as dust is externally attached to the air path due to the safe removal of the probe and the pressure difference between the air path and the atmosphere. It was possible to prevent air leakage due to intrusion and clogging of the air path blocking device and the exhaust device.

  In addition, when the oral pressure measuring device is driven by a battery, when the battery voltage decreases due to battery consumption, the impedance in the battery increases and the current supply capability decreases, and the current consumption of the air path disconnecting device, exhaust device, etc. is large. It becomes difficult to drive loads simultaneously. Therefore, the battery may be connected to a booster circuit (such as a DCDC converter) to stabilize the boosted voltage and drive the air path disconnecting device and the exhaust device. However, when the impedance in the battery rises, a large current is generated. When supplying a load that requires a large current, such as an air path device or an exhaust device, even if a booster circuit is used, a large voltage drop occurs in the arithmetic control processing device driven by the same power source. Since there is a possibility of causing an abnormality, the air path blocking device and the exhaust device, which require a large amount of power for driving, are driven at different times to minimize voltage drop and enable stable operation.

  Further, when measuring the tongue pressure, it is necessary to accurately pressurize the air pressure in the balloon to a predetermined set pressure (gauge pressure). At this time, since the fluctuation of atmospheric pressure becomes an error, a function for correcting this is necessary. However, the air path blocking device and the exhaust device are connected to the atmospheric pressure, and the pressure at this time is set to 0 kPa as a pressure. By automatically storing it as a reference for this purpose, it is possible to save the trouble of removing the probe one by one and to prevent careless mistakes such as correcting the gauge pressure without removing the probe.

  In rehabilitation where the subject presses and presses non-pressing or sucking and non-sucking the pressurized hollow body repeatedly, and counts from non-pressing to pressing once or from non-suction to suction once By displaying the upper limit value serving as the boundary value for pressing or suction and the lower limit value serving as the boundary value for non-pressing or non-suction together with a bar graph representing the change in pressure, the subject can press, non-press or suck, non-pressing the tongue. It has the feature that rehabilitation can be performed reliably while confirming the boundary pressure value of suction with a display.

  Further, in consideration of safety, it is preferable to provide a certain amount of expansion preventing mechanism such as a certain amount of expansion preventing net provided on the balloon.

  Further, when evaluating the swallowing function, a predetermined amount of water is contained in the oral cavity of the subject before the measurement, and then the probe is inserted into the oral cavity, and the pressure change of the balloon and the tongue when the subject swallows the water are measured. Monitoring the pressure is an important index for evaluating the subject's ability to swallow. At this time, after a certain amount of water is contained in the subject's mouth, the probe is inserted into the mouth. In some cases, water contained in the oral cavity leaks, the subject exhales, or aspiration occurs, which not only results in loss of reproducibility of the measurement but also a very dangerous state of aspiration. Although there was a problem that it was more dangerous and difficult to do this for elderly people, by providing a water supply tube in parallel with the probe, with the probe closed, the mouth was closed from the water supply tube. A certain amount of water can be supplied into the oral cavity, making it very easy to handle from the viewpoint of safety and reproducibility.

  Oral pressure measurement in which an air path is formed by a probe including a hollow body made of an elastic material or a flexible material, a pressure sensor, and a pressure pump driven by a pulse width modulation method capable of controlling a pressure rate. In the device, an air path shut-off device is arranged at a place where the probe and the pressure sensor communicate with each other and a pressure pump side, and the safety pump and the air path shut-off device are driven at a time different from the pressure pump side. An exhaust device to be provided, stops and exhausts the pressurization of the pressurization pump when the hollow body is abnormally pressurized, and includes the probe in the mouth, pressing the hollow body with a tongue, non-pressing or sucking, In rehabilitation in which non-suction is repeatedly performed, a pressure value serving as a reference for counting the number of repetitions can be displayed on the display means, and the hollow body can be prevented from expanding more than a certain amount. Or provided the door, providing a water supply means mounted integrally with the probe.

  1 to 4 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an oral pressure measuring device, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating the internal structure of the device, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an electromagnetic shut-off valve (hereinafter referred to as a shut-off valve) 7 serving as an air path shut-off device and an electromagnetic exhaust valve (hereinafter referred to as an exhaust valve) 9 serving as an exhaust device. FIG.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a probe including a hollow balloon 2 made of an elastic material or a flexible material, which is detachably attached to a measuring device 3 for measuring tongue pressure or the like via a tube 4. The measuring device 3 shuts off or communicates a pressure sensor 6 for detecting fluctuations in air pressure due to deformation of the balloon 2, a pressurizing pump 8 operated to pressurize the inside of the balloon 2, and air paths 5 and 11. When the pressure on the balloon 2 exceeds a certain value, the shut-off valve 7 for connecting the air passages 12 and 11 opened to the atmospheric pressure is connected to the exhaust valve 9 for releasing the atmospheric pressure and reducing the pressure inside the balloon 2. A safety valve 10 for exhausting mechanically and an arithmetic control processing unit (CPU) 13 for executing various arithmetic controls are provided, and an LCD display unit 14 for displaying data such as pressure values and waveforms externally. A plurality of externally operated switches 15, a lamp 16 that is lit during pressurization, a lamp 17 that is lit when there is an abnormality, a buzzer that emits a sound in accordance with the operation sound, warning sound, and count during rehabilitation 8, and a probe yard 19 Jisuru capturing probe 1.

  The probe 1 and the pressure sensor 6 constitute an air path that is airtightly connected to the pressurizing pump 8, the exhaust valve 9, and the safety valve 10 via the shut-off valve 7 by the air paths 4, 5, and 11. The shutoff valve 7 and the exhaust valve 9 are valves that shut off and communicate with the air path, and have a structure in which the valves are movable and held by applying a voltage for a short time.

  The state of the air path during use, the change in air pressure in the balloon, and the movement of the pressurizing pump will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the pressurization start switch which is one of the operation switches 15 is pressed, the pressurization lamp 16 is turned on, and before the pressurization pump is driven, the shutoff valve 7 and the exhaust valve 9 are communicated to control the air pressure inside the balloon 2. The pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure (t1 to t2 in FIG. 4). Next, the CPU 13 monitors the signal from the pressure sensor 6, and if the air pressure inside the balloon is reduced to near atmospheric pressure, it is determined that the shutoff valve 7 and the exhaust valve 9 are operating normally, and the process proceeds to pressurization processing. .

  Here, if the air pressure inside the balloon cannot be reduced to near atmospheric pressure, the CPU 13 determines that it is abnormal, communicates both the shut-off valve 7 and the exhaust valve 9, reduces the air pressure inside the balloon, and stops the pressurizing pump 8. Is displayed on the LCD display unit 14, the abnormal lamp 17 is turned on, and the pressurizing operation is terminated.

  In the normal operation, the exhaust valve 9 is shut off, the pressurizing pump 8 is driven at high speed by pulse width modulation driving, and the balloon air pressure is quickly pressurized to 90% of the set pressure value (t3 to t4 in FIG. 4). Here, the pressurization pump is stopped or decelerated, and the process waits until the internal pressure of the air path is stabilized (t4 to t5 in FIG. 4). Here, this waiting time (t4 to t5 in FIG. 4) is not necessarily required, and is properly used according to the characteristics of the air path and the characteristics of the balloon.

  Next, the pressurizing speed of the pressurizing pump is increased to a set pressure value at a moderate speed (slower than the pressurizing speed at t3 to t4 in FIG. 4) (t5 to t6 in FIG. 4). Next, when the set pressure value is reached, the shutoff valve 7 is shut off (t6 in FIG. 4), and the pressurizing pump 8 is stopped (t7 in FIG. 4).

  In addition, when the pressure is increased by the pressurizing pump 8, the safety valve 10 is opened when there is an abnormality such that the pressurizing pump 8 does not stop even if the set pressure value is reached and the shutoff valve 7 does not operate in the communication state. Thus, exhaust and decompression are performed mechanically from the safety valve 10, and danger can be avoided. This is because a safety valve 10 is provided on the pressure pump 8 side of the air path distributed by the shutoff valve 7, so that a limit value for operating the safety valve can be set regardless of the pressure applied to the balloon 2 by measurement such as pressing. Specifically, when the limit value at which the safety valve 10 is activated is set to 30 kPa, the balloon 2 is set to 30 kPa during pressurization by the pressurization pump 8 as described above. If exceeded, the safety valve 10 operates. On the other hand, if the set pressure value of the balloon 2 during measurement is 20 kPa and the maximum pressure applied to the balloon 2 due to tongue pressure is 50 kPa, a total pressure of 70 kPa is applied to the balloon 2 and the operating limit value of the safety valve 10 exceeds 30 kPa. However, since the shut-off valve 7 is in a shut-off state during measurement and the safety valve 10 is disconnected from the air path, the safety valve 10 does not operate and accurate measurement without air leakage is possible.

  When measurement is performed by pressing or suctioning the balloon 2, the shutoff valve 7 is in a shutoff state. Therefore, the pressurizing pump 8 and the exhaust valve 9 that are likely to cause air leakage are also completely separated from the air path 5. Therefore, accurate measurement is possible.

  In the energization driving of the shutoff valve and the exhaust valve, the shutoff valve and the exhaust valve are driven at different times in order to reduce the load on the power source.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional structure of the shutoff valve 7 and the exhaust valve 9. In this figure, a through hole 21 provided on the lower left side of the frame 20 is connected to the air path 11 on the pressure pump 8 side, and an adjacent through hole 22 is connected to the air path 5 connecting the probe 1 side. . Inside the frame 20, a drive shaft 26 made of soft iron having a packing 24 facing the through-hole 21 is configured. An electromagnetic coil 28 for moving the drive shaft 26 and a terminal 29 which is an energizing terminal for the electromagnetic coil. A coil spring 25 for blocking and holding the through holes 21 and 22 and a magnet 27 for holding the through holes 21 and 22 in communication are arranged. Here, the through-hole 23 is useless in this case and is mechanically sealed. The solenoid valve shown in FIG. 3 is called a latching valve. The solenoid valve is suitable for battery driving, which can maintain the shut-off or communication state without energization by changing the polarity of the terminal 29 and energizing it for a short time. It is.

  Further, since the pressing force is generally larger than the suction when measuring the tongue pressure, it is normally connected to the pressurizing pump 8 side to hold the drive shaft 26 in a state of being cut off from the through hole 21 by pressing. The drive shaft 26 is pressed against the through-hole 21 by the air pressure, and the confidentiality is further increased in combination with the urging force of the spring 25. This also has the same effect in other electromagnetic valves than the latching valve.

  2 is configured to be smaller than the total volume of the probe 1 including the balloon 2. As a result, it is possible to detect a fine deformation of the balloon 2 for measuring the pressure applied by pressing or suctioning the balloon 2, and the accuracy and reproducibility of the measured value are increased. This is because the pressure change due to the volume change of the probe 1 can be increased by minimizing the air paths 4 and 5 that do not cause a volume change from the theoretical formula of pressure × volume = constant in the ideal gas.

  FIG. 5 is a graph showing an expansion relationship obtained by measuring the pressure inside the balloon and the diameter of the balloon when the balloon is a hollow body made of natural rubber. As the pressure of the balloon 2 increases, the diameter of the balloon increases and the balloon 2 inflates, but the pressure at the point P on the graph reaches the maximum value, and then the balloon expands, but the pressure decreases. The phenomenon appears. That is, the balloon 2 is further inflated at a pressure smaller than the point P with the point P as a boundary, and the balloon 2 may burst, which is very dangerous. Further, if this is a balloon inserted into the oral cavity of the subject, it is even more dangerous if the pressurization is accidentally performed to close the oral cavity.

Individually setting and inspecting the P point of the balloon due to a setting pressure value setting error or manufacturing variations or defects of the balloon itself increases the cost and is not perfect.
For example, when the P point becomes 10 kPa due to a manufacturing defect, even if the set pressure is set to 20 kPa and then pressurized by the pressurizing pump 8, it does not reach 20 kPa and continues abnormal expansion. Therefore, if the pressure reduction characteristic (pressure change after point P) at the time of abnormal expansion is detected and recognized as abnormal, and the pressurization pump is stopped and exhausted, the danger of abnormal expansion is ensured. It is possible to avoid this situation.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart for explaining emergency stop by detecting abnormal expansion. When a pressurization start switch which is one of the switches 15 is pressed, pressurization is started (step S100), parameters for pressurization processing are initialized, and parameters for storing and holding the maximum pressure value in the balloon from the start of pressurization. Is set to the pressure at time t3 in FIG. 4 (step S101). Next, the balloon is pressurized according to the procedure described above. At this time, the pressure in the balloon is monitored as a current pressure value at a predetermined time interval, and if the current pressure value is larger than the past maximum pressure value, the maximum pressure is monitored. The current pressure value is updated and stored in the value parameter (step S104). This is repeated up to the determination condition for the end of pressurization (step S105). At this time, when it is detected that the current pressure value is reduced by 1 kPa from the updated and stored maximum pressure value during pressurization (step S103), the pressurization pump 8 is urgently stopped and the internal air is exhausted. By notifying the subject 31 with the LCD display unit 14 and the abnormal lamp 17, a dangerous state due to abnormal expansion can be avoided.

  Further, in response to an emergency stop, it is possible to urgently stop pressurization and exhaust and decompress the air in the balloon by operating any switch 15. At this time, it is possible to notify the subject that the pressure has not been normally applied by an alarm sound or the like by the LCD display unit 14, the abnormal lamp 17, or the buzzer 18.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of data display displayed on the LCD display unit 14 in rehabilitation in which the balloon 2 is repeatedly pressed and non-pressed with the tongue. FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the change in the air pressure inside the balloon and the number of repetitions associated with pressing / non-pressing. The number of repeated pressing / non-pressing or suction / non-suction and the current pressure value of the balloon are displayed on the upper part of the LCD display unit 14, and a bar graph 30 that expands and contracts to the left and right according to the pressure value and a count are displayed thereunder. A boundary value bar serving as a mark is displayed at a position representing an upper limit value 32 and a lower limit value 31 as boundary pressure values. The upper limit value 32 and the lower limit value 31 are in a relationship of hysteresis in counting, and as shown in FIG. 8, the number of times is counted up when the upper limit value is exceeded after once falling to the lower limit value. Here, by displaying the upper limit value 32 and the lower limit value 31 on the LCD display 14 so that the subject can recognize the upper limit value 32 and the lower limit value 31, in order to count up the number of repetitions associated with pressing / non-pressing, to what pressure value It is possible to recognize whether or not it should be pressed, and by increasing the difference between the upper and lower limits, it is possible to make the subject move the tongue firmly when pressing or not pressing, and effective rehabilitation can be performed. Can be done.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an air path blocking device showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In this air path blocking device 41, a through hole 42 provided in the front surface of a frame 43 is connected to a pressure pump (not shown) by a tube. Similarly, a through hole 44 provided in the frame 43 is connected to the probe by a tube. A drive shaft 46 having a packing 45 mounted in the frame 43 is formed facing the through hole 42, an electromagnetic drive means including an electromagnetic coil 47 and a magnetic body 48 for moving the drive shaft 46, and a drive shaft A spring 49 that biases 46 to be held in the closed state in the through hole 42 is disposed.

  Using the electromagnetic valve having the above-described configuration, the electromagnetic coil 47 is de-energized during measurement, and the through hole 42 is held in a blocked state by the biasing force of the spring 49. During pressurization by the pressurization pump or decompression by the exhaust valve, the electromagnetic coil 47 is energized to generate an electromagnetic force, and the electromagnetic force causes the drive shaft 46 to move to the right in FIG. The through hole 44 is in communication.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an air path blocking device showing a third embodiment of the present invention. In the air path blocking device 51, a through-hole 53 provided on the right surface of FIG. 10 is connected to a pressure pump (not shown) by a tube, and a through-hole 54 provided in the upper left of FIG. 5 is connected to the probe by a tube. . A butterfly valve 59 is provided in the device 51 so as to face the through hole 53, and an actuator 57 of the opening / closing holding device 56 is connected to the butterfly valve 59 via a joint 60. As shown in the figure, during pressurization by the pressurization pump or decompression by the exhaust valve, the actuator 57 expands and contracts, the butterfly valve 59 is moved in an arc shape, and the through hole 53 is brought into a communication state.

  The air path blocking device is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be configured by other electromagnetic valves, slide valves, or the like having a function of blocking the air path and maintaining communication (opening / closing).

  FIG. 11 is a front view of a probe showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The balloon 62 constituting the probe 61 is formed of an elastic material or a flexible material with a net-like net 63 interposed. In addition to preventing the balloon 62 from rupturing due to abnormal expansion, the net 63 can set the maximum expansion diameter of the balloon 62 by setting the strength of the net 63, which is excellent in terms of safety.

  In addition to this, it is also effective for safety that the balloon of the probe is made of a material that does not expand abnormally, for example, made of polyvinyl chloride having a low deformation rate in order to prevent abnormal expansion.

  FIG. 12 is a front view of a probe showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention. By providing a water supply tube 74 that is aligned with or integrally shaped with the holding portion 73 of the probe 71, after the probe 71 is inserted into the oral cavity, a fixed amount of water is introduced into the oral cavity from the water supply tube 74 with the mouth closed. It was possible to supply water, and it became very easy to handle from the viewpoint of safety and reproducibility in measuring tongue movement and tongue pressure during swallowing.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and for example, an air path shut-off valve and an exhaust valve may be integrated. When a backlight is added to the display unit, the backlight may be automatically turned off to reduce the load on the power supply when the shutoff valve, exhaust valve, and pressurizing pump are driven. In order to prevent the shut-off performance from deteriorating due to the ingress of dust into the shut-off valve and exhaust valve, an air filter is provided at the entrance / exit of the air path, and pressurization and decompression for a certain period of time to forcibly remove the dust The operation of removing dust from the air path may be repeated. Further, the oral pressure measuring device may be provided with a communication means such as a USB to perform data printout or data communication with a personal computer.

  As described above, the oral pressure measuring device according to the present invention is suitable for measuring human body related, mainly oral related pressure, such as tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, lip pressure, cheek pressure, and anal pressure. ing.

It is the schematic of the oral cavity related pressure measuring apparatus which shows one Example of this invention. It is a block diagram explaining the internal structure of the measuring device. It is sectional drawing of the air path | route interruption | blocking apparatus and exhaust apparatus. It is a figure which shows the change of the balloon internal pressure with the time passage at the time of pressurization of the measuring device. It is a graph which shows the expansion | swelling relationship of a pressure and a balloon. It is a general | schematic flowchart figure explaining the emergency stop at the time of abnormal expansion | swelling of a balloon. It is an example of the data display screen displayed in rehabilitation. It is a figure which shows the change of the pressure in a balloon accompanying the press of a balloon in rehabilitation, and a non-pressing, and the count of the repetition frequency of a press and a non-press. It is sectional drawing of the air path | route interruption | blocking apparatus which shows 2nd Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the air path | route interruption | blocking apparatus which shows 3rd Example of this invention. It is a front view of the probe which shows 4th Example of this invention. It is a front view of the probe which shows 5th Example of this invention. An example of an electronic sphygmomanometer will be described, in which (A) is a configuration diagram for explaining the internal structure, and (B) is a schematic diagram thereof.

Explanation of symbols

1, 61, 71 Probe 2, 62, 72 Balloon 3 Oral pressure measuring device 4 Tubes 5, 11, 12 Air path 6 inside oral pressure measuring device Pressure sensor 7 Electromagnetic shut-off valve 8 Pressurizing pump 9 Electromagnetic exhaust Valve 10 Safety valve 13 Arithmetic control processor (CPU)
14 LCD display section 15 Switch 16 Pressurizing lamp 17 Abnormal lamp 18 Buzzer 19 Probe place 21, 22, 23, 42, 44, 53, 54 Through hole 20, 43 Frame 24, 45 Packing 25 Coil spring 26, 46 Drive shaft 27 Magnet 28, 47 Electromagnetic coil 30 Bar graph 31 Bar 32 indicating lower limit bar 41, 51 indicating upper limit value Air path blocking device 48 Magnetic body 49 Spring 56 Opening / closing holding device 57 Actuator 59 Butterfly valve 60 Joint 63 Net 73 Holding portion 74 Water supply Tube 80 Subject's tongue 81 Subject

Claims (14)

A probe including a hollow body made of an elastic material or a flexible material that can be inserted into the oral cavity, a pressure pump that generates pressurized air and pressurizes the hollow body, and the probe and the pressure pump are connected to each other. An air path that transmits pressurized air, a pressure sensor that is connected in the middle of the air path, detects a pressure change in the hollow body, and reads an electrical signal from the pressure sensor to control the pressure pump. An oral-related pressure measuring device comprising: arithmetic control processing means for converting an electric signal from the pressure sensor into a pressure value; display means for displaying the pressure value; and operating means for operating the arithmetic control processing means. In
An electrically driven air path blocking device controlled by the control means is disposed in the air path on the pressurizing pump side from the position of the air path to which the pressure sensor is connected, and the air path includes the air An oral-related pressure measuring device characterized in that an electrically driven exhaust device controlled by the arithmetic control processing means for blocking or communicating the air path with the atmosphere is provided closer to the pressurizing pump than the path blocking device.   Before pressurizing the hollow body with the pressurizing pump, the air path shut-off device is opened, the exhaust device is communicated with the atmosphere, and the probe, the pressure sensor, and the pressurizing pump are in the atmosphere. 2. The oral cavity related pressure measuring device according to claim 1, wherein pressure is not applied when the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor does not drop below a predetermined value.   The oral cavity related pressure measuring device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air path blocking device and the exhaust device are not energized and driven at the same time.   The air path blocking device is opened, the exhaust device is communicated with the atmosphere, and the hollow body, the pressure sensor, and the pressure pump are communicated with the atmosphere, and the pressure value at this time is stored as a gauge pressure. The oral cavity related pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The oral-related pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the air path blocking device is an electromagnetic valve that maintains communication and blocking of the air path by energization for a short time.   The oral-related pressure measurement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air path blocking device is configured by a movable valve that is held in a direction pressed by pressure from the probe side. apparatus.   The oral cavity-related device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a volume of an air path other than the probe is smaller than a total volume of the probe in the air path on the probe side of the air path blocking device. Pressure measuring device.   The oral pressure measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pressurizing pump is driven by a pulse width modulation method, and the pressurizing speed of the pressurizing pump can be varied.   When stopping after pressurizing the hollow body to a predetermined pressure by the pressurizing pump, the pressurization of the pressurizing pump is stopped after the air path is shut off by the air path shut-off device. The oral cavity related pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   10. The pressurizing pump is stopped for a predetermined time or the pressurization speed is reduced before reaching the predetermined pressure in the course of pressurizing the hollow body to a predetermined pressure. The oral cavity-related pressure measuring device according to one.   11. The pressurizing pump according to claim 1, wherein the operating means includes a plurality of operating means, and pressurization of the pressurizing pump is stopped when any of the operating means is operated while the hollow body is being pressurized. The oral cavity related pressure-pressure measuring apparatus according to any one of the above.   In rehabilitation that includes a probe including a hollow body made of the elastic material or flexible material in its mouth and repeatedly presses, presses, sucks, and non-sucks the hollow body with a tongue, the press, non-press or suck, non-suction An upper limit value and a lower limit value are provided as boundary pressure values serving as a reference for counting the number of repetitions of suction, and a display showing the positions of the upper limit value and the lower limit value together with a bar graph indicating pressure fluctuations on the display means. The oral cavity related pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, which is displayed on the screen.   The oral cavity-related pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the hollow body is provided with a net for preventing expansion more than a certain amount.   The oral cavity related pressure measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a water supply means integrally attached to the probe.

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