JP2013044624A - Clinical thermometer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve measurement accuracy and mountability of a heat-flow-type clinical thermometer.SOLUTION: A clinical thermometer 500 for measuring core temperature of a subject includes: a first thermal resistor 113 that has first temperature sensors 111, 121 arranged on a side that contacts a body surface, and a second thermal resistor 123 that has second temperature sensors 112, 122 arranged on a side opposite to the side that contacts the body surface; a uniformization member 130 that covers to surround only the surface opposite to the surface that contacts the body surface of the first thermal resistor 113 and the second thermal resistor 123; a thermal insulation member 501 that is arranged so as to surround side faces of the first thermal resistor 113 and the second thermal resistor 123; and a substrate part, a peripheral portion of which is fixed by the side opposite to the side that contacts the body surface of the thermal insulation member 501, and a central portion of which is arranged relative to the uniformization member 130 at a predetermined space.

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermometer.

  Conventionally, a non-heated thermometer is known as a thermometer that is attached to the body surface of a subject and measures the body temperature in the deep part of the subject (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In general, a non-heating type thermometer includes a first temperature sensor that comes into contact with the body surface when the thermometer is attached to the body surface of a subject, and a position facing the first temperature sensor via a heat insulating material. And at least two pairs of temperature sensors each including a second temperature sensor disposed in the space. And it comprises so that the thickness of each heat insulating material with which each pair of temperature sensors was arranged may mutually differ, and each temperature sensor pair detects the temperature difference between the 1st temperature sensor and the 2nd temperature sensor Thus, the heat flow from the deep part is obtained, and thereby the body temperature in the deep part is calculated (from such a measurement method, hereinafter, in this specification, such a thermometer is referred to as a “heat flow type thermometer”). To do).

JP 2007-212407 A JP 2009-222543 A

  However, the heat flow type thermometer has a large measurement error, and it is difficult to measure a deep body temperature with high accuracy. For this reason, in practical use, it is indispensable to individually examine factors (including disturbances) that affect measurement accuracy and take measures to eliminate these factors. In addition, in the case of a heat flow thermometer, the size of the part to be attached to the body surface is large, and since it has a certain thickness, it lacks flexibility, so it is indispensable to improve wearability in practical use. is there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is intended to improve measurement accuracy and wearability in a heat flow thermometer that is attached to the body surface of a subject and measures the body temperature of the deep portion of the subject. Objective.

In order to achieve the above object, the thermometer according to the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
A thermometer that measures deep body temperature by contacting the body surface of a subject,
A first thermal resistor and a first temperature sensor arranged on the side contacting the body surface, and a second temperature sensor arranged on the side facing the surface contacting the body surface, respectively Two thermal resistors;
A homogenizing member configured to cover a surface of the first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor that are opposite to a surface that contacts the body surface;
A heat insulating member disposed so as to surround side surfaces of the first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor;
A peripheral portion is fixed by a surface on the side facing the body surface of the heat insulating member, and a central portion is provided with a substrate portion disposed with a predetermined space with respect to the homogenizing member.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to improve a measurement precision in the heat flow type thermometer which affixes on the body surface of a test object, and measures the body temperature of the deep part of a test object. Moreover, it becomes possible to affix a heat insulation member on the surface of a body which is not necessarily flat, and the mounting property is improved.

It is the figure which expressed the heat flow in a heat flow type thermometer as an electric circuit using the electric circuit similarity method in order to demonstrate the measurement principle of a heat flow type thermometer. It is a figure which shows the simulation result of a measurement error. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the factor of a measurement error. It is a figure for demonstrating the influence of the disturbance with respect to the equalization member. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of a heat flow type thermometer. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of a heat flow type thermometer. It is a figure showing the plane composition of a heat flow type thermometer. It is a figure showing the plane composition of a heat flow type thermometer. It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of a body temperature measurement system provided with a heat flow type thermometer and the body temperature display apparatus which can communicate with this heat flow type thermometer. It is a figure which shows the function structure of a heat flow type thermometer provided with the process part mounted in the circuit board. It is a figure which shows the function structure of a body temperature display apparatus. It is a figure showing the plane composition of a heat flow type thermometer.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
1. Principle of measuring deep body temperature with a heat flow thermometer First, in a heat flow thermometer (a thermometer that is affixed to the body surface of a subject and measures the body temperature of the deep portion of the subject and does not have a heating function) The measurement principle of deep body temperature will be briefly described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram expressing the heat flow in a heat flow thermometer as an electric circuit using an electric circuit similarity method in order to explain the measurement principle of the heat flow thermometer.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the heat flow in the heat flow type thermometer can be expressed by an equivalent circuit 100 by setting the heat flow as the current I, the temperature as the voltage T, and the heat resistance as the electric resistance R.

  In FIG. 1, Tb is the deep body temperature, Rt is the thermal resistance of the subcutaneous tissue of the subject, Tt1 is the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 111, and Ta1 is the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 112. Ra1 indicates the thermal resistance value of the thermal resistor (first thermal resistor) 113, respectively. Tt2 is the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 121, Ta2 is the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 122, and Ra2 is the thermal resistance value of the thermal resistor (second thermal resistor) 123. Respectively. Further, Tc represents an external temperature, and Rc represents a thermal resistance value between the homogenizing member 130 and the outside for equalizing the measured temperature on the outside air side.

  Since the equivalent circuit 100 can be replaced with one to which a voltage (Tb−Tc) is applied, it can be assumed that the current I flows in the equivalent circuit 100 according to the voltage.

  Of these, assuming that the heat flow in the thermal resistor 113 is current I1, and the heat flow in the thermal resistor 123 is current I2, the current I1 and the current I2 can be expressed by the following equations (1) and (2).

  Then, when the respective equations are modified, the following equations (3) and (4) are obtained.

  Here, the thermal resistance Rt of the subcutaneous tissue varies from individual to individual and from site to site, and is not constant. Therefore, when Rt is calculated to remove Rt from the above equations (3) and (4), the following equation (5) is obtained.

  Then, by substituting the above equation (5) into the above equation (4), the following equation (6) is obtained.

  Here, since Ra1 and Ra2 are known, if four temperatures (Tt1, Tt2, Ta1, Ta2) are detected, the deep body temperature Tb can be uniquely determined.

2. Next, a simulation of a measurement error in a heat flow thermometer that measures a deep body temperature based on the above-described measurement principle will be described. In examining the measurement error in the heat flow thermometer, the applicant of the present application pays attention to the shape (diameter and thickness) of the thermometer, and simulates the measurement error when the shape (diameter and thickness) of the thermometer is variously changed. went.

  FIG. 2 shows the use of polyacetal (POM) having a thermal conductivity of 0.25 [W / m · K] as the material of the thermal resistors 113 and 123, and a homogenizing member for equalizing the measured temperature on the outside air side. 130 shows a simulation result of a measurement error due to a difference in the shape (diameter and thickness) of each of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 when 130 having aluminum having a thermal conductivity of 236 [W / m · K] is used. .

  In FIG. 2, when 201 is the thickness of the thermal resistor 113 and the thickness of the thermal resistor 123 is 20 mm, the diameter of each of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 is changed between 10 mm and 30 mm. It is the graph which showed the change of the measured value.

  202 is a measured value when the diameter of each of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 is changed between 10 mm and 30 mm when the thickness of the thermal resistor 113 is 5 mm and the thickness of the thermal resistor 123 is 10 mm. It is the graph which showed change of.

  Similarly, 203 is the case where the thickness of the thermal resistor 113 is 2.5 mm and the thickness of the thermal resistor 123 is 5 mm, and 204 is the thickness of the thermal resistor 113 is 1 mm and the thickness of the thermal resistor 123 is 2 mm. In the case where the thickness of the thermal resistor 113 is 0.5 mm and the thickness of the thermal resistor 123 is 1 mm, the diameter of each of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 is between 10 mm and 30 mm. It is the graph which showed the change of the measured value at the time of changing.

  As can be seen from FIG. 2, the measured value approaches the set temperature (that is, the measurement error decreases) as the diameters of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 increase (toward the right side of the drawing). It can also be seen that the measured value approaches the set temperature (that is, the measurement error becomes smaller) as the thickness of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 becomes thinner (upward in the drawing).

  Therefore, in a heat flow type thermometer, it is estimated that a measurement error becomes small, so that the thickness of a thermal resistor is made thin and a diameter is enlarged.

3. Examination of simulation results The above simulation results are examined. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the cause of the measurement error examined based on the simulation result. In FIG. 3, 301 indicates the deep body temperature of the subject.

  Considering the above-described measurement principle of the deep body temperature, all of the heat flow from the deep body temperature 301 passes through the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 (that is, the first temperature sensors 111 and 121 and the second temperature sensor). Desirably, it passes through one of the temperature sensors 121, 122) and is dissipated outside from the uniformizing member 130. However, in practice, the heat flow from the deep body temperature 301 diffuses while passing through the subcutaneous tissue of the subject, and a part of the heat flows from the body surface around the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 (that is, Without passing through the thermal resistors 113 and 123, they are directly diffused outside (see arrows 311 and 321).

  Further, part of the heat flow incident on the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 does not pass through the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 (that is, even though the first temperature sensor 111 passes). The second temperature sensor 112 does not pass through, or the first temperature sensor 121 passes through but does not pass through the second temperature sensor 122), and is exposed from the side surfaces of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 to the outside. Dissipated (see arrows 312, 322).

  Here, for the heat flows 312, 322, by reducing the area of the side surfaces of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 (that is, by reducing the thickness of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123), Dissipation from the side surfaces of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 can be directly suppressed (this means that in FIG. 2, the thinner the thermal resistors 113 and 123 are, the closer to the upper side of the paper in FIG. 2). And so on) can be derived from the fact that the measured value approaches the set temperature).

  Further, by increasing the diameters of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123, the influence of the heat flows 312 and 322 on the first temperature sensors 111 and 121 and the second temperature sensors 121 and 122 is indirectly increased. (This is derived from the fact that the measured values approach the set temperature as the diameters of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 in FIG. 2 increase (toward the right side of FIG. 2)). be able to).

  Note that the effect of increasing the diameters of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 is replaced by arranging a heat insulating member on the body surface around the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123. Is also possible. This is because by disposing the heat insulating member, even if the diameters of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are reduced, the heat insulating members can directly prevent the heat flow 311 and 321 from radiating.

  A thermometer consisting of a combination of two heat resistors with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 1 mm and 2 mm, respectively, was made as a prototype, and the water was heated to about 37 ° C instead of the living body. A pseudo-living body was created by placing a plastic plate on the skin and subcutaneous tissue on the skin, and an experiment was conducted using the pseudo-living body. Although a difference of about 1.1 ° C. occurred from the deep temperature calculated using (6), when a heat insulating member is arranged around the thermal resistor, the error is about 0.1 ° C., which is shown in FIG. As a result, it was possible to obtain a result that almost coincided with the calculation result when the diameter of the thermal resistor was 30 mm.

  Furthermore, with respect to the heat flows 311 and 321, the heat dissipation can be directly suppressed by arranging a heat insulating member on the body surface around the thermal resistors 113 and 123.

  Furthermore, by covering the entire upper surface of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 with the uniformizing member 130 having a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal resistors 113 and 123, the heat flow passing through the thermal resistors 113 and 123 is thermally conducted. From the side of the uniformizing member 130 having a high rate (that is, from the upper surface side of the thermal resistors 113 and 123), it is further dissipated (in this case, the thermal resistors 113 and 123 of the uniformizing member 130 are covered. It is assumed that the opposite side (rear side) surface is exposed, however, the exposure here refers not only to the case where the rear side surface is in direct contact with the outside air, but also to the rear side surface. This includes the case where it comes into contact with the outside air through applied coating agents and other materials). In other words, by directing the direction of the heat flow passing through the thermal resistors 113 and 123 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the body surface, it is possible to indirectly suppress the dissipation from the side surfaces of the thermal resistors 113 and 123. Conceivable.

From the above, in the heat flow thermometer,
-Reduce the thickness of the thermal resistors 113 and 123,
A heat insulating member is disposed on the side surfaces of the thermal resistors 113 and 123;
The entire upper surface of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 is covered with a uniformizing member 130 having a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal resistors 113 and 123.
-The back surface of the uniformizing member 130 is exposed.
Thus, it is considered that the measurement error can be reduced.

4). Explanation of the cause of disturbance in the thermometer and its influence Next, in the heat flow thermometer that measures the deep body temperature by the above-mentioned measurement principle, sudden temperature change (disturbance) of the outside (on the side opposite to the side in contact with the body surface) Consider the cause and its impact. Various influences can be considered for the disturbance that the heat flow thermometer receives. In this application, however, the influence of the disturbance that the uniformizing member 130 receives is particularly considered.

  In general, it is assumed that the heat flow type thermometer is directly attached to the body surface of a subject for a long time. For this reason, for example, when the pasting position is inside the garment, it is considered that a part of the garment comes into contact with the uniformizing member 130 as a cause of the disturbance, thereby causing the temperature of the contact surface to rapidly increase. It can be considered that the measurement results are affected.

  On the other hand, when the pasting position is not covered with clothes or the like and exposed to the outside air, a part of the human body such as the subject's own finger is caused to be a cause of the disturbance. It is conceivable that the temperature of the contact surface changes abruptly, thereby affecting the measurement result. Further, it is conceivable that wind or the like directly hits as another cause of disturbance, and thereby the temperature of the uniformizing member as a whole changes suddenly and affects the measurement result.

  Therefore, the applicant of the present application has experimented with the degree of influence of various causes of disturbances that can be enumerated when the actual attachment position is assumed as described above.

  FIG. 4 shows a heat flow type thermometer in which 1) paper (instead of clothes) is brought into contact with the uniformizing member, 2) finger is brought into contact, and 3) wind is applied. It is the figure which showed the degree of each influence about a street.

  In FIG. 4, the abscissa represents the elapsed time, 401 and 402 indicate the timing of contacting the paper, 403 and 404 indicate the timing of contacting the finger, and 405 and 406 indicate the timing of applying the wind, respectively. ing. The vertical axis represents the measured temperature, 400 represents the measurement result, and 410 represents the temperature to be measured.

  As shown in FIG. 4, it has been found that any of 1) to 3) affects the measurement result (regardless of the change of the temperature 410 to be measured, the measurement result is the timing of 1) to 3). Is changing).

5. Requirements for removing the influence of the disturbance received by the homogenizing member The requirements for removing the influence of the disturbance received by the homogenizing member 130 will be examined based on the experimental results described in “4.” above. As shown in FIG. 4, the heat flow thermometer is affected by any disturbance that can be considered when an actual attachment position is assumed. For this reason, in order to remove the influence of these disturbances, it is indispensable for the heat flow thermometer to have the following configuration.
(1) A configuration in which clothes, fingers, and the like can be prevented from directly contacting the uniformizing member
(2) A configuration that can block the wind that hits the uniformizing member or at least reduce the amount and speed thereof.

  On the other hand, in the case of the heat flow type thermometer, as described in the above “1.”, the heat flow in the heat resistor 113 and the heat resistor 123 is divided into four temperature sensors (first temperature sensors 111 and 121, second temperature sensor). 112, 122), the deep body temperature Tb is calculated. For this reason, in order to maintain measurement accuracy, it is important to configure so as not to disturb the heat flow in the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123.

  In other words, the requirement for removing the influence of the disturbance received by the homogenizing member 130 in the heat flow thermometer is a configuration that does not disturb the heat flow from the inside to the outside and blocks the disturbance from the outside to the homogenizing member. Can do.

6). Cross-sectional configuration of a heat flow thermometer with measures to reduce measurement errors and eliminate disturbances Based on the results of the studies described in “2.” to “5.” The heat flow type thermometer of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a heat flow thermometer 500 according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 5A, reference numerals 111 and 121 denote first temperature sensors located on the side that comes into contact with the body surface when they are attached to the body surface of the subject, and 112 and 122 denote the first temperature sensors 111 and 121, respectively. It is the 2nd temperature sensor distribute | arranged to the side which opposes. In addition, the 1st and 2nd temperature sensors (111, 121, 112, 122) shall be comprised by the thermocouple, for example.

  Reference numeral 113 denotes a thermal resistor that is disposed between the first temperature sensor 111 and the second temperature sensor 112 and allows a heat flow from the body surface of the subject to pass therethrough. Similarly, 123 is a thermal resistor that is disposed between the first temperature sensor 121 and the second temperature sensor 122 and allows a heat flow from the body surface of the subject to pass therethrough.

  Note that the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are made of polyacetal having a thermal conductivity of 0.25 W / m · K, respectively. The thermal resistor 113 has a flat plate shape with a thickness of 1 mm and a diameter of 10 mm, and the thermal resistor 123 has a flat plate shape with a thickness of 2 mm and a diameter of 10 mm. The first temperature sensors 111 and 121 and the second temperature sensors 112 and 122 are arranged at the center positions in the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123, respectively.

  By having such a shape and arrangement, in the heat flow thermometer 500 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the heat flow itself from the side surfaces of the heat resistor 113 and the heat resistor 123. Further, it is possible to suppress the influence on the first temperature sensors 111 and 112 and the second temperature sensors 121 and 122 as much as possible due to the heat flow dissipated from the body surface around the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123. It becomes.

  Further, the heat resistance 113 and the thermal resistance 123 have side surfaces that have a thermal conductivity lower than or similar to that of the thermal resistance 113 and the thermal resistance 123, and a heat insulating member 501 (for example, foam rubber, polyurethane, or the like). Is arranged. Thereby, dissipation of the heat flow from the body surface around the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 can be directly suppressed. In addition, since the said heat insulation member 501 can be deformed along the shape of a body surface, it is suitable for sticking a heat flow type thermometer in close contact with the body surface.

  Further, the heat insulating member 501 is thicker than the adjacent thermal resistors 113 and 123, and the heat resistors 113 and 123 are respectively fitted and fixed in an opening hole provided in the center of the heat insulating member 501. Yes. Thereby, the side surfaces of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 are surrounded by the heat insulating member 501. The upper surface of the heat insulating member 501 is covered with a plastic film 502.

  By having such a shape and arrangement, in the heat flow thermometer 500 according to the present embodiment, it is also possible to suppress the dissipation of heat flow from the side surfaces of the heat resistor 113 and the heat resistor 123.

  On the other hand, a uniformizing member 130 made of aluminum having a thermal conductivity of 236 W / m · K is disposed on the upper surfaces of the thermal resistors 113 and 123, and the entire upper surfaces of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 are arranged. Covering. Thereby, the temperature of the upper surface of the thermal resistor 123 and the upper surface of the thermal resistor 123 (that is, the outside air side where the heat flow is dissipated) is made uniform, and the direction of the heat flow passing through the thermal resistors 113 and 123 is changed. The heat flow from the side surfaces of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 can be indirectly suppressed by directing in a direction substantially perpendicular to the body surface.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are juxtaposed via a heat insulating member 501 with an interval of about 1 to 10 mm (preferably 2 to 6 mm). It is assumed that the heat flow passing through the heat resistor and the heat flow passing through the thermal resistor 123 are not mixed.

  Further, a circuit board 510 disposed in the housing 511 is attached above the uniformizing member 130 (the circuit board 510 and the entire housing 511 are referred to as a board portion). The peripheral portion of the housing 511 on which the circuit board 510 is arranged is fixed to the surface opposite to the surface that contacts the body surface of the heat insulating member 501, and the central portion is located with respect to the uniformizing member 130. It is arranged with a fixed amount of space. The circuit board 510 is equipped with a processing unit (including an RF-ID tag) that can calculate the deep body temperature from the temperature detected by each temperature sensor and can be activated by electromagnetic induction. Details of the processing unit will be described later. The material of the circuit board 510 and the housing 511 may be, for example, a plastic material such as plastic. In addition, the circuit board 510 and the housing 511 may be formed uniformly, or have a predetermined size of air holes (diameters that do not allow clothes, fingers, etc. to directly contact the uniformizing member 130). A plurality of pores) may be provided.

  In any case, by adopting a configuration in which the uniformizing member 130 is not directly exposed, it is possible to avoid clothing, fingers, or the like from coming into direct contact with the uniformizing member 130. Further, it is possible to block the wind that hits the uniformizing member from the outside (or to reduce the air volume and the wind speed).

  Since a space (air layer) is provided between the housing 511 on which the circuit board 510 is disposed and the homogenizing member 130, the heat flow dissipated from the homogenizing member 130 is the circuit board 510 and the housing 511. Will not be disturbed.

  That is, the circuit board 510 and the housing 511 (board part) do not disturb the heat flow from the inside to the outside, which is a requirement for removing the influence of the disturbance that the uniformizing member 130 receives in the heat flow thermometer 500, and from the outside. It can be said that the structure which interrupts the disturbance to the equalization member is comprised. Further, if the housing 511 in which the circuit board 510 is disposed is disposed on the heat insulating member 501, the flexibility of the heat insulating member 501 is impaired, and the mounting property is deteriorated. By adopting a configuration that is attached above the uniformizing member 130 as described above, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the mounting property of the heat insulating member 501.

  5A, the thermal resistor 113, the thermal resistor 123, and the heat insulating member 501 are arranged and fixed so that their bottom surfaces form the same plane. As a result, when pasted on the body surface of the subject, the bottom surface of the thermal resistor 113, the bottom surface of the thermal resistor 123, and the heat insulating member 501 are each pasted on the body surface of the subject without any gaps. Become.

  In addition, the bottom surfaces of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are respectively covered with thermal conductive members 503 and 504 having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum tape, and further, the entire body surface side of the thermal flow thermometer 500 is The adhesive tape (adhesive layer) 505 and the adhesive tape (release paper) 506 are covered. Thereby, the heat flow type thermometer 500 can be easily attached to the body surface of the subject.

7). Plan Configuration of Heat Flow Thermometer with Countermeasures for Measurement Error Reduction and Disturbance Removal Next, the plan configuration of the heat flow thermometer 500 will be described. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing various planar configurations of the heat flow thermometer 500 according to the present embodiment, each of which is in contact with the body surface when attached to the body surface of the subject. A plan view when viewed from the side facing the surface (that is, the back side), a plan view when viewed from the side in contact with the body surface, and a plan view when cut at an intermediate position (two locations) Show.

  6A, the outer periphery of the heat insulating member 501 has a shape in which two linear portions along the direction in which the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are juxtaposed are connected by two arc portions. And the case where the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are distribute | arranged to the center position is shown. The thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 may have a circular planar shape ((a)) or other shapes, for example, a rectangular shape ((b)).

  The example of FIG. 6B shows a case where the outer periphery of the heat insulating member 501 has a shape in which four linear portions are connected, and the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are arranged at the center position. Also in this case, as in FIG. 6A, the planar shapes of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 may be circular ((a)) or other shapes, for example, rectangular (( b)).

8). External structure of body temperature measuring system provided with heat flow type thermometer Next, a body temperature measuring system provided with heat flow type thermometer 500 shown in FIG. 5A will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a body temperature measurement system including a heat flow type thermometer 500 and a body temperature display device 700 that can communicate with the heat flow type thermometer 500.

  The heat flow thermometer 500 includes a processing unit (not shown) (RF-ID tag that includes an antenna for communication and processes the detected temperature value of each temperature sensor). The processing unit receives power supply from the body temperature display device 700 via an antenna (for example, power supply due to generation of induced electromotive force by electromagnetic waves having a frequency of 13.56 MHz), and power is supplied to a power circuit (not shown) included therein. Is supplied, the entire processing unit is activated, and the acquired deep body temperature data is transmitted to the body temperature display device 700 together with various information.

  The body temperature display device 700 includes an RF-ID reader / writer. When the body temperature display device 700 is close to the processing unit, the body temperature display device 700 is magnetically coupled to the processing unit, and supplies power to a power supply circuit included in the processing unit. Receives deep body temperature data and various information.

  As described above, in the body temperature measurement system shown in FIG. 7, the heat flow thermometer 500 includes a processing unit and operates by receiving power supply from the RF-ID reader / writer included in the body temperature display device 700. Therefore, it is not necessary to mount a power source inside, and it is possible to realize a reduction in size and weight. As a result, it becomes easy to attach to the measurement site of the subject for a long time.

  In addition, the measurement result shows that the body temperature display device 700 including an RF-ID reader / writer that transmits an electromagnetic wave with a predetermined frequency, for example, 13.56 MHz, is about 5 to 30 mm of the measurement site to which the heat flow thermometer 500 is attached. Since reading can be performed simply by moving closer to the position, it is possible to greatly reduce the burden of confirmation and recording work of measurement results by the measurer.

9. Next, the functional configuration of the heat flow thermometer 500 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a heat flow thermometer 500 including a circuit board 510 on which the processing unit 800 is mounted and a sensor unit 820.

  In FIG. 8, reference numeral 812 denotes a wireless communication unit, which includes a rectifier circuit, a booster circuit, and the like. The wireless communication unit 812 converts the AC voltage generated in the antenna 810 into a predetermined DC voltage and supplies it to the storage unit 813 and the control unit 814. In addition, the deep body temperature data acquired in the control unit 814 is transmitted to the body temperature display device 700 via the antenna 810 in a predetermined format.

  A storage unit 813 stores identification information unique to the processing unit. A control unit 814 controls operations of the wireless communication unit 812 and the storage unit 813. Further, the output from the sensor unit 820 (first and second temperature sensors 111, 112, 121, 122) is processed (digital conversion, calculation using a programmed calculation formula, etc.), and the wireless communication unit 812 is used as deep body temperature data. Send to.

  Reference numeral 820 denotes a sensor unit that includes first and second temperature sensors (111, 112, 121, 122).

10. Functional Configuration of Body Temperature Display Device Next, the functional configuration of the body temperature display device 700 will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the body temperature display device 700. The body temperature display device 700 includes a power supply unit including a battery, a rechargeable battery, and an operation switch including a power ON / OFF switch, but is omitted here.

  In FIG. 9, reference numeral 900 denotes an RF-ID reader / writer, which includes an antenna 901, a wireless communication unit 902, and a signal processing unit 904.

  The antenna 901 generates an electromagnetic wave having a predetermined frequency, for example, 13.56 MHz, and magnetically couples with the antenna 810 of the processing unit 800 of the heat flow thermometer 500 to supply power to the processing unit 800. Or receive data from the processing unit 800.

  The wireless communication unit 902 controls the voltage applied to the antenna 901 in order to supply power to the processing unit 800 of the heat flow thermometer 500 via the antenna 901, or the processing unit of the heat flow thermometer 500 via the antenna 901. Data received from 800 is transmitted to the signal processing unit 904.

  The signal conversion unit 903 converts the data transmitted from the wireless communication unit 902 into digital data and transmits the digital data to the signal processing unit 904.

  The signal processing unit 904 processes the received data and transmits it to the control unit 911 as deep body temperature data.

  The control unit 911 controls operations of the wireless communication unit 902, the signal conversion unit 903, and the signal processing unit 904. Further, the deep body temperature data transmitted from the signal processing unit 904 is stored in the storage unit 912 together with the identification information, or displayed on the display unit 913. Further, the deep body temperature data stored in the storage unit 912 is transmitted together with the identification information to another information processing apparatus (another information processing apparatus connected by wire via the wired communication unit 914) via the wired communication unit 914. To do.

  As is apparent from the above description, the heat flow thermometer according to the present embodiment suppresses the dissipation of heat flow from the body surface around the thermal resistor and also dissipates heat flow from the body surface around the thermal resistor. The effect on the temperature sensor is suppressed, and the heat flow from the side surface of the thermal resistor is suppressed. Further, the influence of the disturbance received by the uniformizing member is removed. As a result, the measurement accuracy of the deep body temperature of the heat flow thermometer can be improved. Moreover, it became possible to affix the heat insulating member to the surface of the body which is not necessarily flat so that the wearability can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the temperature sensors (111, 121, 112, 122) are configured by, for example, thermocouples, but other temperature sensors such as a thermistor may be used.

  In the first embodiment, the thermal resistors 113 and 123 have a shape (thickness and diameter) of 1 mm, 10 mm, 2 mm, and 10 mm, respectively. It is not limited.

  The thermal resistor 113 may have a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm and a diameter in the range of 5 to 20 mm. The thickness of the thermal resistor 123 may be in the range of 1 mm to 20 mm, and the diameter may be in the range of 5 to 20 mm. However, the thickness ratio between the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 may be any ratio as long as it is a predetermined value. However, in consideration of the depth temperature calculation accuracy and ease of manufacture, 1 : Desirably about 2. In addition, for the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123, members having different thermal conductivities may be used.

  In the first embodiment, polyacetal is used as the material of the thermal resistors 113 and 123. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any material having the same or lower thermal conductivity may be used. For example, other materials may be used. In the first embodiment, aluminum is used as the material of the homogenizing member 130. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the material having higher thermal conductivity than the thermal resistors 113 and 123 is used. Other materials may be used if they exist.

  In the first embodiment, foamed rubber, polyurethane, or the like is used as the material of the heat insulating member 501, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride are used. It is sufficient that the thermal conductivity is lower than or comparable to that of the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123, and another material having high flexibility may be used.

  In the first embodiment, each of the thermal resistors 113 and 123 includes a first temperature sensor that comes into contact with the body surface when attached to the body surface of the subject, and the first temperature sensor. In contrast, the temperature sensor pair is configured to include the second temperature sensor disposed at a position opposed to each other via the thermal resistor, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the uniformizing member It is good also as a structure which shares the 2nd temperature sensor distribute | arranged to each of the thermal resistance bodies 113 and 123 by an effect.

  That is, the second temperature sensor 112 is not disposed in the thermal resistor 113, and the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 122 of the thermal resistor 123 is used when calculating the deep body temperature, The temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 112 of the thermal resistor 113 may be used when calculating the deep body temperature without arranging the second temperature sensor 122 in the resistor 123. Further, it may be disposed at any position on the body surface side surface of the uniformizing member, and may not necessarily be disposed at a position facing the first temperature sensor.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first and second embodiments, the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 are juxtaposed via the heat insulating member 501 with an interval of about 1 to 10 mm (preferably 2 to 6 mm). The invention is not limited to this. For example, the thermal resistor 113 and the thermal resistor 123 may be concentrically arranged (see FIG. 10).

  In this case, it is desirable that the first temperature sensor 111 and the second temperature sensor 112 be arranged at positions that are symmetric with respect to the first temperature sensor 121 and the second temperature sensor 122. In other words, it is desirable that two first temperature sensors 111 and two second temperature sensors 112 be arranged.

  However, only two first temperature sensors 111 may be arranged, and the second temperature sensor 112 may be configured to be replaced by the detection result of the second temperature sensor 122.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the said 1st thru | or 3rd embodiment, it arrange | positions a process part to the heat-flow-type thermometer 500, and it is set as the structure which receives an electric power supply from the RF-ID reader / writer which the body temperature display apparatus 700 has, and is set inside. Although it is not necessary to mount a power source and the heat flow thermometer 500 can be reduced in size and weight, the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, it may be configured as a monitor capable of continuously measuring the deep body temperature by mounting a power source composed of a small battery and enabling it to operate independently without receiving power supply from the body temperature display device 700.

  At this time, the storage unit 813 illustrated in FIG. 8 not only stores identification information unique to the processing unit, but also includes a sensor unit 820 (first and second temperature sensors 111, 112, 121) in the control unit 814. , 122) is processed (digital conversion, calculation using a programmed calculation formula, etc.), and the calculated deep body temperature data is recorded and stored in time series.

  By adopting such a configuration, the body temperature measurement system shown in FIG. 7 has a body temperature display device 700 at a position of about 5 to 30 mm of the measurement site where the heat flow thermometer 500 is attached when the operator needs it. It becomes possible to read the trend of deep body temperature fluctuations simply by bringing the temperature closer to the point, and it can be used as a system useful for long-term body temperature fluctuation management.

  Here, as a communication means between the body temperature display device 700 and the heat flow thermometer 500, a communication method using an RF-ID reader / writer and an RF-ID tag has been described as an example, but the present invention is concerned with the communication means. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured in combination with another wireless communication method or a wired communication method.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Equivalent circuit, 111 ... 1st temperature sensor, 112 ... 2nd temperature sensor, 113 ... Thermal resistor, 121 ... 1st temperature sensor, 122 ... 1st 2 temperature sensors, 123 ... thermal resistor, 500 ... thermometer, 130 ... homogenizing member, 501 ... heat insulating member, 502 ... plastic film, 503 ... heat conducting member, 504 ... Heat conduction member, 505 ... Attaching tape (adhesive layer), 506 ... Attaching tape (release paper), 510 ... Circuit board, 511 ... Housing, 700 ... Body temperature display Apparatus, 800... Processing section

Claims (9)

A thermometer that measures deep body temperature by contacting the body surface of a subject,
A first thermal resistor and a first temperature sensor arranged on the side contacting the body surface, and a second temperature sensor arranged on the side facing the surface contacting the body surface, respectively Two thermal resistors;
A homogenizing member configured to cover a surface of the first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor that are opposite to a surface that contacts the body surface;
A heat insulating member disposed so as to surround side surfaces of the first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor;
A peripheral portion is fixed by a surface on the side facing the body surface of the heat insulating member, and a central portion is provided with a substrate portion arranged with a predetermined space with respect to the homogenizing member. Characteristic thermometer.   The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the first thermal resistor has a thickness of 0.5 to 10 mm, and the second thermal resistor has a thickness of 1 to 20 mm.   2. The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the uniformizing member is formed of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor.   The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor have a thermal conductivity of 0.5 W / m · K or less.   The surface of the first thermal resistor that is in contact with the body surface and the surface of the second thermal resistor that is in contact with the body surface form the same plane. The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor are arranged.   The first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor are arranged so that a gap is formed between a side surface of the first thermal resistor and a side surface of the second thermal resistor. The thermometer according to claim 1.   The first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor are arranged so that a gap is formed between the side surface of the first thermal resistor, the side surface of the second thermal resistor, and the heat insulating member. The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the thermometer is provided.   The uniformizing member includes the second temperature sensor of the first thermal resistor and the second temperature sensor of the second thermal resistor, which are disposed on the side facing the surface that contacts the body surface. The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the thermometer is shared by one temperature sensor arranged on the side of the thermal resistor.   The thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the first thermal resistor and the second thermal resistor are arranged concentrically.

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