JP2013171033A - Mask for respiration measurement - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the following problem concerning respiration measurement such as an exhalation gas analysis: the air leaks from a mask for respiration measurement to be used or a respiration measurement sensor comes off the mask body of the mask, and accurate respiration measurement is impossible; also, foreign matters, such as spittle and phlegm, enter the respiration measurement sensor and make it unsanitary, and there is a risk of mutual infection.SOLUTION: In the mask for respiration measurement, attachment/removal of the mask body of the mask for respiration measurement of a respiration measuring apparatus and the respiration measurement sensor is made easier; a filter high in foreign matter filtration efficiency is used; and accurate respiration measurement small in dead space is possible, and the mask is clean, low in risk of mutual infection, and easy in maintenance.

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement in a respiration measurement mask used for respiration measurement, in particular, breath gas analysis.

  Respiratory masks are used to monitor respiratory flow, breath gas concentration, and other respiratory measurements, lung function tests that measure pulmonary diffusivity, and breathing gas analysis that perform respiratory metabolism measurements and Helicobacter pylori tests. Used for. Here, breath gas analysis for respiratory metabolism measurement will be described as an example.

An example of a conventional breath gas analyzer is shown in FIG.
As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 5D, the apparatus includes a respiration measurement mask 5A and a respiration measurement apparatus main body 5B.

The respiration measurement mask 5A includes a mask main body 51 as shown in FIG. 5A and a sensor unit 55 as shown in FIG. 5B.
As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the mask main body 51 has an opening A and an opening B, the sensor unit 55 is connected to the opening A, the opening B is brought into contact with the face, and all breathing air is obtained. Is collected and introduced into the sensor unit 55.

As shown in FIG. 5 (B), the sensor unit 55 includes a sensor built-in unit 55C that incorporates a respiratory flow sensor 56, a call cylinder unit 55A that introduces exhaled air into the sensor built-in unit 55C, and an inhalation into the sensor built-in unit 55C. It is comprised by the intake cylinder part 55B to introduce.
The cylinder 55A is a cylinder having a predetermined outer diameter Φ ′ (usually 55 mm).
For this reason, a flexible material such as rubber is used for the opening A of the mask body 51, and the diameter Φ of the opening A is made slightly smaller than 55 mm, so that the opening of the mask body 51 is formed as shown in FIG. A cylinder 55A of the sensor unit 55 is inserted and connected to A.

  The mask body 51 is provided with a mask band 52. As shown in FIG. 5D, a sensor unit 55 is connected to the mask body 51, and the opening B of the mask body 51 is covered so as to cover the nose and mouth. When the mask band 52 is put on the subject's head in contact with the examiner's face, the respiratory measurement mask 5A can be attached to the face.

The respiration measuring device main body 5 </ b> B includes a gas analyzer 60 and a control unit 58.
The respiratory flow sensor 56 and the controller 58 are electrically connected by a flow signal line 57.
The inside of the sensor unit 55 and the gas analyzer 60 are connected by a sampling circuit 59.

The flow rate of the respiratory air passing through the sensor unit 55 is measured by the respiratory flow sensor 56, converted into an electrical signal, and transferred to the control unit 58 via the flow rate signal line 57.
Further, a part of the respiratory air passing through the sensor unit 55 is introduced into the gas analyzer 60 via the sampling circuit 59 as a sample gas.
The gas analyzer 60 measures the concentration of a predetermined measurement target gas contained in the sample gas and transmits it to the control unit 58.

  The controller 58 obtains various desired flow rate data from the flow rate data measured by the respiratory flow sensor 56. When the flow rate data is integrated for a predetermined time, various data relating to the single call volume, the single intake volume and other volume can be obtained. Further, various data relating to gas concentration such as average gas concentration for a predetermined period is obtained from the gas concentration data measured by the gas analyzer 60. Furthermore, by combining the flow rate data and the gas concentration data, the gas amount and other data of the measurement gas contained in the respiratory gas can be obtained.

In gas analysis for measuring respiratory metabolism, the gas to be measured is oxygen gas and carbon dioxide gas. As the gas analyzer 60, an oxygen gas analyzer and a carbon dioxide analyzer are used. Measure and obtain respiratory metabolism data such as data on gas volume, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide excretion.
Depending on the purpose, a gas analyzer that measures the concentration of a desired gas is used, and the gas analyzer is measured in the same manner as described above.

  Although not shown in the figure, the respiration measuring device main body 5B includes an operation unit for inputting data necessary for measurement and operating the device, and a display unit for displaying measurement data, data input from the operation unit, and the like. Have

Before use, the sensor unit 55 is connected to the mask main body 51 as shown in FIG. 5C, and the face and nose are covered with the opening B of the mask main body 51 as shown in FIG. 5D. The mask band 55 is put on the head and attached to the subject's face.
In addition, necessary information such as patient information such as ID data, height, and weight of the subject, and measurement environment conditions such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity are input from the operation unit.

  When the measurement is started, all the respiratory air is collected by the mask body 51 and passes through the sensor unit 55, and the flow rate of the respiratory air is measured by the respiratory flow sensor 56, converted into an electrical signal, and transmitted to the control unit 58. The

  On the other hand, a part of the respiratory air passing through the sensor unit 55 is collected as a sample gas, introduced into the gas analyzer 60 via the sampling circuit 59, and measured for the gas concentration, and the result is transmitted to the control unit 58. Is done.

The controller 58 obtains various data relating to the flow rate and volume from the flow rate data measured by the respiratory flow sensor 56. Various data relating to the gas concentration are obtained from the output of the gas analyzer 30. Furthermore, from the data relating to the flow rate and the volume and the data relating to the gas concentration, the amount of measurement gas contained in the respiratory air, data relating to various respiratory metabolisms, and the like are obtained.
These measurement results are displayed on a display unit as necessary, stored in internal and external storage units, and output to a printer or the like.

  However, if the respiration sensor 55 is not sufficiently inserted into the mask main body 51, or a member of the connection portion is deteriorated and the connection is poor, there is a problem that breathing air leaks from the connection portion.

  Further, in respiratory metabolism measurement, since measurement may be performed while exercising, the respiratory sensor 55 is mass, and the coupling between the mask main body 51 and the respiratory sensor 55 is loosened and respiratory air leaks from the coupling portion, or the mask main body. In some cases, the respiration sensor 55 may fall off from 51.

  Furthermore, there is a problem that the wearing position of the mask main body 51 is shifted and a gap is generated at the contact portion with the face, so that breathing air leaks.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5B to 5D, one or both of the flow rate signal line 57 and the sampling circuit 59 are connected to the respiration sensor 55, so that the respiration sensor 55 rotates with these masses. There is also a problem that it is more likely that the torque acts and the connection between the mask main body 51 and the respiration sensor 55 is loosened or the respiration sensor 55 falls off.
When breathing air leaks, the measurement of the flow rate becomes inaccurate, and there is a problem that the measurement cannot be performed when the breathing sensor 55 falls off. In addition, when such an event occurs, there is also a problem that it takes extra time for the examiner.

Moreover, in breathing measurement, since it is called with maximum effort or performs intense breathing during exercise, foreign matter such as saliva and sputum adheres to the respiratory flow sensor 56, and accurate measurement cannot be performed or it becomes filthy, resulting in foreign matter. If bacteria and viruses were included, there was a risk of causing mutual infection.
Cross-infection means that after an infected person inspects, bacteria or viruses from the infected person adhere to the sensor part, and the next examiner uses this sensor part to infect.

In order to prevent foreign matter from entering the sensor, a method is used in which a filter is interposed between the respiratory flow sensor and the subject.
In order to filter foreign matter with a filter, the size of the filter medium must be smaller than the size of the foreign matter.
However, the finer the filter media, the higher the air resistance. Moreover, when the eyes of the filter medium are constant, the air resistance increases as the respiratory flow rate increases. That is, air resistance increases in the respiratory function test and the test during exercise.
When the air resistance increases, the respiratory (living body) is affected, the respiratory flow rate changes, accurate respiratory measurement cannot be performed, and a physical burden is imposed on the subject.
For this reason, the medical society has established a criterion that the air resistance must be a predetermined value or less in a predetermined flow rate range. That is, the ATS (American Thoracic Society) stipulates that the air flow is in the range of 0 to 14 L / S and the air resistance is 15 mmH ₅ O / L / S or less. .
For this reason, in respiration measurement, the filter must be designed in consideration of the size of foreign matter to be filtered and the level of air resistance.
However, in the conventional respiration measurement, a filter designed to determine how much foreign matter is filtered and how much air resistance is set is not presented.

In addition, the dead space must be taken into account when measuring respiration. The dead space is an amount in which gas is not exchanged between the airways and the alveoli, and is physiologically about 150 mL (physiological dead space). In order to breathe, it is necessary to ventilate more than the dead space. The tidal volume during rest breathing is about 500 mL, which satisfies this.
When the mask main body 51 and the respiration sensor 55 are used, the dead space becomes larger by the total volume. For this reason, the mask portion must be designed so that the total dead space amount of the physiological dead space and the dead space of the mask portion is smaller than the tidal volume.
Respiratory masks designed with dead spaces are not shown.

Taking the above points into consideration, the respirator must be such that there is no leakage of respiratory air from the connection between the mask body and the respiration sensor unit, and the respiration sensor unit does not fall off. Moreover, it is necessary to prevent foreign matter from entering the respiratory sensor unit. Furthermore, the air resistance must be lowered to a predetermined value or less even if strenuous exercise is performed when the respiratory mask is worn. In addition, maintenance such as cleaning of the respiratory mask must be facilitated.
However, a technique for sufficiently solving these problems is not disclosed in the respiratory measurement device.

However, similar techniques are used in other fields.
The ventilator has a ventilator body that sends inhalation to the patient, a pipe that introduces the inhalation to the patient's mouth, and a mask that sends the inhalation to the patient through the pipe. Although a filter is interposed to assist breathing, a technique is disclosed in which the connection between the filter and the mask is screwed to secure the connection between the filter and the mask (for example, Patent Document 1).
For this reason, respiratory air is hard to leak from the connection part of the mask and filter of cited reference 1, and it can also prevent that a filter falls off.

However, since the connection between the filter and the breathing mask of the cited document 1 is a screw coupling method, it is necessary to rotate the filter many times in order to attach / detach the filter to / from the mask, and it cannot be easily attached / detached.
Further, the filter is screwed in while rotating the filter with respect to the mask. However, when the filter is screwed to the end and connected, it is not known at which position in the rotation direction the filter is connected.
Furthermore, in the cited document 1, there is no description about the air resistance and the collection efficiency of the foreign matter within the range of the respiration measurement, and the dead space.

A technique is disclosed in which a bayonet type coupling method is used for a connection portion between a camera body and a lens in a camera (for example, cited document 2).
In Cited Document 2, when a bayonet groove is provided in the camera body and a bayonet claw is provided in the lens unit, and the bayonet claw is brought into contact with the bayonet guide portion of the bayonet groove and the lens unit is rotated, the bayonet claw is moved along the bayonet groove. It slides to connect the lens.
However, the bayonet structure is rotated by rotating the lens, but there is no inconvenience depending on the position of the bayonet, so there is no specification of the position of the bayonet groove, and the lens can be rotated at any angle when it is connected. Good.
Also, there is no restriction that air should not leak from the connection part, and naturally there is no mention of the respiratory filter and there is no problem of infection by foreign substances.

The respiratory protection device protects people from dust and toxic gas, and supplies a safe air by connecting a respiratory assistance device (filter unit) to the respiratory protection mask. In a respiratory protection device, a device using a bayonet type coupling method for a connection part between a respiratory protection mask and a respiratory assistance device is disclosed (for example, cited document 3).
However, the filter unit of the cited document 3 does not define the directionality at the time of connection like the cited documents 1 and 2, and therefore, the configuration is different from the bayonet structure of the present invention. Moreover, there is no description about the air resistance and the collection efficiency of a foreign substance within the range of respiration measurement, and about the dead space.

In the respiratory function test, a mouthpiece connected to a respiratory flow sensor is held and a predetermined breath is performed to measure the respiratory air flow, and parameters relating to respiratory function are obtained. In this field, a technique relating to a filter for respiratory aspiration testing is disclosed in which the air resistance is set to be equal to or less than the value specified by the Medical Society within the range of the respiratory flow specified by the Medical Society, and a fine foreign substance is filtered (for example, cited) Reference 4).
However, the filter of the cited document 4 is designed to be connected to a respiration measurement sensor and used by the subject in a hurry. For this reason, if diverted as it is to the present invention, the dead space becomes larger, which affects the measurement result. Moreover, there is no mention about the connection with a mask main body. For this reason, the filter of the cited document 4 cannot be used interposing between a respiration sensor and a mask.

US Pat. No. 5,555,488 JP-A-5-181187 Special table 5008-517710 JP-A-11-33015

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, prevents breathing from leaking from the connection between the mask body and the respiration sensor, allows easy attachment / detachment of the mask body and the respiration sensor, and is used during intense exercise with a high foreign matter filtering effect. However, an object of the present invention is to provide a respiration measurement mask with a small dead space that can keep air resistance low.

In order to solve this problem, in the first aspect of the present invention, a mask main body that is attached to the face so as to cover the mouth and nose and collects respiratory air, and is connected to the mask main body for respiratory flow rate and respiratory gas. In the respiration measurement mask having a respiration measurement sensor for measuring one or both of the above, the mask main body and the respiration measurement sensor are connected by a bayonet structure connection portion that does not leak respiration.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, when the mask body and the respiration measurement sensor are connected, the rotational torque is applied to the respiration measurement sensor unit by the mass of the flow rate signal line and the sampling circuit provided in the respiration measurement sensor. It has a bayonet structure that can be connected in a direction where it is unlikely to occur.

  In a third aspect of the present invention, a filter for collecting foreign substances contained in respiratory air is interposed between the mask main body and the respiratory sensor.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the filter satisfies the air resistance standard defined by the academic society within the range of the respiratory volume determined by the academic society.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the filter medium of the filter is a sheet.

  In the invention of claim 6, in the invention of claim 5, the filter is configured by fixing the filter medium to a filter medium support.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the third to sixth aspects, the filter medium is a chargeable filter medium.

  In the invention described in claim 8, in the invention described in any one of claims 3 to 7, the filter captures a fine substance having a particle size of 0.3 μm within a range of respiratory volume determined by an academic society. The collection efficiency was 95% or more so that it could be collected.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the contact between the mask main body and the face of the subject is brought into contact with the face of the subject of the mask main body. A cushion cover was provided to prevent breathing from leaking from the part.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the amount of dead space of a respiration measurement mask in which the respiration sensor is connected to the mask body is 150 mL or less.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the mask main body and the respiration measurement sensor can be reliably connected so that breathing air does not leak. This allows accurate respiratory measurements.
Further, the mask body and the respiration measurement sensor can be easily attached and detached. For this reason, it is possible to save labor for the examiner such as attachment / detachment of the mask main body and the respiration measurement sensor, maintenance such as cleaning the inside of the respiration measurement mask, and respiration measurement.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the bayonet structure according to the first aspect of the present invention prevents the respiration measuring sensor connected to the mask body from generating a rotational torque even when intense exercise is performed during use.
For this reason, it can prevent more reliably that the connection of a mask main body and a respiration measurement sensor loosens and breathing air leaks, and that a respiration measurement sensor falls off.
This allows more accurate respiratory measurements. Further, the labor of the examiner can be further saved when attaching / detaching the mask body and the respiration measurement sensor and measuring respiration.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, foreign matters such as saliva and wrinkles are prevented from entering the respiratory measurement sensor.
Many foreign substances such as saliva and sputum appear during respiratory measurement and intense exercise, but because it has a filter, it can prevent foreign objects from entering the respiration measurement sensor and keep the respiration measurement sensor clean at all times. Mutual infection can be prevented, and an increase in measurement error due to contamination can be prevented.
Further, when combined with claim 1 or 5, since the filter can be easily replaced, the inside of the respiratory measurement mask including the filter can always be kept clean, and the risk of mutual infection can be reduced. . In addition, accurate measurement can always be performed.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, respiration can be measured with an air resistance of a predetermined value or less even when the respiratory flow rate is high during exercise or the like.
If the air resistance increases, the living body is affected, the respiratory flow rate changes, and accurate measurement cannot be performed. However, according to the present invention, accurate respiratory measurement can be performed even during intense exercise. .
In addition, even during respiratory measurements or during strenuous exercises, the inside of the respiration measurement sensor can be kept clean to prevent foreign objects from entering the respiration measurement sensor with a finger, preventing cross-infection and always accurate. Respiratory measurement can be performed.
Furthermore, when combined with the inventions of claims 1 to 3, the filter can be easily replaced and the inside of the respiration measurement mask can be easily cleaned and maintained. Therefore, the inside of the respiration measurement mask including the filter is always kept clean. The risk of cross-infection can be reduced and accurate respiration measurements can be made.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, since the sheet-like filter medium is used, the volume of the filter is small, and the dead space amount of the filter housing portion can be reduced. For this reason, the influence on the measurement by the dead space and the influence on the ventilation function of the living body can be reduced.

  According to the invention of claim 6, the sheet-like filter medium is fixed to the filter medium support. For this reason, it can withstand strong respiratory pressure. Moreover, since this fixing can use techniques such as crimping and welding, the price of the filter can be reduced.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the chargeable filter medium is used for the sheet-shaped filter medium, foreign matters can be collected more efficiently. For this reason, the inside of a respiration sensor can be maintained more cleanly, a mutual infection can be prevented more effectively, and generation | occurrence | production of a measurement error can be prevented.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since 90% or more of foreign matters having a particle size of 0.3 μm or more can be collected, almost 100% of bacteria and viruses having a size of 0.3 μm or more are captured. Can be collected.
Although viruses of 0.3 μm or less cannot be collected as they are, in practice, viruses released from the human body often adhere to foreign substances such as sputum and saliva and are excreted. , Most can be collected.
For this reason, it is possible to perform a cleaner and less cross-infected test. In addition, when combined with claims 1 and 5, the filter can be easily exchanged, so that a cleaner and less cross-infected test can be performed.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a cushion cover is provided to prevent breathing air from leaking from a contact portion between the mask main body and the subject's face.
For this reason, accurate respiration measurement can be performed even during exercise with intense body movement.

  According to the invention of claim 10, the dead space of the respiratory measurement mask is set to 100 mL or less. For this reason, the measurement error is small and the influence on the subject is also small.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by way of examples.

An embodiment of the respiratory measurement mask of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1A is a diagram when the mask body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 are connected, and FIG. 1B is a diagram when the connection is disconnected.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a mask body, 2 is a respiration measurement sensor, 3 is a connection part for connecting the mask body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2, 3A is a mask cap, 3B is a filter adapter, 4 is a filter, 5 is a cushion cover, 7 Is a flow rate signal line, 9 is a sampling circuit, A is an opening for connecting the respiration measurement sensor 2 of the mask body 1, B is an opening for contacting the mask body 1 to the face, and O is the mask body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor. 2 is a central axis in a direction in which 2 are connected.

An exploded view of the respiratory measurement mask is shown in FIG. The respiration measurement mask includes a mask body 1, a filter adapter 3B, a filter 4, a packing rubber 5, a mask cap 3A, a respiration measurement sensor 2, and a mask cap fixing portion 2A.
As shown in FIG. 3, the mask cap 3A and the filter adapter 3B are provided with a bayonet claw 3Aa and a bayonet groove 3Bb, respectively, at a pair of positions. Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the bayonet claw 3Aa is moved along the bayonet groove 3Bb so that the mask cap 3A and the filter adapter 3B are strongly coupled, as shown in FIG. 3C, than the normal bayonet groove 3Bb1. A fixing portion 3Bbr for guiding the bayonet claw 3Aa is provided far from the joint surface between the mask cap 3A and the filter adapter 3B.

A filter adapter 3B as shown in FIG. 3B is fixed to the opening end 1B of the opening A of the mask body 1 so that air does not leak.
On the other hand, the mask cap 3A is fixed to the mask cap fixing portion 2A provided in the call cylinder portion (mouth side) of the respiration measurement sensor 2 so that air does not leak.
When the filter adapter 3B is brought into contact with the mask cap 3A and the bayonet claw 3Aa is inserted into the bayonet guide 3Bb and rotated, the bayonet claw 3Aa slides along the bayonet guide 3Bb and slides to the fixing portion 3Bbr. And the respiration measurement sensor 2 can be strongly connected.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, when the packing rubber 5 is interposed, the mask body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 can be connected more strongly so that there is no air leakage, and it is stronger and hard to loosen.
Accurate respiration measurement is possible because there is no air leakage. In addition, since there is no dropout of the respiration measurement sensor 2, no extra labor is required by the examiner, and maintenance such as cleaning of the inside of the respiration measurement mask is simplified. As a result, labor of the examiner can be saved. The respiratory measurement mask can be kept clean and the risk of mutual infection can be reduced.
Thus, the invention of claim 1 can be realized.

However, in the invention described in claim 1, the attachment position of the bayonet guide 3Bb and the length of the bayonet guide 3Bb are not defined. The relationship between the position of the bayonet claw 3Aa and the flow rate signal line 7 and the sampling circuit 9 is arbitrary. For this reason, when the mask main body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 are connected according to the first aspect of the invention, rotational torque is generated in the respiration measurement sensor 2 due to the positional relationship between the flow rate signal line 7 and the sampling circuit 9. It becomes stronger during exercise, and the bayonet coupling between the mask body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 may be loosened, and air may leak or the respiration measurement sensor 2 may fall off.
Therefore, in the invention described in claim 2, when the mask body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 are bayonet-coupled, the bayonet guide 3Bb is attached so that the flow rate signal line 7 and the sampling circuit 9 are downward.

  For this reason, when the mask main body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 are combined according to the second aspect of the present invention, the attachment position of the flow rate signal line 7 and the sampling circuit 9 to the respiration measurement sensor 2 is as shown in FIG. Rotation torque due to the mass of the flow rate signal line 7 and the sampling circuit 9 is not generated in the respiration measurement sensor 2 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 is not loosely connected even when used during strenuous exercise. The measurement sensor 2 does not drop out.

Even if the attachment position of the bayonet guide 3Bb is designed as described above, the attachment portion of the mask body 1 and the filter adapter 3B or the respiration measurement sensor 2 and the mask cap 3A rotates, and the flow rate signal line 7 and the sampling circuit 9 It is also conceivable that the attachment position to the respiration measurement sensor 2 does not become downward, and rotational torque is generated in the respiration measurement sensor 2, causing air leakage or dropping of the respiration measurement sensor 2. For this reason, in the drawing of the embodiment, a pair of bayonet guides 3Bb is provided corresponding to the pair of bayonet claws 3Aa, but a plurality of pairs of bayonet guides 3Bb are provided to cope with this problem.
According to the present invention, loosening or dropping off of the connection between the mask main body 1 and the respiration measuring sensor 5 can be more reliably prevented. Therefore, more accurate breath measurement is possible, maintenance such as cleaning the inside of the breath measurement mask is easier, labor can be saved, and the breath measurement mask can be kept clean, and mutual The risk of infection can be further reduced.

  As mentioned above, since breathing is performed during a strong effort call or during intense exercise, coughing, foreign objects such as saliva and edges come out, enter the breathing sensor, become filthy, and cross-infection There is also danger. When these foreign substances enter the respiration measurement sensor, the respiratory flow pattern in the respiration measurement sensor changes, or the sensitivity of the respiration flow sensor changes, which makes accurate respiration measurement impossible. In addition, if bacteria or viruses are mixed in the foreign body, there is a risk of mutual infection.

In order to solve this, in the invention according to claim 3, as shown in FIG. 1 (B), a filter 4 for collecting foreign substances contained in respiratory air is interposed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the filter adapter 3B may be accommodated.
According to the present invention, in order to prevent foreign matter such as saliva and edges from entering the respiration measurement sensor 2, the respiration measurement sensor 2 can always be kept clean and accurate measurement can be performed. And the risk of cross-infection can be reduced.
Combining the invention described in claim 1 with the invention described in claim 1 or 2 makes it easy to replace the filter and clean the inside of the respiration measurement sensor, so that the respiration measurement sensor can be kept clean. Therefore, more accurate measurement can be performed and the risk of mutual infection can be reduced.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the filter 4 is provided in the respiration measurement mask, the respiration measurement sensor can be maintained more cleanly as described above, and more accurate measurement can be performed. Risk can also be kept lower.
However, as described above, in order to filter the foreign matter with the filter, the size of the filter medium must be equal to or smaller than the size of the foreign substance, but the air resistance increases as the filter medium becomes finer. Moreover, when the eyes of the filter medium are constant, the air resistance increases as the respiratory flow rate increases.
When the air resistance increases, the respiratory (living body) is affected, the respiratory flow rate changes, accurate respiratory measurement cannot be performed, and a physical burden is imposed on the subject.
For this reason, the medical society has established a criterion that the air resistance must be a predetermined value or less in a predetermined flow rate range. That is, the ATS (American Thoracic Society) stipulates that the air flow is in the range of 0 to 14 L / S and the air resistance is 15 mmH ₂ O / L / S or less. .

In the invention according to claim 4, the air resistance is satisfied within a predetermined range of respiratory flow including during intense exercise.
Therefore, the influence of air resistance on respiration can be ignored, accurate respiration measurement can be performed, and no physical burden is placed on the subject.

In the respiration measurement, dead volume is a problem as described above. When measurement is performed by connecting a respiratory flow meter to a mask as in the present invention, the dead space becomes larger by the amount of the mask, which may affect respiration (pulmonary gas exchange) and change respiration. Further, since the measurement is performed by mixing dead space gas into the respiratory organ, the respiration measurement becomes inaccurate.
Therefore, in the invention described in claim 5, a sheet-like filter medium is used for the filter, the volume of the filter portion is reduced, and the dead space is reduced.
According to the present invention, the influence of the dead space on the living body is reduced, and the respiration measurement is also accurate.

However, when a sheet-like filter medium is used, the strength decreases with respect to strong respiratory air, the filter medium is deformed, and the respiratory airflow is disturbed, so that accurate respiratory measurement may not be performed. In addition, there is a case where the filter is damaged and the use of the filter is not sufficient.
Therefore, in the invention according to claim 6, the sheet-like filter medium is fixed to a thin filter medium support that does not affect the airflow pattern inside the respiration measurement sensor. The fixing of the filter medium to the filter medium support can be realized at low cost by using means such as pressure bonding and adhesion, and an economic merit can be obtained.
According to the present invention, an inexpensive filter with high strength can be realized. Respiratory measurement is accurate because the filter media is not easily deformed or damaged. Also, labor for replacing the filter when it is damaged can be saved.

Regarding the filter, as described above, the air resistance and the dead space have been solved. However, in consideration of mutual infection, a design for efficiently filtering fine foreign matters is required.
When the eyes of the filter medium have a certain size, filtration is not possible unless the foreign matter is larger than the size of the eyes, but it is known that foreign matters smaller than the size of the eyes can be filtered using a chargeable filter medium.
Therefore, in the invention described in claim 7, this problem is solved by using a chargeable filter medium as the filter medium.
The applicant has realized a filter capable of collecting 90% or more of foreign matters having a particle size of 0.3 μm or more with a predetermined air resistance in a predetermined flow rate range as a filter for lung function test (Patent Document). 4).
The invention described in this claim applies this technology and newly designs a filter that can be used during intense exercise by combining a mask and a respiratory flow sensor. This is the invention described in claim 8.

An embodiment of the claimed invention is shown in FIG. The filter 4 is formed by ultrasonically pressure-bonding a sheet-like chargeable filter medium 4f to a filter medium support composed of a ring 4a of a size that can be accommodated in the filter adapter 3B and a support bar 4b.
Filterete ^TM type G-300 manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Limited was selected as the filter medium. This is always charged, and the collection efficiency with a particle size of 0.3 μm is 98% within the range of respiratory flow determined by the Medical Society.
This filter medium has a pressure loss of 20 mmH ₂ O at a flow rate of 50 cm / S, and using this, the area of the filter medium is adjusted so that the air resistance is not more than a predetermined value within the range of the respiratory flow determined by the Medical Society. From this value, the size of the filter 4 is designed in consideration of the ring 4a and the support bar 4b.

This embodiment is shown in FIG. 4, which is interposed between the mask body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 as shown in FIG. 1B and FIG.
According to the present invention, since 90% or more of foreign matters having a particle size of 0.3 μm or more can be collected, almost all bacteria and viruses having a size of 0.3 μm or more are almost 100%. % Can be collected. Viruses of 0.3 μm or less cannot be collected as they are, but in fact, viruses released from the human body often adhere to foreign substances such as sputum and saliva and are excreted. Most can be collected by the invention.
For this reason, it is possible to perform a cleaner and less cross-infected test. In addition, when combined with claims 1 and 2, the filter can be easily exchanged, so that a cleaner and less cross-infected test can be performed.

As described above, the respiration measurement mask of the present invention is used even during intense exercise. In this case, the face mounting position is shifted due to the mass of the respiration measurement mask, and the boundary between the face and the opening of the mask body 1 is obtained. Breathing may leak out, and breathing measurement may be inaccurate.
Therefore, in the invention according to claim 9, for the dyeing element in FIG. 1, respiratory air does not leak from the contact portion between the mask body and the subject's face at the contact portion between the mask body and the subject's face. A cushion cover 5 was provided.
The cushion cover 5 is made of a flexible rubber or the like, and even if the mounting portion is slipped, a gap is not easily generated between the face and the face, and air leakage hardly occurs.
For this reason, the measurement of breathing air can be accurately maintained.

If the dead space is large, as described above, the living body is affected and the blood oxygen concentration is also affected. Therefore, the respiration size and speed are changed, and accurate respiration measurement cannot be performed.
Accordingly, the invention according to claim 9 combines the inventions according to claims 1 to 9, and the volume of the entire respiration measurement mask is set to 150 mL or less, which has a small influence on the living body.
According to the invention described in this claim, there is little influence on a living body, and accurate respiration measurement can be performed.

It is an Example of the mask for respiration measurement of this invention, (A) is the figure which connected the mask main body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2, (B) is the figure which isolate | separated the mask main body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2. FIG. It is an exploded view of the mask for respiration measurement of the present invention. (A) is a front view and a side view of a mask cap 3A constituting a connecting portion for connecting the mask main body 1 and the respiration measurement sensor 2 of the respiratory measurement mask of the present invention, and (B) is a front view and a side view of the filter adapter 3B. FIG. 4C is a view showing the structure of the bayonet guide 3Bb. It is the front view and side view of a filter which were described in Claims 6-8. (A) is a mask main body, (B) is a respiration measurement sensor, (C) is a state of wearing on the face, and (D) is a configuration diagram of an exhalation gas analyzer. is there.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,51 ... Mask main body 2,55 ... Respiration measurement sensor 3 ... Connection part 4 ... Filter 5 ... Cushion cover 7 ... Flow rate signal line 9 ... Sampling circuit A ... Opening of mask body

Claims (10)

A respirator mask comprising a mask body that is attached to the face so as to cover the mouth and nose and collects respiratory air, and a respiration measurement sensor that is connected to the mask body and measures one or both of respiratory flow and respiratory gas. In
A respiration measurement mask characterized in that the mask body and the respiration measurement sensor are connected by a connection part having a bayonet structure in which respiration does not leak. When the mask body and the respiration measurement sensor are connected, the respiration measurement sensor has a bayonet structure that can be connected in a direction in which rotational torque is unlikely to occur due to the flow rate signal line provided on the respiration measurement sensor and the mass of the sampling circuit. The respiratory measurement mask according to claim 1. A respiratory measurement mask, wherein a filter for collecting foreign substances contained in respiratory air is interposed between the mask main body and the respiratory measurement sensor. 4. The respiratory measurement mask according to claim 3, wherein the filter satisfies a standard relating to air resistance determined by an academic society within a range of respiratory volume determined by an academic society. The respiratory measurement mask according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the filter medium of the filter is in a sheet form. 6. The respiratory measurement mask according to claim 5, wherein the filter is configured by fixing the sheet-like filter medium to a filter medium support. The respirator mask according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the filter medium is a chargeable filter medium. 8. The filter according to claim 3, wherein the filter is capable of collecting 90% or more of foreign matters having a particle size of 0.3 μm or more within a range of respiratory volume determined by an academic society. Respiratory mask as described above. 2. A cushion cover for preventing breathing from leaking from a contact portion between the mask body and the subject's face at a contact portion between the mask body and the subject's face. The respiratory measurement mask according to claim 8. The respiratory measurement mask according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a dead space amount of the respiratory measurement mask is 150 mL or less.