JP2015163275A - Airway adaptor and respiration gas detection sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airway adaptor to which a respiration gas detection sensor can be detachably attached with a force as small as possible.SOLUTION: An airway adaptor 10 includes an airway casing 11, a fitting part 21 and a projection 24. The airway casing 11 includes a passage 12 formed therein allowing respiration gas of a living body to pass through. The fitting part 21 is formed in the airway casing 11 and can be detachably fitted to a sensor. The projection 24 is disposed in the fitting part 21 and includes a contact part 24a and a noncontact part 24b. When the airway adaptor 10 is mounted on the sensor, the contact part 24a is brought into contact with the sensor while the noncontact part 24b faces the sensor as spaced from the sensor.

Description

The present invention relates to a sensor capable of detecting a predetermined breathing gas (carbon dioxide, oxygen, laughing gas, volatile anesthetic gas, etc.) contained in the breathing air of a living body, and detachably attached to the sensor. The present invention relates to an airway adapter in which a passage through which breathing air of the air can pass is formed.

The airway adapter is formed with a passage through which the subject's respiratory apparatus can pass. When measuring the concentration of a predetermined respiratory gas (for example, carbon dioxide) contained in the breathing air of the subject, the optical axis connecting the light emitting part and the light receiving part provided in the sensor is arranged so as to cross this passage. The infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit, and a signal corresponding to the received light intensity is output from the sensor (detection of carbon dioxide). The higher the concentration of carbon dioxide in the respiratory air, the more infrared light is absorbed and the received light intensity is weakened. Accordingly, by monitoring the signal intensity output from the sensor, the carbon dioxide concentration contained in the breathing air of the subject can be measured. An example of such an airway adapter and sensor is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP-A-8-233699

On the outer periphery of the airway adapter 1 described in Patent Document 1 shown in FIG.
A locking member 11 having a is provided. On the other hand, a locking projection 12 is formed on the side surface of the sensor 2. When the fitting portion 1e of the airway adapter is inserted into the recess 2a formed in the sensor 2, the claw 11a is elastically engaged with the locking projection 12, and the airway adapter 1 is positioned at a predetermined position. In this state, the optical axis connecting the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor 2 facing each other with the concave portion 2a interposed therebetween is disposed so as to pass through the window portions 1c and 1d formed in the fitting portion 1e.

Conventionally, since sensors and airway adapters are used at the patient's mouth in the medical field, it is desired to be small and lightweight. However, since the airway adapter 1 shown in Patent Document 1 includes the claw 11a on the outside of the fitting portion 1e, the structure is enlarged, and not only the weight is increased, but the claw 11a is easily damaged. When the claw 11a is damaged, the fitting portion 1e of the sensor 2
There is a possibility that accurate measurement cannot be performed due to improper mounting on the camera.

Further, since it is necessary to apply a strong force when fitting, there is a possibility that at least one of the airway adapter 1 and the sensor 2 may be damaged. Moreover, there is a possibility that the inner wall of the recess 2a comes into contact with the window portions 1c and 1d and is damaged, so that accurate measurement cannot be performed.

Furthermore, when removing the airway adapter 1 fitted with no gap from the sensor 2 for the purpose of replacement, it is also necessary to apply a strong force. When such a force is applied to the sensor 2 every time it is exchanged, there is a possibility that fatigue destruction will occur in the housing of the sensor 2. Replacement accompanying damage to the sensor 2 which is more expensive than the disposable airway adapter 1 is a serious burden for the user.

In the current medical field, although a small and light sensor and an airway adapter are used, the strength of the housing is reduced by the small size and light weight. Depending on how the user handles the sensor, the sensor or airway adapter may be damaged due to excessive force applied to the sensor and the airway adapter. In particular, when a user applies a force by twisting the sensor when attaching or detaching the sensor, the sensor may be cracked or the airway adapter may be damaged.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an airway adapter and a respiratory gas detection sensor that can be attached to and detached from each other with as little force as possible.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following.

(1): An airway adapter attached to a sensor capable of detecting a predetermined breathing gas contained in breathing air of a living body,
An airway case formed with a passage through which the breathing air can pass;
A fitting portion formed on the airway case and detachably fitted to the sensor;
Provided in the fitting portion, and when the airway adapter is mounted on the sensor, includes a convex portion having a contact portion that contacts the sensor and a non-contact portion that faces and separates from the sensor. Airway adapter.

According to the configuration described in (1), only the contact portion of the convex portion is in contact with the sensor, and the non-contact portion is separated from the sensor. Therefore, in the state where no external force is applied to the sensor, the sensor position regulating function is ensured by the contact between the contact portion and the sensor. On the other hand, when an external force is applied at the time of attaching / detaching the sensor, the contact portion serves as a fulcrum of the insulator, and allows displacement such that the sensor approaches the non-contact portion. Therefore, when the sensor is mounted, even if the sensor is inserted with a certain degree of inclination with respect to the fitting portion of the airway adapter, the sensor is guided to the non-contact portion of the convex portion and guided to the position where it contacts the contact portion. It is burned. Therefore, the sensor can be smoothly attached to the airway adapter without applying excessive force to the sensor, and the fatigue failure of the sensor can be avoided. Since the same displacement tolerance is ensured when removing the sensor, the sensor can be detached from the airway adapter without applying excessive force.

(2): The airway adapter according to (1),
The fitting portion has a first surface formed with a window portion through which an optical axis connecting the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor can pass when the airway adapter is attached to the sensor. ,
The said convex part is an airway adapter which protrudes from the said 1st surface.

According to the configuration described in (2), it is possible to avoid a situation in which the window part is damaged by a part of the sensor or the light emitting part or the light receiving part is damaged by a part of the airway case when the sensor is attached or detached. . Therefore, the situation where the detection and concentration measurement of respiratory gas is performed under inappropriate conditions is avoided.

(3): The airway adapter according to (2),
An airway adapter, further comprising an antifogging film that seals the window.

According to the configuration described in (3), the antifogging film is damaged by a part of the sensor when the sensor is attached or detached while using the antifogging film having a thin structure as much as possible in order to improve the detection accuracy of the sensor. You can avoid the situation.

(4): The airway adapter according to (2) or (3),
The first surface is configured to be disposed in a recess formed in the sensor when the airway adapter is attached to the sensor.
The fitting portion has a second surface configured to face the bottom of the recess when the airway adapter is mounted on the sensor.
The first surface and the second surface are connected by a slope,
The slope is an airway adapter configured to be separated from the sensor when the airway adapter is attached to the sensor.

According to the configuration described in (4), the position of the sensor entering the fitting portion is corrected to an appropriate state by setting the portion where the sensor tends to contact first in the fitting portion as a slope, Compared with the case where the first surface and the second surface are orthogonal, the sensor can be smoothly guided to the position regulating surface of the convex portion. Similarly, when removing the sensor, a part of the sensor can be guided by the slope. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly perform the attaching / detaching operation of the sensor and the airway adapter.
In addition, since the slope is separated from the sensor when the sensor is mounted on the airway adapter, the window and anti-fogging film are damaged by a part of the sensor, and conversely, the sensor is damaged by a part of the airway case. it can.

(5): The airway adapter according to any one of (1) to (4),
The convex portion includes a first end and a second end extending in a direction in which the airway adapter is fitted to the sensor,
The first end portion is closer to the side where the sensor starts to be fitted earlier than the second end portion,
The airway adapter, wherein the contact portion is located closer to the second end portion than the first end portion.

According to the configuration described in (5), against the external force applied when trying to pull out the sensor,
Larger displacements are allowed on the side to be pulled out. Therefore, the sensor can be smoothly removed from the airway adapter without applying an excessive force, and the fatigue failure of the sensor can be avoided. A part of the sensor located on the second end side easily collides with the airway case when trying to pull out the sensor. However, the displacement of this part is suppressed as much as possible to avoid the collision. Is possible.

(6): The airway adapter according to any one of (1) to (5),
The non-contact part is an airway adapter including at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface.

Any configuration can be adopted as long as the position regulation function by the contact portion and the displacement permissible function by the non-contact portion are secured for the sensor.

(7): A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and that detects a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
A contact portion that is formed adjacent to the first inner wall and the second inner wall, and contacts the adapter when the sensor is mounted on the airway adapter, and a non-contact portion that faces and separates from the adapter. A sensor having a convex portion.

According to the structure as described in (7), only the contact part of a convex part is contacting the fitting part, and the non-contact part is facing and spaced apart from the fitting part. Therefore, in the state where no external force is applied to the sensor, the position regulation function of the sensor is ensured by the contact between the contact portion and the fitting portion. On the other hand, when an external force is applied at the time of attaching / detaching the sensor, the contact portion serves as a fulcrum of the lever and allows the displacement so that the fitting portion approaches the non-contact portion. Therefore, when the sensor is mounted, even if the sensor is inserted with a certain degree of inclination with respect to the fitting part of the airway adapter, the fitting part is guided by the non-contact part of the convex part and comes into contact with the contact part. Led to. Therefore, the sensor can be smoothly attached to the airway adapter without applying excessive force to the sensor, and the fatigue failure of the sensor can be avoided. Since the same displacement tolerance is ensured when removing the sensor, the sensor can be detached from the airway adapter without applying excessive force.

(8): The sensor according to (7),
The convex portion includes a first end and a second end extending in a direction in which the sensor is fitted with the airway adapter,
The first end portion is closer to the side where the sensor starts to be fitted earlier than the second end portion,
The sensor is a sensor that is located closer to the first end than the second end.

According to the configuration described in (8), with respect to the external force applied when trying to pull out the sensor,
Larger displacements are allowed on the side to be pulled out. Therefore, the sensor can be smoothly removed from the airway adapter without applying an excessive force, and the fatigue failure of the sensor can be avoided. In addition, a part of the sensor located on the first end side easily collides with the airway adapter when the sensor is to be pulled out. However, the displacement of this part is suppressed as much as possible to avoid the collision. Is possible.

(9): The sensor according to (7) or (8),
The non-contact part includes at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface.

Any configuration can be adopted as long as the position restricting function by the contact part and the displacement allowing function by the non-contact part are secured for the fitting part.

(10): A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and that detects a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the respiratory air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
A first convex portion that is formed adjacent to the first inner wall and the second inner wall, and at least a part of which contacts the airway adapter when the sensor is mounted on the airway adapter;
A sensor comprising: the first inner wall; and a second convex portion formed on the side surface so as to be adjacent to a corner portion connecting the second inner wall and the third inner wall.

The stress generated when the sensor is attached / detached tends to concentrate around the corner. According to the configuration described in (10), it is possible to improve the rigidity of the sensor body by providing a protrusion that increases the thickness of this portion. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the sensor body is fatigued and destroyed by a force repeatedly applied when the sensor is attached or detached.

(11): The sensor according to (10),
A third convex portion that is formed adjacent to the third inner wall, and is engageable with a locking member provided on the airway adapter when the sensor is attached to the airway adapter;
The sensor in which the 2nd convex part and the 3rd convex part are formed in one.

According to the configuration described in (11), it is possible to provide a reinforcing function to the member that restricts the position of the sensor with respect to the airway adapter in the fitting direction, and the rigidity improving effect by the configuration of (10) is further enhanced.

(12): The sensor according to (10) or (11),
The first convex portion and the second convex portion are formed integrally.

According to the configuration described in (12), the member that regulates the position in the direction connecting the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the sensor can be provided with a reinforcing function, and the rigidity improvement effect by the configuration of (10) is further increased. Rise.

(13): A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and that detects predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
The corner | angular part which connects the said 1st inner wall and the said 2nd inner wall, and the said 3rd inner wall is made into the curved surface.

The stress generated when the sensor is attached / detached tends to concentrate around the corner. According to the configuration described in (13), when compared with the case where the third inner wall, the first inner wall, and the second inner wall are orthogonal,
It is possible to alleviate the stress concentration on the corner, and the rigidity of the sensor body is improved. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the sensor main body is fatigued and destroyed by the force repeatedly applied when the sensor is attached or detached.

(14): A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and detects a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
Each of the corners connecting one of the outer surfaces to the first inner wall and the second inner wall is a curved surface.

The corner portion is a portion that first comes into contact with the fitting portion when the sensor is to be attached to the airway adapter. According to the configuration described in (14), by making the portion a curved surface, the sliding contact at the time of fitting becomes smooth, and the sensor main body is compared with the case where the first inner wall and the second inner wall are orthogonal to the side surfaces. It can be smoothly guided to the fitting portion. Even when the sensor is detached, it is possible to prevent the corner portion from being caught by a part of the fitting portion, and therefore, the sensor and the airway adapter can be smoothly attached and detached.

(15): A device for detecting a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the respiratory air of a living body,
A sensor capable of detecting the predetermined respiratory gas;
An airway adapter detachably attached to the sensor,
The airway adapter is
An airway case formed with a passage through which the breathing air can pass;
A fitting portion formed on the airway case and fitted to the sensor;
At least one of the sensor and the fitting portion includes a convex portion having a contact portion that contacts the other and a non-contact portion that faces and separates from the other.

According to the configuration described in (16), it is possible to obtain functions and effects similar to those described in (1) and (7).

It is a perspective view which shows the airway adapter which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the airway adapter of FIG. It is a top view of the airway adapter of FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. It is a front view which shows the sensor for respiratory gas detection which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom view of the sensor of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where the sensor of FIG. 5 is attached to the airway adapter of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a top view showing a state where the sensor of FIG. 5 is attached to the airway adapter of FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing which follows the line IX-IX of FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows the part X of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of the latching convex part in an airway adapter. It is an expanded sectional view showing a modification of an airway adapter and a sensor. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional airway adapter and a respiratory gas detection sensor.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As used herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “front”, and “rear” are used for convenience to indicate the positional relationship between members, and are actually used. The direction in is not limited.

An airway adapter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. The airway adapter 10 is provided as a disposable hard resin airway case 11. The airway case 11 includes a first connection portion 11a, a second connection portion 11b, and a fitting portion 21. The front side and the rear side have a symmetric configuration, and the rear view is omitted.

The first connecting portion 11a has a cylindrical shape and is connected to an external device such as an air bag or a ventilator via a breathing circuit such as a tube. The 2nd connection part 11b is exhibiting the cylindrical shape larger diameter than the 1st connection part 11a, and is connected to test subject side apparatuses, such as a tracheal tube and a mask. The fitting part 21 is located between the first connection part 11b and the second connection part 11a.

A passage 12 is formed inside the airway case 11, and the first connection portion 11a and the second connection
The connecting portion 11b is communicated and opened at the cylindrical axial end of each connecting portion. The breathing air of the subject enters from the opening of the second connection part 11b, passes through the inside of the fitting part 21, and reaches the opening of the first connection part 11a.

A part of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion of the airway case 11 having a substantially cylindrical shape is recessed inward in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2) and the front-back direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) to form a recess. This constitutes a part of the fitting portion 21. As shown in FIG. 3, two recesses are formed, and the shape thereof is the left-right direction of the airway case 11 (FIG. 2).
And 3 and 3 are symmetrical in the front-rear direction across the central axis of the passage 12 extending in the left-right direction.

The fitting portion 21 includes a first end surface 21a, a second end surface 21b, a third end surface 21c, an inclined surface portion 21d, and a fourth end surface 21e. The first end surface 21a defines a pair of side walls that face the left and right directions of the airway case 11 in each recess. The second end surface 21b (first surface) defines the innermost side wall in the front-rear direction of the airway case 11 at each recess. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second end surface 21 b is a surface parallel to the left-right direction of the airway case 11. The third end surface 21c (second surface) defines the upper surface of the fitting portion 21, and is located between the pair of second end surfaces 21b. The sloped portions 21d are formed symmetrically in the front-rear direction of the airway case 11 with the third end surface 21c interposed therebetween, and each connect the third end surface 21c and one of the pair of second end surfaces 21b. The fourth end surface 21e defines the innermost surface (bottom surface) in the vertical direction of the airway adapter 10 in each recess.

A window portion 22 is formed as an opening communicating with the passage 12 in each of the second end surfaces 21b. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the passage 12 has a portion 12 a where the window portion 22 is formed.
In FIG. 2, a cross-sectional shape narrowed in the front-rear direction of the airway case 11 by the pair of second end surfaces 21b is exhibited. The window portion 22 is sealed with a transparent sealing member 23. The sealing member is preferably a thin film-like or film-like member as much as possible, and more preferably antifogging processed. If the transparency is ensured, the window part 22 can also be formed by making the second end face 21b as thin as possible. In this case, the sealing member 23 is unnecessary,
It is preferable to apply an antifogging process to the window 22 itself. In the present embodiment, an antifogging film is used as the sealing member 23.

The fitting part 21 further includes a locking convex part 24. The locking projection 24 corresponds to the projection of the present invention, and has a shape protruding from each of the first end surface 21a and the second end surface 21b in each recess. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of locking projections 24 is formed adjacent to the left and right direction of the window portion 22 (the axial direction of the airway case 11) in each recess. The function of the locking projection 24 will be described in detail later.

The fitting portion 21 further includes a locking projection 25. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a pair of locking protrusions 25 (locking members) protrude from the upper surface of the airway case 11, and the third end surface 21 c is located between the pair of locking protrusions 25. Yes. The function of the locking protrusion 25 will be described in detail later.

Next, a respiratory gas detection sensor 40 according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. A resin sensor body 41 constituting the sensor 40 includes an upper surface 41a, a front surface 41b, a rear surface 41c, a bottom surface 41d,
It has a right side surface 41e and a left side surface 41f. The front surface 41b side and the rear surface 41c side have a symmetrical configuration, and the rear view is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor body 41 includes a front surface 41 b, a rear surface 41 c, and a bottom surface 4.
A recess 42 is formed so as to open on the three side surfaces 1d. The recess 42 is defined to include a first inner wall 42a, a second inner wall 42b, and a third inner wall 42c. The first inner wall 42a and the second inner wall 42b are opposed to the left and right direction (left and right direction in FIG. 5) of the sensor body 41, and the third inner wall 42c is located between the first inner wall 42a and the second inner wall 42b.

The corner portion 42d connects the third inner wall 42c, the first inner wall 42a, and the second inner wall 42b at the bottom of the recess 42. The corner 42d is a curved surface.

The corner portion 42e connects the first inner wall 42a and the bottom surface 41d on the open side of the recess 42. The corner portion 42f connects the second inner wall 42b and the bottom surface 41d on the open side of the recess 42. The corner portion 42e and the corner portion 42f are curved surfaces, and the radius of curvature of the corner portion 42e is set larger than the radius of curvature of the corner portion 42f.

Projection groups 41g and 41h are formed on the front surface 41b, the rear surface 41c, and the left side surface 41f, and function as an anti-slip when the user grips the sensor main body 41 to attach or remove the sensor 40 to or from the airway adapter 10. To do.

The sensor body 41 incorporates a light emitting element such as an LED capable of emitting infrared light and a light receiving element capable of detecting infrared light. The light emitting portion 44 of the light emitting element is provided on the second inner wall 42b,
The light receiving portion 43 of the light receiving element is provided at a position facing the light emitting portion 44 on the first inner wall 42a. The infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 44 reaches the light receiving unit 43 across the recess 42 and is detected by the light receiving element. The light receiving element outputs a signal corresponding to the detected intensity of infrared light. Right side 41
A signal output unit connected to a cable or the like is provided at e, and the output signal of the light receiving element is transmitted to an external device through the cable or the like.

On the front surface 41b and the rear surface 41c, a bulging portion is formed so as to surround the recess 42. The bulging part includes a position restricting part 47, a reinforcing part 48, and a locking part 49.

The position restricting portion 47 is a convex portion (first convex portion) provided adjacent to the concave portion 42 in the left-right direction, and is oriented parallel to the first inner wall 42a and the second inner wall 42b (the vertical direction of the sensor body 41; FIG.
In the vertical direction). The function of the position restricting portion 47 will be described in detail later.

The reinforcing part 48 is a convex part (second convex part) provided adjacent to the corner part 42d. Locking part 49
Is a convex portion (third convex portion) provided adjacent to the third inner wall 42c. The functions of the reinforcing portion 48 and the locking portion 49 will be described in detail later.

In the present embodiment, the position restricting portion 47, the reinforcing portion 48, and the locking portion 49 constitute a bulging portion as a continuous body, but at least one of these is independent as long as the above positional relationship is satisfied. It may be provided as a member.

Next, how to attach the sensor 40 to the airway adapter 10 will be described. For example, the user hangs the thumb and middle finger on the protrusion 41g and the index finger on the protrusion 41h, and the sensor body 41.
The sensor body 41 is mounted on the airway case 11 so that the fitting portion 21 of the airway adapter 10 and the recess 42 of the sensor 40 are fitted. The mounted state is shown in FIGS. With the bottom surface 41 d of the sensor body 41 in contact with the fourth end surface 21 e of the fitting portion 21, the locking protrusion 25 of the airway adapter 10 and the locking portion 49 of the sensor 40 are engaged, and the sensor 40 is moved in the vertical direction. Positioning is performed and upward detachment is prevented. When removing the sensor 40, the sensor main body 41 is similarly grasped and an upward force of a certain level or more is applied, so that the engagement between the locking projection 25 and the locking portion 49 is released, and the sensor 40 is pulled upward. be able to.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the end surface of the locking convex portion 24 facing the front-rear direction of the airway adapter 10 extends in the vertical direction of the airway adapter 10, and the second end surface 21 b.
A top portion 24a (contact portion) having the highest protrusion height from and a slope portion 24b (non-contact portion) connected thereto. The top portion 24a is located closer to the fourth end surface 21e than the third end surface 21c (the side to be fitted later with the recess 42). The slope 24b has a shape in which the protruding height from the second end surface 21b gradually decreases from the top 24a toward the third end surface 21c and the fourth end surface 21e.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the sensor 40 is mounted on the airway adapter 10, the top 24 a of the locking projection 24 contacts the inner end surface 47 a of the position regulating portion 47 (the side facing the recess 42). The position of the sensor 40 in the left-right direction (the front-rear direction of the airway adapter 10) is regulated. Specifically, the first inner wall 42 a and the second inner wall 42 of the recess 42.
The height dimension of the top portion 24a is set so that b is separated from the second end surface 21b of the fitting portion 21 provided with the window portion 22 sealed by the sealing member 23. As is clear from the figure,
In this state, the slope portion 24 b is separated from the inner end surface 47 a of the position restricting portion 47.

Furthermore, in this state, the first end surface 21 a of the fitting portion 21 is the upper end surface 47 b of the position restricting portion 47.
(A surface that is farthest from the front surface 41b or the rear surface 41c in the front-rear direction of the sensor 40) is opposed or abutted. Further, the inner end surface 24c (the surface farthest from the first end surface 21a) of the locking convex portion 24 abuts or approaches the front surface 41b and the rear surface 41c of the sensor body 41. Thereby, the position restriction | limiting in the front-back direction (left-right direction of the airway adapter 10) of the sensor 40 is made.

In this state, the optical axis connecting the light emitting portion 44 of the light emitting element and the light receiving portion 43 of the light receiving element is the fitting portion 2.
1 crosses the passage 12 through the window portion 22 provided in 1. When infrared light is emitted from the light emitting unit 44 of the light emitting element, the infrared light absorbed according to the concentration of a predetermined respiratory gas (for example, carbon dioxide) contained in the breathing air of the subject passing through the passage 12. A change occurs in the amount, which is reflected in the intensity of infrared light received by the light receiving unit 43. By monitoring an output signal corresponding to the received light intensity via the signal output unit, it is possible to detect a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the respiratory air of the subject and accurately measure the concentration thereof.

In order to prevent blurring of the optical axis connecting the light emitting part and the light receiving part during detection and concentration measurement of a predetermined breathing gas, the conventional fitting of the airway adapter and sensor should minimize the gap between them. It is configured. In this case, the user tends to try to pull out the sensor fitted without a gap from the fitting portion of the airway adapter while applying a strong force indicated by an arrow in FIG. There is a tendency to apply the same force to push the sensor into the fitting portion of the airway adapter. Under such circumstances, the following problems may occur.

For example, if the sensor is twisted and pulled out from the fitting part of the airway adapter, a part of the airway adapter may collide with the light emitting part or the light receiving part of the sensor that is disengaged from the fitting part in an unreasonable posture, and these may be damaged. There is. On the contrary, there is a possibility that the corners on the open side of the recesses formed in the sensor (positions corresponding to the corners 42e and 42f in the present embodiment) may damage the sealing member formed in the window.

In particular, when the sealing member is damaged at the time of mounting, in the state where the sensor and the airway adapter are fitted, the window portion is completely covered with the sensor, so that it cannot be visually recognized from the outside. Predetermined respiratory gas detection and concentration measurements are performed under appropriate conditions. In addition, when the sensor and the airway adapter are not fitted, there will be a hole in the breathing circuit to be sealed, and there is a possibility that the breathing gas to be supplied to the patient may leak, and appropriate breathing management may not be possible. There is also. Furthermore, when an excessive force is repeatedly applied when the sensor is mounted and removed, the sensor body is cracked or fatigued.

According to the present invention, measures are taken from the following viewpoints to cope with these problems.

(A) Allows smooth attachment / detachment operation while maintaining the sensor position regulation function (B) Improves the rigidity of the sensor body

The details of each countermeasure will be described below for each of the airway adapter and the sensor.

(A-1-1) Position Restriction Surface of Locking Protrusion 24 In the airway adapter 10 according to the present embodiment, the end surface of the locking protrusion 24 facing in the front-rear direction of the airway adapter 10 (projects from the second end surface 21b). 10 has a shape as shown in FIG. 10, and in the state where the sensor 40 is mounted on the airway adapter 10, only the top 24 a of the locking convex portion 24 of the position restricting portion 47 of the sensor 40. Inner end face 47
a and the inclined surface 24b is separated from the inner end face 47a. Therefore, in a state where no external force is applied to the sensor body 41, the position of the sensor 40 in the left-right direction is restricted by the contact between the top 24a and the inner end face 47a. On the other hand, when an external force as shown by an arrow in FIG. 7 (the most dominant force when the sensor is attached or detached) is applied, the top 24a serves as a fulcrum of the insulator, and the slopes located above and below the top 24a. The inner end face 47a of the position restricting portion 47 is allowed to be displaced to a position along 24b.

Therefore, when the sensor 40 is mounted, the position of the airway adapter 10 is not inserted into the fitting portion 21 from above (even if the sensor body 41 is inserted with a certain degree of inclination with respect to the vertical axis). The inner end surface 47a of the restricting portion 47 is guided by the upper slope portion 24b and guided to a position where it contacts the top portion 24a. On the other hand, when removing the sensor 40, the inner end face 47a of the position restricting portion 47 that comes into contact with the top portion 24a is guided to the upper slope portion 24b and is smoothly detached from the fitting portion 21. Therefore, the sensor 40 can be smoothly attached to and detached from the airway adapter 10 without applying excessive force to the sensor body 41, and fatigue damage of the sensor body 41 can be avoided.

Further, the top portion 24 a has a fourth end surface 21 e that is more than the third end surface 21 c (upper end surface) of the fitting portion 21.
Since it is located closer to the (lower end face), the fulcrum position of the lever operation is lowered, and the movable range of the place where the corner portions 42e and 42f are provided can be suppressed as much as possible. Accordingly, when the sensor 40 is attached to and detached from the airway adapter 10, the window portion 22 is formed by the corner portions 42e and 42f.
And the situation where the sealing member (antifogging film) 23 is damaged can be avoided.

Furthermore, both the top portion 24 a and the slope portion 24 b protrude from the second end surface 21 b of the fitting portion 21 provided with the window portion 22 and the sealing member 23, and the protruding height thereof is the first inner wall 42 of the recess 42.
a and the 2nd inner wall 42b are set so that it may space apart from the 2nd end surface 21b. Accordingly, the window portion 22 and the sealing member 23 are damaged by a part of the concave portion 42, or conversely, the light emitting portion 44 and the light receiving portion 4.
The situation where 3 is damaged by a part of the airway case 11 can be avoided.

In the present embodiment, the position restricting surface of the locking convex portion 24 is composed of a flat top portion 24a and a flat slope portion 24b. However, similar functions and effects can be obtained with the cross-sectional shapes shown in FIGS. (A) is shaped such that the top 24 a is in line contact with the position restricting portion 47. The slope portion 24b is formed only from a plane as in the present embodiment. (B) is an example in which the slope portion 24b is formed of a curved surface. The top 24a may have a shape capable of surface contact with the position restricting portion 47 as in the present embodiment, or may have a shape capable of line contact as in (A). The slope portion 24b can be a combination of a flat surface and a curved surface. In the present embodiment, the top 24a and the slope 24b are formed as a continuous surface. However, if the guide function and the displacement allowance function of the position restricting portion 47 are secured, the top portion 24a and the slope portion 24b may be formed as discontinuous surfaces as shown in FIG.

(A-1-2) Slope 21d
In the present embodiment, the second end surface 21 b and the third end surface 21 c of the fitting portion 21 are the inclined surface portion 21.
connected by d. Both end portions of the third end face 21c in the front-rear direction of the airway adapter 10 are attached to the sensor body 4 when the sensor 40 is to be attached to the airway adapter 10.
The first corners 42e and 42f (the corners on the opening side of the recess 42) are the first contact points. By making the portion into a slope, the posture of the sensor main body 41 entering the fitting portion 21 is corrected to an appropriate state, and compared with the case where the second end surface 21b and the third end surface 21c are orthogonal to each other, The inner end surface 47a can be smoothly guided to the slope portion 24b of the locking convex portion 24.
Similarly, when the sensor 40 is detached, the corners 42e and 42f can be guided by the slope 21d. Therefore, the attaching / detaching operation of the sensor 40 and the airway adapter 10 can be performed smoothly. Further, when the sensor 40 is mounted on the airway adapter 10, the slope portion 21 d is configured to be separated from the inside of the recess 42, so that the window portion 22 and the sealing member 23 are damaged by a part of the recess 42. Conversely, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the light emitting unit 44 and the light receiving unit 43 are damaged by a part of the airway case 11.

(A-2-1) Corner portions 42e and 42f
In the sensor 40 according to the present embodiment, the corner portion 42e connecting the first inner wall 42a and the bottom surface 41d of the sensor main body 41 on the open side of the concave portion 42, and the second inner wall 42b and the sensor main body on the open side of the concave portion 42. Each of the corner portions 42f connecting the bottom surface 41d of 41 is a curved surface. The corner portions 42e and 42f are portions that first come into contact with the fitting portion 21 when the sensor 40 is to be attached to the airway adapter 10. By making the portion a curved surface, the sliding contact at the time of fitting becomes smooth, and the first inner wall 42a, the second inner wall 42b, and the bottom surface 41d.
As compared with the case where the two are orthogonal, the sensor main body 41 can be smoothly guided to the fitting portion 21.
Even when the sensor 40 is detached, it is possible to prevent the corner portions 42e and 42f from being caught on a part of the fitting portion 21, and therefore the sensor 40 and the airway adapter 10 can be smoothly attached and detached. . Moreover, the situation where the window part 22 and the sealing member 23 are damaged by the corner | angular parts 42e and 42f can also be avoided.

In the present embodiment, the radius of curvature of the corner portion 42e on the side close to the left side surface 41f of the sensor body 41 on which the protrusion 41h is formed is set larger than the radius of curvature of the corner portion 42f. When the user pulls out the sensor 40 from the airway adapter 10, when the right finger 41 e is pulled up first by placing an index finger on the protrusion 41 h, the corner 40 f is prevented from being caught and the sensor 40 is smoothly removed. Can do.

(A-2-2) Forming the top portion and the slope portion in the position restricting portion 47 As described in (A-1-1), in the airway adapter 10 of this embodiment, the top portion 24a A slope portion 24b is provided to provide a position regulating function and an attaching / detaching guide function. A similar structure can be provided on the sensor 40 side, and an airway adapter 110 and a sensor 140 adopting this configuration are shown in FIG.

The position restricting portion 147 (convex portion) of the sensor 140 includes a top portion 147a (contact portion) having the highest protrusion height toward the inner side (side facing the concave portion 42) and a slope portion 147b (non-contact portion) connected thereto. Have. The top portion 147a is lower end portion 1 than the upper end portion 147c of the position restricting portion 147.
It is located closer to 47d (the side that fits first with the fitting portion 21). The slope 147b is the top 14
The protruding height toward the recess 42 gradually decreases from 7a toward the upper end 147c and the lower end 147d.

On the other hand, the locking projection 124 provided on the fitting portion 21 of the airway adapter 110 includes an end surface 124a protruding from the second end surface 21b. In this example, the airway adapter 11
The entire surface of the locking projection 124 extending in the vertical direction of 0 is a flat surface.

In a state where the sensor 140 is attached to the airway adapter 110, the position restricting unit 14
7 is in contact with the end surface 124a of the locking projection 124, and the sensor 140
Position restriction in the front-rear direction of the airway adapter 110 is performed. Specifically, the top portion is such that the first inner wall 42 a and the second inner wall 42 b of the recess 42 are separated from the second end surface 21 b of the fitting portion 21 provided with the window portion 22 sealed by the sealing member 23. A height dimension of 147a is set. As is clear from the figure, in this state, the slope 147b is separated from the end surface 124a of the locking projection 124.

Since other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, description thereof is omitted. Even in this configuration, it is possible to obtain the functions and effects described in (A-1-1).

About the shape of the top part 147a and the slope part 147b, the deformation | transformation similar to the example demonstrated using FIG. 11 is possible.

The sensor 140 shown in FIG. 12 can also be applied to the airway adapter 10 according to the above embodiment. In this case, the position of the top portion 147a of the position regulating portion 147 is set to the locking convex portion 2.
4 must match the top 24a.

(B-1) Reinforcing part 48
In the sensor 40 according to the present embodiment, the reinforcing portion 4 is adjacent to the corner portion 42d connecting the third inner wall 42c, the first inner wall 42a, and the second inner wall 42b at the bottom of the concave portion 42.
8 is provided. In FIG. 7, the stress due to the force in the direction indicated by the arrow tends to concentrate around the corner portion 42d. By providing a protrusion that increases the thickness of this portion, the sensor body 41 is provided.
The rigidity is improved. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the sensor body 41 is fatigued and destroyed by a force repeatedly applied when the sensor 40 is attached or detached. The reinforcing portion 48 is connected to the position restricting portion 47 and the locking portion 4.
By forming as a continuous body with at least one of 9, the rigidity improvement effect is further enhanced.

(B-2) Corner portion 42d
In the present embodiment, the corner portion 42d is a curved surface. The third inner wall 42c and the first
Compared with the case where the inner wall 42a and the second inner wall 42b are orthogonal to each other, the stress concentration on the corner 42d can be reduced, and the rigidity of the sensor body 41 is improved. Therefore, the sensor 40
It is possible to avoid a situation in which the sensor main body 41 is fatigued and destroyed due to the force repeatedly applied during attachment / detachment.

As described above, according to the airway adapter and the sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention, the optical axis connecting the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit can be fixed to the airway case without blur, but as much as possible. Both can be attached and detached with a small force. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent damage to at least one of the airway case and the sensor body due to the attaching / detaching operation.

It is not necessary for the airway adapter and the sensor to have all the configurations related to the countermeasures (A-1-1) to (B-2), and it is sufficient that at least one of them is provided. For example, at least one of countermeasures (A-2-1), (B-1), and (B-2) may be applied to a sensor that has taken countermeasure (A-2-2).

The above embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Airway adapter 11 Airway case 12 Passage 21 Fitting part 21b 2nd end surface (1st surface)
21c 3rd end surface (2nd surface)
21d Slope (slope)
22 Window part 23 Sealing member (antifogging film)
24 Locking convex part (convex part)
24a Top part (contact part)
24b Slope part (non-contact part)
25 Locking projection (locking member)
40 sensor 42 concave portion 42a first inner wall 42b second inner wall 42c third inner wall 42d corner portion 42e corner portion 42f corner portion 43 light receiving portion 44 light emitting portion 47 position restricting portion (convex portion, first convex portion)
48 Reinforcement part (second convex part)
49 Locking part (third convex part)
110 Airway adapter 140 Sensor 147 Position restriction part (convex part)
147a Top part (contact part)
147b Slope (non-contact part)

Claims (15)

An airway adapter attached to a sensor capable of detecting a predetermined breathing gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
An airway case formed with a passage through which the breathing air can pass;
A fitting portion formed on the airway case and detachably fitted to the sensor;
Provided in the fitting portion, and when the airway adapter is mounted on the sensor, includes a convex portion having a contact portion that contacts the sensor and a non-contact portion that faces and separates from the sensor. Airway adapter. The airway adapter according to claim 1,
The fitting portion has a first surface formed with a window portion through which an optical axis connecting the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor can pass when the airway adapter is attached to the sensor. ,
The said convex part is an airway adapter which protrudes from the said 1st surface. The airway adapter according to claim 2,
An airway adapter, further comprising an antifogging film that seals the window. The airway adapter according to claim 2 or 3,
The first surface is configured to be disposed in a recess formed in the sensor when the airway adapter is attached to the sensor.
The fitting portion has a second surface configured to face the bottom of the recess when the airway adapter is mounted on the sensor.
The first surface and the second surface are connected by a slope,
The slope is an airway adapter configured to be separated from the sensor when the airway adapter is attached to the sensor. The airway adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The convex portion includes a first end and a second end extending in a direction in which the airway adapter is fitted to the sensor,
The first end portion is closer to the side where the sensor starts to be fitted earlier than the second end portion,
The airway adapter, wherein the contact portion is located closer to the second end portion than the first end portion. The airway adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The non-contact part is an airway adapter including at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface. A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and detects a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
A contact portion that is formed adjacent to the first inner wall and the second inner wall, and contacts the adapter when the sensor is mounted on the airway adapter, and a non-contact portion that faces and separates from the adapter. A sensor having a convex portion. The sensor according to claim 7,
The convex portion includes a first end and a second end extending in a direction in which the sensor is fitted with the airway adapter,
The first end portion is closer to the side where the sensor starts to be fitted earlier than the second end portion,
The sensor is a sensor that is located closer to the first end than the second end. The sensor according to claim 7 or 8,
The non-contact part includes at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface. A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and detects a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
A first convex portion that is formed adjacent to the first inner wall and the second inner wall, and at least a part of which contacts the airway adapter when the sensor is mounted on the airway adapter;
A sensor comprising: the first inner wall; and a second convex portion formed on the side surface so as to be adjacent to a corner portion connecting the second inner wall and the third inner wall. The sensor according to claim 10, wherein
A third convex portion that is formed adjacent to the third inner wall, and is engageable with a locking member provided on the airway adapter when the sensor is attached to the airway adapter;
The sensor in which the 2nd convex part and the 3rd convex part are formed in one. The sensor according to claim 10 or 11,
The first convex portion and the second convex portion are formed integrally. A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and detects a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
The corner | angular part which connects the said 1st inner wall and the said 2nd inner wall, and the said 3rd inner wall is made into the curved surface. A sensor that is detachably attached to the airway adapter and detects a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A recess defined by the opposing first inner wall and second inner wall and a third inner wall disposed therebetween and capable of being fitted to the airway adapter;
A light receiving portion provided on the first inner wall;
A light emitting portion provided on the second inner wall;
Each of the corners connecting one of the outer surfaces to the first inner wall and the second inner wall is a curved surface. A device for detecting a predetermined respiratory gas contained in the breathing air of a living body,
A sensor capable of detecting the predetermined respiratory gas;
An airway adapter detachably attached to the sensor,
The airway adapter is
An airway case formed with a passage through which the breathing air can pass;
A fitting portion formed on the airway case and fitted to the sensor;
At least one of the sensor and the fitting portion includes a convex portion having a contact portion that contacts the other and a non-contact portion that faces and separates from the other.

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