JP2017136141A - Oral cavity-related pressure measuring probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain excellent responsiveness at a measuring time of an oral cavity-related pressure by pressurizing an internal pressure of a measuring system to a higher pressure than an atmospheric pressure without using a valve and a booster pump; and to heighten measurement accuracy.SOLUTION: An oral cavity-related pressure measuring apparatus has a connection cylinder part 105. A hollow tube part 3 has a seal part 42 for sealing the interval with the connection cylinder part 105. In the state where the interval with the connection cylinder part 105 is sealed by the seal part 42, the hollow tube part 3 is moved in a center line direction of the connection cylinder part 105, to thereby connect the hollow tube part 3 to the connection cylinder part 105.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to an oral pressure measuring probe used for measuring oral pressure such as, for example, tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, lip pressure, and cheek pressure, and in particular, applies pressure to a balloon inserted into the oral cavity. It belongs to the technical field of a structure that makes it possible to measure the pressure by adding.

  In recent years, maintenance and recovery of eating and swallowing functions have been demanded in order to improve QOL (Quality of Life) of the elderly, and it is necessary to elucidate the functions. The movement of the tongue is deeply involved in the eating and swallowing functions, and a predetermined tongue pressure is required for the formation of the bolus and the feeding into the pharynx. Therefore, measurement and analysis of tongue pressure are important. In addition to tongue pressure, measurement of oral pressure such as sublingual muscle pressure, lip pressure, and cheek pressure is equally important. It also applies to people with disabilities. As a method for measuring the oral pressure, there is known a method using a so-called balloon probe that makes it possible to measure the pressure by applying a pressing force to a balloon inserted into the oral cavity (see Patent Document 1). The oral cavity related pressure measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a pressurizing pump and a valve for switching the pressurizing pump and the probe between a communication state and a non-communication state. And at the time of measurement of oral cavity related pressure, after switching the pressurization pump and the probe to the communication state by the valve, the air is sent into the probe balloon by the pressurization pump to increase the internal pressure of the measurement system to about 10 kPa to 30 kPa, Thereafter, the measurement is started after the pressure pump and the probe are switched to the non-communication state by the valve.

JP 2001-275994 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, since a valve and a pressure pump are required for the oral pressure measuring device, there is a problem that the component cost and the assembly cost increase. Therefore, to reduce costs, a configuration that eliminates valves and pressurization pumps can be considered, but in this case, the internal pressure of the measurement system becomes atmospheric pressure, and the oral pressure is measured based on this atmospheric pressure. become. When measuring the pressure related to the oral cavity with reference to the atmospheric pressure, the rise in pressure at the time of measurement is abrupt compared to the case of measuring the internal pressure of the measurement system higher than the atmospheric pressure as in Patent Document 1. Therefore, when compared with the responsiveness at the time of measurement by the apparatus of Patent Document 1, it is considered that the equivalent responsiveness cannot be obtained, the reference is not constant, and the measurement accuracy is lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of such points, and the object of the present invention is to be able to pressurize the internal pressure of the measurement system to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure without using a valve and a pressurizing pump. Thus, it is possible to obtain a good response at the time of measuring the oral pressure and to increase the measurement accuracy.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the internal pressure of the measurement system can be increased from the atmospheric pressure by the operation of connecting the probe to the oral cavity related pressure measuring device.

The first invention is
A balloon made of an elastic material that is inserted into the oral cavity of the person to be measured to measure oral pressure,
A hollow tube portion to which the balloon is connected,
In the probe for measuring an oral pressure related to the oral cavity, the hollow tube is used by being connected to a connection cylinder provided in an oral pressure measuring device having a pressure detection unit for detecting a pressure change of the gas in the balloon. ,
The hollow tube portion has a seal portion for sealing between the connection tube portion and the main body of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device in a state where the space between the connection tube portion and the connection tube portion is sealed by the seal portion. It is connected to the connecting cylinder part by moving in the direction of the center line of the connecting cylinder part from a first position away from the first position to a second position closer to the body of the oral pressure measuring device than the first position. It is characterized by that.

  According to this configuration, when the probe is connected to the oral cavity related pressure measuring device, the hollow tube portion is sealed with the seal portion between the hollow tube portion and the connecting tube portion of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device. Is moved from the first position to the second position. That is, the hollow tube part moves in a direction approaching the main body of the oral pressure measuring device, and accordingly, the measurement system composed of the probe, the hollow tube part, and the connecting cylinder part is sealed. In this state, the internal volume of the measurement system is reduced, so that the internal pressure of the measurement system is higher than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the same responsiveness as the device of Patent Document 1 can be obtained when measuring the oral pressure. In addition, since the reference is constant, measurement accuracy is improved.

According to a second invention, in the first invention,
The seal portion includes a seal member that seals between the hollow tube portion and the connection tube portion,
The hollow tube portion has a tube portion that is inserted into the connection tube portion when connected to the connection tube portion.

  According to this configuration, the internal pressure of the measurement system is reliably increased by inserting the hollow tube portion into the connection tube portion of the oral cavity related pressure measurement device, and the probe is connected to the connection tube portion.

According to a third invention, in the second invention,
The hollow tube portion is provided with an attachment portion to which the seal member is attached.

  According to this configuration, the seal member can be easily attached from the outside of the hollow tube portion, and it can be easily confirmed whether or not the seal member is attached in a normal state after the attachment.

According to a fourth invention, in the third invention,
The seal member is formed of an O-ring, and is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the connection tube portion.

  According to this configuration, the cost of the sealing member is reduced, and the hollow tube portion is securely sealed between the hollow tube portion and the connection tube portion of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device in the direction of the center line of the connection tube portion. It becomes possible to move to.

According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions,
The hollow tube portion is engaged with a device-side engagement portion provided in the connection cylinder portion by rotating around the center line of the connection tube portion in the second position. A probe-side engagement portion that is switched between a state and a non-engagement state in which the device-side engagement portion is disengaged is provided.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the hollow tube portion from coming out of the connecting tube portion by engaging the probe side engaging portion with the device side engaging portion. And, when removing the probe from the oral cavity related pressure measuring device, it is only necessary to rotate the hollow tube portion around the center line of the connecting tube portion and detach the probe side engaging portion from the device side engaging portion. The probe can be removed with a simple operation.

  According to the first invention, the internal pressure of the measurement system can be increased from the atmospheric pressure by the operation of connecting the probe to the oral cavity-related pressure measuring device, so that without using a conventional valve or a pressure pump, It is possible to pressurize the internal pressure of the measurement system to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure with an inexpensive configuration, and it is possible to obtain good responsiveness when measuring the oral pressure and to increase measurement accuracy.

  According to the second invention, the space between the hollow tube portion and the connection tube portion is sealed by the sealing member, and the hollow tube portion is inserted into the connection tube portion. The pressure can be reliably increased.

  According to the third invention, since the attachment portion of the seal member is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the hollow tube portion, the seal member can be easily attached and whether or not the seal member is attached in a normal state after the attachment. It can be easily confirmed.

  According to the fourth invention, the sealing member can be made inexpensive. In addition, while the space between the hollow tube portion and the connection tube portion of the oral pressure measuring device is securely sealed, the hollow tube portion is moved in the direction of the center line of the connection tube portion to reduce the internal pressure of the measurement system to atmospheric pressure. Higher pressure than that.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the hollow tube portion from coming out of the connection tube portion by a simple operation of rotating the hollow tube portion around the center line of the connection tube portion. And the probe can be removed.

It is a top view which shows the state which connected the probe for oral cavity related pressure measurement which concerns on embodiment to the connection cylinder part. It is a top view of the state which connected the probe for mouth related pressure measurement to the mouth related pressure measuring device. It is a disassembled perspective view of the probe for an oral cavity related pressure measurement, and a connection cylinder part. It is sectional drawing at the time of cut | disconnecting the probe for oral cavity related pressure measurement of the state connected to the connection cylinder part in the width direction. It is a side view immediately after inserting a hollow tube part in a connection cylinder part. It is sectional drawing which shows the state of FIG. It is a side view of the state which inserted the hollow tube part in the connection cylinder part completely. It is sectional drawing which shows the state of FIG. It is a figure explaining the point of a pressure responsiveness test. It is a graph which compares the pressure responsiveness of this invention and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely illustrative in nature, and is not intended to limit the present invention, its application, or its use.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is connected to a connecting pipe part 105. The probe 1 for measuring oral cavity related pressure is provided with a balloon 2 made of an elastic material inserted into the oral cavity of a person to be measured for oral cavity related pressure, and a hollow tube portion 3 to which the balloon 2 is connected. Examples of oral pressure include, but are not limited to, tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, lip pressure, and cheek pressure, and can be used to measure various oral pressures. Tongue pressure is the force that presses the tongue against the palate, sublingual muscle pressure is the force that presses the tongue down, lip pressure is the force that closes the upper lip and lower lip, and cheek pressure is the pressure on the cheek. It is a force pushing inward. Moreover, examples of the person to be measured include an elderly person and a disabled person, but may be a healthy person. The oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 is used with the hollow tube portion 3 connected to the oral-related pressure measurement device 100 (shown in FIG. 2). Moreover, the probe 1 for measuring oral pressure can also be used as a training tool for recovering oral function.

(Configuration of oral pressure measuring device)
As shown in FIG. 2, the oral pressure measurement apparatus 100 includes a main body 104 having a pressure detection unit 101, a display unit 102, and a power supply unit 103. This is a low-cost device that does not include The pressure detection unit 101 is configured by a known pressure sensor or the like, and is configured to obtain air pressure. The display unit 102 can be configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, an LED, and the like, and specifically displays the air pressure obtained by the pressure detection unit 101 as a numerical value, or the air pressure obtained by the pressure detection unit 101 is high. It is configured so that it can be displayed in multiple stages such as medium and low. The power supply unit 103 is a battery, for example, and supplies power to the pressure detection unit 101 and the display unit 102. Further, the main body 104 includes a connecting tube portion 105 to which the hollow tube portion 3 of the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 is connected.

(Structure of connecting cylinder)
As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting cylinder part 105 communicates with the pressure detection part 101 and is a member constituting a part of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100, but is attached to and detached from the oral cavity related pressure measuring apparatus 100. It is attached as possible. 1 and 3 to 8 show a state where the connecting tube portion 105 is detached from the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the connection tube portion 105 has a cylindrical shape. When the side attached to the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100 in the connecting tube part 105 is the base end side and the opposite side is the tip end side, the base end side of the connecting tube part 105 extends radially outward. An extension plate portion 106 is formed. The extension plate portion 106 is disposed away from the proximal end of the connection tube portion 105 toward the distal end side. Therefore, the base end of the connection tube portion 105 is in a state of protruding from the extension plate portion 106. The pressure detection unit 101 communicates with the proximal end of the connection tube unit 105 in an airtight state.

  The extension plate portion 106 is formed long in a predetermined direction with respect to the radial direction of the connecting tube portion 105. A surface (back surface) 106a on the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100 side of the extension plate portion 106 comes into contact with the outer surface of the main body 104 of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100, whereby the connecting tube portion 105 is connected to the oral cavity. It is stabilized when attached to the related pressure measuring device 100.

  Device-side engagement portions 107 and 107 are provided on the surface 106 b of the extension plate portion 106. The device-side engaging portions 107 and 107 are positioned at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the extension plate portion 106, and therefore the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107 are separated from each other in the circumferential direction of the connecting tube portion 105. Yes. The device-side engagement portions 107 and 107 protrude from the surface 106 b of the extension plate portion 106 toward the distal end side of the connection tube portion 105. An engagement groove 107 a is formed inside the apparatus side engagement portion 107. The engagement groove 107a extends in the circumferential direction of the connection tube portion 105, and when one side and the other side of the connection tube portion 105 are defined as shown in FIG. On the other side, it is blocked by the blocking wall portion 107b.

(Composition of balloon)
Next, the balloon 2 constituting the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the balloon 2 includes a pressure receiving portion 20 that receives a pressing force in the oral cavity of the measurement subject, and a protruding cylindrical portion 21 that is connected to the hollow tube portion 3. And the protruding cylinder part 21 is integrally molded. As the elastic material constituting the balloon 2, for example, a material having airtightness and watertightness such as rubber such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone rubber, or elastomer can be used.

  The pressure receiving part 20 is a part inserted into the oral cavity of the person to be measured, and is disposed at a site to be measured in the oral cavity. As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the pressure receiving portion 20 has a hollow shape having a cross section close to an ellipse, and as a whole, in the left-right direction of FIG. 1, that is, in the insertion direction into the oral cavity of the measurement subject. It has a long shape. Since the pressure related to the oral cavity can be measured by pressing the pressure receiving portion 20 and elastically deforming it, it has a shape restoring property that restores the original shape when the external force is removed after pressing. . In addition, when the pressure receiving part 20 is pressed in a state where the protruding cylindrical part 21 is opened, the hardness of the elastic material is set to a low hardness so that the pressure receiving part 20 can be elastically deformed with a very small force.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the protruding cylinder portion 21 is formed so as to protrude outward from the end portion on one side in the longitudinal direction of the pressure receiving portion 20 (the proximal end side in the insertion direction to the oral cavity). ing. The protruding direction of the protruding cylinder portion 21 is a direction along the longitudinal direction of the pressure receiving portion 20. The inside of the protruding cylinder portion 21 communicates with the inside of the pressure receiving portion 20. The protruding cylinder portion 21 has a flat cross-sectional shape. Specifically, the cross section in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the protruding cylinder portion 21 has a shape that is long in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1 and the like) of the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1.

  At the end of the protruding cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2, a flange portion 23 is formed that protrudes radially outward of the protruding cylinder portion 21 and extends continuously in the circumferential direction. The flange portion 23 is substantially similar to the cross-sectional shape of the protruding cylinder portion 21 so as to correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the protruding cylinder portion 21 being a flat shape.

(Configuration of hollow tube)
As shown in FIG. 3, the hollow tube portion 3 includes an outer cylinder member 30 and an inner cylinder member 40, and the outer cylinder member 30 and the inner cylinder member 40 connect the flange portion 23 of the balloon 2 to the hollow tube portion 3. It is comprised so that it may pinch | interpose from the thickness direction one side and the other side of the collar part 23. FIG. The outer cylinder member 30 is made of a resin material harder than the elastic material constituting the balloon 2, and is an integrally molded product made of the resin material. Examples of the hard resin material constituting the outer cylinder member 30 include polypropylene and polyethylene. The inner cylinder member 40 is also made of a resin material harder than the elastic material constituting the balloon 2, and is an integrally molded product made of the resin material. Examples of the hard resin material constituting the inner cylinder member 40 include polycarbonate.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the outer cylinder member 30 is formed to have an elliptical cross section similar to the cross sectional shape of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2. The dimension of the outer cylinder member 30 in the minor axis direction is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the connection cylinder part 105, and the connection cylinder part 105 can be accommodated inside the outer cylinder member 30.

  When the insertion direction into the oral cavity is used as a reference, a flange 31 that protrudes radially outward of the outer cylinder member 30 and extends continuously in the circumferential direction is formed at the proximal end portion of the outer cylinder member 30. The shape of the flange 31 when viewed from the center line direction of the outer cylinder member 30 is an elliptical shape in which the longitudinal direction of the cross-section of the outer cylinder member 30 is the major axis direction so as to correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the outer cylinder member 30. The shape is close to. As shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion amount of the flange 31 is set so that the flange 31 does not enter the engagement grooves 107 a and 107 a of the device side engagement portions 107 and 107 of the connection cylinder portion 105.

  In a state where the hollow tube portion 3 and the connecting tube portion 105 are connected, the flange 31 of the outer tube member 30 comes into contact with the surface 106 b of the extending plate portion 106. The flange 31 is provided with probe side engaging portions 31a and 31a. The probe-side engaging portions 31 a and 31 a are formed of convex portions that protrude from the flange 31 in the radial direction of the outer cylinder member 30 and also protrude in the center line direction of the outer cylinder member 30. The formation positions of the probe-side engagement portions 31a and 31a are on both sides of the flange 31 in the major axis direction. Therefore, the distance between the probe-side engagement portions 31a and 31a and the device-side engagement portions 107 and 107 of the connection cylinder portion 105 are determined. The interval is substantially the same. As shown in FIG. 4, the protruding amount of the probe side engaging portions 31 a and 31 a in the radial direction of the outer cylinder member 30 is such that the probe side engaging portions 31 a and 31 a are connected to the device side engaging portion of the connecting tube portion 105. The engagement grooves 107a and 107a of the 107 and 107 are set.

  An outer cylindrical portion 32 into which the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2 is inserted is formed at the distal end portion of the outer cylindrical member 30. As for the cross-sectional shape of the outer cylinder part 32, the whole over the both ends in the longitudinal direction is flat like the cross-sectional shape of the protruding cylinder part 21 of the balloon 2. The outer cylinder part 32 has a proximal end side cylinder part 32a constituting the proximal end side thereof, and a distal end side cylinder part 32b constituting the distal end side. The proximal end side cylinder part 32a is formed to have a larger diameter than the distal end side cylinder part 32b. Therefore, the outer cylinder part 32 has a balloon at the boundary between the proximal end side cylinder part 32a and the distal end side cylinder part 32b. The step part 32c expanded in the radial direction of the 2 protruding cylinder parts 21 will be formed. The distal end side cylindrical portion 32 b is a hard cover portion formed so as to cover the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2, and the inner peripheral surface of the distal end side cylindrical portion 32 b is on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2. On the other hand, it is formed so as to be in close contact over the entire circumference. The distal end side cylinder part 32b has a predetermined rigidity or more so that it is not crushed when the person to be measured is pinched by teeth or lips during use, which will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the distal end portion of the distal end side cylindrical portion 32 b is located in the vicinity of the end portion on the pressure receiving portion 20 side of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2, and most of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 is the distal end side tube. It is covered by the part 32b. An annular convex portion 32d is formed at the distal end portion of the distal end side cylindrical portion 32b. The annular convex portion 32d protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the distal end side cylindrical portion 32b and continuously extends in the circumferential direction of the distal end side cylindrical portion 32b. The annular protrusion 32d is formed so that the measurement subject's teeth and lips are caught when the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 is used, and is a drop prevention convex part of the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1. The projecting height of the annular convex portion 32d is set low so that it does not get in the way when inserted into the oral cavity.

  A flange portion 23 of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2 is inserted into the proximal end side cylindrical portion 32a. The inner peripheral surface of the base end side cylinder part 32a is formed so that it may closely_contact | adhere over the outer peripheral surface of the collar part 23 over the perimeter.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the inner cylinder member 40 has a smaller diameter as a whole than the connecting cylinder part 105 of the oral cavity-related pressure measuring device 100 and is inserted into the connecting cylinder part 105 through an opening on the distal end side thereof. A cylindrical portion 41 is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, when the insertion direction into the oral cavity is used as a reference, the proximal end portion of the insertion tube portion 41 is between the outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube portion 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the connection tube portion 105. A sealing portion 42 is provided for sealing. The seal portion 42 includes first and second protrusion portions 42a and 42b that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube portion 41 and extend in the circumferential direction, and a seal member 42c that includes a rubber O-ring. . The first protrusion 42a and the second protrusion 42b correspond to an attachment portion to which the seal member 42c of the present invention is attached, and are arranged at intervals from each other in the center line direction of the insertion tube portion 41. Yes. The sealing member 42c is attached to the insertion tube portion 41 by fitting the sealing member 42c between the first protruding portion 42a and the second protruding portion 42b. The outer peripheral surface of the seal member 42c protrudes in the radial direction of the insertion tube portion 41 from the first protrusion portion 42a and the second protrusion portion 42b, and will be in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the connection tube portion 105, which will be described later. It has become.

  An inner cylindrical portion 43 that is inserted inward of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2 is formed at the distal end portion of the inner cylindrical member 40. As shown in FIG. 6, the length of the inner cylinder portion 43 is set to be shorter than the length of the distal end side cylinder portion 32 b of the outer cylinder portion 32, and the distal end portion of the inner cylinder portion 43 is a protruding cylinder of the balloon 2. It is located in the vicinity of the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the portion 21. The cross-sectional shape of the inner cylinder portion 43 is a flat shape, similar to the cross-sectional shape of the protruding cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2. The outer diameter of the inner cylindrical portion 43 is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2, so that the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 43 is the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2. The inner peripheral surface is pressed radially outward over the entire circumference. Accordingly, at least the end portion of the protruding cylindrical portion 21 is pressed in the thickness direction by the outer cylindrical portion 32 and the inner cylindrical portion 43 and elastically deformed.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder member 40, an abutment surface 44 that abuts on the end surface of the protruding cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2 is formed. The contact surface 44 is formed over the entire circumference of the inner cylinder member 40 and extends in the radial direction of the protruding cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2.

  On the proximal end side of the contact surface 44 of the inner cylinder member 40, a large diameter portion 45 having a larger diameter than that of the inner cylinder portion 43 is provided. The large diameter portion 45 is inserted into the proximal end side cylindrical portion 32a of the outer cylinder member 30 and fixed in a state of being in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the proximal end side cylindrical portion 32a.

(Procedure for assembly of probe for measuring oral pressure)
When assembling the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 configured as described above, first, the protruding cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2 is inserted into the outer cylindrical portion 32 of the outer cylindrical member 30. At this time, the protruding cylinder part 21 of the balloon 2 may be pushed into the outer cylinder part 32 of the outer cylinder member 30 while being elastically deformed. Then, the collar portion 23 of the balloon 2 is inserted into the proximal end side cylindrical portion 32 a of the outer cylindrical portion 32 of the outer cylindrical member 30.

  Thereafter, the inner cylinder member 40 is inserted into the outer cylinder member 30, the large diameter portion 45 of the inner cylinder member 40 is inserted into the proximal end side cylinder portion 32 a of the outer cylinder member 30, and the inner cylinder portion 43 is inserted into the balloon 2. Is inserted into the protruding cylinder 21. Thereby, sufficient sealing performance is obtained. When the inner cylinder member 40 is completely inserted into the outer cylinder member 30, the contact surface 44 of the inner cylinder member 40 contacts the end surface of the protruding cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2. The inner cylinder member 40 is fixed so as not to be detached from the outer cylinder member 30.

(Procedure for connection of probe for measuring oral pressure)
Next, a procedure for connecting the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 assembled as described above to the connecting tube portion 105 of the oral cavity related pressure measuring apparatus 100 will be described. First, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the proximal end portion of the insertion tube portion 41 of the hollow tube portion 3 is inserted into the distal end portion of the connection tube portion 105. The insertion amount of the insertion tube portion 41 is set such that the outer peripheral surface of the seal member 42c of the seal portion 42 of the insertion tube portion 41 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the connection tube portion 105, and is connected to the insertion tube portion 41 by the seal portion 42. The space between the cylindrical portion 105 is sealed. The position of the hollow tube portion 3 at this time is a connection start position (first position) at which the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 is separated from the main body 104 of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100. Since the space between the insertion tube portion 41 and the connection tube portion 105 is sealed at the connection start position, the measurement system including the balloon 20, the hollow tube portion 3, the connection tube portion 105, and the pressure detection portion 101 is hermetically sealed. The airtight state is maintained. The internal pressure of the measurement system when the hollow tube portion 3 is at the connection start position is almost atmospheric pressure.

  Thereafter, the hollow tube portion 3 is moved in the direction of the center line of the connection tube portion 105 until reaching the connection completion position (second position) closer to the main body 104 of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100 than the connection start position. (The state after the movement is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8). At this time, the probe-side engaging portions 31a and 31a of the hollow tube portion 3 are positioned between the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107 of the connecting tube portion 105, that is, the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107. The hollow tube portion 3 is rotated around the center line so as not to hit.

  Through the above-described operation, the hollow tube portion 3 is connected to the connection tube portion 105. During this connection operation, the outer peripheral surface of the sealing member 42 c of the insertion tube portion 41 slides over the entire periphery with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the connection tube portion 105. Thus, the measurement system is maintained in an airtight state while the hollow tube portion 3 moves to the connection completion position, and the air inside the measurement system hardly leaks to the outside.

  By moving the hollow tube portion 3 from the connection start position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 to the connection completion position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the insertion tube portion 41 is inserted into the connection tube portion 105, and the measurement is made accordingly. The internal volume of the system is reduced. Thereby, since the internal pressure of a measurement system increases from atmospheric pressure, the same responsiveness as the apparatus of patent document 1 is acquired at the time of measurement of an oral cavity related pressure. Further, since the measurement reference is constant, the measurement accuracy is improved.

  The internal pressure increase amount of the measurement system can be arbitrarily set according to the internal volume of the connection cylinder part 105 that decreases by the connection operation, that is, the insertion amount of the insertion cylinder part 41, the wall thickness of the insertion cylinder part 41, and the like. In this embodiment, the internal pressure of the measurement system is set to be the same pressure (for example, about 10 kPa to 30 kPa) as in the case where the apparatus of Patent Document 1 is used. You may make it change with a site | part and a to-be-measured person.

  Thereafter, the hollow tube portion 3 at the connection completion position is rotated around the center line of the connection tube portion 105. The rotating direction of the hollow tube portion 3 is a direction in which the probe side engaging portions 31 a and 31 a of the hollow tube portion 3 are engaged with the device side engaging portions 107 and 107 of the connecting tube portion 105. By this turning operation, the probe-side engaging portions 31a and 31a enter the engaging grooves 107a and 107a of the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107 of the connecting tube portion 105 from the open side to be engaged. The probe-side engaging portions 31a and 31a come into contact with the blocking wall portions 107b and 107b of the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107, so that the rotation of the hollow tube portion 3 is stopped.

  By engaging the probe-side engaging portions 31 a and 31 a of the hollow tube portion 3 with the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107 of the connection tube portion 105, the hollow tube portion 3 moves in a direction to come out of the connection tube portion 105. It is prevented in advance.

  When the hollow tube portion 3 is pulled out from the connecting tube portion 105, the hollow tube portion 3 is rotated in the direction opposite to the above-described engagement operation. Then, the probe-side engaging portions 31a and 31a come out of the engaging grooves 107a and 107a of the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107, and are disengaged from the device-side engaging portions 107 and 107. In other words, in this embodiment, the hollow tube portion 3 is moved to the device side engaging portion 107 by rotating the hollow tube portion 3 in the second position around the center line of the connecting tube portion 105. , 107 are provided with probe-side engagement portions 31a, 31a that can be switched between an engagement state that engages with the device-side engagement portion 107 and a non-engagement state that disengages from the device-side engagement portions 107, 107.

(Effect of embodiment)
As described above, according to this embodiment, the internal pressure of the measurement system can be increased from the atmospheric pressure by the operation of connecting the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 to the oral cavity related pressure measuring device 100. Accordingly, the internal pressure of the measurement system can be increased to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure with an inexpensive configuration without using a valve or a pressurization pump incorporated in the device of Patent Document 1, so that the oral cavity-related Good responsiveness can be obtained during pressure measurement, and measurement accuracy can be increased.

  The results of a specific pressure responsiveness test will be described. A pressure responsiveness test was performed using an apparatus as shown in FIG. First, a digital pressure measuring instrument 200 and a compression tester 201 are prepared. The digital pressure measuring instrument 200 has the same configuration as that of the oral cavity related pressure measuring apparatus 100, but can display the pressure numerically in real time. The compression tester 201 is a conventionally known tester configured so that a compression force can be applied in a direction indicated by a white arrow.

  Then, after the connection cylinder part 105 and the digital pressure measuring instrument 200 are connected in an airtight manner, the connection cylinder part 105 and the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe 1 are connected as described above. Thereby, the internal pressure of the measurement system is higher than the atmospheric pressure. After the connection, a compression force is applied to the balloon 2 by the compression tester 201 with the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 placed on a surface plate or the like. When the compression force is applied, the load at five points of the compression tester 201 in contact with the balloon 2 is measured, and the compression force (load) is increased at a constant speed. At this time, the relationship between the pressure (generated pressure) detected by the digital pressure measuring instrument 200 and the load is as shown in FIG. Comparative Example 1 is a case where the internal pressure of the measurement system is increased by a pressurizing pump as in Patent Document 1 and then measured as described above. In the present invention, the same responsiveness as Comparative Example 1 is obtained. I understand that On the other hand, Comparative Example 2 is a case where the internal pressure of the measurement system is set to atmospheric pressure and then measured as described above, and shows a response different from that in Patent Document 1. Therefore, according to the present invention, responsiveness equivalent to the responsiveness at the time of measurement by the apparatus of Patent Document 1 can be obtained.

  The above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. Further, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to the present invention can be used, for example, when measuring oral cavity related pressures such as tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, lip pressure, and cheek pressure.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Oral related pressure measurement probe 2 Balloon 3 Hollow tube part 31a Probe side engaging part 41 Insertion cylinder part 42 Seal part 42c Seal member 100 Oral related pressure measuring device 104 Main body 105 Connection cylinder part 107 Apparatus side engagement part

Claims (5)

A balloon made of an elastic material that is inserted into the oral cavity of the person to be measured to measure oral pressure,
A hollow tube portion to which the balloon is connected,
In the probe for measuring an oral pressure related to the oral cavity, the hollow tube is used by being connected to a connection cylinder provided in an oral pressure measuring device having a pressure detection unit for detecting a pressure change of the gas in the balloon. ,
The hollow tube portion has a seal portion for sealing between the connection tube portion and the main body of the oral cavity related pressure measuring device in a state where the space between the connection tube portion and the connection tube portion is sealed by the seal portion. It is connected to the connecting cylinder part by moving in the direction of the center line of the connecting cylinder part from a first position away from the first position to a second position closer to the body of the oral pressure measuring device than the first position. A probe for measuring the pressure related to the oral cavity. The oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to claim 1,
The seal portion includes a seal member that seals between the hollow tube portion and the connection tube portion,
The said hollow tube part has a cylinder part inserted in this connection cylinder part at the time of a connection with the said connection cylinder part, The probe for oral cavity related pressure measurement characterized by the above-mentioned. The oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to claim 2,
The hollow tube portion is provided with an attachment portion to which the seal member is attached. The oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to claim 3,
The probe for measuring an oral cavity-related pressure, wherein the seal member is formed of an O-ring and is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the connection tube portion. The oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The hollow tube portion is engaged with a device-side engagement portion provided in the connection cylinder portion by rotating around the center line of the connection tube portion in the second position. A probe for measuring pressure related to the oral cavity is provided, wherein a probe-side engagement portion that is switched between a state and a non-engagement state in which the device-side engagement portion is detached is provided.