JP2018068875A - Swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe and swallowing tongue pressure measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably and accurately acquire swallowing tongue pressure when a measuring object person naturally performs swallowing motion and reducing a burden of the measuring object person.SOLUTION: A swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 10 includes: a balloon 12 that is inserted into an oral cavity of a measuring object person whose swallowing tongue pressure is measured and composed of an elastic material; and a hollow tube part 11 to which the balloon 12 is connected, where the hollow tube part 11 is connected to a pressure detection part. The swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 10 further includes a supply tube 20 for supplying a fluid into the oral cavity of the measuring object person.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe and a swallowing tongue pressure measuring device for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing, and in particular, the pressure can be measured by applying a pressing force to a balloon inserted into the oral cavity. Belongs to the technical field of structure.

  In recent years, maintenance and recovery of eating and swallowing functions have been demanded in order to improve QOL (Quality of Life) of elderly people, 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 delivery to the pharynx. Therefore, measurement and analysis of tongue pressure are important. In addition to elderly people, persons with disabilities, sick people, and the like are also subject to measurement of tongue pressure. As a method for measuring tongue 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). In Patent Document 1, when a measurement subject presses a balloon inserted into the oral cavity with a tongue, a change in air pressure in the balloon is detected by a pressure detection unit communicating with the balloon. The tongue pressure can be measured by converting the air pressure change into an electrical signal.

Japanese Patent No. 3801737

  By the way, the medical tongue pressure measuring device used in the clinical field is the tongue pressure generated when the measurement subject squeezes the balloon with the tongue with the maximum force after inserting the balloon of the measuring probe into the oral cavity. That is, it is used to measure the maximum tongue pressure.

  The maximum tongue pressure is positioned as the maximum muscle force that the tongue can exert, and the tongue pressure when actually drinking and swallowing is a tongue pressure smaller than the maximum tongue pressure. As a method of measuring the tongue pressure at the time of swallowing, for example, a small amount of water is injected into the oral cavity in a state where the balloon of the measurement probe as in Patent Document 1 is inserted into the oral cavity and placed on the tongue, When swallowing (swallowing), the method of measuring the tongue's push-up force as tongue pressure, or when swallowing (empty swallowing) without injecting water or the like with a balloon placed on the tongue A method of measuring the pushing force as the tongue pressure can be considered.

  However, in the case of tongue pressure measurement by swallowing and swallowing, the balloon must be inserted after water is contained in the oral cavity, and preparation work until measurement is not easy even for healthy people, especially for elderly people There are many people who are difficult to perform such preparatory work itself, which places a burden on the person being measured. In addition, the swallowing action tends to be unnatural due to the failure of the preparation work, and it is considered that there is a problem in the accuracy and stability of the measurement values. Furthermore, when the tongue pressure measurement is performed once, the above preparation work is required, and thus the tongue pressure during swallowing cannot be continuously measured a plurality of times. The same applies when water is included after the balloon is inserted into the oral cavity.

  In addition, in the case of tongue pressure measurement by swallowing, since the swallowing operation must be performed in a state where there is nothing that can be swallowed in the oral cavity, the measurement subject must perform an unnatural swallowing operation with a strong force, It is considered that there is a burden on the measurement subject and there is a problem in the accuracy and stability of the measurement value. Furthermore, since it is not easy to perform a swallowing operation continuously several times in a state where there is no object that can be swallowed in the oral cavity, it is difficult to continuously measure the tongue pressure during swallowing a plurality of times.

  In other words, the conventional methods place a burden on the measurement subject and cannot accurately and stably obtain the tongue pressure during swallowing when the measurement subject is performing a swallowing action naturally.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is to accurately and stably obtain the tongue pressure during swallowing when the person being measured is swallowing naturally. The purpose of this is to reduce the burden on the person being measured.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a fluid can be simultaneously supplied to the oral cavity when measuring tongue pressure during swallowing.

  1st invention is equipped with the balloon which consists of an elastic material inserted in the oral cavity of a to-be-measured person who measures the tongue pressure at the time of swallowing, and the hollow tube part to which the said balloon is connected, The said hollow tube part The swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe connected to the pressure detecting unit for detecting the pressure change of the gas in the balloon includes a supply pipe for supplying a fluid into the oral cavity of the measurement subject. To do.

  According to this configuration, since the fluid is supplied into the oral cavity of the measurement subject through the supply tube, the fluid is supplied from the supply tube into the oral cavity by performing the normal swallowing operation by the measurement subject, The tongue pressure when the fluid is swallowed is measured as the pressure change of the gas in the balloon. Therefore, it is not necessary to preliminarily contain water in the oral cavity as in the case of tongue pressure measurement by swallowing, and swallowing in a state where there is no substance that can be swallowed in the case of tongue pressure measurement by swallowing Since the operation does not have to be performed, the tongue pressure during swallowing when the subject is performing a swallowing motion naturally can be obtained accurately and stably, and the burden on the subject can be reduced.

  Furthermore, it becomes possible to supply a fluid continuously from the outside into the oral cavity by using the supply pipe. This makes it possible to continuously measure swallowing tongue pressure a plurality of times by continuously performing swallowing operations.

  The second invention is characterized in that in the first invention, there is provided a fixing member for fixing the supply pipe to the hollow pipe portion.

  According to this configuration, since the supply tube is positioned with respect to the hollow tube portion, the supply tube is arranged at a predetermined position in the oral cavity so as not to disturb the swallowing operation of the measurement subject.

  A third invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, an end portion of the supply tube inside the oral cavity is arranged on a side of the balloon.

  According to this structure, since the edge part of a supply pipe | tube will be located in the side of a balloon within an oral cavity, it becomes difficult for a supply pipe | tube to inhibit the movement of the tongue at the time of swallowing.

  A fourth invention is characterized in that, in the second or third invention, an end portion of the supply tube on the inner side of the oral cavity is arranged on a proximal end side with respect to the distal end portion in the insertion direction of the balloon in the oral cavity.

  According to this configuration, since the end of the supply tube is positioned closer to the proximal end side than the distal end of the balloon in the oral cavity, the fluid flowing in from the supply tube is suddenly supplied deep inside the oral cavity. It is possible to improve the feeling of use by preventing this from happening.

According to a fifth invention, in any one of the second to fourth inventions,
The fixing member includes a hollow tube portion side member fixed to the hollow tube portion, and a supply tube side member fixed to the supply tube,
The supply pipe side member is attached to a side part of the hollow pipe part side member.

  According to this structure, it arrange | positions so that a supply pipe may be located in a line with the side part of a hollow pipe part.

According to a sixth invention, in the fifth invention,
At least one of the hollow tube side member and the supply tube side member is provided with a plurality of engaging portions that engage with the other so as to be aligned in the axial direction of the supply tube.

  According to this configuration, the hollow tube portion side member and the supply tube side member are relatively positioned by engaging the engaging portion with the counterpart member. Since the engaging portions are provided so as to be aligned in the axial direction of the supply pipe, the relative positions of the hollow pipe side member and the supply pipe side member can be changed in the axial direction of the supply pipe. Become. Thereby, it becomes possible to change the relative position of a supply pipe and a balloon as needed.

  A seventh invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, a deformable portion for bending and deforming the supply pipe is provided at an intermediate portion of the supply pipe.

  According to this configuration, since the supply pipe bends, it is easy to insert the end of the supply pipe on the oral side into the oral cavity and put the end on the opposite side of the supply pipe into the fluid container. You can do it.

  An eighth invention is a tongue pressure measuring device during swallowing, characterized in that the probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing is connected and has a pressure detection unit for detecting a pressure change of gas in the balloon.

  According to the first invention, since the fluid can be supplied into the oral cavity by the supply tube when the tongue pressure during swallowing is measured, the tongue during swallowing when the measurement subject performs a swallowing action naturally The pressure can be obtained accurately and stably, and the burden on the subject can be reduced. Furthermore, the tongue pressure during swallowing can be measured continuously several times.

  According to the second invention, since the supply tube can be fixed to the hollow tube portion, the supply tube can be arranged so as not to disturb the swallowing operation of the measurement subject.

  According to the third invention, since the end of the supply tube inside the oral cavity is arranged on the side of the balloon, the supply tube is difficult to inhibit the movement of the tongue during swallowing, and the measurement subject can naturally swallow the movement. It can be carried out. Thereby, a more accurate measurement value can be obtained.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the end of the supply tube on the inner side of the oral cavity can be disposed closer to the proximal end than the distal end of the balloon. As a result, the fluid flowing in from the supply pipe can be prevented from being suddenly supplied deep into the oral cavity and the feeling of use can be improved, so that the subject can perform swallowing action naturally. Can do.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the supply pipe can be disposed on the side of the hollow pipe, so that it can be easily used by the person being measured.

  According to the sixth aspect, since the plurality of engaging portions are provided so as to be aligned in the axial direction of the supply pipe, the relative positions of the supply pipe and the balloon can be changed as necessary. Thereby, a user's feeling of use can be made still better.

  According to the seventh invention, since the deformation allowing portion is provided in the intermediate portion of the supply pipe, the end portion on the oral cavity side of the supply tube is inserted into the oral cavity, and the end portion on the opposite side of the supply tube is fluidized. Can be easily placed in a container. Thereby, while being able to make a to-be-measured person's usability more favorable, preparation work can be made easy.

It is a side view explaining the use condition of the probe for tongue pressure measurement at the time of swallowing concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which connected the tongue pressure measuring probe at the time of swallowing to the tongue pressure measuring device at the time of swallowing. It is a perspective view of a fixing member. It is sectional drawing of a fixing member. It is a graph which shows the tongue pressure at the time of swallowing which concerns on an Example. 5 is a graph showing tongue pressure during swallowing according to Comparative Example 1. 12 is a graph showing tongue pressure during swallowing according to Comparative Example 2. It is the graph which extracted and compared the part corresponded to 1 time of swallowing among the pressure waveforms of an Example and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. FIG. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 according to a second embodiment. 6 is an end view of a fixing member according to Embodiment 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.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a usage state of a swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 1 includes a probe main body 10, a supply tube 20, and a fixing member 30 for fixing the supply tube 20 to the probe main body 10. When the tongue pressure during swallowing is measured, The swallowing tongue pressure measuring device 15 shown in FIG. The tongue pressure during swallowing will be described in detail later, but the tongue 102 generated when the measurement subject 100 shown in FIG. 1 performs an operation of pushing up the tongue 102 when swallowing food or drink in the oral cavity 101. It is a pressing force upward.

  For example, the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be used as the swallowing tongue pressure measuring device 15, and specifically includes a pressure detection unit 15a, a display unit 15b, and a power supply unit 15c. The pressure detection unit 15a is configured by a known pressure sensor or the like, and is configured to obtain air pressure. The display unit 15b can be composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, an LED, or the like, and specifically displays the air pressure obtained by the pressure detection unit 15b as a numerical value or increases the air pressure obtained by the pressure detection unit 15b. It is configured so that it can be displayed in multiple stages such as medium and low. The power supply unit 15c is a battery, for example, and supplies power to the pressure detection unit 15a and the display unit 15b.

  In this embodiment, examples of the person 100 to be measured for tongue pressure during swallowing include an elderly person, a disabled person, a sick person, and the like, but may be a healthy person.

(Configuration of probe body)
As shown also in FIG. 2, the probe main body 10 includes a hollow tube portion 11 and a balloon 12. The balloon 12 includes a pressure receiving portion 12a that receives a pressing force in the oral cavity 101 of the measurement subject 100, and a connecting tube portion 12b that is connected to the hollow tube portion 11. The pressure receiving portion 12a and the connecting tube portion 12b are It is integrally molded. As the elastic material constituting the balloon 12, 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 portion 12 a is a portion that is inserted into the oral cavity 101 of the measurement subject 100, and is disposed at a site that is desired to be measured in the oral cavity 101. The pressure receiving portion 12a has a hollow shape having a cross section close to an ellipse, and is long in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1, that is, in the insertion direction into the oral cavity 101 of the measurement subject 100 as a whole. Since the tongue pressure can be measured by pressing the pressure receiving portion 12a in the vertical direction and elastically deforming the pressure receiving portion 12a, for example, the pressure receiving portion 12a returns to its original shape when the external force is removed after being pressed. It has shape restoring properties to restore. In addition, when the pressure receiving part 12a is pressed with the connecting cylinder part 12b opened, the hardness of the elastic material is set to be low so that the pressure receiving part 12a can be elastically deformed with a very small force.

  The connecting cylinder portion 12b is formed so as to protrude outward from the end portion on one side in the longitudinal direction of the pressure receiving portion 12a (base end side in the insertion direction to the oral cavity). The protruding direction of the connecting tube portion 12b is a direction along the longitudinal direction of the pressure receiving portion 12a. The inside of the connecting cylinder portion 12b communicates with the inside of the pressure receiving portion 12a. The cross-sectional shape of the connection cylinder part 12b is flat. Specifically, the cross section in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the connecting tube portion 12b has a shape that is long in the width direction of the probe main body 10 (the direction that is the left-right direction of the measurement subject 100 in the measurement state). In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the connection cylinder part 12b may be circular, for example, may be elliptical.

  The material of the hollow tube portion 11 is made of a material harder than the material constituting the balloon 12, and its axis extends substantially linearly. Examples of the material of the hollow tube portion 11 include hard resin materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and polycarbonate. When the insertion direction into the oral cavity is used as a reference, a hard tube portion 11 a is provided on the distal end side of the hollow tube portion 11. This hard cylinder part 11a is formed so that the connection cylinder part 12b of the balloon 12 may be covered from the outside. When measuring the tongue pressure, the hard cylindrical portion 11a is bitten and held by the upper front teeth 103 and the lower front teeth 104 (shown in FIG. 1). Therefore, the hard cylindrical portion 11a has a predetermined rigidity or more so as not to be crushed when it is bitten by the teeth 103 and 104.

  A connector portion 13 is provided on the proximal end side of the hollow tube portion 11 when the insertion direction into the oral cavity is used as a reference. One end of a tube 14 is connected to the connector portion 13. The other end of the tube 14 is connected to the pressure detector 15a of the swallowing tongue pressure measuring device 15. That is, the inside of the pressure receiving portion 12a of the balloon 12 communicates with the pressure detecting portion 15a via the hollow tube portion 11, the connector portion 13, and the tube 14, and the pressure fluctuation inside the pressure receiving portion 12a of the balloon 12 is immediately observed. The pressure is transmitted to the pressure detector 15a.

  The configuration of the probe main body 10 described above is an example. For example, the shape of the pressure receiving portion 12a of the balloon 12 may be a spherical shape or a shape similar to a sphere, and the hollow tube portion 11 may be curved, for example. Good.

(Configuration of supply pipe)
The supply tube 20 is for supplying a fluid into the oral cavity 101 of the person to be measured 100. For example, a hard resin tube or a soft resin tube can be used, and a straw is preferable. . In this embodiment, the case where the supply pipe 20 is made of the hard resin described above will be described. When the supply tube 20 is based on the insertion direction into the oral cavity, the distal end side portion 21 constituting the distal end side portion, the proximal end side portion 22 constituting the proximal end portion, and the intermediate portion in the axial direction of the supply tube 20 And a deformation-permitting portion 23.

  The distal end side portion 21 is a portion that has an axial line extending substantially linearly and is disposed so as to extend substantially parallel to the axial line of the hollow tube portion 11 of the probe main body 10. A tip side opening (not shown) is formed in the end portion 21 a of the tip side portion 21. The end 21a is an end of the supply tube 20 inside the oral cavity 101, and is disposed on the side of the balloon 12a and inserted into the oral cavity 101 together with the balloon 12a. In FIG. 1, the end 21a inside the oral cavity 101 of the supply tube 20 is located on the left side of the balloon 12a when the horizontal direction of the measurement subject 100 is taken as a reference. It may be located on the right side.

  Moreover, the end 21a inside the oral cavity 101 of the supply tube 20 is disposed on the proximal side of the distal end of the balloon 12a in the insertion direction with respect to the oral cavity 101. The position of the end portion 21a inside the oral cavity 101 of the supply tube 20 is preferably between the central portion of the balloon 12a in the insertion direction with respect to the oral cavity 101 and the distal end portion in the insertion direction of the connection tube portion 12b with respect to the oral cavity 101. .

  The base end side portion 22 also has an axis extending substantially linearly. A proximal end opening (not shown) is formed at the end 22 a of the proximal end side 22. This end portion 22 a is a proximal end portion of the supply tube 20 and is disposed outside the oral cavity 101. The supply pipe 20 end portion 22a is a portion that is inserted below the water surface by being inserted into the container A containing water W as a fluid.

  The deformation | transformation permission part 23 is a part for bending-deforming the axial direction intermediate part of the supply pipe | tube 20, for example, can be comprised by the part formed in the shape of a bellows. The deformation allowing portion 23 has a shape maintaining property that maintains the deformed shape even when the external force is removed in a state where the deformation allowing portion 23 is bent and deformed. By providing the deformation allowing portion 23, the extending direction of the distal end side portion 21 and the extending direction of the proximal end side portion 22 can be changed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the distal end side portion 21 is directed to extend in the same direction as the hollow tube portion 11 of the probe main body 10, and the proximal end side portion 22 is directed to extend downward. Accordingly, regardless of the angle of the distal end side portion 21, the end portion 22a of the proximal end side portion 22 can be disposed below the water surface.

(Configuration of fixing member)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixing member 30 includes a hollow tube portion side member 31 fixed to the hollow tube portion 11 of the probe main body 10 and a supply fixed to the distal end side portion 21 of the supply tube 20. And a tube side member 32. Both the hollow tube portion side member 31 and the supply tube side member 32 are made of the hard resin material or the like, and the supply tube side member 32 is attached to the hollow tube portion side member 31.

  The hollow tube portion side member 31 is curved in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the hollow tube portion 11 from both the substrate portion 31a extending in the axial direction of the hollow tube portion 11 and the width direction both sides of the substrate portion 31a. And plate-shaped hollow tube portion side grip portions 31b and 31b for gripping the outer peripheral surface from both sides in the radial direction. Furthermore, rail portions 31c and 31c are provided on both sides of the substrate portion 31a in the width direction so as to protrude to the opposite side of the hollow tube portion side grip portions 31b and 31b. The rail portions 31 c and 31 c extend in the axial direction of the hollow tube portion 11. Further, the surface between the rail portions 31c and 31c in the substrate portion 31a is a surface disposed so as to be in contact with the substrate portion 32a of the supply pipe side member 32, and a plurality of engagement protrusions (engagement members) are provided on this surface. 31 d is provided so as to be aligned in the axial direction of the hollow tube portion 11. Each engagement protrusion 31d extends in the width direction of the substrate portion 31a.

  The supply pipe side member 32 extends in a circular arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the supply pipe 20 from both sides of the substrate portion 32a extending in the axial direction of the supply pipe 20 and the width direction of the substrate portion 32a. Are provided with plate-like supply pipe side gripping portions 32b, 32b. Further, on both sides in the width direction of the substrate portion 32a, protrusions 32c and 32c that engage with the rail portions 31c and 31c are formed so as to protrude in the width direction. The protrusions 32c and 32c extend in the axial direction of the supply pipe 20, and are guided by the rails 31c and 31c in the direction in which the rails 31c and 31c extend while being engaged with the rails 31c and 31c. It has become so.

  A plurality of engaging protrusions (engaging portions) 32 d are provided on the surface of the substrate portion 32 a that contacts the substrate portion 32 a of the supply pipe side member 32 so as to be aligned in the axial direction of the supply tube 20. Each engagement protrusion 32d extends in the width direction of the substrate portion 32a. The engagement protrusion 32d of the supply pipe side member 32 is engaged with the engagement protrusions 31d and 31d in a state of being fitted between the engagement protrusions 31d and 31d of the hollow pipe part side member 31. Thus, the hollow tube portion side member 31 and the supply tube side member 32 are not relatively displaced in the axial direction of the supply tube 20.

  In addition, in the state which the engagement protrusion 32d of the supply pipe side member 32 engaged with the engagement protrusions 31d and 31d of the hollow tube part side member 31, the hollow tube part side member 31 and the supply pipe side member 32 are connected. When relatively displacing in the axial direction of the supply pipe 20, a force is applied in the axial direction of the supply pipe 20 to one of the hollow pipe side member 31 and the supply pipe side member 32. As a result, the engagement protrusion 32 d of the supply pipe side member 32 gets over the engagement protrusion 31 d of the hollow tube part side member 31, and the hollow tube part side member 31 and the supply pipe side member 32 are connected to the supply pipe 20. It can be displaced relatively in the axial direction.

(How to use the probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing)
Next, a method of using the swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. First, the hollow tube portion 11 of the probe body 10 is pushed between the hollow tube portion side gripping portions 31b and 31b of the fixing member 30, and the hollow tube portion side gripping portions 31b and 31b are gripped. . Further, the supply pipe 20 is pushed between the supply pipe side gripping portions 32b and 32b of the fixing member 30, and the supply pipe 20 is gripped by the supply pipe side gripping portions 32b and 32b. Further, the protrusions 32c, 32c of the supply pipe side member 32 are inserted into the rail parts 31c, 31c of the hollow tube part side member 31, and the engagement protrusions 32d of the supply pipe side member 32 are set to the hollow pipe part side member. The engagement protrusions 31d and 31d of 31 are engaged.

  The end 21a inside the oral cavity 101 of the supply tube 20 is disposed between the central portion of the balloon 12a in the insertion direction with respect to the oral cavity 101 and the distal end portion of the connection tube portion 12b in the insertion direction with respect to the oral cavity 101. Place sideways. When adjusting the position of the end portion 21a inside the oral cavity 101 of the supply tube 20, the supply tube side member 32 is slid along the rail portions 31c and 31c, and the engagement position of the engagement protrusion 32d is changed. Good. Further, since the supply pipe 20 is only held by the supply pipe side member 32, the supply pipe 20 can be displaced in the axial direction with respect to the supply pipe side member 32 by applying a force in the axial direction. Furthermore, since the hollow tube portion 11 of the probe main body 10 is only held by the hollow tube portion side member 31, the hollow tube portion 11 is moved against the hollow tube portion side member 31 by applying a force in the axial direction. It can also be displaced in the axial direction. Since the supply tube 20 can be positioned with respect to the hollow tube portion 11 by using the fixing member 30, the supply tube 20 can be disposed at a predetermined position in the oral cavity 101 so as not to hinder the swallowing operation of the measurement subject 100. .

  After adjusting the position of the end 21 a inside the oral cavity 101 of the supply tube 20 in this way, the balloon 12 a is inserted into the oral cavity 101 and placed on the tongue 102. At this time, the end portion 21a inside the oral cavity 101 of the supply tube 20 is also inserted into the oral cavity 101 and disposed on the side of the balloon 12a. The person 100 to be measured bites and holds the hard cylindrical portion 11 a with the upper front teeth 103 and the lower front teeth 104. In addition, the person to be measured 100 holds the hollow tube portion 11 and the supply tube 20 between the upper lip 105 and the lower lip 106 and closes them tightly so that there is no gap between the upper lip 105 and the lower lip 106. .

  And the deformation | transformation permission part 23 is operated and the edge part 22a of the base end side part 22 of the supply pipe | tube 20 is inserted in the container A in which the water W was contained. In this state, the person under measurement 100 performs a swallowing operation. When the measurement subject 100 performs a swallowing operation, water is supplied into the oral cavity 101 of the measurement subject 100 through the supply pipe 20. The tongue pressure when the water is swallowed is measured as the pressure change of the gas in the balloon 12a. Therefore, it is not necessary to preliminarily contain water in the oral cavity as in the case of tongue pressure measurement by swallowing, and swallowing in a state where there is no substance that can be swallowed in the case of tongue pressure measurement by swallowing Since it is not necessary to perform the operation, it is possible to accurately and stably obtain the swallowing tongue pressure when the measured person 100 is performing the swallowing action naturally, and the burden on the measured person 100 can be reduced. .

  Furthermore, water can be continuously supplied from the outside into the oral cavity 101 by using the supply pipe 20. Thereby, swallowing operation | movement can be performed continuously and the tongue pressure at the time of swallowing can be measured continuously several times.

  When performing the swallowing operation, the end portion 21a of the supply tube 20 is positioned on the side of the balloon 12a in the oral cavity 101, so that the supply tube 20 is difficult to inhibit the movement of the tongue 102 during swallowing. In addition, since the end 21a of the supply tube 20 is positioned closer to the proximal side than the distal end of the balloon 12a in the oral cavity 101, the fluid flowing in from the supply tube 20 is deep in the oral cavity 101. It is possible to improve the feeling of use by preventing sudden supply.

  In addition, in the said embodiment, although the engagement protrusion 31d is provided in the hollow tube part side member 31, and the engagement protrusion 32d is provided in the supply pipe side member 32, it is not restricted to this, The hollow tube part side The engagement protrusion 31d of the member 31 may be omitted, or the engagement protrusion 32d of the supply pipe side member 32 may be omitted. Moreover, you may provide an engagement recessed part etc. instead of the engagement protrusions 31d and 32d.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although water is supplied with the supply pipe | tube 20, it is not restricted to this, Tea, juice, etc. may be sufficient and various liquids with a viscosity higher than water may be sufficient. However, it may be a liquid food.

  FIG. 5 is a graph showing the results of actually measuring the swallowing tongue pressure using the swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 1 according to the example of the present invention. The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 5 indicates time (seconds), and the vertical axis indicates the pressure (kPa) detected by the pressure detector 15a. 0 kPa on the vertical axis is the reference pressure. That is, the reference pressure may be atmospheric pressure. For example, when the inside of the swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 1 is pressurized to a predetermined pressure by a pressurizing device (not shown), the predetermined pressure is the reference pressure. Become.

  The swallowing tongue pressure measuring device 15 is a device as disclosed in Patent Document 1, and a device configured to be able to obtain pressure numerically is used. The pressurizing device may be built in or connected to the swallowing tongue pressure measuring device 15. In this case, the pressure in the swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe 1 is increased by the pressurizing device until the predetermined pressure is reached. I can keep it. The fluid supplied through the supply pipe 20 is water. The subject is an adult male and a healthy person.

  As shown in FIG. 5, there are three to four pressure peaks in about 5 seconds, and the number of peaks coincides with the number of swallows. Moreover, since water is supplied to the oral cavity every time the swallowing operation is performed, the measurement subject can naturally perform the swallowing operation, and the pressure at the peak time is about 11 kPa at the highest.

  On the other hand, Comparative Example 1 shown in FIG. 6 is a case of swallowing in which the swallowing operation is performed in a state where there is no thing that can be swallowed in the oral cavity, and the probe is the same as the probe main body 10 of Embodiment 1 and supplied. Tube 20 was omitted. The person to be measured is the same as in the example. The horizontal axis and the vertical axis are the same as those in the graph shown in FIG.

  In the case of this swallowing, since there is nothing that can be swallowed in the oral cavity, the measurement subject must apply a strong force to perform an unnatural swallowing operation, and therefore, as shown in FIG. However, it is significantly higher than that of the embodiment, and is about 16 kPa. In addition, the pressure waveform has a distorted shape as compared with the example, and it can be seen that this is an unnatural swallowing action.

  Comparative Example 2 shown in FIG. 7 is a case of swallowing and swallowing in which a small amount of water is injected into the oral cavity in a state where the balloon 12a of Embodiment 1 is inserted into the oral cavity and placed on the tongue, and the probe Is the same as the probe main body 10 of the first embodiment, and the supply pipe 20 is omitted. The person to be measured is the same as in the example. The horizontal axis and the vertical axis are the same as those in the graph shown in FIG.

  In the case of this swallowing and swallowing, the person to be measured becomes an unnatural swallowing motion. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the peak pressure is about 10 kPa. Moreover, the pressure waveform is not continuous. This is because, when the tongue pressure measurement is performed once, preparation work of injecting water into the oral cavity is necessary, and therefore the tongue pressure during swallowing could not be continuously measured a plurality of times.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in Comparative Example 1, the tongue pressure during swallowing is close to the maximum tongue pressure and the subject is burdened, whereas in the example, the subject undergoes a swallowing action naturally. It can be seen that the tongue pressure during swallowing can be obtained accurately and stably.

(Embodiment 2)
9 to 11 relate to a second embodiment of the present invention, which is different from that of the first embodiment only in the structure of the fixing member, and other parts are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and parts different from those in the first embodiment will be described in detail.

  The fixing member 40 according to the second embodiment includes a single part in which a portion 41 that grips the hollow tube portion 11 of the probe main body 10 and a portion 42 that grips the supply tube 20 are integrally formed. That is, the fixing member 40 is curved and extends in an arc shape so as to follow the outer peripheral surface of the hollow tube portion 11, and plate-shaped hollow tube portion side holding portions 41a and 41a for holding the outer peripheral surface from both radial sides. And plate-shaped supply pipe side gripping portions 42a, 42a that extend in a circular arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the supply pipe 20 and grip the outer peripheral surface from both radial sides.

  In the second embodiment, the supply pipe 20 is only gripped by the supply pipe side gripping portions 42a and 42a. Therefore, by applying a force in the axial direction, the supply pipe 20 is axially oriented with respect to the supply pipe side gripping portions 42a and 42a. Can be displaced. Furthermore, since the hollow tube portion 11 of the probe body 10 is only held by the hollow tube portion side holding portions 41a, 41a, the hollow tube portion 11 is held by the hollow tube portion side by applying a force in the axial direction. The portions 41a and 41a can be displaced in the axial direction.

  In the case of the second embodiment as well, since the supply tube 20 is provided as in the first embodiment, it is possible to accurately and stably obtain the tongue pressure during swallowing when the person being measured 100 is performing a swallowing action naturally. And the burden on the person being measured 100 can be reduced. Furthermore, the tongue pressure during swallowing can be measured continuously several times.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments, only one supply pipe 20 is provided. For example, when two supply pipes 20 are provided, it is preferable to arrange the supply pipes 20 on both sides of the balloon 12a.

  In the first and second embodiments, the fixing members 30 and 40 are resin molded products. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the supply tube 20 is fixed to the hollow tube portion 11 with, for example, an adhesive tape, a binding band, a string, or the like. It may be.

  Although not shown, a fixing member configured to sandwich the probe body 10 and the supply pipe 20 from both sides in the radial direction may be used. In this case, for example, a concave portion into which the probe main body 10 is fitted and a concave portion into which the supply pipe 20 is fitted are formed in two members, and the probe main body 10 and the supply pipe 20 are sandwiched by combining the two members. It becomes possible. Further, the two members may be separate members, or may be integrally formed so as to be opened and closed via a thin hinge or the like.

  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 swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe according to the present invention can be used when, for example, an elderly person or the like measures tongue pressure when performing a swallowing operation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe 12a for swallowing tongue pressure measurement Balloon 11 Hollow tube part 15 Swallowing tongue pressure measuring device 15a Pressure detection part 20 Supply pipe 23 Deformation allowance part 30 Fixing member 31 Hollow pipe part side member 31b Hollow pipe part side grip Part 31d engagement protrusion (engagement part)
32 Supply pipe side member 32b Supply pipe side gripping part 32d Engaging protrusion (engaging part)
40 fixing member 41a hollow tube side gripping portion 42a supply tube side gripping portion

Claims (8)

A balloon made of an elastic material that is inserted into the oral cavity of the subject to measure tongue pressure during swallowing;
A hollow tube portion to which the balloon is connected,
In the probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing, wherein the hollow tube portion is connected to a pressure detection unit that detects a pressure change of the gas in the balloon,
A probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing, comprising a supply tube for supplying a fluid into the oral cavity of a measurement subject. The probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing according to claim 1,
A probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing, comprising a fixing member for fixing the supply tube to the hollow tube portion. The probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing according to claim 2,
The swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe is characterized in that an end of the supply tube on the inner side of the oral cavity is disposed on the side of the balloon. The swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe according to claim 2 or 3,
The swallowing tongue pressure measuring probe is characterized in that an end portion on the inner side of the oral cavity of the supply tube is disposed closer to the proximal end side than the distal end portion in the insertion direction of the balloon in the oral cavity. In the probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The fixing member includes a hollow tube portion side member fixed to the hollow tube portion, and a supply tube side member fixed to the supply tube,
A probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing, wherein the supply tube side member is attached to a side portion of the hollow tube side member. In the probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing according to claim 5,
Swallowing, characterized in that at least one of the hollow tube side member and the supply tube side member is provided with a plurality of engaging portions that are engaged with each other in the axial direction of the supply tube. Probe for measuring tongue pressure. In the probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A probe for measuring tongue pressure during swallowing, characterized in that a deformation allowing portion for bending and deforming the supply tube is provided at an intermediate portion of the supply tube.   A swallowing tongue pressure measurement probe according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the swallowing tongue pressure measurement probe has a pressure detection unit that detects a pressure change of the gas in the balloon. apparatus.

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