JP2022135811A - Infectious disease prevention device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an infectious disease prevention device that can prevent infectious diseases due to airborne infection and droplet infection.SOLUTION: An infectious disease prevention device includes: an air intake part 20 including an air intake port 25 for sucking air; a heat processing part 40 for processing the air sucked from the air intake part 20 with heat while causing the air to pass therethrough; a cooling part 60 for cooling the air processed with heat by the heat processing part 40; a supplying part 30 including a supplying port 35 for supplying the air cooled by the cooling part 60 to a user; an air supplying device 70 for supplying air so as to cause the air to pass the air intake part 20 through to the supplying part 30; and a control unit 80. The heat processing part 40 includes: a heating part 50 for heating air; and an air supplying processing part 55 for supplying the air heated by the heating part 50 toward the cooling part 60 while further heating the air and/or insulating heat of the air. The control unit 80 controls the heat processing part 40 and the air supplying device 70 to be driven so as to meet heat processing conditions including a processing temperature and processing time for sterilizing or inactivating pathogens contained in the air.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an infectious disease preventive device for preventing infectious diseases caused by airborne infection and droplet infection.

It is known that when an infected person infected with pathogens such as bacteria and viruses breathes, talks, coughs, sneezes, etc., droplets containing many pathogens scatter around the infected person. Depending on the size of the particles and the air currents in the room, the range of these droplets can reach several meters. In addition, pathogen cores (droplet nuclei) formed by drying droplets are small particles, so they may float indoors for several hours or more without immediately depositing on the floor.

When another person inhales droplets or droplet nuclei containing such pathogens, the inhaled person is also infected with the pathogens. An infection route in which pathogens contained in droplets or droplet nuclei are inhaled is called airborne infection or droplet infection (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

It is said that wearing a mask by an infected person is effective in reducing the risk of infection due to airborne infection and droplet infection. However, since the mask covers the mouth and nose, it is difficult to wear the mask all the time because the mask may be removed when eating or drinking, or may be taken off due to suffocation. For this reason, it is difficult to reduce the risk of infection with masks alone.

Exhausting droplets and droplet nuclei outdoors by ventilating the room is also said to have a certain effect in reducing the risk of infection. However, even when ventilation is performed by opening the window, the amount of ventilation varies depending on the wind direction and speed of the outside air and the shape of the window.

It is said that installing an air purifier indoors and removing droplets and droplet nuclei with a filter is also effective in preventing airborne infection and droplet infection. However, the particle collection efficiency differs depending on the filter, and the effect may be small depending on the type of pathogen. Moreover, the filter is a consumable item, and requires maintenance such as filter replacement.

It is conceivable to disinfect pathogens using disinfectants such as antiviral agents, ozone, ultraviolet rays, and the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, some antiviral agents and the like are toxic to living organisms, and it is difficult to use them especially in closed spaces such as indoors and cars.

JP 2011-015618

On the other hand, disinfection or inactivation of pathogens by using heat is used, for example, for disinfection of medical instruments. Disinfection or inactivation of pathogens using heat has advantages such as no toxicity to living organisms unlike disinfectants and no need for maintenance such as filter replacement unlike air purifiers.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can be used during eating and drinking without covering the mouth and nose like a mask, and requires maintenance such as filter replacement like an air purifier. It is unnecessary and can disinfect or inactivate pathogens such as bacteria and viruses contained in droplet nuclei and droplets in the air without adversely affecting the living body like disinfectants. and to provide an infectious disease preventive device capable of preventing infectious diseases caused by droplet infection.

The infectious disease prevention device of the present invention is
an intake unit having an intake port for sucking air;
a heat treatment unit that performs heat treatment while passing the air sucked from the intake unit;
a cooling unit that cools the air that has been heat-treated in the heat-treating unit;
a supply unit having a supply port for supplying air cooled by the cooling unit to a user;
an air supply device that sends air so as to pass air from the intake unit to the supply unit;
a control unit that controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device;
with
The heat treatment unit is
a heating unit for heating air;
an air supply processing unit that sends the air heated by the heating unit toward the cooling unit while further heating and/or keeping the air warm;
has
The control unit controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device so as to satisfy heat treatment conditions including a treatment temperature and a treatment time for disinfecting or inactivating pathogens contained in the air.

According to the infectious disease prevention device of the present invention, it can be used even when eating and drinking without covering the mouth and nose like a mask, does not require maintenance such as filter replacement like an air purifier, and can be disinfected. It can disinfect or inactivate pathogens such as bacteria and viruses contained in droplet nuclei and droplets in the air without adversely affecting the living body like medicine, preventing infectious diseases caused by airborne and droplet infections. can do.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a user is using an infectious disease prevention device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a user is using the infectious disease prevention device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a modification of the infectious disease prevention device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a modification of the infectious disease prevention device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an infectious disease prevention device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the device main body. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heat treatment control system. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the user's activity level and respiratory rate. FIG. 9 is a table showing the relationship between the user's activity level (category) and the heat treatment mode recorded in the heat treatment mode criterion data. FIG. 10 is a table showing the relationship between the heat treatment mode recorded in the heat treatment mode control data, the treatment temperature, the treatment time, and the air supply amount. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a usage state of the infectious disease prevention device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an infectious disease prevention device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

An infectious disease prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:
an intake unit having an intake port for sucking air;
a heat treatment unit that performs heat treatment while passing the air sucked from the intake unit;
a cooling unit that cools the air that has been heat-treated in the heat-treating unit;
a supply unit having a supply port for supplying air cooled by the cooling unit to a user;
an air supply device that sends air so as to pass air from the intake unit to the supply unit;
a control unit that controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device;
with
The heat treatment unit is
a heating unit for heating air;
an air supply processing unit that sends the air heated by the heating unit toward the cooling unit while further heating and/or keeping the air warm;
has
The control unit controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device so as to satisfy heat treatment conditions including a treatment temperature and a treatment time for disinfecting or inactivating pathogens contained in the air (first configuration). ).

According to the above configuration, the air sucked by the intake section is heat-treated under predetermined heat-treatment conditions while passing through the heat-treatment section, so that droplet nuclei in the air and pathogens such as bacteria and viruses contained in the droplets are disinfected. or inactivated. The air heat-treated in the heat treatment section is cooled in the cooling section and then supplied to the user from the supply section.
For this reason, it can be used while eating and drinking without covering the mouth and nose like a mask, does not require maintenance such as filter replacement like an air purifier, and is effective against the body like a disinfectant. Pathogens such as bacteria and viruses contained in airborne droplet nuclei and droplets can be disinfected or inactivated without adverse effects, and infectious diseases caused by airborne and droplet infections can be prevented.

In the above first configuration,
The control unit
a heat treatment condition storage unit that stores a plurality of heat treatment conditions, including combinations of treatment temperatures and treatment times;
a drive control unit that controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device so as to satisfy a heat treatment condition selected from among the plurality of heat treatment conditions stored in the heat treatment condition storage unit;
(second configuration).

According to the above configuration, the control section controls driving of the heat treatment section and the air supply device so as to satisfy the selected heat treatment condition.
Therefore, when a heat treatment condition in which the treatment temperature is relatively low and the treatment time is relatively long is selected, it is possible to supply heat-treated air while suppressing energy consumption.
In addition, when heat treatment conditions are selected in which the treatment temperature is relatively high and the treatment time is relatively short, the time required for the heat treatment can be shortened, and the supply amount of heat-treated air can be increased.

In the above second configuration,
further comprising an activity information acquisition unit that acquires activity information that is information about the user's activity level;
The heat treatment condition storage unit stores a plurality of heat treatment modes including combinations of heat treatment conditions and air supply amounts,
Based on the activity information acquired by the activity information acquisition unit, the control unit performs heat treatment with an air supply amount corresponding to the user's activity level among the plurality of heat treatment modes stored in the heat treatment condition storage unit. It further has a heat treatment mode determination unit that selects a mode,
The drive control unit
Driving of the heat treatment section and the air supply device may be controlled so that the heat treatment mode selected by the heat treatment mode determination section is executed (third configuration).

According to the above configuration, the control unit acquires the activity information regarding the activity level of the user, and drives the heat treatment unit and the air supply device so as to execute the heat treatment mode in which the amount of air supplied is in accordance with the activity level of the user. to control.
Therefore, the amount of air supply can be changed according to the activity level of the user.
Accordingly, if the user's activity level is low and the required air supply is relatively small, the flow rate of air passing through the heat treatment section can be reduced, so that the treatment temperature is relatively low and the treatment time is relatively long. Energy consumption can be suppressed by selecting heat treatment conditions.
In addition, when the user's activity level is high and the required amount of air supply is relatively large, it is necessary to increase the flow rate of air passing through the heat treatment unit. Conditions can be selected to increase the air flow rate.

In the above first to third configurations,
The air supply processing unit may be provided with a plurality of bent portions (fourth configuration).

According to the above configuration, since the air supply processing section is provided with a plurality of bent portions, the air passing through the air supply processing section is agitated and heat-treated so that the temperature becomes uniform.
Therefore, bacteria, viruses, etc. contained in the air can be uniformly and reliably disinfected or inactivated.

In any one of the first to fourth configurations,
The cooling unit may supply the air supplied from the heat treatment unit toward the supply unit while radiating the heat (fifth configuration).

According to the above configuration, the cooling section supplies the air heated by the heat treatment section toward the supply section while radiating the heat.
Therefore, the heat-treated air can be efficiently radiated and cooled in the cooling section, and the cooled, heat-treated air can be supplied from the supply section toward the user.

In any one of the first to fifth configurations,
a housing that accommodates the heating unit and the air supply processing unit and is configured to be portable by a user;
a support part that is mounted near the user's head and supports the intake part and/or the supply part near the user's face;
may be further provided (sixth configuration).

According to the above configuration, the user can carry the housing, and the intake section and/or the supply section are supported by the support section worn near the user's head.
For this reason, the user can use the infectious disease prevention device not only in a resting state, but also while walking or working. It can be carried out.

In any one of the first to fifth configurations,
The heating unit and the air supply processing unit are installed inside or outside a closed space into which a user can enter,
The suction unit sucks air inside or outside the closed space,
The supply unit may supply the air processed by the heat treatment unit and the cooling unit into the closed space (seventh configuration).

According to the above configuration, the intake section sucks air inside or outside the closed space, and the supply section supplies the air processed by the heat treatment section and the cooling section into the closed space.
Therefore, heat-treated air in which pathogens such as bacteria and viruses are disinfected or inactivated can be supplied into the closed space, and infectious diseases caused by airborne infection and droplet infection in the closed space can be prevented.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, the infectious disease prevention device 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated. In addition, in order to make the description easier to understand, in the drawings referred to below, the configuration is shown in a simplified or schematic form, or some constituent members are omitted. Also, the dimensional ratios between the constituent members shown in each drawing do not necessarily indicate the actual dimensional ratios.

[overall structure]
First, the overall configuration of the infectious disease prevention device 100 will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a user 300 is using an infectious disease prevention device 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a user 300 is using the infectious disease prevention device 100. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the infectious disease prevention device 100 includes a device main body 10, an intake section 20, and a supply section 30, and is configured to be carried by a user 300 for use. The apparatus main body 10 has a size that can be carried by the user 300 , and the intake section 20 and the supply section 30 are arranged near the head 310 of the user 300 .

Air near the face 320 of the user 300 is sucked from the suction unit 20 . The sucked air is sent to the device main body 10 . In the apparatus main body 10, the sent air is heat-treated under predetermined heat-treatment conditions. By heat-treating the air, droplet nuclei in the air and pathogens such as bacteria and viruses contained in the droplets can be disinfected or inactivated. After the heat-treated air is cooled, it is sent to the supply unit 30 and supplied to the vicinity of the face 320 of the user 300 . By ventilating outside air (non-heat-treated air) around the mouth and nose of the user 300 to the heat-treated air, the user 300 can inhale the heat-treated air while hardly inhaling the outside air. can. Therefore, the risk of infection due to airborne infection and droplet infection can be reduced. It should be noted that not all the outside air around the mouth and nose of the user 300 may be ventilated with the heat-treated air. By reducing the amount of outside air inhaled, the risk of infection from airborne and droplet infections can be reduced.

The housing 11 of the device main body 10 is provided with belts 13 to be hung on both shoulders, so that the user 300 can use the infectious disease prevention device 100 while carrying the device main body 10 on the back. Therefore, the user 300 can use the infectious disease prevention device 100 not only in a resting state, but also while walking, working, etc., and various infections can be prevented while preventing infectious diseases caused by airborne infection and droplet infection. can carry out activities. Note that the carrying means is not limited to the means carried by the user 300, and may be worn on the shoulder like a shoulder bag or carried by hand as baggage. Alternatively, it may be mounted on a moving object such as an automobile or a wheelchair that moves together with the user 300 .

The intake section 20 has a collection section 21 and an intake pipe 23 . The intake pipe 23 extends from the device main body 10 toward the face 320 of the user 300 . The collection part 21 is provided at the end of the intake pipe 23 . The collection unit 21 is provided with an intake port 25 to suck in the air around the mouth and nose of the user 300 . The air sucked from the collecting portion 21 is sent to the device main body 10 via the suction pipe 23 .

The supply section 30 has a delivery section 31 and a supply pipe 33 . The supply pipe 33 extends from the device main body 10 toward the face 320 of the user 300 and is supported by the support portion 15 . The delivery part 31 is provided at the end of the supply pipe 33 . The delivery part 31 is provided with a supply port 35 , and the air that has been heat-treated and cooled in the apparatus main body 10 is supplied from the supply port 35 to the vicinity of the mouth and nose of the user 300 .

The support portion 15 that supports the supply portion 30 is of headphone type and has a housing 16 and a headband 17 . A pair of housings 16 are arranged on the sides of the user's 300 head. The headband 17 is a member that connects the pair of housings 16 , and is a member that lightly presses the pair of housings 16 against the head 310 of the user 300 to fix them to the head 310 . Supply pipe 33 is supported by housing 16 .

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a modification of the infectious disease prevention device. FIG. 3a is a front view of the support portion 15A, and FIG. 3b is a rear view of the support portion 15A. As shown in Figures 3a and 3b, in this variant the support 15A forms part of the supply 30A. The support portion 15A has housings 16R, 16L and a headband 17A. Housings 16R, 16L and headband 17A are hollow and communicate internally. A supply pipe 33A extending from the device main body 10 is connected to one housing 16R. A delivery portion 31A is provided in the housing 16R, and a first supply port 351 for supplying air is provided at the tip of the delivery portion 31A. A plurality of second supply ports 352 are provided in the headband 17A.

A switching valve (not shown) is provided in the housing 16R, and by operating the switching valve, the air heat-treated in the apparatus main body 10 can be supplied from either the first supply port 351 or the second supply port 352. can be switched to By operating a switching valve, it may be possible to supply from both the first supply port 351 and the second supply port 352 .

Air from first supply port 351 is mainly supplied toward the mouth and nose of user 300 . The air from the second supply port 352 can be supplied so as to spread over the front surface of the face 320 of the user 300, for example.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another modification of the infectious disease prevention device. As shown in FIG. 4, in this modification, the suction section 20B is supported by the support section 15B, and the support section 15B constitutes a part of the supply section 30B. The support portion 15B has a substantially U-shape so that it can be hung from the back of the user's 300 neck. The inside of the support portion 15B is hollow.

An intake pipe 23B extending from the device main body 10 extends toward the face 320 of the user 300 while being supported by the support portion 15B. A collection portion 21B is provided at the end of the intake pipe 23B, and air near the mouth and nose of the user 300 is sucked from the intake port 25B of the collection portion 21B. The air sucked from the collecting portion 21B is sent to the device main body 10 via the suction pipe 23B.

A supply pipe 33B extending from the device main body 10 is connected to the support portion 15B. The support portion 15B is provided with a plurality of supply ports 35B. The air heat-treated in the apparatus main body 10 is supplied from the plurality of supply ports 35B so as to spread over the front surface of the face 320 of the user 300. As shown in FIG.

[Structure of each part]
Next, the configuration of each part of the infectious disease prevention device 100 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the infectious disease prevention device 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 , the infectious disease prevention device 100 includes a device main body 10 , an intake section 20 , a supply section 30 and an activity information acquisition section 110 . The device main body 10 includes a housing 11 , a heat treatment section 40 , a cooling section 60 , an air supply device 70 , a control section 80 and a power supply device 90 .

The housing 11 accommodates the heat treatment section 40, the air supply device 70, the control section 80, and the power supply device 90 inside. The cooling unit 60 is arranged outside the housing 11 . Activity information acquisition unit 110 may be attached to user 300 separately from device body 10 , or may be provided inside or outside housing 11 .

As described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the suction unit 20 is a portion that is installed near the head 310 of the user 300 and sucks air from its surroundings. The intake section 20 has a collecting section 21 , an intake pipe 23 and an intake port 25 . Air is sucked from the intake port 25 by the suction force of the air supply device 70 and sent to the thermal processing section 40 via the intake pipe 23 .

The thermal processing unit 40 is a portion that thermally processes the air sucked from the intake unit 20 while allowing the air to pass therethrough. Heat treatment is performed based on heat treatment conditions including treatment temperature and treatment time to disinfect or inactivate airborne pathogens. Heat treatment conditions vary depending on the type of pathogen, but for certain viruses, for example, it is said that infectivity can be inactivated by heat treatment at 70° C. for 5 minutes or 100° C. for 2 minutes. By heat-treating the air based on such heat-treating conditions, pathogens contained in the air can be disinfected or inactivated. Among heat treatment conditions, temperature conditions such as 70° C. and 100° C. are treated as treatment temperatures, and time conditions such as 5 minutes and 2 minutes are treated as treatment times.

The heat treatment conditions of 70° C. for 5 minutes or 100° C. for 2 minutes are examples, and the combination of the treatment temperature and the treatment time is not limited to this. can be shortened. Further, in contrast to the heat treatment conditions of 70° C. and 5 minutes, there is no problem in terms of the effect of the heat treatment if the treatment time is lengthened, as in the case of performing the heat treatment at 70° C. for 10 minutes.

The heat treatment section 40 has a heating section 50 and an air supply processing section 55 . The heating portion 50 is a portion that heats the air sucked from the intake portion 20 . The heating unit 50 includes, for example, a coil and a metal plate that are resistively heated by energization, and heats the heated coil and metal plate by bringing air into contact with the coil and the metal plate. The heating unit 50 heats the air to a treatment temperature of preset heat treatment conditions. The heating unit 50 may be provided at one location, or may be distributed at a plurality of locations to gradually raise the temperature of the air. Also, the heating unit 50 may be provided inside the air supply processing unit 55 .

The air supply processor 55 heats the air by sending the air heated by the heating unit 50 to the downstream cooling unit 60 over time while keeping it warm. Since the air supply processing unit 55 performs heat treatment while allowing air to pass through, the time required for passing air is set to be equal to or longer than the processing time of the heat treatment conditions. Specifically, the volume of the air flow path of the air supply processing unit 55 can be set based on the relationship between the air flow rate per unit time and the time required for the air to pass through (processing time).

For example, in order to supply 2 L (liter) or more of air per minute to the user 300 under the heat treatment condition of 70° C. for 5 minutes, the volume of the air supply processing section 55 needs to be set to 10 L or more. Further, in order to supply the user 300 with 10 L or more of air per minute under the heat treatment condition of 100° C. for 2 minutes, the volume of the air supply processing section 55 needs to be set to 20 L or more.

Conversely, when the volume of the air supply processing unit 55 is 20 L, the processing temperature of the heat treatment condition is 70° C., and 2 L of air per minute is supplied to the user 300, the air must pass through the air supply processing unit 55. The time required for this is 10 minutes, which satisfies the heat treatment conditions of 70° C. and 5 minutes. Therefore, for example, if the volume of the air supply processing unit 55 is 20 L, it is possible to supply 2 L of air per minute to the user 300 while satisfying the heat treatment conditions of 70° C. for 5 minutes. It is also possible to supply 10 L of air per minute to the user 300 while satisfying 100° C. for 2 minutes.

The air supply processing unit 55 is provided with a plurality of bent portions 56, and is configured to meander by bending the air flow path at a plurality of points. As a result, the air passing through the air supply processing unit 55 is agitated and heat-treated so that the temperature becomes uniform. Therefore, bacteria, viruses, etc. contained in the air can be uniformly and reliably disinfected or inactivated.

It should be noted that the air supply processing unit 55 not only keeps the air heated by the heating unit 50 and sends the air, but also provides the heating unit 50 in the middle of the air flow path to send the air while heating it. good.

The air supply processing unit 55 of this embodiment is configured such that the air flow path meanders by partitioning the inner space of the hollow processing body 57 with a partition plate 58. The air supply processing section 55 may be configured by bending.

The cooling section 60 is a heat exchanger that cools the air that has been heat-treated in the heat-treating section 40 . In this embodiment, the cooling unit 60 supplies the air supplied from the heat treatment unit 40 toward the supply unit 30 while radiating the heat. The cooling part 60 can be configured by bending a metal pipe, for example. Further, the cooling unit 60 may be composed of a plurality of pipes, and each pipe may be provided with radiation fins to improve the cooling efficiency.

The cooling means is not limited to natural cooling, and forced cooling means such as a fan or cooler may be used. Moreover, in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the cooling unit 60 , the cooling unit 60 is preferably arranged outside the housing 11 .

As described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply unit 30 is installed near the head 310 of the user 300 and supplies air cooled by the cooling unit 60 after the heat treatment to the user 300. is. The supply section 30 has a delivery section 31 , a supply pipe 33 and a supply port 35 . Air is supplied by an air supply device 70 and sent out from the supply port 35 .

The air supply device 70 is a device for sending air from the intake section 20 to the supply section 30 via the heat treatment section 40 and the cooling section 60 . For example, a fan can be used as the air supply device 70, but it is not limited to this. Although one air supply device 70 is provided in the middle of the intake pipe 23 in FIG. 5, the arrangement position and the number of arrangements are not limited. For example, the air supply device 70 may be arranged in the middle of the supply pipe 33 as well. Furthermore, the air flow rate may be adjusted by adjusting the output of the air supply device 70, or a valve or the like may be provided to adjust the air flow rate.

The air supply device 70 may not only supply air at a constant flow rate, but may also supply air pulsatingly or intermittently. For example, air may be supplied intermittently by repeating a process of sucking air into an air chamber provided in the air supply device and a process of discharging air from the air chamber. By supplying the heat-treated air to the user 300 by pulsating or intermittent air supply in this way, the flow velocity of the air supplied to the vicinity of the head 310 of the user 300 can be changed. It is possible to ventilate the surrounding outside air while agitating it.

The control unit 80 controls the driving of the heat treatment unit 40 and the air supply device 70 so that the heat treatment conditions for disinfecting or inactivating pathogens contained in the air are satisfied and the air is heat treated. In addition, based on the activity information about the activity level of the user 300 acquired by the activity information acquisition unit 110, the control unit 80 performs heat treatment by changing the heat treatment conditions, and changes the amount of air supply so that the heat treatment unit 40 and It controls the driving of the air supply device 70 . The configuration of the control unit 80 will be described later in detail.

The power supply device 90 supplies power for driving the heat treatment section 40 , the air supply device 70 and the control section 80 .

The activity information acquisition unit 110 acquires activity information, which is information about the activity level of the user 300 . The activity level of the user 300 refers to the activity state of the user 300, such as lying down, sitting, standing, or walking. In this embodiment, the activity level of the user 300 is divided into six categories.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the activity level of the user 300 changes, the amount of air breathed per unit time (breathing amount) also changes. Based on the activity information acquired by the activity information acquisition unit 110, the infectious disease prevention device 100 according to the present embodiment automatically reduces the amount of air supply when the user 300 has a low activity level and a small breathing volume, It is configured to automatically increase the amount of air supply when the user 300 has a high activity level and a high respiratory rate.

The activity information acquired by the activity information acquisition unit 110 is information for determining to which of six categories the activity level of the user 300 belongs. The activity information includes, for example, biological information such as the number of times the user 300 breathes per unit time, heart rate, body temperature, and location information of the user 300 . These pieces of information can be acquired by a respiratory sensor, a heartbeat sensor, a body temperature sensor, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor, etc. that the user 300 can wear. Detection signals detected by various sensors of the activity information acquisition unit 110 are input to the control unit 80 .

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the apparatus main body 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6 , the housing 11 accommodates therein the thermal processing section 40 (the heating section 50 and the air supply processing section 55 ), the air supply device 70 , the control section 80 , and the power supply device 90 . The cooling unit 60 is arranged outside the housing 11 . The housing 11 is configured so that the user 300 can carry it on his back. Therefore, the intake pipe 23 and the supply pipe 33 are provided in the upper part of the housing 11 near the head 310 of the user 300 . Also, the heating unit 50 is provided in the upper part of the housing 11 , and the air supply processing unit 55 is arranged below the heating unit 50 . Therefore, the cooling unit 60 is connected to the air supply processing unit 55 in the lower part of the housing 11, and can be arranged from the lower part of the housing 11 toward the upper part through the side part. can be lengthened to increase cooling capacity.

[Heat treatment control system]
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heat treatment control system 200. As shown in FIG. The heat treatment control system 200 is a system that controls the operation of the infectious disease prevention device 100 . FIG. 7 shows a configuration of the heat treatment control system 200 for controlling the heating temperature and heating time in the heat treatment and the amount of air supplied to the user 300 . The heat treatment control system 200 includes an activity information acquisition section 110 , a control section 80 , a heat treatment section 40 (heating section 50 and air supply processing section 55 ), and an air supply device 70 .

Activity information acquisition unit 110 has a respiration sensor and a heart rate sensor. Detection signals from the respiration sensor and the heart rate sensor are input to the control section 80 . The control unit 80 calculates the respiratory rate and the heart rate based on the detection signals from the respiratory sensor and the heart rate sensor, and controls the heat processing unit 40 (heating 50 , air supply processing unit 55 ), and air supply device 70 are controlled.

The heat treatment section 40 and the air supply device 70 are connected to the control section 80 . The control unit 80 controls the heating unit 50 and the air supply processing unit 55 that constitute the heat treatment unit 40, and controls the air supply device 70 to adjust the processing temperature and processing time for the heat treatment of the air, and the user 300. Controls the amount of air supplied.

The control unit 80 includes a heat treatment condition storage unit 81 , a heat treatment mode determination unit 83 and a drive control unit 85 .

The heat treatment condition storage unit 81 stores data regarding the operation of the heat treatment unit 40 and the air supply device 70 . The heat treatment condition storage unit 81 stores heat treatment mode determination reference data DE1 and heat treatment mode control data DE2.

Based on the activity information of the user 300, criteria for determining the activity level of the user 300 and criteria for determining the heat treatment mode according to the activity level are recorded in the heat treatment mode determination criteria data DE1. (See FIG. 9).

The heat treatment mode control data DE2 stores a plurality of heat treatment modes in which heat treatment conditions (treatment temperature, treatment time) and air supply rates are combined. The heat treatment mode control data DE2 also records data for controlling the driving of the heat treatment section 40 and the air supply device 70 so as to satisfy the heat treatment conditions corresponding to the determined heat treatment mode (see FIG. 10). .

The heat treatment mode determination unit 83 refers to the heat treatment mode determination reference data DE1 stored in the heat treatment condition storage unit 81, and based on the respiratory rate and heart rate of the user 300 calculated from the activity information, The activity level (six categories in FIG. 8) is determined, and the air supply amount and heat treatment mode corresponding to the activity level are selected.

Here, the six-level categories in FIG. 8 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the activity level and respiratory rate of the user 300, and is shown in "Respiratory rate and life time of Japanese people by behavior" by the Radon Concentration Measurement and Dose Evaluation Committee (1998) of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences. It is quoted from As shown in FIG. 8, respiratory rate (volume of air per hour) increases with increasing activity level from category 1 (I) (sleep and restful lying) to category 6 (VI) brisk walking). At this time, as the user's 300 activity level increases, the user's 300 breathing rate and heart rate also increase. Based on this relationship, the heat treatment mode determination unit 83 determines the activity level of the user 300 (six levels of categories in FIG. 8) based on the respiratory rate and heart rate of the user 300 calculated from the activity information. A heat treatment mode serving as an air supply amount and heat treatment conditions corresponding to the activity level is selected based on the heat treatment mode determination reference data DE1 (FIG. 9).

Returning to FIG. 7, the drive control unit 85 refers to the heat treatment mode control data DE2 stored in the heat treatment condition storage unit 81 so that the air is heat treated in the heat treatment mode selected by the heat treatment mode determination unit 83. Secondly, it controls the driving of the heat treatment section 40 and the air supply device 70 .

FIG. 9 is a table showing the relationship between the activity level (category) of the user 300 and the heat treatment mode recorded in the heat treatment mode determination reference data DE1. In FIG. 9, the activity level of the user 300 determined from the activity information (biological information such as respiratory rate, heart rate, and body temperature) acquired by the activity information acquisition unit 110 (six levels of categories in FIG. 8), and corresponding The relationship with the heat treatment mode is shown.

If the activity level of the user 300 is determined to be category 1 (I) or category 2 (II) in FIG. 8 based on the activity information acquired by the activity information acquisition unit 110, the corresponding heat treatment mode is determined to be "weak". be done. Similarly, if the user's 300 activity level is determined to be Category 3 (III) or Category 4 (IV) in FIG. If category 5 (V) or category 6 (VI) in FIG. 8 is determined, the corresponding heat treatment mode is determined as "high".

FIG. 10 is a table showing the relationship between the heat treatment mode recorded in the heat treatment mode control data DE2, the treatment temperature, the treatment time, and the air supply amount.

As shown in FIG. 10, the heat treatment conditions (treatment temperature/treatment time) corresponding to the heat treatment mode "weak" are 70° C. and 5 minutes, and the air supply amount is "small". The reason why the amount of air supply is "small" is that the heat treatment mode "weak" corresponds to category 1 (I) or category 2 (II) of the activity level of the user 300, and the amount of air supplied is This is because it may be less. In addition, if the air supply amount is "small", heat treatment can be performed over time in the heat treatment unit 40 (heating unit 50 and air supply processing unit 55), so heat treatment conditions (70° C., 5 minutes) with relatively low power consumption. The air is heat-treated in

The heat treatment conditions (treatment temperature/treatment time) corresponding to the heat treatment mode "medium" are 100° C. and 2 minutes, and the air supply rate is "medium". The reason why the amount of air supplied is "medium" is that the heat treatment mode "medium" corresponds to category 3 (III) or category 4 (IV) of the activity level of the user 300, and the amount of air supplied is , should be more than the heat treatment mode "weak". In addition, when the air supply amount is "medium", it is necessary to perform heat treatment in a short time in the heat treatment unit 40 (heating unit 50 and air supply processing unit 55). minutes) to heat the air.

The heat treatment conditions (treatment temperature/treatment time) corresponding to the heat treatment mode “strong” are 100° C. and 2 minutes, and the air supply rate is “strong”. The reason why the amount of air supply is "large" is that the heat treatment mode "strong" corresponds to category 5 (V) or category 6 (VI) of the activity level of the user 300, and the amount of air supplied is , should be greater than the heat treatment mode "medium". In addition, when the amount of air supply becomes “large”, it is necessary to perform heat treatment in a short time in the heat treatment section 40 (heating section 50 and air supply processing section 55). minutes) to heat the air.

[Effect of Embodiment 1]
According to the infectious disease prevention device 100 according to the first embodiment described above, the air sucked by the air intake unit 20 is heat-treated under predetermined heat treatment conditions while passing through the heat treatment unit 40, thereby producing droplet nuclei in the air. Pathogens such as bacteria and viruses contained in droplets are disinfected or inactivated. The air that has been heat-treated by the heat-treating section 40 is cooled by the cooling section and then supplied from the supply section 30 to the user 300 .
For this reason, it can be used while eating and drinking without covering the mouth and nose like a mask, does not require maintenance such as filter replacement like an air purifier, and is effective against the body like a disinfectant. Pathogens such as bacteria and viruses contained in airborne droplet nuclei and droplets can be disinfected or inactivated without adverse effects, and infectious diseases caused by airborne and droplet infections can be prevented.

Further, the control unit 80 acquires activity information related to the activity level of the user 300 and drives the heat treatment unit 40 and the air supply device 70 so as to satisfy the heat treatment condition that the amount of air supplied according to the activity level of the user 300 is satisfied. to control. Therefore, the amount of air supply can be changed according to the user's 300 activity level.
As a result, when the activity level of the user 300 is low and the required amount of air supply is relatively small, the flow rate of air passing through the thermal processing unit 40 can be reduced, so the processing temperature is relatively low and the processing time is relatively low. Energy consumption can be suppressed by selecting heat treatment conditions that are relatively long.
Further, when the activity level of the user 300 is high and the required amount of air supply is relatively large, it is necessary to increase the flow rate of the air passing through the heat treatment section 40, so the processing temperature is relatively high and the processing time is relatively high. Short heat treatment conditions can be selected to increase the air flow rate.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, an infectious disease prevention device 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a usage state of the infectious disease prevention device 100A according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the infectious disease preventive device 100A differs from the infectious disease preventive device 100 of the first embodiment in that heat-treated air is supplied into the closed space 400. FIG. Differences from the infectious disease prevention device 100 of the first embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 11 shows a state in which the user 300 is inside the closed space 400 and the air heat-treated by the infectious disease prevention device 100A is being supplied to the user 300 inside the closed space 400 . The infectious disease prevention device 100A includes a device main body 410 , an intake section 420 and a supply section 430 .

The infectious disease prevention device 100A is configured to be used while being stationary on a floor surface or the like. The device main body 410 and the intake section 420 are arranged outside the closed space 400 , and the supply section 430 is arranged near the head 310 of the user 300 inside the closed space 400 . The intake section 420 sucks air from outside the closed space 400 , and the supply section 430 supplies the air heat-treated in the apparatus main body 410 into the closed space 400 .

In this embodiment, the supply unit 430 supplies air to the vicinity of the lying user 300, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the supply unit 430 may be provided on a chair in the room.

Although the device body 410 is arranged outside the closed space 400 in this embodiment, the device body 410 may be arranged inside the closed space 400 . For example, if the closed space 400 is the interior of an automobile, the apparatus body 410 may be installed inside the automobile. Also, the air intake unit 420 may be installed inside the closed space 400 instead of outside the closed space 400 . For example, when the closed space 400 is the interior of a taxi, the device main body 410, the air intake unit 420, and the supply unit 430 are installed in the taxi, and the supply unit 430 is installed in the partition panel in the passenger cabin, and the heat treatment is provided to the passengers and crew. Spent air may be supplied.

The power supply device for driving the apparatus main body 410 may be a built-in power supply device, or an external commercial power supply may be used.

[Effect of Embodiment 2]
According to the infectious disease prevention apparatus 100A according to the second embodiment described above, the intake unit 420 sucks the air inside or outside the closed space 400, and the supply unit 430 installs the heat treatment unit and the cooling unit in the closed space 400. supply treated air.
Therefore, heat-treated air in which pathogens such as bacteria and viruses are disinfected or inactivated can be supplied into the closed space 400, and infectious diseases caused by airborne infections and droplet infections in the closed space 400 can be prevented. can.

[Embodiment 3]
Next, an infectious disease prevention device 100B according to Embodiment 3 will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an infectious disease prevention device 100B according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The third embodiment differs from the infectious disease prevention device 100 of the first embodiment in that the air supply device 70B intermittently supplies heat-treated air to the user 300. FIG. Differences from the infectious disease prevention device 100 of the first embodiment will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 12, the infectious disease prevention device 100B includes a device body 10B, an intake section 20, a supply section 30, and an activity information acquisition section 110. As shown in FIG. The device main body 10 includes a housing 11B, a heat treatment section 40, a cooling section 60, an air supply device 70B, a control section 80, and a power supply device 90.

The air supply device 70</b>B has an air supply device main body 71 , a partition section 72 and a partition driving section 73 . An air chamber 74 is formed inside the air supply device main body 71 . The air chamber 74 is partitioned into a first air chamber 741 and a second air chamber 742 by the partition portion 72 . The partition portion 72 is arranged so as to be able to reciprocate inside the air chamber 74 , and the partition driving portion 73 reciprocates the partition portion 72 inside the air chamber 74 . The volumes of the first air chamber 741 and the second air chamber 742 are changed by reciprocating the partition portion 72 within the air chamber 74 by the partition driving portion 73 .

A first ventilation portion 751 and a second ventilation portion 752 are provided in the first air chamber 741 . A third ventilation section 753 and a fourth ventilation section 754 are provided in the second air chamber 742 . The first ventilation section 751 is connected to the intake section 20 , and the second ventilation section 752 is connected to the heating section 50 of the thermal processing section 40 . The third ventilation section 753 is connected to the air supply processing section 55 of the thermal processing section 40 , and the fourth ventilation section 754 is connected to the cooling section 60 .

Check valves 761, 762, 763, and 764 are provided in the first ventilation section 751, the second ventilation section 752, the third ventilation section 753, and the fourth ventilation section 754, respectively. The check valve 761 allows air intake into the first air chamber 741 and restricts exhaust to the outside of the first air chamber 741 . The check valve 762 allows exhaust to the outside of the first air chamber 741 and restricts intake into the first air chamber 741 . The check valve 763 allows intake into the second air chamber 742 and restricts exhaust to the outside of the second air chamber 742 . The check valve 764 allows exhaust to the outside of the second air chamber 742 and limits intake into the second air chamber 742 .

Therefore, in a state in which the partition portion 72 is moved to the right in the drawing to increase the volume of the first air chamber 741 and suck air into the first air chamber 741, outside air sucked from the air intake portion 20 is pushed into the first ventilation portion. 751 into the first air chamber 741 .

On the other hand, when the partition portion 72 is moved to the left in the drawing to reduce the volume of the first air chamber 741 and the air is exhausted from the first air chamber 741, the air in the first air chamber 741 is forced into the second ventilation portion 752. is supplied to the heating unit 50 via the

In addition, in a state in which the partition portion 72 is moved to the right in the drawing and the volume of the first air chamber 741 is increased, there is a state in which the volume of the second air chamber 742 is decreased and the inside of the second air chamber 742 is exhausted. Therefore, the air in the second air chamber 742 is supplied to the cooling section 60 via the fourth ventilation section 754 .

On the other hand, when the partition portion 72 is moved to the left in the figure and the volume of the first air chamber 741 is decreased, the volume of the second air chamber 742 increases and air is drawn into the second air chamber 742. Therefore, the air that has been heat-treated in the heat-treating section 40 is supplied into the second air chamber 742 through the third ventilation section 753 .

By reciprocating the partition 72 in the air chamber 74 in this way, the process of sucking air into the first air chamber 741 and the second air chamber 742 and the process of expelling air are alternately repeated. As a result, the heat-treated air is intermittently supplied to the user 300, the flow velocity of the air supplied to the vicinity of the head 310 of the user 300 can be changed, and the external air around the head 310 can be efficiently supplied. It can be ventilated.

[Modification]
The infectious disease prevention device according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, in the infectious disease prevention device 100 of Embodiment 1, the operation mode is automatically switched according to the activity level of the user 300, but even if the user 300 can manually select the operation mode good.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented by appropriately modifying the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

100 Infectious disease prevention device 20 intake unit 25 intake port 30 supply unit 35 supply port 40 heat treatment unit 50 heating unit 55 air supply processing unit 60 cooling unit 70 air supply device 80 control unit

Claims (7)

an intake unit having an intake port for sucking air;
a heat treatment unit that performs heat treatment while passing the air sucked from the intake unit;
a cooling unit that cools the air that has been heat-treated in the heat-treating unit;
a supply unit having a supply port for supplying air cooled by the cooling unit to a user;
an air supply device that sends air so as to pass air from the intake unit to the supply unit;
a control unit that controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device;
with
The heat treatment unit is
a heating unit for heating air;
an air supply processing unit that sends the air heated by the heating unit toward the cooling unit while further heating and/or keeping the air warm;
has
The control unit controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device so as to satisfy heat treatment conditions including a treatment temperature and a treatment time for disinfecting or inactivating pathogens contained in the air.
Infectious disease prevention device. The control unit
a heat treatment condition storage unit that stores a plurality of heat treatment conditions, including combinations of treatment temperatures and treatment times;
a drive control unit that controls driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device so as to satisfy a heat treatment condition selected from among the plurality of heat treatment conditions stored in the heat treatment condition storage unit;
having
The infectious disease prevention device according to claim 1. further comprising an activity information acquisition unit that acquires activity information that is information about the user's activity level;
The heat treatment condition storage unit stores a plurality of heat treatment modes including combinations of heat treatment conditions and air supply amounts,
Based on the activity information acquired by the activity information acquisition unit, the control unit performs heat treatment with an air supply amount corresponding to the user's activity level among the plurality of heat treatment modes stored in the heat treatment condition storage unit. It further has a heat treatment mode determination unit that selects a mode,
The drive control unit
controlling the driving of the heat treatment unit and the air supply device so that the heat treatment mode selected by the heat treatment mode determination unit is executed;
The infectious disease prevention device according to claim 2. The air supply processing unit is provided with a plurality of bent portions,
The infectious disease prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The cooling unit supplies the air supplied from the heat treatment unit toward the supply unit while dissipating heat.
The infectious disease prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. a housing that accommodates the heating unit and the air supply processing unit and is configured to be portable by a user;
a support part that is mounted near the user's head and supports the intake part and/or the supply part near the user's face;
further comprising
The infectious disease prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The heating unit and the air supply processing unit are installed inside or outside a closed space into which a user can enter,
The suction unit sucks air inside or outside the closed space,
The supply unit supplies air processed by the heat treatment unit and the cooling unit into the closed space,
The infectious disease prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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