JP3131597U - Respiratory test equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a breathing test apparatus for measuring the calorific value and breathing sound of exhaled air that changes according to inhalation and exhalation during breathing.
A breathing temperature is measured by attaching a sensing part 2 under the nostril by a headset 1 and measuring a change in the calorific value of the breath that changes with breathing as a voltage. Affix to the throat and measure. A sensing part 2 that senses the amount of heat of breathing during breathing, a removable connector 4 that extends from the sensing part 2, and a predetermined thermocouple wire that passes through the connector 4. A temperature compensator 5 having a temperature atmosphere, an amplifier circuit unit 6 for amplifying and shaping the signal of the sensing unit 2 and the respiratory sound signal of the micro microphone 38, and for converting the signal into a signal that can be received at a predetermined timing. Data logger 7 and a notebook personal computer or dedicated display device 8 that analyzes and displays this signal at an arbitrary timing.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a respiratory examination apparatus that measures the amount of exhaled heat and breathing sound that change due to inhalation and exhalation during breathing.

Respiration is different for each individual due to individual differences in lung function and throat bronchial structure.
To determine the presence or absence of respiratory disease and apnea syndrome, the individual's breathing rhythm, breathing pressure temporal variation, intake / exhaust calorie data, and breathing sound data can be utilized (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). reference).
These data are extremely effective and meaningful for detecting lung and bronchial diseases.
However, at present, special devices have been developed to measure respiratory status, respiratory disease, and apnea syndrome based on respiratory rhythm, temporal fluctuations in respiratory pressure, intake / exhaust calorie data, and respiratory sounds. No (see Patent Documents 3, 4 and 5).
In addition to conventional respiratory diagnosis, further data such as breathing rhythm, temporal variation of breathing pressure, heat data of breathing and breathing, lung function based on breathing sound, analysis of pharynx, breathing ability, etc. , By making it easy for anyone to acquire anytime with an inexpensive device, it is possible to increase the accuracy of diagnosis of respiratory diseases, and to cope with performance deterioration of the sensitive part due to changes over time by easy replacement of the sensitive part, Moreover, it is a problem that a plurality of subjects can use it for health management and preventive diagnosis in a safe and hygienic manner.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-177836 JP 63-11133 A JP 2002-272847 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 20001919328 JP 2006-167111 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a breathing test apparatus that is portable and is small in size, and measures the calorific value and breathing sound of an exhalation that changes due to inhalation and exhalation during breathing.

The breathing examination apparatus of the present invention has a headset that is fixed to the head for attaching a nostril pipe under the nostril, and a thermocouple or a thermocouple that has the same function and size as the thermocouple that senses the amount of heat of breathing during breathing. Sensitive part composed of a sensor capable of measuring temperature and a nostril pipe, a connector having a structure in which a thermocouple wire extending from the sensitive part can be removed and replaced, and a thermocouple wire from the connector A temperature compensator having a predetermined temperature atmosphere, a micro microphone attached near the nostril or near the throat, and measuring a breathing sound, and an expiration signal and a breathing sound signal of the micro microphone are amplified and shaped. An amplifier circuit unit, a data logger for converting the signals into signals that can be received by a notebook computer or a dedicated display device at a predetermined timing, and an arbitrary timing of the signals. Those with a laptop or a dedicated display device will be analyzed and displayed in grayed.
The sensor is a thermocouple having a diameter of 0.025 mm to 1.0 mm that can be heated to exhaled breath during one breath and then dissipated, or a temperature measurement having the same function and size as a thermocouple. Consists of possible sensors and nostril pipes.
When the thermocouple was used, a metal different from the thermocouple material was interposed between the thermocouple wires.
A temperature measuring part was formed by branching the thermocouple junction part into a plurality of parts, and attached to a nostril pipe set in the nostril.
Corrosion resistance was applied by metallizing or resin coating the exposed metal part of the thermocouple junction.

The respiratory test device of the present invention easily records respiratory disease data such as apnea syndrome such as patient lung function and bronchial health status by measuring respiratory rhythm, exhalation temperature change and respiratory sound. This information can be used as a material for accurate diagnosis.
In addition, the establishment of the correspondence between the obtained data and the disease will contribute to the promotion of accurate diagnostic medicine.
In addition, even if the disease does not occur, it is possible to record snoring data by recording exhalation and breathing sounds during sleep, so that it is possible to capture a sign of apnea syndrome, which is useful for health management and preventive medicine. I can do it.
In particular, by making this detection system a portable miniaturized device, it is possible to provide a low-reliability device that can be easily self-monitored by the general public whenever and wherever necessary.
In addition, by providing a connector in the middle of the lead wire extending from the sensitive part, the sensitive part can be easily replaced, and when the performance of the sensitive part is deteriorated due to changes over time, a plurality of subjects can use one device. It is possible to use it simply, safely and hygienically when measuring using the.

An embodiment of the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 (a) shows the overall configuration of the respiratory examination apparatus, which is a headset 1 of an elastic resin band formed in a U shape so that it can be closely attached to the head of a subject, and an open tip of the headset 1 A sensing part 2 extending from one end and provided near the nostril and a micro microphone 3 extending from the same one end and provided near the throat are fixed.
The respiratory data is measured by a sensor part 2 in which a thermocouple is attached to a resin nostril pipe (cannula) and a micro microphone 3 having a diameter of about 5 mm that is directly attached to the skin near the throat with an adhesive tape. .

A thermocouple wire extends from the sensing portion 2, and a connector 4 whose inner contact portion is plated with the same material as the thermocouple wire so that the sensing portion 2 can be removed and replaced; A temperature compensator 5 having a predetermined temperature atmosphere that allows the thermocouple wire from the connector 4 to pass through, and an amplifier circuit that amplifies and shapes a voltage as an expiration signal of the sensing unit 2 and a breathing sound signal of the micro microphone 3 Unit 6, data logger 7 that changes and stores the amplified signal into analyzable data, and a notebook computer or a dedicated display device that can analyze and display the signal sent from the data logger 7 at an arbitrary timing The whole is composed of eight.
The temperature compensator 5 causes the generation of an arbitrary reference temperature, such as 0 ° C. or near room temperature, or 50 to 100 ° C., to a constant temperature using a water holding container mixed with ice, a Peltier element, or a heater. .
Further, all of these devices can be separated into individual components, and can be carried in a special case so that they can be carried.
The notebook personal computer or the dedicated display device 8 has a dedicated program as clinical trial data so that it can compare the data of healthy subjects and subjects with respiratory diseases including apnea syndrome and detect a significant difference. Has been.
FIG. 1B shows an example in which the subject 9 uses the headset 1 to attach the sensing part 2 under the nostril and the micro microphone 3 near the throat.

FIG. 2 shows a tip structure of a thermocouple wire constituting the sensing part 2.
The sensor 2 is a thermocouple having a diameter of 0.025 mm to 1.0 mm that can be heated to exhaled breath during one breath and then dissipated, or a temperature having the same function and size as a thermocouple. It consists of a measurable sensor and a nostril pipe.
The tip of the thermocouple for directly measuring the temperature of the exhalation is a dissimilar metal 12 between the thermocouple wires in order to increase the thermoelectromotive force at the junction of the T-type thermocouple Cu wire 10 and NiCu wire 11 used as an example. And is welded.
The tip structure includes a branch, a ring, and a sandwich structure.

FIG. 3 shows a structure from the tip of the thermocouple wire constituting the sensing part 2 to the portion covered with the strand.
The portion 14 having no coating including the welded portion at the tip from the coating portion 13 that protects the thermocouple wire is all coated with a metal (Ni or Au) by plating or resin in order to prevent corrosion.

FIG. 4 shows, as an example, a structure in which the tip of the thermocouple constituting the sensing unit 2 is branched into three crotches in order to increase electromotive force and improve measurement accuracy.
Cu wire is used as a thermocouple wire composed of a combination of a T-type thermocouple wire Cu (copper) wire having a diameter of 0.025 mm to 1.0 mm and a NiCu wire (constantan wire) having a diameter of 0.025 mm to 1.0 mm. The three branches 15 and three branches 16 of the NiCu wire are made, and the thermocouple tips 17 are made to represent the structure for increasing the electromotive force and improving the measurement accuracy.
Note that the number of branching points is not limited to three, and a plurality of branches may be provided. The thermocouple tip is not limited to three, and may be as many as the number of branches.

FIG. 5 shows a structure in which the thermosensitive tip 18 is fixed to a nostril pipe (cannula) and the thermosensitive element wire is connected to a connector 19 so that the sensitive portion 18 can be removed and replaced. .
A temperature measuring part is formed by branching a thermocouple junction part into a plurality of parts, and a sensing part attached to a nostril pipe (cannula) 18 set in the nostril is provided.
The thermocouple wire with three tips is moved from the position where the outer periphery of the resin nostril pipe (cannula) 18 is divided into three equal parts (each 120 ° positional relationship) to the inside of the nostril pipe (cannula) 18. The thermocouple element wire at the other end is connected to the connector 19 with a few millimeters protruding.
The connector 19 for allowing the nostril pipe (cannula) 18 to be replaced has an internal contact portion 20 plated with the same material as the thermocouple material so as not to impair the electromotive force characteristics of the thermocouple. Yes.
In the above, an example in which a T-type thermocouple Cu (copper) / CuNi (constantan) wire is combined has been shown.
In addition to the Cu (copper) / CuNi (constantan) wire, a combination of an alumel wire / chromel wire or various metal wires having electrical conductivity may be used.

Next, the operation of the breathing examination apparatus of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the breathing test apparatus of the present invention has the same function and size as a thermocouple or thermocouple that detects the amount of heat of breathing in and out while fixing the headset 1 to the head. A sensor 2 having a thickness and a sensor capable of measuring temperature and a nostril pipe (cannula) is positioned below the nostril.
A thermocouple wire connector 4 extending from the sensing part 2 and a thermocouple wire connector 4 extending from the temperature compensator 5 are connected to connect the sensing part 2 and the temperature compensator 5 to the vicinity of the nostril. Alternatively, the micro microphone 3 attached near the throat and measuring the breathing sound is connected to the amplifier circuit 15.
The temperature compensator 5 that has already passed through the thermocouple wire from the connector 4 and that is arbitrarily set to a reference temperature of 0 ° C., near room temperature, or 50 to 100 ° C. is the signal of the sensor 2 and the micro microphone. An amplifier circuit unit 6 for amplifying and shaping the respiratory sound signal 3, a data logger 7 for converting the signal into a signal receivable by the notebook personal computer or the dedicated display device 8 at a predetermined timing, and an arbitrary timing of the signal Are sequentially connected to a notebook personal computer or a dedicated display device 8 for analysis and display.

For measuring the temperature of exhalation, the sensor unit 2 is attached under the nostril by the headset 1 and the change in the calorific value of exhalation that changes with breathing is measured as a voltage.
The breathing sound is measured by fixing it in the vicinity of the nostril using an adhesive tape through the micro microphone 3 or by attaching it to the vicinity of the throat.
The reference temperature is set to 0 ° C., near room temperature, or 50 to 100 ° C., and the measured electromotive force is amplified and processed in real time according to the breathing speed and amplitude to the notebook computer or the dedicated display device 8. indicate.
The measured repetitive patterns, shapes and changes of exhaled breath are classified and analyzed and diagnosed in correspondence with the expiratory patterns of respiratory diseases and apnea syndrome.
When a symptom of apnea syndrome or respiratory disease is detected during the measurement, a warning sound for informing the subject is output.
The notebook personal computer or the dedicated display device 8 includes a processing method for displaying and analyzing the measured data using a program specially developed.

When a thermocouple is used for the sensing part 2, a circuit is formed by connecting two different conductors, for example, a T-type thermocouple Cu wire 10 and a NiCu wire 11, as shown in FIG. Place the joint in the mouth, nose, or other breathing port, expose it to the air flow associated with breathing, measure the temperature change associated with the air flow as a voltage, and fix the micro microphone 3 near the nostril or throat In this way, the state of breathing is known by measuring the breathing sound.
Thereby, a respiratory rhythm and a pattern peculiar to respiratory diseases can be detected.
In addition, consciously strongly (maximally) breathing once or several times to collect data, the obtained data is used as individual basic function evaluation data and recorded on a notebook computer or a dedicated display device 8, and various processing is performed. By performing the analysis process, a diagnostic system can be obtained.
In particular, by making this detection system a portable miniaturized device, it is possible to provide a low-reliability device that can be easily self-monitored by the general public whenever and wherever necessary.
By providing the connectors 4 and 19 in the middle of the lead wires extending from the sensitive parts 2 and 18, the sensitive part 2 can be easily replaced, and when the performance of the sensitive part 2 deteriorates due to changes over time, When the subject 9 measures using one device, it can be used simply, safely and hygienically.

1 is an overall schematic diagram of a respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram in which a dissimilar metal is interposed and welded to a thermocouple tip that constitutes a sensing part. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a portion that is coated to prevent a portion without a coating from being corroded, including the tip of a sensing portion. FIG. 4 is a structural diagram in which a tip of a thermocouple constituting a sensing part is branched into three crotches in order to increase electromotive force and improve measurement accuracy. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing a structure in which a sensing part having a thermocouple tip fixed to a cannula and a structure in which the sensing part can be removed and replaced by connecting a thermocouple element to a connector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Headset 2 Sensitive part 3 Micromicrophone 4 Connector 5 Temperature compensator 6 Amplifier circuit part 7 Data logger 8 Laptop or exclusive display device 9 Subject 10T type thermocouple Cu wire 11NiCu wire 12 Dissimilar metal 13 Cover part 14 No cover Part 15 Cu line branch point 16 NiCu line branch point 17 Tip 18 Sensing part 19 Connector 20 Internal contact part

Claims (5)

  A headset for fixing the nostril pipe under the nostril to the head, a thermocouple or temperature sensor for detecting the amount of heat of breathing during breathing, and a nose pipe, A connector with a structure in which the extending thermocouple wire can be removed and replaced, a temperature compensator having a predetermined temperature atmosphere through which the thermocouple wire from the connector passes, and a breathing sound attached near the nostril or throat A micro-microphone for measuring a signal, an amplifier circuit for amplifying and shaping the breath signal of the sensing part and the breathing sound signal of the micro-microphone, and the both signals can be received at a predetermined timing by a notebook computer or a dedicated display device A data logger for converting into a signal, and a notebook personal computer or a dedicated display device for analyzing and displaying the signal at an arbitrary timing That breath testing device.   The sensor is a thermocouple having a diameter of 0.025 mm to 1.0 mm that can be heated to exhaled breath during one breath and then dissipated, or a temperature measurement having the same function and size as a thermocouple. 2. A respiratory examination device according to claim 1, comprising a possible sensor and a nostril pipe.   3. The respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the thermocouple is used, a metal different from the thermocouple material is interposed between the thermocouple wires. 4. The respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a temperature measuring part is formed by branching a thermocouple junction part into a plurality of parts and attached to a nostril pipe set in a nostril. The respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal exposed portion of the joint portion of the thermocouple is metallized or resin-coated to provide corrosion resistance.

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