JP3326687B2 - Temperature nystagmus induction device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for inducing nystagmus by temperature stimulus used for testing a balance function. The present invention relates to a temperature nystagmus inducing device used to generate convection in the liquid in the semicircular canal and to evaluate the presence or absence of pseudo rotational sensation from eye movement reflex.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A variety of tests are performed in a balance function test (vertigo test). One of the items is a thermal nystagmus test method in which a thermal stimulus is applied to an ear to check the movement of an eyeball. As a conventional thermal nystagmus test method, there is a method of pouring cold or hot water of a predetermined temperature into an ear (specifically, an external auditory canal, the same applies hereinafter). However, this method has a problem that it cannot be used when the subject's eardrum has a hole or damage. Therefore, a thermal nystagmus test can be performed by blowing cold or warm air into the ear instead.

[0003] In the thermal nystagmus test, a temperature stimulator is used. FIG. 4 shows a known conventional device. In this apparatus, a probe 2 provided with an air blowing nozzle 6 at the tip thereof and a main body 3 for supplying pressurized air are connected by an elongated flexible connecting body 4. The connecting body 4 has an air tube, a cooling water tube, and an electric cable. In the above-described conventional apparatus, the Peltier element 42 utilizing the Peltier effect is housed in the probe 2, and pressurized air supplied from the air pump 15, the air volume regulator 17, and the air tube of the main body 3 is supplied to the heat absorption side of the Peltier element 42. After cooling, the radiating side of the Peltier element is cooled with cooling water. The cooling water circulation path includes a cooling liquid tank 20, a pump 30, and a radiator 25. The radiator 25 is composed of a tube and fins fixed to the outer surface of the tube, through which cooling water flows, and a cooling fan 27 on the outer surface of the tube.
The cooling air that has been blown is distributed. By controlling the cooling amount of the Peltier element 42 by the temperature control device 32, the temperature of the air blown out from the nozzle unit 6 is maintained in a predetermined low temperature range. The temperature control device 32
Compares the temperature signal of the temperature sensor 12 provided near the nozzle section 6 with the setting signal from the temperature setting section 33, and controls the current flowing through the Peltier element 42 via the control section 34 and the power amplification section 35. Is what you do.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, there is a problem that the weight and the size of the probe having the Peltier element become large and the operability is not good in view of the heat exchange ability. In addition, in the method of controlling the air temperature by adjusting the cooling amount, the response tends to be slow, and there is a problem that the controllability of the temperature is not good particularly when the temperature is lowered. In the examination, it is necessary to stably blow air that reaches a predetermined temperature quickly and that is accurately maintained in the ear. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and to provide a temperature nystagmus inducing device having excellent temperature controllability.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting eye movements which may be caused by blowing air having a temperature substantially different from body temperature into an ear. In a temperature nystagmus inducing apparatus, a probe 2 having a pressurized air introduction part 5 at an upstream end and a nozzle part 6 for blowing out the introduced pressurized air at a downstream end is provided.
And a main body 3 having a pressurized air supply section 7 and a coolant supply section 8, and a flexible connector 4 having at least a pressurized air flow tube and a coolant flow tube, and connecting the probe 2 and the main body 3. In the probe 2, a tube-type heat exchanger 10 for circulating the coolant inside and a heater 11 are arranged in order from the pressurized air introduction unit 5 to the nozzle unit 6. The pressurized air sent from the pressurized air supply unit 7 flows through the tube type heat exchanger 10 and the heater 11 in the probe 2 via the connector 4 and is blown out from the nozzle unit 6 to the outside. , Coolant supply unit 8
Is cooled to below 0 ° C. in the body 3 to
Is supplied to the heat exchanger 10 and circulated between the main body 3 and the probe 2.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cooling liquid supply unit 8 includes a cooling unit 19, a cooling liquid tank 20, and a circulation pipe 21, and the cooling liquid in the cooling liquid tank 20 is supplied to the circulation pipe 2.
2. The temperature nystagmus induction device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature nystagmus induction device is formed so that the cooling unit 19, the cooling liquid tank 20, and the heat exchanger 10 in the probe 2 are circulated by the pump 30 provided in the device 1. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the temperature control device 32 is provided in the main body 3, the air temperature sensor 12 is provided near the nozzle 6 in the probe 2, and the detection temperature of the air temperature sensor 12 is set. The temperature nystagmus inducing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat generation amount of the heater 11 is controlled by the temperature control device 32 so that the temperature value becomes a predetermined value. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the dehumidifying device 38 for cooling and dehumidifying the pressurized air sent from the pressurized air supply unit 7 is provided in the main body 3. A device for inducing temperature nystagmus according to any one of the first to third aspects. The invention according to claim 5 is the temperature nystagmus induction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sterilization filter 43 is disposed in a flow path through which pressurized air flows.

[0007]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another example of the device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main part of still another example of the apparatus of the present invention. In those figures, parts and the like common to the conventional parts are given the same numbers. The temperature nystagmus induction device 1 in FIG. 1 includes a probe 2 provided with a pressurized air introduction unit 5 and a nozzle unit 6 for blowing out pressurized air, a main body 3 having a pressurized air supply unit 7 and a coolant supply unit 8, and And a flexible connector 4 for connecting the probe 2 and the main body 3. The probe 2 is formed of a small cylindrical casing, and the cross section of the tip portion is reduced in a tapered shape, and the elongated nozzle portion 6 is extended therefrom. In the probe 2, a cylindrical air passage 9 extends from the pressurized air introduction part 5 to the vicinity of the nozzle part 6.

A part of the air passage 9 on the side of the pressurized air introduction part 5 is enlarged in cross section, and a tube type heat exchanger 10 having fins on the outer periphery is arranged in the enlarged part. That is, the heat exchanger 1
Reference numeral 0 has a tube through which the cooling liquid flows, and a number of fins fixed to the outer surface thereof, and pressurized air flows through the outer surface of the tube. Such a tube type heat exchanger 1
By using 0, the weight and size of the probe 2 can be reduced. A heater 11 is arranged on the nozzle 6 side in the air passage 9. Further, a temperature sensor 12 such as a thermistor for measuring the temperature of the blown air is provided near the nozzle 6 in the air passage 9. The cooling capacity of the heat exchanger 10 is designed so that the air can be excessively cooled even at the maximum air volume.

The heating value of the heater 11 is controlled by a control signal from a temperature control device (described later).
Heat the supercooled air at 0 and below 0 ° C. to the desired temperature. When the temperature of the air blown out from the nozzle section 6 is controlled by heating, the response of the control is better than in the case where the control is performed by cooling as in the related art, and the change in the air volume and the outside air temperature can be quickly followed. Therefore, air that is always accurately maintained at a predetermined temperature can be blown out from the nozzle portion 6,
Inspection reliability is also increased. In addition, the tube-type heat exchanger 10 can be sufficiently supercooled in a relatively small space by circulating a cooling liquid of 0 ° C. or lower in the tube. The heater 11 can be sufficiently heated in a smaller space by using an electric heater. A heater 11 extending outside the air passage 9
The temperature switch 13 which operates when the temperature reaches a preset upper limit temperature and the temperature fuse 1 as a safety measure
4 are provided in series.

The pressurized air supply unit 7 provided in the main body 3 includes a small air pump 15, an air filter 16 provided on the air suction side thereof, an air volume regulator 17 such as a regulating valve provided on the discharge side of the air pump 15, And a flexible air tube 18 connecting these devices. The distal end of the air tube 18 communicates with the air passage 9 in the probe 2 to supply pressurized air to the portion. Body 3
The cooling liquid supply unit 8 provided therein includes a cooling unit 19, a cooling liquid tank 20, and a flexible circulation pipe 21. The cooling unit 19 includes a refrigerator 22 and a refrigerant heat exchanger 23, and the refrigerator 2
2 is connected to a cooling water pipe 26 for circulating cooling water between the radiator 25 and the radiator 25.
Air cooled. A refrigerant pipe 28 is connected between the refrigerator 22 and the refrigerant heat exchanger 23, and a refrigerant circulation pump 29 is provided in the refrigerant pipe 28.

The circulation pipe 21 has a pump 3 for circulating the coolant.
0 is provided, and the coolant is supplied by the coolant tank 2
0 to the refrigerant heat exchanger 23. Refrigerant heat exchanger 2
In 3, the coolant is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant from the refrigerator 22 and supplied to the heat exchanger 10 in the probe 2. The coolant that has been heated by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 10 is returned to the coolant tank 20. The coolant tank 20
Has an effect of stabilizing the temperature of the supplied cooling liquid. Further, since the temperature of the coolant is maintained at 0 ° C. or lower, an antifreeze is used as the coolant. The circulation pipe 21 is provided with a flow controller 31 such as a regulating valve as needed.
By providing the flow rate controller 31, it is possible to finely adjust the cooling amount of the heat exchanger 10 of the probe 2.

A temperature control device 32 is further provided in the main body 3. The temperature control device 32 includes a temperature setting unit 33 for setting the temperature of the air blown from the nozzle unit 6, a temperature setting unit 33.
And a control unit 34 that compares the detection signals from the temperature sensor 12 with each other and outputs a control signal so that they match, and a power amplification unit 35 such as a power amplifier or a thyristor. The output of the power amplifying unit 35 is connected to the heater 11 by a control cable 36. The detection signal from the temperature sensor 12 is input to the control unit 34 via the signal cable 37. The connecting body 4 is made of a flexible tube or the like, and has a flexible pipe or tube such as the air tube 18, the circulation pipe 21, the control cable 36 and the signal cable 37 and an electric cable inserted therein.

Next, the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described. First, a power switch (not shown) is turned on to make the apparatus operable. Next, the air pump 15 of the pressurized air supply unit 7 is operated, and the air volume controller 17 adjusts the air volume blown out from the nozzle unit 6 to a desired level. Next, the refrigerator 22, the cooling fan 27, the pump 29, and the pump 3 in the cooling liquid supply unit 8
0 is operated to circulate the coolant through the heat exchanger 10. The circulation amount of the coolant can be adjusted by adjusting the rotation speed of the pump 30. When the flow rate adjuster 31 is provided, fine adjustment of the circulation amount can be performed thereby.

On the other hand, the temperature setting unit 33 is set to a desired value so that the temperature control device 32 is automatically controlled, and the heater 11 is controlled so that the temperature of the air blown out from the nozzle unit 6 becomes the set value. When the air having the desired air volume and temperature is blown out from the nozzle section 6 in this manner, the preparation for use is completed. Therefore, the probe 2 is gripped, the tip of the nozzle 6 is inserted into the subject's ear, and the movement of the eyeball is inspected by blowing air.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another example of the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention. In this example, the pressurized air supply unit 7
A dehumidifier 38 for cooling and dehumidifying the pressurized air sent from the main body 3 is provided in the main body 3. Dehumidifier 3
8 is provided on the discharge side of the air pump 15 in the pressurized air supply unit 7. The dehumidifier 38 is a kind of heat exchanger, in which a finned tube 39 is provided,
It is connected to the refrigerant pipe 28 of the coolant supply unit 8. That is, the refrigerant cooled by the refrigerator 22 is supplied to the tube 39
Circulates through.

The pressurized air discharged from the air pump 15 exchanges heat with the refrigerant while passing through the dehumidifier 38 and is cooled to a temperature lower than the dew point of the air. Air that is condensed and separated by cooling and dried is blown out from the nozzle 6 of the probe 2.
On the other hand, the separated water is discharged to a dish-shaped water evaporator 41 by a drain tube 40 and is forcibly evaporated. As an example of the forced evaporation, an evaporating dish of the moisture evaporator 41 is provided adjacent to a heating unit such as various motors provided in the main body 3 and the dehumidifier 3
The condensed water generated in 8 is led there and evaporated. Instead of providing the water evaporator 41, the tip of the drain tube 40 may be inserted into a small water tank to periodically discharge the water accumulated in the water tank. By providing such a dehumidifier 38, dry air can be guided to the heat exchanger 10, where generation of condensed water can be prevented, and the phenomenon that water droplets scatter from the nozzle portion 6 can be effectively prevented. The apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is configured in the same manner as the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 except that the dehumidifying device 38 is provided, and its operation is the same, so that a more detailed description is omitted.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a main part of still another example of the apparatus of the present invention.
Are arranged so that various germs are not contained in the cooling air blown out from the nozzle portion 6. Thereby, even when used for a patient whose eardrum has been damaged, infection in the ear can be prevented. As an example of the sterilization filter 43, a hollow fiber membrane type filter can be used. This is a cartridge type in which a bundle of hollow fibers is housed inside, in which air to be sterilized is introduced from one end, sterilized by the hollow fibers, and clean air is discharged from the other end. In addition, the disposition position of this sterilization filter is
The probe tip is most preferable, but is not limited to this, and may be arranged at an appropriate position in the air flow passage. Moreover,
By disposing the germicidal lamp in the air flow passage, it is possible to sterilize viruses and the like that cannot be captured by the sterilization filter.

[0018]

As described above, the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention is provided in the probe by combining the tube type heat exchanger and the heater, so that the weight and size of the probe can be reduced and the operability is improved. Good. That is, in the tube-type heat exchanger 10, a coolant at 0 ° C. or lower flows through the tube,
Subcooling can be sufficiently achieved in a relatively small space. The heater 11 uses an electric heater,
Further, it can be sufficiently heated in a small space. Further, since the heating of the temperature of the air blown out from the nozzle portion is finally controlled, the response of the control is good, and the change in the air volume and the outside air temperature can be quickly followed. As a result, air accurately maintained at a predetermined temperature can be blown out, thereby increasing the reliability of the inspection. The temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention uses a cooling liquid supply unit including a cooling unit, a cooling liquid tank, and a circulation pipe, and a cooling unit that cools the cooling liquid in the cooling liquid tank by a pump provided in the circulation pipe. By circulating through the liquid tank and the heat exchanger in the probe, most of the equipment required for cooling can be arranged on the main body side, and the heat exchanger provided in the probe can be cooled efficiently and constantly stably.

Further, in the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention, a temperature control device is provided in the main body, and an air temperature sensor is provided near the nozzle portion in the probe so that the detected temperature of the air temperature sensor becomes a set value. By configuring the temperature control device to control the amount of heat generated by the heater, the temperature control of the heater provided in the probe can be performed more reliably and stably. Next, in the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention, by providing a dehumidifier in the main body for dehumidifying by cooling the pressurized air sent from the pressurized air supply unit even when the humidity of the air is high. In addition, the phenomenon that water is scattered from the nozzle portion 6 can be effectively prevented.

In the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention,
According to the one in which the sterilization filter 43 is disposed in the flow path through which the pressurized air flows, even when the cooling air blown out from the nozzle portion 6 does not contain various bacteria and is used for a patient with a damaged eardrum, Infection from within the ear can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another example of the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a main part block diagram showing still another example of the temperature nystagmus induction device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a main part block diagram showing a conventional temperature nystagmus induction device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Temperature nystagmus induction device 2 Probe 3 Main body 4 Connecting body 5 Compressed air introduction part 6 Nozzle part 7 Compressed air supply part 8 Coolant supply part 9 Air passage 10 Heat exchanger 11 Heater 12 Temperature sensor 13 Temperature switch 14 Temperature fuse 15 Air pump 16 Air filter 17 Air volume controller 18 Air tube 19 Cooling unit 20 Coolant tank 21 Circulation pipe 22 Refrigerator 23 Refrigerant heat exchanger 25 Radiator 26 Cooling water pipe 27 Cooling fan 28 Refrigerant pipe 29 Pump 30 Pump 31 Flow rate Controller 32 Temperature controller 33 Temperature setting unit 34 Control unit 35 Power amplification unit 36 Control cable 37 Signal cable 38 Dehumidifier 39 Tube 40 Drain tube 41 Water evaporator 42 Peltier element 43 Disinfection filter

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A temperature nystagmus induction device used for examining the eye movement which should be caused by blowing air at a temperature considerably different from body temperature into an ear, wherein a pressurized air inlet is provided at an upstream end. 5 provided with a nozzle section 6 for blowing out the pressurized air introduced into the downstream end
And a body 3 having a pressurized air supply 7 and a coolant supply 8
And a flexible connector 4 having at least a pressurized air flow tube and a coolant flow tube, and connecting the probe 2 and the main body 3. A tube-type heat exchanger 10 for circulating a cooling liquid therein and a heater 11 are arranged in this order from the nozzle section 6 to the nozzle section 6. The pressurized air sent from the pressurized air supply section 7 is: Tube type heat exchanger 10 in probe 2 through connector 4
Then, the coolant flowing through the heater 11 is blown out from the nozzle unit 6, and the coolant in the coolant supply unit 8 is cooled to 0 ° C. or less in the main body 3 and supplied to the heat exchanger 10 through the connector 4. ,
A device for inducing temperature nystagmus, wherein the device is configured to be circulated between the main body 3 and the probe 2. 2. The cooling liquid supply unit 8 includes a cooling unit 19, a cooling liquid tank 20, and a circulation pipe 21. The cooling liquid in the cooling liquid tank 20 is cooled by a pump 30 provided in the circulation pipe 21. The device for inducing temperature nystagmus according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to circulate through the heat exchanger 10 in the tank 20 and the probe 2. 3. A temperature controller 32 is provided in the main body 3, and an air temperature sensor 12 is provided in the probe 2 near the nozzle 6 so that the temperature detected by the air temperature sensor 12 becomes a set value. The temperature nystagmus induction device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat generation amount of the heater 11 is controlled by the temperature control device 32 as described above. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a dehumidifier for cooling and dehumidifying the pressurized air sent from the pressurized air supply unit is provided in the main body. Temperature nystagmus induction device. 5. The apparatus for inducing temperature nystagmus according to claim 1, wherein a sterilization filter 43 is disposed in a flow path through which the pressurized air flows.