JP4554630B2 - Lip force measuring device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lip force measuring device, and more particularly to a lip force measuring device that measures lip force from multiple directions.

  In order to chew well without spilling food in the mouth, the lips must be closed functionally. In addition, food cannot be swallowed well if the lips are not closed when the food is swallowed.

  Furthermore, recently, the number of children with open mouths is increasing, and breathing in the mouth is said to be a problem. In addition, it is said that if the lip is weak, so-called tooth extraction occurs.

  Thus, the lip force plays an important role during mastication and pronunciation.

  Furthermore, in recent years, it has been reported that normal lip force is closely related to the growth and development of oral organs such as the maxillofacial skull, dentition and tongue. However, since lip force is a variety of movements caused by the contraction of the muscles around the cleft lip that work in conjunction with the transfusion muscles present in the upper and lower lips, a scientifically supported evaluation method has not been established. It was.

As a lip force measuring device, an elastic body and pressure-sensitive recording paper are arranged between an upper lip contact portion that contacts the upper lip and a lower lip contact portion that contacts the lower lip, and the lip force is applied to the elastic body. An apparatus for measuring the lip force by applying the pressure to the pressure-sensitive recording paper and recording the deformation amount of the elastic body on the pressure-sensitive recording paper has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-2003-116823

  However, there have been few cases where lip force has been the subject of research in the past, and currently there is only a measuring device that mechanically detects the force in a single direction of the lip as described in Patent Document 1, with high accuracy, In addition, in consideration of complicated lip force characteristics, there has been no apparatus that can directly measure from multiple directions. In the future, in order to evaluate and study the correlation between mastication and pronunciation and “smooth mouth force”, it is essential to develop a device that can accurately measure complex and functional lip force.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lip force measuring device that can accurately and finely measure lip force with a simple configuration.

The present invention is a lip force measuring device for measuring lip force , wherein one end is fixed to the holder and the holder, the other end is held by the lip, and each bends according to the force received from the lip. Accordingly, the other end elastically deforms radially or centripetally around the holder, and a plurality of elastic plate members, and each of the plate members in the vicinity of a fixing portion that fixes the one end of the plate member to the holder. Measuring means provided between the holder and measuring the force received from the lips according to the bending of the plate material , and detecting the force received from the lips at a plurality of sites.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that there are eight plate members, and the other end of each plate member fixed to the holder is arranged so as to be positioned at the apex of a regular octagon .

  Furthermore, the measuring means is composed of a strain gauge that detects the strain of the plate material. The measuring means is composed of a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects the pressure applied to the plate material.

  According to the present invention, the lip has a plurality of displacement parts that are received by the lips and are displaced according to the displacement of the lips, and a detection part that is provided in each of the displacement parts and detects the displacement of the displacement parts. By detecting the force from a plurality of directions, the lip force can be detected for each part of the lip, and therefore the lip movement can be analyzed in detail.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a side view of the main part of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The figure for demonstrating the usage method of the measuring apparatus 100 is shown. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a side view, and FIG. 1C is a front view of the main part.

  The lip force measuring device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a measuring unit 111, an amplifying unit 112, a cable 113, an output device 114, a processing device 115, a stand 116, a fixed holder 117, an arm 118, and an elevating holder 119. It is a device that measures force from multiple directions.

  The measuring unit 111 includes eight measuring elements 121, a measuring element holder 122, a measuring element cover 123, and a detecting element 124, and is used by being fixed to a stand 116.

  The eight measuring elements 121 are made of an elastic plate material such as a metal plate, for example, and are fixed to the measuring element holder 122.

  The probe holder 122 has a substantially regular octagonal cross-sectional shape, and one end of the probe 121 is screwed to each side surface. The other end and tip of the probe 121 are opened. As a result, when eight measuring elements 121 are held in the lips, and chewing or stenosis is performed, the lip force is received from a plurality of different parts of the lips and bent. At this time, the tip 121 of the probe 121 is elastically deformed radially and centripetally around the probe holder 122. By detecting the displacement of the eight probe 121, it is possible to detect forces in a plurality of different directions toward the center of the probe holder 122 of the lips.

  The measuring element cover 123 is attached to the end of the eight measuring elements 121 on the measuring element holder 122 side so that the measuring element 121 can be displaced, and covers the detection element 124 and its wiring. The probe cover 123 can prevent the subject from touching the detection element 124 and the like.

  The detection element 124 is composed of, for example, a strain gauge or the like, and is fixed to a slightly distal end side of a connection portion of the probe 121 with the probe holder 122. The detection element 124 outputs a signal corresponding to the distortion of the probe 121. The detection element 124 may be a sheet-like pressure sensor. When a sheet-like pressure sensor is used, a sheet-like pressure sensor is interposed between the probe 121 and the probe holder 122. Thus, it is possible to detect the force applied to the probe 121.

  The probe holder 122 that holds the probe 121 is fixed to the rotary holder 117. The rotation holder 117 is rotatably held at one end of the arm 118. Further, the other end of the arm 118 is rotatably held by the elevating holder 119. The elevating holder 119 is held by the stand 116 so as to be movable up and down.

  As described above, the measuring element holder 122 can be freely set in height and angle, and the other end and the tip of the measuring element 121 can be installed at positions corresponding to the lip position of the subject.

  The subject grips the tip of the probe 121 with the lips. When the subject holds the tip of the measuring element 121 and moves with the lip, the measuring element 121 bends according to the movement of the lip. The detection element 124 outputs a signal corresponding to the deflection of the measuring element 121. The signal output from the detection element 124 is supplied to the amplification unit 112.

  The amplifying unit 112 is fixed to the probe holder 122 of the measuring unit 111. By fixing the amplification unit 112 to the probe holder 122, the distance between the detection element 124 and the amplification unit 112 can be shortened. As the distance between the detection element 124 and the amplifying unit 112 becomes shorter, intrusion of noise can be suppressed.

  The amplifying unit 112 is configured such that a printed wiring board on which the conversion circuit 131 and the amplifier 132 are mounted is built in a metal case. The case is made of, for example, a metal material, surrounds the printed wiring board, and shields the printed wiring board.

  The output signal of the detection element 124 is first supplied to the conversion circuit 131 by the amplifier 112. The conversion circuit 141 converts the output of the detection element 124 into a voltage. The voltage converted by the conversion circuit 131 is supplied to the amplifier 132.

  The amplifier 132 amplifies the voltage supplied from the conversion circuit 131. The signal amplified by the amplifier 132 is supplied to the output device 114 via the cable 113.

  The output device 114 includes a power supply unit 151, an AD conversion unit 152, and an interface unit 153.

  The power supply unit 151 generates a drive power supply for driving the detection unit 122 of the measurement unit 111, the conversion circuit 141 and the amplifier 142 of the amplification unit 112, the AD conversion unit 152 and the interface unit 153 of the output unit 114 from the commercial power supply. The detection unit 122 of the measurement unit 111, the conversion circuit 131 and the amplifier 132 of the amplification unit 112, and the AD conversion unit 152 and the interface unit 153 of the output unit 114 are supplied.

  The AD conversion unit 152 converts the output from the output device 114 into digital data. The data converted into digital data is supplied to the interface unit 153. The interface unit 153 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, interfaces with the processing device 115, and supplies the digital data converted by the AD conversion unit 152 to the processing device 115.

  The output device 114 has a plurality of analog terminals 154, for example, BNC jacks, and is configured to individually output a plurality of analog signals supplied from the detection unit 122.

  The processing device 115 is constituted by a computer system, and displays the lip force waveform in each direction and eight directions from the data supplied from the output device 114 on the display device.

  5 and 6 are diagrams showing examples of display screens by the processing device 115. FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the lip force in eight directions may be displayed simultaneously with time as the horizontal axis. By displaying as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to recognize which part of the lips is applied with force at which timing.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the lip force at a specific time may be displayed by a radar chart. The balance of lip force can be recognized by the display as shown in FIG.

  According to the present embodiment, the lip force can be simultaneously measured from multiple directions, so that the lip movement state can be accurately grasped. As a result, it is possible to provide accurate guidance to the subject.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the strain gauge is used as the detection element 122, the detection element 122 is less affected by changes in the ambient environment such as temperature and humidity. This enables accurate measurement regardless of the surrounding environment.

  In addition, since the size can be reduced, the psychological burden on the subject can be reduced and the cost performance can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 are main parts of the second embodiment of the present invention. A block diagram is shown. 7A is a plan view, FIG. 7B is a front view, and FIG. 7C is a side view. 11A is a front view of the head assembly 222, FIG. 11B is a side view of the head assembly 222, and FIG. 11C is a rear view of the head assembly 222.

  The lip force measuring device 200 according to the present embodiment includes a measuring unit 211, a cable 212, an output device 213, and a processing device 214.

  The measurement unit 211 of this embodiment is composed of eight measurement tubes 221 and a head assembly 222.

  The eight measuring tubes 221 are, for example, tubes having an outer diameter of 6 mm and an inner diameter of 4 mm made of silicon resin, and are provided so as to project from the head assembly 222 toward the subject. It is held by an internal holder 232 and an external holder 233, and is fixed to the front panel 241a of the case 241 of the head assembly 222 by screws 241b. The external holder 233 includes an upper holder 233a and a lower holder 233b. The upper holder 233a and the lower holder 233b are screwed together with screws 233c.

  The head assembly 222 includes a tube connection plate 242 and a substrate 243 that are formed in an annular shape inside a metal case 241, and is held by a stand 224 via an arm 223. In addition, by incorporating the tube connection plate 242 and the substrate 243 in the case 241, the influence of a sudden change such as an external environment, for example, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, or the like can be reduced.

  The arm 223 has the head assembly 222 rotatably held at one end and the other end rotatably held by the stand 224. With the arm 223 and the stand 224, the head assembly 222 can be adjusted to a desired height and angle.

  The eight measuring tubes 221 are each introduced at the other end into the case 241 of the head assembly 222 and passed through the annular tube connecting plate 242 and the central hole h of the substrate 243, and then connected to the tube. It is connected to a three-way cock valve 251 mounted on the plate 242. The three-way stopcock valve 251 is used to reset the internal pressure of the measurement tube 221 to the atmospheric pressure by operating the lever.

  The three-way stopcock valve 251 is connected to a pressure sensor 261 mounted on the substrate 243 via a connection tube 252. Measuring tubes 221 are connected to the eight pressure sensors 261, respectively. Each of the pressure sensors 261 measures the internal pressure of the measurement tube 221. A signal corresponding to the internal pressure of the measurement tube 221 detected by the pressure sensor 261 is connected to the connector 263 via the interface circuit 262 mounted on the substrate 243.

  The connector 263 is connected to the output device 213 via the cable 212. The output device 213 is provided on the stand 224 and supplies data corresponding to the internal pressures of the eight measurement tubes 221 supplied from the connector 263 to the processing device 214.

  The processing device 214 is constituted by a computer system, and creates a waveform of lip force in eight directions based on data supplied from the output device 213 and displays it on a display device.

  Next, the lip force measurement operation of this embodiment will be described.

  The subject holds the portion of the eight measurement tubes 221 that protrudes from the head assembly 222. When the measurement tube 221 is crushed by the movement of the subject's lips, the internal pressure of the measurement tube 221 changes.

  When the internal pressure of the measurement tube 221 changes, the output of the pressure sensor 261 becomes a signal corresponding to the internal pressure of the measurement tube 221. The output of the pressure sensor 261 is supplied to the processing device 214 through the output device 213, and a screen as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is displayed on the display device of the processing device 214.

  In this embodiment, the inside of the measurement tube 221 is a gas, but it may be filled with a liquid such as water or oil. Measurement sensitivity can be improved by filling the inside of the measurement tube 221 with a liquid such as water or oil.

  In the first and second embodiments, the lip force is detected from eight directions, but the lip movement can be analyzed in more detail by increasing the number of measuring elements and measuring tubes. Is possible.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be considered without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a block block diagram of 1st Example of this invention. It is a side view of the principal part of 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the usage method of the lip force measuring apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen by the processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen by the processing apparatus. It is a perspective view of 2nd Example of this invention. It is a block block diagram of 2nd Example of this invention. It is a block diagram of the principal part of 2nd Example of this invention. It is a block diagram of the principal part of 2nd Example of this invention. It is a block diagram of the principal part of 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100, 200 Lip force measuring device 111 Measuring unit, 112 Amplifying unit, 113 Cable, 114 Output device 115 Processing device, 116 Stand, 117 Fixed holder, 118 Arm 119 Lifting holder 121 Measuring element, 122 Measuring element holder, 123 Measuring element cover , 124 Detection element 131 Conversion circuit, 132 Amplifier 151 Power supply unit, 152 AD conversion unit, 153 Interface unit 154 Analog terminal 211 Measurement unit, 212 cable, 213 Output device, 214 Processing device 221 Measurement tube, 222 Head assembly, 223 arm 224 Stand 231 Tube plug 232 Holder 233 External holder 241 Case 242 Tube connection plate 243 Substrate 251 Three-way stopcock valve 252 Connection tube 261 Pressure sensor 262 In Face circuit, 263 connector

Claims (4)

A lip force measuring device for measuring lip force,
A holder,
One end is fixed to the holder, the other end is held by the lip, and the other end is elastically deformed radially or centripetally around the holder by bending according to the force received from the lip. A plate material having a plurality of elasticity ;
A measuring means provided between each of the plate members and the holder in the vicinity of a fixing portion for fixing the one end of the plate member to the holder, and measuring a force received from the lips according to the bending of the plate member ; And
A lip force measuring device that detects the force received from the lips at a plurality of sites. The lip force measuring device according to claim 1, wherein there are eight plate members, and the other end of each of the plate members fixed to the holder is arranged so as to be positioned at the apex of a regular octagon. It said measuring means, labial force measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein and a strain gauge for detecting distortion of the plate. It said measuring means, labial force measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein and a pressure-sensitive sensor for detecting the pressure applied to the plate.