JP5938900B2 - Oral pressure probe - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mouth-related pressure measuring probe used for measuring mouth-related pressure such as tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, lip pressure, and cheek pressure, and a mouth-related pressure measuring apparatus using the probe.

In recent years, in order to improve QOL (Quality of Life) of the elderly, maintenance and recovery of eating and swallowing functions are required, and it is necessary to clarify the functions. The movement of the tongue is deeply involved in the eating and swallowing functions, and a predetermined tongue pressure is required for the formation of the bolus and the feeding into the pharynx. Therefore, measurement and analysis of tongue pressure are important.

As a method for measuring tongue pressure, for example, a method using a balloon probe is known (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). In the measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a probe provided with a balloon is used. When a balloon is inserted into the oral cavity and the balloon is pressed with the tongue, a change in air pressure in the balloon is detected at the pressure detection unit communicating with the balloon, and the tongue pressure can be measured by converting it into an electrical signal. . In the measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the probe is positioned so that the hard ring attached to the probe is positioned at the lips or teeth.

In the probe for measuring pressure related to the oral cavity disclosed in Patent Document 2, a bumper is provided on the rear side of the balloon of the probe to which the balloon is attached to facilitate positioning when the probe is inserted into the oral cavity. It is possible to prevent excessive insertion of the probe and accidental ingestion.

JP 2001-275994 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-90054

By the way, as important operations in eating and swallowing, there are mastication of food taken into the oral cavity and formation of a bolus and movement of the formed bolus to the pharynx. At this time, the movement of the tip of the tongue is important in chewing food and forming the bolus, and the movement of the proximal side of the tongue (hereinafter also referred to as “back tongue”) in moving the bolus to the pharynx. Is important. If one of food mastication and bolus formation and movement of the bolus to the pharynx is not fully feasible, eating and swallowing disorders will be triggered. Therefore, when evaluating the eating / swallowing function, it is important to measure the pressure on the tip side of the tongue and the pressure on the back tongue.

In the oral pressure measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is assumed that the pressure on the tip side of the tongue is mainly measured, and in order to measure the pressure on the back tongue, the probe is deeper in the oral cavity. Must be inserted into If the probe is formed longer, it is possible to insert the probe deep into the oral cavity, but the distance from the lips to the back of the tongue varies depending on the size of the head and the degree of growth, etc. In order to accurately measure the pressure, it is necessary to prepare probes of various lengths and appropriately select and use a probe corresponding to the distance from the lips to the back of the subject. In this case, an enormous number of types of probes must be prepared in advance, resulting in high costs and inconvenience in manufacturing.

In addition, the shape of the tongue is such that an arc is drawn upward. Therefore, when a linear probe is inserted to the back of the tongue, there is a problem that the tongue is pressed, and it is difficult to place a pressure measurement balloon provided at the probe tip at a desired position of the back of the tongue. . For this reason, when measuring a pressure, there exists a possibility that the precision may fall. As described above, the shape of the oral cavity and the shape of the tongue differ depending on the size of the head, the growth condition, and the like. Therefore, even if probes having various shapes are prepared, the standards are enormous. For this reason, the cost increases and there is a disadvantage in manufacturing.

The present invention solves the above problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a probe for measuring an oral pressure and an oral pressure measuring apparatus using the same, which can more accurately measure the pressure on the tip side of the tongue and the pressure on the back of the tongue with a probe of the same standard. Is to provide.

The oral pressure measuring probe of the present invention includes a balloon having an inflating portion, and a hollow tube portion having one open end connected to the balloon so as to communicate with the inside of the balloon, The hollow tube portion has flexibility, and the hollow tube portion has a sliding member slidable in the longitudinal direction of the hollow tube portion, and a desired position on the hollow tube portion. It is attached so that it can be fixed to.

The oral cavity related pressure measuring device of the present invention includes the oral cavity related pressure measuring probe of the present invention and a pressure detecting unit that communicates with the inside of the balloon and detects the air pressure thereof.

In the present specification, the direction toward the balloon side of the probe for measuring the pressure related to the oral cavity is defined as the front, and the direction toward the side away from the balloon is defined as the rear.

By configuring the hollow tube portion with a material having flexibility, when the probe is inserted into the oral cavity and the balloon is placed on the back tongue, the hollow tube portion is formed according to the shape of the oral cavity and the tongue. Deforms easily. Therefore, it becomes easy to arrange the balloon at a position suitable for measurement.

In addition, since the sliding member provided to hold the probe with teeth and lips can slide in the longitudinal direction of the hollow tube portion, the sliding member is slid before inserting the probe into the oral cavity. Thus, the insertion length of the probe can be easily set by arranging it in a desired position in advance. In other words, since the setting of the balloon insertion length can be easily changed according to the location of the tongue for measuring pressure or the size of the head of the subject, more accurate oral cavity can be used for any target. It is possible to measure the associated pressure.

In the probe of this invention, it is the figure which showed the aspect in which a sliding member is located in the position close | similar to a balloon. In the probe of this invention, it is the figure which showed the aspect in which a sliding member is located in the position spaced apart from the balloon. It is the figure which showed an example of the AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is the figure which showed an example different from the aspect shown in FIG. 3 of AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is the figure which showed an example different from the aspect shown in FIG. 3 of AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is the figure which showed the example which provided the hard pipe | tube part in the probe of this invention. It is the figure which showed the example which provided the scale in the hollow tube part in the probe of this invention. In the probe of this invention, it is a schematic diagram which shows the example provided with the positioning mechanism of the sliding member. In the probe of this invention, it is a schematic diagram which shows the example provided with the positioning mechanism of the sliding member. It is the figure which showed the example which provided the bumper in the probe of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the oral cavity related pressure measuring apparatus using the probe of this invention.

In the probe of the present invention, it is desirable that the hollow tube portion is formed in a curved shape in advance. As described above, the shape of the tongue is such that an arc is drawn upward, so that by forming the hollow tube portion in a curved shape in advance, the probe becomes more in line with the shape in the oral cavity. Can be formed. For this reason, it is possible to reduce a sense of incongruity at the time of measurement and to perform accurate measurement.

In the probe of the present invention, it is desirable that the sliding member is annular. With this configuration, when a sliding member is added with upper and lower lips and upper and lower teeth, no force is applied to the hollow tube portion, so that the risk that the hollow tube portion is blocked and accurate measurement cannot be performed can be reduced. .

In the probe of the present invention, the sliding member may have a flat outer shape when viewed along the sliding direction, and the shape is preferably elliptical. With this configuration, for example, it is easier to grip with the lips and teeth than when the sliding member has a substantially true cylindrical shape, and stable pressure measurement can be performed.

In the probe of the present invention, the hollow tube portion may be provided with a scale indicating the distance from the balloon side tip. With this configuration, the positioning of the sliding member and the setting of the insertion length of the probe into the oral cavity can be easily performed.

In the probe of the present invention, a locking mechanism for locking the sliding member at a predetermined position of the hollow tube portion shape may be provided. The locking mechanism is, for example, provided with a projection on one of the surface of the hollow tube portion and the surface of the sliding member facing the hollow tube portion, and the other provided with a groove that fits the projection. Also good. With this configuration, it is possible to easily align the sliding member and thereby set the insertion length of the probe into the oral cavity, and place the probe in the oral cavity without changing the position of the sliding member set in advance. Can be inserted. At this time, it is preferable that at least one of the groove or the protrusion is formed in an annular shape because it is easier to lock.

Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the probe of the present invention. The probe 1 of the present invention includes a balloon 2 having an inflating portion 21, a hollow tube portion 3 having one open end connected to the balloon 2 so as to communicate with the inside of the balloon 2, and a hollow tube portion 3. And a sliding member 4 that is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the hollow tube portion 3 and that can be fixed at a desired position on the hollow tube portion. In the probe of this embodiment, one end of the hollow tube portion 3 is inserted into the attachment portion 22 provided on the balloon 2, and a heat-shrinkable tube is externally fitted thereon. The balloon attachment portion 22 is fastened to the hollow tube portion 3 by the shrinkage of the heat-shrinkable tube, and the balloon 2 and the hollow tube portion 3 are hermetically connected. When airtightly connecting the balloon 2 and the hollow tube portion 3, in addition to the above method, a method of bonding with an adhesive, a method of welding by heat, and a method of tightening the balloon using a fitting member made of a hard member May be used.

The hollow tube portion 3 is formed to be substantially the same as or thinner than the diameter of the balloon attachment portion 22 and is made of a flexible material. In order to prevent the communication between the balloon 2 and the pressure measuring device 11 from being interrupted when inserted into the oral cavity and pressing the balloon 2 with the tongue, the hollow tube portion 3 is made of a material having flexibility and a certain degree of rigidity. It is desirable to use it. At this time, the hollow tube portion 3 may be formed to have a smaller diameter than the attachment portion of the balloon 2. With this configuration, the hollow tube portion 3 is more easily deformed. Therefore, when the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity, the hollow tube portion 3 is deformed according to the shape of the oral cavity, and the balloon 2 is easily placed at an appropriate position. Further, by forming the hollow tube portion 3 thin, it is difficult to get in the way when the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity.

Regarding the length of the hollow tube portion 3, if the hollow tube portion 3 is too long, it becomes difficult to handle, and the distance from the balloon 2 to the pressure detection portion becomes long, so that the measurement accuracy may be lowered. In addition, if the hollow tube portion 3 is too short, it is difficult to place the balloon 2 on the back tongue, and pressure measurement may not be performed. Therefore, it is desirable that the length of the hollow tube portion 3 is 8 cm to 20 cm, preferably about 10 cm to 15 cm.

The hollow tube portion 3 may be formed in a straight line shape, but is preferably formed in a previously curved shape. As described above, since the cross-sectional shape of the tongue and the oral palate is such that an arc is drawn upward, the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity if the hollow tube portion 3 is curved in advance. Sometimes it becomes easier to fit the tongue and palate. Further, since the deformation of the hollow tube portion 3 when inserted into the oral cavity can be suppressed as compared with the case where it is formed in a straight line shape, the air in the balloon 1 is detected by pressure when the hollow tube portion 3 is bent. It can be prevented from becoming difficult to be transmitted to the vessel.

A sliding member 4 is fitted on the hollow tube portion 3 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the hollow tube portion 3. When the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity, the probe 1 is gripped by biting the sliding member 4 with teeth, gums, lips or the like. At this time, it is desirable that the sliding member is hard so that the hollow tube portion 3 is not directly pressed by lip pressure or incisor pressure. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent an adverse effect on the result of pressure measurement. The sliding member 4 is mounted so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the hollow tube portion 3 having the length as described above and to be fixed at a desired position on the hollow tube portion. Therefore, even when the balloon 2 is arranged on either the distal end side or the proximal end side of the tongue, the positioning can be easily performed only by sliding the sliding member 4 along the longitudinal direction of the hollow tube portion 3. Therefore, it becomes easy to arrange the balloon 2 at a position suitable for pressure measurement. In order to fix the sliding member 4 at a desired position on the hollow tube portion 3, the inner diameter of the sliding member 4 and the outer diameter of the hollow tube portion 3 may be formed to be substantially the same size. Alternatively, the surface of the hollow tube portion 3 may be subjected to pearing or the like so that friction is generated between the hollow tube portion 3 and the sliding member 4.

The sliding member 4 has only to be hard enough not to be deformed by lip pressure or incisor pressure, and for example, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene or the like can be used. The length of the sliding member 4 is preferably a length that can be easily gripped by lips and teeth. Further, as will be described later, when the insertion length of the probe 2 is adjusted by providing a scale on the hollow tube portion 3 and adjusting the position of the sliding member 4 thereto, the sliding member 4 is also preferably transparent. is there.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the sliding member 4 preferably has a flat outer diameter when viewed in the sliding direction, for example, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that the shape is an elliptical shape or a modified elliptical shape whose upper and lower surfaces are parallel as shown in FIG. By adopting such a shape, it becomes easier to grip with the lips and teeth compared to the case where the sliding member 4 has a substantially true cylindrical shape, and stable pressure measurement can be performed. At this time, if the upper and lower sides of the sliding member 4, that is, the portions that are bitten by the teeth, gums, lips, etc. when the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity are flat, the sliding members by teeth, gums, lips, etc 4 can be gripped more easily and stably.

As shown in FIG. 6, a hard tube portion 6 having higher rigidity than the hollow tube portion 3 may be provided on the end portion side of the hollow tube portion 3 opposite to the balloon 2. Providing the hard tube portion 6 makes it easier to grip the probe 1 when the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity.

As shown in FIG. 7, the hollow tube portion 3 may be provided with a scale 7 indicating the distance from the tip of the balloon 2. When the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity, the insertion length of the probe 1 into the oral cavity can be grasped by observing the scale 7, and the balloon 2 can be easily placed at a position suitable for measurement. Further, by inserting the probe 1 into the oral cavity after the sliding member 4 is positioned at a desired insertion length position, the insertion length can be easily adjusted even when the subject himself / herself uses the probe 1. Can do. In addition, when a person other than the person to be measured (such as a person who cares for the person to be measured) inserts the probe 1 into the oral cavity of the person to be measured, it can be inserted after setting the insertion length in advance. Measurement can be performed easily.

In order to make it easier to set the position of the sliding member 4 on the hollow tube portion 3, a locking mechanism for locking the sliding member 4 at a predetermined position on the hollow tube portion 3 may be provided. desirable. As an example of the mechanism, there is a configuration in which a protrusion is provided on one of the surface of the hollow tube portion 3 and the surface of the sliding member 4 facing the hollow tube portion 3, and a groove that fits the protrusion is provided on the other. Conceivable. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion 82 may be provided on the inner surface of the sliding member 4, and the groove 81 corresponding to the protrusion 82 may be provided on the hollow tube portion 3. With this configuration, when the sliding member 4 is slid on the hollow tube portion 3, the sliding member 4 is locked on the hollow tube portion 3 by matching the positions of the groove 81 and the protrusion 82. . This makes it easier to align the position of the sliding member 4 and makes it easier to set the insertion length of the probe 1. A plurality of grooves 81 may be provided at a predetermined interval, or may be provided so as to correspond to the scale 7. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the same effect as described above can be obtained by providing the groove 84 on the inner surface of the sliding member 4 and providing the projection 83 corresponding to the groove 84 on the hollow tube portion 3. Can do. It is also preferable that at least one of the grooves 81 and 84 and the protrusions 82 and 83 is formed in an annular shape. With this configuration, the grooves and the protrusions can be more easily engaged with each other, so that the sliding member 4 can be easily locked on the hollow tube portion 3.

Further, protrusions extending intermittently in the circumferential direction of the hollow tube portion 3 are provided on the surface of the hollow tube portion 3 and the surface of the sliding member 4 facing the hollow tube portion 3 to rotate the sliding member 4. When the protrusion provided on the hollow tube portion 3 and the protrusion provided on the sliding member 4 come into contact with each other, the sliding member 4 is locked on the hollow tube portion 3. May be configured to be slidable.

As shown in FIG. 10, a bumper 9 having a shape protruding in the radial direction may be provided on the outer periphery of the sliding member 4. The shape of the bumper 9 is preferably a shape including a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the sliding member 4. By providing the bumper 9, it becomes easier to adjust the insertion length when the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity, and the risk of accidentally swallowing the probe 1 can be reduced. It is also preferable to provide an opening (not shown) in the bumper 9 so that an airway can be secured even if the bumper 9 is accidentally swallowed. Since the bumper 9 may be pressed against the lips or the like, it is desirable to use an elastic material or a flexible material. The bumper 9 may be formed integrally with the sliding member 4 or may be an independent and separate part.

In the probe of the present invention, a tube connected to the pressure detector 11 is connected to the end of the hollow tube 3 opposite to the balloon 2 as shown in FIG. Therefore, a pressure detection side connection portion 5 that can be connected to the tube is provided at the end of the hollow tube portion 3 opposite to the balloon 2. Specifically, a method of maintaining the connection state by frictional force, a luer lock type in which the frictional force and screwing are used together to maintain the connection state, a method of maintaining the connection state by frictional force and screwing, etc. are conceivable. . In addition, a valve using a septum is provided at the end of the hollow tube 3 opposite to the balloon 2 so that the inside of the probe 1 can be kept airtight when the probe 1 and the tube are not connected. With this configuration, even when the probe 1 is not connected to the pressure detector, the balloon 2 is filled with air, the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity, and the balloon 2 is crushed with the tongue. You can also train your muscle strength.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an oral cavity related pressure measuring apparatus using the probe of the present invention. The probe 1 is connected to the pressure detection unit 11 via the main body tube 14. A valve 13 is provided between the main body tube 14 and the pressure detection unit 11, and the pressurization unit 10 is connected via the valve 13. The pressure detection unit 11 includes a pressure converter that converts air pressure into an electric signal and an amplifier that amplifies the electric signal, and the output is supplied to the display unit 12. The probe 1 and the body tube 14 are detachably fitted by a luer fitting, a locking fitting, or a combination thereof.

In measuring the tongue pressure, the valve 13 is opened and the pressure is applied by the pressurizing unit 10 so that the inside of the balloon 2 becomes a predetermined pressure, and the pressurization is stopped when the inside of the balloon 2 reaches the predetermined pressure. Then, when the balloon 2 is placed on the tongue, the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity in a state where the sliding member 4 is slid on the portion where the teeth and lips come into contact, and the balloon 2 is placed at a predetermined position on the tongue. To do. The operation of sliding the sliding member 4 may be performed by the person to be measured, or the probe 1 may be inserted into the mouth of the person to be measured after being performed by an assistant. Then, the balloon 2 is bitten and pressure is applied to the balloon 2 by the tongue and the hard palate. At this time, the air in the balloon 2 reaches the pressure detection unit 11 through the main body tube 14. Then, the tongue pressure is measured by the air pressure detected by the pressure detector 11. The pressure applied in advance to the balloon 2 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 10 kPa to 30 kPa. The valve 13 is not necessarily required depending on the structure of the pressurizing unit 10, and a structure in which the pressurizing unit 10 is directly connected to the main body tube 14 is also possible. At this time, by fixing the position of the probe 1 in the oral cavity by biting the sliding member 4, the balloon 2 can be bitten without blocking the air flow path in the probe 1, and the tongue pressure is inspected. be able to. Therefore, a more accurate examination of tongue pressure can be performed.

When measuring the tongue pressure at the back of the tongue, the sliding member 4 is slid, and when the balloon 2 is placed on the back tongue, the sliding member 4 is placed at the part where the teeth and lips come into contact. Then, the probe 1 is inserted into the oral cavity and the balloon 2 is placed in the back of the tongue. At this time, since the hollow tube portion 3 has flexibility, the hollow tube portion 3 is deformed according to the shape of the tongue or the hard palate. For this reason, even when the probe 1 is inserted deeply into the oral cavity, the balloon 2 can be placed in the back of the tongue without the subject feeling uncomfortable.

The probe for measuring pressure related to the oral cavity of the present invention can easily and reliably position the balloon in the oral cavity, and can further set the position of the balloon in a wider range. Therefore, the oral pressure measuring device using the oral pressure measuring probe of the present invention is useful for measuring and analyzing functions of the tongue, sublingual muscle, lips, cheeks, etc. It is possible to measure and analyze the function in a wide range such as the base part and the base end part.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe 2 Balloon 21 Expansion part 22 Attachment part 3 Hollow tube part 4 Sliding member 5 Pressure detection side connection part 6 Hard pipe part 7 Scale 81 Hollow tube part side groove | channel 82 Sliding member side protrusion 83 Hollow tube part side protrusion 84 Sliding member side groove 9 Bumper 10 Pressure part 11 Pressure detection part 12 Display part 13 Valve 14 Body tube

Claims (10)

A balloon having an inflating portion, and a hollow tube portion having one open end connected to the balloon so as to communicate with the inside of the balloon, the hollow tube portion having flexibility Furthermore, the hollow tube portion is mounted so that the sliding member can slide in the longitudinal direction of the hollow tube portion and can be fixed at a desired position on the hollow tube portion. A probe for measuring oral cavity related pressure. The oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to claim 1, wherein the hollow tube portion is formed in a curved shape in advance. The oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to claim 1, wherein the sliding member has an annular shape. The probe for measuring oral cavity related pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sliding member has a flat outer diameter when viewed in the sliding direction. The probe for oral cavity related pressure measurement according to claim 4, wherein the outer diameter shape is an ellipse. The oral cavity related pressure measurement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hollow tube portion is provided with a scale indicating a distance from the balloon-side tip of the hollow tube portion. Probe. The oral cavity-related pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a locking mechanism for locking the sliding member at a desired position on the hollow tube portion. Probe for measurement . The locking mechanism is provided with a protrusion on one of the surface of the hollow tube portion and the surface of the sliding member facing the hollow tube portion, and a groove for fitting the protrusion on the other. The probe for measuring an oral pressure according to claim 7, wherein the probe is used. 9. The oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the groove or the protrusion is formed in an annular shape. An oral cavity related pressure measurement device comprising: the oral cavity related pressure measurement probe according to any one of claims 1 to 9; and a pressure detection unit that communicates with the inside of the balloon and detects the air pressure thereof. .

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