JP6164881B2 - Elasticity meter and elasticity measuring device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a elasticity meter and a elasticity measuring device for measuring elasticity of a living body such as a human body, a food surface, a rubber product surface, and the like.

  Conventionally, as a elasticity meter for measuring the elasticity of a soft solid surface such as a human skin, a device is known in which a probe is pressed against a sample surface with a predetermined force and the elasticity is measured from the amount of displacement of the probe. For example, in Patent Document 1, a constant load is applied to a sample surface via a probe by operating a lever to move the hardness meter toward the sample surface at a constant speed, and based on the displacement amount of the probe at this time. An apparatus for measuring the hardness of a sample is disclosed. As another example of the elasticity meter, a device that measures the elasticity of the skin by actually lifting the skin and measuring the difficulty of lifting the skin is known. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for measuring the elasticity of the skin by reducing the pressure in the probe, sucking the skin, and optically measuring the swelling of the skin.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-126709 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-137525

  However, when the elasticity of the sample surface is measured by a conventional apparatus, a spring structure corresponding to the magnitude of the repulsive force when the sample surface is pushed is necessary. In other words, according to the conventional elasticity meter, when the sample is a very soft solid such as human skin or tofu, the repulsive force from the sample surface is sufficiently small, so it is extremely difficult to detect the difference in repulsive force according to the sample. It was necessary to detect a minute repulsive force with high sensitivity and high accuracy. However, the conventional spring structure of the elasticity meter has a problem that it is difficult to realize the sensitivity and accuracy.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a elasticity meter and a elasticity measuring apparatus capable of measuring the elasticity of a soft solid surface with high sensitivity and high accuracy.

The present invention provides the following means in order to solve the above problems.
The elasticity meter according to the present invention is a elasticity meter that measures the elasticity of the sample surface by pushing the probe into the sample surface. The probe is filled with gas and the tip surface is made of a flexible material, and is pushed into the sample surface. One end is fixed so as to cover a part of the sensor gas chamber that changes its internal pressure when deformed, and a through hole that allows the gas filled in the sensor gas chamber to flow into and out of the sensor gas chamber. A cantilever, and a detector for detecting deflection of the cantilever due to a change in internal pressure of the sensor gas chamber.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, the elasticity of the surface of a very soft sample can be measured with high accuracy without being affected by the measurement environment.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the probe includes a base-side gas chamber that is connected to the sensor gas chamber via a through hole and allows gas to flow into and out of the sensor gas chamber.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, it is possible to design an elasticity meter having a desired sensitivity and response speed by using the shape and volume of the base side gas chamber as design parameters.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention has one end connected to the surface on the side facing the distal end surface of the probe, and is connected to the connecting portion that moves the probe along the longitudinal direction and the other end of the connecting portion, and can accommodate the probe And a frame having an opening on the distal end side of the probe.
According to the elasticity meter of the present invention, the probe is pressed against the sample after being held in contact with the sample until the probe and the sample are in a thermal equilibrium state, so that the elasticity of the sample is not affected by the environmental temperature. Can be measured.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the connecting portion is an elastic body.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, the relative position between the probe and the sample is determined by the equilibrium position of the elastic body, and the force applied to the probe and the sample can be easily controlled by controlling the amount of deviation therefrom.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the connecting portion is formed of a screw mechanism.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, since the relative position between the probe and the sample can be controlled by the rotation angle of the screw, the force applied to the probe and the sample can be easily controlled.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the base side gas chamber has an opening communicating with the outside air.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, even if the atmospheric pressure changes, the base side gas chamber fluctuates in conjunction therewith, so that no force is applied to the probe tip surface, and the influence of the fluctuation of the external pressure is not affected. It can be a elasticity meter that does not receive.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the front end surface of the sensor gas chamber protrudes from the front end surface of the frame in a state before measuring elasticity.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, the force exerted by the probe on the sample surface can be made constant by pushing until the tip end surface of the sensor gas chamber contacts the sample surface.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the cantilever is connected to the metal wiring inside or on the surface, and the detection unit detects a change in electric resistance of the metal wiring due to the deflection of the cantilever.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, it is possible to detect an extremely slight deflection, and it is possible to measure the elasticity of a sample made of a very soft material.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention includes a second cantilever having the same configuration as that of the cantilever, and the second cantilever is disposed in the vicinity of the cantilever and is fixed to a restricting portion that restricts deformation of the second cantilever. It is characterized by being.
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, noise to the sensor output caused by a change in ambient temperature can be canceled by the output of the second cantilever, and highly sensitive elasticity measurement can be performed.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the tip surface of the sensor gas chamber has a probe contact sensor capable of detecting contact with the sample surface .
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, after stopping the probe movement at the moment when the front end surface of the sensor gas chamber is slightly in contact with the sample, it is possible to wait until the thermal equilibrium state is reached. can do.

The elasticity meter according to the present invention is characterized in that the front end surface of the frame has a frame contact sensor capable of detecting contact with the sample surface .
According to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, the elasticity can be measured more accurately by measuring the elasticity at the moment when the front end surface of the frame contacts the sample.

The elasticity measuring device according to the present invention is connected to the elasticity meter according to the present invention, a notification unit, a detection unit, a signal processing unit for processing a signal related to deflection of a cantilever, a probe contact sensor, and a sample surface. A probe contact detection unit that detects contact with the probe, a frame contact detection unit that is connected to the frame contact sensor and detects that the sample surface is in contact with the frame, and a probe contact detection unit and a frame contact detection unit. And a control unit that generates operation instruction information for the elasticity meter based on the detection result and a signal from the signal processing unit, and causes the user to notify the operation instruction information via the notification unit.
According to the elasticity measuring device of the present invention, a user who wants to perform elasticity measurement can easily and accurately measure elasticity by operating the elasticity meter in accordance with an instruction displayed on the output unit.

  According to the elasticity meter and the elasticity measuring apparatus according to the present invention, the elasticity of the extremely soft solid surface can be measured with high accuracy, and the measurement can be performed in a state where the influence of the temperature of the measurement environment is suppressed to be small.

It is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is sectional drawing (at the time of (a) non-measurement) and (b) at the time of measurement) of the elasticity meter 1. It is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is sectional drawing of the elasticity meter 1 for every step of a measurement process. It is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: The time passage of the sensor output for every step of a measurement process is shown. It is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: The drive algorithm of a measurement process is shown. It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is sectional drawing of a sensor gas chamber. It is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is sectional drawing of a elasticity meter. It is a figure which shows 4th Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is sectional drawing of a elasticity meter. It is a figure which shows 5th Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is sectional drawing of a sensor gas chamber. It is a figure which shows 6th Embodiment which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is a block diagram of an elasticity measuring apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the elasticity meter according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
"Configuration of each part of the elasticity meter"
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a elasticity meter 1 according to the first embodiment. 1A shows a cross section when the sample 13 is not measured, and FIG. 1B shows a cross section when the elasticity of the sample 13 is measured. Here, the sample 13 as the measurement object of the elasticity meter 1 according to the present embodiment has a solid surface made of a soft material such as a living body skin, a food surface, a rubber product surface, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the elasticity meter 1 connects a frame 2 as a frame of the elasticity meter 1, a probe 3 for pressing against the sample 13 during measurement of the sample 13, and the frame 2 and the probe 3. And a spring 4 to be provided. The frame 2 is, for example, a frame body having a bottomed hollow cylindrical shape opened on the side of the frame front end portion 12 in a side view. As shown in FIG. 1A, the frame 2 accommodates the probe 3 therein so that a part of the distal end of the probe 3 protrudes from the frame distal end portion 12 when the elasticity meter 1 is not measured.

  The probe 3 has a structure in which, for example, a hollow rod-shaped base smaller than the frame 2 is connected to a tip having a diameter smaller than that of the base. The probe 3 is supported horizontally in the frame 2 by connecting the other end of the base to the inner peripheral surface of the frame 2 via a spring 4. The probe 3 is provided between a base side gas chamber 5 corresponding to the other end side of the base body, a sensor gas chamber 6 corresponding to one end side of the base body, and the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6. Partition wall 9 and cantilever 10.

The base side gas chamber 5 has a structure in which a gas is sealed inside. Here, the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6 are isolated from the outside air, but the internal gas flow is circulated by a gap (through hole) of the partition wall 9.
The partition wall 9 is a wall portion disposed between the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6. The partition wall 9 separates the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6, but has the gap in part, and the cantilever 10 is disposed so as to close the gap.

  The cantilever 10 is a thin plate-like member, and is a cantilever having one end fixed to the partition wall 9 and the other end being a free end. Here, a very small gap is formed between the free end of the cantilever 10 and the partition wall 9 facing the free end. Therefore, the gas sealed inside the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6 flows only through the gap.

  Further, the cantilever 10 is connected to an electric wiring (not shown) near a fixed end fixed to the partition wall 9, and is connected to a detection unit (not shown) via the electric wiring. The detection unit has a configuration in which electrical resistance can be monitored by a bridge circuit connected to the electrical wiring. The detection unit detects the electrical resistance and transmits it to a control unit (not shown). The control unit transmits and receives signals to and from the detection unit, and obtains the elasticity of the sample 13 based on the output signal of the detection unit. The cantilever 10 is deflected by a force due to the differential pressure because a differential pressure is generated on the front and back surfaces of the cantilever 10 when a difference occurs between the internal pressures of the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6. Therefore, the control unit bends the cantilever 10 due to the difference in internal pressure, and the electric resistance changes according to the amount of deflection (piezo effect). Therefore, by detecting the amount of change in the electric resistance, the elasticity of the sample 13 can be detected. It can be measured.

  The thickness of the cantilever 10 is typically 1 micron or less, and 100 nanometers or less is still desirable for high sensitivity. Also, the gap is several microns or less, and several hundred nanometers or less are still desirable for high sensitivity. In addition, the gas sealed in the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6 in the present embodiment is air, but depending on the measurement environment and conditions, other types such as nitrogen, oxygen, and inert gas are used. Gas may be used.

  The sensor gas chamber 6 includes a sensor gas chamber base portion 7 having the same diameter as the base side gas chamber 5, and a sensor gas chamber tip portion 8 connected to the sensor gas chamber base portion 7. The sensor gas chamber base portion 7 is a base material on the distal end side of the probe 3 connected to the base side gas chamber 5 via the partition wall 9. The sensor gas chamber front end portion 8 is a member having a smaller diameter than the sensor gas chamber base portion 7, and includes a sample contact portion 11 that is a contact surface that contacts the surface of the sample 13 at the front end.

  The sample contact portion 11 is made of a thin film material having a thickness of about 10 microns made of, for example, polyethylene or polyvinylidene chloride, and is softer than other parts of the probe 3 made of, for example, polystyrene or acrylonitrile and having a thickness of several hundred microns. It has a structure. The sample contact portion 11 protrudes by a distance d from the frame front end portion 12 which is the front end of the frame 2 in a non-measurement state. The distance d is shorter than the length of the spring 4 in the non-measurement state (that is, the distance between the inner surface of the frame 2 and the base end of the probe 3 in the non-measurement state).

"Measurement operation with elasticity meter"
Next, an outline of the measurement operation of the sample 13 by the elasticity meter 1 will be described. Here, FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view when the elasticity of the sample 13 is measured using the elasticity meter 1. As shown in FIG. 1B, the spring 4 contracts when the sensor contact portion 11 is pushed by the surface of the sample 13. The sensor contact portion 11 is pushed in until the frame front end portion 12 contacts the sample 13, so that the sensor contact portion 11 and the frame front end portion 12 are positioned on substantially the same plane. Since the sample contact portion 11 is a very soft structure as described above, the volume of the sensor gas chamber 6 is reduced by being deformed by being pressed against the surface of the sample 13. As a result, the pressure inside the sensor gas chamber 6 is temporarily higher than that of the base side gas chamber 5. Therefore, the cantilever 10 is bent due to a differential pressure generated on the front surface side and the back surface side. Here, since the deformation amount of the sample contact portion 11 is determined according to the hardness of the sample 13, the differential pressure between the two gas chambers is also determined according to the deformation amount. That is, the amount of deflection of the cantilever 10 is determined according to the hardness of the sample 13. Therefore, the detection unit can measure the elasticity of the sample 13 by detecting the electrical resistance of the electrical wiring on the cantilever 10.

  Next, a detailed process of measuring the elasticity of the sample 13 by the elasticity meter 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the elasticity meter 1 for each step of the measurement process. FIG. 3 shows the time course of the output of the detection unit for each step of the measurement process. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a driving algorithm in the measurement process. 2A to 2E, 3 and 4 correspond to the same steps.

  Step s1 represents a state before the user starts measurement, and the sample contact portion 11 protrudes from the frame tip portion 12 by a distance d as shown in FIG. That is, in this step s1, since the internal pressures of the sensor gas chamber 6 and the base side gas chamber 5 are the same and the cantilever 10 is flat, there is no output from the detection unit as shown in FIG. This step s1 corresponds to “start” shown in FIG.

  Next, step s2 represents a state in which the user has brought the sample contact portion 11 into contact with the surface of the sample 13. Here, since the normal elasticity meter 1 and the sample 13 are not necessarily at the same temperature, the temperature of the sample contact portion 11 slightly changes at the moment when the sample contact portion 11 contacts the surface of the sample 13. As a result, since the pressure in the sensor gas chamber 6 changes, a differential pressure is generated between the two gas chambers, so that the cantilever 10 bends according to the differential pressure. That is, Signal in step S2 in FIG. 3 indicates the output of the detection unit based on the temperature change at the time of contact.

  Next, in step s3, the control unit determines whether or not the output of the detection unit based on the temperature change at the time of contact in step s2 has reached zero. That is, in step s3, the gas between the gas chambers moves and the heat transfer occurs through the gap formed between the cantilever 10 and the partition wall 9, and the pressure difference and temperature difference between the gas chambers eventually. This is a step of determining whether or not the pressure difference and the temperature difference have disappeared based on the disappearance of. If the control unit determines in step s3 that the output of the detection unit is not zero (step s3; No), the control unit waits for a predetermined time (step s4), and repeats the processing after step s3.

  On the other hand, when the control unit determines that the output of the detection unit is zero in step s2 (step s3; Yes), the probe 3 is directed toward the surface of the sample 13 until the frame tip portion 12 contacts the sample surface. Push in (step s5).

  Here, the spring 4 is in an equilibrium state at step s1 in which the sample contact portion 11 protrudes from the frame front end portion 12 by a predetermined distance d, and is compressed by the predetermined distance d at step s5. Since the spring constant of the spring 4 is a predetermined value, the product of the spring constant and the predetermined distance d is a force with which the elasticity meter 1 pushes the sample 13. That is, the magnitude of the force with which the elasticity meter 1 pushes the sample 13 can be determined in advance at the time of design. Further, the deformation amount of the sensor contact portion 11 depends on the magnitude relationship between the hardness of the sensor contact portion 11 and the sample 13. After all, when the deformation amount of the sensor contact portion 11 is determined by the hardness of the sample 13, the differential pressure between the two gas chambers is determined by the deformation amount, so that the deflection amount of the cantilever 10 is determined. Therefore, the sensor output acquired by the detection unit in step s6 corresponds to the elasticity of the sample 13.

  Next, in step s7, since the gas moves through the gap by maintaining the state of s5 and the differential pressure between the two gas chambers is eliminated, the deflection of the cantilever 10 is eliminated, and the sensor output acquired by the detection unit is zero. It represents the state that became.

  The elasticity meter 1 having the above-described structure can measure the elasticity of an extremely soft substance with high accuracy without being affected by the environmental temperature by being driven according to the above-described procedure. Further, since the shape and volume of the base side gas chamber 5 affects the deflection amount of the cantilever 10 and the speed at which the deflection is eliminated, the elasticity meter 1 uses these as design parameters to achieve the desired sensitivity and response speed. Can be designed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the elasticity meter 1a according to the second embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the sensor gas chamber 21 of the elasticity meter according to the second embodiment. Since the elasticity meter 1a according to the present embodiment is the same as the elasticity meter 1 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the sensor gas chamber, description of portions other than the sensor gas chamber 21 is omitted.

  In the sensor gas chamber 21 according to the elasticity meter 1 a, the cantilever 10 is disposed in the sensor gas chamber tip 22. Here, the detection part measures the elasticity of the contact part, when the sample contact part 11 contacts the sample 13 as demonstrated in 1st Embodiment. That is, the spatial resolution of the measurement by the detection unit is determined by the area of the portion of the sample contact portion 11 that contacts the sample 13. Therefore, even when the sample surface is made of multiple materials, or even if the sample material is the same material or partially deteriorated over time, the detection unit measures the elasticity of the sample surface with high spatial resolution. Therefore, the sample contact portion 11 has a structure having a smaller diameter than the microstructure of the sample surface (the smallest size among the various sizes when the parts made of the same material are distributed in various sizes on the sample surface). It has become. Therefore, the sensor gas chamber tip 21 has a shape smaller in diameter than the microstructure of the sample surface, so that it is usually difficult to make a functional component inside the sensor gas chamber tip 21. However, the cantilever 10 according to the present embodiment can be manufactured using a technology of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System), so that the entire size can be a fine structure within 1 mm, and the front end of the sensor gas chamber The functional parts can be built in the inside 21. Here, since the cantilever 10 is arranged close to the sample contact portion 11 to a distance of about 1 millimeter or less, the cantilever 10 reacts even if the sample contact portion 11 is slightly deformed, and the sample surface Can be measured.

(Third embodiment)
Next, the elasticity meter 31 according to the third embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the elasticity meter 31 according to the third embodiment. Of the configuration of the elasticity meter 31 according to this embodiment, the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment is omitted.

  The elasticity meter 31 according to the present embodiment includes an outside air communication port 33 that is opened to the outside air in the base side gas chamber 32. Here, the cantilever 10 is deformed by a temporary differential pressure between the sensor gas chamber 6 and the base side gas chamber 32 generated by the deformation of the sensor contact portion 11, and the elasticity of the sample surface is measured by using the cantilever 10 as a sensor output. The function / operation of the elasticity meter 31 is basically the same as that of the elasticity meter 1. However, in the elasticity meter 31 according to the present embodiment, since the base side gas chamber 32 communicates with the outside air, no gas other than air can be sealed inside the base side gas chamber 32, but the atmospheric pressure of the outside air Even when it changes, the sensor contact portion 11 is not deformed thereby, and stable measurement can be realized.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, the elasticity meter 41 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the elasticity meter 41 according to the fourth embodiment. In addition, description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure same as the elasticity meter 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment among the structures of the elasticity meter 41 which concerns on this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the elasticity meter 41 according to the present embodiment fixes the frame 2 and the probe 3 with screws 42 instead of the spring 4 according to the first embodiment. Here, FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view at the moment when the elasticity meter 41 contacts the surface of the sample 13. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view when the probe 3 is pushed toward the surface of the sample 43 with respect to the frame 2 by rotating the screw 42 by a predetermined angle from this state.

  In this embodiment, the sample 43 shows a case where it is made of a material softer than the sample 13 in the first embodiment, for example, the surface of food such as tofu or pudding. Therefore, since the sample contact portion 11 in FIG. 7B bites into the surface of the sample 43, the sample contact portion 11 protrudes from the frame tip portion 12. Therefore, even if the sample 43 is pushed in with a predetermined force, the internal pressure difference does not increase, so the detection unit can determine the elasticity of the sample 43. Of course, depending on the hardness of the sample 43, the sensor contact portion 11 may be flush with the frame front end portion 12 as shown in FIG. In this way, the pressure difference between the two internal gas chambers is determined according to the elasticity of the sample 43, and the elasticity of the sample 43 made of an extremely soft material is measured with high accuracy by detecting the deformation of the cantilever 10 caused by the pressure difference. be able to.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, the elasticity meter 1b according to the fifth embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the sensor gas chamber 51 of the elasticity meter 1b according to the fifth embodiment. In addition, description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure same as the elasticity meter 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment among the structures of the elasticity meter 1b which concerns on this embodiment.

  The sensor gas chamber 51 according to the present embodiment includes a reference cantilever 52 manufactured using the same process as that of the cantilever 10. The reference cantilever 52 is disposed in the vicinity of the cantilever 10 used for sensor output, and since the bottom surface is fixed to the base layer 53, the bending deformation is restricted. Here, the vicinity of the cantilever 10 indicates a position range close enough that the reference cantilever 52 can be regarded as having substantially the same temperature as the cantilever 10.

  The cantilever 52 is used for detecting a change in electrical resistance of the cantilever 10 based on a temperature change in the sensor gas chamber 51. That is, although the electrical resistance of the cantilever 10 changes due to the temperature change of the sensor gas chamber 51, the electrical resistance of the reference cantilever 52 also changes in the same manner, so that the detection unit subtracts the output of the reference cantilever 52 from the output of the cantilever 10. Thus, the influence of the temperature change of the measurement environment on the sensor output can be eliminated. In other words, the elasticity meter 1b can measure the elasticity of the sample stably even if the temperature of the measurement environment changes suddenly by adopting such a configuration.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, the elasticity measuring device 62 according to the sixth embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the elasticity measuring device 62 incorporating the elasticity meter 61. The elasticity meter 61 according to the present embodiment has the same structure as any of the elasticity meters described in the first to fifth embodiments. Further, in the elasticity meter 61 according to the present embodiment, a contact sensor (probe contact sensor, frame contact sensor) (not shown) is disposed at each of the sample contact portion 63 and the frame front end portion 64, and is in contact with the sample surface. It consists of a structure that can detect this. The contact sensor may be a switch composed of electrodes or a piezoelectric body.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the elasticity measuring device 62 includes a probe contact detection unit 65 that receives a signal from the contact sensor on the sample contact unit 63 and a frame contact that receives a signal from the contact sensor on the frame tip 64. Controls the overall operation of the detection unit 66, the signal processing unit 67 that receives a signal (sensor output) of the elasticity measurement result from the cantilever 10, the output unit 68 including a display monitor, and the like. And a control unit 69 for controlling automatically. Here, it is assumed that the user performs an operation of pressing the elasticity meter 61 against the sample surface in accordance with an instruction displayed on the output unit 68 of the elasticity measuring device 62. In the first to fifth embodiments, the configuration described as “detection unit” is a configuration arranged between the elasticity meter 61 of the elasticity measurement device 62 and the signal processing unit 67 according to this embodiment. And

  An execution procedure of the measurement operation by the elasticity meter 61 described in the first embodiment using the elasticity measuring device 62 having such a configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 9. 3A shows a state in which the sample contact portion 63 is not in contact with the sample 13, and the signal processing portion 67 discards the signal related to the sensor output because the received sensor output is zero. Next, when the sample contact part 63 contacts the sample surface, the probe contact detection part 65 sends the contact information acquired from the contact sensor to the control part 69. Then, the control unit 69 sends a signal for instructing signal processing to the signal processing unit 67, and causes the signal processing unit 67 to record the sensor output in a storage unit (not shown). The sensor output at this time is shown in FIG. Next, the control unit 69 waits for the signal from the signal processing unit 67 to become zero (FIG. 3 (c)), and notifies the user that the frame front end 64 is pushed toward the sample surface into the output unit 68. An instruction is sent to display an instruction (operation instruction information). The user sees the instruction, pushes the frame tip 64 into the sample surface, and when the contact sensor detects that the frame tip 64 has contacted the sample surface, the frame contact detector 65 sends the contact information to the controller 69. . The control unit 69 sends a command to the output unit 68 to display an instruction (operation instruction information) to the user to stop the movement of the frame front end portion 64. The user stops the movement of the frame front end portion 64 when viewing the instruction. The signal received by the signal processing unit at this time is shown in FIG. 3D, and this signal indicates the sample elasticity detected by the elasticity meter 61. Thereafter, the differential pressure between the gas chambers inside the elasticity meter 61 is eliminated, so that the output becomes zero (FIG. 3 (e)). In the present embodiment, the user himself / herself performs the operation of moving the elasticity meter 61 toward the sample. However, it is also possible to automatically perform the operation by connecting to the actuator.

  The description in the above embodiment is an example of a suitable elasticity meter and elasticity measuring device according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, the detailed configuration of each part of the elasticity meter and elasticity measuring device in the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the position where the through hole (gap between the partition walls 9) and the cantilever 10 is arranged is the boundary position between the base side gas chamber 5 and the sensor gas chamber 6, but the base side gas chamber 5 and sensor gas chamber 6 may be provided at any position excluding sensor gas chamber tip 8. That is, the arrangement of the through hole and the cantilever 10 forms a differential pressure between one surface side of the cantilever 10 and the other surface side facing the one surface side in accordance with the pushing operation of the sensor contact portion 11 onto the surface of the sample 13. A position where is possible is sufficient.

1 Elasticity meter 2 Frame 3 Probe 4 Spring (connection part, elastic body)
5 base side gas chamber 6 sensor gas chamber 7 sensor gas chamber base 8 sensor gas chamber tip 9 partition 10 cantilever 11 sample contact portion (tip surface)
12 Frame tip portion 13 Sample 21 Sensor gas chamber 22 Sensor gas chamber tip portion 31 Elasticity meter 32 Base side gas chamber 33 Open air communication port (opening)
41 Elasticity meter 42 Screw (screw mechanism)
51 Sensor gas chamber 52 Reference cantilever (second cantilever)
53 Underlayer (Regulation Department)
61 elasticity meter 62 elasticity measuring device 63 sample contact part 64 frame tip part 65 probe contact detection part 66 frame contact detection part 67 signal processing part 68 output part (notification part)
69 Control unit

Claims (12)

In the elasticity meter that measures the elasticity of the sample surface by pushing the probe into the sample surface,
The probe is
A sensor gas chamber that is filled with gas and has a distal end surface made of a flexible material, and deforms when the sample is pushed into the sample surface, and the internal pressure changes;
A cantilever having one end fixed so as to cover a part of a through-hole that allows the gas filled in the sensor gas chamber to flow into and out of the sensor gas chamber;
A detection unit for detecting deflection of the cantilever due to a change in internal pressure of the sensor gas chamber;
A elasticity meter comprising:   2. The elasticity according to claim 1, wherein the probe includes a base-side gas chamber that is connected to the sensor gas chamber via the through hole and allows the gas to flow in and out of the sensor gas chamber. Total. One end is connected to the surface on the side facing the tip surface of the probe, and a connection part for moving the probe along the longitudinal direction;
A frame that is connected to the other end of the connecting portion, can accommodate the probe, and has an open end surface side of the probe;
The elasticity meter according to claim 1, further comprising:   The elasticity meter according to claim 3, wherein the connection portion is an elastic body.   The elasticity meter according to claim 3, wherein the connection portion includes a screw mechanism.   The elasticity meter according to claim 2, wherein the base side gas chamber includes an opening communicating with outside air.   6. The elasticity meter according to claim 3, wherein a front end surface of the sensor gas chamber protrudes from a front end surface of the frame in a state before measuring elasticity. The cantilever is connected to the metal wiring inside or on the surface,
The elasticity meter according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects a change in electrical resistance of the metal wiring due to deflection of the cantilever. A second cantilever having the same configuration as the cantilever,
The said 2nd cantilever is arrange | positioned in the vicinity of the said cantilever, and is fixed to the control part which controls the bending deformation of the said 2nd cantilever, The any one of Claims 1-8 characterized by the above-mentioned. Elasticity meter.   The elasticity meter according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a tip contact surface of the sensor gas chamber includes a probe contact sensor that detects contact with the sample surface.   11. The elasticity meter according to claim 1, wherein a front end surface of the frame includes a frame contact sensor that detects contact with the sample surface. The elasticity meter according to claim 11;
A notification unit;
A signal processing unit that is connected to the detection unit and processes a signal related to deflection of the cantilever;
A probe contact detection unit that detects that the tip surface of the sensor gas chamber is in contact with the sample surface and detects that the sample surface and the probe are in contact;
A frame contact detection unit that is connected to the frame contact sensor and detects that the sample surface and the frame are in contact with each other;
Operation instruction information for the elasticity meter is generated based on detection results of the probe contact detection unit and the frame contact detection unit and a signal of the signal processing unit, and the operation instruction information is transmitted to the user via the notification unit. A control unit for informing
An elasticity measuring device comprising:

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