JP7105079B2 - cannula for oxygen inhalation - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oxygen inhalation cannula.

Conventionally, an oxygen inhalation cannula, also called a nasal cannula, has been provided as a device for sending oxygen gas into the nasal cavity of a patient. This type of oxygen inhalation cannula is used by attaching the nostril insertion part to the nose, putting the cannula side tube on both ears, and sending the oxygen gas sent from the tube into the nasal cavity through the nostril insertion part.

As an example of this type of cannula, a cannula with a sensing function has also been proposed. For example, the nasal cannula disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a respiratory sensor, and this respiratory sensor is configured to measure the temperature change of the respiratory airflow and detect the timing of exhalation and inhalation.

Furthermore, a configuration as disclosed in Patent Document 2 has also been proposed. The patient interface disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,000,002 secures a seal structure and an introducer tube structure to the patient's head with fasteners, and allows breathable gas to be delivered to the seal structure by the introducer tube structure. I have to. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses various examples of fasteners. For example, in the example of FIG. 39D, an earpiece is engaged with one ear of the patient, and a tube and a seal are extended from this earpiece toward the patient's nose. A patient interface is configured such that the structure extends.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-1954 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-544372

However, in the conventional techniques such as Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is possible to perform sensing with a cannula and to stably fix the cannula to the user's head, but the user is required to obtain his/her own biological information. There is no function that can quickly grasp the

For example, in the cannula disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the detection portion of the temperature sensor is connected to a plug via a signal line, and the detection signal of the temperature sensor is output to the outside. Due to such a configuration, in order to grasp the information detected by the temperature sensor, it is necessary to confirm it with an external device, which is the output destination. That is, the user must somehow check on the external device remote from the cannula. With such a configuration, biometric information cannot be used quickly, and confirmation work is troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve at least one of the above-described problems. The object is to provide a cannula for inhalation.

A cannula for oxygen inhalation, which is one of the present invention,
An oxygen inhalation cannula that supplies oxygen gas sent from an oxygen supply device into the nostrils of a user,
a fixing part fixed to the user's head;
a tube member held by the fixed part directly or via another member and serving as a tube for sending the oxygen gas sent from the oxygen supply device toward the nostril;
a biometric information sensor that detects the biometric information of the user;
an information notification unit that notifies the user of at least one of the biological information detected by the biological information sensor and information generated based on the biological information;
have

The cannula for oxygen inhalation has an information notification unit, and the information notification unit notifies the user of at least one of biological information detected by the biological information sensor and information generated based on the biological information. Function. With such a configuration, the biological information of the user can be detected while the user is wearing the cannula for oxygen inhalation, and the biological information generated based on the biological information can be detected. Information can be notified to the user. The user can quickly and easily obtain his/her own biological information or information generated based on his/her own biological information from the oxygen inhalation cannula attached to his/her head. With more accurate recognition, it becomes easier to take appropriate measures quickly.

In this specification, the user's "head" means a portion above the user's torso, and is a concept that does not include the user's torso but includes the user's neck (cervical region).

In the oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention, the biological information sensor may be a sensor that measures at least one of blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
According to this configuration, when the user is performing oxygen inhalation therapy, the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate, which are important indicators in oxygen inhalation therapy, can be detected in parallel. The user can be notified of at least one of biological information such as medium oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate, or information generated based on the biological information. The user can more accurately recognize at least one of the blood oxygen level, heart rate, and respiratory rate, and can readily take appropriate measures.

In the oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention, the information reporting unit may be configured to report the measured value of biological information.
According to this configuration, the measured value of the biological information can be transmitted to the user, and the user can accurately know his or her own condition based on the specific measured value.

In the oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention, the information reporting section may include a speaker that is fixed to the fixed section and that outputs at least one of the biological information and information generated based on the biological information as sound.
By doing so, the user can recognize the biometric information or the information generated based on the biometric information without visually recognizing the display, which further increases convenience. In addition, since the speaker can be stably placed near the user's ear while emitting sound, the user can more accurately and easily hear biological information or information generated based on the biological information.

In the oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention, the fixed portion may be configured to include an ear hook portion that is hung on the user's ear.
In this way, the fixed part can be more stably fixed by the user's head, and even if the user's face is moved, the fixed part and the tube member fixed to the fixed part are less likely to shift.

When the ear hooking portion is provided in this manner, the ear hooking portion may be configured to be hooked on only one of the user's two ears.
In this way, the work of attaching the ear hooks can be performed more easily, and the ear hooks are less conspicuous. In addition, even when wearing a hat or a helmet, the fixing portion can be easily fixed.

In the oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention, the fixing portion may be configured to include a band member that is wound and hung while at least a portion thereof is in contact with the user's neck or back of the head.
If the fixing part is configured with such a band member, the fixing part can be fixed more stably to the user's head.

The oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention transmits at least one of biological information detected by the biological information sensor and information generated based on the biological information to an external device provided outside the oxygen inhalation cannula. You may have a part.
By doing so, the biological information and the like detected by the biological information sensor can be used by the external device.

The oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention includes a microphone that generates a sound signal corresponding to a sound input from the outside, a processing unit that performs hearing aid processing on the sound signal generated by the microphone, and a hearing aid processing result by the processing unit. and a hearing aid that outputs a responsive sound.
In this way, the function of a hearing aid can be added to the cannula for inhalation of oxygen, and the function can be further improved. Also, for users who need both hearing aids and cannulas, the troublesomeness of wearing multiple devices separately is eliminated.

In this case, if the speaker included in the hearing aid is also used as a speaker for outputting the biological information detected by the biological information sensor as sound, the device configuration can be simplified, the number of parts can be reduced, and the weight can be reduced. is advantageous.

The oxygen inhalation cannula of the present invention may have a receiving section that receives information from an external device provided outside the oxygen inhalation cannula. The information notification section may be configured to notify the user of at least one of the received information received by the receiving section and the information generated based on the received information.
With this configuration, the information notifying unit not only functions as a device for notifying biological information detected by the biological information sensor, but also as a device for notifying received information received from an external device or information generated based on the received information. will also be available as

According to the oxygen inhalation cannula described above, which is one of the present inventions, the user can quickly and easily comprehend his own biometric information or information generated based on his own biometric information.

1 is an explanatory view conceptually illustrating an oxygen inhalation system including an oxygen inhalation cannula and an oxygen supply device of the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating a state in which the oxygen inhalation cannula of the first embodiment is worn by a user, viewed from the front side; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating a state in which the oxygen inhalation cannula of the first embodiment is attached to a user, viewed from the side; 1 is a left side view schematically illustrating the oxygen inhalation cannula of the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating the oxygen inhalation cannula of the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of an oxygen inhalation system including an oxygen inhalation cannula and an oxygen supply device of the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a portion of an oxygen inhalation system including an oxygen inhalation cannula of a second embodiment; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating a state in which the oxygen inhalation cannula of the second embodiment is attached to a user, viewed from the front side; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating a state in which the oxygen inhalation cannula of the second embodiment is attached to a user, viewed from the side; FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically illustrating a portion of the oxygen inhalation cannula of the second embodiment;

<First Embodiment>
1-1. Overview of Oxygen Inhalation System First, an overview of an oxygen inhalation system 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
The oxygen inhalation system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a system used for, for example, oxygen therapy. It is composed of a cannula 1 for inhaling oxygen (hereinafter also simply referred to as cannula 1) to be fed into the body. This oxygen inhalation system 100 is configured to send oxygen gas supplied from an oxygen supply device 110 into the user's nostrils through a cannula 1 attached to the user, and the user continuously inhales the oxygen gas. It is a system that makes it possible.

The oxygen supply device 110 is a known oxygen supply device, and is configured as a device that feeds oxygen gas into a tube (not shown) provided in a flexible member 18 to be described later. The oxygen supply device 110 may be a stationary oxygen supply device or a portable oxygen supply device. As a stationary oxygen supply device, for example, an adsorbent that preferentially adsorbs nitrogen over oxygen is used to generate high-concentration oxygen (oxygen-enriched gas) from air, and the oxygen-enriched gas is supplied at a set flow rate. A known stationary oxygen concentrator that supplies . As a portable oxygen supply device, for example, there is a known portable supply unit which is equipped with a portable oxygen cylinder and a flow regulator, and which can supply oxygen gas at a flow rate adjusted by the flow regulator from the portable oxygen cylinder. can be used. The oxygen supply device 110 is provided with a control device including a control circuit such as a CPU, a storage unit such as ROM and RAM, a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information, and the like. Information can be sent and received.

The cannula 1 is an instrument worn by a user for use, and is an instrument for supplying oxygen gas supplied from the oxygen supply device 110 into the nostrils of the user.

1-2. Form of Cannula As shown in FIG. 1, the cannula 1 mainly includes a fixing portion 10, a tube member 70, a biological information sensor 32, a holding portion 16, a flexible member 18, a controller 20, a clip portion 24, and the like.

The cannula 1 is a device worn by the user P as shown in FIG. The fixed part 10 is a part fixed to the head of the user P, and is composed of an ear hook part 12 and an ear insertion part 14 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the ear inserting portion 14 includes a base portion 14A and an earpiece portion 14B, and protrudes from a holding portion 16, which will be described later. One end of the base portion 14A is connected to the holding portion 16 and protrudes along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the holding portion 16 extends (the axial direction that is the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 16), and the other end of the base portion 14A is an earpiece. It is connected to the portion 14B. The earpiece portion 14B is arranged along a direction that is slightly inclined with respect to the direction in which the base portion 14A protrudes. A hole 14C is formed for leading out the sound from (see also FIGS. 4 and 5). The earpiece portion 14B is in a state in which the hole portion 14C communicates with the inside of the ear hole (inside the outer ear) of the ear Ea and the outer surface of the earpiece portion 14B is in contact with the auricle or the outer ear of the left ear Ea1 of the user P. It is installed so that The earpiece part 14B functions as an earphone together with a speaker 38 (FIG. 6) and a hearing aid speaker 66 (FIG. 6) which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ear hook portion 12 is a portion to be hooked on the ear Ea of the user P, and the example of FIG. 2 illustrates the ear hook portion 12 hooked on the user's left ear Ea1. The ear hook portion 12 is made of a flexibly deformable and elastically deformable resin or metal member. It has an extended configuration. The ear hook portion 12 has a curved and folded shape from one end side (base portion 14A side) to the other end side (tip side). state) and has an arc shape. As shown in FIG. 3, the ear hook portion 12 is fixed while being placed on the left ear Ea1 of the user P from above.

The biometric information sensor 32 shown in FIG. 3 is fixed to the fixing portion 10 described above and configured as a sensor for detecting the biometric information of the user P. As shown in FIG. The biological information sensor 32 includes a plurality of sensors (a blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A, a heart rate sensor 32B, a respiratory rate sensor, and a blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A shown in FIG. 32C) is provided. Details of the blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A, heart rate sensor 32B, and respiratory rate sensor 32C will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, the holding portion 16 is configured as a portion that holds and connects the fixed portion 10, the tube member 70, the flexible member 18, and the like. The holding portion 16 has a shaft-like and cylindrical shape, and the tube member 70 extends from one end in the axial direction, and the flexible member 18 extends from the other end in the axial direction. The base portion 14A of the ear inserting portion 14 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion 16. As shown in FIG.

The flexible members 18 include a first flexible member 18A located between the holding portion 16 and the controller 20 and a second flexible member 18B located between the controller 20 and the oxygenator 110. and A flexible tube for sending oxygen gas from the oxygen supply device 110 to the tube member 70 is arranged inside the first flexible member 18A and the second flexible member 18B. This flexible tube member is integrally constructed so as to span the first flexible member 18A, the controller 20, and the second flexible member 18B. Furthermore, inside the first flexible member 18A, a cable for transmitting electrical signals between the holding portion 16 and the controller 20 is provided along with a portion of the flexible tube described above, along with a covering material (first flexible member). The member 18A is covered with a covering material that forms the outer surface of the member 18A. Inside the second flexible member 18B, a cable for transmitting electrical signals between the controller 20 and the oxygenator 110 is located along with a portion of the flexible tube described above, along with a jacket (second flexible member). 18B is covered with a covering material forming the outer surface of 18B).

The controller 20 accommodates various electrical components inside a case body that forms an outer shell. The controller 20 has an axial and cylindrical shape, with a first flexible member 18A extending from one end in the axial direction and a second flexible member 18B extending from the other end in the axial direction. An operation unit 34 having a plurality of operation buttons 34A, 34B, and 34C is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the controller 20 (see also FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 5, the tube member 70 is a member held by the fixed portion 10 via the holding portion 16, and supplies oxygen gas sent from the oxygen supply device 110 (FIG. 1) to the nostrils Ns (FIGS. 2 and 3). ). The tube member 70 is made of, for example, a flexurally deformable and elastically deformable resin material. has a predetermined shape (see also FIGS. 1 and 4). As shown in FIG. 5 , the tube member 70 is connected to a first tube portion 71 that linearly extends in a predetermined direction from one longitudinal end of the holding portion 16 and is curved in a predetermined direction. A curved tube portion 73 and a second tubular portion 72 connected to the curved tubular portion 73 and extending in a direction different from that of the first tubular portion 71 are provided. 72 are integrally connected to form a bent shape. Two projections 74 and 75 are formed on the outer circumference of the second pipe portion 72, and these two projections 74 and 75 have holes 74A communicating with the inside of the second pipe portion 72. , 75A are formed (see also FIG. 2).

1-3. Electrical Configuration of Cannula FIG. 6 conceptually shows the electrical configuration of the oxygen inhalation system 100 , mainly showing the internal configuration of the cannula 1 . As shown in FIG. 6, the cannula 1 is provided with a biological information sensor 32, an operation section 34, an information notification section 40, a transmission/reception circuit 42, a hearing aid 60, and the like. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 30 denotes an electrical configuration related to biometric information, and reference numeral 20A denotes an electrical configuration that can be accommodated within the controller 20, for example.

The biological information sensor 32 is a sensor that detects the biological information of the user, and in the example of FIG. there is

The blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A is configured, for example, as a known reflective blood oxygen concentration sensor, and has a contact surface (Figs. 1 and 2 A light emitting part that can irradiate infrared light and red light from the contact surface of the sensor covering part 33 indicated by ], and the infrared light and red light emitted from the light emitting part are reflected in the vicinity of the part to be measured. A blood oxygen concentration is detected by a known method based on the ratio of the amount of reflected infrared light received and the amount of reflected red light received. The blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A may be configured to detect at least the amount of each reflected light (reflected infrared light and reflected red light) from the site to be measured. may be calculated within the cannula 1 (for example, the control circuit 36). A medium oxygen concentration may be calculated.

The heart rate sensor 32B is configured as a known heart rate sensor, and measures the user's heart rate by a contact method or a non-contact method using the user's ear Ea or the vicinity of the ear Ea as a detection target position. The heart rate sensor 32B may use any known method that can measure the user's heart rate.

The respiratory rate sensor 32C is configured as a known respiratory rate sensor, and measures the user's respiratory rate by a contact method or a non-contact method using the user's ear Ea or the vicinity of the ear Ea as a detection target position. The respiration rate sensor 32C may use any known method that can measure the user's respiration rate.

The operation unit 34 includes a plurality of operation buttons 34A, 34B, and 34C (see FIG. 1), and is configured as an interface through which the user can perform input operations. The operation unit 34 can input information to the control circuit 36 according to the operation of the plurality of operation buttons 34A, 34B, 34C.

The speaker 38 is configured as a known small speaker that can be used as an earphone. The speaker 38 is fixed to the fixing portion 10 in such a manner as to be incorporated in the base portion 14A or the earpiece portion 14B, and is configured to lead out sound to the outside through the hole portion 14C formed in the earpiece portion 14B. form.

The control circuit 36 is configured by a microcomputer, a hardware circuit, or the like having an arithmetic function, and is capable of performing various types of information processing. Although not shown, a memory may be provided inside or outside the control circuit 36 .

The transmitting/receiving circuit 42 has a function as a transmitting section that transmits information generated by the cannula 1 to an external device, and a function as a receiving section that receives information transmitted from the external device. The external device to be transmitted and received by the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 may be, for example, the oxygen supply device 110 shown in FIG. 1, or may be another device. Further, the external device to which the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 transmits information may be different from the external device to which the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 receives information. In the following description, an example will be described in which the oxygen supply device 110 is an external device that is a transmission partner and a reception partner. Further, when the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 transmits information to an external device, the information may be transmitted using a known wired communication method or a known wireless communication method. Similarly, when the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 receives information from an external device, the information may be received by a known wired communication method, or may be received by a known wireless communication method.

The hearing aid 60 is configured as a known hearing aid in terms of electrical configuration. The hearing aid 60 includes a microphone 62 that generates a sound signal corresponding to sound input from the outside of the hearing aid 60, a hearing aid processing circuit 64 as an example of a processing unit that performs hearing aid processing on the sound signal generated by the microphone 62, and a hearing aid processing. A hearing aid speaker 66 for outputting a sound according to the hearing aid processing result by the circuit 64 is provided, and the hearing aid speaker 66 can emit a sound according to the sound signal generated by the microphone 62 . An example of hearing aid processing of the sound signal generated by the microphone 62 by the hearing aid processing circuit 64 includes at least amplification of the sound signal generated by the microphone 62 . In this case, the hearing aid processing circuit 64 includes at least an amplifier circuit that amplifies the sound signal generated by the microphone 62, and various known amplification methods can be employed. Also, the hearing aid processing circuit 64 can employ known hearing aid processing other than amplification, for example, performs known noise removal processing, SN ratio improvement processing, etc., so as to improve audibility. . In the hearing aid 60 having this configuration, it is desirable to provide the hearing aid speaker 66 inside the ear insertion portion 14 . The hearing aid processing circuit 64 may be provided in the ear inserting portion 14 , the holding portion 16 , or the controller 20 . The microphone 62 may also be provided in the ear inserting portion 14 , the holding portion 16 , or the controller 20 .

1-4. Operation of Cannula Next, the operation of the cannula 1 will be described.
The cannula 1 is used while attached to the user P as shown in FIG. In the oxygen supply device 110 connected to the cannula 1, the flow rate of oxygen gas can be set. Oxygen gas begins to be supplied to the sex tube at a set flow rate. When the oxygen gas is supplied from the oxygen supply device 110 in this way, the oxygen gas flows through the flexible tube in the flexible member 18 into the tube member 70 and is inserted into the nostril Ns of the user P. Oxygen gas is sent into the nasal cavity of the user P from the protruding portions 74 and 75 thus formed.

The cannula 1 can detect the biological information of the user P by the biological information sensor 32 shown in FIG. 2 during such oxygen supply operation. Specifically, the blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A shown in FIG. 6 continuously measures the blood oxygen concentration of the user P, and a physical quantity (specifically, , for example, the amounts of received infrared light and red light described above) are continuously or intermittently output. Similarly, the heart rate sensor 32B continuously measures the heart rate of the user P and continuously or intermittently outputs a physical quantity that can identify the heart rate of the user P. Similarly, the respiratory rate sensor 32C continuously measures the respiratory rate of the user P and continues to output a physical quantity that can be identified as the respiratory rate of the user P continuously or intermittently.

Signals of physical quantities (physical quantities that can specify the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate) output from the blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A, the heart rate sensor 32B, and the respiratory rate sensor 32C are sent to and received from the control circuit 36 and sent/received. It is transmitted to oxygenator 110 by circuit 42 . A transmitting/receiving circuit and a control circuit (not shown) in the oxygen supply device 110 transmit signals of physical quantities (signals of physical quantities specifying blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate, respectively) transmitted from the control circuit 36 and the transmitting/receiving circuit 42. Each of them is intermittently acquired at short time intervals, and each time the signals of these physical quantities are acquired, the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate are calculated based on the signals of these physical quantities. Each time the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate are calculated, the transmission/reception circuit and control circuit (not shown) in the oxygen supply device 110 transmit the data of the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate. It is transmitted to the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 of the cannula 1 . With such a configuration, the control circuit 36 and the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 can obtain the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate at short time intervals. Each value of the number can be measured in real time.

Furthermore, in the cannula 1, the control circuit 36 and the speaker 38 function as an information notification unit 40, and the information notification unit 40 is at least one of biological information detected by the biological information sensor 32 and information generated based on the biological information. to notify the user of Specifically, the information notification unit 40 provides a sound signal indicating at least one of "biological information" or "information generated based on biological information" from the control circuit 36 to the speaker 38 at a predetermined timing. , and accordingly, the speaker 38 outputs a sound corresponding to the sound signal. The “biological information” notified by the information notification unit 40 is specifically measured values calculated based on physical quantities detected by the biological information sensor 32, such as blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate. , etc.

As described above, the control circuit 36 and the transmitting/receiving circuit 42 can acquire the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate at short time intervals. The latest acquisition values of the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate can be notified by voice information from the speaker 38 at the notification timing of . As a notification method, it is preferable to include the measurement values of blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate in the message, such as "Blood oxygen concentration is 99%."

Further, when the information notification unit 40 notifies "information generated based on biological information", "information generated based on biological information" includes "blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate. "Information explaining the amount or degree of change of" may be adopted. For example, if the blood oxygen level changes by a certain value or more within a certain period of time, a message such as "Blood oxygen concentration has suddenly decreased" may be notified. Alternatively, when the amount of change in blood oxygen concentration within a certain period of time is less than a certain value, a message such as "the amount of change in blood oxygen concentration is stable" may be notified. Heart rate and respiration rate can also be reported in a similar manner.

Further, when the information notification unit 40 notifies "information generated based on biological information", the "information generated based on biological information" includes "blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Information that explains whether or not the standard meets the criteria", etc. can be adopted. For example, the normal value of the blood oxygen concentration is set within a certain range, and at a predetermined notification timing, it is determined whether or not the latest acquired value of the blood oxygen concentration is within the certain range (range of normal values), If it is within a certain range, a message such as "blood oxygen level is normal" is issued, and if it is not within a certain range, a message such as "blood oxygen level is below the normal range" is issued. You may make it Of course, various types of messages other than these can be adopted as messages. Heart rate and respiration rate can also be reported in a similar manner.

When the information notification unit 40 notifies "information generated based on the biological information", the "information generated based on the biological information" may be "an instruction to operate the flow rate of the oxygen gas based on the biological information". Information" etc. may be adopted. For example, at a predetermined notification timing, it is determined whether or not the latest acquired blood oxygen concentration value is within a certain range (range of normal values). Please keep the current state", and if it is not within the predetermined range, a message such as "Increase the flow rate of oxygen gas" may be notified. Of course, the instruction method is not limited to this method, and various instruction methods can be adopted.

Various timings can be adopted as the timing at which the information notification unit 40 notifies the information (the above-described “predetermined timing”). For example, the timing may be at regular intervals while the oxygen supply device 110 is performing the oxygen supply operation, or at the timing when the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit 34 . Alternatively, it may be the timing when the biometric information value detected by the biometric information sensor 32 satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, it may be the timing when the latest blood oxygen concentration obtained by the control circuit 36 and the transmission/reception circuit 42 falls below the above-described normal range. It may be the timing when the blood oxygen concentration, the heart rate, or the respiration rate changes by a certain value or more within a certain period of time.

1-5. Effect Next, the effect obtained by the cannula 1 described above will be exemplified.
The cannula 1 described above has an information notification unit 40, and the information notification unit 40 notifies the user of at least one of biological information detected by the biological information sensor 32 and information generated based on the biological information. function as With such a configuration, the biological information of the user can be detected while the user is wearing the oxygen inhalation cannula 1, and the biological information or the biological information generated based on the biological information can be detected. It is possible to inform the user of the information obtained. Since the user can quickly and easily obtain his/her own biological information or information generated based on his/her own biological information from the cannula 1 attached to his/her head, the user can more accurately determine his or her condition. It will be easier to take appropriate measures quickly after recognizing it.

Furthermore, the biological information sensor 32 is configured as a sensor for measuring blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate. According to this configuration, when the user is performing oxygen inhalation therapy, the blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate, which are important indicators in oxygen inhalation therapy, can be detected in parallel. The user can be informed of mid-oxygen levels, heart rate, respiration rate values, or information generated based on these values. The user can more accurately recognize each state of blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate, and can easily take appropriate measures quickly.

In addition, the information reporting unit 40 can report measured values of biological information (blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate). According to this configuration, the user can accurately know his or her condition from specific measured values (blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate).

Further, the information notification unit 40 includes a speaker 38 fixed to the fixed unit 10, and the speaker 38 can output at least one of biometric information and information generated based on the biometric information as sound. By doing so, the user can recognize the biometric information or the information generated based on the biometric information without visually recognizing the display, which further increases convenience. In addition, since the speaker 38 can be stably placed near the user's ear to emit sound, the user can more accurately and easily hear biological information or information generated based on the biological information.

In the oxygen inhalation cannula 1, the fixed part 10 has an ear hook part 12 that is hooked on the user's ear. In this way, the fixing part 10 can be stably fixed to the user's head, and the fixing part 10 and the tube member 70 fixed to the fixing part 10 are less likely to shift even if the user's face is moved. Become.

Further, the ear hooking portion 12 is configured to be hooked on only one of the user's two ears Ea1 and Ea2. In this way, the work of attaching the ear hooking portion 12 can be performed more easily, and the ear hooking portion 12 is less conspicuous.

The cannula 1 described above transmits at least one of the biological information detected by the biological information sensor 32 and information generated based on the biological information to an external device (the oxygen supply device 110 or other external device) provided outside the cannula 1. device). By doing so, the biological information and the like detected by the biological information sensor 32 can be used by an external device.

The cannula 1 described above includes a microphone 62 that generates a sound signal corresponding to a sound input from the outside of the cannula 1, a processing unit that performs hearing aid processing on the sound signal generated by the microphone 62 (a hearing aid processing circuit 64), and a processing unit. (a hearing aid processing circuit 64). In this way, the function of the hearing aid 60 can be added to the cannula 1, so that the function can be further improved. Also, for users who need both hearing aids and cannulas, the troublesomeness of wearing multiple devices separately is eliminated.

The cannula 1 described above has a receiver (control circuit 36 and transmission/reception circuit 42) for receiving information from an external device (oxygen supply device 110 or other external device) provided outside the cannula 1. FIG. The information notification unit 40 is configured to notify the user of at least one of the received information received by the receiving unit and information generated based on the received information. In this way, the information notification unit 40 not only serves as a device for notifying the biological information detected by the biological information sensor 32, but also for notifying received information received from an external device or information generated based on the received information. It can also be used as a device to
For example, when an error occurs in the oxygen supply device 110, the oxygen supply device 110 transmits message information such as "An error has occurred in the oxygen supply device" to the receiver (control circuit 36 and transmission/reception circuit 42). If, in response to this, the information notification unit 40 emits a message such as "An error has occurred in the oxygen supply apparatus" from the speaker 38, the user can be more certain that an error has occurred in the oxygen supply apparatus. can notice.

<Second embodiment>
Next, an oxygen inhalation cannula 201 (hereinafter also simply referred to as cannula 201) of a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and the like.
The oxygen inhalation system 200 to which the cannula 201 of the second embodiment is applied is obtained by changing the cannula 1 to the cannula 201 in the oxygen inhalation system 100 to which the cannula 1 of the first embodiment is applied. The cannula 201 of the second embodiment uses a fixing portion 210 instead of the fixing portion 10, a holding portion 216 instead of the holding portion 16, and a tube member 270 instead of the tube member 70. , and the arrangement of various electrical components, the cannula 1 of the first embodiment is otherwise the same as the cannula 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the cannula 201 is denoted by the same reference numerals as the cannula 1 of the first embodiment except for these differences, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

7 to 9, the structure of the extension destination of the first flexible member 18A is omitted, but the first flexible member 18A has a controller 20 similar to the cannula 1 of the first embodiment. A second flexible member 18B similar to the cannula 1 of the first embodiment is connected to the controller 20. As shown in FIG. An oxygen supply device similar to the oxygen supply device 110 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the second flexible member 18B, and oxygen gas is supplied into the tube member 270 by this oxygen supply device. there is

The electrical configuration of the cannula 201 is the same as the electrical configuration of the cannula 1 shown in FIG. 6, and is the same as described in "1-3. Electrical configuration of the cannula". Therefore, FIG. 6 will be referred to below as appropriate, and a detailed description of the electrical configuration will be omitted.

The operation of the cannula 201 is similar to the operation of the cannula 1 described in "1-4. Cannula Operation".

As shown in FIG. 7, the cannula 201 of the second embodiment includes a fixing portion 210, a tube member 270, a holding portion 216, contact portions 240A and 240B, a flexible member 18, a controller (not shown), a clip portion (not shown), and a clip portion (not shown). ), etc. The flexible member 18, controller (not shown), and clip portion (not shown) have the same configuration as the flexible member 18, controller 20, and clip portion 24 shown in FIG. do.

The fixing part 210 is configured as shown in FIG. 7, and includes a band member 212 that is wound and hung while at least part of it contacts the user's neck or back of the head. The band member 212 has a first facing portion 231 that extends longitudinally along a predetermined first direction, and both ends of the first facing portion 231 in the longitudinal direction that are bent and extend along a predetermined second direction. A pair of second facing portions 232A and 232B are provided. The pair of second facing portions 232A and 232B each have an elongated plate-like shape, and are arranged so as to sandwich the head of the user P between the two second facing portions 232A and 232B as shown in FIG. 232 A of 2nd facing parts are arrange|positioned so that the user's P left temporal region may be opposed, and the 2nd facing part 232B is arrange|positioned so that the user's P right temporal regions may be opposed. As shown in FIG. 9, the first facing portion 231 is arranged to face the back of the user's P head or neck while contacting it.

As shown in FIG. 10, the tube member 270 has a slightly different shape from the tube member 70 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, but has the same basic configuration and functions. The tube member 270 is a member held by the fixed portion 210 via the holding portion 216, and supplies oxygen gas sent from an oxygen supply device (a device similar to the oxygen supply device 110 shown in FIG. 1) to the nostrils Ns (FIG. 8). , FIG. 9). This tube member 270 is also made of a flexurally deformable and elastically deformable resin material or the like. It has a predetermined shape such as The tube member 270 extends from the holding portion 216 while curving toward the nostrils Ns (FIGS. 8 and 9) of the user P, and two projecting portions 274 and 275 protrude from the outer peripheral portion on the distal end side. formed. Holes 274A and 275A communicating with the inside of the tube member 270 are formed in these two projections 274 and 275, respectively.

The contact portions 240A and 240B are portions held in contact with the vicinity of the user's P ear Ea. The contact portion 240A is provided in a form that protrudes slightly from the inner surface of the second facing portion 232A (the plate surface on the side of the second facing portion 232B), and contacts the left ear Ea1 of the user P in the worn state as shown in FIG. placed in a state. The contact portion 240B is provided in a form that slightly protrudes from the inner surface of the second facing portion 232B (the plate surface on the side of the second facing portion 232A), and contacts the right ear Ea2 of the user P in the wearing state as shown in FIG. placed in a state.

In this configuration, either or both of the contact portions 240A and 240B are provided with the speaker 38 and the hearing aid speaker 66 shown in FIG. It is configured to be able to convey The hearing aid processing circuit 64 and the microphone 62 shown in FIG. 6 may be provided in either or both of the contact portions 240A and 240B, or may be provided in the holding portion 216. The controller 20 of the first embodiment (FIG. 1) may be provided in a controller (not shown) similar to .

In this configuration, one or both of the contact portions 240A and 240B can be provided with the blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A, heart rate sensor 32B, and respiratory rate sensor 32C shown in FIG. Alternatively, the blood oxygen concentration sensor 32A, the heart rate sensor 32B, and the respiratory rate sensor 32C may be provided so as to face the user's head at positions other than the contact portions 240A and 240B.

The cannula 201 of the second embodiment configured in this manner can also produce the same effects as the cannula 1 of the first embodiment.

Furthermore, since the fixing part 210 of the cannula 201 is provided with a band member 212 that is wound and hung while being in contact with at least a part of the user's neck or back of the head, the fixing part 210 can be attached to the user's head. In contrast, it can be fixed more stably.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to each aspect or modification of the embodiments of this specification, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the outline of the invention are used to solve some or all of the above problems, or In order to achieve some or all of the above effects, replacements and combinations can be made as appropriate. If the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. Examples of modifications include the following.

In the above-described embodiment, both the speaker 38 and the hearing aid speaker 66 shown in FIG. However, even if one or both of the speaker 38 and the hearing aid speaker 66 are configured as bone conduction speakers that transmit sound to the user by bone conduction. good. Alternatively, one or both of the speaker 38 and the hearing aid speaker 66 may have a configuration using both the air conduction method and the bone conduction method.

In the above-described embodiment, the hearing aid speaker 66 included in the hearing aid 60 and the speaker 38 for outputting biological information and the like as sound are configured as separate ones, but these are shared by one speaker. may be This is advantageous in simplifying the device configuration, reducing the number of parts, and reducing the weight.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the respiration rate sensor 32C is fixed integrally with the fixed part 10 is shown, and in the second embodiment, an example in which the respiration rate sensor 32C is provided in the contact part 220 is shown. , The position of the respiratory rate sensor 32C is not limited to these examples, and for example, the controller 20 may be provided with the respiratory rate sensor 32C.

In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the ear hooks are hung on the left ear Ea1 of the user is exemplified. may be provided. When a pair of ear hooks is provided, it is preferable to provide a connecting portion for integrally connecting both ear hooks.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which biological information detected by the biological information sensor 32 (physical quantities that can specify blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate) can be transmitted to the oxygen supply device 110 has been described. It may be transmitted to an information processing device other than 110, and the information processing device may record continuous log data on the blood oxygen level, heart rate, and respiration rate. In this case, the information processing device to be transmitted may be a device placed near the current location of the user wearing the cannula (for example, in the room where the user is, or in the building where the user is). It may be a device that exists in a place away from the user's current location (eg, a nurse station away from the user's room or a hospital away from the user's building).

In the above-described embodiment, an example was shown in which the control circuit 36 and the transmission/reception circuit 42 functioning as a receiver can receive information from the oxygen supply device 110. However, the control circuit 36 and the transmission/reception circuit 42 are may be configured to receive information from the information processing apparatus. In this case, the information processing device to be received may be a device placed near the current location of the user wearing the cannula (for example, in the room where the user is, or in the building where the user is). It may be a device that exists in a place away from the user's current location (eg, a nurse station away from the user's room or a hospital away from the user's building). For example, a message such as "Please maintain the oxygen supply device" or "Please contact your family doctor" is sent to the control circuit 36 and the transmission/reception circuit 42 from an information processing device located at a location remote from the user's current location. Prompting instructional information is transmitted, and in response to the receipt of such instructional information by the control circuit 36 and the transmitting/receiving circuit 42, the speaker 38 may say, "Please maintain the oxygenator" or "Please contact your primary care doctor." You may make it emit a message as a voice.

In the above-described embodiment, the control circuit in the oxygen supply device 110 exemplifies the method of calculating the specific values of blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate. Specific values of oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiration rate may be calculated.

In the above-described embodiment, a flexible tube and a plurality of cables for transmitting biological information and the like are provided inside the flexible member 18, but these are provided separately and bundled with a binding band or the like. may

If some of the functionality of the hearing aid 60 is provided in the controller 20, the cables for the hearing aid 60 may be provided within the flexible member 18 or may be provided outside the flexible member 18 and connected to the flexible member 18. You may bundle with.

In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the user is notified of the biological information detected by the biological information sensor or information generated based on the biological information as sound. may be notified. For example, the information may be displayed on a display provided in the controller 20 . It may be configured to irradiate light and display the information as an image.

Reference Signs List 1, 201 Oxygen inhalation cannula 10, 210 Fixed part 12 Ear hook part 32 Biological information sensor 36 Control circuit (transmitting part, receiving part)
38...Speaker 40...Information reporting unit 42...Transmitting/receiving circuit (transmitting unit, receiving unit)
60... Hearing aid 62... Microphone 64... Hearing aid processing circuit (processing unit)
66 ... Hearing aid speaker (speaker)
70... Tube member 212... Band member

Claims (10)

An oxygen inhalation cannula that supplies oxygen gas sent from an oxygen supply device into the nostrils of a user,
a fixing part fixed to the user's head;
a tube member held by the fixed part directly or via another member and serving as a tube for sending the oxygen gas sent from the oxygen supply device toward the nostril;
a biometric information sensor that detects the biometric information of the user;
an information notification unit for notifying the user of information for instructing operation of the flow rate of the oxygen gas generated based on the biological information detected by the biological information sensor;
a cannula for inhaling oxygen. 2. The cannula for oxygen inhalation according to claim 1, wherein the biological information sensor is a sensor that measures at least one of blood oxygen concentration, heart rate, and respiratory rate. 3. The cannula for oxygen inhalation according to claim 1, wherein the information notification unit notifies the measured value of the biological information. 4. The information reporting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information reporting unit includes a speaker fixed to the fixed unit and outputting at least one of the biological information and information generated based on the biological information as sound. The cannula for oxygen inhalation according to item 1. The cannula for oxygen inhalation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixed portion includes an ear hook portion that is hung on the ear of the user. 6. The cannula for oxygen inhalation according to claim 5, wherein the ear hooking part is hooked on only one of the two ears of the user. The cannula for oxygen inhalation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixing portion includes a band member that is wrapped around the user's neck or back of the head. 2. A transmitting unit configured to transmit at least one of the biological information detected by the biological information sensor and information generated based on the biological information to an external device provided outside the oxygen inhalation cannula. A cannula for oxygen inhalation according to any one of claims 7 to 10. A microphone that generates a sound signal corresponding to a sound input from the outside of itself, a processing unit that performs hearing aid processing on the sound signal generated by the microphone, and a speaker that outputs sound according to the hearing aid processing result by the processing unit. 9. The cannula for oxygen inhalation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a hearing aid comprising and. having a receiving unit for receiving information from an external device provided outside the oxygen inhalation cannula,
10. The information reporting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the information reporting unit reports to the user at least one of the received information received by the receiving unit and information generated based on the received information. A cannula for inhaling oxygen as described.

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