JP7397462B2 - Breathing sound measuring device during sleep - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring breathing sounds of a subject during sleep.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, methods and devices for measuring a subject's sleep state have been known.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a microphone is placed around each patient's neck and sounds received by the microphone are recorded while the patient is sleeping.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a biological information detecting device that is provided on a neckband and contacts the neck of a subject to detect biological information when the subject wears the neckband.

Special Publication No. 2013-504406 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-202939

A neckband-type breathing sound measuring device may record external noises and the sound of blood flow in the throat (heartbeat sound) at the same time as the airflow sounds of inhalation and exhalation (hereinafter simply referred to as breathing sounds). External noise includes air-borne sound propagated from the outside air and structure-borne sound caused by vibrations received by the casing of the measuring device. Solid-borne sound can be generated, for example, when the measurement device is rubbed by bedding, the subject's hands, etc. when the subject changes his or her body position while sleeping. Therefore, in the conventional technology, in order to extract only breathing sounds such as snoring from measurement data measured with a microphone, troublesome processing such as noise removal and Fourier transformation is required.

In addition, when trying to accurately determine sleep apnea using a microphone, it is not enough to distinguish just snoring, but it is also necessary to distinguish between normal sleep state, that is, a state where there are breathing sounds (weak breathing sounds compared to snoring). It is necessary to distinguish between a sleep apnea state, that is, a state in which there are virtually no breathing sounds. Breathing sounds during normal sleep have a very low volume compared to snoring, so there is a possibility that the breathing sounds during normal sleep may be buried in noise.

Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of sleep apnea measurement, measurements are currently being performed using a combination of multiple types of sensors, such as an acceleration sensor, a flow sensor, and an oxygen saturation sensor, in addition to a microphone. However, when performing measurements using a combination of multiple types of sensors, there are problems in that the equipment becomes complicated and the burden on the subject increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a neckband-type breathing sound measuring device that improves measurement accuracy without combining multiple sensors. .

A respiratory sound measuring device according to one aspect of the present invention is configured to be able to be worn along the circumferential direction of a subject's neck, and includes a rigid cylindrical projection protruding toward the subject on an inner circumferential surface, and a cylindrical A neckband is provided with an elastic protrusion that surrounds the outside of the protrusion , the neckband has a built-in microphone for measuring the breathing sound of the subject, and the protrusion includes: A sound guide port for introducing the breathing sounds of the subject is opened, and a tapered sound collection portion whose inner diameter gradually narrows from the sound guide port toward the inside of the neckband is provided, and the sound collection portion collects the sound. The structure is configured such that the breathing sound is guided to the microphone via the cylindrical protrusion , and solid-borne sound from the neckband is generated in the sound guiding space on the inner wall surface of the cylindrical protrusion. It is characterized by the fact that it is equipped with sound insulating material to suppress noise.

According to this aspect, a protrusion is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the neckband, the breathing sound of the subject is introduced through the sound guide port of the protrusion, the sound is collected by the tapered sound collection part, and the sound is transmitted through the cylindrical protrusion. The collected breathing sounds are guided to a microphone. This makes it possible to separate sounds generated within the subject's body (for example, heart sounds) and breathing sounds. On the other hand, vibrations caused by shocks applied from the outside propagate through the neckband, generating solid-borne sound within the sound guide space, which may become noise and affect the measurement accuracy of breathing sounds. be. Therefore, in this embodiment, a sound insulating material is provided on the inner wall surface of the cylindrical projection to suppress the generation of solid-borne sound within the sound guide space. Thereby, the measurement accuracy of the breath sound measuring device can be improved.

In the breathing sound measuring device, the sound insulating section may be made of an elastic material.

The microphone is attached to a substrate, and an end of the sound insulating material on the substrate side is integrally formed with a flange having a sound insulating property that has a plate shape that extends in a direction along the surface of the substrate and is in close contact with the substrate. may be provided.

According to the present invention, the measurement accuracy of a breath sound measuring device can be improved.

Schematic diagram showing how the breathing sound measuring device is worn Perspective view of the breathing sound measuring device viewed from the upper right side Perspective view of the breath sound measuring device viewed from the left rear side Cross-sectional view of the breathing sound measuring device cut at the center of the width direction An enlarged view of the measurement part of the breathing sound measurement device in Figure 4 VI-VI line sectional view in Figure 5 Block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the breathing sound measuring device Flowchart showing an example of the operation of the breathing sound measuring device Flowchart showing an example of the operation of the breathing sound measuring device Waveform diagram showing an example of the measurement results of the breath sound measuring device A perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing another example of the configuration of the breathing sound measuring device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The following description of preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its applications, or its uses.

<Configuration of breathing sound measuring device>
The breathing sound measuring device 1 is worn on the neck of a subject before going to bed, and is used to measure airflow sounds of inhalation and exhalation (hereinafter simply referred to as breathing sounds) during sleep. Specifically, the breath sound measuring device 1 is a neckband type device, and is configured to be able to be worn along the circumferential direction of the subject's neck. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the neckband 11 is formed into a substantially C-shape. The neckband 11 is configured to be worn from the back of the neck toward the neck after the opening portion is widened to both sides by the subject, and to sandwich the neck of the subject from the outside in the circumferential direction.

The material forming the neckband 11 is not particularly limited, but it can be worn on the neck by the subject by spreading the opening part to both sides with both hands, and when the subject releases his/her hands, the inner circumferential surface 11a of the neckband 11 It is preferable to use an elastic material that has at least a portion of the elastic material so as to be in close contact with the subject's neck and has a strength that can withstand continuous use. For example, the neckband 11 may have an elastic structure in which a plate spring is surrounded by an elastomer resin. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to adopting a plate spring structure for the neckband 11 or using elastomer resin.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the neckband 11 is formed with a sound guide port for introducing the breathing sounds of the subject. Built-in microphone 2. The neckband 11 is provided with a sound guide space RS for guiding breathing sounds introduced from the sound guide port to the microphone 2.

The microphone 2 is mounted, for example, on a substrate 50 built into one open end of the neckband 11. In this embodiment, the tip portion of the neckband 11 in which the substrate 50 is built-in will be referred to as the measuring section 40. Further, a C-shaped substantially annular portion of the neckband 11, which is configured to be attached to the subject's neck, will be referred to as an attachment portion 30.

In the present invention, the term "microphone 2" is used in a concept that broadly includes devices, devices, and circuits that convert sound waves into electrical signals, and sound sensors such as MEMS microphones used in such devices. , its specific configuration is not particularly limited. On the other hand, in this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the term "microphone" is used for a sound sensor for acquiring breathing sounds, such as a MEMS microphone. However, this is not intended to limit the meaning of the term "microphone."

In the following description, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are defined based on the state in which the breathing sound measuring device 1 is worn by the subject. Further, the front (chest) side of the subject is defined as the front, and the back side is defined as the back. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the "subject side" is defined based on the wearing state of the breath sound measuring device 1, and when explaining the measuring section 40 and the board 50, which will be described later, each subject side will be referred to as the "back side". ”, and the opposite side is sometimes called the “front”.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the measurement unit 40 includes a bottom plate 41 configured to be flush with the inner peripheral surface of the neckband 11 at the end on the subject side, and is arranged to face the bottom plate 41. A storage sound guide space RS for accommodating the board 50 and the like is formed by the top plate, the bottom plate 41, and the side plates.

Although specific illustrations are omitted, the measuring section 40 is configured integrally with the neckband 11 when in use, and is configured to be detachable from the wearing section 30 when not in use when the measuring section 40 is removed from the subject's neck. You can leave it there. 5 and 6 show a state in which the measuring section 40 is configured to be removable and has been removed from the mounting section 30.

The substrate 50 is arranged on the bottom plate 41 (plate on the subject side) of the measurement section 40 so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the measurement section 40 . The substrate 50 is fixed to the surface of the bottom plate 41 of the measuring section 40 using an adhesive or the like. In other words, the substrate 50 is closely attached to the measuring section 40 via an adhesive. Further, the substrate 50 is fixed from the front side by a substrate holding member 42 so as not to move.

The microphone 2 is arranged approximately at the center of the surface of the substrate 50. A sound guide hole 50a is formed in the substrate 50 at a position corresponding to the microphone 2 and penetrates from the front to the back. In other words, the space inside the sound guide hole 50a constitutes a part of the sound guide space RS. More specifically, the space inside the sound guide hole 50a constitutes a sound guide space RS1 located on the terminal end side in the sound guide direction of the sound guide space RS. In this way, by attaching the microphone 2 to the surface of the substrate 50 and introducing breathing sounds from the back side of the substrate 50 through the sound guide hole 50a, it is possible to realize a configuration in which noise is less likely to enter.

In addition to the microphone 2, the board 50 includes a battery 51 for supplying power to each component of the breath sound measuring device 1, a storage section 52 for storing measurement results, and a storage section 52 for storing measurement results in an external device (for example, a terminal). A communication module 53 for transmitting data to the device 80), an acceleration sensor 54 for detecting body position/body movement, a connector 55 for communicating with external equipment and charging the battery, and a vibrator for stimulating the subject. 56, a power button 57, a monitor lamp 58 for the subject, and the like are mounted.

The side plate of the measurement unit 40 is provided with an insertion port that opens toward the outside, and a communication/charging cable can be inserted into the connector 55 through the insertion port.

The power button 57 has a configuration in which, for example, a push button protrudes from the outside of the side plate of the measuring section 40, and allows the subject to turn on/off the power of the breath sound measuring device 1.

The monitor lamp 58 is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode. For example, a light-transmitting part made of a light-transmitting member is provided on the side plate of the measuring part 40, and the subject can monitor the breathing sound measuring device 1 by observing the light emitting state of the monitor lamp 58 through the light-transmitting part. You can check the power on/off status, communication status, charging status, etc.

A circular opening 43 is formed in the bottom plate 41 of the measuring section 40 at a position corresponding to the microphone 2. A cylindrical protrusion 44 having the same diameter and integrally protruding from the outer periphery of the opening 43 toward the subject is provided on the bottom surface of the measuring section 40 . In other words, the cylindrical projection 44 is provided integrally with the neckband 11 and is provided so as to protrude from the inner circumferential surface 11a of the neckband 11 toward the subject side.

The cylindrical protrusion 44 is for guiding the breathing sound of the subject introduced from the opening at the tip in the longitudinal direction (the sound guiding direction from the subject's neck toward the microphone 2). In other words, a sound guiding space RS2 is provided inside the openings of the cylindrical projection 44 and the bottom plate 41 for guiding the breathing sounds of the subject introduced from the opening at the tip of the cylindrical projection 44 in the sound guiding direction.

A sound insulating material 60 is provided around the sound guide space RS2 to suppress vibrations caused by external shocks from propagating through the neckband 11 and solid-borne sound being generated within the sound guide space. ing. In other words, a cylindrical sound insulating material 60 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical projection 44 and abutting against the inner wall surface of the cylindrical projection 44 is provided on the inner wall surface of the cylindrical projection 44 to provide sound insulation. The position of the lower end of the material 60 is aligned with the lower end position of the cylindrical projection 44. Here, the vibration of the neckband 11 is caused by, for example, the respiratory sound measuring device 1 being rubbed by bedding, the subject's hands, etc. when the subject changes his/her body position while sleeping.

The material forming the sound insulation material 60 is not particularly limited, but it may be a material that absorbs solid vibrations from the cylindrical protrusion 44 but is difficult to absorb sound waves acquired from the subject's neck and passed through the sound guide path R2. Preferably, it is formed. The sound insulating material 60 is made of a material softer than the cylindrical projection 44, for example. Specifically, for example, an elastic material such as silicone rubber can be suitably used for the sound insulation material 60.

The cylindrical protrusion 44 desirably has enough rigidity to maintain its shape even when pressed against the subject's neck when attached to the subject's neck. For example, the cylindrical projection 44 is made of the same resin as the bottom plate 41. By providing the cylindrical projection 44, it is possible to ensure a distance between the subject's neck and the microphone 2, and it is possible to make the measurement of breathing sounds less susceptible to the influence of heart sounds.

A flange 44a for preventing a protrusion 70, which will be described later, from coming off, is continuously and integrally formed at the tip (end on the subject side) of the cylindrical projection 44. Further, the bottom plate 41 of the measurement unit 40 is provided with a circular recess 41b having an inner diameter larger than the opening 43 on the surface facing the substrate 50.

Note that the material for forming the measuring part 40 may be the same as that of the mounting part 30, or may be different from each other. Similarly, the materials forming the measuring part 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 44 may be the same or different.

A flange 61 of a size corresponding to the above-mentioned recess 41b is integrally provided at the end of the sound insulating material 60 on the board 50 side, and when this flange 61 is engaged with the recess 41b, sound insulation is achieved. The material 60 is prevented from falling outside the measuring section 40. Further, the flange 61 increases the adhesion between the bottom part 41 and the substrate 50 and the interface between the flange 61 and the substrate 50, eliminates cavities, and also functions as a sound insulating material, so that the sound is not propagated through the substrate 50. It is possible to suppress solid vibration noise caused by vibration.

The neckband 11 is provided with a substantially cylindrical protrusion 70 that covers the outside of the cylindrical projection 44 and protrudes toward the subject from the subject-side end surface of the measuring section 40 (bottom plate 41). A sound guide port is opened at the tip (end on the subject's side) of the protrusion 70 for introducing the breathing sounds of the subject when the neckband 11 is worn by the subject.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the sound guide port of the protrusion 70 is provided with a tapered sound collection part 71 whose inner diameter gradually narrows toward the sound guide space. The base end (end on the substrate 50 side) of the sound collecting section 71 is open. In other words, a sound guide space RS3 communicating with the sound guide space RS2 is formed inside the sound collecting section 71.

The protruding portion 70 is configured so that when its tip portion is pressed against the subject's neck, it deforms and comes into close contact with the shape of the subject's neck. That is, when the neckband 11 is worn on the subject's neck, the protruding part 70 has its end on the subject's side in close contact with the subject's neck, creating a sound guiding space closed by the sound collection part 71 and the subject's neck. RS3 is configured. The protruding part 70 is provided so that the measuring part 40 does not separate from the neck of the subject when the subject changes his/her posture due to turning over or the like while sleeping, and furthermore, when the posture of the protruding part 70 changes, It is even better if the movement follows the neck.

The protrusion 70 is made of, for example, an elastic material in order to improve its adhesion to the subject's neck. Note that the protruding portion 70 is not limited to a configuration in which the entire portion is formed of an elastic material, and at least the contact portion 72 is formed of an elastic material that can be pressed against and closely attached to the subject's neck. is preferable.

The protruding portion 70 has a tip portion (hereinafter referred to as the contact portion 72) that comes into contact with the subject's neck when the neckband 11 is attached to the subject's neck, and is formed into a flat planar shape so as to follow the subject's neck. has been done. Thereby, the contact area between the subject's neck and the contact portion 72 can be widened, and marks of digging into the skin are less likely to remain.

Further, by providing such a contact portion 72, it is possible to alleviate the influence on the subject's skin and the discomfort. Further, the adhesion to the subject's neck can be improved. Moreover, since the end surface of the protruding portion 70 on the subject side is covered with an elastic material when viewed from the subject side, it is possible to suppress the generation of solid vibration sound in the sound guide space.

The inner diameter of the proximal end of the sound collecting section 71 is aligned with the inner diameter of the cylindrical projection 44, and in a front view of the protrusion 70 seen from the subject side, the sound collecting section 71 is aligned with the end surface of the cylindrical projection 44 on the subject side. is covered. Thereby, the sound collecting section 71 also functions as a sound insulating material between the cylindrical projection 44 and the sound guide space RS3.

Furthermore, the center positions of the base end opening of the sound collecting section 71 and the center position of the front end opening of the cylindrical projection 44 are aligned. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the sound guide space RS3 of the sound collecting section, the sound guide space of the cylindrical protrusion 44, and the sound guide space of the sound guide hole are arranged in a straight line, and the sound guide space RS3 of the sound collection part, the sound guide space of the cylindrical projection 44, and the sound guide space of the sound guide hole are arranged in a straight line, and the sound guide space RS3 of the sound collection part, the sound guide space of the sound guide hole It is configured such that the sound waves of the subject's breathing sounds are propagated to the microphone 2 via the linear sound guide space RS.

With this configuration, in order to avoid the influence of heart sounds, a certain distance is secured between the subject's neck and the microphone 2, and the sound conduction distance (sound guided distance) between the subject's neck and the microphone is maintained. The length of the space can be shortened. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, a substantially cylindrical hollow space 73 may be provided between the cylindrical wall of the protrusion 70 and the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical projection 44. By providing such a hollow space 73, the influence on the subject's skin and discomfort can be alleviated. Further, the adhesion to the subject's neck can be improved.

Note that the width of the sound guide port is not particularly limited, but as a result of intensive study by the inventors, the S/N ratio of the signal improves when the sound guide port is made wider. There is a tendency to On the other hand, it is necessary to ensure a predetermined height and width for the sound guide space RS3 in the sound collection section 71, and it is preferable that the measurement section 40 be thin so as not to disturb the subject. It is desirable to set the width of the opening of the sound guide port and the height of the sound collecting section 71 by comprehensively considering these factors.

Further, the protruding portion 70 is provided with a ring-shaped claw portion that is hooked between the cylindrical projection 44 and the bottom plate 41 and is continuous and integral with the sound collecting portion 71 . With this configuration, the protrusion 70 can be easily removed from the measurement section 40 and replaced.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the breathing sound measuring device 1. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 6 are given the same reference numerals.

The breathing sound measuring device 1 includes a control section 59 that controls the operation of the device as a whole. The control unit 59 is, for example, a microprocessor, and includes a CPU, memory, and the like. The control unit 59 receives power supply from the battery 51 and operates based on a program etc. stored in the storage unit 52. Note that the specific operation will be explained in "Operation of the Breath Sound Measuring Apparatus" described later. The control unit 59 is disposed, for example, in the housing space of the measurement unit 40, and is mounted on, for example, the substrate 50.

<Operation of the breathing sound measuring device>
Next, the operation of the breath sound measuring device 1 will be specifically described using FIGS. 8A and 8B.

First, when the power button 57 is pressed and held while the power is off, the breath sound measuring device 1 is activated (step S10). Next, the control unit 59 checks whether there is any remaining power in the battery 51 (step S11). If the remaining capacity of the battery 51 is not sufficient (NO in S11), the control unit 59 turns off the power of the breath sound measuring device 1 again, and ends the process.

On the other hand, if the battery 51 has sufficient remaining power (YES in S11), the control unit 59 determines whether the subject has worn the breathing sound measuring device 1 around the neck within a predetermined time (step S12). . Whether or not the breathing sound measuring device 1 is attached to the subject's neck is determined based on the measurement results of the acceleration sensor 54 and the microphone 2, for example. If wearing of the breath sound measuring device 1 cannot be confirmed even after the predetermined time has elapsed (NO in S12), the control unit 59 turns off the power of the breathing sound measuring device 1 and ends the process. The predetermined time for checking the attachment is not particularly limited, but is, for example, about several minutes.

When the wearing of the sound absorption measuring device 1 is confirmed (YES in S12), the control unit 59 sets a timer for measuring breathing sounds (step S13). Here, for example, three mutually different times t1, t2, and t3 (t1<t2<t3) are set.

Then, it is confirmed again that the sound absorption measurement device 1 is attached to the subject's neck (step S14), and that the power button 57 is not pressed for a long time (step S15), and the breathing sound measurement process is performed. (step S16).

In steps S17 to S19, the control unit 59 detects the subject's body position based on the acceleration data obtained from the acceleration sensor 54 at predetermined time intervals t1.

In steps S21 to S23, the control unit 59 determines the presence or absence of snoring at every predetermined time t2 (t1<t2) (step S22), and determines the presence or absence of sleep apnea (step S23). .

Figure 9 shows an example of measurement results for (a) breathing sounds when the subject is sleeping normally (hereinafter referred to as normal breathing sounds), and (b) breathing sounds when the subject is snoring (hereinafter referred to as snoring sounds). It shows. FIG. 9 shows the measurement results for about 30 seconds, in which the breathing sounds were amplified about 350 times using an amplifier circuit (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the volume of normal breathing sounds and snoring sounds is significantly different, so whether or not there is snoring can be determined relatively easily. Note that the measurement time and measurement magnification shown here are merely examples, and different times and magnifications may be used, and there is no intention to limit the scope of the present invention to these numerical values. The same applies to numerical values used elsewhere in this embodiment.

On the other hand, in order to determine whether sleep apnea has occurred, it is necessary to determine whether breathing has temporarily stopped. Therefore, for example, the breathing sound measuring device 1 acquires breathing sound data during sleep by increasing the amplification factor compared to when determining the presence or absence of snoring. In FIG. 9, (c) shows the measurement results of the subject's normal breathing sounds, and (d) shows the measurement results of the breathing sounds when there is an apnea period during sleep (hereinafter referred to as apnea breath sounds). There is. In (c) and (d) of FIG. 9, the amplification factor is increased by about 25 times compared to (a) and (b) of FIG. That is, the breathing sound is amplified approximately 9000 times.

The specific method for determining the presence or absence of sleep apnea is not particularly limited, but for example, regarding the breathing sounds measured as shown in FIGS. 9(c) and 9(d), the breathing sounds during normal sleep If the period in which the sound data is below a predetermined threshold continues for a predetermined period, it is determined that the subject is suffering from sleep apnea.

In the next step S24, it is checked whether snoring or sleep apnea was determined in steps S22 and S23. If it is determined in step S24 that there is snoring or sleep apnea, the control unit 59 activates the vibrator 56 to vibrate, for example, in order to change the subject's body position (step S25). Additionally, the time t2, which is the basis for determining whether or not to make the determination in step S21, is reset (step S26).

In the next steps S27 to S29, the control unit 59 saves the above-mentioned determination results and measurement data from each sensor every predetermined time t3. The storage location is not particularly limited, but for example, it is stored in the storage unit 52 built into the breath sound measuring device 1. Also, at every predetermined time t3, data is transmitted to an external terminal device 80 etc. via the communication module 53, and the data is stored in the storage section in the terminal device 80 or displayed on the display screen 81 of the terminal device 80. You may also do so.

The processes from step S14 to step S29 described above are repeated, and when a predetermined measurement time has elapsed, a YES determination is made in step S30, and the control unit 59 turns off the power of the breath sound measuring device 1, and ends the process.

As described above, in this embodiment, the cylindrical projection 44 is provided on the inner peripheral surface 11a of the neckband 11, and the breathing sound of the subject is introduced through the sound guide port of the cylindrical projection 44. This makes it possible to separate sounds generated within the subject's body (for example, heart sounds) and breathing sounds. On the other hand, when the cylindrical protrusion 44 is provided, there is a possibility that vibrations caused by an externally applied impact or the like propagate through the neckband 11 and generate solid-borne sound within the sound guiding space RS. Therefore, in this embodiment, a sound insulating material 60 is provided around the sound guide space RS. Thereby, generation of solid-borne sound within the sound guide space RS can be suppressed.

<Other embodiments>
Note that in the above embodiment, the shape of the neckband 11 is not limited to the substantially C-shape. The neckband 11 only needs to be configured so that it can be worn on the subject's neck and breathing sounds in the subject's neck can be measured with the microphone 2. For example, a neckband made of a soft material such as vinyl or fiber may be used. It may be configured to be wrapped around the neck and locked with a locking device such as a hook-and-loop fastener or an adjuster buckle.

Further, in the above embodiment, the neckband 11 is provided with the substantially cylindrical protrusion 70, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the protruding portion 70 may be omitted and a sound collecting portion 71 may be provided on the bottom plate 41 of the measuring portion 40, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the breathing sound measuring device 1. The same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained. In this case, the bottom plate 41 of the measuring section 40 also functions as a contact section.

However, by providing the protruding portion 70, the sound collecting portion 71 can be more stably brought into close contact with the subject's neck regardless of the shape of the subject's neck, and the closeness thereof can also be improved.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the measuring section 40 is provided with the cylindrical projection 44, but the cylindrical projection 44 may be omitted. In this case, for example, the base end of the sound collecting section 71 and the sound guide hole 50a of the substrate 50 are directly connected, that is, the breathing sound introduced from the sound guide port is transmitted from the sound guide space RS3 to the sound guide space RS3. It is introduced into RS1 and guided to microphone 2.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful mainly as a device for measuring a subject's sleep state at home or the like.

1 Breathing sound measuring device 2 Microphone 11 Neckband 44 Cylindrical protrusion 60 Sound insulation material 72 Contact part RS Sound guiding space

Claims (3)

It is configured to be able to be worn along the circumferential direction of the subject's neck, and has a rigid cylindrical protrusion that protrudes toward the subject on the inner circumferential surface, and elasticity that surrounds the outside of the cylindrical protrusion. Equipped with a neckband with a protrusion,
The neckband has a built-in microphone for measuring the breathing sounds of the subject,
The protrusion is provided with a sound guide port for introducing the breathing sounds of the subject, and a tapered sound collection part whose inner diameter gradually narrows from the sound guide port toward the inside of the neckband ,
Breathing sounds collected by the sound collecting section are configured to be guided to the microphone via the cylindrical projection ,
A breathing sound measuring device characterized in that a sound insulating material is provided on an inner wall surface of the cylindrical projection for suppressing solid-borne sound from the neckband from occurring in the sound guiding space. The respiratory sound measuring device according to claim 1,
A breathing sound measuring device characterized in that the sound insulating material is made of an elastic material. The respiratory sound measuring device according to claim 1,
The microphone is attached to a substrate,
The sound insulating material is characterized in that a sound insulating flange is integrally provided at the end of the sound insulating material on the board side, the flange having a plate shape extending in a direction along the surface of the board and having a sound insulating property in close contact with the board. Breathing sound measuring device.

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