JPH0244723Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Field of industrial application) This invention relates to an impedance audiometer probe capable of testing the middle ear auditory system and nervous system, and particularly relates to an improvement in the configuration for applying pressure. .

(Prior Art) One method of determining whether the middle ear is in a state where it is easy to transmit sound is to measure the acoustic impedance of the middle ear. For these purposes, impedance audiometers have functions such as measuring the acoustic impedance of the middle ear as an equivalent volume and measuring the ossicular muscle response of the ear to loud stimulus sounds. In practice, for example, while changing the pressure in the ear canal, a measurement sound of a specific frequency from a sound source is supplied into the middle ear, and the reflected sound is detected to determine the amount of attenuation of acoustic energy.
Based on the amount of attenuation of this acoustic energy, changes in the acoustic compliance of the middle ear to changes in pressure within the ear canal can be measured, and the middle ear can be diagnosed.
This type of audiometer is known in Japanese Utility Application No. 14665/1986, US Patent No. 4237905, and US Patent No. 4002161.
It is disclosed in the issue.

As can be seen from the above, the impedance audiometer includes a first acoustic transducer for forming the measurement sound, a second acoustic transducer for detecting the reflected sound from the middle ear of the measurement sound, and the external auditory canal. A pressure means or the like is required as an interface between the ear and the human ear to apply a variable pressure therein. In recent years, probes equipped with these acoustic transducers, pressure means, etc. in one casing have become known as impedance audiometer probes (for example,
Jitsugan No. 59-57617). In this case, the pressure is generated by an external pressure pump, and the pressure means is configured such that the pressure generated by the external pressure pump is guided through a pressure path of the probe using a vinyl pipe or the like. Therefore, the vinyl pipe for pressurization and the electric signal cord of the acoustic transducer are connected from the impedance audiometer probe to the main body of the measuring device. These pressure pipes and electrical signal cords were integrally covered and protected by a braided body of fibrous material or the like.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, with such conventional impedance audiometer probes, the pressure pipe or pressure tube is routed to the main body of the measuring device, so there may be problems with the pressure pipe itself or the pressure Accurate measurements were sometimes impossible due to poor pipe connections. For example, if the pressure pipe is bent midway during measurement and the specified pressure is not applied, or if air leaks midway due to fatigue deterioration of the pressure pipe, the desired measurement may not be possible. becomes.

Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide an impedance audiometer probe that is small in size and easy to handle, which allows accurate measurements at all times.

(Means and actions for solving the problem) In order to achieve this purpose, according to this invention,
A pressure transducer including a diaphragm that can be displaced by an electrical signal to change the pressure in the ear canal is integrally provided within the casing. With such a configuration, a pipe connecting the probe and the main body of the measuring device becomes unnecessary.

For example, an impedance audiometer probe according to an embodiment of the present invention has a distal opening 1 that opens toward the external auditory canal when attached to the external auditory canal, and one end that communicates with the opening 1 to maintain a constant pressure inside the external auditory canal. a pressure path 2 for supplying the measurement sound to the external auditory canal; an acoustic receiving path 4 for detecting reflected sound at the acoustic receiving path; a first acoustic transducer 6 connected to the other end of the acoustic supply path 3 and forming the measurement sound based on an electrical signal; and the acoustic receiving path a second acoustic transducer 7 connected to the other end of 4 and converting the detected reflected sound into an electrical signal; the pressure path 2, the acoustic supply path 3, the acoustic reception path 4, and the first acoustic transducer 7;
and a casing 8 in which the second acoustic transducers 6 and 7 are arranged, and a diaphragm 56 connected to the other end of the pressure path 2 and displaceable by an electric signal to form variable pressure. The casing further includes a pressure variable means 5 for adjusting the pressure.

Further, for example, according to the impedance audiometer probe according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that the pressure variable means 5 include a pressure detection unit 51 that detects the generated pressure and converts it into an electric signal.

Further, for example, according to the impedance audiometer probe according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pressure variable means 5 also serves as the first acoustic transducer 6, and the pressure path 2 and the acoustic supply path 3 are connected to each other. can be made to be a common hollow pipe.

Furthermore, for example, according to the impedance audiometer probe according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pressure variable unit 50 of the pressure variable means 5 and the pressure detection unit 51 are at least partially connected to the common pressure path 2. Can be done.

Furthermore, for example, according to the impedance audiometer probe according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pressure variable unit 50 is configured such that the pressure path 2
a first chamber 50A that communicates with the first chamber 50A, and a second chamber 50B that is adjacent to the first chamber 50A and has a closed space different from the first chamber 50A.
and a diaphragm 56 that mutually partitions the first chamber 50A and the second chamber 50B.
and an electromagnetic transducer capable of driving the diaphragm 56.

(Embodiments of the invention) Examples of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate similar objects.

FIG. 1 shows an impedance audiometer probe according to an embodiment of this invention. In the figure, 1 is a distal opening that is attached to the external auditory canal during an examination and opens toward the external auditory canal, 2 is a pressure path that communicates with the opening 1 at one end and applies a constant pressure inside the external auditory canal, and 3 is an opening. 1 an acoustic supply path communicating with the opening 1 at one end for supplying measurement sound into the external auditory canal; 4 an acoustic receiving path communicating with the opening 1 at one end and detecting reflected sound of the measurement sound within the external auditory canal; 5 is pressure path 2
Pressure variable means 6 is connected to the other end of the acoustic supply path 3 and has a diaphragm (described later) that can be displaced by an electric signal to form a variable pressure. a first acoustic transducer for forming sound; 7 a second acoustic transducer connected to the other end of the acoustic receiving path 4 and converting the detected reflected sound into an electrical signal; supply route 3,
A casing in which an acoustic receiving path 4, a pressure variable means 5, and first and second acoustic transducers 6, 7 are arranged; 9 is an electric cord for supplying or extracting an electric signal. Dotted lines in the drawings indicate electrical connections.

Note that a cylindrical protrusion 80 having a tip opening 1
Ear plugs (not shown) are attached to the ear plugs (not shown) to ensure close contact with the external auditory canal.

The pressure path 2 has a first path 23 and a second path 24 in the middle 22.
The first branch path 23 is connected to the pressure variable unit 50 of the pressure variable means 5, and the second branch path 24 is connected to the pressure detection unit 51 of the pressure variable means 5. That is, the pressure variable means 5
As will be described later, it is equipped with a pressure variable unit 50 and a pressure detection unit 51. The other end 32 of the acoustic supply path 3 is connected to a first acoustic transducer 6, and this acoustic transducer 6 converts the measured acoustic wave based on a signal supplied from the measuring device main body (described later) via an electric cord 9. A transducer that converts electrical energy into acoustic energy. Acoustic receiving path 4
The other end 42 is connected to a second acoustic transducer 7, which is a transducer that detects the measurement sound reflected in the ear canal and converts acoustic energy into electrical energy. Earphones can be used as the first acoustic transducers 6, and microphones can be used as the second acoustic transducers 7.

The pressure variable means 5 includes a pressure variable unit 50 and a pressure detection unit 51. The configuration of the pressure variable unit 50 is as shown in FIG. 2, for example. In the figure, reference numeral 52 indicates a disk-shaped base 52a and a cylindrical portion 5 rising coaxially from the base 52a.
53 is a ring-shaped magnet arranged along the outer periphery of the disc-shaped base 52a of the pole piece 52 and has a height lower than the height of the cylindrical portion 52b of the pole piece 52; 54 is a ring-shaped magnet 5;
3 is stacked on top of the pole piece 52 so that the top surface 54a is slightly higher than the top surface 52c of the pole piece 52. 55 is the branch path 23 of the pressure path 2.
56 is a disk-shaped diaphragm held between the yoke 54 and the cap plate 55, and 57 is the pole piece 5.
A coil bobbin 58 is inserted into the gap between the coil bobbin 2 and the yoke 54, arranged coaxially with the cylindrical portion 52b of the pole piece 52, and connected to the diaphragm 56. A coil bobbin 58 is a drive coil wound around the coil bobbin 57. The diaphragm 56 is made of a material with some degree of rigidity, and is fixed to the yoke 54 side with an elastically deformable edge member 56a provided at the peripheral edge. Therefore, this diaphragm 56 is
The space within the unit 50 is divided into a first chamber 50A and a second chamber 50B. According to such a configuration, when the distal end opening 1 is attached to the external auditory canal, the first chamber 50A side is connected to the pressure passages 22 and 23.
It also becomes airtight, including the external auditory canal. On the other hand, small holes (not shown) are formed on the second chamber 50B side to allow air to circulate.
According to such a configuration, the amount and direction of displacement of the diaphragm 56 can be controlled by the absolute value and polarity of the current supplied to the drive coil 58, and the pressure applied to the eardrum through the external auditory canal can be changed and adjusted. can do. As can be understood from the above explanation, the variable pressure unit 50 is a so-called electrodynamic acoustic transducer similar to a normal speaker or microphone, and is formed in a small size so that it can be worn in the human ear. It is. The pressure detection unit 51 of the pressure variable means 5 is, for example, a pressure sensitive surface of a semiconductor element capable of detecting pressure joined to the pressure path 24, and obtains an electric signal corresponding to the pressure applied by the pressure variable unit 50. be able to.

The casing 8 is made of, for example, plastic resin, and can have any shape as long as it can accommodate the components described above and can be easily and stably worn on the human ear.

As described above, according to the configuration according to the embodiment of this invention, since the pressure variable means 5 is included in the casing of the probe itself, there is no need to route a pressurizing pipe to the main body of the measuring device, and there is no need to route a pressurizing pipe to the measuring device body. Since the distance to the pressure variable means is short, accurate measurements are always possible.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of this invention.

According to this embodiment, the pressure variable unit 50 of the pressure variable means 5 also serves as an acoustic transducer for forming the measurement sound, and the first acoustic transducer 6 of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is omitted. Therefore, the pressure path 2 serves as both a pressure path and an acoustic supply path. Further, the hollow passage 3 used as the acoustic supply passage in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is used as a pressure passage for pressure detection and is connected to a pressure detection unit 51. In this case, the pressure variable unit 5
The electrical signal to be added to 0 may be obtained by superimposing an alternating signal component for forming a measurement sound on a direct current component for forming pressure. In other respects, this embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. According to such a configuration,
The number of parts can be reduced compared to the one shown in FIG. 1, and the structure can be simplified.

FIG. 4 shows a measuring device to which the impedance audiometer probe of FIG. 3 is connected, and reference numeral 40 indicates the impedance audiometer probe. In the figure, 41 is an oscillator that can selectively generate a measurement signal of a desired frequency, 42 is a preamplifier that can adjust the amplitude of the measurement signal, that is, the loudness of the measurement sound, and 43 is a preamplifier that can be connected to the ear canal. A variable pressure signal generator manually or automatically forms a DC bias having a predetermined magnitude and polarity corresponding to the applied pressure; 44 is a mixer for superimposing a measurement sound signal on the DC bias signal, which is a variable pressure signal; Amplifier, 4
5 is a power amplifier that amplifies the pressure variable signal and the measurement sound signal to a level capable of driving the pressure variable unit 50; 46 is a pressure detection unit 5;
1 and an acoustic compliance conversion device that calculates acoustic compliance based on the output signals of the acoustic transducer 7 that detects the reflected sound of the measurement sound;
47 and 48 are acoustic compliance conversion devices 46
These are a display device and a recording device for respectively displaying and recording the output data of.

According to such a measuring device, a measurement signal of, for example, 226 Hz is generated by the oscillator 41, and during this time the output of the variable pressure signal generator 43 is activated so that the pressure in the ear canal changes from +200 dapa to -200 dapa. In this case, the pressure variable signal generator 43
It is desirable for the output to sweep automatically.
The amount of attenuation of the acoustic energy of the reflected sound of the measurement sound in the ear canal is sequentially calculated by the acoustic compliance conversion device 46, and the measured value of compliance with respect to pressure is displayed as a graph on the display device 4, for example.
7 can be displayed.

This invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications, and various other embodiments and modifications are possible within the technical scope of this invention, and equivalent components may be converted. It is clear to the person skilled in the art that this is possible.

(Effects of the invention) According to this invention, by using an electromagnetic transducer including a diaphragm that can be displaced by an electric signal as the pressure variable means as described above, the pressure variable means can be installed inside the probe casing. Thus, it is possible to obtain an impedance audiometer probe that is capable of always performing accurate measurements, is highly reliable, is small, and is easy to handle. In particular, it is not possible to avoid measurement instability and inaccuracy due to bending of the pipe and air leaks caused by routing the pressurized pipe from the probe to the measuring device, and the distance between the pressure variable means and the measurement target is extremely large. Due to the short length, the dead mass (inner volume of the routed pipe) that is not directly involved in the measurement is minimized, making it possible to further improve measurement accuracy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an impedance audiometer probe according to an embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts of an impedance audiometer probe according to an embodiment of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an illustration of this invention. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a probe for an impedance audiometer according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an overall system diagram of an impedance audiometer according to an embodiment of this invention. In the drawings, 1 is a tip opening, 2 is a pressure path,
3 is an acoustic supply path, 4 is an acoustic reception path, 5 is a pressure variable means, 6 and 7 are acoustic transducers, 8 is a casing, 9
is an electric cord, 50 is a pressure variable unit, 50
A and 50B are first and second chambers of the pressure variable unit 50, 51 is a pressure detection unit, and 56 is a diaphragm.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A distal opening that communicates with the external auditory canal, a pressure path that communicates with this opening at one end and applies a constant pressure within the external auditory canal, and communicates with the opening at one end. an acoustic supply path for supplying measurement sound into the external auditory canal; an acoustic reception path communicating with the opening at one end and detecting reflected sound of the measurement sound within the external auditory canal; a first acoustic transducer connected to the other end of the acoustic receiving path and forming the measurement sound based on an electrical signal; and a second acoustic transducer connected to the other end of the acoustic receiving path and converting the detected reflected sound into an electrical signal.
an impedance audiometer probe comprising: an acoustic transducer; a casing in which the pressure path, the acoustic supply path, the acoustic reception path, and the first and second acoustic transducers are disposed; An impedance audiometer probe characterized in that the casing further comprises a pressure variable means connected to the other end of the pressure path and having a diaphragm displaceable by an electric signal to form a variable pressure. 2. Utility Model Registration Scope of Claim 1. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure variable means includes a pressure detection unit that detects the generated pressure and converts it into an electrical signal. 3 Utility Model Registration Scope of Claims In the device according to claim 1 or 2, the pressure variable means also serves as the first acoustic transducer, and the pressure path and the acoustic supply path are a common hollow pipe. An impedance audiometer probe characterized by: 4 Utility Model Registration The impedance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pressure variable means and the pressure detection means are at least partially connected to a common pressure path. Probe for audiometer. 5 Utility Model Registration In the device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the pressure variable means includes a first chamber communicating with the pressure path, and a first chamber adjacent to the first chamber. A second chamber having a closed space different from the first chamber, a diaphragm that partitions the first chamber and the second chamber from each other, and an electromagnetic transducer capable of driving this diaphragm. Features of impedance audiometer probe.