JPH0856907A - Continuous sweating quantity measuring instrument capable of observing activity of sweat gland - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make a correct diagnosis for abnormality in a sweat gland, that in neural transmission or that in an autonomic nerve, etc., by displaying sweating quantity on a skin surface synchronously with the working state of the sweat gland on the same part in videos. CONSTITUTION: This sweating quantity measuring instrument capable of observing the activity of the sweat gland is equipped with a microscope 13 loaded integrally on a capsule 2 and which image-picks up the working state of the sweat gland on the skin surface 1, a local sweating quantity continuous recording means 4 which calculates the sweating quantity without temperature dependency based on signals from a humidity detecting means a temperature detecting means arranged in the rear chamber 6 of the capsule 2 and outputs sweating data by converting to a video signal, and a video recorder 17 which inputs the video signal from the microscope 13 synchronously with the one from the local sweating quantity continuous recording means 4 and video-displays the working state of the sweat gland and the change of the sweating quantity on a monitor television set 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention continuously measures the amount of perspiration from the skin surface such as the palm or fingers of the hand and observes the activity of the sweat glands at the same site with an image to detect the sweat glands at the same site. The present invention relates to a continuous sweat rate measuring apparatus capable of observing a sweat gland activity, which is used in medical fields such as autonomic nerve diagnosis and nerve transmission diagnosis, by observing an activity state and measuring a sweat rate in synchronization.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, the applicant of the present invention has filed an application for a continuous measuring apparatus for local sweating amount using humidity as an index (Japanese Patent Application No. 1-239604), which is useful for quantitative autonomous function tests and the like. This conventional device for continuously measuring local sweating amount is a diffusive air-moisture in which damp moisture of sweat diffused from the skin surface in the anterior chamber of a capsule attached to the skin surface and dry air supplied from the outside are diffused and mixed. When the relative humidity and temperature of diffused air humidity are detected by the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor provided in the rear chamber of the capsule, the skin surface is detected based on the detection signals from the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor. The amount of sweat radiated from is calculated as an absolute amount of sweat having no temperature dependency, and the amount of sweat is continuously printed out by a printer or the like.

[0003]

According to the above-mentioned conventional continuous sweating amount measuring apparatus, the amount of sweat dissipated from the skin surface can be continuously measured, but it can be measured from a large number of sweat glands at the same site. Since it is not possible to observe the situation in which sweat is emitted, there is a problem in that it is not possible to detect, for example, abnormal sweat glands or abnormal nerve transmission that cannot be diagnosed only by the amount of sweat. Therefore, in the present invention, the amount of sweat released from the skin surface is continuously measured and the activity state of the sweat glands in the same site is observed on an image, and the change in the amount of sweat and the activity state of the sweat glands are synchronized. The problem to be solved is to make it possible to display an image so that a sweat gland abnormality or nerve transmission abnormality can be diagnosed.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a continuous measuring apparatus for the amount of sweating capable of observing sweat gland activity, in which dehumidified air provided on the outside close to the skin surface and provided outside. An air inlet hole is provided for allowing the dry air from the supply means to flow in, and a front chamber for diffusing and mixing the wet moisture from the sweat glands on the skin surface with the dry air introduced from the air inlet hole, The damp air obtained by diffusing and mixing the wet moisture and the dry air in the chamber is led through the small hole, and the damp air discharge hole for discharging the diffusive air introduced is opened to the rear chamber. With the provided capsule,
An image pickup means that is integrally provided in the capsule and that picks up an image of the activity of the sweat glands on the skin surface, and a relative humidity of the diffused air humidity that is provided in the rear chamber of the capsule and is guided to the rear chamber is detected. Humidity detection means and temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of diffused air and humidity, and absolute sweating without temperature dependence of the amount of perspiration emitted from the skin surface based on signals from the humidity detection means and temperature detection means. And the continuous recording of the sweating rate data, the local sweating rate continuous recording means for converting the sweating rate data into a video signal and outputting the video signal, and the video signal from the image pickup means. A video means for synchronously inputting and recording the video signal from the continuous perspiration amount recording means, and displaying the activity state and progress of the sweat glands on the skin surface and the absolute change in the perspiration amount on a video screen as an image. And Is to example was constructed.

[0005]

According to the apparatus for continuously measuring the sweat rate capable of observing the sweat gland activity, the image means synchronously inputs and records the video signal from the imaging means and the video signal from the continuous sweat rate measuring means. Since the activity and progress of the sweat glands on the skin surface are displayed as an image on the video screen, and the change in the amount of sweat at the same site is also displayed in a graph, for example, in synchronization with the activity of the sweat glands, the doctor can see the activity status of the sweat glands on the skin surface. It is possible to make a diagnosis by comparing the amount of perspiration emitted from the same skin surface.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a continuous sweating amount measuring apparatus capable of observing sweat gland activity. As shown in FIG. 1, a capsule 2 attached to a skin surface 1 such as a palm is provided with an anterior chamber 3 having an opening on the side attached to the skin surface 1. The front chamber 3 is provided with an air inflow hole 5 because dry air is supplied from a local sweat rate continuous recording device 4 described later, and sweat released from the sweat glands on the skin surface 1, that is, wet moisture and its drying. Air is diffusively mixed in the front chamber 3.

Further, the capsule 2 is provided with a rear chamber 6 integrally with the front chamber 3. The rear chamber 6 is the front chamber 3 and the small hole 7
The diffusive air and humidity obtained by diffusing and mixing the wet moisture and the dry air are led from the front chamber 3 to the rear chamber 6 through the small holes 7. An air / humidity discharge hole 8 is formed so that the diffused air / humidity flows out from the rear chamber 6. A humidity sensor 9 and a temperature sensor 10 are provided inside the rear chamber 6, and the humidity sensor 9 and the oscillator 11 are electrically connected. Further, the oscillator 12 is the oscillator 1
1, the electrical and temperature characteristics are the same, and when the ambient temperature changes and the oscillation frequency of the oscillator 11 changes, the oscillation frequency of the oscillator 12 also changes. There is. That is, the oscillator 12 has a role as a temperature compensating unit of the oscillator 11 as described later.

The humidity sensor 9 is a capacitance type,
Sensitive to the relative humidity of diffused air and humidity introduced to the rear chamber 6, the capacitance changes in accordance with the detected humidity. Humidity sensor 9
Is a part of the circuit constant of the oscillator 11, and when the electrostatic capacitance changes according to the detected humidity, the oscillator 11 outputs an oscillation signal having a frequency according to the detected humidity.

The capsule 2 is made of a transparent acrylic resin so that the skin surface 1 can be observed from the outside. Microscope 13 shown in FIG.
Is a CCD which is used as an image pickup device, is provided for observing the activity of the sweat glands on the skin surface 1, and is attached to the stage 14 so as to be movable in the coordinate XYZ directions. Therefore, the micro scope 13 is driven by the motor type driving device 15 provided on the stage 14.
It can be moved automatically or manually in the XYZ directions.
An area of the skin surface 1 is imaged from the outside of the anterior chamber 3 of the capsule 2 at an arbitrary magnification, and the imaging signal, that is, a video signal is output in real time.

Since the video signal output from the micro scope 13 is transmitted to the monitor television 16, the activity status of the sweat glands on the skin surface 1 is monitored in real time and output from the micro scope 13. The video signal is recorded in the video recording device 17. Then, by reproducing the video signal recorded in the video recording device 17, the activity state of the sweat glands on the skin surface 1 is displayed on the monitor television 16. When observing the activity of the sweat glands on the skin surface 1 with the micro scope 13, the optical fiber PF is used as an illumination head as shown in FIG. 2, and light is applied to the skin surface 1 from the tip of the illumination head. The activity of sweat glands on the skin surface 1 can be clearly observed.

Next, the temperature sensor 10 and the oscillator 1
A local perspiration amount continuous recording device 4 that is electrically connected to the first and the second chambers 12 and supplies dry air to the front chamber 3 of the capsule 2.
Is configured as shown in FIG. When the oscillator 11 connected to the humidity sensor 9 outputs an oscillation signal having a frequency corresponding to the relative humidity of the diffused air humidity, the oscillation signal is converted by the F / V converter 21 into a frequency response voltage signal. Then, the sensitivity is adjusted by being guided to the amplifier 22. The output signal of the amplifier 22 obtained in this way is superposed with the amount of change in temperature of the electric circuit of the oscillator 11 in addition to the wet moisture of the sweat from the skin surface 1. Therefore, in order to accurately detect the amount of sweat, it is necessary to compensate for the temperature change in the electric circuit of the oscillator 11. Since the circuit constants of the oscillators 11 and 12 are selected so that the temperature characteristics of the electric circuits are the same, the oscillation frequency of the oscillator 12 changes similarly to the oscillation frequency depending on the temperature of the oscillator 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the oscillation signal of the oscillator 12 passes through the F / V converter 23 and the amplifier 24, and the output of the signal system amplifier 22 of the oscillator 11 and the differential amplifier 25.
Is input to and differentially calculated. As a result, the differential amplifier 25 outputs a signal corresponding to the diffused humidity, in which the temperature change of the electric circuit of the oscillator 11 is compensated.

The relative humidity signal corresponding to the diffused air humidity output from the differential amplifier 25, and the temperature sensor 1
A signal corresponding to the diffused air humidity temperature from the amplifier 26 that amplifies the output signal of 0 is input to the digital arithmetic circuit 27. The digital arithmetic circuit 27 calculates the absolute amount of perspiration from the skin surface 1 which does not depend on the temperature based on the input signal, records the absolute amount of perspiration, and the absolute amount of perspiration data. Is output to the video signal output unit 28. The video signal output unit 28 converts the absolute sweat rate data into a video signal which can be displayed on the monitor television 16 as a sweat rate graph, for example, and the video recording apparatus 17 described above.
And the video signal from the micro scope 13 is recorded synchronously.

A pen recorder 29 and a printer 30 are connected to the digital arithmetic circuit 27. The pen recorder 29 displays changes in the amount of perspiration and the capsule temperature, and the printer 30 keeps a constant value. The total amount of perspiration during the inspection time, the average amount of perspiration per unit time, the frequency of perspiration, etc. are digitally printed.

Further, the local sweating rate continuous recording apparatus 4 is provided with a small compressor 31 and a dehumidifying section 32 containing silica gel or the like, and the air of a constant pressure sent from the compressor 31 is dehumidified. It is dehumidified in the process of passing through the portion 32 and becomes dry air, and passes through the air passage 33,
It is supplied to the antechamber 3 of the capsule 2.

According to the apparatus for continuously measuring the sweat rate capable of observing the sweat gland activity configured as described above, the sweat rate from the skin surface 1 is measured by the local sweat rate continuous recording apparatus 4, while
Since the activity status of the sweat glands on the skin surface 1 can be displayed on the monitor television 16, for example, the sweat glands that are pulsating and the sweat glands that are not pulsing are clearly identified. Furthermore, a graph of the amount of sweating or the like can be displayed on the monitor TV 16.
Therefore, since the amount of perspiration from the skin surface 1 and the activity status of the sweat glands on the skin surface 1 are recognized synchronously, the use of this device makes it possible in the medical field to (1) diagnose abnormal sweat glands (2) Abnormal diagnosis of neurotransmission (3) Abnormal diagnosis of autonomic nerve (4) Diagnosis of hyperhidrosis and anhidrosis (5) Efficient determination of drug efficacy can be performed extremely accurately and promptly.
In addition, when the device is used as a beauty device, it is possible to know how dry and moist the skin is. Alternatively, in the sports field, the sweating state of a person who is exercising can be clearly determined.

FIG. 4 shows the activity of the sweat glands on the skin surface 1 displayed on the monitor TV 16. Among the sweat glands on the skin surface 1, the sweat glands (black circles) that are pulsating and the sweat glands that are not pulsing. (White circle) and a sweat gland (half black-and-white circle) that is not associated with either are shown. The wave-like lines are wrinkles on the skin surface.

FIG. 5 is a time chart showing the sweating condition of each sweat gland (1 to 34) on the skin surface 1 over time based on the video signals of both the sweating amount on the skin surface 1 and the activity condition of the sweat glands. is there. In each of the sweat glands (1 to 34), a convexly changing portion is in a sweating state, and the other portions are in a non-spitting state. It is recognized that there are sweat glands that do not sweat at all (for example, 4, 7, 18, 19, 20, etc.).

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, both the amount of perspiration on the skin surface and the activity status of sweat glands on the same skin surface can be synchronously displayed on the video screen.
Application to medical fields such as sweat gland abnormality diagnosis, nerve transmission abnormality diagnosis, autonomic nerve abnormality diagnosis, hyperhidrosis, anhidrosis diagnosis, determination of drug efficacy, beauty equipment field, sports field, etc. It has the effect that it can be applied to and has great social significance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an illumination method when observing sweat glands by a micro scope.

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of a local sweating rate continuous recording apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a video display diagram showing the activity status of sweat glands.

FIG. 5 is a video display diagram showing the activity status of each of a large number of sweat glands over time.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Skin Surface 2 Capsule 3 Anterior Chamber 4 Local Sweating Rate Continuous Recording Device 5 Air Inlet Hole 6 Rear Chamber 7 Small Hole 8 Air Moisture Outlet Hole 9 Humidity Sensor 10 Temperature Sensor 11 Oscillator 12 Oscillator 13 Microscope 14 Stage 15 Drive Device 16 Monitor TV 17 Video recording device 27 Digital arithmetic circuit 28 Video signal output unit 31 Compressor 32 Dehumidifying unit 33 Air passage

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masao Sakaguchi 718-12 Tokuma, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture (combined dormitory 407) (72) Inventor Tomonari Kamei, 8 Higashikatabata-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture Suzuken Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A surface close to the skin surface is opened, and an air inflow hole for letting in dry air from a dehumidified air supply means provided outside is opened, and wet moisture from a sweat gland on the skin surface is formed. And a front chamber for diffusing and mixing the dry air that has flowed in from the air inflow hole, and diffused air humidity in which the wet moisture and the dry air are diffusively mixed in this front chamber are introduced through a small hole, A capsule provided with a rear chamber having an air-humidity discharge hole for discharging the diffused air-humidity introduced to the outside, and an image pickup means integrally mounted on the capsule for photographing the activity of sweat glands on the skin surface. A humidity detecting means disposed in the rear chamber of the capsule for detecting the relative humidity of the diffused air introduced into the rear chamber and a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the diffused air, and the humidity detecting means; For signals from temperature detection means Based on this, the amount of perspiration released from the skin surface is calculated as an absolute amount of perspiration that does not depend on temperature, and the amount of perspiration is continuously recorded, and this amount of perspiration is recorded as a video signal. The local sweat rate continuous recording means for converting and outputting, and the video signal from the image pickup means and the video signal from the local sweat rate continuous recording means are synchronously input and recorded, and at the same time, the sweat glands on the skin surface are displayed on the image screen. A sweat rate continuous measuring apparatus capable of observing sweat gland activity, comprising: an image means for displaying an activity state and progress and the absolute change in sweat rate as an image. 2. A perspiration capable of observing sweat gland activity according to claim 1, wherein a micro scope is used as the imaging means, and the micro scope is integrated with a stage mechanism whose position can be adjusted in the XYZ directions. Continuous measuring device. 3. The apparatus for continuously measuring the amount of perspiration capable of observing sweat gland activity according to claim 1, wherein the image means can monitor the activity status of sweat glands on the skin surface in real time on a video screen.