JPH095167A - Ear drum thermometer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an ear drum thermometer which can lower the dispersion of a measured value while allowing accurate measurement of body temperature. CONSTITUTION: In an ear drum thermometer in which a probe P is inserted into an auditory canal and infrared rays A and A' radiated from an ear drum 6 and the perimeter thereof the detected by an infrared detector 8 to measure body temperature based on the amount of the infrared rays A', visual recognition means 12, 16, 17 and 18 for the drum are so arranged to enable visual recognition of the ear drum 6 by visible light B from the ear drum 6 and the perimeter thereof.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tympanic thermometer, which captures infrared rays emitted from the eardrum and its surroundings with a tip of a probe and converts the infrared rays into a body temperature for display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of eardrum thermometer, by inserting the probe tip into the ear canal, infrared rays emitted from the eardrum and its surroundings are detected by an infrared sensor through a waveguide provided in the probe, Body temperature is measured by performing temperature conversion.

[0003]

By the way, in order to accurately measure the body temperature, it is necessary to insert the tip of the probe to a position as close as possible to the eardrum to detect the temperature of the eardrum. However, since the eardrum located in the back of the ear canal cannot be directly seen, it is unavoidable that the insertion position of the probe tip varies depending on the measurer. That is, since the inserting direction and the inserting depth of the probe are different depending on the measurer and the shape of the ear is different on the side of the person to be measured, the probe tip is not simply inserted into the ear canal. It is difficult to confirm whether the limb is inserted close to the eardrum. As a result, the dispersion of the measured values increases, and there is a possibility that an accurate measurement of the body temperature is not performed.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a tympanic thermometer capable of reducing variations in measured values and enabling accurate body temperature measurement. .

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention inserts a probe into an ear canal, detects infrared rays emitted from the eardrum and its surroundings with an infrared detector, and determines the amount of the infrared rays. The tympanic thermometer, which measures the body temperature based on the tympanic membrane, is provided with a tympanic membrane observing means capable of visually observing the tympanic membrane with visible light from the tympanic membrane and its surroundings.

[0006]

[Operation] Infrared rays emitted from the eardrum and its surroundings
Since it can be detected by an infrared detector as in the conventional case and the eardrum visualizing means is provided, the eardrum can be visually observed and the insertion position of the probe tip can be adjusted.

Therefore, after inserting the probe into the ear canal,
While looking into the inner ear including the eardrum, the tip of the probe can be reliably inserted as close as possible to the eardrum. Therefore, the temperature of the eardrum is constantly detected, so that variations in the measured values can be reduced, and accurate body temperature can be measured.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited thereby.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention in which a half mirror is used as a light splitting means for transmitting infrared rays and reflecting visible rays.

That is, in FIG. 1, 1 is an infrared ray A.
Is a half mirror for transmitting the visible ray B and reflecting the visible ray B, and is located on the optical axis 3 of the condenser lens 2 for the infrared ray A. 4 is an optical axis 3 of the condenser lens 2 which is covered by the probe P.
It is a waveguide arranged coaxially with the inner surface of which is plated. The waveguide 4 guides the infrared rays A radiated from the measurement object including the eardrum 6 from the infrared ray entrance window 7 to the half mirror 1 after inserting the probe P into the ear canal 5, and further, the infrared rays transmitted through the half mirror 1. It is for causing A ′ to enter the infrared detector 8 located on the optical axis 3 through the condenser lens 2.

Then, the body temperature is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 11 by using the input circuit 9 and the microcomputer 10 based on the amount of infrared rays incident on the infrared detector 8.

On the other hand, on the half mirror 1 side of the probe P, a visible light lamp (light source) 12 for tympanic membrane illumination that emits the illumination light C is arranged around the waveguide 4. And
The illuminating light C travels through a substantially annular optical path 13 formed between the probe P and the waveguide 4 toward the eardrum 6 which is the object of illumination. An annular scattering lens 1 is provided on the optical path 13 around the tip of the waveguide 4 in order to uniformly illuminate the eardrum 6 with the illumination light C.
4 are installed.

The portion of the probe P and the waveguide 4 facing the optical path 13 of the visible light C is mirror-finished so that the illumination light C can efficiently travel to the scattering lens 14.

Further, the eardrum 6 is brightly illuminated by the visible light lamp 12, and the visible ray B reflecting the image of the eardrum 6 is reflected by the half mirror 1 through the waveguide 4 and the light of the condenser lens 2. The visible light B travels in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and the visible light B reaches the visual observation part 15, whereby the visual observation part 15 can visually recognize the image of the eardrum 6. That is, in the visual observation portion 15, the condenser lens 16 that condenses the visible light rays B reflected by the half mirror 1, and the condensing visible light rays B in the direction parallel to the optical axis direction of the condensing lens 2. A visible light reflection mirror 17 for reflecting light and a pair of eyepiece lenses 18 are provided. The condensing lens 16, the visible light reflecting mirror 17, the eyepiece lens 18, and the visible light lamp 12 for tympanic membrane illumination constitute the tympanic membrane visualizing means.

With the above structure, after inserting the probe P into the external auditory meatus 5 and adjusting the insertion position of the probe tip while looking into the inner ear including the eardrum 6, the probe tip can be surely inserted as close as possible to the eardrum 6. . Therefore, the temperature of the eardrum 6 is always detected.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the measuring mechanism in which the visual inspection portion 15 for directly visualizing the eardrum 6, the infrared detector 8 and the half mirror 1 are integrated is adopted, the eardrum 6
Body temperature can be measured while looking into the inner ear including.
Therefore, the insertion direction and insertion depth of the probe differ from person to person, and variations in the measured values due to different ear shapes on the side of the person being measured can be greatly reduced, and accurate body temperature measurement can be performed. You can

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in which the visual observation portion 15 is rotatable.

The difference of this embodiment from the first embodiment is that
The light emitting element 20 is used as a light source for tympanic membrane illumination instead of the visible light lamp, and the visual observation unit 15 is rotatable.
Then, the visual observation part 15 is configured to be rotatable by a predetermined angle around the optical axis 21 of the condenser lens 16 which is orthogonal to the optical axis direction of the condenser lens 2. That is, the configuration is such that the visual part 15 can be rotated in the lateral direction so that the eardrum can be easily viewed. Therefore. It is advantageous in terms of handling during measurement.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention in which a mirror 22 for reflecting both infrared rays A and visible rays B is used as the light splitting means instead of the half mirror.

In this embodiment, the infrared ray detector 8 is located on the optical axis 3 of the condenser lens 2, but the mirror 22 for reflecting the infrared ray A is employed. Although it is necessary to install a mirror 22 having a small size that allows the light to enter the infrared detector 8, the mirror 22 is smaller than the half mirror used in the first and second embodiments.
Has the advantage of being cheaper.

In FIG. 4, the visual observation portion 15 is moved vertically (reference numeral 23).
The optical filter 24 is used as a light splitting means for transmitting the infrared rays A and reflecting the visible rays B, while being configured to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow).
An example will be described.

In the present embodiment, the visual inspection part 15 is provided with
Since it can be rotated in the vertical direction instead of the lateral direction as in the third embodiment, it is more convenient than the second and third embodiments in terms of handling during visual inspection of the eardrum.

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention in which, as the light splitting means 25, a half mirror or an optical filter having a function of transmitting visible light B from the eardrum 6 and reflecting infrared light A is used. Show.

In this embodiment, the visual observation part 15 is the condensing lens 1.
Since it is on the optical axis 26 of 6, it cannot rotate,
The visible light reflecting mirror 17 that reflects the visible light B incident on the visual observation portion 15 toward the eyepiece 18 side, as used in the first to third embodiments, can be excluded from the visual observation portion 15.

FIG. 6 is the same as that used in the third embodiment.
A sixth embodiment of the present invention in which a mirror 22a that reflects both infrared rays A and visible rays B is used as a light splitting means, and a push button 27 for switching between detection of infrared rays A'and visual observation of the eardrum is provided. Show.

In this embodiment, the switching mechanism is the push button 2
7 and a switch unit 30 for driving the mirror 22a in the vertical direction (in the direction of the arrow indicated by the symbol D) via the rack 28 and the pinion 29 by switching the push button 27.

FIG. 7 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention in which an optical fiber is used as a light source for eardrum illumination. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 31 denotes an optical fiber group consisting of a plurality of optical fibers. One end of each optical fiber is connected to the light emitting element 32, and the illumination light by this is scattered from the scattering lens 14 located at the other end to form an eardrum. It is shining brightly.

In FIG. 8, a light emitting element or a lamp as a light source 33 for eardrum illumination or a miniature bulb is fixedly provided around the tip of the waveguide 4, and the light source 33 is connected to an electric cord 34. An eighth embodiment of the present invention will be shown.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the eardrum visualizing means for visualizing the eardrum by the visible light from the eardrum and its surroundings is provided, after inserting the probe into the ear canal, the inner ear including the eardrum is provided. The probe tip can be surely inserted into the eardrum as close as possible to the eardrum while observing, and the probe tip can be reliably directed to the eardrum. Therefore, the temperature of the eardrum is constantly detected, so that the variation in the measured value can be reduced and the accurate body temperature can be measured.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an overall configuration showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an overall configuration showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the overall configuration showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an overall configuration explanatory view showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a main part configuration showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a main part configuration showing an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Half mirror, 4 ... Waveguide, 6 ... Eardrum, 8 ... Infrared detector, 12 ... Visible light lamp for eardrum illumination, 14 ... Scattering lens, 16 ... Condensing lens, 17 ... Visible light reflecting mirror, 18 ... Eyepiece lens, 31 ... Optical fiber group, A,
A '... infrared light, B ... visible light from the eardrum, C ... illumination light,
P ... probe.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A probe is inserted into an ear canal and infrared rays emitted from the eardrum and its surroundings are detected by an infrared detector,
An eardrum thermometer for measuring a body temperature based on the amount of infrared rays, comprising an eardrum visualizing means capable of visually observing the eardrum with visible light from the eardrum and its surroundings. 2. The eardrum thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising a light splitting unit that splits the infrared ray and the visible ray. 3. The light splitting means transmits infrared rays,
Moreover, the eardrum thermometer according to claim 2, which reflects visible light. 4. The eardrum visualizing means comprises a light source for tympanic membrane illumination and a condenser lens for condensing the visible light through the light splitting means. Eardrum thermometer. 5. A light reflecting means for reflecting the infrared rays and visible rays is provided, and the light reflecting means is further provided for detecting the infrared rays on the infrared detector located through a condenser lens in the insertion direction of the probe. The eardrum thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the mirror is a mirror having a size that allows a part of the thermometer to enter. 6. The eardrum thermometer according to claim 2, wherein the light splitting unit transmits the visible light and reflects infrared light.