JPH1142219A - Spirometer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small and easily usable spirometer. SOLUTION: This spirometer comprises a breathing-in section 1 and a measuring-section 2. The breathing-in section 1 has an opening in a prescribed portion and an air inlet 1a is formed there. A hole 1d is formed in the bottom of the air inlet 1a. A pipe 2a penetrated along the longitudinal central axis of the measuring section 2 is formed. By integrating the breathing-in section 1 and the measuring section 2, the hole 1a and the pipe 2a are connected. A flow rate sensor 6 is arranged in the inside of the pipe 2a through a stem 4 and a pin 5. To measure the air capacity of the lung, a measurer breathes into the air inlet 1a formed in the breathing-in section and the flow rate sensor 6 measures his air capacity from the flow rate of breath. At such time, as measured breath is discharged out from an outlet, there is no necessity for forming a space for storing breath.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spirometry apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional spirometry apparatus, a container body is arranged in such a manner that a cylindrical body is divided in half and an open surface faces upward, and a center axis of the cylindrical body is provided in the container body. There is a type provided with a movable tank having a rotation center. In order to use such an apparatus, the measurer blows air into a movable tank arranged in the container body while the container body is filled with water, so that air (measurer) The air existing in the lungs) is filled inside the movable tank, and the air pressure causes the movable tank to rotate and rise. And the amount of rise (rotation angle) of the movable tank
Is measured based on the volume of breath (inspired vital capacity).

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional spirometry apparatus, it is necessary to store the air blown by the measurer in a movable tank installed inside the apparatus, so that the volume of the movable tank is at least reduced. It must be large enough to hold the air you blow. For this reason, the conventional spirometry apparatus becomes large in size, is difficult to use in ordinary households, and it is difficult to reduce the size to a size suitable for carrying.

Further, since the inside of the container body which is open at the top is filled with water, the preparation is complicated and the water may be scattered around and wet, and if the water is filled, the weight of the whole apparatus may be reduced. Since it becomes heavier, the movement in that state becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a small and easy-to-use spirometry apparatus.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the spirometry apparatus according to the present invention is provided on a main body of the apparatus (in the embodiment, it is constituted by a blowing section 1 and a measuring section 2). A pipe for exhausting the breath blown out through the blowing port to the outside of the apparatus body, a flow sensor installed in the pipe, and a calculation unit that calculates a vital capacity based on an output of the flow sensor, Output means for outputting data based on the vital capacity obtained by the arithmetic unit (claim 1).

[0007] The breath blown from the measurer through the blowing port is discarded outside the apparatus main body through the pipe. Therefore, as described in claim 1, by installing a flow rate sensor in the pipe, the flow rate sensor measures the flow rate of air passing through the pipe. Then, the vital capacity of the breath blown by the measurer can be obtained from the flow rate. Further, since the breath that has been blown in is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust port, there is no need to collect the breath of the measurer in the apparatus main body, and a space (tank or the like) for storing the breath of the measurer can be omitted. .

[0008] As another solution, a pipe for exhausting the breath blown through a blowing port provided in the apparatus main body to the outside of the apparatus main body, and a pipe provided at a position different from the pipe, A pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the breath that is blown through the air inlet, a calculation unit that calculates the vital capacity based on the output of the pressure sensor, and outputs data based on the vital capacity obtained by the calculation unit. An output unit may be provided (claim 2).

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pressure of the breath blown from the subject is detected by the pressure sensor, so that the flow rate can be obtained from the relationship between the pressure and the cross-sectional area of the gas flow pipe. Thus, for example, the vital capacity can be obtained by integrating pressure. Also in the present invention, the breath blown by the measurer is exhausted to the outside through the pipe, so that the size can be reduced.

On the premise of the above inventions, it is preferable that the pipe is further provided with a backflow preventing means (in the embodiment, a backflow preventing valve 7). That is, when air flows backward in the pipe, it becomes impossible to measure the exact flow rate and pressure of the breath blown by the measurer. Thus, by providing the backflow prevention means as in the present invention, the output of each sensor is based on the breath inhaled, and accurate spirometry measurement can be performed.

Further, the apparatus main body is separable into a part including the blowing port and a part including the arithmetic unit and the output means, and the flow rate sensor or the pressure sensor is interposed on the separation surface. (Claim 4). In such a case, since there is no electric system in a portion including the blow-out port, the blow-out port can be separated and only the blow-out port can be washed. In particular, the mouth is easily stained by saliva or the like when the measurer blows his / her breath, and it is preferable to wash the mouth for each measurement even in consideration of hygiene. By making it possible to separate the portion including the blowing port, only the blowing section can be easily cleaned.

Further, a heating element is installed in the pipe,
A first flow sensor is installed on the side of the blow-off port with respect to the heating element, and a second flow sensor is installed on the exhaust port side of the heating element. The first and second flow rate sensors are provided with a flow sensor, and the first and second flow rate sensors are used.
The presence / absence of backflow may be determined based on the output of the flow sensor (claim 5).

The flow sensor is provided with a resistor, and utilizing the fact that the resistance of the resistor changes due to the fact that the heat of the resistor is taken away by the fluid flowing around (the amount of heat taken depends on the flow rate), the resistance is changed. The flow rate is measured from a change in the value. Therefore, in the spirometry apparatus according to claim 5, since the air around the heating element is warmed,
The air heated by the heating element moves together with the air flowing in the pipe. Then, the temperature around the flow sensor located on the downstream side of the flow of the air also increases, so that the temperature drop is smaller than the temperature of the resistor that decreases due to the original flow rate. Conversely, the flow sensor located on the upstream side is not affected by the air heated by the heating resistor, or is slightly affected, if at all (compared to the downstream side). Therefore, since it is possible to determine which sensor is located on the upstream side of the flow from the outputs of the two flow sensors, when it is determined that the second flow sensor is located on the upstream side, it is determined that there is a backflow.

When the present invention is applied to an apparatus for measuring the flow rate in a pipe using a flow rate sensor to determine the vital capacity, the first flow rate sensor and the apparatus for measuring the vital capacity are used. Since the flow sensor can be shared, the number of parts can be reduced. In other words, even if the vital capacity is determined based on the output of the pressure sensor as in claim 2,
It is possible to implement the direction detection function according to claim 5.

In the embodiment, the output means of the present invention is a display unit 2 attached to the side of the measuring unit 2 for displaying numerical values.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be an indicator system. Further, the present invention is not limited to the display means, and may be, for example, an audio output or a device for transferring to another device. Various actions can be taken. In addition, the vital capacity calculated by the calculation unit is, of course, a specific numerical value, but a certain width (rank).
May be provided to roughly measure the vital capacity such as which rank it corresponds to. In this case, the output can take various forms, such as displaying the corresponding rank or turning on a lamp corresponding to the rank.

* Definition of terms The pipe is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may be of any shape as long as it is cylindrical. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when forming the housing that forms the apparatus main body, a part that becomes a pipe may be formed integrally. That is, a part of the inner wall surface of the housing may be used also as the pipe. That is, the pipe in the present invention means a passage or route through which the breath (air) blows, and its specific structure is not limited. Further, in the embodiment, the shape is linear. However, in this case, the effect of the ease of cleaning described in the section of the embodiment is exhibited. It may be bent or curved.

[0017]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a spirometry device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the spirometry device according to the present invention includes a blowing unit 1 and a measuring unit 2. Both are detachable, and are locked and fixed by the fastener 3 in a joined state. In the present embodiment, the fastener 3 includes a hook 3a provided on a side surface of the blowing unit 1, an operation lever 3b provided on a side surface of the measurement unit 2, and a ring 3c attached to the operation lever 3b. Use something. Then, by operating the operation lever 3b, the ring 3
c is fixed by hanging it on the hook 3a. And, in the fixed state, the outer peripheral surfaces of the two 1 and 2 are continuous,
It has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Of course, by removing the fastener 3, both 1 and 2 can be separated.

The blowing section 1 is a rectangular box with a bottom.
The measurer puts his mouth on the recess (air inlet) 1a on the opening side and blows his / her breath. A projection 1c is formed on the peripheral edge of the blowing section 1 on the bottom surface 1b side. In the center of the bottom surface 1b, a hole 1d
Is formed, and the inner shape of the hole 1d is formed such that the outer side (on the side of the measuring section 2) is partially wider.

The measuring section 2 has a pipe 2a inserted therein so as to penetrate along the central axis in the longitudinal direction. In addition, a shoulder 2b whose peripheral edge is lower by one step is formed on the surface of the measuring section 2 facing the blowing section 1, and the convex section 1c of the blowing section 1 coincides with the shoulder 2b. Matching is done. Then, in a state where the blowing unit 1 and the measuring unit 2 are joined, the bottom surface 1 of the blowing unit 1
The hole 1d provided in the b and the pipe 2a built in the measuring section 2 communicate with each other, so that air (breath) blown through the air inlet 1a flows into the pipe 2a from the hole 1d.

The flow sensor 6 is provided inside the pipe 2a.
Is mounted, the flow rate of the air passing through the pipe 2a, that is, the total amount of the breath blown can be measured. As a specific mounting structure, as shown in FIG. 2, the flow sensor 6 is mounted on the stem 4 having two pins 5. The pin 5 has a U-shaped cross section, has a certain degree of spring property and conductivity, and functions as a lead pin together with the mounting pin. A bonding wire 6 a connected to a terminal of the flow sensor 6 is connected to one end of the pin 5, so that an output signal of the flow sensor 6 can be output to an external circuit via the pin 5. On the other hand, an insertion hole 2c for inserting the pin 5 is formed on the joint surface of the measuring section 2, and by inserting the pin 5 into the insertion hole 2c, the stem 4 connected to the pin 5 is positioned. . Thus, the flow sensor 6 attached to the stem 4 is automatically arranged at a predetermined position in the pipe 2a. In this embodiment, the pin 5 is detachably mounted to the insertion hole 2c.

Although not shown, this insertion hole 2
A connector terminal made of a metal leaf spring or the like is mounted inside c. When the pin 5 is inserted into the insertion hole 2c, the connector terminal and the pin 5 are electrically and mechanically connected to each other, and a conductive state is established. As a result, the electric circuit in the measuring section 2 connected to the connector terminal is electrically connected to the flow sensor 6.

A check valve 7 is provided on the surface of the measuring section 2 opposite to the joint surface so as to cover the exhaust port of the pipe 2a.
Is provided. The check ring 7 is formed to have a diameter larger than at least the diameter of the pipe 2a and is rotatably attached to the rotating shaft 8. As a result, the measurement unit 2 rotates forward and reverse around the rotation shaft 8 as a rotation center.
A position where the exhaust port is closed by contacting the surface of the pipe 2 and a position where the exhaust port of the pipe 2a is opened by rotating outward from the position. Therefore, when the subject's breath is blown, the backflow prevention valve 7 is opened by the pressure of the breath, and the blown breath is exhausted to the outside. The check valve 7 is closed and the pipe 2a
Outside air does not enter and flow back inside.

Further, in the present embodiment, the joining surface of the measuring section 2
An O-ring 9 is mounted so as to be concentric with the pipe 2a. Thereby, in a state where the blowing unit 1 and the measuring unit 2 are joined, the bottom surface 1b of the blowing unit 1 and the O-ring 9 are in close contact with each other, airtightness at the joining surface can be secured, and the breath blown through the hole 1d. Are all supplied to the pipe 2a side.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a flow rate measuring circuit of the spirometer according to the present embodiment. First, the flow sensor 6 is referred to as, for example, a flow sensor, and includes a resistor, and the resistance of the resistor changes due to the heat flowing through the resistor being taken away by the surrounding fluid (the amount of heat taken depends on the flow rate). Utilizing such a method, a device that measures the flow rate from a change in the resistance value can be used.

In the flow rate measuring circuit, as shown in FIG. 4, a resistance heating element 10 in the flow rate sensor 6 is connected to a calculation unit 11. This connection is made via bonding wires 6a, pins 5, and the like. Further, a predetermined constant voltage is supplied from the power supply 12 to the arithmetic unit 11. Then, the output of the arithmetic unit 11 is sent to a display 2d provided on the side surface of the measuring unit 2 to display a measurement result and the like. The operation unit 11 and the power supply 1
2 is built in the measuring unit 2.

Here, the arithmetic unit 11 applies a constant voltage to the flow sensor 6, detects a change in the current, and obtains the vital capacity from the change. That is, when the measurer blows his / her breath, the breath passes through the pipe 2a, so that the heat of the resistance heating element 11 of the flow sensor 6 is deprived of the movement of the breath (air) and the resistance value changes. At this time, since a constant voltage is applied to the flow sensor 6 (the resistance heating element 11), the current value changes in proportion to the change in the resistance value. Therefore, the calculation unit 11 obtains the flow rate of the breath from the change in the current value, obtains the total flow rate by integrating the flow rate, and calculates the vital capacity from the obtained total flow rate and the cross-sectional area of the pipe 2a. Is displayed on the container 2d.

Then, in order for the measurer to measure the spirometry with the spirometry apparatus having the above structure, the measurer must use the blowing unit 1.
The air is blown into the air introduction port 1a formed at the bottom. Then, the breath passes through the pipe 2a, and the flow rate of the breath is measured based on the detection output of the flow sensor 6 arranged in the pipe 2a. Since the measured breath is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port of the pipe 2a, there is no need to form a space for storing the blown breath.

Although the flow sensor 6 senses the flow regardless of the direction in which the air flows, the backflow prevention valve 7 prevents the backflow in the pipe 2a. Eliminate as much as possible.

Further, in the present embodiment, the blowing section 1 and the measuring section 2 can be separated, and a measuring system such as an electric circuit is not provided on the blowing section 1 side, so that the blowing section 1 can be easily cleaned. Also, since the blowing unit 1 can be made relatively inexpensive as compared with the measuring unit 2, a plurality of the blowing units 1 are prepared, and the spare blowing unit 1 is attached during the cleaning, so that the measurement of the vital capacity of another measurer can be performed. Becomes possible. Further, since the pipe 2a provided in the measuring section 2 is also linear, the inside of the pipe 2a can be easily cleaned. Of course, when cleaning the pipe 2a, the pin 5 is pulled out from the insertion hole 2c prior to the cleaning, and the flow rate sensor 6 is connected to the pipe 2a.
It is preferable to remove it from a.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the spirometry apparatus according to the present invention.
Is shown. In this embodiment, the flow rate of the breath blown into the measurer is calculated using the pressure sensor, and the vital capacity is measured. Since the structure other than the pipe structure and the structure for mounting the pressure sensor are the same as those in the first embodiment, The detailed description is omitted by using the same reference numerals.

A small-diameter first hole 20a and a large-diameter second hole 20b are formed in the bottom surface 1b of the blowing section 1. On the other hand, a small-diameter first pipe 21a penetrated in a state parallel to the longitudinal axis is mounted on the measuring section 2. Further, a large-diameter second pipe 21b is formed in the measuring unit 2 so that the large-diameter second pipe 21b penetrates to a side surface of the measuring unit 2 from a state parallel to the longitudinal axis to a state in which the measuring unit 2 is bent vertically in the middle. When the blowing unit 1 is attached to the measuring unit 2, the first hole 2
0a and the first pipe are located on the same straight line and communicate with each other. Also, the second hole 20b and the second pipe 21
The joint side portion b is also located on the same straight line.

Further, a pressure sensor 23 is disposed on the opening side of the second pipe 21b (on the side of the contact surface with the blowing section 1) via a stem 22. Pressure sensor 23 of this stem 22
A through hole 22a smaller than the pressure sensor 23 is formed at the position where is disposed, and is connected to a pressure receiving surface (diaphragm) of the pressure sensor 23 via the through hole 22a. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, since the through hole 22a communicates with the second pipe 21b, one pressure receiving surface of the pressure sensor 23 is opened to the atmosphere via the through hole 22a and the second pipe 21b. As a result, the atmospheric pressure as the reference pressure is applied to one of the pressure receiving surfaces. The other pressure receiving surface of the pressure sensor 23 communicates with the blow port 1a via the first hole 20c.

Therefore, the pressure sensor 23 is connected to the second hole 20
air (breath) blown into the air inlet 1a through the b
And at the same time, touches the outside air through the second pipe 21b and the through hole 22a. Therefore, the pressure sensor 23 can measure the pressure difference between the air pressure inside the air inlet 1a and the outside air pressure. In addition, it is preferable to use, for example, a capacitance type or piezo type semiconductor sensor as the pressure sensor 23 because it can be measured accurately with small size.

The structure in which the stem 22 is attached to the measuring section 2 is, as shown in FIG. 6, provided with two pins 24 on the back surface of the stem 22 on which the pressure sensor 23 is mounted.
The pin 24 is inserted into an insertion hole 2c formed in the joint surface of the measuring section 2 to make an electrical / mechanical connection. The end of the pin 24 on the stem 22 side is electrically connected to the electrode of the pressure sensor 23 via the bonding wire 23a. Therefore, when the pin 24 is inserted into the insertion hole 2c, the electrode of the pressure sensor 23 transmits the detection signal to the calculation unit in the measurement unit 2 (not shown) via the bonding wire 23a, the pin 24, and the insertion hole 2c. It is possible.

Further, when the blowing section 1 and the measuring section 2 are integrated, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, a first O-ring 26 and a second O-ring 27 are arranged on both sides of the stem 22, respectively. The pressure sensor 23 attached to the airtightness is closed by closing a gap generated between the blowing unit 1 and the measuring unit 2.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, by arranging the third O-ring 28 around the opening of the first pipe 21a, the first hole 20a formed in the blowing section 1
The first pipe 21a formed in the measuring section 2 ensures airtightness between the blowing section 1 and the measuring section 2.

In the above-described spirometry apparatus, the pressure inside the air inlet 1a rises when the measurer blows into the blowing section 1 so that the pressure sensor 23
To measure the pressure difference between the pressure inside the air inlet 1a and the outside air pressure. The measurement result (pressure) at this time is sent to a calculation unit (not shown) provided in the measurement unit 2, and the flow rate is calculated by integrating the pressure difference with time, and the vital capacity is calculated from the flow rate. Although a specific circuit configuration is omitted, it basically has a configuration in which a pressure sensor is attached in place of the flow sensor 6 in FIG. 4 of the first embodiment, and the specific function of the calculation unit is provided. It can be realized by changing.

The breath that has been blown into the first hole 20a
Is exhausted to the outside through the first pipe 21a. Therefore, there is no need for a space for holding the breath that is blown, and the spirometry device can be reduced in size.

FIG. 8 shows the relationship between flow rate and time measured using the spirometer according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, when the measurer starts breathing, the flow rate sharply increases. Then, the increasing tendency of the flow rate gradually becomes gentle, reaches a maximum when a predetermined time has elapsed, and thereafter the flow rate gradually decreases. When a threshold value A (a predetermined value whose flow rate is close to 0) is set for convenience, the flow rate becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value A immediately after the start of breathing, and thereafter, the flow rate becomes lower than the threshold value A. And the flow rate becomes 0 in a short time.

The spirometry apparatus according to the present embodiment has a structure for detecting the end of the spirometry measurement operation from the relationship between the flow rate and the time and notifying the end of the work. FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method for notifying the end of the spirometry measurement operation of the spirometry device. The time for the integration processing in the calculation unit is during the time when the measurer is breathing,
The threshold value A of the flow rate was set as described above, and the time during which the threshold value A was exceeded, that is, the time from time t to u, was taken as the measurement time.

As shown in the figure, the power is turned on, and the breath blown by the measurer is measured (ST1).
When the measurement is started, the flow rate of the breath is increased.

Then, it is determined whether or not the flow rate is larger than the threshold value A (see FIG. 8) (ST2). When it is determined that the flow rate is equal to or less than the threshold value A, the flow rate is in an increased state and the flow rate does not exceed the threshold value A.
Further, the determination in ST2 is performed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the flow rate is larger than the threshold value A, the process of integrating values based on the measured flow rate is started (ST3). Then, the integration process is performed until the flow rate becomes smaller than the threshold value A (ST4). If it is determined that the flow rate is smaller than the threshold value A, it is just before the end of the work of the spirometry, so that the end of the work of the spirometry is notified to the outside by turning on a lamp and outputting an alarm (ST5). . Then, the measured vital capacity is displayed on the electronic display panel to notify the measurer's vital capacity (ST6).

It should be noted that the end of the integration may be performed immediately when the value becomes smaller than the threshold value A, or may be stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed. The start of the integration may be performed based on the pressing of the start button or the like, and only the end determination may be performed in the above-described flowchart. In that case, the process of step 3 is eliminated.

FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment of the spirometry apparatus according to the present invention. The spirometry device of the present embodiment is similar to the spirometry device of the first embodiment except for the mounting structure of the flow rate sensor disposed in the pipe, and thus is mounted in the pipe in the present embodiment. The description will focus on the mounting structure of the flow sensor. FIG. 10 shows the structure of the pipe in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, a first flow sensor 30 and a second flow sensor 31 are arranged in the pipe 2a along the axial direction of the pipe 2a. A resistance heating element 32 is arranged between the first flow sensor 30 and the second flow sensor 31.

First flow sensor 30, second flow sensor 31
Are the first current detection circuit 33 and the second current detection circuit 3, respectively.
4, and the first current detection circuit 33 and the second current detection circuit 34 are connected to a power supply 35. Then, the output of the first current detection circuit 33 and the second current detection circuit 34 can detect a change in resistance due to a change in temperature around the flow sensors 30 and 31.

The resistance heating element 32 is connected to the power supply 35, the resistance heating element 32 is in a heated state, and the air around the resistance heating element 32 is in a heated state. Then, the heated air around the resistance heating element 32 moves in accordance with the flow of the air in the pipe 2a, and the temperature of the surrounding air increases in the flow sensor on the moved side (leeward). Less heat absorption and smaller resistance change. Therefore, the direction of air movement can be detected by detecting a change in resistance of the flow sensor.

When the moving direction of the air flows from the exhaust port side, a correct flow rate cannot be measured. Therefore, by detecting the difference in temperature change of the flow rate sensor, the case where the moving direction of the air is flowing from the exhaust port side is detected, a malfunction is notified to the outside, and the operation of the spirometry device is stopped. The measurement of the vital capacity is performed based on the output of the first flow sensor 30 on the upstream side.

[0048]

As described above, in the spirometry device according to the present invention, the flow rate of the inspired breath is measured using the flow rate sensor and the pressure sensor, and the flow rate and the cross-sectional area in the pipe through which the inspired breath flows are measured. Because the lung capacity is calculated from, without passing the breath that was blown, by passing through the pipe,
Spiral capacity can be measured. Therefore, there is no need to provide a space for holding breath, such as a movable tank in a conventional spirometry apparatus. Therefore, the size of the device can be reduced.

Further, since the blowing section and the measuring section are separable, removing the blowing section makes it easy to clean the blowing section which is the most dirty. Further, even when a plurality of measurers measure the vital capacity, each measurer can perform the vital capacity measurement in a clean state by replacing only the blowing part.

By arranging the resistance heating element in the pipe and arranging the flow rate sensors before and after the resistance heating element, the direction of the air flowing in the pipe can be detected. Malfunction of the spirometry device due to intrusion can be detected. Therefore, erroneous measurement of spirometry can be prevented by notifying the malfunction to the outside and prompting the suspension of spirometry measurement, or by directly stopping the operation of the spirometry device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining a first embodiment of a spirometry device according to the present invention. (B) is a figure which shows the attachment position of the flow sensor in the spirometry device which concerns on this invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a mounting structure of a flow sensor in the first embodiment of the spirometry device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a check valve of the spirometer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for measuring a flow rate.

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a second embodiment of the spirometry device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a mounting structure of a pressure sensor in a second embodiment of the spirometry device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method of attaching a stem for attaching a pressure sensor in a second embodiment of the spirometry device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a relationship between a flow rate of breath inhaled by a measurer and time in the spirometry apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram for notifying the end of spirometry measurement of the spirometry device according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a third embodiment of the spirometry device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a Air inlet 2a Pipe 6 Flow sensor 21a First pipe 21b Second pipe 23 Pressure sensor 30 First flow sensor 31 Second flow sensor 32 Resistance heating element

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A pipe for exhausting a breath blown through an air inlet provided in an apparatus main body to an outside of the apparatus main body, a flow sensor installed in the pipe, and an output of the flow sensor. And a calculating unit for calculating the vital capacity, and an output unit for outputting data based on the vital capacity obtained by the calculating unit. 2. A pipe for exhausting the breath blown through a blow port provided in the apparatus body to the outside of the apparatus body, and a pipe provided at a position different from the pipe and blown through the blow port. A pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the exhaled breath; a calculation unit for calculating the vital capacity based on the output of the pressure sensor; and an output unit for outputting data based on the vital capacity obtained by the calculation unit. A spirometry device characterized by the following. 3. The spirometry apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pipe is provided with a backflow prevention means. 4. The apparatus main body is separable into a part including the blow-in port and a part including the arithmetic unit and the output unit, and the flow rate sensor or the pressure sensor is interposed on the separation surface. The spirometry device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: 5. A heating element is installed in the pipe, a first flow sensor is installed on the blow port side of the heating element, and a second flow sensor is installed on an exhaust port side of the heating element. The first and second flow sensors each include a flow sensor, and determine whether or not there is a backflow based on the output of the first and second flow sensors. Claim 1
The spirometry device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.