KR102640527B1 - Canal type concha body temperature measurement system - Google Patents

Abstract

An insertion part that is inserted into the outer ear. A temperature measuring unit that measures the body temperature of the concha, a mapping table storage unit that stores a mapping table for correcting the measured body temperature of the concha to core body temperature, and a mapping table storage unit that corrects the measured body temperature of the concha according to the mapping table. It is a kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system that includes a correction unit.

Description

Canal type concha body temperature measurement system}

The present invention relates to a canal-type concha body temperature measurement system. More specifically, the concha in the ear canal is measured to measure the body temperature, and the temperature measured by a certain correction method is adjusted to be similar to the core temperature. This relates to a calibrating kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system.

Commonly used thermometers have a sensor inserted into the outer ear to measure the temperature of the eardrum, or measure temperature by non-contact sensing the forehead, wrist, etc. There are various ways to measure the body temperature, but there is a problem in that the measured value varies depending on the measurement method. This is not only a fundamental problem caused by differences in the core temperature of the measurement target, but also a problem of not obtaining accurate measurement values due to the influence of the external environment.

Additionally, conventional thermometers can only measure body temperature at a specific time through a specific posture or position. Therefore, detection of body temperature that changes over time is limited.

Therefore, there is a need for a body temperature measurement system that can measure body temperature on a regular basis and obtain measurements close to core temperature.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 2018-0019124 (Title of invention: Thermometer, Publication date: 2018.02.23)

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system that can measure the temperature of the concha and correct the measured temperature to be similar to the core temperature.

Another problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to provide a canal-type concha body temperature measurement system that can measure body temperature at all times.

The canal-type concha body temperature measuring system of the present invention to solve the above problems includes an insertion part inserted into the outer ear, a temperature measuring part for measuring the body temperature of the concha, and a mapping table for correcting the measured body temperature of the concha to the core body temperature. It is a kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system including a mapping table storage unit for storing and a correction unit for correcting the measured body temperature of the concha according to the mapping table.

The canal-type concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a distance measuring unit that measures the distance to the concha, and the correction unit measures the measured temperature based on the distance to the concha measured by the distance measuring unit. It may be a kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system that corrects the body temperature of the concha.

The kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system that further includes a distance information storage unit that stores information about the distance between normal and abnormal wear and temperature correction information according to the distance.

In the canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance measuring unit may be a canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system that is a PPG (photoplethysmogram) sensor.

The canal-type concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a canal-type concha body temperature measurement system in which the correction unit corrects the measured body temperature of the concha based on the body temperature measured by the temperature of the eardrum, oral cavity, anus, or axilla. there is.

In the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the correction unit measures the body temperature of the concha based on the body temperature of the forehead, temporal artery, or ear measured under stable conditions in which the internal temperature of the temperature measuring unit does not change. It may be a kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system that corrects.

The canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system in which the insertion part further includes a speaker member for transmitting sound.

The canal-type concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention can measure the temperature of the concha and correct the measured temperature to be similar to the core temperature.

In addition, the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention can measure body temperature at all times and continuously measure changes in body temperature over time.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the human ear to explain the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration connected to a kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system and a kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system through a network.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing that the temperature measuring unit of the present invention has a constant FoV (Field of View) when measuring the temperature of the concha.
Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for correcting the temperature measured through the concha to be similar to the core temperature according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method for correcting the temperature measured through Concha to be similar to the core temperature according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In explaining the present invention, if it is determined that adding a detailed description of a technology or configuration already known in the relevant field may obscure the gist of the present invention, some of it will be omitted from the detailed description. Additionally, the terms used in this specification are terms used to appropriately express the embodiments of the present invention, and may vary depending on the people or customs involved in the field. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the content throughout this specification.

The terminology used herein is only intended to refer to specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, singular forms include plural forms unless phrases clearly indicate the contrary. As used in the specification, the meaning of 'comprising' is to specify a specific characteristic, area, integer, step, operation, element and/or component, and to specify another specific property, area, integer, step, operation, element, component and/or group. It does not exclude the existence or addition of .

In this specification, the network communication method is not limited, and connections between each component may not be connected through the same network method. The network may include not only a communication method utilizing a communication network (for example, a mobile communication network, wired Internet, wireless Internet, broadcasting network, satellite network, etc.), but also short-range wireless communication between devices. For example, a network can include objects and any communication method through which objects can be networked, and is not limited to wired communication, wireless communication, 3G, 4G, 5G, or other methods. For example, wired and/or networks include Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), Global System for Mobile Network (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hollow (Wi-Fi HaLow), VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), LTE Advanced, IEEE802.16m, WirelessMAN-Advanced, HSPA+, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e), UMB (formerly EV-DO) Rev. C), Flash-OFDM, iBurst and MBWA (IEEE 802.20) systems, HIPERMAN, Beam-Division Multiple Access (BDMA), Wi-MAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), and one selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic-assisted communications. It may refer to a communication network based on the above communication method, but is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached FIGS. 1 to 6.

The present invention relates to a canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system (200) that can sense the temperature of a concha (10) to measure a person's body temperature and obtain measurement results close to core body temperature through a certain correction method. Figure 1 is a plan view showing the human ear. A typical thermometer has a sensor inserted into the outer ear to measure the temperature of the eardrum. The reason for measuring the eardrum is because the eardrum has a temperature similar to the core temperature. In contrast, in the present invention, the measurement object is also Concha (10), not the eardrum, and the sensor is not inserted into the external ear. The concha 10 surrounds a portion of the entrance to the external auditory canal 20 and refers to a recessed portion surrounded by the right circumference, right bead, and ear bead in the auricle 30. The concha (10) is divided into an upper putamen gap and a lower putamen space by the bridge around the ear. In general, the concha (10) shows a greater difference in core temperature than the eardrum. However, this difference can be corrected to a temperature similar to the core temperature by the correction method described later.

Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system 200 and the connection between the kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system 200 and the network 1. In FIG. 2, the network 1 is expressed as a single network, but the networks 1 connecting each component may be multiple networks 1 using different communication protocols.

The core temperature measuring unit 100 measures the core temperature of the human body, that is, the temperature of the center. The core temperature measuring unit 100 can measure the temperature of the eardrum, oral cavity, anus, or axilla (armpit). The core temperature measurement unit 100 is equipped with a communication means and can transmit the measured core temperature to the canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system 200 or the user terminal 300 through the network 1.

The user terminal 300 receives the measured value measured by the kernel-type Concha body temperature measurement system 200 or the core temperature measurement unit 100 and outputs the measured value to the user through the display member. The user terminal 300 can control the canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system 200 and the core temperature measurement unit 100 through a specific application. The user terminal 300 may include, but is not limited to, a smartphone, mobile phone, laptop, tablet PC, PC, workstation, etc.

Referring to Figure 3, the kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 includes an insertion unit 220, a temperature measurement unit 210, a mapping table storage unit 230, a correction unit 240, and a distance measurement unit 250. do. The kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 can measure the temperature of the concha 10 and correct the measured results using a certain correction method to produce results similar to the core temperature. Hereinafter, each configuration of the kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 will be described in detail.

First, the insertion portion 220 is inserted into the outer ear and functions to secure the canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system 200. The surface of the insertion portion 220 may be formed of a member with high friction so that it can be inserted into the outer ear.

The insertion unit 220 may include a speaker member capable of transmitting voice. The speaker member can transmit sound toward the eardrum located inside the outer ear. Through this, the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 of the present invention can simultaneously perform temperature measurement and earphone functions.

The temperature measuring unit 210 measures the temperature of the concha 10. The temperature measuring unit 210 can measure the temperature of the concha 10 through infrared rays. Referring to FIG. 4, the temperature measuring unit 210 has a constant Field of View (FoV) when measuring the temperature of the concha 10. As shown in Figure 4, FoV can be understood as a region similar to the shape of a truncated cone. At this time, the FoV may be interfered with by the insertion unit 220 depending on the positional relationship or structure between the temperature measuring unit 210 that measures the concha 10 and the insertion unit 220 inserted in the direction of the external auditory canal 20. . To this end, the vertical axis through which the temperature measuring unit 210 emits infrared rays may be formed to have a certain angle with the insertion unit 220. Figure 4 shows that FoV is not interfered with due to the constant positional relationship between the insertion unit 220 and the temperature measuring unit 210.

The mapping table storage unit 230 stores a mapping table that can correct the temperature measured by the concha 10. In general, the body temperature measured through the concha 10 is different from the core temperature, which is the temperature of the center of the human body. This is because the concha 10 is far from the center of the human body and is exposed to the outside, so it is greatly affected by external temperature. Therefore, it is necessary to correct the temperature measured through the concha 10 according to certain rules. The mapping table storage unit 230 stores a mapping table for such correction. The mapping table stores the temperature (t1) measured through the concha 10 and the temperature after correction (t2) that is mapped. This mapping table can be derived through experimental data. That is, t1 and t2 can be obtained by measuring the temperature of a certain area (for example, the temperature of the eardrum) and the temperature of the concha 10 in the same environment at the same time, and stored in a corresponding mapping table. For example, if t1 is 30.4°C, t2 may be 36.3°C, and in this case, t1 may be corrected to t2.

The distance measuring unit 250 measures the distance to the concha 10. When a user wears the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 of the present invention, a difference occurs in the distance between the concha 10 and the distance measuring unit 250 when worn normally or abnormally. The distance measuring unit 250 may include a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor to measure the distance. Since the method of measuring distance using a PPG sensor is a known technology, detailed description thereof will be omitted in this specification.

The correction unit 240 corrects the temperature measured through the concha 10 to be similar to the core temperature. The correction unit 240 can correct the temperature measured through the concha 10 through the mapping table described above.

Additionally, the correction unit 240 may perform correction based on the core temperature measured by the core temperature measurement unit 100. That is, the temperature measured through the concha 10 and the temperature measured by the core temperature measurement unit 100 can be compared to each other, and correction can be performed for the difference.

In addition, the correction unit 240 can correct the temperature measured through the concha 10 according to the state in which the user is wearing the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 of the present invention. As described above, the distance measuring unit 250 measures the distance to the concha 10 according to the wearing state. The correction unit 240 can distinguish between cases where the concha 10 is not worn normally and cases where the concha 10 is worn normally through this distance. Additionally, it is possible to determine how much to correct through the distance to the concha 10.

For example, if the distance from the concha (10) is 0 to 1 mm, the wearing condition is defined as 'normal wear', if the distance to the concha (10) is 1 to 2 mm, 'somewhat loose', and if the distance to the concha (10) is 2 to 3 mm, 'loose', etc. are defined according to the distance. Thus, the corresponding correction value can be applied. If the distance is measured at 1.5 mm and is 'somewhat loose', it can be corrected to replace the 36.3°C measured through the concha (10) with the corrected temperature of 36.9°C. Here, t3 may be not only the temperature measured through the concha 10 but also the temperature corrected through the mapping table. Therefore, correction can be performed firstly according to the mapping table and secondarily according to the distance to the concha 10.

In the above example, the 'somewhat loose' state where the distance from the concha 10 is large compared to the 'normally worn' state has been described as an example, but the opposite case is also possible. That is, compared to the 'normal wear' state, there may be a 'too tight fit' state in which the distance to the concha 10 is small. In this case, it can be corrected to replace 36.3°C (t3) measured through the concha 10 with the corrected temperature of 36.1°C (t5).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, each step of the method of correcting the temperature measured through the concha 10 to be similar to the core temperature according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. A method of correcting the temperature measured through the concha 10 to be similar to the core temperature according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of the distance measuring unit 250 measuring the distance to the concha 10 (S100), temperature measurement The unit 210 measures the temperature of the concha 10 (S110), the correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the mapping table (S120), and the correction unit 240 It includes a step of correcting the temperature of the concha 10 based on the measured distance (S130) and a step of providing the corrected body temperature to the user terminal 300 (S140).

Each of the above-described steps can be performed regardless of the listed order, except when they must be performed in the listed order due to a special causal relationship. However, hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the description will be made assuming that each of the above-described steps is performed in the listed order.

First, the distance measuring unit 250 measures the distance to the concha 10 (S100). As described above, when a user wears the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 of the present invention, the distance between the concha 10 and the distance measuring unit 250 may vary depending on the wearing condition. The distance measuring unit 250 measures this distance to determine whether the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 is worn normally.

The temperature measuring unit 210 measures the temperature of the concha 10 (S110). Since the measured temperature was measured for the concha 10, correction is required.

The correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the mapping table (S120). As described above, correction is performed with a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the concha 10 measured using the mapping table stored in the mapping table storage unit 230.

The correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the measured distance (S130). If the distance between the concha 10 and the distance measuring unit 250 is different from when worn normally, the temperature of the concha 10 can be corrected based on the measured distance. At this time, the correction value according to the distance can be obtained experimentally and stored in the correction unit 240.

After correction is completed, the corrected body temperature is provided to the user terminal 300 (S140). Through this method, the user can constantly check body temperature information and obtain a temperature similar to core temperature as a measurement even when the device is not worn normally.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, each step of the method of correcting the temperature measured through the concha 10 to be similar to the core temperature according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In a method of correcting the temperature measured through the concha 10 to be similar to the core temperature according to another embodiment of the present invention, the core temperature measurement unit 100 measures the body temperature of the eardrum, oral cavity, anus, or axilla more than twice. A measuring step (S200), a step of transmitting the measured body temperature to the kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 (S210), a step of storing the received body temperature as a reference body temperature (S220), the temperature measuring unit 210 is configured to measure the body temperature of the concha (S210). A step of measuring the temperature of 10 (S230), a step of the correction unit 240 correcting the temperature of the concha 10 based on the mapping table (S240), and the correction unit 240 calculating the temperature of the concha 10 based on the reference body temperature. It includes a step of correcting the temperature of 10) (S250) and a step of providing the corrected body temperature to the user terminal 300 (S260).

Each of the above-described steps can be performed regardless of the listed order, except when they must be performed in the listed order due to a special causal relationship. However, hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the description will be made assuming that each of the above-described steps is performed in the listed order.

First, the core temperature measurement unit 100 measures the temperature of the eardrum, oral cavity, anus, or axilla more than twice (S200). Since each person's basal body temperature is different, in order to obtain a more accurate core temperature, it is necessary to know the user's core temperature in advance. And generally, the parts that have a temperature most similar to the core temperature of the human body are the eardrum, oral cavity, anus, and axilla. Therefore, the core temperature measuring unit 100 can measure the temperature most similar to the core temperature of the human body by measuring the temperature of the stomach area. At this time, the reason for measuring more than twice is to accurately measure core temperature.

The core temperature measurement unit 100 transmits the measured body temperature to the kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 or the user terminal 300 (S210). The kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 stores the received body temperature as a reference body temperature (S220).

The temperature measuring unit 210 measures the temperature of the concha 10 (S230). Since the measured temperature was measured for the concha 10, correction is required.

The correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the mapping table (S240). As described above, correction is performed with a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the concha 10 measured using the mapping table stored in the mapping table storage unit 230.

The correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the reference body temperature (S250). Even if the temperature measured by the mapping table is corrected, there may be a difference from the core temperature. For this purpose, it is possible to correct the temperature similar to the core temperature through pre-measured temperatures of the anus, eardrum, etc. For example, when the temperature (t5) of the concha 10 is measured to be 30.4°C, the temperature (t2) corrected by the mapping table may be 36.3°C. However, when the core temperature of the user is measured to be 36.9°C by the core temperature measuring unit 100, correction by 0.6°C may be performed.

After correction is completed, the corrected body temperature is provided to the user terminal 300 (S260). Through this method, the user can constantly check body temperature information and obtain a temperature similar to core temperature as a measured value.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, each step of the method of correcting the temperature measured through the concha 10 to be similar to the core temperature according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. A method of correcting the temperature measured through the concha 10 to be similar to the core temperature according to another embodiment of the present invention is a stable condition in which the internal temperature of the temperature measuring unit 210 does not change. A step of outputting guidelines for measuring body temperature (S300), a step of measuring the body temperature of the forehead, temporal artery, or ear where the temperature measuring unit 210 is spaced at a certain distance (S310), and stabilizing the measured body temperature. A step of storing the conditional body temperature (S320), a step of the temperature measurement unit 210 measuring the temperature of the concha 10 (S330), and the correction unit 240 correcting the temperature of the concha 10 based on the mapping table. A step (S340), where the correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the stable condition body temperature (S350), and a step of providing the corrected body temperature to the user terminal 300 (S360). do.

Each of the above-described steps can be performed regardless of the listed order, except when they must be performed in the listed order due to a special causal relationship. However, hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the description will be made assuming that each of the above-described steps is performed in the listed order.

First, the user terminal 300 outputs a guideline for measuring body temperature under stable conditions in which the internal temperature of the temperature measuring unit 210 does not change (S300). The temperature measuring unit 210 may include a device that measures temperature using infrared rays radiated from the measurement object. This infrared temperature measuring device may include a lens, an aperture, a filter, an infrared sensor, etc., and the measured temperature may vary depending on changes in the internal or external environment. In other words, the measured temperature may change depending on changes in the temperature of the temperature measuring unit 210 itself or the outside. Since these changes may affect the accuracy of the body temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 210, correction is necessary. At this time, in order to perform correction, the body temperature measured under stable conditions in which the internal temperature of the temperature measuring unit 210 does not change is required. To this end, the user terminal 300 outputs guidelines on the measurement method to the user so that the user can measure the body temperature under stable conditions according to the measurement method. Figure 8 shows the user terminal 300 outputting guidelines through a display means so that the user can measure body temperature under stable conditions.

Next, the temperature measuring unit 210 measures the body temperature of the forehead, temporal artery, or ear spaced at a certain distance (S310). The user can measure the body temperature under stable conditions based on the guidelines presented in the user terminal 300. At this time, the body temperature can be measured at the center of the forehead, temporal artery, or inside the ear at a certain distance.

The kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system 200 stores the body temperature measured in this way as the stable condition body temperature (S320).

The temperature measuring unit 210 measures the temperature of the concha 10 (S330). Since the measured temperature was measured for the concha 10, correction is required.

The correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the mapping table (S340). As described above, correction is performed with a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the concha 10 measured using the mapping table stored in the mapping table storage unit 230.

The correction unit 240 corrects the temperature of the concha 10 based on the stable condition body temperature (S350). Even if the temperature measured by the mapping table is corrected, the temperature measurement unit 210 may be affected by changes in the internal or external environment. For this purpose, it is possible to correct the measured body temperature based on the body temperature under stable conditions.

After correction is completed, the corrected body temperature is provided to the user terminal 300 (S360). Through this method, the user can constantly check body temperature information, overcome errors that may be generated by the temperature measurement unit 210 itself, and obtain a temperature similar to the core temperature as a measured value.

The technical features disclosed in each embodiment of the present invention are not limited to the corresponding embodiment, and unless they are incompatible with each other, the technical features disclosed in each embodiment may be combined and applied to other embodiments.

Above, embodiments of the canal-type concha body temperature measurement system of the present invention have been described. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and variations will be possible from the perspective of those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined not only by the claims of this specification but also by equivalents to these claims.

1: Network
10: Concha
20: External auditory canal
30: Auricle
100: Core temperature measurement unit
200: Canal type concha body temperature measurement system
210: Temperature measurement unit
220: Insertion part
230: Mapping table storage unit
240: Correction unit
250: Distance measuring unit
260: FOV
300: User terminal

Claims (7)

An insertion portion inserted into the outer ear;
A temperature measuring unit that measures the body temperature of Concha;
a mapping table storage unit that stores a mapping table for correcting the measured body temperature of the concha to core body temperature; and
Comprising a correction unit that corrects the measured body temperature of the concha according to the mapping table,
The temperature measuring unit is a canal-type concha body temperature measurement system in which a vertical axis emitting infrared rays is formed at a certain angle with the insertion unit so that the Field of View (FoV) of the temperature measuring unit is not interfered with by the insertion unit. According to claim 1,
It further includes a distance measuring unit that measures the distance to the concha,
A canal-type concha body temperature measurement system in which the correction unit corrects the measured body temperature of the concha based on the distance to the concha measured by the distance measuring unit. According to clause 2,
A kernel-type concha body temperature measurement system further comprising a distance information storage unit that stores information about normal wear and abnormal wear distances and temperature correction information according to the distance. According to clause 2,
The distance measuring unit is a canal-type Concha body temperature measurement system that is a PPG (photoplethysmogram) sensor. According to claim 1,
The correction unit is a canal-type concha body temperature measurement system that corrects the measured body temperature of the concha based on the body temperature measured by the temperature of the eardrum, oral cavity, anus, or axilla. According to claim 1,
The correction unit is a canal-type concha body temperature measurement system that corrects the measured body temperature of the concha based on the body temperature of the forehead, temporal artery, or ear measured under stable conditions in which the internal temperature of the temperature measurement unit does not change. According to claim 1,
The insertion part is a canal-type concha body temperature measurement system that further includes a speaker member for transmitting sound.