KR20230158446A - Kernel type body temperature measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

A kernel-type body temperature measuring device is disclosed. The canal-type body temperature measuring device according to this embodiment has a protrusion formed, a housing in which a speaker module is built, an insertion part detachably coupled to the protrusion and inserted into the outer ear, built into the housing, and a concha. It can be provided including a temperature measurement module that measures the temperature of the housing, a flexible circuit board that is built into the housing, and is provided with a coupling portion that is coupled to the coupling portion and is bent and extended from the coupling portion and is provided with a first mounting portion on which the temperature measurement module is mounted. there is.

Description

Kernel type body temperature measuring device {KERNEL TYPE BODY TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a canal-type body temperature measuring device, and more specifically, to a canal-type body temperature measuring device that can measure the temperature of the concha in the auricle to measure the body temperature of the human body.

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 measuring device that can measure body temperature on a regular basis and obtain a measurement value close to core temperature.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0019124 (published on February 23, 2018)

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a canal-type body temperature measuring device that can measure the temperature of the concha in the ear canal to measure the body temperature.

Another problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to provide a canal-type body temperature measuring device that provides reliable results for measuring the temperature of Concha.

The canal-type body temperature measuring device of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a housing in which a protrusion is formed and a speaker module is built in; an insertion portion detachably coupled to the protrusion and inserted into the outer ear; A temperature measurement module built into the housing and measuring the temperature of the concha; and a flexible printed circuit board built into the housing and provided with a coupling portion and a first mounting portion bent and extended from the coupling portion and on which a temperature measurement module is mounted, wherein the coupling portion and the first mounting portion are connected to each other. The acute angle formed can be between 5 and 25 degrees.

It may further include a support part disposed between the coupling part and the first mounting part.

It may further include a reinforcement pad disposed between the support part and the first mounting part.

The flexible printed circuit board further includes a first extension part whose one side is connected to and extends from the coupling part and a second extension part whose one side is connected and extended to the other side of the first extension part and the other side of which is connected to the first mounting part. can do.

The temperature measurement module may have a wide field of view (Fov) capable of measuring the surface temperature of the concha.

The outermost end of the wide area FOV may be spaced apart from the outermost end of the insertion portion by a certain distance.

The temperature measurement module includes a temperature sensor that measures the surface temperature of the concha, a body portion surrounding at least a portion of the outer portion of the temperature sensor, a diameter portion coupled to the upper end of the body portion, and a diameter portion formed in the diameter portion. It may be provided as a lens unit coupled to the opening.

The diameter portion may be provided as a disk-shaped large diameter portion coupled to the upper end of the body portion and a small diameter portion coupled to the upper surface of the large diameter portion and having a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion and to which the lens portion is coupled.

The small diameter portion may be inserted into a through hole of the housing, and the large diameter portion may be waterproofed and coupled to the inner peripheral surface of the housing.

Data regarding a mapping table for correcting the measured temperature of the concha to core body temperature is stored, and a control unit for correcting the measured temperature of the concha to core body temperature according to the mapping table.

The control unit may additionally correct data on the core body temperature corrected according to the type of the insertion part coupled to the protrusion.

The canal-type body temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention can measure the temperature of the concha in the auricle to measure the body temperature of the human body.

Additionally, the canal-type body temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide reliable results for measuring the temperature of Concha.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a human ear to explain a canal-type body temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a canal-type body temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the insertion portion of the canal-type body temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention is separated from the housing.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a flexible circuit board and a support part are combined according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram showing a flexible circuit board and a support portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a flexible circuit board according to an 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 .

Hereinafter, the canal-type body temperature measuring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached FIGS. 1 to 6.

The present invention can measure the temperature of the concha (10) to measure a person's body temperature. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the human ear. A typical thermometer has a sensor inserted inside the outer ear to measure the temperature of the eardrum. The reason for measuring the temperature of the eardrum is that the temperature of the eardrum is measured similarly to core body temperature. In contrast, in the present invention, the measurement target is the concha 10, not the eardrum, and the temperature measurement module 170 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 more difference with core body temperature than the eardrum. However, this difference can be corrected to a temperature similar to core body temperature by the controller correcting the measured temperature of the concha 10, which will be described later.

The canal-type body temperature measuring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 120, an insertion portion 130, a temperature measurement module 170, and a flexible circuit board 160.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the housing 120 may be formed with a protrusion 125. The protrusion 125 extends outward from one side of the housing 120, and the insertion part 130 can be detachably coupled to the protrusion 125.

The housing 120 may have a printed circuit board (not shown) and a speaker module built into it. A printed circuit board (PCB) built into the housing 120 may be directly or indirectly connected to the flexible circuit board 160, the speaker module, the temperature measurement module 170, and the control unit (not shown).

The housing 120 can protect various components built into the internal space of the housing 120 from external impacts and foreign substances by separating the external and internal spaces of the housing 120.

The speaker module built into the housing 120 can transmit sound through the hole 125a formed in the protrusion 125. Looking specifically, the canal-type body temperature measuring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an insertion portion 130 coupled to the protrusion 125 that can be inserted into the inside of the outer ear, and a speaker inside the housing 120. The module can transmit sound toward the eardrum located inside the outer ear. Through this, the canal-type body temperature measuring device 100 of the present invention measures the body temperature of the concha 10 and, in addition, can simultaneously perform an earphone function.

The insertion unit 130 may be inserted into the outer ear and fixed inside the outer ear. The insertion portion 130 may be made of elastically deformable rubber or synthetic resin material to prevent excessive stimulation from being applied to the person when inserted into the outer ear. The insertion portion 130 is detachably coupled to the protrusion 125, and thus the insertion portion 130 can be easily replaced when the insertion portion 130 is worn or damaged due to long-term use.

The temperature measurement module 170 may be built into the housing 120. The temperature measurement module 170 can measure the temperature of the concha 10 (Concha). The temperature measurement module 170 may be mounted on the first mounting portion 164 of the flexible circuit board 160.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the temperature measurement module 170 may be provided with a temperature sensor 171, a body portion 172, a diameter portion 173, and a lens portion 174. The temperature sensor 171 may be provided as a non-contact temperature sensor, and more specifically, may be provided as a non-contact infrared temperature sensor (IR array thermometer), but is not limited thereto. The temperature sensor 171 can measure the surface temperature of the concha 10 when the canal-type body temperature measuring device 100 of the present invention is worn on a person's ear.

The lower end of the body portion 172 is mounted on the first mounting portion 164 and may be arranged to surround at least a portion of the outer portion of the temperature sensor 171. As shown, the body portion 172 may be provided as a pair of panels, but is not limited thereto.

The diameter portion 173 may be coupled to the upper end of the body portion 172. The lens portion 174 may be coupled to the opening formed in the diameter portion. Meanwhile, by appropriately adjusting the distance between the temperature sensor 171 and the lens unit 174 and the thickness of the lens unit 174, the wide-area FoV (F, Field of view) of the temperature sensor 171 is adjusted to the insertion part ( 130) can be adjusted so as not to interfere with it.

The lens unit 174 may have a predetermined thickness. The lens unit 174 allows infrared rays emitted from the concha 10 to pass through, but can prevent other moisture or foreign substances from entering the temperature sensor 171.

Referring to FIG. 4, the diameter portion 173 is provided with a disk-shaped large diameter portion 173a coupled to the upper end of the body portion 172 and a small diameter portion 173b coupled to the upper surface of the large diameter portion 173a. You can. The small diameter portion 173b has a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 173a, and an opening through which the lens portion 174 is coupled may be formed.

Meanwhile, a through opening may be formed inside the large diameter portion 173a so that infrared rays emitted from the concha 10 can pass through. The opening of the small diameter portion 173b may have a larger diameter than the through opening of the large diameter portion 173a. In addition, the diameter of the lens unit 174 is formed to be larger than the through opening of the large diameter part 173a, so that the outer ends of the lower part of the lens unit 174 are on the upper surface of the large diameter part 173a. It can be settled.

The small diameter portion 173b may be inserted into the through hole 121 formed in the housing 120. For this purpose, it is desirable that the diameter of the small diameter portion 173b be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the through hole 121.

The large diameter portion 173a may be provided larger than the diameter of the through hole 121. Accordingly, the large diameter portion 173a is not inserted into the through hole 121. The large diameter portion 173a may be waterproofed and coupled to the inner peripheral surface of the housing 120. To this end, a portion of the upper surface of the large diameter portion 173a and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 120 facing this portion may be bonded to each other through epoxy (E). Meanwhile, the method of coupling the large diameter portion 173a and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 120 is not limited to this, and it is obvious that the large diameter portion 173a can be coupled to each other using various coupling means.

The area between the large diameter portion 173a and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 120 is waterproofed, so that even if moisture or foreign substances enter the small gap between the through hole 121 and the small diameter portion 173b from the outside of the housing 120, they will not be able to enter the device. Introduction can be prevented.

Referring to FIG. 2, the temperature measurement module 170 has a wide field of view (Fov) through which the temperature sensor 171 of the temperature measurement module 170 can measure the surface temperature of the concha 10. You can. On the other hand, if the wide Fov(F) area measured by the temperature sensor 171 interferes with the insertion part 130, a part of the area of the concha 10 that requires measurement will be covered by the insertion part 130. will be. In this case, a sufficient amount of infrared rays may not be secured to measure the temperature of the concha 10. In order to prevent this, the present invention adjusts the wide Fov area by appropriately adjusting the separation distance between the temperature sensor 171 and the lens unit 174 and the thickness of the lens unit 174, thereby adjusting the wide Fov (F) area and Adjust so that interference does not occur between the insertion parts 130.

Referring to FIG. 2, the outermost end of the wide area Fov(F) is spaced a certain distance away from the outermost end of the insertion unit 130 to prevent interference between the wide area Fov(F) and the insertion unit 130. do. Looking more specifically, the part with the closest distance to the insertion part 130 among the outermost ends of the wide area Fov(F) and the closest distance to the wide area Fov(F) among the outermost ends of the insertion part 130 If the branch parts are spaced a certain distance apart, interference between them can be prevented. Figure 2 shows a state in which the wide-area Fov(F) is sensed so that the outermost end of the wide-area Fov(F) and the outermost end of the insertion portion 130 are slightly spaced apart.

A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 160 may be built into the housing 120. The flexible circuit board 160 includes a coupling part 161, a first extension part 162, a second extension part 163, a first mounting part 164, a third extension part 165, and a second mounting part ( 166) may be included. Meanwhile, the flexible circuit board 160, support 180, and temperature measurement module 170 shown in FIG. 5 may be built into the housing 120 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The coupling portion 161 may be coupled to a printed circuit board. The coupling portion 161 is connected to the printed circuit board, so that power is supplied from a battery module (not shown) connected to the printed circuit board, and the temperature measurement module (not shown) is supplied through a power line (not shown) provided along the flexible circuit board 160. 170), power can be supplied to the data transmission/reception module. Meanwhile, the power supplied through the battery charging module (not shown) is supplied to the printed circuit board through the flexible printed circuit board 160 and the coupling portion 161 of the flexible printed circuit board 160, and the battery module connected to the printed circuit board (not shown) can be supplied to charge a battery module (not shown). Meanwhile, the coupling portion 161 may be connected to the printed circuit board through a separate connection socket (not shown) as shown, but is not limited to this.

Referring to FIG. 5 , one side of the first extension portion 162 may be connected to the coupling portion 161 and the other side may be connected to the second extension portion 163 . The first extension portion 162 may extend along the printed circuit board. One side of the second extension part 163 may be connected to one side of the first extension part 162, and the other side may be connected to the first mounting part 164. The second extension portion 163 may extend from a portion connected to the first extension portion 162 in a direction away from the printed circuit board.

The first mounting part 164 is bent and extended from the coupling part 161, and the temperature measurement module 170 can be mounted. Looking more specifically, the first mounting part 164 may be connected to the coupling part 161 through the first extension part 162 and the second extension part 163.

One side of the first mounting part 164 may be connected to the other side of the second extension part 163, and the other side may be connected to the third extension part 165. The first mounting unit 164 may have the temperature measurement module 170 mounted thereon. At this time, the temperature detection sensor 171 is installed according to the positional relationship or structure between the temperature measurement module 170 that measures the temperature of the concha 10 and its temperature detection sensor 171 and the insertion part 130 inserted toward the outer ear. Fov(F) of can be interfered with.

To prevent this, the vertical axis of the infrared Fov(F) measured by the temperature measurement module 170 may be arranged to have a certain angle with the insertion portion 130. For this purpose, in the present invention, the first mounting portion 164 may be arranged to be inclined with respect to the coupling portion 161. That is, the first mounting part 164 is arranged to be inclined with respect to the coupling part 161, so that the vertical axis of the Fov(F) area of the temperature sensor 171 mounted on the first mounting part 164 is inserted. It can be made to have a certain angle with the vertical axis of the part 130.

Referring to FIG. 5, the virtual line L1 extending in the plane direction of the coupling portion 161 and the virtual line L3 extending in the plane direction of the first extension portion 162 have a parallel positional relationship. It corresponds to the line that has Accordingly, the acute angle θ formed between the imaginary line L3 of the first extension portion 162 and the imaginary line L2 extending in the plane direction of the first mounting portion 164 is the coupling portion 161. ) is the same as the acute angle formed between the imaginary line L1 and the imaginary line L2 of the first mounting unit 164.

Looking more specifically, the acute angle formed between the coupling portion 161 and the first mounting portion 164 may be 5 to 25 degrees.

The support part 180 may be disposed between the coupling part 161 and the first mounting part 164. The support portion 180 is disposed between the coupling portion 161 and the first mounting portion 164 to prevent the coupling portion 161 and the first mounting portion 164 from directly colliding due to external impact. there is. Looking more specifically, the support portion 180 may be located between the coupling portion 161 and the first mounting portion 161 as shown in FIG. 5 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the support part 180 has a lower end supported by the first extension part 162, and an upper end may support the first mounting part 164.

The reinforcement pad 110 may be disposed between the support part 180 and the first mounting part 164. The reinforcement pad 110 has a panel shape and may have a predetermined thickness. The reinforcement pad 110 supports the first mounting portion 164, thereby preventing the first mounting portion 164 from being easily deformed by external impact. Since deformation of the first mounting part 164 is prevented, the temperature measurement module 170 mounted on the first mounting part 164 can be stably maintained. Although not shown, this embodiment may be equipped with a data transmission/reception module (not shown). The data transmission/reception module can be built into the housing and connected to various user devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and computers through a wireless network. By this, the data transmission/reception module can transmit information and signals input from the user device to the control unit, and can transmit information and signals input from the control unit to the user device.

The canal-type body temperature measuring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a control unit (not shown). The control unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a non-volatile memory (not shown) configured to store data regarding an algorithm configured to control the operation of various components or software instructions for reproducing the algorithm, and data stored in the memory. It may be implemented through a processor (not shown) configured to perform the operations described below using . Here, the memory and processor may be implemented as individual chips. Alternatively, the memory and processor may be implemented as a single chip integrated with each other. A processor may take the form of one or more processors.

인 경우, 실험적인 데이터를 통해 측정된 심부온도가 36.3

로 측정될 수 있고, 측정되는 콘차(10)의 온도에 대해 매칭되는 심부온도에 관한 데이터가 제어부에 저장될 수 있다. 매핑테이블에 관한 데이터의 또 다른 예로서, 실험적인 데이터를 통해 도출된 특정한 공식에 따라 측정되는 콘차(10)의 온도를 일괄적으로 특정한 공식을 통해 산출된 심부온도에 관한 데이터로 마련될 수도 있다.The control unit may store data regarding a mapping table for correcting the measured temperature of the concha 10 to core body temperature. In general, the body temperature measured through the concha 10 is different from the core temperature or 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. Data regarding the mapping table is used for this correction and can be stored in the control unit. The control unit stores the temperature measured through the concha 10 and the temperature after correction, which is mapped. This mapping table can be derived through experimental data and stored in the control unit in advance. For example, if the temperature measured through concha (10) is 30.4

In this case, the core temperature measured through experimental data is 36.3

It can be measured, and data on the core temperature matching the temperature of the concha 10 being measured can be stored in the control unit. As another example of data related to the mapping table, the temperature of the concha 10 measured according to a specific formula derived through experimental data may be collectively prepared as data regarding the core temperature calculated through a specific formula. .

That is, the control unit receives data about the temperature of the concha 10 measured from the temperature measurement module 170, and can correct the data to core body temperature through data about the mapping table.

The control unit may additionally correct data on the corrected core body temperature according to the type of the insertion part 130 coupled to the protrusion 125. The insertion part 130 has various sizes so that the user can use the insertion part 130 of the desired size. If an excessively large insertion portion 130 is used, the Fov(F) of the insertion portion 130 and the temperature sensor 171 may interfere with each other. Accordingly, the control unit receives information about the type of the insertion part 130 mounted on the protrusion 125 from the user device through the data transmission and reception module, and makes corrections according to the type of the insertion part 130. Additional correction of core body temperature can be performed. As an example, when an insertion unit 130 of a type larger than the standard type is inserted and information about this is input to the control unit, the control unit may determine that interference occurs between the insertion unit 130 and Fov(F). there is. In this case, the area of the concha 10 that requires temperature measurement is not sufficiently secured, so the measured temperature of the concha 10 may be measured to be smaller than the actual temperature of the concha 10. In this case, since the corrected core body temperature is lower than the actual core body temperature, the controller can additionally correct the data regarding the corrected core body temperature to raise the core body temperature to a certain extent.

The data on core body temperature corrected and calculated in this way is provided to the user device through the data transmission/reception module, so that the user can determine the data on core body temperature.

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 body temperature measuring device 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.

100: Canal type body temperature measuring device 120: Housing
130: Insertion part 140: Printed circuit board
160: Flexible circuit board 170: Temperature measurement module
180: support part

Claims (9)

A housing in which a protrusion is formed and a speaker module is built into it;
an insertion portion detachably coupled to the protrusion and inserted into the outer ear;
A temperature measurement module built into the housing and measuring the temperature of the concha; and
A flexible circuit board is built into the housing and includes a coupling portion and a first mounting portion that is bent and extended from the coupling portion and on which a temperature measurement module is mounted,
The coupling portion and the first mounting portion,
The acute angle formed between them is 5 to 25 degrees,
Data on a mapping table for correcting the measured temperature of the concha to core body temperature is stored, and a control unit for correcting the measured temperature of the concha to core body temperature according to the mapping table;
The control unit,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device that additionally corrects data on the core body temperature corrected according to the type of the insertion portion coupled to the protrusion. According to claim 1,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device further comprising a support portion disposed between the coupling portion and the first mounting portion. According to clause 2,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device further comprising a reinforcing pad disposed between the support portion and the first mounting portion. According to claim 1,
The flexible circuit board is,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device further comprising a first extension part, one side of which is connected to and extends from the coupling part, and a second extension part, one side of which is connected and extended to the other side of the first extension part, and the other side of which is connected to the first mounting part. According to claim 1,
The temperature measurement module is,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device having a wide field of view (Fov) that can measure the surface temperature of the concha. According to clause 5,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device in which the outermost end of the wide area FOV is spaced a certain distance from the outermost end of the insertion portion. According to claim 1,
The temperature measurement module is,
A temperature sensor that measures the surface temperature of the concha, a body portion surrounding at least a portion of the outer portion of the temperature sensor, a diameter portion coupled to the upper end of the body portion, and a lens portion coupled to an opening formed in the diameter portion. A canal-type body temperature measuring device is provided. According to clause 7,
The diameter part is,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device comprising a disk-shaped large diameter portion coupled to the upper end of the body portion and a small diameter portion coupled to the upper surface of the large diameter portion and having a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion and to which the lens portion is coupled. According to clause 8,
The small diameter part,
It is inserted into the through hole of the housing,
The large diameter part,
A canal-type body temperature measuring device that is waterproofed and combined with the inner peripheral surface of the housing.

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