JP2005168884A - Respiration examination device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a respiration examination device capable of lowering restrictions on a patient and examining a respiratory state in the state where the influence of body movement is reduced. <P>SOLUTION: The respiration examination device 1 comprises a mounting part 11 for mounting it inside an ear, a detection part 3 having a sensor 2 for detecting biological signals corresponding to respiration, and a measuring means 4 for measuring the respiratory state on the basis of the biological signals detected by the detection part 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a respiratory examination apparatus that examines a respiratory state of a subject during sleep.

  At present, various respiratory inspection apparatuses for inspecting the respiratory state of a subject have been provided and are attracting attention as effective means for inspecting the progress of respiratory failure, sleep apnea, and the like. Also, this type of respiratory examination apparatus acquires various biological information of the subject and examines the respiratory state based on the biological information. For example, there are known devices that measure the temperature, humidity, and air pressure of breath when breathing, the amount and concentration of carbon dioxide contained when breathing, or the breathing sound. Further, as one of such respiratory examination apparatuses, a biological information measurement apparatus that can inspect a respiratory state during sleep is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

The biological information measuring device includes an oxygen saturation finger sensor that is attached to a fingertip and measures oxygen saturation, pulse rate, etc., a nasal breath temperature detection unit that detects breathing in the nose or mouth and detects a change in respiratory air temperature, and It is equipped with a flow sensor with a temperature sensor for breathing, a microphone that is attached to the throat to detect tracheal sounds and snoring sounds, etc. Based on these detection results, the oxygen saturation average value, pulse rate average value, unit Analyzes the number of apneas per hour.
Therefore, according to the biological information measuring device, the number of apneas during sleep can be easily grasped, and is an effective means for examining the progress of sleep apnea.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-312669 (paragraph numbers 0018-0049, FIG. 1-10)

  However, in the biological information measuring apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the temperature sensor for nasal breathing is located at the nostril entrance, and the flow sensor is attached to the nose with an adhesive tape or the like so that the temperature sensing part for breathing is located at the center of the mouth. It is necessary to install it under. Therefore, the subject's restraint was high. In addition, there is a problem that it may be removed depending on a turnover or the like, and it is easily affected by body movements and surrounding environment.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and its purpose is to check the respiratory state in a state where the restraint given to the subject is low and the influence of body movement is reduced. A respiratory examination device is provided.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting unit for mounting in an ear, a detection unit having a sensor for detecting a biological signal corresponding to respiration, and a respiration based on the biological signal detected by the detection unit. There is provided a respiratory examination device comprising a measuring means for measuring a state.

  In the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention, a detection unit detects a change in a biological signal corresponding to respiration in the ear, for example, a change in air pressure or air vibration, and the measuring means is covered based on the biological signal detected by the detection unit. Measure the examiner's respiratory condition. As described above, the respiratory state can be easily inspected simply by mounting the detection unit in the ear during sleep. In particular, instead of wearing around the mouth and nose as in the past, it is possible to check the breathing state by wearing a detection unit in the ear, so that the sense of restraint can be reduced and the possibility of being removed by turning over etc. Is reduced. In addition, unlike the conventional measurement of breathing temperature etc., the detector is mounted in the ear, so that it is surely in a breathing state in a state that is not easily affected by the surrounding environment, for example, ambient temperature or body movement. Can be detected.

The invention according to claim 2 provides the respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a vibration sensor that detects vibration in the ear.
In the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention, the detection unit can detect air vibration in the ear corresponding to respiration, for example, vibration in a frequency band of 0 KHz to 50 KHz, by the vibration sensor.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the respiratory examination apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the sensor is an air pressure sensor for detecting an air pressure in the ear.
In the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention, the detection unit can detect the air pressure in the ear corresponding to respiration by the air pressure sensor.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the respiratory examination device according to the first aspect, wherein the sensor is a sound sensor that detects an in-ear sound.
In the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention, the detection unit can detect air vibrations in the ear corresponding to respiration, for example, vibrations in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 KHz, using the sound sensor.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the respiratory examination apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the sensor is a composite sensor that detects a plurality of different biological signals.
In the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention, the detection unit can detect a plurality of biological signals such as in-ear sound and air pressure corresponding to respiration by the composite sensor. Therefore, a more accurate examination of the respiratory state can be performed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the respiratory examination apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the detection unit includes an acceleration sensor that detects a body movement, and the measurement unit is configured by the acceleration sensor. Provided is a respiratory examination device that corrects a respiratory state based on a detected value detected.
In the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention, the body movement during sleep of the subject can be detected by the acceleration sensor, and the respiratory state can be corrected based on the detected body movement. It can be carried out.

  According to the respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention, the respiratory state can be easily inspected simply by mounting the detection unit in the ear during sleep. At this time, since the breathing state can be inspected by mounting the detection unit in the ear, the sense of restraint can be reduced and the possibility of being removed by turning over or the like is reduced. In addition, the respiratory state can be reliably detected in a state that is hardly affected by the surrounding environment, for example, ambient temperature and body movement.

An embodiment of a respiratory examination apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, the respiratory examination apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes an insertion part (mounting part) 11, a detection part 3, and a main body part 5. The respiratory examination device 1 is mounted in the ear of the subject A via the insertion unit 11. The detection unit 3 includes a vibration sensor unit (vibration sensor) 2 that detects a biological signal corresponding to respiration. The main body 5 has a signal analysis circuit (measuring means) 4 that measures the respiratory state based on the biological signal detected by the detection unit 3.
In the present embodiment, air vibration corresponding to respiration in the ear of the subject A will be described as the biological signal.

The vibration sensor unit 3 is formed in a box shape by the housing 10, and an insertion portion 11 that can be inserted into the ear canal is provided on one end surface of the housing 10. That is, the vibration sensor unit 3 can be mounted in the ear of the subject A by inserting the insertion unit 11 into the ear canal. The insertion portion 11 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber so as to seal the ear canal when inserted into the ear canal, and has an opening 11a at the tip. Further, the housing 10 is made of a material that blocks sound from the outside and does not transmit sound to the inside of the housing 10.
A receiving unit 12 that receives air vibrations in the ear is provided inside the housing 10. For example, the receiving means 12 is configured by attaching a crystal 14 to a thin film 13 provided inside the housing 10. The crystal 14 has a function of sending an electric signal (waveform) according to the vibration state of the thin film 13 to the main body 5 when the thin film 13 is vibrated by air vibration in the ear. Thereby, the vibration sensor unit 3 can detect the air vibration in the ear.

The receiving means 12 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, it is more preferable to configure as shown in FIG. That is, the intermediate wall 15 having a plurality of minute openings 15 a is provided on the insertion portion 11 side inside the housing 10, and the inclined wall portion 16 that forms a V-shaped space with the intermediate wall 15. Is provided. A plurality of the openings 15 a are formed in the inclined wall portion 16 in the same manner as the intermediate wall 15. In the space surrounded by the intermediate wall 15 and the inclined wall portion 16, a diaphragm 17 formed in a V shape with a metal material such as aluminum is disposed. An acoustic resistor 18 is disposed inside the intermediate wall 15 and the inclined wall portion 16 so as to cover the opening 15a. A ceramic element 20 connected to the diaphragm 17 via a rod 19 is attached to the inside of the housing 10. The ceramic element 20 is, for example, a piezoelectric element such as zircon-lead titanate-based ferrite (PZT) and has a structure called a bimorph so as to generate an electric charge against bending stress.
By doing so, the receiving means 12 more accurately captures the vibration change of the low-impedance air, the vibration plate 17 vibrates, and the ceramic element 20 sends an electric signal corresponding to the vibration to the main body 5. ing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 5 is formed in a box shape by a housing 25, and can be attached to the arm of the subject A by a belt or the like, for example. Moreover, you may comprise so that it can mount | wear on a wrist like a wristwatch. The main body 5 is electrically connected to the vibration sensor 2.
Further, the main body 5 includes a signal detection circuit 26, a signal analysis circuit 4, and a memory 27 in the housing 25. The signal analysis circuit 26 detects the electrical signal sent from the receiving means 12. The signal analysis circuit 4 measures the respiratory state based on the electrical signal sent from the signal detection circuit 26. The memory 27 records the respiratory state detected by the signal analysis circuit 4. Further, a display 28 for displaying each information recorded in the memory 27 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 25.

As shown in FIG. 3, the signal detection circuit 26 includes an amplifying unit 26a and a low-pass filter 26b. The amplifying unit 26a amplifies the electronic signal sent from the receiving means 12.
The low-pass filter 26b, for example, deletes an electrical signal due to the heart rate, and an unnecessary signal generated by the heartbeat of the subject A included in the electrical signal from the electrical signal amplified by the amplifying unit 26a. Remove. That is, the signal detection circuit 26 and the vibration sensor unit 3 constitute the detection unit 3.
The signal analysis circuit 4 analyzes the signal sent from the signal detection circuit 26 to determine whether the respiratory state is normal or abnormal. For example, as compared with a preset threshold value or the like, if the signal level is equal to or higher than the threshold value, it is determined that the respiratory state is not normal, for example, an apnea state. When the signal analysis circuit 4 determines that the breathing state is not normal, it sends the breathing information to the memory 27 to that effect.

The memory 27 has a built-in timer function, and can record the respiratory state information sent from the signal analysis circuit 4 according to the time. The display 28 is a liquid crystal monitor, LED, etc. Thus, each information recorded in the memory 27 can be arbitrarily displayed by a switch (not shown). In the present embodiment, the display device 28 has an integral configuration provided on the outer surface of the housing 25, but is not limited thereto, and may be provided separately.

The case where the respiratory state of the subject A is detected by the respiratory examination device 1 configured as described above will be described below.
First, the vibration sensor unit 2 and the main body unit 5 are mounted at predetermined positions. After wearing, the subject A goes to sleep by turning on a power switch (not shown) of the main body 5. On the other hand, the vibration sensor unit 2 mounted in the ear detects air vibration in the ear corresponding to the breathing of the subject A, for example, air vibration in a frequency band of 0 KHz to 20 KHz. That is, every time the subject A breathes, changes in sound and pressure are transmitted through bones, ear canals, and the like, and the air in the ear canal vibrates. This air vibration enters the housing 10 through the opening 11 a of the insertion portion 11 and is received by the receiving means 12. Further, when detecting the air vibration, the receiving means 12 sends an electric signal corresponding to the vibration state, for example, an electric signal having a waveform as shown in FIG. At this time, the electrical signal sent to the signal detection circuit 26 includes, in addition to the electrical signal generated by respiration, an electrical signal generated by a heartbeat or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the signal detection circuit 26 amplifies the transmitted electric signal by the amplifying unit 26a. After that, the low-pass filter 26b cuts off the above-described factors other than respiration, that is, the electrical signal generated by the heartbeat or the like. Thereby, the signal detection circuit 26 can obtain an electrical signal corresponding to respiration as shown in FIG. Then, the signal detection circuit 26 sends the detected electrical signal to the signal analysis circuit 4.
The signal analysis circuit 4 compares the signal level of the transmitted electric signal with a preset threshold value or the like. As a result of the comparison, if it is below the threshold value, it is determined that the respiratory state is normal. If it is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it is determined that the respiratory condition is abnormal, for example, the subject A is in an apneic condition, and the memory 27 is informed accordingly.
The memory 27 records the sent breathing state information together with the time by the timer function as needed.

The respiratory examination apparatus 1 repeats the above until the main unit 5 is turned off, and examines the respiratory state of the subject A during sleep.
After getting up, the subject A operates the switch of the display 28 to change each information recorded in the memory 27, for example, what change in breathing state (apnea state) The number of respiratory abnormalities that occurred in the evening can be easily confirmed.

According to the respiratory examination apparatus 1 described above, the vibration sensor unit 2 can detect a change in air vibration corresponding to respiration in the ear, and the signal analysis circuit 4 can detect the subject A based on the biological signal corresponding to the air vibration. Measure the respiratory status of the child. Thus, the respiratory state can be easily inspected simply by mounting the vibration sensor unit 2 in the ear. In particular, since the breathing state can be inspected by mounting the vibration sensor unit 2 in the ear, it is possible to reduce the sense of restraint of the subject A and also reduce the possibility of coming off due to turning over. In addition, the respiratory state can be reliably detected in a state that is hardly affected by ambient temperature and body movement.
Furthermore, since the signal detection circuit 26 removes an unnecessary signal caused by a heartbeat or the like by the low-pass filter 26b, accurate respiration information can be obtained.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the air vibration in the ear (for example, the frequency of 0 KHz to 20 KHz band) is the biological signal, but the biological signal is not limited to the air vibration. For example, the air pressure in the ear corresponding to respiration may be used as the biological signal. In this case, an air pressure sensor that detects air pressure instead of the vibration sensor unit may be mounted in the ear. Moreover, the sound in the ear corresponding to respiration may be used as a biological signal. In this case, a sound sensor that detects sound instead of the vibration sensor unit may be mounted in the ear. In particular, the sound sensor is suitable for detecting vibrations in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 KHz. Furthermore, the biological information may be a combination of the above-described information, that is, air pressure or air vibration corresponding to respiration. In this case, a composite sensor that can detect a plurality of these different pieces of information may be employed.

  Moreover, you may attach the acceleration sensor which detects a body movement to a vibration sensor part. In this case, it is preferable that the acceleration sensor is directly attached to the inside of the housing so as not to affect the receiving means. And it is good to comprise so that the body movement information of the subject A in sleep detected by the acceleration sensor may be sent to the signal detection circuit, and the signal after the low-pass filter may be further corrected to eliminate the influence of the body movement. By comprising in this way, the test | inspection of the subject's A respiratory state can be performed more correctly.

  Moreover, it is more preferable that the vibration sensor unit is mounted not only in the ear on one side of the subject A but also in both ears. By doing so, for example, even if the subject A turns to a horizontal posture during sleep, for example, the average value of the biological signals measured by both ears can be taken and is not easily affected by the posture. Therefore, the accuracy of the examination of the respiratory state is improved.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows one Example of the respiratory examination apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the vibration sensor part of the respiratory examination apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the signal detection circuit of the respiration test apparatus shown in FIG. It is the wave form diagram which showed an example of the electrical signal which a vibration sensor part sends to a signal detection circuit. It is a wave form diagram showing an example of an electric signal after passing through a low pass filter.

Explanation of symbols

1 Respiratory Inspection Device 2 Vibration Sensor (Vibration Sensor)
3 detector 4 signal analysis circuit (measuring means)
11 Insertion part (mounting part)

Claims (6)

A mounting part for mounting in the ear;
A detection unit having a sensor for detecting a biological signal corresponding to respiration;
A respiratory examination apparatus comprising: a measuring unit that measures a respiratory state based on the biological signal detected by the detection unit. The respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1,
The respiratory test apparatus, wherein the sensor is a vibration sensor that detects vibration in an ear. The respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1,
The respiratory test apparatus, wherein the sensor is an air pressure sensor that detects an air pressure in an ear. The respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1,
A respiratory examination apparatus, wherein the sensor is a sound sensor that detects sound in an ear. The respiratory examination apparatus according to claim 1,
The respiratory test apparatus, wherein the sensor is a composite sensor that detects a plurality of different biological signals. The respiratory examination apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The detection unit includes an acceleration sensor for detecting body movement,
The respiratory examination apparatus, wherein the measuring unit corrects a respiratory state based on a detection value detected by the acceleration sensor.

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