Tonsillar cleaning device

Abstract

To facilitate cleaning of stains on tonsils.SOLUTION: The extension pipe 4 of the tonsil washing tool 1 extends from a grip part 2 gripped by a user as a base end to a free end, and the washing nozzle 5 is provided at the free end part of the extension pipe 4 and can be brought into contact with the tonsil to be washed. The water supply pump 9 supplies a liquid to the cleaning nozzle 5, and the discharge port 6 provided in the cleaning nozzle 5 can discharge the liquid supplied from the water supply pump 9 toward the tonsil deformed by contact with the cleaning nozzle 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tonsillar cleanser. [Background technology]

[0002] Tonsils can become unsanitary due to the generation and accumulation of dirt, known as pus and tonsil plugs, and tonsil cleaners have been provided as sanitary tools for cleaning the dirt that has adhered to and accumulated on the tonsils. Tonsils, in particular, have pockets formed in areas that overlap with surrounding areas, such as the palatoglossal arch and palatopharyngeal arch, and countless depressions called crypts. Because the insides of these areas are not exposed to the oral cavity, they are more susceptible to the accumulation of dirt and become unsanitary than other areas. Therefore, tonsil cleaners are required to efficiently clean the insides of these areas.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a tonsillar fossa extractor that has a pressing part that is provided at the free end of an operating rod and has a gently curved, drop-shaped contour with multiple perforations formed therein.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a tonsillar washer / remover that removes accumulated tonsillar plugs by delivering a liquid filled in a container body through a water delivery pipe and a water delivery tube, and delivering the liquid to the tonsillar fossa via a water-passing handle pipe and a cleaning nozzle.In view of the risk that conventionally known suction devices may directly touch the tonsillar fossa and damage the tonsils, the tonsillar washer / remover of Patent Document 2 cleans the tonsillar fossa by delivering the liquid without the water-passing handle pipe or cleaning nozzle directly touching the tonsillar fossa. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-172840 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-20031 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The tonsillar fossa pus extractor described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is difficult to push out dirt that has gotten inside the above-mentioned part just by pressing with the pressing part. Also, the tonsillar plug washing and removal device described in Patent Document 2 has a problem in that it is difficult to remove dirt that has gotten inside the above-mentioned part just by supplying liquid without the washing nozzle directly touching the tonsillar fossa. As a result, the devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a problem in that they cannot sufficiently wash dirt from the tonsils.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to make it easier to clean tonsils. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the tonsil cleanser according to the present invention comprises a gripping portion that is held by the user, an extension portion that extends from the gripping portion to its free end, a tonsil contact portion that is provided at the free end of the extension portion and is capable of contacting the tonsils to be cleaned, a liquid supply portion that supplies liquid to the tonsil contact portion, and a liquid release portion that is provided at the tonsil contact portion and is capable of releasing the liquid supplied from the liquid supply portion towards the tonsils that have been deformed by contact with the tonsil contact portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a user can hold the gripping portion, bring the tonsil contact portion into contact with the tonsils, deform the tonsils, and then release liquid from the liquid release portion to clean the tonsils. As a result, the tonsil cleanser according to the present invention is easier to clean than tonsil cleansers that do not deform the tonsils by contacting them, or tonsil cleansers that cannot clean deformed tonsils by releasing liquid. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a tonsillar washer according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a right side view of a tonsillar washer according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view of a tonsillar washer according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a line graph showing the experimental results of Experimental Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. [Figure 5] Overall explanatory diagram of a tonsillar washer according to a modified example DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A tonsillar washer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals. To facilitate understanding of the configuration of the present invention, the X direction of the arrows shown in the drawings will be referred to as "front" or "front," the -X direction as "rear" or "back," the Y direction as "left," the -Y direction as "right," the Z direction as "up," and the -Z direction as "down."

[0012] (Regarding the tonsillar washer 1 according to the embodiment) The tonsil cleanser 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a device that releases a liquid toward and cleans the pus, tonsils, and other dirt that adheres to and accumulates on the tonsils, which are exposed when the mouth is opened. Here, "tonsils" in the present invention include the palatine tonsils and their surrounding areas. That is, "tonsils" in the present invention are not limited to the palatine tonsils in the strict sense, but also include surrounding areas such as the lingual tonsils, pharyngeal tonsils, Eustachian tube tonsils, palatoglossal arches, and palatopharyngeal arches.

[0013] 1, the tonsil washer 1 includes a grip 2 that is gripped by a user as an example of a washer body, a liquid container 3 that is connected to the lower end of the grip 2 and is capable of containing liquid, and an extension pipe 4 that is an example of an extension that extends upward from the center of the upper end of the grip 2. The tonsil washer 1 also includes a cleaning nozzle 5 that is an example of a tonsil contact portion formed at the upper end of the extension pipe 4, and a discharge port 6 that is provided at the tip of the cleaning nozzle 5 and is an example of a liquid discharge portion that is capable of discharging liquid.

[0014] An illumination light output unit 7 that outputs illumination light upward is provided at the upper end of the grip portion 2 at a position spaced forward from the extension pipe 4, and a water suction tube 8 that extends downward to the lower end of the liquid storage container 3 is provided at the lower end of the grip portion 2. Also provided inside the grip portion 2 are a water supply pump 9 as an example of a liquid supply unit that sucks up liquid stored in the liquid storage container 3 through the water suction tube 8 and supplies it to the extension pipe 4 and the space inside the cleaning nozzle 5, and a power supply unit 10 that supplies power to the illumination light output unit 7 and the water supply pump 9. Also provided at the center of the front end of the grip portion 2 is an operation button 11 that is operated by the user to turn on and off the supply of power from the power supply unit 10 to the illumination light output unit 7 and the water supply pump 9.

[0015] In this embodiment, when the user presses the operation button 11 once while the power supply from the power supply unit 10 is off, the tonsillar washer 1 turns on the power supply from the power supply unit 10 and starts outputting from the illumination light output unit 7 and the water supply pump 9. When the user presses the operation button 11 once more in this state, the tonsillar washer 1 turns on the output intensity of the water supply pump 9, and the liquid supply power increases. Furthermore, when the user presses the operation button 11 once more in this state, the tonsillar washer 1 changes the output pattern of the water supply pump 9 and the liquid supply becomes intermittent. Then, when the user presses the operation button 11 once more in this state, the power supply from the power supply unit 10 to the tonsillar washer 1 turns off again, and the output of the illumination light output unit 7 and the water supply pump 9 stops.

[0016] The liquid container 3 is, for example, a transparent cup-shaped container that can hold tap water as an example of a liquid. The liquid container 3 has an upper end serving as an opening that is detachably connected to the lower end of the grip part 2 by a detachment mechanism (not shown).

[0017] The extension pipe 4 is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape, as shown by the solid and dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2, and the liquid supplied by the water supply pump 9 passes through the internal space shown by the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 and reaches the internal space of the cleaning nozzle 5.

[0018] The cleaning nozzle 5 is made of silicone rubber, which is an example of a flexible material. As shown by the solid and dotted lines in Fig. 2, the cleaning nozzle 5 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a lower portion extending upward and an upper portion curving forward and extending upward, and liquid that reaches the extension pipe 4 passes through the internal space shown by the dotted line in Fig. 2 and is discharged from the discharge port 6. In this embodiment, the upper portion of the cleaning nozzle 5 is curved forward, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 3, so that the nozzle tip portion 12, which serves as the upper end portion, is positioned above the illumination light output unit 7.

[0019] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 3, the nozzle tip 12 is formed in a flat, approximately circular plate shape extending in the left-right direction, and as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 3, the discharge port 6 is provided in the left-right center of the tip of the arc-shaped nozzle tip 12. As shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, the inside of the cleaning nozzle 5 is formed with a lower downstream flow path 13, an upper upstream flow path 14, and a connecting flow path 15 connecting the flow paths 13, 14 at their midpoints. In this embodiment, the connecting flow path 15 is formed in a constricted shape with an inner diameter smaller than that of the flow paths 13, 14.

[0020] As described above, in the tonsil washer 1 according to this embodiment, the extension pipe 4 extends from the grip part 2 held by the user as a base end to the free end, and the cleaning nozzle 5 is provided at the free end of the extension pipe 4 so that it can come into contact with the tonsils to be cleaned while the user is holding the grip part 2. The water supply pump 9 supplies the liquid contained in the liquid storage container 3 to the cleaning nozzle 5 via the water intake tube 8 and the extension pipe 4, and the discharge port 6 provided in the cleaning nozzle 5 can discharge the liquid supplied from the water supply pump 9 towards the tonsils that have been deformed by contact with the cleaning nozzle 5.

[0021] In this way, the user can grasp the grip part 2 and bring the nozzle tip 12 of the cleaning nozzle 5 into contact with the tonsils, for example, by deforming the pockets and crypts described above, where dirt tends to accumulate, thereby exposing the dirt to the inside of the oral cavity, and then release liquid from the release port 6 to wash the dirt. As a result, the tonsil washer 1 according to this embodiment can wash dirt from the tonsils more easily than tonsil washers that do not deform the tonsils upon contact with them or tonsil washers that cannot wash dirt from deformed tonsils by releasing liquid.

[0022] The tonsils contain delicate mucosal tissue that has an immune system, and are more susceptible to injury than other parts of the oral cavity, such as the teeth, gums, and tongue.

[0023] In contrast to this, in the tonsillar washer 1 according to this embodiment, the tip of the nozzle tip portion 12 of the washer nozzle 5 that comes into contact with the tonsils is formed in an arc shape. By doing so, the tonsil washer 1 according to this embodiment is less likely to damage the tonsils than a tonsil washer whose tip end that comes into contact with the tonsils is not formed in an arc shape.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the tonsillar washer 1 of this embodiment, the washer nozzle 5 that comes into contact with the tonsils is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber. By doing so, the tonsil washer 1 according to this embodiment is less likely to damage the tonsils than a tonsil washer whose portion that comes into contact with the tonsils is not made of a flexible material.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the tonsillar washer 1 of this embodiment, an illumination light output unit 7 is provided facing upward at the upper end of the gripping part 2, and the nozzle tip 12 of the washer nozzle 5 is arranged above the illumination light output unit 7. In this way, the tonsil washer 1 according to this embodiment can more easily clean the dirt from the tonsils than a tonsil washer that does not output illumination light toward the part that comes into contact with the tonsils.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the tonsillar washer 1 of this embodiment, the operation button 11 not only turns on and off the output of the illumination light output unit 7 and the water supply pump 9 when pressed by the user, but also changes the output mode of the water supply pump 9. In this way, the tonsil cleanser 1 of this embodiment can change the flow rate and water pressure of the liquid discharged from the discharge port 6 of the nozzle tip 12, and can change the liquid discharge pattern, making it possible to change the manner in which the liquid is discharged while the tonsils are being cleansed.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the tonsillar washer 1 of this embodiment, a connecting flow path 15 having a small inner diameter is formed in the internal space of the washer nozzle 5 between the downstream flow path 13 and the upstream flow path 14 . In this way, the tonsil washer 1 according to this embodiment can set the upper limit of the flow rate and water pressure of the liquid discharged from the discharge port 6 of the nozzle tip 12 by adjusting the inner diameter of the connecting flow path 15, and by setting the upper limit appropriately, it is possible to make it less likely to damage the tonsils than a tonsil washer that cannot set an upper limit.

[0028] Here, the inventor conducted an experiment to determine whether or not the tonsil cleanser 1 according to this embodiment makes it easier to clean dirt from the tonsils by bringing the nozzle tip 12 into contact with the tonsils and deforming the nozzle tip 12.

[0029] [Experimental Example 1] In Experimental Example 1, three subjects used the tonsillar washer 1 to remove dirt that had accumulated on each subject's tonsils by contacting and deforming the nozzle tip 12 with the tonsils and releasing tap water from the outlet 6. All of the removed dirt was collected in a container, and then the solid tonsils were separated using a sieve. The weight of the wet tonsils remaining on the sieve was measured. Furthermore, in Experimental Example 1, the flow rates of the tap water released from the outlet 6 were set to 0.9 m / s, 3.6 m / s, 6.3 m / s, 9.0 m / s, and 11.7 m / s, and the above-mentioned tonsil removal and weight measurement were performed once per week. That is, in Experimental Example 1, the tonsil removal and weight measurement were performed once for each of the five different flow rates described above, a total of five times over a five-week period.

[0030] Here, a 90-mesh sieve, i.e., a 0.18 mm spacing, was used to separate the tonsil stones. The weight of the tonsil stones was measured to the nearest 0.001 g using an electronic balance. The flow rate of the tap water was measured based on the cross-sectional area of ​​the outlet 6 and the amount of tap water being discharged, assuming that the pressure at the outlet 6 was atmospheric pressure.

[0031] [Comparative Example 1] In Proportional Example 1, the same operation as in Experimental Example 1 was carried out for five weeks prior to Experimental Example 1, except that tap water was discharged from the discharge port 6 without contacting the nozzle tip 12 with the tonsils and without deforming the tonsils. That is, in Comparative Example 1, as in Experimental Example 1, the operation of removing tonsil stones and measuring their weight was carried out five times in total over a five-week period, once at each of the five different flow rates described above.

[0032] [Experimental Results] As a result of the experiment, as shown in Figure 4, in Experimental Example 1, the weight of the measured tonsil stones was 0.037 [g] when the flow rate of tap water discharged from the discharge port 6 was 0.9 [m / s], 0.061 [g] when it was 3.6 [m / s], 0.052 [g] when it was 6.3 [m / s], 0.063 [g] when it was 9.0 [m / s], and 0.061 [g] when it was 11.7 [m / s]. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the weight of the measured tonsil stones was unmeasurable (≒0.000 [g]) when the flow rate of tap water discharged from the discharge port 6 was 0.9 [m / s] because the tonsil stones could not be removed, 0.023 [g] when the flow rate was 3.6 [m / s], 0.029 [g] when the flow rate was 6.3 [m / s], 0.051 [g] when the flow rate was 9.0 [m / s], and 0.053 [g] when the flow rate was 11.7 [m / s]. Therefore, it can be seen that Experimental Example 1 was able to remove more tonsil stones than Comparative Example 1 at all flow rates.

[0033] As a result, it can be seen that the tonsil cleanser 1 according to this embodiment makes it easier to clean the dirt from the tonsils by bringing the nozzle tip 12 into contact with the tonsils and deforming the tonsils.

[0034] Furthermore, in Experimental Example 1, the weight of tonsil stones that could be removed was almost maximized at the second-lowest flow rate of 3.6 m / s. Meanwhile, in Comparative Example 1, the weight of tonsil stones that could be removed was maximized at the highest flow rate of 11.7 m / s. However, it was found that the weight of tonsil stones in Experimental Example 1 was lower than that at the second-lowest flow rate of 3.6 m / s, indicating a high possibility that tonsil stones were not sufficiently removed. In Experimental Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, all three subjects complained of pain at a flow rate of 11.7 m / s. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, it is highly likely that tonsil stones cannot be sufficiently removed at practical flow rates lower than 11.7 m / s, at which no subjects complained of pain. Therefore, in Experimental Example 1, tonsil stones can be sufficiently removed even at a relatively low flow rate of around 3.6 m / s, whereas in Comparative Example 1, tonsil stones may not be sufficiently removed even at an impractical high flow rate of around 11.7 m / s.

[0035] As a result, the tonsillar washer 1 according to this embodiment can reduce the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the discharge port 6 to approximately 3.6 m / s, and by reducing the flow rate of the liquid compared to tonsillar washer devices that discharge liquid from the discharge port without deforming the tonsils due to contact with the nozzle tip, it is possible to make it less likely to injure the tonsils.

[0036] (Example of change) In the above embodiment, the tonsillar washer 1 sets the value of the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the discharge port 6 depending on the output strength of the water supply pump 9, and sets the upper limit of the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the discharge port 6 depending on the inner diameter of the connecting flow path 15. However, the flow rate value and its upper limit may be set within the range of, for example, 0.9 [m / s] to 10.0 [m / s] based on the experimental results of Experimental Example 1 above.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the outlet 6 is provided in the center of the tip of the nozzle tip portion 12 in the left-right direction, but is not limited to this as long as it is possible to discharge liquid toward the tonsils, and the outlet 6 can be provided at any position on the nozzle tip portion 12. For example, the outlet 6 may be provided in the center of the nozzle tip portion 12.

[0038] In the above embodiment, one outlet 6 is provided at the tip of the nozzle tip 12, but this is not limited to this as long as it is possible to release liquid toward the tonsils, and two or more outlets may be provided at any position on the nozzle tip 12.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the liquid storage container 3 is connected below the grip portion 2, but this is not limiting. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the water supply tube 16 connected to the extension pipe 4 may be connected to a tap 18 of a water supply 17, thereby eliminating the liquid storage container 3 and the water supply pump 9. In this case, the water supply 17 and the water supply tube 16 may serve as the liquid supply unit.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the water supply pump 9, which is powered by power from the power supply unit 10, automatically supplies the liquid contained in the liquid container 3 to the nozzle tip 12, but this is not limiting. For example, the grip unit made of an elastic member and the liquid container may be used as a hand pump as an example of a liquid supply unit, and the user may squeeze the grip unit to push and supply the liquid contained in the liquid container to the nozzle tip 12. In this case, the water supply pump 9 can be omitted.

[0041] Although it is preferable to provide the illumination light output unit 7 so that the user can easily view the inside of the oral cavity when cleaning the tonsils, as in the above embodiment, the illumination light output unit 7 may be omitted. In this case, for example, if not only the illumination light output unit 7 but also the water supply pump 9 are omitted as described above, the power supply unit 10 and the operation button 11 can also be omitted.

[0042] As in the above embodiment, it is preferable to curve the upper part of the cleaning nozzle 5 forward so that the nozzle tip 12 comes into contact with the tonsils and the liquid is discharged from the discharge port 6 to make it easier to wash away dirt from the tonsils, but this is not limiting, and for example, the upper part of the extension pipe 4 may be curved forward without curving the cleaning nozzle 5. Also, for example, the extension pipe 4 and the cleaning nozzle 5 do not have to be curved as long as they are capable of washing away dirt from the tonsils.

[0043] As in the above embodiment, the tip of nozzle tip portion 12 is preferably arc-shaped to prevent injury to the tonsils, but the shape of the tip of nozzle tip portion 12 is not limited to this and may be any shape. For example, if cleaning nozzle 5 is made of silicone rubber that is easily elastically deformed, it is possible to prevent injury to the tonsils even if the tip of nozzle tip portion 12 has a pointed shape.

[0044] As in the above embodiment, the cleaning nozzle 5 is preferably made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber to prevent damage to the tonsils, but the material of the cleaning nozzle 5 is not limited to this and may be made of any material. For example, if the tip of the nozzle tip portion 12 is formed in an arc shape, it is possible to prevent damage to the tonsils even if the nozzle tip portion 12 is made of a rigid material such as plastic.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the illumination light output unit 7 is provided at the upper end of the grip part 2 so as to output illumination light toward the nozzle tip part 12 provided above, but this is not limited thereto, and the illumination light output unit 7 may be provided at any position on the extension pipe 4, the cleaning nozzle 5, or the nozzle tip part 12 that are placed inside the oral cavity when cleaning the tonsils. In this case, it is preferable that the illumination light output unit 7 is made small and integrated with the respective parts 4, 5, and 12 so as not to obstruct the user's visual observation when cleaning the tonsils.

[0046] As in the above embodiment, to allow the user to easily view the inside of the oral cavity when cleaning the tonsils, the liquid supplied from the water supply pump 9 preferably passes through the internal space of the extension pipe 4 as the extension part and the cleaning nozzle 5 as the tonsil contact part, but it does not have to pass through these internal spaces. For example, a supply tube may be fixed to the outside of the extension part and the tonsil contact part, and the liquid may be supplied to the tonsil contact part through the supply tube. In this case, the liquid release part may be the opening at the upper end of the supply tube provided in the tonsil contact part.

[0047] As in the above embodiment, it is preferable that the flow rate, water pressure, and output pattern of the liquid released from the outlet 6 can be changed by the user operating the operation button 11, but it is not necessary that the flow rate, water pressure, and output pattern of the liquid released from the outlet 6 cannot be changed.

[0048] Furthermore, the configuration of the tonsillar washer 1 according to the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and can be changed or modified as desired as long as it can solve the problem that the present invention is intended to solve.

[0049] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1...tonsillar washer, 2...handling part, 3...liquid storage container, 4...extension pipe, 5...cleaning nozzle, 6...discharge port, 7...illumination light output part, 8...water intake tube, 9...water supply pump, 10...power supply part, 11...operation button, 12...nozzle tip, 13...downstream flow path, 14...upstream flow path, 15...connecting flow path, 16...water supply tube, 17...water supply, 18...faucet

Claims

1. a grip portion to be gripped by a user; an extension portion extending from the grip portion to a free end; a tonsil contact portion provided at a free end of the extension portion and capable of contacting the tonsils to be cleaned; a liquid supply unit that supplies liquid to the tonsil contact unit; a liquid discharge portion provided at the tonsil contact portion and capable of discharging the liquid supplied from the liquid supply portion toward the tonsil that has been deformed by contact with the tonsil contact portion; A tonsillar cleaning device comprising:

2. The tip of the tonsil contact portion is formed in an arc shape. The tonsillar cleanser according to claim 1.

3. The tonsil contact portion is made of a flexible material. The tonsillar cleanser according to claim 1 or 2.

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