Bowel sound sensor and bowel sound monitoring system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a bowel sound sensor and a bowel sound monitoring system, wherein the bowel sound sensor comprises: a deformation detection sheet made of graphene material, in a hollow grid shape, configured to detect minute deformations on the patient's skin surface; a conductive silver wire electrically connected to the deformation detection sheet, configured to transmit electrical signals; and a flexible packaging layer, sealingly covering the outer surface of the deformation detection sheet, so that the deformation detection sheet covered with the flexible packaging layer is still in a hollow grid shape as a whole. The bowel sound sensor in the present disclosure uses electrical signals generated by the deformation of the deformation detection sheet caused by bowel sounds to replace the direct detection of bowel sound waves in conventional bowel sound detection, thereby avoiding interference from external noise when detecting bowel sounds and improving detection accuracy. In addition, the bowel sound sensor in the present disclosure has a simple structure and is not easily damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of medical monitoring technology, and in particular to a bowel sound sensor and a bowel sound monitoring system. Background Art

[0002] Bowel sounds refer to the irregular "gurgling" sounds produced by the peristalsis of gases, liquids and other substances retained in the intestines. The normality of bowel sounds is one of the important indicators for judging the functional activities of the human gastrointestinal tract. The peristalsis and sounds produced can be transmitted from the intestinal cavity to the abdominal wall along the tissues and muscles. In clinical practice, even if a stethoscope or electronic stethoscope is used for auscultation, it is difficult to clearly monitor bowel sounds in some cases. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a bowel sound sensor, comprising:

[0004] The deformation detection sheet is made of graphene material and is in the shape of a hollow grid, and is configured to detect slight deformations on the patient's skin surface;

[0005] a conductive silver wire, electrically connected to the deformation detection sheet and configured to transmit an electrical signal to monitor changes in electrical properties of the deformation detection sheet; and

[0006] The flexible packaging layer seals and covers the outer surface of the deformation detection piece, so that the deformation detection piece covered with the flexible packaging layer still presents a hollow grid shape as a whole.

[0007] In some embodiments, the deformation detection piece is a regular polygon as a whole, has a central hollow hole in the center of the deformation detection piece, and also has at least one group of surrounding hollow holes surrounding the central hollow hole, and each group of surrounding hollow holes is arranged at intervals around the central hollow hole.

[0008] In some embodiments, the deformation detection piece is in the shape of a regular hexagon as a whole, and each group of surrounding hollow holes includes six trapezoidal surrounding hollow holes, and the extension directions of the six trapezoidal hollow holes are respectively arranged parallel to the six outer edges of the deformation detection piece.

[0009] In some embodiments, the number of the conductive silver wires is two, and the two conductive silver wires are electrically connected to two opposite vertices of the regular hexagonal deformation detection piece through conductive silver paste.

[0010] In some embodiments, the deformation detection sheet coated with the flexible packaging layer is in the shape of a regular hexagon as a whole, with a side length of 15 to 20 mm.

[0011] In some embodiments, the material of the flexible packaging layer is food grade silicone.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bowel sound sensor further comprises a flexible protective shell.

[0013] The flexible protective shell has an open accommodating cavity, the size of which is slightly larger than the size of the deformation detection piece coated with the flexible packaging layer, and is configured to accommodate the deformation detection piece coated with the flexible packaging layer. Buckles are provided on both sides of the flexible protective shell, which are configured to attach elastic straps.

[0014] In some embodiments, the bottom of the accommodating cavity has a hollow opening.

[0015] In some embodiments, the deformation detection piece deforms along with the patient's bowel sounds, and the electrical signal matches at least one of the intensity, frequency, and pitch of the bowel sounds.

[0016] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bowel sound monitoring system, the bowel sound monitoring system comprising:

[0017] The bowel sound sensor described in the above embodiment;

[0018] a signal collector, connected to the conductive silver wire, configured to receive and store the electrical signal from the deformation detection sheet, and convert the electrical signal into a communication signal; and

[0019] The signal processor is connected to the signal collector for communication, receives the communication signal from the signal collector, and outputs the diagnosis result based on the communication signal.

[0020] The above solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure can have the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The bowel sound sensor disclosed in the present invention uses an electrical signal generated by detecting the deformation of a deformation detection piece caused by bowel sounds instead of directly detecting bowel sound waves in conventional bowel sound detection, thereby avoiding interference from external noise when detecting bowel sounds and improving detection accuracy. In addition, the bowel sound sensor disclosed in the present invention has a simple structure and is not easily damaged. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a bowel sound sensor provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The structural diagram of the sensor body in FIG.

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the sensor body along the A-A' direction;

[0026] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible protective shell;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross section along the B-B' line;

[0028] Figure 6 The electrical characteristic waveform diagram of the bowel sound detected by the bowel sound sensor is shown;

[0029] Figure 7 The electrical characteristic waveform diagram of the detection of bowel sounds using an electronic stethoscope is shown;

[0030] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a bowel sound monitoring system provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings, and "multiple" generally includes at least two.

[0033] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe the embodiments of the present invention, they should not be limited to these terms.

[0035] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a product or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such product or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a" do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or device including the elements.

[0036] Bowel sounds are widely used in clinical practice: In traditional Chinese medicine, the recovery of postoperative gastric emptying function can be observed by detecting the frequency of bowel sounds, and the delayed recovery of gastric emptying after acupuncture treatment for pancreatic cancer can be analyzed; it can also be used to determine the recovery of postoperative intestinal function in non-gastrointestinal surgeries such as cholecystectomy for gallstones. When there are abnormalities or lesions in the gastrointestinal tract, such as indigestion, peptic ulcers, and gastrointestinal tumors, bowel sounds will also show different changes in pitch, loudness, and frequency. At the same time, bowel sounds can not only be used as a prognosis recovery indicator for gastrointestinal diseases, but also as an important indicator for evaluating the severity of other diseases. Studies have found that bowel sounds can predict the weakening of gastrointestinal motility caused by intracranial hypertension caused by cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral edema due to acute hemorrhagic stroke.

[0037] Although bowel sounds are widely used, they can be measured anytime and anywhere with a stethoscope. However, they are different from heart sounds: the heart is close to the chest wall, so heart sound data can be easily collected. The intestines are far from the abdominal wall, and abdominal fat seriously interferes with the transmission of bowel sounds. The heart beats in an orderly and regular manner. The heart sound rhythm of different people is roughly the same. The intensity and frequency of bowel sounds vary from person to person, and their size and frequency vary. Even for the same individual, their own bowel sounds are not the same. The heart sound frequency of a normal individual is about 60-100 times per minute, while the frequency of bowel sounds is only 3-5 times per minute, making the irregular bowel sounds more difficult to monitor. Based on the above reasons, the difficulty of clinicians in diagnosing and analyzing gastrointestinal diseases through bowel sounds has been greatly increased. Even doctors with rich experience in bowel sound diagnosis cannot guarantee the accuracy of bowel sound diagnosis. Bowel sound signals with great clinical diagnostic value cannot be effectively and fully utilized, which indirectly increases the cost of diagnosis and treatment.

[0038] With the development of science and technology and people's deepening understanding of various diseases, various new diagnostic tools have emerged, and the clinical diagnosis of bowel sounds is also required to be more accurate. From the traditional qualitative judgment of bowel sounds, such as intestinal obstruction and intestinal spasm, to the quantitative analysis of bowel sounds. In order to be able to judge bowel sounds more detailed and accurately, give full play to its clinical diagnostic value, quantify its specific data, and make the diagnosis of bowel sounds a clinical "gold standard", there are three main aspects that need to be improved. First, in order to obtain more specific and accurate bowel sound data, it is necessary to update and optimize the collection method of bowel sound signals. Although the traditional stethoscope can clearly transmit bowel sounds, the sound cannot be saved to form electronic data that can be stored. The electronic stethoscope can store the collected sounds, but because of the particularity of the bowel sounds themselves, the collected audio interference is large, which seriously affects the clinical diagnosis and data analysis. Then, the collected data also needs to be processed scientifically and rigorously. Judging bowel sounds based solely on subjective experience has various drawbacks. In order to make full use of bowel sound information, it must be digitized, a recognized quantitative standard must be established, and various possible types of bowel sounds must be strictly classified. Finally, in order to quantify the bowel sound standard, a large amount of clinical data is needed, and scientific analysis based on big data can be used faster and more widely in clinical diagnosis and treatment. It can be seen that promoting the digitization of bowel sound signals can make bowel sounds, a physiological signal, better applied to disciplines such as physiology, pathology, and clinical practice, and promote the progress and development of multiple disciplines.

[0039] In the related technology, the bowel sound monitoring equipment in the industry currently generally uses sound detection modules for monitoring, such as electronic stethoscopes, small microphones, etc. The monitoring equipment is placed close to the patient's skin, and the patient's bowel sound signals are collected and recorded in a quiet place.

[0040] Current bowel sound monitoring has the following shortcomings:

[0041] First, the traditional sound detection module is used for monitoring, recording the subjects' bowel sounds and processing them in the next step. Due to its own characteristics, sound is easily disturbed by the external environment. In a noisy environment, the signal distortion rate of the equipment monitoring is high, which seriously affects the subsequent processing and analysis of the data.

[0042] Second, traditional monitoring equipment is a sophisticated electronic structure containing various precision components. It is easily contaminated by various factors such as sweat during use, which affects the equipment's working performance and accuracy, and even damages the monitoring equipment.

[0043] Third, the structure of traditional monitoring equipment is delicate and cannot be sterilized by traditional disinfection and sterilization methods, such as high-temperature and high-pressure steam sterilization and alcohol immersion sterilization. Equipment that cannot be completely sterilized is likely to cause infection in patients and endanger their health when used clinically.

[0044] Fourth, sound must be transmitted in a medium. Traditional monitoring equipment cannot collect bowel sound signals from subjects in a vacuum environment, and there are certain requirements and restrictions on the use environment.

[0045] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects, the present disclosure provides a bowel sound sensor and a bowel sound monitoring system, wherein the bowel sound sensor comprises: a deformation detection piece made of graphene material, in the shape of a hollow grid, configured to detect slight deformations on the surface of the patient's skin; a conductive silver wire, electrically connected to the deformation detection piece, configured to transmit electrical signals to monitor changes in the electrical properties of the deformation detection piece; and a flexible packaging layer, sealingly covering the outer surface of the deformation detection piece, so that the deformation detection piece covered with the flexible packaging layer is still in the shape of a hollow grid as a whole.

[0046] The bowel sound sensor disclosed in the present invention uses an electrical signal generated by detecting the deformation of a deformation detection piece caused by bowel sounds instead of directly detecting bowel sound waves in conventional bowel sound detection, thereby avoiding interference from external noise when detecting bowel sounds and improving detection accuracy. In addition, the bowel sound sensor disclosed in the present invention has a simple structure and is not easily damaged.

[0047] The optional embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bowel sound sensor provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the sensor body in Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the sensor body along the AA direction.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present disclosure provides a bowel sound sensor 100 including a sensor body 10 and a flexible protective shell 20 accommodating the sensor body 10 .

[0050] The sensor body 10 includes a conductive silver wire 12 and a flexible packaging layer 13 .

[0051] The deformation detection sheet 11 is made of graphene material, in the shape of a hollow grid, and is configured to detect slight deformations on the patient's skin surface. The deformation detection sheet 11 is a graphene sheet with high conductivity and flexibility. When the deformation detection sheet 11 is deformed, the electrical properties will change, for example, the resistance of the deformation detection sheet 11 will change, and its sensitivity is high. The disclosed embodiment uses this property of the graphene sheet to construct the sensor body 10. When the patient has bowel sounds, the intestinal activity of the corresponding part of the patient is enhanced, and the peristalsis is intensified. The vibration generated is transmitted along the intestinal tract, muscles and other organs and tissues to the surface skin of the corresponding position and undergoes slight deformation. The deformation detection sheet 11 in the sensor body 10 in contact with the patient's skin also deforms with the deformation of the surface skin, so that the electrical properties of the deformation detection sheet 11 also change, and the bowel sound information is obtained by detecting the electrical properties of the deformation detection sheet 11. The thickness of the deformation detection sheet 11 is, for example, 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0052] In some embodiments, graphene flakes can be fabricated by ablating PI (polyimide) films using a laser induced process.

[0053] The conductive silver wire 12 is electrically connected to the deformation detection piece 11 and is configured to transmit an electrical signal for monitoring changes in the electrical properties of the deformation detection piece 11. The conductive silver wire 12 has a low resistivity and good conductivity. Using a high-purity conductive silver wire as a wire connecting the deformation detection piece 11 can accurately transmit electrical signals and ensure the accuracy of detection.

[0054] The flexible encapsulation layer 13 seals and covers the outer surface of the deformation detection piece, so that the deformation detection piece 11 coated with the flexible encapsulation layer 13, that is, the sensor body 10 as a whole, still presents a hollow grid shape. Since the graphene sheet is extremely thin and easily damaged, resulting in reduced durability, in the present disclosure, flexible materials, such as food-grade silicone, are used on both sides of the graphene sheet for sealing and packaging to protect the deformation detection piece 11. Food-grade silicone material is suitable for contact with human skin and will not cause adverse effects such as allergies and irritation to human skin. Food-grade silicone material also has sealing properties. It completely covers the deformation detection piece 11, effectively preventing the deformation detection piece 11 as a sandwich structure from falling off, greatly improving stability, and at the same time preventing external water vapor, sweat stains, etc. from contacting the deformation detection piece 11, and the food-grade silicone material itself is not easily corroded by water vapor, sweat stains, etc., making the sensor body 10 durable.

[0055] The edible grade silicone material also has good flexibility. The deformation detection piece 11 coated with the flexible packaging layer 13, that is, the overall thickness of the sensor body 10 is, for example, 2 mm to 4 mm. The use of the sensor body 10 with this thickness ensures that the deformation detection piece 11 deforms with the deformation of the skin on the surface of the body, so that the deformation of the deformation detection piece 11 accurately reflects the bowel sounds.

[0056] In some embodiments, the flexible encapsulation layer 13 includes a flexible substrate 131 and a flexible cover 132, and the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132 sandwich the deformation detection sheet 11 to achieve complete coverage of the deformation detection sheet 11. The flexible substrate 131, the deformation detection sheet 11 and the flexible cover 132 are a sandwich structure as a whole, and the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132 are cured and fused to achieve complete coverage of the deformation detection sheet 11. The conductive silver wire 12 passes through the flexible encapsulation layer 13 and is electrically connected to the deformation detection sheet 11.

[0057] The hollow grid-shaped sensor body 10 has good flexibility and can fit the patient's skin. At the same time, the hollow grid-shaped sensor body 10 can save materials and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0058] In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the deformation detection piece 11 is a regular polygon as a whole, and has a central hollow hole 111 at the center of the deformation detection piece. The deformation detection piece 11 also has at least one group of surrounding hollow holes 112 surrounding the central hollow hole 111, and each group of surrounding hollow holes is arranged at intervals around the central hollow hole 111. In some embodiments, the deformation detection piece 11 includes two groups of surrounding hollow holes 112, a first group of surrounding hollow holes 1121 is arranged at intervals around the central hollow hole 111, and a second group of surrounding hollow holes 1122 is arranged at intervals around the first group of surrounding hollow holes 1121.

[0059] The deformation detection piece 11 adopts a regular polygon design, and the sensor body 10 as a whole is also a regular polygon. The regular polygon design makes the structure of the deformation detection piece 11 more stable. The sensor body 10 is not easy to rotate after being attached to the patient's skin, and the polygonal structure can be easily fixed on the patient's skin surface, thereby improving stability during monitoring.

[0060] In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the deformation detection piece 11 is in the shape of a regular hexagon as a whole, and each group of surrounding hollow holes 112 includes six trapezoidal surrounding hollow holes, and the extension directions of the six trapezoidal surrounding hollow holes are respectively arranged parallel to the six outer edges of the deformation detection piece 11. The deformation detection piece 11 adopts a design of being in the shape of a regular hexagon as a whole, has a moderate manufacturing difficulty, and is easy to fit the patient's skin. Figures 1 to 3 The deformation detection sheet 11 shown includes a plurality of edges 113, which are formed by opening the central hollow hole 111 and the surrounding hollow holes 112 on a regular hexagon, and the plurality of edges 113 are interconnected to form the above-mentioned mesh hollow structure. In some embodiments, the width of the plurality of edges 113 is, for example, between 1 mm and 2 mm, for example, 1.5 mm.

[0061] In other embodiments, the deformation detection piece 11 may also be a regular quadrilateral hollow structure, a regular octagon hollow structure, etc.

[0062] In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the number of the conductive silver wires 12 is two, and the two conductive silver wires 12 are electrically connected to the two opposite vertices of the regular hexagonal deformation detection piece 11 through conductive silver paste. Based on the regular hexagonal hollow structure of the deformation detection piece 11, the resistance between the two opposite vertices electrically connected to the two conductive silver wires 12 is, for example, 300Ω to 500Ω, for example, 400Ω. It ensures that the deformation detection piece 11 has good conductivity, so that the bowel sound sensor 100 can sensitively receive the changes in the electrical properties of the deformation detection piece 11 caused by deformation, thereby ensuring the sensitivity of bowel sound detection.

[0063] In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the deformation detection piece coated with a flexible packaging layer, i.e., the sensor body 10, is in the shape of a regular hexagon as a whole, with a side length of 15 to 20 mm, and its area is close to that of a traditional stethoscope diaphragm, so as to ensure the effective collection of bowel sound signals at the required points. Specifically, bowel sounds are a signal from point to surface. When the peristalsis of a certain section of the intestine is enhanced, the bowel sounds produced spread from the skin on the surface of the body at the corresponding point to the surrounding area, and then the intensity continues to decay. If the sensor area is too small, it cannot completely cover all bowel sound signals of a certain part, resulting in insufficient data integrity. If the sensor area is too large, when collecting bowel sounds, it is easy to be interfered by bowel sound signals at other points, and multiple signals are mixed, affecting subsequent data analysis. At the same time, a large area can easily cause discomfort to the subject, which is not conducive to data collection.

[0064] The sensor body 10 is also a hollow structure, and the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132 are solidified and fused to completely cover the deformation detection sheet 11. Specifically, the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132 completely cover the edges 113 of the deformation detection sheet 11, forming multiple edges of the sensor body 10 in a regular hexagonal shape with a hollow structure. The width of the edge of the sensor body 10 is, for example, between 2 mm and 4 mm, for example, 3 mm.

[0065] Before the deformation detection piece 11 is covered with the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132, two conductive silver wires 12 are electrically connected to two opposite vertices of the regular hexagonal deformation detection piece 11 through conductive silver paste. In the process of covering the deformation detection piece 11 with the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132, a part of the conductive silver wire 12 at the connection with the two opposite vertices of the regular hexagonal deformation detection piece 11 is also sealed and covered by the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132.

[0066] In some embodiments, the thickness of the deformation detection sheet 11, i.e., the graphene sheet, is very thin, for example, 0.04 mm to 0.07 mm, for example, 0.055 mm, and it has a constant good flexibility, so that the deformation detection sheet 11 deforms along with the deformation of the skin on the surface of the body, detects the subtle deformation of the skin on the surface of the body caused by bowel sounds, and thereby accurately reflects the bowel sounds.

[0067] The thickness of the flexible substrate 131 and the flexible cover 132 is substantially the same, about 1 mm to 2 mm, so that the overall thickness of the sensor body 10 is about 2 mm to 4 mm. The sensor body 10 of such thickness ensures its own flexibility while being easy for operators to pick up and install.

[0068] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible protective shell, Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view along BB' in FIG. Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the flexible protective shell 20 has an open accommodating cavity 21, the size of which is slightly larger than the size of the deformation detection sheet coated with the flexible packaging layer, that is, the sensor body 10, and is configured to accommodate the deformation detection sheet coated with the flexible packaging layer, that is, the sensor body 10. The flexible protective shell 20 is made of, for example, a degradable PLA material, and is used to accommodate and protect the sensor body 10.

[0069] In some embodiments, the shape of the accommodating cavity 21 matches the shape of the sensor body 10, for example, a hexagonal groove, and the depth of the accommodating cavity 21 is consistent with the thickness of the sensor body 10, so that the sensor body 10 is just accommodated in the accommodating cavity 21. At this time, the top surface of the flexible protective shell 20 is substantially coplanar with the surface of the sensor body 10 away from the accommodating cavity 21. With such a design, the sensor body 10 can be attached to the abdominal skin of the patient while the flexible protective shell 20 protects the sensor body 10.

[0070] In some embodiments, buckle portions 22 are provided on both sides of the flexible protective shell 20, which are configured to attach elastic straps. Such a design can protect the sensor body 10 and at the same time act as a belt to fix the sensor body 10 on the patient's abdomen to prevent it from falling off. When using the bowel sound sensor 100 for long-term monitoring, the bowel sound sensor fixed with a belt is less likely to cause discomfort to the subject, which is helpful for long-term monitoring.

[0071] In some embodiments, the bottom of the accommodating cavity 21 has a hollow opening 211, and the hollow opening 211 exposes a portion of the sensor body 10 to prevent the bottom of the accommodating cavity 21 from hindering the deformation of the sensor body 10 and thus affecting the monitoring of bowel sounds. The shape of the hollow opening 211 is, for example, a regular hexagon, and its size is smaller than the size of the sensor body 10, so that the sensor body 10 is just accommodated in the accommodating cavity 21 and will not fall out of the hollow opening 211.

[0072] When the bowel sound sensor 100 of the present disclosure is used for bowel sound detection, the bowel sound sensor 100 is attached to a selected point on the patient's abdomen so that the sensor body 10 fits the patient's abdominal skin. When the patient has bowel sounds, the intestinal activity of the corresponding part of the patient is enhanced, and the peristalsis is intensified. The vibration generated is transmitted along the intestinal tract, muscles and other organs and tissues to the corresponding position of the body surface skin and undergoes slight deformation. The deformation detection piece 11 in the sensor body 10 that fits the patient's skin also deforms with the deformation of the body surface skin, thereby causing the electrical characteristics of the deformation detection piece 11 to change. The electrical characteristic changes of the deformation detection piece 11 are monitored by transmitting electrical signals through the conductive silver wire 12 electrically connected to the deformation detection piece 11. The electrical signal is, for example, a current and / or voltage signal, and the electrical characteristic of the deformation detection piece 11 is, for example, resistance. The change in the electrical characteristics of the deformation detection piece 11 corresponds to the change in bowel sounds. By monitoring the change in the electrical characteristics of the deformation detection piece 11, the patient's bowel sounds can be monitored.

[0073] The bowel sound sensor disclosed in the present invention uses the electrical signal generated by detecting the deformation of the deformation detection piece caused by bowel sounds instead of directly detecting the bowel sound waves in conventional bowel sound detection, thereby avoiding interference from external noise when detecting bowel sounds, and at the same time overcomes the limitation that sound wave detection requires a propagation medium, thereby improving detection accuracy. In addition, the bowel sound sensor disclosed in the present invention has a simple structure, is not easy to damage, and can be disinfected by traditional means, thereby facilitating repeated use.

[0074] Figure 6 The electrical characteristic waveform diagram of the bowel sound detected by the bowel sound sensor is shown; Figure 7 The electrical characteristic waveform diagram of the detection of bowel sounds by an electronic stethoscope is shown. In some embodiments, the bowel sound sensor 100 and the electronic stethoscope in the present disclosure are used to monitor the bowel sounds of the same patient in a quiet environment at the same time. For example, the two are attached to the same examination point on the abdomen of the same patient and detect bowel sounds at the same time. Since the detection parts of both are small, it can be considered that the bowel sounds detected by the two are the bowel sounds of the same point and the same period. In the related art, it is generally believed that the results of detecting the sound waves of bowel sounds by using an electronic stethoscope are relatively accurate.

[0075] like Figure 6As shown in the electrical characteristic waveform diagram of the bowel sound sensor detecting bowel sounds, the horizontal axis indicates time in seconds, and the vertical axis indicates the resistance change rate, that is, the resistance change rate of the deformation detection sheet made of graphene material in the bowel sound sensor. Figure 7 As shown in the electrical characteristic waveform diagram of bowel sounds detected by an electronic stethoscope, the horizontal axis indicates time in seconds, and the vertical axis indicates sound intensity in decibels. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the bowel sound sensor maintains that the electrical characteristic waveform of the bowel sound is positively correlated with the waveform of the bowel sound monitored by the electronic stethoscope, the deformation detection piece of the bowel sound sensor is deformed along with the bowel sound of the patient, and its electrical characteristic changes, and the electrical signal of the electrical characteristic of the deformation detection piece of the bowel sound sensor matches at least one of the intensity, frequency and tone of the bowel sound. Therefore, the bowel sound sensor in the present disclosure can accurately reflect bowel sounds.

[0076] In addition to being attached to the patient's abdomen to detect bowel sounds, the bowel sound sensor in this case can also be attached to other parts of the human body to detect pulse, joint mobility (such as wrist joints, elbow joints, etc.), throat activity, etc.

[0077] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a bowel sound monitoring system provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure, such as Figure 8 As shown, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bowel sound monitoring system 1000 , which includes a bowel sound sensor 100 , a signal collector 200 , and a processor 300 .

[0078] The bowel sound sensor 100 adopts the bowel sound sensor described in the above-mentioned embodiment, and its structure is not described in detail here.

[0079] The signal collector 200 is connected to the conductive silver wire 20, and is configured to receive and store the electrical signal from the deformation detection piece 11, and convert the electrical signal into a communication signal. Specifically, the signal collector 200 is electrically connected to the conductive silver wire 12 of the bowel sound sensor 100, and can transmit an initial electrical signal to the deformation detection piece 11 of the bowel sound sensor 100 through the conductive silver wire 12, such as applying a constant voltage signal to the deformation detection piece 11, and receiving the electrical signal after passing through the deformation detection piece 11, such as detecting the current signal flowing through the deformation detection piece 11, thereby monitoring the electrical characteristics of the deformation detection piece 11, such as the resistance of the deformation detection piece 11. As mentioned above, the change in the electrical characteristics of the deformation detection piece 11 is caused by bowel sounds, and the two are associated with each other, thereby monitoring the patient's bowel sounds by monitoring the change in the electrical characteristics of the deformation detection piece 11.

[0080] The signal processor 300 is in communication connection with the signal collector 200, receives the communication signal from the signal collector 200, and outputs the diagnosis result based on the communication signal. Specifically, the signal processor 300 processes the communication signal to obtain bowel sound data, and the bowel sound data includes, for example, the sound intensity, waveform, and number of sounds per unit time of the bowel sound. The signal processor 300 can also give a diagnosis result based on the bowel sound data, such as a diagnosis result of the patient's intestinal condition, and give a suggestion for subsequent medication or treatment.

[0081] In some embodiments, the signal processor 300 can also be connected to a terminal device, such as a mobile phone, a computer, etc., to transmit bowel sound data and / or diagnosis results to the terminal device. Medical staff or the patient can easily understand the patient's bowel sound conditions and improve diagnostic efficiency.

[0082] The bowel sound monitoring system 1000 disclosed in the present invention has a compact structure. The bowel sound sensor 100, the signal collector 200 and the signal processor 300 are all miniaturized devices. The bowel sound sensor 100 can be attached to the patient's ileocecal region and fixed to the patient's waist with an elastic band. The signal collector 200 and the signal processor 300 can also be worn on the patient. In this way, without affecting the normal life of the subject, long-term and automated monitoring of bowel sound information can be achieved, assisting medical staff in obtaining more accurate bowel sound data and improving the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment. Applying it to the postoperative monitoring of patients with gastrointestinal tumors can effectively judge the patient's intestinal recovery status, get rid of the traditional method of patients' subjective judgment of whether to "exhale", and facilitate the formulation of subsequent medication and treatment.

[0083] Finally, it should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. For the system or device disclosed in the embodiment, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method part description.

[0084] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A bowel sound sensor, characterized in that: include: The deformation detection sheet is made of graphene material and is in the shape of a hollow grid, and is configured to detect slight deformations on the patient's skin surface; a conductive silver wire, electrically connected to the deformation detection sheet and configured to transmit an electrical signal to monitor changes in electrical properties of the deformation detection sheet; as well as The flexible packaging layer seals and covers the outer surface of the deformation detection piece, so that the deformation detection piece covered with the flexible packaging layer is still in a hollow grid shape as a whole. The deformation detection piece is in the shape of a regular hexagon as a whole, and has a central hollow hole in the center of the deformation detection piece. The deformation detection piece also has at least one group of surrounding hollow holes surrounding the central hollow hole, and each group of surrounding hollow holes is arranged at intervals around the central hollow hole. Each group of surrounding hollow holes includes six trapezoidal surrounding hollow holes, and the extension directions of the six trapezoidal hollow holes are respectively arranged parallel to the six outer edges of the deformation detection piece.

2. The bowel sound sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The number of the conductive silver wires is two, and the two conductive silver wires are electrically connected to two opposite vertices of the regular hexagonal deformation detection piece through conductive silver paste.

3. The bowel sound sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The deformation detection piece covered with the flexible packaging layer is in a regular hexagonal shape as a whole, with a side length of 15 to 20 mm.

4. The bowel sound sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the flexible packaging layer is food-grade silica gel.

5. The bowel sound sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The bowel sound sensor also includes a flexible protective shell. The flexible protective shell has an open accommodating cavity, the size of which is slightly larger than the size of the deformation detection piece coated with the flexible packaging layer, and is configured to accommodate the deformation detection piece coated with the flexible packaging layer. Buckles are provided on both sides of the flexible protective shell, which are configured to attach elastic straps.

6. The bowel sound sensor according to claim 5, wherein: The bottom of the accommodating cavity is provided with a hollow opening.

7. The bowel sound sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The deformation detection piece is deformed along with the patient's bowel sounds, and the electrical signal matches at least one of the intensity, frequency and tone of the bowel sounds.

8. A bowel sound monitoring system, characterized in that: The bowel sound monitoring system comprises: The bowel sound sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a signal collector, connected to the conductive silver wire, configured to receive and store the electrical signal from the deformation detection sheet, and convert the electrical signal into a communication signal; and The signal processor is connected to the signal collector for communication, receives the communication signal from the signal collector, and outputs the diagnosis result based on the communication signal.

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