In-ear physical sign detection device and system

Abstract

The invention relates to in-ear type physical sign detection equipment and system.The in-ear type physical sign detection equipment comprises an infrared temperature measurement assembly and a first installation part; the infrared temperature measurement assembly is mounted at one end, close to the eardrum, of the first mounting piece, and the first mounting piece is elastic; when the physical sign detection equipment is worn, the first installation part is located in the external auditory canal of a wearer, the infrared temperature measurement assembly is aligned with the eardrum of the wearer through elastic deformation of the first installation part, and the infrared temperature measurement assembly is used for detecting the temperature of the eardrum of the wearer. The first mounting piece can adapt to different external auditory canal shapes, so that the wearer can adjust the in-ear angle of the first mounting piece, and the infrared temperature measurement assembly can be aligned with the eardrum of the wearer. The problem that an existing in-ear body temperature detection device cannot accurately monitor the core temperature of the human body under some conditions due to the fact that the individual differences of the shapes of external auditory canals of different users are not considered is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of physical sign detection, and in particular to an in-ear physical sign detection device and system. Background Art

[0002] Blood oxygen and body temperature are the basic parameters for monitoring vital signs of patients in various departments of the hospital. The improvement goal of current vital sign monitoring equipment is to continuously and accurately monitor vital signs.

[0003] Currently, one way to monitor body temperature is to wear an in-ear temperature monitoring device. The in-ear temperature monitoring device is similar to headphones in shape, and an infrared probe is installed on the front of the device. After the user wears the in-ear temperature monitoring device, the infrared probe is in the user's external auditory canal, and it can obtain the eardrum temperature through infrared detection. The eardrum temperature can more accurately reflect the core temperature of the human body.

[0004] In order to realize continuous monitoring of body temperature, the first problem to be overcome is the change of external temperature. Since the change of external temperature will affect the body temperature measurement results, continuous body temperature monitoring needs to be carried out under the premise that the external temperature change is relatively stable. There is a prior art that sets a constant temperature heating component in the in-ear body temperature monitoring device to ensure that the working environment temperature of the infrared probe is basically stable, so as to reduce the impact of the change of ambient temperature on the measurement results. However, when the ambient temperature changes, in order to monitor the body temperature in real time, the constant temperature heating component is continuously in working state, which increases the battery energy consumption of the in-ear body temperature monitoring device and greatly reduces the continuous use time of the device.

[0005] At the same time, existing in-ear body temperature monitoring devices do not take into account the individual differences in the shape of the external auditory canals of different users. When a user wears an in-ear body temperature monitoring device that does not match the shape of his or her external auditory canal, it is difficult to align the infrared probe with the eardrum. As a result, the eardrum temperature measured by the in-ear body temperature monitoring device is somewhat different from the actual eardrum temperature, and it is impossible to accurately monitor the core temperature of the human body.

[0006] Currently, no effective solution has been proposed to the problem that existing in-ear body temperature detection devices cannot accurately monitor the core temperature of the human body in some cases because they do not take into account the individual differences in the shape of the external auditory canals of different users. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention provides an in-ear vital sign detection device and system to solve the problem that the existing in-ear body temperature detection device cannot accurately monitor the core temperature of the human body in some cases because it does not take into account the individual differences in the shape of the external auditory canal between different users.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an in-ear vital sign detection device, the vital sign detection device comprising: an infrared temperature measurement component and a first mounting member;

[0009] The infrared temperature measurement component is installed at one end of the first mounting member close to the eardrum, and the first mounting member is elastic;

[0010] When the vital sign detection device is worn, the first mounting component is located in the external auditory canal of the wearer, and the infrared temperature measurement component is aligned with the wearer's eardrum through elastic deformation of the first mounting component. The infrared temperature measurement component is used to detect the temperature of the wearer's eardrum.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first mounting member includes a central portion and an edge portion, the edge portion wraps the central portion, the edge portion is made of an elastic material, and the central portion is used to support the edge portion.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first mounting member is made of elastic material.

[0013] In some of the embodiments, the infrared temperature measurement assembly includes an infrared thermopile sensor and a first temperature sensor;

[0014] The infrared thermopile sensor and the first temperature sensor are mounted on one end of the first mounting member close to the eardrum;

[0015] The first temperature sensor is located on a side of the infrared thermopile sensor close to the first mounting member and is used to detect the cold junction working environment temperature of the infrared thermopile sensor;

[0016] When the vital sign detection device is worn, the infrared thermopile sensor can be aligned with the eardrum of the wearer through the elastic deformation of the first mounting member, and the infrared thermopile sensor is used to detect the temperature of the eardrum of the wearer.

[0017] In some of the embodiments, the vital sign detection device further comprises: a blood oxygen measurement component and a second mounting component;

[0018] The second mounting member is mounted on the first mounting member and is located at an end of the first mounting member away from the infrared temperature measuring component;

[0019] The second mounting member has a mounting surface, the blood oxygen measurement component is mounted on the mounting surface, and the second mounting member is elastic in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface;

[0020] When the vital sign detection device is worn, the blood oxygen measurement component can fit the wearer's tragus through the elastic deformation of the second mounting member, and the blood oxygen measurement component is used to detect the wearer's blood oxygen concentration.

[0021] In some of the embodiments, the second mounting member is made of elastic material, and the blood oxygen measurement assembly includes a blood oxygen sensor;

[0022] The blood oxygen sensor is installed on the installation surface;

[0023] When the vital sign detection device is worn, the blood oxygen sensor can fit the wearer's tragus through the elastic deformation of the second mounting member, and the blood oxygen sensor is used to detect the wearer's blood oxygen concentration.

[0024] In some embodiments, the elastic material is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers and thermosetting elastomers.

[0025] In some of the embodiments, the hardness of the elastic material is 10A-50A;

[0026] And / or, the elastic modulus of the elastic material is 1 MPa-2 GPa.

[0027] In some of the embodiments, the vital sign detection device further comprises: a data processing unit and a communication unit; the communication unit comprises a wireless communication unit and / or a wired communication unit;

[0028] The infrared temperature measurement component and the blood oxygen measurement component are both connected to the data processing unit;

[0029] The data processing unit is used to send the vital sign data to an external data processing and / or storage device through the communication unit, and the vital sign data includes eardrum temperature and / or blood oxygen concentration.

[0030] In some of the embodiments, the vital sign detection device further comprises: a second temperature sensor connected to the data processing unit;

[0031] The second temperature sensor is located at an end of the second mounting member away from the first mounting member, and is used to detect the ambient temperature outside the ear of the wearer;

[0032] The data processing unit is further used to detect the eardrum temperature of the wearer through the infrared temperature measurement component when the rate of change of the external ear environment temperature is less than a preset threshold.

[0033] In some of the embodiments, the vital sign detection device further comprises: a position sensor connected to the data processing unit;

[0034] The position sensor is located at an end of the second mounting member away from the first mounting member and is used to obtain position information of the vital sign detection device;

[0035] The data processing unit is also used to determine whether the vital sign detection device is in the ear of the wearer based on the position information; when the vital sign detection device is in the ear of the wearer, detect the eardrum temperature of the wearer through the infrared temperature measurement component, and / or detect the blood oxygen concentration of the wearer through the blood oxygen measurement component.

[0036] In some of the embodiments, the data processing unit is used to send the vital sign data to an external data processing and / or storage device through the communication unit, including:

[0037] The data processing unit is used to add a time stamp to the vital sign data, and send the vital sign data with the time stamp to an external data processing and / or storage device.

[0038] In some of the embodiments, the infrared thermopile sensor and the first temperature sensor are both connected to the data processing unit;

[0039] The data processing unit is used to correct the detection result of the infrared thermopile sensor according to the detection result of the first temperature sensor.

[0040] In some of the embodiments, the data processing unit collects and transmits different vital sign data in an asynchronous manner.

[0041] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an in-ear vital sign detection system, which includes two in-ear vital sign detection devices as described in the first aspect.

[0042] Compared with the related art, the in-ear vital sign detection device and system provided in the present invention adopts an elastic first mounting member as a mounting carrier of the infrared temperature measurement component, which can adapt to different external auditory canal shapes, and then the wearer can adjust the ear angle of the first mounting member so that the infrared temperature measurement component can be aligned with the wearer's eardrum. This solves the problem that the existing in-ear body temperature detection device cannot accurately monitor the core temperature of the human body in some cases because it does not take into account the individual differences in the external auditory canal shapes of different users.

[0043] Details of one or more embodiments of the present application are set forth in the following drawings and description to make other features, objects, and advantages of the present application more readily apparent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0045] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the in-ear vital sign detection device provided by the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an in-ear vital sign detection device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of an in-ear vital sign detection device in a specific embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In order to more clearly understand the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application, the present application is described and illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0049] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms involved in this application shall have the general meaning understood by people with ordinary skills in the technical field to which this application belongs. The words "one", "a", "a", "the", "these" and the like in this application do not represent quantitative restrictions, and they can be singular or plural. The terms "include", "comprise", "have" and any variants thereof involved in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions; for example, a process, method and system, product or device comprising a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or modules (units), but may include unlisted steps or modules (units), or may include other steps or modules (units) inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. The words "connect", "connected", "coupled" and the like involved in this application are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether directly or indirectly. The "multiple" involved in this application refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. Usually, the character " / " indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. The terms "first", "second", "third", etc. involved in this application are only used to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects.

[0050] The present invention provides an in-ear vital sign detection device. Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the in-ear vital sign detection device provided by the present invention. Figure 1The vital sign detection device includes: an infrared temperature measurement component 200 and a first mounting component 100; the infrared temperature measurement component 200 is installed at one end of the first mounting component 100 close to the eardrum, and the first mounting component 100 is elastic; when the vital sign detection device is worn, the first mounting component 100 is in the external auditory canal of the wearer, and the infrared temperature measurement component 200 is aligned with the wearer's eardrum through the elastic deformation of the first mounting component 100, and the infrared temperature measurement component 200 is used to detect the wearer's eardrum temperature.

[0051] Specifically, the vital sign detection device is mainly composed of an infrared temperature measurement component 200 and a first mounting component 100, and the infrared temperature measurement component 200 is mounted at one end of the first mounting component 100. When the wearer wears the vital sign detection device, the infrared temperature measurement component 200 and the first mounting component 100 are both in the wearer's external auditory canal, and the infrared temperature measurement component 200 faces the inside of the ear, that is, the infrared temperature measurement component 200 faces the eardrum. Since the first mounting component 100 is elastic, it can be adaptively deformed with the shape of the external auditory canal, so the first mounting component 100 can adapt to the shape differences of different external auditory canals, including the shape differences of the external auditory canals between different wearers and the shape differences of the external auditory canals of the same wearer at different ear entrance angles. On the one hand, the first mounting component 100 is elastic and can produce adaptive deformation with different external auditory canals, so that it contacts the external auditory canal more evenly, so that the external auditory canal is subjected to more uniform force, and will not produce a strong sense of oppression locally, so that different wearers have a better wearing experience. On the other hand, the first mounting component 100 is elastic and can fit the external auditory canal at different ear insertion angles, so that the wearer can continuously adjust the ear insertion angle of the first mounting component 100 so that the infrared temperature measurement component 200 can be aligned with the wearer's eardrum, and ultimately the infrared temperature measurement component 200 can accurately measure the eardrum temperature.

[0052] Therefore, the in-ear vital sign detection device provided in the present invention uses the elastic first mounting member 100 as the mounting carrier of the infrared temperature measurement component 200, which can adapt to different external auditory canal shapes, and then the wearer can adjust the ear angle of the first mounting member 100 so that the infrared temperature measurement component 200 can be aligned with the wearer's eardrum. This solves the problem that the existing in-ear body temperature detection devices cannot accurately monitor the core temperature of the human body in some cases because they do not consider the individual differences in the external auditory canal shapes of different users.

[0053] In some of the embodiments, the first mounting member 100 includes a central portion and an edge portion, the edge portion wraps the central portion, the edge portion is made of an elastic material, and the central portion is used to support the edge portion.

[0054] Specifically, in this embodiment, the center portion of the first mounting member 100 is mainly used to support its edge portion, and its edge portion is an elastic structure. Since the edge portion of the first mounting member 100 is in contact with the external auditory canal, when the edge portion is made of elastic material, it can produce corresponding deformation with different external auditory canal structures, thereby having the effect of adapting to different external auditory canal structures. At the same time, the hardness of the center portion is greater than that of the edge portion, so that the first mounting member 100 as a whole will not produce excessive bending deformation, has a certain supporting effect on the infrared temperature measurement component 200, and also facilitates the entire device to extend into the external auditory canal, thereby improving the overall structural stability of the device. Exemplarily, based on the material properties of the center portion, it can be a flexible structure using a flexible material, or it can be a rigid structure using a rigid material close to the shape of the external auditory canal; based on the material type of the center portion, it can be a non-metallic structure using a non-metallic material, or it can be a metal structure using a metal material. It should be noted that when the center portion is made of metal material, it should be avoided to directly connect the infrared temperature measurement component 200 in the device to the center portion to avoid the metal material affecting the data acquisition accuracy of the sensor in the infrared temperature measurement component 200. If there are other sensors in the device, it is also necessary to avoid connecting the sensors directly to the center. At the same time, the center should reserve mounting holes running through both ends to facilitate the data transmission line of the infrared temperature measurement component 200 to pass through.

[0055] Correspondingly, in other embodiments, the first mounting member 100 is made of elastic material.

[0056] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first mounting member 100 is made entirely of elastic material, and thus the first mounting member 100 has a greater elastic variation, that is, it can produce a greater degree of deformation. Therefore, the first mounting member 100 in this embodiment is more adaptable to different external auditory canal shapes, and thus can adapt to various external auditory canal shapes with large differences.

[0057] In some of the embodiments, the elastic material is selected from the group consisting of: thermoplastic elastomers and thermosetting elastomers.

[0058] Specifically, since the first mounting member 100 needs to be in direct contact with the skin of the external auditory canal, the elastic material needs to have non-toxic and environmentally friendly properties. The elastic material can be selected from various types of elastomers, including thermoplastic elastomers and thermosetting elastomers. For example, in thermoplastic elastomers, the elastic material can be selected from non-toxic and environmentally friendly styrene thermoplastic elastomers, polyurethane thermoplastic elastomers, etc. In thermosetting elastomers, the elastic material can be selected from non-toxic and environmentally friendly silicone, etc.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to obtain a better wearing effect, the elastic material should be set with appropriate hardness and elasticity.

[0060] In one embodiment, the hardness of the elastic material may be 10A-50A. There are many ways to measure hardness, and this embodiment only uses the Shore hardness as an example for illustration. The hardness reflects whether the material is prone to deformation. When the Shore hardness of the elastic material is between 10A-50A, the first mounting member 100 can deform with different external auditory canal shapes, and at the same time provide certain support for the infrared temperature measurement component 200 without excessive bending deformation.

[0061] In one embodiment, the elastic modulus of the elastic material is in the range of 1MPa-2GPa. The size of the elastic modulus reflects the recovery ability of the material after deformation. When the elastic modulus of the elastic material is in the range of 1MPa-2GPa, the force exerted on the external auditory canal by the first mounting member 100 after deformation is moderate. At this time, the wearer will not feel a large sense of pressure in the external auditory canal, and there is a certain friction between the first mounting member 100 and the external auditory canal, so that the first mounting member 100 can be stabilized in the external auditory canal and will not fall off easily.

[0062] In another embodiment, the hardness of the elastic material is 10A-50A, and the elastic modulus of the elastic material is in the range of 1MPa-2GPa. Specifically, in this embodiment, the hardness and elasticity of the elastic material meet the above requirements at the same time, thereby providing the wearer with a better use experience.

[0063] In some of the embodiments, the infrared temperature measurement component 200 includes an infrared thermopile sensor and a first temperature sensor; the infrared thermopile sensor and the first temperature sensor are installed at one end of the first mounting member 100 close to the eardrum; the first temperature sensor is located on the side of the infrared thermopile sensor close to the first mounting member 100, and is used to detect the cold junction working environment temperature of the infrared thermopile sensor; when the vital sign detection device is worn, the infrared thermopile sensor can be aligned with the wearer's eardrum through the elastic deformation of the first mounting member 100, and the infrared thermopile sensor is used to detect the wearer's eardrum temperature.

[0064] In the present embodiment, a specific infrared temperature measurement component 200 is provided. The infrared temperature measurement component 200 mainly includes an infrared thermopile sensor and a first temperature sensor. Among them, the infrared thermopile sensor is aimed at the eardrum when in use to detect the temperature of the eardrum; and the first temperature sensor is used to detect the cold junction working environment temperature of the infrared thermopile sensor. Through the cold junction working environment temperature of the infrared thermopile sensor, the eardrum temperature detected by the infrared thermopile sensor can be compensated and corrected to reduce the influence of ambient temperature changes on the measurement results, thereby determining the eardrum temperature more accurately. Compared with the detection method in the prior art that ensures the constant working temperature of the temperature measurement component by a heating component, the infrared temperature measurement component 200 in this embodiment can reduce the power consumption of the detection equipment.

[0065] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of an in-ear vital sign detection device in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 The vital sign detection device provided in this embodiment, on the basis of including the infrared temperature measurement component 200 and the first mounting component 100, also includes: a blood oxygen measurement component 400 and a second mounting component 300; the second mounting component 300 is installed on the first mounting component 100, and is located at an end of the first mounting component 100 away from the infrared temperature measurement component 200; the second mounting component 300 has a mounting surface, the blood oxygen measurement component 400 is installed on the mounting surface, and the second mounting component 300 is elastic in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface; when the vital sign detection device is worn, the blood oxygen measurement component 400 can be fitted to the wearer's auricle through the elastic deformation of the second mounting component 300, and the blood oxygen measurement component 400 is used to detect the wearer's blood oxygen concentration.

[0066] Specifically, in the above embodiment, it is mainly introduced that the vital sign detection device includes an infrared temperature measurement component 200, and then the device has the function of detecting the temperature of the wearer's eardrum. In this embodiment, the vital sign detection device can also realize the function of detecting the wearer's blood oxygen concentration, which is mainly realized by the blood oxygen measurement component 400. The blood oxygen measurement component 400 is installed on the mounting surface of the second mounting component 300, and the second mounting component 300 is connected to the side of the first mounting component 100 away from the infrared temperature measurement component 200. After the detection device is worn, the first mounting component 100 is in the external auditory canal, and the second mounting component 300 and the blood oxygen measurement component 400 are roughly at the position of the external auditory canal opening, and the mounting surface of the second mounting component 300 is basically parallel to the tragus. Under the action of the second mounting component 300, the blood oxygen measurement component 400 can fit the tragus more closely.

[0067] In some embodiments, the second mounting member 300 is made of elastic material, and the blood oxygen measurement component 400 includes a blood oxygen sensor.

[0068] Specifically, in this embodiment, the selection criteria of the elastic material of the second mounting member 300 are the same as those of the first mounting member 100. The elastic material needs to have non-toxic and environmentally friendly properties. The elastic material can be selected from various types of elastomers, including thermoplastic elastomers and thermosetting elastomers. For example, in thermoplastic elastomers, the elastic material can be selected from non-toxic and environmentally friendly styrene thermoplastic elastomers, polyurethane thermoplastic elastomers, etc. In thermosetting elastomers, the elastic material can be selected from non-toxic and environmentally friendly silicone, etc. In addition, the hardness of the elastic material is 10A-50A, and the elastic modulus of the elastic material ranges from 1MPa-2GPa.

[0069] In some of the embodiments, the vital sign detection device also includes: a data processing unit and a communication unit; the communication unit includes a wireless communication unit and / or a wired communication unit; the infrared temperature measurement component 200 and the blood oxygen measurement component 400 are both connected to the data processing unit; the data processing unit is used to send the vital sign data to an external data processing and / or storage device through the communication unit, and the vital sign data includes eardrum temperature and / or blood oxygen concentration.

[0070] In the above embodiments, it is mainly introduced that the vital sign detection device mainly has the functions of eardrum temperature detection and blood oxygen concentration detection. On this basis, it is also necessary to export the detected eardrum temperature and blood oxygen concentration data. Therefore, in this embodiment, the vital sign detection device also has a communication function. Specifically, after the infrared temperature measurement component 200 and the blood oxygen measurement component 400 obtain the vital sign data, the vital sign data is transmitted to the data processing unit. The data processing unit can perform preliminary processing on the vital sign data and then transmit the vital sign data to an external data processing and / or storage device through the communication unit.

[0071] Among them, due to the small size of the vital sign detection device, the data processing unit can adopt a small MCU (Microcontroller Unit). The communication unit can adopt a wireless communication unit to realize the wireless communication function, such as Bluetooth, NFC (Near Field Communication) tags, etc. The communication unit can also adopt a wired communication unit. In this case, it is necessary to set an interface for connecting the wired communication unit on the vital sign detection device to connect the corresponding data transmission line. The external data processing device includes a common computer and other terminals. At this time, the vital sign data can be processed by the computer and other terminals and then fed back to the user. The data processing unit directly transmits the vital sign data to the external data processing device, which can achieve the effect of real-time monitoring of vital signs. At the same time, the data processing unit can also transmit the vital sign data to an external storage device for storage, and then retrieve it when needed. Correspondingly, the communication unit can adopt a combination of a wireless communication unit and a wired communication unit, so as to have the functions of wireless communication and wired communication at the same time.

[0072] Furthermore, the communication unit may also include a voice communication unit to facilitate remote voice communication between the wearer and others. For example, the wearer can communicate directly with the doctor through the vital sign detection device in the hospital, at home, outdoors, or other scenarios where remote voice communication is required. Therefore, in one embodiment, the vital sign detection device also has the call function of a traditional headset, which is convenient for the doctor to monitor and guide the wearer's vital signs, or to provide real-time feedback on the results of vital sign data analysis.

[0073] Further, in some of the embodiments, the data processing unit is used to send the vital sign data to an external data processing and / or storage device via the communication unit, including: the data processing unit is used to add a timestamp to the vital sign data, and send the vital sign data with the timestamp to the external data processing and / or storage device.

[0074] Specifically, in this embodiment, the data processing unit does not simply send the vital sign data to the external device, but adds a timestamp to the vital sign data during data preprocessing to indicate the acquisition time of each piece of data. Through the timestamp, not only can the wearer's vital sign status at different times be determined more accurately, but also the vital sign data collected in different time periods can be integrated and synchronized. At the same time, considering that the same wearer can use multiple vital sign detection devices, the vital sign data acquired by different vital sign detection devices can also be integrated and synchronized through the timestamp.

[0075] In some of the embodiments, the vital sign detection device also includes: a second temperature sensor connected to the data processing unit; the second temperature sensor is located at one end of the second mounting member 300 away from the first mounting member 100, and is used to detect the external ear environment temperature of the wearer; the data processing unit is also used to detect the wearer's eardrum temperature through the infrared temperature measurement component 200 when the rate of change of the external ear environment temperature is less than a preset threshold.

[0076] For details, see Figure 2 When the vital sign detection device is worn, the second mounting member 300 is approximately located at the opening of the wearer's external auditory canal, and the second temperature sensor is located outside the external auditory canal, thereby detecting the wearer's external ear ambient temperature. The second temperature sensor transmits the detected external ear ambient temperature to the data processing unit, and the data processing unit can control the working state of the infrared temperature measurement component 200 according to the external ear ambient temperature. The infrared temperature measurement component 200 usually detects a more accurate eardrum temperature when the ambient temperature is stable. Therefore, when the data processing unit determines that the rate of change of the external ear ambient temperature is greater than a threshold, it determines that the ambient temperature is unstable, and then determines that the eardrum temperature obtained by the infrared temperature measurement component 200 is not accurate enough; when the data processing unit determines that the rate of change of the external ear ambient temperature is less than a threshold, it determines that the ambient temperature is stable, and then determines that the eardrum temperature obtained by the infrared temperature measurement component 200 is relatively accurate. The data processing unit can filter the eardrum temperature data according to the above standards and only retain relatively accurate eardrum temperature data.

[0077] In some of the embodiments, the vital sign detection device also includes: a position sensor connected to the data processing unit; the position sensor is located at one end of the second mounting member 300 away from the first mounting member 100, and is used to obtain position information of the vital sign detection device; the data processing unit is also used to determine whether the vital sign detection device is in the ear of the wearer based on the position information, and when the vital sign detection device is in the ear of the wearer, the wearer's eardrum temperature is detected by the infrared temperature measurement component 200, and / or the wearer's blood oxygen concentration is detected by the blood oxygen measurement component 400.

[0078] Specifically, in this embodiment, the main function of the position sensor is to detect the position of the vital sign detection device, so that the data processing unit can determine whether the vital sign detection device is in the ear, so the position sensor can also be called an in-ear detection sensor. When the vital sign detection device is not in the ear, the data processing unit controls other components to stop working, thereby reducing the power consumption of the device and avoiding obtaining erroneous vital sign data.

[0079] In one of the above-mentioned embodiments, the infrared temperature measurement component 200 includes an infrared thermopile sensor and a first temperature sensor. The eardrum temperature detected by the infrared thermopile sensor can be compensated and corrected by the cold junction working environment temperature of the infrared thermopile sensor, thereby reducing the influence of the ambient temperature change on the measurement result, thereby more accurately determining the eardrum temperature. The above-mentioned compensation and correction process can be performed by a data processing unit in the vital sign detection device. Therefore, in a further embodiment, the infrared thermopile sensor and the first temperature sensor are both connected to the data processing unit; the data processing unit is used to correct the detection result of the infrared thermopile sensor according to the detection result of the first temperature sensor.

[0080] Correspondingly, in another embodiment, the compensation correction process can also be executed by an external data processing device, that is, the data processing unit in the vital sign detection device is only used to send the eardrum temperature data and the cold junction working environment temperature data to the external data processing device.

[0081] Since in some embodiments, the vital sign detection device includes an infrared temperature measurement component 200, a blood oxygen measurement component 400 and a data processing unit at the same time, the vital sign detection device has both eardrum temperature detection and blood oxygen concentration detection functions, and also needs to transmit vital sign data to an external device through a wireless transmission unit. In order to reduce the instantaneous power consumption of the vital sign detection device, in a further embodiment, the data processing unit uses an asynchronous method to collect and transmit different vital sign data. Specifically, blood oxygen collection, body temperature collection and wireless transmission do not work at the same time, ensuring lower transient power consumption. For example, blood oxygen collection is performed at time t1, blood oxygen information is wirelessly transmitted at time t2, body temperature collection is performed at time t3, and body temperature information is wirelessly transmitted at time t4, and the order and time interval of t1, t2, t3 and t4 can be flexibly set.

[0082] Through the above-mentioned several embodiments, the structural features of the vital sign detection device and the functional components it contains have been relatively completely introduced. Accordingly, in order to ensure the operation of the functional components, it is also necessary to configure a power supply, a power supply circuit and connecting wires connecting the various functional components in the vital sign detection device. The power supply usually uses a small battery. The battery can be set at one end of the first mounting member 100 away from the infrared temperature measurement component 200, in a position close to the second mounting member 300, and of course, it can also be set at a position where the second mounting member 300 is away from the first mounting member 100. At the same time, the connecting line connecting the infrared temperature measurement component 200 and the data processing unit needs to pass through the first mounting member 100.

[0083] At the same time, the vital sign detection device may also have a corresponding shell structure for installing functional components. Exemplarily, the vital sign detection device may have a first shell structure for installing the infrared temperature measurement component 200, and the first shell structure is connected to the end of the first mounting member 100 close to the eardrum. At the same time, the first shell structure should be designed to be smaller in size, not only smaller in diameter than the first mounting member 100, but also smaller than the common external auditory canal diameter. The vital sign detection device may also have a second shell structure for installing a battery, the second shell structure is connected to the end of the first mounting member 100 away from the first shell structure, and the second mounting member 300 may be installed on one side of the second shell structure and protrude from the second shell structure. The vital sign detection device may also have a third shell structure for installing a data processing unit and a communication unit, the third shell structure is connected to the side of the second shell structure away from the first mounting member 100, and may be integrated with the second shell structure.

[0084] The technical solution of the present invention is further described below through a specific embodiment.

[0085] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of an in-ear vital sign detection device in a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3In a specific embodiment, the in-ear vital sign detection device includes: an infrared thermopile sensor 210, an infrared thermopile cold junction ambient temperature sensor 220 (equivalent to a first temperature sensor), an external ambient temperature sensor 540 (equivalent to a second temperature sensor), a blood oxygen sensor 410, an in-ear detection sensor 530, an NFC tag 550, a battery 510, a power supply circuit, wireless and wired communication circuits, a flexible structural member (equivalent to a first mounting member 100 and a second mounting member 300), and a printed circuit board 520 integrated with a microprocessor, etc.

[0086] The elastic materials of the first mounting member 100 and the second mounting member 300 may be non-toxic and environmentally friendly styrene thermoplastic elastomer, polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer, silicone, etc. The first mounting member 100 and the second mounting member 300 may be made of the same or different elastic materials.

[0087] Furthermore, the diameter of the first mounting member 100 can be designed to be about 5 mm, and the length can be designed to be about 1 cm. The design position is between the infrared thermopile sensor 210 and the structure for loading the battery 510, and it is a part of the outer shell structure. When wearing, adults pinch the auricle and gently pull it upward and backward, and children pinch the auricle and gently pull it downward and backward, so that the ear canal is basically in a straight state. The first mounting member 100 and the infrared thermopile sensor 210 are placed in the external auditory canal opening to the inner 1 / 3 of the external auditory canal. After removing the pulling force on the ear, the first mounting member 100 is appropriately deformed according to the different shapes of the external auditory canal. The wearer can ensure that the infrared thermopile sensor 210 is basically facing the eardrum by adjustment.

[0088] The blood oxygen sensor 410 is mounted on the second mounting member 300. The size of the second mounting member 300 is slightly larger than that of the blood oxygen sensor 410. The second mounting member 300 can be a continuous part of the device housing, or an independent structural member mounted on the device housing. The second mounting member 300 is made of elastic material with good elasticity, and can change its longitudinal dimension through elastic deformation. Therefore, under different external auditory canal tragus sizes and depths, the blood oxygen sensor 410 can fit well with the inside of the tragus.

[0089] The infrared thermopile sensor 210, the infrared thermopile cold junction ambient temperature sensor 220 and the blood oxygen sensor 410 are all connected to the printed circuit board 520 (PCBA) placed on the outermost side through a flexible cable. The external ambient temperature sensor 540 and the in-ear detection sensor 530 can be integrated into the PCBA. The PCBA can also further integrate an NFC tag 550 and a BLE (Bluetooth) communication unit (including a BLE antenna), and can also integrate a wired communication unit. In addition, it can further integrate a battery and a power management unit.

[0090] It should be noted that the above is only an exemplary description. For example, the size of the first mounting member 100 can also be 4.5 mm in diameter and 0.7 mm in length. The size and shape of the second mounting member 300 can also change, as long as it covers the size of the blood oxygen sensor. For example, the second mounting member 300 is elliptical, the major axis of the ellipse is greater than 5.5 mm, and the minor axis is greater than 2 mm. The components integrated in the above PCBA can also be set in other positions, such as placing the external ambient temperature sensor 540 on a structural member exposed outside the ear, or the NFC tag 550 can be installed separately on a structural member exposed outside the ear. The in-ear detection sensor 530 can be set near the blood oxygen sensor 410, or near the infrared thermopile sensor 210, etc. When the above components are not integrated on the PCBA, they are connected to the PCBA via a soft wire.

[0091] Correspondingly, the vital sign detection device can also integrate the audio part of traditional headphones for remote voice communication.

[0092] The in-ear vital sign detection device provided in the above embodiment has the following technical effects:

[0093] 1. For the collection of eardrum temperature, a rigid infrared detection element (infrared thermopile sensor 210, infrared thermopile cold junction ambient temperature sensor 220) is integrated into one end of the first mounting member 100. When worn, the first mounting member 100 can be bent to adapt to different shapes of the human ear canal to ensure that the infrared detection element is basically facing the eardrum in the ear canal.

[0094] 2. For blood oxygen collection, a blood oxygen sensor 410 is set near the tragus, and the blood oxygen sensor 410 is supported by an elastic second mounting member 300, which ensures that the blood oxygen sensor 410 fits well with the inside of the tragus, and also ensures that when the ear moves, the blood oxygen sensor 410 is stationary relative to the tragus, thereby ensuring signal quality.

[0095] 3. In order to ensure timely perception of changes in the external environment temperature, an external environment temperature sensor 540 is integrated in the direction of the ear facing the vital sign detection device. When the temperature indication of the sensor changes significantly, it is considered that the human body's environment has changed, such as walking from indoors to outdoors. When the sensor temperature remains constant for a period of time, such as 5-20 minutes, it is considered that the human body's environment is constant. When the external environment temperature is constant, the system considers that the measured value is more accurate. Through the integration of this sensor, the technical effect of intelligently screening the accurate values ​​of the measured body temperature and blood oxygen is achieved.

[0096] 4. Use multiple sets of infrared detection cold junction ambient temperature correction data, such as the common room temperature of 26°C, 20°C, etc. When the temperature is relatively slowly changing or constant, select a suitable temperature compensation curve based on the temperature collected by the infrared thermopile cold junction ambient temperature sensor 220, so that the temperature read by the infrared thermopile sensor 210 is more accurate, without the need to use other structures to ensure the stability of the working environment temperature of the infrared thermopile sensor 210, thereby avoiding structural redundancy and additional power consumption.

[0097] 5. An in-ear detection sensor 530 is integrated to reduce the power consumption of the device and avoid obtaining erroneous vital sign data. An NFC tag 550 is integrated to achieve “touch and connect” for easy use.

[0098] 6. Blood oxygen collection, body temperature collection and wireless transmission do not work at the same time, ensuring low transient power consumption. For example, blood oxygen collection is performed at time t1, blood oxygen information is wirelessly transmitted at time t2, body temperature collection is performed at time t3, and body temperature information is wirelessly transmitted at time t4. The order and time interval of t1, t2, t3 and t4 can be flexibly set.

[0099] Based on the in-ear vital sign detection devices provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, an in-ear vital sign detection system is also provided in the present invention. The vital sign detection system includes two in-ear vital sign detection devices provided in the present invention. Since the vital sign detection devices can adapt to external auditory canals of different shapes, each vital sign detection device can be suitable for both ears. The wearer can wear the vital sign detection devices on both ears at the same time, and the two vital sign detection devices can simultaneously monitor the vital signs. By combining the two sets of vital sign data, a more accurate vital sign monitoring result can be obtained.

[0100] Since the external auditory canal structures of both ears are symmetrical, the specific structures of the two vital sign detection devices can also be designed symmetrically, so that the two vital sign detection devices are respectively suitable for the left ear and the right ear. In this case, the vital sign detection devices and their corresponding ears have a higher matching degree.

[0101] Specifically, the vital sign detection system may further include a storage and charging device for storing two vital sign detection devices and charging the vital sign detection devices when stored. Any of the two vital sign detection devices can work normally after being worn, and the other vital sign detection device can be placed in the storage device for charging and data can also be exported, thereby ensuring continuous real-time monitoring of vital sign signals.

[0102] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties.

[0103] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the application, rather than to limit it. Based on the embodiments provided in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the protection scope of this application.

[0104] Obviously, the drawings are only some examples or embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in the field, the present application can also be applied to other similar situations based on these drawings without creative work. In addition, it is understandable that although the work done in this development process may be complicated and lengthy, for ordinary technicians in the field, certain changes in design, manufacturing or production based on the technical content disclosed in this application are only conventional technical means and should not be regarded as insufficient content disclosed in this application.

[0105] The term "embodiment" in this application refers to a specific feature, structure or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment that can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily mean the same embodiment, nor does it mean that it is mutually exclusive with other embodiments and is independent or optional. It is clearly or implicitly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described in this application can be combined with other embodiments without conflict.

[0106] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of patent protection. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An in-ear vital sign detection device, characterized in that: The vital sign detection device comprises: an infrared temperature measurement component (200) and a first mounting component (100); The infrared temperature measurement component (200) is installed on an end of the first mounting member (100) close to the eardrum, and the first mounting member (100) is elastic; When the vital sign detection device is worn, the first mounting component (100) is located in the external auditory canal of the wearer, and the infrared temperature measurement component (200) is aligned with the eardrum of the wearer through elastic deformation of the first mounting component (100), and the infrared temperature measurement component (200) is used to detect the eardrum temperature of the wearer.

2. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first mounting member (100) comprises a central portion and an edge portion, wherein the edge portion wraps the central portion, the edge portion is made of an elastic material, and the central portion is used to support the edge portion.

3. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first mounting member (100) is made of elastic material.

4. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The infrared temperature measurement component (200) comprises an infrared thermopile sensor and a first temperature sensor; The infrared thermopile sensor and the first temperature sensor are mounted on an end of the first mounting member (100) close to the eardrum; The first temperature sensor is located on a side of the infrared thermopile sensor close to the first mounting member (100) and is used to detect the cold junction working environment temperature of the infrared thermopile sensor; When the vital sign detection device is worn, the infrared thermopile sensor can be aligned with the eardrum of the wearer through the elastic deformation of the first mounting member (100), and the infrared thermopile sensor is used to detect the temperature of the eardrum of the wearer.

5. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vital sign detection device further comprises: a blood oxygen measurement component (400) and a second mounting component (300); The second mounting member (300) is mounted on the first mounting member (100) and is located at an end of the first mounting member (100) away from the infrared temperature measurement component (200); The second mounting member (300) has a mounting surface, the blood oxygen measurement component (400) is mounted on the mounting surface, and the second mounting member (300) has elasticity in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface; When the vital sign detection device is worn, the blood oxygen measurement component (400) can be made to fit the wearer's tragus through the elastic deformation of the second mounting member (300), and the blood oxygen measurement component (400) is used to detect the wearer's blood oxygen concentration.

6. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second mounting member (300) is made of elastic material, and the blood oxygen measurement component (400) comprises a blood oxygen sensor.

7. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 2, 3 or 6, characterized in that: The elastic material is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers and thermosetting elastomers.

8. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 2, 3 or 6, characterized in that: The hardness of the elastic material is 10A-50A; And / or, the elastic modulus of the elastic material is 1 MPa-2 GPa.

9. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vital sign detection device further comprises: a data processing unit and a communication unit; the communication unit comprises a wireless communication unit and / or a wired communication unit; The infrared temperature measurement component (200) and the blood oxygen measurement component (400) are both connected to the data processing unit; The data processing unit is used to send the vital sign data to an external data processing and / or storage device through the communication unit, and the vital sign data includes eardrum temperature and / or blood oxygen concentration.

10. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The vital sign detection device further comprises: a second temperature sensor connected to the data processing unit; The second temperature sensor is located at an end of the second mounting member (300) away from the first mounting member (100), and is used to detect the ambient temperature outside the ear of the wearer; The data processing unit is also used to detect the eardrum temperature of the wearer through the infrared temperature measurement component (200) when the rate of change of the external ear environment temperature is less than a preset threshold.

11. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The vital sign detection device further comprises: a position sensor connected to the data processing unit; The position sensor is located at an end of the second mounting member (300) away from the first mounting member (100) and is used to obtain position information of the vital sign detection device; The data processing unit is further used to determine whether the vital sign detection device is in the ear of the wearer based on the position information, and when the vital sign detection device is in the ear of the wearer, detect the eardrum temperature of the wearer through the infrared temperature measurement component (200), and / or detect the blood oxygen concentration of the wearer through the blood oxygen measurement component (400).

12. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The data processing unit is used to send the vital sign data to an external data processing and / or storage device through the communication unit, and includes: The data processing unit is used to add a time stamp to the vital sign data, and send the vital sign data with the time stamp to an external data processing and / or storage device.

13. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The infrared thermopile sensor and the first temperature sensor are both connected to the data processing unit; The data processing unit is used to correct the detection result of the infrared thermopile sensor according to the detection result of the first temperature sensor.

14. The in-ear vital sign detection device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The data processing unit collects and transmits different vital sign data in an asynchronous manner.

15. An in-ear vital sign detection system, characterized in that: The vital sign detection system comprises two in-ear vital sign detection devices according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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