Tongue pressure sensor

Abstract

The utility model relates to a tongue pressure sensor, which comprises a tongue pressure sensor shell, a flexible pressure sensor is arranged in the tongue pressure sensor shell, a calibration chip and a plurality of pressure sensing points are arranged on the flexible pressure sensor, and the tongue pressure sensor shell comprises a detection part and a rod part. The bottom of the detection part is provided with a plurality of force conduction contacts, and the tops of the force conduction contacts are in contact with the pressure induction points. According to the utility model, the calibration chip is additionally arranged on the flexible pressure sensor, so that automatic deviation correction can be uniformly tested during factory test, products can be uniformly and quickly delivered, and test and calculation of each sensing device are not needed, and then a correction formula is input.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of tongue pressure measurement technology, specifically a tongue pressure sensor. Background Technology

[0002] Dysphagia is a common complication of central and peripheral diseases, and can be accompanied by tongue dysfunction leading to slurred and labored speech. It can also cause aspiration, resulting in complications such as lung infection, malnutrition, and electrolyte imbalance, severely impacting patient prognosis. Currently, swallowing rehabilitation training for patients with dysphagia is widely used in clinical practice, significantly impacting the shortening of disease course, reducing the burden on patients and their families and society, improving patients' quality of life, and lowering mortality rates.

[0003] Studies abroad have shown that tongue pressure is closely related to voluntary tongue movement and the incidence of coughing during eating, making tongue pressure measurement very useful for bedside swallowing function assessment. Simultaneously, targeted tongue pressure resistance feedback training can be conducted on patients based on tongue pressure data. Visual feedback, using pressure data from a tongue pressure meter, helps patients more easily grasp the key points of swallowing movements. This method is suitable for patients experiencing insufficient tongue muscle strength and coordination after surgery for stroke, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, tongue cancer, and other diseases.

[0004] Tongue pressure sensing devices detect tongue pressure by measuring and converting piezoelectric and pressure data through contact with the tongue. The piezoelectric data is then converted into pressure data and transmitted to a database or system for use. Tongue pressure force detection has a small range and requires high accuracy. Even flexible pressure sensors (nanomaterials) manufactured using the same process will have different detection deviations, making it impossible to calculate the converted data using a uniform formula. The conventional formula for converting electrical signals and force in piezoelectric sensors is V = k × F, where voltage (V), applied force (F), and sensitivity coefficient (k) are involved. Even for the same material, the sensitivity coefficient (k) can vary due to manufacturing processes. Specifically, for tongue pressure detection, this discrepancy between measured and calculated values ​​has a significant impact on usability. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a tongue pressure sensor to address the above-mentioned shortcomings.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A tongue pressure sensor includes a tongue pressure sensor housing.

[0008] The tongue pressure sensor housing contains a flexible pressure sensor, which has a calibration chip and several pressure sensing points. The tongue pressure sensor housing includes a detection part and a rod part. The bottom of the detection part has several force transmission contacts, and the top of the force transmission contacts contacts the pressure sensing points.

[0009] Furthermore, a sleeve frame is provided on the outer side of the rod portion of the tongue pressure sensor housing, and the tongue pressure sensor housing is composed of a lower flexible silicone structure and an upper flexible silicone structure.

[0010] Furthermore, the bottom of the upper flexible silicone structure is provided with several assembly slots, and a raised cover is provided in the assembly slot. The raised cover cooperates with the pressure sensing point, and the lower surface of the raised cover is in the same plane.

[0011] Furthermore, the raised cover is cylindrical, with a platform at the bottom, a first groove at the top, and an opening communicating with the first groove on the side.

[0012] Furthermore, a tooth groove is provided on the outer side of the rod portion of the tongue pressure sensor housing.

[0013] Furthermore, a flange is provided on the top outer side of the force transmission contact, and a rigid collar is provided on the middle outer side of the force transmission contact, the rigid collar being located inside the tongue pressure sensor housing.

[0014] Furthermore, a second groove is provided on the top of the force transmission contact, and a gasket is provided in the second groove. The gasket cooperates with the pressure sensing point to form a flexible pressure sensor detection point.

[0015] Furthermore, an airbag assembly is detachably provided on the outer side of the tongue pressure sensor housing, and a sleeve is provided on the airbag assembly, which can be fitted onto the outside of the detection part.

[0016] Furthermore, the airbag assembly is provided with an inflation rod, and an inflation hole is provided at the end of the inflation rod away from the airbag assembly.

[0017] Furthermore, the airbag assembly consists of a lower rigid component and an upper inflatable deformable component.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention, by adopting the above technical solution, has the following advantages:

[0019] This invention adds a calibration chip to the flexible pressure sensor, which can automatically test and correct deviations during factory testing. This allows products to be shipped quickly and uniformly without the need to test, calculate, and input calibration formulas for each sensor.

[0020] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the airbag assembly of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the force transmission contact of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the raised cover of this utility model.

[0027] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0028] 1. Tongue pressure sensor housing; 1a. Detection part; 1b. Rod part; 1c. Alveolar bone; 11. Lower flexible silicone structure; 12. Upper flexible silicone structure; 121. Assembly groove; 2. Airbag assembly; 2a. Sheath; 2b. Inflatable rod; 2c. Inflatable hole; 21. Lower rigid component; 22. Upper inflatable deformation component; 3. Flexible pressure sensor; 31. Pressure sensing point; 32. Calibration chip; 4. Force transmission contact; 41. Flange; 42. Second groove; 5. Sleeve frame; 6. Protruding cover; 61. Platform; 62. First groove; 63. Opening; 71. Rigid collar; 72. Gasket. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The principles and features of this utility model are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are only for explaining this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0031] Example 1:

[0032] The tongue pressure sensor is a resistive thin-film pressure array sensor with excellent flexibility and stability. When no external pressure is applied, the sensor is in an open-circuit state with infinite resistance. When the pressure is between 5-10g, the sensor enters a triggered state, and the resistance is less than 50KΩ. As the pressure increases, the resistance decreases linearly; when the pressure reaches 500g, the resistance is less than 10KΩ. The output resistance at the pressure sensing end changes accordingly with the external pressure. This flexible pressure sensor is composed of a polyester film with excellent comprehensive mechanical properties and environmental friendliness, highly conductive materials, carbon nanotube pressure-sensitive materials, and adhesive materials. Its simple structure facilitates installation into product devices and system integration. The output interface uses pin contact for conduction, ensuring stable and reliable signal transmission.

[0033] The force detection range of tongue pressure is small, and the detection accuracy requirement is high. Each flexible pressure sensor (nanomaterial) manufactured by the same process will have different detection deviations, and it is impossible to calculate and convert the data with a unified formula. The formula for converting electrical signal and force of conventional piezoelectric sensors is V=k×F, where voltage (V), applied force (F), and sensitivity coefficient (k) are used. The sensitivity coefficient (k) of the same material may also have certain differences due to process reasons. Specifically, for tongue pressure, this deviation between the measured value and the calculated value has a significant impact on the use.

[0034] As shown in Table 1, the deviation of 5g is relatively large. Similar products have a range starting from 10-20g. Because of their smaller range and smaller measured values, the required sensing accuracy is higher, so all products need to be calibrated before use. Therefore, this application proposes a tongue pressure sensor structure that adds a calibration chip 32 to the flexible pressure sensor 3. During factory testing, the chip automatically corrects the deviation, allowing products to be shipped quickly and uniformly without the need for subsequent testing, calculation, and recording for each sensor.

[0035] Enter the correction formula.

[0036] Table 1. Range of the tongue pressure sensor

[0037] Force (g) Diameter (mm) Pressure (kPa) 5 5 2.496815286624 10 5 4.993630573248 20 5 9.987261146497 50 5 24.968152866242 100 5 49.936305732484 200 5 99.872611464968 300 5 149.808917197452 400 5 199.745222929936 500 5 249.681528662420

[0038] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a tongue pressure sensor includes a tongue pressure sensor housing 1 and an airbag assembly 2;

[0039] The tongue pressure sensor housing 1 is provided with a flexible pressure sensor 3. The flexible pressure sensor 3 is provided with a calibration chip 32 and several pressure sensing points 31. The tongue pressure sensor housing 1 includes a detection part 1a and a rod part 1b. Several force transmission contacts 4 are provided at the bottom of the detection part 1a. The force transmission contacts 4 cooperate with the pressure sensing points 31.

[0040] The airbag assembly 2 is detachably mounted on the top of the detection unit 1a.

[0041] The number of force transmission contacts 4 (and corresponding components) is 1 to 16, and in this embodiment, it is preferably 9.

[0042] To facilitate fixing the position of the tongue pressure sensor, a tooth groove 1c is provided on the outer side of the rod portion 1b of the tongue pressure sensor housing 1. The number of tooth grooves 1c can be several, and in this embodiment, three are preferred.

[0043] The flexible pressure sensor 3 (nanomaterial) is used to sense and transmit piezoelectric data and convert pressure data. The data conversion is completed by the calibration chip 32, which has built-in standard configuration and algorithm. The diameter of the pressure sensing point 31 on the flexible pressure sensor 3 is generally 5-6 mm. Its size does not affect the accuracy. In this embodiment, a pressure sensing point 31 with a diameter of 5 mm is used, which is suitable for a distribution of nine force transmission contacts 4. If the diameter is too large, the distribution will exceed the tongue sensing. If the diameter is too small, it will be difficult to align with the tongue sensing position. Products for children will be scaled down proportionally.

[0044] A sleeve frame 5 is provided on the outside of the rod portion 1b of the tongue pressure sensor housing 1. The tongue pressure sensor housing 1 is composed of a lower flexible silicone structure 11 and an upper flexible silicone structure 12. The sleeve frame 5 corresponds to the position of the calibration chip 32, which can protect the internal chip and facilitate the assembly of the housing. The top of the force transmission contact 4 cooperates with the corresponding pressure sensing point 31, and the bottom penetrates through the lower flexible silicone structure 11 to directly contact the tongue to transmit pressure.

[0045] Example 2:

[0046] This embodiment is an improvement on embodiment 1, with the main improvement being on the force transmission contact 4.

[0047] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, since the tongue pressure sensor housing 1 is made of silicone and has a certain elasticity, in order to prevent the force transmission contact 4 from detaching from the tongue pressure sensor housing 1 and causing safety issues, this embodiment provides a collar 71 on the outside of the force transmission contact 4 to prevent the force transmission contact 4 from popping out of the tongue pressure sensor housing 1. A flange 41 is provided on the top outer side of the force transmission contact 4, and a rigid collar 71 is provided on the middle outer side of the force transmission contact 4. The rigid collar 71 is located inside the tongue pressure sensor housing 1.

[0048] The top of the force transmission contact 4 is provided with a second groove 42, and a gasket 72 is provided in the second groove 42. The gasket 72 cooperates with the pressure sensing point 31. The second groove 42 is mainly used to limit the position of the gasket 72. The gasket 72 is made of a material with moderate hardness (such as silicone), which can avoid hard contact of the detection point during pressure detection and can accurately measure the pressure.

[0049] Example 3:

[0050] This embodiment is an improvement on embodiment 1 or embodiment 2. The main improvement is the addition of a raised cover 6 structure between the upper flexible silicone structure 11 and the flexible pressure sensor 3.

[0051] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, since a soft plane cannot accurately test piezoelectric data, in this embodiment, a raised cover 6 is added inside the tongue pressure sensor housing 1 to support the pressure sensing point 31, the pad 72, or the force transmission contact 4. The bottom of the upper flexible silicone structure 12 has several mounting slots 121, and the raised cover 6 is installed in the mounting slot 121. The raised cover 6 cooperates with the pressure sensing point 31. The lower surface of the raised cover 6 is in the same plane. That is, when all the raised covers 6 are installed in the corresponding mounting slots 121, the lower surface of the raised cover 6 will form a relatively flat surface, which provides a rigid support surface for the pressure sensing point 31, the pad 72, or the force transmission contact 4, facilitating testing.

[0052] The raised cover 6 is a cylinder, and a platform 61 is provided at the bottom of the raised cover 6. The platform 61 is used to provide a rigid support surface for the pressure sensing point 31, the gasket 72 or the force transmission contact 4, and can also fit into the assembly groove 121 to avoid displacement. The radius of the platform 61 is slightly larger than the diameter of the pressure sensing point 31.

[0053] The top of the protruding cover 6 is provided with a first groove 62, which cooperates with the mounting groove 121 to prevent the protruding cover 6 from shifting.

[0054] The raised cover 6 has an opening 63 on its side that communicates with the first groove 62. Since the raised cover 6 is small and needs to be fitted with the assembly groove 121, the opening can guide excess adhesive when adhesive is added during production, so as to avoid the adhesive from blocking the groove and causing unevenness of the test surface and thus making the test incorrect.

[0055] Example 4:

[0056] This embodiment is an improvement on embodiment 1.

[0057] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the airbag assembly 2 is used to fix the entire detection unit 1a. Since the tongue pressure sensor housing 1 is relatively soft, the airbag assembly 2 supports the palate, facilitating detection. A standalone tongue pressure sensor can also perform detection, so in this embodiment, the airbag assembly 2 is designed to be detachable.

[0058] The airbag assembly 2 is provided with a sleeve 2a, which can be fitted onto the outside of the detection part 1a. In this example, the sleeve 2a is mainly fixed on the side of the detection part 1a away from the rod part 1b.

[0059] The airbag assembly 2 is provided with an inflation rod 2b, and an inflation hole 2c is provided at the end of the inflation rod 2b away from the airbag assembly 2. The airbag assembly 2 can be connected to an inflation device through the inflation hole 2c to inflate the airbag assembly 2 and fill the gap between the palate and the tongue pressure sensor.

[0060] The airbag assembly 2 consists of a lower rigid component 21 and an upper inflatable deformable component 22.

[0061] The above description provides examples of the preferred embodiments of this utility model. Any aspects not detailed herein are common knowledge to those skilled in the art. The scope of protection of this utility model is determined by the claims. Any equivalent modifications based on the technical teachings of this utility model are also within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A tongue pressure sensor, characterized in that, Including the tongue pressure sensor housing (1), The tongue pressure sensor housing (1) is provided with a flexible pressure sensor (3). The flexible pressure sensor (3) is provided with a calibration chip (32) and several pressure sensing points (31). The tongue pressure sensor housing (1) includes a detection part (1a) and a rod part (1b). Several force transmission contacts (4) are provided at the bottom of the detection part (1a). The top of the force transmission contacts (4) is in contact with the pressure sensing points (31).

2. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, A sleeve frame (5) is provided on the outside of the rod part (1b) of the tongue pressure sensor housing (1). The tongue pressure sensor housing (1) is composed of a lower flexible silicone structure (11) and an upper flexible silicone structure (12).

3. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the upper flexible silicone structure (12) is provided with several assembly slots (121), and a raised cover (6) is provided in the assembly slot (121). The raised cover (6) and the pressure sensing point (31) cooperate, and the lower surface of the raised cover (6) is in the same plane.

4. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that, The raised cover (6) is a cylinder. The bottom of the raised cover (6) is provided with a platform (61). The top of the raised cover (6) is provided with a first groove (62). The side of the raised cover (6) is provided with an opening (63) communicating with the first groove (62).

5. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tongue pressure sensor housing (1) has a tooth groove (1c) on the outside of the rod portion (1b).

6. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, A flange (41) is provided on the outer top of the force transmission contact (4), and a hard collar (71) is provided on the outer middle part of the force transmission contact (4). The hard collar (71) is located inside the tongue pressure sensor housing (1).

7. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the force transmission contact (4) is provided with a second groove (42), and a gasket (72) is provided in the second groove (42), which cooperates with the pressure sensing point (31).

8. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, An airbag assembly (2) is detachably provided on the outside of the tongue pressure sensor housing (1). A sleeve (2a) is provided on the airbag assembly (2), and the sleeve (2a) can be fitted onto the outside of the detection part (1a).

9. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The airbag assembly (2) is provided with an inflation rod (2b), and an inflation hole (2c) is provided at the end of the inflation rod (2b) away from the airbag assembly (2).

10. The tongue pressure sensor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The airbag assembly (2) consists of a lower rigid component (21) and an upper inflatable deformable component (22).

Images