Probe device

Abstract

To enhance tolerance against external force to be applied from an environment while responding to a request for miniaturization with respect to a probe device.SOLUTION: Each one of a plurality of conductive lines 12 through which a signal to be used in an optical sensor 11 flows has a connection part to be electrically connected to the optical sensor 11. The adjacent conductive lines 12 are arranged so as to allow each interval at a position closer to a distal end than to the connection part is larger than an interval at a position more separated from the distal end than from the connection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe device with a sensor including at least one element, and also to a method for manufacturing such a probe device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a probe device for acquiring biological information. The probe device includes a sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. Light emitted from the light-emitting element interacts with a living body and is detected by the light-receiving element. The biological information is acquired based on the intensity of the received light. The probe device includes a plurality of conductive pads electrically connected to the sensor and a plurality of conductive wires through which signals used by the sensor flow. Each of the plurality of conductive wires is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of conductive pads. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-080986 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to meet the demand for miniaturization of probe devices while increasing the resistance to external forces applied from the environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention to achieve the above object is a probe device, comprising: a sensor including at least one element; a plurality of conductive lines each having a connection portion for electrical connection with the sensor, through which signals used by the sensor flow; an insulating member that covers at least one of the plurality of conductive wires at a position closer to a tip of the conductive wire than the connection portion, and has electrical insulation properties; It is equipped with:

[0006] To meet the demand for miniaturization of probe devices, the diameter of conductive wires tends to be smaller and the spacing between adjacent conductive wires tends to be narrower. In such a situation, adjacent conductive wires may unexpectedly approach each other due to external forces applied to the probe device from the environment. With the above-described configuration, the insulating member prevents contact between the conductive wires, thereby meeting the demand for miniaturization of probe devices and improving resistance to external forces applied from the environment.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention to achieve the above object is a probe device, comprising: a sensor including at least one element; a plurality of conductive lines each having a connection portion for electrical connection with the sensor, through which signals used by the sensor flow; It is equipped with The adjacent conductive lines are arranged such that the intervals between them at positions closer to the tip than the connection portions are wider than the intervals between them at positions farther from the tip than the connection portions.

[0008] To meet the demand for miniaturization of probe devices, there is a trend toward using cables with narrower spacing between adjacent conductors. The above-described configuration, in which the spacing between adjacent conductors increases toward the tip of each conductor, can prevent contact between the conductors due to external forces applied from the environment, even when using such a cable. Therefore, it is possible to meet the demand for miniaturization of probe devices while improving their resistance to external forces applied from the environment.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention to achieve the above object is a method for manufacturing a probe device, comprising: preparing a plurality of conductive wires each covered with an electrically insulating covering member; forming an exposed portion in which the at least one conductive wire is exposed by leaving a first portion of the covering member at a position closer to the tip of at least one of the plurality of conductive wires and removing a second portion of the covering member at a position farther from the tip; The exposed portion is electrically connected to a sensor that includes at least one element.

[0010] When the probe device according to each of the above aspects is manufactured using conductive wires covered with a covering member, a process of removing a portion of the covering member to form an exposed portion where the conductive wire is exposed for electrical connection is required. Another portion of the covering member remaining through this process is used as an insulating member, thereby reducing waste material. Furthermore, since the process of preparing a separate insulating member and attaching it to the conductive wire is unnecessary, not only can increases in material costs be suppressed but also the efficiency of the probe device manufacturing process can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of the appearance of a probe device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 illustrates a state in which the probe device of FIG. 1 is attached to the fingertip of a subject. [Figure 3] 2 illustrates an example of electrical connection between an optical sensor and a cable in the probe device of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] 4 illustrates a method for electrically connecting the optical sensor and cable of FIG. 3; [Figure 5] 4 illustrates a detailed configuration of a portion where electrical connections are made in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Examples of embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] 1 illustrates an example of the appearance of a probe device 10 according to one embodiment. The probe device 10 includes an optical sensor 11, a cable 12, and a support 13. The optical sensor 11 and the cable 12 are electrically connected. The optical sensor 11 includes a light-emitting unit 111 and a light-receiving unit 112. The support 13 supports the light-emitting unit 111 and the light-receiving unit 112.

[0014] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the probe device 10 is configured to be worn on a fingertip 20 of a subject to acquire biometric information of the subject through an optical sensor 11. The fingertip 20 is an example of a living body. Specifically, the support 13 is wrapped around the fingertip 20 so that the light-emitting unit 111 and the light-receiving unit 112 are positioned opposite each other across the fingertip 20. The other end of the cable 12 is connected to a biometric information acquisition device (not shown). In this example, the biometric information acquisition device acquires percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate as biometric information.

[0015] 3, the light-emitting unit 111 includes a first light-emitting element 111a and a second light-emitting element 111b. The first light-emitting element 111a is a semiconductor light-emitting element that emits red light. The second light-emitting element 111b is a semiconductor light-emitting element that emits infrared light. Examples of the semiconductor light-emitting element include a light-emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), and an EL element.

[0016] The light receiving section 112 includes a light receiving element 112a. The light receiving element 112a outputs a light receiving signal according to the amount of light received on its light receiving surface. Examples of the light receiving element include a photodiode, a phototransistor, and a photoresistor.

[0017] 1 and 3, the probe device 10 includes a circuit board 14. A circuit is formed on the circuit board 14, which provides an electrical connection between the optical sensor 11 and the cable 12. The circuit includes a first contact 141, a second contact 142, a third contact 143, a fourth contact 144, a fifth contact 145, and a sixth contact 146. Each of the first contact 141, the second contact 142, the third contact 143, the fourth contact 144, the fifth contact 145, and the sixth contact 146 is formed from a conductive material.

[0018] The first contact 141 is electrically connected to the first light-emitting element 111a. The second contact 142 is electrically connected to the second light-emitting element 111b. The third contact 143 is electrically connected to both the first light-emitting element 111a and the second light-emitting element 111b. The fourth contact 144 and the fifth contact 145 are electrically connected to the light-receiving element 112a.

[0019] Cable 12 includes a first conductive wire 121, a second conductive wire 122, a third conductive wire 123, a fourth conductive wire 124, a fifth conductive wire 125, and a sixth conductive wire 126. Each of first conductive wire 121, second conductive wire 122, third conductive wire 123, fourth conductive wire 124, fifth conductive wire 125, and sixth conductive wire 126 is formed from a conductive material.

[0020] The first conductive wire 121 has a first connection portion 121a. The first connection portion 121a is a portion where the first conductive wire 121 and the first light-emitting element 111a are electrically connected. The first conductive wire 121 and the first light-emitting element 111a are electrically connected by soldering the first connection portion 121a to the first contact 141.

[0021] First conductive wire 121 has a portion that is covered with first covering member 151. First covering member 151 is made of an electrically insulating material.

[0022] The second conductive wire 122 has a second connection portion 122a. The second connection portion 122a is a portion where the second conductive wire 122 and the second light-emitting element 111b are electrically connected. The electrical connection between the second conductive wire 122 and the second light-emitting element 111b is established by soldering the second connection portion 122a to the second contact 142.

[0023] The second conductive wire 122 has a portion that is covered with a second covering member 152. The second covering member 152 is formed from an electrically insulating material.

[0024] The third conductive wire 123 has a third connection portion 123a. The third connection portion 123a is a portion where the third conductive wire 123 is electrically connected to the first light emitting element 111a and the second light emitting element 111b. The electrical connection between the third conductive wire 123 and the first light emitting element 111a and the second light emitting element 111b is established by soldering the third connection portion 123a to the third contact 143.

[0025] The third conductive wire 123 has a portion that is covered with a third covering member 153. The third covering member 153 is made of an electrically insulating material.

[0026] The fourth conductive wire 124 has a fourth connection portion 124a. The fourth connection portion 124a is a portion where the fourth conductive wire 124 and the light receiving element 112a are electrically connected. The electrical connection between the fourth conductive wire 124 and the light receiving element 112a is established by soldering the fourth connection portion 124a to the fourth contact 144.

[0027] The fourth conductive wire 124 has a portion that is covered with a fourth covering member 154. The fourth covering member 154 is made of an electrically insulating material.

[0028] The fifth conductive wire 125 has a fifth connection portion 125a. The fifth connection portion 125a is a portion where the fifth conductive wire 125 and the light receiving element 112a are electrically connected. The fifth conductive wire 125 and the light receiving element 112a are electrically connected by soldering the fifth connection portion 125a to the fifth contact 145.

[0029] The fifth conductive wire 125 has a portion that is covered with a fifth covering member 155. The fifth covering member 155 is made of an electrically insulating material.

[0030] With the above configuration, the signal used by the optical sensor 11 flows through each of the first conductive line 121, the second conductive line 122, the third conductive line 123, the fourth conductive line 124, and the fifth conductive line 125.

[0031] Specifically, a signal flowing from first conductive wire 121 to third conductive wire 123 causes first light emitting element 111a to emit red light. Similarly, a signal flowing from second conductive wire 122 to third conductive wire 123 causes second light emitting element 111b to emit infrared light. The emission of red light by first light emitting element 111a and the emission of infrared light by second light emitting element 111b are alternately performed.

[0032] Each of the red light and infrared light reaches the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 112a after interacting with the tissue of the subject's fingertip 20. Signals corresponding to the intensity of the red light and the intensity of the infrared light at the light receiving surface flow through the fourth conductive wire 124 and the fifth conductive wire 125.

[0033] The subject's percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation can be calculated based on the ratio between the intensity of the red light emitted from the first light-emitting element 111a and the intensity of the red light incident on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element 112a, and the ratio between the intensity of the infrared light emitted from the second light-emitting element 111b and the intensity of the infrared light incident on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element 112a. Furthermore, the subject's pulse rate can be calculated based on the change over time in at least one of the two ratios.

[0034] The cable 12 includes a shielding layer 127. The shielding layer 127 is made of a conductive material. Each of the fourth covering member 154 and the fifth covering member 155 has a portion that is covered with the shielding layer 127. The shielding layer 127 is electrically connected to the sixth conductive wire 126.

[0035] The sixth conductive wire 126 has a sixth connection portion 126a. The sixth connection portion 126a is a portion where the sixth conductive wire 126 is electrically connected to a protection circuit that protects the fourth conductive wire 124 and the fifth conductive wire 125 from electrostatic noise. The electrical connection between the protection circuit and the sixth conductive wire 126 is established by soldering the sixth connection portion 126a to a sixth contact 146.

[0036] The probe device 10 includes a first insulating member 161. The first insulating member 161 is made of an electrically insulating material. The first insulating member 161 covers the first conductive wire 121 at a position closer to the tip 121b of the first conductive wire 121 than the first connecting portion 121a.

[0037] As a result, even if the first conductive wire 121 unexpectedly approaches the adjacent second conductive wire 122 during or after the connection work between the first contact 141 and the first connecting portion 121a, the first insulating member 161 acts as a spacer, preventing contact between the first conductive wire 121 and the second conductive wire 122.

[0038] The probe device 10 includes a second insulating member 162. The second insulating member 162 is made of an electrically insulating material. The second insulating member 162 covers the second conductive wire 122 at a position closer to the tip 122b of the second conductive wire 122 than the second connection portion 122a.

[0039] As a result, even if the second conductive wire 122 unexpectedly approaches the adjacent first conductive wire 121 or third conductive wire 123 during or after the connection work between the second contact 142 and the second connection portion 122a, the second insulating member 162 acts as a spacer, preventing contact between the second conductive wire 122 and the first conductive wire 121 or the third conductive wire 123.

[0040] The probe device 10 includes a third insulating member 163. The third insulating member 163 is made of an electrically insulating material. The third insulating member 163 covers the third conductive wire 123 at a position closer to the tip 123b of the third conductive wire 123 than the third connection portion 123a.

[0041] As a result, even if the third conductive wire 123 unexpectedly approaches the adjacent second conductive wire 122 during or after the connection work between the third contact 143 and the third connection portion 123a, the third insulating member 163 acts as a spacer, preventing contact between the third conductive wire 123 and the second conductive wire 122.

[0042] The probe device 10 includes a fourth insulating member 164. The fourth insulating member 164 is made of an electrically insulating material. The fourth insulating member 164 covers the fourth conductive wire 124 at a position closer to the tip 124b of the fourth conductive wire 124 than the fourth connection portion 124a.

[0043] As a result, even if the fourth conductive wire 124 unexpectedly approaches the adjacent fifth conductive wire 125 during or after the connection work between the fourth contact 144 and the fourth connection portion 124a, the fourth insulating member 164 acts as a spacer, thereby preventing contact between the fourth conductive wire 124 and the fifth conductive wire 125.

[0044] The probe device 10 includes a fifth insulating member 165. The fifth insulating member 165 is made of an electrically insulating material. The fifth insulating member 165 covers the fifth conductive wire 125 at a position closer to the tip 125b of the fifth conductive wire 125 than the fifth connection portion 125a.

[0045] As a result, even if the fifth conductive wire 125 unexpectedly approaches the adjacent fourth conductive wire 124 or sixth conductive wire 126 during or after the connection work between the fifth contact 145 and the fifth connection portion 125a, the fifth insulating member 165 acts as a spacer, thereby preventing contact between the fifth conductive wire 125 and the fourth conductive wire 124 or the sixth conductive wire 126.

[0046] To meet the demand for miniaturization of probe devices, the diameter of conductive wires tends to be smaller and the spacing between adjacent conductive wires tends to be narrower. In such a situation, adjacent conductive wires may unexpectedly approach each other due to external forces applied to the probe device from the environment. With the above-described configuration, the insulating member prevents contact between the conductive wires, thereby meeting the demand for miniaturization of probe devices and improving resistance to external forces applied from the environment.

[0047] The first insulating member 161 can be fitted onto the tip 121b of the first conductive wire 121 before connecting the first contact 141 and the first connecting portion 121a. However, the first insulating member 161 is preferably part of the first covering member 151.

[0048] 4, the first insulating member 161 is formed by removing a portion of the first covering member 151. In other words, the first insulating member 161 is another portion of the first covering member 151. Specifically, a first portion 151a of the first covering member 151 is left in a position closer to the tip 121b of the first conductive wire 121, while a second portion 151b of the first covering member 151 that is located farther from the tip 121b is removed. This forms an exposed portion where the first conductive wire 121 is exposed.

[0049] In the case where the first conductive wire 121 is covered with the first covering member 151, a step of removing a part of the first covering member 151 to expose the first connecting portion 121a is required for the connection operation with the first contact 141. Another part of the first covering member 151 that remains through this step is used as the first insulating member 161, thereby reducing waste material. Furthermore, since the step of preparing the first insulating member 161 as a separate member and fitting it to the first conductive wire 121 is no longer necessary, not only can an increase in material costs be suppressed but also the efficiency of the manufacturing process of the probe device 10 can be improved.

[0050] In this embodiment, first conductive wire 121 is a twisted wire in which multiple thin conductive wires are twisted together. In a configuration in which first insulating member 161 is fitted as a separate member, work must be performed carefully so as not to unravel the twisted wire. On the other hand, in a configuration in which a portion of first covering member 151 that originally bundles the twisted wire is used as first insulating member 161, it is possible to prevent the twisted wire from unraveling without taking any special measures.

[0051] Similarly, the second insulating member 162 may be fitted onto the tip 122b of the second conductive wire 122 before connecting the second contact 142 and the second connecting portion 122a. However, the second insulating member 162 is preferably part of the second covering member 152.

[0052] Similarly, the third insulating member 163 may be fitted onto the tip 123b of the third conductive wire 123 before connecting the third contact 143 and the third connecting portion 123a. However, it is preferable that the third insulating member 163 be part of the third covering member 153.

[0053] Similarly, the fourth insulating member 164 can be fitted onto the tip 124b of the fourth conductive wire 124 before connecting the fourth contact 144 and the fourth connecting portion 124a. However, it is preferable that the fourth insulating member 164 is part of the fourth covering member 154.

[0054] Similarly, the fifth insulating member 165 can be fitted onto the tip 125b of the fifth conductive wire 125 before connecting the fifth contact 145 and the fifth connecting portion 125a. However, it is preferable that the fifth insulating member 165 is part of the fifth covering member 155.

[0055] As illustrated in step ST3 of FIG. 4, the exposed portion of the first conductive wire 121 is soldered to the first contact point 141 by the automatic soldering device 30.

[0056] As a result, as illustrated in step ST4, first conductive wire 121 has flat portion 121c and inclined portion 121d when viewed in a direction crossing the plurality of conductive wires included in cable 12. Flat portion 121c extends along circuit board 14. Inclined portion 121d extends at an angle α relative to flat portion 121c.

[0057] The distance between first insulating member 161 and first covering member 151, the outer diameter of first insulating member 161, the outer diameter of first covering member 151, etc. are determined in advance so that the angle α is less than 60°. The angle α is preferably less than 30°, and more preferably less than 15°.

[0058] This configuration can suppress stress that tends to peel first connection portion 121a of soldered first conductive wire 121 from first contact point 141. Therefore, it is possible to suppress first connection portion 121a from being unexpectedly peeled off from first contact point 141 due to external forces applied from the environment, etc.

[0059] The above description regarding the flat portion and the inclined portion can also be applied to each of the second conductive wire 122, the third conductive wire 123, the fourth conductive wire 124, and the fifth conductive wire 125.

[0060] The first insulating member 161 can be made of a heat-shrinkable material. When the first insulating member 161 is part of the first covering member 151, the first covering member 151 is made of a heat-shrinkable material.

[0061] With this configuration, when first conductive wire 121 is soldered to first contact 141, at least first insulating member 161 thermally contracts in at least one of the radial and axial directions of first conductive wire 121. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in angle α of inclined portion 121d with respect to flat portion 121c.

[0062] In particular, when the first conductive wire 121 is a stranded wire, the thermal contraction of the first insulating member 161 can prevent the first conductive wire 121 from unraveling due to heat or stress applied during soldering.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 5, adjacent first conductive wires 121 and second conductive wires 122 are arranged such that the distance between them at a position closer to tip 121b and tip 122b than first connecting portion 121a and second connecting portion 122a is greater than the distance between them at a position farther from tip 121b and tip 122b than first connecting portion 121a and second connecting portion 122a.

[0064] Similarly, adjacent second conductive wires 122 and third conductive wires 123 are arranged so that the distance between them at a position closer to tip 122b and tip 123b than second connecting portion 122a and third connecting portion 123a is wider than the distance between them at a position farther from tip 122b and tip 123b than second connecting portion 122a and third connecting portion 123a.

[0065] Similarly, adjacent fourth conductive wires 124 and fifth conductive wires 125 are arranged so that the spacing between them at a position closer to tip 124b and tip 125b than fourth connecting portion 124a and fifth connecting portion 125a is wider than the spacing between them at a position farther from tip 124b and tip 125b than fourth connecting portion 124a and fifth connecting portion 125a.

[0066] Similarly, adjacent fifth conductive wires 125 and sixth conductive wires 126 are arranged so that the spacing between them at a position closer to tip 125b and tip 126b than to fifth connecting portion 125a and sixth connecting portion 126a is wider than the spacing between them at a position farther from tip 125b and tip 126b than to fifth connecting portion 125a and sixth connecting portion 126a.

[0067] The above-described structure can be obtained by displacing the tip of at least one of two adjacent conductive wires to a plastic deformation range in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the conductive wires using an appropriate jig.

[0068] In order to meet the demand for miniaturization of probe devices, there is a trend toward using cables with narrower spacing between adjacent conductors. By using the above-described configuration in which the spacing between adjacent conductors increases toward the tip of each conductor, contact between the conductors due to external forces applied from the environment can be suppressed even when using such a cable.

[0069] If the distance between the tips of adjacent conductive wires is widened appropriately so that contact between adjacent conductive wires can be suppressed, the insulating member that functions as a spacer may be omitted.

[0070] In this embodiment, first contact 141, second contact 142, third contact 143, fourth contact 144, fifth contact 145, and sixth contact 146 are arranged at equal intervals across the multiple conductive wires of cable 12. The distance D1 between two adjacent contacts is set to be larger than the diameter D2 of each conductive wire. In this example, the diameter D2 is 0.3 mm, and the distance D1 is 0.7 mm. Therefore, the distance between the connection portions of two adjacent conductive wires in the same direction is also larger than the diameter D2 of each conductive wire.

[0071] To meet the demand for miniaturization of probe devices, conductive wires with smaller diameters tend to be used. By determining the dimensions as described above, contact between conductive wires due to external forces applied from the environment can be suppressed even when such conductive wires are used.

[0072] The first contact 141, the second contact 142, the third contact 143, the fourth contact 144, the fifth contact 145, and the sixth contact 146 do not necessarily need to be arranged at equal intervals. As long as the interval between any two adjacent conductive wires in a direction across the plurality of conductive wires is greater than the diameter D2 of each conductive wire, the interval between any two adjacent contacts in the same direction can be determined appropriately.

[0073] 4, first solder marks 31 are left on the first conductive wire 121 and the first contact point 141, as illustrated in FIG. 5. That is, the first solder marks 31 define the extent of the first connection portion 121a. Each of the two ends of the first connection portion 121a in the direction in which the first conductive wire 121 extends has a shape that follows a straight line L that extends in a direction that crosses the multiple conductive wires of the cable 12.

[0074] Similarly, second solder marks 32 remain on the second conductive wire 122 and the second contact 142. That is, the second solder marks 32 define the extent of the second connection portion 122a. Each of the two ends of the second connection portion 122a in the direction in which the second conductive wire 122 extends has a shape that follows a straight line L that extends in a direction that crosses the multiple conductive wires of the cable 12.

[0075] Similarly, third solder marks 33 remain on third conductive wire 123 and third contact point 143. That is, third solder marks 33 define the extent of third connection portion 123a. Each of the two ends of third connection portion 123a in the direction in which third conductive wire 123 extends has a shape that follows straight line L that extends in a direction crossing the multiple conductive wires of cable 12.

[0076] Similarly, fourth solder marks 34 remain on the fourth conductive wire 124 and the fourth contact point 144. That is, the fourth solder marks 34 define the extent of the fourth connection portion 124a. Each of the two ends of the fourth connection portion 124a in the direction in which the fourth conductive wire 124 extends has a shape that follows a straight line L that extends in a direction that crosses the multiple conductive wires of the cable 12.

[0077] Similarly, fifth solder marks 35 remain on fifth conductive wire 125 and fifth contact point 145. That is, fifth solder marks 35 define the extent of fifth connection portion 125a. Each of the two ends of fifth connection portion 125a in the direction in which fifth conductive wire 125 extends has a shape that follows straight line L that extends in a direction crossing the multiple conductive wires of cable 12.

[0078] Similarly, sixth solder marks 36 remain on the sixth conductive wire 126 and the sixth contact point 146. That is, the sixth solder marks 36 define the extent of the sixth connection portion 126a. Each of the ends of the sixth connection portion 126a in the direction in which the sixth conductive wire 126 extends has a shape that follows a straight line L that extends in a direction that crosses the multiple conductive wires of the cable 12.

[0079] The straight line L is an example of a geometric shape. The fact that the shape of the solder mark follows such a geometric shape indicates that an automatic soldering device 30 was used rather than manual soldering. The geometric shape may take a form other than a straight line depending on the shape of the automatic soldering device 30 pressed against the conductive wire. Examples of such forms include two straight lines forming an inflection point and a curve with one inflection point.

[0080] 5, the end of first connecting portion 121a closer to tip 121b and the end farther from tip 121b are configured to follow the same geometric shape. However, the geometric shape of the end closer to tip 121b may differ from the geometric shape of the end farther from tip 121b. The same applies to second connecting portion 122a, third connecting portion 123a, fourth connecting portion 124a, fifth connecting portion 125a, and sixth connecting portion 126a.

[0081] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and the configurations according to the above-described embodiments may be appropriately modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the optical sensor 11 includes a first light-emitting element 111a that emits red light and a second light-emitting element 111b that emits infrared light. However, as long as the percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) can be acquired, the wavelengths of the light emitted from the first light-emitting element 111a and the second light-emitting element 111b can be appropriately determined. Specifically, a plurality of wavelengths are selected at which the absorbance by oxygenated hemoglobin in arterial blood corresponding to SpO2 is substantially different.

[0083] The light-absorbing substance in blood whose concentration information is acquired using the optical sensor 11 is not limited to oxygenated hemoglobin. Other light-absorbing substances in blood include deoxygenated hemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin, met hemoglobin, pigments, etc. The number and wavelength of the light-emitting elements can be appropriately selected depending on the concentration of the light-absorbing substance in blood to be acquired.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the circuit board 14 is built into the support 13 that supports the optical sensor 11. However, a configuration may also be employed in which the cable 12 is connected to a connector that is configured to be detachable from the support 13, and the circuit board 14 is installed inside the connector.

[0085] The electrical connection between each of the multiple conductive wires of the cable 12 and the optical sensor 11 may be made by a method other than soldering to the contact points on the circuit board 14. For example, methods such as welding, adhesion, and screw fastening may be used.

[0086] The sensor included in the probe device 10 is not limited to the optical sensor 11. The probe device 10 may include various sensors that detect information using signals flowing through the multiple conductive wires included in the cable 12. The number of elements included in the sensor may be determined appropriately depending on the information to be detected. The number of multiple conductive wires may be determined appropriately depending on the application of the sensor. All of the multiple conductive wires may have portions covered with a covering member, or all of the multiple conductive wires may not be covered with a covering member.

[0087] The probe device 10 does not necessarily have to be attached to the subject's fingertip 20. It can be attached to an appropriate body part of the subject depending on the biological information acquired by the sensor.

[0088] The probe device 10 does not necessarily need to be attached to a living body, depending on the information acquired by the sensor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10: probe device, 11: optical sensor, 111a: first light-emitting element, 111b: second light-emitting element, 112a: light-receiving element, 121: first conductive wire, 121a: first connecting portion, 121b: tip, 121c: flat portion, 121d: inclined portion, 122: second conductive wire, 122a: second connecting portion, 122b: tip, 123: third conductive wire, 123a: third connecting portion, 123b: tip, 124: fourth conductive wire, 124a: fourth connecting portion, 124b: tip, 125: fifth conductive wire, 125a: fifth connecting portion, 125b: tip, 126: sixth conductive wire, 126a: sixth connection portion, 126b: tip, 151: first covering member, 151a: first portion, 151b: second portion, 152: second covering member, 153: third covering member, 154: fourth covering member, 155: fifth covering member, 161: first insulating member, 162: second insulating member, 163: third insulating member, 164: fourth insulating member, 165: fifth insulating member, 20: fingertip, D1: distance between adjacent contacts, D2: diameter of conductive wire, L: straight line, α: angle

Claims

1. a sensor including at least one element; a plurality of conductive lines each having a connection portion for electrical connection with the sensor, through which signals used by the sensor flow; It is equipped with The adjacent conductive lines are arranged such that the intervals between the conductive lines at a position closer to the tip than the connection portion are wider than the intervals between the conductive lines at a position farther from the tip than the connection portion. Probe device.

2. Each of the plurality of conductive wires is a twisted wire formed by twisting a plurality of thin conductive wires. The probe device according to claim 1 .

3. When viewed in a direction along a straight line that crosses the plurality of conductive lines, each of the plurality of conductive lines has a flat portion that extends along the substrate on which the connection portion is arranged, and an inclined portion that extends at an angle of less than 60 degrees relative to the flat portion. The probe device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the interval between the connection portions of the adjacent conductive wires is greater than the diameter of the conductive wires; The probe device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The diameter is 0.3 mm or less, and the spacing is 0.7 mm or less. The probe device according to claim 4 .

6. each of the connection portion's two end portions in the direction in which each of the plurality of conductive lines extends has a shape that follows a geometric shape that crosses the plurality of conductive lines; The geometric shape is a single straight line or a curve with one inflection point. The probe device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images