Ear-and-nose mounted clinical thermometer

Abstract

To provide an ear-and-nose mounted clinical thermometer in which a sealed space with high airtightness is formed in a space where a temperature sensor is disposed, and which is small in size, is less likely to come off from a mounting position, and exhibits good mountability.SOLUTION: The ear-and-nose mounted clinical thermometer includes: a housing having a generally round or block-shaped outer shape; a packing attached to the housing for sealing a gap between the wearer's skin and the housing; a temperature sensor provided within an attachment portion of the housing for attaching the packing; and a display unit provided on the surface of the housing for displaying at least the body temperature measured by the temperature sensor; wherein the packing includes a cylindrical inner tube portion extending from a base end connected to the mounting portion to a tip end opposite the base end, and an outer flange portion extending in a dome shape from the tip end of the inner tube portion to cover the inner tube portion side, the normal direction of the display surface of the display unit forming an angle greater than 90 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees with respect to a direction parallel to the inner cylinder axial direction of the inner cylinder portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ear-nose thermometer that is attached to the wearer's external ear canal or nostril. [Background technology]

[0002] Underarm thermometers, which are held under the armpit, are widely used as thermometers for measuring body temperature. However, underarm thermometers require the user to maintain the position of the thermometer held under the armpit during measurement. For this reason, thermometers that can be attached to the external ear canal have been proposed for use with infants who have difficulty maintaining such a position, or as thermometers that can measure body temperature without maintaining a specific position (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc.).

[0003] However, with conventional thermometers that are attached to the ear canal, the temperature inside the ear canal can sometimes be unstable due to outside air entering through the gap between the probe housing and the skin, posing a problem in terms of measurement accuracy.In addition, conventional thermometers that are attached to the ear canal also pose a problem in terms of wearability, as the housing can easily come off from the ear. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-254744 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-52634 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention relates to an ear-nose thermometer that forms a highly airtight sealed space in the space where the sensor is placed, is small, and is difficult to remove from its mounting position, providing good wearability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ear-nose mounted thermometer according to the present invention comprises: An ear-nose thermometer that is attached to the external ear canal or nostril, a housing portion having a generally round or block-like outer shape; a packing attached to the housing and configured to seal a gap between the wearer's skin and the housing; a temperature sensor provided in a mounting portion of the housing to which the packing is attached; and a display unit provided on the surface of the housing unit and displaying at least the body temperature measured by the temperature sensor; The packing has a cylindrical inner tube portion extending from a base end side connected to the mounting portion to a tip end side opposite the base end side, and an outer flange portion expanding in a dome shape from the tip end of the inner tube portion to cover the inner tube portion side, The normal direction of the display surface of the display unit forms an angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to a direction parallel to the inner tube axial direction, which is the direction in which the central axis of the inner tube portion of the packing extends from the base end side to the tip end side.

[0007] The ear-nose thermometer of the present invention allows accurate body temperature measurement in a relatively short time because the gasket, which has an inner tube and an outer flange, seals the gap between the housing and the skin, creating a highly airtight space in the ear canal and nasal cavity. Furthermore, the outer flange of the gasket elastically adheres to the skin, providing good fit and preventing it from coming off, enabling continuous measurement over long periods of time. Furthermore, the normal direction of the display surface forms an angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees (not linear) with respect to a direction parallel to the axial direction of the inner tube, improving the fit of the housing to the skin when attached to the ear canal, enhancing fit, and making the display easier to see from the outside when attached.

[0008] Furthermore, for example, the packing may be detachable from the mounting portion of the housing.

[0009] By making the packing detachable, it is possible to use the ear-nose thermometer conveniently and hygienically by disposable packing when using it in a medical institution, etc. Also, since the size of the external ear canal and nostrils varies from person to person, fitting the packing size to the wearer improves fit and sealing performance.

[0010] Furthermore, for example, the material of the packing may include silicone or urethane.

[0011] The material of the packing is not particularly limited, but preferably contains silicone or urethane in terms of flexibility, elasticity and biocompatibility.

[0012] Furthermore, for example, the packing may have a heat insulating portion containing microbeads.

[0013] The heat insulating portion containing the microbeads can improve the heat insulating property of the enclosed space against the outside air.

[0014] Furthermore, for example, the rigidity of the outer flange portion may be lower than that of the inner cylindrical portion.

[0015] By reducing the rigidity of the outer flange, it is possible to improve the adhesion between the wearer's skin and the packing, and by increasing the rigidity of the inner tube, it is possible to improve the ease of insertion into the ear canal or nasal cavity.

[0016] Furthermore, for example, the device may have a thermoelectric generator that generates electricity when body heat is transferred via a contact portion that forms part of the surface of the housing and comes into contact with the wearer's skin.

[0017] The inclusion of a thermoelectric generator can partially or completely cover the electricity consumed by the temperature sensor and display, enabling longer continuous use. It also makes it possible to reduce the size of the built-in power storage unit, which is advantageous from the perspective of miniaturization.

[0018] Furthermore, for example, the ear-nose thermometer may have a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits the measurement results of the temperature sensor.

[0019] Such an ear-nose mounted thermometer can send the body temperature measurement results to an external device, and the external device can store the measurement results.

[0020] Furthermore, for example, the housing may have a concha facing surface that faces away from the display surface of the display unit and faces the concha of the wearer when the earphone is fitted in the ear canal, The distance between the surface facing the concha and the display surface may be 15 mm or less. Furthermore, for example, the housing may have an outer shape that fits within a virtual sphere with a radius of 15 mm.

[0021] Such a housing portion easily fits into the cavity of the wearer's concha and is unlikely to fall off when fitted into the external ear canal, providing good wearability.

[0022] Further, for example, the device may include a power storage unit disposed inside the housing unit and storing electricity to be supplied to the display unit and the temperature sensor, The power storage unit may be disposed closer to the display unit than the temperature sensor.

[0023] Such an ear-nose-mounted thermometer can avoid the problem of the temperature sensor being affected by heat generation and absorption from the power storage unit by placing the power storage unit away from the temperature sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of an ear-nose attached thermometer according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the display surface side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external view of the ear-nose thermometer shown in FIG. 1, seen from the side facing the concha. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the structure of the ear-nose thermometer shown in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the ear-nose attached thermometer according to the first embodiment in use. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an external view of an ear-nose attached thermometer according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] FIG. 1 is an external view of an ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the display unit 30 side. As shown in FIG. 4, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 is used by being attached to the external ear canal or nostril of a wearer, who is the subject of body temperature measurement. As shown in FIG. 1, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 has a housing unit 20, a gasket 60, and a display unit 30. The ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 also has a temperature sensor 40 provided in the mounting portion 22 of the gasket 60 in the housing unit 20, and a mounting board 50 provided in the housing unit 20 on which a control IC and the like are mounted (see FIG. 3).

[0026] Fig. 1 is an external view of the ear-nose mounted thermometer 10 as seen from the display surface 32 side of the display unit 30, and Fig. 2 is an external view of the ear-nose mounted thermometer 10 as seen from the concha facing surface 21a side, which faces substantially opposite the display surface 32. As shown in Fig. 1, the housing 20 has a substantially granular shape, and in this embodiment in particular, an external shape similar to that of a broad bean. However, the housing 20 is not limited to the substantially granular shape shown in Fig. 1, and may also have a substantially rectangular block-like external shape as shown in Fig. 5.

[0027] The size of the housing 20 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the outer shape fits within an imaginary sphere with a radius of 150 mm. By using such a shape, when the ear-nose mounted thermometer 10 is attached to the external ear canal, the center of gravity of the housing 20 is prevented from moving too far away from the position where the packing 60 is in close contact with the skin, improving the fit.

[0028] Furthermore, the distance W1 (see FIG. 3) between the concha-facing surface 21a and the display surface 32 of the housing 20 is preferably 150 mm or less, and more preferably 100 mm or less. By setting the thickness of the housing 20 to a predetermined value or less in this way, when the ear-nose mounted thermometer 10 is attached to the wearer's external ear canal as shown in FIG. 4, the housing 20 is more likely to be received in the wearer's concha cavity, preventing the ear-nose mounted thermometer 10 from falling off while being worn and improving wearability. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4, the concha-facing surface 21a of the housing 20 faces the wearer's concha 94 when attached to the external ear canal.

[0029] The display unit 30 is provided on the surface 21 of the housing 20. The display unit 30 displays the body temperature of the wearer, which is the result of measurement by at least the temperature sensor 40 (see FIG. 3). The display unit 30 is configured, for example, with a liquid crystal display panel. In addition, a switch such as a touch sensor is provided on top of the display unit 30. By touching the display surface 32 of the display unit 30 with a finger, the wearer can turn the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 on and off, start and stop body temperature measurement, and perform other operations.

[0030] The relationship between a display surface normal direction 38, which is the normal direction to the display surface 32 of the display unit 30, and an inner cylinder axial direction 68 of the packing 60 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0031] 1 and 2, the packing 60 is attached to an attachment portion 22 that attaches the packing 60 to the housing portion 20. In the example shown in the embodiment, the attachment portion 22 has a cylindrical shape that protrudes from other parts of the housing portion 20 (see FIG. 3), but the shape of the attachment portion 22 is not limited to only protruding from the housing portion 20. For example, the attachment portion 22 may be configured with a ring-shaped opening edge that engages with the base end 62a of the inner cylindrical portion 62 of the packing 60.

[0032] 4, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 is worn by inserting at least a portion of the packing 60 into the wearer's ear canal 92 or nasal cavity. When worn, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 blocks the ear canal 92 or nasal cavity, forming a highly airtight sealed space within the ear canal 92 or nasal cavity, making it possible to accurately measure the wearer's body temperature.

[0033] 1 and 2 seals the gap between the wearer's skin and the housing 20, forming a highly airtight sealed space in the ear canal 92 or nasal cavity. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the packing 60 has a cylindrical inner tube portion 62 that extends from a base end 62a connected to the mounting portion 22 to a tip end 62b opposite the base end 62a, and an outer flange portion 64 that expands in a dome shape from the tip end 62b of the inner tube portion 62 to cover the inner tube portion 62 side.

[0034] 1 and 2, the base end of the outer flange portion 64 is connected to the tip 62b of the inner cylindrical portion 62, and the outer flange portion 64 expands radially outward from the tip 62b of the inner cylindrical portion 62, with the tip 64a of the outer flange portion 64 folded back toward the housing portion 20. Because the packing 60 has such a multi-layer structure consisting of the inner cylindrical portion 62 and the outer flange portion 64, it is possible to form a highly airtight sealed space in the external auditory canal 92 or nasal cavity.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, a gap may be formed between the inner tube portion 62 and the outer flange portion 64 of the packing 60, but in other cases, for example, when the outer flange portion 64 is made of a foamed material, the outer flange portion 64 and the inner tube portion 62 may be in contact with each other.

[0036] The material of the packing 60 is not particularly limited, but examples include silicone rubber containing silicone, urethane resin containing urethane, other rubber materials, resin materials, and elastomer materials. Biocompatible medical plastics are also preferred. The packing 60 may also have a heat-insulating portion containing microbeads. For example, by forming a layer of heat-insulating portion containing microbeads on the surface of the outer flange portion 64 of the packing 60 facing the inner tube portion 62, the heat insulation of the sealed space formed in the external auditory canal 92 or nasal cavity can be improved. Examples of microbeads include, but are not limited to, micro-sized and nano-sized hollow silica.

[0037] The packing 60 is detachable from the mounting portion 22 of the housing 20. That is, the packing 60 is attached to the mounting portion 22 by inserting the mounting portion 22 of the housing 20 shown in FIG. 3 into the inside of the inner cylindrical portion 62 of the packing 60 from the base end 62a side. The packing 60 can also be removed from the mounting portion 22 by removing the mounting portion 22 from the inner cylindrical portion 62. However, the structure for attaching and detaching the packing 60 to the mounting portion 22 is not limited to the embodiment, and may be one that engages and disengages the base end 62a of the packing 60 from the mounting portion 22, for example.

[0038] By making the packing 60 detachable, when using the ear-nose thermometer 10 in a medical institution, for example, the packing 60 can be made disposable, making it convenient and hygienic to use. Also, since the sizes of the external ear canal, ear canal 92, nostrils, and nasal cavities vary from person to person, adjusting the size of the packing 60 to suit the wearer improves fit and sealing performance.

[0039] Furthermore, in the packing 60, the rigidity of the outer flange portion 64 may be lower than the rigidity of the inner tube portion 62. By reducing the rigidity of the outer flange portion 64, it is possible to improve the adhesion between the wearer's skin and the packing 60. Furthermore, by increasing the rigidity of the inner tube portion 62, it is possible to improve the ease of insertion into the ear canal 92 or nasal cavity.

[0040] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the structure of the ear-nose thermometer 10. In Figure 3, the outline of the outer shape of the housing 20 is shown by a two-dot chain line, and the configuration of each part housed within the housing 20 is also shown. In Figure 3, the packing 60 is shown offset along the axial direction 68 of the inner cylinder.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 3, temperature sensor 40 for measuring body temperature is provided in mounting portion 22 where packing 60 is attached in housing portion 20. An example of temperature sensor 40 is an infrared sensor that uses a thermistor or thermomobile. As shown in Fig. 3, temperature sensor 40 is composed of a chip component mounted on a flexible printed circuit board 42.

[0042] 3, a light-collecting element 43 having a concave spherical light-collecting surface 43a is provided on the attachment portion 22 of the housing portion 20. The light-collecting element 43 can collect infrared rays generated from the wearer's eardrum and the skin in the nasal cavity toward the temperature sensor 40. A correction sensor 41, which is a correction temperature sensor, may be disposed on the flexible printed circuit board 42 inside the attachment portion 22 at a position offset from the temperature sensor 40.

[0043] When the ear-nose thermometer 10 is attached to the wearer's external ear canal or nostril, the packing 60 closes the gap between the ear canal 92 and the nasal cavity, forming a sealed space in the ear canal 92 or nasal cavity. The temperature sensor 40 is placed in the sealed space together with the mounting portion 22 inside the packing 60, and detects infrared rays emitted from a predetermined location inside the wearer's eardrum or nasal cavity. The output of the temperature sensor 40 is transmitted via the flexible printed circuit board 42 to a mounting board 50, which is also provided inside the housing 20 and on which a control IC and other components are mounted.

[0044] The control IC mounted on the mounting board 50 calculates the wearer's body temperature from the output of the temperature sensor 40, and displays the wearer's body temperature on the display unit 30 as the measurement result of the temperature sensor 40. The display unit 30 displays the wearer's body temperature in degrees Celsius down to one decimal place, for example, "36.7°C."

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the display surface normal direction 38 of the display surface 32 of the display unit 30 of the housing unit 20 forms an angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to a direction parallel to the inner tube axis direction 68, which is the direction in which the central axis of the inner tube unit 62 of the packing 60 extends from the base end 62a side to the tip end 62b side.

[0046] By setting the angle of the display surface normal direction 38 relative to the direction parallel to the inner tube axial direction 68 within this range, the adhesion of the housing unit 20 to the skin when attached to the ear canal is improved, thereby increasing wearability, and as shown in Figure 4, the display unit 30 becomes easier to see from the outside when attached.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 includes a power storage unit 54 such as a secondary battery or a primary battery, a connector 58 for connecting a charger, and a transmitter 56 that wirelessly transmits the measurement results of the temperature sensor 40 to an external device such as a smartphone. The transmitter 56 is preferably tuned to avoid being blocked by the human body. This ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 allows continuous measurement without restricting the wearer's movement. The power storage unit 54 and mounting board 50 are preferably located closer to the display unit 30 than the temperature sensor 40 to reduce the thermal impact on the temperature sensor 40.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 has a thermoelectric generator 52 that generates electricity when body heat is transferred via the concha-facing surface 21a, which forms part of the surface 21 of the housing 20 and serves as a contact part that comes into contact with the wearer's skin. Examples of the thermoelectric generator 52 include, but are not limited to, those that use thermally excited charges in semiconductors (also known as "semiconductor-sensitized thermoelectric generators") and those that use the Seebeck effect of conductors or semiconductors. In addition to the concha-facing surface 21a, other possible contact parts that transfer heat from the wearer to the thermoelectric generator 52 include the peripheral part of the attachment part 22 that comes into contact with the external auditory canal.

[0049] The electricity generated by the thermoelectric generator 52 is stored in the power storage unit 54 via the mounting board 50 and is used to drive the temperature sensor 40, the display unit 30, etc. The ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 having the thermoelectric generator 52 can use the electricity generated by the thermoelectric generator 52 to cover part or all of the electricity consumed by the temperature sensor 40 and the display unit 30, allowing for longer continuous use. This also makes it possible to reduce the size of the built-in power storage unit 54, etc., which is advantageous from the perspective of miniaturization.

[0050] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 attached to the wearer's external ear canal. As shown in Figure 4, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 has a packing 60 having an inner cylinder portion 62 and an outer flange portion 64 that seals the gap between the housing portion 20 and the skin, forming a highly airtight sealed space in the external ear canal 92, allowing for accurate body temperature measurement in a relatively short time. Furthermore, the normal direction of the display surface 32 forms an angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to a direction parallel to the inner cylinder axial direction 68 (see Figure 3), which improves the adhesion of the housing portion 20 to the skin when attached to the external ear canal, improving wearability, and making the display portion 30 easier to see from the outside when attached.

[0051] Although the ear-nose-mounted thermometer according to the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the ear-nose-mounted thermometer is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes many other embodiments and variations. For example, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 shown in Figures 1 to 3 has different shapes for right and left ear use, with the one shown in Figures 1 and 2 being for the right ear and the one shown in Figure 4 being for the left ear.

[0052] For example, a modified ear-nose-mounted thermometer may have ear-nose-mounted thermometers 10 for the right ear and left ear, and the measurement results of at least one may be received by the other via the transmitter 56. In such an ear-nose-mounted thermometer, the control IC can display a measurement error on the display if, for example, the difference in body temperatures measured by the left and right ear-nose-mounted thermometers is greater than a predetermined value.

[0053] 5 is an external view of an ear-nose-mounted thermometer 110 according to another modified example. The ear-nose-mounted thermometer 110 shown in FIG. 5 differs from the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 shown in FIG. 1 etc. in that the housing 120 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped, roughly block-shaped, that it has a switch 170 separate from the display unit 30, and that it can be used for both the left and right ears, but is otherwise similar to the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10. The ear-nose-mounted thermometer 110 will be described mainly in terms of its differences from the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10, and a description of the points in common with the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 will be omitted.

[0054] 5, the switch 170, which can be used to turn the power on and off, etc., is a push-button switch independent of the display unit 30, allowing for more reliable operation simply by touching it with your finger. In addition, the protruding direction of the mounting unit 122 and the parallel inner cylinder axial direction 68 are parallel to the plane perpendicular to the display surface 32 of the display unit 30, making it suitable for use on both the left and right ears.

[0055] The ear-nose-mounted thermometer 110 shown in Fig. 5 can accurately measure body temperature in a relatively short time whether it is worn on the left or right ear, and it is also comfortable to wear. Note that the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 shown in Fig. 1, in which the inner cylinder axial direction 68 is not parallel to the plane perpendicular to the display surface 32 of the display unit 30 as shown in Fig. 1, provides a better fit than the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 110 shown in Fig. 5 when worn on the correct ear.

[0056] In addition, the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 110 shown in FIG. 5 has the same features as the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, and thus has the same effects as the ear-nose-mounted thermometer 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10, 110...Ear and nose thermometer 20, 120...Housing 21…Surface 21a...Concha facing surface (contact part) 22, 122...Mounting part 30…Display section 32…Display surface 38…Display surface normal direction 40...Temperature sensor 41...Correction sensor 42...Flexible printed circuit board 43...Light-collecting element 43a...Light condensing surface 50...Mounting board 52...Thermal power generation element 54...Electricity storage unit 56...Transmitter 58...Connector 60...Packing 62...Inner cylinder 62a...Proximal end 62b...tip 64...Outer flange 68...Axial direction of inner cylinder 170...Switch

Claims

1. An ear-nose thermometer that is attached to the external ear canal or nostril, a housing portion having a generally round or block-like outer shape; a packing attached to the housing and configured to seal a gap between the wearer's skin and the housing; a temperature sensor provided in a mounting portion of the housing to which the packing is attached; and a display unit provided on the surface of the housing unit and displaying at least the body temperature measured by the temperature sensor; The packing has a cylindrical inner tube portion extending from a base end side connected to the mounting portion to a tip end side opposite the base end side, and an outer flange portion expanding in a dome shape from the tip end of the inner tube portion to cover the inner tube portion side, An ear-nose-mounted thermometer in which the normal direction of the display surface of the display unit forms an angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to a direction parallel to the inner tube axial direction, which is the direction in which the central axis of the inner tube part of the packing runs from the base end side to the tip end side.

2. The ear-nose mounted thermometer according to claim 1 , wherein the packing is detachable from the mounting portion of the housing.

3. 2. The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the packing is made of a material containing silicone or urethane.

4. The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1 , wherein the packing has a heat insulating portion containing microbeads.

5. The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1 , wherein the rigidity of the outer flange portion is lower than the rigidity of the inner cylinder portion.

6. 2. The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising a thermoelectric generator that generates electricity by transmitting body heat through a contact portion that forms part of the surface of the housing and comes into contact with the wearer's skin.

7. 2. The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that wirelessly transmits the measurement result of the temperature sensor.

8. the housing has a concha facing surface that faces away from the display surface of the display unit and faces the concha of the wearer when the earphone is fitted to the ear canal, 2. The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the surface facing the concha and the display surface is 15 mm or less.

9. 2. The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an outer shape that fits within a virtual sphere having a radius of 15 mm.

10. a power storage unit disposed inside the housing unit and storing electricity to be supplied to the display unit and the temperature sensor; The ear-nose thermometer according to claim 1 , wherein the power storage unit is disposed closer to the display unit than the temperature sensor.

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