Intraoral force meter and intraoral force measurement system

Abstract

To provide an oral cavity force meter capable of improving usability, and to provide an oral cavity force measurement system.SOLUTION: An oral cavity force meter 1 includes a detector 4 for detecting an oral cavity force, a power source control section 61 for controlling ON / OFF of operation of the detector 4, a communication circuit section 66 for outputting an oral cavity force measurement value measured by the detector 4, a wireless communication section 7 for inputting the oral cavity force measurement value outputted from the communication circuit section 66 and wireless outputting it to external devices, and a power supply section for storing a battery B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an intraoral force gauge and an intraoral force measurement system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, occlusal force gauges for measuring occlusal force are known (for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). In Patent Document 1, occlusal force measurement values obtained from a plurality of measurements can be sequentially displayed on a display for a fixed period of time in the order of measurement, and the average value and maximum value can be displayed together. Therefore, even when there is large variation in measurement, the occlusal force can be grasped accurately and appropriately.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, since measurement values are displayed on a display provided on the upper surface of the housing, there is a problem that it is difficult for the measurer and the measurement subject to see the measurement results during measurement. It is also conceivable to output a signal related to the measurement value to an external device via a wired cable through a connector section and display the measurement value on the external device. However, since it is a wired cable, there are problems of poor usability such as tangling and the distance from the external device being dependent on the length of the wired cable.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an intraoral force gauge and an intraoral force measurement system that can improve usability.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The present invention provides an intraoral force meter comprising: a detection unit for detecting intraoral force; a power control unit for controlling the ON / OFF operation of the detection unit; a communication circuit unit for outputting intraoral force measurements measured by the detection unit; an external output unit for receiving the intraoral force measurements output from the communication circuit unit and wirelessly outputting them to an external device; and a power supply unit for housing a battery.

[0007] In this invention, the oral force measurement values ​​measured by the detection unit are output wirelessly to an external device via an external output unit by the communication circuit unit. This allows the measurement results to be directly displayed on the external device, making it easy for the measurer, such as a doctor or technician, and the person being measured, such as a patient, to visually confirm the measurement results during the measurement. In this invention, since the measurement signal is output wirelessly to the external device, the external device can be placed in any location, such as another room separated by glass or a wall, and the measurement results can be easily confirmed by multiple people. Furthermore, by using batteries in the power supply unit, portability is enhanced and ease of use is improved in combination with wireless communication. In addition, since the power control unit controls the ON / OFF operation of the detection unit, power saving can be achieved by, for example, turning the detection unit ON / OFF each time it outputs a measurement signal.

[0008] The present invention provides an intraoral force meter that receives a measurement signal output from the detection unit, converts it into an intraoral force measurement value, and outputs the converted intraoral force measurement value to the communication circuit unit. Characterized by . In this configuration, the calculation unit acquires the measurement signal output from the detection unit and converts it into an intraoral force measurement value. The communication circuit unit then wirelessly outputs the intraoral force measurement value converted by the calculation unit to an external device via the external output unit. This allows the intraoral force meter to select the necessary data for both the measurer and the subject, eliminating the need to wirelessly output a large amount of data to the external device. The calculation unit may be located in the intraoral force meter or in the external device.

[0009] In the oral force meter of the present invention, the calculation unit converts the measurement signals output from the detection unit into oral force measurement values ​​in the order of input, and the communication circuit unit sequentially outputs the converted oral force measurement values ​​wirelessly via the external output unit, and also outputs the maximum value of the oral force measurement values ​​from the start of measurement wirelessly via the external output unit. Characterized by . In this configuration, the communication circuit unit sequentially outputs the converted intraoral force measurements wirelessly via the external output unit, and also outputs the maximum value of the intraoral force measurements from the start of measurement wirelessly via the external output unit. Therefore, it is easy to check the change in intraoral force measurements over time from the start of measurement, and it is also easy to check the maximum value of the intraoral force measurements from the start of measurement.

[0010] In the intraoral force meter of the present invention, it is preferable that the power control unit turns off the operation of the detection unit and terminates the detection of the intraoral force measurement value if the intraoral force measurement value relating to the maximum value is not updated for a predetermined time. In this configuration, the power control unit terminates the detection of intraoral force measurements by turning off the operation of the detection unit if the intraoral force measurement value related to the maximum value is not updated for a predetermined time. Here, it is known that intraoral force measurements such as occlusal force and tongue pressure values ​​usually decrease after reaching a maximum value from the start of measurement. That is, it is known that intraoral force measurements change in a bell-shaped curve when shown on a graph. Therefore, if the intraoral force measurement value related to the maximum value is not updated for a predetermined time, the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement value will usually not be updated again, so power consumption can be suppressed by turning off the operation of the detection unit at this point.

[0011] In the oral force meter of the present invention, it is preferable that the communication circuit unit wirelessly outputs, via the external output unit, whether the oral force measurement value is being detected or whether detection has finished. In this configuration, the communication circuit unit wirelessly outputs via the external output unit whether it is detecting intraoral force measurements or whether detection has finished. For example, by having an external device display whether or not intraoral force measurements are being detected, it is possible to easily visually confirm whether or not intraoral force measurements are being detected.

[0012] In the oral force meter of the present invention, it is preferable to include a display that shows the measured value related to the oral force measurement. In this configuration, in addition to outputting intraoral force measurements to an external device, the measurements are also displayed on a display unit, allowing for visual confirmation of intraoral force measurements even with only the intraoral force meter.

[0013] In the intraoral force meter of the present invention, it is preferable to display the status of the intraoral force measurement being detected or the status of detection completion on the display unit. In this configuration, the display shows whether or not intraoral force measurement values ​​are being detected, allowing users to visually confirm whether or not intraoral force measurement values ​​are being detected.

[0014] In the oral force meter of the present invention, it is preferable to include a buzzer that sounds to indicate the start or end of detection of the oral force measurement value. In this configuration, the start or end of detection of intraoral force measurements can be indicated by a buzzer, making it easy to understand when intraoral force measurement detection has begun or ended.

[0015] In the intraoral force meter of the present invention, it is preferable to have an operating unit that allows for the operation of turning the power ON / OFF, starting / stopping the detection of the intraoral force measurement value, setting the operation, or performing correction operations. This configuration includes an operating unit that allows for operations such as turning the power on / off, starting / stopping the detection of intraoral force measurements, setting operation parameters, and performing corrections, thus making the intraoral force meter easy to operate.

[0016] In the intraoral force meter of the present invention, it is preferable that the power control unit turns the detection unit ON / OFF each time the detection unit outputs the measurement signal. In this configuration, the power control unit turns the detection unit ON / OFF each time the detection unit outputs a measurement signal. This allows for power savings in the oral force meter compared to a configuration where the detection unit is kept ON while detecting intraoral force measurements.

[0017] The present invention provides an intraoral force measurement system comprising: a detection unit for detecting intraoral force; a power control unit for controlling the ON / OFF operation of the detection unit; a communication circuit unit for outputting intraoral force measurements measured by the detection unit; an external output unit for receiving the intraoral force measurements output from the communication circuit unit and wirelessly outputting them to an external device; and a power supply unit housing a battery. A calculation unit that receives the measurement signal output from the detection unit, converts it into the oral cavity force measurement value, and outputs the converted oral cavity force measurement value to the communication circuit unit, The system comprises an intraoral force meter equipped with an external device that displays the intraoral force measurement value output from the external output unit. The calculation unit converts the measurement signals output from the detection unit into oral force measurement values ​​in the order of input, and the communication circuit unit sequentially outputs the converted oral force measurement values ​​wirelessly to the external device via the external output unit, and also wirelessly outputs the maximum value of the oral force measurement values ​​from the start of measurement to the external device via the external output unit. It is characterized by the following: The present invention can achieve the same effects as described above.

[0018] In the intraoral force measurement system of the present invention, it is preferable that the intraoral force meter includes a calculation unit that receives a measurement signal output from the detection unit, converts it into an intraoral force measurement value, and outputs the converted intraoral force measurement value to the communication circuit unit. In this configuration, the calculation unit acquires the measurement signal output from the detection unit and converts it into an intraoral force measurement value. The communication circuit unit then wirelessly outputs the intraoral force measurement value converted by the calculation unit to an external device via the external output unit. This allows the intraoral force meter to select the necessary data for both the measurer and the subject, eliminating the need to wirelessly output a large amount of data to an external device.

[0019] In the intraoral force measurement system of the present invention, the computing unit converts the measurement signals output from the detection unit into the intraoral force measurement values in the input order, the communication circuit unit sequentially wirelessly outputs the converted intraoral force measurement values via the external output unit, and also wirelessly outputs the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values from the start of measurement via the external output unit, and the external device preferably comprises: a display device that displays the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values and displays the intraoral force measurement values in a graph in input order; and a printing device that prints the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values and the graph. With this configuration, the external device displays the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values, displays the intraoral force measurement values in a graph in input order, and prints the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values and the graph, so that the temporal change of the intraoral force measurement values from the start of measurement can be easily confirmed, and the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values from the start of measurement can be easily confirmed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an outline of an intraoral force measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an outline of an intraoral force meter. [Figure 3] 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of an intraoral force meter. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a display screen of an external device. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0021] Embodiment Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an outline of an intraoral force measurement system 100 according to the present embodiment. The intraoral force measurement system 100 of the present embodiment is configured as a bite force measurement system that measures bite force as intraoral force in the oral cavity of a subject such as a patient. As shown in Fig. 1, the intraoral force measurement system 100 comprises an intraoral force meter 1 and an external device 90.

[0022] [Intraoral force meter 1] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the intraoral force meter 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the intraoral force meter 1 comprises a case 2, a circuit unit 3, a detection unit 4, and an operation unit 5.

[0023] [Case 2] Case 2 is made of resin and is a component that houses the circuit section 3 and the detection section 4. In this embodiment, Case 2 has a first case 21, a second case 22, a third case 23, and a cover joint 24. Case 2 is not limited to the above configuration; for example, it may be made of metal, or it may be composed of resin and metal.

[0024] The first case 21 is formed in conjunction with the second case 22 to form a roughly bottomed rectangular tube. In this embodiment, the first case 21 has an opening 211 at a position corresponding to the liquid crystal section 33, which will be described later. Furthermore, the first case 21 and the second case 22 are not limited to being angular, such as being roughly bottomed rectangular tubes; for example, they may be roughly bottomed cylindrical.

[0025] As described above, the second case 22 is formed to be roughly bottomed and rectangular in shape when paired with the first case 21. The first case 21 and the second case 22 are configured to house the circuit section 3 and a part of the detection section 4. In this embodiment, the second case 22 has a battery storage section 221 formed on the rear side opposite to the side facing the first case 21. Furthermore, the second case 22 has a cover member 222 that covers the battery storage section 221. The power supply board 32 and the battery B, which will be described later, are housed in the battery storage section 221. In this embodiment, the battery storage section 221 is configured to accommodate a coin-type battery B. However, the battery storage section 221 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured to accommodate, for example, a cylindrical battery or a rectangular battery.

[0026] The third case 23 is formed to be a roughly bottomed rectangular tube with a larger diameter at the base end. The third case 23 is configured to house a part of the detection unit 4. More specifically, the third case 23 is configured to house the pressure-receiving member 41 and the diaphragm (not shown), which are located at the tip of the detection unit 4. This allows the person being measured to measure the biting force by biting the tip of the third case 23. In other words, the tip of the third case 23 is configured as the bitten part (measurement part). In this embodiment, the person being measured typically uses a disposable case (not shown) that covers the third case 23 when measuring intraoral force. That is, the person being measured measures intraoral force by biting down on the biting portion of the third case 23 while it is covered with the disposable case. Furthermore, the third case 23 is not limited to the above configuration; for example, the tip end and the base end may have the same diameter, or the base end may have a smaller diameter than the tip end. Also, the third case 23 is not limited to being angular, such as a roughly bottomed rectangular tube; for example, it may be roughly bottomed.

[0027] The cover joint 24 is a member that holds the retaining member 45 of the detection unit 4, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the cover joint 24 is attached to the openings at the front ends of the first case 21 and the second case 22, that is, to the locations where they are connected to the third case 23. The cover joint 24 is configured to clamp the retaining member 45 and to fix the retaining member 45 by screwing it to the first case 21.

[0028] [Circuit part 3] The circuit unit 3 is configured to receive the measurement signal output from the detection unit 4 and display the measured value. In this embodiment, the circuit unit 3 includes a control board 31, a power supply board 32, a liquid crystal unit 33, a connector member 34, a signal transmission member 35, a buzzer 36 (see Figure 3), and a switch 37.

[0029] The control board 31 is a board that controls the measurement of intraoral force by the intraoral force meter 1. In this embodiment, the control board 31 is electrically connected to the detection unit 4 by a signal transmission member 35. As a result, the measurement signal detected by the detection unit 4 is input to the control board 31 via the signal transmission member 35. Furthermore, the control board 31 is electrically connected to the liquid crystal unit 33 by a connector member 34. Therefore, the control board 31 is configured to output a signal corresponding to the measurement signal output from the detection unit 4 to the liquid crystal unit 33, thereby enabling the liquid crystal unit 33 to display the measurement result of the intraoral force.

[0030] As described above, the power supply board 32 is housed in the battery compartment 221 of the second case 22 and is electrically connected to the battery B. Furthermore, the power supply board 32 is connected to the control board 31 via a power transmission member (not shown). This configuration allows the power supply board 32 to supply power to the liquid crystal unit 33 and the detection unit 4 via the control board 31. Note that the battery compartment 221 and the power supply board 32 are examples of the power supply unit of the present invention.

[0031] The liquid crystal unit 33 is configured as a so-called liquid crystal display and is configured to display the measured value of occlusal force as an intraoral force. In this embodiment, as described above, the liquid crystal unit 33 is configured to receive a signal output from the display circuit unit 68, which will be described later, and to display the measured value corresponding to the measurement signal detected by the detection unit 4. In other words, the liquid crystal unit 33 is an example of a display device of the present invention. The liquid crystal unit 33 is not limited to the above configuration, and may, for example, be configured to display intraoral force measurements by color.

[0032] As described above, the connector member 34 is a member for electrically connecting the control board 31 and the liquid crystal unit 33. In this embodiment, the connector member 34 is configured as a so-called conductive rubber type connector. However, the connector member 34 is not limited to the above configuration and may be configured as a general connector made of resin and metal, as long as it is configured to electrically connect the control board 31 and the liquid crystal unit 33.

[0033] The signal transmission member 35 is a so-called electrical wiring and, as described above, is configured to electrically connect the detection unit 4 and the control board 31. This allows the measurement signal from the detection unit 4 to be input to the control board 31 via the signal transmission member 35, and also allows power to be supplied from the control board 31 to the detection unit 4.

[0034] The buzzer 36 is provided on the control board 31 on the surface facing the second case 22. In this embodiment, the buzzer 36 is configured to audibly indicate the start or end of detection of intraoral force measurements. The buzzer 36 may also be configured to audibly indicate the intraoral force value by changing the buzzer volume or sound quality during measurement. The switch 37 is located in a position corresponding to the control unit 5. This allows the person taking the measurement, such as a doctor or technician, or the person being measured, to operate the switch 37 by pressing the control unit 5.

[0035] The detection unit 4 is configured to detect the measured intraoral force of the person being measured and to output a measurement signal corresponding to the measured intraoral force. In this embodiment, the detection unit 4 comprises a pressure receiving member 41, a pressure transmission member 43, a pressure detector 44, and a holding member 45.

[0036] The pressure-receiving member 41 is positioned at the tip of the detection unit 4, that is, at a position corresponding to the bitten portion of the third case 23, and is a member that receives the pressure when the person being measured bites the bitten portion. In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving member 41 is formed in a columnar shape and has a pressure transmission medium sealed inside. The pressure-receiving member 41 is connected to the pressure detector 44 via a pressure transmission member 43. As a result, the pressure when the person being measured bites the bitten portion is transmitted to the pressure detector 44 via the pressure transmission medium sealed inside.

[0037] The pressure transmission member 43 is formed in a tubular shape, with one end connected to the pressure receiving member 41 and the other end connected to the pressure detector 44. A pressure transmission medium is sealed inside the pressure transmission member 43. As a result, the pressure transmission member 43 is configured to transmit the pressure received by the pressure receiving member 41 to the pressure detector 44 via the pressure transmission medium sealed inside. In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving member 41 and the pressure detector 44 are connected by a single pressure transmission member 43. This reduces the amount of pressure transmission medium compared to, for example, the case where the pressure-receiving member 41 and the pressure detector 44 are connected by two or more tubular transmission members, thereby improving detection accuracy.

[0038] The pressure detector 44 is a component that detects the pressure transmitted through the pressure transmission medium and outputs a measurement signal corresponding to that pressure. In this embodiment, the pressure detector 44 comprises a joint portion 441 and a detection member 442.

[0039] The joint 441 is a so-called joint member that connects the pressure transmission member 43 and the detection member 442. The detection member 442 is a so-called pressure sensor and is configured to detect the pressure of the pressure transmission medium. Furthermore, the detection member 442 is electrically connected to the control board 31 via the signal transmission member 35. That is, the detection member 442 is connected to the other end of the signal transmission member 35. As a result, a measurement signal corresponding to the pressure detected by the detection member 442 is output to the signal processing unit 63 of the control unit 6, which will be described later.

[0040] The retaining member 45 is a member that holds the pressure-receiving member 41. As described above, the retaining member 45 is fixed to the first case 21 and the second case 22 by being screwed to the first case 21 while being sandwiched in the cover joint 24. In this embodiment, the retaining member 45 comprises a first plate-shaped portion 451 and a second plate-shaped portion 452. The first plate-shaped portion 451 and the second plate-shaped portion 452 are welded and fixed at their base ends and are configured to sandwich the pressure-receiving member 41 at their tip ends.

[0041] [Operation unit 5] The operation unit 5 is configured as a so-called push button and is positioned in a location corresponding to the switch 37 provided on the control board 31 mentioned above. This allows the measurer and the person being measured to operate the intraoral force meter 1 by pressing the operation unit 5. Examples of operations on the intraoral force meter 1 include turning the power on / off, starting / stopping the detection of intraoral force measurements, setting the operation, or performing correction operations. In this embodiment, the control unit 5 is located on the front of the intraoral force meter 1, allowing the person being measured to easily perform actions such as turning the power on / off, starting / stopping the detection of intraoral force measurements, setting the operation, or performing correction operations.

[0042] [Configuration of Intraoral Force Meter 1] Next, we will explain the configuration of the intraoral force meter 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the oral force meter 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the intraoral force meter 1 includes, in addition to the aforementioned power supply board 32, liquid crystal unit 33, buzzer 36, detection unit 4, and operation unit 5, a control unit 6, a wireless communication unit 7, and a signal level adjustment unit 8.

[0043] [Control Unit 6] The control unit 6 is configured as a so-called microcontroller (Micro Controller Unit) and is provided on the control board 31 mentioned above. In this embodiment, the control unit 6 includes a power supply control unit 61, a power supply voltage detection unit 62, a signal processing unit 63, a timer unit 64, a storage unit 65, a communication circuit unit 66, a buzzer control unit 67, a display circuit unit 68, and a switch 37.

[0044] In this embodiment, the power control unit 61 is configured to turn off the operation of the detection unit 4 and terminate the detection of oral force measurements if the oral force measurement value relating to the maximum value is not updated for a predetermined time while detecting oral force measurements. Here, it is generally known that intraoral force measurements, such as occlusal force and tongue pressure, reach their maximum value from the start of measurement and then decrease. In other words, intraoral force measurements are known to change in a bell-shaped curve when shown on a graph. Therefore, if the intraoral force measurement value related to the maximum value is not updated for a predetermined time, the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement value will not be updated again after that, so the power control unit 61 can turn off the operation of the detection unit 4 at this point to suppress power consumption.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the power control unit 61 is configured to turn the power of the detection unit 4 ON / OFF each time the detection unit 4 outputs a measurement signal related to the intraoral force during intraoral force detection. In other words, in this embodiment, the detection unit 4 detects the intraoral force in batches and outputs a measurement signal, and the power control unit 61 turns the power of the detection unit 4 ON / OFF for each batch. This makes it possible to save power in the intraoral force meter 1 compared to the case where the detection unit 4 is kept ON while detecting the intraoral force measurement value.

[0046] The power supply voltage detection unit 62 is configured to detect the voltage of the battery B, which is the power source. In this embodiment, the power supply voltage detection unit 62 is configured to output a voltage drop signal to the display circuit unit 68 when the voltage of battery B falls below a predetermined voltage. As will be described later, when the display circuit unit 68 receives a voltage drop signal from the power supply voltage detection unit 62, it displays the voltage drop of battery B on the liquid crystal unit 33.

[0047] The signal processing unit 63 is configured to receive the measurement signal output from the detection unit 4 and convert it into an intraoral force measurement value. In other words, the signal processing unit 63 is an example of the calculation unit of the present invention. In this embodiment, the signal processing unit 63 is configured to convert the measurement signals output from the detection unit 4 into intraoral force measurement values ​​in the order they were input. The signal processing unit 63 then sequentially outputs the intraoral force measurement values, which have been converted in the order they were input, to the communication circuit unit 66. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the signal processing unit 63 is configured to output the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement from the start of measurement to the communication circuit unit 66. In this embodiment, the intraoral force measurement values ​​converted by the signal processing unit 63 are output to the communication circuit unit 66, but this is not the only option. For example, the measurement signal output from the detection unit 4 may be directly input to the communication circuit unit 66. The signal processing unit 63 may be provided in the intraoral force meter 1 or in the external device 90.

[0048] The timer unit 64 is configured to measure a predetermined time. In this embodiment, the timer unit 64 measures a predetermined time since the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement was updated. The signal processing unit 63 then determines whether or not the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement was updated during the predetermined time measured by the timer unit 64. Specifically, if the signal processing unit 63 determines that the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement has been updated during a predetermined time measured by the timer unit 64, the signal processing unit 63 resets the measurement by the timer unit 64 and starts measuring for a predetermined time since the maximum value was updated. Furthermore, if the signal processing unit 63 determines that the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement is not updated within a predetermined time measured by the timer unit 64, that is, if the intraoral force measurement related to the maximum value is not updated within the predetermined time, as described above, the power control unit 61 turns off the operation of the detection unit 4 and terminates the detection of the intraoral force measurement.

[0049] The memory unit 65 is composed of ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. In this embodiment, the memory unit 65 stores the setting values ​​and correction values ​​for the operation of the intraoral force meter 1, as well as temporarily stores the measured intraoral force values.

[0050] The communication circuit unit 66 is configured to wirelessly output the intraoral force measurement values ​​converted by the signal processing unit 63 to the external device 90 via the wireless communication unit 7. In this embodiment, the communication circuit unit 66 is configured to sequentially output the intraoral force measurement values ​​input from the signal processing unit 63 in the order of measurement, and to output the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement value from the start of measurement. This allows the measurer and the person being measured to easily confirm the change in the intraoral force measurement value over time from the start of measurement, and to easily confirm the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement value from the start of measurement. In this embodiment, the communication circuit unit 66 was configured to output the intraoral force measurement value and maximum value input from the signal processing unit 63, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, it may be configured to wirelessly output the measurement signal output from the detection unit 4 to an external device 90 via the wireless communication unit 7.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the communication circuit unit 66 is configured to wirelessly output to the external device 90 via the wireless communication unit 7 whether or not intraoral force measurement values ​​are being detected or have been completed. Therefore, by having the external device 90 display whether or not intraoral force measurement values ​​are being detected, the person taking the measurement and the person being measured can easily visually confirm whether or not intraoral force measurement values ​​are being detected.

[0052] The buzzer control unit 67 outputs a signal to the buzzer 36 via the signal level adjustment unit 8. In this embodiment, as described above, the buzzer control unit 67 outputs a signal to the buzzer 36 via the signal level adjustment unit 8 during or after detection of intraoral force measurement values. For example, when the detection of intraoral force measurement values ​​is completed, the buzzer control unit 67 outputs a detection completion signal to the buzzer 36. When the buzzer 36 receives the detection completion signal, it emits a sound indicating the completion of detection. This allows the person being measured to be audibly notified that the detection of intraoral force measurement values ​​has been completed.

[0053] The display circuit unit 68 outputs a signal to the liquid crystal unit 33. In this embodiment, the display circuit unit 68 outputs a signal related to the intraoral force measurement value, which has been converted by the signal processing unit 63, to the liquid crystal unit 33. When the liquid crystal unit 33 receives a signal related to the intraoral force measurement value, it displays the intraoral force measurement value. This allows the measurer and the person being measured to visually confirm the measurement value related to the intraoral force. In this embodiment, the display circuit unit 68 outputs a signal to the liquid crystal unit 33 indicating that oral force measurement values ​​are being detected or have been detected. When the liquid crystal unit 33 receives a signal indicating that oral force measurement values ​​are being detected or have been detected, it displays that the oral force measurement values ​​are being detected or have been detected. This allows the person taking the measurement and the person being measured to visually confirm whether the oral force measurement values ​​are being detected or have been detected.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the display circuit unit 68 outputs a voltage alarm signal input from the power supply voltage detection unit 62 to the liquid crystal unit 33. When the liquid crystal unit 33 receives a voltage drop signal, it displays the voltage drop of battery B. This allows both the person taking the measurement and the person being measured to visually confirm that the voltage of battery B has dropped.

[0055] [Wireless Communication Section 7] The wireless communication unit 7 is a so-called wireless communication unit. In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 7 is configured to transmit signals output from the communication circuit unit 66 to an external device 90 via Bluetooth®. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 7 is configured to accept signals output via Bluetooth from, for example, an external device 90. Note that the wireless communication unit 7 is an example of the external output unit of the present invention.

[0056] [External device 90] Returning to Figure 1, the external device 90 includes a computer 91, a display 92, and a printer 93. Computer 91 is configured as a so-called personal computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a hard disk, and the like. In this embodiment, computer 91 is equipped with a Bluetooth communication module and is configured to receive signals output from the wireless communication unit 7 of the intraoral force meter 1. Computer 91 is configured to display the intraoral force measurement values ​​received from the intraoral force meter 1 on the display 92 and to print them on the printer 93.

[0057] The display 92 is a monitor and is connected to the computer 91 via a wired connection. The display 92 is configured to display intraoral force measurements input via the computer 91. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display 92 is configured to indicate whether the intraoral force measurement value is being detected or whether the detection has finished. The display 92 is an example of a display device of the present invention.

[0058] Printer 93 is a so-called inkjet printer and is connected to computer 91 by wire or wireless connection. Printer 93 is configured to print the maximum value, target value, and graph of intraoral force measurements. Note that printer 93 is an example of the printing apparatus of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 4 shows the screen of the display 92 of the external device 90. As shown in Figure 4, the display 92 displays the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement and also displays the intraoral force measurement values ​​in a graph in the order they were entered. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display 92 is configured to display the target value of the intraoral force measurement. As a result, the display 92 displays the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement and also displays the intraoral force measurement values ​​in a graph in the order they were entered, making it easy to check the change in the intraoral force measurement values ​​over time from the start of measurement, and also easy to check the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values ​​from the start of measurement.

[0060] In this embodiment described above, the following effects can be achieved. (1) In this embodiment, the oral force measurement value measured by the detection unit 4 is output wirelessly to the external device 90 via the wireless communication unit 7 by the communication circuit unit 66. This makes it easy for the person being measured to see the measurement result while the measurement is being taken by directly displaying the measurement result on the external device 90. In this embodiment, since the measurement signal is output wirelessly to the external device 90, the external device 90 can be placed in any location, such as another room separated by glass or a wall, and the measurement result can be easily checked by multiple people. Furthermore, by using battery B, portability is increased and ease of use is improved in combination with wireless communication. In addition, since the power control unit 61 controls the ON / OFF operation of the detection unit 4, power saving can be achieved by turning the detection unit 4 ON / OFF each time the detection unit 4 outputs a measurement signal.

[0061] (2) In this embodiment, the signal processing unit 63 provided in the intraoral force meter 1 acquires the measurement signal output from the detection unit 4 and converts it into an intraoral force measurement value. The communication circuit unit 66 then outputs the intraoral force measurement value converted by the signal processing unit 63 to the external device 90 wirelessly via the wireless communication unit 7. This allows the intraoral force meter 1 to select the data necessary for the measurer and the person being measured, eliminating the need to wirelessly output a large amount of data to the external device 90.

[0062] (3) In this embodiment, the communication circuit unit 66 sequentially outputs the converted intraoral force measurement values ​​wirelessly via the wireless communication unit 7, and also outputs the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values ​​from the start of measurement wirelessly via the wireless communication unit 7. Therefore, it is possible to easily check the change in the intraoral force measurement values ​​over time from the start of measurement, and to easily check the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values ​​from the start of measurement.

[0063] (4) In this embodiment, if the intraoral force measurement value related to the maximum value is not updated for a predetermined time, the power control unit 61 turns off the operation of the detection unit 4 and terminates the detection of intraoral force measurement values. Therefore, if the intraoral force measurement value related to the maximum value is not updated for a predetermined time, the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement value will not be updated after that, so power consumption can be suppressed by turning off the operation of the detection unit 4 at this point.

[0064] (5) In this embodiment, the communication circuit unit 66 wirelessly outputs via the wireless communication unit 7 whether it is detecting intraoral force measurements or whether detection has finished. For example, by having an external device 90 display whether or not it is detecting intraoral force measurements, it is possible to easily visually confirm whether or not it is detecting intraoral force measurements.

[0065] (6) In this embodiment, in addition to outputting the intraoral force measurement value to the external device 90, the value is also displayed on the liquid crystal unit 33, so that the intraoral force measurement value can be visually confirmed even with only the intraoral force meter 1.

[0066] (7) In this embodiment, the liquid crystal unit 33 displays whether the intraoral force measurement value is being detected or has finished being detected, so that it is possible to visually confirm whether or not the intraoral force measurement value is being detected.

[0067] (8) In this embodiment, the start or end of detection of intraoral force measurement values ​​can be indicated by the buzzer 36, so that the start or end of detection of intraoral force measurement values ​​can be easily determined.

[0068] (9) In this embodiment, the oral force meter 1 is provided with an operation unit 5 that can perform operations such as turning the power ON / OFF, starting / stopping the detection of intraoral force measurements, setting the operation, or correction, making it easy to operate.

[0069] (10) In this embodiment, the power control unit 61 turns the detection unit 4 ON / OFF each time the detection unit 4 outputs a measurement signal, so the power consumption of the oral force meter 1 can be reduced compared to when the detection unit is kept ON while detecting the oral force measurement value.

[0070] (11) In this embodiment, the external device 90 displays the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement, displays the intraoral force measurement in a graph in the order of input, and prints the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement and the graph. This makes it easy to check the change in the intraoral force measurement over time from the start of measurement, and to check the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement from the start of measurement.

[0071] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc., that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the control unit 6 was configured as a microcontroller (Micro Controller Unit), but it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit may be configured as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit).

[0073] In the above embodiment, the wireless communication unit 7 was configured to enable Bluetooth communication, but is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured to enable wireless communication such as Wi-Fi® or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0074] In the above embodiment, the external device 90 was configured to include a computer 91 and a display 92, but is not limited to this. For example, the external device may be configured as a smartphone, tablet PC, notebook PC, etc.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the intraoral force meter 1 was configured as an occlusal force meter for measuring occlusal force in the oral cavity of a person being measured, but it is not limited to this. For example, the intraoral force meter may be configured as a tongue pressure measuring device for measuring tongue pressure in the oral cavity of a person being measured. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 1…Intraoral force meter, 2…Case, 3…Circuit section, 4…Detection section, 5…Operation section, 6…Control section, 7…Wireless communication section (external output section), 8…Signal level adjustment section, 21…First case, 22…Second case, 23…Third case, 24…Cover joint, 31…Control board, 32…Power supply board, 33…LCD section (display), 34…Connector member, 35…Signal transmission member, 36…Buzzer, 37…Switch, 41…Pressure receiving member, 42…Diaphragm section, 43…Pressure transmission member, 44…Pressure detector, 45…Holding member, 6 1...Power supply control unit, 62...Power supply voltage detection unit, 63...Signal processing unit (calculation unit), 64...Timer unit, 65...Storage unit, 66...Communication circuit unit, 67...Buzzer control unit, 68...Display circuit unit, 90...External device, 91...Computer, 92...Display (display device), 93...Printer (printing device), 100...Intraoral force measurement system, 211...Opening, 221...Battery storage unit, 222...Cover member, 441...Joint unit, 442...Detection member, 451...First plate-shaped part, 452...Second plate-shaped part, B...Battery.

Claims

1. A detection unit for detecting intraoral force, A power control unit that controls the ON / OFF operation of the detection unit, A communication circuit unit that outputs the intraoral force measurement value measured by the detection unit, An external output unit that receives the intraoral force measurement value output from the communication circuit unit and outputs it wirelessly to an external device, The power supply unit where the battery is housed, The system includes a calculation unit that receives a measurement signal output from the detection unit, converts it into an intraoral force measurement value, and outputs the converted intraoral force measurement value to the communication circuit unit, The calculation unit converts the measurement signals output from the detection unit into the oral cavity force measurement values ​​in the order of input, The communication circuit unit sequentially outputs the converted intraoral force measurement values ​​wirelessly via the external output unit, and also outputs the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values ​​from the start of measurement wirelessly via the external output unit. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

2. In the oral force meter according to claim 1, If the oral force measurement value relating to the maximum value is not updated within a predetermined time, the power control unit turns off the operation of the detection unit and terminates the detection of the oral force measurement value. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

3. In the oral force meter according to claim 2, The communication circuit unit wirelessly outputs via the external output unit whether the oral force measurement value is being detected or has finished being detected. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

4. In the oral force meter according to claim 1, The system includes a display that shows the measured intraoral force. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

5. In the oral force meter according to claim 4, The display unit will show the status of the oral force measurement being detected or the status of detection completion. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

6. In the oral force meter according to claim 1, The device is equipped with a buzzer that sounds to indicate the start or end of detection of the oral force measurement value. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

7. In the oral force meter according to claim 1, The device includes an operating unit that allows for operations such as turning the power on / off, starting / stopping the detection of the intraoral force measurement value, setting the operation, or performing correction operations. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

8. In the oral force meter according to claim 1, The power control unit turns the detection unit ON / OFF each time the detection unit outputs the measurement signal. An intraoral force meter characterized by the following features.

9. An oral force meter comprising: a detection unit for detecting intraoral force; a power control unit for controlling the ON / OFF operation of the detection unit; a communication circuit unit for outputting intraoral force measurements measured by the detection unit; an external output unit for receiving the intraoral force measurements output from the communication circuit unit and wirelessly outputting them to an external device; a power supply unit for housing a battery; and a calculation unit for receiving the measurement signal output from the detection unit, converting it into an intraoral force measurement, and outputting the converted intraoral force measurement to the communication circuit unit. The system includes an external device that displays the intraoral force measurement values ​​output from the external output unit, The calculation unit converts the measurement signals output from the detection unit into the oral cavity force measurement values ​​in the order of input, The communication circuit unit sequentially outputs the converted intraoral force measurement values ​​wirelessly to the external device via the external output unit, and also outputs the maximum value of the intraoral force measurement values ​​from the start of measurement wirelessly to the external device via the external output unit. An intraoral force measurement system characterized by the following features.

10. In the oral force measurement system according to claim 9, The external device is, A display device that displays the maximum value of the oral force measurement and displays the oral force measurement in a graph in the order of input, The device comprises a printer for printing the maximum value of the oral force measurement and a graph. An intraoral force measurement system characterized by the following features.

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