JPH1075935A - Tympanic membrane thermometer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To safely and exactly measure the temperature of the tympanic membrane. SOLUTION: A temperature measuring box 2 is integrated into the ear pad of a headphone type holding member 1. A light guide 3 for transmitting infrared rays and a glass fiber part 4 of an endoscope are parallelly set as a fiber probe and inserted from the earhole of a person to be measured to the depth proximate to the tympanic membrane 7 along the external auditory canal 6. The temperature measuring box 2 is attached to the ear pad of the holding member 1 so as to be slid, and the length to protrude the light guide 3 and the glass fiber part 4 of the endoscope to the external auditory canal 6 can be adjusted. The glass fiber part 4 of the endoscope and a signal output wire 5 are pulled out of the temperature measuring box 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an eardrum thermometer for measuring the temperature of an eardrum.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to accurately measure the temperature of the brain, an eardrum thermometer for measuring the temperature of the eardrum is known. As a conventional eardrum thermometer, there is one in which a thermocouple is brought into direct contact with the eardrum. In such a tympanic thermometer, a subject may be given pain and the eardrum may be broken. Non-contact tympanic thermometers are also commercially available. However, in practice, the temperature of the wall of the external auditory canal, not the temperature of the tympanic membrane, is observed.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a tympanic thermometer which can safely and accurately measure the temperature of an eardrum. .

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the eardrum thermometer has a light guide means which can be inserted into the external auditory canal and guides infrared rays emitted from the eardrum, and a radiation temperature detection means. The light guide means emits the infrared rays to the radiation temperature detection means.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of an eardrum thermometer according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a support member,
2 is a temperature measurement box, 3 is a light guide, 4 is a glass fiber part of an endoscope, 5 is a signal output line, 6 is an ear canal, 7
Is the eardrum. The eardrum thermometer according to the present embodiment incorporates a temperature measurement box 2 in an ear pad of a headphone-type support member 1, and includes a light guide 3 attached to the temperature measurement box 2 and a glass of an endoscope. The fiber section 4 is set in parallel as a fiber probe, and the eardrum 7 extends from the ear hole of the subject along the ear canal 6.
To a depth close to. It can be kept in a non-contact state with the eardrum 7.

The temperature measurement box 2 is slidably attached to the ear pad of the support member 1 by a guide member and adjustment screws (not shown), and the light guide 3 and the glass fiber portion 4 of the endoscope are connected to the external auditory canal. 6, so that the length of the protrusion can be adjusted. From the temperature measurement box 2, the glass fiber portion 4 of the endoscope is pulled out backward and connected to an endoscope device (not shown). The signal output line 5 is also drawn out, and the measured eardrum temperature data is guided as an electric signal to an external display device (not shown) or a controller of a medical device to be used.

The light guide 3 may be a member that transmits infrared light and guides the infrared light from the tip of the probe to the temperature measurement box 2. For example, a structure similar to that of the glass fiber portion 4 of the endoscope, particularly a fiber material that transmits infrared rays may be used. The wavelength of the infrared light to be transmitted may be any as long as it can transmit infrared light in a wavelength band corresponding to the temperature of the eardrum. The structure may be not only an optical fiber bundle but also a single optical fiber. Of course, the higher the transmittance, the better. However, since the length of the light guide 3 is short, a material having an appropriate transmittance may be selected according to the sensitivity of the sensor. For plastic fiber,
A plastic material used as a window material of a pyroelectric sensor module 12 described later can be used. The light guide 3 does not necessarily need to be an optical fiber, and may be a molded product having a thickness that can be inserted into the ear canal. If the light guide 3 has flexibility, it can be deformed in accordance with the ear canal 6, which is more preferable.

FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the temperature measuring box shown in FIG. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 11 is a mechanical chopper, 12 is a pyroelectric sensor module, 13 is a motor, 14
Is a signal processing circuit. In the temperature measurement box 2, the end of the light guide 3 faces the light receiving surface of the pyroelectric sensor module 12 with the mechanical chopper 11 interposed therebetween. The mechanical chopper 11 is rotated by the motor 13 and intermittently shields infrared light emitted from the end of the light guide 3. The glass fiber part 4 of the endoscope incorporated in the temperature measurement box 2 is separated from the light guide 3 and is taken out backward as it is. The signal processing circuit 14 receives the output of the pyroelectric sensor module 12, performs signal processing such as amplification, temperature compensation, and filtering, and displays the temperature information in the form of an analog signal or a digital signal through a signal output line 5 to an external display. Output to the controller of the device or medical device.

The mechanical chopper 11 is necessary when the pyroelectric sensor module 12 is used as a radiation temperature detector. Since the pyroelectric sensor itself in the pyroelectric sensor module 12 is a differential sensor that detects a temperature change, a wing-shaped rotating body driven by a motor 13 such as a stepping motor is provided on the front surface of the pyroelectric sensor module 12. A mechanical chopper 11 having the above is installed, and the radiation energy input is forcibly switched to detect a temperature difference between the background temperature and the temperature of the eardrum 7. A piezoelectric bimorph vibrator may be used as a chopper having such an operation.

A wavelength-selective interference filter that passes only the infrared wavelength necessary for measuring the temperature of the eardrum 7 is provided on the end face of the light-emitting end or the end face of the light-receiving end of the light guide and the window material of the light receiving portion of the pyroelectric sensor module 12. It is preferable to provide at least one of them.

The infrared light radiated from the eardrum 7 is guided to the outside of the ear by an optical fiber transmitting the infrared light, and the infrared light is cut off unnecessary wavelengths by an interference filter provided on an end face of the light guide 3 or the like. Then, the radiation temperature of the eardrum 7 is guided to the pyroelectric sensor module 12 via the mechanical chopper 11, and is accurately detected by the pyroelectric sensor. The temperature information signal-processed by the signal processing circuit 14 is used by being guided to an external display device or the like.

The glass fiber part 4 of the endoscope is incorporated for precise position confirmation of the tip of the light guide 3. The distance from the entrance of the ear canal 6 to the eardrum differs depending on the subject. When the eardrum thermometer is mounted, the glass fiber part 4 of the endoscope device is set in parallel with the light guide 3,
While monitoring the external auditory canal 6 at the tip of the light guide 3 using an endoscope (not shown), slide the temperature measurement box 2 to adjust the protrusion length so that the tip of the light guide 3 does not hit the eardrum 7. The measurement position is adjusted and fixed while approaching the eardrum 7. The distal end of the glass fiber portion 4 of the endoscope does not necessarily have to be aligned with the distal end of the light guide 3 and may be slightly protruding from the distal end of the light guide 3 or may be slightly retracted.
In short, the positional relationship between the distal end of the light guide 3 and the eardrum 7 may be determined by an endoscope. Glass fiber part 4 of endoscope
May be detachable. In this case, when measuring the temperature for a long time, the glass fiber portion 4 of the endoscope can be removed for measurement. In addition, even without using an endoscope,
It is also possible to observe the position of the tip of the light guide 3 from outside the ear

In the above-described embodiment, the temperature measurement box 2 is incorporated in the ear pad of the headphone-type support member 1 and is supported and fixed to the head of the person to be measured. It is not limited to the headphone type.
The support member only needs to maintain a constant positional relationship between the distal end of the light guide 3 and the eardrum 7 in a state where the distal end of the light guide 3 is inserted into the external auditory canal 6. For example, the temperature measurement box 2 can be supported by being fitted in an ear hole like an earphone, or supported on an auricle like a hearing aid or an eyeglass. If the light guide 3 is made long and curved, and only the light guide 3 is supported by the ear hole, the temperature measurement box 2 can be placed at a place away from the ear hole. Further, the light guide 3 may be formed into a rod-like body like an earpick, and the position of the light guide 3 may be held by the hand of the person to be measured or the person to be measured.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light guide means which can be inserted into the ear canal and guides infrared rays emitted from the eardrum, and a radiation temperature detecting means. Since the light guide means emits infrared rays to the radiation temperature detecting means, there is an effect that the temperature of the eardrum can be measured safely and accurately by arranging the tip of the light guide near the eardrum. Then, the temperature of the brain can be accurately measured from the temperature of the eardrum.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of an eardrum thermometer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the temperature measurement box shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Support member, 2 ... Temperature measurement box, 3 ... Light guide, 4 ... Glass fiber part of endoscope, 5 ... Signal output line,
6 ... ear canal, 7 ... eardrum, 11 ... mechanical chopper, 1
2 ... pyroelectric sensor module, 13 ... motor, 14 ... signal processing circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A light guide means, which can be inserted into the ear canal and guides infrared rays emitted from the eardrum, and a radiation temperature detection means, wherein the light guide means emits the infrared rays to the radiation temperature detection means. Characteristic eardrum thermometer.