KR102206903B1 - Probe for measuring oral pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

The probe 1 for measuring oral pressure is provided with a balloon 2 made of an elastic material and a hollow tube part 3. The cross-sectional shape of the connecting tube portion 21 of the balloon 2 is flat. An engaging portion 23a is formed in the jaw portion 23 of the balloon 2. The hollow tube portion 3 has an outer cylinder member 30 and an inner cylinder member 40 that sandwich the jaw portion 23 of the balloon 2 from one side and the other side in the thickness direction. The engagement portion 23a of the balloon 2 is fitted to the outer cylinder member 30.

Description

Probe for measuring oral pressure

The present invention is, for example, oral pressure measurement used when measuring oral pressure such as tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, oral cavity pressure, and narrowing pressure. It relates to a probe for use, and in particular belongs to the technical field of a structure in which the pressure can be measured by applying a pressing force to a balloon inserted into the oral cavity.

Recently, in order to improve the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly, maintenance and recovery of feeding and swallowing functions are required, and clarification of these functions is required. The movement of the tongue is largely involved in the feeding and swallowing function, and a predetermined tongue pressure is required to form a food mass and send it to the pharynx. Therefore, measurement of tongue pressure and its interpretation have an important meaning. In addition, measurement of oral pressures such as sublingual muscle pressure, oral cavity pressure, and narrowing pressure as well as tongue pressure have equally important meanings, and as a subject of these oral pressures, In addition to the elderly, the subject is also a person with a disability. As a method for measuring oral pressure, a method using a so-called balloon probe capable of measuring the pressure by applying pressure to a balloon inserted into the oral cavity is known (Patent Documents 1 to 3). Reference) In the oral-related pressure measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, when the subject presses the balloon inserted into the oral cavity with the tongue, a change in the air pressure in the balloon is detected by the pressure detecting unit in communication with the balloon. This change in air pressure is used as an electric signal. The tongue pressure can be measured by converting.

The probe of Patent Document 2 includes a balloon, a hollow tube portion communicating with the balloon, and a sliding member disposed outside the hollow tube portion. The sliding member is inserted into the oral cavity by being sandwiched between teeth or lips when the probe is used. It is structured so that the position can be changed according to the insertion length of the probe to be performed. [0027] As the shape of the sliding member, a plurality of shapes having a flat cross section are disclosed.

In addition, in Patent Document 3, a jaw portion protruding outward is formed at the base end portion of the balloon of the probe.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-275994 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-135728 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-237366

However, there is a demand to stabilize the balloon in the oral cavity as much as possible in order to increase the measurement accuracy of the oral-related pressure or to easily measure the oral-related pressure. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the proximal end side of the balloon of Patent Documents 1 or 3 is determined. It is conceivable to have a flat cross-sectional shape that approximates the cross-sectional shape of the sliding member of Patent Document 2, and to hold the flat-shaped portion by sandwiching it between the teeth and the lips. Thus, compared to the proximal end side of the balloon having a circular cross-section. You can stabilize the balloon.

Here, as disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the balloon and the hollow tube portion connected to the balloon are configured as different members, and it is necessary to assemble and integrate after each member is molded. It is expected that the indicated jaw part is formed in the balloon, and the balloon is assembled to the hollow tube portion by sandwiching the jaw portion in the thickness direction.

However, if the cross-section on the base end side of the balloon is flat, a curved portion and a flat portion are formed in the circumferential wall portion on the base end side. When the jaw portion as in Patent Document 3 is formed at the end of this peripheral wall portion, the jaw portion also has a curved portion and a curved portion. When the jaw has such a shape, a problem is the pull-out strength of the balloon. That is, there are cases where a pulling force acts on the balloon while the probe is being used or the like. The present inventors have found that when a curved portion and a flat portion are formed in the jaw portion of the balloon, when a pulling force acts on the balloon, a large difference in pull-out resistance occurs in the curved portion and the flat portion of the jaw portion. Specifically, the flat portion of the jaw has a problem that the pull-out resistance is significantly lowered compared to the curved portion, the jaw comes out from the flat portion, and furthermore, the pull-out resistance of the balloon is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and its object is to stabilize the balloon during oral pressure measurement and to prevent the balloon from falling out of the hollow tube portion.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the connecting cylinder of the balloon is made flat so that it can be easily fitted between the teeth or lips, and an engaging portion is formed in the jaw formed in the connecting cylinder, By fitting the engaging portion to the member constituting the balloon, the pull-out resistance of the balloon was improved.

The first invention includes a balloon made of an elastic material inserted into the oral cavity of a subject for measuring oral-related pressure, and a hollow tube portion to which the balloon is connected, and the hollow tube portion detects a change in pressure of gas in the balloon. An oral-related pressure measurement probe used by being connected to an oral-related pressure measuring device having a pressure detecting portion, wherein the balloon includes a water pressure portion receiving pressure in the oral cavity, and a connection cylinder portion connected to the hollow tube portion, The connecting cylinder portion of the balloon has a flat cross-sectional shape and has a jaw portion protruding outward, the jaw portion of the balloon has an engaging portion protruding toward one side in the thickness direction of the jaw portion, and the hollow tube portion, The balloon has a first member and a second member for holding the balloon from one side and the other side in the thickness direction, and the engaging portion of the balloon is fitted to the first member.

According to this configuration, since the cross-sectional shape of the connecting cylinder of the balloon is flat, it is possible to easily and reliably hold the probe by the teeth or lips while the pressure receiving part of the balloon is inserted into the oral cavity. Becomes stable.

Then, the mouthpiece of the connecting cylinder portion of the balloon is sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction by the first member and the second member constituting the hollow tube portion, whereby the balloon is integrated with the hollow member. At this time, since the engaging portion of the jaw portion of the balloon is fitted to the first member of the hollow tube portion, when a pulling force is applied to the balloon, the engaging portion of the balloon is difficult to disengage from the first member, whereby the jaw portion of the balloon is fitted with the first member and It becomes difficult to come off from between the second members. Therefore, the pull-out resistance of the balloon is improved.

A second invention is the first invention, wherein the engaging portion of the balloon is continuously formed in the circumferential direction of the jaw.

According to this configuration, since the jaw portion of the balloon is difficult to come off from between the first member and the second member over the entire circumference, the pull-out resistance of the balloon is further improved.

In a third invention, in the first invention, the jaw portion is formed at an end portion of the connecting tube portion of the balloon, and the first member of the hollow tube portion is an outer side into which an end portion of the connecting tube portion is inserted. The second member of the hollow tube portion has a cylinder portion, and the second member of the hollow tube portion has an inner cylinder portion inserted into an end portion of the connection cylinder portion, and an end portion of the connection cylinder portion is pressed in the thickness direction by the outer cylinder portion and the inner cylinder portion to be elastic. It is characterized by being transformed.

According to this configuration, the end of the connecting cylinder of the balloon is pressed in the thickness direction by the outer cylinder of the first member of the hollow tube and the inner cylinder of the second member of the hollow tube to elastically deform, so that the end of the connecting cylinder is firmly maintained. . Since the jaw portion is formed at the end of the connecting cylinder portion, the jaw portion becomes difficult to move when a pulling force is applied to the balloon, and as a result, the engaging portion of the jaw portion is more difficult to separate from the first member.

In the fourth invention, in the first invention, in the second member, an abutment surface abutting against an end surface of the connecting cylinder portion of the balloon is formed, and the abutment surface is a diameter of the long-term connecting cylinder of the balloon It is characterized in that it extends in the direction.

According to this configuration, the contact surface of the second member of the hollow tube comes into contact with the end face of the connecting cylinder part of the balloon. Since this contact surface extends in the radial direction, the first member and the second member securely hold the jaw part between them. This becomes possible, and the engaging portion of the jaw is more difficult to separate from the first member.

In the fifth invention, in the first invention, the first member is provided with an end portion extending in the radial direction of the connecting cylinder portion of the balloon, and the engaging portion of the balloon is fitted to the inner surface of the end portion. It features.

According to this configuration, since the jaw portion of the balloon engages the inner surface of the end portion of the first member, the pull-out resistance of the balloon is further improved.

A sixth invention is the first aspect of the invention, wherein the first member is formed to cover the connecting tube portion of the balloon, and a hard cover portion made of a material that is harder than that of an elastic material constituting the balloon is formed. do.

According to this configuration, since the connection cylinder portion of the balloon is covered by the hard cover portion, deformation of the connection cylinder portion is suppressed when it is held between teeth and lips.

According to the first invention, since the cross-sectional shape of the connecting cylinder of the balloon is made flat, the probe can be easily inserted between the teeth and the lips, thereby stabilizing the balloon when measuring oral pressure. Since the engaging portion is formed in the jaw and the engaging portion is fitted to the first member constituting the hollow tube portion, the pull-out resistance of the balloon can be improved.

According to the second invention, since the engagement portion of the balloon is continuously formed in the circumferential direction of the jaw, the pull-out resistance of the balloon can be further improved.

According to the third invention, the end of the connecting cylinder of the balloon is elastically deformed by pressing the outer cylinder portion of the first member of the hollow tube portion and the inner cylinder portion of the second member in the thickness direction, so that the end of the connecting cylinder portion can be firmly held. Thereby, when the pulling force acts on the balloon, it becomes difficult to move the jaw. As a result, the engaging portion of the jaw can be made more difficult to separate from the first member.

According to the fourth invention, when the contact surface of the second member of the hollow tube comes into contact with the end face of the connecting cylinder part of the balloon, the contact surface extends in the radial direction, so that the first member and the second member reliably intervene the jaw part. In this way, the engaging portion of the jaw portion can be made more difficult to separate from the first member.

According to the fifth invention, an end portion extending in the radial direction of the connecting cylinder portion of the balloon is formed in the first member of the hollow tube portion, and the balloon is fitted to the inner surface of the end portion, so that the pull-out resistance of the balloon can be further improved. .

According to the sixth invention, since the connection cylinder of the balloon can be covered by the hard cover portion, deformation of the connection cylinder can be suppressed when it is held between teeth and lips.

1 is a plan view of a probe for measuring oral-related pressure according to an embodiment.
2 is a plan view of a state in which a probe for measuring oral pressure is connected to an oral pressure measuring device.
3 is a side view of a probe for measuring oral pressure.
4 is an exploded perspective view of a probe for measuring oral pressure.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V in FIG. 3.
6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 1.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4.
Fig. 8 is a diagram explaining the point of a balloon pull-out test.
9 is a graph comparing the pulling force of the balloons of the present invention and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The following description of preferred embodiments is essentially merely an illustration and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

1 is a plan view of a probe 1 for measuring oral-related pressure according to an embodiment of the present invention. The probe 1 for measuring oral-related pressure is an elastic material inserted into an oral cavity of a subject measuring oral-related pressure. It includes a balloon 2 made of and a hollow tube part 3 to which the balloon 2 is connected. Oral-related pressures include, for example, tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, oral cavity pressure, and pinching pressure, but are limited thereto. It can be used to measure various pressures related to the oral cavity. Tongue pressure is the force pressing the tongue against the palate, sublingual pressure is the force pressing the tongue down, and oral pressure is the force to close the upper and lower lip, and pincer pressure. The term is the force that presses the ball toward the inside of the oral cavity. Further, examples of the subject are the elderly, the disabled, etc., but may be a healthy person. In addition, the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 is used to restore oral function. It can also be used as a training tool for

The oral-related pressure measuring probe 1 is used with the hollow tube portion 3 connected to the oral-related pressure measuring device 100 (shown in Fig. 2). The oral-related pressure measuring device 100 is, for example, used. The devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 can be used, and specifically, a pressure detection unit 101, a display unit 102, a power supply unit 103, and a casing 104 for accommodating them are provided. The detection unit 101 is composed of a known pressure sensor, etc., and is configured to obtain air pressure. The display unit 102 may be composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an LED, and the pneumatic pressure obtained from the pressure detection unit 101 Specifically, it is configured to display a numerical value or to display the air pressure obtained by the pressure detection unit 101 in multiple stages, such as high, medium, and low. The power supply unit 103 is, for example, a battery, and the like, and the pressure detection unit 101 And supply power to the display unit 102. Further, the casing 104 is provided with a connection pipe 105 to which the hollow pipe portion 3 of the probe 1 for oral-related pressure measurement is connected. The connection pipe 105 communicates with the pressure detection portion 101.

(Configuration of balloon)

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, the balloon 2 includes a pressure receiving portion 20 that receives pressure in the oral cavity of a subject, and a connection cylinder portion 21 connected to the hollow tube portion 3. And, the pressure receiving part 20 and the connection cylinder part 21 are integrally molded. As the elastic material constituting the balloon 2, for example, a material having airtightness and watertightness, such as rubber such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, and silicone rubber, or elastomer, can be used.

The water pressure part 20 is a part inserted into the oral cavity of a subject, and is disposed in the oral cavity to be measured. The shape of the pressure receiving unit 20 is a hollow shape having a cross-section close to an ellipse, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, and as a whole, the horizontal direction of Fig. 1, that is, the insertion direction into the oral cavity of the subject It has a long shape. Since the pressure associated with the oral cavity can be measured by pressing and elastically deforming the pressure receiving part 20, it has a shape restoration property of restoring its original shape when the external force is removed after pressing. Here, the hardness of the elastic material is set to a low hardness so that the pressure receiving unit 20 can be elastically deformed with a very small force when the pressure receiving unit 20 is pressed while the connection cylinder 21 is opened.

As shown in FIG. 7, the connection cylinder part 21 is formed so as to protrude outward of the pressure receiving part 20 from the end of one side in the longitudinal direction of the pressure receiving part 20 (the proximal end side in the direction of insertion into the oral cavity). The protruding direction of the connection cylinder part 21 is a direction along the longitudinal direction of the pressure receiving part 20. The inside of the connection cylinder 21 communicates with the inside of the pressure receiving portion 20. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, the connecting cylinder 21 has a flat cross-sectional shape. Specifically, the cross section in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the connecting cylinder 21 is in the width direction of the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 (up and down directions in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7, etc.) It has an elongated shape, and the connection cylinder portion 21 is composed of a pair of flat wall portions 21a, 21a extending in the width direction and curved wall portions 21b, 21b continuous to the flat wall portions 21a, 21a. do. The flat wall portions 21a and 21a extend in the width direction of the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 and are substantially parallel to each other. On the other hand, the curved wall portions 21b and 21b are wall portions curved toward the outside of the connecting cylinder portion 21. Here, instead of the flat wall portions 21a and 21a, a wall portion gently curved toward the outside of the connection cylinder portion 21 may be used, for example, an elliptical shape or the like.

At the end of the connecting tube portion 21 of the balloon 2, a jaw 23 is formed which protrudes outward in the radial direction of the connecting tube portion 21 and extends continuously in the circumferential direction. In order to correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the connecting cylinder portion 21 having a flat shape, the jaw portion 23 has a shape substantially similar to the cross-sectional shape of the connecting cylinder portion 21. The thickness direction of the jaw portion 23 is the longitudinal direction of the connecting cylinder portion 21, and in this embodiment, one side of the thickness direction of the jaw portion 23 is set to the left side of Figs. 5 and 7 and the thickness of the jaw portion 23 The other side of the direction is defined as the right side of FIGS. 5 and 7.

An engaging portion 23a is formed in the jaw portion 23 of the balloon 2. That is, the engaging portion 23a is formed so as to protrude from one side in the thickness direction of the jaw portion 23 toward one side in the thickness direction, and form a continuous protrusion over the entire circumference of the jaw portion 23 in the circumferential direction. The engaging portion 23a is located at the outermost periphery of the jaw portion 23, and a gap is formed between the engaging portion 23a and the outer circumferential surface of the connecting cylindrical portion 21, and the gap is formed with the engaging portion 23a. , A groove is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the connection cylinder 21.

(Composition of hollow pipe)

As shown in FIG. 4, the hollow pipe part 3 has an outer cylinder member (first member) 30 and an inner cylinder member (second member) 40, and the outer cylinder member 30 and the inner cylinder member 40 It is comprised so that the jaw part 23 of the furnace balloon 2 is sandwiched and held between one side and the other side in the thickness direction of the said jaw part 23. The outer cylinder member 30 is made of a resin material that is harder than the elastic material constituting the balloon 2 and is an integrally molded product made of the resin material. Examples of the hard resin material constituting the outer cylinder member 30 include polypropylene and polyethylene. Further, the inner cylinder member 40 is also made of a resin material that is harder than the elastic material constituting the balloon 2, and is an integrally molded article made of the resin material. Examples of the hard resin material constituting the inner cylinder member 40 include polycarbonate.

A flange 31 is formed at the base end of the outer cylinder member 30 when the direction of insertion into the oral cavity is referenced. An outer cylinder portion 32 into which the connecting cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2 is inserted is formed at the distal end of the outer cylinder member 30. The cross-sectional shape of the outer cylindrical portion 32 is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the connecting cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2 and has a flat shape over both ends in the longitudinal direction. The outer cylindrical portion 32 has a base end-side cylindrical portion 32a constituting the base end side, and a tip-side cylindrical portion 32b constituting the front end side. The base end-side cylinder portion 32a is formed with a larger diameter than the tip-side cylinder portion 32b, and therefore, in the outer cylinder portion 32, at the boundary portion between the base end-side cylinder portion 32a and the tip-side cylinder portion 32b, a balloon ( The end portion 32c that expands in the radial direction of the connection cylinder portion 21 of 2) is formed. The tip-side cylinder portion 32b is a hard cover portion formed so as to cover the connecting cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2, and the inner peripheral surface of the tip-side cylinder portion 32b is the outer peripheral surface of the connecting cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2 It is formed to be in close contact over the entire circumference of The tip-side cylinder portion 32b has a predetermined or higher rigidity so as not to be crushed when the subject is sandwiched between teeth or lips during use, which will be described later.

Although shown only in FIG. 5, the distal end of the distal side cylindrical portion 32b is located in the vicinity of the end of the pressure receiving unit 20 side of the connecting tube 21 of the balloon 2, and most of the connecting tube 21 is at the distal end. It is covered by the cylinder part 32b. An annular convex portion 32d is formed at the tip end of the tip-side cylindrical portion 32b. The annular convex portion 32d protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tip-side cylindrical portion 32b and continuously extends in the circumferential direction of the tip-side cylindrical portion 32b. The annular convex portion 32d is a convex portion for preventing the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 from falling off by being formed so as to catch a person's teeth or lips when using the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1. In addition, the protruding height of the annular convex portion 32d is set low and is set so as not to be disturbed when inserted into the oral cavity.

The jaw part 23 of the connection tube part 21 of the balloon 2 is inserted into the base end side cylinder part 32a. The inner circumferential surface of the proximal end side cylindrical portion 32a is formed so as to be in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the jaw 23 over the entire circumference.

As shown in FIG. 5, on the inner surface of the end portion 32c of the outer cylindrical portion 32, a fitting recessed portion 32e to which the engaging portion 23a of the balloon 2 is fitted is formed. The fitting concave portion 32e extends annularly over the entire circumference of the inner surface of the outer cylindrical portion 32 in the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the insertion direction into the oral cavity is taken as a reference, the proximal end of the inner cylinder member 40 is a tubular proximal end-side connecting portion connected to the connecting pipe 105 of the oral-related pressure measuring device 100 (41) is formed. A protruding plate portion 42 protruding outward in the radial direction is formed on the front end side of the inner cylinder member 40 rather than the base end side connection portion 41. At the distal end of the inner cylinder member 40, an inner cylinder portion 43 that is inserted into the connection cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2 is formed. As shown in FIG. 5, the length of the inner cylinder part 43 is set shorter than the length of the tip side cylinder part 32b of the outer cylinder part 32, and the tip end of the inner cylinder part 43 is the balloon 2 It is located near the center portion in the longitudinal direction of the connecting cylinder 21. The cross-sectional shape of the inner cylindrical portion 43 is a flat shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the connecting cylindrical portion 21 of the balloon 2. And, the outer diameter of the inner cylinder part 43 is set larger than the inner diameter of the connection cylinder part 21 of the balloon 2, whereby the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder part 43 is the connection cylinder part ( The inner peripheral surface of 21) is pressed outward in the radial direction over the entire circumference. Accordingly, at least the end of the connection cylinder 21 is pressed in the thickness direction by the outer cylinder 32 and the inner cylinder 43 to elastically deform.

On the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder member 40, an abutment surface 44 abutting against the end face of the connecting cylinder 21 of the balloon 2 is formed. The contact surface 44 is formed over the entire circumference of the inner cylinder member 40 in the circumferential direction, and extends in the radial direction of the connecting cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2.

A large diameter portion 45 having a larger diameter than the inner cylinder portion 43 is formed on the base end side of the inner cylinder member 40 than the abutment surface 44. This large-diameter portion 45 is inserted into the base end side cylinder 32a of the outer cylinder member 30 and is fixed in a state in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the base end side cylinder portion 32a.

(How to assemble the probe for oral pressure measurement)

When assembling the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 configured as described above, first, the connecting cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2 is inserted into the outer cylinder portion 32 of the outer cylinder member 30. At this time, the connection cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2 may be elastically deformed and pushed into the outer cylinder portion 32 of the outer cylinder member 30. Then, the jaw part 23 of the balloon 2 is inserted into the base end-side cylindrical part 32a of the outer cylindrical part 32 of the outer cylindrical member 30, and the engaging part 23a of the balloon 2 is inserted into the outer cylindrical member 30. The fitting concave portion 32e is fitted to the fitting concave portion 32e to engage the engaging portion 23a and the fitting concave portion 32e.

Thereafter, the inner cylinder member 40 is inserted into the outer cylinder member 30, and the large diameter portion 45 of the inner cylinder member 40 is inserted into the base end side cylinder 32a of the outer cylinder member 30, and the inner cylinder portion (43) is inserted into the connecting tube part 21 of the balloon 2. As a result, the range from the end of the connecting cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2 to the vicinity of the center portion in the longitudinal direction is pressed in the thickness direction by the outer cylinder portion 32 and the inner cylinder portion 43 to elastically deform, and is thinner compared to other portions. And sufficient sealing properties are obtained.

When the inner tube member 40 is completely inserted into the outer tube member 30, the contact surface 44 of the inner tube member 40 abuts against the end face of the connecting tube portion 21 of the balloon 2. Accordingly, the jaw portion 23 of the balloon 2 is held in a state sandwiched between one side and the other side in the thickness direction by the outer cylinder member 30 and the inner cylinder member 40.

(Effect of the embodiment)

When using the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 obtained as described above, after connecting the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 to the oral-related pressure measurement device 100, the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 The balloon (2) of is inserted into the oral cavity of the subject. At this time, the posture of the oral-related pressure measuring probe 1 is set so that the width direction of the oral-related pressure measuring probe 1 coincides with the left-right direction of the person measuring it. The pressure receiving part 20 is inserted until the tooth or lips of the subject to be measured are at a position corresponding to the connection tube part 21 of the balloon 2. Then, a portion corresponding to the connection cylinder portion 21 of the oral-related pressure measurement probe 1, that is, the tip-side cylinder portion 32b, is sandwiched between the teeth or lips of the subject in the vertical direction. At this time, since the cross-sectional shape of the connecting tube portion 21 of the probe 1 and the cross-sectional shape of the tip-side tube portion 32b are flat, and the top and bottom surfaces of the tip-side tube portion 32b are substantially flat, Since it can be easily inserted, the balloon (2) can be stabilized when measuring oral pressure.

Further, when a pull-out test of the balloon 2 was performed on the probe 1 for measuring oral pressure, it was demonstrated that the pull-out resistance of the balloon 2 was at a sufficiently high level. The method of the pull-out test of the balloon 2 will be described based on FIG. 8. In the pull-out test of the balloon (2), a tensile tester (200) and a support jig (201) are prepared. The tensile tester 200 can use a conventionally known one, has at least a load cell 202 and a chuck 203, and is capable of obtaining a tensile load in real time by the load cell 202. In addition, the maximum tensile load can be memorized. The chuck 203 is configured to be able to hold the balloon 2. In addition, the support jig 201 is configured to be able to fix the hollow tube portion 3 of the probe 1 for measuring oral-related pressure in a vertically extending posture.

Then, while the support jig 201 is fixed, the chuck 203 is moved upward as indicated by the white arrow, pulled in the direction in which the balloon 2 is pulled out to apply a load, and the balloon 2 is broken or the hollow tube part ( 3) Get the maximum tensile load just before pulling out.

9 is a graph showing the maximum tensile load of the present invention and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The present invention is an oral-related pressure measurement probe 1 constructed as in the above embodiment. On the other hand, Comparative Example 1 is a case of a structure in which the connecting cylinder portion of the balloon has a circular cross section, and the engaging portion 23a and the fitting recessed portion 32e are omitted from the configuration of the above embodiment. This is the case of a structure in which the engaging portion 23a and the engaging recessed portion 32e are omitted from the configuration of the embodiment. As can be seen from Fig. 9, the tensile load of the present invention is significantly improved compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. That is, the pull-out resistance of the balloon 2 is improved.

That is, the engaging portion 23a is formed in the jaw portion 23 formed in the connecting cylinder portion 21 of the balloon 2, and the fitting recessed portion 32e of the outer cylinder member 30 constituting the hollow tube portion 3 Since the engaging portion 23a is fitted, the pull-out resistance of the balloon 2 can be improved.

Further, since the engaging portion 23a of the balloon 2 is continuously formed in the circumferential direction of the jaw portion 23, the pull-out resistance of the balloon 2 can be further improved.

In addition, the end of the connecting cylinder 21 of the balloon 2 is elastically deformed by pressing the outer cylinder 32 and the inner cylinder 43 in the thickness direction, so that the end of the connection cylinder 21 can be firmly held. . This makes it difficult for the jaw 23 to move when the pulling force acts on the balloon 2, so that the engaging portion 23a of the jaw 23 is more difficult to separate from the fitting recess 32e.

In addition, when the contact surface 44 of the inner tube member 40 of the hollow tube part 3 contacts the end face of the connecting tube part 21 of the balloon 2, the contact surface 44 extends in the radial direction. , The outer tube member 30 and the inner tube member 40 can be securely sandwiched between the jaw part 23 and held. Thereby, it is possible to make it more difficult for the engaging portion 23a of the jaw portion 23 to separate from the fitting concave portion 32e.

In all respects, the above-described embodiment is merely an illustration and should not be interpreted limitedly. In addition, all modifications or changes falling within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

[Industrial availability]

As described above, the probe for measuring oral-related pressure according to the present invention can be used to measure oral-related pressures such as, for example, tongue pressure, sublingual muscle pressure, oral cavity pressure, and narrowing pressure.

1: Probe for measuring oral pressure
2: Balloon
3 ： Ministry of Hollow
20： Water pressure part
21: Connection tube
23： Musical part
23a ： Engagement part
30: External cylinder member (first member)
32 ： Outer cylinder
32b: Front side cylinder (hard cover)
32c: end
40: inner cylinder member (second member)
43： Inner cylinder
44 ： interview

Claims (6)

A balloon made of an elastic material inserted into the oral cavity of the subject for measuring oral pressure,
It has a hollow tube portion to which the balloon is connected,
A probe for measuring oral-related pressure used by connecting the hollow tube portion to an oral-related pressure measuring device having a pressure detecting portion for detecting a pressure change of the gas in the balloon,
The balloon is provided with a pressure receiving portion receiving pressure in the oral cavity, and a connecting cylinder portion connected to the hollow tube portion,
The connecting cylinder portion of the balloon has a flat cross-sectional shape and has a jaw portion protruding outward,
The jaw portion of the balloon has an engaging portion protruding toward one side in the thickness direction of the jaw portion,
The hollow pipe portion has a first member and a second member for holding the ball portion of the balloon from one side and the other side in the thickness direction,
The engaging portion of the balloon is fitted to the first member,
In the second member, an abutment surface abutting against an end surface of the connecting cylinder portion of the balloon is formed,
The contact surface is an oral-related pressure measurement probe, characterized in that extending in the radial direction of the connecting tube portion of the balloon. The method according to claim 1,
The engagement portion of the balloon is an oral-related pressure measurement probe, characterized in that continuously formed in the circumferential direction of the jaw. A balloon made of an elastic material inserted into the oral cavity of the subject for measuring oral pressure,
It has a hollow tube portion to which the balloon is connected,
A probe for measuring oral-related pressure used by connecting the hollow tube portion to an oral-related pressure measuring device having a pressure detecting portion for detecting a pressure change of the gas in the balloon,
The balloon includes a pressure receiving portion receiving pressure in the oral cavity, and a connecting cylinder portion connected to the hollow tube portion,
The connecting cylinder portion of the balloon has a flat cross-sectional shape and has a jaw portion protruding outward,
The jaw portion of the balloon has an engaging portion protruding toward one side in the thickness direction of the jaw portion,
The hollow pipe portion has a first member and a second member for holding the ball portion of the balloon from one side and the other side in the thickness direction,
The engaging portion of the balloon is fitted to the first member,
The first member of the hollow pipe portion has an outer cylinder portion into which an end portion of the connection cylinder portion is inserted,
The second member of the hollow tube portion has an inner cylinder portion inserted inwardly of an end portion of the connection cylinder portion,
The jaw portion is elastically deformed by pressing the jaw portion in the thickness direction of the jaw portion by the outer cylinder portion and the inner cylinder portion. delete The method according to claim 1,
The first member is provided with an end portion extending in the radial direction of the connecting cylinder portion of the balloon, and the engaging portion of the balloon is fitted to an inner surface of the end portion. The method according to claim 1,
The first member is formed to cover the connection tube portion of the balloon, and a hard cover portion made of a material that is harder than an elastic material constituting the balloon is formed.

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