JP7607902B2 - Respiratory sound measuring device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a neckband-type respiratory sound measuring device that measures the sleep state of a subject.

Snoring during sleep can be a nuisance to people around you, and snoring can lead to apnea, which can lead to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Therefore, there is a demand for a respiratory sound measuring device that can measure the sleep state of a subject.

Patent document 1 shows a method of attaching a microphone around the neck of each patient and recording sounds received by the microphone while the patient is sleeping. Patent document 2 discloses a neckband-type sleep condition measuring device for grasping the user's condition while sleeping.

JP 2007-202939 A JP 2019-201946 A

For example, when measuring breathing during sleep using a respiratory sound measuring device, it is common to turn the power switch "on" before going to sleep and "off" when waking up to perform the measurement. However, it is possible that a person may forget to turn the switch "on" before going to sleep, or may think that the switch is "on" but it is not, resulting in failure to measure breathing while asleep. In particular, with a neckband-type sleep state measuring device, which is attached to the subject's neck (cervical region), there is an issue that it is not possible to visually confirm that the switch is on after attaching the device to the neck.

In addition, respiratory sound measuring devices are required to be small and lightweight in order to alleviate discomfort felt by subjects when wearing them, and it is preferable that the battery that can be installed is small. At the same time, it is desirable for the device to be able to be used for a long time on a single charge. Therefore, when the respiratory sound measuring device is not being used, it is desirable for it to transition from the measurement state to a low power consumption mode such as a sleep state as quickly as possible. However, in the case of a configuration equipped with a power switch (e.g., a slide or push type), there is a risk that the user will forget to turn the switch off when waking up.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a respiratory sound measuring device that automatically goes into measurement mode when worn around the subject's neck, and does not start measuring when not worn around the neck.

In one aspect of the present invention, a neckband-type respiratory sound measuring device that is worn around the circumference of the subject's neck is provided with a wearing state detection sensor that detects that the respiratory sound measuring device is worn around the subject's neck, a respiratory sound acquisition unit that acquires respiratory sounds by contacting the skin of the subject's anterior neck when the respiratory sound measuring device is worn around the subject's neck, and a control unit that starts measuring the acquired sounds as respiratory sounds when the acquired sounds from the respiratory sound acquisition unit satisfy a predetermined breathing judgment criterion after it is detected that the respiratory sound measuring device is worn around the subject's neck.

According to this embodiment, when the respiratory sound measuring device is attached to the subject's neck and it is determined that the respiratory sound has been acquired, the measurement of the respiratory sound is automatically started, which prevents the subject from forgetting to turn on the switch to enter the measurement state and thus making it impossible to measure the respiratory sound, and ensures that the respiratory sound can be measured while asleep. Furthermore, after it is detected that the device is attached, the measurement of the respiratory sound is started only when the acquired sound from the respiratory sound acquisition unit meets a predetermined breathing judgment criterion, so that the measurement is not performed even when the device is not attached to the neck.

In the respiratory sound measuring device of the above aspect, the control unit may switch the respiratory sound acquiring unit to the standby mode when it detects that the respiratory sound measuring device is not attached to the subject's neck while the respiratory sound acquiring unit is operating in the measurement mode.

This not only reduces unnecessary power consumption, but also prevents unnecessary measurements, such as continuing to measure sounds picked up by a microphone even when the respiratory sound measuring device is not attached to the subject's neck.

The respiratory sound measuring device of the present invention automatically goes into measurement mode when it is worn around the neck of the subject, improving convenience for the subject. Furthermore, after it is detected that the device is being worn, measurement of the respiratory sound begins only when the acquired sound from the respiratory sound acquisition unit meets a predetermined breathing determination criterion, so measurement will not be performed even if the device is not worn around the neck.

Schematic diagram showing how the respiratory sound measuring device is attached A perspective view of the respiratory sound measuring device from the upper right A diagram showing how the respiratory sound measuring device is attached A block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a respiratory sound measuring device. Flowchart showing the respiratory sound measuring operation by the respiratory sound measuring device Flowchart showing the respiratory sound measuring operation by the respiratory sound measuring device FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of respiration determination by a respiratory sound measuring device; FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining another example of respiration determination by the respiratory sound measuring device; Flowchart showing the respiratory sound measuring operation by the respiratory sound measuring device Flowchart showing manual power on/off process of the respiratory sound measuring device A flowchart showing the operation of the respiratory sound measuring device by operating the power button

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

<Configuration of respiratory sound measuring device>
As shown in FIG. 1, the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached to the subject's neck Pn (hereinafter simply referred to as neck Pn) before the subject P goes to sleep, and is used to measure the airflow sounds of inhalation and exhalation (hereinafter simply referred to as respiratory sounds) during sleep.

In the following description, the up-down and left-right directions are defined based on the state in which the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is worn by the subject P. The front (chest) side of the subject P is defined as the front, and the back side as the back. The "subject side" is defined based on the state in which the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is worn, and when describing the neckband 30 and the measuring unit 40, the subject side may be described as the "inside" and the opposite side as the "outside". The surface of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 on the subject's neck Pn side is referred to as the "inner surface 11 of the respiratory sound measuring device 1". In other words, the "inner surface 11 of the respiratory sound measuring device 1" is a concept that includes the inner surface 411 of the storage case 41, which will be described later, in addition to the inner surface of the neckband 30.

The respiratory sound measuring device 1 is a neckband-type device that is configured so that the subject can wear it around the neck with one hand. Specifically, the respiratory sound measuring device 1 has a configuration in which a neckband 30 and a measuring unit 40 for measuring respiratory sounds are connected by a hinge unit 60 of a known structure.

The respiratory sound measuring device 1 is configured so that the opening angle θ between both open ends in the expanded state exceeds 90° when viewed from the center. In other words, the external shape of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 in the expanded state (see FIG. 3) is configured so that it is less than 270° with respect to a virtual circle extending in the circumferential direction along the external shape. In FIG. 3, AX indicates the axis of rotation.

The expanded position is the position in which the measuring unit 40 is maximally open toward the outside. In the expanded position, the inner surface 11 of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is substantially flat, and the respiratory sound measuring device 1 as a whole has an arc shape.

Figure 2 shows the respiratory sound measuring device 1 in a folded position. The folded position is a position where the measuring unit 40 is folded inward relative to the neckband 30. The range of movement between the unfolded position and the folded position is not particularly limited, but is, for example, about 40 degrees. A rotation range of about 40 degrees can accommodate subjects P with a wide range of body types.

Furthermore, the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is configured to be capable of two-way communication with an external terminal device 80 (see FIG. 1). The method of two-way communication is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a direct connection via short-range wireless in compliance with a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or may be a connection via a network such as the Internet.

The neckband 30 is formed, for example, in an arc shape (for example, roughly C-shaped) so as to fit the subject's neck Pn. The neckband 30 (1) can be worn by the subject P spreading both open ends of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 with both hands, or by pressing the neck Pn from the back side of the neck Pn with one hand, (2) has an elastic force for clamping the neck Pn from the outside in the circumferential direction so that at least a part of the inner surface 11 of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 comes into close contact with the neck Pn when the subject P releases his/her hand, and (3) preferably has a strength sufficient to withstand continuous use. As long as the above conditions (1) to (3) are satisfied, the specific structure and material of the neckband 30 are not particularly limited. For example, the neckband 30 may be made of an elastic structure in which a leaf spring is surrounded by elastomer resin, or elastic polypropylene resin may be used.

Figure 4 shows a block diagram of the measurement unit 40. The measurement unit 40 has a housing case 41 with a housing space formed inside. The housing space of the housing case 41 houses a board (not shown) on which electronic components such as an acceleration sensor 51, a microphone 52, a proximity sensor 53, a vibrator 50, a monitor lamp 55, a communication module 56, and a microprocessor are mounted, and a battery 59 that supplies power to the electronic components. The microprocessor has, for example, a CPU and a memory. The memory stores a program executed by the CPU and saves data of respiratory sounds acquired by the microphone 52. The CPU controls the operation of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 based on, for example, a program stored in the memory. The CPU is an example of a control unit 57 that controls the overall operation of the respiratory sound measuring device 1. The memory is an example of a storage unit 58 for storing respiratory sound data acquired by the microphone 52.

The measuring unit 40 is provided with an abutment part 70 that protrudes from the inner surface 411 of the housing case 41 toward the subject. A sound guide port 71 for introducing the respiratory sounds of the subject P is formed at the tip of the abutment part 70, and a ring-shaped abutment surface 72 is formed to surround the sound guide port. The abutment surface 72 abuts against the neck Pn of the subject P when the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is worn. The sound guide port 71 is tapered so that the inner diameter gradually narrows toward the microphone 52 (not shown in FIG. 2) built into the measuring unit 40. The abutment part 70 is supported so as to be freely protruding and retracting in the measuring unit 40, and may be biased in the protruding direction by an elastic member 78 such as a spring attached to the measuring unit 40. The respiratory sound acquisition part is for acquiring respiratory sounds by abutting against the skin of the front neck Pf of the subject P when the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is worn on the subject P, and is composed of, for example, the abutment part 70 and the microphone 52.

A rectangular opening 42 is formed on the inner surface 411 of the storage case 41 at a substantially central position in the circumferential direction and in the vertical direction. When the proximity sensor 53 is a photosensor, the opening 42 is used as a measurement window for passing the measurement light of the photosensor. The proximity sensor 53 irradiates measurement light toward the inside of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 and detects that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached to the subject's neck Pn based on the reflected light. The proximity sensor 53 is an example of a wearing state detection sensor. Note that the wearing state detection sensor is not limited to the proximity sensor 53. For example, various contact sensors that detect contact with the subject's skin may be used as the wearing state detection sensor, or a temperature sensor that measures the body temperature of the subject's neck Pn may be used. In addition, a sensor (e.g., a strain sensor, etc.) that detects the degree of deployment of the neckband or the hinge portion 60 may be provided as the wearing state detection sensor.

A push button type power button 54 and a monitor lamp 55 are provided on the side (top) of the storage case 41. The subject can turn the power of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 on/off by pressing the power button 54. The monitor lamp 55 indicates the power on/off state, communication state, charging state, etc. of the respiratory sound measuring device 1. In addition, although not shown, a connector for communication with an external device and charging the battery may be provided on the side of the storage case 41.

The acceleration sensor 51 is for detecting the subject's body position/body movement, and may have a known structure. The body position/body movement of the subject detected by the acceleration sensor 51 may be transmitted to the terminal device 80, and may be displayed on the display screen 81 (see FIG. 4) thereof, aligned with the time axis of the respiratory sound data. In this way, the body position/body movement when the subject is snoring or having apnea can be notified.

The vibrator 50 vibrates under the control of the control unit 57. The specific operation will be described later, but for example, when the subject P is in an apneic state or snoring loudly, the vibrator 50 transmits vibrations to the subject's neck Pn to change his/her posture. Although not shown in the figure, the vibrator 50 is attached so as to be in close contact with the housing case 41 in order to easily transmit vibrations to the subject's neck Pn.

The communication module 56 is a wireless/wired module of known structure, and is configured to enable two-way communication with the communication module 82 of the terminal device 80 (see FIG. 4).

<Breath sound measurement operation>
The respiratory sound measuring device 1 of this embodiment is configured not to perform unnecessary measurements when it is not attached to the neck Pn of the subject P, and to automatically enter a measurement state when it is attached to the neck of the subject P. In other words, the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is configured to proceed to actual respiratory sound measurement after confirming that it is attached to the neck Pn of the subject P and that it is in a state where respiratory sounds can be acquired.

- Wearing status determination operation -
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for determining the mounting state of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 before the respiratory sound measuring device 1 measures respiratory sounds.

In step S1, when the power button 54 of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is pressed and held down while the device is in a powered-off state, the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is started and goes into a standby mode in which no respiratory sound acquisition operation is performed (step S2). In the standby mode, for example, the proximity sensor 53 is turned on to enable detection of the wearing state, while components related to acquisition of respiratory sound data, such as the microphone 52, are turned off.

In the next step S3, the proximity sensor 53 checks at a predetermined first period (e.g., 20-second period) whether the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached. Then, when it is detected that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached to the neck Pn of the subject P (YES in step S31), the process proceeds to the next step S4.

In step S4, the proximity sensor 53 checks whether the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is still attached at a predetermined second period (e.g., 50 milliseconds) that is shorter than the first period. Then, when it is detected in step S4 that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 has been removed from the neck Pn of the subject P (NO in step S41), the process returns to step S3.

In this step S4, the components required to acquire the respiratory sounds of subject P (e.g., microphone 52) are turned on, and a "respiratory sound acquisition process" is executed to acquire respiratory sounds for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 seconds) via microphone 52 (step S42).

When the "breathing sound acquisition process" in step S4 is completed (YES in step S5), the process proceeds to the "breathing determination process" in step S6. Figure 6 shows an example of the "breathing determination process."

In steps S61 and S62 in FIG. 6, the control unit 57 functions as a respiratory sound determination unit that determines whether the acquired sound acquired in step S4 satisfies a "determination value condition" for determining whether it is a respiratory sound. The "determination value condition" can be set arbitrarily and is not particularly limited, but for example, it is determined whether the period during which the acquired sound acquired by the microphone 52 exceeds a predetermined threshold is a predetermined cycle.

Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the change over time of the acquired sound acquired in step S4. For example, the "judgment value condition" is set to three conditions: (1) the number of times that the predetermined threshold (100 in Figure 7) is exceeded and the number of times that the threshold is exceeded are each a predetermined number of times (e.g., about three times each), and (2) the time width of the time t11 to t13 that exceeds the threshold is within a predetermined error range, and (3) the time width of the time t21 to t23 that is below the predetermined threshold is within a predetermined error range. For example, when all of the above conditions (1) to (3) are satisfied, or when (1) and (2) or (1) and (3) are satisfied, the control unit 57 judges that the acquired sound acquired by the microphone 52 is a respiratory sound (step S63). Then, the next step S7 is judged to be YES, and the respiratory sound measuring device 1 starts measuring the respiratory sound (step S8). When the measurement of the respiratory sounds begins, the vibrator 50 may be vibrated to notify the subject P that the measurement of the respiratory sounds has begun.

On the other hand, if the condition (1) above is not met (NO in step S61) or if the sound does not fall within a predetermined error range for the conditions (2) to (3) above (NO in step S62), it is determined that the sound acquired by the microphone 52 is not a respiratory sound (step S64). In this case, the determination is NO in the next step S7, and the process proceeds to step S4, where an additional "respiratory sound acquisition process" is executed.

Figure 8 shows an example in which step S7 is judged as NO and the second "breath sound acquisition process" is executed. In this case, for example, as shown by the solid line in Figure 8, in the "breath determination process" of step S6, it is determined whether the sound acquired by microphone 52 is a breath sound using the first history and the sound acquired in the second "breath sound acquisition process". In this way, by using the history of the previous measurement or the measurement data from two times, it becomes easier to determine whether the sound is a breath sound.

- Breathing sound measurement operation -
FIG. 9 shows an example of the respiratory sound measuring operation in step S8 of FIG.

When the measurement of the respiratory sounds is started in step S8, the control unit 57 performs a measurement process of the respiratory sounds acquired by the microphone 52 (step S81). This measurement process of the respiratory sounds is continuously performed until the measurement is completed.

In parallel with measuring the respiratory sounds, the control unit 57 detects the body position of the subject P based on the acceleration data obtained from the acceleration sensor 51 at predetermined time intervals (step S82). Furthermore, in parallel with measuring the respiratory sounds, the control unit 57 determines the presence or absence of snoring and the occurrence of sleep apnea based on the volume of the voice data (respiratory sounds) acquired by the microphone 52 at predetermined time intervals (steps S83, S84).

Figure 10 shows an example of the results of measuring the respiratory sounds of a subject using the respiratory sound measuring device 1. The upper part of Figure 10 shows the measured waveform of the audio data acquired from the microphone 52. In the measured waveform of Figure 10, the horizontal axis represents the measurement time, and the vertical axis represents the volume of the respiratory sounds. The lower part of Figure 10 shows the results of determining the sleep state based on the volume of the respiratory sounds using the respiratory sound measuring device 1.

For example, the control unit 57 determines that there is snoring when the volume of the breathing sound acquired from the microphone 52 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold Vt1. The control unit 57 also determines that there is apnea when the volume of the breathing sound acquired from the microphone 52 is less than a second threshold Vt2, and determines that there is a normal sleep state (good sleep) when the volume is between the first threshold Vt1 and the second threshold Vt2.

In the next step S85, the control unit 57 performs a vibration determination of the vibrator 50. For example, if the conditions are met based on the vibration mode sent from the terminal device 80 and the determination results of snoring and apnea, the control unit 57 proceeds to step S86 and vibrates the vibrator 50. For example, if the vibration mode is set to vibrate when snoring is determined, the control unit 57 vibrates the vibrator when it is determined that snoring is occurring.

Then, the control unit 57 stores the posture, snoring, and apnea assessment results and the measurement data from each sensor at predetermined time intervals (step S87). The storage destination is not particularly limited, but for example, the data is stored in the memory unit 58 built into the respiratory sound measuring device 1. In addition, the data may be transmitted to the terminal device 80 or the like via the communication module 56 at predetermined time intervals, and stored in a memory unit (not shown) in the terminal device 80, or the measurement results may be displayed on the display screen 81 of the terminal device 80.

When a predetermined measurement time has elapsed or it is detected that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 has been removed from the neck Pn of the subject P, a YES judgment is made in step S88, and the control unit 57 turns off the power to the respiratory sound measuring device 1 and ends the process. Also, if the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is removed from the subject's neck or the power button 54 is pressed and held down during measurement of the respiratory sounds, the judgment results and measurement data from each sensor up to that point are stored in the memory unit 58, the power to the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is turned off, and the process ends.

As described above, the respiratory sound measuring device 1 of this embodiment includes a proximity sensor 53 that detects that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached to the subject's neck Pn, a contact part 70 that contacts the skin of the anterior neck Pf of the subject P when the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached to the subject's neck Pn, a microphone 52 that acquires respiratory sounds, and a control unit 57. When the control unit 57 detects that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached to the subject's neck Pn, it activates the microphone 52 from a standby mode in which the respiratory sound is not acquired to a normal operation mode in which the respiratory sound is acquired. When the acquired sound acquired by the microphone 52 in the normal operation mode satisfies a predetermined breathing judgment criterion, the control unit 57 starts measuring the respiratory sound of the subject P. The respiratory sound data of the subject measured by the control unit 57 is stored in the memory unit 58.

By configuring in this way, when the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is attached to the subject's neck Pn, it automatically switches from standby mode to measurement mode and can start measuring the respiratory sounds of the subject P. This can prevent a situation in which the subject P forgets to turn on the switch to enter measurement mode and is unable to measure the respiratory sounds, and it can reliably measure respiratory sounds while the subject is asleep.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the microphone 52 is operating in the measurement mode, the control unit 57 puts the microphone 52 into standby mode if it detects that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is not attached to the subject's neck Pn.

In this way, the proximity sensor 53 constantly monitors whether the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is worn around the neck, so if the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is not worn around the neck, the measurement can be stopped and the device can be put into standby mode (standby state). This can reduce unnecessary power consumption and prevent unnecessary measurements, such as measuring sounds captured by the microphone 52 even when the device is not worn.

As described above, an embodiment has been described as an example of the technology of the present disclosure. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may be configured as follows:

For example, in addition to the operations of the above embodiment, the device may be configured to allow respiratory sound measurement to be started by operating the power button 54. FIG. 11 shows an example of the operation of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 by operating the power button 54.

In FIG. 11, when the power button 54 is pressed and held while the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is in a powered-off state (step S11), the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is started (step S12) and goes into standby mode (step S13).

In the next step S14, the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy: registered trademark) communication module 56 of the respiratory sound measuring device 1 is turned on. This enables communication with the communication module 82 on the terminal device 80 side, and, for example, setting information set on the setting screen of the terminal device 80 is sent from the terminal device 80 to the respiratory sound measuring device 1.

When the power button 54 is pressed and held, the communication module 56 is turned off and goes into standby mode, and the process proceeds to step S3 in FIG. 5. As described above, in the process in FIG. 5, the proximity sensor 53 confirms that the device is attached, and the sound picked up by the microphone 52 confirms whether it meets the predetermined breathing criteria, and then measurement of the breathing sounds of the subject P is started.

If the power button 54 is pressed and held again thereafter, the flow returns to step S13, and the respiratory sound measuring device 1 goes into standby mode. Note that if it is detected in step S8 that the respiratory sound measuring device 1 has been removed from the subject's neck, the flow also returns to step S13.

The present invention is useful as a device for measuring the respiratory sounds of a subject, primarily at home, etc.

1 Respiratory sound measuring device 53 Photo sensor (attachment state detection sensor)
30: mounting portion 40: measuring portion 60: hinge portion 62: biasing means

Claims (4)

A neckband-type respiratory sound measuring device that is worn around the neck of a subject,
a wearing state detection sensor for detecting whether the respiratory sound measuring device is worn on a subject's neck;
a breath sound acquisition unit that acquires breath sounds by contacting the skin of the anterior neck of a subject when the breath sound measurement device is attached to the neck of the subject;
a vibrator for vibrating the respiratory sound measuring device;
After it is detected that the respiratory sound measuring device is attached to the neck of the subject, a state in which the volume of the acquired sound from the respiratory sound acquisition unit exceeds a predetermined threshold and a state in which the volume is below a predetermined threshold are repeated for a predetermined period of time, and during the predetermined period of time,
(1) The number of times the predetermined threshold is exceeded or the number of times the predetermined threshold is below is a predetermined number,
(2) the duration of the state in which the predetermined threshold is exceeded is within a predetermined error range,
(3) the duration of the state in which the predetermined threshold is below the predetermined threshold is within a predetermined error range,
and a control unit that, when a breathing determination criterion is satisfied, that is, all of the above conditions (1) to (3) are satisfied, or either (1) and (2) or (1) and (3) are satisfied, vibrates the vibrator to notify the subject that measurement of the respiratory sound has started, and starts measuring the acquired sound as a respiratory sound.
A respiratory sound measuring device characterized by: The respiratory sound measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the control unit detects that the respiratory sound measuring device is not attached to the subject's neck while the respiratory sound acquiring unit is operating in a measurement mode for acquiring respiratory sounds, the control unit switches the respiratory sound acquiring unit to a standby mode. A power switch for turning on and off the power of the respiratory sound measuring device is further provided.
3. The respiratory sound measuring device according to claim 1, wherein when the power switch is turned on, the respiratory sound acquiring unit is activated in a standby mode in which the respiratory sound acquiring operation is not performed but the wearing state detection sensor detects the wearing state. 2. The respiratory sound measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit vibrates the vibrator when it is determined that the volume of the respiratory sound is a snoring state equal to or greater than a predetermined standard, or that the volume of the respiratory sound is an apnea state less than a predetermined threshold.

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