JP7647382B2 - Stethoscopes, Fixation Devices, and Stethoscope Devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stethoscope, a fixing device, and a stethoscope device.

Traditionally, monitoring the status of equipment in operation at power plants, substations, factories, etc., and checking the status of piping, etc., are carried out by workers patrolling the facility. For example, this is carried out by workers judging the situation, or by comparing information obtained at the facility with previous information. In particular, in order to judge whether there are any abnormalities in rotating equipment, etc., a tool called a stethoscope is used to listen to the sounds of rotating equipment, etc.

In this type of auscultation, judgments are made based on the knowledge and experience of the worker. In response to this, an auscultation inspection device that allows for more objective judgments has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-184027 A

In the auscultatory inspection device of Patent Document 1, a robot automatically acquires auscultatory sounds using a stethoscope, and determines whether there are any abnormalities in the equipment by externally judging the auscultatory sounds. In addition, in Patent Document 1, the auscultatory sounds are acquired by using magnetic force to bring the tip of the stethoscope into contact with an auscultatory stand attached to the inspection point. In this way, Patent Document 1 makes it possible to objectively judge abnormalities based on the auscultatory sounds.

However, it would be more preferable if the influence of the measurement mode on the auscultatory sounds acquired for each measurement could be suppressed. For example, it would be more preferable if the influence of differences in the angle and position of the stethoscope on the auscultatory sounds could be suppressed.

The present invention aims to provide a stethoscope, a fixing device, and an auscultation device that can suppress the influence of the measurement mode on the auscultatory sounds obtained for each measurement.

The present invention relates to an auscultatory probe that acquires identification information of a subject to be auscultated, including rotating equipment in a power plant, output from a fixing device fixed to the outer surface of the subject to be auscultated, and acquires the auscultatory sound of the subject to be auscultated via the fixing device, the auscultatory probe comprising a rod-shaped body that can be attached and detached to the fixing device, and an auscultatory unit that acquires the auscultatory sound of the subject to be auscultated, the auscultatory unit being provided on the fixing device by attaching the rod-shaped body to the fixing device, forming a closed circuit with an identification information output unit that outputs identification information, and an acquisition unit that acquires the output identification information and the auscultatory sound of the subject to be auscultated.

It is also preferable that the stethoscope further comprises a detachable part that is disposed on one end surface of the rod-shaped body and that is attracted to the fixing device by magnetic force.

It is also preferable that the detachable portion has a shape that allows it to fit into the detachable portion that is placed on the detachable surface of the fixing device.

It is preferable that the detachable parts are arranged in a pair on one end face of the rod-shaped body.

It is preferable that the detachable part forms a closed circuit with the fixing device by contacting the detachable part as a contact terminal.

It is also preferable that the auscultation unit further includes a comparison unit that compares the normal auscultation sound of the auscultated subject identified by the identification information with the acquired auscultation sound of the auscultated subject, and a comparison result output unit that outputs the comparison result.

The present invention also relates to a fixing device that is fixed to the outer surface of a subject to be auscultated, including rotating equipment in a power plant, and to which a stethoscope can be attached, the fixing device forming a closed circuit with a circuit provided in the stethoscope upon contact with the stethoscope, and including an identification information output unit that outputs identification information of the subject to be auscultated.

It is also preferable that the fixing device be arranged on the detachable surface and have a detachable portion shaped to fit into the detachable portion arranged on one end surface of the stethoscope.

The present invention also relates to an auscultation device that includes the above-mentioned stethoscope and the above-mentioned fixing device.

The present invention provides a stethoscope, a fixing device, and an auscultation device that can suppress the influence of the measurement mode on the auscultatory sounds obtained for each measurement.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fixation device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a rod-shaped body of a stethoscope according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an input device of a stethoscope according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the auscultation device of one embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the auscultation device of one embodiment.

Hereinafter, a stethoscope probe 10, a fixing device 20, and an auscultation device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6.
First, an overview of the stethoscope probe 10, the fixing device 20, and the auscultation device 1 will be described.

The stethoscope 10 is a device used when auscultating an object 100, which may include rotating equipment in a power plant, for example. The auscultatory sound obtained by auscultation is used to determine whether or not the object is abnormal. The stethoscope 10 acquires the sound (auscultatory sound) of the object 100 by contacting one end with the outer surface of the object 100. In the following embodiment, the stethoscope 10 acquires the auscultatory sound by contacting a fixing device 20 that is fixed to the object 100 in advance. At this time, the stethoscope 10 is provided on the fixing device 20 and forms a closed circuit with an identification information output unit that outputs identification information of the object 100. The stethoscope 10 is configured to be able to output the identification information obtained by forming a closed circuit and the auscultatory sound to the outside. The stethoscope 10 is configured to be able to acquire the result of the determination of whether or not the auscultatory sound is abnormal, which is performed outside. In the following embodiment, the auscultatory device 1 is described as a device including the stethoscope 10 and the fixing device 20.

Next, the stethoscope probe 10, the fixing device 20, and the auscultation device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The auscultation device 1 is a device for acquiring auscultatory sounds of an auscultated object 100 including rotating equipment in a power plant. As shown in FIG. 1 , the auscultation device 1 includes a fixing device 20 and a stethoscope probe 10.

The fixing device 20 is fixed to the outer surface of the auscultated object 100, which includes rotating equipment in a power plant, and is a device to which the stethoscope 10 can be attached. The fixing device 20 is configured to be approximately cylindrical, for example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The fixing device 20 includes a fixing device main body 210, a detachable part 220, and an identification information output part 230.

The fixing device body 210 is constructed, for example, using a conductive material. One end face of the fixing device body 210 is fixed in advance to the outer surface of the auscultated subject 100. The other end face of the fixing device body 210 functions as a surface for attachment and detachment to the stethoscope probe 10. Therefore, the other end face of the fixing device body 210 functions as an exposed surface exposed to the outside.

The detachable part 220 is arranged on the detachable surface 211 as shown in FIG. 2. The detachable part 220 is made of a conductive material such as metal. The detachable part 220 is configured in a shape that can be fitted to the detachable part 12 arranged on one end surface of the stethoscope 10 described later. In this embodiment, the detachable part 220 is made of a pair of convex strips. Specifically, the detachable part 220 is made of a pair of convex strips that protrude in a cylindrical shape from the detachable surface of the fixing device 20. In this embodiment, the detachable part 220 is formed of, for example, a metallic magnetic material.

The identification information output unit 230 forms a closed circuit with the circuit provided in the stethoscope 10 by contacting the stethoscope 10, and outputs the identification information of the auscultated subject 100. The identification information output unit 230 is electrically connected to, for example, the detachable parts 220. Specifically, the identification information output unit 230 is connected to each of the pair of detachable parts 220 using electric wires 221. The identification information output unit 230 is configured to output a predetermined signal as the identification information. The identification information output unit 230 is, for example, a resistor, and has a resistance value predetermined for each auscultated subject 100, thereby outputting a predetermined current value as the identification information.

Next, the stethoscope 10 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3 , the stethoscope 10 includes a rod-shaped body 11 , a detachable part 12 , and an auscultation part 13 .

The rod-shaped body 11 is detachably attached to the fixing device 20. Specifically, one end of the rod-shaped body 11 is configured to be detachably attached to the fixing device 20. The rod-shaped body 11 has a detachable part 12 that is disposed on one end surface and is attracted to the fixing device 20 by magnetic force.

The detachable part 12 is disposed on one end face (detachable surface) of the rod-shaped body 11. The detachable part 12 has a shape that allows it to engage with the detachable part 220 that is disposed on the detachable surface of the fixing device 20. In this embodiment, the detachable part 12 is formed as a pair of concave strips. The detachable part 12 is configured to be able to engage with a pair of convex strips of the fixing device 20. The detachable part 12 is made of metal, and forms a closed circuit by contacting the detachable part 220 as a contact terminal. In addition, the detachable part 12 is attracted to the detachable part 220 by magnetic force.

The auscultation unit 13 is provided at the middle of the rod-shaped body 11, for example, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The auscultation unit 13 acquires the auscultatory sounds of the auscultated subject 100. As shown in Fig. 4, the auscultation unit 13 has a button 130a for recording the auscultatory sounds and a button 130b for diagnosing the auscultatory sounds. The auscultation unit 13 also has a display unit 130c for displaying the auscultation results. In this embodiment, the auscultation unit 13 is configured to be able to communicate with a terminal that judges abnormalities in the subject from the auscultatory sounds. As shown in Fig. 5, the auscultation unit 13 includes a control unit 131, an acquisition unit 132, an auscultatory sound storage unit 135, a transmission/reception unit 136, and a comparison result output unit 137.

The control unit 131 is realized, for example, by the operation of a CPU. The control unit 131 accepts input from, for example, the buttons shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the control unit 131 accepts input for either recording auscultatory sounds or judging an abnormality using auscultatory sounds. Based on the accepted input, the control unit 131 also controls the recording of auscultatory sounds and identification information, the transmission of auscultatory sounds and identification information to an external terminal, the reception of the judgment results, and the display of the judgment results.

The acquisition unit 132 is realized, for example, by the operation of a CPU. The acquisition unit 132 forms a closed circuit with an identification information output unit 230 that is provided on the fixing device 20 by attaching the rod-shaped body 11 to the fixing device 20 and outputs identification information, and acquires the output identification information and the auscultatory sound of the auscultated subject 100. The acquisition unit 132 includes an auscultatory sound acquisition unit 133 and an identification information acquisition unit 134.

The auscultatory sound acquisition unit 133 acquires the auscultatory sound of the auscultated subject 100. Specifically, the auscultatory sound acquisition unit 133 acquires the auscultatory sound transmitted to the rod-shaped body 11 via the fixing device 20.

The identification information acquisition unit 134 forms a closed circuit with the identification information output unit 230 of the fixing device 20. The identification information acquisition unit 134 acquires the identification information output from the identification information output unit 230. In this embodiment, the identification information acquisition unit 134 acquires, as the identification information, the resistance value of a resistor placed in the fixing device 20 as the identification information output unit 230.

The auscultatory sound storage unit 135 is, for example, a recording medium such as a hard disk. The auscultatory sound storage unit 135 stores the acquired auscultatory sounds and identification information in response to a command from the control unit 131.

The transmission/reception unit 136 is realized, for example, by the operation of the CPU. The transmission/reception unit 136 transmits the acquired auscultatory sounds and the acquired identification information to an external terminal in response to a command from the control unit 131. The transmission/reception unit 136 also receives the determination result transmitted from the outside.

The comparison result output unit 137 is realized, for example, by the operation of the CPU. The comparison result output unit 137 outputs the received comparison result. For example, the comparison result output unit 137 outputs whether or not there is an abnormality by lighting up a display unit.

Next, the operation of the auscultation device 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the stethoscope 10 is attached to the fixing device 20 (step S1). Next, the control unit 131 accepts a button input for recording or judgment (step S2). If the control unit 131 accepts a judgment operation (step S2: YES), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the control unit 131 accepts a recording operation (step S2: NO), the process proceeds to step S9.

In step S3, the identification information acquisition unit 134 acquires the identification information. Next, the auscultatory sound acquisition unit 133 acquires the auscultatory sound (step S4). Next, the transmission/reception unit 136 transmits the auscultatory sound and the identification information to an external terminal (step S5). Next, the transmission/reception unit 136 receives the determination result from the external terminal (step S6). Next, the determination result display unit displays the determination result (step S7). Next, the stethoscope 10 is removed from the fixing device 20 (step S8). This ends the processing according to this flow.

In step S9, the identification information acquisition unit 134 acquires the identification information. Next, the auscultatory sound acquisition unit 133 acquires the auscultatory sound (step S10). Next, the control unit 131 stores the auscultatory sound and the identification information in the auscultatory sound storage unit 135 (step S11). Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

As described above, the stethoscope probe 10, fixing device 20, and auscultation device 1 according to one embodiment have the following advantages.
(1) The auscultatory probe 10 acquires the identification information of the auscultated object 100 output from a fixing device 20 fixed to the outer surface of the auscultated object 100 including a rotating device in a power plant, and acquires the auscultatory sound of the auscultated object 100 via the fixing device 20. The auscultatory probe 10 includes a rod-shaped body 11 that can be attached to and detached from the fixing device 20, and an auscultatory unit 13 that acquires the auscultatory sound of the auscultated object 100. The auscultatory unit 13 is provided on the fixing device 20 by attaching the rod-shaped body 11 to the fixing device 20, forms a closed circuit with an identification information output unit 230 that outputs identification information, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires the output identification information and the auscultatory sound of the auscultated object 100. This makes it possible to acquire the identification information by forming a closed circuit. On the other hand, if the closed circuit is not formed, the identification information cannot be acquired. Since the measurement is always performed with the closed circuit formed, the variation from measurement to measurement can be suppressed. In other words, the influence of the measurement mode on the auscultatory sound acquired for each measurement can be suppressed.

(2) The stethoscope 10 further includes a detachable part 12 that is disposed on one end surface of the rod-shaped body 11 and that is attracted to the fixing device 20 by magnetic force. This allows the stethoscope 10 and the fixing device 20 to be kept in contact with each other, making measurement easier.

(3) The detachable part 12 has a shape that allows it to be engaged with the detachable part 220 that is arranged on the detachable surface of the fixing device 20. As a result, if the detachable part 12 is not engaged, a closed circuit is not formed. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the variation between measurements. In other words, it is possible to further suppress the effects of the measurement mode.

(4) The detachable parts 12 are arranged in a pair on one end face of the rod-shaped body 11. This allows the measurement position to be more appropriate by engaging with the detachable parts 220 that are arranged in a pair.

(5) The detachable part 12 forms a closed circuit with the fixing device 20 by contacting the detachable part 220 as a contact terminal. This forms a closed circuit when the parts are engaged, so that measurements can be performed intuitively without intentionally forming a closed circuit.

(6) A fixing device 20 that is fixed to the outer surface of a stethoscope object 100, including rotating equipment in a power plant, and to which a stethoscope 10 can be attached, is provided with an identification information output unit 230 that forms a closed circuit with a circuit provided in the stethoscope 10 upon contact with the stethoscope 10 and outputs identification information of the stethoscope object 100. The fixing device 20 also has a detachable part 220 that is disposed on the detachable surface and has a shape that can be fitted to the detachable part 12 that is disposed on one end surface of the stethoscope 10. This makes it possible to suppress the effects of the measurement mode when used in a set with the stethoscope 10.

The above describes the preferred embodiments of the stethoscope probe, fixing device 20, and auscultation device 1 of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be modified as appropriate.

For example, in the above embodiment, the auscultation unit 13 may further include a comparison unit that compares the normal auscultation sound of the auscultated subject 100 identified by the identification information with the acquired auscultation sound of the auscultated subject 100. This is preferable because it allows a judgment result to be obtained without the need for an external terminal. Furthermore, when the control unit 131 is connected to an external terminal via a wired connection, it may output the auscultation sound and identification information stored in the auscultation sound storage unit 135 to the external terminal.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the detachable portion 12 is a concave stripe and the detachable portion 220 is a convex stripe, but this is not limited to this. The detachable portion 12 may be a convex stripe and the detachable portion 220 may be a concave stripe. In addition, the detachable portion 12 and the detachable portion 220 are each formed in a pair, but they may be formed in more than one pair.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Auscultation device 10 Stethoscope rod 11 Rod-shaped body 12 Detachable part 13 Auscultation part 137 Comparison result output part 20 Fixing device 100 Auscultated object 220 Detachable part 230 Identification information output part

Claims (9)

A stethoscope that acquires identification information of a target object, including a rotating machine in a power plant, output from a fixing device fixed to the outer surface of the target object, and acquires auscultatory sounds of the target object via the fixing device,
A rod-shaped body that is detachable from the fixing device;
an auscultation unit for acquiring auscultatory sounds of the subject;
Equipped with
The auscultation unit is an auscultation stick that is equipped with an identification information output unit that is attached to the fixing device by attaching the rod-shaped body to the fixing device, forms a closed circuit with the identification information output unit that outputs identification information, and an acquisition unit that acquires the output identification information and the auscultatory sound of the subject being auscultated. The stethoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a detachable part arranged on one end surface of the rod-shaped body and adapted to be attracted to the fixing device by magnetic force. The stethoscope according to claim 2, wherein the detachable part has a shape that can be fitted to a detachable part that is arranged on the detachable surface of the fixing device. The stethoscope according to claim 3, wherein the detachable parts are arranged in a pair on one end face of the rod-shaped body. The stethoscope according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the detachable part forms a closed circuit with the fixing device by contacting the detachable part as a contact terminal. The auscultation unit includes:
a comparison unit that compares a normal auscultatory sound of the auscultated subject identified by the identification information with the acquired auscultatory sound of the auscultated subject;
a comparison result output unit that outputs the comparison result;
The stethoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: A fixing device that is fixed to an outer surface of a target object to be auscultated, including rotating equipment in a power plant, and to which a stethoscope can be attached,
A fixing device comprising an identification information output section which forms a closed circuit with a circuit provided in the stethoscope upon contact with the stethoscope and outputs identification information of the subject being auscultated. The fixing device according to claim 7, which has a detachable part arranged on the detachable surface and shaped to fit into the detachable part arranged on one end surface of the stethoscope. A stethoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
A fixing device according to claim 7 or 8,
1. A stethoscope apparatus comprising:

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