JP6673877B2 - Oral care support tool - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an oral healthcare support tool or a mouth hygiene support tool. More specifically, the present invention relates to an oral care support tool for supporting evaluation and improvement of lip function, which can measure orbital myoelectric potential, furthermore, intraoral air pressure, lip contact pressure, lip tension, and the like.

  The orbicularis and cheek muscles play an important role in performing eating and swallowing functions. Therefore, a decrease in the function of the orbicularis and cheek muscles causes spills, salivation, lip insufficiency, dysphagia, dry mouth, upper respiratory inflammation, dysarthria of oral articulation, etc., and daily activities (ADL) May also cause a decrease in

  An apparatus for evaluating the functions of the orbicularis and cheek muscles has been proposed. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a lip pressure sensor used by sandwiching between lips, wherein a planar pressure sensor is stacked on at least one surface of a plate piece. I have.

  Patent Literature 2 measures an intraoral wearing device installed between a central incisor and a lip, a tensile force transmitting unit that transmits a force to pull the intraoral wearing device out of the oral cavity, and a tensile force transmitted by the tensile force transmitting unit. Lip closing force measuring device composed of a pulling force measuring unit, which has a pulling force connection unit for transmitting the pulling force transmitted from the pulling force transmitting unit to the pulling force measuring unit. The tensile force measuring unit has a light source, and when measuring the tensile force in which the tensile force transmitting unit and the tensile force connecting unit form a straight line, the irradiation light of the light source installed in the tensile force measuring unit is irradiated in the direction of the patient. Disclosed is a dental lip closing force measuring device characterized by the following.

  Patent Literature 3 includes a bag-shaped elasticity measuring unit disposed in the oral cavity and held between the lips and a support for supporting the bag-like elasticity measuring unit. A lip pressure measurement device is disclosed, wherein a lip pressure acting on a bag-shaped elasticity measurement unit is connected to the detection unit and can be measured by the pressure detection unit as a change in air pressure accompanying the deformation.

  Patent Literature 4 is a lip force measurement device that measures lip force, and is provided at each of a plurality of displacement portions that are held by the lips and displaced in accordance with the force received from the lips, and each of the displacement portions. A detecting unit for detecting a force received from the lip according to the displacement of the displacement unit, and a lip force measuring device for detecting a force received from the lip at a plurality of sites.

  U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0128873 includes a flexible substrate and at least one printed electronics selected from the group consisting of a microcontroller, at least one sensor, an antenna, and a combination thereof, wherein the flexible substrate and the at least One printed electronics discloses a device that is enclosed in a plastic foil.

JP-A-2013-133503 JP-A-2005-188563 JP 2007-206000 A JP 2008-212576 A JP 2014-503330 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide an oral care support tool that can measure orbital myoelectric potential, furthermore, intraoral air pressure, lip contact pressure, lip tension, and the like, and can assist in evaluating and improving lip function. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following aspects.

[1] A planar substrate that can be sandwiched between upper and lower lips, and a working electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate so as to touch a part of the lips when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips A probe having a reference electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate so as to touch another part of the lips when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips,
An oral care support tool including a measurement unit for measuring a potential difference between a working electrode and a reference electrode, and a display unit for displaying the magnitude of the measured potential difference.

[2] A lip contact pressure receiving unit provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate, a measuring unit for measuring a lip contact pressure received by the lip contact pressure receiving unit, and a measured lip contact pressure The oral care support tool according to [1], further comprising a display unit for displaying the number of items.
[3] The intra-oral pressure receiving unit provided on the sheet-like base material so as to be arranged in the oral vestibule or the unique oral cavity when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, and the intra-oral pressure received by the intra-oral pressure receiving unit. The oral care support tool according to [1] or [2], further comprising: a measuring unit for measuring, and a display unit for displaying the measured level of the intra-oral pressure.
[4] The oral care according to any one of [1] to [3], further comprising an electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate for stimulating the upper lip or the lower lip. Support tools.
[5] a disc provided on a planar substrate so as to be arranged in the oral vestibule when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, a wire for transmitting a tensile force from the oral vestibule to the outside of the lip to the disc, The oral care support tool according to any one of [1] to [4], further comprising: a measuring unit for measuring the tensile force; and a display unit for displaying the measured amount of the tensile force.

[6] A planar electrode that can be sandwiched between upper and lower lips, and a working electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate so as to touch a part of the lips when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips And a reference electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate so as to touch another part of the lips when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips.
[7] A lip contact pressure receiving portion provided on one or both surfaces of the planar base material, the planar base material to be arranged in the oral vestibule or the unique oral cavity when sandwiched between upper and lower lips. An intra-oral pressure receiving portion provided on the upper surface, an electrode for stimulating the upper lip or lower lip provided on one or both surfaces of the planar base material, and / or the oral cavity when sandwiched between upper and lower lips The probe for assisting oral care according to [6], further comprising a disk provided on the planar substrate so as to be disposed in the vestibule.

  The oral care support tool according to the present invention can observe the orbital myoelectric potential, the intraoral air pressure, the lip contact pressure, the lip pulling force, and the like without imposing a large burden on the subject. The oral care support tool according to the present invention can support evaluation and improvement of lip function.

It is a key map showing an example of an oral care support tool of the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram ((A) front surface, (B) back surface) which shows an example of the probe 150 of the oral care support tool of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram ((A) front surface, (B) back surface) which shows an example of the probe 250 of the oral care support tool of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram ((A) front surface, (B) back surface) which shows an example of the probe 350 of the oral care support tool of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram ((A) front surface, (B) back surface) which shows an example of the probe 450 of the oral care support tool of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram ((A) front surface, (B) back surface) which shows an example of the probe 550 of the oral care support tool of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram ((A) front surface, (B) back surface) which shows an example of the probe 650 of the oral care support tool of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows a disk, a wire, and a tensile force measurement part. It is a figure which shows an example of the time series data of the orbital myoelectric potential, the lip contact pressure, and the intraoral air pressure when performing the cheek movement. It is a figure which shows an example of the time series data of the disc tension force and the orbicularis myoelectric potential at the time of disc tension training.

  The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments while referring to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

(First embodiment)
The oral care support tool according to the first embodiment includes a probe 150, a potential difference measurement unit 151, and a potential difference display unit 152. The probe 150 has the planar substrate 102, the working electrode 103, and the reference electrode 104. The subject holds the probe in his mouth as shown in FIG. 1 and sandwiches the electrodes 103 and 104 such that the electrodes 103 and 104 touch the lips. It is configured to transmit information to the measurement unit 151 and the display unit 152 via a signal line connected to the probe.

  The planar substrate 102 can have a thickness that can be sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, for example, a thickness of about 0.01 to 5 mm, and is slightly smaller than the general length of a human cleft. It may have a narrow width, for example a width of the order of 2 cm to 6 cm. The planar substrate may be composed of a film, sheet or plate. The planar substrate is not limited by the material constituting it, and can be composed of, for example, resin, rubber, ceramics, metal, or the like.

  In the planar substrate, a portion that comes into contact with the lips may be curved along the shape of the lips. The shape of the edge on the distal side of the planar substrate (the side located in the oral vestibule when sandwiched between the lips) may be curved along the gingiva or dentition. It may have a portion 610 for providing a disk at the distal end of the planar substrate for measuring the lip pulling force described below. On the other hand, the shape of the edge on the proximal side (side exposed from the lips when sandwiched between the lips) of the planar substrate is not particularly limited. In order to optimize the position sandwiched between the lips, a ridge (Ridge), a barrier (wall), a step, etc., along the outer shape of the lips may be provided, and prevention of accidental ingestion, which will be described later. For measurement of tensile force, a wire such as a string, tape, or rod may be connected to the proximal side, or the proximal end of the planar substrate may be used to facilitate gripping of the planar substrate. A grip portion that can be picked up with a finger or held by hand may be connected to and provided. When the grip is provided, a display device such as an LCD or an OLED, a touch pad or switches for operation, a touch panel capable of performing display and operation, or the like may be provided on an outer surface of the grip.

  The working electrode (measurement electrode, seki electrode) 103 is provided on one or both surfaces of the planar base material 102 so as to touch a part of the lip when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips. The reference electrode (indifferent electrode) 104 is provided on one or both surfaces of the planar base material 102 so as to touch another part of the lips when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips. The working electrode and the reference electrode can be arranged at a predetermined distance, for example, 1 to 5 cm, along the running direction of the muscle fibers of the orbicularis muscle. The electrode may be a planar electrode that only touches the surface of the lip, or may be a needle electrode or a microneedle array electrode that can be inserted into the lip. A painless needle may be used for the needle-shaped electrode or the microneedle array electrode. In FIG. 2, a total of three working electrodes and three reference electrodes are arranged, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  Wiring for connecting the working electrode and the reference electrode to the potential difference measuring unit may be mounted on the planar base material 102. The wiring is preferably sealed or covered with a resin or the like. The planar substrate 102 can be configured, for example, as a flexible printed wiring board. Thereby, a short circuit due to a liquid such as saliva can be prevented. In order to make the probe disposable, it is preferable that the connection with the measurement unit and the display unit is made detachable by the connector 160.

The potential difference measuring unit is for measuring a potential difference between the working electrode and the reference electrode. The measuring unit may be built in the above-described gripping unit or the like, or may be externally connected via wiring.
The potential difference display section may be provided on the above-described grip section, may be provided on an external measurement section, or may be provided externally via a wire. The display unit may be a display device such as an LCD or an OLED, or a touch panel capable of performing display and operation. The magnitude of the measured potential difference may be displayed as a numerical value, or may be induced by a bipolar dielectric method, a monopolar dielectric method, or the like, and displayed as a myoelectric potential waveform. Further, the measurement unit and the display unit may be a combination of known devices conventionally used in measurement of an electrocardiogram or an electromyogram.

  With the oral care support tool of the first embodiment, the myoelectric potential of the orbicularis muscle can be observed without imposing a large burden on the subject. Thereby, it is possible to evaluate the function of the orbicularis muscle of the subject and to support the improvement of the oral function based on the evaluation.

(Second embodiment)
The oral care support tool of the second embodiment has a probe 250, a potential difference measuring unit 151, a potential difference displaying unit 152, a contact pressure measuring unit, and a contact pressure displaying unit.

  The probe 250 has a planar substrate 202, a working electrode 103, a reference electrode 104, and a lip contact pressure receiving unit 205. The planar substrate 202 is the same as the planar substrate 102 except that it has a lip contact pressure receiving portion 205.

  The lip contact pressure receiving portion 205 is provided on one or both surfaces of the sheet-like base material 202 so that the lips come into contact when sandwiched between upper and lower lips. The lip contact pressure receiving unit 205 includes a pressure sensor (for example, a combination of a strain gauge and a Wheatstone bridge circuit) whose electric resistance or voltage changes according to the magnitude of the received contact pressure, and the magnitude of the received contact pressure. For example, a bag or a balloon in which the pressure of the enclosed gas changes according to the pressure can be used. The pressure sensor or the bag or the balloon can have a thickness that can be sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, for example, a thickness of about 0.01 to 3 mm. The bag or balloon is preferably formed of a non-stretchable material. It is preferable to use a waterproof type of pressure sensor or strain gauge in order to prevent a short circuit due to saliva or the like.

  The contact pressure measuring unit measures the amount of pressure received by the lip contact pressure receiving unit 205. For example, it may be one that measures the changed electric resistance or voltage at the pressure sensor via a signal line, or one that measures the changed pressure of the sealed fluid at the bag or balloon via a tube. Note that the pipe used has such a strength that it is not crushed by pressure. The value of the pressure transmitted through the tube preferably compensates for the effect of temperature. The contact pressure measuring unit may be built in the above-mentioned gripping unit or the like, or may be externally connected via a wire or a tube.

  The contact pressure display section may be provided on the above-described grip section, may be provided on an external contact pressure measurement section, may be provided externally via a signal line, and also serves as a potential difference display section. You may. By also serving as a display unit, the magnitude of the potential difference and the magnitude of the contact pressure can be simultaneously displayed on one display device. The lip contact pressure corresponds to the force between the upper and lower lips (lip closing force). The magnitude of the measured potential difference and the magnitude of the contact pressure may be displayed as numerical values, or may be displayed as a time-series waveform.

  With the oral care support tool of the second embodiment, the myoelectric potential of the orbicularis oris and the closing force of the lips can be observed without imposing a large burden on the subject.

(Third embodiment)
The oral care support tool according to the third embodiment includes a probe 350, a potential difference measuring unit 151, a potential difference displaying unit 152, an intra-oral pressure measuring unit, and an intra-oral pressure displaying unit.

  The probe 350 has a planar substrate 302, a working electrode 103, a reference electrode 104, and an intra-oral pressure receiving unit 306. The planar substrate 302 is the same as the planar substrate 102 except that it has an intraoral pressure receiving unit 306.

  The intra-oral pressure receiving unit 306 can be provided at, for example, a distal end of the planar substrate 302 so as to be disposed in the vestibule of the oral cavity or in the unique oral cavity when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips. As the intraoral pressure receiving unit 306, a pressure sensor whose electric resistance or voltage changes in accordance with a change in the pressure in the oral cavity, a bag or a balloon in which the pressure of the enclosed gas changes in accordance with a change in the pressure in the oral cavity, A hole or a tube communicating with the gas in the oral cavity can be used. The hole or tube communicating with the gas in the oral cavity is preferably one that is hard to be crushed or closed when the lips are closed.

  The intraoral pressure measuring unit measures the amount of pressure received by the intraoral pressure receiving unit 306. For example, one that measures the changed electric resistance or voltage at a barometric pressure sensor via a signal line, one that measures the pressure of a sealed fluid changed at a bag via a tube, one that communicates with a hole or a tube that communicates. The inside pressure is measured by a pressure sensor or the like. The air pressure measurement unit may be built in the above-described gripping unit or the like, or may be externally provided via a signal line or a pipe. The intraoral air pressure display unit may be provided in the above-described gripping unit, may be provided in an external pressure measurement unit, may be provided externally via a signal line, and also serves as a potential difference display unit. You may. By also using the display unit, the magnitude of the potential difference and the magnitude of the intra-oral pressure can be simultaneously displayed on one display device. The magnitude of the measured potential difference and the magnitude of the intraoral air pressure may be displayed as numerical values, or may be displayed as a time-series waveform.

  With the oral care support tool of the third embodiment, the myoelectric potential of the orbicularis orus and the intraoral air pressure can be observed without imposing a large burden on the subject.

(Fourth embodiment)
The oral care support tool according to the fourth embodiment includes a probe 450, a potential difference measuring unit 151, a potential difference displaying unit 152, a contact pressure measuring unit, a contact pressure displaying unit, an intra-oral pressure measuring unit, and an intra-atmospheric pressure displaying unit. By also using the display unit, the amount of the potential difference, the amount of the lip contact pressure, and the amount of the intra-oral pressure can be simultaneously displayed on one display device.
The probe 450 includes a planar substrate 402, a working electrode 103, a reference electrode 104, a lip contact pressure receiving unit 205, and an intra-oral pressure receiving unit 306. The planar substrate 402 is the same as the planar substrate 102 except that the planar substrate 402 has a lip contact pressure receiving unit 205 and an intra-oral pressure receiving unit 306.

  With the oral care support tool of the fourth embodiment, it is possible to observe the myoelectric potential of the orbicularis muscle, the lip contact pressure, and the intra-oral pressure without imposing a large burden on the subject.

(Fifth embodiment)
The oral care support tool according to the fifth embodiment is the same as the oral care support tool according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, further including a stimulating electrode 507. The probe 550 shown in FIG. 6 includes a planar substrate 502, a working electrode 103, a reference electrode 104, a lip contact pressure receiving unit 205, an intraoral pressure receiving unit 306, and a stimulating electrode 507. The planar substrate 502 is the same as the planar substrate 102 except that the planar substrate 502 has a lip contact pressure receiving unit 205, an intraoral pressure receiving unit 306, and a stimulating electrode 507.

The stimulus applying electrode 507 is provided on one or both surfaces of the sheet-like base material, and applies an electric stimulus to the upper lip or the lower lip by applying a current from an external power supply or a built-in power supply via a wiring. Can be.
In the oral care support tool of the fifth embodiment, when a stimulus is applied to the lip by the stimulus application electrode 507, the response of the myoelectric potential of the orbicularis muscle of the subject, the lip contact pressure, or the intra-oral pressure is determined. Can be measured. In addition, it is possible to instruct the subject to give a signal when the subject senses the electrical stimulus, and measure the minimum stimulus value (cognition threshold) perceived by the subject. Furthermore, the brain wave measurement can be performed simultaneously, and the perception threshold can be measured from the combination of the cue of the subject and the brain wave.

(Sixth embodiment)
The oral care support tool of the sixth embodiment is the oral care support tool according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, wherein the planar base material is arranged in the oral vestibule when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips. The provided disk 608, a wire 609 for transmitting a tensile force from the oral vestibule to the outside of the lips to the disk, a measuring unit 607 for measuring the tensile force, and the magnitude of the measured tensile force are displayed. And a display unit.

  The disk 608 has a portion for connecting a wire 609 such as a two-hole, three-hole, four-hole, or with a leg like a button used in clothing. The disc 608 connected to the wire 609 is placed in the oral vestibule, and the wire 609 is pulled to transmit a tensile force to the disc 608 from the oral vestibule to the outside of the lips. It is preferable to arrange the disks such that the tensile force is substantially parallel to the normal direction of the disks. The disc preferably has a surface substantially perpendicular to the lip closing direction. This stimulates the lips and strengthens the orbicularis or cheek muscles. The oral care support tool of the sixth embodiment can measure how the myoelectric potential of the orbicularis muscle of the subject, the lip closing force or the intraoral air pressure responds to this pulling stimulus. . When the pulling stimulus is repeatedly given, the function of the subject such as eating, swallowing, and vocalization may be restored.

  Further, a tensile force is transmitted to the disk from the oral vestibule toward the outside of the lips, and the tensile force when the disk jumps out of the lips is measured by the tensile force measuring unit 607. As the tensile force measuring unit 607, a known force gauge or pull gauge can be used. Further, a pressure sensor whose electric resistance or voltage changes according to the magnitude of the received contact pressure (for example, a sensor that receives pressure with conductive rubber and converts the electric resistance that changes due to the pressure into an electric signal) can also be used. In addition, by making at least one of the four resistors in the Wheatstone bridge circuit a strain gauge, transmitting the tensile force to the strain gauge, and measuring the change in the output voltage of the Wheatstone bridge circuit that changes according to the tensile force of the wire. , The tensile force may be determined. The strain gauge has a metal base as a resistance material and a gauge lead as a lead wire mounted on a resin base as an electrical insulator. The measuring unit 607 may be provided with a light irradiator such as an LED so that the direction in which the wire is pulled is appropriate, and the wire may be pulled in such a manner that light strikes the mouth of the subject.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of time-series data of the orbital myoelectric potential, the lip contact pressure, and the intra-oral pressure during execution of the cheek movement. The cheek movement is a movement in which the lips are closed and the air pressure in the oral cavity is increased to expand the cheek, and the air pressure in the oral cavity is reduced to narrow the cheek. It can be observed that the lip contact pressure (LipF) and the orbicularis myoelectric potential (EMG) fluctuate according to the level of the intraoral pressure (Baro1).
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the time series data of the disc tension force and the orbicularis myoelectric potential during the disc tension training. When the disk is held by the lips and the disk is pulled by the wire (when the pulling force (Pull) increases), the lip contact pressure (LipF) increases and the amplitude of the orbital myoelectric potential (EMG) increases . The sudden drop in the rightmost pulling force is a measurement at the moment when the disk pops out of the mouth. Since the working electrode suddenly comes off, the amplitude is remarkably large. The maximum value of the tensile force means the maximum disc holding force.
From these cases and the like, it can be understood that the time series data of the orbicularis myoelectric potential, the lip contact pressure, and the intraoral air pressure during the execution of the exercise can help determine the effect of the exercise on the recovery of the symptoms of the subject.

  Using the oral care support tool of the present invention, the orbital myoelectric potential, the intraoral air pressure, the lip contact pressure, the lip tension, and the like can be measured, and the function of the lips can be evaluated based on the measured values. These measurements or evaluations can be used as a reference index when planning a method for lip function recovery. Methods of functional recovery include, for example, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutritional formulas, dietary changes, improved oral hygiene, electrical stimulation, biofeedback, and pharmacological treatments. Examples of the change in diet include high coagulation, high viscosity, trigeminal nerve stimulant, swallowing stimulus, change in food temperature, change in food texture, change in food perception, and the like. Improvements in oral hygiene can include gargles, toothpastes, probiotics, saliva irritants, toothbrushes, dental floss, tongue scraping, and the like. The oral care support tools of the present invention are not limited to assisting in planning a method of functional recovery and may include the support of any known therapy for treating dysfunction.

150, 250, 350, 450, 650: Probe 102, 202, 302, 402, 502: Planar substrate 103: Working electrode 104: Reference electrode 205: Lip contact pressure receiving part 306: Oral pressure receiving part 507: Stimulation Application electrode 608: Disk 609: Wire rod 607: Tensile force measurement unit 151: Measurement unit 152: Display unit 160: Connector

Claims (7)

A planar substrate that can be sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, a working electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate so as to touch a part of the lips when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, and A probe having a reference electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate so as to touch another part of the lips when sandwiched between the lips,
An oral care support tool including a measurement unit for measuring a potential difference between a working electrode and a reference electrode, and a display unit for displaying the magnitude of the measured potential difference.   The lip contact pressure receiving unit provided on one or both surfaces of the planar base material, the measuring unit for measuring the lip contact pressure received by the lip contact pressure receiving unit, and the amount of the measured lip contact pressure The oral care support tool according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying.   To measure the intra-oral pressure received by the intra-oral pressure receiver provided on the planar base material so as to be placed in the oral vestibule or the unique oral cavity when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, The oral care support tool according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a measurement unit of (1); and a display unit for displaying a measured amount of intra-oral pressure.   The oral care support tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate for stimulating the upper lip or the lower lip.   A disk provided on a planar substrate so as to be arranged in the oral vestibule when sandwiched between upper and lower lips, a wire for transmitting a tensile force from the oral vestibule to the outside of the lip to the disk, and the tension The oral care support tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a measuring unit for measuring a force; and a display unit for displaying a magnitude of the measured tensile force.   A planar substrate that can be sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, a working electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar substrate so as to touch a part of the lips when sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, and An oral care support probe having a reference electrode provided on one or both surfaces of the planar base material so as to touch another part of the lips when sandwiched between the lips.   The lip contact pressure receiving portion provided on one or both surfaces of the planar base material, provided on the planar base material so as to be arranged in the oral vestibule or the unique oral cavity when sandwiched between upper and lower lips. In the oral vestibule, when it is sandwiched between the upper and lower lips, and an electrode for stimulating the upper lip or the lower lip provided on one or both surfaces of the oral pressure receiving portion, the planar base material, or both. The probe for oral care support according to claim 6, further comprising a disk provided on the planar base material so as to be disposed.

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