EAR CANAL FITTING UNIT AND BIOLOGICAL SIGNAL MEASURING DEVICE

• US 20100239114A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wada, Seiji
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/380
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an ear canal fitting unit including: a tube configured to be capable of being inserted into an ear canal; an electrode configured to have flexibility and be so disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the tube that a predetermined gap is formed between the electrode and an inner surface of the ear canal; pressing means for deforming the electrode in such a direction as to get away from the outer circumferential surface of the tube and pressing the electrode against the inner surface of the ear canal; and suppressing means for suppressing push-back of the electrode pressed against the inner surface of the ear canal.

Claims

1. An ear canal fitting unit comprising:

a tube configured to be capable of being inserted into an ear canal;

an electrode configured to have flexibility and be so disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the tube that a predetermined gap is formed between the electrode and an inner surface of the ear canal;

pressing means for deforming the electrode in such a direction as to get away from the outer circumferential surface of the tube and pressing the electrode against the inner surface of the ear canal; and

suppressing means for suppressing push-back of the electrode pressed against the inner surface of the ear canal.

2. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 1, wherein

the suppressing means switches a degree of suppression of push-back in a stepwise manner.

3. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 2, wherein

one end of the electrode is fixed to one end part of the tube,

the pressing means is formed of a member that slides on the outer circumferential surface of the tube in a longitudinal direction of the tube, and the other end of the electrode is fixed to the member, and

the suppressing means is formed of a mechanism for releasably fixing a position of the member.

4. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 3, wherein

the member has a tube shape and has such a shape as to be fitted in a cavum conchae.

5. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 4, wherein

the ear canal fitting unit is provided at a leading end of a hook-shape member capable of being hooked on a root of an auricle, and

the hook-shape member is provided with an amplifier that amplifies potential difference between the electrode and a reference electrode provided at a tail end of the hook-shape member attachably to an earlobe.

6. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 2, wherein

the electrode is wound along the outer circumferential surface of the tube in a spiral manner, and one end of the electrode is fixed to one end part of the tube,

the pressing means is formed of a tube-shape member that slides in a screw manner on the outer circumferential surface of the tube in an opposite direction of a direction of winding of the electrode, and the other end of the electrode is fixed to the tube-shape member, and

the suppressing means is formed of a first groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tube in a spiral manner and a second groove formed on an inner circumferential surface of the tube-shape member in matching with the first groove.

7. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 6, wherein

the member has a tube shape and has such a shape as to be fitted in a cavum conchae.

8. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 7, wherein

the ear canal fitting unit is provided at a leading end of a hook-shape member capable of being hooked on a root of an auricle, and

the hook-shape member is provided with an amplifier that amplifies potential difference between the electrode and a reference electrode provided at a tail end of the hook-shape member attachably to an earlobe.

9. The ear canal fitting unit according to claim 2, wherein

the tube is so formed by using a sponge material as to have an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter of the ear canal,

the electrode is composed of plate-shape electrodes bonded to the outer circumferential surface of the tube at a predetermined interval, and

the pressing means and the suppressing means are force of reversion of the tube that is compressed to an original state.

10. A biological signal measuring device comprising:

an ear hook component configured to have a flexible hook-shape part capable of being hooked on a root of an auricle;

an ear canal fitting unit configured to be provided at a leading end part of the hook-shape part and be fitted in an ear canal; and

an earlobe attachment configured to be provided at a tail end part of the hook-shape part and be mounted on an earlobe, wherein

the ear canal fitting unit has

a tube capable of being inserted into the ear canal,

an electrode that has flexibility and is so disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the tube that a predetermined gap is formed between the electrode and an inner surface of the ear canal,

pressing means that deforms the electrode in such a direction as to get away from the outer circumferential surface of the tube and presses the electrode against the inner surface of the ear canal, and

suppressing means that suppresses push-back of the electrode pressed against the inner surface of the ear canal, and

the earlobe attachment has a reference electrode capable of being attached to the earlobe, and

the ear hook component has an amplifier that amplifies potential difference between the electrode and the reference electrode as a biological signal.

11. The biological signal measuring device according to claim 10, wherein

the ear canal fitting unit further has a speaker, and

ear hook component further has notifying means that notifies a message via the speaker if an average level of a biological signal in a predetermined period, of the biological signal amplified by the amplifier, is lower than a level under which the electrode should be regarded as being not in contact with the inner surface of the ear canal.

12. The biological signal measuring device according to claim 11, wherein

the ear hook component further has a memory in which a biological signal having the average level equal to or higher than the level is stored.