Continuous swallowing movement measuring device and method for measuring a continuous swallowing movement

• US 8,211,040 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sapporo Breweries Limited (Sapporo Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sapporo Breweries Limited (Sapporo Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Kaneda, Hirotaka, Hayashi, Toyohiko, Kojima, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US11/659,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 600/590
• US Class Current: 600/590
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4205 Evaluating swallowing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4514 Cartilage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/006 Detecting skeletal, cartilage or muscle noise A61B7/003 and A61B7/008 take precedence

Abstract

A continuous swallowing movement measuring device includes pressure sensors placed in a line along a direction of an up and down movement of a thyroid cartilage when a food is swallowed, a first one of the pressure sensors placed at a top position of the thyroid cartilage, a second one of the pressure sensors placed along the direction to measure swallows included in a continuous swallowing movement. The device also includes a tool for wearing the pressure sensors and for fixing the pressure sensors to touch an anterior region of a neck of a subject. The tool includes a fixing unit fixes the pressure sensors. The tool also includes a supporter of the pressure sensors supports the fixing unit. Further, the tool includes a holding band holds the supporter of the pressure sensors on the anterior region of the neck of the subject.

Claims

1. A continuous swallowing movement measuring device, comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors placed in a line along a direction of an up and down movement of a thyroid cartilage when a food is swallowed, a first one of the plurality of pressure sensors placed at a top position of the thyroid cartilage, a second one of the plurality of pressure sensors placed along the direction to measure a plurality of swallows included in a continuous swallowing movement; and

a tool for wearing the plurality of pressure sensors and for fixing the plurality of pressure sensors to touch an anterior region of a neck of a subject, wherein

the tool for wearing the plurality of pressure sensors is provided with

fixing means for fixing the plurality of pressure sensors,

a supporter of the plurality of pressure sensors that supports the fixing means,

the supporter having

a stand for holding a jaw;

a sensor mounting part; and

an axle that supports the stand, the axle rotating relative to the sensor mounting part, and

a holding band that holds the supporter of the plurality of pressure sensors on the anterior region of the neck of the subject.

2. The continuous swallowing movement measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pressure sensor which is placed in a highest position among the plurality of pressure sensors is a sensor to recognize a positioning on an upper limit position or near the upper limit position of the thyroid cartilage at a time of a continuous swallowing movement.

3. The continuous swallowing movement measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor mounting part fixes urethane foam to support the plurality of pressure sensors.

4. A continuous swallowing movement measuring device, comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors placed in a line along a direction of an up and down movement of a thyroid cartilage when a food is swallowed, a first one of the plurality of pressure sensors placed at a top position of the thyroid cartilage, a second one of the plurality of pressure sensors placed along the direction to measure a plurality of swallows included in a continuous swallowing movement; and

a tool for wearing the plurality of pressure sensors and for fixing the plurality of pressure sensors to touch an anterior region of a neck of a subject, wherein

the tool for wearing the plurality of pressure sensors is provided with

fixing means for fixing the plurality of pressure sensors,

a supporter of the plurality of pressure sensors that supports the fixing means,

the supporter having

a stand for holding a jaw;

a sensor mounting part; and

an axle that supports the stand, the axle rotating relative to the sensor mounting part, and

a holding band that holds the supporter of the plurality of pressure sensors on the anterior region of the neck of the subject, wherein

the continuous swallowing movement measuring device is also provided with

a myogenic potential electrometer that measures a muscle force of a suprahyoid muscle group of the subject, and

a vibration pickup that measures a swallowing sound.

5. A method for a measurement of a continuous swallowing movement, the method comprising:

mounting a tool for wearing a plurality of pressure sensors, which is fixed by touching an anterior region of a neck of a subject, so that a lowest sensor among the plurality of pressure sensors is placed near a thyroid cartilage of the subject, wherein the tool for wearing the plurality of pressure sensors supports the plurality of pressure sensors including pressure sensors recognizing a position of the thyroid cartilage on an upper limit position or near the upper limit position of the thyroid cartilage at a time of a continuous swallowing movement and is provided with the plurality of pressure sensors along a direction of an up and down movement of the thyroid cartilage;

reading changes of an output signal from each of the plurality of pressure sensors during a plurality of swallows included in a continuous swallowing movement when the subject drinks a beverage continuously;

measuring the up and down movement of the thyroid cartilage of the subject when the subject drinks the beverage continuously based on a period of an output signal peak from each of the plurality of pressure sensors; and

evaluating a feeling at a throat at a time of a continuous swallowing of the beverage based on the up and down movement of the thyroid cartilage or the period.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tool for wearing the plurality of pressure sensors is further provided with a supporter of the plurality of pressure sensors,

the supporter having

a stand for holding a jaw,

a sensor mounting part, and

an axle that supports the stand, the axle rotating relative to the sensor mounting part.

7. A method for a measurement of a continuous swallowing movement, the method comprising:

fixing a surface electrode for measuring a myogenic potential by contacting an equivalency region of a mylohyoid muscle of a digastric muscle of an anterior region of a neck of a subject;

obtaining an electric signal which is generated by moving a suprahyoid muscle group from the surface electrode during a plurality of swallows included in a continuous swallowing movement when the subject drinks a beverage continuously; and

evaluating a feeling at a throat at a time of a continuous swallowing of the beverage based on the electric signal obtained from the surface electrode.

8. A method for a measurement of a continuous swallowing movement, the method comprising:

attaching a vibration pickup at a portion located beside a cricoid of an anterior region of a neck of a subject;

measuring a plurality of swallowing sounds from the vibration pickup during a plurality of swallows included in a continuous swallowing movement when the subject drinks a beverage continuously;

measuring a period of a peak of the plurality of swallowing sounds; and

evaluating a feeling at a throat at a time of a continuous swallowing of the beverage based on a period of the plurality of swallowing sounds.