JP2005329213A - Mastication counter which counts movement of temporalis muscle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the accuracy of mastication number of times by counting the movement of the temporalis muscle, and at the same time, to improve the fitting properties so as to cope with users having different physical features from toddlers to elders, and to enable the mastication counter to be simply and easily used by anybody at the time of dining. <P>SOLUTION: For this mastication counter, a piezoelectric element is fitted on the temporalis muscle which is one of the mastication muscles by a hair band, and a specified frequency component is taken out from the output signal, and amplified to detect a mastication signal. At the same time, the output signal is made binary, and the variation is measured to count the mastication number of times. Then, the mastication counter is constituted in such a manner that signals of other than the mastication may be discriminated and removed from the length of the output signal and a period of time between the signals, and the mastication number of times may be recorded/counted and displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to an accurate and easy-to-wear mastication counter that counts temporal muscle movements.

Technical background

Despite the need for a detection device that counts the number of chewing cycles in order to improve children's intelligence, improve teeth alignment, diet, and prevent and improve dementia in the elderly, conventional chewing counters have been poorly worn. However, due to insufficient accuracy, it has not been put to practical use for general consumers.

A chewing counter that detects and counts the physical displacement of the jaw muscles caused by the chewing movement has been put to practical use for research purposes. To detect the physical displacement of the jaw muscles, etc. However, it was necessary for a specialist to make fine adjustments to the measuring device in accordance with the physical characteristics of the user, and it was not easy for anyone to use while eating normally. In addition, there has been a case where a movement of a muscle that does not depend on chewing such as conversation is misidentified and detected.

In addition, there are methods that detect myoelectricity associated with mastication and count masticatory movements, and methods that detect masticatory sounds and measure masticatory movements. It has been difficult to separate and has not been put to practical use.
JP 2004-339675 A JP 2003-219757 A JP 2002-253520 A JP 2002-172103 A JP 2001-178706 A JP 2000-166899 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-318862 JP-A-11-206740 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-200347 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-123185 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-011560 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-213510 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-171136 Chewing meter (mastication meter) http: // www. fukunet. or. jp / member / QK_Net / # C Contactless mastication frequency measuring device using infrared sensor Toyohashi University of Technology, Kenzo Komine Hitachi Communication System, Takashi Saeki Toyohashi University of Technology, Yoshiaki Tadokoro http: // www. size. or. jp / kaishi / ronbun / ron2000old / ron200209. html # PAPER02

The problem to be solved is to improve the accuracy of the chewing counter by detecting and counting temporal muscle movement and to improve the wearability so that it can accommodate users with different physical characteristics. To make it easy for everyone, from children to the elderly, to eat normally.

The main feature of the present invention is to detect the movement of the temporal muscle that moves when a hair band is attached to the head and the piezoelectric element attached to the inside of the head bites.

The present invention focuses on one temporal muscle of the masticatory muscle that has a large movement during mastication and does not move so much during pronunciation, and detects and analyzes the movement with a piezoelectric element attached to the inside of the hair band. There is an advantage that a general consumer can measure the number of chewing times from a child to an elderly person by a simple method.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In order to reliably detect small movements of the temporal muscle and eliminate errors due to movements of vocalizations and facial expressions, the optimum frequency component of the signal from the piezoelectric element is extracted and detected, and the output signal is the optimum reference The value was binarized, the change from H to L was counted, and the movements other than mastication were cut by the length of the L signal and the length between the L signals so that the number of mastications could be accurately counted. A detection method in which the relationship between H and L is reversed may be used.

The sensor part of the mastication counter is a humach type or headphone type hair band with a piezoelectric element inside, tied to the body of the mastication counter with a cord, and the body of the mastication counter counts on the desk while watching the count. You can use it by putting it in your chest pocket, attaching it to your waist band, or attaching it directly to your hair band.

The movement of the temporal muscle is detected by a piezoelectric element, the signal is filtered by a band-pass filter designed to have a strong sensitivity in the vicinity of 2 Hz, and an input signal having an amplitude of about several tens of mV is input to a microcomputer having an amplitude of several V. Amplifies to an amplitude suitable for

Using the amplitude comparison means, continuous signals input in an arbitrary range are divided by a plurality of threshold voltages and compared. For example, when the lower voltage is A and the higher voltage is B, A or less is regarded as L, A to B is regarded as a dead area, and B or more is regarded as H, and analog-digital conversion is performed. Or it counts as a mastication signal when either one changes from L to H, and forms a circuit strong against noise.

When the input of a certain signal is too close in time to the previous input using the wavelength comparison means, a filtering process is performed so that the signal is regarded as noise and not output to the counter. The filtered mastication signal is counted by a counter and displayed on a liquid crystal display.

In instruction in food education and dentistry at a nursery school, school, home, etc., this instrument is used to measure the number of chewing times to educate the importance of chewing meals, develop intelligence, healthy teeth, and healthy food It is used to establish lifestyle habits, promotes the establishment of chewing habits for middle-aged and elderly diets, and the establishment of chewing eating habits to prevent blurring of the elderly. Reduce.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the implementation method of a chewing count meter (Example 1).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Piezoelectric element 2 Band amplifier 3 Amplitude comparison means 4 Wavelength comparison means 5 Recording / counting / display means

Claims (2)

  A piezoelectric element sensor is attached to the temporal muscle, one of the masticatory muscles, with a hair band, and a specific frequency component is extracted from the output signal and amplified to extract a mastication signal from which other noises such as vocalization are removed. Mastication signal detection device.   The mastication signal of claim 1 is binarized into H and L, the change is measured and the number of times of chewing is counted, and a signal other than mastication is discriminated based on the length of the output signal and the time between signals. And a mastication number measuring device comprising a calculating means for removing, a counting means for recording the result, and a means for displaying the number of mastication times.

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