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EP-4741832-A1 - APPARATUS FOR MEASURING ORAL AND NASAL BREATHINGS, AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AND ASSEMBLING SUCH A MEASURING APPARATUS

EP4741832A1EP 4741832 A1EP4741832 A1EP 4741832A1EP-4741832-A1

Abstract

A device for measuring a user's oral and nasal respirations, comprising a probe (2) internally delimiting three air passage channels with respective openings (22a, 22b, 23), the probe (2) comprising an electronic board (6) including a microcontroller (61) and a plurality of measurement circuits, each comprising an airflow measurement sensor (4a, 4b) arranged in the air passage channel, and an amplifier, the microcontroller (61) being further configured to: - measure the amplified voltage at the amplifier output, - calculate the amplitude of the amplified voltage measurement, - modify a reference voltage supplied to the amplifier to maintain a constant amplitude, and - estimate a quantity representative of the airflow.

Inventors

  • GUILLERM, Gérard
  • COLLARDEAU, DAVID

Assignees

  • Aerophonoscope

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251106

Claims (15)

  1. Device for measuring (1) the mouth and nasal respirations of a user, comprising a probe (2) internally delimiting a first air passage channel (Ca) comprising a first opening (22a), the first opening (22a) being suitable for being positioned under a first nostril of the user, a second air passage channel (Cb) comprising a second opening (22b), the second opening (22b) being suitable for positioning under a second nostril of the user, and a third air passage channel (Cc) comprising a third opening (23), the third opening (23) being suitable for being positioned opposite the user's mouth, the probe (2) comprising an electronic board (6) comprising a microcontroller (61) and a plurality of measurement circuits, each measurement circuit being specific to an associated air passage channel (Ca, Cb, Cc), the measuring device (1) being characterized in that each measurement circuit comprises an airflow measurement sensor (4a, 4b, 4c) arranged in the associated air passage channel (Ca, Cb, Cc) and comprising a metallic filament (41a), around which an airflow is adapted to flow in the associated air passage channel (Ca, Cb, Cc), each airflow measurement sensor (4a, 4b, 4c) being adapted to be powered by an electrical current when the user breathes through the device (1), and an amplifier (62) configured to provide an amplified output voltage (Vo) from a reference voltage (Vref) and a voltage across the metal filament (41) of the powered airflow measurement sensor (4a, 4b, 4c), the microcontroller (61) being further configured to: - measure the amplified voltage (Vo) at the output of the amplifier (62), - calculate a signal amplitude from the amplified voltage measurement (Vo), - modify the reference voltage (Vref) according to the amplified voltage measurement (Vo), so as to maintain a constant amplitude, and - estimate a quantity representative of the airflow flowing in the air passage channel (Ca, Cb, Cc) associated with the airflow measurement sensor (4a, 4b, 4c) powered from the amplified voltage measurement (Vo).
  2. Measuring device (1) according to claim 1, in which the signal amplitude is calculated according to a cycle comprising one period, the period depending on the estimate of the representative quantity.
  3. Measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein each measuring circuit further comprises a current source (63) configured to deliver an electric current so as to power the metal filament (41a, 41b, 41c) of the airflow measuring sensor (4a, 4b, 4c), the delivered electric current having a constant intensity of less than 100mA.
  4. Measuring device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the microcontroller (61) is further configured to modify an intensity of the electric current delivered from the amplified voltage measurement (Vo).
  5. Measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the microcontroller (61) is further configured to control a preheating of the metal filament (41) of at least one airflow measurement sensor (4a, 4b, 4c) for a predetermined time before measuring the amplified voltage (Vo).
  6. Measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the probe (2) further comprises a temperature sensor (66) configured to provide a temperature measurement to the microcontroller (61).
  7. Measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the microcontroller (61) further comprises a clock configured to measure the energization time of the metal filament (41) of the measuring sensor of airflow (4a, 4b, 4c) supplied, and in which the microcontroller (61) is configured to emit a maintenance signal when the measured supply time exceeds a maximum usage time.
  8. Measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the airflow measurement sensors (4a, 4b, 4c) are assembled on a modular printed circuit board (46) connected to the electronic board (6) in a removable manner.
  9. Measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one airflow measuring sensor (4a, 4b, 4c) comprises a substrate (49), preferably made of ceramic.
  10. Measuring device (1) according to claim 9, wherein: the metallic filament (41) comprises a plurality of resistive tracks (41a, 41b, 41c, 41d) integrated into the substrate (49), or the metallic filament (41) is formed by printing or coating an electrically conductive metallic material onto the substrate (49), the electrically conductive metallic material preferably being platinum.
  11. Measuring device (1) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the substrate (49) and/or the metal filament (41) are covered by a protective layer.
  12. Measuring apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the substrate (49) is a plate forming a grid.
  13. Measuring device (1) according to claim 12, wherein the substrate (49) is flexible, so that the substrate (49) is able to deform elastically when the airflow passes through the substrate (49) and around the metal filament (41).
  14. A method for controlling a measurement circuit of a measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, implemented by a microcontroller (61), the measurement circuit comprising an amplifier (62) configured to provide at output an amplified voltage (Vo) from a reference voltage (Vref) and a voltage at the terminals of a metallic filament (41) of an active sensor (4), the active sensor (4) being arranged in an air passage channel (Ca, Cb, Cc), the control method comprising the steps of: - measurement of an amplified voltage (Vo) at the output of the amplifier (62), - Calculation of a signal amplitude from the amplified voltage measurement (Vo), - modification of the reference voltage (Vref) according to the amplified voltage measurement (Vo), so as to maintain a constant signal amplitude, - estimation of a quantity representative of an air flow in the air passage channel (Ca, Cb, Cc) from the measurement of amplified voltage (Vo).
  15. Method for assembling a measuring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the following steps: - assembly (Sa1) of a plurality of incandescent bulbs on a printed circuit board (46), each incandescent bulb comprising a protective bulb (40) covering a metallic filament (41), - removal (Sa2) of the protective bulb (40) of each incandescent bulb so as to obtain a plurality of airflow measurement sensors (4a, 4b, 4c), - optionally, folding (Sa3) at least one airflow measurement sensor (4c), and - integration (Sa5) of the printed circuit (46) carrying the plurality of air flow measurement sensors (4a, 4b, 4c) on an electronic card (6) of the probe (2).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the general field of devices for measuring a user's oral and nasal respirations. The invention thus applies to a device for measuring a user's oral and nasal respirations, as well as to a method for controlling a measurement circuit of such a device and to a method for assembling such a device. STATE OF THE ART In speech therapy, the assessment of breathing patterns, whether oral or nasal, plays a crucial role in identifying and treating orofacial dysfunctions, such as airway disorders or velopharyngeal insufficiency. Devices for measuring oral and nasal breathing quantify airflow by analyzing, for example, the frequency, duration, and quality of a user's breathing. They offer invaluable assistance in diagnosing abnormal breathing patterns, often linked to conditions such as sleep apnea, nasal obstructions, or orofacial malformations, and thus facilitate the implementation of targeted rehabilitation interventions. Their use allows speech therapists to monitor changes in a user's breathing, such as that of a patient, and adapt therapies accordingly, thereby improving the quality of life of affected individuals. While invasive diagnostic methods such as nasoendoscopy exist, non-invasive devices like the rhinomanometer, spirometer, and acoustic pharyngometer have also been developed, each enabling specific diagnoses. For example, the rhinomanometer assesses nasal respiratory efficiency and detects potential obstructions by measuring airflow resistance in the nasal passages, while the spirometer evaluates respiratory capacity by measuring the volumes of air inhaled and exhaled by the lungs. More recently, the document WO 2016/128627 A1 proposed a device that can detect both mouth and nasal breathing in a patient, in order to simultaneously assess the functional capabilities of the soft palate and detect respiratory abnormalities, and to analyze the effects of speech therapy or improvements following maxillary expansion, for example. However, the proposed device can detect airflow but does not provide sufficiently accurate measurements of the alternating airflow rate during the patient's breathing. Furthermore, there is a need to improve the reliability of such a device. Indeed, the measurement quality degrades rapidly as the device's usage time increases. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION One aim of the present invention is to provide a device for measuring a user's respiration that has satisfactory accuracy while also exhibiting better reliability of measurement over time. To this end, the invention proposes, according to a first aspect, a device for measuring a user's oral and nasal respirations, comprising a probe internally delimiting a first air passage channel comprising a first opening, the first opening being suitable for positioning under the user's first nostril, a second air passage channel comprising a second opening, the second opening being suitable for positioning under a second nostril of the user, and a third air passage channel comprising a third opening, the third opening being suitable for positioning opposite the user's mouth, the probe including an electronic board comprising a microcontroller and a plurality of measurement circuits, each measurement circuit being specific to an associated air passage channel, the measuring device being remarkable in that each measurement circuit includes an airflow measurement sensor arranged in the associated air passage channel and comprising a metallic filament around which an airflow within the associated air passage channel is suitable for passing, each airflow measurement sensor being suitable for being powered by an electrical current when the user breathes through the device, and an amplifier configured to provide an amplified output voltage from a reference voltage and a voltage across the filament metallic part of the powered airflow measurement sensor, the microcontroller is further configured to: measure the amplified voltage at the amplifier output, calculate the amplitude of the amplified voltage measurement, modify the reference voltage according to the amplified voltage measurement, so as to maintain a constant amplitude, and estimate a quantity representative of the airflow in the air passage channel associated with the airflow measurement sensor powered from the amplified voltage measurement. Thus, the microcontroller is configured to dynamically modify the reference voltage at the amplifier's input, thereby controlling the amplitude of the amplified voltage measurement. This ensures that the active sensor, subjected to a breathing airflow through its air passage channel, maintains constant sensitivity over time. Specifically, this prevents drift in the measurement amplitude when the physical properties of the sensor's heated filament, typically its resistance, vary as the current flows through it. The measuring device according to the invention is advantageously complemented by the following