シート状ストレッチセンサを用いた安静仰臥位における嚥下回数の測定

Measurement of swallowing frequency using a stretchable strain sensor

　本研究はシート状ストレッチセンサを喉頭隆起部の体表面に巻き付けて装着し，喉頭挙上時に波形の変化が認められるか確認し，得られた波形変化から安静仰臥位における嚥下回数を測定できる可能性があるか検討した．被験者は健常成人男性1名，女性1名とし，ストレッチセンサを喉頭隆起部に巻き付け，安静仰臥位で2分の測定時間内に任意のタイミングで唾液を嚥下した．得られた嚥下回数を被験者のセンサの波形，自己申告，検査者の視認の3つの項目から一致率を求めた．結果は，嚥下にともない電圧が嚥下前のベースラインから急速に減少し，再びベースライン付近まで増加する特徴的な波形変化が男女ともに得られた．嚥下回数は3つの項目で一致し，一致率は100％であった．実験の結果は，喉頭隆起部の高さに巻き付けたストレッチセンサの波形が安静状態にある仰臥位時の嚥下回数の測定へ応用できることを示している．

　The purpose of this study was to investigate the waveform pattern obtained during swallowing by wearing a stretchable strain sensor around the laryngeal bulge and to find out whether or not the sensor could accurately count the number of swallows while the wearer was resting in a supine position. The participants of the study were a healthy adult male and a female. They swallowed saliva at their own rate over a 2-minute time period. The rate of agreement of swallowing was determined by comparing three measures: (1)wave patterns, (2)the checker's count, and (3)the participants' self-assessment. The results showed that both participants had characteristic wave patterns with the voltage decreasing rapidly from baseline with swallowing and increasing again soon afterwards. The agreement rate among the three measurements was 100%. The results show that a stretch sensor can be used to count the number of times participants swallow while resting in the supine position.