PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a masticatory ability evaluation device capable of evaluating a masticatory ability in consideration of variations in the size of a bitten-off piece.SOLUTION: A masticatory ability evaluation device 100 includes a measurement table 10 having a placing surface 11a on which a bitten-off piece 2 of a food to be examined masticated by a subject is placed, distance information acquisition means 22 for acquiring information on a distance from a measurement position away from the placing surface 11a by a predetermined distance L0 to the bitten-off piece 2 on the placing surface 11a, and evaluation value derivation means 30 for deriving an evaluation value for evaluating masticatory ability based on the distance information acquired by the distance information acquisition means 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2018,JPO&INPIT【課題】咬断片の大きさのばらつきを考慮して咀嚼能力を評価することができる咀嚼能力評価装置を提供する。【解決手段】咀嚼能力評価装置100は、被験者により咀嚼された試験食の咬断片2が載置される載置面11aを有する測定台10と、載置面11aから所定距離L0だけ離れた測定位置から、載置面11a上の咬断片2までの距離情報を取得する距離情報取得手段22と、距離情報取得手段22により取得された距離情報に基づき、咀嚼能力を評価するための評価値を導出する評価値導出手段30とを備える。【選択図】図1
