PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To evaluate a swallowing function with a reduced burden on a patient.SOLUTION: This swallowing function evaluation device is provided with a small-size magnet mountable on the thyroid cartilage skin of a patient, a magnetic sensor capable of detecting the relative position to the small-size magnet by detecting the change in the magnetic field in the surrounding area, and a swallowing function evaluation means extracting the moving pattern of the small-size magnet based on the change in the relative position to the small-size magnet detected by the magnetic sensor and evaluating the swallowing function of the patient based on the moving pattern. This constitution can detect the movement of the thyroid cartilage skin on a site attached with the small-size magnet by mounting the small-size magnet on the patient, allow the swallowing function evaluation means to evaluate the swallowing function based thereon and reduce the physical burden on the patient in the evaluation test.COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT【課題】嚥下機能評価を患者への負担を少なくして行う。【解決手段】患者の甲状軟骨皮膚上に装着可能な小型磁石と、前記小型磁石との相対位置を、周囲の磁場の変化を検出することにより検出可能な磁気センサと、前記磁気センサで検出された前記小型磁石の相対位置の変化に基づき、前記小型磁石の移動パターンを抽出し、該移動パターンに基づき、患者の嚥下機能を評価するための嚥下機能評価手段とを備えることができる。これにより、小型磁石を患者に装着することで小型磁石を付した部位の甲状軟骨皮膚の移動を磁気センサで検出し、これに基づき嚥下機能評価手段が嚥下機能を評価できるので、評価試験に際して患者への肉体的負担の軽減を図ることができる。【選択図】図1
