Weight measurement system

Abstract

This system provides a weight measurement system that can accurately measure and record the net weight of the person being measured. [Solution] The weight measurement system comprises a weight measuring device 10 that simultaneously measures the weight of the person being measured 50 and their accessories 60, a camera 20 that photographs the person being measured 50 using the weight measuring device 10, and an information processing device 30. The information processing device 30 includes an accessory weight registration means 31 that registers the weight of the accessories 60 for each person being measured 50, a person identification means 32 that identifies the person being measured 50 using the weight measuring device 10 at that time from the image captured by the camera 20, a weight calculation means 33 that calculates the weight of the person being measured 50 by subtracting the weight of the accessories 60 of the person being measured 50 identified by the person identification means 32 from the weight measured by the weight measuring device 10, and a weight recording means 34 that records the weight calculated by the weight calculation means 33 for each person being measured 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a body weight measurement system for measuring the body weight of a subject.

Background Art

[0002] Many patients whose renal function has deteriorated and who can no longer remove waste products such as uremic toxins on their own are undergoing treatment by artificial dialysis. Artificial dialysis is roughly classified into two types: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Among these, hemodialysis is performed by once taking out the blood in the body, passing it through a dialyzer (hemodialyzer), removing waste products in the blood, and then returning the blood to the body again.

[0003] In the treatment by artificial dialysis (dialysis treatment), it is important to manage the weight change of the patient. This is because the amount of waste products removed by dialysis treatment is obtained by subtracting the body weight immediately after dialysis treatment (referred to as "dry weight") from the body weight immediately before dialysis treatment, and this value serves as a measure of whether the dialysis treatment was properly performed. Therefore, during dialysis treatment, the body weight immediately before dialysis treatment and the body weight immediately after dialysis treatment are measured.

[0004] Also, it is considered preferable to suppress the weight gain from the previous dialysis treatment to less than 6% of the dry weight measured immediately after the previous dialysis treatment until the next dialysis treatment. To confirm this (whether the weight gain is suppressed to less than 6%), the body weight immediately before dialysis treatment and the body weight immediately after dialysis treatment are measured during dialysis treatment.

[0005] By the way, among the patients undergoing dialysis treatment, there are also those who use wheelchairs. Many wheelchair users have difficulty getting on the weighing scale while standing on both feet. On the other hand, if they hold onto a handrail or the like and stand on the weighing scale, it becomes impossible to accurately measure their body weight. In view of such a situation, a body weight measuring device that can be used while sitting in a wheelchair has been proposed so far.

[0006] For example, Figure 1 of Patent Document 1 discloses a weight measuring device that can be used while the user is seated in a wheelchair K. The device calculates the user's weight by subtracting the weight of the wheelchair K and other accessories from the user's weight while seated in the wheelchair K.

[0007] In the weight measuring device described in Patent Document 1, the weight of accessories such as wheelchair K is stored in a unique information transmission means 2 attached to wheelchair K. In addition, personal information (identification information) such as the patient's name is stored in a personal information transmission means 3 attached to the patient's clothing, etc. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags are used as the unique information transmission means 2 and the personal information transmission means 3. By reading the identification information stored in the personal information transmission means 3 with the antenna 4, it is possible to identify which patient the measured weight belongs to. At the same time, by reading the unique information (weight of accessories, etc.) stored in the unique information transmission means 2 with the antenna 4, the weight corresponding to the accessories is subtracted to determine the net weight of that patient. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-281350 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] However, using the weight measuring device described in Patent Document 1 requires attaching an RFID tag to the wheelchair and another RFID tag to the patient's clothing, which is cumbersome. Furthermore, there is a risk of mistakenly attaching an RFID tag to the wrong patient's wheelchair or clothing. In this case, one patient's weight may be recorded as the weight of another patient, or the weight of one patient's accessories may be subtracted from the weight of another patient's accessories, resulting in an incorrect recording of that patient's weight.

[0010] The present invention was made to solve the above problems and provides a weight measurement system that can accurately measure and record the net weight of a person being measured (such as the patient mentioned above) or their accessories (such as the wheelchair mentioned above) without attaching an information recording medium such as an RFID tag to the person being measured or their accessories, and that can easily manage the weight fluctuations of the person being measured. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The above issues are, A weight measuring device that simultaneously measures the weight of the person being measured and their associated objects, A camera that photographs a person being measured using a weight measuring device, Information processing device and Equipped with, Information processing device, A means for registering the weight of accessories used by the person being measured, A means for identifying the person being measured who is using the weight measuring device at that time, based on the image captured by the imaging device, A weight calculation means calculates the weight of a person by subtracting the weight of the accessories used by the person being measured, as identified by the person identification means (the weight registered in the accessory weight registration means as the weight of the accessories used by that person; if there are multiple accessories, their total weight), from the weight measured by the weight measuring device. A weight recording means that records the weight obtained by the weight calculation means for each person being measured. A weight measurement system characterized by having This is solved by providing [a solution].

[0012] Here, "accessories" refers to equipment used by the person being measured, such as wheelchairs and canes, as well as clothing worn by the person being measured (including not only jackets, underwear, trousers, and skirts, but also footwear such as slippers), and other items worn by the person being measured (such as accessories like necklaces and rings, and watches). Furthermore, the "images" captured by the imaging device are not limited to still images, but may also be moving images. In addition, the "images" are not limited to two-dimensional images, but may also be three-dimensional images.

[0013] In the weight measurement system of the present invention, the identification of the person being measured is performed based on an image of the person being measured while their weight is being measured by the weight measuring device. Therefore, even if the person being measured is not wearing an RFID tag or the like that which stores identification information, it is possible to reliably identify the person being measured at that time without mistaking them. In addition, the type of accessories used by the person being measured and their weight are determined from the information that has been pre-registered in the accessory weight registration means of the information processing device. Therefore, it is possible to determine the weight of the accessories used by the person being measured at that time without using an RFID tag or the like that which stores the type of accessories used by the person being measured and their weight. Consequently, even without prior preparation such as preparing an RFID tag, the weight of the person being measured can be measured as long as the person is standing on the weight measuring device with their accessories.

[0014] As mentioned above, in dialysis treatment, patient weight management is performed. Facilities that provide dialysis treatment (medical institutions such as hospitals) treat a large number of patients every day, and for all of these patients, their weight immediately before and immediately after dialysis treatment is measured and recorded. Managing the weight of a large number of patients without making mistakes is not easy, but the weight measurement system of the present invention makes it easy to manage the weight of patients undergoing dialysis treatment.

[0015] In the body weight measurement system of the present invention, the subject identification means in the information processing apparatus is not particularly limited as long as it can identify the subject based on the image of the subject (captured image) captured by the imaging device. The subject identification means may identify the subject from the body shape, movement, fingerprint, or retinal pattern of the person included in the captured image. However, it is difficult to improve the identification accuracy with the body shape and movement, and special imaging devices are required for fingerprints and retinal patterns. Therefore, it is preferable that the subject identification means identifies the subject from the face of the person included in the captured image.

[0016] Specifically, the information processing apparatus is provided with a face image registration means for registering in advance an image of the face of the subject and the subject identification means identifies the subject by comparing the face of the subject shown in the image captured by the imaging device with the face registered in the face image registration means. This is preferable. Thereby, even if a general camera is used as the imaging device, it becomes possible to identify the subject with high accuracy.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately measure and record the net body weight of the subject without attaching an information recording medium such as an RFID tag to the subject or its accessories, and it is possible to provide a body weight measurement system that can easily manage the body weight fluctuation of the subject.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a state where the body weight of a subject is measured using the body weight measurement system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a system block diagram of the body weight measurement system according to the present invention. [Figure 3]It is a diagram showing an example of an accessory weight registration screen displayed on a display device of an information processing apparatus in a body weight measurement system according to the present invention.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] The body weight measurement system of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings. In the following, the case of measuring the body weight of a patient undergoing dialysis treatment will be taken as an example to describe the body weight measurement system of the present invention. However, the application of the body weight measurement system of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it can also be used in body weight measurement in a health check, body weight measurement of an athlete, body weight measurement of a person on a diet, etc. The configuration described below is merely a preferred embodiment, and the technical scope of the body weight measurement system of the present invention is not limited to the configuration described below. Appropriate changes can be made to the body weight measurement system of the present invention within a range that does not impair the gist of the invention.

[0020] 1. Outline of the body weight measurement system FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the body weight of a subject 50 (a patient undergoing dialysis treatment) is being measured using the body weight measurement system according to the present invention. In the body weight measurement system of the present invention, the weight (body weight) of the subject 50 is measured together with an accessory 60 that the subject 50 uses or wears (the total weight of the subject 50 and the accessory 60 is measured), and then the weight of the accessory 60 is subtracted from the total weight to obtain the weight (body weight) of the subject 50.

[0021] The weight of the accessory 60 varies depending on the subject 50. In the body weight measurement system of the present invention, the weight of the accessory 60 that the subject 50 uses or wears at the time of measuring the weight (body weight) is automatically obtained, so that the body weight of the subject 50 can be obtained. Therefore, even if the subject 50 is sitting in a wheelchair 61 or wearing clothes, it is possible to measure the body weight of the subject 50 as it is.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the weight measurement system of the present invention comprises a weight measuring device 10, a photography device 20, and an information processing device 30. These will be described in detail below.

[0023] 2. Weight measuring device The weight measuring device 10 simultaneously measures the weight of the person being measured 50 and their associated items 60. In Figure 1, the person being measured 50 (patient) uses a wheelchair 61 as associated items 60 and is wearing a jacket 62, shirt 63, trousers 64, slippers 65, and underwear (not shown). The weight measuring device 10 comprises a weighing platform 11, a frame 12, and a display unit 13.

[0024] The weighing platform 11 is the part that measures the weight of a person or object placed on it. In the weight measurement system of this embodiment, the weighing platform 11 is made larger so that a person can stand on it even while seated in a wheelchair 61, and ramps 14 are attached to the front and back of the weighing platform 11. The length of one side of the weighing platform 11 (length and width) is usually 70 cm or more, preferably 80 cm or more. However, making the weighing platform 11 too large is not very useful as it only takes up space, so the length of one side of the weighing platform 11 is usually 120 cm or less, preferably 100 cm or less.

[0025] The frame 12 is a part that can be used as a handrail by a person standing on the weighing platform 11. When a person stands on the weighing platform 11 while seated in a wheelchair 61, the frame 12 can also be used to prevent the wheelchair 61 from falling off the platform. In Figure 1, the frame 12 is provided only on one side of the weighing platform 11 (the right side from the perspective of the person being measured 50), but the frame 12 may also be provided on the opposite side of the weighing platform 11 (the left side from the perspective of the person being measured 50).

[0026] The display unit 13 is the part that displays the weight measured by the weighing platform 11 (the total weight of the person being measured 50 and the accessories 60). A liquid crystal display device can preferably be used as the display unit 13, but other display devices such as a 7-segment display may also be used. This display unit 13 is installed in a place that is easily visible to the person being measured 50 and people around them. In the weight measurement system of this embodiment, the display unit 13 is installed on the upper part of the frame 12.

[0027] 3. Imaging device The imaging device 20 is designed to photograph part or all of the body of the person being measured 50. In this embodiment of the weight measurement system, the face of the person being measured 50, who is standing on the weighing platform 11 of the weight measuring device 10, is photographed.

[0028] In this regard, the height of the person being measured 50 varies, and the posture that the person being measured 50 adopts when stepping onto the weighing platform 11 also varies. That is, some people being measured 50 step onto the weighing platform 11 standing upright, while others step onto the weighing platform 11 seated in a wheelchair. Therefore, the position (height) of the person being measured 50's face varies from person to person. Even in such cases, the field of view of the camera 50 is set to be wide enough so that the face of the person being measured 50 can be captured by the camera 50.

[0029] Typically, the imaging device 20 is a digital camera that can convert visible light collected by a lens into an electrical signal by forming an image on an image sensor. Examples of image sensors for the imaging device 20 include CMOS and CCD. CMOS has advantages such as [1] being inexpensive, [2] being able to read out captured image data at high speed, and [3] consuming little power, while CCD has advantages such as [1] being able to acquire high-resolution image data and [2] being suitable for photographing moving objects. In the weight measurement system of this embodiment, a digital camera with a CMOS image sensor is used as the imaging device 20.

[0030] By the way, in the example shown in Figure 1, only one camera 20 is installed, but multiple cameras can also be installed. This makes it possible to reliably capture the face of the person being measured 50 regardless of the posture or other factors the person takes when standing on the weighing platform 11 of the weight measuring device 10. For example, if multiple camera 20s are installed at different heights, the face of the person being measured 50 can be captured in the field of view of any of the camera 20s, even if the height of the person's face changes.

[0031] Furthermore, by installing multiple imaging devices 20 at positions with different shooting directions, even if the orientation of the person being measured 50's face changes, the face of the person being measured 50 can be captured from approximately the front in the field of view of any of the imaging devices 50. In addition, by registering multiple face images of the person being measured 50 taken from multiple directions in the face image registration means of the information processing device 30 described later, the accuracy of identifying the person being measured 50 can be further improved.

[0032] 4. Information Processing Device The information processing device 30 calculates the weight of the person being measured 50 from the weight measured by the weight measuring device 10 (the total weight of the person being measured 50 and the accessories 60) and the image taken by the imaging device 20 (an image of the face of the person being measured 50). The information processing device 30 is a computer (such as a personal computer) equipped with a central processing unit (CPU) and memory devices (such as semiconductor memory like registers and cache memory, main memory like RAM, and external memory devices like storage and hard disk drives).

[0033] In the weight measurement system of this embodiment, the information processing device 50 includes, as shown in Figure 2, an accessory weight registration means 31, a person to be measured identification means 32, a weight calculation means 33, a weight recording means 34, and a face image registration means 35. Figure 2 is a system block diagram of the weight measurement system according to the present invention. Each means (accessory weight registration means 31, person to be measured identification means 32, weight calculation means 33, weight recording means 34, and face image registration means 35) is implemented by software and storage devices installed on a computer.

[0034] 4.1 Means for registering the weight of incidental items The accessory weight registration means 31 is for registering the weight of the accessories 60 used by each person being measured 50. The type and number of accessories 60 used or worn by each person being measured 50 will vary, and the total weight of the accessories 60 will also vary. In this regard, by using the accessory weight registration means 31 to pre-register the types of accessories 60 used or worn by each person being measured 50, and their weights, in the information processing device 30, it becomes possible to grasp the total weight of the accessories 60 used by the person being measured 50 at that time and accurately determine the weight of the person being measured 50.

[0035] This accessory weight registration means 31 can be operated by activating software implemented in the information processing device 30 and displaying a predetermined screen (accessory weight registration screen) on the display device of the information processing device 30. Figure 3 shows an example of the accessory weight registration screen.

[0036] On this accessory weight registration screen, a toolbar is provided at the top, containing buttons such as "Top," "Settings," and "Login." Pressing the "Top" button switches the display screen from the accessory weight registration screen to the top screen (not shown). On the top screen, users can switch to various screens for executing various functions implemented in the software. The accessory weight registration screen shown in Figure 3 is also displayed by pressing the "Accessory Weight Registration" button on the top screen. The "Settings" button switches to a screen for configuring various settings related to the weight measurement system, and the "Login" button switches to a screen for switching users logged into the weight measurement system.

[0037] The left column of the accessory weight registration screen displays a list of 50 subjects pre-registered in the weight measurement system (subject list display section). If the number of subjects 50 registered in the weight measurement system is large and cannot be displayed on the screen, the desired subject 50 can be found by using the scroll bar. Above the subject list display section, there are buttons for "Medical Record No. Order," "Name Order," "Not Measured Order," and "Bed Order." By pressing these buttons, the subjects 50 will be displayed in that order in the subject list display section. This makes it easy to find the desired subject 50.

[0038] The patient list display section shows the names (patient names) of the 50 patients, as well as their medical record numbers (medical record No.), their weight before dialysis treatment (pre-weight), and their weight after dialysis treatment (post-weight). Each of the 50 patients displayed in the patient list display section can be selected individually by hovering the cursor over them and clicking. The selected patient is highlighted. In the example in Figure 3, "Nozomi Akita" with medical record number "13078" is selected.

[0039] As previously mentioned, the person 50 displayed in the person list display section is pre-registered in the weight measurement system. However, the registration of person 50 can be done on a separate screen (person registration screen) which is not shown in the diagram. The person registration screen can be displayed by pressing the "New Person Registration" button on the top screen mentioned above.

[0040] Let's return to the screen for registering the weight of accompanying items. The right-hand column of the accessory weight registration screen is the section (individual information display section) where individual information about the subject 50 selected in the subject list display section is displayed. The individual information display section displays the medical record number (medical record No.) and name (patient name) of the subject 50 selected in the subject list display section, as well as the date of the most recent dialysis treatment (dialysis treatment date), the time period, the group to which the subject 50 belongs (Group 1 and Group 2), and the pre- and post-dialysis treatment categories.

[0041] Furthermore, the individual information display unit also displays the total weight of the person being measured 50 and the attached items 60 (total weight), the weight of only the attached items 60 worn by the person being measured 50 (total attached weight), and the net weight of the person being measured 50 (body weight). The net weight of the person being measured 50 (body weight) is calculated by subtracting the total attached weight from the total weight. Of these, the total attached weight is displayed as the sum of the weights of all attached items 60 registered in the lower section (attached item weight registration section) of the individual information display unit.

[0042] In the lower right-hand column of the accessory registration screen, the accessory weight registration section displays a list format with fields for inputting (registering) and displaying the type of accessory 60, and a field for inputting (registering) and displaying the weight of that accessory 60. The type of accessory 60 can be selected from a pull-down menu without having to enter text. In the example in Figure 3, the accessories 60 registered include a wheelchair 61 weighing 16.0 kg, a jacket 62 weighing 0.3 kg, a shirt 63 weighing 0.2 kg, trousers 64 weighing 0.4 kg, and slippers 65 weighing 0.5 kg, as well as 0.2 kg as the weight of other accessories 60. By operating this accessory weight registration section, the information processing device 30 functions as an accessory weight registration means 31.

[0043] As previously mentioned, the right column of the accessory registration screen displays the individual information of the person being measured 50 selected in the person being measured list display section on the left column. However, it is also possible to have the person being measured 50 automatically selected in the person being measured list display section and their individual information displayed in the right column of the accessory registration screen not only when selected in the person being measured list display section, but also when the person being measured 50 steps onto the weighing platform 11 of the weight measuring device 10.

[0044] This allows the operator to confirm, by verbal confirmation or other means, whether the person being measured 50 standing on the weighing platform 11 at that time is the same person as the person being measured 50 displayed in the right column (individual information display section) of the accessory registration screen. In addition, the operator can visually confirm whether the accessory 60 worn by the person being measured 50 standing on the weighing platform 11 matches the one displayed in the accessory weight registration section at the bottom of the right column of the accessory registration screen. If they do not match, the operator can correct the accessory weight registration section on the spot.

[0045] 4.2 Measured person identification means The subject identification means 32 is for identifying the subject 50 whose weight is being measured by the weight measuring device 10 at that time, from the image captured by the camera 20 (a facial image in the weight measurement system of this embodiment).

[0046] Specifically, the facial images of all subjects 50 are pre-registered in the facial image registration means 35 along with the identification information (name, etc.) of each subject 50. The subject identification means 32 compares the facial image captured by the camera 20 during weight measurement (measurement-time captured image) with multiple facial images (sample images) pre-registered in the facial image registration means 35. By extracting the sample image with the highest degree of match to the measurement-time captured image from among the multiple sample images, the subject 50 captured by the camera 20 during weight measurement is identified. If the measurement-time captured image has a low degree of match with any of the sample images (if the degree of match with any of the sample images does not exceed the threshold), a message such as "No match found" is displayed on the screen of the information processing device 30.

[0047] The algorithm for calculating the degree of agreement between the image captured during measurement and the sample image is not particularly limited, and various algorithms used in conventional face recognition systems can be employed. Examples of algorithms for calculating the degree of agreement between the image captured during measurement and the sample image include those that directly compare visual features geometrically, and those that statistically quantify the image and compare the numerical value with a template. More specifically, examples include linear discriminant analysis, elastic bunch graph matching, hidden Markov models, and dynamic link matching using neuronal motivation.

[0048] 4.3 Weight calculation means The weight calculation means 33 calculates the net weight of the person being measured ("weight" in the same figure) by subtracting the weight of the accessory 60 used by the person being measured ("total weight with attachments" in the same figure), which is identified by the person being measured means 32, from the weight measured by the weight measuring device 10 ("total weight" in the same figure).

[0049] 4.4 Weight recording means The weight recording means 34 is for recording the weight calculated by the weight calculation means 33 for each person being measured 50. As already mentioned, the weight recording means 34 is implemented by a computer's storage device. The weight recording means 34 may be a storage device built into the information processing device 30, or it may be an external storage device attached to the information processing device. Furthermore, the weight recording means 34 does not need to be located near the information processing device 30, and may be a storage device on a server (such as a cloud server) connected via the internet or the like.

[0050] The weight recording means 34 can also store and save the past weight of each person being measured 50. This makes it possible to display the past weight trends of a specific person being measured 50 in a graph or the like, allowing for a more accurate assessment of that person's health status.

[0051] 4.5 Method for registering facial images The face image registration means 35 is for pre-registering an image (the sample image above) of the face of the person being measured 50. In the weight measurement system of this embodiment, when registering the name (patient name) and medical record number (medical record No.) of the person being measured 50 on the person being measured registration screen, the face image of the person being measured 50 is read and registered. The face image (sample image) to be registered in the face image registration means 35 does not necessarily have to be taken with the same camera as the shooting device 20 in Figure 1 (the camera that takes a picture of the face of the person being measured 50 during weight measurement), but may also be taken with a camera such as a smartphone.

[0052] 5. Finally In the weight measurement system of this embodiment described above, the person being measured 50 is identified based on a facial image taken of the person being measured by the weight measuring device 10, so that the person being measured at that time can be identified with high accuracy. In addition, the type of accessories 60 that the person being measured 50 is wearing and their weight are determined from the information registered in advance in the accessory weight registration means 31 of the information processing device 30. Therefore, even without prior preparation such as preparing an RFID tag, the net weight of the person being measured 50 can be determined as long as the person being measured 50 steps onto the weight measuring device 10 together with the accessories 60.

[0053] Furthermore, facilities that provide dialysis treatment (medical institutions such as hospitals) treat a large number of patients every day, and they measure and record the weight of all these patients immediately before and immediately after dialysis treatment. By using the weight measurement system of this embodiment, it is possible to easily manage the weight of patients receiving dialysis treatment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 10 Weight measuring device 11 Weighing platform 12 frames 13 Display section 14 slopes 20 Imaging device 30 Information Processing Devices 31. Means for registering the weight of accompanying items 32 Measured person identification means 33 Weight calculation means 34. Weight recording means 35. Method for registering facial images 50 Subject (patient) 60. Accessories 61 Wheelchair 62 Jacket 63 Shirt 64 trousers 65 slippers

Claims

1. A weight measuring device that simultaneously measures the weight of the person being measured and their associated objects, A camera that photographs a person being measured using a weight measuring device, Information processing equipment and Equipped with, Information processing device, A means for registering the weight of accessories used by the person being measured, A means for identifying the person being measured who is using the weight measuring device at that time, based on the image captured by the imaging device, A weight calculation means that determines the weight of a person by subtracting the weight of accessories used by the person identified by the person identification means from the weight measured by the weight measuring device, A weight recording means that records the weight obtained by the weight calculation means for each person being measured. A weight measurement system characterized by having the following features.

2. Information processing device, A face image registration method that pre-registers images of the subject's face. It has, The means for identifying the person being measured is, The system identifies the subject by comparing the subject's face, captured in the image taken by the imaging device, with faces registered in the face image registration means. The weight measurement system according to claim 1.

Images