Living body evaluation system, living body evaluation method, and living body evaluation program

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to more accurately evaluate a biological state. This living body evaluation system comprises: a waveform data acquisition unit that acquires waveform data, which is measured at an input position and an output position set in a target living body-to-be-measured, of a measurement sound wave emitted from the input position to the output position so as to pass through the target living body; and a living body evaluation unit that evaluates the biological state of the target living body on the basis of the waveform data.

Description

Biometric evaluation system, biometric evaluation method, and biometric evaluation program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-113619, filed on July 11, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a biological evaluation system, a biological evaluation method, and a biological evaluation program.

[0003]

[0003] Conventionally, there are known techniques for evaluating a biological condition based on waveform data of sound waves acquired from a device placed in a living body. For example, a biological information acquisition device described in Patent Literature 1 includes a bone-flesh-conducted sound sensor for acquiring bone-flesh-conducted sound, a housing having a main body and an insertion part extending from the main body and inserted into the ear canal of a subject, and an acoustic signal processing means for extracting vascular sound waveforms and respiratory sound waveforms based on the acoustic signals acquired by the bone-flesh-conducted sound sensor. The device is characterized in that, when the insertion part is inserted into the ear canal, the housing can be fixed to the ear of the subject, the tip of the insertion part can reach between a first curve and a second curve in the ear canal, and the bone-flesh-conducted sound sensor is in contact with the wall of the ear canal of the subject.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-121120

[0005] However, the biometric information acquisition device described in Patent Document 1 acquires waveform data of sound waves at a single measurement point placed on a living subject, and therefore the acquired waveform data of sound waves does not accurately represent the biological condition of the living subject, and the device cannot accurately evaluate the biological condition of the living subject.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to enable more accurate evaluation of biological conditions.

[0007] A biological evaluation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a waveform data acquisition unit that acquires waveform data measured at an input position and an output position of a measurement sound wave that is emitted from an input position set on the target organism to pass through the target organism to be measured to an output position, and a biological evaluation unit that evaluates the biological state of the target organism based on the waveform data.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, biological information can be evaluated more accurately.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of processing in a biological evaluation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a biological evaluation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. FIG. 6 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of processing in a biological evaluation system. FIG. 7 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of processing in a biological evaluation system. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 and 2 , the biological evaluation system 100 includes a waveform data acquisition unit 140 that acquires waveform data measured at the input position 102a and the output position 102b of a measurement sound wave 103 that is emitted from an input position 102a to an output position 102b set on the target living body 101 so as to pass through the target living body 101, and a biological evaluation unit 150 that evaluates the biological state of the target living body based on the waveform data. The biological evaluation system 100 is, for example, an information processing system realized by a biological evaluation program. More specifically, the biological evaluation system 100 is an information processing system that evaluates the water content or the biological state of the target living body according to the degree of attenuation of the measurement sound wave that has passed through the target living body.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows an example in which an input position 102a and an output position 102b are ears, and a measurement sound wave 103 passes through the external auditory canal of a target living body and into the brain.

[0013] An input location device 104a is installed at the input location 102a, and an output location device 104b is installed at the output location 102b.

[0014] Here, the input position 102a may be either the right ear or the left ear, and the output position 102b may be the ear opposite to the input position 102a. The input position device 104a includes a speaker 170 that emits measurement sound waves 103 and an input position microphone 180 that acquires the measurement sound waves 103. The output position device 104b includes an output position microphone 190 that acquires the measurement sound waves 103. The input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190 may be disposed inside the ear cavity.

[0015] First, the input position device 104a emits a measurement sound wave 103 so that it passes through the external auditory canal of the target living body and into the brain. The input position device 104a and the output position device 104b acquire the measurement sound wave 103 at the input position 102a and the output position 102b, respectively.

[0016] Next, the input position device 104a and the output position device 104b transmit the waveform data of the acquired measurement sound wave 103 to the biological evaluation processing system 105 shown in Fig. 2, and the biological evaluation processing system 105 acquires input position waveform data, which is waveform data measured at the input position 102a, and output position waveform data, which is waveform data measured at the output position 102b. The biological evaluation processing system 105 then evaluates the biological state of the target living organism based on the waveform data.

[0017] Sound waves are attenuated according to the absorption coefficient of the medium they pass through. The absorption coefficients of biological materials decrease in the order of bone, muscle, fat, and blood.

[0018] Here, the brain has many cell membranes containing lipids, but the amount of lipids is considered to be constant. On the other hand, the brain has many blood vessels, and the amount of blood in the brain fluctuates depending on the state of the brain or nerves. From this, it can be considered that the attenuation of the measurement sound waves passing through the brain, that is, the magnitude of the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data, fluctuates depending on the amount of blood in the brain. In other words, since the volume of the brain is almost constant, the greater the amount of blood in the brain, the higher the ratio of blood, which has less sound attenuation in the tissue, to lipids, and the smaller the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data.

[0019] When sound waves are passed through the external auditory canal of a living subject into the brain, the speaker 170 must emit sound waves that do not pass through bones (the skull), and the input device 104a and the output device 104b must capture sound waves transmitted through the ears, not sound waves transmitted through the bones. Therefore, it is preferable to use the input microphone 180 and the output microphone 190 that are covered with a material capable of blocking sound wave vibrations. Here, the material capable of blocking sound wave vibrations may be, for example, clay. This allows the input microphone 180 and the output microphone 190 to capture sound waves transmitted through the ears while minimizing the capture of sound waves transmitted through the bones.

[0020] 1, the input position 102a and the output position 102b are described as ears, but the input position 102a and the output position 102b are not limited to this and may be, for example, the abdomen or the waist.

[0021] Furthermore, when the biological state of the target living organism is in a predetermined state, at least one of the input position device 104 a and the output position device 104 b may notify the target living organism that it is in the predetermined state. Specifically, for example, a speaker provided in the input position device 104 a may notify the target living organism by emitting a predetermined sound, or at least one of the input position device 104 a and the output position device 104 b may notify the target living organism by vibrating.

[0022] The speaker 170, the input position microphone 180, and the output position microphone 190 are each communicatively connected to the biometric evaluation processing system 105 via a wired or wireless network such as the Internet or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0023] The biometric evaluation processing system 105 may be, for example, an information processing system implemented by a biometric evaluation program installed in an information processing device (such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer) installed at a business. Here, the business may be, for example, a business that provides care to a target living body, particularly, for example, a medical institution or a care business.

[0024] Furthermore, the biometric evaluation processing system 105 may be, for example, an information processing system realized by a biometric evaluation program installed on an information processing device (smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc.) owned by the target organism or a person related to the target organism (for example, a family member or guardian, etc.).

[0025] As described above, the speaker 170 emits measurement sound waves at the input location.

[0026] The speaker 170 may emit, for example, white noise or pink noise as the measurement sound wave. Here, white noise is, for example, noise with the same intensity at all frequencies, while pink noise is, for example, noise that is weaker at higher frequencies.

[0027] The speaker 170 can also emit sound waves of a predetermined frequency as measurement sound waves. This allows the biological evaluation system 100 to evaluate the biological condition corresponding to the predetermined frequency (including a frequency band; the same applies hereinafter) based on waveform data of the predetermined frequency, and the biological evaluation system 100 can, for example, reduce the amount of waveform data to be processed.

[0028] Furthermore, the speaker 170 outputs a notification sound wave to the target living organism in response to a notification signal for notifying that the biological state is a predetermined state, which is output by the notification signal output unit 160 described below. The notification sound wave may be a sound wave that the target living organism can hear a predetermined sound (e.g., an alarm sound), a sound wave that conveys a predetermined voice that notifies that the target living organism is in a predetermined state (e.g., "You are excited") or a predetermined voice that calls attention in consideration of the predetermined state (e.g., "Please calm down"), or a predetermined voice or music that relaxes the target living organism (e.g., binaural sound).

[0029] The input position microphone 180 acquires a measurement sound wave at the input position. The input position microphone 180 also acquires a reference sound wave at the input position.

[0030] The input position microphone 180 acquires measurement sound waves and outputs waveform data of the measurement sound waves acquired at the input position to the waveform data acquisition unit 140 of the biological evaluation processing system 105. The input position microphone 180 also acquires reference sound waves and outputs reference waveform data of the reference sound waves acquired at the input position to the reference waveform data acquisition unit 120 of the biological evaluation processing system 105.

[0031] The input position microphone 180 acquires measurement sound waves and reference sound waves at the input position. That is, the input position microphone 180 acquires measurement sound waves and reference sound waves along with the internal body environmental sound emitted by the target living body. This makes it possible to align the internal body environmental sound acquired by the input position microphone 180 and the internal body environmental sound acquired by the output position microphone 190 as much as possible, and to align the backgrounds in the waveform data acquired by the input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190.

[0032] The output position microphone 190 acquires a measurement sound wave at the output position. The output position microphone 190 also acquires a reference sound wave at the output position.

[0033] The output position microphone 190 outputs waveform data of the measurement sound waves acquired at the output position to the waveform data acquisition unit 140 of the biological evaluation processing system 105. In addition, the output position microphone 190 outputs reference waveform data of the reference sound waves acquired at the output position to the reference waveform data acquisition unit 120 of the biological evaluation processing system 105.

[0034] The speaker 170 and the input position microphone 180 may be included in one input position device 104a or in multiple input position devices 104a. The output position microphone 190 may be included in the output position device 104b.

[0035] The output position device 104b may further include a speaker 170. The input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190 may function as the output position microphone 190 and the input position microphone 180, respectively. In other words, a device equipped with a speaker that emits measurement sound waves or reference sound waves can be considered as the input position device 104a.

[0036] Furthermore, the measurement sound wave and the reference sound wave may be emitted from different speakers 170. That is, for example, the reference sound wave may be emitted from the speaker 170 of a device placed on the right ear, and the measurement sound wave may be emitted from the speaker 170 of a device placed on the left ear.

[0037] Next, details of the biometric evaluation processing system 105 will be described. The biometric evaluation processing system 105 includes a storage unit 110, a reference waveform data acquisition unit 120, a correlation unit 130, a waveform data acquisition unit 140, a biometric evaluation unit 150, and a notification signal output unit 160. Each unit shown in Fig. 2 can be realized, for example, by using a storage area or by a processor executing a program stored in the storage area.

[0038] The storage unit 110 stores data processed in the biological evaluation system 100. The storage unit 110 can store, for example, reference waveform data, correspondence data, and waveform data, which will be described later.

[0039] The reference waveform data acquisition unit 120 acquires reference waveform data measured at the input and output positions set in the reference organism of a reference sound wave that is emitted from an input position set in the reference organism to an output position so as to pass through a reference organism in a predetermined reference state, and stores the acquired reference waveform data in the memory unit 110.

[0040] The reference organism may be the same organism (e.g., the same person) as the target organism. This allows the biological evaluation system 100 to evaluate the biological state based on the correspondence data (described below) generated for each target organism.

[0041] Furthermore, the reference organism may be a plurality of reference organisms. This allows the biological evaluation system 100 to evaluate the biological state of the target organism based on the correspondence data of the plurality of reference organisms, i.e., based on a wealth of learning data. Note that the plurality of reference organisms may or may not include the target organism.

[0042] The subject organism and the reference organism may be, for example, organisms of a type other than humans (for example, primates, mice, pigs), and the subject organism and the reference organism may be the same or different types of organisms.

[0043] The reference state is a state that serves as a reference (reference) when the biological evaluation unit 150 (described later) evaluates the biological state of the target living organism. That is, when the biological evaluation unit 150 evaluates the blood volume in the brain or the degree of excitation of the autonomic nerves, the reference state may be, for example, a state in which the autonomic nerves are not excited. Furthermore, when the biological evaluation unit 150 evaluates the urine volume in the bladder, the reference state may be, for example, a state in which the reference living organism does not feel the urge to urinate or a state immediately after urination.

[0044] The reference state may be, for example, a state immediately after waking up. It is known that immediately after waking up, the parasympathetic nervous system is more dominant than the sympathetic nervous system.

[0045] The reference state may also be, for example, a state in which the autonomic nerves are excited, or a state in which the reference living organism feels the urge to urinate or is about to urinate.

[0046] In this way, the reference waveform data acquiring unit 120 acquires waveform data of a reference sound wave that passes through a reference organism in a predetermined reference state that serves as a basis for evaluation of the biological state of the target organism by the biological evaluation unit 150. In other words, the reference waveform data acquiring unit 120 acquires waveform data that serves as a reference when the biological evaluation unit 150 makes an evaluation.

[0047] The reference waveform data is, for example, data indicating the intensity of the reference sound wave for each frequency.

[0048] The reference sound wave may be, for example, a sound wave emitted from the speaker 170, and may be white noise or pink noise in particular. The reference sound wave may also be a sound wave of a specific frequency.

[0049] The correspondence unit 130 corresponds the degree of autonomic nerve excitement of the reference organism evaluated based on the reference waveform data with a predetermined reference state, generates correspondence data, and stores the generated correspondence data in the memory unit 110.

[0050] In this case, for example, first, the biometric evaluation unit 150 (described later) evaluates the degree of autonomic nerve excitation of the reference organism based on the reference waveform data. Then, the association unit 130 generates correspondence data that associates the evaluated degree of autonomic nerve excitation with the reference state. More specifically, for example, the association data may be generated that associates the difference between the reference waveform data at the output position and the reference waveform data at the input position evaluated by the biometric evaluation unit 150 with the reference state. Details of the processing by the biometric evaluation unit 150 will be described later.

[0051] In this way, the series of processes performed by the reference waveform data acquisition section 120 and the association section 130 can be considered as a calibration process or annotation process for grasping the association between the reference waveform data and the reference state.

[0052] The waveform data acquisition unit 140 acquires waveform data measured at the input position and output position of the measurement sound wave that is emitted from the input position set on the target living body to the output position so as to pass through the target living body, and stores the acquired waveform data in the memory unit 110.

[0053] Here, the measurement sound wave may be, for example, a sound wave emitted from the speaker 170, and may in particular be white noise or pink noise. The measurement sound wave may be the same type of sound wave as the reference sound wave, or may be a different type of sound wave.

[0054] The measurement sound waves may pass through the brain of the subject living body through the external auditory canal, for example. In this case, the input and output positions may be the input and output positions of the measurement sound waves emitted to pass through the brain, for example, the ear, particularly the external auditory canal.

[0055] The measurement sound waves may also pass through the bladder of the subject living body. In this case, the input and output positions may be the input and output positions of the measurement sound waves emitted so as to pass through the bladder, for example, the abdomen and the lower back.

[0056] The waveform data acquisition unit 140 acquires input position waveform data of the measurement sound wave acquired at the input position by the input position microphone 180, and output position waveform data of the measurement sound wave that has passed through the target living body acquired at the output position by the output position microphone 190.

[0057] In this case, the output position waveform data may also include waveform data of sound waves other than the emitted measurement sound waves. Sound waves other than the measurement sound waves include, for example, sound waves of internal body environmental sounds derived from sounds inside the body, particularly, for example, breathing sounds, heart sounds, internal organ sounds, blood flow sounds, etc., or sound waves of voice. Here, sound waves of voice may be, for example, sound waves obtained by the sound emitted by the target living body reverberating inside the target living body. In this regard, waveform data of sound waves other than the emitted measurement sound waves can be considered to be included to the same extent in the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data. Therefore, the waveform data acquisition unit 140 can cancel the influence of the waveform data of the sound waves of internal body environmental sounds by acquiring input position waveform data in addition to the output position waveform data, particularly by calculating, for example, the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data.

[0058] The biometric evaluation system 100 may analyze the content of the speech uttered by the target living organism based on the waveform data of the sound waves of the voice, and perform processing in the biometric evaluation system 100, such as emitting measurement sound waves and evaluating the biological condition, based on the content. In this case, the biometric evaluation system 100 may further include a control processing unit that generates control information for controlling the execution of processing by the biometric evaluation unit 150, which will be described later. Specifically, for example, first, a microphone acquires sound waves of a voice uttered by the target living organism indicating a desire to perform a biometric condition evaluation, and the waveform data acquisition unit 140 acquires voice waveform data of the sound waves. The control processing unit analyzes the content of the voice uttered by the target living organism based on the voice waveform data and generates control processing information, and the biometric evaluation unit 150 executes the processing for evaluating the biological condition. This allows the target living organism to easily use the biometric evaluation system 100 using its voice. Furthermore, particularly if the microphone is covered with a material that can block sound wave vibrations, the target living organism can use the biometric evaluation system 100 through its voice even in noisy environments.

[0059] 3A is a diagram showing examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. Fig. 3A shows input position waveform data and output position waveform data when the input position and output position are at the ears and no measurement sound waves are emitted. Fig. 3A plots frequency (Hz) on the horizontal axis and intensity (dBFS pk in this case) on the vertical axis for input position waveform data (solid line) and output position waveform data (dashed line).

[0060] As shown in FIG. 3A, the input position waveform data and the output position waveform data show almost the same waveform, and it can be seen that the left and right microphone positions capture the same amount of background sound.

[0061] The biological evaluation unit 150 evaluates the biological state of the target living body based on the waveform data (input position waveform data and output position waveform data).

[0062] The biological evaluation section 150 can evaluate the biological state based on, for example, the difference between the waveform data measured at the input position and the output position.

[0063] The measurement sound waves are attenuated as they pass through the target organism. Therefore, the output position waveform data is attenuated compared to the input position waveform data depending on the biological condition of the target organism. Specifically, for example, the greater the blood volume in the brain, the higher the ratio of blood to lipids in the brain, so the measurement sound waves that pass through the brain are less attenuated. Also, for example, the greater the urine volume, the more water the measurement sound waves pass through, so the measurement sound waves that pass through the bladder are more attenuated. Therefore, the biological condition can be evaluated by evaluating the difference between the waveform data measured at the input position and the output position.

[0064] Here, the difference between the waveform data measured at the input position and the output position may be, for example, the difference in intensity between the waveform data measured at the input position and the output position. The difference in intensity between the waveform data measured at the input position and the output position may be, for example, the difference in intensity across the entire frequency range (e.g., the integral of the difference), or may be the difference in intensity at a specific frequency.

[0065] 3B is a diagram showing examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. Fig. 3B shows input position waveform data and output position waveform data when the input position and output position are at the ears and white noise is emitted as a measurement sound wave to pass through the brain. Fig. 3B is a diagram plotting frequency (Hz) on the horizontal axis and intensity (dBFS pk in this case) on the vertical axis for input position waveform data (solid line) and output position waveform data (dashed line).

[0066] 3B, it can be seen that the intensity of the output position waveform data is smaller than the intensity of the input position waveform data, particularly in region 310. This is due to the attenuation of the measurement sound waves as they pass through the brain.

[0067] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. Fig. 4A shows input position waveform data and output position waveform data measured in the morning when the input and output positions are at the ears and white noise is emitted as the measurement sound wave so that it passes through the brain. Fig. 4B shows input position waveform data and output position waveform data measured in the evening when the input and output positions are at the ears and white noise is emitted as the measurement sound wave. Figs. 4A and 4B are plots of frequency (Hz) on the horizontal axis and intensity (dBFS pk in this case) on the vertical axis, for input position waveform data (solid line) and output position waveform data (dashed line).

[0068] 4A and 4B, the difference between the input position waveform data and the output position waveform data measured in the evening is smaller than the difference between the input position waveform data and the output position waveform data measured in the morning. This indicates that the amount of blood flowing to the brain is greater in the evening, and is thought to be due to the sympathetic nervous system being more excited in the evening after daytime activities compared to the morning.

[0069] Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams showing examples of input position waveform data and output position waveform data. Figure 5A shows input position waveform data and output position waveform data measured before urination when the input position is the lower back and the output position is the abdomen, and white noise is emitted as the measurement sound wave to pass through the bladder. Figure 4B shows input position waveform data and output position waveform data measured after urination when white noise is emitted as the measurement sound wave to pass through the bladder, and the input and output positions are the ears. Figures 5A and 5B are plots of frequency (Hz) on the horizontal axis and intensity (dBFS pk in this case) on the vertical axis, with the input position waveform data (solid line) and the output position waveform data (dashed line).

[0070] 5A and 5B, it can be seen that the difference between the input position waveform data and the output position waveform data is small, particularly in region 510. This is because the amount of urine in the bladder is reduced by urination, which reduces the degree of attenuation of the measurement sound waves.

[0071] The biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the amount of moisture at the location where the measurement sound waves pass based on the waveform data. When the measurement sound waves pass through the brain of the target living organism, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the amount of blood in the brain of the target living organism.

[0072] Furthermore, when the measurement sound waves pass through the bladder of the target living body, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the amount of urine in the bladder of the target living body.

[0073] Urine is stored in the bladder. Therefore, the greater the amount of urine in the bladder, the greater the attenuation of the measurement sound waves passing through the bladder. In other words, the greater the amount of urine in the bladder, the more water the measurement sound waves pass through, so the more attenuated the measurement sound waves are, and the greater the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data becomes. In this way, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the amount of urine in the bladder based on the waveform data.

[0074] Furthermore, when the measurement sound waves pass through a predetermined affected area of ​​the target living body, the living body evaluation unit 150 can evaluate edema or inflammation in the predetermined affected area of ​​the target living body.

[0075] It is known that edema or inflammation causes moisture to accumulate in a specific affected area. Therefore, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the presence or degree of edema or inflammation in the specific affected area by evaluating the amount of moisture in the specific affected area based on the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data of the measurement sound wave emitted to pass through the specific affected area.

[0076] Furthermore, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the state of the brain or nerves of the target living body based on the waveform data. At this time, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the degree of excitement of the autonomic nerves based on the waveform data.

[0077] It is known that when the autonomic nervous system is excited, the amount of blood in the brain changes. For example, when the sympathetic nervous system is excited, the amount of blood in the brain increases. Here, the biometric evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the amount of blood in the brain based on the waveform data, and therefore can evaluate the state of the brain or nerves, particularly the degree of excitement of the autonomic nervous system, based on the waveform data.

[0078] Specifically, the biological evaluation section 150 can evaluate that the smaller the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data, the more excited the sympathetic nerves are.

[0079] It is also known that a high blood volume in the brain can lead to headaches, so the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the degree of the onset of headache by evaluating the blood volume in the brain based on the waveform data.

[0080] Furthermore, the biological evaluation section 150 can evaluate the biological state based on the difference between waveform data at a predetermined frequency measured at the input position and the output position.

[0081] For example, the bass region of the waveform data acquired by the ear has peaks derived from the sound of blood flow, and the mid-range region of the waveform data has peaks derived from heart sounds and respiratory sounds. Therefore, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the biological condition based on the difference in waveform data at a predetermined frequency (for example, the bass region or the mid-range region).

[0082] The volume of sounds derived from blood flow increases or decreases depending on the state of blood vessels, e.g., blood flow, blood pressure, and vascular resistance, and the frequency of the sounds varies depending on the thickness of the blood vessels. The frequency of respiratory sounds varies depending on the state of the respiratory system, e.g., differences in the thickness of the nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchi, and increases if stenosis occurs. Heart sounds vary depending on the state of the heart, e.g., ventricle or atrium contraction. Specifically, abnormal heart sounds can indicate the presence or progression of valvular heart disease; for example, in the case of regurgitation, the sound of backflowing blood can be heard. Furthermore, abnormal heart sounds can appear in cases of insufficient blood supply to the heart or the possibility of myocardial infarction. In particular, heart sounds after myocardial infarction can exhibit abnormal sounds or rhythm changes. Furthermore, changes in the intensity or rhythm of heart sounds can indicate cardiac dysfunction; for example, rhythm disorders such as arrhythmia and ventricular tachycardia can be accompanied by changes in heart sounds. Additionally, abnormalities in the heart valves or heart structure can cause changes in heart sounds, such as abnormal murmurs or soft renal sounds (amplified or absent heart sounds).

[0083] In this way, the biometric evaluation unit 150 can evaluate the biological condition, particularly the condition of the blood vessels, the respiratory system, and the heart, based on the waveform data in the bass or midrange region. The biometric evaluation unit 150 may evaluate the biological condition, for example, by comparing waveform data of a biological body in a normal biological state with waveform data of a biological body in an abnormal biological state.

[0084] The bass region may be, for example, 10 to 150 Hz, and the midrange region may be, for example, 200 to 2000 Hz.

[0085] Furthermore, the living body evaluation section 150 can evaluate the excitement level of the target living body further based on the result of the association indicated by the association data.

[0086] Specifically, the biological evaluation unit 150 first calculates the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data, for example. Then, the biological evaluation unit 150 refers to the correspondence data to evaluate a reference state corresponding to the difference, and evaluates the evaluated reference state as the biological state of the target living organism.

[0087] More specifically, the biological evaluation unit 150 can evaluate that the brain of the target organism is excited or the urine volume of the control organism is large, for example, when the difference between the output position waveform data and the input position waveform data is larger than the difference of a reference state (for example, a state in which the brain is not excited or a state in which the urine volume is low) included in the correspondence data.

[0088] The notification signal output unit 160 outputs a notification signal for notifying that the biological state of the target living organism is in a predetermined state.

[0089] The notification signal output unit 160 may, for example, output a notification signal to notify the target living organism that the biological state is a predetermined state. In this case, the notification signal output unit 160 may output the notification signal to, for example, the input position device 104a, the output position device 104b, or the speaker 170. The input position device 104a and the output position device 104b may, for example, vibrate in response to the notification signal, and the speaker 170 may emit notification sound waves in response to the notification signal.

[0090] Furthermore, the notification signal output unit 160 may output a notification signal to a subject other than the target living body (for example, a family member or guardian of the target living body, a staff member caring for the target living body, etc.) to notify that the biological state is in a predetermined state. In this case, the notification signal output unit 160 may output the notification signal to, for example, a terminal device used by the subject other than the target living body.

[0091] For example, when the biological evaluation unit 150 evaluates that the blood volume in the brain of the target living organism has exceeded a predetermined threshold, the notification signal output unit 160 can output a notification signal. This enables the biological evaluation system 100 to grasp an increase in the blood volume in the brain of the target living organism, and to grasp, for example, the signs of a brain disease or a headache.

[0092] Furthermore, for example, when the biological evaluation unit 150 evaluates that the autonomic nerves of the target organism exhibit a level of excitement exceeding a predetermined threshold indicating the level of excitement, the notification signal output unit 160 can output a notification signal. This allows the biological evaluation system 100 to grasp the level of excitement of the autonomic nerves of the target organism and to predict the behavior of the target organism, such as a sign of autonomic nervous disorder.

[0093] Furthermore, the notification signal output unit 160 can output a notification signal when, for example, the biological evaluation unit 150 evaluates that the urine volume of the target living body exceeds a predetermined threshold, thereby enabling the biological evaluation system 100 to grasp, for example, the timing of urination of the target living body.

[0094] 6 is a sequence chart showing an example of processing in the biological evaluation system 100. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of processing in the biological evaluation system 100 when emitting a reference sound wave.

[0095] First, the speaker 170 emits a reference sound wave (S601), and the input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190 acquire the reference sound wave (S602).

[0096] Next, the reference waveform data acquisition unit 120 acquires reference waveform data from the input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190 (S603a, S603b). The association unit 130 generates correspondence data that associates the degree of sympathetic autonomic nerve excitement of the reference organism evaluated based on the reference waveform data with a predetermined reference state (S604).

[0097] 7 is a sequence chart showing an example of processing in the biological evaluation system 100. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of processing in the biological evaluation system 100 when a measurement sound wave is emitted.

[0098] First, the speaker 170 emits a measurement sound wave (S701), and the input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190 acquire the measurement sound wave (S702).

[0099] Next, the waveform data acquisition unit 140 acquires waveform data from the input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190 (S703a, S703b). The biological evaluation unit 150 evaluates the biological state of the target living body based on the waveform data (S704).

[0100] Then, the notification signal output unit 160 outputs a notification signal for notifying that the biological condition is in a predetermined state to, for example, the speaker 170 (or the input position device 104a including the speaker 170) (S705). The speaker 170 notifies that the biological condition is in a predetermined state (S706).

[0101] Next, an example of the hardware configuration when the biometric evaluation system 100 is realized by a computer 800 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 800.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 8, a computer 800 includes, for example, a processor 801, a memory 802, a storage device 803, an input I / F unit 804, a data I / F unit 805, a communication I / F unit 806, and a display device 807.

[0103] Computer 800 may be, for example, a server computer, a personal computer (e.g., desktop, laptop, tablet, etc.), a media computing platform (e.g., cable, satellite set-top box, digital video recorder, etc.), a handheld computing device (e.g., PDA, email client, etc.), or any other type of computing or communications platform.

[0104] The processor 801 is a control unit that controls various processes in the computer 800 by executing programs stored in the memory 802 .

[0105] The memory 802 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The memory 802 temporarily stores the program code of the program executed by the processor 801 and data required when the program is executed.

[0106] The storage device 803 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), flash memory, etc. The storage device 803 stores an operating system and various programs for realizing the above-mentioned components.

[0107] The input I / F unit 804 is a device for receiving input from a user. The input I / F unit 804 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, various sensors, a wearable device, etc. The input I / F unit 804 may be connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0108] The data I / F unit 805 is a device for inputting data from outside the computer 800. The data I / F unit 805 is, for example, a drive device for reading data stored in various storage media. The data I / F unit 805 may be provided outside the computer 800. When the data I / F unit 805 is provided outside the computer 800, the data I / F unit 805 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

[0109] The communication I / F unit 806 is a device for performing data communication via a network such as the Internet, either wired or wirelessly, with a device external to the computer 800. The communication I / F unit 806 may be provided outside the computer 800. When the communication I / F unit 806 is provided outside the computer 800, the communication I / F unit 806 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

[0110] The display device 807 is a device for displaying various types of information. The display device 807 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, a display of a wearable device, or the like. The display device 807 may be provided outside the computer 800. When the display device 807 is provided outside the computer 800, the display device 807 is connected to the computer 800 via, for example, a display cable. Furthermore, when a touch panel is adopted as the input I / F unit 804, the display device 807 may be configured as an integral part of the input I / F unit 804.

[0111] The above describes one embodiment of the present disclosure. The biological evaluation system 100 acquires waveform data of measurement sound waves measured at input and output positions, and can evaluate a biological condition based on the waveform data. This allows the biological evaluation system 100 to more accurately evaluate a biological condition.

[0112] Furthermore, the biometric evaluation system 100 can evaluate the state of the brain or nerves of the target organism by setting the input and output positions at the ears of the target organism and emitting measurement sound waves that pass through the ear canal of the target organism and into the brain, thereby enabling the biometric evaluation system 100 to more accurately evaluate the state of the brain or nerves of the target organism.

[0113] Furthermore, the biological evaluation system 100 can evaluate the biological state based on the difference between the waveform data measured at the input position and the output position, thereby eliminating the influence of background noise to the greatest extent possible and enabling more accurate evaluation of the biological state.

[0114] Furthermore, the biological evaluation system 100 can evaluate the biological state based on the difference in waveform data at a predetermined frequency, thereby reducing the amount of data to be processed.

[0115] Furthermore, the biological evaluation system 100 can evaluate the amount of moisture at the location where the measurement sound waves pass, based on the waveform data. The biological evaluation system 100 can also evaluate the amount of blood in the brain by emitting measurement sound waves that pass through the brain of the target living organism, and can evaluate the amount of urine by emitting measurement sound waves that pass through the bladder of the target living organism. This allows the biological evaluation system 100 to detect abnormalities in the amount of blood in the brain or urine volume of the target living organism.

[0116] Furthermore, the biological evaluation system 100 can evaluate the degree of excitement of the autonomic nerves of the target living organism based on the waveform data, thereby detecting abnormalities in the autonomic nerves of the target living organism.

[0117] Furthermore, the biological evaluation system 100 acquires reference waveform data, associates the degree of autonomic nerve excitation of the reference organism evaluated based on the reference waveform data with a predetermined reference state, and further evaluates the degree of excitation of the target organism based on the result of the association. This allows the degree of excitation of the target organism to be evaluated based on the results of annotation performed in advance.

[0118] Furthermore, the biological evaluation system 100 can output a notification signal to notify that the biological condition is a predetermined condition. This allows the biological evaluation system 100 to detect, for example, that the biological condition is abnormal and issue an alert.

[0119] The biometric evaluation system 100 may further include a speaker 170, an input position microphone 180, and an output position microphone 190. This allows the biometric evaluation system 100 to perform a series of processes such as emitting sound waves, acquiring sound waves, acquiring waveform data, and evaluating the biological state.

[0120] Furthermore, the biometric evaluation system 100 can acquire waveform data based on the measurement sound wave signals acquired by the input position microphone 180 and the output position microphone 190 .

[0121] Furthermore, the biological evaluation system 100 can output a notification sound wave in response to the notification signal, thereby making it possible for the subject living body to be aware, via the speaker 170, that its biological condition is abnormal, for example.

[0122] It should be noted that the present embodiment is provided to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and equivalents thereof are also included in the present disclosure.

[0123] In addition, in this disclosure, a "unit" does not simply mean a physical means, but also includes cases where the functions of the "unit" are realized by software. Furthermore, the functions of one "unit" or device may be realized by two or more physical means, devices, or software, and the functions of two or more "units" or devices may be realized by one physical means, device, or software.

[0124] 100 Biometric evaluation system, 102a Input position, 102b Output position, 103 Measurement sound wave, 104a Input position device, 104b Output position device, 105 Biometric evaluation processing system, 110 Storage unit, 120 Reference waveform data acquisition unit, 130 Correlation unit, 140 Waveform data acquisition unit, 150 Biometric evaluation unit, 160 Notification signal output unit, 170 Speaker, 180 Input position microphone, 190 Output position microphone

Claims

1. A biological evaluation system comprising: a waveform data acquisition unit that acquires waveform data measured at an input position and an output position of a measurement sound wave that is emitted from an input position to an output position set on a target biological organism so as to pass through the target biological organism; and a biological evaluation unit that evaluates the biological state of the target biological organism based on the waveform data.

2. The biometric evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the input position and the output position are set at each of both ears of the target organism, the measurement sound waves pass through the external auditory canal of the target organism and into the brain of the target organism, and the biometric evaluation unit evaluates the state of the brain or nerves of the target organism.

3. A biological evaluation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the biological evaluation unit evaluates the biological state based on a difference between waveform data measured at the input position and the output position.

4. A biological evaluation system according to claim 3, wherein the biological evaluation unit evaluates the biological state based on a difference between waveform data at a specified frequency measured at the input position and the output position.

5. The biological evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the biological evaluation unit evaluates the amount of moisture at the location through which the measurement sound waves pass based on the waveform data.

6. A biological evaluation system as described in claim 5, wherein the measurement sound waves pass through the brain of the target living body, and the biological evaluation unit evaluates the blood volume of the brain based on the waveform data.

7. A biological evaluation system as described in claim 5, wherein the measurement sound waves pass through the bladder of the subject living body, and the biological evaluation unit evaluates the amount of urine in the bladder based on the waveform data.

8. A biological evaluation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the biological evaluation unit evaluates a degree of excitement of the autonomic nerves of the target living body based on the waveform data.

9. The biological evaluation system of claim 8, further comprising a reference waveform data acquisition unit that acquires reference waveform data measured at an input position and an output position set in the reference organism of a reference sound wave that is emitted from an input position set in the reference organism to an output position so as to pass through a reference organism in a predetermined reference state, and a matching unit that matches the degree of excitement of the autonomic nerves of the reference organism evaluated based on the reference waveform data with the predetermined reference state, wherein the biological evaluation unit evaluates the degree of excitement of the target organism further based on the result of the matching.

10. A biological evaluation system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a notification signal output unit that outputs a notification signal for notifying that the biological condition is a predetermined condition.

11. The biometric evaluation system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a speaker that emits the measurement sound waves at the input position; an input position microphone that acquires the measurement sound waves at the input position; and an output position microphone that acquires the measurement sound waves at the output position.

12. The biological evaluation system according to claim 11, wherein the waveform data acquisition unit acquires the waveform data based on the measurement sound wave signals acquired by the input position microphone and the output position microphone.

13. The biological evaluation system according to claim 11, wherein the speaker outputs a notification sound wave to the target biological body in response to a notification signal for notifying that the biological state is a predetermined state.

14. The biological evaluation system described in claim 11, wherein the waveform data acquisition unit acquires voice waveform data of sound waves emitted by the target living body and reverberated within the target living body, acquired by at least one of the input position microphone and the output position microphone, and the biological evaluation system further comprises a control processing unit that generates control information for controlling the execution of processing of the biological evaluation unit in accordance with the content of the voice based on the voice waveform data, and the biological evaluation unit evaluates the biological state further based on the control information.

15. A biological evaluation method in which a computer acquires waveform data measured at an input position and an output position of a measurement sound wave that is emitted from an input position to an output position set on a target biological organism to pass through the target biological organism, and evaluates the biological condition of the target biological organism based on the waveform data.

16. A biological evaluation program that causes a computer to implement: a waveform data acquisition unit that acquires waveform data measured at an input position and an output position of a measurement sound wave that is emitted from an input position to an output position set on a target biological organism so as to pass through the target biological organism; and a biological evaluation unit that evaluates the biological state of the target biological organism based on the waveform data.

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