Skin condition estimation apparatus, skin condition estimation method, and skin condition estimation program

Abstract

To estimate a skin condition from the composition of a bacterial flora including intestinal bacteria existing on the hips.SOLUTION: A skin condition estimation apparatus comprises: a bacterial flora analytic data acquisition unit which acquires bacterial flora analytic data as a result of analyzing a bacterial flora existing on the skin of the hips of an infant; and a skin condition estimation unit which estimates the skin condition of the infant based on the ratio of intestinal bacteria calculated from the bacterial flora analytic data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin condition estimating device, a skin condition estimating method, and a skin condition estimating program. [Background technology]

[0002] In the above technical field, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for diagnosing skin conditions based on a bacterial indicator, which is the occupancy rate or diversity of specific bacteria in the normal skin flora (paragraph

[0051] , claim 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-99184 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 above was unable to predict the skin condition from the composition of the bacterial flora, including enterobacteria, present in the buttocks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, a skin condition estimating device according to the present invention comprises: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit that collects bacteria present on the skin of the buttocks of an infant and acquires bacterial flora analysis data that is a result of analyzing the bacterial flora present on the skin; a skin condition estimation unit that estimates a skin condition of the infant based on the enterobacteria ratio calculated from the bacterial flora analysis data; Equipped with:

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a skin condition estimating method according to the present invention comprises: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of collecting bacteria present on the skin of the buttocks of an infant and acquiring bacterial flora analysis data which is a result of analyzing the bacterial flora present on the skin; a skin condition estimating step of estimating a skin condition of the infant based on the enterobacteria ratio calculated from the bacterial flora analysis data; Includes.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, a skin condition estimating program according to the present invention comprises: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of collecting bacteria present on the skin of the buttocks of an infant and acquiring bacterial flora analysis data which is a result of analyzing the bacterial flora present on the skin; a skin condition estimating step of estimating a skin condition of the infant based on the enterobacteria ratio calculated from the bacterial flora analysis data; to be executed by the computer. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to estimate the skin condition from the composition of the bacterial flora, including enterobacteria, present on the skin of the buttocks of infants and young children. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the operation of the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a skin condition estimating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a classification diagram of bacterial flora used in the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a rash score used in estimating a skin condition in the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2D] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the correlation between a rash score and a bacterial flora, which is used to set an index for skin condition estimation in the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a recommendation table included in the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram for explaining the hardware configuration of a skin condition estimating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5A] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure (enterobacteria ratio) of the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure (ratio of resident skin fungi) of the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5C] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure (intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident fungi ratio) of the skin condition estimating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a skin condition estimating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of an attribute information table included in the skin condition estimating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a skin condition estimating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] 13 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure (enterobacteria ratio) of the skin condition estimating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B] 13 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure (ratio of resident skin fungi) of a skin condition estimating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9C] 13 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure (intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident fungi ratio) of the skin condition estimating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations, numerical values, process flows, functional elements, etc. described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are free to be modified or changed, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the following description.

[0011] [First embodiment] A skin condition estimation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5C. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the skin condition estimation device 100 according to this embodiment. The skin condition estimation device 100 is a device that estimates the skin condition of an infant 110 from the composition of the bacterial flora present on the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110. The parts for which the skin condition is estimated are the buttocks 111 of the infant 110, the urination area 112 (around the urinary organs), and the perianal area 113, which are parts hidden by the diaper when the infant 110 wears the diaper. In the description of this embodiment, the skin condition estimation device 100 will be described by taking as an example a server device, which is a computer that receives requests and instructions from other computers (clients) and returns information and processing results. However, the skin condition estimation device 100 is not limited to a server device, and may be a device such as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC (personal computer).

[0012] A bacterial flora sample is obtained, for example, by rubbing the skin of the buttocks 111 of an infant or toddler 110 with a cotton swab 114. The obtained bacterial flora sample is subjected to a testing device 120 using, for example, a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) method, and its composition is analyzed. Bacterial flora analysis data 121 obtained as a test result is transmitted to the skin condition estimation device 100.

[0013] The skin condition estimation device 100 estimates the skin condition of the infant 110 based on the received bacterial flora analysis data 121. That is, the ratio of intestinal bacteria and the ratio of resident skin bacteria are derived from the bacterial flora analysis data 121 to estimate the skin condition of the infant 110. The skin condition estimation device 100 generates recommendations including products suitable for the estimated skin condition and care methods suitable for the skin condition based on the estimated skin condition, and notifies a mobile terminal such as a smartphone 130 owned by the caregiver of the infant 110, for example.

[0014] 2A, the configuration of the skin condition estimating device 100 will be described. The skin condition estimating device 100 has a bacterial flora analysis data acquiring unit 201, a skin condition estimating unit 202, a recommendation generating unit 203, and a notification control unit 204.

[0015] <Bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201> The bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201 acquires bacterial flora analysis data 121, which is the result of analyzing the bacteria present on the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110. There are no particular limitations on the timing of sampling the bacterial flora, but when sampling the bacterial flora from the buttocks of the infant 110, it is desirable to sample the data upon waking on a day when the infant has not had a bowel movement, between bathing on the previous day and waking up, in order to prevent the influence of bacteria derived from feces.

[0016] Bacteria on the skin are collected using a kit for collecting bacterial flora, which is prepared by rubbing the skin of the buttocks 111 with a cotton swab 114 for collecting bacterial flora, placing the swab 114 in a container filled with a preservative solution or the like, and mailing it to a designated testing institution. It is desirable to store the kit in a refrigerator or the like until analysis. Bacteria on the skin may be collected directly from the skin of the infant 110, or indirectly from a diaper worn by the infant 110 or pants worn by the infant 110, and any method may be used as long as it can collect bacteria on the skin of the infant 110.

[0017] Then, at the testing facility, bacterial DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is extracted from the collected bacteria and analyzed using real-time PCR and a next-generation sequencer.

[0018] This can generally be achieved from information obtained by amplicon sequence analysis. Specifically, bacterial DNA is extracted using a commercially available extraction kit, 16srDNA is PCR amplified, next-generation sequencer analysis is performed, and the obtained sequence is analyzed for genus or species using a database. For example, a commercially available extraction kit (MORA-EXTRACT kit, Kyokuto Pharmaceutical Industries) can be used for DNA extraction. The primers used for 16srDNA amplification can be universal primers that are commonly used.

[0019] Here, with reference to Fig. 2B, a description will be given of the classification of bacterial flora used for estimating a skin condition in the skin condition estimation device 100. The bacterial flora used in the skin condition estimation device 100 is broadly divided into three types: enterobacteria 250, resident skin bacteria 251, and other bacteria 252 found in the oral cavity, etc. Note that the bacterial flora shown in Fig. 2B is merely an example, and the bacterial flora used in the skin condition estimation device 100 is not limited to the bacterial flora shown here.

[0020] <Skin condition estimation unit 202> Next, the estimation of the skin condition will be described. The estimation of the skin condition is performed based on the following findings newly discovered by the present inventors. That is, the estimation of the skin condition is performed based on the correlation between the rash scores of three parts of the infant 110 (buttocks 111, urination area 112, perianal area 113) and the bacterial flora collected from the infant 110. Here, the rash score is a score obtained by scoring the state of erythema and papules in the three parts of the infant 110 according to the judgment of a doctor.

[0021] For example, as shown in FIG. 2C, the condition of erythema ( / edema) and papules ( / pustules) can be evaluated on a 7-point scale, and a score can be assigned according to each evaluation, so that the condition of the erythema and papules of the infant 110 can be scored and evaluated. For example, when there is no erythema or papules, the score is 0. As the condition of the erythema or papules worsens (the symptoms become more severe), the score increases. The upper limit of each score is 6. For each symptom, a score of 0 can be determined as "healthy," a score of 1 to 2 can be determined as "mild," a score of 3 to 4 can be determined as "moderate," and a score of 5 to 6 can be determined as "severe."

[0022] For each of the three sites on the infant 110, a score shown in the skin rash score 260 is assigned to each of the three sites according to the doctor's judgment, and finally, the total score for the three sites is calculated. When the correlation between the total score for the three sites and the bacterial flora of the infant 110 on which the score was recorded is examined, the relationship shown in FIG. 2D can be found.

[0023] (1) Intestinal bacteria graph 270 Intestinal bacteria graph 270 has the total rash score (erythema and papules) for the three sites on the horizontal axis and the ratio [%] of intestinal bacteria on the vertical axis. It can be seen that in intestinal bacteria graph 270, the lower the rash score (the better the skin condition), the lower the ratio of intestinal bacteria in the flora collected from the skin of buttocks 111 of infant 110.

[0024] (2) Skin resident fungi graph 271 The horizontal axis of the skin resident fungus graph 271 shows the total rash score (erythema and papules) for the three sites, and the vertical axis shows the ratio [%] of skin resident fungi. It can be seen that the lower the rash score (the better the skin condition) in the skin resident fungus graph 271, the higher the ratio of skin resident fungi in the bacterial flora collected from the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110.

[0025] (3) Intestinal bacteria / skin resident bacteria graph 272 Intestinal bacteria / skin flora graph 272, the horizontal axis shows the total skin rash score (erythema and papules) for the three areas, and the vertical axis shows the ratio of intestinal bacteria / skin flora, calculated by dividing the ratio of intestinal bacteria by the ratio of skin flora. It can be seen that the lower the skin rash score (the better the skin condition), the lower the ratio of intestinal bacteria / skin flora tends to be.

[0026] From the above three graphs 270, 271, and 272, it can be seen that the higher the ratio of enterobacteria on the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110, the worse the rash scores in the three areas (buttocks 111, urination area 112, perianal area 113). Therefore, by performing a bacterial flora analysis of the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110 and calculating the composition ratio of the bacterial flora (enterobacteria, skin resident bacteria), the skin condition (skin rash) inside the diaper (three areas) can be estimated.

[0027] (4) Indicators From the above considerations, it can be seen that the skin condition can be estimated by using a rash score of 10 as a threshold and combining a rash score of 10 or less (good condition) or a rash score of more than 10 (bad condition) as one indicator with bacterial flora analysis.

[0028] For example, when the ratio of intestinal bacteria is used as an index (index 1), if the ratio of intestinal bacteria is 20% or higher, the skin condition is judged to be poor, and if it is less than 20%, the skin condition is judged to be good (area 273 in Figure 2D).

[0029] Similarly, for example, if the ratio of resident skin fungi is used as an index (index 2), if the ratio of resident skin fungi is less than 20%, the skin condition can be judged to be poor, and if it is 20% or more, the skin condition can be judged to be good (area 274 in Figure 2D).

[0030] Furthermore, for example, when the ratio of intestinal bacteria to the ratio of normal skin bacteria is used as an index (index 3), if the ratio of intestinal bacteria to normal skin bacteria is < 1, the skin condition is judged to be good, and if the ratio of intestinal bacteria to normal skin bacteria is > 1, the skin condition is judged to be poor (area 275 in Figure 2D).

[0031] In this way, by setting several indicators according to the ratio of the analyzed bacterial flora, it is possible to estimate the condition of the skin (three areas) of the infant or young child 110 from the results of the bacterial flora analysis even before it is judged by a doctor or the like (without visually checking, etc.).

[0032] Then, the skin condition estimating unit 202 estimates the skin condition of the baby 110 according to the above-mentioned indices 1 to 3 as follows.

[0033] (1) Estimated from the ratio of intestinal bacteria (index 1) The skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates the skin condition of the infant 110 based on the enterobacteria ratio calculated from the bacterial flora analysis data 121. Here, the enterobacteria ratio (%) is calculated from a next-generation sequencer (MiSeq analysis). That is, the enterobacteria ratio (%) = enterobacteria expression amount / total expression amount × 100.

[0034] The skin condition of the infant 110 is then estimated according to the above-mentioned intestinal bacteria graph 270. Specifically, the skin condition estimation unit 202 sets a threshold value of 20% for the intestinal bacteria ratio (%), and estimates that if the intestinal bacteria ratio (%) is 20% or more, the skin condition is poor, and if it is less than 20%, the skin condition is good.

[0035] (2) Estimated from skin resident fungi ratio (indicator 2) The skin condition estimation unit 202 further calculates the ratio of resident skin fungi from the bacterial flora analysis data 121, and estimates the skin condition of the infant 110 based on the ratio of resident skin fungi. Here, the ratio (%) of resident skin fungi is calculated from a next-generation sequencer (MiSeq analysis). That is, the ratio (%) of resident skin fungi = expression amount of resident skin fungi / total expression amount × 100.

[0036] Then, the skin condition of the infant 110 is estimated according to the above-mentioned skin resident fungi graph 271. Specifically, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates that the skin condition is poor if the skin resident fungi (%) is less than 20%, and that the skin condition is good if the skin resident fungi (%) is 20% or more, using a threshold value of 20%.

[0037] (3) Estimated from intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident bacteria ratio (indicator 3) The skin condition estimation unit 202 further calculates the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident flora ratio by dividing the intestinal bacteria ratio by the skin resident flora ratio, and estimates the skin condition of the infant 110 based on the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident flora ratio. Here, the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident flora ratio can be calculated using a next-generation sequencer (MiSeq analysis).

[0038] The skin condition of the infant 110 is then estimated according to the above-mentioned skin resident fungi graph 272. Specifically, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is good if the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident fungi ratio is < 1. The skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is bad if the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident fungi ratio is ≥ 1.

[0039] The skin condition estimation unit 202 may calculate the ratio of Staphylococcus aureus to the entire bacterial flora. When the ratio of Staphylococcus aureus to the entire bacterial flora is high, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is poor. This is because Staphylococcus aureus is a highly pathogenic bacterium that grows when the skin becomes alkaline and causes dermatitis and the like. In addition, Staphylococcus aureus is associated with atopic dermatitis, and it is known that Staphylococcus aureus is detected with a high probability from skin with atopic dermatitis.

[0040] The skin condition estimation unit 202 may calculate the ratio of Ruminococcus gnavus bacteria to the entire bacterial flora. When the ratio of Ruminococcus gnavus bacteria is high, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is poor. This is because Ruminococcus gnavus bacteria are known to be highly related to allergic diseases in the infant 110.

[0041] The skin condition estimation unit 202 may calculate the ratio of Staphylococcus epidermidis to the normal skin bacteria. When the ratio of Staphylococcus epidermidis to the normal skin bacteria is high, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is good. That is, Staphylococcus epidermidis produces glycerin, so that the barrier function of the skin can be maintained, and also produces fatty acids, so that the skin can be kept weakly acidic. Furthermore, Staphylococcus epidermidis produces antibacterial peptides, so that the proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus can be prevented. Therefore, when the ratio of Staphylococcus epidermidis is high, the skin condition estimation unit 202 can estimate that the skin condition of the infant 110 is good.

[0042] <<Recommendation generation unit 203>> The recommendation generating unit 203 generates a recommendation including at least one of a product suitable for the skin condition and a care method suitable for the skin condition based on the estimated skin condition. The recommendation content is, for example, a recommendation to use a diaper, care agent, or cleansing agent that is gentle on the skin. Also, for example, if the estimation based on the index 1 is a bad estimation for the infant 110, a recommendation such as a diaper, care agent, or cleansing agent that does not cause the proliferation of intestinal bacteria may be generated as a recommendation. Furthermore, for example, a care method such as increasing the frequency of changing diapers, wiping cleanly without leaving feces, or washing gently without rubbing may be generated as a recommendation.

[0043] <Notification control unit 204> The notification control unit 204 notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated recommendation. The notification destination is, for example, but not limited to, a mobile terminal such as the smartphone 130 of the caregiver of the infant 110 or a terminal of a family hospital. Note that, in the above description of the skin condition estimation device 100, an example in which the skin condition estimation device 100 has the recommendation generation unit 203 and the notification control unit 204 has been described, but the skin condition estimation device 100 does not need to have the recommendation generation unit 203 and the notification control unit 204.

[0044] Next, an example of the recommendation table 301 included in the skin condition estimating device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The recommendation table 301 stores recommendation contents 312 in association with an estimated skin condition 311. The estimated skin condition 311 is the skin condition of the infant 110 estimated by the skin condition estimating unit 202. The recommendation contents 312 are recommendations according to the estimated skin condition. The recommendation generating unit 203 then uses the recommendation table 301 to generate recommendations.

[0045] The hardware configuration of the skin condition estimation device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 410 is a processor for arithmetic control, and executes a program to realize each functional configuration of the skin condition estimation device 100 in FIG. 2. The CPU 410 has multiple processors, and may execute different programs, modules, tasks, threads, etc. in parallel. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 420 stores fixed data such as initial data and programs, and other programs. The network interface 430 communicates with other devices via a network. The CPU 410 is not limited to one, and may be multiple CPUs or may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) for image processing. The network interface 430 preferably has a CPU independent of the CPU 410, and writes or reads transmitted / received data in an area of ​​the RAM (Random Access Memory) 440. It is also preferable to provide a DMAC (Direct Memory Access Controller) that transfers data between the RAM 440 and the storage 450 (not shown). The CPU 410 recognizes that data has been received or transferred to the RAM 440, and processes the data. Furthermore, the CPU 410 prepares the processing results in the RAM 440, and leaves the subsequent transmission or transfer to the network interface 430 or DMAC.

[0046] The RAM 440 is a random access memory used by the CPU 410 as a temporary storage work area. The RAM 440 has a storage area reserved for storing data necessary for implementing the present embodiment. The bacterial flora analysis data 441 is data obtained by analyzing the bacterial flora collected from the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110. The intestinal bacteria ratio 442 is a ratio of intestinal bacteria contained in the bacterial flora calculated from the data obtained by analyzing the bacterial flora. The skin resident fungus ratio 443 is a ratio of skin resident fungus contained in the bacterial flora calculated from the data obtained by analyzing the bacterial flora. The intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident fungus ratio 444 is a value calculated from the calculated intestinal bacteria ratio and skin resident fungus ratio. The estimated skin condition 445 is data representing an estimated skin condition. The recommendation 446 is a recommendation generated according to the estimated skin condition.

[0047] The transmitted / received data 447 is data that is transmitted and received via the network interface 430. The RAM 440 also has an application execution area 448 for executing various application modules.

[0048] The storage 450 stores a database, various parameters, or the following data or programs required to realize this embodiment. The storage 450 stores a recommendation table 301. The recommendation table 301 is a table that manages the relationship between an estimated skin condition 311 and recommendation contents 312 shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] The storage 450 further stores a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition module 451, a skin condition estimation module 452, a recommendation generation module 453, and a notification control module 454. The bacterial flora analysis data acquisition module 451 is a module that acquires data of the result of analyzing bacteria collected from the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110 by a PCR method or the like. The skin condition estimation module 452 is a module that estimates the skin condition of the infant 110 based on the intestinal bacteria ratio, the skin resident fungus ratio, the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident fungus ratio, and the like calculated from the bacterial flora analysis data. The recommendation generation module 453 generates a recommendation including at least one of a product suitable for the skin condition and a care method suitable for the skin condition based on the estimated skin condition. The notification control module 454 is a module that notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated recommendation. These modules 451 to 454 are read by the CPU 410 into the application execution area 448 of the RAM 440 and executed. The control program 455 is a program for controlling the entire skin condition estimating device 100.

[0050] The input / output interface 460 interfaces input / output data with input / output devices. A display unit 461 and an operation unit 462 are connected to the input / output interface 460. A storage medium 464 may be further connected to the input / output interface 460. A speaker 463 serving as an audio output unit, a microphone (not shown) serving as an audio input unit, or a GPS position determination unit may be further connected. Note that the RAM 440 and storage 450 shown in FIG. 4 do not show programs and data relating to the general-purpose functions of the skin condition estimating device 100 or other feasible functions.

[0051] 5A to 5C, a description will be given of the processing procedures of skin condition estimating device 100. These flowcharts are executed by CPU 410 in FIG. 4 using RAM 440, and realize the respective functional components of skin condition estimating device 100 in FIG.

[0052] First, referring to FIG. 5A, a processing procedure of the skin condition estimation device 100 when estimating a skin condition from an intestinal bacteria ratio will be described. In step S501, the bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201 acquires bacterial flora analysis data 121 obtained by analyzing bacteria collected from the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110. In step S503, the skin condition estimation unit 202 calculates the intestinal bacteria ratio from the bacterial flora analysis data 121. In step S505, the skin condition estimation unit 202 judges whether the calculated intestinal bacteria ratio is less than 20%. If it is judged to be less than 20% (YES in step S505), the skin condition estimation unit 202 proceeds to step S507. If it is judged to be not less than 20% (NO in step S505), the skin condition estimation unit 202 proceeds to step S509.

[0053] In step S507, the skin condition estimation section 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is good. In addition, in step S509, the skin condition estimation section 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is bad.

[0054] In step S511, the recommendation generation unit 203 generates a recommendation according to the estimated skin condition of the infant 110. In step S513, the notification control unit 204 notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated recommendation. Note that steps S511 and S513 are optional steps and may or may not be executed.

[0055] Next, referring to FIG. 5B, a processing procedure of the skin condition estimation device 100 when estimating a skin condition from the ratio of resident skin fungi will be described. In step S531, the bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201 acquires bacterial flora analysis data 121 obtained by analyzing bacteria collected from the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110. In step S533, the skin condition estimation unit 202 calculates the ratio of resident skin fungi from the bacterial flora analysis data 121. In step S535, the skin condition estimation unit 202 judges whether the calculated ratio of resident skin fungi is 20% or more. If it is judged to be 20% or more (YES in step S535), the skin condition estimation unit 202 proceeds to step S537. If it is judged to be not 20% or more (NO in step S535), the skin condition estimation unit 202 proceeds to step S539.

[0056] In step S537, the skin condition estimating section 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is good. Also, in step S539, the skin condition estimating section 202 estimates that the skin condition of the infant 110 is bad.

[0057] In step S541, the recommendation generation unit 203 generates a recommendation according to the estimated skin condition of the infant 110. In step S543, the notification control unit 204 notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated recommendation. Note that steps S541 and S543 are optional steps and may or may not be executed.

[0058] With reference to FIG. 5C, the processing procedure of the skin condition estimation device 100 when estimating a skin condition from the intestinal bacteria ratio / common skin bacteria ratio will be described. In step S551, the bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201 acquires bacterial flora analysis data 121 obtained by analyzing bacteria collected from the skin of the buttocks 111 of the infant 110. In step S553, the skin condition estimation unit 202 calculates the intestinal bacteria ratio and the common skin bacteria ratio. In step S555, the skin condition estimation unit 202 determines whether the intestinal bacteria ratio is 20% or less (≦20%). If it is determined that the intestinal bacteria ratio is 20% or less (YES in step S555), the skin condition estimation unit 202 proceeds to step S557.

[0059] In step S557, skin condition estimation unit 202 determines whether the skin resident fungus ratio is 20% or more. If it is determined that the skin resident fungus ratio is 20% or more (YES in step S557), skin condition estimation device 100 proceeds to step S559. In step S559, skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates the skin condition to be good. The good estimation here (※1) is when the enterobacteria ratio is 20% or less and the skin resident fungus ratio is 20% or more, so there are few enterobacteria that are irritating to the skin and many skin resident fungi that are good for the skin, and it is estimated that the skin condition is very good.

[0060] When it is determined that the ratio of normal skin bacteria is less than 20% (NO in step S557), the skin condition estimation device 100 proceeds to step S561. In step S561, the skin condition estimation unit 202 calculates the ratio of normal skin bacteria / ratio of normal skin bacteria. In step S563, the skin condition estimation unit 202 determines whether the ratio of normal skin bacteria / ratio of normal skin bacteria is less than 1. When it is determined that the ratio is less than 1 (YES in step S563), the skin condition estimation unit 202 proceeds to step S565. In step S565, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates the skin condition as good. The good estimation here (※2) is a moderately good estimation because the ratio of normal skin bacteria is low but the ratio of normal skin bacteria is greater than the ratio of normal skin bacteria. When it is determined that the ratio is not less than 1 (NO in step S563), the skin condition estimation device 100 proceeds to step S567. In step S567, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates the skin condition to be good. The good estimation here (※3) is the lowest estimation because it is estimated that the ratio of normal skin bacteria is low and that the normal skin bacteria is less than the intestinal bacteria, and there are very few bacteria that should be on the skin.

[0061] Next, when it is determined that the enterobacteria ratio is not 20% or less (NO in step S555), the skin condition estimation device 100 proceeds to step S569. In step S569, the skin condition estimation unit 202 determines whether the skin resident fungi ratio is 20% or more. When it is determined that the skin resident fungi ratio is 20% or more (YES in step S569), the skin condition estimation device 100 proceeds to step S571. In step S571, the skin condition estimation unit 202 calculates the enterobacteria ratio / skin resident fungi ratio. In step S573, the skin condition estimation unit 202 determines whether the enterobacteria ratio / skin resident fungi ratio is less than 1. When it is determined that the enterobacteria ratio / skin resident fungi ratio is less than 1 (YES in step S573), the skin condition estimation device 100 proceeds to step S575. In step S575, the skin condition estimation unit 202 estimates that the skin condition is bad. The bad estimation here (※1) is because a state in which there are many indigenous skin bacteria among many intestinal bacteria means that there are also bacteria that are good for the skin, so although it is a bad estimation, it is an estimation that is good even among the bad estimations.

[0062] When it is determined that the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin resident flora ratio is not less than 1 (NO in step S573), the skin condition estimating device 100 proceeds to step S577. In step S577, the skin condition estimating unit 202 estimates that the skin condition is poor. A poor estimation here (※2) is a state in which there are many intestinal bacteria and few skin resident flora, and is therefore an estimation that is moderately poor among poor estimations.

[0063] If it is determined that the ratio of resident skin bacteria is not 20% or more (NO in step S569), skin condition estimating device 100 proceeds to step S579. In step S579, skin condition estimating unit 202 estimates the skin condition to be bad. The bad estimation here (※3) is made because the ratio of resident skin bacteria is greater than 20% and the ratio of resident skin bacteria is less than 20%, resulting in a state in which there are many enterobacteria on the skin, and the estimation is that the condition is very bad. Then, skin condition estimating device 100 ends the processing after executing each of steps S559, S565, S567, S575, S577, and S579.

[0064] The above steps may further include the following additional steps (not shown) performed by the recommendation generation unit 203 and the notification control unit 204. In step S581, the recommendation generation unit 203 generates a recommendation according to the estimated skin condition of the infant 110. In step S583, the notification control unit 204 notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated recommendation.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the skin condition can be estimated from the composition of the bacterial flora including the enterobacteria present in the buttocks. In addition, the skin condition (skin rash condition) of the buttocks, urinary area, and perianal area can be estimated with high accuracy simply by analyzing the bacterial flora of the buttocks. In addition, since the condition of the rash can be grasped even before a doctor's diagnosis, the caregiver of the infant can use this information to decide whether or not to see a doctor.

[0066] [Second embodiment] Next, a skin condition estimating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9C. Fig. 6 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a skin condition estimating device 600 according to this embodiment. Skin condition estimating device 600 according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has an attribute information acquiring section 601. As other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same configurations and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0067] The skin condition estimating device 600 has an attribute information acquiring section 601. The attribute information acquiring section 601 acquires attribute information of the infant 110. The attribute information includes at least one of the infant's 110 age in months, eating habits, sleeping hours, and waking time.

[0068] The acquisition status of intestinal bacteria of infants 110 may differ depending on the age, sex, dietary habits, etc. In addition, as for the skin resident bacteria, the number of contacts with the mother and people around her differs depending on the age, etc., so there are cases where the skin resident bacteria is not acquired sufficiently.

[0069] Therefore, when generating a recommendation for an estimated skin condition, the recommendation generation unit 203 takes into account attribute information of the infant 110, thereby enabling the generation of a recommendation that reflects the situation and individual circumstances of the infant 110.

[0070] Next, an example of an attribute information table 701 held by the skin condition estimating device 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The attribute information table 701 stores recommendations 712 in association with attribute information 711. The attribute information 711 includes the age in months, sex, dietary habits, sleeping hours, and wake-up time of the infant 110. The recommendations 712 are generated according to the attribute information. The recommendation generating unit 203 generates the recommendations using the attribute information table 701.

[0071] The hardware configuration of skin condition estimating device 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. RAM 840 is a random access memory used by CPU 410 as a work area for temporary storage. A storage area for storing data necessary for implementing this embodiment is secured in RAM 440. Attribute information data 841 is information relating to the attributes of infant 110.

[0072] The storage 850 stores a database, various parameters, or the following data or programs required to realize this embodiment. The storage 850 stores an attribute information table 701. The attribute information table 701 is a table that manages the relationship between attribute information 711 and recommendations 712 shown in FIG.

[0073] The storage 850 further stores an attribute information acquisition module 851. The attribute information acquisition module 851 is a module that acquires attribute information of the baby 110 including at least one of the baby's age in months, sex, eating habits, sleeping hours, and waking time.

[0074] 9A to 9C, a processing procedure of skin condition estimating device 600 will be described. These flowcharts are executed by CPU 410 in FIG. 8 using RAM 840, and realize the respective functional components of skin condition estimating device 600 in FIG.

[0075] 9A, a process procedure of the skin condition estimating device 600 when estimating a skin condition from an enterobacteria ratio will be described. In step S901, the attribute information acquiring unit 601 acquires attribute information of the infant 110. Then, the recommendation generating unit 203 generates a recommendation by taking into account the acquired attribute information.

[0076] 9B, a process procedure of the skin condition estimating device 600 when estimating a skin condition from the ratio of resident skin fungi will be described. In step S931, the attribute information acquiring unit 601 acquires attribute information of the infant 110. Then, the recommendation generating unit 203 generates a recommendation by taking into account the acquired attribute information.

[0077] 9C, a processing procedure of the skin condition estimating device 600 when estimating a skin condition from the enterobacteria ratio / skin resident bacteria ratio will be described. In step S951, the attribute information acquiring unit 601 acquires attribute information of the infant 110. Then, the recommendation generating unit 203 generates a recommendation by taking into account the acquired attribute information.

[0078] According to this embodiment, recommendations are generated taking into account attribute information of the infant, so that recommendations suitable for the infant can be generated.

[0079] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention. In addition, systems or devices that combine separate features included in each embodiment in any way are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0080] The present invention may be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices, or to a single device. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a case where an information processing program for implementing the functions of the embodiment is supplied to a system or device and executed by a built-in processor. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention includes a program installed on a computer to implement the functions of the present invention with a computer, a medium storing the program, a WWW (World Wide Web) server that downloads the program, and a processor that executes the program. In particular, at least a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the processing steps included in the above-mentioned embodiment is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microbiome analysis data acquisition unit acquires microbiome analysis data, which is the result of analyzing the microbiome present on the skin of the buttocks of infants and young children. A skin condition estimation unit that estimates the skin condition of the infant based on the ratio of intestinal bacteria calculated from the aforementioned microbiota analysis data, A skin condition estimation device equipped with the following features.

2. Based on the estimated skin condition, the skin condition estimation unit performs the following: A recommendation generation unit that generates recommendations including at least one of a product suitable for the skin condition and a care method suitable for the skin condition, A notification control unit that notifies a predetermined recipient of the generated recommendation, The skin condition estimation device according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

3. The skin condition estimation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the skin condition estimation unit further calculates the ratio of commensal skin bacteria from the microbiome analysis data, and estimates the skin condition of the infant based on the calculated ratio of commensal skin bacteria.

4. The skin condition estimation device according to claim 3, wherein the skin condition estimation unit further calculates the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin commensal bacteria ratio by dividing the intestinal bacteria ratio by the skin commensal bacteria ratio, and estimates the skin condition of the infant based on the intestinal bacteria ratio / skin commensal bacteria ratio.

5. The skin condition estimation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the skin condition estimation unit further estimates the skin condition of the infant based on at least one of the ratio of Staphylococcus aureus and the ratio of Staphylococcus epidermidis.

6. The system further includes an attribute information acquisition unit that acquires attribute information of the infant, The skin condition estimation device according to claim 2, wherein the recommendation generation unit generates the recommendation taking into account the attribute information.

7. The skin condition estimation device according to claim 6, wherein the attribute information includes at least one of the infant's age in months, sex, eating habits, sleep duration, and wake-up time.

8. The skin condition estimation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the skin condition includes at least one of erythema and papules.

9. A microbiome analysis data acquisition step involves collecting bacteria present on the skin of an infant's buttocks and obtaining microbiome analysis data, which is the result of analyzing the microbiome present on the skin. A skin condition estimation step is performed to estimate the skin condition of the infant based on the ratio of intestinal bacteria calculated from the aforementioned microbiota analysis data, A method for estimating skin condition, including the following.

10. A microbiome analysis data acquisition step involves collecting bacteria present on the skin of an infant's buttocks and obtaining microbiome analysis data, which is the result of analyzing the microbiome present on the skin. A skin condition estimation step is performed to estimate the skin condition of the infant based on the ratio of intestinal bacteria calculated from the aforementioned microbiota analysis data, A skin condition estimation program that is executed by a computer.

11. A microbiota analysis data acquisition unit that collects bacteria present on the skin of an infant's buttocks and acquires microbiota analysis data, which is the result of analyzing the microbiota present on the skin, A skin condition estimation unit that estimates the skin condition of the infant based on the ratio of intestinal bacteria calculated from the aforementioned microbiota analysis data, A skin condition estimation system equipped with the following features.

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