Frailty state evaluation support device, frailty state evaluation support system, frailty state evaluation support method, and frailty state evaluation support program

Abstract

To provide a frailty state evaluation support device that can evaluate a frailty state of a subject by measuring a walking condition of the subject without requiring the subject to wear a measuring device.SOLUTION: A frailty state evaluation support device 20 according to the present invention includes: an acquisition unit 21 which acquires acceleration data in at least one of three directions mutually orthogonal to each other, measured by a measuring device 10 attached to a cane 2; a feature information generation unit 22 which generates feature information representing a feature of a motion of the subject who walks using the cane 2 on the basis of the acquired acceleration data; and a determination unit 23 which compares the generated feature information with a preset specified value and determines whether the feature information is higher or lower than the specified value. The feature information generation unit 22 performs frequency analysis on the acquired acceleration data and generates feature information including an average frequency or a median frequency in a same direction as a direction of the acceleration data from the result of the frequency analysis. The determination unit 23 determines whether the generated average frequency or median frequency is higher or lower than the specified value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a frailty state assessment support device, a frailty state assessment support system, a frailty state assessment support method, and a frailty state assessment support program for supporting the assessment of a frailty state in which nursing care is likely to be required. In particular, the present invention relates to a frailty state assessment support device, a frailty state assessment support system, a frailty state assessment support method, and a frailty state assessment support program for evaluating the frailty state of a subject based on the handling of a cane used by the subject when walking. [Background technology]

[0002] Many elderly people gradually move from a healthy state to a state requiring nursing care due to the decline in physical functions such as physical strength or walking ability caused by aging. The term "frail state" is used as a concept to indicate the state between this healthy state and the state requiring nursing care. The frail state is also a period in which it is possible to return to a healthy state without progressing to a state requiring nursing care by taking appropriate intervention and prevention. In a super-aging society, there is a strong need to determine this frail state early from the perspective of extending healthy life expectancy and reducing nursing care costs.

[0003] When a person is in a frail state, their movements become slower and they become more likely to fall. Focusing on this point, a device that determines a frail state from walking movements has been developed (for example, Patent Document 1). Generally, when walking ability declines, people often use a cane to walk in their daily lives. A device that determines a frail state from walking movements with this cane has also been developed (for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-136780 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6881451 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The frailty assessment support device in Patent Document 1 uses sensors attached to the left and right ankles of a subject to measure the forward / backward acceleration, the up / down acceleration, and the left / right acceleration of each foot at predetermined time intervals while the subject is walking.The device then calculates the average walking speed per second, the average moving direction static acceleration, and the average time required per step from the measured values, and assesses the subject as being in a frail state if the average walking speed is less than a reference speed, if the average moving direction static acceleration is equal to or less than the reference acceleration, or if the average time required is the reference time.

[0006] The walking condition determination device in Patent Document 2 is provided with sensors that measure loads on both feet of a subject and on the cane used by the subject. Based on the loads on the cane and feet acquired by the sensors, the device generates characteristics of the subject's movements when using the cane, and determines the walking condition of the subject based on the generated information.

[0007] However, the determination devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 both require a measuring device to be attached to both feet of the subject to measure the walking movement. Therefore, in order to measure the walking movement in daily life, the subject needs to wear the measuring device on a daily basis, which is a burden on the subject. In addition, if the measuring device is not worn, the walking movement cannot be measured, and it is difficult to continuously measure the walking movement.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a frailty state assessment support device, a frailty state assessment support system, a frailty state assessment support method, and a frailty state assessment support program that can assess the frailty state of a subject by measuring the walking state of the subject without attaching a measuring device to the subject. In particular, the present invention aims to provide a frailty state assessment support device, a frailty state assessment support system, a frailty state assessment support method, and a frailty state assessment support program that can accurately and easily assess the frailty state of the subject based on the handling of the subject's cane by attaching a measuring device to a cane used by the subject when walking. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The frailty state evaluation support device of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires acceleration data in at least one of three mutually perpendicular directions measured by a measuring device provided on the cane, a feature information generation unit that generates feature information indicating features of the movement of a subject walking with the cane based on the acquired acceleration data, and a determination unit that compares the generated feature information with a preset specified value and determines whether the generated feature information is higher or lower than the specified value. The feature information generation unit performs frequency analysis on the acceleration data acquired by the acquisition unit, and generates feature information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as the acceleration data from the result of the frequency analysis. The determination unit determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency generated by the feature information generation unit is higher or lower than the specified value.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the frailty state evaluation support device, the acquisition unit acquires acceleration data in a left-right direction perpendicular to the subject's walking direction among three mutually perpendicular directions, and the determination unit determines whether the average frequency or intermediate frequency in the left-right direction generated by the feature information generation unit is equal to or greater than a specified value.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment of the frailty state evaluation support device, the acquisition unit acquires the acceleration data in three mutually orthogonal directions, and the determination unit further determines whether or not the average frequency or the intermediate frequency in the forward / backward direction and the upward / downward direction, which are the walking directions of the subject, generated by the feature information generation unit, is equal to or less than a specified value.

[0012] In addition, the frailty state assessment support device in a preferred embodiment further includes an assessment unit that assesses the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment made by the assessment unit.

[0013] The frailty assessment support system of the present invention includes a frailty assessment support device and a measuring device provided on a cane for measuring acceleration in at least one of three mutually orthogonal directions and transmitting the measured acceleration data to the frailty assessment support device. The frailty assessment support device includes an acquisition unit for acquiring acceleration data measured by the measuring device, a feature information generation unit for generating feature information indicating features of a motion of a subject walking with a cane based on the acquired acceleration data, and a determination unit for comparing the generated feature information with a preset specified value and determining whether the generated feature information is higher or lower than the specified value. The feature information generation unit performs frequency analysis on the acceleration data acquired by the acquisition unit, and generates feature information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as the acceleration data from the result of the frequency analysis. The determination unit determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency generated by the feature information generation unit is higher or lower than the specified value.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the frailty state assessment support system, the frailty state assessment support device is provided on a walking stick on which a measuring device is provided.

[0015] In addition, the frailty state evaluation support system of a preferred embodiment further includes a display device that displays the result of the determination by the determining unit. The display device displays the result of the determination by the determining unit with a reference line indicating a specified value and points indicating the upper and lower positions of the average frequency or the intermediate frequency relative to the reference line.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment of the frailty state assessment support system, the frailty state assessment support device further includes an evaluation unit that evaluates the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment by the evaluation unit. The display device displays the result of the assessment by the evaluation unit.

[0017] The frailty state assessment support method of the present invention includes the steps of acquiring acceleration data in at least one of three mutually perpendicular directions measured by a measuring device attached to the cane, generating feature information indicating features of the motion of a subject walking with the cane based on the acquired acceleration data, and comparing the generated feature information with a preset specified value to determine whether it is higher or lower than the specified value. The step of generating feature information involves performing a frequency analysis of the acceleration data acquired in the step of acquiring acceleration data, and generating feature information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as the direction of the acceleration data from the result of the frequency analysis. The step of determining whether the average frequency or intermediate frequency generated in the step of generating feature information is higher or lower than the specified value.

[0018] In addition, the frailty state assessment support method of a preferred embodiment further comprises a step of assessing the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment in the assessment step.

[0019] The frailty state assessment support program of the present invention causes a computer to execute processing including the steps of acquiring acceleration data in at least one of three mutually perpendicular directions measured by a measuring device attached to the cane, generating feature information indicating features of the motion of a subject walking with the cane based on the acquired acceleration data, and comparing the generated feature information with a preset specified value to determine whether it is higher or lower than the specified value. The step of generating feature information performs a frequency analysis of the acceleration data acquired in the step of acquiring acceleration data, and generates feature information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as the direction of the acceleration data from the result of the frequency analysis. The step of determining whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency generated in the step of generating feature information is higher or lower than the specified value.

[0020] In addition, the frailty state assessment support program of a preferred embodiment further causes the computer to execute a step of assessing the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment in the assessing step. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to evaluate the frailty state of a subject by measuring the walking condition of the subject without attaching a measuring device to the subject. In particular, according to the present invention, it is possible to attach a measuring device to a cane used by the subject when walking and evaluate the frailty state of the subject based on the subject's handling of the cane, thereby making it possible to accurately and easily evaluate the frailty state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a frailty state assessment support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a walking stick provided with a measuring device of the frailty state evaluation support system of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modification of the walking stick of FIG. 2. [Figure 4]1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of a walking stick provided with a measuring device of the frailty state evaluation support system of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the V portion of the cane in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing a frailty state assessment support method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing the change over time of a resultant jerk calculated by the frailty state assessment support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the results of calculating the average frequency of a subject using the frailty state assessment support system of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the experimental results of the embodiment, illustrating the average frequency of subjects in a frail state. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the experimental results of the embodiment, illustrating the average frequency of subjects who are not in a frail state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A frailty state assessment support device and a frailty state assessment support system of the present invention are a device and a system that evaluate a frailty state of a subject by focusing on the handling of a cane used by the subject when walking.

[0024] A frailty state assessment support system 1 and a frailty state assessment support device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the frailty state assessment support system 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a cane 2 on which the measuring device 10 of the frailty state assessment support system 1 of the present embodiment is provided. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cane 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of a cane 2 on which the measuring device 10 of the frailty state assessment support system 1 of the present embodiment is provided. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a V part of the cane 2 of Fig. 4. In Fig. 5, in order to easily understand the internal configuration of the cane 2, a part of the cane 2 is cut out to show the inside. In the following, the up-down direction in the normal use state of the cane 2 on which the measuring device 10 of the frailty state assessment support system 1 of the present embodiment is attached is defined as the up-down direction. In addition, the walking direction of a subject walking with the cane 2 is defined as the front side, and the front-rear direction is defined as the front-rear direction. The direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction.

[0025] 1, the frailty state evaluation support system 1 includes a measuring device 10, a frailty state evaluation support device 20, and a display device 30. The measuring device 10, the frailty state evaluation support device 20, and the display device 30 are connected to each other via a network such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0026] As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the measuring device 10 is provided on a cane 2 that a subject uses when walking in daily life. The frailty state evaluation support device 20 may be provided on the cane 2 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or may be provided at a location separate from the cane 2. In general, a configuration is adopted in which the measuring device 10 is provided on the cane 2, and the frailty state evaluation support device 20 is provided on a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet, notebook computer, or personal computer having a display device 30. The frailty state evaluation support device 20 is provided on the terminal device by installing a frailty state evaluation support program (such as an app) that realizes the operation of the frailty state evaluation support device 20.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the frailty state determination system 1 may further include a charging device 40. The charging device 40 is a device that charges the power source 16 of the measuring device 10 provided in the cane 2. The power source 16 is, for example, a rechargeable battery. The charging device 40 includes a charging base 41 having a socket 411 into which the lower end 5 of the cane 2 can be inserted. The socket 411 is formed so that the cane 2 can stand on its own on the charging base 41 when the lower end 5 of the cane 2 is inserted. The charging device 40 converts AC power supplied from a power system into DC power of a predetermined voltage and supplies the DC power to the power source 16 mounted on the cane 2. The charging device 40 can also be attached to the cane 2 provided with the measuring device 10 and the frailty state evaluation support device 20 shown in FIG. 4 in the same manner as the cane 2 shown in FIG. 3. In this configuration, the power source 16 also supplies power to the frailty state evaluation support device 20.

[0028] Hereinafter, in this embodiment, a frailty state evaluation support system 1 will be described in which a measuring device 10 is provided on a walking stick 2, and a frailty state evaluation support device 20 and a display device 30 are connected to the measuring device 10 via a network.

[0029] The measurement device 10 is a device that measures acceleration in at least one of three mutually orthogonal directions. The measurement device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 11 that can measure acceleration in at least one of the three mutually orthogonal directions. For example, an acceleration sensor, a three-axis acceleration sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), or the like is used for the measurement device 10.

[0030] The measuring device 10 is provided at the bottom end 5 (the end of the cane 2 closer to the ground) of the cane 2. The measuring device 10 is provided so as to be able to measure acceleration in at least one of three directions: the forward / backward direction in which the subject walks, the left / right direction perpendicular to the forward / backward direction in which the subject walks on a horizontal plane, and the up / down direction perpendicular to the forward / backward direction and the left / right direction.

[0031] A typical cane 2 includes a cane shaft 3 extending in the up-down direction (vertical direction) of the cane 2, and a grip 4 extending generally along a horizontal plane intersecting the cane shaft 3. In general, a subject uses the cane 2 by holding the grip 4 of the cane 2 along the front-rear direction beside the body. Therefore, the measurement device 10 is provided so as to measure acceleration in at least one of the three directions: the front-rear direction in which the grip 4 extends, the left-right direction perpendicular to the grip 4, and the up-down direction in which the cane shaft 3 extends. Note that some canes 2 include canes in which the upper end of the cane shaft 3 becomes the grip 4. In the case of such a cane 2, a mark is provided to clearly indicate the front-rear direction when the cane 2 is used, and the measurement device 10 is provided so as to measure acceleration in at least one of the three directions: the front-rear direction of the cane 2, the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction on the horizontal plane, and the up-down direction in which the cane shaft 3 extends.

[0032] The measurement device 10 thus configured measures at least one of the acceleration in the up-down direction, the acceleration in the front-back direction, and the acceleration in the left-right direction at every predetermined time. The measurement device 10 transmits the measured acceleration as acceleration data to the frailty state evaluation support device 20 via a network.

[0033] The frailty state evaluation support device 20 includes an acquisition unit 21, a feature information generation unit 22, a determination unit 23, an evaluation unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a control unit 26. The frailty state evaluation support device 20 is, for example, a computer such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer. When the frailty state evaluation support device 20 is provided in the cane 2, the frailty state evaluation support device 20 is configured with a microcomputer that is small enough to be installed in the cane 2.

[0034] The acquiring unit 21 acquires acceleration data in at least one of three mutually orthogonal directions measured by the measuring device 10 provided on the cane 2. That is, the acquiring unit 21 acquires acceleration data in at least one of the forward / backward direction which is the walking direction of the subject, the left / right direction which is orthogonal to the walking direction of the subject on the horizontal plane, and the up / down direction which is orthogonal to the forward / backward direction and the left / right direction. Specifically, the acquiring unit 21 acquires the acceleration data transmitted by the measuring device 10 via a network.

[0035] The feature information generating unit 22 generates feature information indicating features of the movement of the subject walking with the cane 2, based on the acceleration data acquired by the acquiring unit 21. Specifically, the feature information generating unit 22 performs a frequency analysis of the acceleration data acquired by the acquiring unit 21, and generates feature information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as the direction of the acceleration data, from the result of the frequency analysis. This feature information is generated based on the acceleration data measured by the measuring device 10 provided on the cane 2 used by the subject when walking, and therefore becomes feature information related to the subject's handling of the cane 2.

[0036] The determination unit 23 compares the feature information generated by the feature information generation unit 22, i.e., the average frequency or the intermediate frequency, with a preset specified value that is a criterion for determining whether or not the subject is in a frail state, and determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency is higher or lower than the specified value. In this embodiment, the determination unit 23 determines whether or not the average frequency or the intermediate frequency in the left-right direction perpendicular to the walking direction (front-back direction) of the subject on the horizontal plane is equal to or higher than the specified value, and / or whether or not the average frequency or the intermediate frequency in the front-back direction and the up-down direction, which are the walking directions of the subject, are equal to or lower than the specified value.

[0037] The evaluation unit 24 evaluates the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the determination by the determination unit 23. In addition to evaluating whether the subject is in a frail state or not, the evaluation unit 24 also evaluates whether the subject is close to a frail state, whether the subject is closer to a frail state compared to before, whether the frailty state has worsened, or whether the frailty state has improved.

[0038] The storage unit 25 stores various information, data, programs, etc. The storage unit 23 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 25 stores a specified value that is a criterion for determining whether or not a subject is in a frail state, and a frail state evaluation support program that supports the evaluation of the frail state of the subject. The storage unit 25 also stores the judgment results and evaluation results of the frail state of the subject judged and evaluated by the frail state evaluation support program. The judgment results and evaluation results of the frail state are also stored as history, including past judgment results and evaluation results.

[0039] The control unit 26 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 26 controls the operations of the acquisition unit 21, the feature information generation unit 22, the determination unit 23, the evaluation unit 24, and the storage unit 25 by executing a program.

[0040] The display device 30 is a device that displays to a subject the result of the judgment made by the judgment unit 23 and / or the result of the evaluation made by the evaluation unit 24 of the frailty state assessment support device 20. The display device 30 displays the judgment result compared with a reference value and / or the evaluation result of the frailty state using at least one of visual information such as an image or video and auditory information such as a voice or melody. The display device 30 is, for example, a television monitor, a display, a speaker, etc.

[0041] When displaying the result of the judgment by the judgment unit 23, the display device 30 preferably displays a reference line 51 indicating a specified value and points 52 indicating the upper and lower positions of the average frequency or intermediate frequency relative to the reference line 51, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 described later. At this time, the measurement date and time may be added to each point 52. Also, the average frequency or intermediate frequency measured in the past may be displayed superimposed. In this case, the color may be changed according to the measurement date and time. As a result, even if the evaluation unit 24 does not evaluate whether or not the subject is in a frail state, the subject can judge whether or not the subject is in a frail state by looking at whether or not the point 52 exceeds the reference line 51, or in the example of Figs. 9 and 10, whether the point 52 is above or below the reference line 51.

[0042] Furthermore, when the display device 30 shows the evaluation result evaluated by the evaluation unit 24, it displays, for example, words such as "You are in a frail state," "Your frail state is progressing," "Your frail state is getting worse," "There is no need to worry about your frail state," etc. Similar words may also be displayed by voice. Instead of words, a picture according to the degree of the frail state may be displayed, for example, a smiling face if the patient is not in a frail state and a crying face if the frail state is worsening.

[0043] Next, a frailty state assessment support method for supporting the assessment of a frailty state based on the frailty state assessment support system 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the frailty state assessment support method according to this embodiment. Fig. 7 is a graph showing the time change of the resultant jerk calculated by the frailty state assessment support system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the result of calculating the average frequency of a subject using the frailty state assessment support system 1 of this embodiment. Each process of the frailty state assessment support method is executed by a frailty state assessment support program stored in the frailty state assessment support device 20.

[0044] In the following, a method for supporting frailty assessment will be described in which the measurement device 10 measures acceleration in three mutually orthogonal directions, i.e., acceleration in the front-rear direction, acceleration in the left-right direction, and acceleration in the up-down direction, to support the assessment of the frailty state of a subject. Note that in the method for supporting frailty assessment, the measurement device 10 may measure at least acceleration in the left-right direction, in which the effect of the decline in the subject's physical function is most likely to be evident, to assess the frailty state of the subject.

[0045] The subject starts walking using the cane 2. The control unit 26 determines whether the subject has started walking using the cane 2 and performs a measurement start determination (S10). The measurement start determination is performed, for example, when the measuring device 10 provided on the cane 2 acquires acceleration and transmits the acceleration data to the frailty state evaluation support device 20, and the acquisition unit 21 detects that the cane 2 has landed on the ground from the acceleration data acquired.

[0046] The determination of touchdown is performed as follows. That is, the control unit 26 receives the acceleration data in three directions acquired by the acquisition unit 21 from the measurement device 10, and applies a low-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 40 Hz to the acceleration data. Then, the control unit 26 calculates the jerk by differentiating the acceleration in the up-down direction, the acceleration in the front-back direction, and the acceleration in the left-right direction, and calculates a composite jerk in the three directions from the jerk in the three directions using Equation 1.

number

[0047] The composite jerk is calculated for each predetermined time period during which acceleration is measured. With one frame being the predetermined time period, FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the number of frames and the composite jerk. As shown in FIG. 7, when the cane 2 touches the ground, the impact appears as an impulse-like waveform. The measurement starts when the composite jerk calculated by Equation 1 exceeds the predetermined value for the first time, that is, when the first impulse-like waveform is seen.

[0048] When only acceleration data in one or two of three mutually perpendicular directions is acquired, the jerk or composite jerk is calculated as follows. When acceleration data in only one direction is acquired, the jerk in the direction of the acquired acceleration data is calculated from the acceleration data in the acquired direction. When acceleration data in only two directions is acquired, the composite jerk is calculated by squaring the jerk in the direction of the acquired acceleration data, adding them together, and calculating the square root. When the cane 2 hits the ground, the calculated jerk or composite jerk appears as an impulse-like waveform due to the impact. Therefore, the measurement starts when the calculated jerk or composite jerk exceeds a predetermined value for the first time.

[0049] When measurement is started, the measurement device 10 measures acceleration in three mutually orthogonal directions (S12). Specifically, the acceleration sensor 11 of the measurement device 10 measures the acceleration in the up-down direction, the acceleration in the front-back direction, and the acceleration in the left-right direction at predetermined time intervals. The acceleration in the three directions measured by the measurement device 10 is transmitted to the frailty state evaluation support device 20 as acceleration data. The acquisition unit 21 acquires the acceleration data measured by the measurement device 10, and stores it in the storage unit 25 in association with time at predetermined time intervals.

[0050] When the subject stops walking, the control unit 26 determines whether or not the measurement has ended (S14). The determination of whether or not the measurement has ended is performed, for example, when the acceleration data transmitted from the measuring device 10 provided on the cane 2 to the frailty state assessment support device 20 reaches a constant value and it is detected that the cane 2 is not on the ground. Specifically, the measurement ends when the composite jerk calculated by Equation 1 (the jerk or composite jerk calculated in the same manner as when the measurement start determination is made in the case of acquiring only acceleration data in one or two directions) does not exceed a predetermined value for a certain period of time.

[0051] When the measurement is completed, the feature information generating unit 22 generates feature information indicating features of the motion of the subject walking with the cane 2 based on the acceleration data in three directions acquired by the acquiring unit 21 from the measuring device 10 (S16). The feature information is, for example, an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in three mutually orthogonal directions. The feature information generated by the feature information generating unit 22 is transmitted to the determining unit 23.

[0052] The process of generating feature information by the feature information generating unit 22 will be described in more detail below. In order to generate the average frequency or intermediate frequency in three mutually orthogonal directions as feature information, the feature information generating unit 22 first performs frequency analysis by fast Fourier transform on the acceleration data in three directions acquired by the acquiring unit 21, and obtains a power spectrum by transforming the time domain signal into the frequency domain. Then, the feature information generating unit 22 calculates the average frequency or intermediate frequency in the three directions from the power spectrum, which is the result of the frequency analysis. Here, the average frequency is the average value of each frequency in the power spectrum. Also, the intermediate frequency is a frequency that divides the area of ​​the power spectrum into two equal areas. In this way, the feature information generating unit 22 generates the average frequency or intermediate frequency in the three directions as feature information. Note that the frequency analysis method may be a wavelet transform instead of a fast Fourier transform, or another frequency analysis method may be used. Also, when acceleration data in one or two directions is acquired, feature information including the average frequency or intermediate frequency in the same direction as the direction of the acquired acceleration data may be generated.

[0053] When the determination unit 23 receives the feature information from the feature information generating unit 22, it reads out a preset specified value stored in the storage unit 25, and compares the feature information with the specified value to determine whether the feature information is higher or lower than the specified value (S18). In this embodiment, it determines whether the average frequency or intermediate frequency is higher or lower than the specified value based on feature information consisting of an average frequency or an intermediate frequency. The determination result determined by the determination unit 23 is stored in the storage unit 25. In addition, the determination result determined by the determination unit 23 is transmitted to the evaluation unit 24 and the display device 30.

[0054] The process of the determination unit 23 for making the determination will be specifically described below. FIG. 8 shows the determination result determined by the determination unit 23. In FIG. 8, a plurality of (3) frail subjects and a plurality of (5) non-frail subjects walk multiple times, and the average frequency is calculated for each subject. Then, the average value of the average frequency is calculated for each subject from the average frequency of each walking motion, and the average value of the average frequency of each of the frail subject group and the non-frail subject group is calculated. The calculation of the average frequency is performed for each of the vertical average frequency, horizontal average frequency, and front-back average frequency directions, and the average frequency of each direction is shown.

[0055] As can be seen from FIG. 8, among the average frequency in the up-down direction, the average frequency in the left-right direction, and the average frequency in the front-back direction, the difference between subjects who are not frail and subjects who are frail is most evident in the average frequency in the left-right direction. Therefore, the average frequency in the left-right direction should be used first as an index for evaluating the frail state. This is because, when the subject's physical function deteriorates due to frailty, the balance in the direction perpendicular to the walking direction (left-right direction) becomes extremely poor, and the cane 2 swings significantly in the left-right direction. For this reason, when comparing the average frequency in the left-right direction with the specified value, it is determined whether the average frequency in the left-right direction is equal to or greater than the specified value. The same applies when the intermediate frequency is used instead of the average frequency.

[0056] As can be seen from Figure 8, the average frequency in the vertical direction and the average frequency in the front-to-back direction also differs between subjects who are not frail and those who are frail. In other words, the average frequency in the vertical direction or the average frequency in the front-to-back direction can also be used as an index for evaluating the frailty state. This is thought to be because when a subject's physical function declines due to frailty, the cane 2 swings less in the vertical and front-to-back directions than in subjects who are not frail. For this reason, when comparing the average frequency in the vertical and front-to-back directions with the specified value, it is determined whether the average frequency in the vertical or front-to-back directions is equal to or lower than the specified value. The same applies when the intermediate frequency is used instead of the average frequency.

[0057] When the evaluation unit 24 receives the judgment result from the judgment unit 23, it evaluates the frailty state of the subject (S20). When the average frequency or intermediate frequency in the left-right direction is equal to or greater than a specified value, or when the average frequency or intermediate frequency in the up-down direction or the front-back direction is equal to or less than a specified value, the evaluation unit 24 evaluates the subject as being in a frail state. In addition, when the subject walks multiple times, the evaluation unit 24 may evaluate the subject as not being in a frail state but approaching a frail state depending on how many times the average frequency or intermediate frequency of each time was equal to or greater than a specified value or less than a specified value. In addition, the evaluation unit 24 may evaluate the subject's frailty state as improved or worsened, in comparison with the past evaluation results of the subject stored in the storage unit 25. The evaluation results evaluated by the evaluation unit 24 are stored in the storage unit 25. In addition, the evaluation results evaluated by the evaluation unit 24 are transmitted to the display device 30.

[0058] When the judgment and evaluation of the subject's frailty state is completed, the judgment result judged by the judgment unit 23 and the evaluation result evaluated by the evaluation unit 24 are displayed on the display device 30 (S22). The judgment result indicates whether the subject's characteristic information is above or below a specified value. The evaluation result indicates whether the subject is in a frail state or not. At this time, the current judgment result and evaluation result may be compared with the previous judgment result and evaluation result to indicate whether the frailty state has improved, whether there is no change in the frailty state, or whether the frailty state has worsened. The subject checks the judgment result and evaluation result of the frailty state displayed on the display device 30. EXAMPLES

[0059] Next, the frailty state evaluation support system 1 according to the above embodiment will be specifically described with reference to examples.

[0060] In this example, the frailty state is evaluated based on the average frequency in the direction perpendicular to the walking direction of the subject (left and right direction) using the frailty state evaluation support system 1 of the above embodiment. Here, four subjects who are frail (subject A, subject B, subject C, subject D) and four subjects who are not frail (subject E, subject F, subject G, subject H) are asked to walk five times each using a cane 2 equipped with the measuring device 10 of the frailty state evaluation support system 1, and their frailty state is evaluated.

[0061] Subjects A to H walked using a cane 2, and the average frequency in the left-right direction was calculated as described in the above embodiment. The calculation results are shown in Fig. 9, Fig. 10, Tables 1 and 2. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the experimental results of the example, illustrating the average frequency of subjects who are in a frail state. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the experimental results of the example, illustrating the average frequency of subjects who are not in a frail state. Table 1 shows the average frequency of subjects who are in a frail state. Table 2 shows the average frequency of subjects who are not in a frail state.

[0062] [Table 1]

[0063] [Table 2]

[0064] In general, when the elderly's physical function declines due to frailty, their balance in the left-right direction worsens. Therefore, the body sways left and right when walking, and the swaying is transmitted to the cane 2, and the average frequency in the left-right direction of the cane 2 increases. Depending on the walking movement of the subject, the swaying may or may not be noticeable, so if more than half of the five times, three times, are equal to or greater than the specified value, the subject is evaluated as being in a frail state. In this embodiment, the specified value of the average frequency is set to 5.5 Hz. Based on this, referring to the results of Figures 9, 10, Tables 1 and 2, it can be seen that the subjects A to D who are in a frail state have at least three or more cases in which the average frequency is 5.5 Hz or more, and the subjects E to H who are not in a frail state have at most two cases in which the average frequency is 5.5 Hz or more, and it can be confirmed that the frail state can be determined.

[0065] For Subject B (5 / 5) and Subject C (4 / 5), the results show a high number of times above the prescribed value, and it can be determined that their frailty has progressed considerably. In contrast, for Subject A (3 / 5) and Subject D (3 / 5), the results show a slightly high number of times above the prescribed value, and it can be determined that their frailty is progressing. For Subject H (0 / 5), the results show that the number of times above the prescribed value is zero, and it can be determined that there is no need to worry about frailty at all.

[0066] As described above, in the frailty state evaluation support system 1 and the frailty state evaluation support device 20 of the present invention, the measuring device 10 is attached to the cane 2 used by the subject when walking, and characteristic information regarding the handling of the cane 2 when the subject walks is generated based on the acceleration measured by the measuring device 10 of the cane 2. Then, based on the generated characteristic information, it is evaluated whether the subject is frail or not. In this way, since the frailty state can be evaluated only with the measuring device 10 attached to the cane 2, it is possible to measure the walking state of the subject and evaluate the frailty state without wearing the measuring device 10 on the subject. As a result, not only can the measurement be easily performed in daily life, but even when the measurement is performed as a test, the subject can walk relaxed as in daily life, and the frailty state of the subject can be evaluated more accurately.

[0067] Furthermore, in the frailty state evaluation support method of the present invention, the average frequency or intermediate frequency that most accurately reflects the handling state of the subject's cane 2 is used as feature information and is an index for evaluating the frailty state. This makes it possible to evaluate the frailty state of the subject simply by determining whether the average frequency or intermediate frequency is equal to or lower than a specified value or equal to or higher than a specified value, thereby making it possible to accurately and easily evaluate the frailty state of the subject.

[0068] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0069] For example, in the above embodiment, the frailty state assessment support system 1 and the frailty state assessment support device 20 include the evaluation unit 24, and the frailty state assessment support method evaluates the frailty state of the subject, but the present invention does not necessarily have to have this configuration. That is, the frailty state assessment support system 1 and the frailty state assessment support device 20 do not have to include the evaluation unit 24. In this case, only the determination result determined by the determination unit 23 is displayed on the display device 30. In this case, the subject, a medical professional, an examiner, or the like looks at the determination result compared with the reference value and self-evaluates whether or not the subject is in a frail state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1. Frailty status assessment support system 2. Cane 10. Measurement Equipment 20 Frailty status assessment support device 21 Acquisition Department 22 Feature information generation unit 23 Judgment section 24 Evaluation Section 30 Display device 51 Reference Line 52 points

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires acceleration data in at least one direction among three mutually orthogonal directions measured by a measuring device provided on the walking stick; a feature information generating unit that generates feature information indicating features of a motion of a subject walking with a cane based on the acquired acceleration data; a determination unit that compares the generated feature information with a preset specified value and determines whether the feature information is higher or lower than the specified value, the characteristic information generating unit performs a frequency analysis of the acceleration data acquired by the acquiring unit, and generates characteristic information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as a direction of the acceleration data from a result of the frequency analysis; The frailty state evaluation support device, characterized in that the judgment unit judges whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency generated by the feature information generation unit is higher or lower than the specified value.

2. The acquisition unit acquires the acceleration data in a left-right direction perpendicular to a walking direction of the subject, among three directions perpendicular to each other, The frailty state evaluation support device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency in the left-right direction generated by the feature information generation unit is equal to or greater than a specified value.

3. The acquisition unit acquires the acceleration data in three directions perpendicular to each other, The frailty state assessment support device according to claim 2, characterized in that the determination unit further determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency in the forward / backward direction and the upward / downward direction, which are the walking directions of the subject, generated by the feature information generation unit, is equal to or lower than a specified value.

4. The frailty state assessment support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an assessment unit for assessing the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment made by the assessment unit.

5. A frailty state assessment support device, a measuring device provided on the cane, measuring acceleration in at least one of three mutually orthogonal directions and transmitting the measured acceleration data to the frailty state evaluation support device; The frailty state evaluation support device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires the acceleration data measured by the measurement device; a feature information generating unit that generates feature information indicating features of a motion of a subject walking with a cane based on the acquired acceleration data; a determination unit that compares the generated feature information with a preset specified value and determines whether the feature information is higher or lower than the specified value, the characteristic information generating unit performs a frequency analysis of the acceleration data acquired by the acquiring unit, and generates characteristic information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as a direction of the acceleration data from a result of the frequency analysis; The frailty state evaluation support system is characterized in that the determination unit determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency generated by the feature information generation unit is higher or lower than the specified value.

6. The frailty state assessment support system according to claim 5 , wherein the frailty state assessment support device is provided on a walking stick on which the measuring device is provided.

7. A display device that displays the result of the determination by the determination unit is further provided, The frailty state assessment support system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the display device displays the result determined by the determination unit using a reference line indicating a specified value and points indicating the upper and lower positions of the average frequency or the intermediate frequency relative to the reference line.

8. The frailty state assessment support device further includes an assessment unit that assesses the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment by the assessment unit, The frailty state assessment support system according to claim 7 , wherein the display device displays the results of the assessment made by the assessment unit.

9. acquiring acceleration data in at least one of three mutually orthogonal directions measured by a measuring device provided on the walking stick; generating characteristic information indicating characteristics of a movement of the subject walking with a cane based on the acquired acceleration data; and comparing the generated characteristic information with a preset specified value to determine whether the characteristic information is higher or lower than the specified value. The step of generating feature information includes performing a frequency analysis on the acceleration data acquired in the step of acquiring acceleration data, and generating feature information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as a direction of the acceleration data from a result of the frequency analysis, A frailty state assessment support method, characterized in that the determining step determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency generated in the generating step of the feature information is higher or lower than the specified value.

10. The frailty state assessment support method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of evaluating the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment in the assessing step.

11. On the computer, acquiring acceleration data in at least one of three mutually orthogonal directions measured by a measuring device provided on the walking stick; generating characteristic information indicating characteristics of a movement of the subject walking with a cane based on the acquired acceleration data; and comparing the generated characteristic information with a preset specified value to determine whether the characteristic information is higher or lower than the preset value; The step of generating feature information includes performing a frequency analysis on the acceleration data acquired in the step of acquiring acceleration data, and generating feature information including an average frequency or an intermediate frequency in the same direction as a direction of the acceleration data from a result of the frequency analysis, A frailty state assessment support program, characterized in that the determining step determines whether the average frequency or the intermediate frequency generated in the generating step of the feature information is higher or lower than the specified value.

12. On the computer, The frailty state assessment support program according to claim 11, further comprising a step of evaluating the frailty state of the subject based on the result of the assessment in the assessing step.

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