Microbial analysis system and microbial analysis method

Abstract

To solve the problem that a conventional microbial detection method requires expert operation and dedicated equipment, the method therefore sometimes takes time and effort.SOLUTION: A microbial analysis system 1 is a microbial analysis system 1 which estimates the presence / absence or abundance of a target microorganism 212 in a target space SP, and comprises a first information acquisition unit 20 and a control unit 40. The first information acquisition unit 20 acquires first information 21 regarding the target space SP, which is information different from the presence / absence and abundance of the target microorganism 212 itself. The control unit 40 estimates the presence / absence or abundance of the target microorganism 212 in the target space SP based on the first information 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a microorganism analysis system and a microorganism analysis method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, microorganisms are detected by obtaining genomic material or DNA from the microorganism, amplifying it, and identifying specific regions of the genomic material or DNA (Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 2020-529869)). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, conventional methods for detecting microorganisms have the drawback that they require expert operation and specialized equipment, which can be time-consuming and laborious. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A microorganism analysis system according to a first aspect is a microorganism analysis system that estimates the presence or absence or the amount of a target microorganism in a target space, and includes a first information acquisition unit and a control unit. The first information acquisition unit acquires first information about the target space, which is information different from the presence or absence and the amount of the target microorganism itself. The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism in the target space based on the first information.

[0005] This microorganism analysis system does not require 100% testing, which reduces the effort and costs required for testing.

[0006] A microorganism analysis system according to a second aspect is the system according to the first aspect, in which the first information is environmental information of a target space. The environmental information is information about an amount of a sample collected from the target space, which is highly correlated with the amount of the target microorganism present.

[0007] In this microbial analysis system, the amount of a sample, which has a high correlation with the amount of a target microorganism present, is used as environmental information, making it possible to estimate the presence of a target microorganism based on the environment surrounding the target microorganism.

[0008] A microorganism analysis system according to a third aspect is the system according to the first aspect, wherein the first information includes either information about a representative microorganism that is present in the target space simultaneously with the target microorganism, or information about a representative microorganism that suppresses the presence of the target microorganism. The information about the representative microorganism includes the presence or absence or the abundance of the representative microorganism in the target space. The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the abundance of the target microorganism based on the information about the representative microorganism as the first information.

[0009] In this microbial analysis system, even if a target microorganism is difficult to measure, it is possible to infer the presence of the target microorganism from the relationship between the representative microorganism that is easy to measure and the target microorganism.

[0010] A microorganism analysis system according to a fourth aspect is the system according to the third aspect, in which the target microorganisms include microorganisms that adhere to a filter that collects suspended matter in the target space.

[0011] This microorganism analysis system can estimate the presence of target microorganisms attached to the filter.

[0012] A microorganism analysis system according to a fifth aspect is the system according to the third or fourth aspect, further comprising an image analysis unit. The image analysis unit identifies the microorganisms based on their shapes. The representative microorganisms are of a size that can be identified by image analysis by the image analysis unit.

[0013] In this microbial analysis system, the image analysis unit identifies representative microorganisms that are relatively large in size, making it easy to estimate the presence of target microorganisms, even if the target microorganisms can only be analyzed by culture methods.

[0014] A microbial analysis system according to the sixth aspect is a system according to the third or fourth aspect, in which the representative microorganism is a microorganism that can be cultured or subjected to a PCR reaction more safely than the target microorganism in terms of the safety index indicated by the biosafety level (BSL), or a microorganism that can be cultured or subjected to a PCR reaction more quickly than the target microorganism.

[0015] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of a target microorganism can be easily estimated by culturing or PCR-reacting a representative microorganism more safely and quickly than the target microorganism.

[0016] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a microorganism analysis system according to any one of the third to sixth aspects, further comprising a correspondence information storage unit. The correspondence information storage unit stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism. The control unit further estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism based on the correspondence information.

[0017] In this microorganism analysis system, the presence of a target microorganism can be easily predicted using information on the representative microorganism and information on the corresponding relationship between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism.

[0018] The microorganism analysis system of an eighth aspect is the system of the seventh aspect, in which the correspondence information storage unit acquires, from a machine learning device that learns the correspondence between target microorganisms and representative microorganisms, correspondence information that is a result of learning by the machine learning device, and stores it. The control unit estimates the presence or absence or abundance of the target microorganism from the presence or absence or abundance of the representative microorganism based on the results of the correspondence information.

[0019] This microbial analysis system can accurately estimate the presence of representative microorganisms based on the results of learning by the machine learning device.

[0020] A ninth aspect of the microorganism analysis system is the system according to any one of the third aspect to the eighth aspect, in which the representative microorganism is one or more types selected from the group consisting of fungi, bacteria, pollen, and viruses.

[0021] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of a target microorganism can be easily estimated by using a predetermined representative microorganism.

[0022] A microbial analysis system of a tenth aspect is a system of the seventh or eighth aspect, in which the correspondence information includes at least one correspondence between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism, in which the target microorganism and the representative microorganism are either a first fungus and a second fungus, a first bacterium and a second bacterium, a first pollen and a second pollen, or a first virus and a second virus.

[0023] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of the target microorganism can be estimated even when the target microorganism and the representative microorganism are included in the same group of microorganisms.

[0024] A microorganism analysis system of an eleventh aspect is a system of the seventh or eighth aspect, in which the correspondence information includes at least one correspondence where, when the target microorganism is a fungus, the representative microorganism is either a bacterium, pollen or a virus, when the target microorganism is a bacterium, the representative microorganism is either a fungus, pollen or a virus, when the target microorganism is pollen, the representative microorganism is either a fungus, bacterium or a virus, and when the target microorganism is a virus, the representative microorganism is either a fungus, bacterium or a virus.

[0025] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of the target microorganism can be estimated even if the target microorganism and the representative microorganism belong to different groups of microorganisms.

[0026] A twelfth aspect of the present invention relates to a microorganism analysis system according to any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, in which the fungus is selected from the group consisting of fungi of the genus Aspergillus, fungi of the genus Nigrospora, fungi of the genus Cladosporium, fungi of the genus Fusarium, fungi of the genus Alternaria, fungi of the genus Schizophyllum, fungi of the genus Penicillium, fungi of the genus Epicoccum, fungi of the genus Hortaea, fungi of the genus Eupenidiella, fungi of the genus Chaetomium, fungi of the genus Trametes, and fungi of the genus Pseudopithomyces. Fungi of the genus Toxicocladosporium, Peniophora, Talaromyces, Didymella, Pleurotus, Wallemia, Curvularia, Loweporus, Periconia, Candida ida fungi, Gibberella fungi, Auricularia fungi, Malassezia fungi, Naganishia fungi, Neurospora fungi, Ganoderma fungi, Engyodontium fungi, Ustilaginoidea fungi, Peroneutypa fungi, Fungi of the genus Flammulina, Filobasidium, Cercospora, Hannaella, Coprinopsis, Irpex, Phlebia, Pyronema, Microascus, Sterigmatomyces,Fungi of the genus Trichosporon, Spissiomyces, Botrytis, Rhodotorula, Stachybotrys, Fibroporia, Bjerkandera, Phanerochete, Emmia, and Coprinellus , and at least one selected from the group consisting of fungi of the genus Trechispora, fungi of the genus Acremonium, fungi of the genus Aureobasidium, fungi of the genus Lopharia, fungi of the genus Heterochaete, fungi of the genus Cutaneotrichosporon, fungi of the genus Aplosporella, and fungi of the genus Eutypella.

[0027] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of a target microorganism can be easily estimated by using a specific fungus as a representative microorganism.

[0028] A thirteenth aspect of the microbial analysis system is a system according to any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, wherein the bacteria comprises one or more species selected from the group consisting of Streptococcus bacteria, Acinetobacter bacteria, Alcaligenaceae bacteria, Pseudomonas bacteria, Paracoccus bacteria, Sphingomonas bacteria, Corynebacterium bacteria, Staphylococcus bacteria, Haemophilus bacteria, Parvum, Clostridium botulinum, and Chlamydia psittacosis.

[0029] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of a target microorganism can be easily estimated by using a specific bacterium as a representative microorganism.

[0030] A microbial analysis system according to a fourteenth aspect is the system according to any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, in which the pollen is selected from the group consisting of Humulus pollen, Boehmeria pollen, Acalypha pollen, Magnolia pollen, Artemisia pollen, Cucumis pollen, Astragalus pollen, and Pou pollen. The pollen includes at least one species selected from the group consisting of pollen of the genus Zolzia, pollen of the genus Osmanthus, pollen of the genus Triticum, pollen of the genus Citrullus, pollen of the genus Podocarpus, pollen of the genus Digitaria, pollen of the genus Funaria, pollen of the genus Solanum, pollen of the genus Allium, and pollen of the genus Glycine.

[0031] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of target microorganisms can be easily estimated by using a specific pollen as a representative microorganism.

[0032] A microbial analysis system of a fifteenth aspect is a system of any one of the ninth aspect to the eleventh aspect, wherein the virus includes one or more types selected from the group consisting of influenza virus, monkeypox virus, rabies virus, dengue virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus.

[0033] In this microbial analysis system, the presence of a target microorganism can be easily estimated by using a specific virus as a representative microorganism.

[0034] A microbial analysis system of a sixteenth aspect is a system of any one of the third to fifteenth aspects, in which the relationship between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism is such that there is a negative correlation between the target microorganism which is any one of the fungi of the genus Gibberella, Nigrospora, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Periconia, Alternaria, Penicillium, Filobasidium, or Pleurotus, and the representative microorganism which is a fungus of the genus Aspergillus. There is a positive correlation between the target microorganisms that are Penicillium fungi or Nigrospora fungi and the representative microorganisms that are Boehmeria pollen. There is a positive correlation between the target microorganisms that are Corynebacterium bacteria or Alternaria fungi and the representative microorganisms that are Humulus pollen. There is a positive correlation between the target microorganisms that are Enhydrobacter bacteria and the representative microorganisms that are Tramaetes fungi, Chaetomiun fungi, or Boehmeria pollen. Among the target microorganisms or representative microorganisms, Staphylococcus bacteria, Gibberella fungi, Cladosporium fungi, Cercospora fungi, and Curvularia fungi are positively correlated with each other. Streptococcus bacteria, Haemophilus bacteria, Solanum pollen, and Cucumis pollen are positively correlated with each other.

[0035] This microbial analysis system can estimate the presence of a target microorganism in a plurality of combinations of the target microorganism and a representative microorganism.

[0036] A microorganism analysis system according to a seventeenth aspect is the system according to the seventh aspect, wherein the control unit creates the correspondence information by machine learning.

[0037] In this microbial analysis system, the correspondence information can be easily created by creating the correspondence information through machine learning.

[0038] A microorganism analysis system according to an eighteenth aspect is the system according to the first aspect, wherein the first information is operational status information relating to an operational status of an air-conditioning device installed in the target space. The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism based on the operational status information as the first information.

[0039] In this microorganism analysis system, the presence of target microorganisms can be easily estimated using information on the operational status of the air conditioning device.

[0040] A microbial analysis system according to a nineteenth aspect is the system according to the eighteenth aspect, in which the first information is information relating to a correspondence relationship between an operational state of the air conditioning device and the type and abundance of the representative microorganism. The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the abundance of the target microorganism based on the first information, which is information relating to the correspondence relationship between the operational state of the air conditioning device and the type and abundance of the representative microorganism.

[0041] In this microorganism analysis system, the presence of target microorganisms can be easily estimated by using information regarding the correspondence between the operational state of the air conditioning apparatus and the type and abundance of representative microorganisms.

[0042] A microbial analysis system of a twentieth aspect is a system of the eighteenth or nineteenth aspect, wherein the operating status of the air conditioning unit includes at least one of the operating time, operating mode, air volume, set temperature, set humidity, intake air temperature, and intake air humidity of the air conditioning unit, and a non-cleaning period of the air conditioning unit.

[0043] With this microorganism analysis system, the presence of the target microorganism can be easily estimated even when the presence of the target microorganism changes depending on the operating state of the air conditioning device.

[0044] A microbial analysis system according to a twenty-first aspect is a system according to any one of the third to eighteenth aspects, in which the first information is target space-related information of the target space. The target space-related information includes at least one of the following information: the climate, weather, geographical features, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the location where the target space exists, the characteristics of the building including the target space, and the family structure of the residents in the target space. The control unit further uses the target space-related information as the first information to estimate the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism.

[0045] In this microorganism analysis system, by further using the target space-related information, the presence of the target microorganism in the target space can be easily estimated.

[0046] A microbial analysis method according to a twenty-second aspect is a microbial analysis method for estimating the presence or absence or the amount of a target microorganism in a target space. The presence or absence or the amount of a target microorganism in the target space is estimated based on first information about the target space, which is information different from the presence or absence and the amount of the target microorganism itself.

[0047] This microbial analysis method does not require 100% testing, which reduces the effort and costs required for testing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0048] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a microorganism analysis system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between fungi, bacteria, and pollen. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows an example of a fungus having a negative correlation with Aspergillus fungi. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of a microorganism analysis system. [Diagram 5]FIG. 1 shows an example of relative ratios of fungal abundance by city. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 shows an example of relative ratios of fungal abundance. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a heat map showing the ratio of fungal abundance by season. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a heat map showing the ratio of fungal abundance by city. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a heat map showing the ratio of fungal abundance by region. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between bacterial diversity and non-cleaning periods. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of another microorganism analysis system. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of another microorganism analysis system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0049] (1) Overall configuration of the microbial analysis system A microorganism analysis system 1 of this embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. The microorganism analysis system 1 collects, as a sample, microorganisms 210 attached to a filter 101 of an air conditioning device 100 installed in a target space (indoor space) SP included in a structure such as a house, a building, a factory, or a public facility, using a sampling device 200, and analyzes the microorganisms 210 using a photographed image 301 of the microorganisms 210 photographed by an imaging device 300.

[0050] The microorganism analysis system 1 is realized by a computer, and includes an image analysis section 10, a first information acquisition section 20, a correspondence relationship information storage section 30, and a control section 40.

[0051] (2) Detailed configuration of the microbial analysis system (2-1) Image analysis section The image analysis unit 10 acquires a photographed image 301 of the microorganism 210 photographed by the photographing device 300 , and identifies the microorganism 210 based on the shape of the microorganism 210 .

[0052] The microorganisms 210 include representative microorganisms 211 and target microorganisms 212. The representative microorganisms 211 are one or more types selected from the group consisting of fungi, bacteria, pollen, and viruses. The target microorganisms 211 are microorganisms whose presence or absence or the amount of the microorganisms present in the target space SP is to be understood.

[0053] Representative microorganism 211 has a size that can be distinguished by image analysis by image analysis unit 10. The size of representative microorganism 211 is preferably 0.2 μm or more, and more preferably 2 μm or more. 0.2 μm is the same as the limit value that can be seen with an optical microscope. 2 μm is the same as the size that can be confirmed at a practical magnification of an optical microscope (approximately 1000 times). Most fungi are approximately 2 μm or more in size. Most bacteria are 1 μm or less in size. In particular, fungi and pollen have large particle diameters and can be distinguished by image analysis, so they are preferably used as representative microorganism 211.

[0054] The target microorganisms 212 include microorganisms that adhere to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 that has captured suspended matter in the target space SP.

[0055] (2-1-1) Fungi The fungi include fungi of the genus Aspergillus, Nigrospora, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Alternaria, Schizophyllum, Penicillium, Epicoccum, Hortaea, Eupenidiella, Chaetomium, Trametes, Pseudopithomyces, Toxicoclados, and the like. Fungi of the genus Toxicocladosporium, fungi of the genus Peniophora, fungi of the genus Talaromyces, fungi of the genus Didymella, fungi of the genus Pleurotus fungi, fungi of the genus Wallemia, fungi of the genus Curvularia, fungi of the genus Loweporus, fungi of the genus Periconia, fungi of the genus Candida, fungi of the genus Gibberella Fungi, Auricularia fungi, Malassezia fungi, Naganishia fungi, Neurospora fungi, Ganoderma fungi, Engyodontium fungi, Ustilaginoidea fungi, Peroneutypa fungi, Flammulina fungi, Filoba sidium fungi, Cercospora fungi, Hannaella fungi, Coprinopsis fungi, Irpex fungi, Phlebia fungi, Pyronema fungi, Microascus fungi, Sterigmatomyces fungi, Trichosporon fungi, Spissiomyces fungi,Fungi of the genus Botrytis, Rhodotorula, Stachybotrys, Fibroporia, Bjerkandera, Phanerochete, Emmia, Coprinellus, Trechispora, The fungus includes one or more fungi selected from the group consisting of fungi of the genus Acremonium, fungi of the genus Aureobasidium, fungi of the genus Lopharia, fungi of the genus Heterochaete, fungi of the genus Cutaneotrichosporon, fungi of the genus Aplosporella, and fungi of the genus Eutypella.

[0056] The fungus may include one or more species selected from the group consisting of fungi of the genus Clanostachys, fungi of the class Sordariomycetes, fungi of the genus Amphobotrys, fungi of the genus Dokmaya, and fungi of the genus Bipolaris.

[0057] (2-1-2) Pollen The pollen includes at least one species selected from the group consisting of Humulus pollen, Boehmeria pollen, Acalypha pollen, Magnolia pollen, Artemisia pollen, Cucumis pollen, Astragalus pollen, Pouzolzia pollen, Osmanthus pollen, Triticum pollen, Citrullus pollen, Podocarpus pollen, Digitaria pollen, Funaria pollen, Solanum pollen, Allium pollen, and Glycine pollen.

[0058] The pollen may include one or more species selected from the group consisting of Astragalus pollen, Ulmus pollen, Brassica pollen, Dinebra pollen, and Streptophyta pollen.

[0059] (2-1-3) Bacteria The bacteria include one or more species selected from the group consisting of Streptococcus, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenaceae, Pseudomonas, Paracoccus, Sphingomonas, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Haemophilus, Parvum, Clostridium botulinum, and Chlamydia psittacosis.

[0060] The bacteria may include one or more species selected from the group consisting of mitochondria, chloroplasts, Brevundimonas bacteria, Prebotella bacteria, Micrococcus bacteria, Roseomonas bacteria, Craurococcus.Caldobatus bacteria, Allorhizobium bacteria, Neisseria bacteria, Skermanella bacteria, Enhydrobactor bacteria, Cutibacterium bacteria, and Lactobacillus bacteria. The bacteria may also include one or more species selected from the group consisting of Acinetobacter bacteria, Craurococcus-Caldovatus bacteria (pathogens), and Lactocacillus (good bacteria).

[0061] (2-1-4) Virus The virus includes one or more viruses selected from the group consisting of influenza virus, monkeypox virus, rabies virus, dengue virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus.

[0062] (2-2) 1st information acquisition section The first information acquisition section 20 acquires first information 21 regarding the target space SP, which is information different from the presence / absence and abundance of the target microorganisms 212 themselves.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first information acquisition unit 20 acquires the first information 21 from the analysis result of the captured image 301 by the image analysis unit 10. The first information 21 includes either information on the representative microorganism 211 that is present in the target space SP simultaneously with the target microorganism 212, or information on the representative microorganism 211 that suppresses the presence of the target microorganism 212. The information on the representative microorganism 211 includes the presence or absence or the amount of the representative microorganism 211 in the target space SP.

[0064] (2-3) Correspondence information storage unit The correspondence information storage unit 30 stores correspondence information 31 indicating the correspondence between the target microorganisms 212 and the representative microorganisms 211 .

[0065] The correspondence relationship information 31 includes information on whether the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 have a positive correlation or a negative correlation. When the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 have a positive correlation, the target microorganism 212 is considered to be present when the representative microorganism 211 is present. When the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 have a negative correlation, the presence of the representative microorganism 211 is considered to suppress the presence of the target microorganism 212.

[0066] In this embodiment, correspondence relationship information 31 regarding the correspondence between the representative microorganisms 211 and the target microorganisms 212 is acquired in advance and stored in the correspondence relationship information storage unit 30.

[0067] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between fungi, bacteria, and pollen.

[0068] The fungi listed in Figure 2 are the genus Aspergillus, Nigrospora, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Schizophyllum, Penicillium, Chaetomium, Trametes, Pseudopithomyces, Toxicocladosporium, and the genus Toxicocladosporium. The 20 species are: fungi of the genus xicocladosporium, fungi of the genus Curvularia, fungi of the genus Candida, fungi of the genus Gibberella, fungi of the genus Ganoderma, fungi of the genus Cercospora, fungi of the genus Clanostachys, fungi of the class Sordariomycetes, fungi of the genus Amphobotrys, fungi of the genus Dokmaya, and fungi of the genus Bipolaris.

[0069] Among these, fungi of the genus Aspergillus, Nigrospora, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Penicillium, Curvularia, Cercospora, and Bipolaris are potentially harmful fungi.

[0070] In addition, the bacteria listed in Figure 2 include Paracoccus bacteria, Sphingomonas bacteria, Corynebacterium bacteria, Staphylococcus bacteria, Haemophilus bacteria, Streptococcus bacteria, Mitochondria, Chlopoplast, Brevundimonas bacteria, Prebotella The 19 species are: Bacteria of the genera Micrococcus, Roseomonas, Craurococcus.Caldobatus, Allorhizobium, Neisseria, Skermanella, Enhydrobactor, Cutibacterium, and Lactobacillus.

[0071] Among these, the genus Sphingomonas, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Haemophilus, Streptococcus, Brevundimonas, Prebotella, Roseomonas, Craurococcus.Caldobatus, Allorhizobium, Neisseria, Skermanella, and Enhydrobactor are potentially harmful bacteria.

[0072] The pollen grains listed in Figure 2 include Humulus pollen, Boehmeria pollen, Acalypha pollen, Magnolia pollen, Artemisia pollen, Cucumis pollen, Astragalus pollen, Pouzolzia pollen, Osmanthus pollen, and wheat (T The 20 species are: Citrullus pollen, Podocarpus pollen, Digitaria pollen, Funaria pollen, Solanum pollen, Allium pollen, Ulmus pollen, Brassica pollen, Dinebra pollen, and Streptophyta pollen.

[0073] Of these, Humulus pollen, Artemisia pollen, Solanum pollen, and Ulmus pollen are potentially harmful pollens.

[0074] For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the relationship between the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 is such that the target microorganism 212, which is a fungus of the genus Penicillium or Nigrospora, and the representative microorganism 211, which is pollen of the genus Boehmeria, have a positive correlation.

[0075] Furthermore, there is a positive correlation between the target microorganism 212, which is a bacterium of the genus Corynebacterium or a fungus of the genus Alternaria, and the representative microorganism 211, which is Humulus pollen.

[0076] There is a positive correlation between the target microorganism 212, which is a bacterium of the genus Enhydrobacter, and the representative microorganism 211, which is any one of a fungus of the genus Tramaetes, a fungus of the genus Chaetomiun, or pollen of the genus Boehmeria.

[0077] Among the target microorganisms 212 or representative microorganisms 211, Staphylococcus bacteria, Gibberella fungi, Cladosporium fungi, Cercospora fungi, and Curvularia fungi are positively correlated with each other. Streptococcus bacteria, Haemophilus bacteria, Solanum pollen, and Cucumis pollen are positively correlated with each other.

[0078] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a fungus having a negative correlation with the fungus of the genus Aspergillus. As shown in Fig. 3, for example, the relationship between the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 is such that the target microorganism 212, which is any one of the fungi of the genus Gibberella, Nigrospora, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Periconia, Alternaria, Penicillium, Filobasidium, and Pleurotus, and the representative microorganism 211, which is a fungus of the genus Aspergillus, have a negative correlation.

[0079] (2-4) Control section The control unit 40 is realized by a computer. The control unit 40 includes a control arithmetic device and a storage device (not shown). The control arithmetic device can be a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The control arithmetic device reads out a program stored in the storage device, and performs predetermined image processing and arithmetic processing according to the program. Furthermore, the control arithmetic device can write the results of the calculations to the storage device and read out information stored in the storage device according to the program. The storage device can be used as a database.

[0080] The control unit 40 estimates the presence / absence or abundance of the target microorganism 212 in the target space SP based on the first information 21. The control unit 40 estimates the presence / absence or abundance of the target microorganism 212 based on information on the representative microorganism 211 as the first information 21. In this embodiment, the control unit 40 further estimates the presence / absence or abundance of the target microorganism 212 based on the correspondence relationship information 31.

[0081] (3) Overall operation of the microbiological analysis system An example of the processing of the microorganism analysis system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0082] In step S101, the image analysis unit 10 acquires a captured image 301 captured by the imaging device 300. In this embodiment, the captured image 301 of the microorganisms 210 collected as a sample by the sampling device 200 is acquired from the filter 101 of the air conditioning device 100 installed in the target space SP.

[0083] The sampling device 200 immerses the filter 101 cut to a predetermined size in an elution liquid to elute the microorganisms 210 adhering to the filter 101 and collect them as a sample. The elution liquid is, for example, phosphate buffered saline (PBS-T). The sampling device 200 is, for example, a 10 cm 2 The size and number of filters 101 used by the sampling device 200 are not limited to this.

[0084] The imaging device 300 captures an image of the microorganisms 210 collected as a sample from the filter 101. For example, a JIS B7271 (portable microorganism observation device) is used as the imaging device 300. The imaging device 300 is not limited to this.

[0085] In step S102, the image analysis unit 10 identifies the microorganism 210 using the photographed image 301 of the microorganism 210 acquired in step S1.

[0086] In this embodiment, the image analysis unit 10 identifies representative microorganisms 211 that are of a size that can be identified by image analysis from among the microorganisms 210 collected as a sample from the filter 101 of the air conditioning device 100 installed in the target space SP. In this embodiment, the representative microorganism 211 is a fungus of the genus Aspergillus. The representative microorganism 211 is not limited to a fungus of the genus Aspergillus, and may be one or more types selected from the group consisting of fungi, bacteria, pollen, and viruses.

[0087] In step S103, the first information acquisition unit 20 acquires information on the representative microorganism 211 as the first information 21. In this embodiment, the first information acquisition unit 20 acquires the presence or absence of an Aspergillus fungus as the information on the representative microorganism 211. When an Aspergillus fungus is present in the captured image 301 acquired in step S1, the first information acquisition unit 20 may acquire the abundance of the Aspergillus fungus as the information on the representative microorganism 211.

[0088] In step S104, the control unit 40 estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism 212 based on the information regarding the representative microorganism, which is the first information 21 acquired in step S3, and the correspondence information 31 stored in the correspondence information storage unit 30.

[0089] In this embodiment, the representative microorganism is a fungus of the genus Aspergillus, and the target microorganism is a fungus of the genus Nigrospora. The relationship between the fungus of the genus Aspergillus and the fungus of the genus Nigrospora has a negative correlation. The relationship between the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 is not limited to the relationship between the fungus of the genus Nigrospora and the fungus of the genus Aspergillus. The presence or absence or the amount of a microorganism having a positive or negative correlation with the representative microorganism 211 is estimated as the target microorganism 212. In this embodiment, when the first information acquisition unit 20 acquires information that detects the presence of the fungus of the genus Aspergillus in step S3, the control unit 40 estimates in step S4 that the presence of the fungus of the genus Nigrospora is suppressed.

[0090] (4) Characteristics of microorganisms present in air conditioning filters The inventors of the present application collected filters 101 from air conditioning devices 100 in 12 cities in China and examined the microorganisms 210 present on the filters 101, and discovered that malignant microorganisms (allergens, etc.) are present on the filters 101, that the microorganisms present on the filters 101 depend on how the air conditioning device 100 is used and on the region, and that certain combinations of microorganisms have a co-occurrence relationship in which they influence each other's presence.

[0091] (4-1) Overall trends of attached bacteria Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the relative ratio of the amount of fungi adhering to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 in winter for each of the 12 cities. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the relative ratio of the amount of fungi adhering to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 in winter, aggregated values ​​for all 12 cities. The 12 cities include northern cities 1 to 3 (N1 to N3) and southern cities 1 to 9 (S1 to S9).

[0092] As shown in Figure 5, in most of the 12 cities, except for Northern City 3 (N3), the relative proportion of fungal abundance is dominated by Aspergillus fungi. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the relative proportion of fungi detected in the 12 cities across China is 49.44% for Aspergillus fungi, which is significantly different from the second most common, Nigrospora fungi (8.82%). Meanwhile, the most common relative proportion of bacteria detected in the 12 cities across China is Paracoccus bacteria (6.12%), which is not as significant as the difference with fungi compared to the second most common, Acinetobacter bacteria (4.85%) (not shown).

[0093] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a heat map showing the ratio of the abundance of fungi detected on the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 by season. The ratio of the abundance of fungi belonging to the genus Aspergillus is particularly high in winter, summer, and fall.

[0094] (4-2) Regional Characteristics There are combinations of cities in which the types of fungi and bacteria present on the filters 101 of the air conditioners 100 are similar.

[0095] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a heat map showing the ratio of the abundance of fungi detected on the filter 101 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 by city.

[0096] For example, the types of fungi present on the filter 101 of the air conditioning device 100 are similar in each of the combinations of Southern City 7 (S7) (not shown) and Southern City 4 (S4), Southern City 8 (S8) and Northern City 2 (N2), Southern City 5 (S5) and Southern City 9 (S9), and Southern City 6 (S6), Southern City 3 (S3), Southern City (S1) and Southern City 2 (S2).

[0097] In addition, the types of bacteria present in the filter 101 of the air conditioning device 100 are similar (not shown) in each of the combinations of Northern City 3 (N3), Southern City 9 (N9), and Southern City 7 (S7), the combination of Southern City 5 (S5), Southern City 2 (S2), and Southern City (S6), and the combination of Northern City 2 (N2), Southern City 1 (S1), and Northern City 1 (N1).

[0098] Furthermore, there is a tendency for the abundance ratios of fungi and bacteria present on the filters 101 of the air conditioners 100 to differ between the north and south of the region.

[0099] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a heat map showing the ratio of the abundance of fungi detected on the filter 101 of the air conditioning apparatus 100 by north and south region.

[0100] The northern region includes Northern Cities 1-3 (N1-N3), and the southern region includes Southern Cities 1-9 (S1-S9).

[0101] The further south you go, the more common the fungi are of the genus Aspergillus.Also, in the south, the more common the bacteria are of the genus Roseomonas (pathogens) and the genus Craurococcus-Caldovatus (pathogens) (not shown).

[0102] (4-3) Relationship with environmental factors The diversity and amount of bacteria adhering to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 correlate with the non-cleaning period of the air conditioner 100, the family composition (number of people) of the residents in the target space SP, and the characteristics (number of floors) of the building containing the target space SP.

[0103] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the diversity of bacteria adhering to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 and the non-cleaning period in 12 cities. The vertical axis shows the diversity of bacteria, and the horizontal axis shows the non-cleaning period. As shown in Fig. 10, the diversity of bacteria decreases as the non-cleaning period of the air conditioner 100 is longer.

[0104] Furthermore, the diversity of bacteria adhering to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 tends to increase slightly as the number of family members increases (not shown). Furthermore, with regard to the amount of microorganisms adhering to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100, the larger the family structure (number of people) of the occupants in the target space SP, the more Candida fungi (pathogens) and Roseomonas bacteria (pathogens) there are, and the higher the floor, the more Nigrospora fungi (pathogens) and Lactocacillus (good bacteria) there are (not shown).

[0105] (5) Features (5-1) The microorganism analysis system 1 according to this embodiment is a microorganism analysis system 1 that estimates the presence / absence or abundance of a target microorganism 212 in a target space SP, and includes a first information acquisition unit 20 and a control unit 40. The first information acquisition unit 20 acquires first information 21 regarding the target space SP, which is information different from the presence / absence and abundance of the target microorganism 212 itself. The control unit 40 estimates the presence / absence or abundance of the target microorganism 212 in the target space SP based on the first information 21.

[0106] Traditionally, microbial analysis has been laborious and time-consuming, requiring, for example, cultivation, specialized skills and equipment.

[0107] In this microorganism analysis system 1, even if it is not possible to directly measure the microorganism (target microorganism) 212 whose presence or absence is to be determined, it is possible to estimate the presence and amount of the target microorganism 212 that may adhere to the filter 101 of the air conditioning device 100 by determining the presence and amount of a co-occurring microorganism (representative microorganism) 211. Since this microorganism analysis system 1 does not require 100% testing, it is possible to reduce the effort and cost required for testing.

[0108] (5-2) In the microorganism analysis system 1 according to this embodiment, the first information 21 includes either information on the representative microorganism 211 that is present in the target space SP simultaneously with the target microorganism 212, or information on the representative microorganism 211 that suppresses the presence of the target microorganism 212. The information on the representative microorganism 211 includes the presence or absence or the amount of the representative microorganism 211 in the target space SP.

[0109] In this microorganism analysis system 1, information regarding the representative microorganism 211 related to the presence or absence of the target microorganism 212 can be obtained.

[0110] (5-3) In the microorganism analysis system 1 according to this embodiment, the target microorganisms 212 include microorganisms that adhere to the filter 101 that has collected suspended matter in the target space SP.

[0111] In this microorganism analysis system 1, the presence of target microorganisms 212 adhering to a filter 101 of an air conditioner 100 can be estimated.

[0112] (5-4) The microorganism analysis system 1 according to this embodiment further includes an image analysis unit 10. The image analysis unit 10 distinguishes the microorganisms 210 based on the shapes of the microorganisms 210. The representative microorganisms 211 are of a size that can be distinguished by image analysis by the image analysis unit 10.

[0113] It is possible to reduce the effort, time, cost, and safety risk by selecting a microorganism that is large in size, can be image-analyzed, and is easy to detect as the representative microorganism 211. This microorganism analysis system 1 is particularly effective in situations such as when the target microorganism 212 is a dangerous microorganism, when it is difficult to culture the target microorganism 212, when the target microorganism 212 is small and image analysis is difficult, or when there is a microorganism similar in shape to the target microorganism 212 and image analysis is difficult.

[0114] In this microorganism analysis system 1, by identifying the representative microorganism 211, which is relatively large, by the image analysis unit 10, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be easily estimated even if the target microorganism 212 can only be analyzed by a culture method.

[0115] (5-5) The microorganism analysis system 1 according to this embodiment further includes a correspondence information storage unit 30. The correspondence information storage unit 30 stores correspondence information 31 indicating the correspondence between the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211. The control unit 40 estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism 212 based on information on the representative microorganism 211, which is the first information 21, and the correspondence information 31. The correspondence information 31 stored in the correspondence information storage unit 30 may be known correspondence information.

[0116] In this microbial analysis system 1, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be easily predicted using information regarding the representative microorganism 211 and information regarding the correspondence between the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 that has been pre-stored in the correspondence information storage unit 30.

[0117] (5-6) In the microorganism analysis system 1 according to this embodiment, the representative microorganism 211 is one or more types selected from the group consisting of fungi, bacteria, pollen, and viruses, and is a fungus of the genus Aspergillus.

[0118] In this microorganism analysis system 1, by using a fungus of the genus Aspergillus as the representative microorganism 211, the presence or abundance of a target microorganism 212 associated with the presence of a fungus of the genus Aspergillus can be easily estimated.

[0119] (5-7) In the microbial analysis system 1 according to the present embodiment, the fungi are, for example, fungi of the genus Aspergillus, fungi of the genus Nigrospora, fungi of the genus Cladosporium, fungi of the genus Fusarium, fungi of the genus Alternaria, fungi of the genus Schizophyllum, fungi of the genus Penicillium, fungi of the genus Epicoccum, fungi of the genus Hortaea, fungi of the genus Eupenidiella, fungi of the genus Chaetomium, fungi of the genus Trametes, fungi of the genus Pseudopithomyces, fungi of the genus Toki Toxicocladosporium fungi, Peniophora fungi, Talaromyces fungi, Didymella fungi, Pleurotus fungi, Wallemia fungi, Curvularia fungi, Loweporus fungi, Periconia fungi, Candida fungi, Gibberella ( Gibberella fungi, Auricularia fungi, Malassezia fungi, Naganishia fungi, Neurospora fungi, Ganoderma fungi, Engyodontium fungi, Ustilaginoidea fungi, Peroneutypa fungi, Flammulina fungi Fungi, Filobasidium fungi, Cercospora fungi, Hannaella fungi, Coprinopsis fungi, Irpex fungi, Fungi of the genus Phlebia, fungi of the genus Pyronema, fungi of the genus Microascus, fungi of the genus Sterigmatomyces, fungi of the genus Trichosporon,Fungi of the genus Spissiomyces, Botrytis, Rhodotorula, Stachybotrys, Fibroporia, Bjerkandera, Phanerochete, Emmia, Coprinellus, Trexpora The fungus includes one or more fungi selected from the group consisting of fungi of the genus hispora, fungi of the genus Acremonium, fungi of the genus Aureobasidium, fungi of the genus Lopharia, fungi of the genus Heterochaete, fungi of the genus Cutaneotrichosporon, fungi of the genus Aplosporella, and fungi of the genus Eutypella.

[0120] By using a fungus of the genus Aspergillus as a representative microorganism 211, this microorganism analysis system 1 can easily estimate the presence of a target microorganism 212 having a positive or negative correlation with a fungus of the genus Aspergillus.

[0121] (5-8) In the microbial analysis system 1 according to this embodiment, the bacteria include one or more species selected from the group consisting of Streptococcus, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenaceae, Pseudomonas, Paracoccus, Sphingomonas, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Haemophilus, parvum, Clostridium botulinum, and Chlamydia psittacosis.

[0122] In this microorganism analysis system 1, by using an Aspergillus fungus as a representative microorganism 211, when the target microorganism 212 is a bacterium, the presence of a bacterium having a positive or negative correlation with the Aspergillus fungus can be easily estimated.

[0123] (5-9) In the microbiological analysis system 1 according to this embodiment, the pollen includes one or more types selected from the group consisting of Humulus pollen, Boehmeria pollen, Acalypha pollen, Magnolia pollen, Artemisia pollen, Cucumis pollen, Astragalus pollen, Pouzolzia pollen, Osmanthus pollen, Triticum pollen, Citrullus pollen, Podocarpus pollen, Digitaria pollen, Funaria pollen, Solanum pollen, Allium pollen, and Glycine pollen.

[0124] In this microorganism analysis system 1, by using an Aspergillus fungus as a representative microorganism 211, when the target microorganism 212 is pollen, the presence of pollen having a positive or negative correlation with the Aspergillus fungus can be easily estimated.

[0125] (5-10) In the microorganism analysis system 1 according to this embodiment, the viruses include one or more types selected from the group consisting of influenza virus, monkeypox virus, rabies virus, dengue virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus.

[0126] In this microorganism analysis system 1, by using an Aspergillus fungus as a representative microorganism 211, when the target microorganism 212 is a virus, the presence of a virus having a positive or negative correlation with the Aspergillus fungus can be easily estimated.

[0127] (5-11) In the microbial analysis system 1 according to this embodiment, the relationship between the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 is such that there is a negative correlation between the target microorganism 212, which is any one of the fungi of the genus Gibberella, Nigrospora, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Periconia, Alternaria, Penicillium, Filobasidium, or Pleurotus, and the representative microorganism 211, which is a fungus of the genus Aspergillus. There is a positive correlation between the target microorganism 212, which is a fungus of the genus Penicillium or a fungus of the genus Nigrospora, and the representative microorganism 211, which is pollen of the genus Boehmeria. There is a positive correlation between the target microorganism 212, which is a bacterium of the genus Corynebacterium or a fungus of the genus Alternaria, and the representative microorganism 211, which is pollen of Humulus. There is a positive correlation between the target microorganism 212, which is a bacterium of the genus Enhydrobacter, and the representative microorganism 211, which is any of a fungus of the genus Tramaetes, a fungus of the genus Chaetomiun, or pollen of the genus Boehmeria. Among the target microorganisms 212 or representative microorganisms 211, Staphylococcus bacteria, Gibberella fungi, Cladosporium fungi, Cercospora fungi, and Curvularia fungi are positively correlated with each other. In addition, Streptococcus bacteria, Haemophilus bacteria, Solanum pollen, and Cucumis pollen are positively correlated with each other.

[0128] In this microorganism analysis system 1, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be estimated for a plurality of combinations of the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211.

[0129] (5-12) The microbial analysis method according to this embodiment is a microbial analysis method that estimates the presence / absence or abundance of a target microorganism 212 in a target space SP. The presence / absence or abundance of the target microorganism 212 in the target space SP is estimated based on first information 21 regarding the target space SP, which is information different from the presence / absence and abundance of the target microorganism 212 itself.

[0130] This microbial analysis method does not require 100% testing, which reduces the effort and costs required for testing.

[0131] (6) Variations (6-1) Variation 1A In the microorganism analysis system 1 shown in Figure 1, the correspondence information storage unit 30 may acquire and store correspondence information 32, which is the result of learning by a machine learning machine (not shown), from a machine learning machine that learns the correspondence between the target microorganisms 212 and the representative microorganisms 211.

[0132] Furthermore, the correspondence relationship information 31, 32 is not limited to the correspondence relationship between the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 being a correspondence relationship between a fungus of the genus Nigrospora and a fungus of the genus Aspergillus. The correspondence relationship information 31, 32 may be configured to include a correspondence relationship between a first fungus and a second fungus other than a fungus of the genus Nigrospora and a fungus of the genus Aspergillus. Furthermore, the correspondence relationship information 31, 32 may include at least one correspondence relationship between a first bacterium and a second bacterium, a first pollen and a second pollen, and a first virus and a second virus.

[0133] In addition, the correspondence information 31, 32 may include at least one correspondence in which, when the target microorganism 212 is a fungus, the representative microorganism 211 is any one of bacteria, pollen, and viruses, when the target microorganism 212 is a bacterium, the representative microorganism 211 is any one of fungi, pollen, and viruses, when the target microorganism 212 is pollen, the representative microorganism 211 is any one of fungi, bacteria, and viruses, and when the target microorganism 212 is a virus, the representative microorganism 211 is any one of fungi, bacteria, and pollen.

[0134] In the microorganism analysis system of modification 1A, the presence of the representative microorganism can be estimated with high accuracy based on the correspondence information 32 that is the result of learning by the machine learning device. Furthermore, even if the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 are included in the same group among the groups of the microorganisms 210, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be estimated. Furthermore, even if the target microorganism 212 and the representative microorganism 211 are included in different groups among the groups of the microorganisms 210, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be estimated.

[0135] (6-2) Variation 1B In the microorganism analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 40 may create the correspondence information 31 stored in the correspondence information storage unit 30 by machine learning.

[0136] In the microorganism analysis system of modification 1B, the correspondence information 31 can be easily created by creating the correspondence information 31 through machine learning.

[0137] (6-3) Variation 1C In the microorganism analysis system 1a of the modification 1C, the first information 21a may be environmental information of the target space SP. The environmental information is information on the amount of material collected from the target space SP, which is highly correlated with the amount of the target microorganisms 212 present.

[0138] A microorganism analysis system 1a of modification 1C is shown in Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 11, the microorganism analysis system 1a includes a first information acquisition unit 20a and a control unit 40a.

[0139] The first information acquisition unit 20a acquires environmental information of the target space SP as the first information 21a. The environmental information is, for example, the odor of fungus (mold), humidity in the target space SP, and the like.

[0140] When the first information 21a is the odor of a fungus, the control unit 40a estimates the presence of a fungus, which is the target microorganism 212, based on the odor of the fungus. When the first information 21a is the humidity in the target space SP, the control unit 40a estimates the presence of an influenza virus, which is the target microorganism 212, in the target space SP.

[0141] In the microorganism analysis system 1a of the modification 1C, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be estimated based on the environment surrounding the target microorganism 212 by using the amount of the sample, which has a high correlation with the amount of the target microorganism 212 present, as environmental information.

[0142] (6-4) Variation 1D In a microorganism analysis system 1b of modification 1D, a control unit 40b estimates the presence or absence or the amount of a target microorganism based on information on representative microorganisms 211 as first information 21b.

[0143] A microorganism analysis system 1b of modification 1D is shown in Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, the microorganism analysis system 1b includes a first information acquisition section 20b and a control section 40b.

[0144] In the microbial analysis system 1b, the representative microorganism 211 is a microorganism that can be cultured or subjected to PCR reaction more safely than the target microorganism 212 in terms of the safety index indicated by the biosafety level (BSL), or a microorganism that can be cultured or subjected to PCR reaction more quickly than the target microorganism 212.

[0145] For example, when bacteria or viruses are used as the representative microorganisms 211, the representative microorganisms 211 are those that are relatively safe, with a BSL of 1 or 2 and a disease classification of Class 5 or Class 4.

[0146] Examples of bacterial BSLs and disease classifications are shown in Table 1. [Table 1]

[0147] Examples of viral BSLs and disease classifications are shown in Table 2. [Table 2]

[0148] In modification 1D, the sampling device 201 collects, as a sample, microorganisms 210 attached to the filter 101 of the air conditioner 100 installed in the target space SP.

[0149] The sampling device 201 immerses the filter 101 cut to a predetermined size in an elution liquid to elute the microorganisms 210 adhering to the filter 101 and collect them as a sample. The elution liquid is, for example, phosphate buffered saline (PBS-T). The sampling device 201 is, for example, a 10 cm 2 The size and number of filters 101 used by the sampling device 201 are not limited to this.

[0150] The eluted microorganisms 210 are cultured to increase their numbers. Alternatively, the sampling device 201 extracts DNA from the cultured microorganisms and performs a PCR reaction. The sampling device 201 then decodes the base sequence of the genes of the microorganisms 210 that underwent the PCR reaction.

[0151] The first information acquisition unit 20b acquires gene sequence data of the microorganism 210 from the sampling device 201, and acquires information on the representative microorganism 211 as the first information 21b. For example, when the representative microorganism 211 is a bacterium of the genus Streptococcus, the first information acquisition unit 20b acquires information on the presence or abundance of the bacterium of the genus Streptococcus from the gene sequence data acquired from the sampling device 201 as the first information 21b.

[0152] The control unit 40b estimates the presence or absence or the amount of a target microorganism 212 associated with the presence of Streptococcus bacteria based on information 21b regarding Streptococcus bacteria, which is a representative microorganism 211 acquired by the first information acquisition unit 20b.

[0153] By selecting a microorganism that is easy to detect, such as easy to culture and safe, as the representative microorganism 211, it is possible to reduce the effort, time, cost, and safety risk. This microorganism analysis system 1b is particularly effective in situations such as when the target microorganism 212 is a dangerous microorganism or when it is difficult to culture the target microorganism 212. Although the case where the representative microorganism 211 is a bacterium of the genus Streptococcus has been described, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0154] In the microorganism analyzing system 1b of the modified example 1D, even if the target microorganism 212 is difficult to measure, it is possible to measure the representative microorganism 211, which is easy to measure, and infer the presence of the target microorganism 212 from the relationship between the two. Moreover, in the microorganism analyzing system 1b, the representative microorganism 211 is cultured or subjected to a PCR reaction more safely and quickly than the target microorganism 212, so that the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be easily inferred.

[0155] (6-5) Variation 1E 1, the first information 21 may be operation status information related to the operation status of the air conditioning device 100 installed in the target space SP. The control unit 40 estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism 212 based on the operation status information as the first information 21.

[0156] 1, the first information 21 may acquire information relating to the correspondence between the operational state of the air conditioning device 100 and the type and abundance of the representative microorganism 211. The control unit 40 estimates the presence or absence or the abundance of the target microorganism 212 based on the information relating to the correspondence between the operational state of the air conditioning device 100 and the type and abundance of the representative microorganism 211 as the first information 21.

[0157] The operational status of the air conditioning apparatus 100 includes at least one of the operating time, operating mode, air volume, set temperature, set humidity, intake air temperature, and intake air humidity of the air conditioning apparatus 100, and a non-cleaning period of the air conditioning apparatus 100. For example, the air conditioning apparatus 100 may transmit operational status information relating to the operational status, and the first information acquisition unit 20 may acquire the operational status information from the air conditioning apparatus 100.

[0158] The balance of microorganisms present in the target space SP is affected by the operational state of the air conditioning apparatus 100, such as the non-cleaning period of the air conditioning apparatus 100, the temperature of the intake air, and the humidity of the intake air, and therefore can be corrected using operational state information to improve the accuracy of estimating the presence / absence or amount of the target microorganisms 212. For example, if the non-cleaning period of the air conditioning apparatus 100 is short, the diversity of microorganisms (bacteria) is high, and if the non-cleaning period of the air conditioning apparatus 100 is long, the diversity of bacteria is reduced.

[0159] In the microorganism analysis system of modification 1E, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be easily estimated using information on the operational state of the air conditioning apparatus 100. Furthermore, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be easily estimated by using information on the correspondence between the operational state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 and the type and abundance of the representative microorganism 211. Furthermore, even if the presence of the target microorganism 212 changes depending on the operational state of the air conditioning apparatus 100, the presence of the target microorganism 212 can be easily estimated.

[0160] (6-6) Variation 1F In the microorganism analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the first information acquisition section 20 may further acquire, as the first information 21, target space related information of the target space SP.

[0161] The target space related information includes at least one of the following information: the climate, weather, geographical features, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the location where the target space SP exists, the characteristics of the building including the target space SP, and the family composition of the residents in the target space SP. For example, the first information acquisition unit 20 may acquire the target space related information via a network from a user terminal (not shown) owned by a resident of the target space SP in which the air conditioning device 100 is installed. The user terminal is, for example, a smartphone owned by the resident of the target space SP.

[0162] The control unit 40 estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganisms 212 using the information on the representative microorganisms 211 and the target space related information as the first information 21.

[0163] In the microorganism analysis system of modification 1F, by further using the target space related information in addition to the information on the representative microorganism 211, the presence of the target microorganism 212 in the target space SP can be easily estimated.

[0164] (6-7) Variation 1G In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the microorganisms 210 attached to the filter 101 of the air conditioning device 100 installed in the target space SP are collected as a sample and analyzed, but the present invention is not limited to this. The microorganisms 210 may be collected from the air in the target space SP. The microorganisms 210 may also be collected from the walls, ceiling, floor, etc. of the target space SP.

[0165] (6-8) Variation 1H The microorganism analysis system 1 shown in Fig. 1 may further include an air conditioning device 100, a sampling device 200, and an imaging device 300. Moreover, the microorganism analysis system 1a shown in Fig. 11 may further include an air conditioning device 100. Moreover, the microorganism analysis system 1b shown in Fig. 12 may further include an air conditioning device 100 and a sampling device 201.

[0166] (6-9) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0167] 1, 1a, 1b Microbiological Analysis System 10 Image analysis section 20, 20a, 20b 1st information acquisition section 21, 21a, 21b 1st information 30 Correspondence information storage unit 31, 32 Corresponding information 40, 40a, 40b Control section 100 Air conditioning equipment 101 Filters 200, 201 Sampling device 210 Microorganisms 211 Representative microorganisms 212 Target Microorganisms 300 Imaging Device 301 Images [Prior art documents]

Chartered Documents

[0168] [Patent Document 1] Special List 2020-529869 Notice

Claims

1. A microbial analysis system for estimating the presence or absence or amount of a target microorganism (212) in a target space (SP), comprising: A first information acquisition unit (20, 20a, 20b) that acquires first information (21, 21a, 21b) regarding the target space, which is information different from the presence or absence and the amount of the target microorganism itself; A control unit (40, 40a, 40b); Equipped with The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the amount of a target microorganism in the target space based on the first information. Microbiological analysis system (1, 1a, 1b).

2. The first information is environmental information of the target space, The environmental information is information regarding the amount of a sample collected from the target space, which is highly correlated with the amount of the target microorganism present; The microbiological analysis system according to claim 1 .

3. The first information includes either information about a representative microorganism (211) that is present in the target space simultaneously with the target microorganism, or information about a representative microorganism that suppresses the presence of the target microorganism, The information regarding the representative microorganism includes the presence or absence or the abundance of the representative microorganism in the target space, The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism based on the information on the representative microorganism as the first information. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 1 .

4. The target microorganisms include microorganisms (210) that adhere to a filter (101) that collects suspended matter in the target space. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 3 .

5. an image analysis unit (10) for identifying the microorganism based on the shape of the microorganism; Further equipped with The representative microorganism has a size that can be distinguished by image analysis by the image analysis unit. The microorganism analysis system according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The representative microorganism is a microorganism that can be cultured or subjected to a PCR reaction more safely than the target microorganism in terms of a safety index indicated by a biosafety level (BSL), or a microorganism that can be cultured or subjected to a PCR reaction more quickly than the target microorganism. The microorganism analysis system according to claim 3 or 4.

7. a correspondence information storage unit (30) for storing correspondence information (31) indicating the correspondence between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism; Further equipped with The control unit further estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism based on the correspondence information. The microorganism analysis system according to claim 3 or 4.

8. The correspondence information storage unit acquires and stores the correspondence information (32) that is a result of learning by a machine learning machine that learns the correspondence between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism, The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism from the presence or absence or the amount of the representative microorganism based on the result of the correspondence information. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 7.

9. The representative microorganism is one or more selected from the group consisting of fungi, bacteria, pollen and viruses. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 3 .

10. The correspondence relationship information includes at least one correspondence relationship between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism, in which the target microorganism and the representative microorganism are a first fungus and a second fungus, a first bacterium and a second bacterium, a first pollen and a second pollen, or a first virus and a second virus. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 7.

11. The correspondence information is When the target microorganism is a fungus, the representative microorganism is any one of a bacterium, a pollen, and a virus, When the target microorganism is a bacterium, the representative microorganism is any one of a fungus, a pollen, and a virus; When the target microorganism is pollen, the representative microorganism is any one of a fungus, a bacterium, and a virus, When the target microorganism is a virus, the representative microorganism includes at least one correspondence relationship of a fungus, a bacterium, or a pollen. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 7.

12. The fungi include fungi of the genus Aspergillus, fungi of the genus Nigrospora, fungi of the genus Cladosporium, fungi of the genus Fusarium, fungi of the genus Alternaria, fungi of the genus Schizophyllum, fungi of the genus Penicillium, fungi of the genus Epicoccum, fungi of the genus Hortaea, fungi of the genus Eupenidiella, fungi of the genus Chaetomium, fungi of the genus Trametes, fungi of the genus Pseudopithomyces, fungi of the genus Toki Toxicocladosporium fungi, Peniophora fungi, Talaromyces fungi, Didymella fungi, Pleurotus fungi, Wallemia fungi, Curvularia fungi, Loweporus fungi, Periconia fungi, Candida fungi, Gibberella fungi, The genus Gibberella, the genus Auricularia, the genus Malassezia, the genus Naganishia, the genus Neurospora, the genus Ganoderma, the genus Engyodontium, the genus Ustilaginoidea, the genus Peroneutypa, and the genus Flammulina. Fungi, Filobasidium fungi, Cercospora fungi, Hannaella fungi, Coprinopsis fungi, Irpex fungi, Fungi of the genus Phlebia, fungi of the genus Pyronema, fungi of the genus Microascus, fungi of the genus Sterigmatomyces, fungi of the genus Trichosporon,Spissiomyces, Botrytis, Rhodotorula, Stachybotrys, Fibroporia, Bjerkandera, Phanerochete, Emmia, Coprinellus, Trexpora hispora fungi, Acremonium fungi, Aureobasidium fungi, Lopharia fungi, Heterochaete fungi, Cutaneotrichosporon fungi, Aplosporella fungi, and Eutypella fungi, The microbiological analysis system according to claim 9.

13. The bacteria include at least one selected from the group consisting of Streptococcus, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenaceae, Pseudomonas, Paracoccus, Sphingomonas, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Haemophilus, Parvum, Clostridium botulinum, and Chlamydia psittacosis; The microbiological analysis system according to claim 9.

14. The pollen includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Humulus pollen, Boehmeria pollen, Acalypha pollen, Magnolia pollen, Artemisia pollen, Cucumis pollen, Astragalus pollen, Pouzolzia pollen, Osmanthus pollen, Triticum pollen, Citrullus pollen, Podocarpus pollen, Digitaria pollen, Funaria pollen, Solanum pollen, Allium pollen, and Glycine pollen; The microbiological analysis system according to claim 9.

15. The virus includes at least one selected from the group consisting of influenza virus, monkeypox virus, rabies virus, dengue virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 9.

16. The relationship between the target microorganism and the representative microorganism is as follows: the target microorganism being any one of the fungi of the genus Gibberella, Nigrospora, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Periconia, Alternaria, Penicillium, Filobasidium, and Pleurotus, and the representative microorganism being a fungus of the genus Aspergillus, have a negative correlation; The target microorganism, which is a fungus of the genus Penicillium or Nigrospora, and the representative microorganism, which is pollen of the genus Boehmeria, have a positive correlation; the target microorganism being a bacterium of the genus Corynebacterium or a fungus of the genus Alternaria has a positive correlation with the representative microorganism being pollen of Humulus; The target microorganism, which is an Enhydrobacter bacterium, and the representative microorganism, which is any one of a Tramaetes fungus, a Chaetomiun fungus, and a Boehmeria pollen, have a positive correlation; Among the target microorganisms or the representative microorganisms, Staphylococcus bacteria, Gibberella fungi, Cladosporium fungi, Cercospora fungi, and Curvularia fungi are positively correlated with each other, Streptococcus bacteria, Haemophilus bacteria, Solanum pollen, and Cucumis pollen are positively correlated with each other; The microorganism analysis system according to claim 3 or 4.

17. The control unit creates the correspondence information by machine learning. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 7.

18. The first information is operational status information regarding an operational status of an air conditioning device (100) installed in the target space, The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism based on the operation status information as the first information. The microbiological analysis system according to claim 1 .

19. The first information is information regarding a correspondence relationship between the operational state of the air conditioning apparatus and the type and abundance of the representative microorganisms, The control unit estimates the presence or absence or the abundance of the target microorganism based on information regarding a correspondence between the operational state of the air conditioning apparatus and the type and abundance of the representative microorganism as the first information.

20. The microbiological analysis system of claim 18.

20. The operating state of the air conditioning device includes at least one of the operating time, operating mode, air volume, set temperature, set humidity, intake air temperature, and intake air humidity of the air conditioning device, and a non-cleaning period of the air conditioning device; 20. The microbiological analysis system of claim 18.

21. the first information is target space related information of the target space, The target space-related information includes at least one of information on the climate, weather, geographical features, latitude, longitude, and altitude of a location where the target space exists, characteristics of a building including the target space, and a family structure of residents in the target space; The control unit further uses the target space related information as the first information to estimate the presence or absence or the amount of the target microorganism. The microorganism analysis system according to claim 3 or 4.

22. A microbial analysis method for estimating the presence or absence or amount of a target microorganism in a target space, comprising: A microbial analysis method for estimating the presence or absence or abundance of a target microorganism in a target space based on first information about the target space, which is information different from the presence or absence and abundance of the target microorganism itself.

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