Medication reduction supporting device, method for supporting medication reduction, program, and medication reduction supporting system

Abstract

To determine a proper dosage of a medication to be reduced on the basis of the physical condition of a patient.SOLUTION: A medication reduction supporting device is for helping a user who is taking a medication reduce the medication, and includes: an input unit for receiving input of the physical condition of the user; determination unit for determining the dosage of the medication on the basis of the physical condition of the user, determining the amount of the medication to input on the basis of the determined dosage, and determining the amount of extraction of an aqueous solution in which the determined dosage of the medication is dissolved; and an output unit for outputting at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of the medication to input, and the amount of extraction of the aqueous solution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medication reduction support device, a medication reduction support method, a program, and a medication reduction support system. [Background technology]

[0002] For the purpose of treating insomnia, psychotropic drugs such as benzodiazepines (hereinafter simply referred to as drugs) may be prescribed to patients with insomnia. If a patient continues to take a drug for a long period of time, physical dependence may develop in the patient, and once physical dependence has developed, it becomes difficult for the patient to stop taking the drug even if the cause of the insomnia (stress, etc.) is removed. In addition, if the patient tries to stop taking the drug forcibly, withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, headache, vomiting, and psychomotor agitation may occur, so it is important to gradually reduce the dosage. In particular, if the patient has been taking the drug for a long period of time, a more gradual reduction in the dosage is necessary.

[0003] Aqueous titration is known as a method for reducing medication. In aqueous titration, a predetermined amount of medication is dissolved in a predetermined amount of water or the like to prepare an aqueous solution, which is then precisely measured and administered. If the dosage is reduced by aqueous titration, withdrawal symptoms are less likely to occur. However, aqueous titration requires a lot of effort for patients because it requires difficult medication management in units of several milligrams, which may cause stress for the patient and adversely affect insomnia.

[0004] Regarding medication management, for example, Cited Document 1 describes a technology that calculates a patient's biometric information (sleep time, etc.) from a sensor signal of a wristband worn by the patient after taking medication, and calculates the correlation between the drug's effects, side effects, and dosage by referring to the medication information including the biometric information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-221245 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to calculate the correlation between the effect, side effects, and dosage of a drug by referring to the sleep time after taking the drug, but it is not possible to determine the appropriate dosage based on the physical condition before taking the drug.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to make it possible to determine an appropriate dosage of a medicine to be reduced based on the physical condition of a patient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present application includes a number of means for solving at least part of the above problems, examples of which are as follows.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a medication reduction support device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a medication reduction support device that supports a user taking medication in reducing the amount of medication, and includes an input unit that accepts input of the user's physical condition, a determination unit that determines the dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines the amount of medication to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines the amount of aqueous solution extracted in which the determined amount of medication is dissolved, and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of medication administered, and the amount of aqueous solution extracted.

[0010] The input unit can accept a selection input of multiple options regarding the physical condition from the user, and the decision unit can decrease the dosage when the user selects and inputs a first physical condition as the option, and can increase the dosage when the user selects and inputs a second physical condition as the option.

[0011] The decision unit can decrease the dosage when the number of consecutive times the user selects and inputs the first physical condition is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and can increase the dosage when the number of consecutive times the user selects and inputs the second physical condition is equal to or greater than a second threshold.

[0012] The determination unit can determine the number of tablets of the medicine as the input amount by dividing the determined dosage by the ingredient content per tablet of the medicine and rounding up the quotient to a positive number.

[0013] The medication reduction support device may include a stirring container for dissolving the input amount of medication in a predetermined amount of water, and a stirring mechanism for stirring the medication and the water in the stirring container to create the aqueous solution.

[0014] The drug reduction support device may include an extraction pump that extracts the aqueous solution in the stirring vessel.

[0015] The drug reduction support device may include a removable water supply tank and a water injection pump that injects water from the water supply tank into the mixing container.

[0016] The drug reduction support device may include a removable drainage tank and a drainage pump that discharges the aqueous solution remaining in the mixing container into the drainage tank.

[0017] The medication reduction support device may be equipped with a drug crushing mechanism that crushes the administered medication.

[0018] The medication reduction support device may include a memory unit that stores medication setting information, and the determination unit may determine the medication amount based on the user's physical condition and the medication setting information.

[0019] The medication setting information may be set by at least one of the user and an administrator who manages drug prescriptions for the user.

[0020] The medication reduction support device may include a memory unit that stores medication history information, and the output unit may output a history of the user's physical condition and the medication dosage based on the medication history information.

[0021] A medication reduction support method according to another aspect of the present invention is a medication reduction support method using a medication reduction support device that supports a user taking medication in reducing their medication, and includes an input step of accepting input of the user's physical condition, a determination step of determining a dosage based on the user's physical condition, a determination step of determining an amount of the medication to be taken based on the determined dosage, and a determination step of an amount of aqueous solution in which the medication has been dissolved in the determined amount, and an output step of outputting at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of the medication to be taken, and the amount of the aqueous solution to be extracted.

[0022] A program according to yet another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as an input unit that accepts input of the physical condition of a user taking medicine, a determination unit that determines a dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines an amount of the medicine to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines an amount of aqueous solution in which the medicine has been dissolved based on the determined amount administered, and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of the medicine administered, and the amount of the aqueous solution extracted.

[0023] A medication reduction support system according to yet another aspect of the present invention is a medication reduction support system comprising a user terminal used by a user taking medication, and a medication reduction support device, wherein the user terminal comprises an input unit that accepts input of the user's physical condition, a determination unit that determines the dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines the amount of medication to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines the amount of aqueous solution extracted in which the determined amount of medication is dissolved, and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of medication administered, and the amount of aqueous solution extracted, and the medication reduction support device comprises a stirring container for dissolving the administered amount of medication in a predetermined amount of water, a stirring mechanism that stirs the medication and the water in the stirring container to create the aqueous solution, and an extraction pump that extracts the aqueous solution in the stirring container. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine an appropriate dosage of a medicine to be reduced based on the physical condition of the patient.

[0025] Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a medication reduction support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the medication reduction support device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a medication reduction support process. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of the medication setting screen. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen display. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a dosage determination process. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of the medicine input instruction screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the aqueous solution preparation screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a medication instruction screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the error screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display of the medication history screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support device in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings for describing each embodiment, the same components are generally given the same reference numerals, and the repeated description thereof will be omitted. In addition, in the following embodiments, the components (including element steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential, except when specifically stated otherwise or when it is clearly considered essential in principle. In addition, when it is said that "consists of A," "consists of A," "has A," or "includes A," it does not exclude other elements, except when it is specifically stated that it is only that element. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., it includes those that are substantially similar or similar to the shape, etc., except when it is specifically stated otherwise or when it is clearly considered not essential in principle.

[0028] <Medication reduction support device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention> FIG. 1 shows an example of the appearance of a medication reduction support device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The drug reduction support device 10 assumes that the user is, for example, a patient with insomnia, and supports the titration of an aqueous solution of a drug (such as a psychotropic drug such as benzodiazepine) that is prescribed to the user and should be reduced. Note that the user's medical condition, symptoms, and therapeutic drugs are not limited to the above examples.

[0030] The medication reduction support device 10 is provided with a touch panel display 11 on the front of the housing for displaying various information to the user and receiving input from the user, and a medicine pouring port 14 for pouring water in which medicine has been dissolved by the medication reduction support device 10 (hereinafter referred to as an aqueous solution) into the cup 1. Note that instead of the touch panel display 11, a display without a touch panel and mechanical buttons or the like may be provided.

[0031] Furthermore, the medication reduction support device 10 has a medication input port 12 for inputting medication on the upper surface of the housing. It is assumed that the medication to be input is a tablet. However, the shape of the medication is not limited to a tablet, and may be a powder or liquid.

[0032] Furthermore, the medication reduction support device 10 is provided on the side of its housing with a removable water supply tank 13 for containing water to dissolve the medication, and a removable drainage tank 15 for storing the remaining aqueous solution before it is discarded.

[0033] The arrangement of the touch panel display 11, the medicine inlet 12, the water tank 13, the medicine inlet 14, and the drain tank 15 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1. Instead of providing the water tank 13, for example, a detachable plastic bottle containing water may be used, or a water pipe may be connected to the medicine reduction support device 10.

[0034] 2 shows an example of the internal configuration of the medication reduction support device 10. In addition to a touch panel display 11, a medicine inlet 12, a water supply tank 13, a medicine inlet 14, and a drainage tank 15, the medication reduction support device 10 includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 21, a medicine crushing mechanism 22, an agitation container 23, a measuring device 24, an agitation mechanism 25, a water injection pump 26, an extraction pump 27, a drainage pump 28, and sensors 29 and 30. Each component of the medication reduction support device 10 is detachable and disassembleable, and can be washed and dried by the user.

[0035] The control unit 20 is composed of, for example, a small computer or a microcomputer, and the small computer or the like executes a predetermined program to control each part of the medication reduction support device 10 to realize a UI (User Interface) function, a dosage determination function, and a dispensing function. Note that control lines from the control unit 20 to each part of the medication reduction support device 10 are omitted in the illustration.

[0036] The UI function is a function for controlling the touch panel display 11, displaying various information, and receiving input from the user. The UI function corresponds to the input unit and output unit of the present invention.

[0037] The dosage determination function is a function for determining the dosage based on the user's own physical condition, etc., input by the user. Details of the dosage calculation will be described later. The dosage determination function corresponds to the determination unit of the present invention.

[0038] The dispensing function is a function that controls each part of the medication reduction support device 10 to generate an aqueous solution, accurately measures the aqueous solution to be taken by the user, and extracts it into the cup 1.

[0039] The storage unit 21 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or a volatile memory such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) (however, a constant power supply is required), and stores medication setting information 211 and medication history information 212. The medication setting information 211 is information consisting of various setting values ​​(described later with reference to FIG. 4) required to determine the dosage, and is set by the user or a manager such as a doctor or pharmacist who manages the user's medication. The medication history information 212 is information that represents the history of the user's physical condition and dosage. The storage unit 21 also stores the number of consecutive days of good condition and the number of consecutive days of poor condition, which will be described later. Note that the storage unit 21 may store other information and data.

[0040] The drug crushing mechanism 22 is composed of, for example, a motor and a propeller-type cutter, and crushes the drug (tablet) fed from the drug feed port 12 and discharges it into the stirring vessel 23. Note that the drug feed port 12 is provided with a bypass so that the drug can be fed directly into the stirring vessel 23 without passing through the drug crushing mechanism 22 when the drug is in the form of a powder or liquid.

[0041] The stirring vessel 23 is, for example, a beaker, into which water is poured from the water supply tank 13 by a water injection pump 26 , and medicine is poured from the medicine inlet 12 or the medicine crushing mechanism 22 .

[0042] The weighing device 24 is, for example, an electromagnetic scale, and measures the weight of the water poured into the stirring vessel 23. The weighing device 24 also measures the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel 23, thereby measuring the aqueous solution extracted from the stirring vessel 23.

[0043] The stirring mechanism 25 is, for example, a stirrer, and generates an aqueous solution by stirring the water and the drug introduced into the stirring vessel 23. Note that, instead of the stirrer, a stirring blade may be provided at the bottom of the stirring vessel 23.

[0044] The water injection pump 26 sucks up water in the water supply tank 13 and injects it into the agitator 23 under the control of the control unit 20. At this time, the control unit 20 causes the measuring device 24 to measure the amount of water injected into the agitator 23, and controls the water injection pump 26 in accordance with the result, thereby accurately controlling the amount of water injected into the agitator 23. Note that a flow meter may be added between the water supply tank 13 and the agitator 23, and the water injection pump 26 may be controlled in accordance with the measurement result.

[0045] The extraction pump 27 extracts the aqueous solution in the stirring vessel 23 under the control of the control unit 20, and pours it into the cup 1 through the chemical inlet 14. At this time, the control unit 20 causes the measuring device 24 to measure the aqueous solution in the stirring vessel 23, which gradually decreases, and controls the extraction pump 27 according to the result, thereby accurately controlling the amount of aqueous solution extracted. Note that a flow meter may be added between the stirring vessel 23 and the chemical inlet 14, and the extraction pump 27 may be controlled according to the measurement result.

[0046] The drain pump 28, under the control of the control unit 20, drains the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel 23 into the drain tank 15.

[0047] The sensor 29 detects the attachment / detachment of the water supply tank 13 to the housing of the medication reduction support device 10, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20. The sensor 29 also detects the presence or absence of water in the water supply tank 13, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20.

[0048] The sensor 30 detects the attachment / detachment of the drainage tank 15 to the housing of the medication reduction support device 10, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20. The sensor 30 also detects when the drainage tank 15 is full of aqueous solution, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20.

[0049] <Regarding medication reduction support processing by medication reduction support device 10> FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a medication reduction support process performed by the medication reduction support device 10. As shown in FIG.

[0050] The medication reduction support process is premised on the assumption that the user has attached the water supply tank 13 filled with water and the empty drainage tank 15 to the housing of the medication reduction support device 10. Also, the memory unit 21 is assumed to store medication setting information 211 set by the user or an administrator such as a doctor. The medication reduction support process is started in response to a predetermined start operation by the user during a medication time period, such as before going to bed.

[0051] First, the control unit 20 causes the touch panel display 11 to display the medication setting screen 1000 (FIG. 4) based on the medication setting information 211 in the storage unit 21 (step S1).

[0052] 4 shows an example of a display of a medication setting screen 1000. The medication setting screen 1000 is provided with a “home” button 1001, a management setting field 1002, a medication setting field 1003, and a medication reduction setting field 1004.

[0053] A "Home" button 1001 is provided for the user to instruct transition to a home screen 1100 (FIG. 5). A management setting field 1002 is provided for setting whether or not remote control by an administrator such as a doctor is enabled, and whether or not control by the patient (user) himself / herself is enabled, with respect to the setting of the medication setting information 211. Remote control by an administrator such as a doctor will be described in the second embodiment below.

[0054] The medicine setting field 1003 is for setting the name of the medicine prescribed to the user, the frequency of taking the medicine, and the initial value of the dosage, and is set by the user or the administrator. In the example of FIG. 4, the medicine name is set to "Brotozolam 0.25 mg", the frequency of taking the medicine is set to "every night before going to bed", and the current dosage is "0.37 mg". The "0.25 mg" included in the medicine name corresponds to the ingredient content X of one tablet of the medicine, which will be described later.

[0055] The drug reduction setting field 1004 is for setting a good condition decrease rate indicating the rate at which the dosage is decreased when the user is in good physical condition, a good condition threshold indicating a threshold for comparison with the number of consecutive days the user is in good physical condition, an unwell condition increase rate indicating the rate at which the dosage is increased when the user is in unwell physical condition, and an unwell condition threshold indicating a threshold for comparison with the number of consecutive days the user is in unwell physical condition, and is set by the user or the administrator. The good condition threshold corresponds to the first threshold of the present invention, and the unwell condition threshold corresponds to the second threshold of the present invention.

[0056] In the example of Figure 4, the good condition gradual decrease rate is set to "2%, the good condition threshold is set to "5 days", the bad condition gradual increase rate is set to "3%, and the bad condition threshold is set to "3 days". In the calculation formula described later, the percentages are converted to decimals before use.

[0057] Returning to Fig. 3, when the user checks the medication setting screen 1000 displayed on the touch panel display 11 and operates the "Home" button 1001, the control unit 20 then causes the touch panel display 11 to display the home screen 1100 (Fig. 5) (step S2).

[0058] 5 shows an example of a home screen 1100. The home screen 1100 has a “History” button 1101, a “Settings” button 1102, and a physical condition selection button 1103.

[0059] The "History" button 1101 allows the user to instruct a transition to the history screen 1600 (FIG. 11). The "Settings" button 1102 allows the user to instruct a transition to the medication setting screen 1000 (FIG. 4).

[0060] The physical condition selection button 1103 allows the user to select and input his / her own physical condition as "good", "bad", or "terribly unwell". In this embodiment, the physical condition is classified into three stages, "good", "bad", and "terribly unwell", but it may be classified into two stages or four or more stages.

[0061] Returning to Fig. 3, when the user selects and inputs a physical condition using the physical condition selection button 1103 on the home screen 1100 displayed on the touch panel display 11, the control unit 20 then performs a dosage determination process based on the user's physical condition, etc. (step S3).

[0062] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a dosage determination process. First, the control unit 20 determines whether the physical condition selected and input by the user is "good," "poor," or "extremely poor" (step S11).

[0063] If the user's physical condition is "good" ("good" in step S11), then the control unit 20 adds 1 to the number of consecutive good days stored in the memory unit 21 (step S12) and resets the number of consecutive poor days to 0 (step S13).

[0064] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the number of consecutive good days to which 1 was added in step S12 is equal to or greater than the good threshold (five days in the example of FIG. 4) (step S14). If the number of consecutive good days is equal to or greater than the good threshold (YES in step S14), the control unit 20 multiplies the dosage A by (1-tapering rate when in good condition) to update the dosage A (step S15), and resets the number of consecutive good days stored in the memory unit 21 to 0 (step S16).

[0065] On the other hand, if the number of good consecutive days is less than the good threshold value ("NO" in step S14), the control unit 20 skips steps S15 and S16. In this case, the dosage A is not updated.

[0066] Next, the control unit 20 divides the dosage A by the ingredient content X of one tablet of the medicine and rounds up the quotient to a positive number to calculate the amount of medicine Y to be added in units of one tablet, and then multiplies the ratio of the dosage A to the ingredient content X·Y of the medicine to be added (A / (X·Y)) by the amount of water C to dissolve the medicine, to determine the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted D (step S17). D = (A / (X Y)) × C

[0067] 4, if the dosage A before the update is "0.37 mg", the good condition tapering rate is "2%, the good condition threshold is "5 days", and the number of good consecutive days added by 1 in step S12 is 5 days, then in step S15, the dosage A before the update = 0.37 mg is multiplied by (1-0.02) to update the dosage A to 0.3626 mg. Then, the updated dosage A = 0.3626 mg is divided by the ingredient content X of one tablet of medicine = 0.25 mg, and the result 1.4504 is rounded up to a positive number, and the dosage Y of the medicine is determined to be 2 tablets. Furthermore, the ratio of the dosage of 0.3626 mg to the amount of drug ingredient added (0.25 mg x 2 tablets) is 0.7252 (= 0.3626 / (0.25 x 2)) multiplied by the amount of water poured C (e.g., 100 ml) to determine the amount of aqueous solution extracted D = 72.52 ml.

[0068] If the user's physical condition is "unwell" ("unwell" in step S11), then the control unit 20 adds 1 to the number of consecutive unwell days stored in the memory unit 21 (step S21) and resets the number of consecutive good days to 0 (step S22).

[0069] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the number of consecutive days of illness to which 1 was added in step S21 is equal to or greater than the illness threshold (3 days in the example of FIG. 4) (step S23). If the number of consecutive days of illness is equal to or greater than the illness threshold (YES in step S23), the control unit 20 multiplies the dosage A before the update by (1 + the dosage increase rate during illness) to update the dosage A (step S24), and resets the number of consecutive days of illness stored in the memory unit 21 to 0 (step S25).

[0070] On the other hand, if the number of consecutive days of illness is less than the illness threshold ("NO" in step S23), the control unit 20 skips steps S24 and S25. In this case, the dosage A is not updated.

[0071] Next, the control unit 20 determines the amount Y of the medicine to be added and the amount D of the aqueous solution to be extracted (step S17).

[0072] 4, if the dosage A is "0.37 mg", the sluggish tapering rate is "3%," the sluggishness threshold is "3 days", and the number of consecutive days of sluggishness added by 1 in step S21 is 3 days, then in step S24 the dosage A before the update is multiplied by (1 + 0.03) to update the dosage A to 0.3811 mg. Then, the updated dosage A = 0.3811 mg is divided by the ingredient content X = 0.25 mg of one tablet of medicine, and the result 1.5244 is rounded up to a positive number, and the dosage Y of the medicine is determined to be 2 tablets. Furthermore, the ratio of the dosage of 0.3811 mg to the amount of drug ingredient added (0.25 mg x 2 tablets) is 0.7622 (= 0.3811 / (0.25 x 2)) multiplied by the amount of water poured C (e.g., 100 ml) to determine the amount of aqueous solution extracted D = 76.22 ml.

[0073] If the user's physical condition is "very poor" ("very poor" in step S11), then the control unit 20 resets the number of consecutive poor days stored in the memory unit 21 to 0 (step S31), and resets the number of consecutive good days to 0 (step S32).

[0074] Next, the control unit 20 multiplies the current dosage A by (1+upward dosage rate during illness) to update the dosage A (step S33).

[0075] Next, the control unit 20 determines the amount Y of the medicine to be added and the amount D of the aqueous solution to be extracted (step S17).

[0076] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, if the dosage A is "0.37 mg" and the gradual reduction rate during illness is "3%", in step S33, the dosage A before the update is multiplied by (1+0.03) to update the dosage A to 0.3811 mg. Then, the updated dosage A=0.3811 mg is divided by the ingredient content X of one tablet of medicine=0.25 mg, and the result 1.5244 is rounded up to a positive number, and the dosage Y of the medicine is determined to be 2 tablets. Furthermore, the ratio of the dosage 0.3811 mg to the ingredient amount of the medicine (0.25 mg x 2 tablets) is multiplied by the amount of water poured C (e.g., 100 ml) to determine the amount of aqueous solution extracted D=76.22 ml.

[0077] In the above description, the amount of medicine Y to be added is calculated in units of one tablet, so that the user can easily add medicine. However, the amount of medicine Y to be added may be calculated in units of 1 / 2 tablet or 1 / 4 tablet. Furthermore, the dosage A and the amount of aqueous solution extracted D may be rounded off to a predetermined place (for example, 0.01 place) depending on the accuracy of the measuring device 24, the water injection pump 26, and the extraction pump 27.

[0078] Returning to Fig. 3, the control unit 20 then causes the touch panel display 11 to display the medicine input instruction screen 1200 (Fig. 7) reflecting the medicine amount calculated in the medicine amount calculation process and the input amount Y of the medicine (step S4).

[0079] 7 shows an example of a display of a medicine input instruction screen 1200. The medicine input instruction screen 1200 displays a message indicating the dosage calculated in the dosage calculation process (e.g., "The dosage this time is 0.38 mg"), a message indicating the dosage Y of the medicine (e.g., "Place the cup, add two tablets of 0.25 mg of brotizolam, and press OK"), an "OK" button 1201, and a "Back" button 1202. In addition to the screen display, the message indicating the dosage and the message indicating the dosage Y of the medicine may be output as voice from a speaker. The amount of aqueous solution extracted D may also be displayed on the medicine input instruction screen 1200, or output as voice.

[0080] The "OK" button 1201 is used by the user who has placed the cup 1 under the medicine inlet 14 and inserted medicine into the medicine inlet 12 to instruct the process to proceed. The "Back" button 1202 is used to return the process to step S2, display the home screen 1100, and redo the selection and input of physical condition.

[0081] Returning to Fig. 3, when the user operates the "OK" button 1201 on the medicine input instruction screen 1200 displayed on the touch panel display 11, the control unit 20 then causes the measuring device 24 to start measuring, and controls the water injection pump 26 while referring to the measuring result to inject a predetermined amount C (e.g., 100 ml) of water from the water supply tank 13 into the stirring vessel 23. The control unit 20 also causes the medicine crushing mechanism 22 to crush the medicine tablets and discharge them into the stirring vessel 23, and causes the stirring mechanism 25 to stir the water and the medicine, thereby creating an aqueous solution. Furthermore, the control unit 20 causes the touch panel display 11 to display an aqueous solution preparation screen 1300 (Fig. 8) (step S4).

[0082] 8, an explanation of the current process (e.g., "Mixing water and medicine") and an "Abort" button 1301 are displayed on an aqueous solution preparation screen 1300. The "Abort" button 1301 is used to instruct the user to stop preparation of the aqueous solution.

[0083] Returning to Fig. 3, after stirring mechanism 25 stirs water and medicine for a predetermined time, control unit 20 then controls extraction pump 27 while referring to the measurement result (remaining amount of aqueous solution) of measuring device 24 to extract the aqueous solution in stirring container 23 into cup 1 through medicine spout 14 by the extraction amount D determined in step S17, and displays administration instruction screen 1400 (Fig. 9) on touch panel display 11 (step S6). Note that instead of stirring water and medicine for a predetermined time, a sensor may be provided to measure the transparency of the aqueous solution in stirring container 23, and stirring may be terminated depending on the transparency.

[0084] 9 shows a display example of a medication instruction screen 1400. The medication instruction screen 1400 displays a message encouraging the user to take the medicine (for example, "Medicine extraction has been completed. Please take all of the medicine in the cup (76 ml)."), a "Home" button 1401, and a "History" button 1402. In addition to the screen display, the message encouraging the user to take the medicine may be output as a voice.

[0085] The "Home" button 1401 allows the user to instruct a transition to a home screen 1100 (FIG. 5). The "History" button 1402 allows the user to instruct a transition to a history screen 1600 (FIG. 11). The history screen 1600 will be described later.

[0086] Returning to Fig. 3, the control unit 20 then controls the drain pump 28 to drain the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel 23 into the drain tank 15 (step S7).

[0087] Finally, the control unit 20 associates the physical condition selected and input on the home screen 1100 with the dosage calculated according to the physical condition, etc., and the date, and records them in the medication history information 212 of the storage unit 21 (step S8). With this, the medication reduction support process by the medication reduction support device 10 is completed.

[0088] According to the medication reduction support process described above, the user can reduce medication while preventing the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, simply by inputting their own physical condition, without having to strictly control their medication intake.

[0089] If the medication reduction pace achieved by the medication reduction support process does not suit the user, the medication reduction settings can be changed on the medication setting screen 1000.

[0090] The above explanation has been given using an example in which the medication is taken once a day (every night before going to bed), but if the medication is taken twice a day or more, the number of consecutive good days, number of consecutive unwell days, good threshold, and unwell threshold explained above can be changed from a date unit to a session unit.

[0091] <Other screen displays> 10 is a display example of error screen 1500, showing an example in which there is insufficient water in water supply tank 13. Error screen 1500 has a "Setting" button 1501 for the user to instruct transition to medication setting screen 1000 (FIG. 4), and an "OK" button 1502 that the user operates when confirming the content of the error.

[0092] In addition to when there is insufficient water in the water supply tank 13, an error screen similar to error screen 1500 is also displayed when, for example, the water supply tank 13 is not installed, the drainage tank 15 is not installed, the drainage tank 15 is full, etc.

[0093] FIG. 11 shows an example of a history screen 1600 that is displayed when the “History” button 1101 on the home screen 1100 or the “History” button 1402 on the medication instruction screen 1400 is operated.

[0094] The history screen 1600 is provided with a "Home" button 1601 for instructing a transition to the home screen 1100, a history display field 1602, and a display range selection input button 1603. The history display field 1602 visualizes and displays the changes in daily dosage and physical condition within the display range as line graphs based on the medication history information 212 stored in the storage unit 21. In the example shown in the figure, one month is selected as the display range, and the history display field 1602 displays the changes in daily physical condition and dosage over the past month.

[0095] Furthermore, the history screen 1600 displays the current dosage, the increase / decrease rate of the drug during the display period, and the physical condition during the display period. The increase / decrease rate of the drug during the display period is calculated by the control unit 20 based on the ratio of the current dosage to the initial dosage in the display range. For example, if the initial dosage in the display range is 0·4 mg and the current dosage is 0.38 mg, the increase / decrease rate of the drug "-5.0%" is calculated from 0.38 / 0.4=0.95. The physical condition during the display period is a value obtained by converting the physical condition in the display range into a score by the control unit 20. For example, good physical condition on each date is assigned 1 point, poor physical condition is assigned 0 point, and extremely poor physical condition is assigned -1 point, and the score is calculated as 100 points if the physical condition was good for all days in the display range.

[0096] <Medication reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention> FIG. 12 shows an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] The medication reduction support system 100 includes a medication reduction support device 10', a user terminal 60, an administrator terminal 70, and a server 80. The medication reduction support device 10' is connected to the user terminal 60. The user terminal 60 and the administrator terminal 70 are connected to the server 80 via a network N such as the Internet.

[0098] 13 shows an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support device 10'. Note that components common to the medication reduction support device 10' and the medication reduction support device 10 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0099] The medication reduction support device 10' is obtained by omitting the touch panel display 11 and the storage unit 21 from the medication reduction support device 10 and adding a communication unit 41.

[0100] The control unit 20 of the medication reduction support device 10' has a dispensing function, and is the same as the control unit 20 of the medication reduction support device 10 (FIG. 2) except that the UI function and the dosage determination function are omitted. In the second embodiment, the UI function and the dosage determination function are realized by the user terminal 60.

[0101] The communication unit 41 connects to the user terminal 60 using a short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (trademark), receives the amount of water poured and the amount of aqueous solution extracted, which are related to the dispensing function, transmitted from the user terminal 60, and outputs the information to the control unit 20. Note that the communication unit 41 may be connected to the user terminal 60 via a LAN (Local Area Network) (not shown) provided in the user's home.

[0102] Returning to Fig. 12, the user terminal 60 used by the user (patient) is composed of a general computer such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone, and has the UI function and dosage determination function omitted from the medication reduction support device 10'.

[0103] 14 shows an example of the configuration of a general computer 600 constituting a user terminal 60. The computer 600 includes a processor 601 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory 602 such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a storage 603 such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), an input device 604 such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel, an output device 605 such as a display, and a communication module 606 such as a NIC (Network Interface Card).

[0104] The computer 600 as the user terminal 60 realizes a UI function and a dosage determination function by the processor 601 executing a predetermined program loaded in the memory 602. For example, as the UI function, the user terminal 60 displays a home screen 1100 (FIG. 5) to receive input of physical condition from the user, and displays a medicine input instruction screen 1200 (FIG. 7) to output instructions to the user. In addition, as the dosage determination function, the user terminal 60 connects to the server 80 via the network N and determines the dosage by referring to the dosage setting information 211.

[0105] The administrator terminal 70 is, for example, a PC, a smartphone, or the like, and is used by an administrator such as a doctor or a pharmacist who manages prescriptions for patients. The administrator terminal 70 connects to the server 80 via the network N, and sets medication setting information 211 for the patient (user of the user terminal 60). However, in order for the administrator to set the medication setting information 211, the management setting information included in the medication setting information 211 must be set in advance to enable remote control by the administrator.

[0106] The server 80 is a so-called cloud storage or the like, and manages medication setting information 211 and medication history information 212 corresponding to each patient.

[0107] In the medication reduction support system 100, the user terminal 60 accepts input of the user's physical condition, and refers to medication setting information 211 managed by the server 80 to determine the dosage A, the amount of medicine to be added Y, and the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted D. Next, the user terminal 60 instructs the user to add medicine to the medication reduction support device 10' and place the cup 1 under the medicine spout 14, and transmits the amount of water to be added C and the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted D to the medication reduction support device 10'. The medication reduction support device 10' then prepares an aqueous solution in which the medicine has been dissolved, and extracts only the amount of extraction D into the cup 1.

[0108] According to the medication reduction support system 100, an administrator can remotely manage the medication of multiple users. Moreover, the medication reduction support device 10' can be manufactured at a lower cost than the medication reduction support device 10 (FIG. 2).

[0109] <Modification> As a modified example of the medication reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment, for example, the medication dosage determination function may be transferred from the user terminal 60 to the server 80.

[0110] As a modified example of the medication reduction support device 10 according to the first embodiment, the dispensing function may be omitted, and only the UI function and the dosage determination function may be provided. Similarly, as a modified example of the medication reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment, the medication reduction support device 10' may be omitted. That is, in the medication reduction support device 10 and the medication reduction support system 100, the UI function may receive input of the user's physical condition, and the dosage determination function may determine the dosage and extraction amount based on the user's physical condition and notify the user, and the user may then prepare water and cups, stir the medicine, extract it, clean up, and so on.

[0111] Also, as a modified example of the drug reduction support device 10 according to the first embodiment, some of the components related to the dispensing function may be omitted or simplified. Similarly, as a modified example of the drug reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment, some of the components of the drug reduction support device 10' may be omitted or simplified. For example, the water supply tank 13, the water injection pump 26, and the sensor 29 may be omitted, and the user may inject water by himself. For example, the drug crushing mechanism 22 may be omitted, and the user may crush the tablets by himself. For example, the extraction pump 27 may be omitted, and the user may extract the aqueous solution by himself. For example, the drain tank 15, the drain pump 28, and the sensor 30 may be omitted, and the user may discharge the aqueous solution by himself.

[0112] Furthermore, a specified web server may be accessed via a browser on a user terminal such as a smartphone, and when the user inputs his or her physical condition on a web screen displayed on the browser by the web server, the dosage of medication, amount of medicine administered, and amount of aqueous solution extracted according to the user's physical condition may be displayed.

[0113] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications, and various modifications are possible. For example, the above-described embodiment and modifications have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace a part of a modification with another modification, or to combine the modifications.

[0114] In addition, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware, for example, by designing a part or all of them as an integrated circuit. In addition, each of the above configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as a program, table, file, etc. that realizes each function can be placed in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD, or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD. In addition, the control lines and information lines are shown as those considered necessary for explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the product. In reality, it may be considered that almost all configurations are connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 10,10'...medication reduction support device, 11...touch panel display, 12...medication inlet, 13...water supply tank, 14...medication inlet, 15...drain tank, 20...control unit, 21...memory unit, 211...medication setting information, 212...medication history information, 22...medication crushing mechanism, 23...mixing container, 24...measuring device, 25...mixing mechanism, 26...water injection pump, 27...extraction pump, 28...drain pump, 29...sensor, 30...sensor, 41...communication unit, 60... User terminal, 70...Administrator terminal, 80...Server, 100...Drug reduction support system, 600...Computer, 601...Processor, 602...Memory, 603...Storage, 604...Input device, 605...Output device, 606...Communication module, 1000...Drug administration setting screen, 1100...Home screen, 1200...Drug administration instruction screen, 1300...Aqueous solution preparation screen, 1400...Drug administration instruction screen, 1500...Error screen, 1600...History screen

Claims

1. A drug reduction support device that supports a user who takes medicine to reduce the amount of medicine, an input unit that accepts input of a physical condition from the user; A determination unit that determines a dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines an amount of the drug to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines an amount of an aqueous solution in which the drug is dissolved based on the determined dosage; an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of the drug, and the amount of the aqueous solution extracted; A medication reduction support device equipped with:

2. The drug reduction support device according to claim 1, the input unit accepts a selection input of a plurality of options regarding physical condition from the user, The determination unit is When the user selects and inputs the first physical condition as the option, the dosage is reduced; When the user selects and inputs the second physical condition as one of the options, the dosage is increased. Medication reduction support device.

3. The drug reduction support device according to claim 2, The determination unit is When the number of consecutive selection inputs of the first physical condition by the user is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, the dosage is reduced; When the number of consecutive selection inputs of the second physical condition by the user is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the dosage is increased. Medication reduction support device.

4. The drug reduction support device according to claim 1, The determination unit divides the determined dosage by the ingredient content per tablet of the medicine, and determines the number of tablets of the medicine as the input amount by rounding up the quotient to a positive number. Medication reduction support device.

5. The drug reduction support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a stirring vessel for dissolving the dose of the drug in a predetermined amount of water; and a stirring mechanism for stirring the drug and the water in the stirring container to create the aqueous solution. Medication reduction support device.

6. The drug reduction support device according to claim 5, an extraction pump for extracting the aqueous solution in the stirring vessel; Medication reduction support device.

7. The drug reduction support device according to claim 5, A removable water tank, A water injection pump that injects water from the water supply tank into the mixing vessel. Medication reduction support device.

8. The drug reduction support device according to claim 5, A removable drainage tank, A drainage pump that drains the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel into the drainage tank. Medication reduction support device.

9. The drug reduction support device according to claim 5, A drug crushing mechanism for crushing the drug that is added is provided. Medication reduction support device.

10. The drug reduction support device according to claim 1, A storage unit that stores medication setting information, The determination unit determines the dosage based on the user's physical condition and the medication setting information. Medication reduction support device.

11. The drug reduction support device according to claim 10, The medication setting information is set by at least one of the user and an administrator who manages the medication prescription for the user. Medication reduction support device.

12. The drug reduction support device according to claim 1, A storage unit for storing medication history information, The output unit outputs a history of the user's physical condition and the dosage based on the medication history information. Medication reduction support device.

13. A method for supporting a user who takes medicine to reduce the amount of medication by using a medication reduction support device, comprising: an input step of accepting an input of a physical condition from the user; A determination step of determining a dosage based on the user's physical condition, determining an amount of the drug to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determining an amount of the aqueous solution in which the drug has been dissolved based on the determined dosage; an output step of outputting at least one of the determined dosage, the dosage of the drug, and the extraction amount of the aqueous solution; Methods to support medication reduction, including:

14. Computer, An input unit that accepts input of a physical condition of a user who takes medicine; A determination unit that determines a dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines an amount of the drug to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines an amount of an aqueous solution in which the drug is dissolved based on the determined dosage; an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of the drug, and the amount of the aqueous solution extracted; A program that makes it work.

15. A drug reduction support system including a user terminal used by a user who takes a drug and a drug reduction support device, The user terminal, an input unit that accepts input of a physical condition from the user; A determination unit that determines a dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines an amount of the drug to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines an amount of an aqueous solution in which the drug is dissolved based on the determined dosage; and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the dosage of the medicine, and the extraction amount of the aqueous solution; The drug reduction support device includes: a stirring vessel for dissolving the dose of the drug in a predetermined amount of water; a mixing mechanism for mixing the drug and the water in the mixing vessel to prepare the aqueous solution; and an extraction pump for extracting the aqueous solution in the stirring vessel. Medication reduction support system.

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