Pillow suggestion method, pillows suggested by pillow suggestion method, pillow suggestion system, and pillow creating method

Abstract

To recommend pillows of appropriate height to individuals diagnosed with or has a high probability of developing VAD.SOLUTION: A pillow suggestion method according to one aspect of the present invention, if diagnostic information indicates that a client has been diagnosed with VAD or has a high probability of developing VAD and the height of a pillow currently used by the client is equal to or greater than a predetermined height, suggests a recommended pillow that is lower in height than the predetermined height as a pillow that the client should use in the future.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pillow proposal method, a pillow proposed by such a pillow proposal method, a pillow proposal system, and a pillow creation method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, pillows for the purpose of promoting health and the like are known. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a pillow whose height can be adjusted and which is said to be useful for promoting health.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, according to a certain report, 25% of strokes in people aged 15 to 45 are vertebral artery dissections (hereinafter abbreviated as "VAD") (Neurology 2002; 59: 26-33). There is also a report that 18% of VAD patients experience poor outcomes (Stroke 2006; 37: 2499-2503). Furthermore, in another report, the cause of "spontaneous vertebral artery dissection (hereinafter abbreviated as "sVAD")" is said to be unknown (not identified) (European Neurology 2014; 71: 305-312).

[0005] Regarding VAD, as minor preceding trauma, for example, actions that suddenly move the neck such as coughing and sneezing, postures and actions that bend the neck backward when combing hair, exercises that place a burden on the neck and around the neck such as yoga, and even massages on the neck and shoulders are known. However, it has been reported that such events that stress the neck preceding the onset of VAD are confirmed in only one-third of VAD patients (Neurology 2014;71:305-312). Also, there are reports stating that the genetic cause is identified in less than 5% of VAD cases (Neurology 1998;50:1166-1169).

[0006] And, it seems that the dynamic anatomy of the neck is essential for elucidating the causal mechanism of sVAD, and there are also reports stating that two-thirds of sVAD cases remain with an unclear causal mechanism (European Neurology 2014;71:305-312).

[0007] The inventors of the present invention hypothesized from multiple cases that a part of sVAD is caused by the use of a high pillow, and verified such a hypothesis. As a result, the inventors of the present invention confirmed (found) that there is a relationship between a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) and sVAD, and that 9 to 11% of sVAD cases may be caused by the use of a high pillow.

[0008] The present invention, in one aspect, is made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to propose a pillow with an appropriate height to those who have developed VAD or have been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it. Also, in another aspect of the present invention, its purpose is to obtain pillow information, which is information indicating the height of a pillow, from a person consulting, and propose a pillow with an appropriate height based on the pillow information.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0009] In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention adopts the following configuration.

[0010] The pillow proposal method according to the first aspect includes at least: a step of obtaining diagnostic information indicating whether a client has developed or is likely to develop VAD (Vertebral Artery Dissection); a step of obtaining pillow information about the pillow currently used by the client, which is at least information indicating the height of the pillow; and a step of proposing, as a pillow that the client should use in the future, a recommended pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height when the diagnostic information indicates that the client has developed or is likely to develop VAD and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than the predetermined height.

[0011] Here, among VADs, it is known that those with minor preceding trauma or genetic causes that can be confirmed are not necessarily numerous. And for such VADs, especially for sVAD (spontaneous VAD), the inventors of the present invention have confirmed that the use of a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related.

[0012] Therefore, the pillow proposal method determines whether the diagnostic information indicates that "the client has developed or is likely to develop VAD". The pillow proposal method also determines whether the height of the pillow currently used by the client is equal to or higher than the predetermined height, that is, determines whether the pillow currently used by the client is high. And the pillow proposal method proposes, as a pillow that the client should use in the future, a recommended pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height when (1) the diagnostic information indicates that the client has developed or is likely to develop VAD and (2) the height of the pillow currently used by the client is equal to or higher than the predetermined height.

[0013] Therefore, the pillow proposal method has the effect of being able to propose a pillow with an appropriate height, specifically, the recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height, to the counselor who has developed VAD or has been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it. The recommended pillow may be used for improving the health of the counselor (for example, for preventing VAD).

[0014] The pillow proposal method according to the second aspect is the pillow proposal method according to the first aspect, wherein the diagnostic information further indicates whether the VAD that the counselor has developed or has been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing is sVAD (Spontaneous Vertebral Artery Dissection, idiopathic vertebral artery dissection). When the diagnostic information indicates that the counselor has developed sVAD or has been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it, and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than the predetermined height, the recommended pillow may be proposed in the step of proposing the recommended pillow.

[0015] As described above, the inventors of the present case confirmed that the use of a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related to sVAD.

[0016] Therefore, the pillow proposal method determines whether the diagnostic information indicates that "the counselor has developed sVAD or has been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it". Further, the pillow proposal method determines whether the height of the pillow currently used by the counselor is equal to or higher than the predetermined height. Then, the pillow proposal method proposes, as the pillow that the counselor should use in the future, a recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height when (1) the diagnostic information indicates that the counselor has developed sVAD or has been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it, and (2) the height of the pillow currently used by the counselor is equal to or higher than the predetermined height.

[0017] Therefore, the pillow proposal method can have the effect of proposing a pillow with an appropriate height, specifically, the recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height, to the counselor who has developed VAD (especially sVAD) or has been diagnosed as likely to develop it.

[0018] The pillow proposal method according to the third aspect is the pillow proposal method according to the first or second aspect, wherein the pillow information further indicates the hardness of the pillow currently used by the counselor, and when the hardness of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or greater than a predetermined hardness, in the step of proposing the recommended pillow, a pillow lower than the predetermined height and softer than the predetermined hardness may be proposed as the recommended pillow.

[0019] Here, the inventors of the present case confirmed that the higher the height of the pillow used, the harder the hardness of such a pillow, and the more likely VAD is to occur when the neck is bent during sleep.

[0020] Therefore, the pillow proposal method further determines whether the hardness of the pillow currently used by the counselor is equal to or greater than the predetermined hardness. That is, the pillow proposal method determines whether the hardness of such a pillow is equal to or greater than the predetermined hardness in addition to the determination related to the diagnostic information and the determination related to the "height" of the pillow currently used by the counselor. And the pillow proposal method proposes the following recommended pillow when (1) the diagnostic information indicates that the counselor has developed VAD or has been diagnosed as likely to develop it, (2) the height of the pillow currently used by the counselor is equal to or greater than the predetermined height, and (3) the hardness of the pillow is equal to or greater than the predetermined hardness. That is, the pillow proposal method proposes a pillow lower than the predetermined height and softer than the predetermined hardness as the recommended pillow.

[0021] Therefore, the pillow proposal method can have the effect of proposing a pillow with an appropriate height and appropriate firmness as the recommended pillow to the counselor who has developed VAD or has been diagnosed as having a high probability of developing it. Specifically, the pillow proposal method can have the effect of proposing the recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height and a firmness softer than the predetermined firmness.

[0022] The pillow proposal method according to the fourth aspect includes, in the pillow proposal method according to any one of the first to third aspects, a step of obtaining body information about the counselor's body, which is at least information indicating the counselor's body shape, and the predetermined height may be set according to the counselor's body shape indicated by the body information.

[0023] As described above, the inventors of the present case confirmed that the higher the height of the pillow used and the firmer the pillow, and the more the neck is bent during sleep, the more likely it is to develop VAD.

[0024] Therefore, the pillow proposal method calculates, for example, the height of the pillow at which the counselor's neck does not bend during use according to the counselor's body shape indicated by the body information. For example, the pillow proposal method may calculate the height of the pillow at which the counselor's neck does not bend during use based on the counselor's height, the shape, position, size, etc. of the body parts (especially parts such as the head, neck, and shoulders). Then, the pillow proposal method sets the calculated "height of the pillow at which the counselor's neck does not bend during use" as the predetermined height.

[0025] Therefore, the pillow proposal method has the effect that the predetermined height can be appropriately set according to the body of the counselor who has developed VAD or has been diagnosed as likely to develop it. For each counselor, the pillow proposal method can appropriately set the "predetermined height", which is a criterion for determining whether the pillow currently used by each counselor is too high, according to each counselor, particularly according to the physical characteristics of each counselor. Specifically, for each counselor, the pillow proposal method can set, for example, "the height of a pillow that does not bend the neck during use" as the "predetermined height", which is a criterion for determining whether the pillow currently used by each counselor is too high. Then, using the "predetermined height" appropriately set according to each counselor, the above-mentioned determination is carried out for each counselor, and as the pillow that each counselor should use in the future, for example, the recommended pillow with a height of "a height that does not bend the neck during use" can be proposed. Therefore, the pillow proposal method can, according to each counselor, particularly according to the physical characteristics of each counselor, propose, as the pillow that each counselor should use in the future, for example, the recommended pillow with a height of "a height that does not bend the neck of each counselor during use".

[0026] The pillow according to the fifth aspect may be a pillow proposed as the recommended pillow by the pillow proposal method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects above. Such a pillow is considered to prevent the deterioration of VAD (particularly sVAD) diagnosed in the counselor and contribute to smooth healing. In addition, such a pillow is considered to prevent the onset of VAD (particularly sVAD) diagnosed as likely to occur in the counselor and contribute to reducing the possibility of onset.

[0027] The form of the present invention does not necessarily have to be limited to the form of the above method (the pillow proposal method). As another aspect of the pillow proposal method according to the above form, one aspect of the present invention may be a pillow proposal device or a pillow proposal system that realizes all or a part of each of the above configurations. Further, one aspect of the present invention may be an information processing method that realizes all or a part of each of the above configurations, or a program, or a computer-readable storage medium such as a computer or other device or machine that stores such a program. Here, a computer-readable storage medium is a medium that stores information such as a program by an electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action.

[0028] For example, the pillow proposal system according to the sixth aspect includes at least a diagnosis information acquisition unit that acquires diagnosis information indicating whether or not a client has developed or is likely to develop VAD (Vertebral Artery Dissection), and pillow information about the pillow currently used by the client, which is information indicating at least the height of the pillow, a pillow information acquisition unit; and a proposal unit that proposes a recommended pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height as the pillow to be used by the client in the future when the diagnosis information indicates that the client has developed or is likely to develop the VAD and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than the predetermined height.

[0029] The related pillow proposal system exhibits at least the same effects as those of the pillow proposal method according to the first aspect.

[0030] The pillow creation method according to the seventh aspect includes at least: a step of obtaining diagnostic information indicating whether a client has developed or is likely to develop VAD (Vertebral Artery Dissection); a step of obtaining pillow information about the pillow currently used by the client, the pillow information including at least information indicating the height of the pillow; a step of identifying a recommended pillow, which is a pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height, as the pillow to be used by the client in the future when the diagnostic information indicates that the client has developed or is likely to develop the VAD and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than the predetermined height; and a step of creating the identified recommended pillow using a cushion material.

[0031] The pillow creation method according to this aspect has an effect similar to the effect achieved by the pillow proposal method according to the first aspect.

[0032] The pillow proposal method according to the eighth aspect includes: a step of obtaining pillow information about the pillow currently used by the client, the pillow information including at least information indicating the height of the pillow; and a step of proposing a recommended pillow, which is a pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height, as the pillow to be used by the client in the future when the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than the predetermined height.

[0033] As described above, the inventors of the present invention have confirmed that the use of a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related to VAD, particularly sVAD. Here, when the height of the pillow currently used by the client is equal to or higher than the predetermined height, the pillow proposal method according to the eighth aspect proposes a recommended pillow, which is a pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height, as the pillow to be used by the client in the future. Therefore, the pillow proposal method according to the eighth aspect can propose the recommended pillow, which is effective for preventing the onset of VAD, particularly effective for preventing the onset of sVAD, to the client.

[0034] The pillow proposal system according to the ninth aspect includes a pillow information acquisition unit that acquires pillow information which is information about the pillow currently used by the counselor and at least includes information indicating the height of the pillow, and a proposal unit that, when the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or greater than a predetermined height, proposes a recommended pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future.

[0035] The pillow proposal system according to the ninth aspect described above exhibits at least the same effects as those achieved by the pillow proposal method according to the eighth aspect. That is, the pillow proposal system according to the ninth aspect can propose the recommended pillow, which is effective in preventing the onset of VAD, particularly effective in preventing the onset of sVAD, to the counselor.

[0036] The pillow creation method according to the tenth aspect includes a step of acquiring pillow information which is information about the pillow currently used by the counselor and at least includes information indicating the height of the pillow, a step of identifying a recommended pillow having a height lower than a predetermined height as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future when the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or greater than the predetermined height, and a step of creating the identified recommended pillow using a cushion material.

[0037] The pillow creation method according to the tenth aspect described above exhibits at least the same effects as those achieved by the pillow proposal method according to the eighth aspect. That is, the pillow creation method according to the tenth aspect can create the recommended pillow, which is effective in preventing the onset of VAD, particularly effective in preventing the onset of sVAD, as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future.

Advantages of the Invention

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to propose a pillow having an appropriate height to a person who has developed VAD or has been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing VAD. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to propose a pillow having an appropriate height to the counselor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0039]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0040] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an exemplification of the present invention in every aspect. Needless to say, various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is, in implementing the present invention, a specific configuration according to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted. In this embodiment, the data that appears is described in natural language, but more specifically, it is specified by a pseudo-language, command, parameter, machine language, etc. that can be recognized by a computer.

[0041] According to a certain report, 25% of strokes in people aged 15 to 45 are due to vertebral artery dissection (hereinafter abbreviated as "VAD"). However, regarding VAD, those for which minor preceding trauma, genetic causes, etc. can be identified are limited. And there are also reports stating that the cause of spontaneous vertebral artery dissection (hereinafter abbreviated as "sVAD") is unknown (not identified). Therefore, the inventors of the present case have conducted repeated research on VAD, which is an example of stroke, especially on sVAD.

[0042] Hereinafter, first, the cases found by the inventors of the present case in the research on VAD, the hypotheses established by the inventors of the present case based on such cases, the verification of such hypotheses, the results of the verification, the conclusions, etc. will be explained.

[0043] §1.1. Cases and Hypotheses The inventors of the present case established a hypothesis that a part of sVAD is caused by the use of a high pillow from the following two cases. As described above, sVAD is spontaneous vertebral artery dissection and is also referred to as "spontaneous vertebral artery dissection". sVAD excludes traumatic VAD and genetic VAD from VAD.

[0044] (Case 1) Case 1 is a 78-year-old male with a history of reflux esophagitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He presented with neck pain and headache since waking up, and VAD was detected. Due to heartburn and poor sleep, this male patient raised the height of his pillow the day before the onset of VAD. Then, the inventors of the present invention confirmed that the height of the pillow after it was "raised" used by this male patient the day before the onset of VAD was 17 cm.

[0045] (Case 2) Case 2 is a 50-year-old female who presented with neck pain. As the history of present illness (HPI), it was confirmed that she "watched TV in an unusual posture", and VAD was detected. Regarding this female patient, the inventors of the present invention confirmed the following facts. That is, it was confirmed that this female patient had placed a hard pillow vertically for 2 hours before the onset of VAD in order to watch TV. And it was confirmed that the height of the vertically placed hard pillow was 19 cm.

[0046] §1.2. Verification Based on the above two cases, the inventors of the present invention hypothesized that "part of sVAD is caused by the use of a pillow with a high height". And in order to verify such a hypothesis, the inventors of the present invention conducted the following verification. <Study design> A case-control study matching age and gender <Data source> The NCVC Stroke Registry (NCT02251665) of the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Hospital (NCVC) <Period> March 2018 - January 2023 <Inclusion criteria> · Cases: Defined as VAD in the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) Guidelines 2021. · Controls: Randomly selected, during the same period <Exclusion criteria> · Apparent traumatic · Iatrogenic · Hereditary · Unavailable information

[0047] In the verification, the inventors measured the following values for the pillows used by each case and each control at the onset of the target disease. That is, they measured the "Pillow height", the "Pillow hardness", and the "Neck angle".

[0048] Figure 1 is a diagram explaining each of the "Pillow height", the "Pillow hardness", and the "Neck angle" measured during the verification (the above-mentioned case-control study). Specifically, in (A) of Figure 1, a "low (not high)" pillow with a pillow height less than a predetermined height (for example, 12 cm) and a "high" pillow with a pillow height equal to or greater than the above-mentioned predetermined height are illustrated. In the illustrated example, the height of the "low" pillow is 8 cm (about 8 cm), and the height of the "high" pillow is 16 cm (about 16 cm).

[0049] In (B) of FIG. 1, for the hardness of the pillow, a "soft" pillow and a "hard" pillow are exemplified. As exemplified in (B) of FIG. 1, for the "soft" pillow, the change in the height of the pillow before and after placing the head is larger than that of the "hard" pillow. That is, for the "soft" pillow, the change in the height of the pillow before and after placing the head is large, whereas the change in the height of the pillow before and after placing the head is small compared to the "hard" pillow. For example, for the "soft" pillow, the height of the pillow after placing the head changes to half or less of the height of the pillow before placing the head. In contrast, for the "hard" pillow, the height of the pillow after placing the head is higher than half of the height of the pillow before placing the head.

[0050] In (C) of FIG. 1, examples of the angle of the neck (neck) with the head placed on the pillow are an example of "straight" and an example of "flexion". As exemplified in (C) of FIG. 1, "straight" means that, for example, in the state where the head is placed on the pillow, the face (or the angle of the neck) is parallel (substantially parallel) to the body. Also, "flexion" means that, for example, in the state where the head is placed on the pillow, the face (or the angle of the neck) is inclined with respect to the body. That is, for example, when an angle is formed by the difference between the line connecting the forehead and the tip of the chin and the horizontal plane line of the sternum part (that is, the above two lines intersect), it is regarded as "flexion". The angle between the face (or the angle of the neck) and the body when it is "straight" is larger than the angle between the face (or the angle of the neck) and the body when it is "flexion".

[0051] Also, at the time of verification, the inventors of the present invention asked dummy questions (for example, the height of the bed, the sleeping state, etc.) for each case and each control, and masked (hid) the risk factors that the participants were interested in.

[0052] In the verification, pillows (pillow heights) were classified based on a predetermined height. Specifically, in the verification, a predetermined height (the first predetermined height) was set at "12 cm", and pillows with a height of 12 cm or more were classified as "high". Further, a second predetermined height was set as a predetermined height higher than the first predetermined height, the second predetermined height was set at "15 cm", and pillows with a height of 15 cm or more were classified as "abnormally high".

[0053] Regarding the above cases and controls, the number of people and statistical values (such as mean values) for each item related to "basic characteristics", "potential factors related to pillow height", "sleep state", and "risk factors for sVAD" were tabulated and shown in Figure 2. For reference, the "p-value (P value)" for each of the above items is also shown in Figure 2.

[0054] In Figure 2, "sVAD" indicates 53 VAD patients extracted by applying the above exclusion criteria among the VAD patients based on the above inclusion criteria, that is, it indicates 53 cases. Each of these 53 cases was a VAD patient diagnosed with sVAD. Also, "Non-VAD" indicates 53 subjects (participants) who did not develop VAD, extracted based on the above inclusion and exclusion criteria, that is, it indicates 53 controls.

[0055] §1.3. Results The results of the above verification (case-control study) are shown in Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 shows the odds ratio (Odds ratio), 95% confidence interval (95% CI), and P value (p-value) between cases (the "sVAD" in Figure 2) and controls (the "Non-VAD" in Figure 2) regarding pillow characteristics and neck flexion during sleep (when using the pillow).

[0056] As shown in Figure 3, the odds ratio for “(used) pillow height” was “1.12”, the 95% confidence interval was “1.01 - 1.23”, and the P-value was “0.025”. The odds ratio for “(using a) pillow with a height of 12 cm or more” was “2.89”, the 95% confidence interval was “1.13 - 7.43”, and the P-value was “0.027”. The odds ratio for “(using a) pillow with a height of 15 cm or more” was “10.6”, the 95% confidence interval was “1.30 - 87.3”, and the P-value was “0.028”. The odds ratio for “(using a) hard pillow” was “1.46”, the 95% confidence interval was “0.68 - 3.15”, and the P-value was “0.39”. As described above, a “hard pillow” is a pillow whose height after placing the head is higher than half of the height of the pillow before placing the head, that is, a pillow that does not concave by more than half. The odds ratio for “neck flexion during sleep (that is, when using a pillow)” was “1.78”, the 95% confidence interval was “0.92 - 5.79”, and the P-value was “0.21”.

[0057] These results can be interpreted as indicating that the higher the height of the pillow used, the harder the hardness of the pillow, and the more the neck bends during sleep, the more likely it is to develop VAD (the more likely it is to have an onset).

[0058] Also, for example, regarding the odds ratio, compared with the odds ratio for “pillow height” (1.12), the odds ratio for “pillow height of 12 cm or more” (2.89) is higher, and the odds ratio for “pillow height of 15 cm or more” (10.6) is even higher. These results can be interpreted as indicating that the higher the height of the pillow used, the more likely it is to develop VAD.

[0059] Figure 4 is a graph showing the ratio between the case and the control according to the height of the pillow used. In the figure, the ratio indicated by the diagonal lines is that of "Non-VAD (that is, the control)", and the ratio indicated in black is that of "sVAD (that is, the case)". As shown in the figure, as the height of the (used) pillow becomes higher, such as "less than 12 cm" (80 people), "12 cm or more and less than 15 cm" (16 people), and "15 cm or more" (10 people), the ratio of "sVAD" becomes larger. Such a result can be interpreted as indicating that the higher the height of the pillow used, the more likely it is to develop VAD (the incidence frequency of VAD is high). In addition, as also shown in the figure, "P for trend" was "0.007".

[0060] Figure 5 is an area-proportional Venn diagram for exploring subgroups of sVAD. Specifically, (A) of Figure 5 shows the relationship between the following three groups (subgroups). That is, (A) of Figure 5 shows the relationship between the group of "no event preceding the onset (of the target disease)" (58%), the group of "onset at waking" (25%), and the group of "high pillow (being used)" (34%). The "event preceding the onset" is, for example, an event known as a Minor preceding trauma related to VAD. Examples of such "Minor preceding trauma" include actions that suddenly move the neck, such as coughing and sneezing, postures and actions that bend the neck backward during hair styling, movements that burden the neck and the area around the neck, such as yoga, and even massages to the neck and shoulders. In (A) of Figure 5, the area enclosed by the solid line indicates the group of "no event preceding the onset", the area enclosed by the dotted line indicates the group of "onset at waking", and the area enclosed by the two-dot chain line indicates the group of "high pillow", respectively.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 5(A), the group of "no event preceding onset" and the group of "onset upon waking up" overlapped at a very high rate. Also, the group of "no event preceding onset" and the group of "high pillow" overlapped at a sufficiently high rate. Furthermore, the overlap of the three groups of "no event preceding onset", "onset upon waking up", and "high pillow" was "11%".

[0062] Fig. 5(B) shows the relationship between the group of "no event preceding onset", the group of "onset upon waking up", and the group of "(using) an abnormally high pillow" (17%). In Fig. 5(B), the area enclosed by the solid line represents the group of "no event preceding onset", the area enclosed by the dotted line represents the group of "onset upon waking up", and the area enclosed by the two-dot chain line represents the group of "abnormally high pillow", respectively.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 5(B), the group of "no event preceding onset" and the group of "onset upon waking up" overlapped at a very high rate. Also, the group of "abnormally high pillow" was completely included in the group of "no event preceding onset". Furthermore, the overlap of the three groups of "no event preceding onset", "onset upon waking up", and "abnormally high pillow" was "9%".

[0064] §1.4. Conclusion Based on the above verification, the inventors of the present case confirmed (found) that a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related to sVAD, and that 9 - 11% of sVAD may be caused by the use of a high pillow. The neck posture is related to the stress on the arterial wall (the arterial wall of the vertebral artery), and the stress on such an arterial wall is related to VAD. And a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is considered to be related to the neck posture.

[0065] As described so far, the inventors of the present case have experienced two cases of idiopathic vertebral artery dissection involving high pillows. The inventors of the present case confirmed in the above case-control study that a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is associated with idiopathic vertebral artery dissection. It is considered that 10% of idiopathic vertebral artery dissections may be caused by high pillows.

[0066] Therefore, the pillow proposal method PM according to the present embodiment includes a step of acquiring diagnostic information, a step of acquiring pillow information, and a step of proposing a recommended pillow. The diagnostic information indicates at least whether the consultee has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it. The pillow information is information about the pillow currently used by the consultee, and at least includes information indicating the height of the pillow. In the step of proposing a recommended pillow, the pillow proposal method PM according to the present embodiment (1) indicates that the above diagnostic information indicates that "the consultee has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it", and (2) when the "height of the pillow currently used by the consultee" indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than a predetermined height, a recommended pillow with a height lower than the above predetermined height is proposed as the pillow that the consultee should use in the future.

[0067] Therefore, the pillow proposal method PM according to the present embodiment can propose a pillow with an appropriate height, specifically, a recommended pillow with a height lower than the above predetermined height, to a consultee who has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it. The recommended pillow may be used for improving the health of the consultee (for example, for preventing VAD).

[0068] The entity that executes the pillow proposal method PM according to this embodiment is not particularly limited. The pillow proposal method PM according to this embodiment may be executed, for example, by a human. For example, the pillow proposal method PM according to the present invention may be executed by a doctor who diagnoses the consulter. Also, the pillow proposal method PM according to the present invention may be executed by a counselor who has received consultation from a consulter (for example, a consulter diagnosed as "suffering from or having a high possibility of developing VAD"). However, it is not essential that the pillow proposal method PM according to this embodiment be executed by a human, and the pillow proposal method PM according to this embodiment may be executed by a computer. Hereinafter, a pillow proposal system S including a computer (in this embodiment, a proposal device 1) that executes the pillow proposal method PM according to this embodiment will be described. First, the outline of the pillow proposal system S including the "proposal device 1 that executes the pillow proposal method PM according to this embodiment" will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0069] §2. Application Examples FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an example of a scene to which the present invention is applied. The pillow proposal system S according to this embodiment includes, for example, a proposal device 1 and a client terminal 2. The client terminal 2 is an information terminal used by the consulter CL and is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, or the like. The proposal device 1 is a device that receives data transmitted from the client terminal 2, executes predetermined processing on the received data, and transmits the execution result of the predetermined processing to the client terminal 2, and is configured, for example, as a server.

[0070] In this embodiment, as an example of an external device that communicates (for example, wirelessly) with a computer (proposal device 1) that executes the pillow proposal method PM, a client terminal 2 is illustrated. In the pillow proposal system S, based on various types of information acquired from the client terminal 2, the proposal device 1 generates, for example, information (for example, recommended pillow information IR described later) required by the counselor CL, and outputs the generated information to the client terminal 2. However, in the pillow proposal system S, it is not essential for the proposal device 1 to acquire various types of information necessary for generating the information required by the counselor CL from the client terminal 2. For example, the proposal device 1 may acquire various types of information necessary for generating the information required by the counselor CL from an external device other than the client terminal 2. Further, the proposal device 1 may directly acquire various types of information necessary for generating the information required by the counselor CL from the counselor CL itself. For example, the proposal device 1 may directly receive an operation of the counselor CL for inputting the above-described various types of information. The proposal device 1 only needs to be able to acquire various types of information necessary for generating the information required by the counselor CL, and the acquisition source is not particularly limited.

[0071] In this embodiment, the proposal device 1 may distribute an application (software) that supports the counselor CL to input the above-described various types of information into the client terminal 2 to each client terminal 2. The counselor CL may provide such various types of information to the proposal device 1 by inputting the various types of information required by the proposal device 1 into the client terminal 2 in which the above-described application is installed. Hereinafter, the proposal device 1 will be described in detail.

[0072] §3. Configuration Example [Hardware Configuration] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an example of the hardware configuration of the proposal device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the proposal device 1 according to the present embodiment is a computer in which a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication interface 13, an external interface 14, an input device 15, an output device 16, and a drive 17 are electrically connected. In FIG. 7, the communication interface and the external interface are described as "communication I / F" and "external I / F".

[0073] The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is a hardware processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and is configured to execute information processing based on programs and various data. The CPU is an example of a processor resource. The storage unit 12 is an example of a memory resource and is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, etc. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 12 stores various information such as a proposal program 121 and setting basic information 122.

[0074] The proposal program 121 is a program for causing the proposal device 1 to execute the following information processing (FIG. 9) for generating recommendation pillow information IR indicating a pillow (recommended pillow RP) that the counselor CL should use in the future. The proposal program 121 includes a series of instructions for the information processing.

[0075] The setting basic information 122 is information indicating at least a basic height RH for determining whether the height of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL is high. The basic height RH is an example of the "predetermined height" of the present invention. Although details will be described later, the proposal device 1 determines whether the height of the pillow UP is high by comparing the height of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL with the basic height RH.

[0076] The base height RH may be a value independent of the consulter CL or a value corresponding to the consulter CL. That is, the base height RH may be a predetermined height (a fixed height determined in advance) independent of the consulter CL, for example, "12 cm", "15 cm", etc. The predetermined height independent of the consulter CL may be, for example, the height of a pillow generally sold as "ordinary height".

[0077] Also, the base height RH may be a value corresponding to the consulter CL, for example, a value corresponding to the body (physical characteristics) of the consulter CL. The physical characteristics of the consulter CL include at least the body shape of the consulter CL, specifically, height, weight, etc. The physical characteristics of the consulter CL may include the gender, age, etc. of the consulter CL, or various indexes (for example, BMI value, etc.) calculated from height, weight, etc. Further, the physical characteristics of the consulter CL may include the shape, position, size, weight, etc. of the body parts (especially parts such as the head, neck, shoulders, etc.) of the consulter CL. The base height RH may be, for example, the height of the pillow at which the neck does not bend during use, set according to the body (body shape).

[0078] In the following description, an example will be described in which the set basic information 122 is information that associates the base height RH with the physical characteristics (at least the body shape) with each other. For example, in the set basic information 122, at least one of height, weight, gender, age, shape, position, size, weight of each part such as the head, neck, shoulders, etc. is associated with the base height RH. However, as described above, the set basic information 122 may indicate a predetermined height independent of the physical characteristics (for example, a value fixedly determined in advance independent of the consulter CL) as the base height RH.

[0079] The setting basic information 122 may distinguish, for the pillow, between the part (hereinafter referred to as the "placement part") where the head can be placed (assumed to be placed) during use and the other parts, and may indicate the basic height RH in each of the placement part and the other parts. The placement part is, for example, the central part of the pillow, and the parts other than the placement part are, for example, both sides of the pillow. That is, the setting basic information 122 may indicate the basic height RH of each of a plurality of parts of the pillow (for example, the placement part and the other parts).

[0080] In addition to the basic height RH, the setting basic information 122 may indicate a basic hardness RS for determining whether the hardness of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL is hard. The basic hardness RS is an example of the "predetermined hardness" of the present invention.

[0081] The basic hardness RS may be a standard independent of the counselor CL or a standard according to the counselor CL. That is, the basic hardness RS may be a predetermined hardness (predetermined, fixed hardness) independent of the counselor CL. For example, it may be defined as "assuming a standard head (head) in terms of shape, size, weight, etc., and the height of the pillow after placing such a head is half of the height of the pillow before placing such a head" as the basic hardness RS. A pillow with a height after placing the above-mentioned standard head lower than half of the height of the pillow before placing such a head may be regarded as a "soft" pillow, and a pillow with a height of half or more of the height of the pillow before placing such a head may be regarded as a "hard" pillow. The basic hardness RS may be a standard for generally and standardly distinguishing "hard" and "soft" for the pillow, independent of the counselor CL. The predetermined hardness independent of the counselor CL may be, for example, the hardness of a pillow generally sold as "ordinary hardness".

[0082] Also, the basic hardness RS may be a value according to the counselor CL, for example, a value according to the body (physical characteristics) of the counselor CL. The basic hardness RS may be, for example, the hardness of the pillow such that the neck does not bend during use, set according to the body (body shape).

[0083] In the following description, an example will be described in which the setting basic information 122 indicates a base hardness RS in addition to a base height RH. In particular, an example will be described in which the setting basic information 122 is information that associates the base hardness RS with physical characteristics (for example, the weight of the head, etc.). For example, in the setting basic information 122, at least one of height, weight, gender, age, shape, position, size, and weight of each part such as the head, neck, and shoulders is associated with the base hardness RS. "The height of the pillow after placing the head of the counselor CL is half of the height of the pillow before placing the head of the counselor CL" may be used as the base hardness RS for each counselor CL. A pillow whose height after placing the head of the counselor CL is lower than half of the height of the pillow before placing the head of the counselor CL may be regarded as a "soft" pillow, and a pillow whose height is equal to or higher than half of the height of the pillow before placing the head of the counselor CL may be regarded as a "hard" pillow. However, as described above, the setting basic information 122 may indicate a predetermined hardness (for example, a standard head is assumed for shape, size, weight, etc., and a reference fixed in advance) independent of the physical characteristics of each counselor CL as the base hardness RS.

[0084] The setting basic information 122 may distinguish between the placement part and the other parts and indicate the base hardness RS in each of the placement part and the other parts. That is, the setting basic information 122 may indicate the base hardness RS of each of a plurality of parts of the pillow (for example, the placement part and the other parts).

[0085] The communication interface 13 is, for example, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) module, a wireless LAN module, etc., and is an interface for performing wired or wireless communication via a network. The proposed device 1 may utilize this communication interface 13 to execute data communication via the network with other information processing devices (for example, the client terminal 2). The external interface 14 is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, a dedicated port, etc., and is an interface for connecting to an external device. The type and number of the external interface 14 may be appropriately selected according to the type and number of the connected external devices. The proposed device 1 is connected to the client terminal 2 via at least one of the communication interface 13 and the external interface 14, and acquires various types of information necessary for generating the information (for example, the recommended pillow information IR) required by the counselor CL from the client terminal 2. The proposed device 1 acquires, as information necessary for generating the recommended pillow information IR from the client terminal 2, for example, the diagnostic information ID, the pillow information IP, and the body information IB described later.

[0086] The input device 15 is, for example, a device for performing inputs such as a mouse and a keyboard. Also, the output device 16 is, for example, a device for performing outputs such as a display and a speaker. An operator such as a user can operate the proposed device 1 by using the input device 15 and the output device 16. As described above, the counselor CL may directly provide (for example, input) various types of information necessary for the proposed device 1 to generate the recommended pillow information IR, etc. to the proposed device 1 by using the input device 15 and the output device 16.

[0087] The drive 17 is, for example, a CD drive, a DVD drive, etc., and is a drive device for reading various information such as programs stored in the storage medium 91. The storage medium 91 is a medium that accumulates information such as programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action so that a computer or other device or machine can read the stored various information. At least one of the proposed program 121 and the setting basic information 122 may be stored in the storage medium 91. The proposing device 1 may acquire at least one of the proposed program 121 and the setting basic information 122 from this storage medium 91. In FIG. 7, as an example of the storage medium 91, a disk-type storage medium such as a CD or a DVD is illustrated. However, the type of the storage medium 91 may not be limited to the disk type and may be other than the disk type. Examples of storage media other than the disk type include semiconductor memories such as flash memories. The type of the drive 17 may be arbitrarily selected according to the type of the storage medium 91.

[0088] Regarding the specific hardware configuration of the proposing device 1, components may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate according to the embodiment. For example, the processor resources may include a plurality of hardware processors. The hardware processor may be composed of a microprocessor, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), a DSP (digital signal processor), etc. The storage unit 12 may be composed of a RAM and a ROM included in the control unit 11. At least any one of the communication interface 13, the external interface 14, the input device 15, the output device 16, and the drive 17 may be omitted. The proposing device 1 may be composed of a plurality of computers. In this case, the hardware configurations of the respective computers may or may not match. Further, the proposing device 1 may be a general-purpose server device, a PC (Personal Computer), etc., in addition to an information processing device designed specifically for the provided service.

[0089] [Software Configuration] FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an example of the software configuration of the proposal device 1 according to the present embodiment. The control unit 11 of the proposal device 1 expands the proposal program 121 stored in the storage unit 12 into the RAM. Then, the control unit 11 interprets and executes the instructions included in the proposal program 121 expanded in the RAM by the CPU to control each component. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the proposal device 1 according to the present embodiment operates as a computer including a diagnosis information acquisition unit 111, a pillow information acquisition unit 112, a body information acquisition unit 113, a determination unit 114, a setting unit 115, and a proposal unit 116 as software modules. That is, in the present embodiment, each software module of the proposal device 1 is realized by the control unit 11 (CPU).

[0090] The diagnosis information acquisition unit 111 acquires a diagnosis information ID, for example, from the client terminal 2. The diagnosis information ID indicates whether the counselor CL has been diagnosed with VAD or is likely to develop VAD. The diagnosis information acquisition unit 111 notifies the acquired diagnosis information ID to the determination unit 114. For example, the diagnosis information acquisition unit 111 may notify the determination unit 114 whether the acquired diagnosis information ID indicates that "the counselor CL has been diagnosed with VAD or is likely to develop VAD".

[0091] In addition to the above-mentioned "presence or absence (possibility of onset) of VAD", the diagnosis information ID may further indicate whether the VAD with which the counselor CL has been diagnosed as having developed or is likely to develop is sVAD. That is, the diagnosis information ID may indicate whether the counselor CL has been diagnosed with sVAD or is likely to develop sVAD. The diagnosis information ID may indicate, for the counselor CL, in addition to the "presence or absence (possibility of onset) of VAD", the "presence or absence (possibility of onset) of sVAD". For example, the diagnosis information acquisition unit 111 may notify the determination unit 114 whether the acquired diagnosis information ID indicates that "the counselor CL has been diagnosed with sVAD or is likely to develop sVAD".

[0092] The pillow information acquisition unit 112 acquires pillow information IP. For example, it acquires the pillow information IP from the client terminal 2. The pillow information IP is information about the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL, and at least indicates the height of the pillow UP (for example, the height when the head (the head part) is not placed on it). The pillow information IP may indicate the height of the pillow UP during use (that is, when the head is placed on it). The pillow information acquisition unit 112 notifies the determination unit 114 of the acquired pillow information IP. For example, the pillow information acquisition unit 112 may notify the determination unit 114 of the "height of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL" indicated by the acquired pillow information IP.

[0093] The pillow information IP may indicate the height of the pillow UP by distinguishing the height of the placement part (the part where the head of the counselor CL is placed (assumed to be placed) during use) of the pillow UP from the height of the other parts. That is, the pillow information IP may indicate the height of each of a plurality of parts of the pillow UP (for example, the placement part and the other parts).

[0094] In addition to the "height" of the pillow UP, the pillow information IP may further indicate the "firmness" of the pillow UP. For example, the pillow information acquisition unit 112 may notify the determination unit 114 of the "height" and "firmness" of the pillow UP indicated by the acquired pillow information IP.

[0095] The pillow information IP may indicate the firmness of the pillow UP by distinguishing the firmness of the placement part from the firmness of the other parts of the pillow UP. That is, the pillow information IP may indicate the firmness of each of a plurality of parts of the pillow UP (for example, the placement part and the other parts).

[0096] The body information acquisition unit 113 acquires body information IB. For example, it acquires the body information IB from the client terminal 2. The body information IB is information about the body of the counselor CL, and at least indicates information about the body shape of the counselor CL. The body information acquisition unit 113 notifies the setting unit 115 of the acquired body information IB, and for example, notifies the setting unit 115 of the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB.

[0097] The body information IB may indicate, as the body shape of the counselor CL, for example, the height, weight, etc. of the counselor CL. In addition to the body shape of the counselor CL, the body information IB may indicate the gender, age, etc. of the counselor CL, or may also indicate various indexes (for example, BMI value, etc.) calculated from the height, weight, etc. The body information IB may further indicate the shape, position, size, weight, etc. of the body parts (particularly, parts such as the head, neck, shoulders, etc.) of the counselor CL.

[0098] The body information acquisition unit 113 may acquire, as the body information IB, an image of the counselor CL (at least one of an image captured using a camera function provided in a smartphone or the like, an X-ray image, a CT image, an MRI image, an ultrasonic tomogram, etc.). Such an image may be, for example, a full-body image of the counselor CL, an image of the counselor CL from the shoulders upward (including the shoulders), or at least one of these two images. It is desirable that the image of the counselor CL includes at least an image of the side of the counselor CL (in other words, an image of the counselor CL captured from the side). The body information acquisition unit 113 may analyze the height, the shape, position, size, etc. of the body parts (particularly, parts such as the head, neck, shoulders, etc.) of the counselor CL from the image of the counselor CL, and acquire the analysis result as the body information IB.

[0099] When the client terminal 2 has an imaging function, the body information acquisition unit 113 may acquire the image of the counselor CL captured by the client terminal 2 as the above-mentioned "image of the counselor CL captured".

[0100] Note that it is not essential for the proposal device 1 to set a basic height RH for determining whether the height of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL is high for each counselor CL. When the basic height RH is not set for each counselor CL, the proposal device 1 may not include the body information acquisition unit 113.

[0101] The determination unit 114 executes the following first and second determinations. That is, as the first determination, the determination unit 114 determines whether the diagnostic information ID acquired by the diagnostic information acquisition unit 111 indicates that "the counselor CL has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it". Hereinafter, "the diagnostic information ID indicates that 'the counselor CL has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it'" is also referred to as condition 1.

[0102] When the diagnostic information ID indicates, in addition to the "presence or absence (possibility of onset) of VAD onset" of the counselor CL, further the "presence or absence (possibility of onset) of sVAD onset", the determination unit 114 may make the following determination as the first determination. That is, the determination unit 114 may determine whether the diagnostic information ID indicates that "the counselor CL has developed sVAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it". Hereinafter, "the diagnostic information ID indicates that 'the counselor CL has developed sVAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it'" is also referred to as condition 1'.

[0103] As the second determination, the determination unit 114 determines whether the height of the pillow UP indicated by the pillow information IP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH set by the setting unit 115. Hereinafter, "the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH" is also referred to as condition 2.

[0104] Then, the determination unit 114 notifies the proposal unit 116 of the results (determination results) of the above-described first and second determinations. The determination unit 114 may notify the proposal unit 116 of the basic height RH in addition to the determination result. Also, although details will be described later, when the setting unit 115 sets the basic hardness RS in addition to the basic height RH, the determination unit 114 may notify the proposal unit 116 of the basic hardness RS in addition to the above-described determination result.

[0105] (Precautions regarding the second determination. Determination regarding the height of each part) When the pillow information IP distinguishes and indicates, for the pillow UP, the height of the portion (placement portion) where the head of the counselor CL can be placed during use and the height of the other portions, the determination unit 114 may perform the following determination. That is, the determination unit 114 may determine whether, for the pillow UP, at least the height of the placement portion is equal to or higher than the basic height RH set for the placement portion. Hereinafter, "at least the height of the placement portion of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH set for the placement portion" is also referred to as condition 2'.

[0106] (Precautions regarding the determination of the hardness of the pillow) When the pillow information IP indicates, for the pillow UP, "hardness" in addition to "height", the determination unit 114 may, in addition to determining whether the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH, also determine whether the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic hardness RS set by the setting unit 115. Hereinafter, "the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic hardness RS" is also referred to as condition 3.

[0107] In particular, when the pillow information IP distinguishes and indicates, for the pillow UP, the hardness of the placement portion and the hardness of the other portions, the determination unit 114 may perform the following determination. That is, the determination unit 114 may determine whether, for the pillow UP, at least the hardness of the placement portion is equal to or higher than the basic hardness RS set for the placement portion. Hereinafter, "at least the hardness of the placement portion of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic hardness RS set for the placement portion" is also referred to as condition 3'.

[0108] The setting unit 115 sets (determines) the basic height RH for determining whether the height of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL is high, and notifies the determined basic height RH to the determination unit 114.

[0109] In the present embodiment, the setting unit 115 sets the basic height RH using the body information IB acquired by the body information acquisition unit 113 and the setting basic information 122 stored in the storage unit 12. That is, the setting unit 115 sets the basic height RH for each counselor CL based on the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB and the setting basic information 122 in which the basic height RH and the body shape are associated with each other. The setting unit 115 may distinguish between the placement portion of the pillow and the other portions, and set the basic height RH corresponding to the body shape of the counselor CL for each of them.

[0110] Here, as described above, the inventors of the present invention confirmed in a case-control study that "the higher and harder the pillow is and the more the neck is bent during sleep, the more likely VAD is to occur". Therefore, the setting unit 115 may set, as the basic height RH, for example, "a height at which the neck of the counselor CL does not bend during use" according to the body shape of the counselor CL. For example, the setting unit 115 may calculate the height of the pillow at which the neck of the counselor CL does not bend during use based on at least one of the height, weight, shape, position, size, etc. of the body parts (particularly, parts such as the head, neck, and shoulders) of the counselor CL. Then, the setting unit 115 sets the calculated "height of the pillow at which the neck of the counselor CL does not bend during use" as the basic height RH. For example, the basic height RH, which is "a height at which the neck does not bend during use", may be associated with the body shape in the setting basic information 122. The setting unit 115 may set the basic height RH, which is "a height at which the neck does not bend during use", for each counselor CL from the such setting basic information 122 and the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB. However, it is not essential that the basic height RH be "a height at which the neck does not bend during use". The basic height RH may be, for example, "(the height of the pillow) at which no stress (or assumed no stress) is applied to the vertebral artery during use, or the stress on the vertebral artery is below a predetermined value (assumed to be below the predetermined value)". In the present embodiment, the basic height RH may be set according to the body (particularly, the body shape) of the counselor CL, and the relationship between the basic height RH and the body (particularly, the body shape) of the counselor CL is not particularly limited.

[0111] The proposal device 1 has the following effects by setting the basic height RH according to the body shape of the counselor CL. That is, the proposal device 1 has the effect that the basic height RH can be appropriately set according to the body (body shape) of the counselor CL. The proposal device 1 can appropriately set, for each counselor CL, the basic height RH, which is a criterion for determining whether the pillow UP currently used by each counselor CL is too high, according to each counselor CL, particularly according to the physical characteristics of each counselor CL. For example, the proposal device 1 can set, for each counselor CL, the "height of the pillow at which the neck does not bend during use" as the basic height RH, which is a criterion for determining whether the pillow UP currently used by each counselor CL is too high. Then, the proposal device 1 uses the basic height RH appropriately set according to each counselor CL to perform the above determination for each counselor CL, and can propose, as the pillow that each counselor CL should use in the future, for example, a recommended pillow RP with a "height at which the neck does not bend during use". Therefore, the proposal device 1 can, according to each counselor CL, particularly according to the physical characteristics of each counselor CL, propose, as the pillow that each counselor CL should use in the future, for example, a recommended pillow RP with a "height at which the neck of each counselor CL does not bend during use".

[0112] (Precautions regarding the basic hardness) In addition to the basic height RH, the setting unit 115 may (or may decide to) set a basic hardness RS for determining whether the hardness of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL is too hard. When the setting unit 115 sets the basic hardness RS, it notifies the determination unit 114 of the set basic hardness RS.

[0113] The setting unit 115 may set the basic hardness RS by using the body information IB acquired by the body information acquisition unit 113 and the setting basic information 122 stored in the storage unit 12. For example, the setting unit 115 may set the basic hardness RS for each counselor CL based on the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB and the setting basic information 122 in which the basic hardness RS and the body shape are associated with each other. The setting unit 115 may distinguish between the placement portion of the pillow and the other portions, and set the basic hardness RS corresponding to the body shape of the counselor CL for each of them.

[0114] Here, as described above, the higher, harder the pillow is, and the more the neck is bent during sleep, the more likely VAD is to occur. Therefore, the setting unit 115 may set, as the basic hardness RS, for example, "the hardness at which the neck of the counselor CL does not bend during use" according to the body shape of the counselor CL. For example, the basic hardness RS, which is "the hardness at which the neck does not bend during use", may be associated with the body shape in the setting basic information 122. The setting unit 115 may set, for each counselor CL, the basic hardness RS, which is "the hardness at which the neck does not bend during use", from such setting basic information 122 and the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB. However, it is not essential to set the basic hardness RS as "the hardness at which the neck does not bend during use". The basic hardness RS may be, for example, "(the hardness of the pillow) at which no stress is applied (or assumed not to be applied) to the vertebral artery during use, or the stress on the vertebral artery is below a predetermined value (assumed to be below the predetermined value)". In the present embodiment, the basic hardness RS may be set according to the body (particularly, the body shape) of the counselor CL, and the relationship between the basic hardness RS and the body (particularly, the body shape) of the counselor CL is not particularly limited.

[0115] When the proposal unit 116 confirms that the conditions are satisfied in any of the above-described first and second determinations by the determination unit 114, it outputs recommendation pillow information IR indicating a recommended pillow RP as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future. That is, the proposal unit 116 outputs the recommendation pillow information IR when (1) the diagnosis information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop VAD, and (2) the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the base height RH. In other words, the proposal unit 116 outputs the recommendation pillow information IR when both condition 1 and condition 2 are satisfied. The proposal unit 116 transmits the recommendation pillow information IR to, for example, the client terminal 2. The recommended pillow RP is a pillow having a height lower than the base height RH. That is, when both condition 1 and condition 2 are satisfied, the proposal unit 116 proposes, as the "pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future", a recommended pillow RP having a height lower than the base height RH.

[0116] Here, as described above, it is known that among VADs, those in which a mild head injury or genetic cause can be confirmed are not necessarily many. And for such VADs, particularly for sVAD, the inventors of the present case confirmed that the use of a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related. Therefore, the proposal device 1 has the effect of being able to propose a pillow with an appropriate height, specifically, a recommended pillow RP having a height lower than the base height RH, to a counselor CL who has developed or is likely to develop VAD.

[0117] In particular, the proposal unit 116 may propose the recommended pillow RP when the diagnosis information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop sVAD, and the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the base height RH. That is, the proposal unit 116 may propose, as the "pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future", a recommended pillow RP having a height lower than the base height RH when both condition 1' and condition 2 are satisfied.

[0118] As described above, the inventors of the present case confirmed that the use of a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related to sVAD. Therefore, the proposed device 1 has the effect of being able to propose a pillow with an appropriate height, specifically, a recommended pillow RP with a height lower than the basic height RH, to the counselor CL who has developed VAD (especially sVAD) or has been diagnosed as having a high likelihood of developing it.

[0119] (Precautions regarding the height of the pillow) When the proposal unit 116 confirms that the above-mentioned condition 1 (or condition 1') is satisfied and further confirms that the height of at least the placement portion of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH of the placement portion (condition 2'), it may propose the following recommended pillow RP. That is, the proposal unit 116 may propose a recommended pillow RP with a height lower than the basic height RH for at least the placement portion as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0120] (Precautions regarding the hardness of the pillow) In addition to confirming that the above-mentioned condition 1 (or condition 1') and condition 2 (or condition 2') are satisfied, when the proposal unit 116 confirms that the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic hardness RS (condition 3), it may propose the following recommended pillow RP. That is, the proposal unit 116 may propose a recommended pillow RP with a height lower than the basic height RH and a hardness softer than the basic hardness RS as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0121] As described above, the higher, harder the pillow is, and the more the head is bent during sleep, the more likely VAD is to occur. Therefore, the proposed device 1 has the effect of being able to propose a pillow with an appropriate height and an appropriate hardness as the recommended pillow RP to the counselor CL who has developed VAD (especially sVAD) or has been diagnosed as having a high likelihood of developing it. Specifically, the proposed device 1 has the effect of being able to propose a recommended pillow RP with a height lower than the basic height RH and a hardness softer than the basic hardness RS as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0122] When the proposal department 116 confirms that the above-mentioned condition 1 (or condition 1') and condition 2 (or condition 2') are satisfied, and further that the hardness of at least the placement portion of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS of the placement portion (condition 3'), it may propose the following recommended pillow RP. That is, the proposal department 116 may propose a recommended pillow RP whose hardness of at least the placement portion is softer than the basic hardness RS as a pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future. For example, the proposal department 116 may propose a recommended pillow RP whose height is lower than the basic height RH and whose hardness of at least the placement portion is softer than the basic hardness RS as a pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0123] As described above, there is a relationship between the use of VAD (especially sVAD) and a high pillow (a pillow with a high height). Therefore, the recommended pillow RP proposed by the proposal department 116 as a pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future has the following effects. That is, it is considered that the recommended pillow RP can prevent the deterioration of VAD (especially sVAD) diagnosed in the counselor CL and contribute to smooth healing. In addition, it is considered that the recommended pillow RP can prevent the onset of VAD (especially sVAD) diagnosed as having a high possibility of onset in the counselor CL and contribute to reducing the possibility of onset.

[0124] As described above, a high pillow is associated with the onset of VAD (vertebral artery dissection), and mediation effect analysis suggests that 30.4% of the causal relationship is mediated by neck flexion. One (part) of the promising candidates that explains about 70% of the remaining causal relationship is neck rotation by turning over in bed. In past studies, it has been reported that in addition to neck flexion, the blood vessel wall is most stretched and the mechanical stress on the blood vessel wall is high when rotation in the opposite direction is added (e.g., for the right vertebral artery, when neck flexion and leftward rotation are added) (Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2014;29:1099-1107). In addition, it has not been reported that vertebral artery dissection is particularly common in the patient group called "neck drop" who "constantly have a significantly flexed neck but no movement in other vectors due to muscle contraction" (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002;73:1-7). A mechanism is strongly assumed in which the vertebral artery is stretched by turning over in bed or the like in the continuous flexion of the neck caused by using a high pillow, resulting in rupture of the inner membrane wall of the vertebral artery (vertebral artery dissection).

[0125] And generally, a soft pillow is considered to be more difficult to turn over in bed than a hard pillow. Therefore, in view of the relationship with VAD (especially sVAD), when trying to suppress excessive turning over in bed, it is considered useful to make the pillow softer. Therefore, the proposed device 1 may determine the hardness of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL in relation to turning over in bed, and if the hardness of the pillow UP is hard, propose a soft recommended pillow RP as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future. By proposing the soft recommended pillow RP, the proposed device 1 can suppress excessive turning over in bed related to VAD (especially sVAD).

[0126] Also, to suppress excessive turning over, for example, when a pillow with a soft placement part and a hard other part is useful, the proposed device 1 may determine the hardness of each of the placement part and the other part for Pillow UP. For example, for Pillow UP, the proposed device 1 may determine whether the hardness of the placement part is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS of the placement part, and whether the hardness of the part other than the placement part is equal to or less than the basic hardness RS of the part other than the placement part. When it is determined that the placement part of Pillow UP is hard and the other part is soft, the proposed device 1 may propose a recommended pillow RP with a soft placement part and a hard other part. For example, for Pillow UP, when the hardness of the placement part is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS of the placement part and the hardness of the part other than the placement part is equal to or less than the basic hardness RS of the part other than the placement part, the proposed device 1 may propose the following recommended pillow RP. That is, the proposed device 1 may propose a recommended pillow RP in which the hardness of the placement part is softer than the basic hardness RS of the placement part and the hardness of the part other than the placement part is harder than the basic hardness RS of the part other than the placement part. By proposing a recommended pillow RP with a soft placement part and a hard other part, the proposed device 1 can suppress excessive turning over related to VAD (especially sVAD).

[0127] Similarly, in order to suppress excessive turning over, for example, when a pillow with a low placement part and a high other part is useful, the proposing device 1 may determine the height of each of the placement part and the other part for Pillow UP. For example, for Pillow UP, the proposing device 1 may determine whether the height of the placement part is equal to or higher than the base height RH of the placement part, and whether the height of the part other than the placement part is equal to or lower than the base height RH of the part other than the placement part. And when it is determined that the placement part of Pillow UP is high and the other part is low, the proposing device 1 may propose a recommended pillow RP with a low placement part and a high other part. For example, for Pillow UP, when the height of the placement part is equal to or higher than the base height RH of the placement part and the height of the part other than the placement part is equal to or lower than the base height RH of the part other than the placement part, the proposing device 1 may propose the following recommended pillow RP. That is, the proposing device 1 may propose a recommended pillow RP in which the height of the placement part is lower than the base height RH of the placement part and the height of the part other than the placement part is higher than the base height RH of the part other than the placement part. By proposing a recommended pillow RP with a low placement part and a high other part, the proposing device 1 can suppress excessive turning over related to VAD (especially sVAD).

[0128] §4. Operation Example FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the proposing device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure described below is an example of the pillow proposing method of the present invention. However, the processing procedure described below is only an example, and each step may be changed as much as possible. Furthermore, for the processing procedure described below, omission, replacement, and addition of steps are possible as appropriate according to the embodiment.

[0129] (Step S110) In step S110, the control unit 11 operates as a diagnostic information acquisition unit 111 to acquire a diagnostic information ID. The diagnostic information ID indicates at least whether the counselor CL has developed VAD or is likely to develop it. The diagnostic information ID may further indicate whether the VAD that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop is sVAD. That is, the diagnostic information ID may indicate whether the counselor CL has developed sVAD or is likely to develop it.

[0130] (Step S120) In step S120, the control unit 11 operates as a pillow information acquisition unit 112 to acquire pillow information IP. The pillow information IP is information about the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL, and indicates at least the height of the pillow UP (for example, the height of the pillow UP when the head (head part) is not placed on it). The pillow information IP may indicate the height of the pillow UP during use (that is, when the head is placed on it). The pillow information IP may also indicate the height of each of a plurality of parts of the pillow UP. For example, it may indicate the height of the placement part and the height of the other parts respectively. In the present embodiment, in addition to the "height" of the pillow UP, the pillow information IP further indicates "hardness". The pillow information IP may also indicate the hardness of each of a plurality of parts of the pillow UP. For example, it may indicate the hardness of the placement part and the hardness of the other parts respectively.

[0131] (Step S130) In step S130, the control unit 11 operates as a body information acquisition unit 113 to acquire body information IB. The body information IB is information about the body of the counselor CL, and indicates at least the body shape of the counselor CL. As the body shape of the counselor CL, the body information IB may indicate, for example, the height, weight, etc. of the counselor CL. The body information IB may further indicate at least one of various indexes (for example, BMI value, etc.) calculated from the gender, age, height, weight, etc. of the counselor CL, and the shape, position, size, weight, etc. of body parts (particularly parts such as the head, neck, shoulders).

[0132] (Step S140) In step S140, the control unit 11 operates as a setting unit 115 and sets the basic height RH. In step S140, the control unit 11 sets the basic height RH using, for example, the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB acquired in S130 and the set basic information 122 stored in the storage unit 12. That is, the control unit 11 sets the basic height RH for each counselor CL based on the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB and the set basic information 122 in which the basic height RH and the body shape are associated with each other.

[0133] For example, the control unit 11 may calculate the "height at which the neck of the counselor CL does not bend during use" according to the body shape of the counselor CL, and set the calculated "height at which the neck does not bend during use" as the basic height RH. Further, the control unit 11 may distinguish between the placement portion of the pillow and the other portions, and set the basic height RH corresponding to the body shape of the counselor CL for each of them.

[0134] In the present embodiment, in step S140, the control unit 11 sets the basic hardness RS in addition to the basic height RH. The control unit 11 sets the basic hardness RS for each counselor CL based on, for example, the body shape of the counselor CL indicated by the body information IB and the set basic information 122 in which the basic hardness RS and the body shape are associated with each other. For example, the control unit 11 may calculate the "hardness at which the neck of the counselor CL does not bend during use" according to the body shape of the counselor CL, and set the calculated "hardness at which the neck does not bend during use" as the basic hardness RS. The control unit 11 may distinguish between the placement portion of the pillow and the other portions, and set the basic hardness RS corresponding to the body shape of the counselor CL for each of them.

[0135] (Step S150) In step S150, the control unit 11 operates as a determination unit 114 and executes the following first and second determinations. That is, the control unit 11 makes a first determination as to whether the client has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high likelihood of developing it. Specifically, the control unit 11 makes a first determination as to whether condition 1 that the diagnosis information ID acquired in S110 indicates that "the client CL has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high likelihood of developing it" is satisfied. The control unit 11 makes a second determination as to whether the height of the pillow UP currently used by the client CL is equal to or greater than the basic height RH. Specifically, the control unit 11 makes a second determination as to whether condition 2 that the height of the pillow UP indicated by the pillow information IP acquired in S120 is equal to or greater than the basic height RH set in S140 is satisfied.

[0136] In the above-mentioned first determination, the control unit 11 may further determine whether condition 1' that the diagnosis information ID indicates that "the client CL has developed sVAD or is diagnosed as having a high likelihood of developing it" is satisfied.

[0137] In the above-mentioned second determination, the control unit 11 may further determine whether condition 2' that at least the height of the placement portion of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic height RH of the placement portion set in S140 is satisfied.

[0138] In addition to the above-mentioned conditions 1 (or condition 1') and 2 (or condition 2') being satisfied, the control unit 11 may determine whether condition 3 that the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS is satisfied. In particular, in addition to the above-mentioned conditions 1 (or condition 1') and 2 (or condition 2') being satisfied, the control unit 11 may determine whether condition 3' that at least the hardness of the placement portion of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS of the placement portion is satisfied.

[0139] (Step S160) In step S160, the control unit 11 operates as a proposal unit 116. If the conditions are satisfied in either the first or second determination in step S150 (YES in step S150), it outputs recommended pillow information IR. That is, if both of the above-mentioned condition 1 and condition 2 are satisfied, the control unit 11 outputs recommended pillow information IR indicating a recommended pillow RP, which is a pillow with a height lower than the basic height RH, as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future. That is, the control unit 11 indicates that (1) the diagnostic information ID shows that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop VAD, and (2) the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH, and proposes the above-mentioned recommended pillow RP as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0140] If at least one of the above-mentioned condition 1 and condition 2 is not satisfied in the first and second determinations in step S150 (NO in step S150), the control unit 11 ends the process. However, the control unit 11 may continue to propose that the counselor CL use the currently used pillow UP. Also, the control unit 11 may propose a pillow with a height lower than the pillow UP as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0141] In step S160, the control unit 11 may propose the recommended pillow RP when the diagnostic information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop sVAD (condition 1') and the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH (condition 2).

[0142] When the control unit 11 confirms that the above-mentioned condition 1 (or condition 1') is satisfied and further confirms that the height of at least the placement part of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH of the placement part (condition 2'), it may propose the following recommended pillow RP. That is, the control unit 11 may propose a recommended pillow RP with a height of at least the placement part lower than the basic height RH as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0143] In addition to the above-mentioned condition 1 (or condition 1') and condition 2 (or condition 2'), if the control unit 11 satisfies condition 3 that the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS, the following recommended pillow RP may be proposed. That is, the control unit 11 may propose a recommended pillow RP that is lower in height than the basic height RH and softer in hardness than the basic hardness RS as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future. In addition to the above-mentioned condition 1 (or condition 1') and condition 2 (or condition 2'), if the control unit 11 further satisfies condition 3' that at least the hardness of the placement portion of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS of the placement portion, the following recommended pillow RP may be proposed. That is, the control unit 11 may propose a recommended pillow RP whose hardness of at least the placement portion is softer than the basic hardness RS of the placement portion as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future. For example, the control unit 11 may propose a recommended pillow RP that is lower in height than the basic height RH and whose hardness of at least the placement portion is softer than the basic hardness RS as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0144] (Regarding the creation of the recommended pillow) The proposal device 1 may not only propose the recommended pillow RP as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future, but also create (manufacture) such a recommended pillow RP. For example, in addition to the above-mentioned diagnostic information acquisition unit 111, pillow information acquisition unit 112, body information acquisition unit 113, determination unit 114, setting unit 115, and proposal unit 116, the proposal device 1 may further include a production unit (not shown) for manufacturing the recommended pillow RP. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 10, an example of the processing procedure of the pillow manufacturing process (the process of creating the recommended pillow RP) executed by the proposal device 1 will be described.

[0145] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the pillow manufacturing process executed by the proposal device 1 according to the present embodiment. The processing procedure described below is an example of the pillow creation method of the present invention, that is, an example of the processing procedure of the pillow manufacturing process corresponding to the pillow creation method PPM (the method of creating the recommended pillow RP) according to the present embodiment. However, the processing procedure described below is only an example, and each step may be changed as much as possible. Further, regarding the processing procedure described below, depending on the embodiment, steps may be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate.

[0146] (Steps S210 to S250) Steps S210, S220, S230, S240, and S250 are the same as steps S110, S120, S130, S140, and S150 described above, respectively, so the details are abbreviated. For example, in step S210, the control unit 11 operates as a diagnostic information acquisition unit 111 to acquire a diagnostic information ID. In step S220, the control unit 11 operates as a pillow information acquisition unit 112 to acquire a pillow information IP. In step S230, the control unit 11 operates as a body information acquisition unit 113 to acquire a body information IB. In step S240, the control unit 11 operates as a setting unit 115 to set at least a basic height RH. In step S250, the control unit 11 operates as a determination unit 114 to execute at least the above-described first and second determinations.

[0147] (Step S260) In step S260, the control unit 11 operates as a proposal unit 116 and, if the conditions are satisfied in any of the first and second determinations in step S250 (YES in step S250), identifies a recommended pillow RP. That is, if both of the above-described condition 1 and condition 2 are satisfied, the control unit 11 identifies the recommended pillow RP, which is a pillow having a height lower than the basic height RH, as the "pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future". That is, the control unit 11 identifies the above-described recommended pillow RP as the "pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future" when (1) the diagnostic information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop VAD and (2) the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH.

[0148] If at least one of the above-described condition 1 and condition 2 is not satisfied in the first and second determinations in step S250 (NO in step S250), the control unit 11 ends the process.

[0149] In step S260, the control unit 11 may specify a recommended pillow RP when the diagnosis information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop sVAD (condition 1'), and the height of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic height RH (condition 2).

[0150] When the control unit 11 confirms that the above-mentioned condition 1 (or condition 1') is satisfied, and further confirms that the height of at least the placement part of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic height RH of the placement part (condition 2'), the following recommended pillow RP may be specified. That is, the control unit 11 may specify a recommended pillow RP whose height of at least the placement part is lower than the basic height RH as the pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future.

[0151] In addition to the above-mentioned conditions 1 (or condition 1') and condition 2 (or condition 2'), when the control unit 11 determines that the condition 3 that the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS is satisfied, the following recommended pillow RP may be specified. That is, the control unit 11 may specify a recommended pillow RP whose height is lower than the basic height RH and whose hardness is softer than the basic hardness RS as the pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future. In addition to the above-mentioned conditions 1 (or condition 1') and condition 2 (or condition 2'), when the control unit 11 further determines that the condition 3' that the hardness of at least the placement part of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS of the placement part is satisfied, the following recommended pillow RP may be specified. That is, the control unit 11 may specify a recommended pillow RP whose hardness of at least the placement part is softer than the basic hardness RS of the placement part as the pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future. For example, the control unit 11 may specify a recommended pillow RP whose height is lower than the basic height RH and whose hardness of at least the placement part is softer than the basic hardness RS as the pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future.

[0152] (Step S270) In step S270, the control unit 11 operates as the above-described production unit and creates the recommended pillow RP specified in step S260 using a cushion material. For example, when "a pillow having a height lower than the basic height RH" is specified as the recommended pillow RP in step S260, the control unit 11 creates such "a pillow having a height lower than the basic height RH" as the recommended pillow RP using a cushion material.

[0153] The cushion material may be, for example, a foamed resin such as a urethane material (polyurethane material), or may be a bag-shaped member filled with a filler such as wood chips, buckwheat husks, pipes, feathers, etc., or may contain springs, gels, etc. The cushion material may be any material having elasticity used for manufacturing a pillow and is not particularly limited. The cushion material may be a combination of a foamed resin, a bag-shaped member filled with a filler, springs, gels, etc.

[0154] For example, when using a foamed resin as the cushion material, the control unit 11 may create a recommended pillow RP having a desired height (for example, a height lower than the basic height RH) by adjusting the thickness of the foamed resin. Also, for example, when using a bag-shaped member filled with a filler as the cushion material, the control unit 11 may create a recommended pillow RP having a desired height (for example, a height lower than the basic height RH) by adjusting the amount of the filler to be filled. Not limited to these examples, in step S270, the control unit 11 may create a recommended pillow RP having a desired height (for example, a height lower than the basic height RH) by adjusting the thickness of the cushion material constituting the pillow.

[0155] Similarly, the control unit 11 may create a recommended pillow RP having a desired hardness (for example, softer than the basic hardness RS) by selecting the type and resilience of the cushion material constituting the pillow.

[0156] Note that the entity that executes the pillow creation method PPM according to the present embodiment is not limited to the proposal device 1. The pillow proposal system S may include, for example, in addition to the proposal device 1 and the client terminal 2, a production device (a pillow production device) (not shown), and such a production device may execute all or part of the above-described pillow manufacturing process. For example, the proposal device 1 may execute steps S210 to S260 of the above-described pillow manufacturing process, and the production device may create the recommended pillow RP specified by the proposal device 1 in step S260 using a cushion material in step S270. Further, a part or all of the pillow creation method PPM according to the present embodiment may be executed by a human.

[0157] [Features] As described above, in the present embodiment, the pillow proposal system S (for example, the proposal device 1) includes a diagnosis information acquisition unit 111, a pillow information acquisition unit 112, and a proposal unit 116. The diagnosis information acquisition unit 111 acquires a diagnosis information ID, and the diagnosis information ID indicates at least whether the counselor CL has been diagnosed with VAD or is likely to develop VAD. The pillow information acquisition unit 112 acquires pillow information IP, and the pillow information IP is information about the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL, and indicates at least the height of the pillow UP. When both the above-described condition 1 and condition 2 are satisfied, the proposal unit 116 proposes a recommended pillow RP, which is a pillow having a height lower than the basic height RH, as a pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future. That is, the proposal unit 116 proposes the recommended pillow RP when (1) the diagnosis information ID indicates that the counselor CL has been diagnosed with VAD or is likely to develop VAD, and (2) the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH.

[0158] In addition, the pillow proposal method PM according to the present embodiment includes a step of obtaining diagnostic information ID (S110), a step of obtaining pillow information IP (S120), and a step of proposing a recommended pillow RP (S160) when both of the above-mentioned condition 1 and condition 2 are satisfied. That is, (1) the diagnostic information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop VAD, and (2) when the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH, the recommended pillow RP is proposed in S160. The recommended pillow RP is a pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future and has a height lower than the basic height RH.

[0159] Similar to the above-mentioned pillow proposal method PM, the pillow creation method PPM according to the present embodiment includes a step of obtaining diagnostic information ID (S210) and a step of obtaining pillow information IP (S220), and further includes S260 and S270. Specifically, when both of the above-mentioned condition 1 and condition 2 are satisfied, the pillow creation method PPM includes a step of specifying a recommended pillow RP, which is a pillow with a height lower than the basic height RH, as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future (S260). That is, (1) the diagnostic information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed or is likely to develop VAD, and (2) when the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH, the recommended pillow RP is specified in S260. Furthermore, the pillow creation method PPM includes a step of creating the recommended pillow RP specified in S260 with cushion material (S270). That is, the recommended pillow RP specified in S260 is created (manufactured) with cushion material in S270.

[0160] As described above, it is known that among VADs, those in which mild prior trauma or genetic causes can be confirmed are not necessarily numerous. And regarding such VADs, especially sVAD, the inventors of the present invention confirmed that the use of a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related. Therefore, the pillow proposal system S, the pillow proposal method PM, and the pillow creation method PPM each have the following effects. That is, it is possible to propose a pillow with an appropriate height, specifically, a recommended pillow RP with a height lower than the basic height RH, to a counselor CL who has developed VAD or has been diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it. The recommended pillow RP may be used for improving the health of the counselor CL (for example, for preventing VAD).

[0161] The pillow proposal method according to the present embodiment includes a step (S120) of acquiring pillow information IP, which is information about the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL and at least indicates the height of the pillow UP, and a step (S160) of, when the height of the pillow UP indicated by the pillow information IP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH (a predetermined height), proposing, as the pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future, a recommended pillow RP with a height lower than the basic height RH.

[0162] As described above, the inventors of the present invention confirmed that regarding VAD, especially sVAD, the use of a high pillow (a pillow with a high height) is related. Here, when the height of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL is equal to or higher than the basic height RH, the above pillow proposal method proposes a recommended pillow RP with a height lower than the basic height RH as the pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future. Therefore, the above pillow proposal method can propose a recommended pillow RP that is effective for preventing the onset of VAD, especially effective for preventing the onset of sVAD, to the counselor CL.

[0163] The pillow proposal system according to this embodiment includes a pillow information acquisition unit 112 that acquires pillow information IP, which is information about the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL and at least includes information indicating the height of the pillow UP, and a proposal unit 116 that proposes a recommended pillow RP, which is a pillow with a height lower than the basic height RH, as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future when the height of the pillow UP indicated by the pillow information IP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH (predetermined height).

[0164] The above pillow proposal system has at least the same effect as the effect achieved by the above pillow proposal method. That is, the above pillow proposal system can propose a recommended pillow RP that is effective in preventing the onset of VAD, especially effective in preventing the onset of sVAD, to the counselor CL.

[0165] The pillow creation method according to this embodiment includes a step (S220) of acquiring pillow information IP, which is information about the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL and at least includes information indicating the height of the pillow UP, a step (S260) of identifying a recommended pillow RP, which is a pillow with a height lower than the basic height RH, as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future when the height of the pillow UP indicated by the pillow information IP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH (predetermined height), and a step (S270) of creating the identified recommended pillow RP with a cushion material.

[0166] The above pillow creation method has at least the same effect as the effect achieved by the above pillow proposal method. That is, the above pillow creation method can create a recommended pillow RP that is effective in preventing the onset of VAD, especially effective in preventing the onset of sVAD, as the pillow that the counselor CL should use in the future.

[0167] §5. Modification Examples The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the foregoing description is merely illustrative of the present invention in every aspect. Needless to say, various improvements or modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following changes are possible. In the following, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in the above embodiment, and the description of the same points as in the above embodiment is omitted as appropriate. The following modification examples can be combined as appropriate.

[0168] In the above embodiment, an example in which the proposal device 1 and the client terminal 2 are each configured by a separate computer has been described. However, the configuration of the pillow proposal system S according to the present embodiment may not be limited to such an example and may be appropriately determined according to the embodiment. For example, the proposal device 1 and the client terminal 2 may be an integrated computer. Further, for example, at least one of the proposal device 1 and the client terminal 2 may be configured by a plurality of computers.

[0169] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the pillow proposal method PM according to the present embodiment is executed by a computer (in this embodiment, the proposal device 1) has been described. However, the pillow proposal method PM according to the present embodiment may be executed by a human, for example, by a doctor, a counselor, or the like. For example, a human such as a doctor or a counselor may consult with the counselor CL while using, for example, a measuring device, a measuring instrument, various measurement results (for example, an image), etc., and determine whether the height of the pillow UP currently used by the counselor CL is high, that is, the basic height RH may be set. Such a human may set, as the basic height RH, for example, "the height (of the pillow) at which the neck of the counselor CL does not bend during use" while consulting with the counselor CL. Further, such a human may set, as the basic height RH, for example, "the height (of the pillow) that can suppress excessive turning over" while consulting with the counselor CL. And when such a human confirms that (1) the counselor CL has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it, and (2) the height of the pillow UP is equal to or higher than the basic height RH, the human may propose a recommended pillow RP having a height lower than the basic height RH as the pillow to be used by the counselor CL in the future.

[0170] (Regarding the proposed content) As described above, the neck posture is related to the stress on the arterial wall (the arterial wall of the vertebral artery), and the stress on such an arterial wall is related to VAD. Therefore, the proposal device 1 may acquire additional information (not shown) indicating, for example, the time during which the neck of the counselor CL is bent (for example, the cumulative time per day, per week, per month, or per year) for the counselor CL. Then, the proposal device 1 may use such additional information and the above-described diagnostic information ID to propose a posture assist device that reduces or suppresses the bending of the neck of the counselor CL together with the recommended pillow RP or in place of the recommended pillow RP. For example, when the diagnostic information ID indicates that the counselor CL has developed VAD or is diagnosed as having a high possibility of developing it, and the time indicated by the additional information is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the proposal device 1 may propose the above-described posture assist device.

[0171] (Regarding the hardness of the pillow) Generally, the hardness of a pillow is considered to be related to the type and resilience of the material that makes up the pillow. For example, pillows made of wood chips, buckwheat husks, or pipes are often considered "hard," while pillows made of feathers or foamed resin are often considered "soft." Also, even if the materials are the same, the pillow may be considered "hard" or "soft" depending on the resilience of the material. Generally, those with low resilience tend to be considered "soft," and those with high resilience tend to be considered "hard." In the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), for example, for urethane materials, those with a resilience elasticity of less than 15% are considered "low resilience," and those with 50% or more are considered "high resilience" (JIS K6401 standard). Therefore, the hardness of a pillow, such as "hard" or "soft," may be determined based on the following criteria. That is, when the pillow is made of urethane material, if the resilience elasticity of the urethane material is less than 15%, it may be considered "soft," and if the resilience elasticity is 50% or more, it may be considered "hard."

[0172] For example, when the pillow UP currently used by the consulter CL is made of urethane material, the resilience elasticity of the urethane material being 50% may be defined as the basic hardness RS. And when the resilience elasticity of the urethane material that makes up the pillow UP is 50% or more, the proposal device 1 may determine that "the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS," that is, the pillow UP may be determined to be "hard." When it is determined that "the hardness of the pillow UP is equal to or greater than the basic hardness RS," the proposal device 1 may propose a pillow made of urethane material with a resilience elasticity of less than 50% as the recommended pillow RP. In particular, the proposal device 1 may propose a pillow made of urethane material with a resilience elasticity of less than 15% as the recommended pillow RP. Similarly, for each material that makes up the pillow, a predetermined resilience elasticity may be defined as the basic hardness RS. Note that it is not essential for the pillow in the present invention to be made of urethane material. In the present invention, the pillow is made of any cushioning material that includes urethane material as an example.

Explanation of Signs

[0173] 111…Diagnostic information acquisition unit, 112…Pillow information acquisition unit, 116…Proposal unit, CL…Consultant, IB…Body information, ID…Diagnostic information, IP…Pillow information, PM…Pillow proposal method, PPM…Pillow creation method, RH…Basic height (predetermined height), RS…Basic hardness (predetermined hardness), RP…Recommended pillow, S…Pillow proposal system, S110…Step of obtaining diagnostic information, S120…Step of obtaining pillow information, S160…Step of proposing a recommended pillow, S210…Step of obtaining diagnostic information, S220…Step of obtaining pillow information, S260…Step of identifying a recommended pillow, S270…Step of creating a recommended pillow, UP…Pillow currently used by the consultant

Claims

1. A step of obtaining diagnostic information indicating whether or not a client has developed or is likely to develop VAD (Vertebral Artery Dissection); A step of obtaining pillow information about the pillow currently used by the client, the pillow information being at least information indicating the height of the pillow; When the diagnostic information indicates that the client has developed or is likely to develop the VAD, and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or greater than a predetermined height, a step of proposing a recommended pillow, which is a pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height, as the pillow to be used by the client in the future; including A pillow recommendation method.

2. The diagnostic information further indicates whether or not the VAD that the client has developed or is likely to develop is sVAD (Spontaneous Vertebral Artery Dissection); When the diagnostic information indicates that the client has developed or is likely to develop the sVAD, and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or greater than the predetermined height, the recommended pillow is proposed in the step of proposing the recommended pillow; The pillow recommendation method according to Claim 1.

3. The pillow information further indicates the hardness of the pillow currently used by the client; When the hardness of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or greater than a predetermined hardness, a pillow having a height lower than the predetermined height and a softness greater than the predetermined hardness is proposed as the recommended pillow in the step of proposing the recommended pillow; The pillow recommendation method according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. including a step of obtaining body information about the client, the body information being at least information indicating the body shape of the client; The predetermined height is set according to the body shape of the client indicated by the body information; The pillow recommendation method according to Claim 1 or 2.

5. A pillow proposed as the recommended pillow by the pillow recommendation method according to Claim 1 or 2.

6. At least a diagnostic information acquisition unit that acquires diagnostic information indicating whether or not a client has developed or is likely to develop VAD (Vertebral Artery Dissection); A pillow information acquisition unit that acquires information about the pillow currently used by the counselor, and at least information indicating the height of the pillow; If the diagnostic information indicates that the counselor has developed or is likely to develop VAD (Vertebral Artery Dissection), and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than a predetermined height, a proposal unit that proposes a recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future; Comprising: A pillow proposal system.

7. At least a step of acquiring diagnostic information indicating whether the counselor has developed or is likely to develop VAD (Vertebral Artery Dissection); A step of acquiring information about the pillow currently used by the counselor, and at least information indicating the height of the pillow; If the diagnostic information indicates that the counselor has developed or is likely to develop VAD, and the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than a predetermined height, a step of identifying a recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future; A step of creating the identified recommended pillow with a cushion material; Including: A pillow creation method.

8. A step of acquiring information about the pillow currently used by the counselor, and at least information indicating the height of the pillow; If the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than a predetermined height, a step of proposing a recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future; Including: A pillow proposal method.

9. A pillow information acquisition unit that acquires information about the pillow currently used by the counselor, and at least information indicating the height of the pillow; If the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or higher than a predetermined height, a proposal unit that proposes a recommended pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future; Comprising: A pillow proposal system.

10. A step of acquiring information about the pillow currently used by the counselor, and at least information indicating the height of the pillow; When the height of the pillow indicated by the pillow information is equal to or greater than a predetermined height, identifying a recommended pillow, which is a pillow with a height lower than the predetermined height, as the pillow to be used by the counselor in the future; Creating the identified recommended pillow with a cushion material; including; A pillow manufacturing method.

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