Infection risk measurement system, infection risk judgment system, and infection risk measurement method

The infection risk measurement system addresses the limitations of ATP swab tests by combining ATP luminescence with conductivity and ion concentration measurements to accurately assess viral contamination risk, improving infection control in public spaces.

JP7655014B2Active Publication Date: 2025-04-02IHI CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021038247
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-03-10
Publication Date
2025-04-02
Estimated Expiration
2041-03-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional ATP swab tests are ineffective in determining the risk of viral infection as viruses do not synthesize ATP, making it difficult to assess the risk of viral contamination.

Method used

An infection risk measurement system that combines the measurement of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels using luminescence and parameters such as electrical conductivity and ion concentration from human body fluids to determine the risk of viral infection by referring to pre-assigned reference data for infection risk levels based on parameter combinations.

Benefits of technology

Enables accurate determination of viral infection risk by integrating ATP and human body fluid component measurements, preventing unnecessary sterilization and enhancing infection control in high-traffic areas.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide an infection risk measurement system, infection risk determination system and infection risk measurement method which are capable of determining infection risk of viruses.SOLUTION: An infection risk measurement system 1 comprises a first measurement part 10 which measures a first parameter being the amount of adenosine triphosphate or a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate. The infection risk measurement system 1 comprises a second measurement part 20 which measures a second parameter being the amount of a component included in human body fluid or a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component. The infection risk measurement system 1 comprises a determination part 30 which refers to reference data, and determines an infection risk level of a surface of an area to be measured on the basis of a combination of the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement part 10 and the value of the second parameter measured by the second measurement part 20, regarding an inspection sample.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an infection risk measurement system, an infection risk determination system, and an infection risk measurement method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an ATP (adenosine triphosphate) wipe test is known as a test for checking the cleanliness of the surface of a measurement target location, as shown in Patent Document 1. The ATP wipe test can measure the amount of ATP contained in the test sample by reacting a test sample obtained by wiping the surface of the measurement target location with a luminescent reagent containing luciferase and measuring the amount of luminescence produced by the reaction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-35673 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] ATP exists in microorganisms such as bacteria, and the reaction solution between the test sample and the luminescent reagent emits light in proportion to the amount of ATP. Therefore, the ATP swab test can easily evaluate the degree of microbial contamination of the measurement target area. However, viruses do not synthesize ATP by themselves, and do not possess ATP. Therefore, it is not easy to determine the risk of viral infection by ATP swab test alone.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an infection risk measurement system, an infection risk determination system, and an infection risk measurement method capable of determining the risk of virus infection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The infection risk measurement system according to the present disclosure includes a first measurement unit that measures an amount of adenosine triphosphate or a first parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate. The infection risk measurement system includes a second measurement unit that measures an amount of a component contained in human body fluid or a second parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component. The infection risk measurement system includes a determination unit that refers to reference data in which an infection risk level is pre-assigned for each combination of a value of the first parameter and a value of the second parameter, and determines an infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on a combination of a value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit and a value of the second parameter measured by the second measurement unit for a test sample collected from the surface of the measurement target location. The infection risk measurement system includes an output unit that outputs a determination result determined by the determination unit.

[0007] The parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate may be the amount of luminescence due to the action of luciferase.

[0008] The parameter corresponding to the amount of the component may be at least one of electrical conductivity and ion concentration.

[0009] The component may be a protein contained in human saliva, and the parameter corresponding to the amount of the component may be the activity of the protein.

[0010] The value of the second parameter of the test sample may be corrected according to at least one of the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the measurement location, and the determination unit may determine the infection risk level based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit for the test sample and the corrected value of the second parameter.

[0011] The reference data may be assigned in advance an infection risk level for each combination of the material of the surface of the measurement location, the value of the first parameter, and the value of the second parameter, and the determination unit may refer to the reference data to determine the infection risk level according to the material.

[0012] The infection risk determination system according to the present disclosure includes an input unit for inputting the amount of adenosine triphosphate in a test sample collected from the surface of a measurement target location or a value of a first parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate, and the amount of a component contained in a human body fluid in the test sample or a value of a second parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component. The infection risk determination system includes a determination unit which refers to reference data in which an infection risk level is previously assigned to each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter, and determines the infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on the combination of the value of the first parameter input from the input unit and the value of the second parameter input from the input unit. The infection risk determination system includes an output unit which outputs the determination result determined by the determination unit.

[0013] The infection risk measurement method according to the present disclosure includes a step of measuring a first parameter, which is an amount of adenosine triphosphate or a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate. The method includes a step of measuring a second parameter, which is an amount of a component contained in a human body fluid or a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component. The method includes a step of referring to reference data in which an infection risk level is pre-assigned for each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter, and judging the infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured for a test sample collected from the surface of the measurement target location and the value of the second parameter measured for the test sample. The method includes a step of outputting the judged result. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an infection risk measurement system, an infection risk determination system, and an infection risk measurement method capable of determining the risk of virus infection. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an infection risk measurement system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a decision map according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the infection risk measurement system. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph in which the measurement results of Reference Examples 1 and 2 are plotted. [Diagram 5] 1 is a graph in which the measurement results of Reference Examples 3 and 4 are plotted. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph in which the measurement results of Reference Example 5 are plotted. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph in which the measurement results of Reference Example 6 are plotted. [Figure 8] 1 is a graph in which the measurement results of Reference Example 7 are plotted. [Figure 9] 1 is a graph in which the measurement results of Reference Example 8 are plotted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0017] 1, the infection risk measurement system 1 according to this embodiment includes a first measurement unit 10, a second measurement unit 20, a determination unit 30, a thermometer 31, a hygrometer 32, a numerical input unit 40, and an output unit 50. In the infection risk measurement system 1, a test sample collected from the surface of a measurement target location is measured by the first measurement unit 10 and the second measurement unit 20, and the infection risk level is determined by the determination unit 30.

[0018] The surface shape and material of the measurement target location are not particularly limited. Specifically, the surface shape of the measurement target location may be flat or may have irregularities. The material of the measurement target location may be plastic, rubber, metal, cloth, wood, paper, concrete, ceramics, or the like. The measurement target location may be the surface of a tangible object present in a room.

[0019] The first measuring unit 10 measures the amount of ATP or a first parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of ATP. ATP is used as an energy source for cells in various reactions, since energy is released by hydrolysis into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate. Viruses do not usually possess ATP, but body fluids such as saliva or nasal mucus from humans contain microorganisms such as bacteria, and ATP exists in the microorganisms. Therefore, the first parameter is an index for evaluating the amount of microorganisms attached to the surface of the measurement target area. The amount of ATP measured by the first measuring unit 10 may be an amount expressed in grams, an amount expressed in volume, or an amount expressed in moles.

[0020] The parameter corresponding to the amount of ATP may be the amount of luminescence due to the action of luciferase. Since the amount of luminescence due to the action of luciferase is proportional to the amount of ATP, the amount of ATP can be easily measured on the spot by measuring the amount of luminescence of the test sample. An example of such a measurement method using luminescence is an ATP swabbing test method. Specifically, the first measurement unit 10 may include a luminometer capable of measuring the amount of luminescence. The luminometer may include a sample holding unit 11, a detection unit 12, and a calculation unit 13.

[0021] The sample holder 11 is provided so as to be capable of holding a sample container. The sample container contains a reaction liquid obtained by reacting a test sample with a luminescent reagent. The test sample can be collected from the surface of the measurement target location using a wiping member such as a cloth or a cotton swab. The luminescent reagent may contain luciferase, luciferin, and magnesium ions. By contacting the test sample attached to the wiping member with the luminescent reagent, the ATP contained in the test sample and the luciferin contained in the luminescent reagent react with each other due to the catalytic action of luciferase, and the reaction product generated by the reaction emits light.

[0022] The detection unit 12 may include a photodiode or a photomultiplier tube. The detection unit 12 detects light emitted from the reaction solution by the catalytic action of luciferase and generates an electric signal according to the amount of light detected. The electric signal generated by the detection unit 12 is transmitted to the calculation unit 13.

[0023] The calculation unit 13 includes a processor and calculates the amount of luminescence (RLU: Relative Light Unit) from the electrical signal generated by the detection unit 12. Since the amount of luminescence is proportional to the amount of ATP, the calculation unit 13 may calculate the amount of ATP from the electrical signal generated by the detection unit 12.

[0024] Although the parameter corresponding to the amount of ATP is the amount of luminescence in the above example, the parameter corresponding to the amount of ATP may be at least one of the amount of luminescence and the ATP concentration. The ATP concentration can be obtained by measuring the amount of ATP in an aqueous solution obtained by dissolving a test sample in water.

[0025] The first measurement unit 10 measures the first parameter as described above. However, even if the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit 10 is large and the amount of ATP is large, the ATP may be derived from fungi growing naturally on the surface of the measurement target area. Therefore, there is a risk that the risk of infection by a virus cannot be appropriately evaluated by measuring only the first parameter. Therefore, the infection risk measurement system 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a second measurement unit 20.

[0026] The second measuring unit 20 measures the amount of a component contained in the human body fluid or a second parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component. By measuring the second parameter by the second measuring unit 20, it is possible to obtain an index showing the amount of body fluid scattered by coughing, sneezing, talking, etc. and attached to the measurement target location. The amount of a component contained in the human body fluid may be an amount expressed in grams, an amount expressed in volume, or an amount expressed in moles.

[0027] The parameter corresponding to the amount of the component may be at least one of the conductivity and the ion concentration. That is, the second measurement unit 20 may measure the conductivity and the ion concentration, or may measure either the conductivity or the ion concentration. This allows the second measurement unit 20 to measure the second parameter quickly and easily. The second measurement unit 20 may measure the conductivity or the ion concentration of an aqueous solution in which the test sample is dissolved in water.

[0028] The conductivity can be measured by a conductivity meter or a salinity meter. For example, saliva contains inorganic components such as sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, and chloride ions. The more inorganic components contained in water, the higher the conductivity value of the aqueous solution tends to be. Therefore, by measuring the conductivity of the test sample, the amount of components contained in the body fluid can be indirectly measured. The conductivity can be measured by any method such as an AC two-electrode method, an AC four-electrode method, or an electromagnetic induction method.

[0029] The ion concentration can be measured by an ion sensor or a salinity meter. The ion sensor may include at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of a sodium ion sensor, a potassium ion sensor, a calcium ion sensor, and a chloride ion sensor. The sodium ion sensor measures the sodium ion concentration, the potassium ion sensor measures the potassium ion concentration, the calcium ion sensor measures the calcium ion concentration, and the chloride ion sensor measures the chloride ion concentration. The ion sensor includes an ion selective electrode that selectively responds to ions contained in human body fluids. The ion selective electrode includes a sensitive membrane that selectively interacts with a specific ion as described above. The sensitive membrane may be a solid membrane or a liquid membrane. The sensitive membrane may include a support and a solution held by the support and in which an ion exchanger or a neutral carrier is dissolved in a solvent. Examples of neutral carriers include valinomycin and crown ether.

[0030] The salinity measuring device can measure the salinity of the test sample. As described above, for example, saliva contains sodium ions and chloride ions, so by measuring the salinity with the salinity measuring device, the amount of the component contained in the body fluid can be indirectly measured. The salinity measuring device may measure the salinity by an electrical conductivity method or an ion electrode method.

[0031] The component contained in the body fluid may be a protein contained in human saliva, and the parameter corresponding to the amount of the component may be protein activity. This makes it possible to more reliably determine whether the test sample contains a component derived from saliva. The second measurement unit 20 may measure the activity of a protein in an aqueous solution obtained by dissolving the test sample in water. Examples of proteins contained in saliva include enzymes such as amylase and maltase, and glycoproteins such as lactoferrin.

[0032] The activity of the protein may be amylase activity. That is, the second measurement unit 20 may measure the amylase activity. Specifically, the second measurement unit 20 may measure the amylase activity by utilizing the hydrolysis action of amylase contained in the test sample. The amylase activity can be measured by contacting an aqueous solution in which the test sample is dissolved in water with a substrate, and measuring the color development of the molecules liberated by the decomposition of the substrate. An example of the substrate is a molecule having CNP (2-chloro-4-nitrophenol), such as Gal-G2-CNP (2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl-4-galactopyranosyl maltoside). The amylase activity can be easily confirmed by measuring the color development of the liberated CNP after the decomposition of such a substrate. The color development can be measured using a color difference meter or an absorptiometer.

[0033] The determination unit 30 refers to the reference data and determines the infection risk level of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter in the test sample measured by the first measurement unit 10 and the value of the second parameter in the test sample measured by the second measurement unit 20. This makes it possible to determine the infection risk level for a virus that could not be determined by ATP testing alone. The determination unit 30 may be electrically connected to the first measurement unit 10 and the second measurement unit 20 by wire or wirelessly.

[0034] The reference data is assigned an infection risk level in advance for each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter. The reference data may be, for example, a judgment map. The judgment map can be created, for example, as follows. First, a plurality of reference samples for creating the judgment map are prepared. The plurality of reference samples are obtained from a plurality of different measurement target locations. It is preferable that the measurement target locations for creating the reference samples have different degrees of adhesion of human body fluids and ATP. Examples of such measurement target locations include, for example, plastic plates, gloves before and after use, palms, staircase handrails, desks, and dining tables, as shown in the reference examples described below. The measurement target locations may be pseudo samples that assume the case where an infected person splashes saliva droplets. For example, a saliva imitation liquid may be prepared, and the imitation liquid may be sprayed onto plastic.

[0035] Next, the first parameter of each reference sample is measured by the first measurement unit 10, and the second parameter is measured by the second measurement unit 20. Then, the values ​​of the first parameter and the second parameter obtained by the measurement are plotted on a graph for each reference sample. The graph may be a linear graph, a semi-logarithmic graph, or a double logarithmic graph. Then, for the graph on which the measurement results of the multiple reference samples are plotted, an infection risk level is set according to the properties of each reference sample. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the virus infection risk levels may be divided into areas A, B, C, D, and E, and each infection risk level may be assigned to each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter.

[0036] Area A is the area in which the luminescence amount value as the first parameter and the conductivity value as the second parameter are the largest, and therefore Area A is likely to be contaminated by saliva or the like and is considered to have the highest risk of infection.

[0037] Area B has a smaller luminescence value than Area A, but a high conductivity value like Area A. Therefore, Area B is an area that is likely to be frequently touched by people and may have human contamination other than saliva, or time has passed since it was contaminated by saliva or the like, causing the virus activity to decrease. Therefore, Area B is an area where the risk of infection is considered to be lower than Area A.

[0038] Area C is the area with the smallest luminescence value and conductivity value. Therefore, Area C is an area that has been cleaned, and even if it was contaminated by saliva droplets in the past, it is an area where the amount of virus present is thought to have been reduced by cleaning. Therefore, Area C is the area where the risk of infection is thought to be the lowest.

[0039] Area D has a high conductivity value like areas A and B, but a lower luminescence value than areas A and B. Area D is an area that may have been contaminated by saliva droplets or human contact, but time has passed since contamination and the virus activity is thought to have decreased. Therefore, area D is an area where the risk of infection is thought to be lower than area B.

[0040] Area E has a high luminescence value like Area A, but a lower conductivity value than Area A. Area E is an area where the possibility of the presence of microorganisms is high, but the possibility of human contamination is considered low. Therefore, Area E is an area where the risk of infection is considered to be lower than Area A.

[0041] In this embodiment, the determination map is divided into areas A to E, but the total number of areas and the size of each area can be set appropriately. For example, areas A and B may be divided into area Z, which has a higher infection risk level than areas C, D, and E.

[0042] In addition, the reference data may be assigned in advance an infection risk level for each combination of the material of the measurement target location, the value of the first parameter, and the value of the second parameter, and the determination unit 30 may refer to the reference data and determine the infection risk level according to the material of the measurement target location. Since the survival time of a virus varies depending on the material to which it is attached, the infection risk level can be measured more accurately by determining the infection risk level according to the material of the measurement target location. As described above, the reference data may be obtained by measuring the first parameter and the second parameter of multiple reference samples for each material, plotting the obtained values ​​on a graph for each reference sample, and assigning an infection risk level.

[0043] The judgment unit 30 judges the infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit 10 and the value of the second parameter measured by the second measurement unit 20 for the test sample with reference to the reference data. The judgment unit 30 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU can read the program and reference data stored in the ROM and judge the infection risk level of the measurement target location according to the program. The above-mentioned judgment map may be stored in the ROM in the form of a data table. The program and reference data may be stored in an external storage device (not shown). The RAM temporarily stores information acquired from the first measurement unit 10, the second measurement unit 20, the thermometer 31, the hygrometer 32, etc., and the CPU can read the information stored in the RAM and use it for processing such as calculations.

[0044] It is preferable that each reference sample and test sample is collected so that the surface area of ​​the portion collected from the measurement target location is the same, or that the values ​​of the first parameter and the second parameter of the test sample are corrected so that the surface areas of the portions collected are the same.

[0045] The value of the second parameter of the test sample may be corrected according to at least one of the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the measurement target location. The judgment unit 30 may then judge the infection risk level based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit 10 for the test sample and the corrected value of the second parameter. The ambient temperature and ambient humidity affect the inactivation state of the virus. For example, when the ambient temperature is high, the virus is more likely to be inactivated. Therefore, the judgment unit 30 may correct the value of the second parameter measured by the second measurement unit 20 using a coefficient or the like determined in advance by an experiment or the like, and judge the risk of infection based on the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit 10 and the corrected value of the second parameter. The judgment unit 30 may correct the value of the second parameter based on the ambient temperature measured by the thermometer 31 and the ambient humidity measured by the hygrometer 32. The ambient temperature and ambient humidity may also be input by the user via the numerical input unit 40, and the judgment unit 30 may correct the value of the second parameter based on the input ambient temperature and ambient humidity. The numerical value input unit 40 may include a keyboard or a touch panel that allows numerical values ​​to be input.

[0046] The output unit 50 outputs the determination result determined by the determination unit 30. The output unit 50 may be a display or a printer. The output unit 50 may output the above-mentioned areas A to E as the determination result as is, or may output the determination result in which areas A to E are respectively interpreted as risk levels 1 to 5. The output unit 50 may also output the determination result in which area A is interpreted as a high level, area B as a middle level, and areas C to E as a low level.

[0047] Next, the processing procedure of the infection risk measurement system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0048] When the measurement by the infection risk measurement system 1 is started, in step S101, the first measurement unit 10 measures the first parameter of the test sample. In step S102, the second measurement unit 20 measures the second parameter of the test sample. In step S103, the judgment unit 30 reads out judgment data from the ROM. In step S104, the judgment unit 30 refers to the judgment data and judges the infection risk level of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter of the test sample. In step S105, the output unit 50 outputs the judgment result judged by the judgment unit 30, and the measurement by the infection risk measurement system 1 ends. In the flowchart, the first measurement unit 10 measures the first parameter, and then the second measurement unit 20 measures the second parameter. However, the first measurement unit 10 may measure the first parameter after the second measurement unit 20 measures the second parameter. The first measurement unit 10 may measure the first parameter and the second measurement unit 20 may measure the second parameter at the same time.

[0049] As described above, the infection risk measurement system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first measurement unit 10, a second measurement unit 20, a determination unit 30, and an output unit 50. The first measurement unit 10 measures a first parameter, which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate or the amount of adenosine triphosphate. The second measurement unit 20 measures a second parameter, which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of a component contained in a human body fluid or the amount of the component. The determination unit 30 refers to the reference data and determines the infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit 10 and the value of the second parameter measured by the second measurement unit 20 for the test sample. The reference data is assigned an infection risk level in advance for each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter. The test sample is collected from the surface of the measurement target location. The output unit 50 outputs the determination result determined by the determination unit 30.

[0050] The infection risk measurement method according to the present embodiment includes a step of measuring a first parameter, which is an amount of adenosine triphosphate or a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate. The method includes a step of measuring a second parameter, which is an amount of a component contained in a human body fluid or a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component. The method includes a step of referring to reference data and determining an infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on a combination of a value of the first parameter measured for the test sample and a value of the second parameter measured for the test sample. The reference data is assigned an infection risk level in advance for each combination of a value of the first parameter and a value of the second parameter. The test sample is collected from the surface of the measurement target location. The method includes a step of outputting the determined determination result.

[0051] In this way, the infection risk measurement system 1 and the infection risk measurement method use the first parameter and the second parameter to determine the infection risk. The first parameter is an index for evaluating the amount of microorganisms adhering to the surface of the measurement target location, and the second parameter is an index for evaluating the amount of body fluids adhering to the surface of the measurement target location. The saliva and nasal mucus of an infected person contain a large amount of viruses and bacteria, and when the test sample contains a large amount of saliva and nasal mucus, the values ​​of the first parameter and the second parameter tend to be large. Therefore, by referring to the reference data and determining the infection risk level based on these parameters, it is possible to determine the infection risk of viruses that are not easy to determine by ATP swabbing alone. By measuring contaminated locations with a high infection risk, it is possible to prevent unnecessary sterilization work from being performed in locations such as the above-mentioned area E where the infection risk is low even if the amount of ATP is high.

[0052] The infection risk measurement system 1 and the infection risk measurement method according to the present embodiment are particularly suitable for use in places where multiple people enter and exit, such as hospitals, nursing homes, nurseries, kindergartens, schools, commercial facilities, factories, offices, homes, etc. In addition, the infection risk measurement system 1 and the infection risk measurement method are also suitable for evaluating whether sterilization is being performed properly using ozone or the like.

[0053] [Infection risk assessment system] Next, an infection risk determination system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The infection risk determination system 100 according to this embodiment includes an input unit 110, a determination unit 30, and an output unit 50.

[0054] The input unit 110 inputs the amount of ATP in the test sample collected from the surface of the measurement target location or the value of a first parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of ATP. The input unit 110 also inputs the amount of a component contained in the human body fluid in the test sample or the value of a second parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component. The input unit 110 may include a first measurement unit 10, and the value of the first parameter may be input by the first measurement unit 10. The input unit 110 may also include a second measurement unit 20, and the value of the second parameter may be input by the second measurement unit 20. The input unit 110 may also include a numerical value input unit 40, and at least one of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter may be input by the numerical value input unit 40. The first measurement unit 10, the second measurement unit 20, and the numerical value input unit 40 may be those described above.

[0055] The determination unit 30 refers to the reference data and determines the infection risk level of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter input from the input unit 110 and the value of the second parameter input from the input unit 110. As described above, the reference data is assigned an infection risk level in advance for each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter. The determination unit 30 may use the above-mentioned data.

[0056] The output unit 50 outputs the result of the determination made by the determination unit 30. The output unit 50 may be any of those described above.

[0057] The infection risk determination system 100 according to this embodiment can determine the risk of virus infection, similar to the infection risk measurement system 1.

[0058] The present embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present embodiment is not limited to these examples.

[0059] [Reference example 1] First, 5 g of sodium chloride, 0.5 g of yeast (instant dry yeast, manufactured by Saf Co., Ltd.) and 450 mL of ion-exchanged water were placed in a container and stirred to dissolve the sodium chloride. After that, this solution was transferred to a graduated cylinder and the solution was made up to 500 mL with ion-exchanged water to prepare a saliva simulant. It is assumed that the saliva dispersed as droplets has low viscosity and contains a large amount of water. In other words, since it is assumed that the number of bacteria contained in the droplets is less than the total number of bacteria in the mouth, the amount of yeast in the saliva simulant is prepared to be about 1 / 10 to 1 / 1000 of the total number of bacteria in the mouth of an average person. Next, a predetermined amount of the saliva simulant was sprayed on a plastic plate and dried to be the measurement target. These are shown in Table 1 as Reference Example 1-1 to Reference Example 1-4.

[0060] [Reference example 2] First, a predetermined amount of the saliva simulant was sprayed onto a plastic plate and dried, similar to Reference Example 1. Next, the area where the saliva simulant was sprayed was wiped with a cloth soaked in ethanol (EtOH) or hypochlorous acid (HClO) to be used as the measurement area. These are shown in Table 2 as Reference Examples 2-1 to 2-5.

[0061] [Reference example 3] The inside of disposable rubber gloves that had not been used or had been worn for a certain period of time were used as the measurement target areas. These are shown in Table 3 as Reference Examples 3-1 to 3-7.

[0062] [Reference example 4] The palms of the hands before and after hand washing were used as the measurement sites. These are shown in Table 4 as Reference Examples 4-1 to 4-3.

[0063] [Reference example 5] The handrails of the stairs were used as the measurement points. These are shown in Table 5 as Reference Examples 5-1 to 5-8.

[0064] [Reference example 6] First, 0.5 g of yeast (instant dry yeast, manufactured by Saf Co., Ltd.) and 450 mL of ion-exchanged water were placed in a container and stirred. After that, the liquid was transferred to a graduated cylinder and the graduated cylinder was filled up to 500 mL with ion-exchanged water to prepare a bacterial solution. The amount of yeast in the bacterial solution was adjusted to be about 1 / 10 to 1 / 1000 of the total number of bacteria in the saliva of an average person. Next, 1 mL of the bacterial solution was sprayed onto a plastic plate and dried, which was used as the measurement target area. These are shown in Table 6 as Reference Example 6-1 to Reference Example 6-2.

[0065] [Reference example 7] The measurement sites were the desks that had been wiped before wiping or that had been sprayed with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) or ethanol (EtOH) and then wiped. These are shown in Table 7 as Reference Examples 7-1 to 7-21.

[0066] [Reference example 8] The dining table was used as the measurement target location. These are shown in Table 8 as Reference Example 8-1 to Reference Example 8-2.

[0067] (ATP swab test) For Reference Examples 1 to 8, a 10 cm x 10 cm frame was placed on the measurement target area, and the surface of the measurement target area within the frame was wiped with a cotton swab for ATP wipe testing. For Reference Examples 3 to 5, the wiping area was 100 cm 2 The surface of the area to be measured was wiped with a cotton swab for ATP swabs so that the area was 100% ATP. TM Clean-Trace TMThe cotton swab was then inserted into a measuring tube containing a 3M UXL100 and shaken to allow the wiped material to react with the reagent. Next, the measuring tube with the cotton swab inserted was placed in an ATP measuring instrument (luminometer) (3M TM Clean-Trace TM NG) and measured the amount of luminescence (RLU: Relative Light Unit) of the object to be measured. As mentioned above, the amount of luminescence (RLU) is proportional to the amount of ATP, so here, the amount of luminescence (RLU) is considered to be the amount of ATP.

[0068] (conductivity) For Reference Examples 1 to 2 and Reference Examples 6 to 8, a 10 cm x 10 cm frame was placed in a position different from the position where the frame was placed in the ATP wipe test, but close to the position where the frame was placed in the ATP wipe test. Next, absorbent cotton soaked in water (Amethyst (registered trademark) Cotton for Mom and Baby, Daiei Co., Ltd.) was held with tweezers and the surface of the measurement target area within the frame was wiped. For Reference Examples 3 to 5, the wiping area was 100 cm. 2 The surface of the measurement area was wiped with absorbent cotton soaked in water so that the surface was wiped with water. Next, two tweezers were used to squeeze the absorbent cotton so that the surface that had been used to wipe the measurement area was facing down, and a few drops of water were measured with an electrical conductivity meter (LAQUA (registered trademark) twin EC-33B manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.). In this device, the electrical conductivity was measured using an AC two-electrode method and was converted to electrical conductivity at 25°C.

[0069] The results of plotting the relationship between the ATP amount (RLU) and conductivity (μS / cm) of the Reference Examples obtained as described above are shown in Tables 1 to 8 and Figures 4 to 9. The X-axis of the graphs shows the ATP amount (RLU) and the Y-axis shows the conductivity (μS / cm) in common logarithm. Similarly, the ATP amount (RLU) and conductivity shown in each table are also shown in common logarithm.

[0070] [Table 1]

[0071] [Table 2]

[0072] [Table 3]

[0073] [Table 4]

[0074] [Table 5]

[0075] [Table 6]

[0076] [Table 7]

[0077] [Table 8]

[0078] As shown in Table 1 and FIG. 4, the test sample of Reference Example 1 had an ATP concentration of Log 10 3 RLU or more and conductivity is Log 10 2μS / cm or more. The area where Reference Example 1 is plotted is considered to be an area with a large amount of saliva attached to the measurement target area and a high risk of infection. In addition, it is expected that an infected person's immune system will be weakened and there will be more microorganisms in the body fluid than in the saliva simulant, resulting in a large amount of ATP. Therefore, the area where Reference Example 1 is plotted and the area with a higher amount of ATP than Reference Example 1 were set as Area A, which is likely to be contaminated by saliva droplets and is considered to have the highest risk of infection.

[0079] On the other hand, as shown in Table 2 and FIG. 4, the test sample of Reference Example 2 had an ATP concentration of Log 10 Less than 4.5 RLU and conductivity is Log 10 The electrical conductivity was less than 2 μS / cm. From these results, it can be seen that even if the saliva simulant adheres to the plastic plate, it can be removed by wiping. Therefore, the area where Reference Example 2 is plotted was set as Area C, which is considered to have been cleaned.

[0080] As shown in Table 3 and Figure 5, the inside of the glove worn for a certain time tends to have a larger ATP amount value than the inside of the unused glove. Also, as shown in Table 4 and Figure 5, the palm has the same ATP amount and conductivity as the inside of the glove worn for a certain time. Therefore, the area where Reference Example 3 and Reference Example 4 are plotted was set as Area B, which is considered to be likely to be frequently touched by people.

[0081] As shown in Table 5 and FIG. 6, Reference Example 5 had a lower amount of ATP than Reference Examples 3 and 4, excluding unused gloves. Since few people talk on the stairs, it is considered that there is little contamination by saliva droplets. In addition, since the staircase handrails are cleaned every day, it is considered that there is little human contact. Therefore, the area where Reference Example 5 is plotted was set as Area D, which may be contaminated by saliva droplets or human contact, but time has passed since contamination and the activity of the virus is considered to have decreased.

[0082] Although not shown, it has been confirmed that the ATP amount value decreases over time even in test samples that are plotted in area A or area B. This is thought to be because microorganisms such as bacteria produce ATP when they grow, but after the microorganisms die, ATP is no longer produced and ATP is simply broken down by enzymes remaining in the cells.

[0083] As shown in Table 6 and FIG. 7, the test sample of Reference Example 6 had an ATP concentration of Log 10 4.5 RLU or more and conductivity is Log10 The electrical conductivity was less than 2 μS / cm. It is considered that the plastic plate coated with the bacterial liquid has little virus adhesion, not dirt derived from human body fluids. Therefore, the area where Reference Example 7 is plotted was set as Area E, where the possibility of the presence of microorganisms is high, but the possibility of contamination derived from humans is low.

[0084] As shown in Table 7 and Figure 8, the disks before wiping were plotted in area A or area B. However, as shown by the arrows in Figure 8, the amount of ATP and the electrical conductivity of the disks after wiping with sodium hypochlorite or ethanol decreased, and they tended to be plotted in area C.

[0085] As shown in Table 8 and Figure 9, Reference Example 8-1 was classified as Area C, while Reference Example 8-2 was classified as Area A. The dining table in Reference Example 8-1 was cleaned, lowering the risk of infection, whereas the dining table in Reference Example 8-2 was likely to have saliva splashed due to conversation, increasing the risk of infection.

[0086] As described above, the infection risk level can be determined by measuring the first parameter and the second parameter and referring to the created reference data. This shows that the infection risk measurement system, the infection risk determination system, and the infection risk measurement method can determine the risk of virus infection.

[0087] Although several embodiments have been described, the embodiments can be modified or modified based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined as long as they are not mutually inconsistent.

[0088] This disclosure can, for example, contribute to Goal 3 of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Infection risk measurement system 10 1st measurement section 20 Second measuring section 30 Judgment section 40 Numerical input section 50 Output section 100 Infection Risk Assessment System 110 Input section

Claims

1. A first measurement unit that measures a first parameter which is an amount of adenosine triphosphate or a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate; A second measurement unit that measures a second parameter, which is an amount of a component contained in a human body fluid or a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component; a determination unit that refers to reference data in which an infection risk level is previously assigned for each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter, and determines the infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit and the value of the second parameter measured by the second measurement unit for a test sample collected from the surface of the measurement target location; an output unit that outputs a determination result determined by the determination unit; Equipped with the parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate is at least one of the amount of luminescence due to the action of luciferase and the concentration of adenosine triphosphate; the parameter corresponding to the amount of the component is at least one of electrical conductivity and ion concentration; An infection risk measurement system, wherein the component is a protein contained in human saliva.

2. 2. The infection risk measurement system of claim 1, wherein the value of the second parameter of the test sample is corrected according to at least one of the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the measurement target location, and the determination unit determines the infection risk level based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured by the first measurement unit for the test sample and the corrected value of the second parameter.

3. 3. The infection risk measurement system of claim 1, wherein an infection risk level is pre-assigned to the reference data for each combination of the surface material of the measurement target area, the value of the first parameter, and the value of the second parameter, and the determination unit refers to the reference data and determines the infection risk level according to the material.

4. an input unit for inputting the amount of adenosine triphosphate in a test sample collected from the surface of a measurement target location or the value of a first parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate, and the amount of a component contained in a human body fluid in the test sample or the value of a second parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the amount of the component; a determination unit that refers to reference data in which an infection risk level is pre-assigned for each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter, and determines an infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on the combination of the value of the first parameter input from the input unit and the value of the second parameter input from the input unit; an output unit that outputs a determination result determined by the determination unit; Equipped with the parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate is at least one of the amount of luminescence due to the action of luciferase and the concentration of adenosine triphosphate; the parameter corresponding to the amount of the component is at least one of electrical conductivity and ion concentration; An infection risk determination system, wherein the component is a protein contained in human saliva.

5. Measuring a first parameter, the first parameter being the amount of adenosine triphosphate or a parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate; measuring a second parameter, the second parameter being the amount of the component in the human body fluid or a parameter corresponding to the amount of said component; A step of referring to reference data in which an infection risk level is pre-assigned for each combination of the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter, and determining an infection risk level of the surface of the measurement target location based on a combination of the value of the first parameter measured for a test sample collected from the surface of the measurement target location and the value of the second parameter measured for the test sample; A step of outputting the determined result; Including, the parameter corresponding to the amount of adenosine triphosphate is at least one of the amount of luminescence due to the action of luciferase and the concentration of adenosine triphosphate; the parameter corresponding to the amount of the component is at least one of electrical conductivity and ion concentration; An infection risk measurement method, wherein the component is a protein contained in human saliva.

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