Neurological condition evaluation system, neurological condition evaluation method, and neurological condition evaluation program

Abstract

To accurately evaluate the neurological state of a subject and provide an evaluation result suitable for the subject. A pupil index calculation unit generates, on the basis of a moving image obtained by capturing a subject's pupil with a non-distortion lens, waveform data for the pupil area and then calculates a pupil index. A neurological state estimation unit estimates, on the basis of the pupil index, a sympathetic age and a parasympathetic age, which are neurological states for each of the subject's left and right pupils. A neurological state estimation unit estimates, on the basis of the pupil index, a sympathetic age and a parasympathetic age, which are neurological states for each of the subject's left and right pupils, and a comment generation unit evaluates the neurological state of the subject from the estimated neurological state, and an improvement plan generation unit generates advice suited to the subject on the basis of the evaluation result. In the neurological state evaluation system, a display unit displays the evaluation result for the neurological state and the advice.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a neurological condition evaluation system, a neurological condition evaluation method, and a neurological condition evaluation program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the increase in the number of people with mental disorders such as stress-related illnesses, depression, and anxiety has become a social issue. The judgments of medical specialists are often subjective, and even experienced doctors have difficulty always accurately assessing the mental and physical state of patients. In this context, there is a growing need to objectively evaluate mental and physical conditions. Patent Document 1 describes a system for judging the mental and physical state of a subject based on data on the time course of pupil expansion and contraction in response to stimulating light. The system for judging the mental and physical state judges that the subject is in a state in which the sympathetic nervous system is dominant over the parasympathetic nervous system if the pupil size of the subject 5 seconds after the moment of irradiation of the stimulating light is larger than the pupil size at the moment of irradiation of the stimulating light. Patent Document 2 describes a brain function testing method for testing the degree of autonomic nerve activity, the presence or absence of dementia, and Alzheimer's disease based on a discrimination index obtained by performing multivariate calculations on various pupil indices derived by detecting the size of the subject's pupil. The brain function testing method uses two or more indices as pupil indices, including latency, pupil constriction time, pupil dilation time, initial pupil diameter, pupil constriction amount, pupil constriction rate, pupil constriction velocity, maximum pupil constriction velocity, pupil dilation velocity, maximum pupil dilation velocity, pupil constriction acceleration, maximum pupil constriction acceleration, maximum pupil constriction velocity arrival time, maximum pupil dilation velocity arrival time, and maximum pupil constriction acceleration arrival time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-116312 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-34920 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is said that the size and movement of the pupils change with age, and also before and after treatment. Until now, systems that judge the mental and physical state based on pupil data have simply judged the dominance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves and whether brain function is normal or not, and it is difficult to say that they accurately judge the mental and physical state at a detailed level based on individual information such as the subject's age. For this reason, it has not been easy to present the subject with personalized and optimal advice.

[0005] The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to more accurately estimate the neurological state of a subject and to provide an evaluation result suitable for the subject. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 includes binocular goggles capable of blocking light from outside, a light irradiating means for irradiating light simultaneously to the left and right pupils of a subject without any difference between the left and right, an acquisition means for acquiring video data in which the subject's pupils are photographed, a calculation means for calculating left and right pupil indices from the video data, and a calculation means for calculating the left and right neural ages of the subject based on the pupil indices. calculation A state evaluation means for evaluating the left and right neural ages. If the difference is greater than a certain value, an alert will be displayed or advice will be given. and a display means for displaying the result of the comparison. The invention described in claim 2 is a nervous state evaluation system as described in claim 1, wherein the state evaluation means evaluates the left and right sympathetic nervous ages and parasympathetic nervous ages based on the left and right pupil indices of the subject, and displays the sympathetic nervous ages and parasympathetic nervous ages of the left and right. The invention described in claim 3 is the neural state evaluation system described in claim 1, wherein the acquisition means acquires video data captured by a non-distortion lens, and the calculation means calculates the pupil index by counting pixels related to the pupil in the captured video data. The invention described in claim 4 is the neural state evaluation system described in claim 1, wherein the display means displays a plurality of the pupil indexes or the neural ages at different times, or displays changes in the pupil indexes or the neural ages at different times. The invention described in claim 5 is the nervous state evaluation system described in claim 2, which has an advice generating means for generating advice for the subject based on the sympathetic age and the parasympathetic age, and the display means for displaying the advice. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately estimate the neurological state of a subject and provide an evaluation result suitable for the subject. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an autonomic nerve state determination system to which the present embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a pupil diameter measurement device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a server. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating parameters related to the pupil. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 6A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an input screen on the terminal device side of the neurological state evaluation system. [Figure 6B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen for accepting the start of measurement on the terminal device side of the nerve state evaluation system. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a measurement result display screen of the terminal device. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an advice display screen of the terminal device. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the terminal device. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow of the server. [Figure 11]13 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the terminal device. [Figure 12] (A) Diagram explaining pincushion distortion caused by a distorting lens, (B) Diagram explaining barrel distortion caused by a distorting lens, (C) A captured image with barrel distortion, (D) An image captured with a non-distorting lens. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a measurement result display screen of the terminal device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Overall configuration of the neurological condition evaluation system] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a nerve state evaluation system to which this embodiment is applied. The nervous state evaluation system 1 is a system in which a pupillometer 10 that measures the pupils of a subject, a server 30 that evaluates the nervous state of the subject, and a terminal device 50 that displays the nervous state of the subject are connected via a network 70. The nervous state evaluation system 1 exemplified in this embodiment is a system that evaluates the nervous state of a subject based on video data in which the subject's pupils are photographed, and provides the subject or a user with an evaluation result or advice. One example is a system that analyzes and evaluates video data in which the subject's pupils are photographed, and provides information for improving the subject's movements.

[0010] The pupillometer 10 is configured as a dedicated measuring device for measuring, for example, pupil diameter. The pupillometer 10 has a control unit 11, which is a processor (CPU (Central Processing Unit)) that controls the entire pupillometer, a memory 12 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area for calculations, and a storage unit 13, which is a storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or semiconductor memory used to store programs and various setting data. The pupillometer 10 also has a communication unit 14 that transmits and receives data such as moving image data via a network 70. The pupillometer 10 further has an operation unit 15 such as a measurement start button that accepts input operations from a subject on the pupillometer 10 side, a light irradiation unit 16 that irradiates light to the subject, and an imaging unit 17 that can capture the movement of the subject's pupil as moving image data.

[0011] The server 30 is composed of a computer device such as a workstation, a desktop PC, or a notebook PC. The server 30 has a control unit 31, which is a processor (CPU (Central Processing Unit)) that controls the entire device, a memory 32 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area during calculations, and a storage unit 33, which is a storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor memory used to store programs and various setting data. The server 30 also has a communication unit 34 that transmits and receives data via a network 70. The server 30 also has an operation unit 35 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, or a touch panel that accepts input operations from a user on the server 30 side, a display unit 36 ​​consisting of a liquid crystal display or the like that displays images and text information to server users, and a display control unit 37 that controls the display unit 36.

[0012] The terminal device 50 is composed of a computer terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet, etc. The terminal device 50 has a control unit 51 which is a processor (CPU (Central Processing Unit)) that controls the entire device, a memory 52 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area during calculations, and a storage unit 53 which is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or semiconductor memory used to store programs, various setting data, etc. The terminal device 50 also has a communication unit 54 for transmitting and receiving data such as moving image data and the evaluation results of the subject's neurological state via the network 70. The terminal device 50 also has an operation unit 55 such as a touch panel, keyboard, pointing device, etc. for receiving input operations from the subject on the terminal device 50 side, a display unit 56 consisting of a liquid crystal display or the like for displaying images, text information, etc. to the subject, and a display control unit 57 for controlling the display unit 56. The terminal device 50 also has an imaging unit 58 for capturing moving images of the subject.

[0013] The "one or more processors" in this case are constituted by a CPU used in the pupillometer 10, the server 30, the terminal device 50, etc., or by a CPU used in various devices connected to the pupillometer 10, the server 30, the terminal device 50, etc., and various functions in this embodiment are realized. 1, the various components of the pupillometer 10, the server 30, and the terminal device 50 do not necessarily have to be in the same housing, and may be understood as a system. When the main device and the housing are different, they are connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the functional configuration of the pupillometer. The pupillometer 10 has a communication unit 14 as a wired or wireless communication means such as a communication cable, a light irradiation unit 16 that irradiates light toward the subject's pupil, an image capture unit 17 that captures a moving image of the subject's pupil, and a hood 18 that blocks light from outside. The light irradiation unit 16 is composed of a visible light irradiation unit 16a and an infrared light irradiation unit 16b. When the pupillometer 10 receives an input to start measurement from the server 30 or the terminal device 50 via the communication unit 14, the visible light irradiation units 16a (only the left side is shown in FIG. 2) arranged on both the left and right sides of the inside of the pupillometer housing irradiate visible light in the direction of the subject's pupil for about 0.5 seconds. The optical stimulus that causes a change in the pupil is achieved by irradiation with visible light, and further, the infrared light irradiation unit 16b irradiates near-infrared light with a wavelength of 850 nm or more toward the pupil. Irradiation of near-infrared light with a wavelength of 850 nm or more does not affect changes in the pupil, but irradiation of near-infrared light allows the pupil to be clearly and reliably photographed. The image receiving element constituting part of the imaging unit 17 may be a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor capable of photographing from the infrared region to visible light. The camera lens constituting part of the imaging unit 17 is arranged inside the hood at a position that makes it easy to photograph the pupil. The photographed moving image data is transmitted to the server 30 or the terminal device 50 via the communication unit 14. Although not shown, the device may have a storage unit that stores data of the photographed moving image and the like, and a data processing unit that performs compression processing of the photographed moving image data.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the server. The server 30 has a storage unit 33 for storing various data, a communication unit 34 for transmitting and receiving data such as video images and evaluation results of the neurological state, a reception unit 38 for receiving various input data, and a data processing unit 39 for analyzing the acquired video image data. In this specification, "analysis" includes not only analyzing information but also considering measures to improve the condition identified from the analysis results. Furthermore, the server 30 has a video image data acquisition unit 48 for acquiring the subject's video image data via the communication unit 34. In addition, the server 30 has an analysis result output unit 49 for outputting the analysis results to the display unit 56 of the subject's terminal device 50. The "analysis results" may include, in addition to the results of analyzing information, advice, countermeasures, improvement menus, etc. for improving the condition identified from the analysis results.

[0016] The storage unit 33 includes a subject information storage unit 45 that stores subject information, an analysis result storage unit 46 that stores analysis results, and a learning-related data storage unit 47 that stores a learning dataset and learned parameters. The subject information stored in the subject information storage unit 45 may be obtained from the terminal device 50 and stored each time an analysis is performed, or may be stored in advance together with identification information for identifying the subject. This "subject information" refers to information on the subject to be analyzed, such as identification information of the subject to be analyzed, physical information such as height and weight, age, sex, the subject's physical and mental condition, and examination history. The analysis result storage unit 46 stores data resulting from the analysis performed by the data processing unit 39 in association with the subject information stored in the subject information storage unit 45 . The learning-related data storage unit 47 stores the subject's pupil index, the subject's actual neural state, the subject's actual age, and other learned parameters, etc. Furthermore, the learning-related data storage unit 47 may also store the video data itself before generating the learning data, video data obtained by thinning out the video data, video data in the middle of analysis, and compressed video data.

[0017] The data processing unit 39 includes a pupil index calculation unit 40 that calculates indices related to the pupil, a state estimation unit 41 that estimates the nervous state of the subject, a model generation unit 42 that generates an estimation model, a comment generation unit 43 that generates comments regarding the evaluation of the subject's nervous state, and an improvement measure generation unit 44 that generates advice.

[0018] The pupil index calculation unit 40 calculates various parameters relating to the pupil based on the moving image data of the subject's pupil transmitted from the pupillometer 10. Specific pupil parameters will be described later.

[0019] The state estimation unit 41 estimates the subject's neural state based on the pupil-related parameters (pupil indices). The inference model for estimating the subject's neural state may be a linear regression equation, a nonlinear regression equation, or a neural network model. Furthermore, it may be a discrimination model using a decision tree, a support vector machine, or the like. Data on the estimated neural state of the subject is transmitted to the terminal device 50 via the communication unit 34.

[0020] In this embodiment, the term "nervous state" refers to the subject's mental and physical state and brain function state resulting from the activity of nerves such as the autonomic nerves and cranial nerves. The term "nervous state" is also used as a concept that includes the physical state related to the nerves. For example, it is generally said that a person with sympathetic dominance is more susceptible to pain, and pain may or may not be felt due to the activity of the autonomic nerves, so bodily "pain" is also included in the nervous state. Even if the subject does not feel pain according to his / her subjective evaluation, a waveform pattern similar to that of pain may be detected from the measurement results of the pupillometer. In this embodiment, such unconscious pain is also interpreted as being included in the "nervous state". Furthermore, autonomic nervous activity peaks around age 20 and declines with age. The "neural age," which indicates the subject's neural function level at an age based on standard functional levels by age, is also included in the "neural state." For example, the state estimation unit 41 estimates the subject's neural level from an exponential regression equation based on several pupil indices, and calculates the neural age by identifying the age that corresponds to that level. Furthermore, the state estimation unit 41 evaluates the neural state of the subject by comparing the estimated neural state with the actual age of the subject. That is, if the neural age of the subject is calculated to be 40 years old and the actual age of the subject is 45 years old, the state estimation unit 41 evaluates the neural age as being 5 years younger than the actual age. In this embodiment, evaluating the neurological state includes estimating the neurological state, so even if the neurological age is merely estimated, it may be expressed as evaluating the neurological state. Additionally, the state estimation unit 41 can evaluate the nervous state by determining that the subject is in a "stressed" or "tense" state based on pupil indices related to sympathetic nervous function and parasympathetic nervous function.

[0021] The model generation unit 42 determines the parameters of the estimation model by machine learning based on the learning data stored in the learning-related data storage unit 47. Here, machine learning refers to determining the parameters of a model based on a data set of explanatory variables and explained variables so that the estimation error of a model that estimates explained variables using explanatory variables as inputs is reduced. Therefore, when the estimation model is a regression equation, it refers to calculating the coefficients of the regression equation, and when it is a neural network, it means determining the coefficients of neurons. The determined model parameters are stored in the learning-related data storage unit 47.

[0022] The comment generating unit 43 generates a comment explaining the current state of the neurological state based on the neurological state estimated by the generated estimation model. When generating the content of the comment, it is possible to generate it taking into consideration not only the estimated neurological state but also subject information such as age, thereby enabling highly accurate evaluation that matches the individual. For example, the comment generating unit 43 compares the age estimated by the pupil index with the actual age of the subject, and if the neurological age is younger than the actual age, creates a comment evaluating the neurological state of the subject that the neurological age is young. In this embodiment, "evaluating" the neurological state of the subject includes not only simply estimating the neurological state of the subject, but also judging the neurological state of the subject including the estimated result. Therefore, diagnosing the neurological state by comparing and considering the estimated neurological age and the actual age of the subject also falls under "evaluating".

[0023] The remedy generating unit 44 generates advice on improving working hours and lifestyle and treating injuries based on the evaluation result of the neurological state. The remedy generating unit 44 may generate advice by taking into account the self-reported content input by the subject. For example, even if the subject self-reports that there is no pain, if the evaluation result of the neurological state shows that a spike-shaped waveform indicating pain appears in the waveform of the time-series change in pupil area, the remedy generating unit 44 generates advice to recommend receiving treatment from a doctor because there is pain without subjective symptoms. The generated comment and advice data are transmitted to the terminal device 50 via the communication unit 34.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining pupil-related parameters (pupil index). When light is shone on the subject's eye, the size (area) of the pupil changes over time as shown by the waveform in FIG. 4. Pupil expansion (mydriasis) is achieved by the action of the sympathetic nervous system, and pupil contraction (miosis) is achieved by the action of the parasympathetic nervous system. In general, when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant, the subject is in a state of tension and excitement, and when the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant, the subject is in a relaxed and sedated state. Therefore, by measuring the expansion and contraction of the pupil, the activity state of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems can be detected. Figure 4 conceptually shows 12 pupil-related parameters (pupil indices): A1: initial pupil area [mm2], A2: minimum pupil constriction area after light stimulation [mm2], A3: changed pupil area after light stimulation [mm2], CR: pupil constriction rate (A3 / A1) [%], D1: pupil diameter at initial state [mm], T1: time from light stimulation to start of pupil constriction [msec], T2: time required for the changed area to change to 1 / 2 [msec], T3: time required for the pupil to become minimum [msec], T5: time required for the pupil to dilate from minimum and recover to 63% [msec], VC: maximum pupil constriction velocity [mm2 / sec], VD: maximum pupil dilation velocity [mm2 / sec], and AC: maximum pupil constriction acceleration [mm2 / s2]. In general, it is believed that sympathetic function is reflected by VD and T5, and parasympathetic function is reflected by VC, CR, and A3. Furthermore, the waveform data from experimental participants who answered in the subjective questionnaire that they felt very anxious and tense, had tightness in their chest, and were having difficulty breathing, showed that the rate of pupil contraction and dilation decreased, and the pupils did not easily recover to the size they had immediately after the light was applied. Furthermore, the sympathetic and parasympathetic function levels of 424 participants (206 men, 218 women, average age 45.4 years) were measured, and the average function levels for each age group were calculated. This showed that there was a correlation between the maximum pupillary dilation rate (VD) measured by a pupillometer and nervous function. Therefore, it is possible to calculate age from the estimated nervous function level based on pupil indices such as the maximum pupillary dilation rate (VD). In this way, the "neural age," which is the subject's age estimated from pupillary measurements, is an index that can be compared with actual age as information providing nervous status, and can therefore be said to be an index that is intuitively easy to understand.

[0025] The pupilometer 10 takes about 7 seconds to measure the pupil once, and the pupil index calculation unit 40 identifies the pupil for each still image at each time that constitutes the moving image in which the subject's pupil is photographed, and calculates the pupil area to generate time-series data (waveform data) of the pupil area. At this time, the moving image data contains still images in which the pupil cannot be identified due to blinking or other reasons. In such cases, the pupil index calculation unit 40 linearly complements the pupil area obtained from still images in which the pupil can be correctly identified before and after the time in which the pupil cannot be identified, to generate a waveform of the pupil area. Furthermore, the pupil index calculation unit 40 calculates the 12 pupil indices mentioned above. As described above, even if there is a blink, the waveform data of the pupil area can be generated by complementation, but if there are too many blinks, the accuracy of the pupil measurement may decrease. Therefore, when the pupil index calculation unit 40 determines that the number of still images in which the pupil could not be identified is greater than a predetermined threshold, it transmits an instruction signal to the server 30 or the terminal device 50 to display a message urging remeasurement.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device. The terminal device 50 has a communication unit 54 that receives data such as the evaluation result of the nerve state or advice, which is the analysis result analyzed by the server 30, from the server 30 and transmits subject information to the server 30, and a display unit 56 that displays the evaluation result of the nerve state, comments on the evaluation result, advice, etc. The display unit 56 displays multiple pupil indices or nerve states at different times, or displays changes in the pupil indices or nerve states at different times. For example, the display unit 56 displays multiple pupil indices or nerve states calculated from data measuring the pupil at different times before and after receiving a massage, or displays changes in the pupil indices or nerve states before and after a massage. Therefore, a user or subject of this nerve state evaluation system can confirm, for example, the effect of a massage treatment from the visualized display information. The terminal device 50 also has a reception unit 65 that receives input of subject information from the subject, a storage unit 53 that stores the input subject information and neural state estimation results, and a data processing unit 60 that processes data for drawing and function control. The terminal device 50 also has an output unit 61 that outputs the stored information. The memory unit 53 has an information memory unit 62 that stores information such as text entered by the subject, a moving image data memory unit 63 that stores moving image data, and a result memory unit 64 that stores waveform data of pupil area, evaluation results of the neurological state, advice, etc. The data processing unit 60 includes a screen drawing unit 53 that displays the analysis results on the display unit 56 , and a function control unit 66 that controls the functions of the terminal device 50 .

[0027] FIG. 6(A) is a diagram showing an input screen on the terminal device side of the neurological state evaluation system. FIG. 13B shows a screen for accepting the start of measurement on the terminal device side of the neurological state evaluation system. As shown in FIG. 6(A), the input screen on the terminal device side of the neurological state evaluation system has a field for entering the subject's name, a check box for gender, a field for entering date of birth, and fields for entering height, weight, contact information, and self-declaration. After inputting the information, the input information is confirmed by touching the input confirmation button, and the screen shown in FIG. 6(B) appears. On the screen shown in FIG. 6(B), images of the subject's left and right pupils are displayed. When the subject determines that the pupils are located near the center of the image and are in a state where measurement is possible, the subject touches the measurement start button to start measurement by the pupillometer 10. However, the instruction to start measurement may be given from the server 30.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a measurement result display screen of a terminal device. The display screen displays a waveform showing the change in pupil area, the numerical values ​​of the main pupil indices, the neural state estimation result, and the neural age. For the waveform showing the change in pupil area and the numerical values ​​of the main pupil indices, multiple measurement results can be displayed. In particular, since the numerical values ​​and waveforms of the pupil indices at different times are displayed on the same screen, the user, including the subject, can understand the change in the neural state between the first measurement and the second measurement from the difference (change) between the multiple measurement results. For example, by measuring the pupils of a stressed subject before and after receiving a massage, the effect of the massage on the subject's relaxation can be visualized and confirmed by the subject and the massage provider. In addition, when targeting athletes, measuring before and after a match can detect pain that the athlete is not aware of from the pupil measurement waveform. In cases of symptoms such as sprains, repeated spike-like waveforms can be seen while the pupil size is recovering, but the athlete may not be aware of the pain, making this method effective in detecting symptoms that could lead to serious injuries. The phrase "displaying a plurality of the pupil indices or the nerve states at different times, or displaying the pupil indices or changes in the nerve states at different times" as claimed in the claims includes not only displaying them on the same screen, but also displaying the pupil indices or nerve states at different times on multiple screens after screen transition, thereby displaying the nerve states at different times in a comparable manner. In the display screen shown in FIG. 7, there are check boxes in the display column for each measurement value, and the checked data can be deleted by touching a button for deleting the selected measurement data. Moreover, by touching the advice display button, the screen transitions to a screen displaying advice as shown in FIG.

[0029] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an advice display screen of the terminal device. In the advice column, comments explaining the current neural state, comments on the change in the neural state between the first and second measurements, and comments on improvement measures are displayed. In addition, in the neural age comment column, comments on the neural age compared to the actual age and comments on the change in neural age between the first and second measurements are displayed. In addition, by touching the button to return to the screen displaying the measurement results, the user can transition to a screen displaying the measurement results, and by touching the button to save the measurement data and estimation result data in memory unit 53.

[0030] [Processing of the Neurological Status Evaluation System] Next, the processing of the nerve state evaluation system 1 will be described. Figures 9 and 11 are flow charts showing the processing flow of the terminal device, and Figure 10 is a flow chart showing the processing flow of the server. Figure 9 shows the processing from when the video data captured by the pupillometer 10 is sent to the server 30 and the terminal device 50 to when it is confirmed whether or not remeasurement is required. Figure 10 shows the processing flow for evaluating the neurological state based on the video data of the pupils and the subject information sent from the pupillometer 10. Figure 11 shows the processing from when the terminal device receives the results of the analysis by the server 30 and displays the analysis results.

[0031] [Processing of the terminal device until pupil measurement is completed (first processing)] As shown in FIG. 9, the function control unit 66 shown in FIG. 5 starts the application of the nerve state evaluation system upon receiving a start instruction from the subject (step 101). Next, the screen drawing unit 53 outputs the input screen shown in FIG. 6 (step 102). The subject inputs subject information such as the subject's name, date of birth, height, weight, sex, and self-report on the input screen shown in FIG. 6. The information storage unit 62 stores the input subject information (step 103). Next, the function control unit 66 transmits the input subject information to the server 30 via the communication unit 54 (step 104). When the measurement start button is touched, the function control unit 66 transmits an instruction to start measurement to the pupillometer 10 (step 105). The pupillometer 10, which has received the instruction to start measurement, transmits moving image data to the server 30 and the terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 acquires moving image data from the pupillometer 10 or the server 30, and stores it in the moving image data storage unit 63 (step 106). Next, when the terminal device 50 receives a measurement instruction signal from the server again, it instructs the pupillometer 10 to start measurement. If not, the first process of the terminal device 10 ends.

[0032] [Analysis processing on the server] Next, the process of the server 30 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the server 30. The server 30 receives moving image data of the subject's pupil and subject information from the pupillometer 10 or the terminal device 50 (step 201). The subject information storage unit 45 stores the subject information, and the analysis result storage unit 46 stores the moving image data (step 202). The pupil index calculation unit 40 calculates the waveform data of the pupil area and the pupil index from the received moving image data (step 203). The state estimation unit 41 estimates the neurological state from the pupil index (step 204). The comment generation unit 43 generates a comment based on the estimated neurological state and a comparison of the previous and current measurement results (step 205). The improvement measure generation unit 44 generates advice such as an improvement measure (step 206). Furthermore, the communication unit 34 transmits the waveform of the pupil area, the pupil index, the estimation result of the neurological state, and the advice to the terminal device 50 (step 207).

[0033] [Processing of the terminal device receiving the neural state estimation result from the server] 11, the terminal device 50 receives waveform data of the pupil area, pupil index, neural state estimation result, and advice from the server 30 (step 301). The screen drawing unit 53 of the terminal device 10 displays the waveform of the pupil area, pupil index, and neural state estimation result received from the server 30 (step 302). Next, the screen drawing unit 53 displays advice in response to a screen transition instruction from the subject (step 303), and the subject instructs output, causing the output unit 61 to generate an analysis report as a PDF file, or to print out the report (step 304).

[0034] As described above, the nervous state evaluation system 1 to which this embodiment is applied can provide the evaluation result of the subject's nervous state to a user or the subject by performing motion analysis of moving images of the subject's pupils.

[0035] This embodiment has been described on the assumption that the subject is a user of the neurological state evaluation system 1, but the neurological state evaluation system 1 may also be used by a user other than the subject. For example, the subject may be an employee of a company, and the user may be a person in a department that manages the health conditions of employees, or a doctor. The user may use the neurological state evaluation system 1 by operating the server 30 or the terminal device 50.

[0036] In this embodiment, the functions of the pupillometer 10, the server 30, and the terminal device 50 have been described separately, but the present invention is not limited to whether each function is located in the pupillometer 10, the server 30, or the terminal device 50. The nerve state evaluation system of the present invention may be configured so that some or all of the functions performed by the server 30 are performed by the pupillometer 10 or the terminal device 50. Furthermore, the pupillometer 10 and the terminal device 50 may function as an integrated device even if they are not connected via the network 70. Furthermore, if the processing ability and storage capacity of the terminal device can be sufficiently secured, the system may be configured so that all of the processing of the server 30 is performed by the terminal device 50.

[0037] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 17 can use a non-distortion lens with little distortion. Usually, a lens generates distortion and blurring that occurs when light passing through the lens does not converge to one point. The phenomenon in which the shape on the object plane and the shape on the image plane are not similar is called "distortion" and appears as a phenomenon in which the image is distorted. As shown in FIG. 12(A), when the image is more contracted toward the edge, it is called barrel distortion. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12(B), when the image is more stretched toward the edge, it is called pincushion distortion. In pupil measurement, for example, due to the distortion aberration of the lens of the imaging unit 17, the area of ​​a stretched part of the image on the image becomes large, and the area of ​​a shrunk part on the image becomes small. When an image of the pupil is displayed and the number of pixels corresponding to the pupil is counted to calculate the area, the stretched part of the image is overcalculated and the shrunk part is undercalculated. In other words, if an image is distorted due to a part of it being stretched or shrunk, there will be a large error if you try to calculate the area of ​​the object shown in the image by counting the pixels. In other words, it becomes difficult to accurately calculate the pupil area from distorted image data. Figure 12(C) shows an image of an object that is actually a square lattice, but has been distorted into a barrel shape. If you try to calculate the area of ​​one square mesh by counting the number of pixels, the mesh area in the periphery will be smaller than that in the center.

[0038] In this embodiment, the measurement is performed using a non-distortion lens with little distortion. As shown in FIG. 12(D), the non-distortion lens has little distortion, so that the image forms an accurate similarity to the real object. Therefore, the pupil area can be obtained based on the image captured by the non-distortion lens. Specifically, the pupil index calculation unit 40 calculates the pupil area by counting the number of pixels corresponding to the pupil based on the image data of the pupil captured by the non-distortion lens. This count value of the number of pixels does not calculate the absolute value of the pupil area, but represents a value obtained by converting the pupil area to a certain scale. Therefore, the rate of change of the value of the count of the pixels corresponding to the pupil from the pupil image captured by the non-distortion lens can be measured as an accurate rate of change of the pupil area.

[0039] Conventionally, when measuring with a distorted lens, it was necessary to set the center of the pupil to be located in the center where there is less distortion and then take the image. Any deviation in the position of the pupil in the captured image would cause errors in the calculation of pupil velocity and mydriasis velocity. However, as described above, by calculating the rate of change in the number of pixels corresponding to the pupil for an image of the pupil captured with a non-distorted lens, it is possible to accurately calculate the maximum mydriasis velocity (VD) and the maximum mydriasis velocity (VC).

[0040] In this embodiment, advice can be given by comparing the actual age and neural age input by the subject. For example, if the neural age is 5 years or more higher than the actual age, a message can be conveyed to the subject that the subject is lacking in concentration and is not performing well. Conversely, if the neural age is 5 years or more lower than the actual age, the subject is in a state where the subject is able to concentrate well and perform well.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, it is also possible to calculate the neural age of each of the left and right pupils by calculating the pupil index from the left and right pupils of the subject. In a normal person, there is no significant difference between the neural ages of the left and right. However, in cases where there is concern about the function of one half of the body (e.g., pain in the right leg), the difference between the left and right may become larger. If the difference between the left and right pupils deviates by more than a certain value, advice such as issuing an alert can be given. Since pupil dilation (mydriasis) is achieved by the action of the sympathetic nervous system, and pupil constriction (miosis) is achieved by the action of the parasympathetic nervous system, the maximum pupil dilation rate (VD) and the maximum pupil constriction rate (VC) can be used as indicators of the state of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

[0042] Here, the "sympathetic age" is an age that indicates the age of the subject's neural function level based on the standard functional level by age, similar to the above-mentioned simple neural age, but is an index calculated based on the pupil index controlled by the sympathetic nerve. For example, the sympathetic age is calculated based on the maximum value (VD) of the pupil dilation rate. In this specification, the sympathetic age is also sometimes called the neural age of the sympathetic nerve. On the other hand, the "parasympathetic age" is an age that indicates the age of the subject's neural function level based on the standard functional level by age, similar to the above-mentioned simple neural age, but is an index calculated based on the pupil index controlled by the parasympathetic nerve. For example, the parasympathetic age is calculated based on the maximum value (VC) of the pupil constriction velocity. In this specification, the parasympathetic age is also called the neural age of the parasympathetic nerve.

[0043] For example, Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a measurement result display screen of a terminal device. This measurement result display diagram shows that the neural age calculated from the left pupil measurement is 36.9 years old, the neural age calculated from the right pupil measurement is 27.4 years old, the sympathetic nerve age calculated from the left pupil measurement is 35.4 years old, the sympathetic nerve age calculated from the right pupil measurement is 22.3 years old, the parasympathetic nerve age calculated from the left pupil measurement is 38.5 years old, and the parasympathetic nerve age calculated from the right pupil measurement is 32.5 years old. From these measurement results, it can be seen that the sympathetic nerve age of 22.3 years calculated from the right pupil measurement is more than 10 years younger than the sympathetic nerve age of 35.4 years calculated from the left pupil measurement and the parasympathetic nerve age of 32.5 years calculated from the right pupil measurement. By comparing and displaying the nerve ages of the left and right and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves in this way, it is possible to know whether there is an element of imbalance. If there is a lack of balance between the left and right, or between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, the device of the present invention can display data indicating some kind of physical abnormality, and issue an alert or present advice to the subject.

[0044] In addition, while Fig. 13 shows the neural ages of the left and right sympathetic nerves and the parasympathetic nerves based on the measurement results at a certain time, it is also possible to display the neural ages of the left and right sympathetic nerves and the parasympathetic nerves at each measurement time based on the measurement results at different times. Furthermore, it is also possible to display the change in the neural ages of the left and right sympathetic nerves and / or the parasympathetic nerves. When evaluating neural age as the average of the measurement results of the left and right pupils, or when evaluating neural age without separating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, it is difficult to notice abnormalities in either the left or right, or in either the sympathetic or parasympathetic nerves. By displaying the neural ages of both the left and right, or both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, it becomes possible to detect abnormalities in the subject's neural state, for example, from abnormalities in the neural age of the left parasympathetic nerve. In this way, by displaying not only the neural age based on a measurement at a certain point in time, but also the neural ages of the left and right sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves and their changes over time, it becomes possible to detect the subject's neural state in more detail. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...neurological state evaluation system, 10...pupillometer, 11...control unit, 12...memory, 13...storage unit, 14...communication unit, 15...operation unit, 16...light irradiation unit, 16a...visible light irradiation unit, 16b...infrared light irradiation unit, 17...imaging unit, 30...server, 31...control unit, 32...memory, 33...storage unit, 34...communication unit, 35...operation unit, 36...display unit, 37...display control unit, 38...reception unit, 39...data processing unit, 40...pupil index calculation unit, 41...state estimation unit, 42...model generation unit, 43...comment generation unit, 4 4...improvement measure generation unit, 45...subject information storage unit, 46...analysis result storage unit, 47...learning related data storage unit, 48...moving image data acquisition unit, 49...analysis result output unit, 50...terminal device, 51...control unit, 52...memory, 53...storage unit, 54...communication unit, 55...operation unit, 56...display unit, 57...display control unit, 58...imaging unit, 60...data processing unit, 61...output unit, 62...information storage unit, 63...moving image data storage unit, 64...result storage unit, 65...reception unit, 66...function control unit, 70...network

Claims

1. Binocular goggles that can block light from outside, A light irradiation means for irradiating light simultaneously to both the left and right pupils of the subject without any difference between the left and right pupils; An acquisition means for acquiring video image data in which the pupil of the subject is photographed; A calculation means for calculating left and right pupil indices from the moving image data; A condition evaluation means for calculating the left and right neural ages of the subject based on the pupil index; a display means for displaying an alert or presenting advice when the difference between the neural ages of the left and right is equal to or greater than a certain value; A neurological condition assessment system comprising:

2. the state evaluation means evaluates the left and right sympathetic nervous ages and the parasympathetic nervous ages of the subject based on the left and right pupil indices; a display means for displaying the sympathetic nerve age and the parasympathetic nerve age for each of the left and right; The neurological condition evaluation system of claim 1 .

3. The acquisition means acquires video data captured by a non-distortion lens, The calculation means calculates the pupil index by counting pixels related to the pupil in the captured video data. The neurological condition evaluation system of claim 1 .

4. 2. The neural state evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays a plurality of the pupil indices or the neural ages at different times, or displays a change in the pupil indices or the neural ages at different times.

5. an advice generating means for generating advice for the subject based on the sympathetic age and the parasympathetic age, The display means displays the advice. The neurological condition evaluation system of claim 2 .

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