Recovery Degree Estimation Device, Recovery Degree Estimation Method, and Program

Abstract

In a recovery degree estimation device, an image acquisition means acquires an image of an eyeball of a target patient with a recovery degree to be estimated. An eye-movement characteristic extraction means extracts an eye movement characteristic, which is a characteristic of an eye movement of the target patient, on the basis of the image. A past case storage means stores a plurality of cases, in which the patient and information on an eye movement characteristic and a recovery degree of the patient are associated with each other, as past cases. A similar case search means searches the past cases for cases including eye movement characteristics similar to the eye movement characteristic of the target patient. A recovery degree estimation means estimates the recovery degree of the target patient on the basis of information on the recovery degrees of the similar cases.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for estimating the degree of recovery of a patient.

Background Art

[0002] With medical costs globally straining national finances, the number of cerebrovascular disease patients in the country has reached 1.115 million, and the annual medical costs exceed 1.8 trillion yen. With the increase in the number of cerebral infarction patients expected due to the declining birthrate and aging population, and limited medical resources, there is a strong need for efficiency improvement not only in acute care hospitals but also in convalescent rehabilitation hospitals.

[0003] Since serious sequelae will remain if emergency transportation and measures are not taken promptly after the onset of cerebral infarction, it is important to detect it early among mild symptoms and receive treatment. Approximately half of cerebral infarction patients will develop cerebral infarction again within 10 years, and are highly likely to relapse with the same type of cerebral infarction as the first time. Therefore, there is also a strong need for early detection of signs of recurrence.

[0004] However, in convalescent rehabilitation hospitals, to measure the degree of recovery of patients, medical staff need to accompany and conduct various tests, which is time-consuming and laborious. As a result, if the frequency of measuring the degree of recovery decreases, there will be no feedback to patients and medical staff, the patient's rehabilitation motivation will decline, the amount of rehabilitation will decrease, or the review of an inappropriate rehabilitation plan will be delayed and the recovery effect will decline. In addition, signs of recurrence are difficult for the patient himself / herself to notice and often cannot be detected in time through regular examinations and consultations.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes making a more objective quantification of the recovery status regarding walking from the movements during walking and the movement of the line of sight of a patient. Patent Document 2 describes estimating the mental state from feature amounts based on eye movement.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Conventionally, the estimation of the patient's recovery degree has been performed by a medical staff or an expert visually or by palpation to evaluate how the patient is performing a predetermined movement and to quantify the recovery status. It is also known to transmit the patient's movement video and the result of human body posture analysis as data, and for a medical staff or an expert to visually evaluate the data to quantify the recovery status of a patient located remotely. Further, Patent Document 1 describes that a medical information processing system quantifies the recovery status by analyzing the way of movement of the human body from a video of the patient's walking scene.

[0008] In order to estimate the recovery degree by the conventional method, it was necessary for the patient to go to a hospital where a medical staff or an expert is present. However, there are not a few patients who have difficulty in visiting the hospital for various reasons. The method of transmitting the patient's data does not require a hospital visit, but since a medical staff or an expert visually evaluates the data, it has been laborious for medical staff and the like. Further, the method of quantifying the recovery status based on the video of the walking scene does not require much labor for medical staff and the like, but can only evaluate patients who have recovered to the level where they can walk, and there is also a problem of the risk of falling during walking.

[0009] One of the objects of the present invention is to quantitatively estimate the recovery degree without imposing a burden on the patient or the medical staff.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] To solve the above problems, from one aspect of the present invention, a recovery degree estimation device includes image acquisition means for acquiring an image obtained by imaging the eyes of a target patient who is the object of estimation of the recovery degree, eye movement feature extraction means for extracting an eye movement feature that is a feature of the eye movement of the target patient based on the image A past case memory means for storing, as past cases, a plurality of cases in which patients are associated with information on the eye movement characteristics and recovery degree of the patients; A similar case search means for searching, from among the past cases, for similar cases including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient; A recovery degree estimation means for estimating the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information on the recovery degree of the similar cases; output means for outputting the degree of recovery; patient information storage means for storing a recovery record including one or more of the patient's recovery history and rehabilitation content; The similar case search means searches for the similar case with reference to the recovery record of the target patient from among the past cases.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, the recovery degree estimation method is executed by a computer, acquire an image of the eyes of a target patient to be estimated for the recovery degree, extract, based on the image, eye movement characteristics that are the eye movement characteristics of the target patient, search for a similar case including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient from among a plurality of past cases in which patients are associated with information on the eye movement characteristics and recovery degree of the patients Execute the search process and estimate the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information on the recovery degree of the similar case and output the degree of recovery; store a recovery record including one or more of the patient's recovery history and rehabilitation content; The search process searches for the similar case with reference to the recovery record of the target patient from among the past cases do.

[0012] In still another aspect of the present invention, the program is acquire an image of the eyes of a target patient to be estimated for the recovery degree, extract, based on the image, eye movement characteristics that are the eye movement characteristics of the target patient, execute a search step of searching for a similar case including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient from among a plurality of past cases in which patients are associated with information on the eye movement characteristics and recovery degree of the patients, Estimate the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information regarding the recovery degree of the similar cases and output the degree of recovery; cause a computer to execute a process of storing a recovery record including one or more of the patient's recovery history and rehabilitation content; The search process searches for the similar case with reference to the recovery record of the target patient from among the past cases Do so.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to quantitatively estimate the recovery degree without imposing a burden on patients or medical staff.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First Embodiment] (Configuration) FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a recovery degree estimation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The recovery degree estimation device 1 is connected to a camera 2. The camera 2 captures an image of the eyes of a patient (hereinafter referred to as the "target patient") for which the recovery degree is to be estimated, and transmits the captured image D1 to the recovery degree estimation device 1. The camera 2 uses, for example, a high-speed camera that can capture images of the eyes at a high speed such as 1000 frames per second. The recovery degree estimation device 1 analyzes the captured image D1 and estimates the recovery degree of the target patient by calculating an estimated recovery degree based on past cases described later.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the recovery degree estimation device 1. As shown in the figure, the recovery degree estimation device 1 includes an interface 11, a processor 12, a memory 13, a recording medium 14, a display unit 15, and an input unit 16.

[0017] The interface 11 exchanges data with the camera 2. The interface 11 is used when receiving the captured image D1 generated by the camera 2. The interface 11 is also used when the recovery degree estimation device 1 exchanges data with a predetermined device connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0018] The processor 12 is a computer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the entire recovery degree estimation device 1 by executing a program prepared in advance. The memory 13 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The memory 13 stores a program executed by the processor 12. The memory 13 is also used as a working memory during the execution of various processes by the processor 12.

[0019] The recording medium 14 is a non-volatile and non-temporary recording medium such as a disk-shaped recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and is configured to be detachable from the recovery degree estimation device 1. The recording medium 14 stores various programs executed by the processor 12. When the recovery degree estimation device 1 executes the recovery degree estimation process, the program recorded on the recording medium 14 is loaded into the memory 13 and executed by the processor 12.

[0020] The display unit 15 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays the estimated recovery degree and the like, which are the results of estimating the recovery degree of the target patient. Note that the display unit 15 may display the tasks of the third embodiment described later. The input unit 16 is used by operators such as medical staff and experts, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the recovery degree estimation device 1. Functionally, the recovery degree estimation device 1 includes an image acquisition unit 21, an eye movement feature extraction unit 22, a past case storage unit 23, a similar case search unit 24, a recovery degree estimation unit 25, and an alert output unit 26. Note that the image acquisition unit 21, the eye movement feature extraction unit 22, the similar case search unit 24, the recovery degree estimation unit 25, and the alert output unit 26 are realized by the processor 12 executing a program. The past case storage unit 23 is realized by the memory 13.

[0022] The recovery degree estimation device 1 estimates the recovery degree by calculating the estimated recovery degree of the target patient based on the past cases and the eye movement features of the target patient. Specifically, the recovery degree estimation device 1 can be applied, for example, to the estimation of the recovery degree from the sequelae of cerebral infarction by rehabilitation.

[0023] The image acquisition unit 21 acquires a captured image D1 of the eyes of the target patient supplied from the camera 2. When the captured image D1 captured by the camera 2 is collected and stored in a database or the like, the image acquisition unit 21 may acquire the captured image D1 from the database or the like.

[0024] The eye movement feature extraction unit 22 performs predetermined image processing on the captured image D1 acquired by the image acquisition unit 21, and extracts the eye movement features of the target patient. Specifically, the eye movement feature extraction unit 22 extracts the time series information of the vibration pattern of the eyes in the captured image D1 as the eye movement features.

[0025] Figure 4 shows an example of eye movement features. The eye movement features are the features of human eye movement, and examples include eye vibration information, bias in the moving direction, deviation in the left - right movement, visual field defect information, and the like.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4(A), the eye vibration information is information regarding the vibration of the eyes. Based on the eye vibration information, for example, abnormalities such as nystagmus caused by cerebral infarction can be detected. Specifically, the eye vibration information may be, for each of the left and right eyes, for example, the xy - coordinates of a single point at the center of the pupil, and information regarding the time - series change of the coordinates, or may be frequency information extracted by FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) of the xy - coordinates within an arbitrary time interval. Further, it may be information regarding the appearance frequency within a predetermined time of a predetermined movement such as microsaccade movement.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4(B), the bias in the moving direction is information regarding the bias in the up - down or left - right movement of the eyes. Based on the bias in the moving direction, for example, abnormalities such as fixation paralysis caused by cerebral infarction can be detected. Specifically, the variance of the x - direction component and the variance of the y - direction component of the position (x, y) are calculated, and the ratio of the variances is used for determination, or the variance of the x - direction component and the variance of the y - direction component of the time difference of the position of the velocity information are calculated, and the ratio of the variances is used for determination, thereby obtaining information regarding the quantitative bias in the moving direction. Further, the bias in the moving direction may be obtained by determination using the principal moment of inertia of the (x, y) position information, or the contribution rate of the first principal component.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4(C), the left-right movement deviation is information regarding the deviation of the eye movements of the left and right eyes. Based on the left-right movement deviation, for example, abnormalities such as strabismus caused by cerebral infarction can be detected. Specifically, a value obtained by integrating the angle formed by the moving directions of each of the left and right eyes over the time axis is calculated, and it is determined that the larger the value, the greater the deviation. Or, it is determined that the smaller the value obtained by integrating the inner product of the angles formed by the moving directions of each of the left and right eyes, the greater the deviation. In this way, quantitative information regarding the left-right movement deviation can be obtained.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4(D), the visual field defect information is information regarding the defect of the visual field. Based on the visual field defect information, for example, abnormalities such as fixation disorders caused by cerebral infarction can be detected. Specifically, by tracking a light spot or the like presented to the target patient, calculating the area of the location where tracking fails frequently, or dividing the light spot display area into a virtual grid pattern and counting the number of grids with a high frequency of tracking failure, quantitative visual field defect information can be obtained.

[0030] The past case memory unit 23 stores, in association with each other, a patient with a target disease and information regarding the eye movement characteristics and recovery degree of the patient, and has eye movement characteristic history information 28 and recovery degree history information 29. The eye movement characteristic history information 28 stores the eye movement characteristics, measurement date and time, etc. of the patient in association with patient identification information for identifying the patient. Also, the recovery degree history information 29 stores the recovery degree, measurement date and time, etc. of the patient in association with the patient identification information. As the recovery degree, for example, BBS (Berg Balance Scale), TUG (Timed Up Go test), FIM (Functional Independence Measure), etc. can be arbitrarily applied. In this way, the past case memory unit 23 stores a plurality of cases in which a patient and information regarding the eye movement characteristics and recovery degree of the patient are associated with each other as past cases.

[0031] The similar case search unit 24 searches for cases (hereinafter referred to as "similar cases") including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient from past cases. Specifically, the similar case search unit 24 searches for and acquires, as similar cases, eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient and information on patient identification information and recovery degree corresponding to the eye movement characteristics from the past case storage unit 23. The similar case search unit 24 may, for example, search for a predetermined number of similar cases in descending order of similarity, or may search for only one similar case with the highest similarity.

[0032] The recovery degree estimation unit 25 calculates the estimated recovery degree of the target patient based on the information on the recovery degree of the similar cases. For example, when only one similar case with the highest similarity is searched from past cases, the recovery degree estimation unit 25 sets the recovery degree of the similar case as the estimated recovery degree of the target patient. Also, when a predetermined number of similar cases are searched from past cases, the recovery degree estimation unit 25 may set the most frequently occurring recovery degree as the estimated recovery degree of the target patient, or may calculate the average value of the recovery degrees and set it as the estimated recovery degree of the target patient.

[0033] The alert output unit 26 refers to the memory 13 or the like and outputs an alert for the target patient to the display unit 15 when the estimated recovery degree of the target patient deteriorates from the threshold value. The alert may be output when the estimated recovery degree of the target patient deteriorates from the threshold value within a preset period.

[0034] (Recovery degree estimation process) Next, the recovery degree estimation process by the recovery degree estimation device 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the recovery degree estimation process by the recovery degree estimation device 1. This process is realized by the processor 12 shown in FIG. 2 executing a program prepared in advance.

[0035] First, the recovery degree estimation device 1 acquires a captured image D1 of the eye of the target patient (step S101). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1 extracts the eye movement characteristics of the target patient from the acquired captured image D1 by image processing (step S102). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1 searches for a similar case including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient from past cases (step S103). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1 calculates the estimated recovery degree of the target patient based on the information regarding the recovery degree of the similar case (step S104). The estimated recovery degree is presented to the target patient or the medical staff by any method.

[0036] In this way, since the recovery degree estimation device 1 can estimate the recovery degree of the target patient even without the presence of medical staff or experts based on the captured image D1 of the eye, the burden on medical staff and the like can be reduced. Also, since the daily recovery degree can be predicted even while sitting, it can be applied to target patients who do not require hospital visits, have no risk of falling, and have difficulty walking independently.

[0037] Note that the recovery degree estimation device 1 may store the calculated estimated recovery degree in the memory 13 or the like for each target patient, and when the estimated recovery degree of the target patient deteriorates from the threshold value, output an alert to the target patient to the display unit 15 or the like.

[0038] Also, the estimated recovery degree of the target patient is not limited to one. When the recovery degree estimation device 1 searches for a predetermined number of similar cases from past cases, the recovery degree of each of all the searched similar cases may all be used as the estimated recovery degree of the target patient. In this case, the plurality of estimated recovery degrees are presented to the target patient or the like by any method.

[0039] As described above, according to the recovery degree estimation device 1 of the first embodiment, it is easy for the target patient to quantitatively measure the estimated recovery degree every day at home or the like, and the daily recovery degree can be made objectively visible. Therefore, effects such as an increase in the amount of rehabilitation accompanying an improvement in the rehabilitation motivation of the target patient and an improvement in the quality of rehabilitation due to frequent modification of the rehabilitation plan can be expected, and the improvement of the recovery effect can be achieved. In addition, it becomes possible to detect abnormalities such as signs of recurrence of cerebral infarction at an early stage without waiting for examinations and diagnoses by medical staff. Examples of industrial use of the recovery degree estimation device 1 include remote rehabilitation guidance and management, etc.

[0040] [Second Embodiment] (Configuration) When estimating the recovery degree of the target patient, the recovery degree estimation device 1x of the second embodiment uses patient information about the patient, such as attributes and recovery records, in addition to eye movement characteristics. Note that since the schematic configuration and hardware configuration of the recovery degree estimation device are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the recovery degree estimation device 1x. Functionally, the recovery degree estimation device 1x includes an image acquisition unit 31, an eye movement feature extraction unit 32, a past case memory unit 33, a similar case search unit 34, a recovery degree estimation unit 35, an alert output unit 36, and a patient information memory unit 37. Note that the image acquisition unit 31, the eye movement feature extraction unit 32, the past case memory unit 33, the similar case search unit 34, the recovery degree estimation unit 35, and the alert output unit 36 are realized by the processor 12 executing a program. Also, the past case memory unit 33 and the patient information memory unit 37 are realized by the memory 13.

[0042] The recovery degree estimation device 1x of the second embodiment estimates the recovery degree by searching for similar cases from past cases with reference to patient information and calculating the estimated recovery degree of the target patient based on the recovery degrees of the similar cases.

[0043] The patient information storage unit 37 stores patient information regarding patients with the target disease. The patient information includes, for example, attributes such as gender and age, history of recovery, disease name, and past recovery records of patients such as records of symptoms and rehabilitation content. The patient information storage unit 37 stores the patient information in association with patient identification information.

[0044] The similar case search unit 34 refers to the patient information and searches for similar cases including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient from past cases. The similar case search unit 34 can search for similar cases by referring to the patient information stored in the patient information storage unit 37 and considering the attributes and recovery records of the patients included in the past cases and the attributes and recovery records of the target patient.

[0045] Note that since the image acquisition unit 31, the eye movement feature extraction unit 32, the past case storage unit 33, the recovery degree estimation unit 35, and the alert output unit 36 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

[0046] (Recovery Degree Estimation Process) Next, the recovery degree estimation process by the recovery degree estimation device 1x will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the recovery degree estimation process by the recovery degree estimation device 1x. This process is realized by the processor 12 shown in FIG. 2 executing a program prepared in advance.

[0047] First, the recovery degree estimation device 1x acquires a captured image D1 of the eyes of the target patient (step S201). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1x extracts eye movement characteristics from the acquired captured image D1 by image processing (step S202). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1x refers to the patient information stored in the patient information storage unit 37 and searches for similar cases including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient from past cases (step S203). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1 calculates the estimated recovery degree of the target patient based on the information regarding the recovery degree of the similar cases (step S204). Then, the process ends. The estimated recovery degree is presented to the target patient or medical staff by an arbitrary method.

[0048] Note that the recovery degree estimation device 1x stores the calculated estimated recovery degree in the memory 13 or the like for each target patient, and may output an alert for the target patient to the display unit 15 or the like when the estimated recovery degree of the target patient deteriorates from the threshold value.

[0049] As described above, according to the recovery degree estimation device 1x of the second embodiment, by referring to the patient information, similar cases can be searched by considering the attributes and recovery records of the patients included in the past cases and the attributes and recovery records of the target patient. That is, the recovery degree estimation device 1x can estimate the recovery degree in consideration of the attributes and recovery records of the patient.

[0050] [Third Embodiment] (Configuration) When imaging the eyes of the target patient, the recovery degree estimation device 1y of the third embodiment presents a task. The task is a predetermined condition or task related to eye movement. By presenting a task to the target patient when imaging the eyes, the recovery degree estimation device 1y can capture an image that is easy to extract the eye movement features necessary for estimating the recovery degree.

[0051] Note that, unlike the first and second embodiments, the recovery degree estimation device 1y is assumed to incorporate the camera 2. Since the interface 11, the processor 12, the memory 13, the recording medium 14, the display unit 15, and the input unit 16 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, the description thereof is omitted.

[0052] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the recovery degree estimation device 1y. Functionally, the recovery degree estimation device 1y includes an image acquisition unit 41, an eye movement feature extraction unit 42, a past case storage unit 43, a similar case search unit 44, a recovery degree estimation unit 45, an alert output unit 46, and a task presentation unit 47. Note that the image acquisition unit 41, the eye movement feature extraction unit 42, the similar case search unit 44, the recovery degree estimation unit 45, the alert output unit 46, and the task presentation unit 47 are realized by the processor 12 executing a program. Also, the past case storage unit 43 is realized by the memory 13.

[0053] The recovery degree estimation device 1y estimates the recovery degree by searching for similar cases from past cases and calculating the estimated recovery degree of the target patient based on the recovery degrees of the similar cases.

[0054] The task presentation unit 47 presents a task for the target patient to the display unit 15. The task is a predetermined condition or task related to eye movement, and can be arbitrarily set, for example, "look at a predetermined video with changes", "track a moving light point with the eyes", etc.

[0055] FIG. 9 is a specific example of the task "track a moving light point with the eyes". In the light point display area 50 shown in FIG. 9, the black circles are light points, and they move so that at the elapsed time of 1 second (t = 1), it is at cell 51, at the elapsed time of 2 seconds (t = 2), it is at cell 52, at the elapsed time of 3 seconds (t = 3), it is at cell 53, at the elapsed time of 4 seconds (t = 4), it is at cell 54, at the elapsed time of 5 seconds (t = 5), it is at cell 55, and at the elapsed time of 6 seconds (t = 6), it is at cell 56. The target patient tracks the moving light point with the eyes as time passes. By presenting such a task, the camera 2 built into the recovery degree estimation device 1y can easily capture an image including the visual field defect information of the target patient.

[0056] The image acquisition unit 41 acquires the captured image D1 by imaging the eyes of the target patient moving along the task with the camera 2 built into the recovery degree estimation device 1y.

[0057] Note that since the eye movement feature extraction unit 42, the past case storage unit 43, the similar case search unit 44, the recovery degree estimation unit 45, and the alert output unit 46 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

[0058] (Recovery degree estimation process) Next, the recovery degree estimation process by the recovery degree estimation device 1y will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the recovery degree estimation process by the recovery degree estimation device 1y. This process is realized by the processor 12 shown in FIG. 2 executing a program prepared in advance.

[0059] First, the recovery degree estimation device 1y presents a task to the target patient using the display unit 15 or the like (step S301). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1y captures the eyes of the target patient to whom the task is presented by the camera 2, and acquires a captured image D1 (step S302). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1y extracts the eye movement characteristics of the target patient from the acquired captured image D1 by image processing (step S303). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1y searches for a similar case including eye movement characteristics similar to those of the target patient from past cases (step S304). Next, the recovery degree estimation device 1y calculates the estimated recovery degree of the target patient based on the information regarding the recovery degree of the similar case (step S305). The estimated recovery degree is presented to the target patient or the medical staff by an arbitrary method. By presenting a predetermined task in this way, the recovery degree estimation device 1y can acquire the captured image D1 from which it is easy to extract the eye movement characteristics.

[0060] Note that the recovery degree estimation device 1y may store the calculated estimated recovery degree in the memory 13 or the like for each target patient, and when the estimated recovery degree of the target patient deteriorates from the threshold value, output an alert to the target patient to the display unit 15 or the like.

[0061] Also, in the third embodiment, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the recovery degree estimation device 1y incorporates the camera 2 and presents a task to the display unit 15. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the recovery degree estimation device may not incorporate the camera 2 and may be connected to the camera 2 by wire or wirelessly as long as data can be exchanged. In this case, the recovery degree estimation device 1y outputs a task for the target patient to the camera 2, and acquires the captured image D1 captured by the camera 2.

[0062] Also, the recovery degree estimation device 1y in the third embodiment may use the patient information described in the second embodiment. Further, the recovery degree estimation device 1 in the first embodiment and the recovery degree estimation device 1x in the second embodiment may present the task described in this embodiment.

[0063] [Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the recovery degree estimation device according to the fourth embodiment. The recovery degree estimation device 60 includes an image acquisition unit 61, an eye movement feature extraction unit 62, a past case storage unit 63, a similar case search unit 64, and a recovery degree estimation unit 65.

[0064] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the recovery degree estimation process by the recovery degree estimation device 60. The image acquisition unit 61 acquires an image of the eyes of the target patient (step S601). The eye movement feature extraction unit 62 extracts eye movement features, which are features of the eye movement, based on the image (step S602). The past case storage unit 63 stores a plurality of cases associating a patient with information on the patient's eye movement and recovery degree as past cases. The similar case search unit 64 searches for similar cases including eye movement feature information similar to the eye movement features of the target patient from among the past cases (step S603). The recovery degree estimation unit 65 estimates the recovery degree of the target patient based on the recovery degree of the similar cases (step S604).

[0065] According to the recovery degree estimation device 60 of the fourth embodiment, it is possible to estimate the recovery degree of a target patient in a predetermined disease based on an image of the eyes of the target patient.

[0066] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows in the following supplementary notes, but are not limited thereto.

[0067] (Supplementary Note 1) An image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the eyes of a target patient to be the target of estimating the recovery degree, An eye movement feature extraction unit that extracts eye movement features, which are features of the eye movement of the target patient, based on the image, A past case storage unit that stores a plurality of cases associating a patient with information on the patient's eye movement features and recovery degree as past cases, A similar case search unit that searches for similar cases including eye movement features similar to the eye movement features of the target patient from among the past cases, Recovery degree estimation means for estimating the recovery degree of a target patient based on information regarding the recovery degree of the similar cases, A recovery degree estimation device comprising the same.

[0068] (Appendix 2) The recovery degree estimation device according to Appendix 1, wherein the eye movement characteristics include eye movement information regarding the vibration of the eyes.

[0069] (Appendix 3) The recovery degree estimation device according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the eye movement characteristics include information regarding any one or more of the deviation in the moving direction of the eyes and the shift in the left - right movement of the eyes.

[0070] (Appendix 4) Further comprising task presentation means for presenting a task regarding the eye movement to the target patient, The image acquisition means acquires an image of the eyes of the target patient to whom the task is presented, The eye movement feature extraction means extracts eye movement features in the task based on the image, and is the recovery degree estimation device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3.

[0071] (Appendix 5) The recovery degree estimation device according to Appendix 4, wherein the eye movement characteristics include visual field defect information regarding visual field defects.

[0072] (Appendix 6) Comprising patient information storage means for storing patient information regarding any one or more of the attributes of the patient and the recovery records of the patient, The similar case search means searches for the similar cases with reference to the patient information from among the past cases, and is the recovery degree estimation device according to Appendix 1.

[0073] (Appendix 7) The recovery degree estimation device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 6, comprising alert output means for outputting an alert when the recovery degree of the target patient deteriorates from a threshold value.

[0074] (Appendix 8) The similar case search means searches for a predetermined number of the similar cases from among the past cases. The recovery degree estimation means is the recovery degree estimation device described in Supplementary Note 1 that estimates the recovery degree of the target patient based on the most frequently occurring recovery degree in the similar cases.

[0075] (Supplementary Note 9) An image obtained by imaging the eyeball of the target patient, which is the object of recovery degree estimation, is acquired. Based on the image, an eye movement feature, which is a feature of the eye movement of the target patient, is extracted. From among a plurality of past cases in which a patient is associated with information on the eye movement feature and the recovery degree of the patient, a similar case including an eye movement feature similar to the eye movement feature of the target patient is searched for. A recovery degree estimation method for estimating the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information on the recovery degree of the similar case.

[0076] (Supplementary Note 10) An image obtained by imaging the eyeball of the target patient, which is the object of recovery degree estimation, is acquired. Based on the image, an eye movement feature, which is a feature of the eye movement of the target patient, is extracted. From among a plurality of past cases in which a patient is associated with information on the eye movement feature and the recovery degree of the patient, a similar case including an eye movement feature similar to the eye movement feature of the target patient is searched for. A recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute a process of estimating the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information on the recovery degree of the similar case is recorded.

[0077] The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments and examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and examples. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 1, 1x, 1y Recovery degree estimation device 2 Camera 11 Interface 12 Processor 13 Memory 14 Recording medium 15 Display unit 16 Input unit 21, 31, 41 Image acquisition unit 22, 32, 42 Eye movement feature extraction unit 23, 33, 43 Past case memory unit 24, 34, 44 Similar case search unit 25, 35, 45 Recovery degree estimation unit 26, 36, 46 Alert output unit 37 Patient information memory unit 47 Task presentation unit

Claims

1. Image acquisition means for acquiring an image obtained by imaging the eye of a target patient to be the subject of recovery degree estimation; Eye movement feature extraction means for extracting an eye movement feature, which is a feature of the eye movement of the target patient, based on the image; Past case storage means for storing, as past cases, a plurality of cases in which a patient is associated with information regarding the eye movement feature and recovery degree of the patient; Similar case search means for searching, from among the past cases, for a similar case including an eye movement feature similar to that of the target patient; Recovery degree estimation means for estimating the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information regarding the recovery degree of the similar case; Output means for outputting the recovery degree; Patient information storage means for storing a recovery record including any one or more of the recovery degree history and rehabilitation content of the patient, and comprising: The similar case search means searches for the similar case from among the past cases with reference to the recovery record of the target patient. A recovery degree estimation device.

2. The recovery degree estimation device according to claim 1, wherein the eye movement feature includes eye movement information regarding vibration of the eye.

3. The recovery degree estimation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the eye movement feature includes information regarding any one or more of a deviation in the moving direction of the eye and a shift in the left-right movement of the eye.

4. Further comprising task presentation means for presenting a task regarding the eye movement to the target patient, The image acquisition means acquires an image obtained by imaging the eye of the target patient to whom the task is presented, and The eye movement feature extraction means extracts an eye movement feature in the task based on the image. The recovery degree estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The recovery degree estimation device according to claim 4, wherein the eye movement feature includes visual field defect information regarding a visual field defect.

6. The patient information storage means further stores the attributes of the patient, The similar case search means searches for the similar case from among the past cases with reference to the attributes of the patient. The recovery degree estimation device according to claim 1.

7. The recovery degree estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising alert output means for outputting an alert when the recovery degree of the target patient deteriorates from a threshold value.

8. The similar case search means searches for a predetermined number of the similar cases from among the past cases, The recovery degree estimation device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery degree estimation means estimates the recovery degree of the target patient based on the most frequent recovery degree in the similar cases.

9. A recovery estimation method executed by a computer, comprising: acquiring an image obtained by imaging the eyes of a target patient for whom the recovery degree is to be estimated; extracting eye movement features, which are features of the eye movement of the target patient, based on the image; performing a search step of searching for a similar case including eye movement features similar to those of the target patient from among a plurality of past cases in which a patient is associated with information on the eye movement features and recovery degree of the patient; estimating the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information on the recovery degree of the similar case; outputting the recovery degree; storing a recovery record including any one or more of the recovery degree history and rehabilitation content of the patient; The search step is a recovery degree estimation method of searching for the similar case with reference to the recovery record of the target patient from among the past cases.

10. acquiring an image obtained by imaging the eyes of a target patient for whom the recovery degree is to be estimated; extracting eye movement features, which are features of the eye movement of the target patient, based on the image; performing a search step of searching for a similar case including eye movement features similar to those of the target patient from among a plurality of past cases in which a patient is associated with information on the eye movement features and recovery degree of the patient; estimating the recovery degree of the target patient based on the information on the recovery degree of the similar case; outputting the recovery degree; causing a computer to execute a process of storing a recovery record including any one or more of the recovery degree history and rehabilitation content of the patient; The search step is a program of searching for the similar case with reference to the recovery record of the target patient from among the past cases.

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