Determination device and determination method

Abstract

To realize a determination device which can accurately determine whether an egestion is a gas egestion (a flatus).SOLUTION: A determination device (1) has a processor (11). The processor (11) performs: generation processing (M11) of generating a measurement image (Imes) including a graph showing, in time series, gas concentrations obtained by a smell sensor attached to a target person; and determination processing (M12) for comparing the measurement image (Imes) and a reference image (Iref) including a graph showing, in time series, gas concentrations obtained by the smell sensor when a gas egestion has been done, and determining whether an egestion of the target person is a gas egestion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a determination device and a determination method for determining the type of excrement. [Background technology]

[0002] In nursing care and medical services, managing the excretion of service users is one of the important tasks. If the excretion of service users, including the type of excretion, could be automatically detected, the burden on service providers in managing excretion could be significantly reduced.

[0003] Known technology for detecting excretion by a service user is, for example, the technology described in Patent Document 1. The technology described in Patent Document 1 determines the type of excrement and diaper leakage of the care recipient based on the output signals of an odor sensor and a humidity sensor, and notifies the caregiver of the urgency of excretion treatment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2014-33745 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes that (1) the humidity detected by a humidity sensor increases in the order of diarrhea, loose stool, urine, and hard stool, (2) the odor detected by an odor sensor increases in the order of diarrhea, loose stool, hard stool, flatus, and urine, and (3) the odor of flatus is temporary. However, it does not describe a specific method for determining whether an excretion is gas excretion (flatus) based on these properties.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to realize a determination device and a determination method that can accurately determine whether excretion is gas excretion or not. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A determination device according to one aspect of the present invention includes at least one processor that executes a generation process and a determination process. A determination method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a generation process executed by at least one processor and a determination process executed by the processor.

[0008] Here, the generation process is a process of generating a measurement image including a graph showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by an odor sensor attached to a subject, and the determination process is a process of determining whether or not the subject's excretion is gas excretion by comparing the measurement image with a reference image including a graph showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor when gas excretion occurs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a graph image of the time series of gas concentration obtained by an odor sensor attached to a subject is compared with a graph image of the time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor when gas is excreted, thereby making it possible to accurately determine whether the excretion is gas excretion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a determination system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a determination device included in the determination system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of a determination method carried out by the determination device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of a determination process included in the determination method shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the determination device shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, it is a graph showing the time series of gas concentrations detected by an odor sensor during gas excretion for five service users. [Figure 6] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the determination device shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, it is a graph showing the time series of gas concentrations detected by an odor sensor during defecation for five service users. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (Configuration of the judgment system) A determination system S according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the determination system S.

[0012] The determination system S is a system for notifying a service provider Ub of the excretion of a service user Ua in a facility that aims to provide nursing care services and / or medical services.

[0013] 1, the determination system S includes a determination device 1, a plurality of notification terminals 2, a plurality of relay terminals 3, and a plurality of sensor devices 4. The determination device 1 and each notification terminal 2 perform one-to-many communication via a network, the determination device 1 and each relay terminal 3 perform one-to-many communication via the network, and the relay terminal 3 and sensor device 4 perform one-to-one communication (for example, short-range wireless communication) without using a network.

[0014] The sensor device 4 is worn by the service user Ua. As an example, the sensor device 4 is worn inside the underwear (diaper, pants, etc.) of the service user Ua. The sensor device 4 has an odor sensor, and transmits an output signal of the odor sensor to the relay terminal 3. The odor sensor detects the concentration of a predetermined gas (e.g., hydrogen sulfide), and the output signal of the odor sensor represents the time series of the concentration.

[0015] The relay terminal 3 is placed near the sensor device 4. As an example, the relay terminal 3 is placed in a room used by the service user Ua. The relay terminal 3 receives an output signal of the odor sensor from the sensor device 4. The relay terminal 3 also transmits the output signal of the odor sensor received from the sensor device 4 to the determination device 1. In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as the relay terminal 3. A stationary wireless repeater may also be used as the relay terminal 3.

[0016] The determination device 1 is placed outside the facility described above. As an example, the determination device 1 is placed in a data center. The determination device 1 receives an output signal from the odor sensor from the relay terminal 3. The determination device 1 also references the output signal from the odor sensor received from the relay terminal 3 and determines the type of excretion of the service user Ua. The determination device 1 then transmits a notification screen including the determination result to the notification terminal 2. Note that a computer placed within the facility may also be used as the determination device 1.

[0017] The notification terminal 2 is carried by the service provider Ub. The notification terminal 2 receives data representing a notification screen from the determination device 1. The notification terminal 2 also has a touch panel display, and displays the notification screen on the display based on the data received from the determination device 1. In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as the notification terminal 2. In the following description, sending data representing a notification screen will be referred to as "sending the notification screen," and receiving data representing various screens will be referred to as "receiving the screen."

[0018] (Configuration of the determination device) The configuration of the determination device 1 included in the determination system S will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the determination device 1.

[0019] 2, the determination device 1 includes a processor 11, a primary memory 12, a secondary memory 13, a communication interface 14, and a bus 15. The processor 11, the primary memory 12, the secondary memory 13, and the communication interface 14 are connected to each other via the bus 15. An example of a device that can be used as the determination device 1 is a workstation that constitutes a cloud server.

[0020] A notification program P is stored in the secondary memory 13. The processor 11 loads the notification program P stored in the secondary memory 13 onto the primary memory 12. The processor 11 then executes each process included in a determination method M1 (described later) in accordance with instructions included in the notification program P loaded onto the primary memory 12. An example of a device that can be used as the processor 11 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). An example of a device that can be used as the primary memory 12 is a semiconductor RAM (Random Access Memory). An example of a device that can be used as the secondary memory 13 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0021] The communication interface 14 is an interface for communicating with the notification terminal 2 and the relay terminal 3 via a network. An example of an interface that can be used as the communication interface 14 is an Ethernet (registered trademark) interface. Also, examples of networks that can be used include a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a CAN (Campus Area Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a GAN (Global Area Network), or an internetwork including these networks. The internetwork may be an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet.

[0022] The notification program P for causing the processor 11 to execute the determination method M1 may be recorded on a computer-readable, non-transitory, tangible recording medium. This recording medium may be the secondary memory 13 or another recording medium. For example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like may be used as the other recording medium.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the determination method M1 is executed using a single processor (processor 11), but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, a configuration in which the determination method M1 is executed using multiple processors may be adopted. In this case, the multiple processors that execute the determination method M1 may be provided in a single computer and configured to be able to communicate with each other via a bus, or may be provided in multiple computers distributed and configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network. For example, a configuration in which processors provided in each of multiple computers that constitute a cloud server cooperate to execute the determination method M1, or a configuration in which the processor 11 of the determination device 1 and the processor of the notification terminal 2 cooperate to execute the determination method M1, etc. are also conceivable.

[0024] (Flow of the judgment method) The flow of the determination method M1 performed by the determination device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0025] 3 is a flow diagram showing the flow of determination method M1. Note that the secondary memory 13 of the determination device 1 stores, as a reference image Iref, an image (e.g., a bitmap image) including a graph (horizontal axis: time, vertical axis: gas concentration) showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor when gas is excreted. Note that "gas excretion" in this specification refers to flatus, i.e., the phenomenon of gas being expelled from the body. The phenomenon of gas being expelled through feces or urine is not included in "gas excretion."

[0026] The determination method M1 includes a generation process M11 and a determination process M12, as shown in Fig. 3. In this embodiment, the generation process M11 and the determination process M12 are executed by the processor 11 of the determination device 1.

[0027] The generation process M11 is a process for generating an image (e.g., a bitmap image) including a graph (horizontal axis: time, vertical axis: gas concentration) representing a time series of gas concentration obtained by an odor sensor (an odor sensor built into the sensor device 4) attached to the service user Ua as the measurement image Imes. The determination process M12 is a process for determining whether or not the excretion by the service user Ua is gas excretion by comparing the measurement image Imes with a reference image Iref. Specific examples of the determination process M12 will be described later with reference to different drawings.

[0028] In the generation process M11, the time series of gas concentration may be graphed after filtering using a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, or the like, or the time series of gas concentration before filtering may be graphed. However, according to the knowledge of the inventors, graphing the time series before filtering increases the accuracy of the determination process M12. For this reason, this embodiment employs a configuration in which the time series of gas concentration before filtering, i.e., the output of the odor sensor itself, is graphed.

[0029] (Specific example of judgment process) A specific example of the determination process M12 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the determination process M12.

[0030] The determination process M12 can be configured by, for example, a scaling process M12a, a cropping process M12b, a matching process M12c, a true determination process M12d, and a false determination process M12e, as shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the scaling process M12a, the cropping process M12b, the matching process M12c, the true determination process M12d, and the false determination process M12e are executed by the processor 11 of the determination device 1.

[0031] The scaling process M12a is a process for obtaining a measurement image Imes' by enlarging or reducing the measurement image Imes or the reference image Iref while maintaining the aspect ratio so that the height of the peak of the graph contained in the measurement image Imes approaches the height of the peak of the graph contained in the reference image Iref.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows an example in which the measurement image Imes is enlarged so that the height of the peaks in the graph included in the measurement image Imes matches the height of the peaks in the graph included in the reference image Iref.

[0033] The cropping process M12b is a process for obtaining a partial reference image Iref' by cutting out a portion of the reference image Iref that corresponds to a time before the peak.

[0034] The matching process M12c is a process that uses the partial reference image Iref' as a template and determines whether or not the measurement image Imes' includes a portion that matches the template.

[0035] The algorithm for determining whether the measurement image Imes' contains a portion that matches the template may be, for example, a known template matching algorithm. Alternatively, a neural network may be used, which receives the measurement image Imes' as input and outputs the determination result of whether the image matches the template.

[0036] If the measurement image Imes' contains a portion that matches the template, a true determination process M12d is executed. The true determination process M12d is a process for setting the determination result to true (gas excretion). On the other hand, if the measurement image Imes' does not contain a portion that matches the template, a false determination process M12e is executed. The false determination process M12e is a process for setting the determination result to false (not gas excretion).

[0037] (Effect of the judgment device) The determination device 1 can accurately determine whether the excretion by the service user Ua is gas excretion or not. The reason for this will be explained below with reference to FIGS.

[0038] Figure 5 is a graph showing the gas concentrations detected by the odor sensor during gas excretion for five service users. In Figure 5, each graph is scaled (normalized) so that the peak heights are the same.

[0039] 5, it can be seen that the shapes of the five graphs are similar at times before the peak. In particular, it can be seen that the shapes of the portions of the five graphs corresponding to times before the peak are similar. Therefore, by comparing the measurement image Imes, which includes a graph showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor attached to the service user Ua, with the reference image Iref, which includes a graph showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor when gas is excreted, it is possible to accurately determine whether the excretion is gas excretion. In particular, by comparing the portion of the measurement image Imes corresponding to a time before the peak with the portion of the reference image Iref corresponding to a time before the peak, it is possible to accurately determine whether the excretion is gas excretion.

[0040] Figure 6 is a graph showing the gas concentrations detected by the odor sensor during defecation for five service users. In Figure 6, each graph has been scaled (normalized) so that the peak heights are the same.

[0041] 6, it can be seen that the shapes of the five graphs are not similar at any time. Therefore, even if the image Imes containing a graph showing the time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor attached to the service user Ua is compared with the reference image Iref containing a graph showing the time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor when defecation occurs, it is not possible to accurately determine whether the excretion is defecation or not.

[0042] From the above, it can be said that the determination device 1 is a determination device that has succeeded in accurately determining whether or not the excretion by the service user Ua is gas excretion by taking advantage of the unique property of gas excretion, in which the shape of the graph showing the time series of gas concentration is similar at times before the peak.

[0043] (Variation) In this embodiment, the determination method M1 is implemented by the determination device 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the determination method M1 may be implemented by the sensor device 4, the relay terminal 3, or the notification terminal 2.

[0044] When the sensor device 4 performs the determination method M1, the sensor device 4 transmits the determination result it has obtained to the relay terminal 3, and the relay terminal 3 transmits the determination result it has obtained from the sensor device 4 to the determination device 1. When the relay terminal 3 performs the determination method M1, the sensor device 4 transmits the output signal of the odor sensor to the relay terminal 3, and the relay terminal 3 transmits the determination result it has obtained to the determination device 1. In either case, the determination device 1 functions as a notification device that transmits a notification screen showing the determination result it has obtained from the relay terminal 3 to the notification terminal 2, without performing the determination method M1.

[0045] When the notification terminal 2 performs the determination method M1, the sensor device 4 transmits an output signal from the odor sensor to the relay terminal 3, and the relay terminal 3 transmits the output signal obtained from the sensor device 4 to the determination device 1. The determination device 1 functions as a relay device that transmits the output signal obtained from the relay terminal 3 to the notification terminal 2 without performing the determination method M1. In this case, the notification terminal 2 displays a notification screen including the determination result it has obtained.

[0046] (Additional notes) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 Judgment device 2 Notification terminal 3. Relay terminal 4. Sensor device S Judgment System Iref Reference Image Imes measurement image

Claims

1. a generation process for generating a measurement image including a graph showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor attached to the subject; at least one processor that executes a determination process for determining whether the excretion by the subject is gas excretion by comparing the measurement image with a reference image including a graph showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor when gas excretion occurs; Equipped with In the determination process, the processor determines whether the excretion by the subject is gas excretion by comparing a portion of the reference image corresponding to a time before the peak of the graph with the measurement image. A determination device characterized by:

2. In the determination process, the processor performs a scaling process to enlarge or reduce the measurement image or the reference image so that the height of a peak in the graph included in the measurement image approaches the height of a peak in the graph included in the reference image and the height of a peak in the graph included in the measurement image.

2. The determination device according to claim 1.

3. In the determination process, the processor performs a matching process using a portion of the reference image corresponding to a time before the peak as a template to determine whether or not the measurement image includes a portion that matches the template.

3. The determination device according to claim 2.

4. a generation process in which at least one processor generates a measurement image including a graph representing a time series of gas concentrations obtained by an odor sensor attached to the subject; a determination process in which the processor determines whether the excretion by the subject is gas excretion by comparing the measurement image with a reference image including a graph showing a time series of gas concentration obtained by the odor sensor when gas excretion occurs, In the determination process, the processor determines whether the excretion by the subject is gas excretion by comparing a portion of the reference image corresponding to a time before the peak of the graph with the measurement image. A determination method characterized by:

Images