Affected area recovery determination device, affected area recovery determination method, and affected area recovery determination program

Abstract

To provide an affected part recovery determination device, an affected part recovery determination method, and an affected part recovery determination program capable of predicting an affected part recovery timing.SOLUTION: An information processing device 16 acquires local impedance of an affected part of a person to be measured, and determines a state of the affected part such as inflammation on the basis of the local impedance. Generally, recovery of an affected part is influenced by a total body muscle quantity of the patient. Meanwhile, the total body muscle quantity of the patient is hardly influenced by a change in the affected part that occurs locally. The information processing device 16 predicts a recovery timing of the affected part on the basis of the determined state of the affected part and the total body muscle quantity of the person to be measured.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining recovery of an affected area, a method for determining recovery of an affected area, and a program for determining recovery of an affected area. [Background technology]

[0002] After surgery, patients may experience inflammation in the affected area, making it difficult for them to move freely, or they may experience a decline in muscle mass due to prolonged bedridden lifestyles. Furthermore, patients may move in a way that protects the affected area, causing fatigue in the area opposite the affected area. For this reason, a certain period of rehabilitation is required to return patients to the same level of lifestyle as before surgery. Therefore, in order to quickly return to their original standard of living, a rehabilitation plan is developed based on the recovery status of the affected area and the patient's overall muscle mass.

[0003] Here, Non-Patent Document 1 describes that CRP (C-reactive protein) levels are determined by performing blood tests on patients, and that CRP is used as an indicator of acute inflammation such as that caused by surgery, trauma, fractures, and infections.

[0004] When the body is insulted by an injury such as inflammation, the period can be divided into a catabolic period and an anabolic period. Specifically, when CRP falls below a certain threshold, the affected area is judged to be in the anabolic period, and when it exceeds the threshold, the affected area is judged to be in the catabolic period. In the catabolic period, the affected area attempts to obtain the necessary energy by breaking down muscle or fat. Therefore, even if energy is administered to the patient during the catabolic period, muscle breakdown cannot be suppressed, resulting in a decrease in muscle mass and malnutrition. The anabolic period is the period of anabolism and wound repair during the recovery process following an injury such as surgery or trauma. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Hidetaka Wakabayashi, "Rehabilitation Nutrition Pocket Guide", 1st Edition, JEF Corporation, September 2014, pp. 9-10 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, while CRP assessment can determine the condition of the affected area, it cannot predict when the affected area will recover. Furthermore, CRP assessment also reflects abnormalities in the subject's entire body, so it is not accurate in terms of determining the condition of the affected area.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, a method, and a program for determining recovery of an affected area, which are capable of predicting the time when an affected area will recover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The affected area recovery determination device of the first aspect of the present invention comprises an acquisition means for acquiring an affected area index that reflects the state of the affected area of ​​the subject, an affected area condition determination means for determining the state of the affected area based on the affected area index acquired by the acquisition means, and a prediction means for predicting the time of recovery of the affected area based on the state of the affected area determined by the affected area condition determination means and the subject's whole body index.

[0009] Research has shown that the recovery of an affected area is influenced by the patient's whole-body indices, such as the patient's overall body composition and weight. However, the patient's whole-body indices are less susceptible to local changes in the affected area. Therefore, this configuration predicts the recovery time of the affected area based on the current condition of the affected area and the whole-body indices. This allows this configuration to accurately predict the recovery time of the affected area.

[0010] The affected area recovery determination device of the second aspect may be the affected area recovery determination device of the first aspect, in which the affected area index is the impedance of a part of the subject that includes the affected area. With this configuration, a current is passed through a local part of the subject, and the state of the affected area is determined based on the impedance obtained from the potential difference, so that the position and state of the affected area can be determined.

[0011] The device for determining recovery of an affected area according to a third aspect is the device for determining recovery of an affected area according to the first or second aspect, wherein the whole-body index is the whole-body muscle mass of the subject. With this configuration, it is possible to accurately predict the time when the affected area will recover.

[0012] The fourth aspect of the device for determining recovery of an affected area is the device for determining recovery of an affected area of ​​the third aspect, wherein the prediction means may predict the recovery time so that the recovery speed becomes faster as the whole-body muscle mass of the subject increases. With this configuration, the recovery time of the affected area can be accurately predicted.

[0013] The affected area recovery determination device of a fifth aspect may be any one of the affected area recovery determination devices of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising recovery state determination means for determining the recovery state of the affected area based on the difference between a predicted recovery state of the affected area based on the recovery time predicted by the prediction means in the past and the current state of the affected area determined by the affected area state determination means. With this configuration, it can be determined whether the affected area has recovered appropriately.

[0014] The sixth aspect of the device for determining recovery of an affected area is the device for determining recovery of an affected area of ​​the fifth aspect, wherein the recovery state determination means determines the recovery state of the affected area and the recovery state of the whole-body index. The whole-body index is, for example, whole-body muscle mass or body weight. Depending on the condition of the affected area of ​​the person being measured, the person being measured needs to rest. As a result, whole-body indexes such as whole-body muscle mass and body weight may decrease, and therefore these whole-body indexes also need to be restored. Therefore, with this configuration, the recovery state of the affected area and the recovery state of the whole-body index are obtained simultaneously, making it possible to determine whether the person being measured has properly recovered.

[0015] The affected area recovery determination device of the seventh aspect may be the affected area recovery determination device of the fifth or sixth aspect, further comprising an advice generation unit that generates advice regarding the recovery of the affected area based on the determination result of the recovery state determination means. This configuration enables the creation of a more appropriate rehabilitation plan.

[0016] The eighth aspect of the method for determining recovery of an affected area includes a first step of acquiring an affected area index that reflects the condition of the affected area of ​​the subject, a second step of determining the condition of the affected area based on the affected area index acquired in the first step, and a third step of predicting the time of recovery of the affected area based on the condition of the affected area determined in the second step and the subject's whole-body index.

[0017] The ninth aspect of the affected area recovery determination program causes a computer of an information processing device, which acquires an affected area index reflecting the state of the affected area of ​​the subject by an acquisition means, to function as an affected area condition determination means for determining the state of the affected area based on the affected area index acquired by the acquisition means, and as a prediction means for predicting the time of recovery of the affected area based on the state of the affected area determined by the affected area condition determination means and the subject's whole body index. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to predict the recovery time of an affected area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an affected area recovery determination system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the affected area determination device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between recovery of an affected area and whole body muscle mass according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the difference between the predicted recovery state and the current recovery state of the whole body muscle mass and the inflammation level according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of advice according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of advice according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the bioelectrical impedance and body weight acquisition process according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart 10 showing the flow of the local impedance acquisition process according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the affected area state determination process according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below shows an example of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration described below. When implementing the present invention, a specific configuration corresponding to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an affected area recovery determination system 10 according to this embodiment. The affected area recovery determination system 10 includes an affected area determination device 12, a body composition meter 14, and an information processing device 16. Note that the size of each device in Fig. 1 does not reflect the actual size.

[0022] The affected area determination device 12 determines the condition of the affected area of ​​the subject by passing an electric current through a given part of the subject and locally measuring the bioimpedance, which is electrical resistance. For example, if inflammation, a tumor, a wound, or other abnormality occurs in a given part of the subject, moisture may accumulate in the affected area, the temperature of the affected area may be elevated, or the state of cells may differ from that of a normal part. Therefore, the bioimpedance of a part including the affected area differs from that of a normal part without the affected area, and the presence or absence of the affected area and the state of the affected area can be determined based on the bioimpedance. In the following description, the bioimpedance calculated by the affected area determination device 12 is referred to as local impedance.

[0023] The arbitrary part through which the current is passed is, for example, an arm, leg, abdomen, chest, or a region narrower than these parts (for example, in the case of an arm, the forearm, elbow, shoulder, etc.). That is, in this embodiment, as an example, the current path length is at most about the length of the arm or leg. The arbitrary part through which the current is passed, in other words, the part including the affected area, is estimated in advance by the subject or a medical professional. Then, the affected area determination device 12 passes a current through such an arbitrary part to determine the exact location and condition of the affected area.

[0024] The affected area determination device 12 of this embodiment includes a measurement unit 20 and a main body unit 22. The person who measures the local impedance using the affected area determination device 12 is the subject himself / herself or a medical professional or the like.

[0025] Measuring unit 20 can be placed at any part of the subject, and is provided with two electrode units 24, each consisting of a current electrode 24A and a voltage electrode 24B. Measuring unit 20 of this embodiment can be worn by the subject, and is, for example, a bandage that can be wrapped around the subject.

[0026] The measuring unit 20 is not limited to a bandage, but may be made of a highly flexible material that can be worn by the person being measured, such as a belt, arm cover, leg cover, sock, underwear, clothing, a wristband-like wearable device, etc. Furthermore, the measuring unit 20 may not be worn on the body, but may be held by the person being measured and have the electrode unit 24 pressed against the body of the person being measured.

[0027] The shape and material of the measuring unit 20 are not limited as long as it can measure the local impedance of any part of the subject. The shape and material of the measuring unit 20 are selected depending on the location of the affected part of the subject, the subject's lifestyle, the method for measuring the local impedance, etc. If the local impedance of the subject is to be measured periodically at the same location, it is preferable to fix the electrode unit 24 to the subject and prevent it from shifting position, for example by using the measuring unit 20 as a bandage. On the other hand, if the local impedance of the subject is to be measured at multiple locations, it is preferable that the measuring unit 20 has a shape that allows the subject to hold it and easily change the position of the electrode unit 24 relative to the subject.

[0028] Current electrode 24A and voltage electrode 24B are arranged on measurement unit 20 so as to come into contact with the body of the person being measured. Current electrode 24A and voltage electrode 24B are made of metal, for example, but are not limited to this and may be made of any conductive material, such as a gel or fiber.

[0029] The positions of the electrode units 24 in the measurement unit 20 may be adjustable, thereby changing the distance between the electrodes 24 (hereinafter referred to as the "inter-electrode distance"). By changing the inter-electrode distance, the position and depth of the affected area can be determined in detail. That is, when the inter-electrode distance is short, a narrow area on the surface of the person being measured is measured, allowing the position of the affected area to be determined in more detail. Furthermore, the shorter the inter-electrode distance, the more easily the condition of the affected area at a shallower position on the person being measured's body can be determined. On the other hand, when the inter-electrode distance is long, a wider area on the surface of the person being measured is measured, allowing the condition of the affected area to be determined with fewer measurements. Furthermore, the longer the inter-electrode distance, the more easily the condition of the affected area at a deeper position on the body can be determined. The affected area determination device 12 stores the inter-electrode distance and uses the inter-electrode distance to calculate the local impedance and determine the depth of the affected area.

[0030] Main unit 22 measures the local impedance of an arbitrary part of the subject's body by passing a current through current electrode 24A and detecting the voltage with voltage electrode 24B. Main unit 22 then performs a process of determining the condition of an affected area at that part based on the local impedance.

[0031] The measuring unit 20 and the main body unit 22 are electrically connected by a flexible cable 30. This allows the measuring unit 20 to be placed at any desired location on the subject's body. The measuring unit 20 and the cable 30 are also detachably connected by a connector 32. This allows measuring units 20 of various shapes to be connected to the main body unit 22.

[0032] The main body 22 also includes a monitor 26 and a power switch 28. The monitor 26 is, for example, a touch panel display, and receives input of various setting values ​​and displays measurement results, etc. The power switch 28 receives an operation to turn the power of the main body 22 on and off.

[0033] Body composition meter 14 obtains the bioimpedance of the subject from the potential difference measured by passing a current through the subject, and calculates the subject's body composition. Body composition meter 14 also includes a weight scale, so that the subject's weight can also be measured.

[0034] Body composition monitor 14 of the present embodiment includes handgrip 40 that is held with both hands by the subject, and platform 42 on which the subject stands. Handgrip 40 and platform 42 are electrically connected by cable 44, for example.

[0035] Handgrip 40 is provided with hand electrode 40R to be held with the right hand and hand electrode 40L to be held with the left hand. Platform 42 is provided with sole electrode 46R to be in contact with the sole of the right foot and sole electrode 46L to be in contact with the sole of the left foot.

[0036] Body composition meter 14 calculates the bioimpedance of the subject's entire body and each body part by measuring the potential difference generated in the current paths of hand electrodes 40R, 40L and sole electrodes 46R, 46L. Body composition meter 14 then calculates the subject's body composition based on user information such as the subject's bioimpedance, weight, age, and gender. The body composition calculated by body composition meter 14 includes fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass, muscle mass, visceral fat mass, visceral fat level, visceral fat area, subcutaneous fat mass, basal metabolic rate, bone mass, total body water percentage, BMI, intracellular fluid volume, and extracellular fluid volume.

[0037] The body composition monitor 14 also includes a monitor 48 for displaying the measurement results.

[0038] The information processing device 16 functions as an affected area recovery determination device that executes an affected area recovery determination process, as will be described in detail later. The information processing device 16 is, for example, a laptop personal computer equipped with a monitor 49, but is not limited to this and may be a portable information processing device such as a tablet terminal, a desktop personal computer, or the like.

[0039] The information processing device 16 of this embodiment is capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the affected area determination device 12 and the body composition meter 14, and receives the impedance measurement results from the affected area determination device 12 and the body composition meter 14. The data is transmitted and received by short-range communication such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0040] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the affected area determination device 12 of this embodiment. The main body section 22 of the affected area determination device 12 includes a frequency setting section 50, a current application control section 52, a voltage detection section 54, a local impedance calculation section 56, an affected area state determination section 58, a monitor control section 60, a storage section 62, and a communication section 64. The functions executed by the sections shown in Fig. 2 may be executed by a calculation section included in the affected area determination device 12 by starting a program, for example, or may be realized by individual hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0041] The frequency setting unit 50 sets the frequency of the current (hereinafter referred to as "current frequency") to be applied between the electrode units 24. The current frequency in this embodiment can be set arbitrarily within a predetermined frequency range, with relatively low frequencies among the settable frequencies being referred to as low frequencies and relatively high frequencies being referred to as high frequencies. The frequency range in this embodiment is, for example, approximately 1 kHz to 3 MHz.

[0042] Current application control section 52 controls the on / off of the current set by frequency setting section 50. When the current is turned on, the current flows from current electrode 24A in contact with the person to be measured.

[0043] Voltage detection unit 54 detects, via voltage electrode 24B, a voltage generated by passing a current through current electrode 24A.

[0044] The local impedance calculation unit 56 calculates the local impedance, which is the electrical resistance between the electrodes 24 in contact with the subject, based on the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit 54. This local impedance serves as an affected area index that reflects the condition of the affected area of ​​the subject.

[0045] The affected area state determination unit 58 determines the state of the area between the electrodes 24 based on the local impedance calculated by the local impedance calculation unit 56. Specifically, the affected area state determination unit 58 determines the state of the affected area based on the local impedance including the affected area and a predetermined reference value. The predetermined reference value is, for example, the local impedance of an area where the subject does not have an affected area. For example, if the affected area is on the right arm, the local impedance of the left arm is measured as the reference value. In the following description, the local impedance of the affected area will be referred to as affected area impedance.

[0046] The affected area state determination unit 58 may determine the state of the affected area by reading out a reference value corresponding to the affected area of ​​the subject from a table showing normal impedances for each body part as reference values, rather than by measuring the reference value. The table is stored in the storage unit 62.

[0047] The affected area state determination unit 58 then determines the state of the affected area based on the affected area impedance and the reference value. For example, if the affected area is inflammation at a site where surgery has been performed on the subject, the affected area state determination unit 58 calculates the difference between the affected area impedance and the reference value and determines this difference as the degree of inflammation in the affected area. That is, the greater the difference, the higher the degree of inflammation. On the other hand, the smaller the difference, the lower the degree of inflammation, and if the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined value, it is determined that the inflammation has healed.

[0048] The monitor control unit 60 controls the monitor 26 to display the determination results by the affected area state determination unit 58, etc.

[0049] The storage unit 62 is, for example, a non-volatile memory, and stores various data, programs used for various processes, and the results of determination by the affected area state determination unit 58, etc.

[0050] The communication unit 64 transmits and receives data to and from the information processing device 16 and the like.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the information processing device 16 of this embodiment.

[0052] The information processing device 16 includes a communication unit 70 , a calculation unit 72 , and a storage unit 74 .

[0053] The communication unit 70 transmits and receives data to and from the affected area determination device 12, the body composition meter 14, other information processing devices, other devices, etc. That is, the communication unit 70 of this embodiment acquires local impedance, which is an affected area index of a part of the subject including the affected area measured by the affected area determination device 12. The communication unit 70 also functions as an acquisition means for acquiring the bioimpedance and body weight of the subject measured by the body composition meter as overall indexes, which will be described later.

[0054] The calculation unit 72 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and controls the operation of the information processing device 16 .

[0055] The storage unit 74 is a non-volatile storage device or the like, and stores various data and programs used for various processes. The storage unit 74 of this embodiment stores a program (application software) for executing the affected area recovery determination process, various data received from the affected area determination device 12 and the body composition meter 14, and user information such as the age, sex, height, and body type of the person being measured.

[0056] The calculation unit 72 includes an affected area state determination unit 80, a body composition calculation unit 82, a recovery prediction unit 84, a recovery state determination unit 86, and an advice generation unit 88 in order to perform the affected area recovery determination process.

[0057] The affected area state determination section 80 determines the state of the affected area of ​​the subject based on the local impedance acquired by the communication section 70. The affected area state determination section 80 has the same function as the affected area state determination section 58 included in the affected area determination device 12, and the affected area state determination section 80 of this embodiment calculates the degree of inflammation as the state determination of the affected area.

[0058] Here, the state determination when inflammation occurs as the affected area will be described.

[0059] First, when the affected area is inflamed, moisture accumulates at the inflamed site, reducing the local impedance. As the inflammation subsides, the accumulated moisture decreases, causing the local impedance to gradually increase.

[0060] In addition, inflammation causes local edema in the affected area. When local edema occurs, the extracellular fluid volume increases, causing a change in the ratio between intracellular and extracellular fluid volumes. Local impedance measured using low-frequency current reflects the extracellular fluid volume in particular. On the other hand, local impedance measured using high-frequency current reflects both the extracellular and intracellular fluid volumes.

[0061] Therefore, the affected area determination device 12 can determine (estimate) the state of inflammation by measuring the local impedance including the affected area using currents of different frequencies. Specifically, variables such as Z5, Z250, Z5 / Z250, and X / R are used as explanatory variables. For this reason, the affected area determination device 12 measures the affected area multiple times at different frequencies. Note that Z5 is the local impedance measured at a current frequency of 5 kHz, and Z250 is the local impedance measured at a current frequency of 250 kHz. Furthermore, X is the local resistance, and R is the reactance.

[0062] Body composition calculation section 82 calculates the body composition of the subject based on user information received from body composition meter 14, such as bioelectrical impedance, weight, and the subject's age and sex.

[0063] The recovery prediction unit 84 predicts the time of recovery of the affected area based on the condition of the affected area determined by the affected area condition determination unit 80 and the whole-body index of the subject. As described above, the condition of the affected area in this embodiment is, for example, the degree of inflammation. The whole-body composition of the subject used to predict the time of recovery of the affected area is, for example, whole-body muscle mass. Note that other body compositions such as whole-body fat mass or body weight may also be used as the whole-body index used to predict the time of recovery of the affected area.

[0064] Generally, the recovery of an affected area is influenced by whole-body indices such as the patient's whole-body body composition (e.g., whole-body muscle mass) and body weight. On the other hand, the patient's whole-body indices are less susceptible to local inflammation of the affected area. For this reason, in this embodiment, the recovery time of the affected area is predicted based on the current condition of the affected area and the whole-body indices. This makes it possible to accurately predict the recovery time of the affected area.

[0065] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the recovery of the affected area and whole-body muscle mass. In Figure 4, the affected area of ​​the subject is the surgical site, and the degree of inflammation in the affected area is highest immediately after surgery. As shown in Figure 4, the greater the whole-body muscle mass, the faster the recovery of the affected area. The recovery of the affected area also differs depending on the age of the subject, with younger subjects recovering more quickly.

[0066] Therefore, the recovery prediction unit 84 of this embodiment predicts the recovery time from, for example, the inflammation level of the affected area immediately after the onset of inflammation, the whole body muscle mass, and age.

[0067] The following Equation 1 is an example of a prediction formula for predicting recovery time, and is a regression formula. By storing the variables injury, muscle, age, and time in a database, the constants a, b, and c can be determined using the least squares method or the like, and the regression formula is calculated.

[0068] time=a*injury / muscle+b*age+ c ···(1) time: recovery time Injury: The degree of inflammation in the affected area immediately after the onset of inflammation muscle: total body muscle mass just before inflammation occurs age: age a: constant b: constant c: constant

[0069] The recovery prediction line calculated by the prediction formula is not limited to a curve, but may be a straight line. The prediction formula may be created by other methods, such as machine learning, rather than a regression formula. The most recent value of whole-body muscle mass obtained before the onset of inflammation may be used, rather than the value obtained immediately after the onset of inflammation. The variables used in the prediction formula may be the subject's body weight, or other body compositions such as whole-body fat mass, instead of whole-body muscle mass.

[0070] By predicting the recovery time of the affected area using the recovery prediction line in this way, medical professionals can create an appropriate rehabilitation plan for the person being measured.

[0071] Furthermore, in medical facilities such as hospitals and clinics where many rehabilitation patients are admitted or treated, the rehabilitation period may be predicted based on the recovery time of each rehabilitation patient, and a comprehensive rehabilitation plan may be developed for multiple patients. For example, a patient cannot undergo rehabilitation from the time when the catabolic phase of an affected area ends until the anabolic phase begins. Therefore, by predicting the timing when the affected area will enter the anabolic phase from the recovery prediction line, appropriate rehabilitation start and end times can be planned. This allows medical facilities to accept rehabilitation patients at the appropriate time. Furthermore, medical facilities can predict the number of rehabilitation patients to be accepted at the facility, enabling optimization of the number of staff, etc.

[0072] The recovery state determination unit 86 determines the recovery state of the affected area based on the difference between the predicted recovery state of the affected area based on the recovery time predicted by the recovery prediction unit 84 in the past and the current state of the affected area determined by the affected area state determination unit 80.

[0073] The recovery state here is a concept that includes the progress of recovery of the affected area. The predicted recovery state is a time-series prediction of the recovery of the affected area. The recovery state determined by the recovery state determination unit 86 is an evaluation obtained by comparing the current recovery state with the predicted recovery state. The current recovery state is the actual recovery state at the present time.

[0074] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the difference between the predicted recovery state and the current recovery state for whole-body muscle mass and inflammation level. In Figure 5, as an example, the vertical axis represents whole-body muscle mass and the horizontal axis represents the inflammation level of the affected area. The double line in the anabolic phase of Figure 5 is the predicted recovery line.

[0075] As shown in Figure 5, the level of inflammation is generally higher after surgery than before surgery. Rehabilitation begins after the catabolic phase of inflammation has ended. Whether the affected area is in the catabolic or anabolic phase may be determined based on local impedance.

[0076] Although the inflammation level had improved slightly at the start of rehabilitation, the subject was at rest during the catabolic period, resulting in the lowest total body muscle mass. The subject's current recovery state, which is the result of subsequent rehabilitation, shows that the inflammation level of the affected area has returned to a level close to that before surgery. Ideally, the current recovery state should overlap with the recovery prediction line, and the total body muscle mass should also return to a level close to that before surgery. However, there is a discrepancy between the current recovery state and the recovery prediction line shown in Figure 5.

[0077] Based on this difference, the recovery state determination unit 86 determines the recovery state of the affected area. The recovery state determination may be output, for example, as a difference between a numerical value or the like between the recovery prediction line and the current recovery state. This output may be, for example, displayed on the monitor 49 of the information processing device 16 or stored in the storage unit 74. The recovery state determination unit 86 may also output a predetermined comment or the like corresponding to the numerical value as the determination result, rather than a numerical value or the like.

[0078] The recovery state determination unit 86 of this embodiment determines not only the recovery state of an affected area such as inflammation, but also the recovery state of whole body muscle mass, which is a whole body index.

[0079] That is, as described above, the subject may be placed in a resting state to allow the affected area to recover, which may result in a decrease in whole-body muscle mass. Therefore, the subject must also recover whole-body muscle mass. In this way, the recovery state determination unit 86 of this embodiment simultaneously obtains not only the recovery state of the affected area of ​​the subject, such as inflammation, but also the recovery state of the whole-body index, such as whole-body muscle mass, and therefore can determine whether the subject has recovered appropriately.

[0080] In addition to whole-body muscle mass, the whole-body indices used to determine the recovery state may also be other whole-body body compositions such as whole-body fat mass, body weight, the subject's basal metabolic rate, and biological age, etc. Furthermore, a rehabilitation plan may also be formulated to restore whole-body indices other than whole-body muscle mass.

[0081] Furthermore, the recovery status of the patient's affected area is assessed multiple times as the patient recovers. Such continuous measurement of the affected area allows for a more appropriate rehabilitation plan for the patient.

[0082] The advice generating unit 88 generates advice regarding the recovery of the affected area based on the determination result of the recovery state determining unit 86. The advice is based on the difference calculated by the recovery state determining unit 86, and may be, for example, "The inflammation has decreased, but muscle mass has not recovered as much as expected," or "Muscle mass has recovered, but the inflammation is not healing very well," etc.

[0083] Furthermore, as an example of advice, if the current inflammation in the affected area has not recovered relative to the recovery prediction line, the advice may include measures to recover the affected area, such as "Focus on suppressing inflammation. To suppress inflammation, measures such as not moving and repeatedly applying heat and cold can be taken." Furthermore, if the current muscle mass of the entire body has not recovered relative to the recovery prediction line, an example of advice may be output, such as "Focus on increasing muscle mass. Review your diet and do moderate training." The generated advice is displayed on the monitor 49 of the information processing device 16 and stored in the memory unit 74. Outputting such advice enables the creation of a more appropriate rehabilitation plan.

[0084] 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams showing examples of advice generated by the advice generating unit 88. In FIG.

[0085] In the example of Figure 6, the matrix corresponds to the level of inflammation and the increase or decrease in whole body muscle mass compared to the recovery prediction line, and examples of advice corresponding to the level of inflammation and the increase or decrease in whole body muscle mass are stored in advance in the memory unit 74.

[0086] For example, if the level of inflammation is high and the whole-body muscle mass is increasing, the rehabilitation intensity is high, so advice is output to revise the rehabilitation plan to reduce the rehabilitation intensity. On the other hand, if the level of inflammation is low and the whole-body muscle mass is increasing, the rehabilitation is progressing smoothly, so advice to revise the rehabilitation plan is not output. Furthermore, if the level of inflammation is high and the whole-body muscle mass is decreasing, nutritional intake is insufficient, so advice is output to revise the rehabilitation plan to ensure sufficient nutrition. Furthermore, if the level of inflammation is low and the whole-body muscle mass is decreasing, recovery is progressing smoothly, but the rehabilitation intensity is low, so advice is output to revise the rehabilitation plan to increase the rehabilitation intensity.

[0087] Furthermore, if the condition of the affected area is good, a message to that effect may be displayed and advice to take a temporary break from rehabilitation may be output. On the other hand, even if recovery of the affected area is progressing smoothly, advice to encourage continued exercise may be output if recovery of muscle mass is not progressing smoothly.

[0088] The advice may include dietary information containing nutrients that should be taken based on the total body fat mass, total body muscle mass, and the state of recovery of the affected area.

[0089] The example in Fig. 6 is an example of advice based on two axes, the degree of inflammation and whole-body muscle mass, while the example in Fig. 7 is an example of advice that takes into account changes in the recovery state of the affected area over time. Specifically, Fig. 7 is a matrix of example advice according to the actual degree of inflammation recovery and the slope of the actual recovery state. The slope of the actual recovery state is obtained by assessing the recovery state of the affected area multiple times at different times.

[0090] A steep slope is when it is steeper than the recovery prediction line. In this case, muscle mass increases faster than inflammation recovers. A consistent slope is when it matches the slope of the recovery prediction line. In this case, recovery is relatively smooth. A shallow slope is when inflammation recovers faster than muscle mass increases.

[0091] As shown in Figure 7, if inflammation recovers quickly, no advice is output to revise the rehabilitation plan, regardless of the slope. On the other hand, if inflammation recovers as predicted, advice is output to revise the rehabilitation plan to speed up inflammation recovery if the slope is large, no advice is output if the slope is consistent, and advice is output to increase muscle mass if the slope is small. Furthermore, if inflammation recovers slowly, advice is output to revise the rehabilitation plan to speed up inflammation recovery, regardless of the slope.

[0092] Next, the affected area recovery determination process performed by the affected area recovery determination system 10 will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. The affected area recovery determination process is executed by the information processing device 16, but before that, a bioelectrical impedance and body weight acquisition process and a local impedance acquisition process are performed. User information required for the affected area recovery determination process, such as the age, sex, height, and body type of the person being measured, is input in advance to the affected area determination device 12, the body composition monitor 14, and the information processing device 16. The user information of the person being measured may be stored in a server (not shown) and read out from the server.

[0093] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the bioelectrical impedance and body weight acquisition process executed by the body composition monitor 14.

[0094] First, in step 100 , the person to be measured stands on the platform 42 and grasps the handgrip portion 40 .

[0095] In the next step 102, a current is passed through the hand electrodes 40R, 40L and the sole electrodes 46R, 46L, and the potential difference is measured to measure the bioimpedance of the subject.

[0096] In the next step 104, the weight of the person to be measured is measured.

[0097] In the next step 106, the measurement results of the bioelectrical impedance and the body weight are output, and the process ends. The output of the measurement results includes sending the measurement results to the information processing device 16, displaying the measurement results on the monitor 48, and the like.

[0098] In the bioelectrical impedance and body weight acquisition process according to this embodiment, the body composition of the subject is not calculated, but the invention is not limited to this and the body composition may be calculated after measuring the bioelectrical impedance and body weight. The calculated body composition may be transmitted to the information processing device 16.

[0099] Furthermore, if the subject is missing a limb, the bioimpedance of the entire body excluding the missing limb is measured. For example, if the subject is missing a left arm, the electrodes can be placed near the missing limb on the left arm and the hand electrode 40R can be held with the right hand to measure the bioimpedance of the entire body excluding the missing limb.

[0100] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the local impedance acquisition process executed by the affected area determination device 12.

[0101] First, in step 200, the measurement unit 20 is placed on the affected area of ​​the person being measured. At this time, the affected area determination device 12 displays messages such as "Please touch the affected area" and "Is it okay to measure the same affected area as last time?" on the monitor 26. This allows the affected area determination device 12 to prompt the person being measured to understand the position of the affected area on the person being measured, and to place the measurement unit 20 in an appropriate position.

[0102] In step 202, the current frequency and the inter-electrode distance are set in response to input by the measurer to the affected area determination device 12. The current frequency and the inter-electrode distance are input via the monitor 26, which is, for example, a touch panel display. The frequency setting unit 50 sets the input current frequency. The current frequency to be set is a low frequency and a high frequency in order to determine the degree of inflammation in the affected area.

[0103] In the next step 204, current application control section 52 applies a current of the set frequency to current electrode 24A, causing a current to flow between electrode sections 24 in contact with the subject.

[0104] In the next step 206, voltage detection unit 54 detects the voltage generated by the current flow via voltage electrode 24B.

[0105] In the next step 208, the local impedance calculation unit 56 calculates the local impedance based on the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit 54.

[0106] In the next step 210, it is determined whether or not measurements of local impedance at all predetermined sites and at different frequencies of the subject have been completed, and if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 204. On the other hand, if the determination is negative, steps 204 to 210 are repeated until calculation of local impedance is complete. Note that the predetermined sites include not only the affected site of the subject, but also sites where no affected site has occurred, from which reference values ​​are obtained.

[0107] In the next step 212, the measurement results of the local impedance and the measurement conditions such as the current frequency during measurement are output, and the process ends. The output of the measurement results includes sending the measurement results to the information processing device 16, displaying the measurement results on the monitor 26, etc.

[0108] In the local impedance acquisition process according to this embodiment, the affected area state determination unit 58 of the affected area determination device 12 does not determine the state of the affected area, but this is not limiting, and the affected area state determination unit 58 may determine the state of the affected area after measuring the local impedance. When the state of the affected area is determined, the determination result may be transmitted to the information processing device 16.

[0109] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the affected area recovery determination process executed by the information processing device 16. Note that the determination results and calculation results in the affected area recovery determination process are stored in the storage unit 74 in chronological order in association with the subject.

[0110] First, in step 300, the communication unit 70 acquires the measured value of local impedance from the affected area determination device 12, and the measured values ​​of bioimpedance and body weight from the body composition meter 14. The acquired measured values ​​are stored in the storage unit 74.

[0111] In the next step 302, the affected area state determining section 80 determines the state of the affected area based on the acquired local impedance.

[0112] In the next step 304, the body composition calculation section 82 calculates the subject's whole body muscle mass based on the acquired bioelectrical impedance and body weight.

[0113] In the next step 306, it is determined whether or not a recovery prediction line for the affected area of ​​the subject has been calculated. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 310; if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 308.

[0114] In step 308, the recovery prediction unit 84 calculates a recovery prediction line based on the condition of the affected area determined in step 302 and the whole-body muscle mass calculated in step 304, and the process proceeds to step 316. The calculated recovery prediction line and recovery time are stored in the memory unit 74 in association with the subject.

[0115] In step 316, which is entered from step 308, the recovery prediction line and recovery time are displayed on monitor 49. A rehabilitation plan for the subject is made while checking the displayed content.

[0116] On the other hand, in step 310, which is reached if the judgment in step 306 is affirmative, the recovery prediction line of the subject that has already been calculated is read from the memory unit 74, and the recovery status judgment unit 86 calculates the difference between the recovery prediction line and the condition of the affected area judged in step 302 and the whole body muscle mass calculated in step 304.

[0117] In the next step 312, the recovery state determining unit 86 determines the recovery state of the affected area and the recovery state of the whole body muscle mass based on the difference calculated in step 310.

[0118] In the next step 314 , the advice generator 88 generates advice based on the result of the determination in step 310 .

[0119] In the next step, step 316, the recovery state assessment result and the generated advice are displayed on the monitor 49. While checking the displayed content, the rehabilitation plan for the person being measured is corrected as necessary.

[0120] Although the present invention has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiment, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-mentioned embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above-mentioned embodiment without departing from the gist of the invention, and such changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the state of the affected area of ​​the subject is determined based on the local impedance, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the state of the affected area may be determined based on an affected area index other than the local impedance.

[0122] That is, the affected area index may be any index that reflects the state of the affected area of ​​the subject, and may be, for example, CRP. When CRP is used as the affected area index, information that can more accurately identify the state of the affected area, such as the type of affected area (wound), may also be used. Furthermore, data indicating the location, type, and shape of the affected area may be input to the information processing device 16 as the affected area index, and the affected area state determination unit 80 may determine the state of the affected area based on this data.

[0123] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which body composition monitor 14 and information processing device 16 are capable of communicating with each other has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration in which body composition monitor 14 and information processing device 16 do not communicate with each other is also possible. In this configuration, the measurement results of body composition monitor 14 are directly input to information processing device 16 in order to perform the affected area recovery determination process.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 16 performs the affected area recovery determination process, but the present invention is not limited to this. The server may receive (acquire) the measurement results of the affected area determination device 12 and the body composition meter 14, and the server may perform the affected area recovery determination process. In this case, the results of the affected area recovery determination process can be viewed on a mobile terminal device or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 10. Affected area recovery assessment system 16 Information processing device (affected area recovery determination device) 80 Affected area state determination unit (affected area state determination means) 84 Recovery prediction unit (prediction means) 86 Recovery state determination unit (recovery state determination unit) 88 Advice generation unit (advice generation means)

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring impedance of a part including the affected part of the subject as an affected part index reflecting the state of the affected part of the subject; an affected area state determining means for determining the state of inflammation of the affected area based on the magnitude of the difference between the affected area index acquired by the acquiring means and the impedance of a reference part of the subject that does not include the affected area; a prediction means for predicting a time when the affected area will recover based on the state of inflammation determined by the affected area state determination means and a whole-body index, which is the body composition of the entire body of the subject; Equipped with the whole-body index is the whole-body muscle mass of the subject, the prediction means predicts the recovery time so that the recovery speed increases as the subject's whole body muscle mass increases. A device for determining recovery of affected areas.

2. 2. The device for determining recovery of an affected area according to claim 1, further comprising a recovery state determination means for determining the recovery state of the affected area based on a difference between a predicted recovery state of the affected area based on the recovery time predicted by the prediction means in the past and the current state of the affected area determined by the affected area state determination means.

3. 3. The device for determining recovery of an affected area according to claim 2, wherein the recovery state determining means determines the recovery state of the affected area and the recovery state of the whole body index.

4. 4. The device for determining recovery of an affected area according to claim 2, further comprising an advice generating unit that generates advice regarding recovery of the affected area based on the result of the determination by said recovery state determining means.

5. a first step in which an acquisition means acquires impedance of a part including the affected part of the subject as an affected part index reflecting the state of the affected part of the subject; a second step in which an affected area state determining means determines the state of inflammation of the affected area based on the magnitude of the difference between the affected area index obtained in the first step and the impedance of a reference part of the subject that does not include the affected area; a third step in which a predicting means predicts a recovery time of the affected area based on the state of inflammation determined in the second step and the subject's whole-body index, which is the subject's whole-body composition; and the whole-body index is the whole-body muscle mass of the subject, the prediction means predicts the recovery time so that the recovery speed increases as the subject's whole body muscle mass increases. Method for determining recovery of affected area.

6. a computer of an information processing device that acquires, by an acquisition means, the impedance of a part including the affected part of the subject as an affected part index that reflects the state of the affected part of the subject; an affected area state determining means for determining the state of inflammation of the affected area based on the magnitude of the difference between the affected area index acquired by the acquiring means and the impedance of a reference part of the subject that does not include the affected area; a prediction means for predicting a time when the affected area will recover based on the state of inflammation determined by the affected area state determination means and the subject's whole-body index, which is the subject's whole-body composition; and make it work, the whole-body index is the whole-body muscle mass of the subject, the prediction means predicts the recovery time so that the recovery speed increases as the subject's whole body muscle mass increases. A program to assess recovery of the affected area.

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