Training assistance device, training assistance program, training assistance system, and non-transitory recording medium

Abstract

A training assistance device 10 comprises: an exercise presentation unit 11A that presents an exercise indicated by an exercise program which has been developed in advance for a subject to train a pelvic floor muscle group; an acquisition unit 11B that uses a myogenic potential sensor 50 to acquire data indicating a time-series movement of the pelvic floor muscle group of the subject when the subject is performing the exercise; and an information presentation unit 11C that presents information indicating the data which has been acquired by the acquisition unit 11B.

Description

Training support device, training support program, training support system, and non-transitory recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a training assistance device, a training assistance program, a training assistance system, and a non-transitory recording medium.

[0002] In recent years, stress urinary incontinence, the involuntary leakage of urine caused by abdominal pressure such as coughing or sneezing, has become a problem, and its etiology is weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. While surgical treatment is available to treat stress urinary incontinence, it has the drawbacks of being highly invasive to the patient's body and expensive.

[0003] Therefore, as a low-cost, minimally invasive treatment for stress urinary incontinence, physical training therapy is being considered. There are guidelines for this type of training therapy in each country, and it is strongly recommended not only for stress urinary incontinence, but also for other types of urinary incontinence (e.g., urge urinary incontinence) and overactive bladder. The following techniques are applicable to this type of training therapy:

[0004] Japanese Patent No. 6242899 discloses a rehabilitation system that aims to have a subject undergo rehabilitation training based on a training menu, and to update the training menu based on the subject's body movements so that the rehabilitation training can be continued.

[0005] The rehabilitation system includes an input terminal operable by a subject undergoing rehabilitation training, a display terminal displaying information about the rehabilitation training for the subject, and a sensor worn by the subject to detect joint or muscle movements. The rehabilitation system also includes a feedback device that stimulates a body part of the subject, and a memory unit that stores a training menu including a training pattern that defines training content for each subject. The rehabilitation system also includes a subject analysis system that outputs the training pattern for each subject from the memory unit and displays it on the display terminal used by the subject, determines whether data measured by the sensor is sufficient relative to predetermined values ​​for the training pattern, and activates the feedback device if it determines that the data measured by the sensor is insufficient relative to the predetermined values ​​for the training pattern.

[0006] In addition, in this rehabilitation system, the subject analysis system activates the feedback device to stimulate a body part of the subject who is training according to the training pattern. After the stimulation is applied, the rehabilitation system determines whether there is necessary muscle activity based on the movement of the subject's joints or muscles detected by the sensor. If it determines that there is necessary muscle activity as a result of the determination, the rehabilitation system changes the training pattern and stores the training menu including the changed training pattern in the memory unit.

[0007] However, the technology disclosed in Patent No. 6242899 does not take into consideration the pelvic floor muscles, and therefore has the problem that it is not always possible to effectively train the pelvic floor muscles. This problem can arise not only when stress urinary incontinence is treated, but also when other urinary incontinence conditions (e.g., urge urinary incontinence), overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, etc. are treated.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a training support device, a training support program, a training support system, and a non-temporary recording medium that enable training of the pelvic floor muscles more effectively.

[0009] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a training support device that includes an exercise presentation unit that presents exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for a subject to train their pelvic floor muscles, an acquisition unit that uses an electromyography sensor to acquire data indicating the chronological movements of the subject's pelvic floor muscles while performing the exercises, and an information presentation unit that presents information indicating the data acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0010] A second aspect of the present disclosure is the training assistance device of the first aspect, wherein the pelvic floor muscles include at least one of the perineal muscles, levator ani muscles, external urethral sphincter muscles, transverse perineal muscles, and coccygeus muscles.

[0011] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a training support device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the exercise presentation unit further presents goal information indicating a goal for the data when the exercise indicated by the exercise program is performed.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a training assistance device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the information presentation unit further presents advice information indicating advice according to the state of the data acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a training support device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the exercise program combines exercises that cause sustained contractions of the pelvic floor muscles and exercises that cause sudden contractions of the pelvic floor muscles.

[0014] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a training support device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the exercise program is for at least one of treating and improving at least one of pelvic floor disorders and pelvic floor dysfunction.

[0015] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the training support device of the sixth aspect, wherein at least one of the pelvic floor disorder and the pelvic floor functional disorder induces at least one of urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence.

[0016] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a training assistance device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the data from the pelvic floor muscles of the subject through the skin of the subject.

[0017] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a training support program for causing a computer to execute processing to present exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for a subject to train the pelvic floor muscles, acquire data showing the time-series movement of the subject's pelvic floor muscles while performing the exercises using an electromyography sensor, and present information showing the acquired data.

[0018] A tenth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a training assistance device as described in claim 1 and a server having a memory unit that stores data acquired by an acquisition unit of the training assistance device for each of a predetermined number of subjects.

[0019] An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a non-transitory recording medium having recorded thereon a training support program for causing a computer to execute processing, which presents exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for a subject to train their pelvic floor muscles, acquires data showing the time-series movements of the subject's pelvic floor muscles while the subject is performing the exercises using an electromyography sensor, and presents information showing the acquired data.

[0020] According to the present disclosure, training of the pelvic floor muscles can be performed more effectively.

[0021] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a training assistance system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a configuration of a myoelectric potential sensor according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of a wearing state of shorts according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a training assistance device according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of a configuration of a subject management information database according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of a configuration of an advice information database according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of a configuration of an exercise program information database according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a training assistance process according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a front view showing an example of a configuration of a basic posture presentation screen displayed when the training assistance process according to an embodiment is being executed. FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a configuration of a long-term contraction training assistance screen displayed when the training assistance process according to an embodiment is being executed. FIG. 11 is a front view showing an example of a configuration of a long-term contraction training assistance screen displayed when the training assistance process according to an embodiment is being executed. FIG. 12 is a front view showing an example of a configuration of a short-term contraction training assistance screen displayed when the training assistance process according to an embodiment is being executed. FIG. 13 is a front view showing an example of another configuration of the long-term contraction training assistance screen displayed when the training assistance process according to an embodiment is being executed. FIG. 14 is a front view showing an example of another configuration of the long-term contraction training assistance screen displayed when the training assistance process according to an embodiment is being executed. 1 is a front view showing an example of another configuration of the short contraction training support screen displayed when the training support process according to an embodiment is executed, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of another configuration of the short contraction training support screen displayed when the training support process according to an embodiment is executed.

[0022] An example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or equivalent components and parts in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0023] In this embodiment, a case where a training assistance device according to the technology of the present disclosure is applied to a general-purpose smartphone will be described. However, the application of the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to smartphones, and it can also be applied to other portable information processing devices such as portable game devices, tablet terminals, wearable devices, and notebook personal computers. The technology of the present disclosure can also be applied to stationary servers, personal computers, and the like.

[0024] First, the configuration of a training assistance system 90 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a training assistance system 90 according to an embodiment.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , a training assistance system 90 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of training assistance devices 10 and a server 30, each of which is accessible via a network 80. Examples of the server 30 include general-purpose information processing devices such as a personal computer and a server computer. The server 30 according to this embodiment is configured as a cloud server, but is not limited to this. For example, the server 30 may be configured as an on-premise server.

[0026] The training support device 10 according to this embodiment is a terminal carried by each of multiple subjects (hereinafter simply referred to as "subjects") who are intended to use the service (service supporting training of the pelvic floor muscles) provided by the training support system 90. In this embodiment, the subjects are patients with stress urinary incontinence, but this is not limiting. For example, the subject may be someone who has not been diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence but is considered to be at a high risk of developing stress urinary incontinence later on (e.g., someone in their 40s or older, someone who has just given birth, etc.), or someone who wants to try pelvic floor muscle training. Furthermore, the target disease is not limited to stress urinary incontinence, and the device may also be used for urinary incontinence other than stress urinary incontinence (e.g., urge urinary incontinence), overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, etc.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1 , a training support device 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a memory 12 serving as a temporary storage area, a nonvolatile storage unit 13, and an input unit 14 including a touch panel and various switches. The training support device 10 also includes a display unit 15 such as a liquid crystal display, and a medium read / write device (R / W) 16. The training support device 10 also includes a wireless communication unit 18 for mobile communication using a predetermined communication standard, and an audio output unit 19. The CPU 11, memory 12, storage unit 13, input unit 14, display unit 15, medium read / write device 16, wireless communication unit 18, and audio output unit 19 are interconnected via a bus B1. The medium read / write device 16 reads information from and writes information to a recording medium 17.

[0028] In addition to the mobile communication described above, the wireless communication unit 18 according to this embodiment also has the function of performing wireless communication according to predetermined communication standards (Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) in this embodiment). The wireless communication unit 18 is capable of communicating with a server 30 (described later) via mobile communication and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The wireless communication unit 18 is also capable of communicating with an electromyometer main body (described later) via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Thus, in this embodiment, communication with the electromyometer main body is performed wirelessly, but wired communication may also be used.

[0029] The storage unit 13 is realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like. A training assistance program 13A is stored in the storage unit 13 as a storage medium. The training assistance program 13A is stored (installed) in the storage unit 13 of the training assistance device 10 by being downloaded via the wireless communication unit 18. The CPU 11 reads the training assistance program 13A from the storage unit 13, expands it in the memory 12, and sequentially executes the processes of the training assistance program 13A.

[0030] In this way, in the training assistance device 10 according to the present embodiment, the training assistance program 13A is installed in the training assistance device 10 by downloading it via the wireless communication unit 18, but this is not limitative. For example, the recording medium 17 on which the training assistance program 13A is written may be set in the medium reading and writing device 16, and the medium reading and writing device 16 may read the program 13A from the recording medium 17, thereby installing the training assistance program 13A in the training assistance device 10.

[0031] On the other hand, the server 30 according to this embodiment is a device managed by the operating company of the training support system 90 (in this embodiment, a pharmaceutical company; hereinafter, simply referred to as the "operating company"). The server 30 includes a CPU 31, a memory 32 serving as a temporary storage area, a non-volatile storage unit 33, an input unit 34 such as a keyboard and mouse, a display unit 35 such as a liquid crystal display, a medium read / write device (R / W) 36, and a communication interface (I / F) unit 38. The CPU 31, memory 32, storage unit 33, input unit 34, display unit 35, medium read / write device 36, and communication I / F unit 38 are connected to one another via a bus B2. The medium read / write device 36 reads information written in a recording medium 37 and writes information to the recording medium 37.

[0032] The storage unit 33 is realized by an HDD, SSD, flash memory, etc. The storage unit 33 as a storage medium stores a subject management information database 33A, an advice information database 33B, an exercise program information database 33C, and a myoelectric potential database 33D. Each of these databases 33A to 33D will be described in detail later.

[0033] Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 1, the training assistance system 90 according to this embodiment includes a myoelectricity sensor 50 that is worn by a subject when the subject trains the pelvic floor muscles. The configuration of the myoelectricity sensor 50 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the myoelectricity sensor 50 according to one embodiment.

[0034] 2, the myoelectric potential sensor 50 according to this embodiment includes an electrode unit 52 that is brought into contact with an area outside the subject's body that corresponds to a muscle belonging to the subject's pelvic floor muscles (hereinafter referred to as the "measurement target muscle") during use. The electrode unit 52 may be attached to clothing worn by the subject so as to come into contact with the subject's skin.

[0035] The electrode unit 52 according to this embodiment includes a pair of electrodes 52 A. There are no particular limitations on the pair of electrodes 52 A as long as they can measure myoelectric potential, but for example, passive electrodes, active electrodes, dry electrodes, wet electrodes, single-channel electrodes, multi-channel electrodes, etc. may be used as the electrodes 52 A.

[0036] Although not shown, the myoelectric potential sensor 50 according to this embodiment is provided with a connector 54 that is connected to an electromyograph main body that is capable of communicating with the wireless communication unit 18 of the training assistance device 10. Therefore, the training assistance device 10 can wirelessly control the operation of the electromyograph main body and can acquire digital data (hereinafter referred to as "movement data") that indicates the time-series movements of the target muscles obtained by the myoelectric potential sensor 50 via the electromyograph main body.

[0037] The connector unit 54 according to this embodiment is provided with a pair of connectors 54A corresponding to the pair of electrodes 52A of the electrode unit 52. The pair of connectors 54A are connected to the corresponding electrodes 52A of the electrode unit 52 via connection wiring 56A provided on the connection unit 56, which is elongated and made of a flexible material. In this way, the myoelectric potential sensor 50 according to this embodiment has the electrode unit 52 and the connector unit 54 connected by the connection unit 56, which is elongated and made of a flexible material, and therefore can be flexibly adapted to the location of attachment even when attached to clothing.

[0038] For example, when the muscle to be measured is located in a part covered by shorts, such as the perineal muscle, the myoelectricity sensor 50 is provided inside the shorts in a position where the pair of electrodes 52A will come into contact with the muscle to be measured when the subject wears the shorts.

[0039] Fig. 3 shows an example of how the shorts 60 are worn when the muscles to be measured are the perineal muscles. Note that Fig. 3 only shows the electrode portion 52 of the myoelectric potential sensor 50. As shown in Fig. 3, in this case, the myoelectric potential sensor 50 is provided inside the shorts 60 at a position where the pair of electrodes 52A come into contact with the perineal muscles when the subject 70 wears the shorts.

[0040] In this embodiment, one myoelectric potential sensor 50 is used when measuring movement data, but this is not limited to this. Two or more myoelectric potential sensors 50 may be used to measure movement data. When multiple myoelectric potential sensors 50 are used, multiple pieces of movement data are obtained from the multiple myoelectric potential sensors 50. In this case, the average value of the multiple pieces of movement data may be applied as the final movement data. In this case, the maximum value, median value, minimum value, etc. of the multiple pieces of movement data may be selectively applied as appropriate depending on the intended use. Furthermore, when multiple pieces of movement data are obtained, they may be used individually depending on the intended use.

[0041] Next, the functional configuration of the training assistance device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the training assistance device 10 according to one embodiment.

[0042] 4, the training support device 10 according to this embodiment includes an exercise presentation unit 11A, an acquisition unit 11B, and an information presentation unit 11C. The CPU 11 of the training support device 10 executes the training support program 13A, thereby functioning as the exercise presentation unit 11A, the acquisition unit 11B, and the information presentation unit 11C.

[0043] The exercise presentation unit 11A according to this embodiment presents exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for training the subject's pelvic floor muscles. The acquisition unit 11B according to this embodiment acquires, using the electromyography sensor 50, motion data indicating the time-series motion of the subject's pelvic floor muscles when the subject is performing the exercises indicated by the exercise program. The information presentation unit 11C according to this embodiment presents information indicating the motion data acquired by the acquisition unit 11B. The information presentation unit 11C can also present information for comparison with motion data such as a reference pattern.

[0044] When applying muscles belonging to the pelvic floor muscles as the measurement target muscles, it is preferable to apply the perineal muscles, because the movements of the perineal muscles can be measured from outside the subject's body using the myoelectric potential sensor 50. Furthermore, examples of muscles other than the perineal muscles that can be applied as measurement target muscles when applying muscles belonging to the pelvic floor muscles include the levator ani, external urethral sphincter, transverse perineal muscle, and coccygeus muscle.

[0045] Furthermore, the exercise presentation unit 11A according to this embodiment further presents goal information indicating a goal for the movement data when the exercise indicated by the exercise program is performed. Furthermore, the information presentation unit 11C according to this embodiment further presents advice information indicating advice corresponding to the state of the movement data acquired by the acquisition unit 11B. Here, in this embodiment, the exercise program is a combination of exercises that cause sustained contractions of the pelvic floor muscles and exercises that cause sudden contractions of the pelvic floor muscles, but this is not limiting. For example, the exercise program may be a combination of only one of these exercises, or a combination of these exercises and other exercises.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the exercise program is intended to treat and improve both pelvic floor disorders and pelvic floor dysfunction, but is not limited to this. For example, the exercise program may be intended to treat and improve either one of pelvic floor disorders or pelvic floor dysfunction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, at least one of the pelvic floor disorders and pelvic floor dysfunction is intended to induce at least one of urinary incontinence (e.g., stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, etc.), overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to this.

[0047] The exercise program according to this embodiment may reflect the subject's complaints obtained through a medical interview by the doctor. For example, if a subject experiences frequent urinary incontinence when standing up, functional exercises that contract the pelvic floor muscles before standing up may be selected. However, this is not a limitation. For example, a common exercise program for all subjects may be applied, which is a common exercise widely known as a treatment for stress urinary incontinence.

[0048] In addition, in the present embodiment, the exercise presentation unit 11A and the information presentation unit 11C present various pieces of information by displaying them on the display unit 15 of the training support device 10, but this is not limiting. For example, the various pieces of information may be presented by audio using the audio output unit 19 of the training support device 10, or may be presented by printing using an image forming device such as a printer.

[0049] Next, various databases according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. First, the subject management information database 33A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the subject management information database 33A according to one embodiment.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5, the subject management information database 33A according to this embodiment stores information such as a subject ID (Identification), a time period, and a reference pattern in association with each other.

[0051] The subject ID is information that is unique to each subject and is assigned in advance to identify each subject individually, and the time period is information that indicates each time period, obtained by dividing a day into predetermined time periods, during which an exercise program should be performed. In this embodiment, three types of time periods, "morning," "afternoon," and "evening," are applied as the time period, but this is not limited to this. For example, a time period that includes an intermediate time period between these three time periods may be applied as the time period, or two types of time periods, such as "morning" and "evening," or a single time period, such as "afternoon," may be applied as the time period.

[0052] In this embodiment, the "morning" time period is from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM, the "daytime" time period is from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and the "night" time period is from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. However, it goes without saying that the time periods are not limited to these.

[0053] Furthermore, the reference pattern is information indicating a target pattern of time-series movement data to be applied to the time period when the subject is performing the exercise indicated by the exercise program to be applied to the corresponding subject.

[0054] That is, as described above, in this embodiment, the exercise program applied is a combination of exercises that cause sustained contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (hereinafter referred to as "long-term contraction training") and exercises that cause sudden contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (hereinafter referred to as "short-term contraction training"). In this embodiment, for each of the long-term contraction training and short-term contraction training, information indicating a target pattern of the movement data for each corresponding subject and for each corresponding time period is registered in advance in the subject management information database 33A as a reference pattern.

[0055] In this embodiment, the reference pattern is created using movement data measured by the myoelectric potential sensor 50 when the corresponding subject is actually wearing the myoelectric potential sensor 50 and performing exercises according to the corresponding exercise program under ideal conditions under the instructions of the corresponding subject's doctor. The reference patterns are created for each of the three time periods, "morning," "afternoon," and "night," and stored in the corresponding storage areas of the subject management information database 33A. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 as an example, a rectangular wave approximation of the movement data is used instead of the movement data itself, but this is not limiting. For example, the movement data measured by the myoelectric potential sensor 50 itself may be used as the reference pattern.

[0056] The number of times each contraction training session can be selected and presented according to the following table, for example, based on the individual's experience with pelvic floor muscle training and their preference for how many sessions per day they would like to complete the program.

[0057]

[0058] Next, the advice information database 33B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the advice information database 33B according to one embodiment.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6, the advice information database 33B according to this embodiment stores information on contraction levels and advice in association with each other.

[0060] The training assistance system 90 according to this embodiment provides advice based on the difference between the motion data acquired by the myoelectric potential sensor 50 and the corresponding reference pattern while the subject is exercising according to an exercise program. In this embodiment, the maximum value of any one period of the motion data acquired by the myoelectric potential sensor 50 is positioned at the center of the maximum value section in the first period of the reference pattern. In this state, the difference is calculated as the percentage (%) of the motion data from that period onward relative to the corresponding reference pattern. While the maximum value and period of the motion data differ for each subject, the difference in the subject's motion data can be accurately determined by using the percentage (%) of the motion data relative to the reference pattern obtained from the subject's measurements.

[0061] This ratio corresponds to the contraction degree in the advice information database 33B. Note that the contraction degree is not limited to the above ratio. For example, the ratio of the movement data to the maximum value of the movement data that can be considered as a measurement value from the myoelectric potential sensor 50 may be applied as the contraction degree.

[0062] The advice is information indicating advice corresponding to the contraction degree D within a corresponding range. In the example shown in Fig. 6, for example, the advice when the contraction degree D is equal to or greater than 0% and less than 50% is shown to be "Tighten the anus, urethra, and entire vagina, and tighten them as if pulling them into your body (towards your navel). Do not apply force to your stomach."

[0063] Next, the exercise program information database 33C according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the exercise program information database 33C according to one embodiment.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 7, the exercise program information database 33C according to this embodiment stores information on subject IDs and exercise programs in association with each other.

[0065] The subject ID is the same information as the subject ID in the subject management information database 33A, and the exercise program is information indicating the exercise program to be presented to the corresponding subject. As described above, in this embodiment, the exercise program is a combination of exercises that cause sustained contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (long-term contraction training) and exercises that cause sudden contractions of the pelvic floor muscles (short-term contraction training).

[0066] 7, the exercise program information database 33C according to this embodiment uses information indicating the exercise program in two forms: video and text (sentences). Therefore, by using this information, the exercise program can be presented to the subject as a video, displayed on a screen as text, or played back as audio using the text.

[0067] The text in the information showing the exercise program according to this embodiment includes posture information showing the basic posture for the corresponding exercise (hereinafter referred to as "basic posture"). Also, the first image of the video in the information showing the exercise program according to this embodiment is an image showing the basic posture for the corresponding exercise.

[0068] Here, when an exercise program is performed multiple times, a time for stretching or relaxing muscles may be provided between the exercise programs. The time is preferably from a few seconds to 60 seconds, and more specifically, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 seconds. Needless to say, depending on the individual, the time is not limited to these. Although not shown, the myoelectricity database 33D according to this embodiment registers, for each subject, the movement data obtained by the myoelectricity sensor 50 when each subject performs an exercise program.

[0069] Next, the operation of the training support system 90 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 12. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the training support process according to one embodiment. Note that, in order to avoid confusion, the description here will be given assuming that the subject management information database 33A, the advice information database 33B, and the exercise program information database 33C have already been constructed.

[0070] The training support process shown in Fig. 8 is performed by the CPU 11 of any of the training support devices 10 executing the training support program 13A. The training support process shown in Fig. 8 is performed when a command to start execution of the training support program 13A is input via the input unit 14 by any of the subjects (hereinafter referred to as "trainees") wearing clothing equipped with the myoelectricity sensors 50.

[0071] 8, the CPU 11 reads information indicating a reference pattern corresponding to the trainee and corresponding to this time (hereinafter referred to as "reference pattern information") from the subject management information database 33A. Also, in step 100, the CPU 11 reads all information (hereinafter referred to as "advice information") from the advice information database 33B. Furthermore, in step 100, the CPU 11 reads information indicating an exercise program corresponding to the trainee (hereinafter referred to as "exercise program information") from the exercise program information database 33C.

[0072] In step 102, the CPU 11 controls the display unit 15 to display a basic posture presentation screen having a predetermined configuration using the read exercise program information. In step 104, the CPU 11 waits until predetermined information is input.

[0073] 9 shows an example of a basic posture presentation screen according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the basic posture presentation screen according to this embodiment displays a first image 15A in the information showing the video of the exercise program information. Furthermore, the basic posture presentation screen according to this embodiment displays a sentence 15B indicating the basic posture indicated by the posture information included in the text of the exercise program information. Therefore, the trainee can accurately grasp the basic posture in the exercise program they should perform.

[0074] Furthermore, on the basic posture presentation screen according to this embodiment, a moving image following image 15A can be played by specifying the display area of ​​image 15A using input unit 14. Therefore, by referring to the moving image, the trainee can accurately understand the exercises indicated by the exercise program that he or she should perform.

[0075] As described above, when the basic posture presentation screen is displayed, the text in the exercise program information may be used to present the basic posture and the contents of the exercise program by voice using the voice output unit 19. According to this configuration, even when the trainee is performing training (exercise) in which he or she cannot refer to the display unit 15 of the training support device 10, the trainee can understand the basic posture and the contents of the exercise program.

[0076] When the trainee understands the basic posture and content of the exercise program, he / she selects the complete button 15C displayed on the basic posture presentation screen using the input unit 14. When the complete button 15C is selected, the determination in step 104 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step 106.

[0077] In step 106, the CPU 11 controls the electromyograph main body to start measuring movement data and transmitting the measurement results to itself, thereby starting to acquire movement data accompanying the trainee's exercise. In step 108, the CPU 11 uses the long-term contraction pattern and exercise program information of the read reference pattern information and the acquired movement data to switch the basic posture presentation screen displayed on the display unit 15 to a long-term contraction training support screen with a predetermined configuration.

[0078] An example of the long-term contraction training support screen according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 10, the long-term contraction training support screen according to this embodiment displays a message instructing the player to exert force so that the inner circle fits inside the outer circle, and also displays two circles 15D and 15E with a common center.

[0079] The circle 15D is a moving image that represents the change in size of the long-term contraction pattern in the chronological order of the long-term contraction pattern in the reference pattern information as a change in diameter. Therefore, when the long-term contraction pattern is a rectangular wave as shown in Fig. 5, the circle 15D is displayed with two different diameters, large and small, alternately synchronized with the cycle of the long-term contraction pattern.

[0080] On the other hand, circle 15E is a moving image that represents the change in size of the movement data acquired from the myoelectric potential sensor 50 in chronological order as a change in diameter. In this case, the CPU 11 standardizes the size of the movement data in the same way as the long-term contraction pattern before applying it. Therefore, the ratio of the size of circle 15E to the size of circle 15D corresponds to the contraction degree D described above. Note that FIG. 11 shows an example of a long-term contraction training support screen that is displayed at a different timing than that shown in FIG. 10 .

[0081] The trainee can perform ideal long-term contraction training by performing long-term contraction training while referring to the long-term contraction training support screen so that the change in size of circle 14E matches the change in size of circle 15D as closely as possible.

[0082] Furthermore, on the long-term contraction training support screen according to this embodiment, the contraction level D is displayed at the center of the circle 15D and the circle 15E. Therefore, by referring to the contraction level D, the trainee can quantitatively grasp the accuracy of the exercise he or she is performing, and can perform long-term contraction training more effectively.

[0083] Furthermore, the long-term contraction training support screen according to this embodiment displays advice 15F according to the contraction level D. Therefore, by referring to the advice 15F, the trainee can appropriately respond even when the contraction level D deviates from the ideal level.

[0084] Furthermore, the long-term contraction training support screen according to this embodiment displays in real time the elapsed time 15G for each set of the long-term contraction training being performed, the number of sets being performed 15H, and the number of sets remaining 15I. Therefore, the trainee can easily grasp the progress of the long-term contraction training being performed.

[0085] In step 110, the CPU 11 waits until all sets of the long-term contraction training indicated by the read exercise program information are completed, and then proceeds to step 112.

[0086] In step 112, the CPU 11 uses the short-term contraction pattern and exercise program information of the read reference pattern information and the acquired movement data to switch the long-term contraction training support screen displayed on the display unit 15 to a short-term contraction training support screen with a predetermined configuration.

[0087] An example of the short contraction training support screen according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, the short contraction training support screen according to this embodiment displays a message instructing the user to exert force at the timing when a predetermined display state is reached. The short contraction training support screen according to this embodiment also displays a group of figures 15J that are subject to the display state and individually represent, in chronological order, each of the periods of the short contraction pattern of the read reference pattern information.

[0088] 12 , in this embodiment, a group of rectangular figures with curved corners is used as the figure group 15J, and each figure is filled in with a predetermined pattern depending on the progress of the short-term contraction training. Furthermore, in this embodiment, different patterns are used for the timing when the trainee exerts force and the timing when the trainee releases force. Therefore, by referring to the figure group 15J, the trainee can grasp the progress of his or her own short-term contraction training and also grasp the timing when to exert force.

[0089] As described above, the short-term contraction training support screen according to this embodiment uses a group of rectangular figures with curved corners as the figure group 15J, and each figure is filled in with a predetermined pattern depending on the progress of the short-term contraction training. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the figures constituting the figure group 15J may be polygonal shapes other than rectangles, or figures of other shapes such as circles or ellipses. Furthermore, the method of changing the figures depending on the progress is not limited to filling in with a pattern, and other methods such as changing the color, size, or shape may be used to change the figures depending on the progress.

[0090] Furthermore, the short-term contraction training support screen according to this embodiment displays advice 15K according to the contraction level D. Therefore, by referring to the advice 15K, the trainee can appropriately respond even if the contraction level D deviates from the ideal value.

[0091] Furthermore, the short contraction training support screen according to this embodiment displays in real time the elapsed time 15L for each set of the short contraction training being performed, the number of sets being performed 15M, and the number of sets remaining 15N, allowing the trainee to easily grasp the progress of the short contraction training being performed.

[0092] In step 114, the CPU 11 waits until all sets of the short-term contraction training indicated by the read exercise program information are completed, and then proceeds to step 116.

[0093] In step 116, the CPU 11 stops acquiring the movement data by controlling the electromyograph main body to stop measuring the movement data and transmitting the measurement results to itself. In step 118, the CPU 11 transmits various pieces of information obtained during the long-term contraction training and short-term contraction training (hereinafter referred to as "implementation information") to the server 30, and then ends the training assistance process. The server 30 stores the implementation information received from the training assistance device 10 in the storage unit 33, associating it with the trainee who sent it.

[0094] In this embodiment, the implementation information includes the exercise date and time, the number of exercises (number of sets), information indicating the accuracy of the exercise (for example, the contraction level), movement data, etc., and the implementation information stored in the storage unit 33 of the server 30 is used by the trainee himself / herself, the trainee's doctor, other medical professionals, etc. An example of how the information is used by the trainee himself / herself is to send a reminder notice by email or the like depending on the status of the exercise. In particular, the movement data in the implementation information is stored in the myoelectric potential database 33D of the storage unit 33 in association with the trainee who sent it, thereby improving convenience.

[0095] As described above, according to one embodiment, a subject is presented with exercises suggested by a pre-designed exercise program for training the pelvic floor muscles, data showing the time-series movements of the subject's pelvic floor muscles while performing the exercises (movement data) is acquired using an electromyography sensor, and information showing the acquired data is presented. Therefore, by referring to the presented information, the pelvic floor muscles can be trained more effectively.

[0096] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, goal information (in this embodiment, a circle 15D and a group of figures 15J) indicating targets for the data showing the movements when the exercises indicated by the exercise program are performed is also presented. Therefore, by referring to the goal information, the pelvic floor muscles can be trained more effectively.

[0097] According to one embodiment, advice information is also presented, which provides advice according to the state of the acquired movement data. By referring to the advice information, the pelvic floor muscles can be trained more effectively.

[0098] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the exercise program combines exercises that involve sustained contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (long-term contraction training) with exercises that involve sudden contractions of the pelvic floor muscles (short-term contraction training), thereby training the pelvic floor muscles more effectively than when only one of these types of training is used as an exercise program.

[0099] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the exercise program is designed to treat and / or improve at least one of a pelvic floor disorder and a pelvic floor dysfunction, thereby enabling effective training of the pelvic floor muscles for the disorder being treated.

[0100] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, at least one of the pelvic floor disorders and pelvic floor dysfunctions is one that induces at least one of the following disorders: urinary incontinence (e.g., stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, etc.), overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence, thereby enabling effective training of the pelvic floor muscles for the disorder being treated.

[0101] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the movement data is acquired from the subject's pelvic floor muscles through the subject's skin, which makes it easier to acquire the movement data than if the movement data were acquired from inside the body.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the basic postures for long-term contraction training and short-term contraction training are the same, but this is not limiting. For example, the basic postures for long-term contraction training and short-term contraction training may be different. In this case, information indicating the basic postures for each type of training is registered in advance in the exercise program information database 33C, and the corresponding basic postures for long-term contraction training and short-term contraction training are presented.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the same advice is presented for both long-term contraction training and short-term contraction training based on a common standard (in this embodiment, the standard is based on contraction level), but this is not limiting. For example, advice for each type of training may be presented based on different standards.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the situation of the exercise performed by the trainee is represented by the size of the circle as shown in Figures 10 and 11, but this is not limiting. For example, as shown in Figure 13, the reference pattern and the movement data may be displayed superimposed on each other.

[0105] In addition, in the above embodiment, the screens shown in Figures 10 and 11 are given as examples of long-term contraction training support screens, and the screen shown in Figure 12 is given as an example of a short-term contraction training support screen, but each screen is not limited to these.

[0106] For example, examples of long-term contraction training support screens include those shown in Figures 14 and 15, and examples of short-term contraction training support screens include those shown in Figures 16 and 17. Note that Figure 14 is an example of a long-term contraction training support screen in the preparation stage, and Figure 15 is an example of a long-term contraction training support screen in this stage. Also, Figure 16 is an example of a short-term contraction training support screen in the preparation stage, and Figure 17 is an example of a short-term contraction training support screen in this stage.

[0107] 14 and 15, the long-term contraction training support screen displays a moving image of a rectangular wave representing the change in magnitude of the long-term contraction pattern in chronological order in the reference pattern information, and a moving image of a rectangular wave representing the change in magnitude of the movement data acquired from the myoelectric potential sensor 50 in chronological order. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, these screens display the current position of the movement data as a straight line extending in the left-right direction, and also display an outline of the training method, etc.

[0108] 16 and 17 show examples of short-term contraction training support screens. A circle 17A represents one cycle of a contraction pattern, and different colors (e.g., shades of color) represent contraction and relaxation (in the example of FIG. 17, darker colors represent contraction, and lighter colors represent relaxation). A center 17D of a circle 17B moves at a constant speed in one direction (e.g., clockwise) along the circle 17A, and its position represents the current position of the movement data. Furthermore, when the contraction degree, which is expressed as the ratio of the chronological size of the movement data acquired from the EMG sensor 50 to the chronological size of the short-term contraction pattern in the reference pattern information (at this time, the CPU 11 standardizes the size of the movement data as in the case of the long-term contraction pattern described above) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 50% or greater), the diameter of the circle 17B is displayed larger by a predetermined size than when the contraction degree does not reach the predetermined threshold. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17 , a circle 17C is displayed inside the circle 17B, with the exception of the center 17D, so that the circle 17B and the center 17D are common to each other. When the contraction degree does not reach the predetermined threshold, the circle 16B and the center 16D are displayed, as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 . Note that, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , the current position of the movement data is displayed as an animation on a line extending in the left-right direction on these screens, and an overview of the training method, etc., is also displayed.

[0109] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a circle representing the waveform of the long-term contraction pattern in the reference pattern information and a circle representing the waveform of the movement data acquired from the myoelectric potential sensor 50 are superimposed on each other on the long-term contraction training support screen in the training support process, allowing the subject to compare the waveforms themselves, but this is not limited to this. For example, the CPU 11 of the training support device 10 may store these waveforms in the memory 12 or storage unit 13 of the training support device 10 in real time and perform the comparison sequentially. Furthermore, advice information similar to that of the above embodiment may be displayed based on the results of this comparison.

[0110] Although not mentioned in the above embodiment, when the movement indicated by the movement data satisfies or does not satisfy the target indicated by the reference pattern information, a voice indicating this may be output by the voice output unit 19. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when outputting voices indicating both the case where the target is satisfied and the case where it is not satisfied, the tone of the voice may be changed depending on the case.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the training assistance device of the present disclosure is described as being applied to a portable training assistance device 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the training assistance device of the present disclosure may be applied to the server 30, or the training assistance device of the present disclosure may be applied to the electromyometer main body described above. Furthermore, the training assistance process according to the present embodiment may be shared and executed by a plurality of combinations of the training assistance device 10, the server 30, and the electromyometer main body.

[0112] Furthermore, the configurations of the various databases described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and it goes without saying that they may be modified as appropriate depending on the implementation mode, etc.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, for example, the following various processors can be used as the hardware structure of the processing unit that executes the processes of the motion presentation unit 11A, the acquisition unit 11B, and the information presentation unit 11C. As described above, the various processors include a CPU, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and functions as a processing unit, as well as a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electrical circuit, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed specifically for executing specific processes.

[0114] The processing unit may be configured with one of these various processors, or may be configured with a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a combination of multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA).The processing unit may also be configured with a single processor.

[0115] Examples of configuring the processing unit with a single processor include, first, a form in which one processor is configured with a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor functions as the processing unit, as typified by computers such as client and server. Second, a form in which a processor is used to realize the functions of the entire system, including the processing unit, on a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as typified by systems on chips (SoCs). In this way, the processing unit is configured using one or more of the various processors described above as a hardware structure.

[0116] Furthermore, more specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors can be an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0117] From the above description, the disclosure described in the following appendix can be understood.

[0118] [Supplementary Note 1] A training support device comprising: an exercise presentation unit that presents exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for training the pelvic floor muscles of a subject; an acquisition unit that acquires data indicating the time-series movements of the pelvic floor muscles of the subject while performing the exercises using an electromyography sensor; and an information presentation unit that presents information indicating the data acquired by the acquisition unit. [Supplementary Note 2] The training support device of Supplementary Note 1, wherein the pelvic floor muscles include at least one of the perineal muscles, levator ani muscles, external urethral sphincter, transverse perineal muscles, and coccygeus muscles. [Supplementary Note 3] The training support device of Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein the exercise presentation unit further presents goal information indicating a goal for the data when the subject performs the exercise indicated by the exercise program. [Supplementary Note 4] The training support device of any one of Supplements 1 to 3, wherein the information presentation unit further presents advice information indicating advice according to the state of the data acquired by the acquisition unit. [Supplementary Note 5] The training support device of any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the exercise program is a combination of exercises that cause sustained contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and exercises that cause instantaneous contraction of the pelvic floor muscles. [Supplementary Note 6] The training support device of any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein the exercise program is for at least one of treating and improving at least one of a pelvic floor disorder and a pelvic floor dysfunction. [Supplementary Note 7] The training support device of Supplementary Note 6, wherein at least one of the pelvic floor disorder and the pelvic floor dysfunction induces at least one of urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence. [Supplementary Note 8] The training support device of any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the data from the pelvic floor muscles of the subject through the skin of the subject. [Supplementary Note 9] A training support program for causing a computer to execute the following processes: presenting exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for a subject to train the pelvic floor muscles; acquiring data showing the time-series movements of the subject's pelvic floor muscles while the subject is performing the exercises using an electromyography sensor; and presenting information showing the acquired data.[Supplementary Note 10] A training support system comprising: the training support device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 8; and a server equipped with a memory unit that stores data acquired by an acquisition unit of the training support device for each of a plurality of predetermined subjects. [Supplementary Note 11] A non-transitory recording medium having recorded thereon a training support program for causing a computer to execute processes of presenting exercises indicated by a predetermined exercise program for a subject to train their pelvic floor muscles, acquiring data showing the time-series movements of the subject's pelvic floor muscles while performing the exercises using an electromyography sensor, and presenting information showing the acquired data.

[0119] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-172200 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In addition, all documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A training support device comprising: an exercise presentation unit that presents exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for a subject to train the pelvic floor muscles; an acquisition unit that acquires data showing the time-series movement of the subject's pelvic floor muscles while performing the exercises using an electromyogram sensor; and an information presentation unit that presents information showing the data acquired by the acquisition unit.

2. The training support device according to claim 1, wherein the pelvic floor muscles include at least one of a perineal muscle, a levator ani muscle, an external urethral sphincter muscle, a transverse perineal muscle, and a coccygeal muscle.

3. The training support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the exercise presentation unit further presents goal information indicating a goal for the data when the exercise indicated by the exercise program is performed.

4. The training support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information presenting unit further presents advice information indicating advice according to the state of the data acquired by the acquiring unit.

5. A training support device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the exercise program is a combination of exercises that cause sustained contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and exercises that cause sudden contraction of the pelvic floor muscles.

6. A training support device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the exercise program is for at least one of treating and improving at least one of a pelvic floor disorder and a pelvic floor functional disorder.

7. The training support device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the pelvic floor disorder and the pelvic floor functional disorder induces at least one of urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence.

8. The training support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the data from the pelvic floor muscles of the subject through the skin of the subject.

9. A training support program for causing a computer to execute a process that presents exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for training the pelvic floor muscles of a subject, acquires data showing the time-series movement of the pelvic floor muscles of the subject while performing the exercises using an electromyography sensor, and presents information showing the acquired data.

10. A training support system comprising: a training support device as described in claim 1; and a server equipped with a memory unit that stores data acquired by the acquisition unit of the training support device for each of a plurality of predetermined subjects.

11. A non-transitory recording medium having recorded thereon a training support program for causing a computer to execute the following processes: presenting exercises indicated by a pre-designed exercise program for training the pelvic floor muscles of a subject; acquiring data showing the time-series movement of the pelvic floor muscles of the subject while performing the exercises using an electromyography sensor; and presenting information showing the acquired data.

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