Health level calculation system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system for calculating a health level related to excretion of a user from toilet usage history and fecal properties at the time of excretion. A health state estimation system according to the present disclosure is characterized by comprising an acquisition means for acquiring excretion information of a user, a computation means for performing a predetermined computation on the basis of the excretion information, and a notification means for notifying of the result of the computation by the computation means, wherein the computation means calculates at least two health levels representing an excretion-related health state on the basis of the excretion information.

Description

Health Level Calculation System

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for calculating a user's health level for excretion based on toilet usage history and excretion information.

[0002] Since bowel movements are said to reflect the intestinal environment, there have been many proposals for systems that calculate health status by inputting bowel movements into a questionnaire, for example.

[0003] In recent years, in the super-aging society, statistics show that a high percentage of elderly people are aware of constipation (for example, the 2013 National Survey of Living Conditions, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). One reason for this is that as people get older, their intestinal activity declines, making them more susceptible to constipation. However, there are also large individual differences in how easily people are aware of constipation, and there are an increasing number of cases where people are unaware that their constipation has continued for a long time, leading to a serious condition and resulting in hospitalization.

[0004] Therefore, if it is possible to objectively grasp the state of bowel movements, such as whether or not a person is constipated, it can provide peace of mind not only to the person himself but also to his family and other caregivers.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a subject handwrites the details of their diet on a paper questionnaire, and the data is compared with past cases stored in a database to find similar patterns and estimate their health condition. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that improves convenience by allowing the input method for the questionnaire to be done using a tablet or PC.

[0006] On the other hand, in the medical field, it has been proposed to use a questionnaire to calculate the state of bowel movements as a health level (for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0007] JP 2022-157474 A Registered Utility Model No. 3239803

[0008] Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Constipation by Toshiki Ajimura

[0009] In the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, subjects fill out a questionnaire about their excretion status, i.e., they answer questions about the difficulty of excretion, which is dependent on the subjective opinion of the subject. However, subjective awareness of constipation varies greatly from person to person, making it less objective, and some elderly people may not remember the number of bowel movements or the time they defecate due to dementia. Therefore, the input information using a questionnaire lacks credibility, and it is difficult to grasp bowel movements. Furthermore, it is even more difficult to grasp detailed excretion status, such as the number of bowel movements, the time, amount, and shape of stool.

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the health level calculation system of the present invention comprises an acquisition means for acquiring excretion information of a user, a calculation means for performing a predetermined calculation based on the excretion information, and a display means for displaying the calculation results by the calculation means, and the calculation means calculates at least two health levels representing health conditions related to excretion based on the excretion information.

[0011] The health level calculation system of the present invention increases convenience by eliminating the need for the user to enter information into a medical questionnaire or to perform the required operations on the toilet device to measure their health condition, and allows the health level for excretion to be calculated simply by performing a series of defecations using the toilet device.In other words, by objectively understanding the state of bowel movements, this has the effect of providing peace of mind not only to the user but also to family members and other caregivers.

[0012] Furthermore, by calculating health levels by combining multiple factors such as number of bowel movements and duration, reliability can be improved. Furthermore, because bowel movements can be easily understood from multiple perspectives, such as constipation and diarrhea, users can understand bowel symptoms and abnormalities in more detail, enabling them to take appropriate measures and improve their health.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows an application example in the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an application example in the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an application example in the embodiment. Configuration diagram of a health level calculation system in the embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the relationship between feces falling information and defecation time in the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of health level display in the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of health level display in the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of health level notification display in the embodiment.

[0014] Hereinafter, a health level calculation system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] (Embodiment: Configuration) The present invention can be broadly divided into two types of configurations: one type in which each means of the health level calculation system is built into the toilet device 1 from the beginning (a type housed in the toilet device), as shown in Figure 1; and one type in which a separate health level calculation system is attached to an existing toilet device 1 later (a type attached to the toilet device), as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1 , in the type housed in a toilet device, the toilet device 1 includes, for example, a toilet bowl 2 , a toilet seat 3 , a toilet lid 4 , a toilet seat box 5 , a control means 11 , and an acquisition means 12 .

[0017] The toilet seat 3, toilet lid 4 and toilet seat box 5 are installed above the toilet bowl 2, and the control means 11 is housed inside the toilet seat box 5, for example.

[0018] The acquisition means 12, which will be described later, is a number of detection means (sensor modules), and is mainly attached to the toilet seat 3 or the toilet seat box 5 as shown in the figure.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, in the retrofit type toilet device, the toilet device 1 includes, for example, a toilet bowl 2, a toilet seat 3, a toilet lid 4, a sensor head 6, a sensor box 7, a control means 11, and an acquisition means 12.

[0020] The sensor head 6 and the sensor box 7 are connected by a wired cable, and the control means 11 is housed inside the sensor box 7, for example.

[0021] The acquisition means 12 are several detection means (sensor modules), which will be described later, and are housed inside the sensor head 6 as shown in the figure.

[0022] Regarding the positional relationship between the sensor head 6 and the toilet device 1, as shown in sensor heads 6a and 6b, the sensor heads are separate from the toilet device 1 and are attached to the toilet bowl 2 so that the acquisition means 12 can easily obtain information about the inside of the toilet bowl 2.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, in the retrofit type toilet device, after the sensor head 6c is attached to the toilet bowl 2, the rotatable toilet seat 3 is placed in a position where the user can sit on it (above the toilet bowl 2) when they defecate. Even in this state, the sensors of the acquisition means 12 of the sensor head 6c are not affected by the toilet seat 3, and it is possible to detect, for example, information that the user has sat on the toilet seat or information that excrement (urine or feces) has fallen into the toilet bowl.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the health level calculation system 10 is roughly divided into a control unit 11 and an acquisition unit 12 .

[0025] The acquisition means 12 includes at least one detection means for detecting various aspects of the user's toilet usage status and excretion status, and an information input means 13 such as a keyboard, touch panel, or microphone for the user to input the excretion status.

[0026] The seating detection means 14, which is one of the acquisition means 12, is a sensor that detects when a user sits on the toilet seat. In FIG. 1, a part of the toilet seat on which the user's weight rests is mechanically activated to detect electrical conduction using a mechanical switch, and in FIG. 3, a human presence sensor is housed in the sensor head 6c and detects the presence of a person by irradiating infrared light onto, for example, the anus or buttocks and receiving reflected light from the human body.

[0027] The excretion detection means 15 is a sensor module that detects when at least one of feces and urine falls into the toilet bowl during excretion, and can be a method that detects excrement from changes in images of the inside of the toilet bowl that are successively captured using a camera, or a method that uses the same principle as the human presence sensor described above to detect excrement by irradiating infrared rays or radio waves and receiving reflected light or waves from the falling excrement.

[0028] The excretion behavior detection means 16 photographs the inside of the toilet bowl, and may use a common visible light camera to capture images, or an infrared camera that is effective for capturing images in the dark, etc. Note that the same device as the excretion detection means 15 may be used.

[0029] The control means 11 performs measurement and judgment processing based on the input information detected by the acquisition means 12, while in the type in which the health level calculation system is housed in the toilet device 1, it sequentially controls load operations such as generating hot water by heater operation and showering water into the anus by pump operation.

[0030] The calculation means 17, which is one of the control means 11, measures the number of defecations, defecation time, defecation frequency, number and time of toilet use, and stool properties (stool shape, stool color, and stool volume) using images of the inside of the toilet bowl based on the information obtained from the acquisition means 12. Similarly, for urine, the number of urinations, urination time, urination frequency, and urine properties (urine color, urine volume, and urine turbidity) may be measured using images of the inside of the toilet bowl.

[0031] The calculation means 17 also determines multiple health factor levels based on the measured information. In this embodiment, five health factor levels are determined: three health factor levels (hereinafter referred to as the first to third constipation factor levels) for estimating a health level associated with the severity of constipation symptoms (hereinafter referred to as the constipation level), and two health factor levels (hereinafter referred to as the first and second diarrhea factor levels) for estimating a health level associated with the severity of diarrhea symptoms (hereinafter referred to as the diarrhea level). An overview of each calculation method is provided below. Specific calculation methods will be described later.

[0032] First constipation factor level (hereinafter referred to as defecation time level): Determines the level of the average defecation time over a predetermined period (e.g., one day or one week) based on defecation time information. Note that other representative values ​​such as the median or maximum value may be used instead of the average value.

[0033] Second constipation factor level (hereinafter referred to as "defecation frequency level"): Based on the defecation frequency information, the number of defecations in a predetermined period (for example, one day or one week), i.e., the level of defecation frequency, is determined. Note that information on the amount of stool may also be added in addition to the number of defecations to determine the level of the amount of stool in a predetermined period.

[0034] Third constipation factor level (hereinafter referred to as "hard stool frequency level"): Based on information on the number of defecations and stool shape, the percentage of defecations in a predetermined period (for example, one day or one week) in which the stool is hard (Bristol scale type 1 or type 2) is determined, i.e., the level of the frequency of hard stools. Note that information on the amount of stool may also be added in addition to the number of defecations and stool shape to determine the level of the total amount of hard stool relative to the total amount of stool in the predetermined period.

[0035] First diarrhea element level (hereinafter referred to as diarrhea volume level): Based on information on the number of bowel movements, stool shape, and stool volume, the level of the total volume of stool with diarrheal stool shape (Bristol scale type 6 or type 7) over a specified period (e.g., one day or one week) is determined.

[0036] Second diarrhea factor level (hereinafter referred to as diarrhea frequency level): Based on information on the number of bowel movements and stool form, the percentage of bowel movements in a specified period (e.g., one day or one week) in which the stool form is diarrheal (Bristol scale type 6 or type 7) is determined, i.e., the level of diarrhea frequency is determined.

[0037] Some or all of the health element levels may be the excretion information itself. For example, the number of bowel movements itself may be used as the health element level. Furthermore, the calculation means 17 calculates the user's health level for excretion based on the information on each health element level.

[0038] The memory means 18 stores the sensor data acquired by the acquisition means 12, images of the inside of the toilet bowl taken with a camera, and the number, frequency, and properties of feces and urine measured by the calculation means 17, as well as the health factor level and health level.

[0039] The notification means 20 is a means for notifying the user of information grasped by the control means 11, and may be an LCD display attached to the surface of the toilet seat box 5 or the sensor box 7 (not shown), or an LCD display attached to the surface of the remote control if the toilet device 1 has a function involving remote control operation, or a smartphone or smart speaker wirelessly connected to the control means 11, or any display method that allows the user to easily check the information.

[0040] (Embodiment: Operation and Function) The following describes the operation, function, and effect of health level calculation system 10. Note that although the following describes stool, similar operations may also be applied to urine to obtain information about urination and determine urination characteristics, health level, and the like.

[0041] When using the toilet device 1 to defecate, the user opens the toilet lid 4 and sits on the toilet seat 3 located on the toilet bowl 2, as shown in the positional relationship in Figures 1 and 3. After the user sits down, the control means 11 detects the first time point, which is the timing when the user sits down, using the seating detection means 14, and at the same time, the control means 11 begins sequentially detecting the condition inside the toilet bowl 2 as an image using the stool condition detection means 16 (for example, a visible light camera). Generally, the user will start breathing at this timing to encourage defecation.

[0042] Thereafter, when the first defecation begins, the control means 11 detects the second time, which is the timing when the stool falls into the toilet bowl 2 (i.e., the toilet bowl), using the excretion detection means 15. Note that the detection range of the excretion behavior detection means may be set to include the area above the toilet bowl so that part of the body is captured, and the second time may be the timing when the stool begins to come out of the user's body, or the timing when the stool leaves the user's body, rather than the timing when the stool falls into the toilet bowl 2, or each of these multiple timings may be detected and the median value thereof may be used as the second time.

[0043] The user then takes several breaths and defecates. After the user has completed the final defecation, he or she leaves the toilet seat 3, and the seating detection means 14 detects that the user has left the seat. At the same time, the control means 11 uses the excretion detection means 15 to detect a third time, which is the timing when the last stool falls inside the toilet bowl 2 (i.e., the toilet bowl). At the same time, the control means 11 stops the excretion behavior detection means 16 from detecting images of the inside of the toilet bowl 2. The control means 11 stores the time information and image information detected by the acquisition means 12 in the storage means 18. The time information and image information include date information.

[0044] The calculation means 17 measures the defecation time, number of defecations, defecation frequency, and stool properties in the following manner.

[0045] First, the method for measuring the defecation time will be described.

[0046] At least one of three types of defecation time is calculated using the first to third times detected by the acquisition means 12.

[0047] The first defecation time is the measured time from the first time to the second time, i.e., the first defecation time is the time required from the time the user sits on the toilet device 1 to the time the user starts defecation.

[0048] The second defecation time is the measured time from the second time to the third time, i.e., the time required from the time the user starts defecation to the time the user finishes the last defecation.

[0049] The third defecation time is the measured time from the first time to the third time, i.e., the time required from the time the user sits on the toilet device 1 to the time the user finishes defecation.

[0050] Here, the calculation means 17 determines only one optimal defecation time for calculating the health level, taking into consideration the reliability of each of the first to third measured defecation times.

[0051] For example, it is advisable to use the third defecation time (i.e., the time taken from when the user sits on the toilet device 1 to when the user finishes their last defecation). The length of the third defecation time is clearly longer than the lengths of the first and second defecation times, and this is because the present invention is based on the premise that the length of the defecation time is approximately proportional to the degree of difficulty in bowel movements, which is accompanied by pain such as straining by the user to stimulate defecation. For example, it is advantageous to set the threshold time for determining that a user is already constipated to "30 minutes or more" and the threshold time for determining that a user is just starting to constipate to "20 minutes or more but less than 30 minutes," with a relatively large range of threshold values ​​(e.g., 10-minute intervals) because some variation in defecation time each time has little effect on the accuracy of the determination.

[0052] Furthermore, to confirm the reliability of the currently measured third defecation time, the calculation means 17 compares the currently measured third defecation time with the previously measured third defecation time stored in the memory means 18. For example, if the difference between them is within 10 minutes, the calculation means 17 is convinced that the third defecation time is not significantly different from the most recently measured third defecation time and is a stable value, and determines the third defecation time to be the defecation time to be used this time.

[0053] Meanwhile, in recent years, with the diversification of toilet usage patterns, it is not uncommon for users to bring their smartphones into the toilet to engage in activities other than excretion, such as reading or browsing the web. In this case, the third defecation time may be unstable, such as 30 minutes one day and 15 minutes the next, and the second defecation time may also be unstable. If the third defecation time is determined to be unstable and unreliable, the first defecation time (i.e., the time from when the user sits on the toilet device 1 to when defecation begins) is determined to be the defecation time to be used this time. Many users tend to focus on breathing to stimulate defecation between the time they start using the toilet device 1 and the time when defecation begins, which means that smartphone use is less likely to have an impact. However, because the first defecation time is significantly shorter than the third defecation time, the first defecation time may be multiplied by a predetermined multiplier (e.g., 3 times) to output the current defecation time.

[0054] In this embodiment, only one optimal defecation time is determined for calculating the health level while taking into consideration the credibility of each of the first to third defecation times, but it is also possible to simply adopt any one of the first to third defecation times as the defecation time, and the calculation means 17 may use that defecation time to calculate the second constipation factor level based on Table 3. In this case, for example, the third defecation time may be adopted because the length of the third defecation time is clearly longer than the lengths of the first and second defecation times.

[0055] Alternatively, the first defecation time (i.e., the time required from when the user sits on the toilet device 1 to when defecation begins), which has a relatively high correlation with constipation but a relatively low correlation with diarrhea, may be used. Specifically, constipation generally tends to result in a longer first defecation time as well as a longer third defecation time due to factors such as hard stool and weak intestinal force to expel stool. On the other hand, diarrhea results in soft stool, which is easier to expel from the anus than hard or normal stool, and therefore the first defecation time is often short. However, in the case of diarrhea, the third defecation time is not necessarily short and may be longer because the defecation may be accompanied by abdominal pain and occur little by little. Therefore, the first defecation time may be used because it is considered more suitable for indexing the severity of constipation symptoms while suppressing the influence of diarrhea.

[0056] Alternatively, the defecation time may be the time from when the user sits on the toilet device 1 to when they leave the toilet device 1. This increases the defecation time even if the user feels like there is still stool left after their last bowel movement and takes a breath, increasing the likelihood of detecting more constipation symptoms. Furthermore, a sensor that detects the pulse waves of the user's thighs may be provided inside or on the surface of the toilet seat 3, or a camera that captures the user's posture and facial expression may be provided in the toilet space to detect the level of the user's breathing, and the defecation time may be the time from when the user starts breathing to when the user finishes breathing. This allows a relatively long defecation time to be used while minimizing the impact of using a smartphone or other device in the toilet, thereby reducing the impact on the accuracy of the determination even if there is some variation in the defecation time each time.

[0057] Next, a method for measuring the number of defecations and defecation frequency will be described. The series of defecation actions in which the user sits on the toilet seat 3 of the toilet device 1, defecates, and then leaves the toilet seat 3 (i.e., leaves the toilet room) is counted as one defecation. The calculation means 17 outputs three types of defecation frequency as measured values: the number of defecations per day, the number of defecations per week, and the number of defecations per month.

[0058] Next, the methods for measuring stool properties (stool shape, stool color, and stool volume) will be explained. First, the method for measuring stool shape will be explained.

[0059] The excretion property detection means 16 (for example, a visible light camera) constantly photographs the inside of the toilet bowl 2, and constantly photographs images of feces falling after being expelled from the anus and submerged in water after falling into the accumulated water at the bottom of the toilet bowl.

[0060] With the recent advancement of AI technology, there have been proposals to measure submerged stool images into seven categories using the Bristol Scale, an evaluation tool widely used in the medical community. However, the actual water at the bottom of the toilet bowl can be dark yellow due to the subject's urine color, or dark blue if the subject uses toilet cleaner, making it difficult to determine the shape of the submerged stool. Therefore, first, an image of the stool falling and scattering in the air is used. Since this is likely to be a stool with a high water content (i.e., diarrheal stool), a measurement value is output indicating whether or not the stool is diarrheal. Then, a measurement value of seven categories using the Bristol Scale is output from the submerged stool image. Note that the number of categories for stool shape does not have to be seven. For example, Bristol Scale types 1 and 2 can be lumped together as hard stool, types 3 to 5 as normal stool, type 6 as diarrhea, and type 7 as watery stool, resulting in a total of four measurement categories.

[0061] Next, the method for measuring stool color will be described. The calculation means 17 identifies the color based on the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) values ​​and HSV (Hue-Saturation-Value) values ​​of the stool image from the excretion characteristic detection means 16, through a predetermined threshold judgment process.

[0062] Finally, we will explain how to measure stool volume. As with stool color, the number of pixels in the area estimated to be stool is calculated based on the RGB and HSV values ​​of the stool image. By determining the size of the toilet bowl in advance, the amount of stool is output as a measurement value by comparing it with the size of the stool in the stool image. The measurement value is output after being classified into multiple levels based on a predetermined threshold. For example, two thresholds are set, and if the stool volume is below the first threshold, it is output as "small," if it is above the first threshold and below the second threshold, it is output as "normal," and if it is above the second threshold, it is output as "large."

[0063] The determination may be made by other methods such as using edge extraction, machine learning, or deep learning.

[0064] In this way, the calculation means 17 can output the defecation time, number of defecations, defecation frequency, and stool properties as measured values.

[0065] Thereafter, the calculation means 17 determines the level of each health element based on the information on the defecation time, number of defecations, defecation frequency, and stool properties, using a comparison table of excretion information and health element level values ​​such as Tables 1 to 3. Note that instead of using the comparison table, the health element level may be determined by other methods, such as determining the health element level using a regression equation or machine learning based on biological information.

[0066]

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] Tables 1 to 3 are examples of judgment tables for judging the level of each element of the bowel movement situation.

[0070] The method for determining the level of each health factor is explained below.

[0071] First constipation factor level (defecation time level): Based on the defecation time information, the level of the representative value (average, median, maximum, etc.) of defecation time over a specified period (e.g., one day, one week, or one defecation act) is determined on a 5-point scale from 0 to 4 points, with reference to the item on time required for defecation in Table 3.

[0072] Second constipation factor level (defecation frequency level): Based on the defecation frequency information, the level of defecation frequency over a specified period (e.g., one week or one month) is determined on a five-point scale from 0 to 4 points, referring to the defecation frequency item in Table 3.

[0073] Third constipation factor level (frequency level of hard stool): Based on information on the number of defecations and the shape of the stool, the percentage of the number of times the stool is hard (Bristol scale type 1 or type 2) out of the number of times the stool is excreted in a specified period (for example, one day or one week) is determined on a 5-point scale from 0 to 4, referring to Table 1.

[0074] First diarrhea element level (diarrhea volume level): Based on information on the number of bowel movements, stool shape, and stool volume, the level of the total volume of stool with diarrheal stool shape (Bristol scale type 6 or type 7) over a specified period (for example, one day or one week) is determined on a five-point scale from 0 to -4 points with reference to Table 1. In this embodiment, the stool volume is converted into a numerical value of 1 point for small amounts, 3 points for normal amounts, and 5 points for large amounts, and then the sum for the specified period is calculated and used to determine the threshold value.

[0075] Second diarrhea factor level (diarrhea frequency level): Based on information on the number of defecations and stool form, the percentage of defecations with diarrheal form (Bristol scale type 6 or type 7) among the number of defecations over a specified period (e.g., one day or one week) is determined on a five-point scale from 0 to -4, with reference to Table 1.

[0076] Here, the level of each health element does not have to be five levels. For example, it may be two levels from 0 to 1, that is, the result of determining whether a predetermined condition is met. Alternatively, it may be the biological information itself input to the level determination means. For example, the amount of stool may be input to the level determination means, and the value of the amount of stool itself may be output as one of the constipation element levels and used to determine the constipation level. Furthermore, instead of a numerical value such as a score, the level may be output in other ways, such as with text such as normal, slightly constipated, or constipated, with colors such as white, yellow, orange, or red, or with pictures such as a smiling, gloomy, or crying face.

[0077] The calculation means 17 calculates the user's health level related to excretion based on the information on the level of each health element determined by the level determination means.

[0078] Specifically, the constipation level is calculated as the sum of the level values ​​of the first to third constipation factor levels (0 to 12 points). This value may be further divided by 12 and multiplied by 10 to calculate the constipation level as a score of 0 to 10. Similarly, the diarrhea level is calculated as the sum of the level values ​​of the first to second diarrhea factor levels (0 to -8 points). This value may be further divided by 8 and multiplied by 10 to calculate the diarrhea level as a score of 0 to -10. The level determination means may calculate the health level using a method other than the sum of the level values ​​of each health factor level. For example, the maximum value of the level values ​​of the first to third constipation factor levels may be determined as the constipation level. In this case, the constipation level is determined on a five-point scale from 0 to 4 points. Alternatively, the health level may be calculated using a regression equation or the like based on the health factor levels.

[0079] By calculating the constipation level and diarrhea level separately, the levels of constipation and diarrhea will not cancel each other out, for example, when constipation and diarrhea occur simultaneously, making it possible to more accurately understand the situation and appropriately respond.

[0080] The constipation level and diarrhea level may be combined and calculated as a single health level. Specifically, the health level may be the sum of the constipation level and diarrhea level calculated using the above-described method. For example, if the constipation level is 1 and the diarrhea level is -3, the health level is output as -2. Although it is not possible to grasp the situation in as much detail as when calculating the levels individually as described above, since the excretion status can be grasped with just one index, even users who lack the skills and knowledge of caregiving or nursing can easily understand the excretion status. Similarly, two health levels that represent roughly opposing trends, such as the urination frequency level and the oliguria level, may be combined and calculated as a single health level.

[0081] In addition, in this embodiment, the defecation time level, defecation frequency level, hard stool frequency level, diarrhea volume level, and diarrhea frequency level are calculated, but any health element level may be selected in advance from the above and calculated depending on the defecation condition to be checked, such as constipation or diarrhea of ​​the subject, or the user may be allowed to select the health element level to be calculated. For example, if the defecation time level and the defecation frequency level are selected as the constipation element level, the constipation level is the sum of the defecation time level and the defecation frequency level, and the hard stool frequency level is not used in the calculation.

[0082] In this embodiment, the health levels are the constipation level and the diarrhea level, but health levels representing other health conditions may also be used. Health levels related to excretion, such as the frequent urination level, dysuria level, oliguria level, urinary retention level, incontinence level, and colon cancer level, may also be used, as well as other health levels, such as the high blood pressure level, lifestyle-related disease level, motor function level, and sleep quality level. For example, in the case of the urination difficulty level, the urination time level is calculated using the same method as the defecation time level, and the urination frequency level is calculated using the same method as the defecation frequency level, and the sum of these levels can be calculated as the urination difficulty level.

[0083] As in the present embodiment, a higher level value may indicate a worse state of excretion, or a higher level value may indicate a better state of health. Furthermore, based on information on these health levels and health factor levels, the type of constipation, such as rectal constipation or atonic constipation, or the type of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), such as constipation type, diarrhea type, or mixed type, may be estimated. By calculating the health level on a daily basis and storing it in the storage means 18, the user's excretion trends can be grasped on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. For example, individual characteristics can be grasped, such as a tendency to experience excretion difficulties (painful constipation or diarrhea) during seasonal changes, or a tendency for excretion burden to be reduced by participating in regular events (e.g., exercises or dinner parties) held in the community or facility.

[0084] The time for the level calculation process may be preset to a predetermined time, such as midnight, or may be initially set by the user when starting use, or may be changeable at any time. The score may be updated multiple times per day, or the update frequency may be user-configurable. By allowing the user to configure the score, it is possible to refer to a level value reflecting the most recent excretion status at any time when the excretion status needs to be monitored, which often varies from facility to facility, such as during handovers at nursing homes. Urine excretion detection and level determination may also be performed similarly. Since it is difficult to estimate the volume of urine from images taken after dropping, it must be detected based on images taken during dropping. In images of urine dropping, a urine region is extracted and its area and thickness are calculated using image processing such as RGB or HSV thresholding and edge enhancement. A value equivalent to the urine flow rate is estimated by multiplying this value by a predetermined coefficient, and then multiplying it by the imaging time interval and integrating it to estimate the volume of urine.

[0085] The information acquired by the acquisition means may be information related to defecation and urination as in the present embodiment, or may be other biological information such as body temperature and blood pressure. Furthermore, it may be attribute information such as age and gender, or lifestyle information such as amount of exercise, dietary content, and intake. Furthermore, biological information, attribute information, and lifestyle information may be used in combination.

[0086] These health levels and trends can be displayed on an LCD display attached to the surface of the remote control (not shown) of the toilet device 1, which is an example of the notification means 20, so that the user can have an opportunity to consult a doctor or other medical professional even if they are not aware of any abnormalities in their excretion status, such as constipation.Furthermore, by displaying the health levels and trends on a smartphone screen connected to the control means 11, which is an example of the notification means 20, via the Internet, not only the user but also caregivers such as family members and nursing staff at elderly care facilities and medical professionals can objectively understand the user's bowel movement status.This can prevent digestive disorders caused by constipation from becoming more serious by changing the care content, for example, by changing the menu or the exercise program within the facility.It is expected that this information will be useful in assessing constipation and diarrhea and diagnosing IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) during biweekly home visits at elderly care facilities.

[0087] FIG. 6 shows an example of a health level display method. The date of acquisition of the displayed data and the name of the user for whom excretion information is to be acquired are displayed at the top of the screen. Below that, the health level and its breakdown, the health element levels, are displayed in tabular format, showing the value for that day and representative values ​​(e.g., average, median, maximum, etc.) for a specified period (e.g., one week or one month). The date can be changed, allowing for display of not only the current day but also past data. Below that, the health level for a specified period (e.g., one week, one month, one year, etc.) is displayed in a graph. The graph may be a bar graph or other display format such as a line graph. In this embodiment, a stacked bar graph is used, and the health element levels, which are the breakdown of the health level, are also displayed graphically. Displaying the health element levels, which are the breakdown of the health level, along with the health level, allows the user to understand symptoms in more detail and make decisions about how to respond. In this embodiment, the health level is the sum of the health element levels. Therefore, displaying all health element levels allows the user to easily understand the impact of each element on the health level, i.e., the main symptoms. This enables appropriate response according to the symptoms. It is also possible to display only information related to the health factor level with the highest value, rather than displaying all health factor levels. For example, if the frequency of hard stools is the highest among the constipation factor levels, the constipation level is displayed along with a message such as "It appears that the number of hard stools is increasing." This allows users to grasp important information in a shorter time without having to spend time checking detailed data one by one, and allows them to understand the excretion status of many toilet users even when they are busy and short on time.

[0088] The tables and stacked bar graphs display the defecation time level, defecation frequency level, hard stool frequency level, diarrhea volume level, and diarrhea frequency level, but any level from the above may be pre-selected and displayed depending on the defecation condition that the subject wishes to check, such as constipation or diarrhea, or the user may be allowed to select the level to be displayed.

[0089] The table and graph do not have to be displayed on the same screen, but may be displayed on separate screens. The graph may also be displayed in a bar graph showing only the values ​​for the day rather than the time course, or the breakdown may not be displayed, or the diarrhea level may be displayed as a positive value rather than a negative value, or other methods may be used.

[0090] In this embodiment, the health level is calculated as a constipation level and a diarrhea level, and each value is displayed on the same screen in at least one of a table format and a graph format. This allows for easy understanding of constipation and diarrhea trends at a glance. Furthermore, in FIG. 6 , the time axis for the constipation level and the diarrhea level is set to move in approximately the same direction (rightward). Regarding the axes relating to the health level values, the constipation level axis is set to move upward as the degree of constipation worsens, and the diarrhea level axis is set to move downward as the degree of diarrhea worsens, with the directions of worsening of each condition being set to be approximately opposite. This allows the user to visually and intuitively easily understand whether they are prone to constipation or diarrhea, whether they have both constipation and diarrhea, or whether they are neither constipated nor diarrhea, improving usability and enabling efficient understanding of their excretion status even during busy work hours. In this embodiment, the constipation level is a positive value and the diarrhea level is a negative value, resulting in the positive directions of the axes being consistent. However, for example, both the constipation level and diarrhea level may be positive values, with the positive direction of the constipation level axis pointing upward and the positive direction of the diarrhea level axis pointing downward. The graphs may also be arranged so that they are roughly inverted, horizontally rather than vertically. Alternatively, the constipation level and diarrhea level may be summed to calculate a single health level and displayed graphically. In this case, there is only one graph, and the vertical axis can range from positive values ​​(maximum 12 points) to negative values ​​(minimum -8 points). While it may be difficult to grasp symptoms of both constipation and diarrhea, it is possible to easily grasp, with a single indicator, whether a person is prone to constipation, diarrhea, or normal.

[0091] The health level may be displayed as shown in Figure 7. The upper part of the screen displays the excretion information used to calculate the health level and its breakdown, the health element level, in a table format, showing the value for the day and representative values ​​(e.g., average, median, maximum, etc.) for a specified period in the past (e.g., one week or one month). By displaying the excretion information used as the basis for the calculation along with the health level, the user can grasp the excretion situation in detail using quantitative indicators that more directly represent the actual situation. The health element level may also be displayed along with the health level and excretion information.

[0092] Below the table, a line graph shows the health level for a given period (e.g., one week, one month, one year, etc.). Unlike Figure 6, the health element levels are not shown on the graph. This reduces the amount of information available, but makes it easier to visually grasp the progress of the health level.

[0093] A display or other means may be used to notify the user when a health level or health element level meets a predetermined condition. For example, a notification may be issued when a predetermined value is exceeded for at least one of the health levels or health element levels. The predetermined value may be a fixed value such as 4 points or -6 points, or a representative value (maximum, minimum, third quartile, etc.) over a predetermined period of the past (e.g., one week, one month, one year). Alternatively, a notification may be issued when the difference between a representative value (e.g., average, median, maximum, etc.) over a predetermined period of the past (e.g., one week, one month, one year) and the current health level or health element level for at least one of the health levels or health element levels exceeds a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be a fixed value such as 1 point or 2 points, or a variable value (e.g., standard deviation) corresponding to the variation over the predetermined period of the past. Other methods, such as applying a change detection algorithm using machine learning, may also be used. The notification method may be an icon such as the "!" symbol in Figures 6 and 7, a message, or other methods such as audio. Figure 8 shows an example of a display method for displaying a list of each user's excretion status. Notifications may be made on such a list screen. For example, a notification area such as the "Notification" area in Figure 8 may be provided, and notifications may be made there using icons or messages. This allows users to easily identify subjects with notable changes without having to check the health levels of all toilet users, thereby enabling them to grasp the situations of many subjects and take action more quickly. Furthermore, clicking or touching a notification icon on the list screen may be controlled to transition to a health level display screen such as those in Figures 6 and 7. This allows users to easily grasp detailed information about the notified subject, such as their health level, health element level, and excretion information, with minimal operation, thereby improving convenience. A button such as the "Last Notification" button may be provided at the bottom of Figure 7, and clicking or touching this button may display data from the date of the last notification. Instead of "previous notification," it may be written as "notification history," and when the button is pressed, the dates on which multiple past notifications were made are displayed, and by selecting a date, the data for that date is displayed.This makes it easy to obtain more detailed information about the subject, such as whether they have experienced similar changes in the past.

[0094] As described above, the health level calculation system of the present invention makes it easy to understand bowel movement conditions by accurately measuring the number of bowel movements and stool properties, and can be applied not only to humans but also to health management systems based on vital data of livestock and pets.

[0095] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Toilet device 2 Toilet bowl 3 Toilet seat 4 Toilet lid 5 Toilet seat box 6 Sensor head 6a Sensor head 6b Sensor head 6c Sensor head 7 Sensor box 10 Health level calculation system 11 Control means 12 Acquisition means 13 Information input means 14 Sitting detection means 15 Excretion detection means 16 Excretion property detection means 17 Calculation means 18 Storage means 20 Notification means

Claims

1. A health condition estimation system comprising an acquisition means for acquiring a user's excretion information, a calculation means for performing a predetermined calculation based on the excretion information, and a display means for displaying the calculation results by the calculation means, wherein the calculation means calculates at least two health levels representing a health condition related to excretion based on the excretion information.

2. The health condition estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the health level includes information indicating the severity of constipation symptoms and the severity of diarrhea symptoms.

3. The health condition estimation system according to claim 2, wherein the severity of constipation and diarrhea symptoms is expressed as a single health level, and the severity of either constipation or diarrhea is expressed as a positive value and the severity of the other symptom is expressed as a negative value.

4. The health condition estimation system according to claim 2, wherein the severity of constipation symptoms is calculated as the constipation level, and the severity of diarrhea symptoms is calculated as the diarrhea level.

5. The health condition estimation system according to claim 4, wherein the changes in the constipation level and the diarrhea level over a predetermined period are displayed in graph form on the same screen of the notification means.

6. The health condition estimation system according to claim 5, wherein in the graph, the time axis is in approximately the same direction for the constipation level and the diarrhea level, and the axis relating to the health level value is in approximately opposite directions for the constipation level and the diarrhea level.

7. A health state estimation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the calculation means calculates a plurality of health element levels based on the excretion information, and further calculates the health level based on the plurality of health element levels, and the notification means notifies information related to the health element level together with the health level.

8. The health condition estimation system according to claim 7, wherein the notification means notifies at least information relating to the health factor level having the largest value.

9. The health condition estimation system according to claim 7, wherein information relating to all of the health element levels is notified.

10. The health condition estimation system according to claim 7, wherein the excretion information used to calculate the health factor level to be notified is notified.

11. A health condition estimation system according to claim 7, further comprising a detection means for detecting excretion information of a user, and the excretion information obtained by said detection means is acquired by said acquisition means.

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