JP6880529B2 - Excretion imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an excrement photographing device that is attached to a flush toilet and captures an image of excrement.

As a conventional excrement photographing device, in order to compare with the clinically general Bristol scale, a device that captures and manages an excrement image when excreted with a toilet bowl is known. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.).
In addition, when multiple patients use one stool as in a hospital, we acquire personal authentication data to identify the excretor so that we can manage which patient the captured image data belongs to. It is also known that the personal authentication data and the excrement image data are output (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

However, in the conventional excrement photographing device, it is necessary to install a device for photographing and collecting image data of excrement integrally with the toilet bowl or another toilet seat device, and it is necessary to install the toilet bowl or the toilet seat. In some cases, the toilet bowl and toilet seat device had to be replaced according to the excrement imaging device, which has a shorter life than the device.

Japanese Patent No. 3204400 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-031655

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and in the present invention, a toilet bowl / toilet seat device as a sanitary equipment having a different life as a product, and excrement imaging used for clinical application. The purpose is to properly arrange the functions.

According to the invention according to claim 1 in order to achieve the above object, it is an excrement photographing device attached to a flush toilet and taking an image of excrement, and is a toilet seat device attached above the flush toilet. When, with a plate portion attached to the rear upper surface of the bowl portion which the user performs the excretion in the flush toilet, and a function box portion depending from the lateral direction of the end portion of the plate portion, the plate portion, It is sandwiched and fixed between the upper surface of the flush toilet and the bottom surface of the toilet seat device, and on the lower surface of the plate portion, a photographing means for photographing excrement and generating image data is provided in the bowl. The function box unit is provided so as to face the unit, and houses a control means for controlling the operation of the photographing means and an output means for outputting image data generated by the photographing means to the outside. It is characterized by being done.
Therefore, in general, when assembling a flush toilet and an excrement imaging device having different lifespans, each can be arranged and combined separately, so that there is no excessive burden and the imaging means is the user. It is possible to arrange it so that it does not come into the line of sight of the user, and it has become possible to prevent the user from being concerned about the existence of the photographing means and causing a mental problem.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, the plate portion further includes an excrement detecting means for detecting excrement excreted in the bowl portion, and the controlling means is provided by the excrement detecting means. It is characterized in that imaging by the imaging means is started after detecting excrement.
Therefore, it has become possible to take a reliable image of excrement that is not obstructed by foreign matter such as toilet paper immediately after excretion is performed by the excrement detecting means. In addition, the user of the excrement image can efficiently collect necessary information without taking a long time to confirm the excrement image.

Further, according to the invention of claim 3, the excrement detecting means can detect both stool and urine as excrement, and the controlling means is either stool or urine from the excrement detecting means. It is characterized in that the photographing by the photographing means is started based on the detection.
Therefore, not only the digestive system that requires stool condition management, but also the urinary tract disease that requires urine excretion status management, and the condition management before and after surgery that requires metabolic control based on urine volume. Can now be done. This also eliminates the need for the excretor to identify whether the excretion was stool or urine, and also improves usability.

Further, according to the invention of claim 4, the personal identification means for acquiring the personal identification data for identifying the user is further provided, and the control means includes the personal identification data acquired by the personal identification means and the photographing means. It is characterized in that it integrates with the image data taken by the above and outputs it from the output means.
Therefore, the image data of the excrement and the personal identification data can be used in combination, and the user of the excrement image can confirm the state of the excrement without making a mistake in the individual.

According to the present invention, it is possible to separately arrange and combine the flush toilet bowl and the excrement imaging device, which generally have different lifespans, as commercial products, so that there is no excessive burden and the imaging is performed. It is possible to arrange the means so that they do not come into the line of sight of the user, and the effect is that the user can suppress the occurrence of mental problems by worrying about the existence of the shooting means. is there.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the excrement photographing apparatus in embodiment of this invention to a flush toilet. It is a system block diagram which shows the structure of the excrement photographing apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which attached the sanitary cleaning apparatus to the excrement photographing apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a water level change graph which shows an example of excrement detection of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the excrement photographing apparatus in embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the excrement photographing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the excrement photographing device according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to a flush toilet.

As shown in FIG. 1, the excrement photographing device 1 is used by being attached to a flush toilet 100. The flush toilet 100 has a bowl-shaped bowl portion 102 for the user to excrete. An ascending pipe (not shown) extending diagonally upward is formed from the bottom of the bowl portion 102, and water is collected at the bottom of the bowl portion 102 by this ascending pipe. Further, above the rear part of the flush toilet 100, a washing water tank 104 for storing the washing water supplied toward the bowl part 102 is fixed. The excrement such as stool and urine discharged to the bowl portion 102 is discharged to a drainage pipe (not shown) provided in the building by the washing water supplied from the washing water tank 104.

The excrement photographing device 1 is provided with a flat plate portion 2 placed on the upper surface of the flush toilet 100 and a rough functional box provided so as to hang downward from the left end portion of the plate portion 2. It has a part 4. The inside of the functional box portion 4 has a storage space that is longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction, and control means and the like described later are stored in this storage space. Further, the plate portion 2 is formed with a pair of through holes 5 corresponding to the toilet seat mounting holes (not shown) formed in the flush toilet 100. By fixing the local cleaning device 200 (see FIG. 3) to the flush toilet 100 with the toilet seat mounting bolt (not shown) inserted in the through hole 5, the plate portion 2 becomes the upper surface and the local portion of the flush toilet 100. It is sandwiched and fixed between the cleaning device 200 and the bottom surface.

The photographing means 6 is fixed to the lower surface of the plate portion 2 so as to face the bowl portion 102. The photographing means 6 is a camera using a CCD, and photographs the inside of the bowl portion 102, particularly the area of the sealed water, to generate digitized image data. Further, next to the photographing means 6, the excrement detecting means 8 is fixed so as to face the inside of the bowl portion 102. The excrement detecting means 8 is an ultrasonic sensor, which detects the excrement that has fallen into the sealing water by detecting the change in the water level of the sealing water at the bottom of the bowl portion 102 by the change in the ultrasonic reflection time. is there.

Further, a personal identification means 10 is provided on the wall surface of the toilet room. In the present embodiment, an inpatient in a hospital is assumed as a user, and therefore, the personal identification means 10 is configured by a barcode reader. The personal identification means 10 reads a barcode including personal magazine identification data (ID number) for identifying the individual patient printed on a wristband or the like held by the inpatient, and the read data is used as a function box. It is configured to be capable of wireless transmission toward the unit 4.

Next, the function of the excrement photographing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a system block diagram showing the configuration of the excrement photographing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the function box unit 4 houses a control means 12 for controlling the operation of the photographing means 6 and the excrement detecting means 8. The detailed control operation by the control means 12 will be described later.

Further, the function box unit 4 houses a receiving means 14 for receiving a signal including personal identification data wirelessly transmitted from the personal identification means 10. The control means 12 integrates the personal identification data received by the receiving means 14 with the image data of the excrement photographed by the photographing means 6, and outputs the personal identification data as one set of output data to the transmitting means 16. The transmission means 16 wirelessly transmits the output data of the set to the router 50 installed in the toilet room. This router 50 is a relay terminal in wireless communication, and a commercially available device can be installed and used in the toilet room (see FIG. 3).

The output data transmitted to the router 50 is sent to the server 54 installed at a predetermined location in the hospital through the LAN 52 installed in the hospital and stored. The output data stored in the server 54 can be used by an information terminal 56 such as a personal computer or a portable information terminal. In the information terminal 56, by designating the personal identification data (ID number) of a specific patient by the program (application software) built therein, the data of the patient can be read from the server 54 and confirmed, or the server. It is possible to narrow down the data to be read from the server 54 by specifying the period stored in 54.

Next, the usage state of the excrement photographing apparatus 1 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view in which a sanitary cleaning device is attached to the excrement photographing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a local cleaning device 200 as a toilet seat device is attached to the upper surface of the plate portion 2 in the excrement photographing device 1. The local cleaning device 200 has a built-in local cleaning function unit that discharges cleaning water toward the user's local area in the casing 202. A toilet seat 204 is rotatably supported on the casing 202. On the wall surface of the toilet room, a local cleaning remote controller 206 for operating the local cleaning device 200 is installed along with a barcode reader as the personal identification means 10.

As described above, since the plate portion 2 has a flat plate shape, even if the local cleaning device 200 is placed on the upper surface of the plate portion 2, the mounting height of the local cleaning device 200 hardly changes, and therefore, washing with water The excrement photographing device 1 can be retrofitted to the toilet room in which the local cleaning device 200 is installed in the toilet bowl 100. Further, since the excrement photographing device 1 is attached to the flush toilet 100 independently of the local cleaning device 200, the local cleaning device 200 should be replaced when the photographing means 6 deteriorates over time and reaches the end of its life. Only the excrement photographing apparatus 1 can be replaced without. The photographing means 6 fixed to the plate portion 2 is hidden by the casing 202 of the local cleaning device 200, and the presence of the photographing means 6 can be made inconspicuous to the user.

A cabinet 210 is provided behind the flush toilet 100 so as to cover the flush water tank 104. A backrest portion 212 having a cushioning property is provided on the front surface of the cabinet 210. A router 50 is provided on the cabinet 210. The router 50 is a relay terminal for transmitting the output data output from the excrement photographing device 1 to the LAN in the hospital.

The cabinet 210 contains a urine volume measuring device 300 that measures biological information such as the amount of urine excreted by the user (subject) and the urine flow rate (the amount of urine excreted per unit time). The urine volume measuring device 300 has a water level measuring conduit (not shown) communicating with the flush toilet 100, and the urine volume and urine flow are caused by a change in the water level of the water level measuring conduit at the time of urination. The rate can be measured. On the wall surface of the toilet room, a urine volume measuring remote controller 302 is provided above the local cleaning remote controller 206. The urine volume measurement remote control 302 is provided with a measurement start switch for instructing the start of urine volume measurement, a urine volume measurement end switch for instructing the end of urination, and the like.

Next, the operation of the excrement detecting means 8 in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a water level change graph showing an example of excrement detection of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the rate of change in the water level of the sealed water formed at the bottom of the bowl portion 102 is shown graphically for each of stool and urine (urine) over time. Since a large volume of stool is submerged in a short time, the rate of change in the water level of the sealed water is large, and the time is generally short. On the other hand, since urine is excreted through the long urethra, the rate of change in the water level of the sealed water is suppressed, and on the contrary, the rate of change in the water level generally continues for a long time. The excrement detecting means 8 detects a change in the water level of the sealed water by a change in the reflection time of ultrasonic waves, and based on this change in the water level, excrement is excreted in either case of stool or urine. It is possible to detect the timing.

Next, the operation of the excrement photographing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the excrement photographing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and specifically shows the control flow by the control means 12 of the excrement photographing apparatus 1.
When the power of the excrement photographing apparatus 1 is turned on and the control means 12 is energized, the control sequence is started (S100). In this state, the control means 12 is in a standby state, the photographing means 6 and the excrement detecting means 8 are not energized, and the receiving means 14 is energized to wait for a signal from the receiving means 14. It is in a state.

In this standby state, it is determined whether or not the signal from the personal identification means 10 has been received by the receiving means 14 (S101). Specifically, the user (patient) holds a wristband on which a barcode containing personal identification data wrapped around the wrist is printed over the barcode reader of the personal identification means 10, and receives the barcode information. It is determined whether or not 14 has been received. When the receiving means 14 does not receive the barcode information (S101N), the control means 12 repeats the process of S101. When the receiving means 14 receives the barcode information (S101Y), the controlling means 12 starts energizing to activate the photographing means 6 and the excrement detecting means 8 (S102).

Subsequently, in S103, it is determined whether or not excretion has been performed by the excrement detecting means 8.
When the excrement detecting means 8 does not detect the excretion of either stool or urine (S103N), the control means 12 repeats the process of S103. When the excrement detecting means 8 detects the excretion of either stool or urine (S103Y), the photographing means 6 starts photographing in S104. The method of detecting the start of excretion is the time when the water level of the sealed water changes due to the excrement of either stool or urine shown in FIG.

Subsequently, the process of S105 is executed, and in the process of S106 after the process of S105, the control means 12 determines whether or not the excretion is completed. Specifically, the control means 12 monitors the water level change signal from the excrement detecting means 8, and determines the end of excretion when the state where there is no water level change continues for a predetermined time.
While the excretion continues (S106N), the control means 12 returns to the process of S105 and continues imaging, and the processes of S105 and S106 are repeatedly executed until the excretion is completed.
It should be noted that the shooting by the shooting means 6 does not have to be a moving image, and it is preferable to shoot a still image at intervals of several seconds in consideration of reducing the capacity of the image data and checking the excrement.
When it is determined that the excretion is completed (S106Y), the imaging by the imaging means 6 is terminated, and the image data captured after the start of imaging (S104) and the identification transmitted from the personal identification means 10 to identify the user (patient) are identified. The output data in which the bar code signal (see S101) including the signal is integrated is transmitted from the transmission means 16 to the router 50. Subsequently, in S108, the energization of the photographing means 6 and the excrement detecting means 8 is stopped, the state shifts to the standby state, and the process returns to the processing of S101.

In the excrement photographing apparatus 1 in this embodiment, since the photographing is started immediately after the excrement detection (S103Y), it is possible to capture an image of the excrement without obstacles such as toilet paper immediately after the excretion. Further, since the photographing period is limited to the period from the start of excretion to the end of excretion, the excrement can be reliably photographed and the data capacity of the image data can be suppressed from being unnecessarily increased. In addition, in order to transmit the captured image data and output it to the outside, the medical staff accesses the server 54 in which the image data is stored to go to the toilet room and install the excrement photographing device there. The excrement image data can be viewed in a timely manner without directly accessing 1., and workability can be improved. Healthcare workers are not disrupted in their work just to see the excrement, and above all, the patient is not under the mental pressure of showing the excrement directly.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. As long as the above-described embodiment has the features of the present invention, those skilled in the art with appropriate design changes are also included in the scope of the present invention.
For example, the excrement detecting means 8 can be in various modes instead of the above-mentioned one that detects the change in the water level of the sealed water by the reflection time of ultrasonic waves. For example, the gas generated due to excrement may be detected. Carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methyl mercaptan, trimethylamine, etc. are recommended for stool, and ketone bodies such as acetoacetic acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetone are recommended for urine in an abnormal state.
Further, as another mode of the excrement detecting means 8, the excrement may be detected by paying attention to the temperature of the excrement itself or by changing the temperature of the inside of the bowl portion 102 or the sealing water.

Further, the photographing period of the photographing means 6 may be set to a predetermined fixed time from the excretion start determination instead of photographing from the excretion start determination to the excretion end determination by the excrement detecting means 8. Further, the user may input the start of shooting and the end of shooting.
Further, instead of wirelessly transmitting the output data from the transmitting means 16 as the output means to the router 50, a storage means for storing the output data is provided inside the function box unit 4 to engage in medical profession. An output port for a person to access the storage means and output output data may be provided as an output means, or by setting the storage means itself as a card-type memory, this card-type memory can be used as an output means. It may be possible to take out from the output slot as.

Further, the personal identification means 10 may be built in the function box portion 4 instead of being installed on the wall surface of the toilet room. Further, the personal identification means 10 does not have to be a barcode reader, and the user may input an ID number for identifying an individual.
Further, the photographing means 6 is provided with an electric shutter that opens and closes the lens portion of the camera, and the shutter is closed when the photographing means 6 is in a standby state where shooting is not performed, and the shutter is opened when the shooting means 6 is not in standby. It is also possible to prevent the lens from being contaminated by splashed water during local cleaning by the local cleaning device 200 or when cleaning the water-washing stool 100 after the shooting is completed.
Further, a cleaning means for wiping the lens surface when the shutter is opened and closed may be provided to automatically clean the photographing means 6 to which excrement droplets are likely to adhere in an arrangement.

1 ... excrement photographing device 2 ... plate part 4 ... functional box part 6 ... photographing means 8 ... excrement detecting means 10 ... personal identification means 12 ... control means 14 ... receiving means 16 ... transmitting means (output means)
50 ... Router 52 ... LAN
54 ... Server 56 ... Information terminal 100 ... Flush toilet 102 ... Bowl 104 ... Washing water tank 200 ... Local washing device (toilet seat device)
202 ... Casing 204 ... Toilet seat 206 ... Local cleaning remote control 210 ... Cabinet 212 ... Backrest 300 ... Urine volume measuring device 302 ... Urine volume measuring remote control

Claims (4)

It is an excrement photographing device that is attached to a flush toilet and takes an image of excrement.
A toilet seat device mounted above the flush toilet and
A plate part attached to the rear upper surface of the bowl part where the user excretes in the flush toilet,
And a function box portion depending from the end portions of the right and left direction of the plate portion,
The plate portion is sandwiched and fixed between the upper surface of the flush toilet and the bottom surface of the toilet seat device.
On the lower surface of the plate portion, an imaging means for photographing excrement and generating image data is provided so as to face the bowl portion.
The excrement portion is characterized in that a control means for controlling the operation of the photographing means and an output means for outputting the image data generated by the photographing means to the outside are housed in the function box unit. Shooting equipment. The plate portion further has an excrement detecting means for detecting excrement excreted in the bowl portion.
The excrement photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means detects excrement by the excrement detecting means and then starts photographing by the photographing means. The excrement detecting means can detect both stool and urine as excrement.
The excrement photographing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means starts photographing by the photographing means based on the detection of either stool or urine from the excrement detecting means. Further equipped with personal identification means for acquiring personal identification data for identifying the user,
The excrement according to claim 1, wherein the control means integrates the personal identification data acquired by the personal identification means and the image data photographed by the photographing means and outputs the data from the output means. Shooting equipment.

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