JP7470481B2 - Rehabilitation Assistance Devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rehabilitation support device that reduces the day-to-day anxiety felt by those who require rehabilitation or who will require rehabilitation in the future (hereinafter simply referred to as "subjects") during the rehabilitation they are currently undergoing or will undergo in the future, and maintains the subjects' incentive to undergo rehabilitation.

This invention focuses on the phenomenon that different physical functional conditions are observed in different environments even for the same patient. More specifically, this invention relates to a rehabilitation support device that includes a rehabilitation performance information recording unit that records the rehabilitation treatment contents performed by physical therapists, occupational therapists, etc., as well as the therapist's biological information and physical functional evaluation information in chronological order, and when data similar to the patient's biological condition and physical functional evaluation information is found, the data is presented, suggesting the future recovery of the person undergoing rehabilitation, and using this as motivation to improve incentives for rehabilitation.

(1. Recognition of Social Issues by the Inventors Who Contributed to the Conception of the Invention)
(1.1. Social Context Leading to the Invention)
With the accelerating decline in the birthrate, Japan's aging population is showing no signs of slowing. Creating a new social and national system that can adapt to the unprecedented ratio of young to old in the population is an urgent issue. In addition, as a by-product of the aging population, the number of people suffering from cerebrovascular disease has risen to 1,179,000 nationwide, and medical expenses for this disease have reached a whopping 1.8 trillion yen.

Focusing only on Saitama Prefecture, where the inventors live, the number of people with cerebrovascular disease remains at just over 12,000. Of these, roughly 60%, or about 7,000 people, are not bedridden and can be expected to return to daily activities.

However, this is because the current elderly population rate (the percentage of the total population made up of elderly people) is 27.3% nationwide, but in Saitama it remains low at 22.7%.

Saitama Prefecture has notable characteristics, such as being the most commuter town in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the low birth rate trend is expected to continue in the future. For this reason, Saitama Prefecture's elderly population is expected to grow dramatically in the future, and it is predicted that within a dozen years it will rank first or second in the nation.

This means that we must quickly establish a new rehabilitation industry structure suited to the unprecedented demographic change between young and old that will soon be coming to our country.

(1.2. Current social issues faced by inventors)
The inventors believe that (a) it is necessary to place expectations on the potential human ability to adapt to society and the environment, and to utilize the mental vitality that leads humans to hope and strive to remain human, (b) to support the elderly and those with cerebrovascular disease who aim to rejoin society, while being aware of the chain structure extending from motor function recovery to economic activity, and (d) to realize a social structure model in an aging society.

Furthermore, for individuals living in a liberal society, even if we are currently as able-bodied as able-bodied people or have a mild disability, we may have to accept a change in occupation if a disability develops in the future or if our current disability progresses. The inventors speculate that there will be more and more situations in which not only employees, but also employers, will be aware of this.

(1.3. Inventors' perceptions of the attitudes of stakeholders in the current society)
By the way, rehabilitation subjects do not only include immediate effects, but also measures that prevent the progression of the disease and slower effects that bring about improvement over time.

In the social circumstances described above, individuals are not given sufficient explanation to allow them to concretely imagine how their physical functions will improve in the future. They cannot get a sense of concreteness about what changes will occur if they continue with the rehabilitation they are currently undergoing, how the adverse effects of their illness will be improved, or whether they will simply be able to maintain their current state. This will not change even if they continue to receive more qualitative and abstract explanations.

If we put ourselves in the shoes of those undergoing rehabilitation (patients), as rehabilitation continues for a long time, they will have many doubts, such as "If I continue with this rehabilitation, will I really start to get better?" and "Will I eventually be able to return to the work I want to do?" In other words, for individuals, the mere act of undergoing rehabilitation becomes a source of anxiety, which reduces their incentive to participate in rehabilitation.

The same is true for those who employ patients. In order for employers to understand the abilities of their employees (patients), they have no choice but to rely on explanations from physical therapists and others. They can only rely on words to understand what improvements have been made through rehabilitation, how long it will take for the employee to be able to perform their original job, and whether the time currently being spent on rehabilitation is necessary in the first place. This makes it difficult to get a clear idea of the employee's specific future, and leaves them with a variety of uncertainties, such as whether it would be better to change the employee's job type or whether they should rely on new employment to maintain planned production levels.

If this unstable situation continues for both parties, it will lead to mutual distrust and hinder necessary communication. Needless to say, this is not desirable for either the person with a disability or the employer.

The inventors recognize this situation and believe that in order for people with disabilities to continue their rehabilitation and maintain meaningful employment, it is essential that they are able to imagine a concrete future, which will provide peace of mind to all involved parties and serve as an incentive for rehabilitation.

Of course, reality often does not always go as expected. However, even in such cases, being able to concretely imagine "how can I revise my vision of the future to reach the next best future?" is important for maintaining the incentive for rehabilitation.

In order for people to concretely visualize future improvements in their physical function, it is preferable to rely on quantitative indicators rather than qualitative stories. This is because quantitative indicators represented by numbers are objective and eliminate ambiguity, which in turn reduces distrust between speakers that may result from ambiguous communication.

(2. Background Art of the Invention)
(2.1. Narrowing down technical fields to solve social problems)
Based on this awareness of the social issues, the inventors sought to provide a place for the rehabilitation of the elderly and those with cerebrovascular diseases in a cultivation factory, and proposed an in-building worker activity management device for use in such a factory in Patent Document 1.

This factory has implemented simple information collection and analysis technology that can at least grasp the rehabilitation status. This invention certainly makes it possible to grasp the motor function status during work.

However, the motor functions used in factory work are often limited to a portion of a person's motor functions.

Therefore, in order to address the above concerns, we need complementary measures that go beyond grasping motor function during work, to grasp the situation of general behavior more broadly, and quantitatively grasp the predicted effects of rehabilitation.

(2.2. Background Art of the Invention)
As a basic technology related to rehabilitation, there is a proposal such as that in Patent Document 2. The invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 focuses on activities of daily living (ADL) as a material for determining rehabilitation subjects, etc., and keeps in mind that there are multiple types of indices for evaluating ADL. In actual rehabilitation, on the premise that the Barthel Index (BI) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) are mixed, a rehabilitation support device is disclosed that calculates an evaluation value of a trainee from motion information detected over time of the trainee's movements, and creates a rehabilitation plan by comparing it with past evaluation values recorded in a database. Furthermore, the motion information is recorded in a database in chronological order from information from multiple rehabilitation facilities, making it possible to share the information, thereby aiming to improve the efficiency and appropriate implementation of cooperation in rehabilitation.

(2.3. Other Peripheral Technologies)
In addition, as a support device that can be used for rehabilitation training, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a rehabilitation instrument and a rehabilitation information collection technique, which can be considered as a by-product of the instrument.

Patent Document 3 and Non-Patent Document 2 disclose a technology in which a three-dimensional acceleration sensor is attached to the trunk of the patient, information obtained from the sensor is accumulated over time, and the progress of rehabilitation is objectively grasped using a numerical index.

Patent Application No. 2018-199662 JP 2015-159935 A JP 2009-17895 A

Honda Motor Co., Ltd., "Honda | Honda Walking Assist | What is Walking Assist?" [online], publication start date unknown, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. website [searched July 5, 2019], Internet (URL: https://www.honda.co.jp/walking-assist/about/) Shinji Kagawa, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Hyogo University of Medical Sciences, "Measurement and Evaluation of Gait Disorders Using Accelerometers," Journal of the Japanese Society of Biomechanisms, Japanese Society of Biomechanisms, Vol. 34, No. 4 (2010), pp. 286-290, J-STAGE, a comprehensive academic electronic journal site [searched on April 13, 2020], Internet (URL: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/sobim/34/4/34_286/_pdf)

(1. Problems Related to the Invention Disclosed in Patent Document 1)
As mentioned above, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 is exceptional in that it can obtain the physical function data of each rehabilitation recipient, but does not take into consideration improving the recipient's incentive or deepening communication between the employee and the employer. Therefore, it cannot be expected that the recipient will be able to take the initiative in a positive and cheerful rehabilitation.

(2. Problems Related to the Invention Disclosed in Patent Document 2)
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a rehabilitation index conversion unit for correcting differences in evaluation indexes between rehabilitation facilities. By converting rehabilitation indexes taken at other rehabilitation facilities into rehabilitation indexes used at a specific rehabilitation facility, the rehabilitation facility can use a large amount of data taken at other facilities, enabling more reliable rehabilitation design.

The same patent document also states that data can be collected at home or in the workplace using a similar device configuration (see Figure 12, paragraph 0072, etc.).

It is true that typical rehabilitation facilities are designed to allow rehabilitation to take place in a relatively free space. Therefore, even if information is obtained at different facilities, it should be possible to use it interchangeably as long as the index criteria are converted using a single rule.

However, it cannot necessarily be said that it can be used as is at home or in the workplace.

It is well known that even healthy people who are able to work and live smoothly in their normal rooms can suffer from muscle pain and spinal distortion due to the workplace environment or the furniture arrangement in their living space, resulting in various health problems. It is also known that, although the impact may be greater or less, family members living in the same house are more likely to suffer from orthopedic disorders in the same parts of the body. This is evidence that normal working and living environments do not necessarily require ideal movements of muscles and joints, but require somewhat biased use of muscles and joints.

Homes and workplaces are designed to suit the purpose of the activities in those places, and are different from free spaces. It must be said that the bioinformation of people living in these places contains different influences that depend on the environment.

Modern rehabilitation aims to promote independence in activities and reduce the level of nursing care certification, which is carried out through a visual inspection of basic movements in addition to answering a few questions. For this reason, rehabilitation treatments mainly focus on strengthening, expanding, and correcting the strength and range of motion of specific muscles and specific joints. In other words, this can be described as an analytical approach to specific muscles and joints.

However, while the muscles and joints used during work and in everyday living usually involve the comprehensive and coordinated movement of multiple muscles and joints, the range of muscle strength that needs to be generated and the range of joint motion are often limited. In other words, it cannot be said that traditional rehabilitation that focuses only on specific muscles and joints will immediately facilitate normal work or daily life in the home.

Thus, even if the evaluation indexes for different environments are converted, it is not possible to uniformly handle information in the workplace and home environments. The invention shown in Patent Document 2 does not go so far as to consider how to handle the effects of uneven load due to the environment.

In rehabilitation, there is a concern regarding a mismatch between physical function evaluation information and the subject's subjective physical burden. A typical situation in which a mismatch occurs between physical function evaluation information and bioinformation will now be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating situations in which a mismatch occurs between physical function evaluation values and bioinformation due to individual differences.

This diagram compares Person A, who has a tendency to try to look good in front of others even if it means straining himself, with Person B, who has a tendency to not strain himself even when others are watching. That is, when Person A is undergoing a physical function evaluation, because the trainer is watching, he tries to make the movements he is instructed to make even if it means straining himself (1182-1). In contrast, Person B, even when the trainer is watching, only tries to move as far as he can without straining himself (1182-2). As a result, from the trainer's point of view, both of them appear to be making similar movements, and so receive the same evaluation value (1183).

However, due to the differences in tendencies between Person A and Person B, the actual degree of strain on their bodies differs when their physical functions are evaluated. Person A is under a large strain (1184-1), while Person B is under only a small strain (1184-2).

This shows that relying on physical function assessments alone will not allow one to fully understand the burden placed on the patient when performing regular work tasks. The actual burden is directly reflected in vital signs, and this information can be thought of as being directly linked to the subject's subjective burden.

In other words, relying solely on physical function assessments results in ignoring the subjective burden felt by the patient. In the above case, there is a concern that Mr. A may become easily discouraged early on in his work, which could reduce his incentive to continue rehabilitation.

(3. Problems Related to the Inventions Disclosed in Patent Document 3 and Non-Patent Document 2)
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of incentives, the techniques disclosed in Patent Document 3 and Non-Patent Document 2 are extremely effective. These documents disclose a technique in which a three-dimensional acceleration sensor is attached to the trunk of the patient, information obtained from this sensor is accumulated over time, and the progress of rehabilitation is objectively grasped with a numerical index.

Indeed, with this technology, objective numerical indicators are displayed, allowing patients to understand the progress of their rehabilitation by viewing them. And if there are even the slightest signs of improvement in these numerical indicators, the numerical indicators themselves will undoubtedly serve as an incentive for the patients to continue with rehabilitation.

However, while it is assumed that similar numerical indicators will be obtained if rehabilitation is always performed in the same location, this does not mean that similar indicators will be obtained in different locations.

(1. Summary of the means for solving the problem)
Generally speaking, Japanese people are hardworking and often find meaning in their work, as pointed out in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. The present invention aims to reduce the above-mentioned problems while being aware of the mental characteristics of Japanese people, and its purpose is to provide a rehabilitation support device that comprehensively grasps the life of a specific person, takes into consideration the person's work and life patterns, contributes to the design of rehabilitation that can restore a smooth and meaningful life, improves the subject's incentive for rehabilitation, and ultimately maintains a good relationship of trust between employers and employees in the workplace.

(2. Explanation of the means for solving the problem)
Next, the means for solving the problems will be described. In this section, the explanation will be based on each claim, but the data structure will be explained using Figure 3. However, the figure is used to facilitate understanding, and the table structure of the database implemented in implementing the invention is not immediately limited or restricted by this figure.

(3.1. Regarding the invention described in claim 1)
The invention described in claim 1 relates to a rehabilitation support device comprising a rehabilitation performance information recording section, a search criteria person determining section, an identical/similar performance information extracting section, and a future prediction report creating section.

[Rehabilitation performance information recording section]
Here, the rehabilitation result information (351) recorded by the rehabilitation result information recording unit records individual rehabilitation result information (352) relating to a plurality of users.

The individual rehabilitation performance information (352) includes at least a user identifier (354-2) for identifying a person, biometric information (356), physical function evaluation information (353), an area identifier (DiD), physical function evaluation time information (TS), rehabilitation treatment information (355), and rehabilitation treatment time information.

The user identifier (354-2) is an identifier used to distinguish an individual.

The physical function evaluation information (353) is information related to an evaluation made by a third party regarding the degree to which a user can move his or her body when active in a specific environment. The physical function evaluation information is combined with physical function evaluation time information. The physical function evaluation time information serves to make it possible to understand when the evaluation related to the physical function evaluation information was made regarding the physical function. Note that the user's physical function evaluation time information does not require high accuracy down to the hour, minute, and second, if one considers the time span over which a single rehabilitation session is effective on physical function.

Biometric information (356) is information consisting of multiple elements measured from the user's biological body. In other words, biometric information is information whose elements are physical quantities obtained from a single measurement by physical observation of a person's body without the person's will, and has two or more different types of elements.

When comparing vital signs with physical function evaluation information, both are related to the range of motion. However, they differ in that while physical function evaluation information is linked to the limits of motion, vital signs are strongly linked to whether the person is physically straining themselves. In other words, because vital signs relate to physical load and tend to correspond to subjective burden, they act to indicate the degree of physical effort made by the person.

The area identifier is an identifier that indicates the area, location, space, etc. where the biometric information or physical function evaluation information was obtained.

Rehabilitation treatment information (355) is information that describes the rehabilitation treatment that the user has received. This rehabilitation treatment information is combined with rehabilitation treatment time information. The rehabilitation treatment time information serves to determine when the rehabilitation treatment related to the rehabilitation treatment information occurred. Note that the rehabilitation treatment time information does not require high accuracy down to the hour, minute, and second, if the time span during which one rehabilitation session is effective on physical function is taken into consideration.

The rehabilitation performance information recording unit records the individual rehabilitation performance information of multiple users, making it possible to understand the sequence of events leading up to the recovery of physical function in rehabilitation subjects with similar physical functional conditions, and serves as a source of information for users to imagine their own futures.

[Search Criteria Determination Unit]
The search criteria determination unit inputs information for identifying the subject from whom a report is to be obtained, and from this identifies the user who will be the search criteria, and further identifies the individual rehabilitation performance information of that user.

[Identical and Similar Performance Information Extraction Unit]
The identical/similar result information extraction unit extracts individual rehabilitation result information that is identical or similar to the search data from the searched data group. Here, the search criteria data and the searched data group are handled as follows.

Search criteria data: The search criteria data is a collection of information including recently recorded rehabilitation treatment information and recently recorded physical function evaluation information or biological information among the individual rehabilitation history information recorded in the rehabilitation history information recording unit and having the user identifier of the user determined by the search criteria person determination unit. The search criteria data refers to the data itself that is the search criteria.

By using recently recorded vital signs or physical function evaluation information as search criteria, the system works to identify data related to the user's current state or data that is closest to the current state.

The search target data group is the individual rehabilitation performance information recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit, and is the target of searching based on the search criteria data. The search target data group is a collection of data to be searched.

The above search criteria data is based on the rehabilitation performance information of an individual person, whereas the search target includes the rehabilitation performance information of multiple other people. In this specification, the search target data is referred to as a "group" to quickly understand the multiple nature of the objects being searched.

The identical/similar performance information extraction unit operates to extract other people's past rehabilitation performance, since the rehabilitation performance information recording unit records the individual rehabilitation performance information of multiple people.

Furthermore, in the search, the time relationship between the physical function evaluation information and rehabilitation treatment information constituting the search data from the test data group is assumed to be the same. The time relationship is determined using the time information included in the individual rehabilitation performance information.

[Future Forecast Report Creation Department]
The future prediction report creation unit creates a viewable report in a specified format about the future physical condition of the search criteria bioinformation provider based on the physical function evaluation information, rehabilitation treatment information, and bioinformation contained in the individual rehabilitation performance information extracted by the same or similar performance information extraction unit.

This provides clues to ease the anxiety of users who are worried about the future and wonder, "What will happen to me in the future?" In addition, because the report is also based on biometric information, it is possible to create a report that takes into account subjective burdens that cannot be determined from appearance alone, based on physical function evaluation information.

(3.2. Regarding the invention described in claim 2)
The invention described in claim 2 includes, in addition to the invention described in claim 1, a vocational training plan recording section, and adds some functions to the rehabilitation performance information recording section and the future prediction report creation section.

[Vocational Training Plan Record Section]
Here, the vocational training plan recording section records vocational training plan information describing how to provide vocational training required when changing an occupation from a first occupation to a second occupation.

[Rehabilitation performance information recording section]
The individual rehabilitation performance information recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording section further includes the type of occupation the individual was engaged in at the time the physical function evaluation information was obtained.

For individual rehabilitation performance information obtained from the identical and similar performance information extraction unit where the occupation has changed, the future prediction report creation unit searches the vocational training plan recording unit based on a search key that defines the occupation before the change as the first occupation and the occupation after the change as the second occupation, and adds the corresponding vocational training plan information to the report and provides it.

(1. Effects of the invention described in claim 1)
The invention described in claim 1 can search for specific examples of other people who have already been registered based on the most recent biometric information or evaluation information of the person being referenced, and present the data in a format that is easy for the reference person to view, allowing the person to know in concrete terms what kind of rehabilitation will improve the person's condition, and over what period of time, and conversely, what kind of rehabilitation will result in a decline, and over what period of time.

People tend to feel anxious when they are uncertain about the future, and if this anxiety continues for a long period of time, they lose the motivation to try to overcome the current situation. With this in mind, the present invention can relieve the patient's anxiety and maintain an incentive to actively undergo rehabilitation.

In addition, since the information recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording section is used as search criteria data, this promotes the accelerated accumulation of rehabilitation performance information.

(2. Effects of the invention described in claim 2)
According to the invention described in claim 2, it is possible to grasp the employment status of others with similar physical conditions and vocational training plan information when changing occupations. This not only suggests future physical functions, but also makes it possible to grasp at an early stage what effects will be caused by current and future employment, how others have avoided such effects, and what will have to be done if one were to change occupations. This makes it possible to further relieve the anxiety of the rehabilitation recipient.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a data table recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the data structure recorded in the rehabilitation result information recording unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a process for retrieving rehabilitation result information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing sequence around the rehabilitation result information search according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the overall configuration according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a data table recorded in the rehabilitation result information recording unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 shows an example of the configuration of a biometric information acquiring device operated in a rehabilitation facility. FIG. 9 is an operation flow diagram according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an operation flow diagram according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which a discrepancy between objective and subjective values occurs, showing a situation in which a discrepancy occurs between a physical function evaluation value and biological information due to individual differences. FIG. 12 is a hierarchical explanatory diagram when a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is used as the similarity evaluation function.

The description of the embodiment of the present invention will follow the table of contents below.
------ table of contents ------
(1. Regarding notation in drawings )
(3. Regarding the First Embodiment)
(3.1. Configuration according to this embodiment)
(3.1.1. Configuration related to device for transmitting biological information, etc. to rehabilitation support device)
(3.1.2. Configuration related to the rehabilitation support device)
(3.2. Operation according to this embodiment)
(3.2.1. Rehabilitation performance information recording stage)
(3.2.2. Rehabilitation performance information extraction stage)
(3.3. Supplementary matters)
(3.3.1. Searchable objects to be implemented)
(3.3.2. Use of information to identify rehabilitation practitioners)
(3.3.3. Use of information to identify rehabilitation facilities, etc.)
(3.3.4. Other implementations related to table definition)
(3.3.5. Recording of biometric information or similarity judgment)
(4. Second embodiment)
(4.1. Overview of the present embodiment)
(4.2. Configuration according to this embodiment)
(4.3. Operation according to this embodiment)
(4.3.1. Rehabilitation performance information recording stage)
(4.3.2. Occupation Record Stage)
(4.3.3. Job change support stage)
(4.3.4. Supplementary matters related to operation and operation)
(5. Usage in the real world)
(5.1. Possibility of use in day service facilities, etc. (redesign of facilities))
(5.2. Availability at work facilities)
(5.2.1. Availability of administrative tasks when using Type B continuous employment support)
(5.2.2. Personnel availability at work facilities)
(5.2.3. Usability in recruitment services)
5.3. Physician Diagnostic Availability
(6. Other)
(6.1. Recording of other information in the rehabilitation performance information recording section)
(6.1.1. Dietary intake and supplement intake)
(6.1.2. Rehabilitation aids use information)
(6.1.2.1. Overview)
(6.1.2.2. Examples of assistive devices)
(6.1.2.3. Implementation for use with assistive devices)
(6.1.2.3.1. When associating with rehabilitation treatment information)
(6.1.2.3.2. When associating with physical function evaluation information)
(6.1.2.3.3. Associating with Biometric Information)
(6.2. Other implementation examples of similarity evaluation function)
(6.2.1. Similarity Evaluation Function Using CNN)
(6.2.2. Input and output selection)
(6.2.3. Other Hierarchy Definitions)
(6.2.4. Parameter Learning)
(6.3. Additional Recording of Biometric Information)
(6.4. Implementation of personal biometric information aggregation unit)

------ Text ------
(1. Description of drawings)
In the following explanation, many drawings may be referred to at the same time, so to improve readability, the symbols in the drawings are written in a way that the first digit, excluding the last two digits, represents the drawing number. In addition, the last two digits of parts that have the same or similar functions are made the same whenever possible. For example, the explanation of "Rehabilitation treatment content input unit (609)" mainly refers to Figure 6, and the explanation of "Rehabilitation treatment content input unit (309)" mainly refers to Figure 3.

(3. Regarding the first embodiment)
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, 8, and 9. FIG.

(3.1. Configuration according to this embodiment)
(3.1.1. Configuration of device for sending biological information to rehabilitation support device)
When the rehabilitation support device is configured as a server, a device for acquiring biometric information is required on the client side. Therefore, before describing the rehabilitation support device according to the first embodiment, a configuration example of a device for acquiring biometric information in a rehabilitation facility will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Of course, this biometric information acquiring device can also be installed in the workplace or at home.

Typically, in a rehabilitation facility, a patient (876) and a trainer (878) form a team, and the patient undergoes rehabilitation training under the supervision and guidance of the trainer. Of course, it is not necessary for one trainer to look after one patient; one trainer can look after multiple patients, or one patient can be looked after by multiple trainers.

[In-house network (872)]
In the same rehabilitation facility, it is common to set up an in-house network (872). Various devices in the facility are connected to this network by wire or wirelessly, so that they can communicate with each other.

At least one personal biometric information collection unit and a gateway (874) are connected to the on-site network (872), and biometric information and other data obtained on-site can be sent in response to an external request or to an external location as needed. The destination of the data is a rehabilitation support device, which will be described later.

[Sensors in various parts (877)]
Each sensor (877) is attached to the subject (876) so as to obtain the subject's biological information.

The leg sensor (877-1) is attached to the trousers of the subject (876) and is designed to mainly measure the myoelectric potential of the legs. The obtained information is then sent to the personal biometric information collection unit 1 (875-1) described below. The myoelectric potential may be collected directly from inside the muscle, but the burden on the subject can be reduced by, for example, embedding an electrode material on the skin side of underwear made of a highly elastic fabric that fits closely to the surface of the skin of the legs and collecting the potential from there.

The blood flow sensor (877-2) is attached near the sleeve of the subject's (876) jacket, and is designed to obtain biometric information mainly related to blood flow. Information related to blood flow that can be obtained includes upper and lower blood pressures, pulse rate, and arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) from the nail surface. The obtained information is then sent to the personal biometric information aggregation unit 1 (875-1) in the same way as the other sensors.

The heart rate sensor (877-3) is attached to the subject's (876) jacket near the chest area, and is designed to acquire biometric information mainly from near the heart. Heart-related information that can be acquired includes electrocardiograms. Here too, the acquired information is sent to the personal biometric information aggregation unit 1 (875-1), just like the other sensors.

Sensors for acquiring biometric information may include acceleration sensors attached to the trunk or legs. Information obtained from an acceleration sensor attached to the trunk includes not only the inclination of the trunk when walking, but also the swaying component. As can be easily imagined, the effects of a movement disorder are expressed as up and down movement, left and right sway, and the degree of leaning when walking, so the information obtained from an acceleration sensor, although indirect, is meaningful data that is no less than information obtained physically and directly, such as myoelectrical signals.

Of course, it is possible to consciously change the acceleration of the trunk, etc., but even if one tries to change it consciously, the influence of the disability will be apparent, so this acceleration can also be considered bioinformation.

If a three-dimensional acceleration sensor can be used as the acceleration sensor, it will be possible to obtain three pieces of biometric information and use it as an information source that reflects a considerable degree of individuality. However, in order to keep the measurement conditions as stable as possible within the same rehabilitation location, it is desirable to use the same footwear, which affects acceleration. Of course, if rehabilitation is done barefoot, there is no need to pay special attention to this point.

[Personal Biometric Information Collection Department (875)]
The personal biometric information collecting unit (875) obtains information from each sensor (877) associated with it in advance, and sends it to the collecting server (873) via the local network (872). It acts as a so-called access point. Therefore, the connection between the personal biometric information collecting unit and each sensor can be by wire, wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or infrared communication, and any standard is acceptable as long as communication is possible.

Even if the rehabilitation facility is the same, if the living room and training area are separate, or if the furniture arrangement differs depending on the room, it is preferable to treat these as separate, independent areas. This is because the device focuses on the fact that different biological information can be obtained from the same movement in different environments or different spatial arrangements, and this is to enable the device to recognize the differences in the environment.

In this case, multiple collection units can be provided, with a personal biometric information collection unit for each space, such as personal biometric information collection unit 1 (875-1), personal biometric information collection unit 2 (875-2), etc. In addition, when biometric information is obtained from these, an area identifier can be added by some means. When dividing and separating areas in this way, it is advantageous from a design standpoint to use infrared communication for communication between the personal biometric information collection unit and the sensor unit, as this makes it easier to avoid interference.

On the other hand, to link the area identifier to the biometric information, this can be done when the aggregation server (873) described below performs polling to send information to the personal biometric information aggregation unit. Also, the personal biometric information aggregation unit (875) may link the received biometric information with an identifier indicating its own area and send it to the aggregation server.

[Aggregation Server (873)]
The aggregation server (873) is connected to the local network (872) and transmits the biometric information received from the personal biometric information aggregation unit (875) to the rehabilitation support device via the gateway (874). In addition to the above-mentioned means for linking the area identifier to the biometric information, the area identifier (854) assigned to the facility may also be added when the aggregation server (873) aggregates the biometric information.

In this case, in order to reduce the load on the rehabilitation support device, it is preferable to record and accumulate the biological information obtained in a time series in an aggregation server for a predetermined period of time, and when the information has been gathered into a meaningful unit, it is sent to the rehabilitation support device in a lump sum. There are various options for the meaningful unit of time, such as a day or after the patient returns home.

By collecting statistics for the facility on the aggregation server, it becomes possible to generate the necessary operation reports without making a reference request to the rehabilitation support device (server).

Of course, if the load on the rehabilitation support device itself is negligible, the biometric information may be sent directly from the personal biometric information aggregation unit to the rehabilitation support device via the gateway as appropriate, rather than being sent all at once as described above. In this case, the area identifier that was added by the aggregation server will be added by the personal biometric information aggregation unit.

In other words, although an aggregation server is not essential to the configuration, implementing further aggregation functionality in the aggregation server will facilitate various functional expansions, such as aggregating information for each facility and creating reports on operating status, so it is desirable to implement this if possible.

[Trainer's Information Terminal (879)]
The trainer (878) in charge of rehabilitation for each user will be provided with a trainer information terminal (879) when necessary.

The trainer's information terminal (879) allows the trainer to input a physical function evaluation for the patient (876) under his/her care, and is capable of sending the input data to the rehabilitation support device (server). At this time, it is important to know where the physical function evaluation was performed, so when sending the data to the rehabilitation support device (server), it is desirable to be able to send an area identifier as well. However, in most cases, a physical function evaluation is performed when rehabilitation treatment is performed. Since an area identifier is assigned to a physical function evaluation, it can be said that there is little point in assigning an area identifier to rehabilitation treatment information.

(3.1.2. Configuration related to the rehabilitation support device)
Next, a rehabilitation support device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The rehabilitation support device in this embodiment functions as a server, and includes a user biometric information input unit (101), a rehabilitation treatment content input unit (109), a rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102), a search criteria person determination unit (103), a rehabilitation performance information search unit (104), and a future prediction report creation unit (105).

[User Biometric Information Input Unit (101)]
The user biometric information input unit (101) receives a request from the network and acquires at least a user identifier (111), an area identifier (112), biometric information (113), and physical function evaluation information (116) from the external environment. Then, the unit appropriately combines at least the acquired information and requests a rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) described below to record it. Specifically, when the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) is an SQL database, the unit generates an INSERT statement or an UPDATE statement and issues it to the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102).

In this case, it is desirable to maintain security between the rehabilitation support device and the server before receiving a recording request from outside the server. Specifically, the user biometric information input unit (101) should be equipped with a mechanism for authenticating between the biometric information acquisition and transmission information terminal.

The information recorded about the subject here includes at least biometric information and physical function evaluation information. When recording these, information that allows the context of other records to be understood is also recorded. In other words, when the biometric information acquisition device receives biometric information on two different occasions, it is sufficient to be able to determine the time before and after the measurement. For example, any of the following can be selected: the date and time when these data were received, the date and time when the recording request was issued, the date and time when the biometric information acquisition device received the biometric information, a sequentially increasing record ID, etc.

The format of information received from outside the server does not matter, particularly whether it is human-readable or not.

[Rehabilitation treatment content input section (109)]
The rehabilitation treatment content input unit (109) receives a request from the network, acquires at least a user identifier (115) and rehabilitation treatment content information (117) from an information device operated by a physical therapist or the like in an external environment, and requests that the content be recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102). Here, the rehabilitation treatment content information (117) may be input by any entity, such as the rehabilitation patient himself/herself, the rehabilitation practitioner, or a person who operates the information device on his/her behalf. In addition, the rehabilitation treatment content information (117) may be coded using a predetermined code, or may be in plain text.

Specifically, when implementing the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) in an SQL database, an INSERT or UPDATE statement requesting recording processing is generated and issued.

Even if the individual rehabilitation performance information only concerns one user, it accumulates over time, so multiple pieces of each piece of information will be recorded. For this reason, it is desirable to record timestamps so that the chronological relationship can be understood, just as with the recording of biometric information.

The timestamp recorded here can be the time when a certain event occurs, such as the time when an INSERT statement is issued, or it can be registered at the operator's discretion when recording rehabilitation treatment details in the rehabilitation treatment details input unit (109). If it is registered at the time the INSERT statement is issued, the input items can be simplified. On the other hand, if it is registered voluntarily, it can be registered so that a physical therapist can, for example, register the details of the rehabilitation patient for that day after returning to the office after a day's rehabilitation visit. Of course, these options can be selected.

When communicating with a registrant, the rehabilitation treatment content input unit (109) may display an HTML document via http/https communication and guide the user through the input items via this screen interface. In this case, it is sufficient for the rehabilitation treatment content input unit (109) to be implemented as an http/https server container using Apache Tomcat (trademark) or the like. The device with which communication is performed may be substituted by the trainer's information terminal (879) or another computer (not shown).

Of course, if a so-called smartphone application is used as an external information terminal, this interactive user interface can be implemented on the smartphone application side, and the rehabilitation treatment content input unit (609) can simply input information and request the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) to record it as is.

[Rehabilitation performance information recording section (102)]
The rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) records individual rehabilitation performance information related to multiple rehabilitation subjects. The individual rehabilitation performance information includes at least bioinformation, physical function evaluation information, and rehabilitation treatment information. The bioinformation and rehabilitation treatment information are recorded so that it is possible to distinguish between before and after a certain time. In order to distinguish between before and after a certain time, for example, in this embodiment, date and time data is used. Although blood pressure fluctuates on a minute-by-minute basis, bioinformation generally only tends to change on a daily or weekly basis, and therefore information for distinguishing between before and after a certain time does not require accuracy on the order of hours, minutes, and seconds.

An example of the recording format in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) will be explained using FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows an example of record definition when a SQL server, which is a relational database, is used for record management in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102).

In this example, the system is implemented so that a record is added to the reference table (261) each time a biometric measurement result is obtained. Each record records at least a user identifier (233) and an area identifier (234). In this embodiment, the time stamp recorded is, for example, the start time of the biometric measurement.

The user identifier (233) indicates which patient the record pertains to. In other words, the user identifier serves as a clue to distinguish which user the individual rehabilitation performance information pertains to.

The area identifier (234) is an identifier indicating the location where the measurement was performed. This identifier indicates where the biometric information, etc. sent as a pair was obtained. Even people with the same physical condition can have deviations in their biometric information and physical function evaluation information depending on the measurement environment, and in places where the furniture arrangement, work place, etc. are predetermined, people with the same physical condition tend to emit biometric information with similar deviations. In light of this, measurement information recorded with the same area ID in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) will have similar deviations even if it is included in the personal rehabilitation performance information of another person, and this serves to distinguish the severity of the data being compared.

This record is added each time a measurement is taken.

On the other hand, the biometric information acquired at each measurement typically includes multiple elements, such as diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, arterial blood oxygen saturation, and electromyography. A single record may include all of these elements as columns, or may only include a selected portion of the columns.

However, even if information can be obtained in a single measurement, it may not be possible to capture the same type of information depending on the facility, so the method of recording needs to be flexible. Therefore, in this embodiment, a separate measurement value table (262) is prepared for biometric information, and the type of biometric information and its value are recorded in one record here. This makes it possible to manage information in one table, regardless of differences in the type of information obtained at each facility. Also, by providing a pointer to the record ID (RCID) in the reference table (261), it becomes possible to record biometric information for each measurement.

The measurement value table (262) is capable of managing not only vital information but also physical function evaluation information.

In this embodiment, in order to provide this flexibility, a flag bit (238) is provided in each record in addition to the information item name in order to distinguish between actual measured biometric information and evaluation information. By recording at least the actual measured value (shown as "actual" in the figure) or evaluation value (shown as "evaluation" in the figure) in the flag bit, it becomes possible to distinguish what the information content is.

It is necessary to know where each piece of information recorded in the measurement value table (262) was obtained. For this reason, for example, a BaseRID column is provided in the measurement value table (262), and a relationship is established by recording this and the RCID (record ID) of the reference table (261). This allows for linkage with the area identifier (234) and timestamp recorded together with the record indicated by the RCID in the linked reference table, making it possible to know when and where the acquired biometric information and acquired physical function evaluation information were obtained.

In this example, the actually measured vital signs and the physical function evaluation information obtained through human evaluation are recorded in the same table, but they may be separated into a table that records only the vital signs and a table that records only the physical function evaluation information, and recorded independently.

The rehabilitation treatment details table (264) is a table that records rehabilitation treatment details. Rehabilitation treatment details may be recorded using a predetermined code or may be recorded using a character string as shown in the figure.

However, for each rehabilitation treatment record, it is necessary to record which user the record belongs to and when it was made. This is to know what rehabilitation the measurement recorded in the measurement table (262) was performed during. Specifically, in order to know which user's rehabilitation treatment the measurement was performed for, it is sufficient to record a user identifier (233) in the record. This identifier makes it possible to know the chronological relationship with the measurement data via the reference table (261).

In addition, to make it possible to understand the temporal context of the data, for example, a timestamp can be included. This makes it possible to organize the measured vital signs and rehabilitation treatment details for a specific user in chronological order.

[Search Criteria Determination Unit (103)]
The search criteria person determination unit (103) is adapted to input information for identifying the subject for which a future prediction report is to be obtained, i.e., the user identifier itself or information that can identify the user identifier. Then, the search criteria person determination unit 103 is adapted to identify the user identifier based on the input information. Note that the person who inputs this information may or may not be the subject.

As with the rehabilitation treatment content input unit, the search criteria person determination unit (103) may display an HTML document via http/https communication when communicating, and guide the user through the input items via this screen interface. In this case, the search criteria person determination unit (103) may also be implemented as a server container. The device to be communicated with may be the trainer's information terminal (879) or another computer (not shown).

The information that can identify a user identifier may be anything, such as a combination of address and name, a combination of postal code and name, a combination of login name and password, a combination of a rehabilitation facility identifier and login name, a combination of an area identifier, login name and password that identifies a specific rehabilitation facility, or an identifier assigned to a device used by an individual.

Based on information that can identify such a user identifier, the search criteria determination unit (103) refers to a database (not shown) that registers persons who are permitted to use the device, and identifies the subject's identifier.

When the device is used so that a rehabilitation practitioner views the device when examining a patient, the rehabilitation practitioner is designated as the authorized user, and the device is implemented to identify the practitioner in charge. In this case, the search criteria person determination unit (103) can determine the user identifier of the patient. Of course, this can be achieved by implementing the device so that a screen consisting of multiple steps, such as a login screen and a search criteria person determination screen, is displayed and determined. Specifically, the search criteria person determination unit (103) refers to an authentication database (not shown) to determine whether the operator is qualified to use the device, and if the operator is authorized to operate the device, determines a user identifier that identifies the search criteria person.

The search criteria determination unit (103) is also used to identify information about other people that the operator wishes to view. Specifically, when the rehabilitation performance information search unit returns multiple results, a list is created and displayed on an information terminal (not shown) so that the operator can select which information he or she wishes to refer to.

From the viewpoint of protecting personal information, it is desirable that the information identified here does not immediately identify which individual it pertains to. Rather than including a user identifier in the presented list as an identifier for identifying others, an identifier that does not directly identify an individual, such as the number of the person listed on the list, can be sent as an option. The user identifier can then be determined based on the obtained identifier, and individual rehabilitation performance information can be obtained from the rehabilitation performance information recording unit.

[Rehabilitation Performance Information Search Section (104)]
The rehabilitation performance information search unit (104) receives a request from the search criteria person determination unit (103) and extracts personal rehabilitation performance information including bio-information or physical function evaluation information similar to the recent bio-information or physical function evaluation information of the specified user from the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102).

As the most recent biological information or physical function evaluation information, it is preferable to use the information last recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) for that person.

However, if there are special circumstances that make it impossible to make a similarity determination with satisfactory accuracy, such as the last recorded information lacking necessary information elements, or the last recorded information happening to have another injury or illness, previous information may be used instead.

Even when using a substitute, it is preferable to use the most recent information possible, as this is the information closest to the current physical condition. The presence or absence of such special circumstances can be determined by whether or not the distance between the data can be calculated using the similarity evaluation function described below. In addition, a temporary obstruction state record field (not shown) can be provided in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) to record any temporary injuries or illnesses, and it can be checked whether any information is written there.

Now, let's talk about judging "similarity." In this regard, we implement a similarity evaluation function that takes as arguments at least information A consisting of multiple values and information B consisting of multiple values, and treat the output value as a distance. When the distance falls below a certain value, we can judge that "information A and information B are similar."

- Regarding the similarity evaluation function: Various implementations of the similarity evaluation function are possible, but the optimal one for this rehabilitation support device can have the following properties, for example.

[1] If the rehabilitation treatment details recorded by the user most recently in the rehabilitation record information are not identical to those of other people’s past rehabilitation treatments, or if there are no similarities in the treatment areas, a large distance value will be returned as “dissimilar.”
[2] The squared mean of the difference between the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the previous month from the time the rehabilitation treatment details were recorded among the rehabilitation performance information last recorded by the user operating the device, and the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the previous month from the time the rehabilitation treatment details of another person were recorded is added to the distance value in [1] above.
[3] Among the rehabilitation performance information last recorded by the operating user, the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for one month after the rehabilitation treatment content was recorded and the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for one month after the rehabilitation treatment content of another person was recorded are calculated, and the difference is multiplied by a value exceeding 1 and added to the distance value in [1] above. The reason for multiplying and superimposing by a value exceeding 1 is to place importance on the physical function evaluation after the rehabilitation treatment.
[4] The physical function evaluation information to be calculated in the above [2] and [3] is information that has the same area identifier or is linked to area identifiers relating to locations where the same results are obtained when the same person performs a physical function evaluation.

In other words, this function calculates the distance between information A and information B, where information A is the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the previous month from the time the rehabilitation treatment details were recorded among the rehabilitation performance information last recorded by the operating user, and information B is the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the previous month from the time the details of another person's past rehabilitation treatment were recorded. Furthermore, the physical function evaluation information to be searched is filtered by those with the same or similar environment area identifier before the calculation is performed.

With such a function, it becomes possible to define a distance that is based on the rehabilitation treatment content and that emphasizes the improvement of physical function after treatment. Note that here, if the user has just undergone rehabilitation, there is no subsequent physical function evaluation information, so the calculation related to [3] can be ignored to define the distance. In the case of an SQL database, such a function can be implemented using a technique called Stored Procedure.

Of course, the above functions are merely examples, and instead of comparing the average values of each item, it is also possible to use calculations such as heavily weighting the physical function evaluation information immediately after rehabilitation treatment to calculate the distance by calculating each item's value. The selection of these functions can also be implemented in a way that changes depending on the user's current employment status.

Processing Peripheral to the Rehabilitation Performance Information Search Unit Next, the processing contents peripheral to the rehabilitation performance information search unit will be explained in more detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram explaining which elements of individual rehabilitation performance information the rehabilitation performance information search unit compares and how to extract identical or similar information. Here, the explanation will be given assuming that both the search criteria person and the search target are recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102).

When the rehabilitation performance information search unit (104) receives a request from the search criteria determination unit (103), it uses the specified items to identify the individual rehabilitation performance information recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102). This information includes rehabilitation treatment information (455-1) and physical function evaluation information or biological information (453-1).

Next, at least the physical function evaluation information of the last recorded rehabilitation treatment information (455-1) and the preceding and following physical function evaluation information or biological information (453-1) are combined and used as the search criteria data. At this time, the physical function evaluation information or biological information (453-1) has an area identifier (452-1) linked to it. Therefore, in addition to the rehabilitation treatment information (455-1) and the physical function evaluation information or biological information (453-1), the area identifier (452-1) is paired and used as one input of the similarity evaluation function.

When searching, a process is carried out to extract information on the personal rehabilitation records of other people being searched that is deemed to be similar to the same type of information as the other input.

Similarity judgment focusing on rehabilitation treatment information Here, we will add a comment about how to handle rehabilitation treatment information (455-1) in the similarity evaluation function. It is desirable to use a similarity evaluation function that can extract rehabilitation treatment information even if it is not a perfect match, as long as the essential parts match. For example, if rehabilitation treatment information is recorded in text, it is possible to determine that "left gastrocnemius stretching" is nearby, assuming that "left gastrocnemius stretching exercise training" is one of the arguments. This makes it possible to absorb differences in expression when trainers are different. Of course, if the rehabilitation treatment information is coded in advance, there will be no variation in expression, so it is sufficient to extract only complete matches. To detect essential matches, it is sufficient to perform morphological analysis on the search key and determine whether the analysis results include all terms related to rehabilitation treatments.

・ The significance of using "last recorded" information People are very conscious of their most recent situation. The "last recorded" information represents the current situation, which is the most anxious time, and using it as a benchmark allows us to arrive at the personal rehabilitation performance information of others that is of the greatest interest.

The significance of using the data recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording section as the search criteria. The search criteria is not simply specified from the outside, but information that has been temporarily recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording section (102) is used. This point is added here. The reason for this is that
(1) Although the information required for the search is the main key to the content of rehabilitation treatment, it is difficult to obtain useful rehabilitation performance information without physical function evaluation information or biological information.
(2) If such information is available, it would be better to actively record it as rehabilitation performance information, as this would promote the accumulation of meaningful information.
(3) The rehabilitation treatment information alone does not provide an overview of the patient's ongoing activities in life.
That is the reason.

Handling of physical function evaluation information and biological information As mentioned above, when using a similarity evaluation function to perform a similarity evaluation, the physical function evaluation information is the main method for calculating distance, but biological information can be treated as auxiliary. As mentioned above with reference to FIG. 11, even if the physical function evaluation information is the same, the subjective burden of each person is different. Therefore, if the subjective evaluation is emphasized, the similarity evaluation function can be used to process the biological information, and if it is not, the similarity evaluation function can be used to reduce the degree to which the difference in biological information appears in the distance.

Conclusion Thus, the rehabilitation performance information search unit (104) extracts (484) individual rehabilitation performance information having the same or similar physical function evaluation information or biometric information in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) based on the search instruction received by the search criteria determination unit (103).

[Future Forecast Report Preparation Department (105)]
The future prediction report creation section (105) organizes the future predicted physical condition of the person whose biometric information was used as the search criterion, based on the individual rehabilitation performance information searched and extracted by the rehabilitation performance information search section (104), into an easy-to-read format, and visualizes it by displaying or printing it.

The future prediction report can also show the trajectory of the effects of rehabilitation on the individual, allowing the individual to understand how their physical function is improving in the context of their daily life, rather than just feeling it during rehabilitation.

(3.2. Operation according to this embodiment)
Next, for convenience, the operation of this embodiment will be explained by dividing it into a recording stage and an extraction stage of rehabilitation result information.

(3.2.1. Rehabilitation performance information recording stage)
The biometric information and user identifier of the subject (user) to be recorded as data can be obtained from the subject equipped with a sensor to obtain the biometric information at the rehabilitation facility, day service facility, day care facility, workplace, etc. The biometric information obtained from each sensor (877) is collected in the collection server (873) via the personal biometric information collection unit 1 (875-1) and the local network (872).

When the trainer (878) issues a recording command from the trainer's information terminal (879), the aggregation server (873) sends the aggregated biometric information to the rehabilitation support device along with the area identifier (854) uniquely assigned to the rehabilitation facility. At this time, the gateway (874) routes the information to the device with the address identified as the identified rehabilitation support device and sends the information outside the network. This is the same as what a normal network does.

At rehabilitation facilities, users wear sensors in various parts of their body to obtain the necessary biometric information. They then undergo rehabilitation according to a rehabilitation menu established by specialists such as doctors and physical therapists. Since physical therapists are conscious of the patient's health condition when conducting rehabilitation, they can instruct the patient to record the biometric information measured at this point.

The information sent from the gateway (874) via the network reaches the user biometric information input unit (101). This information includes not only the biometric information (113), but also the area identifier (112) and the user identifier (111) that identifies the user who issued the biometric information.

The bioinformation etc. received by the user bioinformation etc. input unit (101) is thus converted into a format that can be recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102). The user bioinformation etc. input unit (101) then issues an instruction to record this in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102). In accordance with this instruction, the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) records the bioinformation in the reference table (261) and the measurement value table (262), as described above with reference to FIG. 2.

In parallel with this, or before or after this, the trainer (878) or a person who wishes to register the rehabilitation treatment details of the user under his/her instructions connects to the rehabilitation treatment details input unit (109) from an information device (not shown) and instructs this rehabilitation support device to record the rehabilitation treatment details of the user. In accordance with this instruction, the rehabilitation treatment information is recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) as described above with reference to FIG. 2.

A user identifier (115) is specified to identify the user to be registered, but this user identifier must match the identifier of the user involved in obtaining the user's biometric information. For this reason, usability can be improved by creating an electromagnetic record card for each user, recording the user identifier on this card, and implementing the system so that this is used as input information as is.

As explained above, each user's biometric information, etc. will be recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) in the rehabilitation support device.

(3.2.2. Rehabilitation performance information extraction stage)
A patient who is anxious about the future strongly wants to know the rehabilitation treatment details and the situation before and after the treatment of others who have experienced the same situation as the patient. Here, we will explain a scenario in which a user who is anxious about recovery after starting rehabilitation uses this rehabilitation support device at a rehabilitation facility. Note that Figure 1 is used to explain the operation of this device from the configuration, Figure 5 is used to explain the data, and Figure 9 is used to explain the operation sequence of the configuration.

In addition, in this device, the communication between the information terminal and the device will be described as being implemented so that it is controlled by the search criteria determination unit (103).

This device is also convenient for rehabilitation practitioners, rehabilitation facility managers, and operators who want to view the data. When these people use the device, they can operate it in the same way as a practitioner. In this case, the device operation procedures and device operations are generally the same as those used by a practitioner, so an explanation will be omitted.

[Search criteria determination step]
Naturally, since this device handles sensitive information relating to individuals, first, authentication is performed to determine whether the person is permitted to use the device through a so-called login process. Specifically, a person who wishes to search for personal rehabilitation record information of others who are similar to himself/herself requests connection to this device from a terminal device (not shown) (S0901). In response, the search criteria person determination unit transmits a login request to the information terminal (S0902) to request login information, such as a user identifier and password, from the operator. In response to this request, the operator performs a login operation from the information terminal (S0903).

The search criteria user determination unit (103) performs authentication (S0904) based on the login information from an information terminal (not shown).

If this authentication is successful, a next operation request is made, prompting the user to select the operation they wish to perform (S0905).

The information terminal that receives the operation request prompts the operator to perform the operation via a display panel or the like, and in response, the operator, for example, requests a precedent inquiry (S0906). When this request reaches the search criteria user determination unit, the search criteria user determination unit requests the rehabilitation performance information search unit (504) to search for individual rehabilitation performance information that has similar data, along with the user identifier determined during the authentication (S0907).

When the search request is received, the rehabilitation performance information search unit (504) responds to it. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5.

Based on the user identifier determined by the search criteria determination unit (503), the rehabilitation performance information search unit (504) requests the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (502) to obtain the individual rehabilitation performance information, and obtains the results (504-1).

The individual rehabilitation performance information (552) obtained from the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (502) includes the last rehabilitation treatment information and the last recorded physical function evaluation information or biological information (504-2). The rehabilitation performance information search unit (504) uses a similarity evaluation function to search for other people's individual rehabilitation performance information that is similar to this rehabilitation treatment information. The rehabilitation treatment information also includes information on the time when the treatment was performed, and the physical function evaluation information or biological information also includes information on the evaluation time or measurement time, so the chronological relationship between these can be understood. For this reason, the temporal relationship in which the physical function evaluation information or biological information comes after the rehabilitation treatment information is also used as a search condition.

In other words, from the personal rehabilitation performance information identified as the search target, the same or similar personal rehabilitation performance information of other people is extracted in the order of the corresponding time of one or more pieces of rehabilitation treatment information including the last rehabilitation treatment information, and one or more pieces of physical function evaluation information or bioinformation including the last physical function evaluation information or bioinformation (504-3).

Once similar individual rehabilitation performance information has been searched for in the above manner (S0908), the resulting individual rehabilitation performance information is sent to the future prediction report creation unit (505) (S0913). Below, we return to the explanation centered on Figure 9.

At this time, if there is similar information on multiple individual rehabilitation records of other people, these are presented to the search criteria person determination unit (S0909), and the search criteria person determination unit presents them in list form on the information terminal, and the operator is asked to select one (S0910).

When displaying the list, care must be taken when handling personal information. Because the information obtained here is sensitive, it is advisable to limit the display to information such as job transitions and rehabilitation treatment details.

Next, when the operator selects which individual rehabilitation performance information is to be selected, this is sent to the search criteria determination unit (S0911), and based on the selection, the search criteria determination unit requests the rehabilitation performance information search unit to retrieve total information on the rehabilitation performance of that individual (S0912).

In response to this, the rehabilitation performance information search unit selects similar individual rehabilitation performance information recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit, and passes this content to the future prediction report creation unit as organized information (S0913).

The future prediction report creation unit (505) displays the individual rehabilitation performance information related to other people in an easy-to-read format based on the individual rehabilitation performance information extracted in this manner (S0914).

In this case, too, since information related to rehabilitation falls under the category of so-called sensitive information, from the perspective of protecting personal information, when it is displayed it is displayed in such a way that it is not possible to know who the other person is or where they live. In other words, the information displayed by the future prediction report unit does not need to be all of the extracted individual rehabilitation performance information, but should be limited to what is necessary to predict the future of the rehabilitation recipient.

In addition, when displaying information, it is important to prioritize ease of viewing, so it is a good idea to use not just text information, but also illustrations and three-dimensional models that make it easier to understand the situation.

By operating in this way, subjects who are anxious about their future can grasp concrete precedents, dramatically reducing the level of their anxiety.

(3.3. Supplementary matters)
(3.3.1. Searchable objects to be implemented)
In the above explanation, the rehabilitation performance information search unit (104) uses rehabilitation treatment information, as well as physical function evaluation information or biometric information as clues for similarity search when extracting identical or similar individual rehabilitation performance information. This means that either physical function evaluation information or biometric information can be used as a search element, but which one should be used for the search and how both should be searched for will be described in detail here as a design guideline.

First, a benchmark is envisaged that will allow the searcher to select either physical function assessment information or vital signs information, depending on the position of the person searching.

In other words, rehabilitation practitioners and others who use this device from a medical perspective have a deep understanding of the meaning of biometric information. For this reason, by using biometric information as search criteria data along with rehabilitation treatment information, practitioners can obtain reference information for their own planning and design.

In contrast, those who are not well versed in medical matters, such as patients, but who have a strong interest in the apparent state of their condition in the future, are more interested in physical function evaluation information than dry vital information. For this reason, by using physical function evaluation information as well as rehabilitation treatment information as search criteria data, the practitioner can obtain reference information to alleviate anxiety and plan their life.

Of course, both can be mixed depending on how the calculation process of the similarity evaluation function (481) is implemented. If a large amount of information is accumulated in this device, even if the extraction conditions are narrowed down by only physical function evaluation information or biological information, many results will be obtained, so in order to narrow down these results, the more search conditions there are, the more efficient the narrowing down will be.

In such cases, you can reduce the number of results by setting the similarity evaluation function and selecting what to search for.

(3.3.2. Use of information to identify rehabilitation practitioners)
The rehabilitation treatment information, which is an element of the rehabilitation performance information, may include information for identifying the rehabilitation practitioner. Similarly, the physical function evaluation information may also include information for identifying the rehabilitation practitioner.

By doing this, searchers can take this information into consideration and obtain clues that enable third parties to understand differences in personal descriptive techniques related to rehabilitation treatment information.

It can also be used in auxiliary ways, such as when a person in charge of a rehabilitation facility wants to evaluate rehabilitation practitioners working there, to identify those practitioners and understand their situation.

(3.3.3. Use of information to identify rehabilitation facilities, etc.)
The rehabilitation treatment information, which is an element of the rehabilitation performance information, may include information specifying a rehabilitation facility. Similarly, the physical function evaluation information may include information specifying a rehabilitation treatment.

In this way, when the rehabilitation performance information search unit (504) searches for other people's personal rehabilitation performance information, rehabilitation facility information can be added as a condition, making it possible to present other people's cases that are more reliable and helpful in alleviating anxiety.

(3.3.4. Other implementations related to table definition)
As mentioned above, each record in the Measurement Table (262) is related to the Reference Table (261) in order to know in which area the measurement record was taken and to whom the measurement pertains.
In other words, as long as it is possible to know who the measurement information belongs to and where it was taken, there is no need to have a direct relationship between the reference table (261) and the measurement table (262).

For example, if the measurement value table also had columns for the user identifier (PID), area identifier (RGNID), and measurement/assessment time (TimeStamp), then for a specific user, the time series could be understood by comparing it with the same columns in the reference table (261), making it possible to perform a similarity assessment using only a single table. In this way, the reference table and the measurement value table could be installed separately in different databases, improving the scalability of the rehabilitation support device as a system.

As long as the physical function evaluation information and vital signs information are linked to the area identifiers, and these and the rehabilitation treatment information are recorded in a way that allows the time period to be determined, there is no need to be concerned with the table structure. It is sufficient to record the information in a way that makes it easy to realize the functions that are provided when implementing the system.

(3.3.5. Recording of biometric information or similarity judgment)
Since biometric information is described as numerical values, similarity is judged based on whether the numerical difference is within a predetermined range. Therefore, instead of raw biometric information, information that has been pre-processed by categorization may be used as input to a similarity evaluation function that judges similarity using biometric information. For example, blood pressure values may be input by assigning an index to a blood pressure range with a predetermined width, such as 80-82 or 82-84, and the blood pressure ranges adjacent to this may be evaluated as similar.

(4. Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

(4.1. Overview of the second embodiment)
This embodiment uses the predictable future physical function evaluation or biological information as a clue to understand what kind of occupation or type of job the patient can continue in the future, and suggests what kind of training is necessary to select that occupation. This makes it possible to provide guidance that takes into account the difficulties and future changes in physical function, rather than simply presenting case studies of others with similar physical function evaluations, in line with the purpose of the present invention, which is to quickly relieve the patient's anxiety.

However, as mentioned above, even if a person's physical functions appear to be sufficient and they are able to exercise and work, some people subjectively feel that they are overexerting themselves and cannot continue to do so. On the other hand, some people may appear to have difficulty moving, but in their hearts they feel that they can continue to overexert themselves to this extent without any problems.

The significance of this embodiment is that it takes into account such subjective variations in burden and provides support for occupation selection.

(4.2. Configuration according to this embodiment)
Like the rehabilitation support device in the first embodiment, this embodiment comprises a user biometric information input unit (601), a rehabilitation treatment content input unit (609), and a search criteria person determination unit (603). The functions of these units are generally similar, so the explanation of each unit will be omitted.

Similarly, it also has a rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602), a rehabilitation performance information search unit (604), and a future prediction report creation unit (605), and further has an occupation type information input unit (610).

[Rehabilitation performance information recording section (602)]
The rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) records individual rehabilitation performance information related to multiple rehabilitation subjects. The individual rehabilitation performance information includes at least bioinformation, physical function evaluation information, and rehabilitation treatment information, similar to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the bioinformation and rehabilitation treatment information are also recorded in a manner that allows distinction between before and after the time.

However, the individual rehabilitation performance information recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) also includes occupation information. Normally, occupation information is managed by an occupation table (764).

Here, occupation refers to the type of work classified according to the parts of the body used and whether or not there are differences in physical function and level.

For example, in a plant factory, tasks include sowing seeds, raising seedlings, growing plants, grafting, transporting plants, and detecting abnormalities. Each of these tasks requires different physical functions and different levels of use, so classification can be based on these levels. Of course, accounting, general affairs, and human resources, which require different skills, would also be classified as different occupations.

The Occupation table (764) is a data table that records the job in which the patient is engaged. This table does not need to have any particular relationship with records in any other table, but it does need a user identifier (PID) column to identify the patient.

The records managed by the occupation table primarily record occupation information, but in this embodiment, in addition to the user identifier (PID), they also include an area identifier (RGNID), occupation, and time information. This time information should preferably be information relating to the date on which the subject worked in the occupation described in the record. It should also be possible to know not only whether the subject worked in the occupation related to the record, but also whether the subject left the occupation.

In this regard, there are several options for implementing the timing information in this table design. For example,
[1] An option to record information about an occupation and information about when the person started working in that occupation in a record that records an occupation, but not information about when the person left that occupation.
[2] An option to record information representing an occupation in a record that records one occupation, and record information on when the person began working in that occupation and when the person left that occupation in a record in another table via a relation to this record;
[3] An option to record information representing an occupation, information on when the person started working in that occupation, and information on when the person left that occupation in a record that records an occupation;
There are various possible implementations.

By implementing [1], it is possible to reduce the amount of space required, making it possible to make the device configuration more compact.

By implementing [2], it is possible to provide flexibility in the method of recording job type information. For example, depending on the implementation, it may be easy to also include information related to a detailed description of the job type.

According to the implementation of [3], the same record contains work days and separation dates, so by looking at this period it is possible to know that the person was employed in the job type indicated by that record. Also, as indicated by "null" in the figure, if the separation date column is left unrecorded, it is clear that the person is currently employed in that job type. Also, if there is no record with an unrecorded separation date for a specific user identifier, this indicates that the person is not currently employed. Furthermore, if the period between work days and separation dates overlaps between different records, it is possible to manage the fact that the person was in a "concurrent position" working in multiple jobs at the same time.

As we have seen, technique [3] is easy to understand in terms of design and intuition, so we will explain it below based on this implementation.

[Rehabilitation Performance Information Search Section (604)]
The rehabilitation performance information search unit (604) receives a request from the search criteria person determination unit (603) and requests the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) to extract individual rehabilitation performance information including biometric information or physical function evaluation information similar to the most recent biometric information or physical function evaluation information of the specified user. Then, using the occupation information and physical function evaluation information or biometric information contained in the individual rehabilitation performance information extracted by this request as clues, the rehabilitation performance information search unit (604) requests the vocational training plan recording unit (608) described later to extract possible future occupations and training contents for them from occupations similar to the clues. The vocational training contents thus obtained are transferred to the future prediction report creation unit (605) described later.

Here, the meaning of "similar" is the same as in the first embodiment. In other words, "information A and information B are similar" means that the distance between information A, which is made up of at least multiple values, and information B, which is also made up of multiple values, is equal to or less than a certain value.

Various implementations of the similarity evaluation function in the rehabilitation support device according to the second embodiment can be envisioned, but the optimal one can have the following properties, for example:

[1] If the occupation type information last recorded by the operating user is not identical to the occupation type information of another person in the past, a large distance value is returned as "dissimilar."
[2] If the rehabilitation treatment details recorded by the user last time are not identical to those of other people's past rehabilitation treatments, or if there are no matches in the treatment areas, a large distance value will be returned as "dissimilar."
[3] The squared mean of the difference between the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the previous month from the time the rehabilitation treatment details were recorded among the rehabilitation performance information last recorded by the user operating the device, and the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the previous month from the time the rehabilitation treatment details of another person were recorded is added to the distance value.
[4] The distance value is calculated by multiplying the squared mean of the difference between the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the one month after the rehabilitation treatment details were recorded, among the rehabilitation performance information last recorded by the user operating the device, and the average value of each item of the physical function evaluation information for the one month after the rehabilitation treatment details of another person were recorded, by a value greater than 1.
[5] The squared mean of the difference between the average value of each item of vital signs for the previous month from the time the rehabilitation treatment details were recorded among the rehabilitation performance information last recorded by the user operating the device, and the average value of each item of vital signs for the previous month from the time the rehabilitation treatment details of another person were recorded is added to the distance value.
[6] Furthermore, the distance value is calculated by multiplying the squared mean of the difference between the average value of each item of vital signs for one month after the rehabilitation treatment details were recorded in the rehabilitation performance information last recorded by the user operating the device and the average value of each item of vital signs for one month after the rehabilitation treatment details of another person were recorded by a value greater than 1.

Whether or not one has the ability to actually complete a task tends to be strongly reflected in physical function evaluation information, whereas whether or not the individual considers it painful tends to be strongly reflected in vital information. In other words, the similarity evaluation function described above is significant in that it not only evaluates the appearance of others in this way, but also makes it possible to extract the preceding situations of others that are similar to the individual's own perceptions.

And of course, this similarity evaluation function is capable of calculating a distance that places emphasis on the improvement of physical function after rehabilitation treatment, based on the content of the treatment. Note that if the user has just undergone rehabilitation and there is no subsequent physical function evaluation information, a similarity evaluation function that calculates the distance while ignoring the calculations in [4] and [6] may be used. In the case of an SQL database, such a function can also be implemented using a technique called Stored Procedure.

Of course, the above functions are merely examples, and instead of comparing the average values of each item, it is also possible to use a calculation in which the physical function evaluation information immediately after rehabilitation treatment is heavily weighted to calculate the values of each item and then calculate the distance between them. The selection of these functions can also be implemented in a way that changes depending on the user's current employment status.

[Future Forecast Report Preparation Department (605)]
The future prediction report creation unit (605) organizes, based on the individual rehabilitation performance information searched and extracted by the rehabilitation performance information search unit (604), predicted future changes in physical condition of the person whose biometric information was the search criterion, possible future jobs, and an explanation of what kind of training would be required if the person were to change their current job to the possible job, etc., in an easy-to-read format, and then displays or prints this information so that an operator, etc. can recognize it.

[Vocational Training Plan Records Section (608)]
The vocational training plan record section (608) is a record section that pairs two pieces of vocational information and a vocational training content description. The two pieces of vocational information indicate the occupation before the job change and the occupation after the job change. The vocational training content description indicates the training content required when changing occupation from the occupation before the job change to the occupation after the job change.

Of course, it is also possible to record only the post-job occupation and make the device describe only the skills required there. However, by making it possible to explain the content of vocational training for the occupations before and after the job change, it becomes possible to present the difficulties of changing careers and the new improvements in physical functions that are required. This can provide the subject with a greater sense of security and can be a source of greater courage. Therefore, it is desirable to include occupational information prior to the job change whenever possible.

[Occupation information input section (610)]
The occupation information input unit (610) communicates with the external environment, inputs information relating to occupation, and requests the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) to record the contents of the information in the occupation table held therein.

As with the rehabilitation treatment content input unit, input of information related to occupation can be made by interactively communicating with an information terminal operated by the person inputting the information, determining the content to be recorded, and recording the information in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602), thereby improving usability. Similarly, a so-called smartphone application can be used as an external information terminal.

(3.3. Operation according to this embodiment)
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

(3.3.1. Rehabilitation performance information recording stage)
In this embodiment, the operations of collecting and transferring physical function evaluation information and vital sign information, and recording the collected physical function evaluation information and vital sign information in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

(3.3.2. Occupation Record Stage)
In this embodiment, a step of recording the occupation (job type) is required, and this step will be described below. This step is generally similar to the recording of rehabilitation treatment information.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the job type table (764) has columns for user identifier, area identifier, working date, and leaving date. Relationships with others can be established through the user identifier and area identifier, so as long as the user identifier and area identifier are not mistaken, there is no need for them to be recorded by the trainer or rehabilitation facility manager.

[Work record operation]
First, a case will be described in which a person who records the occupation (hereinafter, referred to as an "occupation recorder") records the work of a specific user.

The occupation recorder attempts to connect to the occupation information input unit (610) of the rehabilitation support device from an information terminal (not shown). When performing this operation, the occupation information input unit (610) needs to determine whose employment is to be input, so
[1] If the user is the user himself/herself, a login operation is performed. If the login is successful, the user is deemed to have update authority and his/her user identifier is confirmed.
[2] In the case of a person other than the user, the authority is confirmed via a login operation, and then an HTML document is sent to the terminal which displays an input screen for deciding whose information is to be updated. From the response from the information terminal, it is determined whether the user who is the target of the operation has update authority, and if it is determined that the user has update authority, the target user is deemed to have update authority and their user identifier is determined.

Next, the job type information input unit (610) sends an HTML document that prompts the user to input job information, etc., to the information terminal. This HTML document may include input instruction information accompanied by an <input> tag, for example, so that the user can input job type information and time information.

In response to this, the occupation recorder inputs at least the occupation information and start date of employment from an information terminal. This information reaches the occupation information input section (610) by performing a submit operation, and based on this, for example, an INSERT statement is issued, and a new record is added to the occupation table in the rehabilitation performance information recording section, and the record is then made. If this information indicates a new employment, the date of leaving employment information can be left as null.

[Leave Record Operation]
Next, we will explain the case where the job recorder records the resignation of a specific user. Here too, it is necessary to determine whose resignation is being entered. For this purpose, similar to the procedure for recording employment, a login process can be performed.

Once the identifier of the user to be recorded has been determined, the date of separation is recorded for those records in the job type table (764) for which no date of separation information is recorded. If there are multiple records for which no date of separation information is recorded, an HTML document is sent to allow the user to select one, and the record for which the date of separation should be recorded is identified based on the response to this.

Specifically, the occupation information input unit (610) issues a search request for the user to be recorded to the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602). In response to this request, the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) searches for a record in the occupation table whose user identifier matches the user as part of the individual rehabilitation performance information for that user, and returns the result to the occupation information input unit (610).

In this case, if only one record is extracted, the occupation information input unit (610) sends an UPDATE request to the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) to record the date of separation from work in that record, and records the date of separation from work.

In addition, when multiple records are extracted, the job type information input unit (610) first inquires of the information terminal as to which job type the person wishes to record as having left work, and then issues an UPDATE request to the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (602) for the record in which the job type specified in the response is recorded, thereby recording the date of leaving work.

When selecting the above-mentioned employment record operation/leave record operation, when a connection is made from the information terminal operated by the occupation recorder to the occupation information input unit, parameters may be included in the connection request and an independent page for each operation may be displayed according to the parameters, or an independent request URL may be assigned. In this way, it becomes possible to log in independently for each employment record/leave record operation. Of course, the login process may be performed first, and then a menu may be displayed to allow the selection of the employment record operation/leave record operation.

(3.3.3. Job change support stage)
Next, assuming a situation in which a user is concerned about the future and is considering changing occupational types to obtain reference information, the operation of the present device for supporting a job change will be described with reference to FIG.

The user, who is also the patient, attempts to connect to the search criteria user determination unit (603) of this rehabilitation support device from an information terminal (not shown). At this time, a login process is performed, and only those who are permitted to use the device can continue the subsequent processes. In other words, the operational procedures from the connection request (S1001), login request (S1002), login process (S1003), and authentication (S1004) are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the explanations of these procedures are used here.

When authentication is complete and it is determined that the person operating the information terminal is authorized to use the device, the rehabilitation support device then issues an operation request (S1005). This operation request includes options for inputting the user's own employment information as well as options for job change support.

When an operator requests vocational support, a selection operation on the information terminal causes option specification information to be sent from the information terminal to the search criteria person determination unit (S1030). The search criteria person determination unit receives this and requests the rehabilitation performance information search unit (604) to extract similar information, along with the operator's user identifier (S1007). At this point, the user identifier indicating the operator, either during the login process or specified separately, has been finalized, so the search criteria person determination unit (603) can send the user identifier to the rehabilitation performance information search unit (604).

Next, the rehabilitation performance information search unit (604) uses the received user identifier as a clue to obtain personal rehabilitation performance information related to that user. This is then used as a clue to obtain similar personal rehabilitation performance information related to other people (S1008). The similarity evaluation function that determines similarity here determines that personal rehabilitation performance information of other people who have not worked in the same occupation is dissimilar, so at least information on other people who have worked in the same occupation is included. In addition, since the similarity evaluation function includes the distance between physical function evaluation information, the personal rehabilitation performance information of other people extracted here includes people who are in a similar situation to the user's current situation.

The rehabilitation performance information search unit (604) transmits the similar data obtained in this manner to the search criteria determination unit (S1009). The search criteria determination unit then lists the data for the operator and prompts the operator to select which data he or she wishes to understand (S1010). At this time, if the data are listed in ascending order of the distance value output by the similarity evaluation function, it becomes easier for the operator to understand and is more convenient.

When the operator uses the information terminal to specify another person to be individually referenced, the information terminal sends the specified information to the search criteria person determination unit (S1011). The search criteria person determination unit then determines the user identifier to which the specified information corresponds, and requests the rehabilitation performance information search unit to send the individual rehabilitation performance information related to that user identifier (S1012).

The rehabilitation performance information search unit chronologically identifies the employment information recorded in the identified individual rehabilitation performance information, and then identifies the current employment occupation of the user specified by the operator (hereinafter referred to as the "reference employment occupation"), as well as the employment information and subsequent employment occupation of other people who have the same employment (hereinafter referred to as the "next employment occupation") (S1021).

Based on this, the rehabilitation performance information search unit further requests the vocational training plan recording unit to provide training information on what kind of training is required to transition from the standard employment occupation to the next employment occupation (S1022).

The vocational training plan recording unit extracts the training information required for this job change from the standard employment type and the next employment type (S1023), and returns the extraction results to the rehabilitation performance information search unit (S1024).

The rehabilitation performance information search unit that receives this combines the received training information with the individual rehabilitation performance information previously obtained, and presents this information to the future prediction report creation unit (S1025), which then prepares it into a report format that is easy for the operator to view, and presents this on the information terminal that the operator is viewing (S1026).

By following the steps above, the rehabilitation recipient can understand the precedents of others in similar situations to their own, gain courage, and recall the results of the rehabilitation they are currently receiving, allowing them to maintain a heightened awareness of their condition.

(3.3.4. Supplementary matters related to operation and operation)
A supplementary note about employment records: For example, if an employee works for only a few days and then is transferred to a different job, it is unreasonable to consider this as employment history. For this reason, it is advisable to take measures such as setting an exclusion flag in the record so that such employment information cannot be searched, or deleting short-term employment records.

(5. Usage in the real world)
(5.1. Possibility of use in day service facilities, etc. (redesign of facilities))
In the above explanation, a rehabilitation facility is used as an example of an area where biometric information is acquired, but it is also useful in areas other than rehabilitation. Recently, acquisition of such biometric information is also useful in day service facilities and day care facilities that are covered by nursing care insurance.

For example, day service and day care facilities are equipped with a lot of furniture and equipment, and there are times when it is necessary to determine whether these are optimally positioned from the perspective of a person's motor functions. In such cases, facility users can be asked to wear similar sensors and a biometric information collection device can be installed in the facility to actually obtain biometric information. Then, by comparing the biometric information of that user with that of other facilities, it becomes possible to detect structural features and defects at the facility, as well as deviations and abnormalities from the perspective of motor functions at other facilities.

(5.2. Availability at Workplace)
(5.2.1. Availability of administrative tasks when using Type B continuous employment support)
Recently, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been providing employment-related welfare services for people with disabilities, targeting Type B continuous employment support projects.

To use this service, the operator of the employment facility must create an employment report for each employee and for each month. By using this device, which can obtain biometric information while performing actual work at the employment facility, highly reliable employment reports can be created, which contributes to the proper operation of the system as intended.

Furthermore, the employment facility can create such a report simply by changing the display format of the rehabilitation performance information accumulated in the support device, which contributes to reducing the work burden on the employment facility. The specific implementation in this case is to ensure that the report created by the future prediction report creation unit (105) or the future prediction report creation unit (605) is in the required employment report format.

(5.2.2. Personnel availability at work facilities)
Since normal vital signs and physical function evaluation information from other rehabilitation facilities are continuously registered in the rehabilitation performance information recording section, the working facility can obtain near-future impact predictions from future prediction reports based on the most recent information from other rehabilitation facilities. By utilizing this, it becomes possible to recruit new workers at an early stage and to plan more stable production plans.

(5.2.3. Usability in recruitment services)
If a facility that needs workers specifies the physical function characteristics of the workers it will need in the future, it can search for patients who belong to other rehabilitation facilities that meet the requirements. In other words, this support device can also be used in recruitment services.

Specifically, the rehabilitation performance information search unit is provided with a function for searching for rehabilitation performance information using the inverse function of the similarity evaluation function. Here, the inverse function is a function that takes physical function evaluation information or biological information required at the employment facility as input and outputs physical function evaluation information or biological information at the rehabilitation facility. In other words, this inverse function allows the physical function evaluation information or biological information at the rehabilitation facility to be predicted from the physical function evaluation information or biological information required at the employment facility. This makes it possible for the rehabilitation performance information search unit, which has the inverse function implemented, to accurately search for the desired patient.

However, in this case, consideration should be given to the protection of personal information. In other words, when using this device equipped with the above inverse function in recruitment services, it is desirable to target individual patients who have given their permission, and to avoid privacy issues. Specifically, if there is a management table in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit that manages individuals with user identifiers, a "recruitment permission column" can be added to this. Then, for those who have given their permission, a check can be placed in this column, and the system can be configured to search for those with a check in this column as candidates for the above job placement.

5.3. Physician Diagnostic Availability
Not only in Japan, but in any country, the number of doctors is limited, and the time they can spend with each patient is also limited. Therefore, doctors make diagnoses with the support of physical therapists, etc., but even so, it is unreasonable to expect them to accurately read the patient's subjective opinion.

The device according to the present invention consolidates information including the tendencies of each patient, so the report created by the future prediction report creation unit can be formatted for a doctor's report. Doctors who see this can make accurate decisions.

This will reduce the number of cases where a patient reports to their doctor that they are "feeling fine," but then begins to feel overwhelmed and gradually stops receiving treatment, ultimately causing their condition to worsen.

(6. Other)
(6.1. Recording of other information in the rehabilitation performance information recording section)
In any of the above-described embodiments, other information may be recorded together with the contents recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit. Examples of other record information are given below.

(6.1.1. Dietary intake and supplement intake)
For example, the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) may further record the details of meals and supplements taken as part of the individual rehabilitation performance information.

In this case, a separate table can be prepared and the data recorded there. The column structure needs to include at least information indicating the time period, a user identifier, and text or code indicating the dietary details and supplements taken. Naturally, the dietary details and supplements taken will affect muscle production depending on the ingredients and nutrients contained therein. As ingredients and nutrients can be useful for building muscle, or can lead to muscle loss, it is necessary to implement a system that records as much detailed information as possible.

Note that since the location where food and supplements are consumed rarely has an immediate effect on physical function, etc., there is no need to record the area identifier. However, if there is a need to flexibly change the menu so that the foods consumed at multiple rehabilitation facilities do not overlap, it is sufficient to implement a system that records this.

In addition, for rehabilitation practitioners who believe it is a good idea to change the training menu depending on the intake of the previous day, this would mean changing the training menu itself. To meet such requests, it would be sufficient to implement a system that records this.

This information can also be used as an input for the similarity evaluation function in the rehabilitation performance information search unit. It can also be used as an example of what foods to eat when creating a future prediction report.

(6.1.2. Assistive device use information)
(6.1.2.1. Overview)
In addition, assistive devices used during rehabilitation or at work may be recorded in association with the individual rehabilitation performance information recorded by the rehabilitation performance information recording unit 102. Examples of the assistive devices include prosthetic limbs, elastic muscle strengthening devices, walking assist robots, and the like.

(6.1.2.2. Examples of assistive devices)
When using a walking assist robot for rehabilitation, a lot of valuable information can be obtained from the control unit. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has commercialized the Honda Walking Assist, so we will explain the case of using this robot.

Patients who have passed the acute phase of their injury and are now in the chronic phase can forget how they should walk. This is one of the reasons why walking becomes difficult. The walking assist robot focuses on this point, and applies a force to the patient, mainly to the hip joints, to help them walk in a correct pattern, although it is only about 15% of the normal force. This force acts on the brain, promoting memory recovery.

The literature on this walking assist robot (see the above-mentioned Prior Art Literature section and Non-Patent Document 1) states that "The walking assist robot can measure left-right symmetry, range of motion, walking speed, and other parameters during walking and check them on the spot. Furthermore, the measurement history can be referenced and compared for each user, and can also be compiled on a PC." In other words, the data obtained from this robot can be used in this assist device. And although this data is "a reference value based on the measurement results of this device, not a direct measurement of the wearer's foot movements, but a reference value measured based on the movements of this device" (as stated in the literature), there is no doubt that it is information that interpolates physical function evaluation information and biological information, and it is expected that this assist device will be able to obtain more comprehensive and detailed biological information.

Recently, "collaboration between medicine, welfare, food, and agriculture" has been advocated (see Morita Shigenori (ed.), "Introduction to Design Agriculture," First Edition, Asakura Publishing Co., Ltd., published March 30, 2019, pp. 144-154). If this support device is deployed in this field, patients equipped with the walking assist robot can be assigned to patrol work, which is expected to result in a high rehabilitation effect.

(6.1.2.3. Implementation for use with assistive devices)
The assistive device information can be used as one input of a similarity evaluation function in the rehabilitation record information search unit. Also, in creating a future prediction report, the assistive device information can be used as an example of a diet to be taken.

When it comes to information on the use of rehabilitation aids, it is important to know where they were used. That is, even for the same person, the outward appearance of physical movements is expected to differ depending on the facility, so the use of rehabilitation aids has a significant impact on physical function evaluation information.

Therefore, this rehabilitation aid usage information must include at least information indicating the time when the context with other types of information can be determined, aid content information for identifying the aid, a user identifier or information that can uniquely identify the user identifier, and an area identifier or information that can uniquely identify the area identifier.

Individual rehabilitation performance information contains multiple types of information, and depending on the table implementation status, the significance of the associated information will vary, so each will be divided below. Note that these associations are not exclusive options, and can be used together if the implementation objectives overlap.

(6.1.2.3.1. When associating with rehabilitation treatment content information)
First, information on the use of assistive devices used during rehabilitation can be associated with rehabilitation treatment content information.

This information can of course be used as a medical record for rehabilitation practitioners, and because it can be tracked to show that the information was used during employment, it can be used as material to consider what policies should be adopted during rehabilitation treatment to help alleviate obstacles to employment.

(6.1.2.3.2. When associating with physical function evaluation information)
The record of the assistive device may be recorded in association with the physical function evaluation information in the individual rehabilitation performance information recorded by the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102).

By using information on the use of assistive devices, it becomes clear which rehabilitation facility or workplace is appropriate for the use of assistive devices, since it is accompanied by an area identifier. This information can be used by facility managers to provide information on facility improvements, etc.

(6.1.2.3.3. Associating with Biometric Information)
The record of the assistive device may be recorded in association with biological information in the individual rehabilitation performance information recorded by the rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102).
Biometric information is information that is obtained without the subject being aware of it, and is information that is most influenced by the food intake, etc. Therefore, by making this association, it goes without saying that the user's daily dietary management will be made easier.

Furthermore, by implementing this in the second embodiment, it becomes possible to understand that changing one's eating habits can change the nature of one's work, making it possible to provide support that takes into account the diverse values of individuals, such as whether they prioritize eating habits or work.

(6.2. Other implementation examples of similarity evaluation function)
(6.2.1. Similarity Evaluation Function Using CNN)
The similarity evaluation function in each of the above embodiments can use a deep learning technique. That is, since the similarity evaluation function can be regarded as a filter calculator, a multi-layered Convolutional Neural Network (hereinafter, referred to as "CNN") as shown in FIG. 12 can be implemented and this similarity evaluation function can be replaced with the CNN.

In this case, if all arguments are assigned to the input layer (1292), the similarity determination result can be obtained in the distance output layer (1297). There is no need to pay special attention to the hidden layer 1 (1294) and hidden layer 2 (1296), as they are already in the CNN. In addition, there is no need to pay special attention to the branch 1 (1293) and branch 2 (1295) that connect each element, as the CNN automatically adjusts them as appropriate.

By configuring it in this way, since the argument contains a region identifier, it becomes possible to measure distances that reflect the specificities of the region.

(6.2.2. Input and output selection)
When using CNN as the similarity evaluation function, there are various options for how to select the vector to be input to the input layer (1292) and the vector to be output to the intermediate layer 2 (1296), which acts as the output layer, so here we will give one example. Of course, other options can also be added.

[1] Example 1 Input = (Physical assessment information from a rehabilitation facility)
Output = (physical evaluation information at the work facility) or (biometric information at the work facility)
[2] Example 2 Input = (Physical assessment information from rehabilitation facility)
Output = (physical evaluation information at the work facility, and biological information at the work facility)
[3] Example 3 Input = (biometric information from a rehabilitation facility)
Output = (physical evaluation information at the work facility) or (biometric information at the work facility)
[4] Example 4 Input = (Biometric information from a rehabilitation facility)
Output = (physical evaluation information at the work facility, and biological information at the work facility)
[5] Example 5 Input = (Physical assessment information and vital signs of rehabilitation facility)
Output = (physical evaluation information at the work facility) or (biometric information at the work facility)
[6] Example 6 Input = (Physical evaluation information and vital signs of rehabilitation facility)
Output = (physical evaluation information at the work facility, and biological information at the work facility)
[7] Example 7 Among the above examples 1 to 6, an area identifier is added to the input.
[8] Example 8: Among the above examples 1 to 6, an area identifier is added to the output.
[9] Example 9: Among the above examples 1 to 6, an area identifier is added to the input and an area identifier is added to the output.

Of the above, if only physical evaluation information is selected for input (first example, second example, etc.), information can be obtained from appearance alone, so the equipment required at the rehabilitation facility can be simplified.

In addition, if biometric information is selected for input (Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, Example 6, etc.), the information that emphasizes the subjective aspects of the rehabilitation subject can be used as the basis, making it possible to collect information that is not significantly influenced by the tendencies of the rehabilitation subject.

Note that while the first to sixth examples above do not include area identifiers, these can be used as selectors. That is, information from rehabilitation facilities can be selected using the area identifier and this can be used as input to the similarity evaluation function. In this case, a similarity evaluation function is prepared for each rehabilitation facility, and a similarity evaluation is performed for each rehabilitation facility. Similarly, if an identifier for the work facility to be output is prepared, it becomes possible to perform a similarity evaluation specifically for the work facility.

In addition, more precise calculations can be performed by adding age information to the input.

(6.2.3. Other Hierarchy Definitions)
In the above example, there are two intermediate layers, but it is possible to add additional layers.
For example, by adding another layer between the intermediate layer 2 (1296) and the distance output layer (1297), it is possible to take as its input biometric information measured at a specific rehabilitation facility and as its output biometric information measured at a specific business establishment.

(6.2.4. Parameter Learning)
When there is some correlation between the input and the output, if a large number of them are collected and learned, the parameters in the CNN that associate them will gradually converge. In this regard, according to the seventh example classified above (6.2.2. Selection of input and output), it is possible to develop a highly versatile similarity evaluation function that includes the characteristics of the area.

When learning, it is sufficient to use the information recorded in the rehabilitation performance information recording unit for the values of both the input layer and the output layer. Therefore, if the CNN-type similarity evaluation function is trained periodically and automatically, the accuracy of the future prediction report can be improved as data is accumulated.

(6.3. Additional Recording of Biometric Information)
It may be advantageous to add other biological information to the biological information in each of the above-mentioned embodiments later. For example, blood test information may vary slightly depending on the diet, but similar information can be obtained from blood collected at any rehabilitation facility. For this reason, the most recent biological information related to the user recorded by the most recent rehabilitation performance information recording unit (102) may include the measured blood test information. This allows for a more precise and objective prediction of physical function evaluation.

(6.4. Implementation of personal biometric information aggregation unit)
When implementing the above-mentioned personal biometric information collecting unit, it is also possible to use a smartphone, which has become widely used recently.

Recently, smartphones often come equipped with a three-dimensional acceleration sensor as standard, as well as a Global Positioning System (GPS) function. In other words, a smartphone can be a device that integrates an acceleration sensor as a sensor for acquiring biometric information, as described in the above embodiment, and a personal biometric information aggregation unit that transmits information to an aggregation server or to a server that includes a rehabilitation performance information recording unit. By implementing an app, a simple device that acquires information from a subject can be realized.

Of course, in this case, if you want to obtain information other than acceleration, you can also implement it by putting the smartphone's external device connection terminal into host mode and connecting a sensor that obtains other biometric information to it.

As explained above, this invention makes it possible to provide psychological support to rehabilitation recipients, which can of course be used directly in the fields of medicine and rehabilitation, but since the employment content can be in various manufacturing and service industries, it can also be effectively used in the field of promoting employment of people with disabilities in the agricultural sector, a project being promoted by the Consumer Affairs Agency and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

The first number in the symbols in the drawings indicates the drawing number. Note that the numbers are arranged so that drawings with the same last two digits have roughly the same meaning even in different drawings.

101 User biometric information input unit
102 Rehabilitation Performance Information Record Section
103 Search Criteria Determination Department
104 Rehabilitation Performance Information Search Department
105 Future Forecast Report Creation Department
109 Rehabilitation treatment content input section
111 User Identifier
112 Area Identifier
113 Biometric Information
115 User Identifier
116 Physical Function Assessment Information
117 Rehabilitation Treatment Information
233 User Identifier
234 Area Identifier
238 flag bits
261 Reference Table
262 Measurement Table
264 Rehabilitation Treatment Contents Table
309 Rehabilitation treatment details input section
351 Rehabilitation Performance Information
352 Individual Rehabilitation Performance Information
353 Physical Function Assessment Information
354-2 User Identifier
355 Rehabilitation Treatment Information
356 Biometric Information
452-1 Area Identifier
453-1 Biometric information
455-1 Rehabilitation treatment information
481 Similarity Evaluation Function
502 Rehabilitation Performance Information Record Section
503 Search Criteria Determination Department
504 Rehabilitation Performance Information Search Department
505 Future Forecast Report Creation Department
552 Individual Rehabilitation Performance Information
601 User biometric information input unit
602 Rehabilitation Performance Information Record Section
603 Search Criteria Determination Department
604 Rehabilitation Performance Information Search Department
605 Future Forecast Report Creation Department
608 Vocational Training Plan Record Section
609 Rehabilitation treatment content input section
610 Job type information input section
764 Job Table
854 Area Identifier
872 In-house network
873 Aggregation Server
874 Gateway
875 Personal Biometric Information Collection Department
875-1 Personal Biometric Information Collection Unit 1
875-2 Personal Biometric Information Collection Unit 2
876 Victim
877 Sensors
877-1 Leg Sensor
877-2 Blood flow sensor
877-3 Heart Rate Sensor
878 Trainer
879 Trainer's Information Terminal
1292 Input Layer
1293 Branch 1
1294 Middle layer 1
1295 Branch 2
1296 Middle layer 2
1297 Distance Output Layer

Claims (2)

a rehabilitation performance information recording unit that stores individual rehabilitation performance information for multiple users, the information including at least a user identifier for identifying a person, physical function evaluation information consisting of multiple elements obtained from the user's movement appearance, an area identifier indicating the area where the physical function evaluation information was acquired, physical function evaluation time information indicating the time when the physical function evaluation information was acquired, rehabilitation treatment information indicating the content of the rehabilitation treatment the user received, rehabilitation treatment time information indicating the time when the rehabilitation treatment was performed, biometric information consisting of multiple elements measured from the user's living body, a biometric information acquisition area identifier indicating the area where the biometric information was acquired, and biometric information time information indicating the time when the biometric information was acquired;
a search criteria person determination unit that inputs information for identifying a search criteria person and determines the search criteria person;
an identical or similar result information extraction unit which compares search criteria data including recently recorded rehabilitation treatment information, recently recorded physical function evaluation information, and an area identifier corresponding to the physical function evaluation information among the individual rehabilitation result information recorded in the rehabilitation result information recording unit and having a user identifier identifying the search criteria person determined by the search criteria person determination unit with a search target data group including the rehabilitation treatment information and physical function evaluation information recorded in the rehabilitation result information recording unit as the individual rehabilitation result information, and extracts individual rehabilitation result information from the search target data group in which the time relationship between the physical function evaluation information and the rehabilitation treatment information constituting the search criteria data is the same and the data distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
a future prediction report creation unit that creates a report on the future physical condition of the search criteria bioinformation provider based on the physical function evaluation information, rehabilitation treatment information, and bioinformation included in the individual rehabilitation performance information extracted by the identical or similar performance information extraction unit;
A rehabilitation support device comprising:
Further, a vocational training plan recording unit is provided for recording vocational training plan information required when changing a job type from a first job type to a second job type,
The individual rehabilitation performance information recorded by the rehabilitation performance information recording unit further includes employment occupation information relating to the occupation in which the individual was engaged at the time when the physical function evaluation information was obtained,
the future prediction report creation unit searches the vocational training plan recording unit for information on a change in occupation among the individual rehabilitation performance information of other people obtained from the identical and similar performance information extraction unit , based on a search key that defines the occupation before the change as a first occupation and the occupation after the change as a second occupation, and provides the report by adding corresponding vocational training plan information to the report;
2. The rehabilitation support device according to claim 1,

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