JP7602162B2 - Support server for the healthy life extension support system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system that provides information and services useful for extending a user's healthy lifespan to the user's terminal via a network, thereby supporting the extension of a user's healthy lifespan.

In recent years, attention has been focused on "extending healthy lifespan," which can lead to reductions in medical and nursing care costs. Healthy lifespan refers to the period of life during which an individual can live an independent life, excluding the period during which the individual is dependent on daily and continuous medical care and nursing care. Various methods have been proposed for evaluating and calculating this healthy lifespan and for determining the risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Chewing food, swallowing, and the secretion of saliva have a large impact on the brain and the whole body, and are factors that greatly affect mental and physical health and healthy lifespan. Maintaining and improving the health of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region should ultimately extend healthy lifespan. However, there has yet to be anything provided that supports the maintenance and promotion of the health of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region with the aim of extending healthy lifespan, and currently there are only proposals for supporting the care of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region (oral care) based on the function and health state of the biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2005-265 A JP 2016-174715 A JP 2017-60661 A

In light of the above-mentioned situation, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a system that supports the maintenance and improvement of the health of the oral cavity and pharyngeal area with the aim of extending healthy life expectancy.

In light of this current situation, the inventors have conducted intensive research and have come to the realization that maintaining and improving physiological functions and maintaining and improving hygienic conditions in the oral cavity and pharyngeal regions is essential to extending a healthy lifespan. They have discovered that by analyzing information available from an individual user's sensor-equipped measuring means to grasp the daily function and health state of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal regions, as well as the actual state of care, awareness and knowledge regarding the oral cavity and pharyngeal regions, and the general attributes, overall health state, treatment history, dietary habits, lifestyle habits, actual exercise habits, behavior at bedtime, psychological state, etc. of the user, it is possible to derive information useful for maintaining and improving physiological functions and maintaining and improving hygienic conditions in the oral cavity and pharyngeal regions of the user in a form suitable for extending the user's healthy lifespan, and by providing this information to the user as appropriate, it is possible to realize an information provision system that can greatly contribute to extending the healthy lifespan of each user, and have thus completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention includes the following inventions.
(1) A support system for extending healthy lifespan, comprising a support server that analyzes information capable of grasping the function and health state of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual state of care, and the actual state of awareness and knowledge thereof based on one or more pieces of user information selected from the user's own general attributes, overall health state, treatment history, dietary habits and lifestyle habits, the actual state of exercise habits, bedtime behavior, and psychological state, and at the time of providing the analyzed information for each user, provides information and services useful for extending the healthy lifespan of the user to the user's terminal via a network, in which the support server has a function/state/care actual state information acquisition unit that acquires, from the sensor-equipped terminal of each user via the network, information capable of grasping the daily function and health state of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region of the user, the information being continuous or intermittent in a time series and obtained on a daily basis by the sensor, and an information acquisition unit that acquires, from the terminal of each user or a computer of an institution that holds the user's information, the information capable of grasping the daily state of awareness and knowledge of the user regarding the oral cavity and pharyngeal region of the user, via the network. a user information acquisition unit that acquires, via a network from an individual user's terminal or a computer of an institution that holds user information, one or more pieces of user information selected from the user's general attributes, overall health condition, treatment history, dietary habits and lifestyle habits, actual exercise habits, behavior at bedtime, and psychological state; an oral cavity and pharyngeal information storage unit that stores the acquired information that allows for grasping the daily function and health condition of the biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care status, and the actual consciousness and knowledge status; a user information storage unit that stores the acquired user information; a useful information generation unit that analyzes, based on the user information, the information that allows for grasping the latest and past function and health condition of the biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care status, and the actual consciousness and knowledge status, and generates information useful for extending the healthy lifespan of the user at the time of providing the analyzed information; and an information transmission unit that transmits the generated useful information to the user's terminal via the network.

(2) The support system for extending healthy life expectancy according to (1), wherein the useful information includes one or more pieces of information selected from the following information (i) to (vi):
(i) evaluation information and improvement proposal information regarding the user's oral care status;
(ii) general information on the level of functioning of the tissues in the oral-pharyngeal region, the state of oral hygiene, and the possible effect on physical and mental health of the patient of the presence or absence of oral diseases and their severity;
(iii) Information regarding possible future risks to the user's physical and mental health based on the user's current oral and pharyngeal condition and methods for preventing and improving such risks;
(iv) information about services for maintaining or improving the function of the user's oral and pharyngeal area;
(v) An evaluation of the user's actual lifestyle, diet, and exercise habits, and the risks to future mental and physical health that can be inferred from those habits, and information on methods for improving those habits and support proposals for maintaining and improving those habits;
(vi) information regarding sleep behaviors or improvement services that may adversely affect the function or condition of the user's oral and pharyngeal area;

According to the present invention described above, it is possible to provide a user with information that is useful for maintaining and improving the physiological functions and hygienic conditions in the oral and pharyngeal regions of the user in a manner suitable for extending the user's healthy lifespan, thereby realizing an information provision system that can greatly contribute to extending each user's healthy lifespan.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a support system according to a representative embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a support server in the support system. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal in the support system. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a sensor device serving as a user terminal. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing the procedure from generation of useful information in the support server to transmission of the useful information to the user terminal.

Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The support system of the present invention is a system that analyzes information that can grasp the function and health state of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care status, and the actual awareness and knowledge status based on one or more pieces of user information selected from the user's general attributes, overall health status, treatment history, dietary habits and lifestyle habits, actual exercise habits, behavior at bedtime, and psychological state, and provides the user's terminal with information and services useful for extending the user's healthy lifespan via a network, which are used at the time of providing the analyzed information to each individual user.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the support system according to this embodiment, a support server 1 and individual user terminals 2 are communicatively connected via a network N such as the Internet, and various information is exchanged between them. The support server 1 is also communicatively connected via the network N to an institution's computer (institution computer 3) that holds user information, and various information is exchanged between them.

The user terminal 2 may be a terminal with a sensor (sensor device 21), a personal computer, a smartphone, or other such information terminal 22. The support server 1 can receive information acquired by a sensor-equipped terminal serving as the user terminal 2, or information manually input by the user via the input means of the information terminal 22 serving as the user terminal 2. As shown in FIG. 3, a system that receives information from a sensor-equipped terminal may be a system that receives various information acquired by the sensor device 21 directly, or via a charging/storage stand (docking station 23) that wirelessly communicates with the sensor device 21, or an information terminal 22 such as the user's personal computer/smartphone.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support server 1 is composed of one or more computers equipped with a processing device 10 and a storage means 11. Specifically, a conventional, widely used computer device can be used, which is composed of a processing device 10 at the center, a storage means 11, a communication control unit 12, and an input operation means (not shown) such as a pointing device, keyboard, or display.

The processing device 10 is mainly composed of a CPU such as a microprocessor, and has a memory unit consisting of RAM and ROM (not shown) in which programs and processing data that define the procedures for various processing operations are stored. The storage means 11 consists of a memory or hard disk inside or outside the support server 1. Some or all of the contents of the storage unit may be stored in the memory or hard disk of another computer that is communicatively connected to the support server 1.

Functionally, the processing device 10 is broadly divided into a function/condition/care status information acquisition unit 10a that acquires, via a network N, from each user's sensor-equipped terminal (user terminal 2), information that allows for grasping the daily function and health status and actual care status of the user's biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, which is continuous or intermittent information obtained daily by the sensor in a chronological order; an awareness/knowledge status information acquisition unit 10b that acquires, via a network N, from each user's terminal 2 or an institutional computer 3 that holds user information, information that allows for grasping the user's awareness/knowledge status regarding the oral cavity and pharyngeal region; and a function/condition/care status information acquisition unit 10c that acquires, via a network N, from each user's terminal 2 or an institutional computer 3 that holds user information. The system includes at least a user information acquisition unit 10c that acquires one or more pieces of user information selected from the user's general attributes, overall health condition, treatment history, diet and lifestyle habits, actual exercise habits, behavior at bedtime, and psychological state, a useful information generation unit 10d that analyzes the acquired information that can grasp the latest and past acquired information on the function and health condition of the biological tissues of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care status, and the actual awareness and knowledge status based on the acquired user information, and generates information useful for extending the user's healthy lifespan at the time of providing the analyzed information, and an information transmission unit 10e that transmits the generated useful information to the user terminal 2 via the network N and provides it, and these processing functions are realized by the above program.

The storage means 11 includes at least an oral cavity and pharyngeal information storage unit 11a that stores information that can grasp the daily function and health state of the biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care state, and the actual consciousness and knowledge state acquired by the function/condition/care actual state information acquisition unit 10a and the consciousness/knowledge actual state information acquisition unit 10b, a user information storage unit 11b that stores the user information acquired by the user information acquisition unit 10c, and a useful information storage unit 11c that stores useful information for extending the user's healthy lifespan generated by the useful information generation unit 10d.

The function, condition and care status information acquisition unit 10a acquires information on the function and health status of the biological tissues of the user's oral cavity and pharyngeal region from the user's sensor-equipped terminal (sensor device 21), such as oral movement information (teeth grinding, chewing, chewing force, swallowing mouth movement range), chewing force (bite pressure) and chewing state as chewing functions, chewing ability, chewing frequency and mandibular movement ability as chewing functions, throat movement and swallowing force as swallowing functions, tongue function, and other information on the function of the tongue. These include tongue movement ability, tongue pressure, and blood flow rate, saliva condition such as pH and buffering capacity (ability to maintain pH in the normal range), amount of saliva secreted, dryness of the oral cavity and throat area, calcium ion concentration in saliva, serum antibody titer for oral bacteria, amount of immunoglobulin, amount of active oxygen, stickiness of the oral cavity, main types and concentrations of gases as halitosis, tooth condition such as size of the embrasure space (opening area), tooth surface color, number of remaining teeth, and gum condition such as color and blood flow rate.

More specifically, the bite force (bite pressure) of the occlusal function can be obtained by measuring myoelectric potential, biting with a piezoelectric sensor, or measuring myoelectric potential of the jaw or temple. The bite state can be obtained by acquiring an image and analyzing it with AI. Like the bite force (bite pressure), the chewing ability can be obtained by measuring myoelectric potential, biting with a piezoelectric sensor, or measuring myoelectric potential of the jaw or temple. The number of chews can be obtained by measuring the jaw movement or the myoelectric potential generated during chewing using image analysis, myoelectric potential acceleration, distance sensor, etc. Mandibular motor ability can be obtained by the myoelectric potential when the jaw is moved. The throat movement as a swallowing function can be obtained by myoelectric potential and photoelectric sensor. Swallowing force can be obtained by measuring the myoelectric potential when the throat is moved. Tongue pressure can be obtained by measuring the pressure when a probe with a piezoelectric sensor or pressure sensor is held between the tongue and jaw. Tongue blood flow can be measured by pressing a probe with an SpO2 photoelectric sensor against the tongue.

The pH and buffering capacity of saliva can be measured by using a sensor device 21 equipped with a probe equipped with a pH sensor and holding the probe in the oral cavity. The amount of saliva secreted and the dryness state of the oral cavity and throat area can be measured by using a sensor device 21 equipped with a probe equipped with a capacitance sensor (impedance measurement) and holding the probe in the oral cavity.

The types and concentrations of the main gases that cause bad breath can be obtained by using a sensor device 21 equipped with a gas/breath sensor nozzle and having the user blow breath into the nozzle. The size of the embrasure space between the teeth (opening area), the color of the tooth surface, the number of remaining teeth, and the color of the gums can be obtained by having the user hold the sensor device 21, equipped with a sensor at the end that performs spectral analysis of the light absorption pattern of near-infrared light, in the mouth and performing color discrimination through image analysis. The blood flow rate of the gums can be obtained by having the user place the sensor device 21 equipped with an SpO2 sensor in the mouth.

In addition, the information that the function/condition/care status information acquisition unit 10a acquires from the user's sensor-equipped terminal (sensor device 21) and that is capable of grasping the actual care status includes tooth brushing patterns, such as the date and time of toothbrushing acquired by a switch signal, brushing time acquired by a timer, brushing part acquired by a gyro sensor, brushing speed acquired by an acceleration sensor, and brushing pressure acquired by a strain gauge or pressure sensor.

Such a sensor device 21 may be, for example, a sensor-equipped terminal for grasping the tissue function level related to chewing, swallowing, saliva secretion, tongue movement, occlusion state, chewing or swallowing behavior during eating, or behavior during sleep, a toothbrush attachment terminal of the oral care support system described in JP 2017-60661 A, or a sensor-equipped oral device such as the GrindCare (registered trademark) terminal for a bruxism (teeth grinding, clenching) prevention product (manufactured by Sunstar Suisse SA, related patents: European Patent No. 1610862, U.S. Patent No. 8160689, U.S. Patent No. 9149226, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor device 21 can be configured to include a processing device 24 at its core, a memory means 25, an input/output unit 26, an image input unit 27, a display/notification unit 28, and a wireless/wired communication unit 29, and can be a device that obtains biological information, behavioral information, and care behavior information inside and outside the oral cavity and pharynx using the sensors in the input/output unit 26 and the image input unit 27.

More preferably, the device has the following configuration. That is, the power is turned on by turning on the switch, by removing the device from the docking station 23, or by detecting movement by an acceleration or biosensor. It can also be used by multiple users, and individual recognition is performed by a personal recognition button or a biosensor. The status of the sensor device 21 (battery level, usage time, wearing status, etc.) is transferred to an information terminal 22 such as a smartphone, which is also a user terminal 2, by a wireless/wired communication unit 29 using short-range wireless communication (ANT+, Bluetooth, ZigBee, IrDA, etc.). When used online, the sensor information is transferred to the information terminal by short-range wireless communication, and behavioral information that the user immediately wants, such as tooth brushing behavior, teeth grinding behavior, and heart rate status, is displayed on the information terminal.

Preferably, the device can also be used offline, and information obtained from the sensor of the input/output unit 26 is temporarily stored in a storage means 25 such as an EEPROM. When communication with an information terminal 22 such as a smartphone or a charging/storage stand (docking station 23) becomes possible, the data is transferred. When the storage capacity of the storage means 25 exceeds a certain threshold, the device has a means for notifying the user. The data in the EEPROM is erased by transferring it to the information terminal 22. Alternatively, the data is erased if the device is used without transferring it after notifying the user. When the device is used online, the data does not have to be stored in the EEPROM.

If it is possible to use it offline, for example, it would be possible to notify the user if the brush pressure is excessive when brushing the teeth, and the processing device 24 would have a calculation function (calculation unit) to carry out this function. It would also be preferable to have a display/notification unit 28 that diagnoses and notifies the user of any improper installation of the sensor device 21, disconnection of the information terminal, malfunctions, remaining battery charge, etc. The user can be notified by means that appeal to the senses of hearing, sight, and touch, such as an alarm, a flashing LED, an image on an LCD or EL, or vibration.

It is also preferable that the sensor device 21 or the charging and storage stand (docking station 23) has a function for sampling specimens such as saliva. For example, a user samples a specimen and sends the specimen, which is assigned an ID, to an institution that performs specimen testing. The ID assignment is performed on the support server 1 side, and the information is assigned when sampling is performed.

The information terminal 22, typified by a PC or smartphone, can be any known device. It displays biological information inside and outside the oral cavity and pharynx, behavioral information, care behavior information, advice information, and product information, and can also input information such as the user's attributes, overall health condition, and behavior diary through an input unit such as a keyboard or microphone. It can also import customer information and product information as image information from an image input unit using a built-in camera or barcode reader. By interactively transmitting information with the sensor device 21, it instantly displays care behaviors and the current condition of the oral cavity and pharynx, and also displays the results of analysis and evaluation based on information from the device from the support server 1. It also aims to increase user convenience by appropriately introducing related products based on analysis data and actual usage.

In addition, information on the device status (battery level, usage time, wearing status, etc.) can be obtained together with the sensor information from the sensor device 21 by receiving it using short-range wireless communication (ANT+, Bluetooth, ZigBee, IrDA, etc.). When used online, for example, sensor information is transferred from the sensor device 21 by short-range wireless communication, and behavioral information that the user wants immediately, such as tooth brushing behavior, teeth grinding behavior, and heart rate status, is displayed on the information terminal. Information that must be notified immediately about tooth brushing behavior, such as high brushing pressure or fast brushing speed, can be transferred from the information terminal to the sensor device 21 using short-range wireless communication. Data on the analysis and evaluation content displayed after oral care behavior is transmitted between the support server 1 and the support server 1 via an Internet connection via a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi or a wired LAN.

Preferably, the device has a function of calling a call center in the event that the user is unable to input information such as user attributes, health status, and activity diary from the information terminal due to some problem on the user's part. Even if the user does not have an information terminal, the charging and storage stand (docking station) has an Internet connection function via wireless LAN or wired LAN, and can transmit information to the support server 1. In this case, the information can also be provided on paper or the like.

In addition to acquiring information from the sensor-equipped terminal (sensor device 21) in this manner, the function/condition/care status information acquisition unit 10a may also receive information on the function/condition/care status of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region manually input by the user using the input means of an information terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone as the user terminal 2, or may acquire information on the function/condition/care status of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region from the institutional computer 3 that holds the information on the function/condition/care status of the user.

For example, the condition of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region obtained by user input may include information such as tooth sensitivity, sticky mouth, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing food, bleeding gums, poor gum color, bad teeth alignment, poor tooth surface color, noticeable gaps between teeth, noticeable bad breath, difficulty chewing, poor bite alignment, and shaky jaw. Institutions that hold information on the function, health status, and actual care of the biological tissues of the user's oral cavity and pharyngeal region include medical institutions such as dental clinics, institutions that manage electronic medical record systems, and analytical evaluation institutions that analyze user specimen samples, and this information can be obtained by forming partnerships with these institutions in advance to exchange information.

The awareness/knowledge information acquisition unit 10b acquires information from the terminal 2 of each user or the institutional computer 3 that holds the user's information, which enables the user to grasp the user's awareness/knowledge regarding the oral cavity and pharyngeal region. For example, the information includes awareness of the user's concerns about the oral cavity (care), the tendency to stain or to develop cavities, and whether the user has taken measures to deal with these issues; the degree of understanding of proper brushing methods, methods for cleaning between the teeth, and information regarding oral and pharyngeal care tools and products. Institutions that hold user information include dental clinics and other medical institutions, and the information is obtained by forming partnerships with these institutions in advance to exchange information.

Acquisition from the user terminal 2 may be from an appropriate sensor-equipped terminal (sensor device 21) as described above, or may involve receiving information manually input by the user using the input means of an information terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone as the user terminal 2. More specifically, for example, a website (information providing site) for the purpose of providing information to users may be operated (having a web server function) inside/outside the support server 1, and information that can grasp the user's awareness and knowledge of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region may be acquired from the information terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone accessed through the information providing site.

The content of the information provided to users through this information site will consist of general information related to oral and pharyngeal care, the relationship between diet and oral and pharyngeal care, and the relationship between various syndromes and oral and pharyngeal care, in addition to the useful information targeted at the user, which will be described later. By obtaining information on the user's awareness and actual knowledge regarding these, it is preferable to foster in the user an awareness that oral and pharyngeal care can be used to extend their healthy lifespan.

The information provided on oral and pharyngeal care includes problems that can arise from using inappropriate toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other products, as well as criteria and methods for selecting appropriate products, information on various oral care products (ingredients information, problems that can arise from incorrect use and correct usage, etc.), specific optimal oral care methods for a set period of time (for example, one week), oral problems that arise by age and gender, and for pregnant women, infants, and people requiring care, and how to prevent and deal with them, an introduction to the latest oral-related research, basic knowledge about dentures and implants, common problems with dentures and how to prevent them, etc.

Information provided on the relationship between diet and care may include examples of problems caused by eating habits or biases, or the ingestion or use of luxury items, and how to deal with them, information on the importance of chewing and problems that can arise when chewing disorders occur, preventive methods to make chewing disorders less likely to occur, information on the importance of bite alignment and problems that can arise when bite disorders occur, etc. It is also preferable to provide information on the relationship between overall health and oral hygiene.

In exchange for providing this information, the information providing site obtains information on the user's awareness and actual knowledge without the user being aware of it as much as possible. Specifically, information is obtained from the selection history of the user's choices from a list of free services, or information required for each provided service is obtained by the user entering that information. If monitoring information is entered in conjunction with product use, a data storage directory is created for each user. It is also preferable to register users after purchasing a product and provide product after-sales service.

The general attributes of a user that the user information acquisition unit 10c acquires from an individual user terminal 2 or an institutional computer 3 that holds user information include, for example, gender, age, date of birth, height, weight, area of residence, and occupation.

Similarly, the health condition acquired by the user information acquisition unit 10c includes information acquired from the sensor device 21 as the user terminal 2, such as the frequency and number of times of teeth grinding acquired from an electromyographic sensor attached to the temples or chin, which indicates the state of the jaw, and information such as height, weight, body fat percentage, electrocardiogram, pulse wave, pulse rate, _SpO2 (percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation), hemoglobin concentration, body temperature, activity level, blood pressure, blood glucose level, bone density, etc. acquired from a dedicated sensor, and calorie intake, etc. acquired from a camera. Also, information received from the user terminal 2 as information manually entered by the user, or information acquired from the institutional computer 3 of a medical institution, health insurance, labor union, or other institution that manages an electronic medical record system includes information on the user's health checkup results, blood donation eligibility and blood test information, types and frequency of health foods ingested, information on diseases being treated, presence and type of allergies, medication information, etc.

Similarly, the treatment history acquired by the user information acquisition unit 10c includes information received from the user terminal 2 that is manually input by the user, or information acquired from the institutional computer 3 of an institution such as a medical institution, health insurance, or labor union, or an institution that manages an electronic medical record system, such as past dental examination history, past tartar removal history, whether or not fluoride application treatment was performed and the date of treatment, whether or not scaling or root planning treatment was performed and the date of treatment, whether or not dentures were worn and the location where they were worn, the date when they were first worn, whether or not implants were used and the location where they were treated, treatment information (caries treatment, periodontal disease treatment, etc.), etc. ), oral bacterial serum antibody titer measurement information, occlusion condition information, whether or not brushing instruction was given and the date of implementation, presence or absence of specific oral bacteria (for example, tests utilizing immune reactions), presence or absence of occult blood (for example, tests utilizing the catalytic action of hemoglobin or immune reactions), state of the user's oral flora, type and amount of immunoglobulin in saliva, DNA/RNA analysis of oral mucosa and saliva, quantification of heparanase in saliva, quantification of female hormones in saliva, quantification of ammonia in saliva, quantification of white blood cells in saliva, type and amount of oxidative stress markers in saliva, etc.

Similarly, the information on dietary habits acquired by the user information acquisition unit 10c corresponds to food information that is obtained by the user inputting it into the information terminal as the user terminal 2, such as the usual number of meals, the usual start time and duration of meals, etc. Also, the institution that holds the user's information in this case corresponds to an institution that holds information on food purchases and use of the restaurant industry, and information on customer relationship management (CRM) systems (food product purchase history, information on restaurant use history), etc. can be acquired from the institution's institution computer 3.

Similarly, the lifestyle habits acquired by the user information acquisition unit 10c include information obtained by the user inputting information into the information terminal as the user terminal 2 through the information terminal, such as lifestyle (smoking, drinking, preferences (e.g., eating a lot of sweets)) and daily activity diary. Similarly, the actual exercise habits acquired by the user information acquisition unit 10c include information obtained by the user inputting information into the sensor device as the user terminal 2 or the information terminal, such as types of daily exercise and average exercise time for daily exercise. Similarly, the bedtime behavior acquired by the user information acquisition unit 10c includes information obtained by the user inputting information into the sensor device as the user terminal 2 or the information terminal, such as average bedtime and average wake-up time.

The method by which the user information acquisition unit 10c acquires information from the user terminal 2 corresponds to the method of acquiring information input by the user to the appropriate sensor device 21 or information terminal 22 described above, similar to the above-mentioned awareness/knowledge actual situation information acquisition unit 10b, etc., and includes acquiring user information input by a user who has accessed the above-mentioned information providing site from an information terminal 22 such as a personal computer or smartphone.

The user information acquisition unit 10c can acquire information from the institution computer 3 that holds the user information by having the institution's staff input the information into the institution computer 3 or by accessing the institution 3. Institutions that hold user information include medical institutions such as dental clinics, institutions that manage electronic medical record systems, other institutions such as health insurance and labor unions, and other companies in different industries that hold various information including user attributes, and the information can be acquired by forming partnerships with these institutions in advance to exchange information.

The useful information generating unit 10d analyzes the latest and past information stored in the oral cavity and pharyngeal information storage unit 11a that can grasp the function and health state of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care status, and the actual awareness and knowledge status, based on the above user information stored in the user information storage unit 11b, and selects and generates information that is useful for extending the user's healthy lifespan at the time the analyzed information is provided. The analysis can be performed based on a predetermined formula, such as multivariate analysis. It is also preferable to analyze past information and useful information provided in the past regarding the above information by machine learning, and generate the information after inference. Any method, such as deep learning using a neural network, can be used for this machine learning.

The useful information generated by the useful information generating unit 10d preferably includes one or more pieces of information selected from the following pieces of information (i) to (vi).
(i) evaluation information and improvement proposal information regarding the user's oral care status;
(ii) general information on the level of functioning of the tissues in the oral-pharyngeal region, the state of oral hygiene, and the possible effect on physical and mental health of the patient of the presence or absence of oral diseases and their severity;
(iii) Information regarding possible future risks to the user's physical and mental health based on the user's current oral and pharyngeal condition and methods for preventing and improving such risks;
(iv) information about services for maintaining or improving the function of the user's oral and pharyngeal area;
(v) An evaluation of the user's actual lifestyle, diet, and exercise habits, and the risks to future mental and physical health that can be predicted from those habits, and information on methods for improving those habits and support suggestions for maintaining and improving those habits;
(vi) information regarding sleep behaviors or improvement services that may adversely affect the function or condition of the user's oral and pharyngeal area;

The information (i) includes, for example, the following information:
(a) An evaluation of the appropriateness of toothbrushing behavior, habits, and specific suggestions for improvement obtained by analyzing measurement data obtained using a sensor device that can grasp the actual use of a toothbrush (e.g., the movement of the toothbrush brush when brushing, the degree of change, average value, maximum value, brushing time, brushing status at each part of the oral cavity, frequency of brushing per day, etc.);
(b) Information on improvements and specific methods proposed in real time based on a proper assessment of tooth brushing behavior in real time, as necessary;
(c) Information on toothbrush specifications and oral care products optimal for the user and preferred ways to use them, based on data on the user's actual tooth brushing behavior and oral hygiene status, etc.;
(d) Information provided to specialists such as dentists and oral surgeons on the presence or absence of inflammatory systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, and glucose metabolism disorders, which may affect the oral cavity, for the purpose of improving the effectiveness of therapeutic and preventive measures in the oral and pharyngeal areas;
(e) Information on the appropriateness of oral hygiene behavior and specific suggestions for improvement, obtained through the analysis of data on the use of oral care tools other than toothbrushes and their actual usage, and the analysis of data on the oral care chemical products used and their actual usage.

When providing the information in (i) to a user's information terminal connected to a toothbrush sensor device as tooth brushing education, when providing useful information, it is preferable to inform the user of the frequency of tooth brushing, bias (habit) in cleaning areas, brushing pressure, cleaning time, brushing method, etc., and the degree of cleaning achievement, and then provide specific guidance on how to improve the areas that need improvement the most. It is preferable to display each item in a matrix table, and select the content you want to see to see the details. Furthermore, it is also preferable to have a trend view function that can show the improvement trend from the previous time.

The information in (ii) includes, for example, the following information:
(a) information on possible systemic diseases based on oral hygiene data such as caries, periodontal disease and the state of the oral flora;
(b) Information obtained by analyzing data that can grasp the actual amount of saliva secreted and the degree of dryness in the oral cavity, regarding risks to oral hygiene such as bad breath, sensitive teeth, and tongue coating, as well as the risk of developing eating disorders or taste disorders in the future, and the risk of developing systemic or mental disorders resulting from these.
(c) Data on the presence or absence of oral disease and its severity, the presence or absence and abundance of specific species of oral bacteria, etc., provided to medical practitioners and other specialists as a reference for follow-up improvements of surgical procedures, etc.
(d) Information regarding the risk of developing an eating disorder in the future and the risk of developing systemic or mental disorders resulting from such disorders, obtained by analyzing data such as the actual tongue movement during meals and at other times, bite force, bite pressure during chewing, state of bite alignment, level of swallowing function, and chewing habits.

The information in (iii) corresponds to, for example, information that may have an impact on the user's current or future physical and mental health, which is obtained by combining and analyzing current and past history information and other information on the user's oral and pharyngeal regions, and specifically, for example, the following information corresponds to:
(a) prognostic risk of surgical procedures as predicted by the state of oral hygiene;
(b) The risk of contracting systemic diseases (such as arteriosclerosis, premature birth, and aspiration pneumonia) and the risk of oral hygiene (such as the risk of contracting periodontal disease, the occurrence of tooth decay, and bad breath) that can be inferred from the state of the oral and pharyngeal flora;
(c) The user's overall health condition, dietary habits, and lifestyle habits at the time of providing information that may affect the user's oral hygiene status, and how to deal with such conditions (for example, a suggestion to visit a medical institution, etc.);
(d) Risks to the health of the oral cavity and pharyngeal area and to the effectiveness of disease treatment, which are inferred from the state of stress on the user's mind and body (e.g., mental stress, oxidative stress on the living body, etc.);
(e) Events that may result in a decline in the user's QOL in the future, as inferred from information on the user's biofunctions in the oral and pharyngeal regions at the time of providing such information, such as chewing habits, occlusion state, chewing ability, degree of swallowing function, number of chews during meals, and chewing force (e.g., a decline in eating ability, poor nutritional intake, decline in cognitive ability, lack of variety in edible foods, risk of aspiration pneumonia, etc.).

(iv) Information includes, for example, information on the current level of function, specific training methods, equipment, and tools aimed at maintaining or improving the level of function, and care products and tools aimed at supporting function, which can be obtained by constantly or intermittently measuring the actual function of the user's oral cavity and pharyngeal area in their daily lives (specifically, chewing power, mouth opening ability, swallowing ability, saliva secretion ability, occlusion, tongue movement ability, etc.).

The information (v) includes, for example, the following information:
(a) information on the current or future risk of the functional level and hygienic state of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, obtained by analyzing data on the user's current and past lifestyle, dietary and exercise habits;
(b) information useful in maintaining or improving the functional level or hygienic condition of said living tissue;
(c) Proposals for support, such as providing a system or the like to motivate users to take action aimed at maintaining or improving the functional level or hygienic condition of the biological tissue and to obtain steady results.

Here, lifestyle habits include, for example, sleep time and quality, smoking status and smoking history, smoking frequency, home environment such as heating and cooling, flooring and wall materials such as hardwood and tatami, residential information such as architectural style (wooden house, light steel frame house, steel frame building, etc.), wake-up and bedtime, etc.; dietary habits include, for example, number of meals, meal times, meal amounts (including calories ingested), degree of menu variety, nutritional balance, food hardness, whether or not snacks are eaten between meals and frequency, time of day, carbohydrate and fiber intake, whether or not eating out is eaten and frequency, etc. Exercise habits include, for example, whether or not exercise is a habit, exercise intensity, total time spent exercising, time of day exercising, frequency of exercise, whether or not you have friends who exercise with you, etc.

The information in (vi) includes, for example, the following information:
(a) Information regarding the actual state of teeth grinding, such as the presence or absence of teeth grinding, frequency, bite area, and bite pressure; the actual state of breathing method, such as the presence or absence of mouth breathing, frequency, and cumulative time; changes in saliva secretion volume while sleeping; changes in the degree of wetness (or dryness) in the oral cavity and pharyngeal area, and the effects that such behavior may have on the function of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal area and the hygiene state of the oral cavity and pharynx,
(b) Information regarding current or future risks that may occur, obtained by analyzing the data that can grasp the sleeping behavior;
(c) general information on modifying sleep habits that may have any adverse effect on the oral and pharyngeal area;
(d) Information suggesting a method for improving behavior at bedtime suited to the user, obtained by analyzing the user's unique information such as the user's lifestyle, diet, exercise habits, and the user's condition in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region (e.g., the presence or absence and location of dentures, disease condition and hygienic condition in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region).

The information sending unit 10e sends the useful information generated by the useful information generating unit 10d to a user terminal 2 such as the user's sensor device 21 or information terminal 22. Here, all or part of the useful information may also be sent to the institutional computers 3 of various affiliated institutions. It is preferable that the useful information sent to the user terminal 2 can be viewed or shared with third parties designated in advance by the user, such as dentists or physicians, or family members, via a website or the like. It is also preferable to provide information sharing services using SNS, such as a diary function, a message function between users, and a community creation function.

Figure 5 is a flow diagram showing an example of a series of processes of generating useful information by the useful information generating unit 10d and transmitting the useful information to the user terminal 2 by the information transmitting unit 10e. For example, the useful information generating unit 10d determines an evaluation formula to be used in the process according to the items of various information to be provided as useful information (S101), extracts information that can grasp the latest and past functions and health conditions of the biological tissues of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region of the user stored in the oral cavity and pharyngeal information storing unit 11a, the actual care status, and the actual awareness and knowledge status (S102), and extracts user information stored in the user information storing unit 11b (S103). Based on this information, the determined evaluation formula is used for calculation processing to perform estimation and judgment processing (S104), and the useful information selected as a result is stored in the useful information storing unit 11c (S105), and the information transmitting unit 10e transmits the useful information to the user terminal 2 (S106).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and can of course be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Support server 2 User terminal 3 Organization computer 10 Processing device 10a Function/condition/care status information acquisition unit 10b Consciousness/knowledge status information acquisition unit 10c User information acquisition unit 10d Useful information generation unit 10e Information transmission unit 11 Storage means 11a Oral cavity/pharyngeal information storage unit 11b User information storage unit 11c Useful information storage unit 12 Communication control unit 21 Sensor device 22 Information terminal 23 Docking station 24 Processing device 25 Storage means 26 Input/output unit 27 Image input unit 28 Display/notification unit 29 Wireless/wired communication unit N Network

Claims (4)

A support server for a support system for extending healthy lifespan, the support server analyzing information that can grasp the function of biological tissues and health status, actual care status, and actual awareness and knowledge status of the oral cavity and pharyngeal region based on one or more pieces of user information selected from the user's general attributes, overall health status, treatment history, dietary habits and lifestyle habits, actual exercise habits, behavior at bedtime, and psychological state, and providing useful information and services for extending the healthy lifespan of the user to the user's terminal via a network at the time of providing the analyzed information for each individual user,
A function/condition/care status information acquisition unit that acquires information that can grasp the function, health status, or care status of the biological tissue in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region of the user from the user's terminal via a network, and that acquires continuous or intermittent information in a chronological order;
an awareness/knowledge actual state information acquisition unit that acquires information capable of grasping the awareness/knowledge actual state of the user regarding the oral cavity and pharyngeal region from the terminal of each user or a computer of an institution that holds information of the user via a network;
a user information acquisition unit that acquires, via a network, from a terminal of each user or a computer of an institution that holds information about the user, one or more pieces of user information selected from the user's general attributes, overall health condition, medical history, dietary habits and lifestyle habits, actual exercise habits, behavior at bedtime, and psychological state;
An oral cavity and pharyngeal information storage unit that stores information that can grasp the function and health state of the biological tissue in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care state, and the actual awareness and knowledge state;
A user information storage unit that stores the acquired user information;
a useful information generating unit that analyzes information that can grasp the latest and past functions and health conditions of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care status, and the actual awareness and knowledge status based on the user information, and generates information that is useful for maintaining and improving the physiological functions and hygienic conditions in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region of the user at the time of providing the analyzed information;
an information transmitting unit that transmits the generated useful information to a user terminal via a network;
A support server for a support system for extending healthy life expectancy. 2. The support server of the support system for extending healthy life expectancy according to claim 1, wherein the useful information includes one or more pieces of information selected from the following information (i) to (vi):
(i) evaluation information and improvement proposal information regarding the user's oral care status;
(ii) general information on the level of functioning of the tissues in the oral-pharyngeal region, the state of oral hygiene, and the possible effect on physical and mental health of the patient of the presence or absence of oral disease and the severity of its symptoms;
(iii) Information regarding possible future risks to the user's physical and mental health based on the user's current oral and pharyngeal condition and methods for preventing and improving such risks;
(iv) information about services for maintaining or improving the function of the user's oral and pharyngeal area;
(v) An evaluation of the user's actual lifestyle, diet, and exercise habits, and the risks to future mental and physical health that can be inferred from those habits, and information on methods for improving those habits and support proposals for maintaining and improving those habits;
(vi) information regarding sleep behaviors or improvement services that may adversely affect the function or condition of the user's oral and pharyngeal area; A support server for a support system for extending healthy life expectancy according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the useful information is generated by analysis and inference using machine learning. A support server for a healthy life expectancy extension support system described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information regarding the function and health status of the biological tissue includes one or more pieces of information selected from the following information (i) to (ix):
(i) oral motor information (teeth grinding, chewing, chewing force, or swallowing mouth range of motion);
(ii) Occlusal force (occlusal pressure) or occlusal state as an occlusal function;
(iii) Masticatory function, such as chewing ability and number of chewing strokes or mandibular movement ability;
(iv) Throat movement or swallowing force as a swallowing function;
(v) tongue motor ability, tongue pressure, or blood flow as a function of the tongue;
(vi) pH and buffer capacity as saliva conditions (ability to maintain pH in a normal range), amount of saliva secreted, dryness of the oral cavity and throat region, calcium ion concentration in saliva, serum antibody titer against oral bacteria, amount of immunoglobulin, amount of active oxygen, or stickiness of the oral cavity,
(vii) The type or concentration of the main gas as a symptom of halitosis;
(viii) Size of interdental embrasure (opening area), tooth surface color, or number of remaining teeth as tooth condition;
(ix) Gum condition as measured by color or blood flow.

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