JP7813655B2 - Excretion detection system, excretion detection method, detection device, excretion detection device, and excretion detection program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an excretion detection system, excretion detection method, detection device, excretion detection device, and excretion detection program that detect the excretion state of a subject.

In facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities, nurses, caregivers, and other staff members are tasked with checking the condition of patients, residents, and other people requiring care. Checking their condition includes checking their excretion status, such as urination and defecation. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a diaper sensor that detects excretion, such as urination and defecation, which is expected to improve the work of staff members checking the excretion status of people requiring care.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-294762

Patent Document 1 incorporates sensors into diapers, which requires the care recipient to wear a diaper, which can be a physical or psychological burden. Furthermore, the diaper sensor must be replaced or adjusted every time the diaper is changed.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its primary objective is to provide an excretion detection system that can detect the excretion status of a subject even when not wearing a diaper.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an excretion detection method using the excretion detection system, etc., of the present invention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a detection device and an excretion detection device for use in the excretion detection system of the present invention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an excretion detection program for implementing the excretion detection device of the present invention.

In order to solve the above problems, the excretion detection system described in this application is an excretion detection system that detects the excretory state of a subject, and includes a detection unit that detects waves generated by the subject, a wave processing unit that processes the waves detected by the detection unit, and a determination unit that determines the excretory state of the subject based on the processing results of the wave processing unit, and is characterized in that the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the subject's body, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the surface of the subject's body.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the wave processing unit is characterized by including an extraction unit that extracts waves in a frequency band to be extracted from the detected waves.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the extraction unit is characterized in that it extracts waves in the target frequency band based on the results of frequency conversion of the waves detected by the detection unit.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the extraction unit extracts waves including a frequency band of 100 to 2000 Hz as waves in the frequency band to be extracted, and the determination unit determines the subject's urination status based on the processing results of the waves in the 100 to 2000 Hz frequency band extracted by the extraction unit.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the extraction unit extracts waves including a frequency band of 1 to 200 Hz as waves in the frequency band to be extracted, and the determination unit determines the subject's defecation status based on the processing results of the waves in the 1 to 200 Hz frequency band extracted by the extraction unit.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the determination unit determines the excretion state of the subject based on at least one wave of the subject's pulse and breathing.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the determination unit determines the excretion state of the subject based on the subject's body movements.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the extraction unit is characterized by including a bandpass filter.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the extraction unit includes a conversion unit that converts the frequency of the waves detected by the detection unit, and extracts waves in the frequency band to be extracted based on the results of the frequency conversion performed by the conversion unit.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the determination unit determines the excretion state of the subject based on the intensity of each frequency band of the waves frequency-converted by the conversion unit.

The excretion detection system described in the present application is also characterized in that it includes a trained model for judgment that has undergone supervised learning using, as input values, information based on the results of frequency conversion of waves generated by the subject, and the judgment unit judges the excretion status of the subject based on the trained model for judgment.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the trained model for judgment is characterized in that it includes at least one of the power spectrum, cepstrum, wave amplitude, fundamental frequency, formant coefficients, and Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients as information based on the results of the frequency conversion.

The excretion detection system described in the present application is further characterized in that it includes a trained model for judgment that has undergone supervised learning using information based on the waves detected by the detection unit as input values, and the judgment unit judges the excretion status of the subject based on the trained model for judgment.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the trained model for determination includes information including the gender of the subject as an input value.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the waves detected by the detection unit include waves caused by organ movement as movements within the subject's body.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the excretion state determined by the determination unit is characterized by including at least one of an excretion act and a sign of an excretion act.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the detection unit includes a piezoelectric sensor.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the piezoelectric sensor is characterized by being formed using electret foam.

The excretion detection system described in the present application may further include bedding, and the detection unit may detect waves generated by the subject through the bedding.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the detection unit has multiple detection areas that detect waves at different positions, the waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of the subject's heartbeat, breathing, and body movement, and the system is characterized by including a posture determination unit that determines the subject's posture based on the waves detected by each of the multiple detection areas.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the posture determination unit is characterized by determining at least one of the following postures of the subject as a specific posture: right lateral position, left lateral position, supine position, prone position, and sitting position.

The excretion detection system described in the present application also includes a selection unit that, when the posture determination unit determines that the subject is in a specific posture, selects from the plurality of detection areas a detection area that detects waves to be used for the determination by the determination unit, and the determination unit determines the excretion state of the subject based on the waves detected from the detection area selected by the selection unit.

The excretion detection system described herein is also characterized by including an amplifier unit that performs amplification processing for each of the multiple detection regions when the posture determination unit determines that the excretion detection system is in a specific posture.

Furthermore, in the excretion detection system described in the present application, the detection unit has multiple detection areas that detect waves at different positions, the waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on the subject's heartbeat, and the system is equipped with an excretion position determination unit that determines the position of the subject's excretion site based on the waves detected by each of the multiple detection areas.

The excretion detection system described in the present application also includes a heart position determination unit that determines the position of the subject's heart based on the waves detected by each of the multiple detection areas, and the excretion position determination unit determines the position of the subject's excretion site based on the position of the heart determined by the heart position determination unit and the waves detected by each of the multiple detection areas.

The excretion detection system described in the present application also includes a selection unit that selects, from the plurality of detection areas, a detection area for detecting waves to be used for the determination by the determination unit, depending on the position of the excretion site determined by the excretion position determination unit, and the determination unit determines the excretion state of the subject based on the waves detected from the detection area selected by the selection unit.

The excretion detection system described in the present application is also characterized by including an amplifier unit that performs amplification processing for each of the multiple detection regions according to the position of the excretion site determined by the excretion position determination unit.

Furthermore, the excretion detection method described in the present application is characterized by including the steps of detecting waves generated by the subject, including at least one of vibration data and sound data based on the subject's internal movements and vibration data and sound data based on the subject's body surface movements, and determining the subject's excretion status based on the detected waves.

Furthermore, the detection device described in the present application is a detection device comprising a detection unit that detects waves generated by a subject, a wave processing unit that processes the waves detected by the detection unit, and an output unit that outputs the processing results of the wave processing unit, wherein the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the subject's body, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the subject's body surface, the wave processing unit processes the waves detected by the detection unit to generate a result signal that can determine the subject's excretory status, and the output unit outputs the processing result to a device that determines the subject's excretory status based on the processing result by the wave processing unit.

Furthermore, the excretion detection device described in the present application is an excretion detection device that detects the excretion status of a subject, and is equipped with a determination means that determines the excretion status of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject, and is characterized in that the waves include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements within the subject's body, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the surface of the subject's body.

Furthermore, the excretion detection program described in the present application is an excretion detection program that causes a computer to execute a procedure for detecting the excretory status of a subject, and is characterized in that it causes the computer to execute a procedure for determining the excretory status of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject, which include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on the subject's internal movements, and vibration data and sound data based on the subject's body surface movements.

The excretion detection system, excretion detection method, detection device, excretion detection device, and excretion detection program of the present invention determine the state of a subject based on the waves generated by the subject. As a result, the present invention has excellent effects, such as being able to grasp the excretory state of the subject.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of an excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a device such as a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a piezoelectric sensor used in a detection unit of a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a piezoelectric sensor used in a detection unit of a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of devices such as an excretion detection device and a communication device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a detection process of a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a determination process of the excretion detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a first determination process of an excretion detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a second determination process of the excretion detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a third determination process of the excretion detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a fourth determination process of the excretion detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a detection process of a detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a determination process of the excretion detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a determination process of the excretion detection device included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an excretion detection system described in the present application. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an excretion detection system described in the present application.

<Application example>
The excretion detection system described in the present application is a system using various devices such as a detection device and an excretion detection device, and is used for purposes such as detecting the excretion status of a subject. Specific examples of the detection device 1, excretion detection device 2, etc. illustrated in the drawings will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of realizing the present invention and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

<Excretion detection system>
1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an excretion detection system described in the present application. The excretion detection system described in the present application is installed in a facility such as a hospital, a nursing home, or a care facility. The facility is provided with rooms such as hospital rooms and care rooms where patients, residents, and other care-requiring persons (subjects) stay, and beds 3 used by the care-requiring persons are placed in the rooms. The facility is also provided with a waiting area such as a nurse's station where staff such as nurses, caregivers, and doctors who provide care, such as nursing care, for the care-requiring persons are on standby.

The bed 3 used by the care-requiring person has a floorboard 30, on which a mat 31 is placed as bedding, and bedding such as sheets is laid on top of the mat 31 as needed. A detection device 1 is attached to the bed 3. The detection device 1 has a detection unit 10 that uses a sheet-shaped piezoelectric sensor 10a (see Figure 2, etc.). The detection unit 10 of the detection device 1 is placed, for example, under the mat 31, sheets, and other bedding of the bed 3 used by the care-requiring person. In other words, the detection unit 10 detects the subject via the mat 31, sheets, and other bedding. Figure 1 shows an example in which the detection unit 10 is placed on the floorboard 30 of the bed 3, and the mat 31 is placed on top of that. The detection unit 10 may also be placed on top of the sheets so that it comes into direct contact with the care-requiring person.

Detection device 1 is connected to excretion detection device 2, and the electrical signal output from detection device 1 is input to excretion detection device 2 via a communication line. It is also possible for communication between detection device 1 and excretion detection device 2 to be performed wirelessly based on a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

Devices capable of communicating with the excretion detection device 2 include various communication devices 4, such as nurse call receivers carried by nurses, monitors installed at nurse stations, and mobile phones carried by external parties. The excretion detection device 2 and communication device 4 are communicatively connected via a communication network NW, such as a wireless local area network (LAN), a wired LAN, a wide area network (WAN), or a dedicated communication line. The excretion detection device 2 transmits various information, such as information indicating the determination results obtained through processes such as the determination result output process described below, to the communication device 4 via the communication network NW. Transmission of various information from the excretion detection device 2 to the communication device 4 may be push-type, in which information is transmitted in approximately real time, or pull-type, in which information is stored in a data server on the communication network NW and retrieved by the communication device 4 as needed. Furthermore, various forms are possible, such as combining push and pull types.

<Configuration of various devices>
Next, the hardware configuration of various devices included in the excretion detection system described herein will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of devices such as the detection device 1 included in the excretion detection system described herein. The detection device 1 includes various components such as the detection unit 10 using the sheet-like piezoelectric sensor 10a, an amplitude amplification unit 11, a wave processing unit 12, and an output unit 13.

The detection unit 10 has the function of detecting waves such as sound and vibration using the piezoelectric sensor 10a, converting the detected waves into an analog electrical signal, and outputting it to the amplitude amplification unit 11. Figures 3A and 3B are conceptual schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a piezoelectric sensor 10a used in the detection unit 10 of the detection device 1 provided in the excretion detection system described herein. Figures 3A and 3B are schematic cross-sectional views of the piezoelectric sensor 10a, with Figure 3A showing the sensor in an unpressured state and Figure 3B showing the sensor in a pressurized state. The piezoelectric sensor 10a is formed in a sheet-like shape using electret foam made from a polyolefin-based material with an ultra-fine foam structure. When pressure is applied to the piezoelectric sensor 10a, it transitions from the state shown in Figure 3A to the state shown in Figure 3B, causing the internal bubbles to deform and generating a potential difference. The generated potential difference is output as an analog electrical signal to the amplitude amplification unit 11. An example of the electret sheet used in such a piezoelectric sensor 10a is the electret sheet described in Japanese Patent No. 5926860, developed by the applicant of the present application. The sizes of the detection unit 10 and the piezoelectric sensor 10a are not particularly limited. Only a portion of the body of the care recipient may be placed on the detection unit 10 and the piezoelectric sensor 10a. For example, the excretion detection system described herein may be configured such that only the back of the care recipient is placed on the detection unit 10 and the piezoelectric sensor 10a, and not the lower abdomen of the care recipient. Even in a configuration in which only the back of the care recipient is placed on the detection unit 10 and the piezoelectric sensor 10a, the excretion detection system described herein can detect vibrations occurring during excretion, such as urination or defecation, by detecting waves propagating inside or on the body surface of the care recipient.

Returning to the block diagram in Figure 2, the amplitude amplifier 11 is configured, for example, using a signal amplifier that amplifies the voltage of the electrical signal. The amplitude amplifier 11 amplifies the amplitude of the wave voltage input as an analog electrical signal from the detection unit 10 and passes it to the wave processing unit 12.

The wave processing unit 12 includes components such as an extraction unit 120 that extracts waves of a frequency band to be extracted from the detected waves. The extraction unit 120 is configured using a semiconductor chip such as a VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integrated Circuit), and includes components such as a frequency conversion unit 1200 and a filter unit 1201. The frequency conversion unit 1200 performs frequency conversion processing such as FFT (Fast Fourier Transformation) processing on the waves. The filter unit 1201 passes components of the frequency band to be extracted from the signal based on the frequency-converted waves, and blocks components of other frequency bands. The wave processing unit 12 passes a signal indicating the components of the frequency band to be extracted extracted by the extraction unit 120 to the output unit 13 as a result signal representing the processed result. The wave processing unit 12 has multiple extraction units 120 for each purpose, such as urination, defecation, pulse, breathing, and body movement, and each extraction unit 120 has components such as a frequency conversion unit 1200 and a filter unit 1201. For example, the extraction unit 120 for urination performs frequency conversion processing on the amplified wave received from the amplitude amplification unit 11 using the frequency conversion unit 1200, and passes components in the 100 to 2000 Hz band through the filter unit 1201 before passing the result to the output unit 13.

The output unit 13 outputs a result signal indicating the processed results to the excretion detection device 2 via a connection line.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of devices such as the excretion detection device 2 and communication device 4 included in the excretion detection system described herein. The excretion detection device 2 is a device that uses various types of computers, such as a signal processing computer or a personal computer, and includes various components such as a control unit 20, an input unit 21, a recording unit 22, an operation unit 23, an output unit 24, and a communication unit 25.

The control unit 20 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that includes various circuits such as an information processing circuit, a timer circuit, and a register circuit, and executes processes to control each part within the device.

The input unit 21 is an interface device such as various communication adapters and control circuits that accept input of signals transmitted from the detection device 1 via a connection line.

The recording unit 22 is a circuit configured using non-volatile memory such as a hard disk, RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks), flash memory, and various types of volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and records various information. The recording unit 22 records programs such as a basic program (OS: Operating System) and application programs that run on the basic program. The application programs recorded include various programs such as an excretion detection program 220 for implementing the excretion detection device 2. The recording unit 22 also records various information such as a trained judgment model 221 used in the excretion detection program 220, and a reference value master 222 that lists various reference values such as thresholds used for various judgments. The various reference values recorded in the reference value master 222 are set based on the subject's attributes, such as gender, age, height, and weight.

The trained model for judgment 221 is a trained model generated by training using training data that uses experimental data on excretion, data from normal times (steady-state data), and attribute information such as the subject's gender, age, height, and weight as input values, and that has been assigned labels indicating the excretion state. The trained model for judgment 221 uses a statistical machine learning model such as gradient boosting, but can also be designed as appropriate, for example, using deep learning such as a convolutional neural network (CNN).

The operation unit 23 is an operation device such as a touch panel or push buttons, and accepts operation inputs for the excretion detection device 2. Note that if the excretion detection device 2 is configured using a computer such as a personal computer, an operation device such as a keyboard or mouse may also be used as the operation unit 23.

The output unit 24 is an output device such as a liquid crystal display or speaker. The operation unit 23 and output unit 24 may also be provided as a liquid crystal touch panel, for example, in which a thin liquid crystal display and a touch panel are stacked.

The communication unit 25 is a communication device that includes various components such as an antenna, LAN adapter, and control circuit for wireless or wired communication with the communication device 4 via the communication network NW.

A computer having the various configurations exemplified above operates as the excretion detection device 2 by reading various programs, such as the excretion detection program 220, recorded in the recording unit 22 under the control of the control unit 20 and executing various procedures, such as determination processing.

The communication device 4 includes a communication unit 40 that communicates with the excretion detection device 2 via the communication network NW, an output unit 41 that performs various outputs, and other components. The output from the output unit 41 includes processing such as light output, image display, audio output, sound, and vibration.

Next, the processing of the various devices in the excretion detection system described herein will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the detection processing of the detection device 1 provided in the excretion detection system described herein. The detection unit 10 of the detection device 1 detects waves such as sound and vibration using the piezoelectric sensor 10a (S101), converts the detected waves into an analog electrical signal, and outputs it to the amplitude amplification unit 11. The waves detected by the detection unit 10 include various waves such as vibration data and sound data based on the inside of the subject's body, vibration data and sound data based on movement on the subject's body surface, and body movement data.

The amplitude amplifier 11 amplifies the waves detected by the piezoelectric sensor 10a and converted into analog electrical signals (S102), and outputs a wave signal indicating the amplified waves to the wave processor 12. The intensity of the waves detected by the piezoelectric sensor 10a varies greatly depending on measurement conditions such as the thickness and material of the mat 31. Therefore, the amplification level in the amplification process of step S102 is initially adjusted so that the intensity of the amplified waves falls within a predetermined target range. Fine adjustments are then made automatically or manually while comparing the intensity of the waves detected during actual operation with the target range. By performing this reference adjustment of the amplification level, the amplitude amplifier 11 can output a wave signal with an intensity appropriate for various analysis processes, such as the determination processes described below. The amplification level can also be adjusted in subsequent processes.

The wave processing unit 12 extracts waves in the frequency band to be extracted from the input wave signal using the extraction unit 120, which is implemented on a semiconductor chip such as a VLSI. Specifically, the frequency conversion unit 1200 of the extraction unit 120 performs frequency conversion using a conversion method such as FFT (S103), and the filter unit 1201 of the extraction unit 120 passes the specific frequency band components to be extracted from the frequency-converted wave signal (S104). The wave processing unit 12 passes the signal that has passed the frequency band components to be extracted to the output unit 13 as a processed result signal. An example of processing by the wave processing unit 12 will be described below. The extraction unit 120 samples the wave signal, which is an analog electrical signal, at predetermined time intervals and generates frames from the sampled wave signal at a predetermined time interval. For example, the extraction unit 120 generates frames with a frame length of 5 seconds and a frame period (shift width) of 1 second. The frame length and frame period are set based on the assumption that vibration lasts for at least 5 seconds, based on the research results of "P. J. Yang, J. Pham, J. Choo, and D. L. Hu, 'Duration of urination does not change with body size,' Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., vol. 111, no. 33, pp. 11932-7, Aug. 2014, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1402289111.", which states that urination time is 21±13 seconds regardless of body size. In step S103, the frequency conversion unit 1200 converts the frame-by-frame wave signal into a signal of components on the frequency axis. In step S104, the filter unit 1201 passes components of a predetermined frequency band to be extracted from the frame-by-frame wave signal and removes components outside the frequency band to be extracted. For example, the filter unit 1201 passes components in frequency bands such as 100 to 2000 Hz or 1 to 200 Hz from the frame-by-frame wave signal as components in specific frequency bands to be extracted, depending on the purpose, such as urination or defecation.

The output unit 13 outputs a result signal indicating the result of the processing of the wave by the wave processing unit 12 to the excretion detection device 2 (S105).

The detection process of the detection device 1 is carried out in this manner.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the determination process of the excretion detection device 2 included in the excretion detection system described herein. The excretion detection device 2, which uses a computer such as a signal processing computer or a personal computer, performs the determination process under the control of the control unit 20, which executes the excretion detection program 220 recorded in the recording unit 22. The excretion detection device 2 receives a result signal indicating the results of processing the wave output from the detection device 1 at the input unit 21, and performs the determination process.

The control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 detects the period during which waves (vibrations) based on body movement are occurring based on the result signal received from the input unit 21 (S201). In step S201, the magnitude of the wave output (amplitude) is compared with the body movement reference value indicated in the reference value master 222, and if it exceeds the body movement reference value, it is determined that waves based on body movement are occurring. The time period during which waves based on body movement continue is then detected as the period during which waves based on body movement are occurring.

The control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 determines the period during which waves based on the body movement detected in step S201 are generated as a noise generation period and excludes it from subsequent determinations of the excretion state (S202). When body movement occurs, large vibrations are generated and the output saturates, so by excluding the period during which body movement is occurring from the determination of the excretion state, the accuracy of the state determination is improved. Furthermore, because there is no body movement or the body movement is small during excretion, it is thought that there is little chance of missing the excretion state even if the period during which large body movement is occurring is excluded from the determination target.

The control unit 20 removes waves due to pulse and breathing (S203). In step S203, waves due to pulse and breathing are excluded from the waves to be determined because they constitute noise when determining the excretion state. In step S203, the control unit 20 detects waves in the 0.8 to 2.5 Hz frequency band, which is the pulse frequency band, and the 0.1 to 0.6 Hz frequency band, which is the breathing frequency band, as noise, and removes waves detected as noise. To detect noise, the control unit 20 determines that waves in the target frequency band are noise when the power spectrum obtained by integrating the intensity of waves in the target frequency band is greater than the noise threshold indicated in the reference value master 222.

In steps S201 and S202, the control unit 20 removes noise from the result signal received from the input unit 21.

The control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 determines the excretion status of the subject based on the resulting signal from which noise has been removed (S204). In step S204, the excretion status is determined based on the components of the frequency band to be extracted, which are indicated in the resulting signal. For example, in step S204, the control unit 20 determines the subject's urination status based on the processing results of waves in the 100-2000 Hz frequency band, and determines the subject's defecation status based on the processing results of waves in the 1-200 Hz frequency band. The use of vibrations in these frequency bands to determine whether urination, defecation, or other excretions have occurred is based on research findings, for example, in the non-patent document "Perineal sound recording for diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction," by Tim Idzenga, Johan J. M. Pel, and Ron van Mastrigt, INDIAN JOURNAL of UROLOGY, 2009 January-Mar, 25(1):92-98, available online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684325/.

In addition, when making the judgment in step S204, the control unit 20 accesses information such as the judgment trained model 221 and the reference value master 222 recorded in the recording unit 22 and refers to the recorded information.

After determining the excretion state of the subject, the control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 performs a determination result output process to output the determination result (S205). The determination result output process of step S205 is a process of transmitting information indicating the determination result from the communication unit 25 to the communication device 4 via the communication network NW. The determination result output process may be configured to transmit information indicating the determination result regardless of the determination result, or may be configured to transmit information only if the determination result indicates an excretion state or a state in the pre-excretion stage.

The determination process of the excretion detection device 2 is carried out in this manner.

The communication device 4 receives information indicating the determination result transmitted from the excretion detection device 2 via the communication network NW via the communication unit 40, and outputs the received information indicating the determination result from the output unit 24. The determination result is output as notification processing such as light output, image display, audio output, ringing, vibration, etc. from various communication devices 4, such as a nurse call receiving device carried by the nurse, a monitor installed at the nurse's station, or a mobile phone carried by an external party. After checking the determination result output from the communication device 4, staff such as nurses, caregivers, and doctors, as well as family members and other related parties, can take appropriate action depending on the subject's condition.

<Example of Determination Process>
Next, a specific example of the determination process executed by the excretion detection device 2 will be described.

<Processing Example 1>
7 is a flowchart showing an example of a first determination process of the excretion detection device 2 included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. The first determination process is an example of a process for determining the excretion state of the subject, which was described as step S204 of the determination process using Fig. 6. As the first determination process, the excretion detection device 2 performs processing on frequency-converted result information in units of frames that has been input as result information from the detection device 1.

The control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 derives a power spectrum by integrating the intensity for each frequency divided into predetermined frequency intervals, such as 1 Hz intervals, for frame-by-frame data indicating the waves received as a result signal (S301). The control unit 20 calculates the sum of the outputs of predetermined target frequencies from the power spectrum (S302). In step S302, the control unit 20 selects, for example, a frequency band of 400 to 1000 Hz, where signals in frequency bands related to urination are prominent, as the target frequency, and calculates the sum of the outputs of that frequency band. Note that the optimal frequency band for detection varies depending on measurement conditions such as the thickness and material of the mat 31, and therefore the target frequency is adjusted as appropriate based on prior experiments or actual results.

The control unit 20 compares the calculated sum of the outputs of the target frequencies with the threshold value indicated in the reference value master 222 recorded in the recording unit 22 (S303), and determines the state of excretion based on the comparison result (S304). In step S304, if the sum is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 20 determines that the subject is in an excretion state or a state in the pre-excretion stage, and if the sum is less than the threshold value, it determines that the subject is in a steady state that is not in an excretion state. A pre-excretion state refers to a state in which the act of excretion has not yet occurred, but signs of an act of excretion are occurring due to waves generated from within the body, such as organs. The excretion determination is made for each type of excretion, such as urination or defecation, and for each stage, such as an excretion state or a pre-stage state.

The first determination process is executed in this manner.

<Processing Example 2>
8 is a flowchart showing an example of a second determination process of the excretion detection device 2 included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. The second determination process is an example of a process for determining the excretion state of the subject, which was described as step S204 of the determination process described using FIG. 6. As the second determination process, the excretion detection device 2 performs processing on frequency-converted result information in units of frames that has been input as result information from the detection device 1.

The control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 derives a power spectrum based on frame-by-frame data indicating the waves received as a result signal (S401). The control unit 20 calculates the difference between the derived power spectrum and the average value of the power spectrum for the immediately preceding predetermined time period (S402). In step S402, the immediately preceding predetermined time period is set to, for example, one minute. In step S402, the difference between the power spectrum and the average value of the power spectrum for the immediately preceding predetermined time period is calculated for each frequency.

The control unit 20 calculates the sum of the differences for preset target frequencies from among the calculated differences for each frequency (S403). The control unit 20 compares the calculated sum of the differences for the target frequencies with the threshold value indicated in the reference value master 222 recorded in the recording unit 22 (S404), and determines the excretion state based on the comparison result (S405). In step S405, if the sum is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 20 determines that the subject is in an excretion state or a state in the pre-excretion stage, and if the sum is less than the threshold value, the control unit 20 determines that the subject is in a steady state that is not an excretion state.

The second judgment process is executed in this manner. In the second judgment process, the difference from the average value of the previous results is used as the judgment target, thereby eliminating the influence of white noise.

<Processing Example 3>
9 is a flowchart showing an example of a third determination process of the excretion detection device 2 included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. The third determination process is an example of a process for determining the excretion state of the subject, which was described as step S204 of the determination process using FIG. 6. As the third determination process, the excretion detection device 2 performs processing on frequency-converted result information in units of frames that has been input as result information from the detection device 1.

The control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 derives a power spectrum based on frame-by-frame data indicating the waves received as a result signal (S501). The control unit 20 uses the power spectrum as a feature and determines the excretion state by referring to the trained model for determination 221 recorded in the recording unit 22 (S502). In step S502, the control unit 20 refers to the trained model for determination 221 to determine the excretion state, the state preceding the excretion state, the steady state (a state that is not an excretion state), etc. The trained model for determination 221 used in the third determination process is a trained model obtained by assigning a label indicating the urination state to frame-by-frame data related to the urination state, such as data during urination, data immediately before urination, and data during normal times, and learning the data as training data. In addition, information related to the subject's attributes, such as gender, age, height, and weight, is used as a feature in training the trained model for determination 221.

The third determination process is executed in this manner.

<Processing Example 4>
10 is a flowchart showing an example of a fourth determination process of the excretion detection device 2 included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. The fourth determination process is an example of a process for determining the excretion state of the subject, which was described as step S204 of the determination process using Fig. 6. As the fourth determination process, the excretion detection device 2 performs processing on frequency-converted frame-by-frame result information received as input from the detection device 1 as result information.

The control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 derives the power spectrum, cepstrum, wave amplitude (average squared amplitude), fundamental frequency, formant frequency, and Mel frequency cepstrum coefficient for each frame based on the frame-by-frame data indicating the wave received as the result signal (S601). The control unit 20 uses the derived power spectrum, cepstrum, wave amplitude, fundamental frequency, formant frequency, and Mel frequency cepstrum coefficient as feature quantities and determines the excretion state by referring to the trained judgment model 221 recorded in the recording unit 22 (S602). In step S602, the trained judgment model 221 is referenced to determine the excretion state, a state preceding the excretion state, a steady state, or other state. The trained judgment model 221 used in the fourth judgment process is a trained model obtained by using the power spectrum, cepstrum, wave amplitude, fundamental frequency, formant frequency, and Mel frequency cepstrum coefficient as feature quantities, assigning labels indicating the excretion state, and learning as training data.

The fourth determination process is executed in this manner.

As part of the processing performed by the various devices in the excretion detection system described above, in the determination process explained using Figure 6, a form was described in which waves based on pulse and breathing are removed as noise in step S203. However, the excretion detection system described herein is not limited to a form in which waves based on pulse and breathing are removed as noise, and can be expanded into various forms, such as a form in which they are used in the determination process of step S204.

A form in which pulse- and respiration-based waves are used in the judgment process of step S204 will be described. The pulse and/or respiration used in the judgment process may have a significant correlation with the excretion state. For example, states such as exhaling and holding one's breath may occur during excretion. The same is true for the pulse; a significant correlation may occur between changes in pulse state and the excretion state. The excretion detection system described herein can be expanded to a form in which data based on target frequencies related to pulse and/or respiration is used to judge the excretion state in the judgment process of step S204, i.e., in process examples 1 to 4 described using Figures 7 to 10. In particular, a form in which the excretion state is judged using data based on pulse and/or respiration is effectively applied to the process of judging the excretion state using the judgment-based trained model 221 shown in process examples 3 and 4. When the excretion detection system described in this application is deployed in the forms shown in Processing Example 3 and Processing Example 4, it does not remove the waves based on pulse and respiration, and uses a trained judgment model 221 that has been trained in advance based on pulse and/or respiration.

The configuration example of the excretion detection system described in this application is not limited to the configuration illustrated in Figure 1, etc., and the hardware configuration and software processing can be designed as appropriate. In other words, the excretion detection system described in this application can be realized in various configurations that include at least a detection function that detects waves generated by the subject, a wave processing function that processes the detected waves, and a determination function that determines the excretion status of the subject based on the results of wave processing.

<Detection device configuration example 1>
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the detection device 1 included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. FIG. 11 shows an outline of another configuration example of the detection device 1. The detection unit 10 of the detection device 1 shown in FIG. 11 has a detection area 10b formed as a surface for detecting waves, and the detection area 10b is arranged to cover substantially the entire bedding. The detection area 10b is configured by arranging the above-mentioned piezoelectric sensors 10a in a planar manner, and may be configured with one piezoelectric sensor 10a or multiple piezoelectric sensors 10a. The detection device 1 shown in FIG. 11 is configured so that the entire body of a care-requiring person in a position such as lying down or sitting on the bedding is located on the detection area 10b.

<Detection Device Configuration Example 2>
Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the detection device 1 included in the excretion detection system described in the present application. Fig. 12 shows an outline of yet another configuration example of the detection device 1. The detection device 1 shown in Fig. 12 has multiple detection areas 10b arranged at different positions on the bedding, and detects waves at each different position. In the configuration example shown in Fig. 12, three detection areas 10b are arranged, divided into three by the short sides of the detection unit 10, which has a rectangular shape in a plan view. By using the multiple detection areas 10b arranged at different positions, information such as the position of the person requiring care can be obtained.

<Detection Device Configuration Example 3>
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of the detection device 1 included in the excretion detection system described herein. FIG. 13 shows an outline of yet another configuration example of the detection device 1 including multiple detection areas 10b. The detection device 1 illustrated in FIG. 13 is a configuration example in which the detection unit 10, which is rectangular in plan view, is divided into four along the long side and into three along the short side, resulting in 12 detection areas 10b. As illustrated in FIG. 13 , by increasing the number of divisions into the detection areas 10b and improving the accuracy of detecting the generation position of the wave, more detailed information can be obtained, such as the position, posture, heart position, and excretion site position of the care recipient.

<Processing Example 1 of Multiple Detection Areas>
Next, various processes using the detection device 1 having multiple detection areas 10b as illustrated in FIG. 13 will be described as Processing Example 1 for Multiple Detection Areas 10b. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the detection process of the detection device 1 provided in the excretion detection system described herein. The detection device 1 detects waves, such as sound and vibration, for each detection area 10b using the piezoelectric sensors 10a in each detection area 10b via the detection unit 10 (S701), and amplifies the waves for each detection area 10b via the amplitude amplifier 11 (S702). The detection device 1 performs frequency conversion for each detection area 10b via the wave processor 12 (S703), passes specific frequency components (S704), and outputs the resulting signal from the output unit 13 to the excretion detection device 2 (S705). That is, when using the detection device 1 having multiple detection areas 10b, the detection device 1 processes and outputs the waves detected in each detection area 10b.

In this manner, the detection process of the detection device 1, which has multiple detection areas 10b, is performed.

Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the judgment process of the excretion detection device 2 included in the excretion detection system described herein. Figure 15 shows the judgment process of the excretion detection device 2 that receives input of a result signal based on the wave motion of each detection area 10b output from a detection device 1 that includes multiple detection areas 10b. As part of the judgment process, the excretion detection device 2 extracts specific components from the wave motion of the result signal received by the input unit 21 and performs parallel processing on each component.

As the first step of the parallel processing, the control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 extracts components in the frequency band caused by excretion from the waves based on the result signal (S801). In step S801, extraction of components caused by excretion is performed for each detection area 10b.

As the second process of the parallel processing, the control unit 20 extracts components in frequency bands caused by heartbeat, breathing, and body movement from the waves based on the result signal (S802). In step S802, extraction of each component is performed for each detection area 10b.

The control unit 20 determines the posture of the subject based on the components extracted from each detection area 10b (S803). In step S803, the posture is determined based on the detection area 10b in which the components resulting from heartbeat, breathing, and body movement are strongly detected and the position in which each detection area 10b is located. In step S803, the right lateral position, left lateral position, supine position, prone position, and sitting position are set as specific postures that can be determined for the subject.

After obtaining the results of the first and second parallel processing, the control unit 20 selects one or more detection areas 10b from the plurality of detection areas 10b to be used for determining excretion based on the posture determined in step S803 (S804). In step S804, based on the posture, the control unit 20 selects detection areas 10b located in positions where excretion can be easily detected.

The control unit 20 performs an amplification process to amplify the amplitude of the components due to excretion extracted in step S801 using an amplification factor for each detection area 10b based on the selection result of step S804 (S805). In step S805, the amplification process is performed using a different amplification factor for each detection area 10b, such as by setting the amplification factor for the amplitude of the components obtained from a detection area 10b located in a position where excretion is easily detected higher than the amplification factor for the amplitude of the components obtained from other detection areas 10b.

The control unit 20 determines the excretory state of the subject based on the amplified components (S806) and performs a determination result output process to output the determination result (S807).

In this way, the excretion detection device 2 executes a judgment process that receives input of result signals based on the waves of each detection area 10b output from the detection device 1 equipped with multiple detection areas 10b. The judgment process, based on the detection results of multiple detection areas 10b arranged in different positions, selects and amplifies detection areas 10b that are easy to detect waves emitted from the excretion area in steps S804 and S805, thereby achieving excellent effects such as improved judgment accuracy.

<Processing example 2 using multiple detection regions>
Next, another example of various processes using the detection device 1 having the multiple detection regions 10b as illustrated in Fig. 13 will be described as Processing Example 2 for Multiple Detection Regions 10b. Note that in Processing Example 2, the detection process of the detection device 1 is the same as Processing Example 1 described using Fig. 13, so reference should be made to Processing Example 1 and a description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the judgment process of the excretion detection device 2 included in the excretion detection system described herein. Figure 16 shows the judgment process of the excretion detection device 2 that receives input of a result signal based on the wave motion of each detection area 10b output from a detection device 1 that includes multiple detection areas 10b. As part of the judgment process, the excretion detection device 2 extracts specific components from the wave motion of the result signal received by the input unit 21 and performs parallel processing on each component.

As the first step of the parallel processing, the control unit 20 of the excretion detection device 2 extracts components in the frequency band caused by excretion from the waves based on the result signal (S901). In step S901, extraction of components caused by excretion is performed for each detection area 10b.

As the second process of the parallel processing, the control unit 20 extracts components in the frequency band caused by the heartbeat from the waves based on the result signal (S902). In step S902, extraction of components caused by the heartbeat is performed for each detection area 10b.

The control unit 20 determines the position of the subject's heart based on the components attributable to heartbeats detected from each detection area 10b (S903). In step S903, the position of the subject's heart relative to the detection areas 10b arranged on the bedding is determined based on the detection areas 10b in which the components attributable to heartbeats are strongly detected and the positions at which each detection area 10b is arranged.

The control unit 20 determines the location of the subject's excretory area based on the position of the heart determined in step S903 and the waves detected by each of the multiple detection areas 10b (S904).

After obtaining the results of the first and second parallel processing, the control unit 20 selects one or more detection areas 10b from the multiple detection areas 10b to be used to determine excretion, depending on the position of the excretion site determined in step S904 (S905). In step S905, based on the position of the excretion site, a detection area 10b located in a position where excretion can be easily detected is selected.

The control unit 20 performs an amplification process (S906) to amplify the amplitude of the component due to excretion extracted in step S901 using the amplification factor for each detection area 10b based on the selection result of step S905.

The control unit 20 determines the excretory state of the subject based on the amplified components (S907) and performs a determination result output process to output the determination result (S908).

In this way, the excretion detection device 2 executes a judgment process that receives input of result signals based on the waves of each detection area 10b output from the detection device 1 equipped with multiple detection areas 10b. The judgment process, based on the detection results of multiple detection areas 10b arranged in different positions, selects and amplifies detection areas 10b that are easy to detect waves emitted from the excretion area in steps S905 and S906, thereby achieving excellent effects such as improved judgment accuracy.

<System Configuration Example 1>
FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration of the excretion detection system described herein. FIG. 17 shows an outline of another example configuration of the excretion detection system. The excretion detection system shown in FIG. 17 includes various devices such as a detection device 1, an excretion detection device 2, and a communication device 4. The detection device 1 includes various components such as a detection unit 10, an amplitude amplification unit 11, a wave processing unit 12, and an output unit 13. The wave processing unit 12 includes various components such as an extraction unit 120. The extraction unit 120 includes bandpass filters 1202 for each purpose, such as urination, defecation, pulse, breathing, and body movement. Each bandpass filter 1202 extracts waves of a target frequency band from the detected waves. The bandpass filters 1202 are analog electrical circuits such as RLC circuits, and are designed to pass waves of a desired frequency band by appropriately setting the characteristic values of the analog elements. The bandpass filter 1202 is configured by combining multiple filters, such as a high-pass filter (low-cut filter) that passes high-frequency components and removes low-frequency components, and a low-pass filter (high-cut filter) that passes low-frequency components and removes high-frequency components.

As described above, the excretion detection system according to system configuration example 1 is configured to form the extraction unit 120 using the bandpass filter 1202.

<System Configuration Example 2>
Fig. 18 is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration of the excretion detection system described in the present application. Fig. 18 shows an outline of yet another example configuration of the excretion detection system. The excretion detection system shown in Fig. 18 includes a detection device 1, an excretion detection device 2, and a communication device 4, and further includes a wave processing device 5. The wave processing device 5 is configured in such a way that a wave processing section 12 is realized as an independent device, and is configured using a semiconductor chip such as a VLSI that performs frequency conversion processing.

As described above, the excretion detection system according to system configuration example 2 has a configuration in which the wave processing unit 12 is an independent wave processing device 5.

<System Configuration Example 3>
FIG. 19 is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration of the excretion detection system described herein. FIG. 19 shows an outline of yet another example configuration of the excretion detection system. The excretion detection system shown in FIG. 19 includes a detection device 1 and an excretion detection device 2, and further includes a recording device 6. The detection device 1 and the excretion detection device 2 are communicatively connected via a communication network NW, and a recording device 6 using a computer such as a data server is connected to the communication network NW. The detection device 1 is connected to the communication network NW via an output unit 13, and the excretion detection device 2 is connected to the communication network NW via an input unit 21. The excretion detection device 2 in system configuration example 3 is configured using a computer such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, or a high-function mobile phone (so-called smartphone). The excretion detection device 2 has the functions of the communication device 4 described above and performs various analysis processes such as determination processes and input/output processes as a user interface. The detection device 1 transmits a result signal based on the detected wave to the recording device 6 via the communication network NW, and the recording device 6 records the received result signal as data. The excretion detection device 2 accesses the recording device 6, receives the result signal recorded as data, and performs various processes based on the received result signal.

<System Configuration Example 4>
Fig. 20 is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration of the excretion detection system described in the present application. Fig. 20 shows an outline of yet another example configuration of the excretion detection system. System Configuration Example 4 is a configuration in which System Configuration Example 3, which is configured as a pull type, is configured as a push type. The detection device 1 transmits a result signal based on the detected wave to the excretion detection device 2 via the communication network NW. The excretion detection device 2 performs various processes based on the received result signal.

<System Configuration Example 5>
FIG. 21 is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration of the excretion detection system described herein. FIG. 21 shows an outline of yet another example configuration of the excretion detection system. System Configuration Example 5 is configured using a server computer connected to the communication network NW to the excretion detection device 2. In System Configuration Example 5, the detection device 1 detects waves and transmits a result signal, which is the result of processing based on the detected waves, to the excretion detection device 2 on the communication network NW. The excretion detection device 2 performs various processes, such as a determination process, based on the received result signal to determine the excretion status and transmits information indicating the determination result to the communication device 4 via the communication network NW. The communication device 4, which is configured using a device such as a nurse call receiver, a monitor, or a mobile phone, performs output processes, such as displaying information indicating the excretion status and outputting audio, based on the received information indicating the result.

The excretion detection system described in this application can be realized in a variety of configurations, in addition to the configuration example described above, such as incorporating a semiconductor chip such as a VLSI that performs frequency conversion processing into the excretion detection device 2 and performing the frequency conversion processing in the excretion detection device 2.

As described above, the excretion detection system described in the present application determines the excretion status, such as urination or defecation, based on wave data such as vibrations and sounds generated based on movements inside the subject's body or on the subject's body surface. As a result, the excretion detection system described in the present application has excellent effects, such as being able to detect the excretion status without imposing a burden on the subject.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other forms. Therefore, these embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and is not bound by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and variations that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the various configuration examples described above do not necessarily have to be implemented independently, but can also be combined as appropriate. For example, the above-described embodiment describes a configuration example in which waves in the frequency band to be extracted are extracted using frequency conversion processing, and a configuration example in which a band-pass filter 1202 that is an analog circuit is used. The excretion detection system described in this application can be deployed in various forms by combining these, such as performing frequency conversion processing on waves that have passed through a band-pass filter 1202 that is configured as an analog circuit.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, examples 1 to 4 of the determination process were given, and examples 1 and 2 of the determination process using multiple detection areas 10b were also given. However, these processes can be appropriately combined and implemented as a determination process, and various other forms of implementation are possible.

Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows a configuration in which the frequency conversion process is performed using a semiconductor chip, the present invention is not limited to this and can be implemented in various forms, such as software processing by a computer. When the frequency conversion process is implemented as software processing, the excretion detection device 2 is configured to include a wave processing unit 12 that processes waves and a determination unit that determines the excretion state. Furthermore, the determination unit described as software processing may also be configured as hardware, and the excretion detection system described herein can be implemented in various forms.

Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows a configuration in which the excretion detection device 2 removes noise such as body movement, pulse, and breathing, the present invention is not limited to this and can be implemented in various forms, such as removing noise in the detection device 1, or in both the detection device 1 and the excretion detection device 2. In particular, it is preferable to remove body movement that is determined to be noise based on the magnitude of its amplitude in the detection device 1.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 detection device 10 detection unit 10a piezoelectric sensor 10b detection area 11 amplitude amplification unit 12 wave processing unit 120 extraction unit 1200 frequency conversion unit 1201 filter unit 1202 band-pass filter 13 output unit 2 excretion detection device (determination unit)
20 Control unit 22 Recording unit 220 Excretion detection program 221 Trained model for judgment 222 Reference value master 3 Bed 31 Mat (bedding)
4 Communication device 5 Wave processing device (wave processing section)
6 Recording device NW Communication network

Claims (35)

An excretion detection system that detects the excretion state of a subject,
a detection unit that detects waves generated based on a subject;
a wave processing unit that processes the wave detected by the detection unit;
a determination unit that determines the excretion state of the subject based on the processing result of the wave processing unit,
the detection unit has a plurality of detection areas for detecting waves at different positions,
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
Further, a posture determination unit is provided that determines a posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas,
The posture determination unit
As the posture of the subject, at least one of a right-sided posture, a left-sided posture, a supine posture, a prone posture, and a sitting posture is determined as a specific posture;
a selection unit that selects, when the posture determination unit determines that the posture is a specific posture, a detection area for detecting a wave to be used for determination by the determination unit from among the plurality of detection areas;
The determination unit
The excretion state of the subject is determined based on the wave motion detected from the detection area selected by the selection unit.
An excretion detection system characterized by: An excretion detection system that detects the excretion state of a subject,
a detection unit that detects waves generated based on a subject;
a wave processing unit that processes the wave detected by the detection unit;
a determination unit that determines the excretion state of the subject based on the processing result of the wave processing unit;
Equipped with
the detection unit has a plurality of detection areas for detecting waves at different positions,
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
Further, a posture determination unit is provided that determines a posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas,
The posture determination unit
determining at least one of a right-sided position, a left-sided position, a supine position, a prone position, and a sitting position as a specific position as the posture of the subject;
an amplifier that performs amplification processing for each of the plurality of detection regions when the posture determination unit determines that the posture is a specific posture;
An excretion detection system characterized by: An excretion detection system that detects the excretion state of a subject,
A detection unit that detects waves generated based on a subject;
a wave processing unit that processes the wave detected by the detection unit;
a determination unit that determines the excretion state of the subject based on the processing result of the wave processing unit;
Equipped with
the detection unit has a plurality of detection areas for detecting waves at different positions,
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
the waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on the heartbeat of the subject,
and an excretion position determination unit that determines the position of the excretion site of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas.
An excretion detection system characterized by: The excretion detection system according to claim 3 ,
a heart position determination unit that determines the position of the subject's heart based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas;
the excretion position determination unit determines a position of an excretion site of the subject based on the position of the heart determined by the heart position determination unit and the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas. The excretion detection system according to claim 3 ,
a selection unit that selects, from the plurality of detection areas, a detection area for detecting waves to be used for determination by the determination unit, in accordance with the position of the excretion site determined by the excretion position determination unit;
The determination unit
An excretion detection system, characterized in that it determines an excretion state of a subject based on waves detected from the detection area selected by the selection unit. The excretion detection system according to claim 4 ,
an amplification unit that performs amplification processing for each of the plurality of detection regions according to the position of the excretion site determined by the excretion position determination unit; The excretion detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The wave processing unit includes:
An excretion detection system comprising an extraction unit that extracts waves in a frequency band to be extracted from detected waves. The excretion detection system according to claim 7 ,
The extraction unit
an excretion detection system, characterized in that a wave in a target frequency band is extracted based on a result of frequency conversion of the wave detected by the detection unit. The excretion detection system according to claim 7 or 8 ,
The extraction unit
A wave including a frequency band of 100 to 2000 Hz is extracted as a wave of the frequency band to be extracted,
The determination unit
An excretion detection system characterized in that it determines a state of urination of a subject based on a processing result of waves in a frequency band of 100 to 2000 Hz extracted by the extraction unit. The excretion detection system according to claim 7 or 8 ,
The extraction unit
A wave including a frequency band of 1 to 200 Hz is extracted as a wave of a frequency band to be extracted,
The determination unit
The excretion detection system is characterized in that it determines the defecation state of the subject based on the processing result of the waves in the frequency band of 1 to 200 Hz extracted by the extraction unit. The excretion detection system according to claim 7 or 8 ,
The excretion detection system, wherein the determination unit determines the excretion state of the subject based on at least one wave of the subject's pulse and respiration. The excretion detection system according to claim 11 ,
The excretion detection system, wherein the determination unit determines the excretion state of the subject based on the subject's body movement. The excretion detection system according to claim 7 or 8 ,
The extraction unit
An excretion detection system comprising a bandpass filter. The excretion detection system according to claim 7 or 8 ,
The extraction unit
a conversion unit that converts the frequency of the wave detected by the detection unit;
an excretion detection system, characterized in that the conversion unit extracts waves in a target frequency band based on a result of frequency conversion. The excretion detection system according to claim 14 ,
The determination unit
The excretion detection system is characterized in that the excretion state of the subject is determined based on the intensity of each frequency band of the waves frequency-converted by the conversion unit. The excretion detection system according to claim 14 ,
A trained model for judgment is provided that has undergone supervised learning using information based on the results of frequency conversion of the waves generated by the subject as input values,
The determination unit
An excretion detection system that determines the excretion state of a subject based on the trained model for determination. The excretion detection system according to claim 16 ,
The excretion detection system, characterized in that the trained model for judgment includes at least one of a power spectrum, a cepstrum, a wave amplitude, a fundamental frequency, a formant coefficient, and a Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficient as information based on the result of the frequency conversion. The excretion detection system according to claim 16 ,
a trained model for determination that has undergone supervised learning using information based on the wave detected by the detection unit as an input value;
The determination unit
An excretion detection system that determines the excretion state of a subject based on the trained model for determination. The excretion detection system according to claim 16 ,
The excretion detection system, wherein the trained model for determination includes information including the gender of the subject as an input value. The excretion detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The excretion detection system, wherein the waves detected by the detection unit include waves caused by organ movement as internal movement of the subject. The excretion detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The excretion detection system, wherein the excretion state determined by the determination unit includes at least one of an excretion act and a sign of an excretion act. The excretion detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The detection unit
An excretion detection system comprising a piezoelectric sensor. 23. The excretion detection system according to claim 22 ,
The excretion detection system, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is formed using electret foam. The excretion detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
Further bedding is provided,
The excretion detection system, wherein the detection unit detects waves generated by the subject through the bedding. The excretion detection system according to any one of claims 3 to 6 ,
the detection unit has a plurality of detection areas for detecting waves at different positions,
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
An excretion detection system comprising: a posture determination unit that determines the posture of a subject based on waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas. 26. The excretion detection system according to claim 25 ,
The posture determination unit
An excretion detection system characterized by determining at least one of a right-lying position, a left-lying position, a supine position, a prone position, and a sitting position as a specific position of a subject. An excretion detection method for detecting an excretion state of a subject, comprising:
a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas for detecting waves at different positions and detecting waves generated by a subject;
a wave processing unit that processes the wave detected by the detection unit;
Using
a determination step of determining an excretion state of the subject based on the detected wave;
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
Further, a posture determination step of determining a posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas is included,
The posture determination procedure includes:
As the posture of the subject, at least one of a right-sided posture, a left-sided posture, a supine posture, a prone posture, and a sitting posture is determined as a specific posture;
further comprising a selection step of selecting, when the posture determination step determines that the posture is a specific posture, a detection area for detecting a wave to be used for determination in the determination step from among the plurality of detection areas;
The determination procedure includes:
The excretion state of the subject is determined based on the wave detected from the detection area selected in the selection step.
An excretion detection method characterized by: An excretion detection method for detecting an excretion state of a subject, comprising:
a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas for detecting waves at different positions and detecting waves generated by a subject;
a wave processing unit that processes the wave detected by the detection unit,
a determination step of determining an excretion state of the subject based on a processing result of the wave processing unit,
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
Further, a posture determination step of determining a posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas is included,
The posture determination procedure includes:
As the posture of the subject, at least one of a right-sided posture, a left-sided posture, a supine posture, a prone posture, and a sitting posture is determined as a specific posture;
an amplification process being performed for each of the plurality of detection regions when the posture determination procedure determines that the posture is a specific posture; An excretion detection method for detecting an excretion state of a subject, comprising:
a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas for detecting waves at different positions and detecting waves generated by a subject;
a wave processing unit that processes the wave detected by the detection unit;
Using
a determination unit that determines an excretion state of the subject based on a processing result of the wave processing unit,
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
the waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on the heartbeat of the subject,
and an excretion position determination step for determining the position of an excretion site of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas.
An excretion detection method characterized by: An excretion detection device that detects the excretion state of a subject,
a determination means for determining the excretory state of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject , which are received from a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas that detect waves at different positions ;
a posture determination means for determining the posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas;
Equipped with
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
The posture determination means
As the posture of the subject, at least one of a right-sided posture, a left-sided posture, a supine posture, a prone posture, and a sitting posture is determined as a specific posture;
Further, a selection means is provided for selecting, when the posture determination means determines that the posture is a specific posture, a detection area for detecting a wave to be used for determination by the determination means from among the plurality of detection areas,
The determination means
The excretory state of the subject is determined based on the wave motion detected from the detection area selected by the selection means.
An excretion detection device characterized by: An excretion detection device that detects the excretion state of a subject,
a determination means for determining the excretory state of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject, which are received from a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas that detect waves at different positions;
a posture determination means for determining the posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas;
Equipped with
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
The posture determination means
determining at least one of a right-sided position, a left-sided position, a supine position, a prone position, and a sitting position as a specific position as the posture of the subject;
When the posture determination means determines that the posture is a specific posture, an amplification process is performed for each of the plurality of detection areas.
An excretion detection device characterized by: An excretion detection device that detects the excretion state of a subject,
a determination means for determining the excretory state of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject, which are received from a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas that detect waves at different positions;
an excretion position determination means for determining the position of an excretion site of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas;
Equipped with
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
the waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on the heartbeat of the subject,
and an excretion position determination unit that determines the position of the excretion site of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas.
An excretion detection device characterized by: An excretion detection program that causes a computer to execute a procedure for detecting an excretion state of a subject,
On the computer,
a determination step of determining the excretion state of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject, which are received from a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas that detect waves at different positions;
a posture determination step of determining the posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas,
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
The posture determination procedure includes:
As the posture of the subject, at least one of a right-sided posture, a left-sided posture, a supine posture, a prone posture, and a sitting posture is determined as a specific posture;
Furthermore, when the posture determination procedure determines that the posture is a specific posture, a selection procedure is executed to select a detection area for detecting a wave to be used for determination in the determination procedure from the plurality of detection areas,
The determination procedure includes:
The excretion detection program is characterized in that the selection step determines the excretion state of the subject based on the waves detected from the selected detection area. An excretion detection program that causes a computer to execute a procedure for detecting an excretion state of a subject,
On the computer,
a determination step of determining the excretion state of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject, which are received from a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas that detect waves at different positions;
a posture determination step of determining the posture of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas;
It is designed to execute
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
The waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on at least one of a heartbeat, breathing, and body movement of the subject,
The posture determination procedure includes:
determining at least one of a right-sided position, a left-sided position, a supine position, a prone position, and a sitting position as a specific position as the posture of the subject;
When the posture determination procedure determines that the posture is a specific posture, an amplification process is performed for each of the plurality of detection regions.
An excretion detection device characterized by: An excretion detection program that causes a computer to execute a procedure for detecting an excretion state of a subject,
On the computer,
a determination step of determining the excretion state of the subject based on the detection results of waves generated by the subject, which are received from a detection unit having a plurality of detection areas that detect waves at different positions;
an excretion position determination step of determining the position of an excretion site of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas;
It is designed to execute
the waves detected by the detection unit include at least one of vibration data and sound data based on movements inside the body of the subject, and vibration data and sound data based on movements on the body surface of the subject;
the waves detected by the detection unit include waves based on the heartbeat of the subject,
An excretion position determination procedure is executed to determine the position of the excretion site of the subject based on the waves detected by each of the plurality of detection areas.
An excretion detection program characterized by: