JP6449753B2 - Joint inflammation detection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a joint inflammation detection device that identifies the presence or absence and position of inflammation at a joint site by detecting elastic waves generated from bone.

  For example, when diagnosing joint inflammation occurring in a knee joint or the like, X-rays, a magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus (MRI), computer topography (CT), or the like is generally used. X-ray is the most widely used technique, but it requires special attention during pregnancy because it irradiates the body with radiation. Further, there is a problem that X-rays can be imaged only in a static mode. Since MRI uses a high-energy magnetic field, special attention is required when a substance such as a metal is contained in the body. Since CT uses X-rays, special attention is required during pregnancy and the like, and there is also a problem that imaging can be performed only in a static mode.

  As described above, there are problems as described above in the diagnosis of joint inflammation currently in general use, and development of a technique for solving these problems is strongly desired. As a technique related to the above problem, for example, techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1 are disclosed.

  The technique shown in Patent Document 1 includes a biological acoustic sensor (14) and a diagnostic device (18), and the diagnostic device (18) stores typical diagnostic information (100) for each symptom grade. Unit (90), a control unit (80) that performs data processing for diagnosis, and a display unit (70) that displays the diagnosis result. The control unit (80) includes a biological acoustic sensor ( 14) The actual diagnosis information generating unit (82) that generates the actual diagnosis information that is the frequency spectrum characteristic information of the actual detection signal and the storage unit (18) are searched using the actual diagnosis information as a search key. Including a typical diagnostic information specifying unit (84) for specifying typical diagnostic information having the strongest correlation with a symptom grade output unit (86) for outputting a symptom grade corresponding to the specified typical diagnostic information It is.

  The technique shown in Non-Patent Document 1 diagnoses an inflammatory condition by measuring a sound generated from a joint with exercise with a stethoscope and analyzing it using wavelet transform.

International Publication No. 2011/096419

Yusuke Tozawa et al., “Fundamental research on diagnostic methods for osteoarthritis of the knee using joint sounds -Evaluation by wavelet transform and verification of sound source localization accuracy-", Proceedings of Biomechanism Academic Lecture, Vol. 35th, pp. 221-224, 2014/11/8

  However, each of the techniques described in the above documents has a problem that the accuracy is not sufficient due to noise or the influence of noise because it detects sound generated at a joint part.

  The present invention provides a joint inflammation detection device that identifies the presence or absence of inflammation and the position and size thereof by detecting elastic waves generated from bones that cause inflammation at joint sites.

  A plurality of joint inflammation detection devices according to the present invention are disposed at a joint site of a subject to be examined, and a sensor that detects an elastic wave generated from a bone at the joint site as an ultrasonic detection signal during the operation of the joint site; An amplifier for amplifying a detection signal, and inflammation determination means for determining the presence or absence of inflammation occurring in the bone of the examination subject based on the amplified detection signal.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of elastic members generated at the joint site of the subject to be examined are detected as ultrasonic detection signals. A subject to be examined, an amplifier for amplifying the detection signal, and inflammation determination means for judging the presence or absence of inflammation occurring in the bone of the subject to be examined based on the amplified detection signal. It is possible to accurately detect the presence or absence of inflammation by detecting elastic energy as an ultrasonic wave due to abnormalities (for example, deformation or destruction) occurring in the bone with age without imposing an unnecessary load on the body. There is an effect.

  In the joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention, the inflammation determination means determines that the inflammation is present when the value of the maximum amplitude in the detection signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention, when the value of the maximum amplitude in the detection signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the inflammation is present. There is an effect that the presence or absence of inflammation can be accurately detected without applying a load.

  The joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention continuously detects the detection signal when performing a transition operation in which the joint part moves from a bent state or a state in which the joint part advances to a bent state. When a plurality of detections are detected, it is determined that the inflammation is present.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention, the detection signal is continuously generated when performing the transition operation in which the joint part is advanced from the bent state or the joint part is advanced to the bent state. Since it is determined that there is inflammation when a plurality of detections are detected, there is an effect that the presence or absence of inflammation can be accurately detected without imposing an unnecessary load on the body of the subject to be examined.

  In the joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention, when the inflammation determination unit performs a transition operation in which the joint part moves from the bent state to the advanced state or the joint part advances from the advanced state to the bent state. When the detection signal is detected in the operation, it is determined that the inflammation is present.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention, when performing a transition operation for shifting from a state where the joint part is bent or a state where the joint part is advanced to a bent state, in the initial operation, Since it is determined that there is inflammation when the detection signal is detected, there is an effect that the presence or absence of inflammation can be accurately detected without imposing an unnecessary load on the body of the subject to be examined.

  In the joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention, when the inflammation determination means performs a transition operation in which the joint part moves from the bent state or the joint part moves from the advanced state to the bent state, The transition operation is performed a plurality of times, and when the detection signal is detected in each operation, it is determined that the inflammation is present.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention, when performing the transition operation for transitioning from the state where the joint part is bent or the state where the joint part is advanced to the bent state, the transition operation is performed. Multiple times, and it is determined that there is inflammation when a detection signal is detected in each operation. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect the presence or absence of inflammation without imposing an unnecessary load on the body of the subject to be inspected. There is an effect that can be done.

  The joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of the sensors, and the inflammation determination means specifies the position of the inflammation based on the detection signals obtained from the plurality of sensors.

  Thus, in the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of the sensors are provided, and the inflammation determination means specifies the inflammation position based on the detection signals obtained from the plurality of sensors. The effect is that it becomes possible to accurately identify the position of inflammation with a simple configuration.

  In the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention, at least four or more of the sensors are arranged at positions where the joints are radially distributed from the joint center, and the inflammation determination means includes four or more. Among these sensors, the inflammation position specified by any three of the sensors is calculated in a plurality of patterns to specify the inflammation position in three dimensions.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention, at least four or more of the sensors are arranged at positions where the joints are radially dispersed from the joint center, and the inflammation determination means However, since the position of the inflammation specified by any three of the four or more sensors is calculated in a plurality of patterns to identify the position of the inflammation in three dimensions, the inflammation is accurately detected. There is an effect that the position can be obtained three-dimensionally.

  The joint inflammation detection device according to the present invention is disposed at each of the first part and the second part joined at the joint part, and detects the joint operating angle of the first part and the second part. Means for determining the position of the inflammation by comparing the position of the inflammation specified by the means and the inflammation determination means with the position of the inflammation specified based on the angle detection means and each sensor Are provided.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention, the joint operating angles of the first part and the second part are arranged in each of the first part and the second part joined at the joint part. The position of the inflammation is determined by comparing the position of the inflammation identified by the inflammation determination means with the angle detection means for detecting the inflammation and the position of the inflammation identified based on the angle detection means and the sensors. And determining the coincidence / mismatch between the inflammation position specified by the inflammation determination means and the inflammation position specified based on the angle detection means and each sensor. The position of inflammation can be determined, and the effect of being able to detect the position of inflammation with high accuracy is achieved.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure at the time of arrange | positioning four AE sensors in a knee-joint site | part. It is a functional block diagram of the computer in the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection signal detected with the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detection result of the AE signal of the group of 20 generations. It is a figure which shows the detection result of the AE signal of the group for 40 generations. It is a figure which shows the detection result of the AE signal of the group of 60 generations. It is a figure which shows the detection result of the AE signal of the group of people with abnormality in a knee. It is a figure which shows the maximum amplitude value for every group. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state at the time of arrange | positioning an angle sensor in a knee joint part. It is a functional block diagram of the computer in the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the experimental result regarding an experiment frequency ratio. It is a figure which shows the detection result of AE signal of those who have abnormality in a knee. It is a figure which shows the arrangement configuration of each sensor in the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on other embodiment. It is a figure which shows the arrangement position of the AE sensor in an Example. It is a figure which shows the calculation result of the inflammation position in an Example. It is an X-ray photograph which shows the inflammation position in an Example.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Also, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements throughout the present embodiment.

(First embodiment of the present invention)
The joint inflammation detection apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of AE sensors that are arranged in the joint region of the examinee and detect elastic waves generated from bones in the joint region as ultrasonic detection signals when the joint region is operated. Using the detection signal of (acoustic emission sensor), the presence or absence of inflammation occurring in the bone of the subject to be examined and the position of the inflammation are specified.

  Here, the AE sensor is a sensor that is generally used for diagnosing the degree of deterioration of a structure by measuring the position and size of a crack or deformation generated in the structure with an elastic wave. In the present embodiment, the bone also has aged deterioration similar to that of the structure, so this AE sensor is applied to the detection of inflammation at the joint site. In the present embodiment, detection of inflammation in the joint portion of the knee is specifically described as a specific example, but the present embodiment is also applied to joint portions such as the ankle, elbow, wrist, neck, shoulder, and waist. The technology can be applied.

  Osteoarthritis (OA) is damaging to all people and its inflammation increases with aging. Although it is necessary to start early treatment at an early stage, it is difficult for OA to be found and diagnosed at an early stage by the current examination method. In order to suppress the OA epidemic in an aging society, it is necessary to routinely examine the knee joint region. Therefore, by using the following technique, it is possible to reliably detect OA with a simple inspection without placing a burden on the subject to be inspected.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment. The joint inflammation detection device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a plurality of knee joint portions corresponding to the femoral head and / or the tibial head of the subject to be examined, and an elastic wave generated during the bending / extending operation of the knee joint as an ultrasonic signal. A plurality of AE sensors 2 having a preamplifier (preamplifier) for detecting and amplifying the ultrasonic signal, an amplifier (amplifier) 3 for amplifying the ultrasonic signal amplified by the preamplifier to be a detection signal, and amplification A detection signal acquisition unit 4 that acquires the detected signal and inputs the detection signal to a computer 5 for analyzing the detection signal.

  A plurality of AE sensors 2 are arranged at the knee joint site of the subject to be examined in order to specify the position of inflammation. When two AE sensors 2 are provided, the position of inflammation can be specified by the ratio of the distance between the sensors a and b according to the distance from each AE sensor 2 (sensor a, sensor b). It is. When three AE sensors 2 are provided, the position of inflammation can be specified two-dimensionally according to the ratio of the distance from each AE sensor 2 (sensor a, sensor b, sensor c). It is. Further, when four AE sensors 2 are provided, any three AE sensors 2 (for example, the sensor a) of the AE sensors 2 (sensor a, sensor b, sensor c, sensor d) are positioned at the inflammation. , The position of inflammation two-dimensionally according to the ratio of the distance from sensor b and sensor c), and then from any other three AE sensors 2 (eg sensor b, sensor c and sensor d) The position of inflammation is identified two-dimensionally according to the distance ratio. Based on each identified two-dimensional inflammation location, it is possible to identify a three-dimensional inflammation location.

  Note that when only the presence or absence of inflammation is determined without specifying the position of inflammation, only one AE sensor 2 may be provided.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram in the case where four AE sensors 2 are disposed in the knee joint region. In FIG. 2, by arranging four AE sensors 2, it is possible to detect the position of inflammation three-dimensionally. The position of inflammation can be specified by using a technique such as moire topography, for example.

  The AE wave detected by the AE sensor 2 is mainly detected as a signal in the ultrasonic region (20 kHz to several MHz). The detected ultrasonic signal is amplified by the preamplifier and the amplifier 3 and input to the computer 5 as a detection signal. The computer 5 diagnoses an abnormality of the knee joint based on the input detection signal.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a computer in the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present embodiment. The computer 5 includes a detection signal reading unit 31 that reads data of a detection signal, a threshold processing unit 32 that deletes unnecessary data (data determined to be noise) from the read data by threshold processing, and data subjected to threshold processing AE parameter calculation unit 33 that calculates AE parameters (count number, rise time, duration, maximum amplitude, AE energy, etc.) based on the above, and an abnormality diagnosis unit that diagnoses knee joint abnormalities based on the calculated results 34, an inflammation position specifying unit 35 for specifying the position of an abnormal part (inflamed part) based on the AE parameter when the abnormality diagnosing part 34 is diagnosed as having an abnormality in the knee joint, a diagnosis result, an inflammatory position, etc. Is output to a display or a form.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detection signal detected by the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present embodiment. As described above, the AE sensor 2 detects a signal in the ultrasonic region with a waveform as shown in FIG. In general, when a hard material such as steel or ferrite like pearlite is deformed or broken, an elastic wave as shown in FIG. 4 is detected, and the behavior of the material is detected to prevent fatigue of the material. Detect. Here, the fatigue damage of the bone due to aging is detected by capturing the behavior of the elastic wave generated by the bone at the knee joint site. As shown in FIG. 4, parameters such as the count number, rise time, duration, maximum amplitude, and AE energy can be acquired from the detection signal. Based on these parameters, abnormalities in the knee joint can be detected. Diagnosed.

  For example, as shown in the following experimental results, the presence or absence of inflammation is diagnosed according to the timing (or frequency) at which the elastic wave is detected, or the size of the lesion is determined according to the maximum amplitude of the waveform. It is possible to diagnose (the larger the maximum amplitude, the larger the size of the lesioned part), or to diagnose the size of the lesioned part by the larger number of counts (the larger the number of counts, the larger the size of the lesioned part).

  The diagnosis process by the abnormality diagnosis unit 34 will be specifically described. In conducting the diagnosis in the present invention, the inventors previously performed the following experiments. The subjects were divided into four groups: (1) 20s, (2) 40s, (3) 60s, and (4) people with abnormal knees. The AE signal at that time was measured. As a result, results as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 were obtained for each group. 5 shows (1) the detection result of the 20th group AE signal, FIG. 6 shows (2) the detection result of the AE signal of the 40s group, and FIG. 7 shows (3) the AE signal of the 60s group. FIG. 8 shows the detection result of the AE signal of the group of people having an abnormality in the knee. 5 to 8, the horizontal axis represents time, the vertical axis represents the angle, the solid line in the graph represents the change in the knee angle, and the point in the graph represents the AE signal having an amplitude equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (that is, bone deformation). And elastic waves due to inflammation, etc.) are detected. In this graph, a sitting state (a state where the knee is 90 degrees) is 0 degree, and a standing state (a state where the knee is 180 degrees) is 90 degrees. Once the AE signal is detected, the knee is stopped and the experiment is completed. That is, it shows the distribution when the AE signal is first detected after the knee motion.

  As can be seen from FIG. 5 to FIG. 8, the detection of AE signals is sparser for younger people, and the AE signals are detected for the first time by repeating standing and sitting a plurality of times. On the other hand, in the elderly people and those who have abnormalities in the knees, the AE signal is detected by the operation in which all people stand first. More precisely, in the case of elderly people, almost all AE signals are detected in the first 60 degrees after starting to rise, and in the case of people with abnormalities in the knee, the first 30 degrees after starting to rise. Almost everyone's AE signal is detected.

  Moreover, in FIG. 9, the graph of the maximum amplitude value for every group is shown. As can be seen from the graph of FIG. 9, the maximum amplitude value of those who have an abnormality in the knee is significantly larger than the maximum amplitude value of those who have no abnormality in the knee (20's to 60's).

  That is, the abnormality diagnosis unit 34 can estimate that the knee is inflamed when the AE signal is detected in the initial operation when the knee joint portion shifts from the bent state to the advanced state. It can also be estimated that the knee is inflamed also when the maximum amplitude value of the detected AE signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

  The initial motion referred to here is, for example, a first motion that shifts from the initial state where the knee joint part is bent, or a state where the knee joint part is bent from the initial state where the knee joint part is advanced. This refers to the first operation to transition.

  In addition, for example, when the knee joint part shifts from the bent state to the advanced state, the AE signal is detected in the initial operation, and the maximum amplitude value of the detected AE signal is a predetermined value or more. Is diagnosed as having a very high possibility of inflammation in the knee (for example, A judgment: 80% or more), and when the knee joint part shifts from the bent state to the advanced state, the AE signal is generated in the initial operation. If detected, but the maximum amplitude value is less than or equal to a predetermined value, it is diagnosed that the knee may be inflamed (for example, B determination: 60% to 80%), and the knee joint is bent When transitioning from the initial state to the advanced state, an AE signal was detected in the second and subsequent flexing and stretching operations instead of the initial motion. If the maximum amplitude value is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the knee may be inflamed. (For example, C determination: 40 60%) and it may be diagnosed by a stepwise weighting.

  When the abnormality diagnosing unit 34 determines that the abnormality diagnosis unit 34 is abnormal, the inflammation position specifying unit 35 uses a technique such as moire topography based on each AE parameter obtained from the four AE sensors 2 as shown in FIG. By doing so, the position of inflammation is specified three-dimensionally. The output control unit 36 outputs the diagnosis result and information on the specified inflammation position to a display or a form. Healthcare professionals can efficiently perform the final diagnosis of knee joint inflammation with reference to the output information, and more appropriate medical practices such as examining details in detail as necessary. Become.

  Next, the operation of the joint inflammation detection device according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to this embodiment. First, an elastic wave detected by the AE sensor 2 mounted on the subject to be examined is detected as an ultrasonic signal (S1) and amplified by the preamplifier and the amplifier 3 (S2). The detection signal reading unit 31 of the computer 5 reads the amplified signal (S3). The threshold processing unit 32 deletes noise from the read data (S4), and the AE parameter calculation unit 33 calculates an AE parameter for the signal from which noise has been removed (S5). The abnormality diagnosis unit 34 uses the obtained AE parameter to determine the presence or absence of joint inflammation (joint abnormality) in comparison with a value that is stored in advance as a diagnostic criterion (S6). When it is determined that there is joint inflammation, the inflammation position specifying unit 35 specifies the position of joint inflammation by the moire topography technique using the AE parameter (S7). The output control unit 35 outputs the determination result and the inflammation position to a display or a form (S8), and ends the process.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment, elastic energy due to an abnormality (for example, deformation or destruction) generated in the bone with age is applied without imposing an unnecessary load on the body of the subject to be examined. By detecting as an ultrasonic wave, it is possible to accurately detect the presence or absence of inflammation, and by disposing a plurality of sensors, it is possible to accurately identify the position of inflammation.

  In addition, since the position of inflammation is specified based on the position of each sensor and the detection signal, it is possible to accurately specify the position of inflammation with a simple configuration.

  Furthermore, in order to determine that there is inflammation when a detection signal is detected in the initial operation when shifting from a state where the joint part is bent or a state where the joint part is advanced to a bent state, As is apparent from the experimental results, it is possible to reliably identify the test subject who has inflammation at the joint site.

(Second embodiment of the present invention)
The joint inflammation detection apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment is an extension of the function of the joint inflammation detection device according to the first embodiment, and includes an angle sensor that detects the angle of the joint. In the first embodiment, By comparing the identified inflammation position with the inflammation position that can be determined from the signal of the angle sensor, a more accurate inflammation position is identified.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the description which overlaps with the joint inflammation detection apparatus which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment. The difference from the case of FIG. 1 in the first embodiment is an angle at which a joint angle is detected at a position corresponding to the femur and a position corresponding to the tibia sandwiching the joint portion of the knee joint. The sensor 100 is provided and the detected angle information is read into the computer 5.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state where an angle sensor is provided at the knee joint. By arranging the angle sensor 100 (upper angle sensor 100a, lower angle sensor 100b) at a position as shown in FIG. 12, the operating angle of the knee joint when the AE sensor 2 detects a signal can be measured. It becomes possible. Then, as will be described in detail below, by inputting the angle information detected by the angle sensor to the computer 5, the aspect of the joint portion between the femur and the tibia at the detected angle (displacement between the femur and the tibia) Based on the position), it becomes possible to determine the position of inflammation.

  FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of a computer in the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present embodiment. The difference from the case of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment is that the detection signal reading unit 31 reads the angle information from the angle sensor 100 in addition to the detection signal from the AE sensor 2 and specifies the inflammation position. The unit 35 calculates the inflammation position based on the angle information, compares the inflammation position obtained from the four AE sensors 2 with the inflammation position obtained based on the angle information, and if they match, the position Is determined as the inflammation position and information is passed to the output control unit 35.

  At this time, if the inflammation positions obtained from the four AE sensors 2 and the inflammation positions obtained based on the angle information do not coincide with each other beyond the error range, the information to that effect is passed to the output control unit 35. It may be.

  The output control unit 35 outputs the diagnosis result calculated by the abnormality diagnosis unit 34 and the inflammation position specified by the inflammation position specifying unit 35 to a display or a form. At this time, if the inflammation position obtained from the four AE sensors 2 and the inflammation position obtained based on the angle information do not coincide with each other beyond the error range according to the calculation result of the inflammation position specifying unit 35, the fact is displayed. Or output to a form. Healthcare professionals can see appropriate information by checking the output information and performing a second examination (performing the subject to perform a standing or sitting movement) or a more detailed examination using other equipment. The act can be realized.

  Next, the operation of the joint inflammation detection device according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to this embodiment. First, an elastic wave detected by the AE sensor 2 mounted on the subject to be examined is detected as an ultrasonic signal (S1) and amplified by the preamplifier and the amplifier 3 (S2). The detection signal reading unit 31 of the computer 5 reads the amplified signal (S3). Simultaneously with the detection of the elastic wave by the AE sensor 2, the angle signal at that time is detected from the angle sensor 100, and the detection signal reading unit 31 of the computer 5 reads it (S4). The threshold processing unit 32 deletes noise from the read data (S5), and the AE parameter calculation unit 33 calculates an AE parameter for the signal from which noise has been removed (S6). The abnormality diagnosing unit 34 determines the presence or absence of joint inflammation (joint abnormality) by using the obtained AE parameter and comparing it with a value that is stored in advance as a diagnostic criterion (S7). When it is determined that there is joint inflammation, the inflammation position specifying unit 35 specifies the position of joint inflammation by the moire topography technique using the AE parameter (hereinafter referred to as the first inflammation position), and the angle sensor Based on the information obtained from 100, the position of joint inflammation (hereinafter referred to as the second inflammation position) is specified (S8). The inflammation position specifying unit 35 compares the first inflammation position and the second inflammation position (S9), and if they do not coincide within a range exceeding the error, the information to that effect is passed to the output control unit 35 (S10). . If they match within the error range, the information on the specified inflammation position is passed to the output control unit 35 (S11). The output control unit 35 outputs the diagnosis result and the inflammation position (information indicating that the first inflammation position and the second inflammation position do not match) to the display or the form (S12), and ends the process. .

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment, the final inflammation position can be determined after determining whether the first inflammation position and the second inflammation position match or not. It becomes possible to detect the position of inflammation with high accuracy.

(Third embodiment of the present invention)
The joint inflammation detection apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. The joint inflammation detection apparatus according to this embodiment is an extension of the function of the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the first embodiment, and further improves the accuracy of abnormality diagnosis in the abnormality diagnosis unit 34.

  In the first embodiment, whether or not an elastic wave is detected in the initial movement of the knee and / or the presence or absence of an abnormality is determined based on the maximum amplitude. The method determines that the knee is abnormal when elastic waves are detected in all of the progressing motions of the knees in a plurality of times.

  The diagnosis process by the abnormality diagnosis unit 34 in the present embodiment will be specifically described. In conducting the diagnosis in the present invention, the inventors previously performed the following experiments. The subjects were divided into three groups: (1) in their 40s, (2) in their 60s, and (3) those with abnormalities in their knees. The signal was measured. Unlike the case of the first embodiment, the operation of standing or sitting was repeated after the elastic wave was detected. As a result, the results shown in FIG. 15 were obtained for each group.

  FIG. 15 shows an average ratio of the number of experiments performed to obtain the detection signal of the elastic wave for five times (the number of experiments is “1 sitting / standing” and the number of experiments is “1 standing / sitting”). ing. (3) In the group of persons having an abnormality in the knee, since the detection signal for five times was obtained by performing five experiments, the ratio is 100%. (1) For the 40s, (2) For the 60s, the ratio is 25% to 60%. That is, to detect the detection signal for 5 times, repeat the enforcement about 2 to 4 times. Yes. As can be seen from this, it is possible to determine that there is an abnormality in the knee when a detection signal is detected in each of the progressing motions when the knees are advanced a plurality of times.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a distribution of detection signals in (3) two progressing movements of a person having an abnormality in the knee (the sitting → standing → sitting motion is one time). FIGS. 16A and 16B are different subjects. In both cases, detection signals are detected in all the operations of “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting”, but the timing at which the detection signal is detected is the operation of “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting”. The timing is similar. That is, it can be inferred that a common elastic wave is detected from a portion with inflammation in both the “sitting → standing” operation and the “standing → sitting” operation. Although it is not described as an experimental result, the timing similar to the operation of “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting” is more prominent in the second and subsequent operations of “sitting → standing → sitting”. There was a tendency to appear. That is, the abnormality diagnosis may be performed except for the result of the first advancement operation in a plurality of advancement operations.

  Based on the above results, two or more progressing movements were performed, and detection signals were detected in all “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting” movements, and detection signals were detected in “sitting → standing”. When the timing and the timing at which the detection signal is detected in “Standing → Sitting” are very similar, it can be determined that there is an abnormality with a fairly high probability. In addition, if the position of the lesion obtained from the detection signal detected in “sitting → sitting” and the position of the lesion obtained from the detection signal detected in “standing → sitting” are the same or approximate, It is possible to determine that there is a lesion at that position with probability.

  In addition, as in the case of the first embodiment, diagnosis weighting may be performed in stages. For example, the detection signal is detected in all “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting” operations, and the detection signal is detected at the timing when the detection signal is detected in “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting”. If the timings are very similar, it is highly possible that the knee is inflamed (for example, S judgment: 95% or more), and all “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting” movements If the detection signal is detected but there is no regularity in the detected timing, it is diagnosed that there is a high possibility of inflammation in the knee (for example, A determination: 80% or more), and all “sitting → standing” In addition, the detection signal is not detected in the operation of “standing → sitting”, but the detection signal may be detected. If the frequency is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, there is a high possibility that the knee is inflamed (for example, B (Judgment: 80% or more but the lesion is small) Diagnosis and detection signals are not detected in all “sitting → standing” and “standing → sitting” movements, but detection signals may be detected, and if the frequency is less than a predetermined value, inflammation in the knee There may be a possibility that there is a possibility (for example, B determination: 50% or more), a stepwise diagnosis may be performed.

  Further, the parameters used in the first embodiment (whether a detection signal is detected in the initial operation or whether the maximum amplitude is a predetermined value or more) are added to the stepwise diagnosis exemplified above. By performing this calculation, a finer determination may be made.

(Other embodiments)
The joint inflammation detection apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment reduces the labor at the time of mounting the joint inflammation detection device according to each of the above embodiments and improves the stability after mounting.

  As shown in FIG. 17, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment, the AE sensor 2 and / or the angle sensor 100 are fixed in advance on a clothing 115 such as a supporter worn only on a joint, By simply wearing the clothing 115, the AE sensor 2 and / or the angle sensor 100 can be fixed at an appropriate position and appropriate information can be acquired. That is, the AE sensor 2 is fixed to the clothing 115 in advance so as to be fixed at a position as shown in FIG. 2 when the person to be inspected wears the clothing 115. Similarly, if necessary, the angle sensor 100 is fixed to the clothing 115 in advance so as to be fixed at a position as shown in FIG. 12 when the person to be inspected wears the clothing 115.

  As described above, in the joint inflammation detection device according to the present embodiment, since the AE sensor and / or the angle sensor are fixed to the clothing in advance, the person to be inspected acquires an accurate signal only by wearing the clothing. In addition, it is possible to save the trouble of attaching and detaching each sensor and to stabilize the position of each sensor at the time of diagnosis.

  Experiments on the position of knee inflammation were performed using the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the position of the sensor in the experiment. Similarly to the position shown in FIG. 2, four AE sensors CH1 to CH4 were attached at four locations, upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left, with the joint portion between the femur and tibia as the center. The data was obtained by repeating the “sit → stand → sit” movement multiple times, and the elastic waves at that time were detected. The detection result of a person with an abnormality (inflammation) in the knee is as shown in FIG.

  Based on this detection result, the position of inflammation was calculated. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a result of calculating the inflammation position based on the detection signal. In this experiment, the inflammation position is identified from the results of any three AE sensors among the four AE sensors, and is calculated for all patterns (all four patterns for selecting three AE sensors from four AE sensors). did. 19 indicates the inflammation position calculated based on CH1, 2 and 3, ○ indicates the inflammation position calculated based on CH2, 3 and 4, and x indicates calculation based on CH1, 3 and 4. △ indicates the inflammation position calculated based on CH1, 2 and 4. About Δ, it was excluded because only one position was clearly misaligned, but the result of almost the same position was obtained for other positions.

  FIG. 20 is an X-ray photograph of the subject's knee. The position of inflammation obtained from the X-ray photograph was compared with the above calculation result, and it was found that they were almost the same. As for the result in the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 20B, it is clear that the calculation result and the result of the X-ray photograph are almost the same, but the result in the X-axis direction shown in FIG. At first glance, it seems that the calculation results and the X-ray results are misaligned. This is because the position (coordinates) of each AE sensor can be acquired only at the rear end portion instead of the front end portion of the AE sensor shown in FIG. When the calculation was performed at the position of the part, it was confirmed that the result was consistent with the result of the X-ray photograph.

  From the above results, it was possible to reliably detect the presence or absence of inflammation of the knee by using the joint inflammation detection apparatus according to the present invention, and it was also possible to accurately determine the inflammation position. As a result, it has been clarified that knee arthritis can be easily inspected without performing examinations that may affect the human body with a large scale such as X-ray, MRI, and CT.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Joint inflammation detection apparatus 2 AE sensor 3 Amplifier 4 Detection signal acquisition part 5 Computer 31 Detection signal reading part 32 Threshold processing part 33 AE parameter calculation part 34 Abnormality diagnosis part 35 Inflammation position specific part 36 Output control part 100 Angle sensor 115 Clothing

Claims (7)

A plurality of sensors disposed in the joint region of the person to be inspected, and detecting an elastic wave generated from the bone in the joint region as an ultrasonic detection signal during operation of the joint region;
An amplifier for amplifying the detection signal;
Inflammation determining means for determining the presence or absence of inflammation occurring in the bone of the test subject based on the amplified detection signal ,
When the detection signal is detected when the angle between the horizontal direction and the longitudinal direction of the femur is 30 degrees or less with respect to the transition operation in which the inflammation determination means shifts from the bent state to the advanced state. It is determined that the inflammation is present in the joint inflammation detecting device. A plurality of sensors disposed in the joint region of the person to be inspected, and detecting an elastic wave generated from the bone in the joint region as an ultrasonic detection signal during operation of the joint region;
An amplifier for amplifying the detection signal;
Inflammation determining means for determining the presence or absence of inflammation occurring in the bone of the test subject based on the amplified detection signal,
In the transition operation after at least the second time, when the inflammation determination means performs a transition operation in which the joint part moves from a bent state or a state in which the joint part has advanced to a bent state, When the timing at which the detection signal is detected when the joint part changes from a bent state to a state where the joint part has advanced is similar to the timing at which the detection signal is detected when the joint part returns from a state where the joint part has advanced to a bent state It is determined that the inflammation is present in the joint inflammation detecting device. The joint inflammation detection device according to claim 1 or 2,
The joint inflammation detection device, wherein the inflammation determination means determines that the inflammation is present when a maximum amplitude value in the detection signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value . The joint inflammation detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When performing the transition operation a plurality of times when the inflammation determination means performs a transition operation that shifts from a state where the joint part is bent or a state where the joint part is advanced to a bent state , A joint inflammation detection apparatus, wherein the inflammation is determined to be present when the detection signal is detected in each transition operation. The joint inflammation detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A plurality of the sensors;
The joint inflammation detection device , wherein the inflammation determination means identifies the position of the inflammation based on the detection signals obtained from the plurality of sensors . In the joint inflammation detection apparatus of Claim 5 ,
Centering on the joint part of the joint part, at least four or more of the sensors are disposed at positions radially dispersed from the center,
The inflammation determination means calculates the inflammation position specified by any three of the four or more sensors in a plurality of patterns and specifies the inflammation position in three dimensions. A device for detecting joint inflammation. The joint inflammation detection device according to claim 5 or 6,
An angle detecting means disposed at each of the first part and the second part joined at the joint part , and detecting an operation angle of the joint of the first part and the second part;
Inflammation position determining means for determining the position of inflammation by comparing the position of inflammation specified by the inflammation determination means with the position of inflammation specified based on the angle detection means and the sensors. An apparatus for detecting joint inflammation.