JP3168285B2 - Health monitoring system for single people - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a health status monitoring system for monitoring the health status of elderly people, persons with physical disabilities, and the sick, living alone without disturbing their daily lives. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is necessary for an elderly person, a physically handicapped person, and a sick person living alone to constantly monitor their health and manage their health. This greatly limits the degree of freedom of the caregiver's daily life, and also has the problem that stress is increased even if the subject is assisted by constant observation.

In order to deal with such a problem and to observe the health of a subject living alone, it is conceivable to constantly monitor the subject with a television camera, for example. The stress of the subject due to constant observation is great, while the observer needs to constantly monitor the television image, which is not preferable. In addition, in order to obtain physical condition data necessary for managing the health status of a single person, a device for measuring data is attached to a part of the subject's body, a measuring device is carried by the subject, or data When a special posture is taken for measurement of the subject, the subject may be unnecessarily nervous, and it is often difficult to obtain accurate health information.

[0004]

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is the physical condition (pulse wave, body temperature,
An object of the present invention is to provide a health monitoring system for monitoring skin color, respiratory rate, etc.) in a manner that does not interfere with daily life. Another technical subject of the present invention is a health condition monitoring system for monitoring the physical condition of a subject without attaching a device for data measurement to a part of the body of the subject or carrying the measuring device with the subject. Is to provide. Another technical problem of the present invention is to monitor the health condition using postures, orientations, movements, and the like naturally taken in daily life in a state where the subject is not conscious of being observed. To provide a monitoring system.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the health condition monitoring system of the present invention is applied to furniture and equipment in which the face of a single occupant in a living area of a single occupant is almost directly opposed. An attached sensor that obtains physical condition data from the state of the face, and a physical condition data from the contact of fingers attached to furniture and equipment to which the fingers make contact in an almost constant manner in daily life in the living area of a single living person And a plurality of sensors of at least two types among sensors for obtaining physical condition data from voice, which are attached to furniture and equipment at a position where voices are easily emitted in daily life in the living area of a single living person , from the sensor and transmits appropriately stores data from the plurality of sensors
By comparing the data with the stored physical condition data
Possess a management device installed in the occupied zone which it can be determined the abnormality of the health state of the Single consumers, and a centralized control center to monitor the received health data one from the management apparatus,
When the management device determines that the health condition is abnormal,
Etc., and notify public institutions . In the health condition monitoring system of the present invention, a sensor for obtaining physical condition data from the state of the face is suitably a video camera or an infrared camera, and a sensor for obtaining physical condition data from contact with the finger is a pulse wave sensor. An impedance measurement sensor or a temperature sensor is suitable. Also, the health monitoring system of the present invention
In the above, the management device is in front of the traveling assistant.
It is appropriate to be able to output the stored nursing data.

The physical condition data to be obtained by each of the above sensors is observed by the single occupant in the posture, orientation, or movement that the single occupant takes daily for a period of time that can be sensed in the living area. Can be detected without being aware of
The following are examples.

[0007] First, in a posture that a single person takes on a daily basis,
The posture and orientation of the face almost facing the furniture and equipment in the living area are as follows. When watching TV, turn your face almost perpendicular to the TV screen. 2． When worshiping the Buddhist altar, turn your face in front of the altar. 3． Turn your face to the mirror in front of the sink or vanity. Four. When sitting in the bathroom, face the entrance door or front wall. Five. Watch it directly against the monitor screen when using the computer. There are such postures and orientations.

[0008] The posture and movement of a single person in contact with furniture and equipment in almost constant manner in daily life with fingers and the like are as follows. Hold tableware, chopsticks, spoons, etc. during meals. 7． Twist or raise and lower the faucet when dispensing water. 8． When answering a call, hold the handset in your hand and touch it to the side of your face. 9． Press the upper button to take out hot water from the pot. Ten. When opening and closing fittings such as sliding doors and sliding doors, put a hand on the puller. and so on.

[0011] The attitude and movement of a single person placing all or part of his body on furniture and fixtures in daily life are as follows. Sit on chairs, cushions or toilet seats in Western-style toilets. 12． Sleep on a bed or futon. 13. Walk in slippers. and so on. In addition, as a position where a single person is likely to emit a sound in daily life, or as an action to emit a sound, to call. 15． Habitually make voice (Nenbutsu, shouting). and so on.

[0010] Accordingly, the following are specific examples of furniture and fixtures to which a sensor for monitoring a health condition is attached. First, the fixtures and equipment that single people face their faces directly include TV screens, Buddhist altars,
There are mirrors for sinks and vanities, toilet entrance doors and front walls, and computer monitor screens. Furniture and fixtures that the fingers of a single person, etc. contact in a substantially constant manner include a bowl for meals, a bowl for hot water only, a tableware, or
Hand tools for eating and drinking such as chopsticks, spoons, knives, hawks,
There are faucets such as water taps, telephone receivers, pots, and pullers for fittings such as fusuma and shoji. Furniture and fixtures for placing part or all of the body include chairs, cushions, toilet seats for Western-style toilets, beds and mattresses, pillows, slippers, etc. These include a telephone handset, a Buddhist altar to hold a memorial Buddha, and furniture near a shouting place.

[0011] In the case of the fixtures and fixtures facing a single person, the location of the sensor in these fixtures and fixtures is the side of the TV screen or the monitor screen of the computer.
Suitable around or inside the Buddhist altar, near or behind the sink or vanity mirror, toilet entrance door or front wall. As a place where the sensor is placed on a finger that is in contact with the finger in an almost constant manner on a daily basis, the location where the finger contacts with these objects, specifically, a bowl for meals, a bowl with only hot water, a dish, etc. The position where the finger touches on the back side, the handle of chopsticks, spoons, knives, hawks, etc., the handle part of the faucet, the grip part of the telephone receiver, the push button on the top of the pot, and the inside of the handle of fittings such as fusuma and shoji And so on. The sensor should be installed on a part or whole of the body, such as a chair seat or leg, inside or below a cushion, a toilet seat in a Western-style toilet, under sheets, or above or below a bed or mattress, or a pillow. Inside, inside or below the slippers, the location of the sensor in a position that is easy to emit sound is in the telephone handset, inside the Buddhist altar,
Furniture, handrails, etc. to be used for standing behavior.

The information that can be measured by the sensor includes:
There are the following: First, in front of the TV screen or Buddhist altar,
Place a video camera or infrared camera in places where single people drop in or face daily life, such as a washroom or a toilet, so that the color of a specific part such as complexion, blood circulation, Information such as the surface temperature and the presence or absence of stains can be obtained. In this case, the video camera and the infrared camera do not need to be constantly operating, and may be activated when a single person stops at these places by existing means.

Tableware that the fingers of a single life person touch
A pulse wave sensor is attached to a hand tool for eating and drinking, a telephone handset, a puller for fittings, etc., and pulse wave data is acquired when a finger touches these objects. Can be observed. Also,
Impedance measurement sensors are attached to these places, and the state of sweating can be known from the skin impedance obtained when a finger touches these objects. When furniture and equipment are not heated or generate heat,
The body temperature can be measured by the temperature sensor. In addition, a load sensor is provided in a portion where a single person sits daily or on bedding, so that the weight and the sway of the center of gravity while sitting can be measured. In addition, in order to obtain health condition information by voice, a sound collecting device such as a microphone is installed, and a change in voice can be known by comparing with a daily voice.

In any of these cases, the data from the sensor is monitored wirelessly or wiredly by a management device (computer) installed in the living area of the single living person, thereby obtaining information on the health condition of the single living person. It is recorded and transmitted to the management center at regular intervals or in response to a request from a separate central management center via a telephone line, etc., to provide materials for health care by medical professionals. . In addition, the information is used for reference of an assistant who patrols in the management device. However, in an emergency such as a cardiac arrest, for example, it is desirable that the management device can automatically notify a public organization such as a hospital directly.

In the above-mentioned health condition monitoring system, in order to detect various data on the health condition monitored by the sensors by using the posture, orientation, movement, etc., which a single person naturally takes in daily life, A single person is hardly conscious of being constantly observed, and the stress is not increased by being conscious of the observation. Therefore, information on the state of health in normal daily life can be obtained.
The health condition data is more accurate and reliable than the data obtained by a specific posture, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the case of constantly observing with a caregiver or a television camera.

[0016]

FIG. 1 shows an example of sensor installation for applying a health monitoring system according to the present invention, wherein a single person 1 faces a table 2 and a cushion 3.
, The user is holding the teacup 4 in his hand, almost facing the television 5, and watching the television 5 in a relaxed state. In this case, although not shown, the cushion 3 is provided with a load sensor, the teacup 4 is provided with a pulse wave sensor and / or an impedance measurement sensor, and the television 5 is provided with a video camera and the like on the screen side.

Therefore, in the illustrated example, the color of a specific part such as the complexion of the single person 1, the blood circulation state, the body temperature, the presence or absence of a spot, and the like can be observed by the video camera provided on the television 5, By the pulse wave sensor and / or the impedance measurement sensor provided in the teacup 4
The heartbeat interval, the state of the autonomic nervous system, and the state of sweating of the single person 1 can be observed, and the weight sensor and the fluctuation of the center of gravity can be observed by the load sensor provided on the cushion 3. The data detected by these sensors is recorded as health management data suitable for transmission by monitoring in a management device provided in the living area of a single living person, and centralized management is performed at regular time intervals or upon request. Sent to the center.

FIG. 2 shows another example of a sensor installation for applying the health condition monitoring system according to the present invention. A single person 1 sitting on a toilet 7 of a Western-style toilet is observed by an infrared camera 8. The state is shown. A load sensor can be attached to the toilet seat 7. Therefore, similarly to the video camera, the color of a specific part such as the complexion of the single resident 1, the blood circulation state, the body temperature, the presence or absence of a spot, and the like can be observed by the infrared camera 8. You can observe the weight and the sway of the center of gravity.

FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment, a pulse wave sensor 11 is attached to a grip of a receiver 10 of the telephone 9. In the handset 10, a sensor for obtaining information on a health condition by voice can be provided. Therefore, the pulse wave sensor 11 can monitor the heartbeat interval, the state of the autonomic nervous system, and the state of sweating of the single living person, and can also know the health state of the single living person by the voice.

The information on the health condition obtained by these sensors is information when the single person 1 is relaxed without being conscious of the fact that the single person 1 is being observed. It is more accurate and reliable than information obtained by observation and the like.

[0021]

According to the health monitoring system of a single living person according to the present invention, the living state is constantly monitored by the subject by utilizing the posture, orientation, and movement that the single living person naturally takes in daily life. Since various data on the health condition can be acquired without giving a consciousness, the reliability of the system can be improved and the cost of monitoring can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of sensor installation for applying a health condition monitoring system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of sensor installation.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing still another example of sensor installation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 test subject 3 cushion 4 teacup 5 television 7 toilet seat 8 infrared camera 10 receiver 11 pulse wave sensor

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 5/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sensor for obtaining physical condition data from a state of a face, which is attached to a fixture or a fixture in which the face of the single person in daily life is almost directly opposed in a living area of the single person,
In the living area of a single person, a sensor that obtains physical condition data from the touch of a finger, which is attached to furniture and equipment that the finger touches in a nearly constant manner in daily life, and in the living area of a single person, There are at least two or more types of sensors installed on furniture and fixtures that are easily audible and obtain physical condition data from audio.
And sends appropriately stores data from the plurality of sensors
Along with the data from the sensor and memorized daily condition
Compared with the data, it was possible to determine abnormalities in the health of
A management device installed in residential areas which can cross, have a centralized control center for monitoring the received health data one from the management apparatus, the management apparatus determine the state of health abnormalities
A single person's health monitoring system , which notifies a public institution, such as a hospital, directly in the event of a refusal. 2. The single person's health monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor for obtaining physical condition data from the state of the face is a video camera or an infrared camera. 3. The health condition of a single living person according to claim 1, wherein the sensor for obtaining physical condition data from the contact of the finger is a pulse wave sensor, an impedance measuring sensor, or a temperature sensor. Monitoring system. 4. The management device is provided for a traveling assistant.
It can output recorded nursing data.
The health of a single person according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
Health monitoring system.