JP7128490B2 - Measuring device, its operating method and operating program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to techniques for evaluating the biological condition of a subject.

To grasp the state of biological functions, for example, a method of judging based on the nutritional state of the body is taken. Deterioration of nutritional status may lead to decline or deterioration of body tissues such as the brain as well as muscles and bones. One of the factors affecting the nutritional status is related to whether or not the jaw can be moved to open and close the mouth, and chewing can be performed. In other words, if it is impossible to masticate, it becomes difficult to take in nutrients through eating and drinking, which affects the deterioration of the nutritional status of the body and brain tissue. The movement of the jaw is performed using the body tissue including the temporal muscle on the side of the head. This temporalis muscle decreases due to the effects of insufficient nutritional intake due to aging and illness. Furthermore, the continuation of such a state of difficulty in mastication can lead to the onset and progression of dementia.

In order to understand the state inside the head, for example, a CT (Computed Tomography) device or an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device is used to take cross-sectional images of tissues such as muscles and body fat, and judgment is made from the images. There is a method. There is also a method of measuring weak electrical signals and electroencephalograms generated by the activity of muscle tissue during mastication using a capacitive sensor attached to the head of the human body.
In addition, in the measurement of body composition such as muscle mass and fat mass of the entire body, it is known to use the so-called bioelectrical impedance method, in which weak electricity is passed through the part to be measured and the ease of electrical flow at that time is determined. .

With respect to such a technique for measuring the muscle mass of a living body, a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other, a deformable dielectric provided between these electrodes, and a supporting member made of a material harder than the dielectric are provided. and corresponding to the expansion and contraction of the muscle to be measured (for example, Patent Document 1). Further, an input signal generator for supplying electric signals to the driving electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, and a bioimpedance measuring unit based on the output electric signal output through the sensing electrode among the electrodes, the input signal generator includes a modulating unit for modulating the signal. There is known one provided (for example, Patent Literature 2). In addition, by measuring the impedance when a high-frequency alternating current is applied and the impedance when a low-frequency alternating current is applied using electrodes in contact with the body, muscle development and muscle atrophy can be determined from the impedance ratio. There is a thing (for example, patent document 3).

Republished WO2013/073677 JP 2010-221036 A JP 2012-210355 A

By the way, in order to measure the body tissue of the head including the temporal muscle using a medical device such as a CT device, it is necessary to undergo a doctor's diagnosis and examination at a medical facility such as a hospital. Since the state of the physical condition always changes, it is desirable that a plurality of pieces of data can be collected periodically, for example, in the measurement of living tissue. However, due to the limited measurement locations and data measurement opportunities, regular data collection cannot be performed, and changes in nutritional status cannot be grasped. For example, if you only measure when you have chronic physical symptoms, or when you find a decrease in the temporal muscle as a result of other tests, you may not think that the decrease in the temporal muscle is the cause. There is a problem that it is difficult to quickly discover signs of changes in physical condition. In addition, since the CT apparatus uses radiation for measurement, it is not possible to perform measurements many times in a short period of time.

Furthermore, in the measurement process, the installation position of a sensor such as an electrode used for measurement affects the measurement result. It is necessary to install the sensor in the same state for the body part including the temporalis muscle, which is the measurement part. In particular, the peripheral surface of the head is a curved surface, and there is a problem that it is difficult to fix the electrodes at the same position according to the position of the body part including the temporal muscle. In addition, in the measuring device, if the mounting state and procedure for stabilizing the installation position of the sensor are complicated, it becomes difficult for a bedridden person or a person who needs assistance, for example, to mount the sensor. There is a problem.
Therefore, the inventor of the present invention uses the bioimpedance method that can estimate the muscle mass, measures the data of the body part affected by the thickness of the temporal muscle, etc. It was found that the nutritional status of living body parts can be estimated. In addition, by installing the sensor using the ear, it is possible to secure the measurement position relative to the body part, so it is possible to grasp the condition of the person being measured by comparing with the reference data and comparing the measurement results over time. I got the knowledge of
Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not disclose or suggest such problems, and the configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 cannot solve such problems.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to determine the bioimpedance that changes according to the thickness of the body part including the temporalis muscle, etc., by a measurement method using the bioimpedance method, and to determine the change in the nutritional status of the subject. to quickly grasp the signs,
Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily attach a measuring device to a person to be measured and to attach the device to the person to be measured at approximately the same position at the time of measurement, thereby improving the accuracy of comparison data for grasping changes in nutritional status. The goal is to improve.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the measurement apparatus of the present disclosure is a first electrode that is mounted at a set position on the head of a person to be measured and includes an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to the measurement site on the head. a second electrode unit including a receiving electrode mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit through the measurement site and receiving the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode; and a set output. and a signal generator for applying the electric signal from the first electrode unit , and identification information of the subject or personal information that is information about the subject a database that stores evaluation information files that have been evaluated, and that includes evaluation information on nutritional status registered in association with bioimpedance for each of the evaluation information files; a set output value of the electrical signal generated by the signal generation unit; Along with the current value and voltage value measured from the electrical signal received by the second electrode portion , the distance between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion calculated from the personal information of the person to be measured, and the The bioimpedance of the measurement site is calculated based on one or both of the size of the subject's head, and the evaluation information file is selected from the database according to the personal information of the subject. a measuring unit that refers to the evaluation information file selected by the bioelectrical impedance and generates the evaluation information of the nutritional status of the subject.

In the above measuring device, the measurement site may be a living tissue including at least the temporalis muscle of the head, and the electrical signal applied from the applying electrode may flow to the receiving electrode through the living tissue.
In the above measuring device, the first electrode section includes first holding means for holding the applying electrode and placing the transmitting electrode inside one of the ear holes of the person to be measured or at the opening of the ear hole. The second electrode section may comprise second holding means for holding the receiving electrode and placing the receiving electrode on the other ear or part of the head of the subject .
The measuring device may further include an information presenting unit that presents the evaluation information.
In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the measurement apparatus of the present disclosure is a first electrode that is mounted at a set position on the head of a person to be measured and includes an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to the measurement site on the head. a second electrode unit including a receiving electrode mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit through the measurement site and receiving the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode; and a set output. a signal generation unit for generating the electric signal of and applying the electric signal from the first electrode unit; an image acquisition unit for acquiring an image representing the external shape of the head; and the first electrode The bioelectrical impedance of the measurement site is determined based on the electrical signal passed between the second electrode section and the second electrode section, and the amount of change in the head shape of the subject is determined by comparing the obtained image with a reference image. and combining the amount of change with the extracted bioelectrical impedance to generate evaluation information on the nutritional status of the subject .

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the measurement system of the present disclosure is a first electrode that is attached to a measurement position on the head of a subject and includes an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to the measurement site on the head. and a second electrode unit that is mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit through the measurement site and includes a receiving electrode that receives the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode. , an evaluation information file set according to the identification information of the person to be measured or personal information that is information about the person to be measured, and an evaluation of the nutritional status registered in association with the bioelectrical impedance for each evaluation information file; A database containing information is provided, the electric signal having a set output is generated and applied from the first electrode section , and the set output value of the electric signal generated by the signal generation section and the second The current value and voltage value measured from the electrical signal received by the electrode unit , the distance between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit calculated from the personal information of the person to be measured, and the person to be measured The bioimpedance of the measurement site is determined based on one or both of the sizes of the head of the subject, the evaluation information file is selected from the database according to the personal information of the subject, and the determined bioimpedance a measuring unit that refers to the evaluation information file selected by to generate the evaluation information of the nutritional status of the subject.

In the measurement system described above , the measurement unit includes a first electrode portion holding the application electrode and placing the transmission electrode inside or at the opening of one ear of the person to be measured. and a second holding means for holding the receiving electrode by the second electrode part and placing the receiving electrode on the other ear or a part of the head of the person to be measured. .
The measurement system may further include information presenting means for presenting the evaluation information.
In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the measurement system of the present disclosure is a first electrode that is attached to a measurement position on the head of a subject and includes an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to the measurement site on the head. and a second electrode unit that is mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit through the measurement site and includes a receiving electrode that receives the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode. a photographing unit for photographing an image representing the outer shape of the head, the electric signal having a set output is generated and applied from the first electrode unit; The bioelectrical impedance of the measurement site is calculated based on the electrical signal passed between the two electrode parts, the amount of change in the head shape of the subject is measured by comparing the image with a reference image, and the change is measured. a measuring unit that combines the amount and the extracted bioelectrical impedance to generate evaluation information of the nutritional status of the subject .

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the operation method of the measurement device of the present disclosure is to provide a first electrode section including an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to a measurement site on the head of a person to be measured; A method of operating a measuring device comprising a second electrode unit including a receiving electrode that is mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit via a portion and receives an electrical signal transmitted from the applying electrode. a step of generating an electric signal having a set output and supplying it to the first electrode unit ; a step of storing an information file in a database including evaluation information of nutritional status registered in association with bioimpedance for each evaluation information file; a set output value of the generated electrical signal; and the second electrode. Together with the current value and the voltage value measured from the electrical signal received at the part , the distance between the first electrode part and the second electrode part calculated from the personal information of the person to be measured and the person to be measured determining the bioimpedance of the measurement site based on one or both of the size of the head; selecting the evaluation information file from the database according to the personal information of the person to be measured; reading the evaluation information file selected by the impedance from the database and referring to it to generate the evaluation information of the nutritional status of the subject.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the operation method of the measurement device of the present disclosure is to provide a first electrode section including an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to a measurement site on the head of a person to be measured; A method of operating a measuring device including a second electrode unit mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit via a portion and including a receiving electrode for receiving an electrical signal transmitted from the applying electrode a step of reading the head image of the subject photographed by a photographing means; a step of generating the electric signal of a set output and supplying it to the first electrode; determining the bioelectrical impedance of the measurement site based on the electric signal passed between the second electrode section and the second electrode section; A step of measuring an amount, combining the amount of change with the extracted bioimpedance, comparing it with a reference bioimpedance, and reading out and presenting evaluation information of nutritional status associated with the reference bioimpedance from a database based on the result of this comparison. including.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the operation program of the present disclosure includes: a first electrode unit including an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to a measurement site on the head of a subject; An operation program to be executed by a computer of a measuring device provided with a second electrode unit including a receiving electrode that receives the electric signal applied and transmitted from the applying electrode at a position facing the first electrode unit, and an evaluation information file set according to the identification information of the person to be measured or personal information that is information about the person to be measured. A function of storing in a database including evaluation information of nutritional status registered in association with bioimpedance for each information file, a set output value of the generated electrical signal, and the electricity received by the second electrode unit The current value and voltage value measured from the signal, the distance between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion calculated from the personal information of the person to be measured, and the size of the head of the person to be measured. a function of determining the bioimpedance of the measurement site based on the electrical signal applied to either or both ; a function of reading the evaluation information file selected by the impedance from the database and referring to it to generate the evaluation information of the nutritional status of the subject.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the operation program of the present disclosure includes: a first electrode unit including an application electrode that applies an electrical signal to a measurement site on the head of a subject; An operation program to be executed by a computer of a measuring device provided with a second electrode unit including a receiving electrode that receives the electric signal applied and transmitted from the applying electrode at a position facing the first electrode unit, a function of reading the head image of the person to be measured photographed by means; a function of generating the electrical signal of a set output and supplying it to the applying electrode; the first electrode unit and the second electrode; a function of determining the bioelectrical impedance of the measurement site based on the electrical signal passed between the parts ; A function of combining the amount of change and the extracted bioimpedance and comparing it with a reference bioimpedance, and reading out and presenting evaluation information on the nutritional status associated with the reference bioimpedance from a database based on the result of this comparison .

According to the present invention, one of the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The nutritional status of the person to be measured can be estimated from the value of the bioimpedance of the body part including the temporalis muscle in the head.
(2) Since a large number of measurement data can be collected easily, it becomes easier to manage the nutritional status of the subject.
(3) Periodically calculating bioimpedance and capturing changes in nutritional status makes it possible to understand changes in the subject's physical condition, signs of such changes, and progress after the occurrence of changes in physical condition. becomes.
(4) By attaching the electrode unit to a setting position such as an ear hole that is easily grasped, errors in the setting position can be reduced, and measurement accuracy can be improved or variations can be suppressed.

It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of a measuring device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows an example of operation processing of a measuring device. It is a figure which shows an example of an evaluation information database. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the measurement system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the functional structural example of a measuring device. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a control part. It is a figure which shows an example of a user database. It is a figure which shows an example of a measurement information database. It is a figure which shows an example of an evaluation result screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the transition state of bioimpedance. It is a flow chart which shows an example of operation processing of a measuring device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a measurement system according to a third embodiment; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an acquisition state of external shape change information of a measurement target; It is a figure which shows an example of an evaluation information database. It is a flow chart which shows an example of operation processing of a measuring device.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows an example of the functional configuration of a measuring device. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, this measuring apparatus 2 has a living body part to be measured interposed between electrode parts 4 and 6, and a weak electric signal is passed between these electrode parts 4 and 6 to measure the living body part. A bio-impedance indicating the difficulty of electrical flow is determined. The measuring device 2 uses the bioelectrical impedance to generate an index indicating the nutritional status of the subject. The measuring device 2 may also present information such as advice on diet and living conditions of the subject, in addition to the indicator of nutritional status.
The measurement device 2 includes, for example, electrode units 4 and 6, a signal generation unit 8, and a measurement unit 10. FIG. The measurement device 2 determines the bioimpedance of the living body part including the measurement part 14 by sending an electrical signal to part or all of the measurement part 14 of the subject 12, for example. The measurement site 14 is set as a part of the subject's 12 head, and includes at least the temporalis muscle. The temporalis muscle is a skeletal muscle on both sides of the head, and is an example of a muscle of mastication that raises the mandible by contraction, enabling chewing. In addition to the temporalis muscle, the measurement site 14 may include biological tissue such as nerve tissue, fat, body fluid, blood, and bone in the head.
An electrical signal applied from the electrode section 4 of the measuring device 2 flows to the electrode section 6 side through the temporal muscle and other tissues in the measurement site 14 .
Subject 12 is not limited to those who are undergoing treatment or follow-up for specific symptoms, for example, but also includes those who are leading a normal life. Moreover, the subject 12 is not distinguished by age, sex, or the like.

The electrode section 4 is an example of the first electrode section of the present disclosure that applies an electrical signal toward the object to be measured, and is connected to a signal generation section 8 that generates the electrical signal. The electrode unit 4 and the signal generation unit 8 may be integrally formed in one housing, for example, or may be formed in separate housings and electrically connected by wire or wirelessly.
The electrode section 6 is an example of the second electrode section of the present disclosure, is mounted at a position facing the electrode section 4 via the measurement site 14 , and receives electrical signals flowing through the measurement site 14 . Thus, the electrical signal applied from the electrode section 4 passes through the measurement site 14 in the head of the subject 12 and flows to the electrode section 6, and the measurement site 14 includes the electrode sections 4 and 6. Form part of a pathway or electrical circuit. The electrode section 6 is connected to the measuring section 10 . The electrode section 6 may be formed integrally with the measurement section 10, for example, or may be configured in a separate housing.
The electrode sections 4 and 6 are attached, for example, by being adhered or adsorbed to a part of the head of the subject 12, or by being engaged by an engaging means such as a hook (not shown).

The signal generation unit 8 is an example of means for generating an electric signal to be applied in measurement processing using, for example, the bioimpedance method, and includes a power source (not shown), an adjustment circuit for adjusting a set current value, an alternating current of a predetermined frequency, It consists of a modulation circuit that adjusts the signal. The signal generation unit 8 adjusts, for example, the electric signal applied from the electrode unit 4 toward the measurement site 14 or the voltage value applied from the electrode unit 4 to a set value.
The measurement unit 10 acquires the electrical signal received by the electrode unit 6 and calculates the bioimpedance value by a predetermined calculation method, and based on the bioimpedance value, biometric evaluation information including the nutritional status of the subject. to generate The measurement unit 10 performs bioimpedance calculation processing using, for example, the voltage value between the electrode units 4 and 6, the current value information of the electrical signal set by the signal generation unit 8, and the like. The measurement unit 10 includes, for example, a modulation circuit that modulates a received electrical signal, a computing unit that computes bioimpedance from the electrical signal, and the like. The measurement unit 10 further includes a generation function unit that generates evaluation information based on the calculated bioelectrical impedance value, and a notification unit that notifies the subject, caregiver, and other family members of the evaluation information.

FIG. 2 shows an example of operation processing of the measuring device. The processing contents, processing steps, and the like shown in FIG. 2 are examples, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
This operation processing is an example of the operation method or program of the present disclosure, and includes, for example, reading information of the person to be measured (S101), inputting setting information (S102), confirming the placement of the electrode unit (S103), generating an electrical signal. and transmission (S104), electrical signal acquisition (S105), bioimpedance determination (S106), comparison (S107), evaluation information generation (S108), evaluation information presentation (S109), and the like.

Reading information of the person to be measured (S101): The measuring device 2 uses, for example, information registered in a storage unit (not shown), information input by an input means, or information read from an external database, etc. Read the information of the subject to be measured. The information read here includes, for example, the subject's name, age, weight, sex, and other personal information including past medical history and treatment history.
Input of setting information (S102): Setting information for performing measurement processing is input to the measuring device 2, for example. The setting information is, for example, measurement parameters, and includes the setting current value and setting frequency of the electrical signal to be generated, time information for applying the electrical signal, and the like. The setting information may be set based on, for example, personal data including the past health condition, medical history, treatment history, and other information of the subject 12, as well as general data such as height, weight, and gender. . Further, the setting information may be stored in the signal generation unit 8 and the measurement unit 10, for example, or may be stored in a storage unit (not shown).
Installation confirmation of the electrode unit (S103): The measuring device 2 performs confirmation processing as to whether or not the electrode units 4 and 6 have been installed on the person 12 to be measured. Here, for example, an electric signal set for testing may be passed between the electrode parts 4 and 6 to determine the measured voltage value, or voice or text information may be sent to the subject 12 or the measurement assistant. Information prompting confirmation of the mounting of the electrode units 4 and 6 may be notified by . The measurement device 2 waits until the electrode units 4 and 6 are attached to the subject 12 (No in S103), and when the attachment is confirmed (YES in S103), the signal generation unit 8 starts measurement processing. Output instructions.

Generation and transmission of electric signal (S104): When the signal generator 8 receives the instruction to start the measurement process, it generates an electric signal adjusted to the set current value and the set frequency based on the setting information. flow through to the measurement site 14 .
Acquisition of electric signal (S105): When the measuring unit 10 receives an electric signal flowing through the electrode unit 6, for example, it measures the current value and the voltage value between the electrode units 4,6. The measured current value and voltage value are stored, for example, in the measurement database of the storage unit.
Determination of bioimpedance (S106): The measuring unit 10 calculates or calculates from information such as the obtained set current value, the voltage and current values measured by the electrode units 4 and 6, and the height and weight of the subject 12, for example. The bio-impedance is calculated using data such as the installation interval of the electrode units 4 and 6 and the size of the head.
Bioimpedance is calculated based on the following theory. That is, as an example of calculation processing of the impedance (Z), it is the ratio of the high frequency current (I) and the potential difference (E) generated between the electrodes 4 and 6 for voltage measurement, and can be expressed by the following formula.
Z=E/I (1)
Thereby, the impedance may be calculated using, for example, the set current value and the measured voltage value.
As the analysis processing for the size of the temporalis muscle of the measurement site 14, the following estimation processing may be performed. In the process of calculating the bioelectrical impedance of the temporalis muscle portion excluding fat and the like, calculation is performed based on, for example, the following assumption principle. A model assuming that the measurement site 14 is, for example, a cylindrical conductor is used. The impedance of this cylindrical conductor is calculated from the specific resistance (volume resistivity: ρ), the length and cross-sectional area of the conductor.
The electrical impedance (Z) when a high-frequency current (I) passes through a conductor is proportional to the length (L) of the cylinder and inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area (A). can express
Z=ρ×(L/A) (2)

Here, the volume V of the cylinder has a relationship of V=A×L with respect to the length L and the cross-sectional area A. Therefore, Equation (2) can be transformed as follows.
A=(ρ×L)/Z
and,
V={(ρ×L)/Z}×L
= ρ x (L ² x Z) (3)

relationship is established. Thus, the volume of the conductor is proportional to the square of the length L of the conductor and inversely proportional to the impedance Z. In order to understand muscle tissue such as the temporalis muscle, a cylindrical model is generated for the tissue such as muscle, fat, and other water contained in the measurement site 14, and equation (3) is used to compare it with the reference bioimpedance. A ratio may be calculated.

Comparison (S107): The measurement unit 10 reads the reference bioimpedance as comparison information stored in, for example, the storage unit, and compares it with the calculated bioimpedance. The reference bioimpedance is stored, for example, in the evaluation information database 16 (FIG. 3), and is an example of comparison information set using age, sex, and other information as parameters. The reference bioimpedance includes, for example, information set based on general health indices, the bioimpedance of a person serving as a reference model and nutritional status information at that time, or the past nutritional status of the same subject 12. The health condition information included and the bio-impedance calculated at that time are used.
Generation of evaluation information (S108): The measurement unit 10 reads the evaluation result from the evaluation information database 16 (FIG. 3) based on the comparison result between the calculated bioimpedance and the reference bioimpedance. The measurement unit 10 then generates evaluation information using the read evaluation results. This evaluation information may include advice information regarding nutritional status and health, as well as the calculated bioelectrical impedance value and evaluation result.
Presentation of evaluation information (S109): The measurement device 2 transmits an evaluation screen to, for example, a monitor (not shown) or a display unit of a terminal device possessed by the person 12 to be measured, and causes the evaluation screen to be displayed.

<Regarding the evaluation information database 16>
FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the evaluation information database.
The evaluation information database 16 is an example of a database that stores comparison information for calculated bioimpedance and evaluation information thereof, and includes a plurality of evaluation information files 18A, 18B, . . . 18N for each application condition. The measurement unit 10 uses the evaluation results stored in the evaluation information database 16 to compare them with the bioelectrical impedance and generate evaluation information.
The evaluation information files 18A, 18B, .
The application condition 20 stores, for example, condition information as to which of the evaluation information files 18A, 18B, . . . For example, one applicable condition may be set for each file, or a plurality of conditions may be combined. For example, the application conditions may include the name and ID (IDentification) of the person to be measured 12 as a dedicated condition, or information such as age, sex, height, weight, physique, and past health conditions may be set. may

The reference bioimpedance section 22 is an example of comparison information with respect to the calculated bioimpedance, and stores classification information based on a predetermined standard for health conditions that can be grasped from, for example, nutritional status. This classification information includes, for example, bioimpedance range information when the nutritional state is determined to be healthy, bioimpedance range information when the nutritional state is determined to be slightly poor, and the possibility of a change in physical condition. Information such as range information of the bio-impedance at the time may be stored.
The evaluation result section 24 stores evaluation information such as nutritional status for the range information of the reference bioimpedance section 22 . This evaluation information may store a numerical value indicating the nutritional status, information indicating that the nutritional status is good, information indicating that the nutritional status is deteriorating, information that encourages hospital visits, and the like. good too.

<Effects of the First Embodiment>
According to such a configuration, the following effects can be expected.
(1) It is possible to easily generate evaluation information of the person to be measured based on nutritional status, etc., by determining the bioimpedance from the electrical signals sent from the electrode unit attached to the set position on the head of the person to be measured. .
(2) Since a large number of measurement data can be collected easily, it becomes easier to manage the nutritional status of the subject.
(3) By using the evaluation information database 16 that includes evaluation results associated with bioimpedance values to evaluate bioimpedance values, the positioning process can be sped up and the load of the evaluation information generation process can be reduced. can be reduced.

[Second embodiment]
FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the measurement system and an example of the mounting state of the electrode units according to the second embodiment. The configuration shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the measurement system 30 applies an electrical signal to the person to be measured 12, measures the voltage value to determine bioimpedance, and generates evaluation information based on the bioimpedance. A measuring device 32 and a terminal device 40 connected to the measuring device 32 are provided.
The measurement device 32 includes, for example, mounting units 34 and 36 that are mounted at set positions of the person to be measured 12, and a controller 38 that executes measurement processing.
The mounting section 34 is an example of the first holding means of the present disclosure, and includes a housing that covers the periphery of the electrode component arranged inside and holds the tip portion that oscillates an electric signal so as to be arranged outside. . As shown in FIG. 4B, for example, the mounting portion 34 is formed in a so-called earphone shape, and is inserted into a hole in the ear 44 of the subject 12, or the tip portion is arranged toward the entrance of the hole. be. As a result, the mounting unit 34 can apply an electrical signal to the measurement site 14 from the ear canal by being mounted on the ear 44 at the set position.
The mounting section 36 is an example of the second holding means of the present disclosure, and is a housing in which, for example, at least a portion that contacts the person to be measured 12 is formed into a flat surface or a shape similar thereto, and the electrode parts are mounted on the flat surface. or to expose a part of the electrode component from the flat surface. As shown in FIG. 4B, for example, part or all of the planar surface of the mounting portion 36 is composed of an adsorption member, and a gel-like adhesive or the like is applied. It is attached to the "forehead" portion, which is the front portion of 42. The placement position of the mounting part 36 is preferably, for example, a position where the measurement site 14 including the temporalis muscle on the side surface of the head 42 intervenes in a straight line with respect to the ear 44 on which the mounting part 34 is arranged. By being arranged in this way, the mounting section 36 can receive an electric signal applied from the electrode section 4 held by the mounting section 34, and the controller 38, which is a measuring device, and the biological tissue of the measurement site 14 are connected. It becomes an electric circuit.

The controller 38 is an example of a main body functional part of the measuring device 32, and is composed of, for example, a single housing. The controller 38 includes, for example, at least a signal generation unit 8 that generates an electrical signal, bioimpedance determination processing using measurement of the voltage value between the electrode units 4 and 6, current value and voltage value, and processing based on the bioimpedance. A measurement unit 10 is provided for generating evaluation information.
The terminal device 40 is capable of communicating with the controller 38 and serves as means for inputting information on the person to be measured 12 and means for receiving from the controller 38 and displaying evaluation information generated in the measurement process. is an example. The terminal device 40 may be, for example, a dedicated device used for this measurement process, or may be a mobile phone, a mobile PC (Personal Computer), or the like. The terminal device 40 and the controller 38 are connected, for example, by a wired connection or a wireless communication connection, and are ready to transmit and receive data.

Although the mounting portion 36 is mounted on the “forehead” of the head 42, the mounting portion 36 is not limited to this. may be adsorbed to Moreover, the mounting portion 36 is not limited to having a flat portion for holding the electrode portion 6 that receives an electrical signal. The mounting portion 36 may be formed in an earphone shape, for example, which is inserted into an ear hole or whose tip portion is placed in an ear hole like the mounting portion 34 on the electrical signal application side.

<Regarding the configuration example of the measuring device>
FIG. 5 shows an example of the functional configuration of the measuring device. The configuration shown in FIG. 5 is an example.
The controller 38 includes, for example, a current application section 50, a power supply section 52, a voltage measurement section 54, and a control section 56.
The current application unit 50 is an example of the signal generation unit 8 and has a circuit configuration that generates an electric signal having a set current value and a set frequency and applies it from the electrode unit 4 side. The current applying section 50 is connected to, for example, a current applying electrode 60-1 installed in the mounting section 34 and a current applying electrode 60-2 installed in the mounting section . As a result, the mounting portions 34 and 36 are mounted at predetermined positions on the person to be measured 12, thereby forming an electric circuit using the measurement site 14 as a resistance.
Power supply unit 52 is connected to, for example, current application unit 50 , and is an example of means for supplying AC power to current application unit 50 by taking in AC commercial power through power storage means such as a battery or an external outlet. . Power supply unit 52 may include, for example, an inverter circuit that converts a direct current supplied from the power storage means into an alternating current.
The voltage measuring section 54 is a circuit that measures the potential difference between the electrode sections 4 and 6 and is an example of the measuring section 10 . The voltage measuring section 54 is connected to, for example, a voltage measuring electrode 62-1 installed in the mounting section 34 and a voltage measuring electrode 62-2 installed in the mounting section .
The controller 56 is an example of means for controlling the operation of the measuring device 32 and includes a bioelectrical impedance calculator 58 . The control unit 56 is connected to the current application unit 50 and the voltage measurement unit 54, and outputs an electric signal generation instruction, an application instruction, or a voltage measurement instruction when executing the measurement process. Further, the control unit 56 reads information such as the set current value and frequency information of the electric signal, the information of the subject, the measured voltage value, and the like, and the bioimpedance calculation unit 58 calculates the bioimpedance. Further, the control unit 56 uses the calculated bioimpedance to generate evaluation information. The bioelectrical impedance calculation unit 58 is an example of a functional unit formed by executing a measurement processing program in the control unit 56, for example.

<Regarding the control unit 56>
FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of the control unit.
The controller 38 is composed of a computer. The controller 56 of the controller 38 includes, for example, a processor 64 , a storage section 66 , an information input section 68 , a communication section 70 and an input/output section (I/O) 72 .
The processor 64 executes an OS (Operating System) and a measurement processing program stored in the storage unit 66 to perform measurement processing, and configures functions such as the bioelectrical impedance calculation unit 58 .
The storage unit 66 is composed of a RAM (Random-Access Memory) 84 that is a calculation area for programs, a data area 88 that stores programs, and the like. The data area 88 is an example of a storage medium composed of a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive) in addition to an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The data storage area stores an operation control program such as an OS and a measurement processing program. 8) and other databases are stored.
Note that the data area 88 is not limited to a storage device mounted in the control unit 56, for example, and may be used by downloading a program from an external database, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard pluggable memory or the like. storage medium.

The information input unit 68 is an example of input means using operation means such as a touch panel integrated with a display unit (not shown), a keyboard, and a mouse, and is used for inputting user data, setting information for measurement processing, and the like.
The communication unit 70 is an example of a functional unit that connects to a wireless network such as Wi-Fi, or connects to the terminal device 40 or an external database through infrared communication or the like.
The input/output unit (I/O) 72 is an example of an interface that allows the control unit 56 to transmit and receive data between the current application unit 50 and the voltage measurement unit 54 . The I/O 72 is connected to an information presenting unit 82 such as a timer 80 used for controlling the measurement process, a monitor mounted on the terminal device 40 or the controller 38, and receives and evaluates execution time information of the measurement process. It is used to notify information to the information presenter.

<Regarding the user database 90>
FIG. 7 shows a configuration example of a user database.
This user database 90 is an example of a personal database containing information about the subject 12, and is composed of a plurality of data files 90-1, 90-2, . . . 90-N for each user.
For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the user database 90 includes a name section 93, a date of birth section 94, a sex section 95, a measurement date section 96, an age section 97, a height section 98, a weight section 99, others 100, and an evaluation result. 101 and the like.
The name section 93, the date of birth section 94, and the gender section 95 store information such as the name and ID for identifying the subject 12, the date of birth, and the gender.
The measurement date section 96 stores the date and time information for executing the measurement process. Information from the timer 80 may be automatically input to the measurement date section 96, for example.
The age section 97 stores age information at the time of execution of the measurement process. This age information is used, for example, as a condition for applying a reference bioimpedance that is used in comparison with the calculated bioimpedance.
The height section 98 and the weight section 99 may read, for example, preset information, or may receive information measured by the user when performing the measurement process. Also, the height section 98 and the weight section 99 may store data received by wired connection or wireless communication between the controller 38 and an external measuring device such as a weight scale or height scale, or an external database. These height information and weight information may be set, for example, as application conditions for the reference bioimpedance, or may be used in bioimpedance calculation processing when the muscle mass of the temporalis muscle is determined by detailed analysis. , 6 may be used to determine the distance between .
Others 100 stores information such as past medical history, treatment history, and current health condition of subject 12, for example. These pieces of information may be used as weights in determining whether to apply the reference bioimpedance, for example. This weighting may be used as an adjustment criterion, for example, when the same reference bioimpedance cannot be applied to each person to be measured due to their past medical history and other characteristics, even if they are of the same age, sex, height and weight. .
The evaluation result section 101 stores evaluation information obtained using the evaluation information database 16 .

<Regarding the measurement information database 92>
FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of the measurement information database.
This measurement information database 92 stores the results of the execution of measurement processing and the like.
For example, as shown in FIG. and so on.
The name portion 111 stores name information for specifying the subject 12 . Also, the name portion 111 may be ID information or other information. This name section 111 may be linked to information in the name section 93 of the user database 90 read out in the measurement process, for example.
The measurement date/time section 112 stores the date and time information when the measurement process was executed. Measurement date/time section 112 may store information acquired from timer 80 at the timing when control section 56 outputs a measurement instruction, setting information, or the like to current applying section 50 or the like, for example. The information stored in the measurement date section 112 may be linked to the measurement date section 96 of the user database 90, for example.
The current value unit 113 may measure and input set current value information in the measurement processing program, or the current value of the electrical signal generated by the current applying unit 50, for example.
The voltage value information measured by the voltage measuring unit 54 may be stored in the measured voltage value unit 114 .
The bioimpedance unit 115 may store the calculated bioimpedance value.
The measuring device information section 116 stores, for example, information related to the electrode sections 4 and 6 used for the measurement process. This information includes, for example, the installation positions of the mounting parts 34 and 36 with respect to the person to be measured 12, and information such as the combination of the earphone type and the so-called patch type to be attached to the "forehead", and the combination of the earphone types. . For example, the size of the measurement site 14 through which the electrical signal passes and the condition of the tissue differ depending on the installation positions of the mounting units 34 and 36. The selection criteria for the calculation process and the reference bio-impedance may be varied.
The evaluation information section 117 stores evaluation information extracted by comparing the calculated bioimpedance with the reference bioimpedance.

<About evaluation information>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation result screen.
The control unit 56 uses the evaluation information database 16 in the storage unit, for example, to extract the evaluation result of the bioimpedance calculated by the bioimpedance calculation unit 58 . Then, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 56 generates an evaluation screen 120 as evaluation information generated using the evaluation results. This evaluation screen 120 includes, for example, specific information 122 indicating the subject 12, measurement date/time information 124, evaluation results 126, evaluation result history information 127, advice information 128, and the like.
For example, the evaluation result 126 may display comparative information such as the previous evaluation result and the past average evaluation result together with the current evaluation result. This evaluation result is, for example, the bioimpedance value, information registered in the evaluation information database 16, or information created for the subject 12, and is used to estimate the nutritional status index and physical condition. including information.
The evaluation result history information 127 displays, for example, bioimpedance values and evaluation information for several times in the past.
The advice information 128 is information set according to the evaluation result, for example, and displays information such as advice to maintain the current status, advice to recommend examination at a hospital, and the like.

In addition, the control unit 56 may monitor the transition state of the bioelectrical impedance value stored in the measurement information database 92 to generate the advice information 128 . In this transition state monitoring process, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, in a graph in which the horizontal axis is the number of measurements n and the vertical axis is the value of the bioelectrical impedance, the nutritional status is determined based on the change tendency of the bioelectrical impedance value. You may monitor changes. Among biological tissues, adipose tissue has a low water content and therefore has a low electrical conductivity, whereas non-fat tissue has a high electrolyte and water content and thus has a high electrical conductivity. As a result, at the measurement site 14 of the same subject 12, if the cross section of the muscle tissue is large, the impedance, which is electrical resistance, will be low, and if the cross section of the muscle tissue is small or the fat tissue is large, the impedance will be high. can be assumed. As a result, the control unit 56, for example, when the value of the bioimpedance at the number of measurements X1 is Y1 and the bioimpedance measured at the time of the measurement increases to Y2, the nutritional status can be determined based on the decrease in muscle tissue. can be judged to have deteriorated. Further, the control unit 56 may set a threshold value P for the value of the bioelectrical impedance, for example, and display warning information when the threshold value P is exceeded.

<About measurement processing>
FIG. 11 shows an example of operation processing of the measuring device. The processing contents, processing steps, and the like shown in FIG. 11 are examples, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
In the measurement process, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, initial setting process (S201), user data setting process (S202), attachment confirmation process of attachment units 34 and 36 (S203), electrical signal generation process (S204), Electrical signal application process (S205), voltage detection process (S206), bioimpedance calculation process (S207), measurement information storage process (S208), evaluation information readout process (S209), bioimpedance change tendency confirmation Processing (S210) and evaluation information display processing (S211) are included.

Initial setting process (S201): When the measuring device 32 is turned on or activated, the control unit 56 loads the OS, the measurement processing program, etc., and also performs initialization processing for the voltage measurement unit 54 and the current application unit 50. Perform initial setting processing.
User data setting process (S202): When the subject 12 is specified, the control unit 56 accesses the user database 90 and reads information on the subject 12. FIG.
Mounting Confirmation Processing of Mounting Units 34 and 36 (S203): The control unit 56 performs processing for confirming that the mounting units 34 and 36 are mounted at set positions such as the ears 44 of the subject. In this confirmation process, for example, the same process as the confirmation process of the electrode units 4 and 6 in S103 may be performed.
Electric signal generation process (S204): When the current applying unit 50 of the controller 38 receives the instruction information from the control unit 56, for example, it causes the electric power supply unit 52 to start feeding power, and the electric signal adjusted to the set current value and set frequency is generated. to generate
Application of electric signal (S205): When the electric signal is generated, the controller 38 applies the electric signal between the current applying electrode 60-1 of the mounting portion 34 and the current applying electrode 60-2 of the mounting portion 36. .

Voltage detection process (S206): When the application of the electrical signal is started, the voltage measurement unit 54 detects the potential difference between the voltage measurement electrodes 62-1 and 62-2, for example, upon notification of instruction information from the control unit 56. to measure
Bioimpedance calculation processing (S207): The control unit 56 calculates the bioimpedance in the bioimpedance calculation unit 58 through calculation processing using the set current value, the frequency, and the measured voltage value.
Measured information storage process (S208): The control unit 56 also acquires setting information and detection information from the current applying unit 50 and the voltage measuring unit 54, and stores the acquired information in the measurement information database 92. FIG.
Evaluation information reading process (S209): The control unit 56 reads out the evaluation information database 16, performs comparison processing between the calculated bioimpedance and the reference bioimpedance, and extracts an evaluation result associated with the bioimpedance.
Confirmation process of bioimpedance change trend (S210): The control unit 56 reads out, for example, the user database 90 and the measurement information database 92, compares the subject's 12 past bioimpedance and evaluation results, and confirms the change trend. do.
Display processing of evaluation information (S211): The control unit 56 generates the evaluation screen 120 by combining the extracted evaluation results, past bioimpedance values, information on their tendency to change, and other information, and displays the terminal device 40. is displayed on the display of

[Effect of Second Embodiment]
According to such a configuration, the following effects can be expected.
(1) An effect similar to that of the first embodiment can be obtained.
(2) By displaying the evaluation result and advice information based on the evaluation result on the evaluation screen 120, the subject 12 can easily grasp the body, especially the state of masticatory ability and the state of nutritional intake.
(3) By displaying past measurement results on the evaluation screen 120, it is possible to intuitively grasp changes in physical and nutritional conditions.
(4) By monitoring the state of multiple bioimpedances and giving advice on the state of the body, such as the nutritional state, based on the trend of change, it is expected that changes in physical condition will be detected early and countermeasures taken.
(5) By inserting the earphone-shaped mounting part into the ear or engaging the ear, the installation positions of the current applying electrodes 60-1 and 60-2 and the voltage measuring electrodes 62-1 and 62-2 are substantially the same. can be maintained.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 12 shows a configuration example of a measurement system according to the third embodiment. The configuration shown in FIG. 12 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. In addition, in FIG. 12, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as in FIG. 1, FIG. 5, and the like.
The controller 38 includes an image acquisition section 130 that acquires an appearance image of the subject 12, as shown in FIG. 12, for example. The image acquisition unit 130 is connected to the terminal device 40 by wireless communication such as Wi-Fi or infrared communication, or a cable such as the USB standard, and reads image information captured by the terminal device 40 .
The terminal device 40 includes, for example, an imaging unit 132 , and the captured image is stored in the storage unit 134 . When the terminal device 40 is connected to the controller 38 or receives an image request from the control unit 56, the control unit 136 reads the image from the storage unit 134 and transmits it to the controller 38 side.
Further, the control unit 56 of the controller 38 is provided with an image comparison unit 138 that compares the acquired image information with a reference image.
With such a configuration, the measurement system 30 according to this embodiment performs estimation processing of changes in the nutritional status based on the bioelectrical impedance of the measurement site as well as the appearance state around the measurement site 14 of the subject 12 .

For example, when subject 12 activates the camera application or measurement processing application of terminal device 40 by himself/herself or by a measurement assistant, as shown in FIG. Take a picture of the exterior of the
For example, as shown in FIG. 13B , when the measurement processing application is executed, the terminal device 40 reads the contour information of the photographed subject's head and face, and reads the contour information of the same subject 12 in the past. The formed reference line M is displayed. The control unit 136 of the terminal device 40 compares the reference line M with the imaged contour information for the “temple” corresponding to the measurement site 14, for example, and extracts the deformation amount α of the contour. The temporalis muscle, which is a part of the measurement site 14, is strongly affected by actions such as the strength, number, and frequency of mastication, or by muscle changes due to nutritional status, age, and the like. As a result, the "temple" portion of the facial contour, in particular, undergoes a change in protrusion or retraction according to the increase or decrease in the temporalis muscle. Therefore, it is possible to infer the nutritional status from such contour change information of the subject 12 as well.
It should be noted that a person's face may become swollen or conversely tightened due to, for example, differences in photographing time zones, seasons, climates, and the like. In addition, there is a possibility that a change in magnification during photographing, a deviation of the photographing reference position, and the like may occur. Therefore, the control unit 136 may display, for example, the reference position of the face at the time of photographing, or display the reference line M using a portion of the photographed image as a reference.

<About evaluation information>
FIG. 14 shows a configuration example of the evaluation information database.
14A, the evaluation information database 140 includes a plurality of evaluation information files 142A, 142B, . . . 142N for each application condition. In the evaluation information files 142A, 142B, . Evaluation results can be extracted.
14B, the outline variation database 150 is composed of an outline variation portion 152 and an advice information portion 154 in which the outline deformation amount α is stored. That is, the external shape change amount database 150 extracts the evaluation result using only the deformation amount α of the contour, and uses the evaluation information database 16 as described in the first and second embodiments to calculate the bioimpedance The evaluation results based on are combined to generate evaluation information.
In the measurement process, for example, either one or both of the evaluation information database 140 and the contour change amount database 150 may be used to generate an evaluation result based on the measured bioelectrical impedance and the contour deformation amount α.

<About measurement processing>
FIG. 15 shows an example of operation processing of the measuring device. The processing contents, processing steps, and the like shown in FIG. 15 are examples, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
In the measurement process, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, the process of activating the controller 38 and the terminal device 40 (S301), the process of requesting an image from the terminal device 40 (S302), the image acquisition process (S303), the process of determining the deformation amount α ( S304), bioelectrical impedance calculation processing (S305), evaluation information generation processing (S306) using the evaluation information database 140 or the external shape change amount database 150, and evaluation information notification processing to the terminal device 40 (S307). included.

Start-up processing of controller 38 and terminal device 40 (S301): The controller 38 starts the OS and the measurement processing program by the control unit 56, and performs initialization processing. In the terminal device 40, for example, in response to activation of the controller 38, activation of the imaging unit 132 and reading of a measurement processing application and the like are started.
Image request processing for terminal device 40 ( S<b>302 ): The control section 56 outputs an image request instruction to the terminal device 40 . On the other hand, the terminal device 40 may display, for example, a guide screen prompting the user to take a contour image of the person to be measured 12 on the display unit or the like.
Image Acquisition Processing (S303): When the imaging unit 132 captures an image, the terminal device 40 performs confirmation processing of the image and displays guide information to be transmitted to the controller 38. FIG. The image acquisition unit 130 then acquires an image from the terminal device 40 .
Deformation amount α calculation process (S304): In the controller 38, the image comparison unit 138 of the control unit 56 extracts the deformation amount α between the reference line M and the contour of the image. The extracted deformation amount α is stored in the measurement information database 92, for example.

Calculation of bioimpedance (S305): The controller 38 generates an electric signal with a set current value and frequency, applies it to the measurement site 14, and measures the potential difference between the attachment parts 34 and 36 to determine the bioimpedance. . This bioimpedance calculation process is the same as the configuration and process shown in the first and second embodiments.
Evaluation information generation process (S306) using the evaluation information database 140 or the shape change amount database 150: The control unit 56 of the controller 38 generates the evaluation information database 140, or the evaluation information database 16 and the shape change amount database 150, for example. One of the combinations is selected for evaluation processing. Such selection processing may be set by the subject 12 or the like at the start of the measurement processing, for example. In this evaluation process, for example, the value of the bioelectrical impedance is compared with the value of the reference bioelectrical impedance, and the amount of deformation α and the amount of change in the outer shape are compared, and the respective evaluation results are extracted. Then, an evaluation screen 120 is generated based on this evaluation result.
Notification processing of evaluation information to terminal device (S307): The control unit 56 transmits the generated evaluation screen 120 to the terminal device 40 and causes it to be displayed.

[Effect of the third embodiment]
According to such a configuration, the following effects can be expected.
(1) An effect similar to that of the above embodiment can be obtained.
(2) By combining the deformation amount α of the outline of the person 12 to be measured, the accuracy of grasping the state of the measurement site 14 including the temporalis muscle and the nutritional state associated with mastication is enhanced.
(3) Changes in the nutritional status of the subject 12 can be grasped from the degree of the contour deformation amount α.

[Modification]

Modifications of the embodiment described above are listed below.

(1) In the above embodiment, the control unit 56 of the controller 38 outputs a control instruction to the current application unit 50, the power supply unit 52, and the voltage measurement unit 54 that constitute the signal generation unit 8. Not exclusively. In this measurement system 30 , for example, the terminal device 40 may execute an application program for performing measurement instructions and bioimpedance arithmetic processing, and may execute processing related to data transmission/reception of setting information, measurement results, and the like to the controller 38 .

(2) In the above embodiment, the mounting parts 34 and 36 are partially inserted into or placed in the ear holes of the subject 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. The mounting portions 34 and 36 may have engagement hooks that engage with, for example, the helix or the back of the ear, so that the electrode portion may be placed at a predetermined position on the ear.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the calculated bioelectrical impedance is used to generate body evaluation information based on the nutritional status of the subject 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. The measurement device 2, 32 or measurement system 30 may be used as a means of estimating the outcome of training, for example, to increase the strength of a body part such as an arm or leg under weighted load.
Dumbbell exercises and other weight training tend to clench your teeth when lifting weights. Continuing the action of clenching the teeth in this way tends to strengthen the temporalis muscle and increase the cross-sectional area. As a result, for example, a decrease in the bioimpedance value may be used as an index indicating that the temporalis muscle has been strengthened.

(4) In the above embodiment, the evaluation screen 120 is generated by combining the evaluation result based on the deformation amount α of the contour of the person to be measured 12 and the evaluation result based on the calculated bioelectrical impedance, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the measurement process, for example, when the evaluation result extracted based on the deformation amount α exceeds a predetermined threshold value, an abnormal state or abnormality based on the nutritional status of the subject 12 is determined instead of the measurement based on the bioelectrical impedance. Advice information indicating a tendency may be notified to the terminal device 40 .

(5) In the above embodiment, the case where the distance between the contour of the person to be measured 12 and the reference line M is evaluated based on the deformation amount α has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The deformation amount α may use the volume between the contour of the person to be measured 12 and the reference line M in the photographed image information. Further, the deformation amount α may be information such as the complexion (complexion) or swelling condition of the person to be measured, which is analyzed from the image information.

As described above, the most preferable embodiment and the like of the present invention have been described. The invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and changes are possible for those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the detailed description. It goes without saying that such modifications and changes are included in the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, electrical signals are applied from the electrode units 4 and 6 attached to the ears or the "forehead" of the person 12 to be measured, and the bioimpedance of the measurement site 14 including the temporalis muscle is calculated, thereby simplifying and It is useful because it can rapidly evaluate nutritional status related to mastication.

2, 32 measuring device 4, 6 electrode unit 8 signal generating unit 10 measuring unit 12 subject 14 measurement site 16, 140 evaluation information database 18A, 18B, ... 18N, 142A, 142B, ... 142N evaluation information file 20 application condition 22 reference bioimpedance unit 24 evaluation result unit 30 measurement system 34, 36 application unit 38 controller 40 terminal device 42 head 44 ear 50 current application unit 52 power supply unit 54 voltage measurement unit 56 control unit 58 bioimpedance calculation unit 60 -1, 60-2 current application electrodes 62-1, 62-2 voltage measurement electrodes 64 processor 66 storage unit 68 information input unit 70 communication unit 72 input/output unit (I/O)
80 timer 82 information presentation unit 84 RAM
88 Data area 90 User database 90-1, 90-2, . Weight part 100 Others 101 Evaluation result part 112 Measurement date part 113 Current value part 114 Measured voltage value part 115 Bioimpedance part 116 Measurement device information part 117 Evaluation information part 120 Evaluation screen 122 Specific information 124 Measurement date information 126 Evaluation result 127 Evaluation result History information 128 Advice information 130 Image acquisition unit 132 Imaging unit 134 Storage unit 136 Control unit 138 Image comparison unit 144 Shape change amount unit 146 Evaluation information unit 150 Shape change amount database 152 Shape change amount unit 154 Advice information unit

Claims (13)

a first electrode unit mounted at a set position on the head of a person to be measured and including an application electrode for applying an electrical signal to a measurement site on the head;
a second electrode unit mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit through the measurement site and including a receiving electrode for receiving the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode;
a signal generator that generates the electrical signal with a set output and applies the electrical signal from the first electrode;
An evaluation information file set according to the identification information of the person to be measured or personal information that is information about the person to be measured is stored, and evaluation information of the nutritional status registered in association with the bioimpedance for each evaluation information file a database containing
Calculated from the personal information of the subject, together with the set output value of the electrical signal generated by the signal generation unit, the current value and the voltage value measured from the electrical signal received by the second electrode unit Based on one or both of the distance between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit and the size of the head of the person to be measured, the bioimpedance of the measurement site is determined, and a measuring unit that selects the evaluation information file from the database based on the personal information and generates the evaluation information of the nutritional status of the subject by referring to the evaluation information file selected based on the calculated bioelectrical impedance; ,
A measuring device comprising: The measurement site is a biological tissue including at least the temporalis muscle of the head,
2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical signal applied from the applying electrode flows to the receiving electrode through the living tissue. The first electrode section includes a first holding means for holding the application electrode and placing the transmission electrode inside one ear hole of the person to be measured or at the opening of the ear hole,
1. The second electrode section comprises second holding means for holding the receiving electrode and placing the receiving electrode on the other ear or a part of the head of the person to be measured. Or the measuring device according to claim 2. 4. The measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising an information presenting unit that presents the evaluation information. a first electrode unit mounted at a set position on the head of a person to be measured and including an application electrode for applying an electrical signal to a measurement site on the head;
a second electrode unit mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit through the measurement site and including a receiving electrode for receiving the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode;
a signal generator that generates the electrical signal with a set output and applies the electrical signal from the first electrode;
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image representing the outer shape of the head ;
Based on the electrical signal passed between the first electrode section and the second electrode section, the bioimpedance of the measurement site is determined, and the acquired image is compared with a reference image to determine the head of the person to be measured. a measurement unit that measures the amount of change in the shape of the part and combines the amount of change with the extracted bioelectrical impedance to generate evaluation information on the nutritional status of the subject ;
A measuring device comprising : A first electrode unit mounted at a measurement position on the head of a person to be measured and including an application electrode for applying an electric signal to a measurement site on the head, and facing the first electrode unit via the measurement site an electrode unit including a second electrode unit mounted at a position to receive the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode and including a receiving electrode;
An evaluation information file set according to the identification information of the person to be measured or personal information that is information about the person to be measured is stored, and evaluation information of the nutritional status registered in association with the bioimpedance for each evaluation information file , generating the electrical signal with the set output and applying it from the first electrode unit , setting the output value of the electrical signal generated by the signal generation unit, and the second electrode Together with the current value and the voltage value measured from the electrical signal received at the part , the distance between the first electrode part and the second electrode part calculated from the personal information of the person to be measured and the person to be measured The bioimpedance of the measurement site is determined based on one or both of the size of the head, the evaluation information file is selected from the database according to the personal information of the subject, and the determined bioimpedance is used. a measuring unit that refers to the selected evaluation information file to generate the evaluation information of the nutritional status of the subject;
A measurement system comprising: The measuring unit is
The first electrode section has a first holding means for holding the applying electrode and placing the transmitting electrode inside one of the ear holes of the person to be measured or at the opening of the ear hole, and 7. The measuring system according to claim 6 , wherein the electrode section holds the receiving electrode and comprises a second holding means for placing the receiving electrode on the other ear or part of the head of the person to be measured. . 8. The measurement system according to claim 6 , further comprising information presenting means for presenting said evaluation information. A first electrode unit mounted at a measurement position on the head of a person to be measured and including an application electrode for applying an electric signal to a measurement site on the head, and facing the first electrode unit via the measurement site an electrode unit including a second electrode unit mounted at a position to receive the electrical signal applied by the applying electrode and including a receiving electrode;
A photographing unit for photographing an image representing the outer shape of the head is provided, the electric signal having a set output is generated and applied from the first electrode unit, and the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit are provided. The bioelectrical impedance of the measurement site is determined based on the electrical signal passed between the electrodes, the amount of change in the head shape of the person to be measured is measured by comparing the image with a reference image, and the amount of change is measured. a measurement unit that generates evaluation information on the nutritional status of the subject by combining the extracted bioimpedance with
A measurement system comprising : A first electrode section including an application electrode for applying an electric signal to a measurement site on the subject's head, and a position facing the first electrode section via the measurement site. A method of operating a measuring device comprising a second electrode section including a receiving electrode for receiving an electrical signal transmitted from an applying electrode, the method comprising:
a step of generating an electrical signal with a set output and supplying it to the first electrode section;
An evaluation information file that is set according to the identification information of the person to be measured or personal information that is information about the person to be measured, including evaluation information of the nutritional status registered in association with the bioimpedance for each evaluation information file and storing in a database;
The first electrode calculated from the personal information of the subject, together with the set output value of the generated electrical signal and the current value and voltage value measured from the electrical signal received at the second electrode unit determining the bioimpedance of the measurement site based on either or both of the distance between the second electrode section and the head size of the subject ;
The evaluation information file is selected from the database according to the personal information of the subject, and the evaluation information file selected based on the determined bioimpedance is read out from the database and referenced to refer to the nutritional status of the subject. a step of generating the evaluation information of
A method of operating a measuring device, comprising: A first electrode unit including an application electrode that applies an electric signal to a measurement site on the subject's head, and is mounted at a position facing the first electrode unit via the measurement site, A method of operating a measuring device comprising a second electrode section including a receiving electrode for receiving an electrical signal transmitted from the applying electrode, comprising:
a step of reading the head image of the subject photographed by a photographing means;
generating the electrical signal with the set output and supplying it to the first electrode;
determining the bioimpedance of the measurement site based on the electrical signal passed between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit;
The amount of change in the head shape of the person to be measured is measured by comparing the head image and the reference image, and the amount of change and the extracted bioimpedance are combined and compared with the reference bioimpedance. a step of reading and presenting nutritional status evaluation information associated with the reference bioelectrical impedance from a database ;
A method of operating a measuring device, comprising: a first electrode section including an application electrode for applying an electric signal to a measurement site on the subject's head; and an application electrode at a position facing the first electrode section via the measurement site. An operation program to be executed by a computer of a measuring device comprising a second electrode unit including a receiving electrode for receiving the electrical signal,
a function of generating an electrical signal with a set output and supplying it to the application electrode;
An evaluation information file that is set according to the identification information of the person to be measured or personal information that is information about the person to be measured, including evaluation information of the nutritional status registered in association with the bioimpedance for each evaluation information file and the ability to store in the database
The first electrode calculated from the personal information of the subject, together with the set output value of the generated electrical signal and the current value and voltage value measured from the electrical signal received at the second electrode unit a function of determining the bioimpedance of the measurement site based on the electrical signal applied to either or both of the distance between the second electrode section and the head of the person to be measured ;
The evaluation information file is selected from the database according to the personal information of the subject, and the evaluation information file selected based on the determined bioimpedance is read out from the database and referenced to refer to the nutritional status of the subject. a function of generating the evaluation information of
An operating program comprising: a first electrode section including an application electrode for applying an electric signal to a measurement site on the subject's head; and an application electrode at a position facing the first electrode section via the measurement site. An operation program to be executed by a computer of a measuring device comprising a second electrode unit including a receiving electrode for receiving the electrical signal,
a function of reading the head image of the subject photographed by the photographing means;
a function of generating the electrical signal with a set output and supplying it to the application electrode;
a function of determining the bioimpedance of the measurement site based on the electrical signal passed between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit;
The amount of change in the head shape of the person to be measured is measured by comparing the head image and the reference image, and the amount of change and the extracted bioimpedance are combined and compared with the reference bioimpedance. a function of reading out and presenting nutritional status evaluation information associated with the reference bioimpedance from a database ;
An operating program comprising:

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