Patent Application
20200060582
The present invention relates to a body distortion detection system for detecting distortion of a posture by acquiring data of the posture of a user over a long time.
Distortion of the body occurring from a lifestyle habit and a habit of personal manner becomes causes of various bad conditions such as shoulder discomfort, low back pain, swelling and headache. Accordingly, by detecting a part and cause of distortion of the body, and correcting to a proper posture to improve the distortion, it is possible to keep the body in excellent condition.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-219622 (Patent Document 1) is disclosed a posture evaluation apparatus for evaluating a posture of a user to output an evaluation result, based on a tilt of a hold portion held with both hands by a user, and a position of the center of gravity of a load acting on a footstool which the user gets on with both legs, in order to detect distortion of the body.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-207399 (Patent Document 2) is disclosed a detection system for determining postures of right and left arms from data obtained by measuring the three-dimensional posture with first sensor and second sensor attached to right and left upper arms of the body, and determining a strong part of a muscle of the upper body corresponding to a difference in posture between the right and left arms to detect distortion.
However, to detect distortion of the body, the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses measurement results obtained in performing predetermined action using a particular measurement instrument provided with the hold portion and footstool, and is not to measure distortion of the body from daily action of an examinee.
Further, the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is to detect distortion by detecting the strong part of the muscle corresponding to a difference in posture between the right and left arms, there is a difference between muscle strengths of the right and left arms, and it is general that the dominant arm is stronger. Accordingly, it is not possible to always correctly detect distortion from the difference between right and left muscle strengths.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a body distortion detection system for detecting distortion of the body from postures of natural manners in daily action including work postures in a job of an examinee, without using any particular measurement instrument.
In order to attain the above-mentioned object, the body distortion detection system according to the present invention is a body distortion detection system including a posture detection apparatus mounted on the body of an examinee, and a distortion determination apparatus, and is characterized in that the posture detection apparatus is provided with an acceleration sensor mounted on a part for detecting a movement of the body of the examinee, a computation processing section for obtaining coordinates of the part, by calculating a moving distance of the part from acceleration information acquired periodically from the acceleration sensor, and a memory for storing the coordinates obtained by the computation processing section point by point, and that the distortion determination apparatus determines distortion of the body, based on a tilt angle of the part calculated from a series of the coordinates read from the memory.
Then, the distortion determination apparatus is characterized by reading the coordinates from the memory by USB connection with the posture detection apparatus. Accordingly, when the posture detection apparatus is connected to the distortion determination apparatus by USB, the computation processing section receives power supply from the distortion determination apparatus by a bus power function, while receiving references to data stored in the memory from the distortion determination apparatus by a mass storage function.
The memory may be comprised of a card type of flash memory capable of being removed from the posture detection apparatus to connect to the distortion determination apparatus.
Then, the computation processing section and the memory may be packaged with the acceleration sensor to be mounted on the part.
The acceleration sensor is worn by mounting on the head of the examinee or binocular loupes worn by the examinee.
According to the present invention, the examinee wears the acceleration sensor to detect the movement of the body, the daily posture is thereby measured without the examinee taking a particular posture or action, and therefore, it is possible to correctly determine the distortion.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to drawings.
The posture detection apparatus 2 is provided with a triaxial acceleration sensor 4, computation processing section 5, memory 6, power supply section 7 and switch 11.
When the posture detection apparatus 2 is mounted on a part for detecting a movement of the body of an examinee, the triaxial acceleration sensor 4 is a position detection sensor for detecting position information of the part respectively with accelerations in mutually orthogonal three-axis (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) directions to output. Thus, in this example, the triaxial acceleration sensor 4 is used as the position detection sensor, and an angular velocity sensor may be used.
The computation processing section 5 is comprised of a control board provided with a microcomputer 8, real-time clock circuit (RTC) 9, and USB (Universal Serial Bus) port 10. Then, when the microcomputer 8 acquires an acceleration of each of the X axis, Y axis and Z axis from the acceleration sensor 4, the microcomputer 8 performs time integration on the accelerations, thereby calculates respectively moving distances in three axes, and identifies a spatial position at this point.
With an initial position in the X axis, Y axis and Z axis of the acceleration sensor 4 as the origin point, the microcomputer 8 calculates moving distances x, y, and z in three axes from the origin point, and thereby obtains coordinates in three-dimensional space at this point. Then, the microcomputer 8 associates the obtained spatial coordinates with time information output from the RTC 9 at this point to store in the memory 6. In this case, for example, the computation processing section 5 outputs the coordinates in space and time information to the memory 6 every second.
The memory 6 is a type of memory capable of performing erasing and writing of data freely where the contents are not lost when power supply is disconnected, and flash memory is suitable. The posture detection apparatus 2 is mounted on a user for 24 hours at the maximum, and in the case of configuring to detect changes in posture during the period, the memory 6 is provided with storage capacity enough to store 86,400 (seconds) coordinates and time information sent from the computation processing section 5
The USB port 10 connects the posture detection system 1 to the information processing apparatus 3 by USB. When the posture detection apparatus 2 is connected to the information processing apparatus 3 by USB, the computation processing section 5 receives power supply from the information processing apparatus 3 by the bus power function, while receiving references to data stored in the memory 6 from the information processing apparatus 3 by the mass storage function. In addition, as the memory 6, a card type of flash memory may be used which is capable of being removed from the posture detection apparatus 2 to connect to the information processing apparatus 3.
The power supply section 7 is provided with a power supply control section 12, battery 13, and voltage monitoring section 14. The power supply control section 12 supplies power of the battery 13 to the computation processing section 5, while controlling to charge the battery 13 by the bus power, when the body distortion detection system 1 is connected to the information processing apparatus 3 by USB. The voltage monitoring section 14 monitors the voltage of the battery 13, and when the voltage is decreased to a predetermined level, lights an indicator to display a warning.
As clarified later, the switch 11 is operated in making setting of a reference position.
A correct posture is kept by muscle strength of the body, and during daily action, particularly, when a person performs work, the person tends to take an easy posture. However, the easy posture is a posture such that the muscle strength is defeated by gravity, and when a state in which the correct posture is not kept continues for many hours, such a state is a cause of generating distortion of the body.
As an example of the correct posture at the time of work, described is a posture when a dentist provides treatment to a client. As shown in
Further, it is considered at this point that a rising angle of the forearm from the horizontal direction is suitably in a range from 0 degree to 10 degrees, and that an angle of the axis line of the upper thigh part with respect to the center axis of the body is suitably in a range from 105 degrees to 125 degrees. Then, as a result of concentration on the treatment, when a posture that a balance of right and left of the body is lost e.g., a state that the neck is inclined to one of the right and left is continued for many hours, such a state is a cause of putting a load on the cervical spine.
In such treatment work by the doctor, it is possible to use the distortion detection system 1 according to the present invention in measuring a forward tilting angle and tilt to the right or left of the head of the doctor during the treatment. In this example, as shown in
Then, the computation processing section 5, memory 6, power supply section 7 and switch 11 are stored in a case as a control unit, and are mounted on the body of an operator to be held. An operation section of the switch 11 is provided on the frontside of the case. Thus, in this example, the acceleration sensor 4 is separated from the posture detection apparatus 2, and is mounted on the binocular loupes 15, and without separating, it is possible to actualize the sufficiently miniaturized posture detection apparatus 2. In such a posture detection apparatus 2, the apparatus may be mounted on a headband or medical cap to be worn by the doctor. Further, also in this case, the posture detection apparatus 2 may be configured so that only the acceleration sensor 4 is mounted on a headband or medical cap.
Described is a method of measuring a tilt of the head when the doctor provides treatment.
First, an examinee (doctor) straightens his/her posture so that center lines of the head and back are in the same vertical line in a state in which the binocular loupes 15 are worn on the face, and takes a posture to make visual observation in the horizontal direction. When the switch 11 is operated in this state, the microcomputer 8 makes setting of a reference position (step S1).
After setting the reference position, the microcomputer 8 acquires respective accelerations in three axes from the acceleration sensor 4 (step S2), integrates the acquired accelerations with respect to time, and calculates moving distances of the acceleration sensor 4 in the three-axis directions (step S3).
Next, the microcomputer 8 obtains the coordinates based on the calculated moving distance (step S4). Then, when the coordinates are obtained, the microcomputer 8 calculates a forward tilt angle of the acceleration sensor 4, and stores the tilt angle, the coordinates and time information output from the RTC 9 at this point in the memory 6 (step S5).
Then, the microcomputer 8 determines whether or not the treatment by the examinee is finished (step S6). When the treatment by the examinee is finished, the switch 11 is operated again. Accordingly, for a period during which the switch 11 is not operated again (“NO” in step S6), the microcomputer 8 performs processing of from step S2 to step S5. At this point, the microcomputer 8 acquires the acceleration from the acceleration sensor 4 for each second in step S2, and repeats the processing up to step S5.
Accordingly, after setting the reference position, when the line-of-sight direction is shifted to a patient positioned below from the horizontal direction in order for the examinee to start treatment, the microcomputer 8 integrates the acceleration acquired from the acceleration sensor 4 with respect to time at this point, calculates respective moving distances in the three-axis directions from the point P, and thereby computes coordinates (x1, y1, z1) of a point Q in which the head is positioned. Accordingly, a tilt angle θ1 of the head is calculated from numeric values of x1 and y1.
Further, when the examinee tilts the head from the position of the point Q to a position of a point R, at this point, since moving distances in three axes calculated by integrating the acceleration acquired from the acceleration sensor 4 with respect to time are displacement amounts from the point Q, the microcomputer 8 coverts to moving distances from the reference position P, and determines coordinates (x2, y2, z2) of the point R.
Described is a method of converting coordinates of the point (the next point) subsequent to moving as a point that is directly moved from the reference position P when the measurement part (head) thus moves from some point to the next point. Herein, on the assumption that the movement of the head of the examinee from the point P to the point Q and point R is only in the back-and-forth direction (X-axis direction), and that the movement in the right-and-left direction (Z-axis direction) does not exist, the method will be described in the two-dimensional coordinate system in
As shown in
Also when the head is tilted only in the right-and-left direction, as in the explanation described above in association with
In
When it is assumed that coordinates of the point Q are (z1, y1), it is possible to obtain values of z1 and y1, by integrating accelerations in the Z-axis and Y-axis directions respectively acquired from the acceleration sensor 4 with respect to time, and thereby calculating moving distances Δz0 and Δy0 from the reference position P to the point Q in the Z-axis and Y-axis directions to add to the coordinates (z0, y0) of the reference position P. Herein, for the moving distance of the head, each of the Z-axis+direction and Y-axis+direction is assumed to be the positive direction. The tilt angle of the head in the point Q is assumed to be ϕ1 (positive in this Embodiment). The tilt angle ϕ1 is obtained by arc tan (z1/y1)=arc tan {Δz0/(y0+Δy0)}.
Next, when it is assumed that coordinates of the point R are (z2, y2), it is possible to obtain values of z2 and y2, by integrating accelerations in the Z-axis and Y-axis directions respectively acquired from the acceleration sensor 4 with respect to time, and thereby calculating moving distances Δz1 and Δy1 from the point Q to the point R in the Z-axis and Y-axis directions to add to the coordinates (z1, y1) of the point Q. Accordingly, it is obtained that z2=z1+Δz1, and that y2=y1+Δy1. The tilt angle of the head in the point R is assumed to be ϕ2 (negative in this Embodiment). The tilt angle ϕ2 is obtained by arc tan (z2/y2)=arc tan {(z1+Δz1)/(y1+Δy1)}=arc tan {(Δz0+Δz1)/(y0+Δy0+Δy1)}.
Further, in the case where movements of the head of the examinee from the point p to the point Q and point R include tilts to both of the back-and-forth direction (X-axis direction) and the right-and-left direction (Z-axis direction), the process in which the microcomputer 8 calculates a tilt angle in the point R will be described with reference to
In
In
A length from the origin point O to the point Q is expressed by |OQ|=(x12+y12+z12)1/2={Δx02+(y0+Δy0)2+Δz02}1/2=y0. Accordingly, the tilt angle α1 of the point Q is arc cos (y1/|OQ|)=arc cos (y1/y0)=arc cos (1+Δy0/y0). When the tilt angle α1 is a positive value, such an angle represents a tilt forward (X-axis+direction) from the reference position P. When the tilt angle α1 is a negative value, such an angle represents a tilt backward (X-axis−direction) from the reference position P. The azimuth angle β1 of the point Q is arc tan (z1/x1)=arc tan (Δz0/Δx0). When the azimuth angle β1 is a positive value, such an angle represents a tilt leftward (Z-axis+direction) from the reference position P in viewing the X-axis+direction as the front. When the azimuth angle β1 is a negative value, such an angle represents a tilt rightward (Z-axis−direction) from the reference position P in similarly viewing.
Next, when it is assumed that coordinates of the point R are (x2, y2, z2), it is possible to obtain values of x2, y2 and z2, by respectively integrating accelerations in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions acquired from the acceleration sensor 4 with respect to time, and thereby calculating moving distances Δx1, Δy1 and Δz1 from the point Q to the point R in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions to add to the coordinates (x1, y1, z1) of the point Q. In other words, it holds that x2=x1+Δx1=Δx0+Δx1, y2=y1+Δy1=y0+Δy0+Δy1, and that z2=z1+Δz1=Δz0+Δz1. Accordingly, the coordinates of the point R are (Δx0+Δx1, y0+Δy0+Δy1, Δz0+Δz1).
A length from the origin point O to the point R is expressed by |OR|=(x22+y22+z22)1/2={(Δx0+Δx1)2+(y0+Δy0+Δy1)2+(Δz0+Δz1)2}1/2=y0. Accordingly, the tilt angle α2 of the point R is arc cos (y2/|OR|)=arc cos (y2/y0)=arc cos (y0+Δy0+Δy1)/y0. An azimuth angle β2 of the point R is arc tan (z2/x2)=arc tan {(Δx0+Δx1)/(Δz0+/Δz1)}. Similarly, the tilt angle α2 of a positive value represents a tilt forward (X-axis+direction) from the reference position P, and a negative value represents a tilt backward (X-axis−direction) from the reference position P. Further, the azimuth angle β2 of a positive value represents a tilt leftward (Z-axis+direction) from the reference position P in viewing the X-axis+direction as the front, and a negative value represents a tilt rightward (Z-axis−direction) from the reference position P in similarly viewing.
It is possible to obtain coordinates and tilt angle of each point in three-dimensional space of
In other words, when it is assumed that moving distances from the reference position P to the point Q′ in the X-axis and Y-axis directions are respectively Δx0 and Δy0, coordinates of the point Q′ are (x1, y1)=(Δx0, y0+Δy0). Similarly, when it is assumed that moving distances from the point Q′ to the point R′ in the X-axis and Y-axis directions are respectively Δx1 and Δy1, coordinates of the point R′ are expressed by (x2, y2)=(Δx0+Δx1, y1+Δy1)=(Δx0+Δx1, y0+Δy0+Δy1). Also herein, in the moving distance of the head, it is assumed that the+direction in each of the X axis and Y axis is the positive direction.
Accordingly, the tilt angle θ1 of the point Q′ is arc tan (x1/y1)=arc tan {Δx0/(y0+Δy0)}. The tilt angle θ2 of the point R′ is obtained by arc tan (x2/y2)=arc tan {(x1+Δx1)/(y1+Δy1)}=arc tan {(Δx0+Δx1)/(y0+Δy0+Δy1)}.
Accordingly, the tilt angle Φ2 of the point Q″ is arc tan (z1/y1)=arc tan {Δz0/(y0+Δy0)}. The tilt angle θ2 of the point R″ is obtained by arc tan (z2/y2)=arc tan {(z1+Δz1)/(y1+Δy1)}=arc tan {(Δz0+Δz1)/(y0+Δy0+Δy1)}.
In the above-mentioned Embodiment, as the method of converting coordinates of the point (the next point) subsequent to moving as a point that is directly moved from the reference position P when the measurement part (head) moves from some point to the next point in the three-dimensional space, in each coordinate system in
Generally, when the shoulder peak and the earhole are in the same vertical line viewed from the side, it is said that the head of a person is in a correctly upright posture, and tilts back and forth substantially with the shoulder peak as the center i.e. rotation supporting point. Accordingly, in this Embodiment, in the case where the acceleration sensor 4 is mounted in a head top position of an examinee, it is possible to determine a distance between the shoulder peak and the head top, by actually measuring the distance of the examinee in a state where the head is kept upright using a stadiometer and the like, or measuring from an image shot by a camera and the like. Further, for a body type of a person, it is also possible to estimate the distance between the shoulder peak and the head top of the examinee, by applying the height and size of the head of the examinee to previously stored data.
In another Embodiment, as shown in
In
Next, when it is assumed that coordinates of the point R are (x2, y2, z2), values of x2, y2 and z2 are obtained by adding moving distances Δx0, Δy0 and Δz0 in the X-axis, y-axis and z-axis directions, obtained by respectively integrating accelerations in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions acquired from the acceleration sensor 4 in moving from the point Q to the point R with respect to time, to the coordinates (x1, y1, z1) of the point Q. In other words, it holds that x2=x1+Δx1=Δx0+Δx1, y2=y1+Δy1=Δy0+Δy1, and that z2=z1+Δz1=Δz0+Δz1.
When it is assumed that an elevation angle (angle from the X′ axis with the origin point P as the center) of the point Q is λ1, it holds that λ1=arc cos {(Δx02+Δz02)1/2/(Δx02+Δy02+Δz02)1/2}. When it is assumed that the tilt angle of the point Q from the Y axis with the point O as the center is α1, the angle is expressed by α1=180° −2×(90°−λ1)=2λ1. Accordingly, the tilt angle α1 of the point Q is obtained by 2×arc cos {(Δx02+Δz02)1/2/(Δx02+Δy02+Δz02)1/2}. Further, an azimuth angle β1 of the point Q in
When it is assumed that an elevation angle (angle from the X″ axis with the origin point P as the center) of the point R is λ2, it holds that λ2=arc cos [{(Δx0+Δx1)2+(Δz0+Δz1)2}1/2/{(Δx0+Δx1)2+(Δy0+Δy1)2+(Δz0+Δz1)2}1/2]. When it is assumed that the tilt angle of the point Q from the Y axis with the point O as the center is α1, the angle is expressed by α1=180° −2×(90°−λ1)=2λ1. Accordingly, the tilt angle α1 of the point Q is obtained by 2×arc cos [{(Δx0+Δx1)2+(Δz0+Δz1)2}1/2/{(Δx0+Δx1)2+(Δy0+Δy1)2+(Δz0+Δz1)2}1/2]. Further, an azimuth angle β2 of the point R in
Thus, after setting the reference position P, the computation processing section 5 integrates the accelerations acquired from the acceleration sensor 4 every second with respect to time to calculate moving distances in the three-axis directions, and when a moving distance exists at least in one of the axes, based on the distance, calculates coordinates of a moved position. At this point, when there is no moving in any of the X axis, Y axis and Z axis, the computation processing section 5 continuously outputs coordinates that are detected last.
The microcomputer 8 associates the coordinates detected for each second and the tilt angle of the head forward calculated from the coordinates with the time information in the RTC 9 at this point, and stores the resultant in the memory 6.
Then, in the distortion detection system 1, when the USB port 10 is connected to the information processing apparatus 3 by USB, in response to instructions from the information processing apparatus 3, the computation processing section 5 reads the measured data and time information stored in the memory 6 to transmit.
The information processing apparatus 3 determines distortion of the posture of the examinee during treatment from the measured data read from the memory 6, and displays the result on a monitor screen using various graphs.
For example, as shown in
Then, the apparatus 3 displays a rate of coordinates belonging to each of the normal range, caution-needed range and distortion range in circle graph or bar graph, and according to the ratio, determines a distortion degree when the examinee tilts the head forward during the treatment. As the determination of the distortion degree, there is the case where the examinee brings the face near to an affected area and takes a posture of round shoulders to observe the affected area properly, and for example, when coordinates falling within the normal range are eight tenth or more, the normal posture is determined. Then, throughout the treatment time, the apparatus 3 displays a rate of time of taking the posture that the head is tilted to the left and right in the circle graph shown in the figure or bar graph.
In the above-mentioned Embodiment, the case is described where the acceleration sensor 4 of the distortion detection system 1 is disposed in the head top position of the examinee to use. In actual treatment work by a doctor, as shown in
In another Embodiment, the distortion detection system 1 is capable of being provided with a plurality of acceleration sensors 4. For example, in the binocular loupes 15 in
Herein, it is assumed that coordinates of the points P1 and P2 are (x10, y10, z10) and (x20, y20, z20), coordinates of the points Q1 and Q2 are (x11, y11, z11) and (x21, y21, z21), and that coordinates of the points R1 and R2 are (x12, y12, z12) and (x22, y22, z22). It is the same as in each above-mentioned Embodiment that coordinates of the points Q1 and Q2 and points R1 and R2 are calculated by respectively integrating acceleration data acquired from the acceleration sensors 4a, 4b with respect to time, and adding the obtained moving distances to the coordinates of the points P1 and P2, and that tilt angles α11, α12, α21 and α22 of respective points are obtained from calculated coordinates of the points Q1 and Q2 and points R1 and R2, and therefore, descriptions thereof are omitted.
In
As mentioned above, described is the case of detecting distortion of the body by the tilt posture of the head during work, and it is also possible to detect another part of the body without being limited to the head. For example, in the posture in treatment by the doctor shown in
Then, the information processing apparatus 3 is set to set a proper angle corresponding to the part of the body with the acceleration sensor 4 mounted. In other words, in the thigh part, the apparatus 3 sets angles in a range of 105 degrees to 125 degrees with respect to the center axis of the perpendicular body as normal. Accordingly, the information processing apparatus 3 displays the three-dimensional coordinate axes on the monitor screen, plots coordinates of the thigh part for each second throughout the treatment time to display, displays coordinates falling within the proper range of 105 degrees to 125 degrees with green dots, and displays coordinates falling outside the range with red “X” signs.
Further, the posture detection apparatus 2 may be provided with a biosensor for detecting the heart rate, respiration rate or temperature of the epidermis of the examinee, as well as the acceleration sensor 4. In this case, the posture detection apparatus 2 stores bio-information detected by the biosensor in the memory 6, as well as the time information of the RTC 9, and is thereby capable of making a determination by associating the bio-information read from the memory 6 with distortion.
The present invention relates to the body distortion detection system for determining distortion of the body from daily action, and has industrial applicability.
