A feasibility study of health monitoring system for elederly people living alone

目的：开发一种针对独居老人的远程健康监测系统，以减少老年人及其家人的焦虑。注意事项：需要长期监测，通过测量结果估计健康状况。然后，监控应该完全不引人注目。结果：为了达到上述目的，我们得到了以下结果。(1)人体运动检测传感器：我们采用了一种新型的热电红外传感装置，将传感器的体积减小了1/3，重量减小了1/2。我们实现了简单的布线和成本削减。(2)内部单元：通过统一信息收集和传递功能，将单元的体积和重量减少1/10。我们实现了极大的成本削减。(3)数据库服务器：我们开发了一个数据库系统，使我们能够无缝、多维地整合测量结果。在此基础上，我们通过有效的显示方式，实现了将老年人的信息通过互联网发送给其家人的功能。(4)统计分析方法：利用转换矩阵或图表，提高了监测数据统计分析方法的实用性和准确性。每个矩阵或图表通常有许多相似之处，但很难证明每个日模式也相似，因为开始时间或持续时间不相同。我们采用动态规划匹配方法解决了这些问题。此外，我们还通过检查在指定房间的停留时间或无应答时间的总长度来测试紧急自动呼叫功能的实用性。(5)加速度计：我们还开发了一些便携式运动传感器，使用三维加速度计来测量老年人的日常运动量。我们希望这种传感器能够补充红外线传感器，因为它与人体的亲密性可以用于检测跌倒。

Purpose : To develop a remote health monitoring system for eldely people living alone which can decrease anxiety not only for the elderly but also his/her family.Attention point : Long-term monitoring is needed to estimate the health condition by measurement results. Then monitoring should be wholly unobtrusive.Results : In order to achieve the purpose mentioned above, we have gotten the following results.(1) Human motion detecting sensor : We decrease the volume of a sensor 1/3, and the weight of it 1/2 by using a new type of pyro-electric infra-red sensing device. We realized simple wiring and cost cutting.(2) In-house unit : We decrease the volume and the weight of the unit 1/10 by unifying the information collection and transfer function. We realized extremly large cost cutting.(3) Database server : We have developed a database system which enables us to whole measurement results seamlessfully and multi-dimensionaly. Adding to that, we achieved a function to send information of the elderly to his/her family via Internet using effective displaying methods.(4) Statistical analysing methods : We increased the practicability and accuracy of our statistical analysing methods of the monitored data using transition matrices or diagrams. Each matrix or graph usually has many similarities but it is difficult to prove that each daily pattern is also similar because the beginning time or continuing period are not the same. We solved these problems using the Dynamic Programming matching method. Adding to that, we are testing the practicability of an automatic emergency call function by checking staying period in a specified room or total length of a no response period.(5) Accelerometer : We also developed some portable movement sensors using 3-dimensional accelerometers to measure the quantity of daily exercise of the elderly. We expect that this sensor will supplement the infra-red sensor because its intimacy to the human body can be useful for detecting falls.