2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Development of Auscultation Support System and Lung Sound Analysis Method for Early Pneumonia Detection

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	19K04257
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 20010:Mechanics and mechatronics-related
Research Institution	Yamaguchi University
Principal Investigator	Jiang Zhongwei 山口大学, 大学院創成科学研究科, 教授 (60225357)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	森崎哲也宇部工業高等専門学校, 機械工学科, 教授 (30425392) 浅見麻紀山口大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (60808187)
Project Period (FY)	2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Keywords	肺音の解析 / クラックルの検出 / 間質性肺炎 / クラックル特徴の可視化
Outline of Final Research Achievements	For the elderly, even if they have pneumonia, since there are no subjective symptoms and no fever, they may think it is just a cold and leave it alone without going to the hospital. In this study, the following researches were conducted with a focus on detecting signs of pneumonia as early as possible by auscultating lung sounds at home or in a facility event without a doctor in order to prevent the aggravation of pneumonia. ①An analysis algorithm is developed for detect the coarse crackles and fine crackles that are basic characteristic of pneumonia. ②The clinical data of interstitial pneumonia were collected at university hospital and a method of visualization of crackles for analyzing the state of fibrosis. ③A wireless sound recording device was designed and prototyped which becomes possible even for one person to operate and listen to his/her back lung sounds. Further, a pneumonia auscultation support WEB API was built for collecting and analyzing lung sounds in the cloud.
Free Research Field	機械力学およびメカトロニクス関連
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	高齢者の場合は肺炎の早期発見が難しい。体が肺炎にかかっていても自覚症状がわかりづらく、発熱も起こらないからである。また、病院に行かず発見が遅れたり、風邪だと誤認識または誤診されたりすると、いつの間にか重症化してしまうことがある。それに加えて、特養や老人ホームなどに入所されている高齢者は、肺炎の集団感染になりやすい。もし、外来診察時で行っている問診と聴診が自宅や施設で行い、肺炎の兆候であるクラックルを可視化することができれば、肺炎の重症化または感染拡大の予防に寄与する。また、間質性肺炎には炎症性変化と線維化所見によって治療方法が異なるため、肺音の聴診である程度判断できれば治療効果が高まる。