Pain estimating device, pain estimating method, and pain classification

Abstract

Provided is a pain estimating device with which it is possible to estimate objectively and accurately pain being experienced by a subject. A pain estimating device 110 estimates the magnitude of pain being experienced by a subject, on the basis of brainwaves of the subject, and is provided with: a measurement unit 111 which acquires a plurality of items of brainwave data or analysis data thereof by measuring brainwaves from the subject a plurality of times; and an estimation unit 112 which estimates the relative magnitude of the pain being experienced when the brainwave measurements were conducted a plurality of times, from the plurality of items of brainwave data or the analysis data thereof (for example the amplitude), on the basis of the linearity of a relationship between the brainwave data or the analysis data thereof (for example the amplitude) and the pain. The present invention also provides a pain estimating method and device with which it is possible to estimate objectively and accurately pain being experienced by a subject, and to classify simply the quality and quantity thereof. The present invention also provides a method for generating a pain classification value for classifying pain being experienced by the subject, on the basis of brainwaves of the subject.

1 . A pain estimation apparatus for estimating a magnitude of pain of an object being estimated based on a brainwave of the object being estimated, comprising:
 a measurement unit for measuring a brainwave a plurality of times from the object being estimated to obtain a plurality of brainwave data or analysis data thereof; and   an estimation unit for estimating a relative magnitude of pain upon the measurement of a brainwave a plurality of times from the plurality of brainwave data or analysis data thereof, based on a pain function for a relationship between brainwave data or analysis data thereof and pain.   
     
     
         2 . The pain estimation apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of brainwave data or analysis data thereof comprise first brainwave data or analysis data thereof and second brainwave data or analysis data thereof,   wherein the estimation unit   (i) estimates that first pain corresponding to the first brainwave data or analysis data thereof is greater than second pain corresponding to the second brainwave data or analysis data thereof if the first brainwave data is greater than the second brainwave data, and   (ii) estimates that the first pain is less than the second pain if the first brainwave data or analysis data thereof is less than the second brainwave data or analysis data thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The pain estimation apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the plurality of brainwave data or analysis data thereof further comprise third brainwave data or analysis data thereof and fourth brainwave data or analysis data thereof,   wherein the estimation unit further estimates a relative amount of change between a first change from the first pain to the second pain, and a second change from third pain corresponding to the third brainwave data to fourth pain corresponding to the fourth brainwave data, based on a first value of difference between the first brainwave data or analysis data thereof and the second brainwave data or analysis data thereof, and a second value of difference between the third brainwave data or analysis data thereof and the fourth brainwave data or analysis data thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pain classifier generation unit for fitting the pain and the brainwave data or analysis data thereof to a pain function to obtain a pain function specific to the object being estimated, and identifying a pain classifier for separating a pain level to at least two based on the pain function; and   a pain classification unit for classifying a pain level of the object being estimated by fitting the brainwave data or analysis data thereof to the pain classifier;   and/or wherein the brainwave data or analysis data thereof is an amplitude of a brainwave;   and/or wherein the pain function comprises a linear function or a sigmoid function.   
     
     
         5 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A pain estimation method for estimating a magnitude of pain of an object being estimated based on a brainwave of the object being estimated, comprising:
 a measurement step for measuring a brainwave a plurality of times from the object being estimated to obtain a plurality of brainwave data or analysis data thereof; and   an estimation step for estimating a relative magnitude of pain upon the measurement of a brainwave a plurality of times from the plurality of brainwave data or analysis data thereof based on a pain function for a relationship between brainwave data or analysis data thereof and pain.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the brainwave data or analysis data thereof is an amplitude of a brainwave;
 and/or wherein the estimation step comprises classifying a pain level of the object being estimated by fitting the brainwave data or analysis data thereof to a predetermined pain function, and the pain classifier is obtained by fitting the brainwave data or analysis data thereof of the object being estimated to a pain function;   and/or wherein the pain function comprises a linear function or a sigmoid function.   
     
     
         9 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A storage medium for storing a program implementing a pain estimation method for estimating a magnitude of pain of an object being estimated based on a brainwave of the object being estimated on a computer, the method comprising:
 a measurement step for measuring a brainwave a plurality of times from the object being estimated to obtain a plurality of brainwave data or analysis data thereof; and   an estimation step for estimating a relative magnitude of pain upon the measurement of a brainwave a plurality of times from amplitudes of the plurality of brainwave data based on a pain function for a relationship between brainwave data or analysis data thereof and pain.   
     
     
         13 . A pain estimation apparatus for estimating a magnitude of pain of an object being estimated based on a brainwave of the object being estimated, comprising:
 a measurement unit for measuring a brainwave from an object being estimated sequentially inflicted with stimulation of a plurality of magnitudes to obtain brainwave data or analysis data thereof corresponding to stimulation of each magnitude; and   an identification unit for identifying an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the brainwave data or analysis data thereof of the object being estimated based on the brainwave data or analysis data thereof,   wherein the measurement unit further measures a brainwave from the object being estimated to obtain object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof, and   wherein the pain estimation apparatus further comprises an estimation unit for estimating a value of a magnitude of pain corresponding to the object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof based on a relative size of a value of the object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof with respect to the upper limit value and the lower limit value.   
     
     
         14 . The pain estimation apparatus of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the estimation unit estimates a ratio of a value of difference between a value of the object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof and the lower limit value to a value of difference between the upper limit value and the lower limit value as the value of the magnitude of pain; and/or   wherein the brainwave data or analysis data thereof comprises an amplitude.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a pain classifier generation unit for fitting the pain and the brainwave data or analysis data thereof to a pain function to obtain a pain function specific to the object being estimated, and identifying a pain classifier for separating a pain level to at least two based on the pain function; and   a pain classification unit for classifying the brainwave data or analysis data thereof to a pain level of the object being estimated based on the pain classifier.   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the pain function comprises a linear function or a sigmoid function. 
     
     
         18 . A pain estimation method for estimating a magnitude of pain of an object being estimated based on a brainwave of the object being estimated, comprising:
 a first measurement step for measuring a brainwave from the object being estimated sequentially inflicted with stimulation of a plurality of magnitudes to obtain brainwave data or analysis data thereof corresponding to stimulation of each magnitude;   an identification step for identifying an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the brainwave data or analysis data thereof of the object being estimated based on the brainwave data or analysis data thereof;   a second measurement step for measuring a brainwave from the object being estimated to obtain object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof; and   an estimation step for estimating a value of a magnitude of pain corresponding to the object's brainwave data, based on a relative size of a value of the object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof to the upper limit value and the lower limit value.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the brainwave data or analysis data thereof comprises an amplitude. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the estimation step comprises classifying the brainwave data or analysis data thereof to a pain level of the object being estimated based on a predetermined pain classifier, wherein the pain classifier is obtained by fitting the brainwave data or analysis data thereof of the object being estimated to a pain function. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the pain function comprises a linear function or a sigmoid function;
 and/or wherein the pain function comprises a linear function with a linear approximation of a modulation range, or a more comprehensive sigmoid function encompassing the same.   
     
     
         22 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A storage medium storing a program for implementing a pain estimation method for estimating a magnitude of pain of an object being estimated based on a brainwave of the object being estimated on a computer, the method comprising:
 a first measurement step for measuring a brainwave from the object being estimated sequentially inflicted with stimulation of a plurality of magnitudes to obtain brainwave data or analysis data thereof corresponding to stimulation of each magnitude;   an identification step for identifying an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the brainwave data or analysis data thereof of the object being estimated based on the brainwave data or analysis data thereof;   a second measurement step for measuring a brainwave from the object being estimated to obtain object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof; and   an estimation step for estimating a value of a magnitude of pain corresponding to the object's brainwave data, based on a relative size of a value of the object's brainwave data or analysis data thereof to the upper limit value and the lower limit value.   
     
     
         25 - 57 . (canceled)