A monitoring apparatus, a body monitoring device, adapters for an infant feeding bottle, an infant feeding bottle, and a method of tracking an infant feeding session
The wearable body monitoring device and adapter for infant feeding bottles address parental anxiety by tracking vital signs and feeding parameters, offering real-time data and alerts to enhance infant safety and health monitoring.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- AU2024376283
- Authority / Receiving Office
- AU · AU
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-11-10
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-09
AI Technical Summary
Parents, especially millennials, face significant anxiety regarding the safety and wellbeing of their infants, particularly during feeding, due to risks such as swallowing and respiratory problems, apnea, and sleep-related breathing disorders, with a lack of effective monitoring solutions.
A wearable body monitoring device and an adapter for infant feeding bottles that include sensors to track vital signs and feeding parameters, providing real-time data and alerts to alleviate parental concerns, and a central control unit for data processing and communication.
The device and adapter system enables comprehensive monitoring of infant health, reducing parental stress by providing timely alerts and valuable insights, assisting in data-driven diagnostic approaches and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of infants.
Smart Images

Figure 00000000_0002_ABST 
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST 
Figure 00000000_0001_ABST
Abstract
Description
5 The present invention relates to a body monitoring device for use with infants and a feeding bottle sensor assembly. The present invention also relates to a feeding bottle sensor assembly such as an infant feeding bottle assembly. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a body monitoring device that is 10 wearable for monitoring an infant. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a monitoring device that is attachable to an infant’s feeding bottle. In other embodiments, the present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus. Parental anxiety and new born infant stress are two examples of challenges that new 15 parents face. With a large and increasing number of new parents being in full time employment, there is generally a desire for new ways to assist new parents in looking after an infant. In particular, as more and more new parents are turning to data-driven methods of parenting, there is an increasing demand for devices to use at home to help them meet these challenges. 20 It is generally desirable to new and inexperienced parents, especially millennials, to know and ensure the safety and wellbeing of their infant in various aspects, from healthcare to nutrition, sleep patterns, and growth trends. To ensure the safety of an infant in emergency situations or when faced with abnormal circumstances, especially 2 5 during bottle feeding, it is also desirable to parents to be prompted with notifications. Without proper monitoring, infants are at risk of developing swallowing and respiratory problems during feeding. Another potential risk for infants is apnoea, which refers to relaxation and collapse of muscles and tissues in the throat that then lead to difficulties in breathing during sleep. Premature infants tend to have a higher chance of 3 0 experiencing sleep-related breathing disorders and apnoea due to their increased REM sleep as compared to full-term infants. In small premature infants, mixed apnoea is the predominant type, whereas larger premature infants and full-term infants are more likely to experience central apnoea. These breathing difficulties can lead to serious complications, including hypoxemia, which is a deficiency of oxygen in the blood, as 35 well as bradycardia, characterized by a slow heartbeat. In extreme cases, the infant may even lose consciousness and require resuscitation. According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 1.2 million Millennial women gave birth for the first time in 2016. This contributed to a total of over 17 million women in this generation becoming mothers in the United States. Remarkably, Millennial women, who were born between 1981 and 1996, represented a significant 82% of all U.S. births that year. Concurrently, Millennials constituted 29% of the adult population in the United States and comprised over a third (35%) of the country's workforce. These statistics highlight the substantial presence and impact of the Millennial generation in various aspects of society, including childbirth and the labour market. Unfortunately, one of the effects of this socio-economic and technological change is the significant increase in parenting and new baby anxiety. With the pandemic added to this, 40.7% of new mothers have symptoms of depression and again, 72% of new mothers have moderate and high anxiety levels. Furthermore, the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and similar emergencies, which rank as the leading cause of death in newborns aged 0 to 12 months, emerges as a crucial health concern. To meet the aforementioned needs, there is a demand for smart wearable devices capable of tracking vitals of an infant, providing real-time data, and offering valuable insights to alleviate the parents’ concerns. There is also a demand for a smart feeding device capable of tracking vital feeding statistics and / or parameters of an infant during bottle feeding, providing real-time data, and offering valuable insights to alleviate the parents’ concerns. According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body monitoring device for monitoring physiological and vital signs of an infant, comprising a housing, configured to be attached to the body of an infant; and at least one sensor disposed in the housing and configured to monitor at least one measurable physiological or vital sign. The present invention particularly focuses on pre-term and newborn feeding skills, with aim to synchronize the monitoring of feeding data and body vitals. With the present invention, proper monitoring techniques can be implemented. A comprehensive understanding of the collected data, including heart rate, oxygen saturation, and the baby's sleeping position, can be gained to provide parents with valuable insights to reduce stress levels. Moreover, the results provided by the present invention can assist doctors in applying data-driven diagnostic and treatment approaches to address specific needs of infants. Preferably, the housing is formed of a flexible material. In embodiments, at least one sensor includes at least one of a heart rate monitor, a skin temperature sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, a piezoelectric transducer, an accelerometer, a blood oxygen level sensor, and a magnetic field sensor. In embodiments, the housing includes a portion having a flat surface. In embodiments, the body monitoring device further comprises electronic components including a processor configured to receive at least one measurement signal from the at least one sensor; process the received measurement signal; and communicate the processed signal to a user device. In embodiments, the body monitoring device further comprises an output device, configured to generate an audio or visual alert based on the processed signal. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitoring apparatus, comprising: a body monitoring device; an adapter for an infant feeding bottle; and a central control unit configured to communicatively connect with the body monitoring device and the adapter; wherein the body monitoring device comprises a housing (A12) configured to be attached to the body of an infant and at least one sensor (A14) disposed in the housing and configured to monitor at least one measurable physiological or vital sign; wherein the adapter comprises a removable sealing attachment for engagement with an infant feeding bottle including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat, an adapter inlet in the removable sealing attachment for receiving a sensor assembly, and a sensor assembly removably insertable into the removable sealing attachment, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adapter for a baby feeding bottle, the adapter comprising a removable sealing attachment for sealing an infant feeding bottle including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat; an adapter inlet in the removable sealing attachment for receiving a sensor assembly; a sensor assembly removably insertable into the removable sealing attachment, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle. An adapter is provided that is arranged to be used as the lid to a baby feeding bottle. In other words, it can be used in place of the original lid and adds functionality to the baby feeding bottle enabling a parent or carer to gather data relating to the feeding of an infant from the bottle. The present invention particularly focuses on pre-term and newborn feeding skills, with aim to synchronize the monitoring of feeding data and body vitals. With the present invention, proper monitoring techniques can be implemented. A comprehensive understanding of the collected data, including heart rate, oxygen saturation, and the baby's sleeping position, can be gained to provide parents with valuable insights to reduce stress levels. Moreover, the results provided by the present invention can assist doctors in applying data-driven diagnostic and treatment approaches to address specific needs of infants. In one example, the adapter comprises an inner housing for engaging sealingly with an inner side of the bottle opening; and an outer housing for engaging sealingly with the outer side of the bottle opening, wherein the adapter inlet for receiving the sensor assembly is defined at least in part by an inlet in the inner housing and an inlet in the outer housing. In one example, the inlet in the inner housing and the inlet in the outer housing are formed on a side of the removable sealing attachment. In one example, when the sensor assembly is arranged within the removable sealing attachment, fluid can contact the sensor assembly during its flow out of the bottle. The sensor assembly is arranged, in the example, in such a way that fluid, flowing out of the bottle during feeding, contacts the sensor. This enables direct and accurate data to be obtained relating to parameters associated with the fluid. So, for example if a bottle with the adapter is being used to feed milk to an infant a parent or carer can obtain real time information relating to, say the temperature of the milk, or the rate at which the infant is feeding. In one example, the sensor assembly includes a temperature sensor, a time of flight sensor, an orientation sensor and a bottle detection sensor. The sensor assembly preferably includes one or more sensors for gathering of different information relating to the fluid and the feeding episode. For example, the time of flight sensor functions to detect the level of the feed / liquid in the bottle when the bottle is arranged flat on a table or during actual feeding. The orientation sensor, which could for example include an accelerometer serving to detect the change of speed for three axes at which a bottle is being held during a feeding episode. Again in real time this data can be provided a central data or control hub that can be provided on a smart device such as a mobile telephone. In one example, the sensor assembly includes a transmitter for transmitting data signals relating to detected feeding parameters. In one example, a transmitter is preferably provided which enables gathered data to be transmitted to a central hub for display, presentation or further processing. In one example, the sensor assembly includes a receiver for receiving control signals. In one example, as well as, or instead of the transmitter a receiver can be provided to enable control signals to be communicated to the sensor assembly within the adapter. In one example, the sensor assembly is rechargeable. Preferably, the sensor assembly is rechargeable. Below, there is description of exemplary power charging circuitry that can be provided within the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly is able to be recharged either when in lace within the adapter or when removed from the adapter housing. In one example, the sensor assembly is arranged for communication with a communications hub, for receiving data relating to feeding parameters and for transmitting control signal to the sensor. In one example, the sensor is arranged to detect the temperature of fluid within the bottle and generate an alarm when the temperature is detected outside of specified range. In one example, the sensor assembly has a housing sized to fit into the adapter inlet. In one example, the sensor assembly housing comprises a detector arranged to detect when the sensor is positioned within an adapter. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a baby feeding bottle comprising a fluid receptacle, and an adapter for the feeding bottle, the adapter being according to the first aspect of the present invention. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sensor assembly removably insertable into a removable sealing attachment of an adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle. The sensor assembly can be provided with any or all of the features described above as being provided with the sensor assembly when it forms part of the adapter. In other words, the sensor assembly itself is an independent aspect of the present invention. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the adapter comprising a sensor assembly for providing smart functionality to the bottle, the adapter comprising a removable sealing attachment for sealing the infant feeding bottle, the removable sealing attachment comprising a sensor assembly removably fixable to the removable sealing attachment, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters associated with a use of the bottle. An adapter is provided for making an existing infant feeding bottle into a “smart” feeding bottle. In other words, the adapter can be retrofittable to an existing bottle and enables Smart functionality, meaning data regarding use of the bottle can be gathered in real time and / or instruction can be provided to the sensor assembly to control operation of the bottle. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the adapter comprising a collar for fixing at the opening of an infant feeding bottle, the collar including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat; a sensor assembly removably connectable to the collar, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the adapter comprising a collar for fixing at the opening of an infant feeding bottle, the collar including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat; the collar including a sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle. The sensor assembly, in this embodiment is integral to the collar. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of tracking an infant feeding session, the method comprising: providing a feeding bottle with an adapter having a sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters associated with a use of the feeding bottle; during feeding, gathering data relating to one or more parameters of the feeding session; transmitting the gathered data to a user. In an example, the gathered data is transmitted in real time during the feeding session. In an example, the adapter provided is an adapter according to the first aspect of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described by way of examples, with references to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure A1 is a partial-cutaway view of a body monitoring device; Figure A2a is a perspective view of a body monitoring device; Figure A2b is another perspective view of a body monitoring device; Figure A3 is a flow chart illustrating a software design for use with a body monitoring device; Figure A4 is a flow chart illustrating schematically a body monitoring device software; Figure A5 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure for initializing and operating a body monitoring device; Figure A6 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a wireless power receiver and charger circuit; Figures A7 and A8 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a ship mode circuit; Figures A9 and A10 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a battery protection circuit; Figure A11 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a battery gauge circuit; Figure A12 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a DC-DC logic power regulator circuit; Figure A13 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a DC-DC LED power regulator circuit; Figure A14 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a microcontroller circuit; Figures A15 and A16 are schematic circuit diagrams illustrating a piezo-microphone circuit; Figure A17 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a pulse-oximeter / bio-monitor circuit; Figure A18 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a digital thermometer circuit; Figure A19 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a body orientation sensor circuit; Figure A20 is a flow chart illustrating schematically an acoustic analysis algorithm pipeline; Figure A21 is a plot illustrating triangular filters generated linearly in Mel Space; Figure A22 is a schematic flow chart of a procedure for calculating MFCC features; Figure A23 shows plots of ROC and precision-recall curves of classification results; Figures 1 and 2 show schematic views of exemplary feedings bottle sensor assemblies in exploded form onto different infant feeding bottles; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a feeding bottle sensor assembly; Figure 4 is a schematic view of a vertical cross section through the feeding bottle sensor assembly of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the cross section of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a schematic view of a feeding bottle sensor assembly with a sensor arranged outside the assembly; Figures 7a and 7b show alternative views of an expanded feeding bottle sensor; Figure 8 is a schematic view of a charging system with a feeding bottle sensor arranged therein; Figures 9a and 9b show an alternative configuration for a feeding bottle sensor assembly; Figure 10 shows schematically an example of a feeding bottle including a feeding bottle sensor assembly and the original feeding bottle without the feeding bottle sensor assembly; Figures 11a and 11b show schematic methods for use of a feeding bottle sensor assembly; and Figures 12 to 19 show exemplary PCB circuit diagrams for components of the bottle sensor assembly. In one general embodiment, an aspect of the present invention is a wearable body monitoring device for monitoring physiological bio signals of an infant, in particular within 0 to 3 years of age. The body monitoring device provides valuable data on the vital signs, movements, and other relevant metrics of the infant. The body monitoring device can also be linked to a user device, with which data from various sensors in the body monitoring device can be fetched and collected. The user device can also be used to control the sensors and their features. Connecting the body monitoring device to a user device, a user (e.g. a parent) can conveniently track and analyze the collected information. This integration with a user device enhances accessibility and control, empowering the user to monitor the infant’s wellbeing more effectively. This user device may be a smart phone or a smart hub. A smart hub may be configured to connect to multiple body monitoring devices and perform signal processing on all the acquired data. This may be useful for families who do not want to leave a smart phone near the infant but instead an out-of-sight unit, which may be concealed somewhere out of sight, that performs all the processing and communication functions. The body monitoring device may also be supported by a charging cradle that allows wireless charging of the body monitoring device. In another aspect, the body monitoring device may be implemented in a monitoring apparatus that further comprises an adapter for an infant feeding bottle as disclosed herein and a central control unit (which may be a user device such as a mobile phone or a smart hub). The adapter for an infant feeding bottle may include a sensor assembly for monitoring various parameters during the feeding of an infant. The central control unit may be adapted to control and to collect the data from the body monitoring device and the adapter. In various embodiments of the present invention, as shown in figure A1, the body monitoring device A10 includes a housing A12, in which a number of sensors A14 are provided. The body monitoring device A10 is configured to be attached to the body of an infant and to facilitate this, the housing A12 in some embodiments is made of a flexible material, such as silicone, and has a flat surface A16 as shown in figure A2a. The flat surface A16 may be provided with an adhesive, such as adhesive tape, to enable the body monitoring device A10 to be attached onto the skin of the infant. In some embodiment, double-sided adhesive tape is used, with one side for adhering to the flat surface A16 of the body monitoring device A10 and the other side for adhering to the skin of the infant. In general, the body monitoring device A10 is configured to monitor an infant’s vitals, including body temperature, heart rate, respiration, and blood oxygen saturation level, and to monitor an infant’s body position whilst sleeping, such as whether the infant is laying face up or face down, or laying on its side. The body monitoring device A10 generates an alert to notify the parents (or the person caring for the infant) when any of the monitored signs is outside of a predefined range that is considered normal. The body monitoring device A10 is also configured to monitor sounds, with a microphone, to detect an infant swallowing or breathing. In some embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 includes at least one of a heart rate monitor of any suitable kind for monitoring the heart rate of an infant wearing the body monitoring device A10, a skin temperature senor such as a thermometer for monitoring the skin temperature of an infant wearing the body monitoring device A10, an accelerometer such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for monitoring the body position or movement of an infant wearing the body monitoring device A10, a blood oxygen level sensor of any suitable kind such as an SpO2 sensor to measure the blood oxygen saturation of an infant wearing the body monitoring device A10, and a magnetic field sensor. In embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 also includes suitable electronic components A20, such as a processor, to receive electronic signals corresponding to various measurements from the sensors A14 and to process the received signals. The body monitoring device A10 may also include a transceiver, such as Bluetooth or WiFi, which may be integrated into the processor (i.e. System-On-A-Chip) or a separate component, configured to communicate the processed signal to a user device or a smart hub. The body monitoring device A10 may also include a controller, which may similarly be integrated into the processor or a separate component, to control its functions. For example, the controller may be configured to power on or off the body monitoring device A10, and to turn the body monitoring device A10 into a power-safe mode to conserve battery. The body monitoring device A10 may also be able to connect wirelessly to software (e.g. a mobile app) on a user device or smart hub. Various key functions of various embodiments of the body monitoring device A10 includes: 1. Monitoring the wellbeing of an infant comprehensively in terms of feeding, sleep positions, and body vitals. 2. Data collection when user commands from mobile application. 3. Accurate and simultaneous data display on mobile application. 4. Mobile application availability to multiple users to enable family members to log and track things and watch an infant while they are at work or away. 5. Giving reminder notifications for feeding and sleeping. 6. Enabling data export of the tracked data from the mobile application, which will help parents with doctor appointments. 7. Smart and customizable alarms / reminders that will ease parents' life. 8. Providing reports for feeding, sleep positions, and body vitals of an infant. 9. Help parents to understand their infant’s patterns / routines. In various embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 may be powered by a built-in rechargeable battery A18, such as a Li-Ion battery, which may be recharged via a wired connection to a power source or wirelessly (e.g. via a Qi-compatible charging interface). In alternative embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 may be powered by a disposable battery. In various embodiment, the body monitoring device A10 further include built-in storage and / or includes means to accept storage (such as SD cards) for storing data collected from the various sensors A14. In various embodiments, the monitoring also includes a display for showing at least one of a user various information, such as battery level, device on / off status, measurement in progress indicator, data storage level, time and date, and a user profile name. In various embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 may be provided in a package together with one or more of adhesive patches, a charging cradle, and a charging cable, a user manual, a smart hub, and a fabric bag. When the body monitoring device A10 is packaged, in preparation for sale for example, it is put in a standby or a hibernate mode with at least a 10% charge level. A user, after purchasing the body monitoring device A10, may choose to charge the device first or check over the product. If the user chooses to charge the device first, he may choose to charge the device using the supplied charging cable or using the supplied charging cradle to charge the device wirelessly. The provided adhesive patches allows the user to attach the body monitoring device A10 to an infant. In various embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 includes at least one of: a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module that provides Bluetooth Specification 5.0, a Wifi transceiver, a pulse oximeter sensor module that preferably measures blood oxygenation level to within 2% accuracy, a temperature sensor module that preferably measures body temperature to a sensitivity of 0.2°C, an accelerometer / acoustic sensor module, a gauge module, a battery charger module, an IMU module, a sensor power management module, a sleep mode handler module, a user interface module with LEDs together with buttons and buzzers, a firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) handler module for wirelessly updating the firmware of the body monitoring device A10, a data processing module, a heart rate sensor that preferably measures heart rate to an accuracy of ±5 beats per minute, a respiration senor that preferably measures respiration to an accuracy of ±5 breaths per minute, and an embedded Bluetooth transceiver that supports Bluetooth low energy protocols. In various embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 optionally includes a controller that detects when the body monitoring device A10 is in contact with an infant’s skin. The controller may also include a power management system to enable and / or disable a low power operation mode. The body monitoring device A10 may optionally include battery protection circuitry to protect the battery A18 from over-voltage, over-current, and overtemperature conditions. The body monitoring device A10 may optionally include a microphone for detecting various sounds, including feeding sounds, respiration sounds, crying sounds, and coughing sounds. In various embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 is part of a monitoring system that further includes a smart hub. The smart hub may include at least one of: a Bluetooth module, a Wifi module, a Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) module, a data processing module, a firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) handler module for wirelessly updating the firmware of the smart hub, a user interface module with LEDs together with buttons and buzzers, power management system to enable and / or disable a low power operation mode, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module, and a USB type C socket for connection to a mains power supply. Referring to figure A2b and also back to figures A1 and A2a, the body monitoring device A10 has a shape comprising a main body section A10a with two “ears” A10b, forming the silhouette of an animal’s face, e.g. a bear, a teddy bear or a koala bear’s face. However, it will be appreciated that the body monitoring device A10 may have any other suitable shape. In various embodiments, a user is able to control the sensors A14 of the body monitoring device A10 via software on a user device or smart hub connected thereto (via Bluetooth or any other suitable connection means) and to send a command to the body monitoring device A10 to start various measurements. Figure A3 shows a schematic of a software for use on a user device or a smart hub to control the body monitoring device A10. Software for controlling the body monitoring device A10 may be installed on the user device or the smart hub. The software may be a mobile application and is configured with various functions that include at least one of: functionality to enable a user to create an individual or family user account, allow a user to enter various details of an infant associated with a user account (such as infant’s name, gender, date of birth, weight, height, and head size), allow a user to add a photograph of an infant to the user account, allow a user to attach notes or reminder or calendar event to session a monitoring session, display various graphic representations such as line or bar or pie charts of the data and measurements gathered from the various sensors A14 in a monitoring session, report in PDF format the processed data received from the body monitoring device A10 during breast or bottle feeding, create a feeding summary report for date and time interval that may be selected by the user, create report in PDF format from processed heart beat and respiration data receiving from the body monitoring device A10, create a sleep summary report for date and time interval that may be selected by the user, create report in PDF format called body position summary report for date and time interval that may be selected by the user, create an infant routine summary for date and time interval that may be selected by the user, allow a user to command the sensors A14 to start and stop various measurements, show data from the various sensors A14 as a user interface element or report in xlsx, csv, or pdf formats, allow a user to manipulate data received from the various sensors A14 such as isolating data from one particular sensor for display, send a notification to the user in the event of a body temperature measurement being outside of a range between 35°C and 37.4°C, send a notification to the user in the event of a heart rate measurement being outside of a range between 120 beats per minute and 160 beats per minute, send a notification to the user in the event of a blood oxygenation level measurement being outside of a range between 85% and 100%, send a notification to the user in the event of a respiration rate measurement being outside of a range between 30 beats per minute and 40 beats per minute for infants up to 6 months old, send a notification to the user in the event of a respiration rate measurement being outside of a range between 20 beats per minute and 30 beats per minute for infants between 6 months old and 3 years old, send a notification to the user in the event of an infant lying face down. The software may also include the functionality of allowing a user to filter sensor data such as body temperature, heart rate, blood oxygenation level, respiration rate, and body position. The software for controlling the body monitoring device A10 may have a user interface with various features, including, but not limited to: Infant Profile: Allows a user to quickly access and switch between different infant profiles. Paired Devices: Allows a user to see their paired devices and easily identify which device is currently in the pairing process, all from a homepage. Daily Measurement Inputs: Displays measurements, providing users with a convenient overview of their data. Sensor Features Categorizing sensor features into three groups: Vitals, Sleep, Categorization: and Feeding. This categorization makes it easy for a user to select what they want to measure and view the collected information in an organized manner. Reminder / Tips: Enhances the user experience and provides helpful guidance. The user interface may also include a growth chart and a section for physical measurements, such as height and weight, which parents can input. Additionally, daily info icons and color-coded measurement groups with special colour schemes to enhance clarity and usability may also be provided. In some embodiments, real-time graph pages show what is being measured and a play-pause button may be provided to allow a user greater control over the monitoring process. A statistics section may be further optionally provided, featuring two components: a pattern chart, which reveals the frequency and types of measurements taken, tracking of usage habits and establishing routines for parents, and an analysis section that presents derived data and graphical representations of session results. A history page may be optionally provided to show session information and display timestamps of when an infant was measured and which measurement groups were active during those sessions. In various embodiments, the software on the user device or smart hub may also be configured to control a feeding bottle sensor assembly as disclosed herein. In various embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 is controlled by firmware, shown schematically in figure A4. The firmware may be configured in a modular approach, broken into a number of modules, where each module performs a simple program and contains all the source code and variables required to complete this program. The modules may be configured to work independently and may be categorized according to where they are executed on microcontroller. The firmware may contain one or more of the following modules: - Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Module - Firmware Over the Air Update (FOTA) Handler Module - Battery Charger Module - Sleep Handler Module - UI Module (LED, Button, Buzzer) - Microphone Module - Storage Module - Data Process Module - Temperature Module - Flow Meter Module - Accelerometer / Acoustic Sensor Module - Pulse Oximeter Module - Gauge Module - IMU Module - Sensor Power Management Module - Wi-Fi Module - Power Modes Module - MQTT Module An example of a start up and operation procedure A100 of the firmware of the body monitoring device A10 is shown in figure A5. The procedure A100 begins with initialization A102 of the body monitoring device A10 once it is powered up into the Awake mode. The procedure A100 then continues to an optional advertisement step A104, in which a short text of graphical advertisement is shown either on a screen on the body monitoring device A10. Thereafter, the procedure A100 moves onto a connecting step A106, in which the body monitoring device A10 searches and connects to an available user device or smart hub. If connection is successful, the procedure A100 moves on to a connection confirmation step A108. Once the body monitoring device A10 is connected, the procedure A100 moves to a wait measurement timeout step A110, in which the body monitoring device A10 waits for a predetermined period of time before moving on to a measurement step A112. In the measurement step A112, the sensors A14 in the body monitoring device A10 are actuated to take measurements and data. In a prepare BLE packet step A114, the body monitoring device A10 prepares data that includes measurement data into one or more data packets and sends the one or more prepared data packets to the connected user device or smart hub in a send BLE packet step A116. In alternative procedures in which the body monitoring device A10 is configured to operate without independently of a user device or smart hub, at least the connecting step A106 and the connection confirmation step A108 may be dispensed with. As shown in figure A5, the procedure A100 may also include a sleep step A118, in which the body monitoring device A10 is placed in a low power consumption Sleep mode and may be awaken into the Awake mode. In various embodiments, the body monitoring device A10 includes Qi-compliant wireless charging circuitry. In some embodiments, the wireless charging circuitry includes a wireless power receiver IC that complies with WPT protocol Qi v1.2. Figure A6 shows a circuit diagram of an example wireless power receiver and charger implemented in the electronic components A20 of the body monitoring device A10. By external peripheral resistors, battery charge current may be adjusted for fast and ultrafast charging. In various embodiments, a “Ship Mode” circuit as shown in figures A7 and A8 is implemented in the electronic components A20 of the body monitoring device A10. In addition, the load switch is formed by a PMOS FET and its is controlled by and NMOS. Cathode of the diode is connected to the gate that is enabling the latch circuit instead of pulling up the input using output. After pressing the button to wake the body monitoring device A10 up from Ship Mode, the MCU may pull shipmode en pin high to latch power switch and may pull low to enter the Ship Mode. This active low design eliminates the brown out situation that may occur. Referring to figures A9 and A10, in various embodiments, a protection circuit is implemented in the electronic components A20 of the body monitoring device A10 for maintaining the health of the battery A18 and keeping the body monitoring device A10 reliable. It protects against over-charging, over-discharging, and charge / discharge overcurrent events. Supplying a battery protection circuit with Vbat power line that is switched on / off via Ship Mode circuit causes the circuit to enter into protection mode even on unwanted states. This means that the body monitoring device A10 can go out of Ship Mode both by pressing a button on it and by putting the body monitoring device A10 on to a charging cradle. Replacing the supply with Vbatjn power line enables the protection circuit to operate before any other invasive circuit. As the battery A18 is charged or discharged, gauge IC calculates the various battery related parameters such as state of charge, battery voltage and current, for example using the circuit shown in figure A11. Under normal operations, a cell battery has a varying voltage which exceeds the recommended operating conditions of the logical devices that are used in the design. Hence, the power needs to be regulated to a certain level for such devices. As shown in the DC-DC Logic Power Regulator Circuit in figure A12, two separated Vdd is created. One is for supplying always-on devices that are on duty to wake-up main controller unit and the second is for supplying deep-sleeping devices. The integrated circuits are not only put in sleep mode, but also they are not supplied power during deep-sleeping periods. This way low power consumption operation may be achieved on the order of microamperes. Biomonitoring sensor and user interfaces (i.e., LEDs and buzzers) require voltage that may be more than the battery voltage when the battery A18 state of charge gets below 30%. A buck-boost converter such as that shown in figure A13 may be implemented in the electronic components A20 of the body monitoring device A10, which is also shut down with the deep-sleep devices. Figure A14 shows a System-In-Package microcontroller circuit, which may be implemented in the electronic components A20 of the body monitoring device A10. The microcontroller unit has Bluetooth Low-Energy, built-in antenna, and firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) features. It can enter into sleep mode after a predefined timeout period or commanded input from a device that is connected wirelessly. It gets wake-up signals from peripheral acoustic and inertial sensors, communicates with its peripherals with I2C digital data bus. Figures A15 and A16 show circuits for an exemplary piezo-microphone that may be deployed as one of the sensors A14 of the body monitoring device A10. The piezotype sensor is an acoustic sensor and does not have an opening on the sensor for acoustic input port. It is an analogue vibration receiver without digital interpretation and is implemented with an amplifier circuit and a peak detection circuit. Figure A17 shows an exemplary pulse-oximeter / bio-monitor that may be used as one of the sensors A14 of the body monitoring device A10. The employed photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor has two separate LEDs and corresponding photosensors for obtaining data from a body. These data can be used to determine heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), respiration rate (RR), and heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of stress. The sensor may be powered with two different levels of potentials: logic power and LED power. Since both are powered as sleeper supplies, this sensor does not consume any power during deep sleep periods. Figure A18 shows an exemplary temperature sensor that may be used as one of the sensors A14 of the body monitoring device A10. As shown, the digital temperature sensor is selected by considering its accuracy and low power features. The IC achieves less error in nominal body temperature range (±0.09°C, 20~42°C) while uses much less current during conversions. Figure A19 shows an exemplary body orientation sensor that may be used as one of the sensors A14 of the body monitoring device A10. Body orientation information is determined by fusing two sensors’ data: an accelerometer and magnetometer. In figure A19, the sensor is supplied with always-on supply in order to gather a tap detection which is named as Click Interrupt. This signal is used to wake MCU up while sleeping. After waking up all the units, the digital communication bus is pulled up with sleeper supply, allowing communication during awake periods. In connection with the acoustic sensor described hereinabove, there are certain processes that must be followed in some embodiments when dealing with any algorithmic problem. Defining the problem to be solved and determining the input / outputs of the algorithm are the first and the most important part of this process. Because the other steps will be designed according to the requirements to be determined here. Figure A20 illustrates a general algorithm pipeline. The problem can be defined as processing the audio signals detected from the body monitoring device A10 and determining whether the related audio includes a cough or a crying instance. For this reason, the input of the algorithm is the incoming audio signals, whereas the output is the roughly 4-class labels as cry, cough, noise, and silence. In the definition of the problem the processing of incoming signals and the subsequent classification process suggests that pattern recognition processes will follow a signal processing process. A data-driven system, machine learning algorithms, may be used. The design of the algorithm may be explained as follows. Open-source internet sources are used to collect the relevant sound data including cough and cry instances. A total of 75 recordings are collected consisting of different sampling frequencies and audio lengths. They are down sampled to the sampling frequency of the sensor to be applicable to the body monitoring device A10. Audio files are labelled using Praat software into 4 labels: cough, cry, noise, silent. The dataset is then split into test and train sets. 63 of these recordings are used for training and 12 of them are reserved for testing. After collecting data, a pre-processing step is applied for bringing the data into a suitable form for the design of an ML algorithm. In the preprocessing step, the following methods are conducted. Audio signals are divided into frames of 256 milliseconds duration. Hamming window is applied on each frame. Z-score normalization is applied to the audio data. Then MFCC and Spectral Centroid features are extracted. To extract the MFCC coefficients, first triangle filters are generated linearly in the mel-frequency domain. Here, the frequency intervals are chosen as in figure A21 consisting of 14 intervals between 0Hz and 1000Hz. FFT algorithm is applied to the input signal and filtered in the triangular filters to compute the band frequencies. Then log energy of these bands are computed and discrete cosine transform is applied to find the final MFCC coefficients. The procedure for calculating MFCC features are shown in figure A22. Spectral Centroid computes the weighted average of the frequency spectrum. It gives an idea of which spectral part the audio frame is mode closer to. MFCC and Spectral Centroid features constitute the feature vectors of size 15. A two-step classification using Support Vector Machines method is used. As the first step of the model, non-silent event intervals may be determined. For this, a binary classification algorithm of support vector machines may be implemented. This step decides if the frame includes a sound event or consists of silence. If it decides that there is a sound event, the frame is sent to be analyzed. In particular, after the non-silent frames are determined, the next step is to determine whether these frames include a cry or cough instance, or they are noisy sounds. For this step, a multi-class classification algorithm is implemented using again Support Vector Machines. One vs one comparison technique is used to compare each of the three classes with each other. Since the frame length does not always match the sound event’s length, a final processing algorithm is needed to merge the model’s outputs. A Finite State Machine Algorithm is implemented for this purpose which updates its parameters with each coming frame class and finalizes the interval lengths of cough and cry instances. Success criterion in the results is determined according to the evaluation metrics that are actively used in literature. Since it is assumed that the problem can be solved with a learning algorithm, the performance criterion is decided according to common evaluation metrics of Precision and Recall values which are calculated according to the classification results. ROC curves and Precision-recall curves are used to plot the model's performance. The results are given in figure A23. The trained silent / non-silent and cry / cough / noise models are used to classify each interval and FSM algorithm runs in real-time to decide on the final interval lengths. The intervals may be plotted with the predicted labels as the output as well as saving the interval time points in a file. Figure A23 shows an example signal of a baby crying and coughing with the predicted labels. The wearable body monitoring device for monitoring physiological bio signals of an infant also, in one embodiment preferably includes a skin detector or a proximity sensor. Skin detection and / or autostart features of the body monitoring device enable automatic data collection / measurement. Also, regarding the data from the measurements, the system is able to predict the physiological state of the monitored infant and, for example, determine whether the subject infant is, say, in a sleeping state, awake or feeding. The skin detection or proximity detection functionality is preferably provided embedded in components such as the IC that is used to measure heart rate and oxygenation levels. An infrared sensor is preferably provided that is used as a proximity sensor. It is able to detect proximity to skin. If the proximity to skin is determined then a temperature sensor is activated to measure the temperature. If this produces a temperature of, say, between 33 anfd 38 degrees C, then it is determined that it is likely it is coupled to an infant. The heart rate sensor is then activated to detect the heart rate of the infant to which the sensor is connected. At any stage of this three stage process, if a negative answer is obtained then the following stages are aborted to minimise power usage. Once values for all three parameters, (proximity, temperature and heart rate) have been obtained, in dependence on these a physical state of the infant can be determined. For example whether or not the infant is sleeping can be determined. Other parameters can also be measured in this process. For example, as well as heart rate, respiration rate can be measured. Thus, multiple parameters are collected and in combination they can be used to determine the state of an infant to which the sensor is attached. As disclosed herein, the detection of newborn emergencies, along with the monitoring of vital signs and accurate reporting and recording of this information, plays a significant role in promoting the health of the baby, the quality of healthcare they receive, and the mental well-being of the parents. By providing timely alerts and comprehensive data, parents can take necessary actions promptly, ensuring the safety and well-being of their newborn. Additionally, healthcare providers can make informed decisions based on the recorded information, leading to more effective and personalized care for the baby. Ultimately, this comprehensive approach helps to reduce parental stress and anxiety, fostering a healthier and more positive environment for both the baby and the parents. Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, these show two alternative examples of exemplary feeding bottles with feeding bottle sensor assemblies. Although the precise configuration of the feeding bottle sensor assemblies of Figures 1 and 2 are slightly different in shape and size, in terms of functional components, they are the same. Referring to Figure 1, a bottle 2 is provided. A removable sealing attachment or adapter 4 for the bottle is provided arranged to removably seal the bottle. The removable sealing attachment may also be referred to as a collar. The removable sealing attachment or adapter 4 comprises an inner housing 6 and outer housing 8. A teat 10 is provided, which is typically the same as a conventional teat that would be used for a well-known infant feeding bottle. A sensor assembly 12 is provided, to be described below, which is shaped and configured to engage with the inner and outer housings 6 and 8, when assembled on a bottle 2. The sensor assembly 12, referring to Figure 5, is generally T-shaped in cross section. It has an insert 14 which is shaped and sized to connect to the adapter housings 6 and 8. Referring to Figure 6, the outer housing 8 is shown together with a sensor assembly 12. The teat 10 is provided in position within the adapter 8. The inner adapter 6 (not visible in Figure 6) is arranged within the outer adapter 8. An opening 16 is provided to a slot 18 within the inner housing 6. Thus, when assembled, as shown in Figure 5, the inner housing 6 is arranged within the outer housing 8 and the sensor assembly 12 with its arm 14 is positioned coupled to both. As can be seen the inner housing 6 defines the channel into which the sensor assembly can be slid. The channel 18 is preferably equipped with a permanent magnet as to provide a tight coupling with the sensor assembly so that the sensor assembly 212 is not at risk of falling from the bottle when all assembled. A magnet is not required in all embodiments. For example alternative ways of ensuring a secure coupling between the channel and the sensor assembly can be provided. In addition, the channel has two walls, a “lower” wall 19 and an “upper” wall 21. The lower wall is so defined as when the bottle is placed upright on a surface the lower wall is close to the surface. One or more holes 23 may be provided in the lower wall. These holes are covered by a transparent seal and exposed to the liquid, e.g. milk, within the bottle and so during feeding enable the sensors in the sensor assembly to have direct line of sight with the liquid to determine the various parameters. In another embodiment, the shape or configuration of the walls of the slot 18 can be varied so as to enable direct contact between the housing of the sensor assembly and the liquid within the bottle before or during a feeding session. In the shown example, the outer housing 8 has inner wall 20 which is generally cylindrical and arranged to engage with the corresponding cylindrical opening 22 on the top of the feeding bottle. A thread 24 is preferably provided on the inner cylindrical surface 20 of the outer housing 8 to enable the assembly to be removably fixed to a bottle 2. Thus, in use, the inner housing 6 engages sealingly with an inner side of the bottle opening and the outer housing engages sealingly with the outer side of the bottle opening. The adapter inlet for receiving the sensor assembly 12 is defined at least in part by an inlet in the inner housing and an inlet in the outer housing. To assemble the adapter on a bottle, initially, the inner housing is 6 is placed within the bottle neck. This is preferably a fluid-tight press fit. Accordingly, some compressible material may be provided on an outer surface of the inner housing to enable a liquid or fluid tight seal with the bottle. Next the outer housing 8 is added. The outer housing 8 will have been provided with a teat. The outer housing is then preferably screwed tightly onto thread on the outer surface of the cylindrical opening 22 on the top of the feeding bottle. By tightening this threaded engagement the inner housing 6 is forced downwardly into the opening 22 of the bottle. The seal between the engaging surfaces is thus reinforced. Once the inner and outer housings are in place, the sensor assembly 12 can be put into position within the slot or channel 18 in the inner housing and through the opening 16 in the outer housing. Referring to Figure 3, the removable sealing attachment 4 can be seen assembled and in proximity to a bottle. When assembled the sensor assembly 12 is temporarily fixed within the outer housing 8 and can sit flush with the outer surface of the outer housing 8. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 3 the sensor assembly projects lightly from the outer surface of the housing 8 and attachment is completed by the embedded magnet pulling the sensor assembly into the housing. This projection provides a quick and tactile confirmation to a user, such as a parent or carer that the sensor assembly 12 is in place. This can be helpful if during feeding the bottle orientation is such that the sensor assembly faces away and is hidden from the parent or carer. In one example the outer facing surface of the sensor assembly can be provided with a undulating or rough surface so as again to provide tactile feedback to a user. As will be explained below, the sensor assembly 12 includes various sensing components which are arranged to detect both the flow of liquid as it passes through the bottle neck 22 and subsequently through the teat 10 for consumption by an infant. The sensor assembly 12 is arranged to detect parameters associated with the liquid and the flow of the liquid such as to provide a user with information regarding the feeding of the infant. In the examples so far described, the sensor assembly is removably insertable into an opening within the adapter. In another example, the functionality of the sensor assembly is integrated into the collar. This reduces part count whilst still provision the ability to retrofit the sensor assembly functionality onto an existing bottle. The description throughout refers to a separate sensor assembly that can be connected to or inserted into a corresponding opening of housings of the adapter. However, the functional aspects of the sensors and the adapter in its entirety apply equally to the provision of an integrated sensor assembly within or forming part of the collar. In one example, the sensor assembly 12 is arranged to detect the temperature of the liquid as it passes the sensor assembly 12. In addition, the sensor assembly 12 is arranged to detect the volumetric flow of liquid and the volumetric flow rate of the liquid so as to provide, in real time, an indication to a supervising individual, e.g. a parent or carer, information relating to the feeding of the infant. For example, the information could include data relating to the rate of consumption of liquid. The data that the sensor assembly 12 is able to gather includes in addition, the feeding duration, the feeding amount, and the liquid temperature. In a preferred example, it can be arranged to provide an alarm when any one or more of these parameters is detected to be outside an acceptable range. For example, if the temperature of the liquid becomes too cold then a temperature alarm could be triggered. If the volumetric feeding rate is detected to be outside of a specified range, then an alarm can be triggered to indicate a potential problem with the infants feeding. An important feature of the present feeding bottle adapter is that it is retro-fittable to an existing feeding bottle, dependent only on the diameter of the bottle neck. Accordingly, the feeding bottle sensor assembly is preferably provided in a number of defined sizes so as to be able to be usable on any of the commonly available baby bottle systems. Referring to Figures 7a and 7b, the sensor assembly 12 as shown in exploded format. The precise dimensions of the housing of the sensor assembly 12 may be varied but the functioning of the sensor assembly will be understood with reference to the following description. The sensor assembly 12 includes a housing 26 made up of required components so as to enable the sensor assembly to be enclosed and protected from any damage due to contact with liquid. In the example shown in Figures 7a and 7b, the housing of sensor assembly 12 comprises three parts, but equally, it can be appreciated that a two-part housing can be used or indeed any suitable number of parts. An inner assembly 28 is provided which includes a PCB 30 and various components for providing the required functionality of the sensor. The physical form of the PCB can be varied but typically, it comprises a number of integrated printed circuit board PCB cards. The sensor assembly 12 is preferably rechargeable and Figure 8 shows an example of a recharging station 32 with the sensor assembly 12 arranged within. Exemplary circuitry provided within the recharging station 32 is described below with reference to Figure 12. The circuitry shown is for the provision of wireless charging. It will be appreciated that wired charging can also be used. In the example referred to above, in which the sensor assembly is integral to the adapter, i.e. the functionality of the sensor assembly is integral to the collar, recharging is performed appropriately. In other words a differently shaped recharging station is provided, but other than that the recharging function can be the same. Figures 9A and 9B show an example of the sensor assembly 12 and the sensor assembly when in position in an adapter. Referring to Figure 10, as explained above the adapter is retrofittable to an existing infant feeding bottle. In the example shown in Figure 10, on the right can be seen a conventional infant feeding bottle with a collar 34 provided to seal the top of the bottle in combination with the teat 10. On the left, the collar 34 has been replaced with an adapter 4 of the type described above with reference to, say, Figures 1 to 7. Thus, the use of the adapter 4 has, in effect, converted a well-known conventional infant feeding bottle, into a smart device capable of gathering data in real time regarding use of the bottle, e.g. regarding the progress of feeding of an infant from the bottle. Referring to Figures 11A and 11B, the process of use of the adapter 4 will now be described. At step 36, a user detaches the sensor assembly 12 from the adapter 4. At step 38 the body of the adapter 4 (including inner and outer housings) is washed. Next, at step 40, the sensor assembly is re-attached to the body of the adapter (as understood with reference to, say Figures 1 to 7 described above). At step 42, the sensor is affixed to the adapter, e.g. within corresponding opening(s) in the housing(s) of the adapter. The physical assembly is now complete. Next, the connection of the communication functions, e.g. transmitter / receiver will be described. As can be understood, the sensor assembly can collect data in real time by operation of the one or more sensors provided within it. Connection to a data processing engine or hub is desired to enable the data to be communicated and ultimately processed and utilised by a user of the system. Referring to Figure 11B, at step 44 a user ensures that their smart device that will be used with the adapter is within communication distance to the sensor. This is easily achievable and will usually be satisfied if the mobile telephone is in the same room as the adapter (which is almost certainly likely to be the case.) At step 46 a user activates the sensor assembly by pressing an activation button. The user’s communication device, e.g. mobile telephone is preferably loaded with an App that has the required functionality to receive the feeding data and any other transmitted data from the sensor assembly. During feeding, step 48, data is transmitted by the sensor assembly 12 enabling a user to track the feeding session in real time. Optionally, at step 50 a user can interact with the sensor assembly to terminate data transmission. This can be done if no more data is desired regarding the feeding session. Or if, say power preservation of the sensor assembly 12 is desired. Referring again to the sensor assembly, a number of sensors are provided on the sensor assembly 12. The sensors are arranged and configured to detect parameters associated with functioning of the bottle and the feeding of an infant from the bottle. The sensors typically might include any or all of a microphone such as a piezomicrophone, a temperature sensor, a time of flight sensor and an inertial measurement unit for bottle detection and orientation sensor. The microphone functions as an acoustic sensor. A piezo-microphone is used which is an analogue vibration receiver and does not require digital interpretation. The temperature sensor is provided by a digital temperature sensor selected so as to provide the requisite accuracy and low power usage. Exemplary circuitry associated with the bottle temperature sensor is described below with reference to Figure 18. In some embodiments, a time-of-flight sensor is provided. This is used to determine the fluid height or depth within the bottle. The time-of-flight principle is based on measuring the time it takes for a wave to travel from a source to an object and back. Thus, such a sensor is able to detect the volume of liquid within a bottle 4 and from this to determine how much volume of fluid remains in the bottle at any time, and from this determine how quickly an infant has been feeding. Exemplary circuitry associated with the Time of Flight sensor is described below with reference to Figure 19. In addition a bottle detection and orientation sensor is provided. This functions to enable the sensor assembly 12 to be aware of whether or not it is at any point in time arranged within a bottle or sitting apart from it. Exemplary circuitry associated with the bottle detection and orientation sensor is described below with reference to Figure 17. The sensor assembly 12 also preferably includes a data transmitter. The transmitter functions to transmit or convey to some connected device, data that has been determined regarding the feeding of an infant from the bottle. As explained above, new parents are turning to data-driven methods of parenting, such that is an increase in demand for devices to use at home to help them meet these challenges. It is explained above how it generally desirable to new and inexperienced parents, especially millennials, to know and ensure the safety and wellbeing of their infant in various aspects, from healthcare to nutrition, sleep patterns, and growth trends. The present sensor and bottle feeding system enables real time data to be communicated to a connected device regarding the feeding of an infant from a bottle. Typically, a parent or carer would have an associated application on a smart device such as a mobile telephone which is arranged and configured to receive data collected by the sensors and process it to, say generate an alarm when a problem in feeding is detected, or more generally to gather the data and present it to the parent or carer. As in the example described above with reference to a body-worn sensor or detector, the sensor use with a feeding bottle can also be linked to a user device, with which data from various sensors in the monitoring device can be fetched and collected. The user device can also be used to control the sensors and their features. Connecting the monitoring device to a user device, a user (i.e. parent) can conveniently track and analyze the collected information. This integration with a user device enhances accessibility and control, empowering the user to monitor the infant’s feeding more effectively. This user device may be a smartphone or a smart hub. A smart hub may be configured to connect to multiple monitoring devices and perform signal processing on all acquired data. This may be useful for families who do not want to leave a smart phone near the infant but instead an out-of-sight unit, which may be concealed somewhere out of sight, that performs all the processing and communication functions. The monitoring device may also be supported by a charging cradle that allows wireless charging of the monitoring device. In various embodiments, a user is able to control the sensors of the sensor assembly 12 via software on a user device connected (via Bluetooth or any other suitable connection means) and to send a command to the sensor assembly 12 to start various measurements. Software for controlling the sensor assembly 12 may be installed on a user device or the smart hub. The software may be a mobile application and is configured with various functions that include at least one of: functionality to enable a user to create an individual or family user account, allow a user to enter various details of an infant associated with a user account (such as infant’s name, gender, date of birth, weight, height, and head size), allow a user to add a photograph of an infant to the user account, allow a user to attach notes or reminder or calendar event to session a monitoring session, display various graphic representations such as line or bar or pie charts of the data and measurements gathered from the various sensors in a monitoring session, report in PDF format processed data receiving from the sensor assembly 12 during bottle feeding, create a feeding summary report for date and time interval relating to bottle feeding that may be selected by the user, create an infant routine summary for date and time interval that may be selected by the user again, relating to bottle feeding. In addition, the software may be a mobile application and be configured with functions that include at least one of: allow a user to command the sensors of the sensor system 12 to start and stop various measurements, show data from the various sensors as a user interface element or report in xlsx, csv, or pdf formats, allow a user to manipulate data received from the various sensors such as isolating data from one particular sensor for display. The software may also include the functionality of allowing a user to filter sensor data relating any set or subset of the measured parameters relating to bottle feeding. The software for controlling the sensor system 12 may have a user interface with various features, including, but not limited to: Infant Profile: Allows a user to quickly access and switch between different infant profiles. Paired Devices: Allows a user to see their paired devices and easily identify which device is currently in the pairing process, all from a homepage. Daily Measurement Displays measurements, providing users with a convenient Inputs: overview of their data. Reminder / Tips: Enhances the user experience and provides helpful guidance. As in the example described above relating to the body sensor, a number of integrated circuits and printed circuit boards may be used to provide the required functionality. These will be described briefly with reference to Figures 12 to 19. Figure 12 is schematic view of a wireless power receiver and charger that is suitable for use with the sensor assembly 12. Qi compliant wireless power receiver is implemented. The receiver IC used here complies with WPT protocol Qi v1.2. This IC is also preferably selected for battery charger. As can be understood from Figure 12, by use of external peripheral resistors, battery charge current may be adjusted for fast and ultra-fast charging. Battery protection and battery gauge may also be provided. Exemplary circuits for such functions can be seen in Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 shows an exemplary battery protection circuit. A protection IC is implemented for keeping the battery healthy and the sensor unit 12 reliable. It protects against overcharging, over discharging, charge & discharge overcurrent events. Supplying Battery protection IC with a Vbat power line that is switched on / off via a shipmode circuit has the potential to cause the IC to enter protection mode even when not needed. In the present example, the sensor unit 12 is taken out of shipmode both by pressing the button on it and by putting sensor unit 12 on to a charging cradle. Figure 14 shows an exemplary battery gauge circuit. As the battery is charged or discharged, the charge level is calculated. Battery gauge IC is preferably utilized because of its algorithm that eliminates the effects of aging, current drift and temperature. Figure 15 shows an exemplary voltage regulator that is preferably provided within the sensor assembly 12. Under normal operations, a cell battery has a varying voltage which exceeds the recommended operating conditions of the logical devices that are used in the design. Hence, the power is regulated to a certain level. As seen in Figure 15 DC-DC Regulator Circuit two separated Vdds are created. One is for supplying always-on devices that are on duty to wake-up main controller unit and the second is for supplying deep-sleeping devices. The integrated circuits are not only put in sleep mode, but also they are not supplied power during deep-sleeping periods. Figure 16 shows an exemplary bottle sensor system microcontroller. It will be appreciated that any suitably configured or programmed microcontroller can be used. In the present example, the microcontroller is a System-in-Package Bluetooth microcontroller device. The MCU has Bluetooth Low-Energy, built-in chip antenna and firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) features. It can enter to sleep mode after a predefined timeout period or commanded input from a device that is connected wirelessly. It gets wake-up signals from peripheral acoustic and inertial sensors, communicates with its peripherals with I2C digital data bus. Figure 17 shows an exemplary circuit for use as bottle detection and orientation sensor circuit. The sensor assembly 12 understands that it is plugged into an external adapter (i.e. arranged within a bottle) via any suitable means. In the example shown a presence detection functionality is provided by a magnetic sensor. In addition, the bottle orientation may be determined by the inertial measurement unit embedded inside the circuit. The orientations sensor of the bottle is arranged to provide a determination of the orientation of the bottle at any time during its use. This can provide useful information that can itself be used as a trigger to start measuring other performance of the bottle or feeding system. For example the sensor system 12 preferably includes within it an accelerometer which is able to determine the orientation of the bottle relative to, say, the vertical. By doing this it is possible to know if the bottle is likely in a feeding operation. If for example the bottle is determined to be vertically upright, then it is clear that no feeding is taking place. Typically a feeding angle of the bottle will be between 90 and 150 degrees to the vertical. In other words the bottle is horizontal (90 degrees) or pointing downwards with the teat lower than bottom of bottle such that the central longitudinal axis of the bottle makes an angle of 60 degrees to the horizontal (150 degrees to the vertical). If the angular orientation of the bottle is determined to be between 90 and 150 degrees (as described above) then other sensors in the sensor system 12 may be activated to start operation. For example only with the bottle in this active angular feeding range, will the microphone be activated to measure sounds during feeding. Figure 18 shows a schematic related to the digital temperature sensor circuit. This functionality is preferably provided so as to be able the sensor system 12 to determine the temperature of a fluid, such as milk that is present within the bottle. In the example shown, Digital temperature sensor is selected by considering its accuracy and low power features. The employed temperature sensor achieves less error in nominal body temperature range (±0.09 °C, 20-42 °C) while uses much less current during conversions. Figure 19 shows a schematic of time of flight circuit. Time-of-flight sensor is used to measure of fluid height inside the bottle. The time-of-flight principle is based on measuring the time it takes for a wave to travel from a source (a time-of-flight sensor) to an object and back. Embodiments of the present invention have been described with particular reference to the examples illustrated. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the examples described within the scope of the appending claims.
Claims
1. A body monitoring device for monitoring physiological and vital signs of an infant, comprising:a housing, configured to be attached to the body of an infant; andat least one sensor disposed in the housing and configured to monitor at least one measurable physiological or vital sign.
2. The body monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed of a flexible material.
3. The body monitoring device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of:a heart rate monitor,a skin temperature sensor,an acoustic transducer,an accelerometer,a blood oxygen level sensor, and a magnetic field sensor.
4. The body monitoring device of any preceding claim, wherein the housing includes a portion having a flat surface.
5. The body monitoring device of any preceding claim, further comprising electronic components including a processor configured to:receive at least one measurement signal from the at least one sensor;process the received measurement signal; andwirelessly communicate the processed signal to a user device.
6. The body monitoring device of claim 5, further comprising an output device, configured to generate an audio or visual alert based on the processed signal.
7. A body monitoring device according to any of claims 1 to 6, arrangedautomatically to collect data dependent on the level or presence of a signal from one or more of the sensors.
8. A body monitoring device according to claim 7, in dependence on detected proximity of a monitored subject, the monitoring device is configured automatically to collect data from the one or more sensors.
9. A body monitoring device according to any of claims 1 to 8, the device is arranged to determine a physiological state of a monitored subject.
10. A body monitoring device according to claim 9, in which the physiological state consists of the monitored subject being asleep, or awake and / or feeding.
11. A monitoring apparatus, comprising:a body monitoring device;an adapter for an infant feeding bottle; anda central control unit configured to communicatively connect with the body monitoring device and the feeding bottle sensor device;wherein the body monitoring device comprises a housing configured to be attached to the body of an infant and at least one sensor disposed in the housing and configured to monitor at least one measurable physiological or vital sign;wherein the feeding bottle sensor device comprises a removable sealing attachment for engagement with an infant feeding bottle including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat, an adapter inlet in the removable sealing attachment for receiving a sensor assembly, and a sensor assembly removably insertable into the removable sealing attachment, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle.
12. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 11, arranged automatically to collect data dependent on the level or presence of a signal from one or more of the sensors.
13. An adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the adapter comprising:a removable sealing attachment for engagement with an infant feeding bottle including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat;an adapter inlet in the removable sealing attachment for receiving a sensor assembly; anda sensor assembly removably insertable into the removable sealing attachment, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle.
14. An adapter according to claim 13, for engagement with the opening of the bottle through which in use, fluid passes during feeding, the adapter comprising:an inner housing for engaging sealingly with an inner side of the bottle opening; andan outer housing for engaging sealingly with the outer side of the bottle opening,wherein the adapter inlet for receiving the sensor assembly is defined at least in part by an inlet in the inner housing and an inlet in the outer housing.
15. An adapter according to claim 14, wherein the inlet in the inner housing and the inlet in the outer housing are formed on a side of the removable sealing attachment.
16. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 15, in which when the sensor assembly is arranged within the removable sealing attachment, fluid is thermally and optically in contact with the sensor assembly during its flow out of the bottle.
17. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the sensor assembly includes one or of a temperature sensor, a time of flight sensor, an orientation sensor and a bottle detection sensor.
18. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 17, in which the sensor assembly includes a transmitter for transmitting data signals relating to detected feeding parameters.
19. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 18, in which the sensor assembly includes a receiver for receiving control signals wirelessly.
20. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 19, in which the sensor assembly is rechargeable.
21. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 20, in which the sensor assembly is arranged for communication with a communications hub, for receiving data relating to feeding parameters and for transmitting control signal to the sensor.
22. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 21, in which the sensor is arranged to detect the temperature of fluid within the bottle and generate an alarm when the temperature is detected outside of specified range.
23. An adapter according to any of claim 22, in which the sensor assembly has a housing sized to fit into the adapter inlet.
24. An adapter according to claim 23, in which the sensor assembly housing comprises a magnetic field detector arranged to detect when the sensor is positioned within an adapter.
25. An adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the adapter comprising:a collar for engagement with the infant feeding bottle, the collar comprising a sensor assembly removably fixable to the removable attachment, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters associated with a use of the bottle.
26. An adapter according to any of claims 13 to 25, comprising an orientation detector to detect the orientation of a bottle.
27. An adapter according to claim 26, in which in dependence either only on the orientation detector or in dependence on the orientation and one or other sensors, the start and / or end of a feeding session is detected.
28. An infant feeding bottle comprising a fluid receptacle, and an adapter for the feeding bottle, the adapter being according to any of claims 13 to 27.
29. A method of tracking an infant feeding session, the method comprising:providing a feeding bottle with an adapter having a sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters associated with a use of the feeding bottle;during feeding, gathering data relating to one or more parameters of the feeding session;transmitting the gathered data to a user.
30. A method according to claim 29, in which the gathered data is transmitted in real time during the feeding session.
31. A method according to claim 29 or 30, in which the adapter provided is an adapter according to any of claims 13 to 27.
32. An adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the adapter comprising:a collar for fixing at the opening of an infant feeding bottle, the collar including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat;a sensor assembly removably connectable to the collar, the sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle.
33. An adapter for an infant feeding bottle, the adapter comprisinga collar for fixing at the opening of an infant feeding bottle, the collar including a teat adapter for engagement with a feeding teat;the collar further comprising a sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors for determination of feeding parameters in dependence on detection of the fluid in the feeding bottle.