An absorbent pad and a method for indicating how to replace it.

Abstract

This application discloses an absorbent pad and a method for indicating its replacement. The pad includes a permeable surface layer, a non-permeable bottom layer, an absorbent layer, an electrode array layer, and a detection module. The edges of the permeable surface layer and the non-permeable bottom layer are detachably connected, forming a sandwich layer that secures the absorbent layer. The electrode array layer is positioned between the non-permeable bottom layer and the absorbent layer. Each set of electrodes in the electrode array layer generates a circuit in its corresponding area when wet, thus producing an electrical signal. This application collects the electrical signals from multiple sets of detection electrodes in the electrode array layer to determine the area of ​​the wet region within the absorbent layer and the diffusion rate of the liquid. By combining the area of ​​the wet region and the diffusion rate of the liquid, it determines whether the absorbent layer and the permeable surface layer need to be replaced. When replacement is required, a corresponding replacement prompt signal is generated and sent to the nursing staff. This automatically monitors patients and effectively reduces the workload of nursing staff.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nursing products, and in particular to an absorbent pad and a method for indicating when to replace the absorbent pad. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the increase in average life expectancy in my country, the proportion of the elderly in the population is gradually increasing, and the demand for adult incontinence care is growing day by day. Therefore, the need to improve the efficiency of adult incontinence care is particularly urgent.

[0003] Patients with urinary incontinence need to wear disposable absorbent clothing to keep their skin dry and avoid skin diseases caused by prolonged moisture. Some patients lack self-care ability and require assistance from others, making the care process tedious and time-consuming. As the number of people requiring care gradually increases, the workload of caregivers is also increasing.

[0004] The replacement of existing absorbent pads requires either inspection by nursing staff or request from the patient. However, due to the heavy workload of nursing staff, some patients are unable to express their needs in a timely manner, which can easily lead to the absorbent pads remaining damp for extended periods, making the patient's skin more susceptible to disease. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides an absorbent pad and a method for indicating its replacement, thereby resolving the technical issue that absorbent pads in the prior art cannot automatically indicate their replacement.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0007] The present invention provides an absorbent pad comprising:

[0008] A liquid-permeable surface layer, the top surface of which is designed to come into contact with the patient's skin at the excretory site;

[0009] An impermeable substrate, the edge of which is detachably connected to the edge of the permeable surface layer to form a sandwich layer;

[0010] An absorbent layer, fixed within the interlayer, is used to absorb liquid;

[0011] An electrode array layer is disposed between the absorbent layer and the impermeable bottom layer, and includes multiple sets of uniformly distributed detection electrodes;

[0012] The detection module is connected to multiple sets of detection electrodes to form a detection loop when the area between any set of detection electrodes is wet, and to detect the liquid distribution information of the absorption layer based on the electrical signal in each detection loop.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a conductive material layer is provided on the top surface of the impermeable bottom layer, and an insulating material is provided between the detection electrode and the conductive material layer.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive material layer is formed by spraying or printing powdered graphite, wherein the particle size of the powdered graphite is between 200 mesh and 10000 mesh.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, each group of detection electrodes includes two single electrodes; the detection module includes a processing unit, a power supply and a signal amplification circuit, the two single electrodes in each group of detection electrodes are connected to the input terminal of the signal amplification circuit through wires, the output terminal of the signal amplification circuit is connected to the processing unit, and the output terminal of the power supply is connected to the power supply and the wires.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the detection module further includes a communication unit connected to the computing processor, which is used to perform radio early warning based on a control signal generated by the computing processor, wherein the computing processor generates the control signal based on the liquid distribution information of the absorption layer.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the edge of the impermeable bottom layer is connected to the edge of the permeable top layer by Velcro.

[0018] The present invention also provides a replacement reminder for the absorbent pad, comprising:

[0019] Periodically acquire signals from the electrode array;

[0020] When an electrical signal of any one or more sets of detection electrodes in the electrode array is acquired at the first time point, the one or more sets of detection electrodes are used as reference electrodes.

[0021] Determine the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode;

[0022] When the area is less than a preset area threshold, signal acquisition is performed on the adjacent detection electrodes around the reference electrode at a second time point, wherein the second time point is later than the first time point;

[0023] When the area corresponding to the first time point is greater than or equal to a preset area threshold, or when the electrical signal of the adjacent detection electrode around the reference electrode is collected at the second time point, an absorption pad replacement prompt signal is generated.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, signal acquisition of the electrode array is performed periodically, including:

[0025] Signals are periodically acquired from one or more sets of detection electrodes at the center of the electrode array. When an electrical signal is acquired from one or more sets of detection electrodes at the center, signals are acquired from all detection electrodes in the electrode array.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, determining the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode includes:

[0027] Determine the distance L between adjacent single electrodes in each group of detection electrodes, and the distance H between adjacent detection electrodes of two different lines;

[0028] The coverage area S of any set of detection electrodes based on distances L and H d ,

[0029] The area S of the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode is calculated based on the number N of detection electrodes in the reference electrode and the coverage area of ​​each group of detection electrodes, where S = N × S. d .

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when the area corresponding to the first time point is less than a preset area threshold, and when the electrical signal of the adjacent detection electrode around the reference electrode is collected at the second time point, generating patient excretion data and sending the patient excretion data to the target object.

[0031] Advantages of this invention: This invention provides an absorbent pad and a method for indicating its replacement, comprising a liquid-permeable surface layer, a liquid-impermeable bottom layer, an absorbent layer, an electrode array layer, and a detection module. The edges of the liquid-permeable surface layer and the liquid-impermeable bottom layer are detachably connected, forming a sandwich layer that secures the absorbent layer. The electrode array layer is positioned between the liquid-impermeable bottom layer and the absorbent layer. Each group of electrodes in the electrode array layer generates a circuit in its corresponding area when wet, thereby generating an electrical signal. This application collects the electrical signals from multiple detection electrodes in the electrode array layer to determine the area of ​​the wet region within the absorbent layer and the diffusion rate of the liquid. Based on the combined analysis of the wet region area and the diffusion rate of the liquid, it determines whether the absorbent layer and the liquid-permeable surface layer need to be replaced. When replacement is required, a corresponding replacement prompt signal is generated and sent to the nursing staff. This automatically monitors patients, effectively reducing the workload of nursing staff. Furthermore, since only the liquid-permeable surface layer and the absorbent layer need to be replaced, the replacement cost of the absorbent pad can also be reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an absorbent pad according to one embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an absorbent pad and a method for prompting the replacement of the absorbent pad according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode in this embodiment.

[0035] Among them, 110 is the liquid-permeable surface layer, 120 is the liquid-impermeable bottom layer, 130 is the absorption layer, 140 is the electrode array layer, and 150 is the detection module. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To enhance understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. These embodiments are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Example

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an absorbent pad according to one embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the absorbent pad provided in this invention includes a liquid-permeable surface layer 110, a liquid-impermeable bottom layer 120, an absorbent layer 130, an electrode array layer 140, and a detection module 150.

[0039] The liquid-permeable surface layer 110 has its top surface designed to come into contact with the patient's skin at the excretory site. The liquid-permeable surface layer 110 is in direct contact with the patient's skin and can be made of skin-friendly and water-permeable materials, such as cotton, woven fabric, and non-woven fabric.

[0040] The impermeable bottom layer 120 has its edge detachably connected to the edge of the permeable surface layer to form a sandwich layer. The function of the impermeable bottom layer 120 is to retain the patient's excreted fluid inside the absorbent pad, and therefore it can be made of materials such as rubber, silicone, and polyethylene.

[0041] The edges of the permeable surface layer 110 and the impermeable bottom layer 120 are each provided with matching Velcro straps, which are used to detachably connect the permeable surface layer 110 and the impermeable bottom layer 120. Since the permeable surface layer 110 is frequently contaminated by the patient's excrement, the aforementioned detachable structure allows for convenient replacement of the permeable surface layer 110.

[0042] Absorbent layer 130 is fixed inside the interlayer and is used to absorb liquid; absorbent layer 120 can be made of sponge, fluff pulp, superabsorbent polymer, etc. The absorbent layer is set in the interlayer. Since the interlayer can be opened with Velcro, the absorbent layer can also be easily replaced in this embodiment.

[0043] An electrode array layer 140 is disposed between the absorbent layer and the impermeable substrate 120, and includes multiple sets of uniformly distributed detection electrodes. The electrode array layer 140 is composed of multiple sets of detection electrodes and a mesh-like flexible substrate, with the multiple sets of detection electrodes fixed on the flexible substrate. Each set of detection electrodes includes two single electrodes.

[0044] In each set of detection electrodes, one single electrode is connected to an external power supply, and the other single electrode is connected to ground. The two electrodes in each set are spaced apart and in direct contact with the absorption layer 130. When the absorption layer 130 corresponding to the area between the two electrodes becomes wet, the two single electrodes conduct to form a detection circuit.

[0045] In this embodiment, to facilitate better conductivity between the two single electrodes, conductive ions are added to the liquid. Therefore, a conductive material layer is provided on the top surface of the impermeable substrate, and an insulating material is provided between the detection electrode and the conductive material layer. The conductive material layer is formed by spraying or printing powdered graphite, with the particle size of the powdered graphite ranging from 200 mesh to 10000 mesh. In this embodiment, by adding powdered graphite to the top surface of the impermeable substrate 120, when the patient's excretory fluid comes into contact with the impermeable substrate 120 from the absorbent layer 130, the graphite powder acts as conductive ions, making it easier for the two single electrodes to conduct. This makes the detection effect of the absorbent pad in this application more sensitive.

[0046] In addition, as an alternative to this embodiment, the detection electrode can be directly placed on the impermeable liquid bottom layer 120, and multiple sets of unconnected graphite powder layers can be sprayed on the impermeable liquid. When the liquid is immersed to the impermeable liquid bottom layer 120, the liquid will connect the multiple sets of graphite powder layers to form a detection circuit.

[0047] The detection module 150 is connected to multiple sets of detection electrodes and is used to form a detection loop when the area between any set of detection electrodes is wet, and to detect the liquid distribution information of the absorption layer based on the electrical signal in each detection loop.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present invention, the detection module includes a processing unit, a power supply and a signal amplification circuit. Two single electrodes in each group of detection electrodes are connected to the input terminal of the signal amplification circuit through wires. The output terminal of the signal amplification circuit is connected to the processing unit, and the output terminal of the power supply is connected to the power supply and the wires.

[0049] The detection module is integrated into a printed circuit board. When two single electrodes in any set of detection electrodes form a detection loop, the amplification circuit can directly acquire the electrical signal in the detection loop. After amplification, the signal is recognized by the processing unit. Since different detection electrodes are connected to different pins of the processing unit, the processing unit can identify the position of the detection electrodes by their pin numbers.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, the detection module further includes a communication unit connected to the computing processor, which is used to perform radio early warning based on a control signal generated by the computing processor, wherein the computing processor generates the control signal based on the liquid distribution information of the absorption layer.

[0051] In this embodiment, a communication unit is used to send out the signals generated by the processing unit. For example, the generated replacement prompt information is sent to the mobile phone of the nursing staff to remind the patient that the absorbent pad needs to be replaced.

[0052] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an absorbent pad and a method for indicating when to replace the absorbent pad, as described in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, in order to achieve automatic reminder of absorbent pad replacement based on the above-mentioned absorbent pad, this embodiment also provides an absorbent pad and a method for reminding the replacement of the absorbent pad, including:

[0053] S210, periodically acquire signals from the electrode array. The signal acquisition is performed by the arithmetic processor. Therefore, the arithmetic processor in this application can periodically wake up and periodically acquire signals from the electrode array under the clock signal provided by the local clock.

[0054] In addition, to further save power, this application periodically acquires signals from one or more sets of detection electrodes at the center of the electrode array. When the electrical signal of one or more sets of detection electrodes at the center is acquired, signals are acquired from all detection electrodes in the electrode array.

[0055] In most cases, the absorbent pad is wetted by excrement from the central location. Therefore, the processor only needs to perform sampling on a few pins each time it is woken up. Once the absorbent layer 130 in the central location is detected to be wetted, detection on all pins is then initiated. As an alternative embodiment, the detection electrode in the central location can be replaced with multiple sets of uniformly sampled detection electrodes. For example, one set of detection electrodes can be selected from five sets, and the processor pin corresponding to this set of detection electrodes can be used for timing detection.

[0056] S220, when an electrical signal of any one or more sets of detection electrodes in the electrode array is acquired at the first time point, the one or more sets of detection electrodes are used as reference electrodes.

[0057] During the timed data acquisition process, if the processing unit acquires an electrical signal from one or more sets of detection electrodes at any point in time (the first time point), it indicates that the corresponding area is wetted by excrement. To locate the wet area, this embodiment uses the detection electrode that generates the electrical signal at the first time point as the reference electrode to determine the area corresponding to the reference electrode.

[0058] S230, determine the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode;

[0059] Since the detection electrodes are fixed in position within the electrode array layer 140, the positions of the electrode array layer 140 and the absorption layer 130 correspond. Therefore, after determining the reference electrode, the moist area in the absorption layer 130 can be determined. In this embodiment, the area of ​​this region is determined to ascertain the patient's excretion volume at the first time point.

[0060] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode in this embodiment, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode is determined in the following way:

[0061] S231, determine the distance L between adjacent single electrodes in each group of detection electrodes, and the distance H between adjacent detection electrodes of two different lines;

[0062] S232, based on the coverage area S of any set of detection electrodes at distances L and H. d ,

[0063] S233, Calculate the area S of the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode based on the number N of detection electrodes in the reference electrode and the coverage area of ​​each group of detection electrodes, S = N × S d .

[0064] Since each detection electrode group includes two single electrodes, the four single electrodes corresponding to any two non-collinear adjacent detection electrode groups form a quadrilateral to cover the corresponding area. Therefore, the coverage area of ​​the four single electrodes is L×H; using equal division, the coverage area of ​​one detection electrode group should be... Therefore, once the number of detection electrode groups in the reference electrode is determined, the area of ​​the humid region of the absorption layer 130 at the first time point can be roughly estimated.

[0065] S240, when the area is less than a preset area threshold, signal acquisition is performed on the adjacent detection electrodes around the reference electrode at a second time point, wherein the second time point is later than the first time point;

[0066] If the wetted area of ​​the absorbent layer 130 at the first time point is relatively small (i.e., less than the preset area threshold), it indicates that the amount of excretion produced by the patient at the first time point is not very large. There is a possibility that the absorbent pad does not need to be replaced. Therefore, to further verify the patient's excretion volume, this application further determines the diffusion rate of the excreted fluid within the absorbent layer 130.

[0067] Generally, the greater the excretion volume, the faster the excretion rate. Therefore, a second time point is set. If the liquid in the absorbent layer 130 diffuses from the reference electrode to the electrode adjacent to the basic electrode in a short time (the difference between the second time point and the first time point, for example, 0.1 s), it indicates that the diffusion rate is relatively fast, which also indicates that the patient's excretion volume is relatively large.

[0068] S250, when the area corresponding to the first time point is greater than or equal to a preset area threshold, or when the electrical signal of the adjacent detection electrode around the reference electrode is collected at the second time point, an absorption pad replacement prompt signal is generated.

[0069] Furthermore, if the wetted area of ​​the absorption layer 130 is large at the first point in time, it directly indicates that the patient's excretion volume is large. In cases of large excretion volume, the processor, based on the communication unit, transmits pre-programmed information via radio technology to a third-party application on the target (caregiver's) mobile phone. This completes the automatic detection and prompting of the patient.

[0070] The above-mentioned detection and notification process can be completed quickly, thus promptly alerting caregivers and preventing prolonged contact between the patient's skin and the damp absorbent pad.

[0071] Furthermore, when the area corresponding to the first time point is less than a preset area threshold, and when the electrical signal of the adjacent detection electrode around the reference electrode is collected at the second time point, patient excretion data is generated and the patient excretion data is sent to the target object.

[0072] If the detected amount of excretion from a patient is low, there is no need to replace the absorbent pad directly. The excretion data can simply be sent to a third-party application on the target patient's (caregiver's) mobile phone for recording. This further reduces the workload of caregivers.

[0073] This invention discloses an absorbent pad and a method for indicating its replacement. The pad includes a liquid-permeable surface layer, a liquid-impermeable bottom layer, an absorbent layer, an electrode array layer, and a detection module. The edges of the liquid-permeable surface layer and the liquid-impermeable bottom layer are detachably connected, forming a sandwich layer that secures the absorbent layer. The electrode array layer is positioned between the liquid-impermeable bottom layer and the absorbent layer. Each set of electrodes in the electrode array layer generates a circuit in its corresponding area when wet, thus producing an electrical signal. This application collects the electrical signals from multiple sets of detection electrodes in the electrode array layer to determine the area of ​​the wet region within the absorbent layer and the diffusion rate of the liquid. Based on the combined analysis of these factors, it determines whether the absorbent layer and the liquid-permeable surface layer need to be replaced. When replacement is required, a corresponding replacement notification signal is generated and sent to the nursing staff. This automatically monitors patients, effectively reducing the workload of nursing staff. Furthermore, since only the liquid-permeable surface layer and the absorbent layer need to be replaced, the replacement cost of the absorbent pad can also be reduced.

[0074] The above embodiments should not limit the present invention in any way. All technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or equivalent conversion fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An absorbent pad, characterized in that, include: A liquid-permeable surface layer, the top surface of which is designed to come into contact with the patient's skin at the excretory site; An impermeable substrate, the edge of which is detachably connected to the edge of the permeable surface layer to form a sandwich layer; An absorbent layer, fixed within the interlayer, is used to absorb liquid; An electrode array layer is disposed between the absorbent layer and the impermeable bottom layer, and includes multiple sets of uniformly distributed detection electrodes; The detection module is connected to multiple sets of detection electrodes to form a detection loop when the area between any set of detection electrodes is wet, and to detect the liquid distribution information of the absorption layer based on the electrical signal in each detection loop. The method for indicating the replacement of the absorption pad includes: periodically acquiring signals from the electrode array; When an electrical signal of any one or more sets of detection electrodes in the electrode array is acquired at the first time point, the one or more sets of detection electrodes are used as reference electrodes. Determine the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode; When the area is less than a preset area threshold, signal acquisition is performed on the adjacent detection electrodes around the reference electrode at a second time point, wherein the second time point is later than the first time point; When the area corresponding to the first time point is greater than or equal to a preset area threshold, or when the electrical signal of the adjacent detection electrode around the reference electrode is collected at the second time point, an absorption pad replacement prompt signal is generated. Determining the area of ​​the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode includes: determining the distance L between adjacent single electrodes in each group of detection electrodes, and the distance H between adjacent detection electrodes of two different lines; Based on the coverage area Sd of any set of detection electrodes at distances L and H, ; The area S of the absorption layer region corresponding to the reference electrode is calculated based on the number N of the detection electrodes in the reference electrode and the coverage area of ​​each group of detection electrodes, where S = N × Sd. The absorbent pad further includes: generating patient excretion data and sending the patient excretion data to the target object when the area corresponding to the first time point is less than a preset area threshold and when the electrical signal of the adjacent detection electrode around the reference electrode is collected at the second time point.

2. The absorbent pad according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top surface of the impermeable substrate is provided with a conductive material layer, and an insulating material is provided between the detection electrode and the conductive material layer.

3. The absorbent pad according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conductive material layer is formed by spraying or printing powdered graphite, wherein the particle size of the powdered graphite is between 200 mesh and 10000 mesh.

4. The absorbent pad according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each set of detection electrodes includes two single electrodes; The detection module includes a processing unit, a power supply, and a signal amplification circuit. Two single electrodes in each group of detection electrodes are connected to the input terminal of the signal amplification circuit via wires. The output terminal of the signal amplification circuit is connected to the processing unit, and the output terminal of the power supply is connected to the power supply and the wires.

5. An absorbent pad according to claim 4, characterized in that, The detection module further includes a communication unit connected to the computing processor, which is used to provide radio early warning based on control signals generated by the computing processor, wherein the computing processor generates the control signals based on the liquid distribution information of the absorption layer.

6. An absorbent pad according to claim 1, characterized in that, The edge of the impermeable bottom layer is connected to the edge of the permeable top layer by Velcro.

7. An absorbent pad according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of periodically acquiring signals from the electrode array includes: periodically acquiring signals from one or more sets of detection electrodes at the center of the electrode array; and acquiring signals from all detection electrodes in the electrode array when electrical signals from one or more sets of detection electrodes at the center are acquired.

Images