Method and system for sensing defecation

Abstract

A defecation detection and alert system includes a sensing device mounted to an absorbent article for alerting a caregiver of the presence of solid excreta by analyzing gas expelled from the absorbent article during defecation. The system includes an elongate conduit made of a flexible material and mounted to an absorbent article. The pipeline is connected to a gas sensor arranged in the hanging device, and the gas sensor determines whether defecation occurs in the absorption product or not by detecting existence of hydrogen sulfide gas.

Description

Background Art Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a defecation detection and alarm system, and in particular, to a sensing system for collecting sensor signals of a gas sensor mounted on an absorbent article of a patient or user.

[0002] Related technical notes

[0003] Disposable absorbent articles are products that can receive and retain body exudates or excrement to prevent them from contaminating clothing or the external environment, such as disposable diapers. For example, users of disposable diapers can urinate or defecate without using a toilet. In addition to diapers, there are many other types of disposable absorbent articles, such as pads, incontinence pads, close-fitting briefs, belt shields, liners, one-piece pads, pull-on incontinence pants, training pants, protective underwear, sanitary napkins and incontinence protectors. It should be understood that the list of disposable absorbent articles listed above is not exhaustive, and these absorbent articles and other absorbent articles can be used with the present disclosure and are within the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be understood that references to any such article in this specification, such as "diapers", should be understood as references to any and all other suitable absorbent articles, including incontinence clothing, pads, etc.

[0004] In order to prevent the clothing or the external environment from being contaminated, disposable absorbent articles are provided with an absorbent core that can receive and retain body exudates or excreta, and a substantially liquid-impermeable layer. Generally speaking, disposable absorbent products are composed of a layered structure, which allows body exudates or excreta to be dispersed and transferred to and retained in the absorbent core. In daily use, disposable absorbent articles may be used until the absorbent core is, for example, saturated with body exudates or excreta. When the absorbent core is saturated, the disposable absorbent article needs to be removed, disposed of, and replaced with a clean, dry article.

[0005] In order to determine the saturation of the absorbent core, several methods have been proposed in the art. However, it is also necessary to effectively determine the type of body exudates that have penetrated the absorbent core. Specifically, this requires a system that can determine whether the absorbent core of the absorbent article has been saturated with urine or feces / solid excrement. In some methods proposed in the art, a wetness indicator is added to the absorbent article to detect the presence of urine, while in other methods, a sensor for odor detection is added to detect the presence of feces or defecation. However, difficulties have been encountered when utilizing the above-mentioned known methods to determine the type of excrement present in the absorbent article. Therefore, a kind of improved system and method is needed to warn the caregiver about the type of excrement contained in the absorbent core of the absorbent article worn by the patient or user. Summary of the invention

[0006] This summary introduces some concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] In various embodiments, the defecation detection and warning system may include a sensor device mounted on an absorbent article for alerting a caregiver of the presence of urine and solid excrement in the absorbent article by analyzing the gas and / or liquid discharged from the absorbent article. According to one embodiment, the system may include a sensor strip, the sensor strip comprising one or more sensors for detecting the presence of solid, liquid and gaseous substances discharged by the wearer of the absorbent article during urination and / or defecation. The system may also include a pipe mounted on the absorbent article, preferably, the pipe is made of a flexible material, such as plastic or rubber. A gas sensor may be connected to at least one end of the pipe. In a preferred embodiment, the gas sensor is disposed in a hanging device for detecting the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas to determine whether defecation or feces occurs in the absorbent article. In other embodiments, preferably, a covering layer made of a hydrophobic nonwoven material is covered on the pipe to form a strip. The strip may be adhered to the absorbent article. In some embodiments, the pipe is provided with holes along its surface, and gaseous substances can enter the pipe through the holes, but liquid substances cannot enter. In additional embodiments, a hydrophobic material may be applied to one or both ends of the pipe to prevent liquids such as urine from entering the pipe.

[0008] In one embodiment, the defecation detection and alarm system may include a hanging device, the hanging device including a coupler for connecting a pipe to the hanging device. In other embodiments, the hanging device includes one or more forced air intake devices for periodically extracting air from the pipe and transferring the extracted air to the gas sensor. According to one embodiment, the gas sensor can be connected to the forced air intake device through a chamber for equalizing air pressure. In other embodiments of the present invention, the defecation detection and alarm system may include a mechanical and / or cantilever device for extracting air from the pipe and transferring the extracted air to the gas sensor. In some embodiments, air can be extracted from the pipe only when body movement of the patient or the user of the absorbent article is detected.

[0009] In further embodiments, the hanger may include a humidity sensor in addition to the gas sensor to reduce false positive defecation / feces detection caused by water vapor generated during urination events in the absorbent article. In other embodiments, the hanger may be a V-shaped hanger, and the tube may include one or more holes to allow air within the tube to be drawn into the hanger when the hanger is snapped onto the tube.

[0010] The features and advantages of the additional aspects of the present disclosure will be partially given in the following detailed description and drawings, and partly will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings. It should be understood that the above content, as well as the following detailed description and drawings, are only used to explain the present disclosure and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 An example of a diaper in the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an X-axis cross section of a diaper in the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a Y-axis cross-section of a diaper in the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the two ends of the inner channel of the diaper in the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Two pipe sizes in different embodiments of the present disclosure are shown respectively.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the hanging part in the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Two methods of extracting air from a pipeline in different embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown.

[0018] Fig.10 A system for connecting a pipe to a hanger in accordance with a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Fig.11 A system for connecting a pipe to a hanger in various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure relates to a defecation detection and alarm system, and in particular, to a sensing system for collecting sensor signals of a gas sensor mounted on an absorbent article of a patient or user.

[0021] The detailed description provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended to be a description of an example and is not intended to represent the only form in which the example can be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions of the example and the order of steps for constructing and operating the example. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences can be implemented by different examples.

[0022] References to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," "an implementation," "an implementation," "an example," "an example," and the like indicate that the described embodiment, implementation, or example may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment, implementation, or example may include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, implementation, or example. Furthermore, when particular features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, implementation, or example, it should be understood that such features, structures, or characteristics may be implemented in conjunction with other embodiments, implementations, or examples, whether or not explicitly described.

[0023] Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments of the described subject matter. However, it is understood that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

[0024] The various features of the present disclosure are now described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers generally indicate the same or corresponding elements throughout. The drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter to the particular forms described. On the contrary, the purpose is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0025] Referring now to the drawings, in particular Figures 1 to 11 , various features of the present disclosure are described in more detail with respect to the use of a sensor device on an absorbent article 3 for detecting bowel movement.

[0026] Figure 1 A plan view of an absorbent article or diaper 3 is shown with a sensor strip 1 adhered to the center of the diaper 3. When the length and size of the sensor strip 1 used matches the diaper 3, the electrodes in the sensor strip 1 will cover the detection area of ​​the diaper 3 from the front to the back, corresponding to the human body area from the groin to the buttocks. The adhesively attached sensor strip preferably contains at least two carbon printed lines to sense the presence of urine in the diaper 3. In the main embodiment, the sensor strip 1 extends a certain length from the front waistband of the diaper for coupling to a wet event warning device such as a hanger 2.

[0027] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3, various features of the present disclosure are described in more detail with respect to a defecation monitoring and alarm system using a sensor device mounted inside an absorbent article 3. The defecation detection system of the present disclosure warns a caregiver of the presence of urine and solid excrement by analyzing the gas and / or liquid discharged from the diaper 3. In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor strip 1 includes a sensor for detecting the presence of gas released by the wearer of the diaper 3 during defecation. The sensor can detect odors associated with urine and solid excrement. More specifically, the sensor can detect hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) from certain enzymes and bacteria, and hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) from certain enzymes and bacteria. 2 S) and volatile hydrogen sulfide organic acid gases (RSH), all of which are associated with solid excrement. 2 When the concentration of S gas exceeds the threshold, the sensor will be triggered. However, if necessary, the sensors can be modified so that they are triggered when they detect such gases alone or when they detect a combination of such gases. In addition, to prevent false alarms, the hanging device 2 can be configured (or programmed) so that it will not indicate that excrement has been detected unless the above-mentioned gases are detected within a predetermined time period.

[0028] In another embodiment, the sensor strip 1 includes a thin tube 6 extending along the length of the strip 1 for detecting the presence of one or more gases released by the wearer or the diaper 3 during a bowel movement. In some embodiments, the tube 6 may have openings at both ends to allow gaseous substances to enter and pass through the tube 6. In a preferred embodiment, the tube 6 has a diameter of 1 to 2 mm and is made of a flexible material so that the tube does not cause discomfort to the wearer of the diaper 3. In some embodiments, the tube 6 is made of rubber or plastic material. In an optional embodiment, the tube 6 can be inserted into the diaper 3. In another optional embodiment, the tube 6 can be placed below the sensor strip 1 or otherwise mounted to the sensor strip 1.

[0029] Figure 2 and Figure 3 3 and 4. The diagrams are perspective views of the X-axis and Y-axis cross-sections of the diaper 3 of the present disclosure, respectively. The accompanying drawings show an embodiment of the defecation detection and alarm system of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the tube 6 and the cover layer 4 are connected together to form a strip 1. In one embodiment, the cover layer 4 is made of a flexible material to make the wearer of the diaper 3 feel comfortable. Such flexible materials may include plastic materials and / or non-woven materials. In a preferred embodiment, the cover layer 4 is made of a hydrophobic non-woven material to prevent urine from entering the pipe 6.

[0030] The strip 1 also includes an adhesive on one surface to form a peel and stick mechanism. A caregiver (e.g., a nurse in a hospital) can attach the strip 1 to the diaper 3 by a method disclosed in more detail elsewhere in this application, and further attach one end of the tube 6 to the hanging device 2. Those skilled in the art can enable the strip 1 to sense other body fluids including urine by printing carbon lines on the cover layer 4 or other layers of the diaper 3.

[0031] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in different embodiments of the present disclosure, the pipe 6 can have a variety of sizes (lengths). Figure 5 In the preferred embodiment shown, the length of the tube 6 is very short, for example about 4 inches (about 10.16 cm), and covers the area from the front waistband of the diaper 3 to the abdominal area of ​​the wearer of the diaper 3 when installed. In another preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the conduit 6 is relatively long, about 25 to 30 inches (about 63.5 cm to 73.2 cm), covering the area from the front waistband of the diaper 3 to the rear of the buttocks near or beyond the anus area, so that the gas in this area can enter the conduit 6 of the diaper 3. In two preferred embodiments, the end of the conduit 6 that is not connected to the hanging device 2 is placed in a manner to prevent urine from entering the conduit 6 in the case of urination in the diaper 3. This allows the conduit 6 to remain unobstructed to detect the presence of one or more gases released during defecation in the diaper 3. Figure 4 The end of the conduit 6 is described in more detail in .

[0032] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the end of the pipe 6 not connected to the hanging device 2 can have a variety of configurations to allow more air to enter the pipe 6. In an optional embodiment, both ends of the pipe 6 can be specially treated to allow more air to enter the pipe 6.

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, hydrophobic material 5 may be added to both ends of the conduit 6 to prevent liquid from entering the conduit 6. In one embodiment, the hydrophobic material 5 may be composed of non-polar molecules that repel water. When urination occurs in the diaper 3, the hydrophobic material 5 repels the liquid produced during urination and prevents the liquid from entering the conduit 6 and causing blockage. In another embodiment, the conduit 6 may have holes along its surface, which only allow gaseous substances to pass through and enter the conduit 6 without allowing liquid to enter the conduit 6.

[0034] like Figure 7As shown, the hanger 2 may include a coupler 8 to connect the conduit 6 to the hanger. The hanger 2 may also include a forced air intake device 13, which regularly draws air from the conduit 6 and transfers the air to a gas sensor 9 disposed in the hanger 2 for sensing one or more gases released during defecation in the diaper 3. In another embodiment, the gas sensor 9 is connected to the forced air intake device 13 through a cavity (not shown in the figure). The cavity equalizes the pressure from the forced air intake device 13 before transferring the gas to the gas sensor 9. In a preferred embodiment, due to the sensitivity of the gas sensor 9 to air pressure, a cavity is provided in the cavity and a lower air intake pressure is applied to the conduit 6. This embodiment allows a small amount of air to enter the chamber without causing a significant change in air pressure.

[0035] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The process of extracting air from the pipe 6 and measuring the sensor reading of the gas sensor 9 is shown. Figure 8 In the embodiment shown, a piezoelectric cantilever device 10 may be mounted on the pipe 6. The piezoelectric device 10 continuously vibrates and draws air out of the pipe 6. The device 10 may continuously push one side of the pipe 6, causing the pipe 6 to push air in one direction while maintaining a constant air pressure.

[0036] Fig. 9 Another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, a mechanical intermittent device 15 similar to the system used in hospitals to press liquid into the blood can be used in the tube 6 to extract air from the tube and transfer the air to the hanger 2. Preferably, a motor can be installed on the tube 6 to push the tube 6 from the outside, so that the tube 6 bends and pushes the air in the tube 6 into the hanger 2.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the air in the duct 6 is forced into the hanger 2 only when body movement of the wearer of the diaper 3 is detected, which indicates a bowel movement in the diaper 3. This embodiment reduces the battery consumption of the hanger 2.

[0038] refer to Figure 7 , a humidity sensor may be included in the hanger 2 to sense humidity and eliminate false positives in the signal generated by the gas sensor 9. A urination event in the diaper 3 may cause water vapor to be generated in the diaper 3, and the gas sensor 9 may erroneously detect the water vapor as defecation. In one embodiment of the present invention, the humidity sensor may calibrate the signal generated by the gas sensor 9 based on its own measurement of the humidity within the conduit 6. If a urination event in the diaper 3 causes the gas sensor 9 to erroneously detect the generated water vapor as defecation, the humidity sensor may reduce the level of the signal generated by the gas sensor 9, or may identify the signal generated by the gas sensor 9 as a false positive.

[0039] Fig.10 2 shows an exemplary configuration of the hanging device 2 and the pipe 6 of the present disclosure. Fig.10 As shown, the pipe 6 can be connected to the hanger 2 by inserting one end of the pipe 6 into the hole 14 on the hanger 2. In addition, the hanger 2 may include a hanger cover 11 to prevent contaminants from entering the hanger 2. In a preferred embodiment, the hanger cover 11 can be set inside or outside the hanger 2, and can automatically cover the hanger hole 14 when the hanger 2 is not connected to the pipe 6. In an optional embodiment, a button can be set on the side of the hanger 2, and the hanger hole 14 can be opened by pressing the button, and the pipe 6 can be connected to the hanger 2 by pushing the pipe 6 through the hole 14. Similarly, the hanger 2 can be separated from the pipe 6 by pressing the button and pulling the pipe 6, and then the hanger cover 11 is automatically closed.

[0040] In addition, the conduit 6 may include a liquid-impermeable material 12 near the end of the conduit 6 connected to the hanger 2. The liquid-impermeable material 12 can only allow gaseous substances to pass through, and prevent the hanger 2 from being contaminated by blocking any non-gaseous substances and microorganisms (such as bacteria and viruses) generated during urination and / or defecation in the diaper 3.

[0041] Fig.11 1 shows another exemplary configuration of a V-shaped hanger 15 and a pipe 6 of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the end of the pipe 6 connected to the hanger 15 is closed and has a small hole 7 to allow gaseous substances to enter the hanger 15 through the pipe 6. The V-shaped hanger 15 can be connected to the hanger 15, for example, by pressing the hanger 15 to clamp this end of the pipe 6, thereby automatically opening the hole on the hanger 15, allowing the gaseous substances to enter the hanger 15 through the hole 7 on the pipe 6.

[0042] The detailed description provided above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of examples and is not intended to represent the only form in which the examples may be constructed or utilized. It should be understood that the configurations and / or methods described herein are exemplary in nature, and the described embodiments, implementations, and / or examples should not be considered restrictive, as there may be many variations.

[0043] The specific processes or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. Therefore, the various operations shown and / or described may be performed in the order shown and / or described, in other orders, in parallel, or omitted. Similarly, the order of the above-mentioned processes may be changed. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or method actions, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned specific features or actions. On the contrary, the specific features and actions described above are presented as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A system for detecting defecation in an absorbent article, characterized in that include: an adhesive strip comprising a conduit mounted to said absorbent article; a hanging device removably mounted to the absorbent article, wherein the hanging device is connected to the conduit; a mechanical device disposed in the hanging device for periodically extracting air from the duct; as well as At least one gas sensor is disposed within the hanging device for sensing gas released during defecation.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least one gas sensor detects the presence of gases released during a bowel movement, including hydrogen sulfide gas in the absorbent article.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The pipe is made of a flexible material selected from rubber and plastic materials.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system also includes a cover mounted to the pipe and forming a strip.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The covering layer is made of a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric material.

6. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The strip includes an adhesive on one surface.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that A hydrophobic material is applied to at least one end of the conduit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein: The tube has perforations along its surface so that gaseous substances can enter the tube and liquid substances cannot enter the tube.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least one hanger comprises a coupler for connecting the pipe to the hanger.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one hanging device includes one or more forced air intake devices for periodically drawing air from the duct and delivering the drawn air to the at least one gas sensor.

11. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that The at least one gas sensor is connected to the one or more forced air induction devices through one or more chambers to equalize gas pressure from the one or more forced air induction devices.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein: The system also includes a piezoelectric cantilever device mounted to the conduit for drawing air from the conduit and delivering the drawn air to the at least one gas sensor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein: When body movement of the wearer of the absorbent article is detected, air within the duct is drawn into the at least one gas sensor.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein: The at least one hanging device comprises a humidity sensor for eliminating false positive measurement signals from the at least one gas sensor.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein: The at least one hanging device is a V-shaped device connected to the pipeline.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein: One end of the conduit connected to the at least one V-shaped hanger has one or more holes to allow gaseous material to pass through the conduit and enter the at least one V-shaped hanger.

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