Method and system for incontinence product assessment

Abstract

Methods and systems for computer-based comparison of use processes of groups of incontinence products. A processor of a computer device, such as an estimation server, is configured to receive, for each of a plurality of wearers in a care system, first evaluation timing data regarding a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, second evaluation timing data regarding a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer and a wearer profile record. The processor is further configured to generate values of a plurality of estimated parameters indicative of a comparison of the first process of use and the second process of use based on processing the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data and a wearer profile record from each of the plurality of wearers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an estimation server and an interactive evaluation tool for facilitating computer evaluation and representation of the use process of incontinence products. Background Art

[0002] Hygiene products such as incontinence products are widely used worldwide by people suffering from incontinence (i.e., involuntary and uncontrolled excretion of bladder or bowel contents) or having trouble using the toilet independently. For example, it is relatively common for the elderly, disabled, and bedridden in hospitals, nursing homes, and similar institutions to suffer from incontinence and may thus not always anticipate or control the need to use the toilet. For this reason, such people typically use absorbent products such as incontinence pads, pants, towels, diapers, etc. These people usually require the assistance of a nurse or other caregiver to manually check whether the incontinence product needs to be replaced.

[0003] Since the worldwide population is generally aging, nursing homes, hospitals, and other care systems may be overwhelmed by the labor and costs required for people involved in incontinence problems. More specifically, it can be challenging to determine which incontinence products to use in a way that allows for reducing the costs and manpower required to operate the care system.

[0004] Traditionally, the decision to order a particular product is based on the attributes of the product and mainly on its cost. Product manufacturers or distributors can provide physical samples of products for the care system and can provide them to residents to wear the products. The evaluation of new or modified products (if performed) is usually manual and subjective. In addition, the selection of products can be made without considering the impact that product changes may have on the entire care system.

[0005] Therefore, there is still a need for improved methods for properly managing the selection and use of incontinence products. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of embodiments of the present disclosure is to address the above needs in terms of improved techniques for evaluating the use process of various types of incontinence or containment products.

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a technology to address the above needs. In particular, a computer evaluation tool or platform is provided for computer evaluation and representation of the usage process of incontinence products. A system including an estimation server and an evaluation tool according to aspects of the present disclosure allows the export of values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to computer-generated estimations of the usage process of a certain group of one or more incontinence products. The estimation server and the evaluation tool perform computer-generated comparisons of the usage processes of different groups of incontinence products. In this way, the operation results of the estimation server and the evaluation tool allow indicating to a care system the value of selecting a particular group of incontinence products over one or more other groups of incontinence products.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method is provided that is executed by at least one processor of an estimation server, the estimation server being configured to:

[0009] For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system,

[0010] During a first evaluation time period, receive first evaluation time-series data regarding a first usage process of a first group of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer;

[0011] During a second evaluation time period, receive second evaluation time-series data regarding a second usage process of a second group of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; and

[0012] Receive a wearer profile record created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer is assigned from a plurality of profile groups and metadata related to the wearer, where:

[0013] The first evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of first evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the first group of one or more incontinence products, and the second evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of second evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the second group of incontinence products;

[0014] The first usage process includes a plurality of first steps, and the second usage process includes a plurality of second steps; and

[0015] For each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, steps from the plurality of first steps and second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the steps; and

[0016] In response to receiving the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data and receiving the wearer profile record from each wearer of the plurality of wearers, generate values of a plurality of estimation parameters indicating a comparison of the first usage process and the second usage process based on processing the first evaluation timing data, the second evaluation timing data, and the wearer profile record from each wearer of the plurality of wearers.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, this object is achieved by the inventive concept disclosed herein. Thus, the technical effect includes determining values of estimation parameters related to the usage process of a specific set of one or more incontinence products being evaluated for use in a care system for a specific wearer. The values of the estimation parameters determined for the first usage process of the first set of one or more incontinence products are compared with the values of the estimation parameters determined for the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products. In this way, the present system and method allow the use of computer-based evaluation and estimation to generate values of estimation parameters that provide a computer representation of the effect or impact of a change from one set of incontinence products to another on the care system and the individual wearer, where the change can vary to and from different sets of products for different wearers in the care system. In this way, the impact of changes between sets of incontinence products in the care system can be automatically evaluated, which advantageously allows for improving the health condition of the wearer and saving costs and time associated with operating the care system. Additionally, the environmental impact of operating the care system can be reduced.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-implemented method executed by at least one processor of an estimation server, the estimation server being configured to:

[0019] In some examples, the values of the plurality of estimation parameters indicate a comparison between a first plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of the first usage process of the first set and a second plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of the second usage process of the second set.

[0020] In some examples, the values of the plurality of estimation parameters indicate a ratio between the first plurality of estimation parameters and the second plurality of estimation parameters.

[0021] In some examples, the method further includes: after receiving the first evaluation timing data, receiving sensor data obtained from a test incontinence product used by a wearer during an information collection period, the test incontinence product including a wireless sensor configured to measure the excretion activity of the wearer using the test incontinence product as sensor data including measured test excretion data, and configured to send the measured test excretion data to the estimation server.

[0022] In some examples, the second set of one or more incontinence products may be selected based on sensor data obtained from a test incontinence product.

[0023] In some examples, the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data are received via an evaluation user interface of an evaluation tool.

[0024] In some examples, the first evaluation period and the second evaluation period may have the same duration. In some examples, the first evaluation period and the second evaluation period may have different durations.

[0025] In some examples, the method may further include indicating a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters presented on a user interface. In some examples, the user interface may include a filter-based user interface that includes user-selectable filter fields for selecting at least one or more profile groups from a plurality of profile groups. In some examples, the filter-based user interface may be configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields.

[0026] In some examples, the step of generating a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters may include generating a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to two or more selected profile groups, such as three or more profile groups or all profile groups of a care system.

[0027] For example, the estimation parameters may include one or more of the following, such as at least two or all of the following: total absorption change, skin health, care efficiency (time of caregiver); sustainability, and total economic value change. For example, the estimation parameters may at least include care efficiency (time of staff or caregiver) or total economic value change, including the cost of the time of staff or caregiver.

[0028] In some examples, the computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters may include a first icon representing a corresponding estimation parameter from the plurality of estimation parameters and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing the value of the corresponding estimation parameter.

[0029] In some examples, the wearer is assigned to a profile group among a plurality of profile groups based at least on the wearer's excretion pattern, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive ability.

[0030] In some examples, the first evaluation time series data includes one or more of the following: skin evaluation, changes in a first set of incontinence products, feces in the first set of incontinence products, toileting, cleaning and protection events, occurrence of urine leakage, clothing change events, bedding change events, application of the first set of incontinence products of the day type, and application of the first set of incontinence products of the night type.

[0031] In some examples, the second evaluation time series data includes one or more of the following: skin evaluation, changes in a second set of incontinence products, feces in the second set of incontinence products, toileting, cleaning and protection events, occurrence of urine leakage, clothing change events, bedding change events, application of the second set of incontinence products of the day type, and application of the second set of incontinence products of the night type.

[0032] In some examples, the first evaluation parameter related to the wearer's use of one or more incontinence products in the first set and the second evaluation parameter related to the wearer's use of one or more incontinence products in the second set are the same parameter.

[0033] In some examples, the method may further include automatically transmitting, to an external computer, a request to deliver a certain amount of the second set of incontinence products to a care system when the value of at least one of a plurality of estimation parameters has reached or exceeded a threshold.

[0034] In some examples, the method may further include automatically generating, for the care system, a recommendation for a second usage process of one or more incontinence products in the second set. In some examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation for modifying at least one step among a plurality of second steps of the second usage process of one or more incontinence products in the second set. In some examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation for modifying the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

[0035] In some examples, the method may further include generating an indication for the care system, the indication recommending that the care system use the second set of incontinence products.

[0036] In some examples, the method may further include automatically generating, for the care system, a recommendation for a second usage process of one or more incontinence products in the second set. In some examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation for modifying at least one step among a plurality of second steps of the second usage process of one or more incontinence products in the second set. In some examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation for modifying the configuration of the second set of incontinence products. In some examples, sensor data obtained from a test incontinence product may be used to generate a recommendation for the care system.

[0037] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an estimation server including at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to:

[0038] For each wearer among multiple wearers in a care system:

[0039] During a first evaluation time period, receive first evaluation time-series data regarding a first usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer;

[0040] During a second evaluation time period, receive second evaluation time-series data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; and

[0041] Receive a wearer profile record created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer among multiple profile groups is assigned and metadata related to the wearer, wherein:

[0042] The first evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of first evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of second evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products;

[0043] The first usage process includes a plurality of first steps, and the second usage process includes a plurality of second steps; and

[0044] For each profile group among multiple profile groups, steps from the plurality of first steps and second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the steps; and

[0045] In response to receiving the first evaluation time-series data and the second evaluation time-series data and receiving the wearer profile record for each wearer among multiple wearers, generate values of a plurality of estimation parameters indicating a comparison of the first usage process and the second usage process based on processing the first evaluation time-series data, the second evaluation time-series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer among multiple wearers.

[0046] In some examples, at least one processor of an estimation server is configured to execute a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] In some examples, the first evaluation time-series data and the second evaluation time-series data are received from a computer device.

[0048] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system including a computer device and an estimation server is provided. The estimation server includes at least one processor configured to:

[0049] For each wearer among multiple wearers in a care system,

[0050] During a first evaluation time period, receive first evaluation time-series data regarding a first usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer;

[0051] During a second evaluation time period, receive second evaluation time-series data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer;

[0052] Receive a wearer profile record created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer from among a plurality of profile groups is assigned and meta-

[0053] data associated with the wearer, where:

[0054] The first evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of first evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of second evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products;

[0055] The first usage process includes a plurality of first steps, and the second usage process includes a plurality of second steps; and

[0056] For each profile group from among a plurality of profile groups, steps from among the plurality of first steps and second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the steps; and

[0057] In response to receiving the first evaluation time-series data and the second evaluation time-series data and receiving the wearer profile record for each wearer from among the plurality of wearers, generate values of a plurality of estimated parameters indicating a comparison of the first usage process and the second usage process based on processing the first evaluation time-series data, the second evaluation time-series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from among the plurality of wearers.

[0058] In some examples, in the system, at least one processor of an estimation server is configured to execute a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product including instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. A computer program product including instructions is stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and the instructions, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, the claims and the drawings. In addition, further advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, or will be recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein. Also disclosed herein are control units, computer program products and computer-readable media associated with the above-described technical effects and corresponding advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] With reference to the accompanying drawings, a more detailed description of aspects of the present disclosure is provided below by way of example.

[0063] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the architecture of a computer system in which a method according to aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0064] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a flowchart showing an example of a computer-implemented method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0065] Figure 3 is showing Figure 1 the communication of devices in a computer system.

[0066] Figure 4 is a graph showing a method of selecting a second group of incontinence products according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0067] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a computer-implemented method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0068] Figure 6A 、 6B 、6C, 6D and 6E are block diagrams showing examples of Figure 1 evaluation tools of a computer system according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0069] Figure 7A and 7B is a block diagram showing an example of a filter-based user interface according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0070] Figure 8 is a snapshot of an example of a filter-based user interface according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0071] Figure 9 is a snapshot of another instance of a filter-based user interface according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0072] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer device for implementing the examples disclosed herein according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0073] Figure 11Schematic diagram of an exemplary computer server for implementing the examples disclosed herein according to aspects of the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0074] For the comfort and dignity of the elderly and disabled (such as long-term care residents), various incontinence products have been developed. At the same time, selecting the appropriate type of product and determining, for example, the quantity of products required in a particular care facility or system remains a challenge. Selecting a product for a wearer is typically performed manually, without considering the characteristics of the person, and without determining the impact that the selection of a particular product or product type may have on the wearer and the overall operation of the care system. Although there are systems and digital tools for computerized management of people in care systems, there is still a need for improved computational methods to obtain, analyze, and use data related to the use of incontinence products in a care system or another environment.

[0075] Accordingly, an object of embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method for facilitating the acquisition and processing of data related to the use process of a certain type of incontinence product and for making an automatic decision regarding the selection of incontinence products.

[0076] This object is achieved by providing a technically implemented interactive tool, which is referred to herein as an evaluation platform or tool implemented in a system including a computer device and an estimation server that communicates with the computer device and other computer devices. The evaluation platform or tool is executed by the computer device. The processing circuitry of the computer device and the processing circuitry of the estimation server are configured to execute the methods according to aspects of the present disclosure, as described in detail below.

[0077] Figure 1 Depicted is a computer system 100 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The computer system 100 includes a computer system or device 102 and an estimation server 104 that communicate via a network such as a wireless communication network. The computer system 100 further includes a data storage device 106, which is accessible by the computer device 102 and the estimation server 104.

[0078] A computer device 102 (such as a personal computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or any other user electronic device) may be associated with a user (such as a care system and / or a caregiver). The computer system or device 102 may encompass more than one (e.g., two or more) computer devices associated with and controlled by a care system (such as a person or group of people in a care system). Multiple wearers of incontinence products may be associated with a care system. In some cases, the computer device 102 may be a specialized computer device configured to be used by staff in a care system (such as a nursing home, a retirement home, or other facility). However, it should be noted that the computer device 102 may be any type of computer device, as aspects of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard.

[0079] The estimation server 104 may be a machine such as a computer server that communicates with multiple user computer devices. The computer devices may be associated with different care systems, each care system having one or more computer devices associated therewith. One or more computer devices of a care system may be registered with the estimation server 104. For example, a care system or another user (such as a person) may have an account created for that user with the estimation server 104. A user is defined as a consumer of services provided by the estimation server 104 (such as services provided by an assessment platform or tool). As Figure 1 shown, the estimation server 104 may include a user account manager 145 that stores account information for each registered user (such as a care system or a person) and manages the accounts and communicates with the users. The estimation server 104 may obtain data from multiple users, and it may provide processing results, such as values of multiple estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of the usage process of a particular set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer (e.g., a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer), as discussed in more detail below. The estimation server 104 may be a physical server. In some embodiments, the estimation server 104 may be a cloud server operating in a cloud computing environment, i.e., it may be virtualized and its resources may be remotely available to users via a wireless communication network.

[0080] As Figure 1As shown, the computer device 102 has a memory 108 that stores computer-executable instructions, and a processing circuit 110 that is operably connected to the memory 108 and is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions that cause the processing circuit 110 to perform the methods according to aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 108 may include one or more storage media, such as physical devices, including for example a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a permanent memory such as a read-only memory (“ROM”), a semi-permanent memory such as a random access memory (“RAM”), any other suitable type of storage component, or any combination thereof. The processing circuit 110 may control writing data to and reading data from the memory 108. To perform any of the functions described herein, the processing circuit 110 may execute one or more processor-executable instructions stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (e.g., the memory 108), which may serve as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the processor-executable instructions for execution by the processing circuit 110.

[0081] The computer device 102 may include an estimation and evaluation tool 112, referred to herein as the evaluation tool, which may be, for example, a platform or application (or app) installed on or accessible via the computer device 102. For example, the evaluation tool 112 may be downloaded from the estimation server 104 or from another computing device or server and installed for execution on the computer device 102. In some cases, the evaluation tool 112 may run on more than one physical computer device such that it may be accessible, for example, via two or more computer devices in a care system. The estimation server 104 may be a cloud server, and the evaluation tool 112 may run on the server 104 and thus be accessible via a wireless communication network.

[0082] The evaluation tool 112 may present an evaluation user interface (UI) 114 on the computer device 102 or on a display associated with the computer device 102. The evaluation UI 114 is a graphical user interface that is configured to present fields and / or other UI elements for receiving user input data regarding the use process of an incontinence product worn by a wearer. Thus, the evaluation UI 114 is used to obtain user input data, which may be processed by the evaluation tool 112 and sent by the evaluation tool 112 to the estimation server 104.

[0083] In some examples, in addition to the evaluation UI 114, the evaluation tool 112 may also present a UI for receiving care system settings, a UI for receiving estimation settings, and a UI for presenting estimation results. Other UIs may be presented additionally or alternatively. Different UIs may be accessible via the evaluation tool 112, as described below in connection with Figure 6AThis will be discussed in more detail. Access to some of the UIs of the assessment tool 112 can be restricted. For example, in a care system, the personnel can include those with different access levels or grades to the information presented in the UIs presented by the assessment tool 112. The information presented on one or more UIs can be allowed to be modified only by those with a specific access level. For example, the assessment UI 114 can be configured to receive user input data from a caregiver or a person of a similar type. A manager can access the assessment UI 114 and can be able to edit the information in the assessment UI. At the same time, access to the UI for receiving care system settings, the UI for receiving assessment settings, and the UI for presenting the estimation results can be restricted to managers, who can also have different access grades. For example, one type of manager can be allowed to access the UI for receiving care system settings, while another type of manager can be allowed to access the UI for presenting the estimation results.

[0084] As Figure 1 Schematically shown, the assessment UI 114 can be used to obtain assessment timing data 116, such as first assessment timing data 118 and second assessment timing data 120, which can be obtained with respect to the usage process of a corresponding group of incontinence products. The systems and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure provide a platform for performing computational analysis on data obtained with respect to the usage process of a group of incontinence products, such that the groups of incontinence products can be compared to each other. A group of incontinence products, also referred to herein as a group of incontinence products, can include one or more products of one or more types. For example, a group of incontinence products can include products of a daytime type (i.e., products designed to be worn during the day), products of a nighttime type (i.e., products designed to be worn at night), and products defined otherwise. A group of incontinence products includes the incontinence products worn by a specific wearer during an assessment period and being evaluated. A group of incontinence products including one or more products is associated with the usage process of one or more products in the group.

[0085] For a particular wearer, a set of evaluation timing data for a set of incontinence products can be obtained, where the set of incontinence products is different from another set of incontinence products that the wearer previously wore and for which there is data for comparison. In the example herein, the first evaluation timing data can be a first set of one or more incontinence products, the first set being associated with a first usage process that includes a first plurality of steps. The first set can be a set of incontinence products that the wearer previously wore. The second evaluation timing data can be a second set of one or more incontinence products, the second set being associated with a second usage process that includes a second plurality of steps, where the second set is a set of incontinence products that is being evaluated during the current evaluation period and is compared to the first set of incontinence products. As used herein, "previously worn" can mean that the wearer wore a product from the first set at any time before the current evaluation period or before the current evaluation. In other words, the first set of incontinence products can be any type of set of incontinence products for which evaluation timing data (referred to herein as first evaluation timing data) has been obtained. Additionally, in some examples, the first evaluation timing data is obtained immediately before the second evaluation timing data is obtained, i.e., the current evaluation period directly follows the following evaluation period: during which a plurality of estimated parameters for the first usage process of the first set of incontinence products are generated. It should be understood that the first evaluation timing data for the first usage process of the first set of incontinence products can be obtained at any time related to the obtaining of the second evaluation timing data, including only during the evaluation period and not during use in the care system. Regardless of the timing of the obtaining of the first evaluation timing data, the data is considered baseline or reference data, while the second evaluation timing data is considered effectiveness data for comparison with the reference data, as discussed in more detail below.

[0086] For example, when it is desired to evaluate whether a change from a first set of incontinence products to a second set of incontinence products is predicted to be beneficial to the wearer and / or the care system, first evaluation timing data 118 for a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer can be obtained, and second evaluation timing data 120 for a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer can be obtained. For a particular wearer, both the first evaluation timing data 118 and the second evaluation timing data 120 can be obtained.

[0087] Additionally, during the evaluation period, the usage processes of different sets of incontinence products can be analyzed, including sets that are different among at least some wearers, such that changes from different products and the effects of changes to different products are estimated for different wearers.

[0088] The second set of incontinence products includes one or more products estimated using a computing tool according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a second usage process thereof is being evaluated as compared to a first usage process of the first set of incontinence products. The systems and methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure allow for generating user interface data, such as, for example, graphical user interface data and representations, that indicate to the wearer and the care system the advantages of the use of the second set of incontinence products relative to the use of the first set of incontinence products. Unless otherwise specified, "usage" associated with a set of incontinence products may refer to either or both of the action of the wearer wearing one or more incontinence products in a care system and the procedures associated with the incontinence products performed by the care system (such as ordering, purchasing, administering to the wearer, and disposing of the incontinence products).

[0089] The second set of incontinence products may be associated with a second usage process that is applied to administer the second set of one or more incontinence products to the wearer. The first and second usage processes may include similar or identical steps such that the corresponding data obtained regarding these processes is comparable, which thus allows for a comparison of the first process and the second process. The systems and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure provide a technique that automatically generates values of a plurality of estimation parameters that indicate a comparison of a first usage process of a first set of incontinence products worn by a wearer with a second usage process of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer, as discussed in more detail below.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first evaluation time series data 118 is time series data obtained in connection with a (first) usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by wearers from a plurality of wearers in a care system. The second evaluation time series data 120 may be time series data obtained in connection with a (second) usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. In some examples herein, the second evaluation time series data 120 is referred to as evaluation time series data.

[0091] The computer device 102 may obtain information from Figure 1 the data storage device 106 shown. Although the data storage device 106 (such as a memory device) is shown as a separate device, in some cases it may be part of the computer device 102. In some cases, the data storage device 106 may be part of the estimation server 104. The data storage device 106 may be a distributed memory device. Regardless of its specific implementation, the data storage device 106 may store profile records 124, a profile group table 134, care system settings 135, and estimation settings 139. Each profile record in the profile records 124 may include a wearer profile record stored in the data storage device 106 and created for a wearer from a plurality of wearers (such as wearers in a care system).

[0092] As Figure 1 shown, two wearer profile records 126a, 126b are shown by way of example, each profile record (such as the first profile record 126a discussed herein as an example of a profile record) including a plurality of fields storing an identifier (e.g., ID1) 128 of the wearer for whom the profile was created, a profile group 130 to which the wearer is assigned from a plurality of profile groups, and metadata 132 related to the wearer. Each of the identifier 128, the profile group 130, and the metadata 132 may be stored in a respective different field of the profile record 126a. Additionally, some fields (e.g., the field storing the metadata) may contain more than one field. The corresponding fields of the second profile record 126b including the identifier ID2 of another wearer may be similar and are not labeled in Figure 1 it.

[0093] In some cases, the identifier 128 of the wearer of the incontinence product (such as, for example Figure 1 the ID1 shown) may be a unique, de-identified identifier that identifies the corresponding (first) profile record 126a and does not include any characteristics that would allow the wearer to be identified. In some cases, the identifier may be a unique personalized identifier that may be removed when the data in the profile record 126a is retrieved from the data storage device 106 and used for analysis. The profile group 130 stored in the first record 126a indicates the profile group to which the wearer has been assigned from a plurality of profile groups. The wearer may be assigned to a profile group from the plurality of profile groups based at least on the wearer's excretion pattern, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive ability. For example, in some embodiments, six profile groups, also referred to as care groups or care need groups, are defined for wearers having respective different capabilities regarding the use of incontinence products.

[0094] In some embodiments, a specific graphical user interface may be used to obtain user input data regarding the wearer's excretion pattern, the wearer's mobility, the wearer's cognitive ability, and other characteristics of the wearer. The graphical user interface may be presented by a profile group assessment tool that may be installed and run on the computer device 102 or on another computer device. In some examples, the profile group assessment tool is part of the assessment tool 112. In some examples, the profile group assessment tool may be separate from the assessment tool 112 and may execute independently of the assessment tool 112.

[0095] The metadata in the wearer profile record (e.g., the metadata 132 in the profile record 126a created to store data related to the corresponding wearer) includes the wearer's name, address, existing conditions, history, and other attributes or characteristics. The metadata 132 can also include information about the wearer's location, such as the care system, the ward, room, cubicle, etc. in the care system. Information about the caregiver(s) who have cared for or are caring for the wearer can also be included in the metadata 132. Information about the care system can include, for example, an identifier of the care system, which can be used to link the information in the metadata 132 to the care system settings in the care system settings 135 identified by the care system identifier 137.

[0096] In addition, the metadata 132 can also include information about the incontinence products previously and / or currently worn by the wearer. The incontinence products can belong to one or more groups of incontinence products. Information about these incontinence products can be defined in the product data storage device 147.

[0097] The profile record 124 in the data storage device 106 can be linked to the profile group table 134 via a profile group field (e.g., a field of the profile group 130 that stores the profile 126a), and the profile group table 134 stores profile group records for each of the multiple profile groups. Thus, as Figure 1 shown, a profile group record 136 of the profile group 138 is shown, and the profile group record 136 stores the estimated duration required to perform a step in a plurality of steps of the usage process of the incontinence product. The profile group table 134 indicates the working time required for each profile group to perform different tasks. As an example, as Figure 1 shown, the profile group record 136 stores an indication 140 of the usage process of a set of incontinence products and an indication 142 of the estimated duration required to perform each step in the plurality of steps of the usage process indicated by the indication 140 (in Figure 1(represented as "step timing" in Chinese). For each profile group from multiple profile groups, a task or step from multiple tasks or steps is associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step. Thus, the profile group record 136 of profile group 138 stores three-dimensional or more-dimensional data, which includes, for each usage process and each step of the process, the estimated duration required to perform the step. Thus, the working time for a certain task (such as, for example, the replacement of an incontinence product, the replacement of clothes, the replacement of bedding, etc.) of a certain care or profile group can be specified. The information stored in the corresponding profile group record 136 of each profile group 138 can be the same for different care systems. In some examples, the information stored in the corresponding profile group record 136 of each profile group 138 can vary between different care systems, for example, depending on the details of task completion in the care system, the type and quantity of equipment used in the care center, where the equipment is used to facilitate different kinds of work steps, and / or based on other factors.

[0098] In some examples, access to the information stored in the profile group record 136 can be restricted. For example, only personnel with specific access rights can access the information stored in the profile group record 136. In some examples, the information stored in the profile group record 136 can be provided by the manufacturer of the incontinence product. In a care system, personnel with specific access rights may be able to modify the information in the profile group record 136.

[0099] The estimation server 104 includes a processing circuit or a processor device 144 and a memory 146, which is operatively coupled to the processing circuit 144 and stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit 144, perform methods according to aspects of the present disclosure. In some cases, the estimation server 104 includes an evaluation time series data analysis server 148, which is configured to generate or determine values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to computer-generated estimations of the usage process of a set of incontinence products. The evaluation time series data analysis server 148 can be configured to derive values of a plurality of estimation parameters, which can be, for example, in the form of a comparison between a plurality of estimation parameters related to the usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer (also referred to herein as a first plurality of estimation parameters related to a first usage process of the first set of incontinence products) and a plurality of estimation parameters related to the usage process of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer (also referred to as a second plurality of estimation parameters related to a second usage process of the second set of incontinence products). The values of the plurality of estimation parameters can indicate a ratio between the first plurality of estimation parameters and the second plurality of estimation parameters.

[0100] In some examples, to determine the values of the estimation parameters, the evaluation time series data analysis server 148 may use product data and context data regarding the incontinence product, such as care system settings related to the care system. The product data that can be stored in the product data storage device 147 may define the attributes of the product, the manufacturing process of the product, the process of disposing of the product after being worn, etc. Non-limiting examples of product data regarding the incontinence product include the CO2 footprint from producing the product, the weight of the disposed material after using the product (i.e., if the product is disposable), the amount of non-renewable materials in the product, and other types of data. The product data may have numerical values and / or other types of values.

[0101] The product data stored in the product data storage device 147 may be provided by the incontinence product manufacturer, and in some cases, the information in the product data storage device 147 can be updated. Thus, when the evaluation time series data analysis server 148 receives an indication regarding which set of incontinence products to use together with the evaluation time series data, the evaluation time series data analysis server 148 can access the data storage device 147 that stores the product data related to that set of incontinence products. In some cases, different product data may be associated with one or more incontinence products in a given set. For example, the day and night products in the same set may have different CO2 footprint values from producing the product, and / or the values of other types of product data may be different among the incontinence products in the same set. Figure 1 The data product storage device 147 shown as part of the estimation server 104 in may be located, for example, in the memory 146 of the estimation server 104 or another memory device, and may be an updatable table or other data structure. For example, if the manufacturing process of the product is changed such that its CO2 footprint is reduced, such as if the manufacturing switches from a less sustainable energy source to, for example, wind or solar energy, the information in the data storage device can be updated. Although shown as part of the Figure 1 estimation server 104 in, the data product storage device 147 may be located in the data storage device 106. The information in the data product storage device 147 can be accessed through the evaluation tool 112.

[0102] The care system settings 135 (such as context data regarding a certain care system) may include one or more of staff working hours, washing costs, the CO2 impact of washing, the cost of waste disposal, the CO2 impact of waste disposal (e.g., transportation to a landfill, incineration, etc.), as related to the usage process of multiple sets of incontinence products. As Figure 1As shown, the care system settings 135 may include a care system identifier (CSID) 137 that identifies the care system for which data regarding the care system settings is stored as the care system settings 135. The care system settings 135 may store the settings of one or more care systems. Additionally, for each care system identified, for example, by the care system identifier 137, information regarding smaller partitions of the care system, such as, for example, information regarding wards in the care system, rooms in the wards, etc., may also be stored. Since the care system may have any structure, relevant types of data may be stored for each care system. It should be noted that in some cases, a care system may belong to a group of one or more or multiple care systems that are related to each other, such as care systems managed by a certain entity, such as a private or public entity. In such cases, the care system identifier 137 may additionally indicate which care system among one or more care systems the wearer is associated with.

[0103] In Figure 1 it, the care system settings 135 are shown as being stored in the data storage device 106. However, the care system settings 135 may be stored at least partially in the computer device 102 or in another computer device accessible to the care system. The data or information in the care system settings 135 may be updated by the care system. For example, the care system may update, for example, the cost of staff working hours and / or the washing cost when the agreement with the staff / laundry provider is updated. These values may be determined by each care system and they may be obtained relatively directly. In some examples, the information in the care system settings 135 may be accessed and updated through the care system settings UI.

[0104] In some examples, the care system settings 135 may at least partially include a profile group table 134 that stores profile group records 136 of a profile group 138.

[0105] Some data included in the care system settings 135, such as the CO2 impact of washing or waste treatment, may not be determined as directly. Therefore, the relevant values may be estimated at different geographical or other types of scales. For example, the CO2 impact of washing can generally be estimated as "in Europe" or "in a specific country in Europe" or "in a specific city in Europe". Therefore, at least some data in the care system settings 135 may depend on the geographical location of the care system. Accordingly, the evaluation time series data analysis server 148 may obtain different data in the care system settings 135 according to the location of the care system, such as, for example, region, country, city, etc., and update the relevant values as more relevant information becomes available.

[0106] Thus, in the examples herein, product data and care system setting data can be obtained and updated separately. Additionally, the systems according to the examples herein allow for relevant comparisons customized for relevant markets or geographical regions. For example, what may be considered a better sustainability option for one market or one care system may not be a better option for another market or care system.

[0107] In some examples, the evaluation time series data analysis server 148 can use suitable computational methods (e.g., artificial intelligence methods) to determine the values of the estimation parameters. In some embodiments, the evaluation time series data analysis server 148 can execute a machine learning model including a logistic regression classifier. In some embodiments, the machine learning or deep learning model can be one or more of the following: decision tree, ensembles such as bagging, boosting, or random forest, gradient boosting machine, linear regression, naive Bayes ( Bayes), or neural network.

[0108] In some embodiments, the evaluation time series data analysis server 148 can use one or more of the following: supervised learning, e.g., using logistic regression, using backpropagation neural networks, using random forests, decision trees, etc.; unsupervised learning, e.g., using the Apriori algorithm, using k-means clustering; semi-supervised learning; deep learning algorithms, e.g., neural networks, convolutional neural network methods, recurrent neural network methods; reinforcement learning, e.g., using the Q-learning algorithm, using temporal difference learning; regression algorithms, e.g., ordinary least squares, logistic regression, stepwise regression, multivariate adaptive regression splines, locally estimated scatterplot smoothing, etc.; instance-based methods, e.g., k-nearest neighbor, learning vector quantization, self-organizing maps, etc.; regularization methods, e.g., ridge regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, elastic net, etc.; decision tree learning methods, e.g., classification and regression trees, chi-squared automatic interaction detection, decision stumps, random forests, multivariate adaptive regression splines, gradient boosting machines, Bayesian methods, e.g., naive Bayes ( Bayes), average one-dependent estimators, Bayesian belief networks, etc.; kernel methods, e.g., support vector machines, radial basis functions, linear discriminant analysis, etc.; clustering methods, e.g., k-means clustering, expectation maximization, etc.; ensemble methods, e.g., boosting, bagging, AdaBoost, stacking generalization, gradient boosting machine methods, random forest methods, etc., and / or any suitable artificial intelligence method.

[0109] The computer device 102 receives, for example, evaluation timing data 116 from the evaluation tool 112, and the evaluation timing data 116 includes evaluation values of evaluation parameters related to the use of a certain set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. In response to receiving the evaluation timing, the computer device 102 sends the evaluation timing data to the estimation server 104 via a network connection such as a secure network connection. The computer device 102 also obtains a wearer profile record stored in the data storage device 106 from the data storage device 106, and the computer device 102 sends the wearer profile record to the estimation server 104. For example, the evaluation timing data analysis server 148 at the estimation server 104 can receive the evaluation timing data and the wearer profile record. It should be noted that in some cases, metadata from the wearer profile record may not be sent to the estimation server 104, or only a part of the data in the metadata from the wearer profile record may be sent to the estimation server 104.

[0110] The evaluation timing data 116 can include first evaluation timing data 118 and second evaluation timing data 120, which can be sent to the estimation server 104 simultaneously or at different times. In some embodiments, the first evaluation timing data 118 is sent to the estimation server 104 before the second evaluation timing data 120. For example, as a result of a computer estimation of a first use process of a first set of one or more incontinence products, the first evaluation timing data 118 can be sent to the estimation server 104, and as a result of a computer estimation of a second use process of a second set of one or more incontinence products, the second evaluation timing data 120 can be sent to the estimation server 104. Once the first evaluation timing data 118 and the second evaluation timing data 120 are received by the estimation server 104, they can be stored in the estimation server 104. In some embodiments, the first evaluation timing data 118 can be stored in the estimation server 104, and once the estimation server 104 receives the second evaluation timing data 120, the server 104 analyzes both the first evaluation timing data 118 and the second evaluation timing data 120, as discussed in more detail below.

[0111] In some examples, the computer device 102 may also obtain information about the care system settings from the care system settings stored in the data storage device 106 in the data storage device 106. The care system settings can be obtained for a specific care system, for example, as identified by the care system identifier 137 in the care system settings 135. The computer device 102 sends the obtained care system settings to the estimation server 104. Additionally, in some examples, the care system settings can be obtained by the estimation server 104 from the data storage device 106. For example, in some embodiments, the care system identifier is provided by the computer device 102 to the estimation server 104, such as as part of the metadata from the wearer profile record, and the estimation server 104 can be based on Figure 1 the care system identifier shown as the care system identifier 137 in Figure 1 to obtain the required information from the care system settings 135.

[0112] The estimation server 104 and / or its components (e.g., the evaluation time series data analysis server 148) analyze the evaluation time series data and the data in the wearer profile record, as well as other additional relevant data, and determine the values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to the computer-generated estimation of the usage process of a specific group of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. As used herein, "worn by the wearer" means worn during a certain time period (such as the evaluation time period). Additionally, when one or more types of incontinence products belonging to the group are worn by the wearer during the evaluation time period, the group of incontinence products is considered to be worn. The wearing behavior refers to an individual incontinence product worn by the wearer during a certain time period within the evaluation time period. As a non-limiting example, the wearer may wear three daytime-type products from the group and two nighttime-type products from the group every 24-hour period, where the evaluation time period may include several days.

[0113] The estimation server 104 may send the values of the plurality of estimation parameters to the computer device 102, and the computer device may present a user interface (UI) (also referred to herein as a filter-based UI) 122 in response to receiving the values of the plurality of estimation parameters. The user interface includes user-selectable filter fields for selecting one or more profile groups from a plurality of profile groups and / or one or more care systems from one or more care systems. The filter-based UI 122 (e.g., the evaluation result UI discussed in more detail below) is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of the plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and / or one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields. The filter-based UI 122 can be presented by the evaluation tool 112 on the same computer device as the evaluation UI 114 or on a different computer device.

[0114] It should be understood that Figure 1 the computer device 102, data storage device 106, and estimation server 104 of the system 100 may include various other components implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof not shown in Figure 1 . For example, the computer device 102, estimation server 104, and the computer device (which may be one or both of the computer device 102 and the estimation server) accessing the data storage device 106 through it may each include a communication interface, which includes a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, and / or one or more antennas. In addition, one or more computer devices in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented may be, for example, a terminal, a wireless communication terminal, an Internet of Things (NB-IoT) device, a device-to-device (D2D) terminal or node, such as a smart phone, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, or a mobile tablet computer.

[0115] Figure 2A and 2B illustrates an example embodiment of a computer-implemented method or process 200, 200a, including causing at least one processor (such as a processing circuit) of the computer device 102 to perform the steps or actions of the process. It should be noted that unless otherwise specified Figure 2A and Figure 2B the actions at each block of

[0116] Figure 2A can be performed in any suitable order different from the shown order. Optional actions are shown with dashed lines. Figure 1 The process 200 of

[0117] Figure 1 can be executed by a computer system having a configuration such as that shown for the system 100 of Figure 1 . Thus, for example, the processing circuit 110 of the computer device 102 of the care system can execute the process 200. For example, when an application or platform (such as the evaluation tool 112 executed by the processing circuit 110) is launched, the process 200 can start. The process 200 can be executed for each of multiple wearers in the care system, and these care systems may belong to one or more care systems. The multiple wearers do not necessarily include everyone wearing an incontinence product related to the care system, but a group of wearers can be selected to evaluate the usage process of a specific set of one or more incontinence products. It should be noted that the first group and the second group may be different for different wearers so that the changes regarding two different groups can be evaluated in a personalized manner for each wearer. In other words, for each wearer, different pairs of the first group and the second group can be evaluated. In some examples, for some wearers, the same pair of the first group and the second group can be evaluated.

[0117] At block 202, process 200 includes receiving, via a computer device, for each of a plurality of wearers in a care system from one or more care systems, evaluation timing data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during an evaluation time period. The evaluation timing data includes evaluation values of evaluation parameters related to the use of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products includes a plurality of second steps, and for each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, the steps from the plurality of second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step. As described above, the second set of incontinence products is defined herein as one or more incontinence products associated with the second usage process of the second set, which is different from the first set of one or more incontinence products associated with the first usage process of the first set of one or more incontinence products. As used herein, the second set is considered different from the first set when at least one incontinence product in the second set is different from at least one incontinence product in the first set, and / or when at least one step of the second usage process of the second set is different from at least one step of the first usage process of the first set. In other words, there are differences between the incontinence products of the first set and the second set, and / or there are differences between the first usage process and the second usage process. In some examples, the second set of incontinence products includes at least one incontinence product of a type not yet worn by a particular wearer, such that the product may be considered new to the wearer.

[0118] In addition, as described above, during the evaluation time period, the usage processes of different sets of incontinence products can be analyzed. In some examples, the second set of one or more incontinence products and the first set of one or more incontinence products are different among at least some of the plurality of wearers. For example, for a certain wearer, first evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group A can be obtained, and second evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group B can be obtained; for another wearer, first evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group C can be obtained, and second evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group D can be obtained; for another wearer, first evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group A can be obtained, and second evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group C can be obtained; and for yet another wearer, first evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group B can be obtained, and second evaluation timing data regarding the usage process of group A can be obtained. Thus, for a plurality of wearers in a care system, the impact of changes from one set of incontinence products to another can be evaluated. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure allow the impact of individualized changes in incontinence products worn by different wearers in a care system on the operation and cost efficiency of the entire care system to be evaluated in an effective and robust manner.

[0119] The evaluation time series data (also referred to herein as the second evaluation time series data) includes evaluation values of evaluation parameters related to the use of a second set of incontinence products worn by a wearer during an evaluation time period. The second set of incontinence products can include one type of incontinence product and typically includes more than one type of incontinence product, and the (second) evaluation time series data is acquired while the wearer is wearing a product from the set and between product wearing events (e.g., toileting, clothing change events, skin treatment application events, etc.). The second use process of the second set of incontinence products includes a plurality of second steps. As used herein, the second use process of the second set of incontinence products can be defined as a process spanning the entire evaluation time period, and the second use process can include steps other than those directly related to the actions of the wearer wearing the incontinence products from the second set. For example, the second use process can include skin evaluation, replacement of incontinence products, toileting, cleaning and protection events, clothing change events, bedding change events, application of daytime-type incontinence products from the second set, application of nighttime-type incontinence products from the second set, and other steps. For each profile set from a plurality of profile sets, steps in the plurality of second steps of the second use process of the second set of incontinence products are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step. The evaluation time series data can include evaluation values of evaluation parameters, some of which can be consistent with the steps of the second process. For example, the evaluation values can include the number of occurrences of skin evaluation, the number of occurrences of replacement of incontinence products, the number of toileting events which can be the number of successful toileting, the number of occurrences of cleaning and protection events, the number of occurrences of clothing change events, the number of occurrences of bedding change events, the number of occurrences of application of daytime-type incontinence products from the second set, and the number of occurrences of application of nighttime-type incontinence products from the second set. The evaluation time series data can also include values such as the number of occurrences of evaluation parameters such as clothing washing, bedding washing, leakage, etc. As used herein, the term "leakage" refers to leakage from an incontinence product to the outside of the incontinence product, i.e., the undesired leakage of urine or feces that the incontinence product fails to properly contain.

[0120] As described above, the evaluation time series data can be acquired via a graphical user interface of an evaluation tool (e.g., Figure 1 the evaluation UI 114 of the evaluation tool 112) executed on a computer device. An example of the evaluation UI 114 is shown in Figure 6B , 6C and 6D. Figure 6A shows how the evaluation UI 114 and other UIs can be accessed. In Figure 6B , the evaluation UI 114 includes a wearer ID field 602 which includes an interaction field 613 configured to receive an input for identifying the wearer. The wearer ID field 602 can be configured to receive an input related to that stored in the wearer's profile record (e.g., in Figure 1Data that is the same as the identifier in the profile record storage device 124 in the data storage device 106. A profile record of the wearer can be created before or after obtaining assessment timing data related to the use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. In some cases, the wearer ID field 602 in the assessment UI 114 is configured to receive wearer identification data that is different from the identifier used to identify the profile record associated with the data storage on the wearer.

[0121] As Figure 6B shown, the assessment UI 114 includes a date field 604, a time field 606, and a user ID field 608, each field including a corresponding interaction field configured to receive the corresponding data. In some embodiments, some or all of these fields can be automatically populated.

[0122] The user ID field 608 is configured to receive data identifying the user of the assessment tool 112, such as a caregiver or a nurse, or anyone who administers the incontinence product to the wearer. In some embodiments, the date field 604 and the time field 606 may not be present because the time and date can be automatically recorded by the processor that executes the assessment UI 114. For example, the date field 604 and the time field 606 can be automatically selected based on the usage process of the incontinence product and / or based on predefined time points within the assessment period. In addition, the corresponding interaction field of at least the time field 606 can be automatically presented and populated, and the automatic entry can be adjusted by the user (such as a caregiver or a nurse). For example, if a product inspection that has not been scheduled is performed, i.e., it is not part of a predefined routine, the date / time of such an event can be manually recorded.

[0123] The assessment UI 114 may further include an assessment parameter field or panel 610, which includes fields for receiving assessment values of assessment parameters related to the use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. In Figure 6B the example, fields for the first parameter P1, 612, the second parameter P2, 614, and the nth parameter Pn, 616 are shown as being included in the assessment UI 114. The interaction field 613 for the first parameter P1 612 is marked. It should be noted that the three parameter fields are shown only as examples because values of any number of assessment parameters can be obtained via the assessment UI 114. Depending on the parameter, these values can be of a suitable type. For example, the values can be text, numeric, binary (e.g., binary), multi-valued, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0124] As Figure 6BAs shown, the evaluation UI 114 may also include a phase field 605, which includes a feature 607, such as, for example, a drop-down menu or another digital object, that may receive an indication of a selection between the various stages of obtaining evaluation timing data - the baseline measurement of the evaluation timing data and the effectiveness measurement of the evaluation timing data. As used herein, the baseline measurement is defined as obtaining evaluation timing data regarding the use process of a group of one or more incontinence products, which, for comparison purposes, is considered the baseline group to be compared against. Additionally, as used herein, the effectiveness measurement is defined as obtaining evaluation timing data regarding the use process of another group of one or more incontinence products compared to the baseline group. Thus, computationally determining the impact or effectiveness of the change from the baseline or baseline group of incontinence products (referred to herein as the first group of incontinence products) to another group of incontinence products (referred to herein as the second group of incontinence products) can be performed, for example, prior to making a decision to switch to the other group, i.e., the second group of incontinence products. This decision can be made automatically.

[0125] For example, in use, effectiveness measurement results regarding a new group of incontinence products (e.g., newly developed, or new to the wearer, i.e., not previously worn by the wearer, or new to the care system, or otherwise defined as new) different from the first group of incontinence products can be obtained. For a particular wearer, the first group may include incontinence products previously worn by the wearer. It should be noted that the second group may also include incontinence products previously worn by the wearer, but evaluation timing data regarding the use process of such products may not have been obtained. Additionally, as described above, in some cases, the second group of incontinence products may differ from the first group of incontinence products in the sense that at least one step in the second use process of the second group differs from at least one step in the first use process of the first group. In such cases, both the second group and the first group may include the same type or types of incontinence products, and only their respective use processes may differ. However, for the purposes of this disclosure, such groups are still referred to as the second group and the first group.

[0126] Thus, comparisons can be performed between groups including any type of incontinence products, with one group considered the baseline group and the other group being compared to the baseline group. The incontinence products in the groups being compared can be comparable products such that, for example, their use processes can be the same or similar, and thus the same or similar evaluation timing data can be obtained as part of the product group comparison.

[0127] In the examples of this disclosure, a baseline incontinence product group can be a first group of incontinence products, and a baseline measurement can include first evaluation time-series data regarding a first usage process of the first group of incontinence products worn by a wearer among a plurality of wearers in a care system from one or more care systems. A group of incontinence products compared to the baseline incontinence product group can be a second group of incontinence products, and an effectiveness measurement can include second evaluation time-series data regarding a second usage process of the second group of incontinence products worn by the wearer.

[0128] Evaluation parameters obtained during an evaluation time period can be selected to simplify the process of obtaining their corresponding values at time points of the evaluation time period. Thus, in some embodiments, evaluation parameters can be selected such that their values can all be binary, and thus an input indicating the value of an evaluation parameter can be a simple check of a checkbox or field, an input of a "yes" or "no" value, or another selection between two options. In this way, the evaluation tool is configured to receive the values of the evaluation parameters in a simplified format, which also advantageously facilitates the process of data input by a user of the evaluation tool in the care system. Caregivers assigned care tasks for wearers in need of incontinence products may already be overwhelmed by their daily tasks, and providing tools in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure that allow them to continue their work without significant interruption can significantly improve the process of adopting new incontinence products in the care system.

[0129] Non-limiting examples of evaluation parameters include one or more of the following: skin assessment, replacement of the second group of incontinence products, feces in the second group of incontinence products, toileting (e.g., successful toileting), cleaning and protection events, occurrence of urine leakage, clothing replacement events, bedding replacement events, application of the second group of incontinence products of a daytime type or application of the second group of incontinence products of a nighttime type. Clothing replacement events and bedding replacement events are events that may be caused by leakage events. Any other evaluation parameters can be used additionally or alternatively. The evaluation tool can receive user input indicating the values of one or more evaluation parameters at time points during the evaluation time period. For example, based on a caregiver's observation, user input indicating whether a clothing replacement event occurred at a certain time point during the evaluation time period can be received. At least some of the evaluation parameters can correspond to steps of a plurality of second steps of a second usage process from the second group of incontinence products. The second process is performed, for example, by a caregiver who helps a wearer wear the second group of incontinence products and other tasks related to wearing incontinence products. Each of the plurality of second steps can be associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step. Thus, for example, for a clothing replacement event, the time required for clothing replacement is obtained from a corresponding profile group record in a profile group table (e.g., Figure 1 the profile group table 134 as shown).

[0130] It should be noted that the time required for a particular step or task is an estimated time, which may vary depending on the profile group to which a particular wearer is assigned. The value of the estimated time can be adjusted, for example, by the manufacturer of one or more relevant incontinence products and / or by the care system (e.g., by a particular person in the care system).

[0131] In addition, some evaluation parameters, such as the occurrence of urine leakage, the occurrence of solid waste leakage, or the occurrence of leakage (of any type), etc., may not directly correspond to the steps of the second process because they are based on the observations of the caregiver rather than the steps or tasks performed by the caregiver. Meanwhile, the occurrence of leakage is typically determined as the result of the execution of a task such as an incontinence product inspection, which can be, for example, a product inspection with product replacement, a product inspection without product replacement, a product inspection with bed linen replacement, a product inspection without bed linen replacement, or the occurrence or observation of another type of event.

[0132] The second group of one or more incontinence products can include night-type products configured to be worn at night and day-type products configured to be worn during the day. Both the day and night-type products can be referred to as the second group of incontinence products because they have similar characteristics, and both or one of them can be different from the first group of incontinence products in at least some characteristics.

[0133] The evaluation time series data can be obtained in combination with the use of the second group of day-type or night-type or another type (e.g., products not specifically designed to be worn during a particular time period) of incontinence products; and the value of one or two corresponding evaluation parameters can be obtained, for example, via Figure 1 the evaluation UI 114. The evaluation UI 114 can be configured to indicate a specific product included in the second group or any other group being evaluated.

[0134] The evaluation UI 114 can include Figure 6B other fields or other digital objects not shown in Figure 6C and 6D shows additional examples of the evaluation UI 114. Figure 6A shows different UIs that can be accessed via the evaluation tool 112. In Figure 6AIn the example, user-selectable features, such as icons, are shown that can be selected to provide access to the corresponding UI. Thus, the assessment tool 112 includes an assessment UI icon 620 that can be selected to provide access to an assessment UI (such as, for example, the assessment tool 114), a care system settings UI icon 630 that can be selected to provide access to the care system settings UI, an estimation settings UI icon 640 that can be selected to provide access to the estimation settings UI, and an estimation results UI icon 650 that can be selected to provide access to the estimation results UI. In some embodiments, instead of separate estimation settings UI and care system settings UI, a single UI, such as the care system settings UI, may be provided.

[0135] Access to the different UIs that can be accessed via the assessment tool 112 may be limited to certain persons or entities. For example, caregivers may access the assessment UI, while managers may access the care system settings UI, the estimation settings UI, and the estimation results UI. In some cases, different access levels to the information presented and modifiable via the care system settings UI, the estimation settings UI, and the estimation results UI are provided so that, for example, different persons or populations associated with the care system can access these UIs.

[0136] Figure 6C An example of a UI such as the assessment UI 114 for a new assessment is shown, which may include selecting or adding a wearer, displayed as "New Assessment: Select or Add Resident". Figure 6C The assessment UI 114 in [description] includes user-selectable panels: Wearer ID, Room, Ward, Care System, and Name, where the specific order of the panels is shown only as an example. Additionally, the entries in these panels are shown only as examples in Figure 6C [description]. Data for three wearers is shown as an example. Additionally, Figure 6C Selecting a wearer with a Wearer ID of "XYZ" is shown such that an assessment of the usage process of one or more incontinence products for a particular group can be performed in conjunction with the selected wearer. For example, in response to receiving user input indicating the selection of a particular wearer, via the wearer's ID, another UI or panel may overlay the Figure 6C UI shown in [description]. The shown UI can be used to add data about the wearer so that the wearer can be assessed.

[0137] Figure 6D An example is shown as a continuation of the example of Figure 6C [description]. In Figure 6D [description], by as in Figure 6CAfter the illustrated evaluation UI 114 selects the wearer ID "XYZ", information about a certain group of incontinence products, such as evaluation values of evaluation parameters, can be received regarding the wearer identified by the wearer ID "XYZ". In this example, the evaluation parameters include the product type of each of the day and night type products, the product replacement events of each of the day and night type products, the leakage events of each of the day and night type products, successful toileting during the day and night, inspections without product replacement, and inspections with product replacement. The values of the evaluation parameters can be received via corresponding fields (e.g., field 622 for product type, field 624 for product replacement events, etc.). Figure 6D The evaluation UI 114 may also include a date field 604 and a time field 606 similar to the fields shown in Figure 6B . Additionally, Figure 6D a submit button 626 is shown, which can be activated, for example, via user input to submit the information received via the evaluation UI 114. The submitted information can be sent to a server, such as Figure 1 the estimation server 104 shown in

[0138] Additionally, Figure 6E an example of an estimation settings UI 642 that can be accessed via the evaluation tool 112 is shown, for example, Figure 6A the estimation settings UI icon 640 shown in. The estimation settings UI 642 can receive user input regarding certain values for each user group. As shown, non-limiting examples of the estimation settings include the labor cost for each of the day and night type products, the cost of laundry, the cost of bed linen washing, the time taken for product replacement for each of the day and night type products, the time taken to change clothes due to leakage for each of the day and night type products, the time taken for inspections without product replacement, and the time taken for inspecting bed linen. Figure 6E a submit button 628 is shown, which can be activated, for example, via user input to submit the information received via the estimation settings UI 642. The submitted information can be sent to a server, such as Figure 1 the estimation server 104 shown in

[0139] Data including parameter values can be obtained by the assessment UI 114 from the user or another person having access to the assessment UI 114 during the time of obtaining assessment timing data. The assessment UI 114 can be presented on a touchscreen display. In some embodiments, the assessment UI 114 can be a voice user interface (VUI) configured to receive voice and / or voice commands. In some examples, the assessment UI 114 can be configured to receive any type of user input, including a combination of text, visual, and graphical inputs. Additionally, the assessment UI 114 can be configured to issue voice instructions to the user regarding the assessment process when obtaining the assessment timing data. Thus, the assessment UI 114 can guide a user who may be involved in manually handling the incontinence products (e.g., changing the incontinence products) and assisting the wearer through a touchless or hands-free process of inputting data related to the usage process of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer.

[0140] It should be noted that Figure 6A 、 6B The features shown in 6C, 6D, 6E, 7A, 7B, 8, and 9 are merely examples, as additional features can be shown and / or some features can be omitted. Additionally, for illustrative purposes, the specific locations of features such as various graphical features, elements, fields, buttons, etc. (which can be interactive) are shown as examples and not to limit aspects of the present disclosure.

[0141] Return reference Figure 2A The assessment timing data can be obtained for a certain time period such as an assessment period, which can depend on details of the second set of incontinence products, the number of wearers in the care system, details of the care system, the type of desired outcome, and other factors, including combinations of various factors. For example, the assessment timing data can be obtained during an assessment period such as 5 to 7 days or 5 to 10 days or 2 to 5 days or 3 to 7 days, etc. The assessment period can have any other duration. Additionally, the assessment timing data can be obtained for each of multiple wearers from the care system. The number of multiple wearers for whom the assessment timing data can be obtained can be less than the overall number of wearers associated with the care system. For example, the assessment timing data can be obtained for a selected group of wearers.

[0142] Thus, as Figure 2AAs shown, at decision block 203, it can be determined whether to generate an indication to obtain the required evaluation time-series data, where the indication indicates that a sufficient amount of evaluation time-series data has been received and / or a specific time period has expired. A sufficient amount of evaluation time-series data can mean that evaluation time-series data has been obtained for all of a plurality of wearers in a care system, and the evaluation time period has expired. The evaluation time-series data can be obtained as a plurality of data points at corresponding time points during the evaluation time period, and in some cases, if certain data is considered missing, the user can be instructed to input additional data. For example, additional time points can be added for data collection from the user. The duration of obtaining the evaluation time-series data can be an adjustable parameter that can be set, for example, based on user input obtained in conjunction with the setting options presented by the evaluation tool.

[0143] An indication can be received from an estimation server, or can be generated by a computer device (e.g., by an evaluation tool installed on the computer device). The indication can be presented on the computer device, or on a display associated with the computer device, e.g., on the evaluation UI 114. The indication can be in text, audio, gesture-based, tactile, or any other format, and it can indicate that the process of obtaining the evaluation time-series data is to be completed. The indication can be clear and direct. Additionally or alternatively, in some cases, the indication can be indirect, such that the user interface through which the evaluation time-series data is obtained is disabled, and a message notifying the user is accordingly displayed.

[0144] In response to determining at block 203 that an indication to obtain the required evaluation time-series data has been generated, process 200 can proceed to block 204. If it is determined at block 203 that an indication to obtain the required evaluation time-series data has not been generated, e.g., the required number of data points in the evaluation time-series data have not been obtained, then process 200 returns to block 202 to obtain additional evaluation time-series data.

[0145] When obtaining data points in the evaluation time-series data at corresponding time points, the evaluation time-series data can be stored in the memory of the computer device, e.g., Figure 1 in the memory 108.

[0146] At block 204, the processing circuit obtains a wearer profile record stored in a data storage device, the wearer profile record being created for a wearer from a plurality of wearers, and the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer in a plurality of profile groups is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer. For example, a wearer profile record stored in a data storage device 106 (e.g., in a profile record storage device 124) can be obtained by a computer device 102 such as by the processing circuit 110. In some examples, the computer device 102 can store the wearer profile record in the memory 108. AsFigure 1 As shown, the wearer profile record 126a includes a profile set 130 and metadata 132. A wearer profile record is obtained for each of a plurality of wearers for whom an assessment time series is obtained.

[0147] At block 206, the processing circuitry sends the wearer profile record to an estimation server, such as Figure 1 the estimation server 104 on. The processing circuitry sends the wearer profile record of each of the plurality of wearers to the estimation server. It should be noted that the wearer profile record of the wearer can be obtained from the data storage device before receiving the assessment time series data at block 202. The received wearer profile record can be sent to the estimation server before receiving the assessment time series data. In an embodiment, the wearer profile record can be obtained from the data storage device in conjunction with the receipt of the assessment time series data. In other words, in some instances, the processing at both or either of blocks 204 and 206 can be performed prior to the processing at blocks 202 and 203.

[0148] In some examples, the wearer profile records of all of the plurality of wearers can be sent to the estimation server simultaneously. In some examples, depending on the settings of the assessment according to an example of the present disclosure, the wearer profile records of different wearers can be sent to the estimation server at different times.

[0149] In certain examples, a wearer identifier unique to the wearer can be used to identify the wearer profile in the data storage device, and the wearer profile record can be identified by separating the wearer identifier from the wearer profile record before sending the wearer profile record to the estimation server. For example, as discussed below Figure 3 shown, the wearer profile record obtained by the computer device 102 from the data storage device 106 can include a personalized identifier, shown as ID1, which is unique to the wearer and identifies the wearer and / or the wearer profile record, and the wearer profile record can be identified by stripping the identifier before the wearer profile record is sent to the estimation server 104.

[0150] At block 208, process 200 includes sending, in response to receiving assessment timing data for each of a plurality of wearers, the assessment timing data to an estimation server, e.g., via a secure network connection. As described above, in some embodiments, an indication of obtaining the required amount of assessment timing data may be received. The computer device 102 (e.g., the processing circuitry 110) may send the obtained assessment timing data to the estimation server 104. The assessment timing data analysis server 148 and / or another component of the estimation server 104 may receive the assessment timing data and data in the wearer profile record for each of the plurality of wearers (this data is referred to herein as the wearer profile record), and generate values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of a second usage process of a second set of incontinence products based on processing of the assessment timing data and the wearer profile record. The assessment timing data analysis server 148 may also access product data such as Figure 1 product data 147, care system settings such as the care system settings stored in, e.g., Figure 1 care system settings 135, and estimation settings such as the estimation settings stored in, e.g., Figure 1 the data storage device 106 at estimation settings 139 or the estimation settings in another storage device. The assessment timing data analysis server 148 may also access other data and generate values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of a second usage process of a second set of incontinence products based on processing of the received data.

[0151] At block 210, process 200 includes receiving, e.g., via a secure network connection from the estimation server, values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by a plurality of wearers based on processing by the estimation server of the assessment timing data and the wearer profile record for each of the plurality of wearers. To determine the values of the plurality of estimation parameters, the estimation server integrates the assessment timing data related to the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products by the plurality of wearers with the assessment timing data obtained regarding the first usage process of the first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearers. As described above, a baseline measurement may be obtained as the assessment timing data obtained regarding the first usage process of the first set of incontinence products, which may be performed in the same manner as obtaining the assessment timing data regarding the second usage process of the second set of incontinence products. Thus, the assessment timing data obtained regarding the second usage process of the second set of incontinence products may be referred to as an effect measurement. Thus, the estimation server may determine the values of the plurality of estimation parameters based on processing of both the assessment timing data obtained regarding the first usage process of the first set of incontinence products (also referred to herein as the first assessment timing data) and the assessment timing data obtained regarding the second usage process of the second set of incontinence products (also referred to herein as the second assessment timing data).

[0152] Accordingly, the values of the plurality of estimation parameters determined by the estimation server indicate the effect of a calculated assessment of the change from a first set of incontinence products to a second set of incontinence products. The effect of the change can be defined in the form of the values of the estimation parameters, e.g., total absorption change, e.g., per year, per month, per week, or another time period; skin health, defined as a change, e.g., per year, per month, per week, or another time period, in the number of wearers requiring skin care; care efficiency, defined as a change, e.g., per year, per month, per week, or another time period, in the time of care staff; sustainability, defined as a change, e.g., per year, per month, per week, or another time period, in the CO2 usage of the care system; and total economic value change. The above are non-limiting examples of estimation parameters, and any other number of any other estimation parameters can be used additionally or alternatively. The values of the estimation parameters can be defined per a certain time period or, in some cases, without reference to a time period.

[0153] In one example, the total economic value change can be defined using one or more of the following: the number of incontinence products required multiplied by the cost of the incontinence products, the change in staff or caregiver time multiplied by the caregiver's hourly wage, the change in the amount of laundry required (e.g., in kilograms or kg) multiplied by the cost per kg of laundry, and the change in the number of wearers requiring incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) treatment multiplied by the average cost of skin treatment. The number of a certain set (e.g., the second set) of incontinence products required during an evaluation time period can be defined as the difference between the number of the first set of incontinence products required during a time period of the same length. Similarly, the changes in caregiver time, amount of laundry washed, and number of wearers requiring IAD treatment can be defined as the respective changes with respect to caregiver time, amount of laundry washed, and number of wearers requiring IAD treatment recorded for a baseline incontinence product set (e.g., in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first set of one or more incontinence products).

[0154] Process 200 may also include initiating an action regarding the use of the second set of incontinence products in the care system at block 211. The action is determined based on the values of the plurality of estimation parameters received from the estimation server, and the action can be initiated in various ways. In some cases, the action can be initiated in response to a trigger received from the estimation server. The initiation of the action can be, for example, an indication or recommendation to the care system regarding the second set of incontinence products. The indication and / or recommendation can be presented on a graphical user interface, e.g., on the estimation result UI of the evaluation tool 112, or otherwise displayed on the computer device 102 or a different computer device. For example, the indication and / or recommendation can be presented on a filter-based UI, e.g., Figure 1A filter-based UI 122, which may be presented on the computer device 102 or on a different computer device.

[0155] In some examples, as a result of processing according to a method or process herein (e.g., process 200 or another process), it may be automatically determined that a change to a second set of incontinence products may be adverse to the care system and / or the wearer in the care system. In such examples, an indication and / or recommendation that discourages switching from the first set to the second set may be generated and presented based on a computer-implemented estimation of the evaluated timing data and other relevant data. The indication and / or recommendation may additionally indicate an alternative action, e.g., a recommendation to computationally evaluate the effect of changing to another third set of one or more incontinence products. In some cases, the alternative action may include a recommendation to continue using the first set of incontinence products in the care system such that one or more wearers will continue to wear the first set of incontinence products.

[0156] Additionally, in some examples, it may be automatically determined that changing to some of the incontinence products in the evaluated second set may be adverse to the care system and / or the wearer in the care system. As discussed herein, the second set may be different for different wearers such that, for example, for a certain first wearer, the first set of incontinence products may be set A and the second set of incontinence products may be set B; for another second wearer, the first set of incontinence products may be set C and the second set of incontinence products may be set D; and for another third wearer, the first set of incontinence products may be set A and the second set of incontinence products may be set C. Each of the first, second, and third wearers may be more than one wearer. Processing according to aspects of the present disclosure may reveal, for example, that when a switch from set A to set B benefits the first wearer and the care system and a switch from set C to set D also benefits the second wearer and the care system, based on an evaluation of the impact of the change from set A to the set and other changes, a switch from set A to set C is not recommended for the third wearer. The processing may also generate an indication of the degree to which a change from set A to set C for the third wearer will affect the value of one or more estimated parameters. In this way, the methods according to examples herein may be used to evaluate the effect of personalized or individualized changes. The values of the multiple estimated parameters may be presented to a user, such as an operator of the care system or another user, in a manner that allows an assessment of the possible impact of individualized changes to the incontinence products of the wearer in the care system.

[0157] For example, an indication to use a second set of incontinence products with the care system may be generated. In some embodiments, in response to the indication, process 200 may include automatically sending an order to obtain the second set of incontinence products. It should be noted that since the second set may be different for at least some of the wearers in the care system, orders for different second sets of incontinence products may be sent, depending on which second sets are estimated for different wearers. The order may be sent to the system / computer of the product manufacturer, the product storage system / computer, etc. In some embodiments, the initiation of the action may be to generate a recommendation for the use process of the second set of incontinence products with the care system. For example, in some embodiments, the recommendation includes a recommendation for modifying at least one step of a plurality of second steps of a second use process of the second set of incontinence products. For example, the recommendation may specify an adjustment to the second use process of the second set of incontinence products, which will advantageously facilitate the use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the user in the care system. This may involve reducing the frequency of replacement of the incontinence products, or for some, increasing the frequency of replacement, which may have advantages such as fewer bed linen washes and thus less CO2 impact and / or less impact on the wearer's skin. This may ultimately result in a reduction in the cost of operating the care system, where the administration and disposal of the incontinence products typically greatly affect the operating cost. Additionally, since the impact of the replacement of various incontinence products is obtained, the effect or impact of the simultaneous replacement from one set of products to another set of products for individual wearers is evaluated. In this way, the impact of personalized changes on the entire care system is evaluated in a simplified and robust manner.

[0158] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the recommendation includes a recommendation for modifying the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

[0159] Process 200 may end at an appropriate time, for example, once the action regarding the use of the second set of incontinence products is initiated.

[0160] Figure 2B A method similar to process 200 or process 200a is shown. Therefore, the actions at blocks 202, 204, 206, 208, and 210 of process 200a are not discussed in detail herein because they are identical to the actions 202, 204, 206, 208, and 210 of Figure 2A process 200, respectively. Process 200a includes at least one processor of a computer device (e.g., Figure 1 computer device 102) that communicates with the estimation server 104 to perform the steps or actions of process 200a.

[0161] At block 202, process 200a includes receiving, via a computer device, for each of a plurality of wearers in one or more care systems, assessment timing data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during an assessment time period. The assessment timing data includes assessment values of assessment parameters related to the usage of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. The second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products includes a plurality of second steps. For each profile set from a plurality of profile sets, steps from the plurality of second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step.

[0162] The assessment timing data can be received via an assessment user interface of an assessment tool installed on the computer device. For example, the assessment timing data can be received via Figure 1 the assessment UI 114 of the assessment tool 112.

[0163] In some embodiments, the assessment timing data is received as user input from a caregiver, and the method further includes authenticating the caregiver using a computer identification device. The computer identification device can be worn or carried by the caregiver, or it can be associated with a device worn by the caregiver. The computer identification device can include one or more of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a barcode, and a quick response (QR) code tag configured to identify the caregiver. Any other computer identification device can be used. The assessment tool can be configured to automatically detect the computer identification device, for example, when the computer device accessing the assessment tool wirelessly communicates with the computer identification device using near field communication (NFC) technology. Once the computer identification device is detected and the caregiver is thereby identified, the assessment tool can record the identifier of the caregiver. For example, in some implementations, the identifier of the caregiver can be automatically entered into Figure 1 the user ID field 608 in the assessment UI 114.

[0164] Additionally, in some embodiments, the computer identification device can be detected by a proximity detection device associated with the room in which the wearer is located, such that authentication is automatically performed when the caregiver is located near the room and the proximity detection device detects the computer identification device. In such an embodiment, the proximity detection device can wirelessly communicate with a computer device typically carried by the caregiver, and the proximity detection device can be configured to perform caregiver identification and provide the identifier of the caregiver to the assessment tool.

[0165] In some embodiments, after identifying the caregiver, the assessment tool can automatically present a graphical user interface, such as the assessment UI, which can present a prompt requesting input regarding assessment data points obtained as part of the acquisition of the assessment timing data.

[0166] At block 204, process 200a includes obtaining, from a data storage device, a wearer profile record stored in the data storage device, the wearer profile record being created for a wearer and indicating the profile group to which the wearer from among a plurality of profile groups is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer. A wearer profile record is obtained for each of a plurality of wearers in a care system.

[0167] A wearer may be assigned to a profile group among the plurality of profile groups based at least on the wearer's excretion pattern, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive ability.

[0168] In some embodiments, the profile groups are defined as shown in Table 1 below, where incontinence products are referred to as containment products.

[0169] Table 1. Definitions of wearers in profile groups G1 - G6.

[0170]

[0171] Group 1 includes people independent of care, while groups 2 through 6 represent care - dependent populations requiring different levels of toileting and containment care (T&CC) assistance.

[0172] At block 206, process 200a includes sending the wearer profile record to an estimation server. The processing at block 206 includes sending the wearer profile records of all of the plurality of wearers in the care system to the estimation server.

[0173] At block 208, process 200a includes sending assessment timing data to the estimation server in response to receiving assessment timing from each of the plurality of wearers. The assessment timing data may be sent to the estimation server via a secure network connection.

[0174] At block 210, process 200a includes receiving, from the estimation server, values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer - generated estimation of the usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the plurality of wearers, based on the estimation server's processing of the assessment timing data and the wearer profile record of each of the plurality of wearers.

[0175] In addition, as Figure 2BAs shown, process 200a includes generating, at block 212, a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimated parameters corresponding to one or more profile groups selected for a care system from one or more care systems. In some examples, the computer representation may be generated on a filter-based user interface that includes user-selectable filter fields for selecting one or more profile groups from a plurality of profile groups, wherein the filter-based user interface is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimated parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields.

[0176] In some examples, the filter-based user interface may include user-selectable filter fields for selecting one or more care systems from one or more care systems, and wherein the filter-based user interface is further configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimated parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and the selected one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields.

[0177] The filter-based user interface or the estimated results UI (such as, for example, Figure 1 the filter-based UI 122) may be configured to receive input via the user-selectable filter fields such that a comparison of the impact of product changes on different profile groups, care systems, and / or wards or other units of a care system can be achieved in an intuitive and user-friendly manner. In some embodiments, the filter-based user interface allows a comparison between values of a plurality of estimated parameters generated as part of an evaluation of corresponding different incontinence products, as discussed in more detail below.

[0178] If an indication of a selection of more than one estimated parameter is selected, the computer representation generated in response to the indication of the selection may include a more complex graphical representation that includes representations of values of more than one (e.g., two, three, or more than three) estimated parameters, which may be values calculated for more than one profile group. Additionally, more than one care system and one or more units, such as wards within a (one or more) care system, may be selected. For example, when more than one care system is selected, such as Figure 7A and 7B the ward filter fields in the ward filter fields 708 may include ward filter fields for each selected care system. For example, a certain number of ward filter fields may be displayed for one of the selected care systems, and a different number of ward filter fields may be displayed for another of the selected care systems. The number of ward filter fields may depend on the number of wards in the corresponding care system.

[0179] A filter-based user interface can be presented by an evaluation tool on a computer device or on different computer devices. For example, Figure 1 the filter-based UI 122 can be presented by a processor or processing circuitry 110 of the computer device 102. A filter-based UI can be presented by an evaluation tool on a computer device or on different computer devices. The filter-based UI 122 can be presented by the evaluation tool 112, and in some embodiments, the filter-based UI 122 can be part of the evaluation UI 114, or it can be presented separately from the evaluation UI 114 by the evaluation tool 112. Moreover, the evaluation UI 114 can include features that can receive user input indicating that the evaluation tool 112 switches from the evaluation UI 114 to the filter-based UI 122.

[0180] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the filter-based UI 122 can be presented on a computer device different from the computer device presenting the evaluation UI 114.

[0181] In some embodiments, the computer representation indicates a comparison of the values of a plurality of parameters associated with a plurality of values of corresponding parameters associated with different usage processes of a second set of incontinence products. In this way, the computer representation can indicate the differences between different usage processes of the second set of incontinence products in a graphical format that is easily perceivable by a user interacting with the filter-based UI 122, in the form of the values of a plurality of parameters. In such an embodiment, the values of the plurality of parameters for different usage processes of the second set of incontinence products may have been previously generated by an estimation server.

[0182] In some embodiments, the computer representation indicates a comparison of the values of a plurality of estimated parameters associated with a second usage process of a second set of incontinence products and the corresponding values of a plurality of estimated parameters associated with a first usage process of a first set of incontinence products. Methods according to aspects of the present disclosure can be executed, such as Figure 2A and Figure 2B the methods shown, for evaluating the impact of changes from any set of incontinence products to any other set of incontinence products, such that changes from different sets and to different sets can be evaluated for different wearers in a care system. Thus, the values of a plurality of estimated parameters can be determined for incontinence products belonging to any set, and the estimation server can compare these values with the values of a plurality of estimated parameters associated with the usage processes of any other set of incontinence products. Therefore, in some embodiments, methods according to aspects of the present disclosure are used to generate the corresponding values of a plurality of estimated parameters associated with a first set of incontinence products and a second set of incontinence products, where the second set of incontinence products is being evaluated for possible adoption in a care system, e.g., to be worn by one or more wearers instead of the first set of incontinence products.

[0183] Figure 7A shows an example of a filter-based UI, also referred to herein as an estimation result UI, e.g., Figure 1 a filter-based UI 122 that can be presented when receiving, from an estimation server, a plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products. The filter-based UI can be customizable. As Figure 7A shown, the selection section or panel 702 on the right includes user-selectable filter fields that include a profile group filter field 704 for selecting a profile group from a plurality of profile groups, a care system filter field 706 for selecting a care system from one or more care systems, such as a nursing home. The selection panel 702 can also include one or more user-selectable filter fields for receiving an input that indicates a selection of a unit (e.g., a ward) with a number of residents less than that of the care system. For example, as Figure 7A shown, the selection panel 702 can include a ward filter field 708 configured to receive user input indicating a selection of a ward within the selected care system. By way of example only, the profile group filter field 704 is shown as including user-selectable filter fields for six groups G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6, each group corresponding to a respective profile group; the care system filter field 706 is shown as including user-selectable filter fields S1, S2, and S3, each user-selectable filter field corresponding to a respective care system; and the ward filter field 708 is shown as including user-selectable filter fields W1, W2, and W3, each user-selectable filter field corresponding to a respective ward within the selected care system.

[0184] The user-selectable filter fields in the selection panel 702 can be presented as a drop-down menu or other menu and can receive user input indicating a selection of any one or more of: one or more profile groups, one or more care systems, one or more wards, or one or more estimation parameters. The selection panel 702 allows for the selection, addition, or removal of different user-selectable filter fields such that computer representations of different entities can be dynamically generated in response to receiving input via the user-selectable filter fields.

[0185] In some examples, the user-selectable filter fields are configured to receive user input indicating a selection of an individual wearer within a care system, in which case, the user can be enabled to visually perceive the impact of a change in the incontinence product on the wearer.

[0186] The user-selectable filter fields in selection panel 702 can be configured to receive corresponding user input, which can be in the form of a selection of one or more user-selectable filter fields, for example, via touch, click, or voice command. Figure 7A The representation portion or panel 712 therein is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimated parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and / or one or more care systems in response to the selection panel 702 receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields. A ward or another unit can also be selected via the user-selectable filter fields provided on the selection panel 702.

[0187] In Figure 7A the example, the third profile group G3 is shown as being selected, and the second care system S2 is shown as being selected, as indicated by the thick line. The second care system S2 includes three wards W1 - W3, and in the example shown, no ward is selected, i.e., the results can be presented for the entire second care system S2. It should be noted that care systems S1, S2, and S3 can be associated with the same entity that manages and operates these care systems. In some examples, a single care system is available for selection, or it may not be necessary to select a care system because the estimated result UI 122 can be presented via the evaluation tool 112 in the use of a single care system.

[0188] In some embodiments, the selection panel 702 includes an estimated parameter filter field 709, which is configured to receive an indication of a selection of one or more estimated parameters, shown as three estimated parameters E1, E2, and E3 by way of example only. The estimated parameter filter field 709 can be configured to receive an indication of a selection of fewer than three or more than three estimated parameters. In some examples, all (if any estimated parameters are used) representations can be shown for selection. If no specific (one or more) estimated parameters are selected, a computer representation including the values of all estimated parameters can be generated. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the estimation server can default select the estimated parameters to be included in the computer representation. Any suitable number of estimated parameters can be used.

[0189] In response to an indication of a selection of one or more user-selectable filter fields, the representation panel 712 generates a visual representation of the values of the estimated parameters determined or calculated for the third profile group G3 and the second care system S2. In this way, the evaluation results of one or more groups (e.g., the first group and the second group, as in the illustrated embodiment) of incontinence products are shown in the form of the values of the estimated parameters, which are calculated for a person such as a wearer assigned to the third profile group G3 and residing in or otherwise associated with the second care system S2.

[0190] Figure 7A The representation panel 712 therein shows a first computer representation 714 of one or more values of a first estimation parameter from a plurality of estimation parameters, a second computer representation 716 of one or more values of a second estimation parameter from the plurality of estimation parameters, and a third computer representation 718 of one or more values of a third estimation parameter from the plurality of estimation parameters. The computer representation of one or more values of the plurality of estimation parameters may include a first icon representing the corresponding estimation parameter from the plurality of estimation parameters and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing the value of the corresponding estimation parameter. For example, using the first representation 714 in the representation panel 712 as an example, the first representation 714 includes a first icon 715 representing the corresponding estimation parameter and a second icon 717 associated with the first icon 715 and representing the value of the corresponding estimation parameter. The second icon 717 may include a numerical value, a graph, or other formats or a combination of different formats. The Figure 8 shows an example of an icon.

[0191] The second computer representation 716 and the third computer representation 718 each similarly include associated icons, where the first icon represents the estimation parameter and the second icon associated with the first icon represents the value of the estimation parameter represented by the first icon.

[0192] Figure 7B shows an example of a filter-based UI 122 indicating a selection of the estimation parameter E1 received via the estimation parameter filter field 709. In this example, the filter-based UI 122 is also shown as having received an indication of a selection of three profile groups G3, G4, and G5 via the profile group filter field 704. In response to the indication of the selection, a computer representation 720 can be generated, which includes a first icon 721 representing the selected estimation parameter E1 and a second icon or in this example a graphical view 723 associated with the first icon 721 and representing the value of the estimation parameter E1. The values of the estimation parameter E1 can be shown respectively for the three profile groups G3 - G5, and these values can be represented as, for example, Figure 7B the curve graph schematically shown in

[0193] It should be noted that Figure 7A and Figure 7B the features of

[0194] In some embodiments, the filter-based UI includes interactive features. For example, in Figure 7A and 7BOne or more graphical elements generated on the filter-based UI 122 as shown may be interactive. For example, a first icon 721 representing a selected estimation parameter E1 may be interactive such that it may be selectable and, in response to the selection, additional information about the selected estimation parameter E1 may be displayed. The filter-based UI 122 may generate different views.

[0195] Figure 8 Snapshot showing an example of a filter-based UI 800 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In Figure 8 the selection section or panel 802 on the right side includes user-selectable filter fields that include filter fields for receiving input for selection of a certain group of incontinence products of a day type, a certain group of incontinence products of a night type, a profile group, a ward, and a care system (such as a nursing home). The filter-based UI 800 also includes a representation section or panel 812 in a portion of the filter-based UI 800 separate from the selection panel 802. In response to the selection panel 802 receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields, the representation panel 812 displays a computer representation presenting values of a plurality of estimation parameters for the selected day-type incontinence products, group 3, ward 1, and care system such as nursing home 1-4. In this example, the representation panel 812 displays a computer representation for an estimation parameter that includes total absorption change (e.g., per year, per month, or another time period), skin health (e.g., defined as the change in the number of wearers requiring skin care per year, per month, or another time period), care efficiency (e.g., defined as the change in the time of care staff per year, per month, or another time period), sustainability (e.g., defined as the change in the CO2 usage of the care system per year, per month, or another time period), and total economic value change. For example, icon 805 is a computer representation of the total absorption change and icon 807 is a computer representation of the value of the total absorption change. Icon 805 and any other icon or another graphical feature may be an interactive object such that, in response to user input indicating its selection, the filter-based UI 800 is triggered to switch to another user interface view that may overlay the current user interface view and display UI features that allow viewing of the estimation parameter values associated with the selected estimation parameter (such as, in this example, the total absorption change).

[0196] The filter-based UI 800 also displays the baseline or base incontinence product and the incontinence product compared to the base product in the product indication panel 803, evaluating the impact of the changes thereto. For illustrative purposes only, the base product is represented as Product A or Product Group A, and the "effect" product is represented as Product B or Product Group B. In the embodiments described herein, the base product is referred to as the first group of incontinence products, and the product for which the effect of the change thereto is to be evaluated is referred to as the second group of incontinence products.

[0197] The product indication panel 803 can be a static digital object, e.g., when evaluation time series data has been obtained for two incontinence products of different types, e.g., based on the usage process of one or more incontinence products of the first group and one or more incontinence products of the second group, the static digital object can be displayed. For example, when obtaining the evaluation time series data, the current stage can be indicated, e.g., via Figure 1 the stage field in the evaluation UI 114. Thus, the computer device by which the evaluation time series data is obtained and the estimation server that receives the data will accordingly process the evaluation time series data, and the filter-based UI can display a computer representation that, in combination with a representation of the values of the estimation parameters, indicates which product group is used as the base product, e.g., one or more incontinence products of the first group, and which product group is used as the comparison or effect product, e.g., one or more incontinence products of the second group.

[0198] In some cases, one type of base product (e.g., the first group of incontinence products) can be used as a basis for comparison with more than one effect product being evaluated (e.g., the second group of incontinence products). As in other examples herein, the "second" group can mean a group of incontinence products that includes at least one difference from the first group of incontinence products, or a group of incontinence products that has a difference in the usage process between the first and second groups. The product indication panel 803 can be an interactive digital object through which user input can be received that indicates the selection of the base incontinence product group and another effect incontinence product group to which the change effect thereto will be displayed on the filter-based UI 800. Although in Figure 8Not shown in the figure, but the product indication panel 803 may be configured to receive user input regarding the selection of more than one pair of base-effect product groups, such that the representation panel 812 may display a computer representation of the values of a plurality of estimated parameters of the selected base-effect product groups. For example, when evaluating the respective usage processes of different first and second product groups for different wearers in a care system, the product indication panel 803 may allow the user to submit input indicating the selection of a number of base products and effect products. As an example implementation, the product indication panel 803 may be in the form of a drop-down menu from which the user may select a base-effect product group pair corresponding to the first and second product groups. As another possible implementation, the product indication panel 803 may not require the selection of base and effect products in its default configuration, such that the representation panel 812 may default to displaying a computer representation of the values of a plurality of estimated parameters of all evaluated base and effect product groups for, for example, a care system or a group of related care systems. The user may then submit input via the product indication panel 803 to indicate that the representation panel 812 display the results regarding a particular pair of base and effect product groups or regarding more than one pair of base and effect product groups from all evaluated base and effect product groups, depending on what evaluations have been performed on the care system or a group of related care systems.

[0199] In Figure 8 the example of, the care efficiency and total economic value change are greater than the care efficiency and total economic value change when using the corresponding base incontinence product group, thus demonstrating the superiority of the incontinence product group being evaluated, such as the superiority of the second group of incontinence products. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, in response to such a determination, appropriate actions, indications, and / or recommendations may be initiated or generated. In some embodiments, the value of the estimated parameter may be compared with a corresponding threshold to determine whether a change in the value reflecting a temporary switch to another incontinence product during the evaluation time period indicates a sufficient improvement in the value, the sufficient improvement in the value warranting a more permanent change to the incontinence product group being estimated.

[0200] In some embodiments, a range of one or more estimation parameters may be determined to define a group of care requirements. Optionally, the method may involve a computer-generated representation of one or more groups of care requirements. Thus, a group of care requirements may be used for a simplified representation of one or more estimation parameters. For example, in response to receiving first and second assessment time series data, the values of a plurality of generated estimation parameters may indicate a movement from a first group of care requirements to a second group of care requirements. For example, an estimation parameter care efficiency, which is defined as the time of required care staff, may be used to define groups of care efficiency, where each group of care efficiency corresponds to a range of the estimation parameter care efficiency. In response to receiving first assessment time series data and second assessment time series data, the values of a plurality of generated estimation parameters may indicate a movement from a first group of care efficiency to a second group of care efficiency. This represents a change in the time of required staff or carers at the group level and thus provides a simplified view of the estimation parameter care efficiency. Similarly, absorption groups may be defined by applying ranges to an estimation parameter absorption.

[0201] Additionally, in some examples, as Figure 8 shown, the representation panel 812 may include an information panel 815 that indicates the time period during which the assessment results are displayed in the representation panel 812, the number of wearers (e.g., residents) for whom the assessment results are generated, and the date on which the assessment results are generated.

[0202] Figure 9 A snapshot of an example of a filter-based UI 900 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown, where the filter-based UI 900 includes a computer representation of values of estimation parameters (such as total absorption level) for incontinence products for a selected profile group 3 and a specific incontinence product group for day and night types. For example, the filter-based UI 900 may be presented when the total absorption level estimation parameter is selected through an estimation parameter selection field 914 that may include an input field 916. In some cases, the filter-based UI 900 may be presented in response to a user input indicating a selection of the total absorption level estimation parameter in this example, such as through a user interface (such as, for example, Figure 8 the filter-based UI 800). Thus, for example, the computer representation 805 corresponding to the total absorption level estimation parameter may be interactive such that it can be activated to trigger the display of a representation portion or panel 912 or a panel that will overlay Figure 8 the representation panel 812. The estimation parameter selection field 914 may be used to receive, for example via the input field 916, a user input indicating a selection of one or more other estimation parameters, and the estimation parameter selection field 914 may be displayed regardless of the manner in which the filter-based UI 900 is presented.

[0203] In Figure 9In this case, the selection section or panel 902 includes user-selectable filter fields, and the presentation section or panel 912 displays values of total absorption level estimation parameters for a second set of incontinence products of the day type, a second set of incontinence products of the night type, and a combined value of the values for the second set of incontinence products of both day and night types. In some cases, the value of the total absorption can be calculated using the Rothwell scale or Rothwell system applied to incontinence care products, and is a scale that shows how absorbent a particular incontinence product is and how much liquid it can absorb and hold before leakage may occur due to overfilling.

[0204] In the example shown, the presentation panel 912 also shows corresponding graphs for the second set of incontinence products of both day and night types. In the graphs, all six groups G1 - G6 are indicated, and the value of the total absorption level estimation parameter for the selected group 3 (G3) is shown. These graphs are shown only as examples, as any other computer representation can be used to visualize the values of the estimation parameters.

[0205] The filter-based UI 900 can include a product indication panel 903, which can be similar to Figure 8 the product indication panel 803. The product indication panel can be interactive to allow selection of a base or baseline product or product group, and a product or group for which the change effect relative to the baseline product is to be visualized.

[0206] In some embodiments, the method according to aspects of the present disclosure further includes generating a second computer representation of the configuration of the care system, and displaying on the second computer representation the locations of wearers from a plurality of wearers in the care system. The second computer representation can include values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to computer-generated estimations of a second usage process of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearers. The second computer representation can additionally or alternatively include values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to computer-generated estimations of a first usage process of a first set of incontinence products worn by the wearers. The second computer representation can be generated on a computer device 102 such as, for example, Figure 1 or on a display associated with the computer device 102. The second computer representation can be generated on the filter-based UI or on another UI presented by the processing circuitry of the computer device.

[0207] In some embodiments, the second set of incontinence products can include a second wireless sensor configured to measure the excretory activity of the wearer using the second set of incontinence products as measured second excretion data, and configured to send the measured second excretion data to a digital diary in communication with a data storage device such that the wearer profile record is updated to store the measured second excretion data. The digital diary can be an evaluation tool (e.g.,Figure 1 as part of the assessment tool 112). Thus, the assessment tool can receive the measured second excretion data, and it can send the measured second excretion data to the data storage device 106, which records the measured second excretion data in the corresponding profile record stored for the wearer. For example, referring to Figure 1 system 100, the measured second excretion data can be stored as part of the metadata, such as the metadata 132 of the wearer profile record in the wearer profile record storage device 124. In addition, the measured second excretion data can be used to assign the wearers of the second set of incontinence products to a profile group among multiple profile groups based on a computer. The assessment tool can receive the assessment timing data and the measured second excretion data, and it can integrate the assessment timing data with the measured second excretion data, and send the assessment timing data and the measured first excretion data to the estimation server.

[0208] Similarly, the first set of incontinence products can include a first wireless sensor configured to measure the excretion activity of the wearer using the first set of incontinence products as the measured first excretion data, and configured to send the measured first excretion data to a digital diary communicating with the data storage device, such that the wearer profile record is updated to store the measured first excretion data. As described above, the digital diary can be Figure 1 part of the assessment tool 112. The measured first excretion data can be processed similarly to the measured second excretion data discussed above.

[0209] Return reference Figure 2B , at block 214, process 200a further includes receiving from the estimation server a recommendation for the use process of the care system with respect to the second set of incontinence products. The recommendation can include a recommendation for a modification to at least one step among a plurality of second steps of a second use process of one or more incontinence products of the second set. As another example, the recommendation can include a recommendation for a modification to the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

[0210] At block 216, process 200a further includes receiving from the estimation server an instruction for the care system, which recommends the care system to use the second set of incontinence products. The instruction can be received in any suitable format and via any suitable computing device. As used herein, the terms "instruction" and "recommendation" are used interchangeably. In some embodiments, process 200a can further include automatically sending an order to obtain a plurality of incontinence products of the second set in response to receiving the instruction, as Figure 2Bas shown at block 217 of. Thus, when, based on the processing of the assessment time series data and the wearer profile record by the estimation server and based on the calculation of the values of the plurality of estimation parameters, the method according to aspects of the present disclosure determines that it is more advantageous for the care system to use the second set of incontinence products, an automatic order for the second set of the plurality of incontinence products can be sent to the manufacturer or distributor. Thus, the second set of incontinence products can be shown to be superior to the first set of incontinence products.

[0211] In some embodiments, the assessment tool 112 is configured to ensure that an indication of an action is received in combination with the values of the plurality of received estimation parameters. In other words, once the values of the plurality of estimation parameters are received from the estimation server, the assessment tool 112 monitors whether an input regarding the values of the plurality of estimation parameters is received from a user in the care system and thus monitors the input regarding the estimation of the second set of incontinence products. For example, as Figure 2B shown, at block 218, a notification can be generated after a certain period of time. The notification can be generated by the computer device 102, or it can be received from the estimation server 104, or generated based on instructions received from the estimation server 104. The notification requests an indication of an action for a computer-generated estimation of the usage process of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. For example, if, after a particular period of time, no indication of an action for the estimation of the usage process of the second set of incontinence products is received based on the filter-based UI or another UI presented by the assessment tool 112, the user of the assessment tool 112 can be automatically instructed to submit an indication of an action. The indication of an action can be, for example, an indication to order the second set of incontinence products, an indication of a decision not to continue using the second set of incontinence products, an indication of a further query regarding the second set of incontinence products, or any other indication indicating a certain decision regarding the plurality of estimation parameters.

[0212] In an example embodiment, Figure 2B the processing at blocks 214, 216, 217, and 218 of can be performed as Figure 2A part of the processing at block 211 of.

[0213] In some embodiments, the second set of incontinence products can be selected based on sensor data obtained from a test incontinence product that is used by the wearer during an information collection period. The test incontinence product can be an incontinence product that is configured to be worn by the wearer for a certain period of time for the assessment of the wearer's excretion behavior and other characteristics. The test incontinence product performs the functions of a regular (i.e., non-test) incontinence product.

[0214] A method according to an embodiment for a computer device 102 described herein, such as, for example, method 200, 200a discussed above, may be implemented using, for example, a computer program product or a computer program that includes instructions, i.e., software code portions, that when executed on at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform the actions described herein, as performed by computer device 102. The computer program product may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, such as a disk, a universal serial bus (USB) stick, etc. The computer-readable storage medium on which the computer program product is stored may include instructions that when executed on at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform the actions described herein, as performed by computer device 102.

[0215] Figure 3 An example of communication between components of a computer system of a system 100 such as Figure 1 is shown. As Figure 3 shown, computer device 102 may receive or obtain assessment timing data, for example, via a graphical UI of an assessment tool. Computer device 102 receives a wearer profile record associated with a profile identifier from data storage device 106. Computer device 102 then sends the wearer profile record and the assessment timing data to estimation server 104, which may be performed separately or simultaneously. Computer device 102 then receives values of a plurality of estimation parameters from estimation server 104. Estimation server 104 may instruct (as shown by arrow 302) computer device 102 to present a filter-based UI, such as Figure 1 the filter-based UI 122, which is configured to interact with a user regarding an analysis of the values of the plurality of estimation parameters displayed as computer representations on the filter-based UI.

[0216] Figure 4 A method or process 400 for selecting a second set of one or more incontinence products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method may be implemented by a computer device (e.g., Figure 1 computer device 102) or another computer device in communication with an estimation server (e.g., Figure 1 estimation server 104).

[0217] In Figure 4At the frame 402, sensor data can be obtained from a test incontinence product. The test incontinence product can include a wireless sensor that is configured to measure the excretion activity of a wearer using the test incontinence product as sensor data including measured test excretion data, and is configured to send the measured test excretion data to an estimation server. The test incontinence product can be a disposable incontinence product, such as in the form of a disposable undergarment. The wireless sensor associated with the test incontinence product can be a thin discrete component for collecting excretion information and is configured to be placed in the test incontinence product in a manner that does not cause discomfort to the wearer. For example, the test incontinence product can include a compartment configured to removably accommodate the wireless sensor. The wireless sensor can be positioned within the test incontinence product to measure quantities, frequencies, and other characteristics related to liquid and solid emissions.

[0218] Sensor data, such as measured test excretion data, can be obtained during an information collection period of a suitable duration. In some embodiments, the information collection period is 72 hours. In some embodiments, the information collection period is 24 hours, or 48 hours, or longer than 72 hours.

[0219] At the frame 404, the measured test excretion data is sent to an estimation server. The wireless sensor can be configured to record the test excretion data and transmit it to a device or server, such as an estimation server.

[0220] In some cases, the test incontinence product can be associated with or include a recorder system or kit that includes a reusable recorder and a charger. The recorder can be communicatively coupled to the wireless sensor and is configured to record the test excretion data obtained by the wireless sensor and transmit the test excretion data to an estimation server. The charger is configured to charge the recorder when it is not in use. The recorder can be a reusable computing device that is configured and sized to be removably positioned within the test incontinence product, for example, in a compartment configured to accommodate the wireless sensor and the recorder. The recorder can alternatively be removably coupled to the outer surface, such as the front surface, of the test incontinence product in a manner that does not interfere with the wearer's use of the test incontinence product. The wireless sensor can be associated with an identifier or ID that uniquely identifies the wireless sensor. In embodiments where a recorder is used, the recorder can be associated with a unique ID that identifies the recorder such that a server receiving data sent by the recorder can determine the sender of the data.

[0221] In some embodiments, the test incontinence product includes TENA Smart CareIdentifi that employs smart sensor technology TMProduct (Essity). However, it should be understood that embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are not limited to any particular test incontinence product, and any type of incontinence product incorporated in or associated with a sensor such as a wireless sensor can be used for testing purposes, i.e., using the sensor to obtain excretion data collected when a person wears a test incontinence product over a specific period of time.

[0222] The estimation server can integrate the measured test excretion data and other information related to the wearer of the measured test excretion data, as well as information obtained from a care system where the wearer may reside. Information about the wearer can be obtained by the estimation server from a memory of a data storage device 106 such as, for example Figure 1 In some embodiments, for example, information about the wearer can be stored in corresponding profile records of records stored in a profile record storage device.

[0223] The estimation server can analyze the measured test excretion data and other information and determine which type of incontinence product is suitable for the wearer. The estimation server can also determine whether any adjustment to the usage process of the incontinence product is suitable for the wearer.

[0224] Thus, at Figure 4 block 406, an instruction to select a specific group of incontinence products can be received from the estimation server. In some embodiments herein, the instruction can indicate the selection of a second group of incontinence products as the most suitable incontinence products for the wearer. The instruction can be received via a graphical user interface or in any other way. Regardless of its specific format, the instruction can be received in a manner that prompts an action from a care facility.

[0225] In some examples of the present disclosure, evaluation timing data is obtained in combination with a first usage process of a first group of one or more incontinence products and a second usage process of a second group of one or more incontinence products. Values of a plurality of estimation parameters can be generated, which indicate a comparison of the first usage process of the first group of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer with the second usage process of the second group of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. This allows conversion into computer-generated numerical values and / or other forms and visualization of the differences between different types of incontinence products.

[0226] In some examples, such as, for example, in combination with Figure 2A and Figure 2BAs described, the methods according to aspects of the present disclosure can be performed at least in part remotely, i.e., when at least some of its steps or actions are performed by a remote computer system (e.g., an estimation server). For example, the evaluation tool 112 of the system 100 as described herein can be executed on the computer device 102 in operation and can also rely on server processing for processing evaluation time series data and determining estimated parameter values. Thus, for example, according to aspects of the present disclosure, the estimation server 104 can perform the processing of evaluation time series data and other data and the determination of the values of the estimated parameters.

[0227] In some examples, the methods according to aspects of the present disclosure can be performed locally, e.g., on one or more computer devices or systems associated with and controlled by a care system. For example, at least one hardware processor (e.g., the processing circuitry of a computer device such as the computer device 102 such as Figure 1 ) can perform the methods according to aspects of the present disclosure. For example, the evaluation tool 112 can be executed on the computer device 102 using the processing circuitry of the computer device 102. The computer device 102 can communicate with a server and / or other devices or systems during the execution of the method such that the evaluation tool 112 can obtain data, e.g., from a remote storage device and / or from the estimation server 104.

[0228] Furthermore, in some examples, the methods according to aspects of the present disclosure can be performed remotely, e.g., from a remote computer system such as the estimation server 104 of the system 100. In such examples, for example, the evaluation tool 112 accessible via the computer device 102 can be performed at least in part or entirely on the estimation server 102.

[0229] Figure 5 An example of a computer-implemented method or process 500 is shown that includes at least one processor of an execution computer system to perform the steps or actions of the process 500. At least one processor of the computer system can be operated to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the computer system. The computer system can be an estimation server such as Figure 1 the estimation server 104 such that at least one processor 144 of the estimation server 104 can be operated to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 146 and / or other storage devices of the estimation server 104. The process 500 described herein is executed by the estimation server 104. However, in some examples, the computer system can be Figure 1 the computer device 102 such as

[0230] The process 500 can include steps related to the processes 200 ( Figure 2A ) and 200a ( Figure 2B) Some actions are similar to the processing actions, and for the sake of brevity, the description of certain features will not be repeated here. The steps or actions of process 500 can be executed in any suitable order that may be different from the shown order. Optional actions are shown with dashed lines.

[0231] At block 502, process 500 includes receiving, for each of a plurality of wearers in a care system, first evaluation timing data regarding a first usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during a first evaluation time period.

[0232] The first evaluation timing data can be acquired during the evaluation time period. The data can be acquired at time points that are equally spaced in time (e.g., every 2 hours or every 3 hours or every 4 hours). The time points can also be unevenly distributed over the duration of the evaluation time period. For example, during the night, fewer data points can be acquired at more sparsely spaced time points.

[0233] Non-limiting examples of the first evaluation timing data include one or more of the following: skin assessment, changes in the first set of incontinence products, feces in the first set of incontinence products, toileting, cleaning and protection events, occurrence of urine leakage, clothing change events, bedding change events, application of the first set of incontinence products of the day type or application of the first set of incontinence products of the night type.

[0234] At block 504, optionally, after receiving the first evaluation timing data, sensor data obtained from a test incontinence product can be received. As described above, the test incontinence product can be used by the wearer during an information collection time period, and the test incontinence product includes a wireless sensor that is configured to measure the excretion activity of the wearer using the test incontinence product as sensor data including measured test excretion data. The test incontinence product is configured to send the measured test excretion data to an estimation server. For example, as described above, the test incontinence product can send the measured test excretion data using a wireless sensor and / or a recorder. The measured test excretion data can be used to select a second set of one or more incontinence products, e.g., as potential alternatives to the first set of incontinence products. In other words, the measured test excretion data can be used to determine whether it is worth estimating whether a second set of one or more incontinence products is more suitable for a particular wearer than the first set of one or more incontinence products. For example, if the first set of incontinence products does not have sufficient absorbency for the wearer, it can be decided that another set of one or more incontinence products can be more suitable for the wearer. Thus, the evaluation according to an example of the present disclosure can follow, for example, comparing the respective usage processes of a second set of one or more incontinence products and the first set of one or more incontinence products.

[0235] The processing at block 504 can be optional since the second group of one or more incontinence products can be selected in any suitable manner and the examples herein are not limited to a particular manner of selecting the second group of incontinence products.

[0236] At block 506, process 500 includes receiving, for each of a plurality of wearers during a second evaluation time period, second evaluation timing data regarding a second usage process of the second group of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. The wearer is the same person who previously wore the first group of incontinence products such that each wearer obtains evaluation timing data regarding the usage processes of both groups of products. The second evaluation timing data can be obtained to computationally determine whether the use of the second group of incontinence products will be more beneficial to the wearer of the (one or more) products and / or care system as compared to the use of the first group of incontinence products. Conventional methods of comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different types of incontinence products do not involve computer-based derivation of estimated parameter values performed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, and these aspects thus advantageously allow for more informed decisions regarding the selection and use of incontinence products.

[0237] The second evaluation timing data can be obtained over a certain duration, such as the second evaluation time period, which can be the same duration as the duration used to obtain the first evaluation timing data. Thus, in some examples, the first evaluation time period and the second evaluation time period can have the same duration or a similar duration. It should be noted that the first evaluation time period and the second evaluation time period may not have exactly the same duration. For example, additional data can be obtained during one or both of the evaluation time periods, such as when a data set at a predetermined time point is lost or for any other reason. Also, differences in the first and second usage processes may require obtaining different amounts of data. The second evaluation timing data can be obtained at certain time intervals. The time points at which the second evaluation timing data is obtained can be predefined. The time points can be the same as the time points used to obtain the first evaluation timing data, although there may be some differences in certain cases, as described above. Additionally, a user, such as a caregiver, may be able to override the predefined or preset time points, for example, when a product inspection is needed at a time that is inconsistent with the predefined time point.

[0238] In certain examples, the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data can be received via an evaluation user interface of an evaluation tool, such as, for example Figure 1 evaluation tool 112).

[0239] Non-limiting examples of the second evaluation time series data include one or more of the following: skin evaluation, changes in a second set of incontinence products, feces in a second set of incontinence products, toileting, cleaning and protection events, occurrence of urine leakage, clothing change events, bedding change events, application of a second set of incontinence products of the daytime type, or application of a second set of incontinence products of the nighttime type.

[0240] Evaluation parameters related to the use of a first set of incontinence products worn by a wearer and evaluation parameters related to the use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer may be the same.

[0241] In some examples, evaluation parameters related to the use of a first set of incontinence products worn by a wearer and evaluation parameters related to the use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer may be different. For example, the differences between the first set and the second set may require obtaining different types of evaluation data, such that there may be resulting differences between the evaluation parameters employed for the first set and the second set, respectively. Additionally, when there are some differences in the respective usage processes of the first set of incontinence products and the second set of incontinence products, different types of evaluation data regarding the usage process of one of these sets relative to the other of the first set and the second set may be obtained. However, even if the evaluation parameters may differ, the first evaluation time series data and the second evaluation time series data are comparable.

[0242] At block 508, process 500 includes receiving a wearer profile record created for a wearer, the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer from among multiple profile groups is assigned, and metadata related to the wearer. The wearer profile record may be received, for example, from a data storage device. The wearer profile record may be received directly from the data storage device (e.g., Figure 1 data storage device 106), or via a computer device (e.g., computer device 102 configured to access the data storage device).

[0243] The first evaluation time series data includes the evaluation values of evaluation parameters related to the use of the first set of incontinence products worn by the wearer, and the second evaluation time series data includes the evaluation values of evaluation parameters related to the use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. The first usage process and the second usage process each include a plurality of steps. The first process and the second process may have the same or similar steps such that the corresponding data obtained as a result of the first process and the second process is comparable. The steps of both the first process and the second process may include examining the condition of the wearer and / or the state of the incontinence product worn by the wearer, e.g., partially undressing the wearer, removing the wearer's clothes or helping the wearer remove a used (soiled) incontinence product, cleaning the body part of the wearer affected by the used incontinence product, applying a cream or another composition to the skin of the wearer, preparing a new incontinence product to be applied to the wearer, and applying the new incontinence product to the wearer. Any steps or sub-steps may be included additionally or alternatively. The usage process of the incontinence product may also include changing bed linens, manually or automatically monitoring the state of the product, such as checking whether the currently worn product remains dry or whether it has been soiled, etc. The examination may not include changing clothes or bed linens, i.e., when not needed. The plurality of steps of the usage process may be defined at the estimation server. Additionally, the care system may develop and adopt one or more than one set of usage processes suitable for the wearer, the caregiver, the type of product used, the details of the care system, etc. As discussed herein, the usage process of a certain set of incontinence products may be adjusted.

[0244] As in other examples discussed herein, the wearer may be assigned to a profile group from a plurality of profiles or care groups based at least on the wearer's excretion pattern, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive ability. For example, the wearer may be assigned to one of the six profile groups shown in Table 1 above. However, any other number of profile groups may be employed in the methods according to aspects of the present disclosure, including fewer than six or more than six.

[0245] In addition, for each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, the steps from the plurality of steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step, e.g., as Figure 1 shown in profile group table 134. More specifically, people assigned to different profile groups may require different amounts and types of assistance with wearing incontinence products. Thus, depending on the profile group to which the wearer is assigned based on the wearer's ability to use incontinence products and other factors, different amounts of work (defined herein as an amount of time) are required to perform each step of the usage process of the incontinence product. For example, if the wearer has moderately reduced mobility or occasional mild confusion, less time may be required to remove the used incontinence product and clean the wearer compared to a wearer with reduced mobility, e.g., as shown in Table 1, for wearers in groups 2 and 5 or 6.

[0246] As used herein, the process of using an incontinence product is considered to be performed by a caregiver, a healthcare provider, or any other person other than the wearer. However, it should be understood that depending on the physical and mental capabilities of the wearer, the wearer may participate in the replacement and application of a new incontinence product and thus in the process of using the incontinence product. Additionally, for a wearer assigned to a profile group in which a person is capable of independent toileting (e.g., Group 1 in Table 1), the evaluation and estimation processes according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed while the wearer is performing the process of using the incontinence product.

[0247] Regardless of the specific manner in which the process of using an incontinence product is performed in practice, it is defined to include a plurality of steps, each step associated with an estimated duration required to perform that step, and the estimated duration may be different for different profile groups.

[0248] Block 510, process 500 includes: in response to receiving first evaluation timing data and second evaluation timing data and receiving a wearer profile record for each of a plurality of wearers, generating values of a plurality of estimation parameters based on processing the first evaluation timing data, the second evaluation timing data, and the wearer profile record for each of the plurality of wearers, the values indicating a comparison of a first usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer with a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. The processing at block 510 may also include receiving information or data about one or more of product data, care system settings, or estimation settings. For example, data may be received from product data storage device 147 ( Figure 1 ) and care system settings 135 ( Figure 1 ) and estimation settings 139 ( Figure 1 ). Values of the plurality of estimation parameters may be estimated based on one or more of product data, care system settings, or estimation settings. Values of the plurality of estimation parameters may be generated based on the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data and based on data about one or more of product data, care system settings, or estimation settings.

[0249] The values of the plurality of estimation parameters may indicate a comparison between a first plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of the first usage process of the first set of one or more incontinence products and a second plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products. The values of the plurality of estimation parameters may indicate a ratio between the first plurality of estimation parameters and the second plurality of estimation parameters.

[0250] In some embodiments, a comparison between the first plurality of estimation parameters and the second plurality of estimation parameters may indicate the impact of differences between certain characteristics of the second set of incontinence products and the first set of incontinence products on the values of the estimation parameters. For example, the presence of a leakage barrier that may differ between the second set and the first set of incontinence products, the type of topsheet material, the likelihood of the absorption level of the product, the likelihood of the body fastening type (e.g., insert pad, open diaper, or belted diaper) may be estimated in the form of the impact of such variations on the values of one or more estimation parameters.

[0251] At block 512, a recommendation for a second usage process of the second set of incontinence products may be generated for the care system. The recommendation may include a recommendation to use the second set of incontinence products in the care system.

[0252] In some examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation for a modification to at least one step of the second usage process of the second set of incontinence products. In some examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation for a modification to the configuration of the second set of incontinence products. Sensor data obtained from the test incontinence products may be used to generate recommendations for the care system. In addition to evaluating the timing data, sensor data obtained from the test incontinence products (such as measured test excretion data) may also be used to determine whether to recommend the use of the second set of incontinence products to the care system.

[0253] In some cases, recommendations may be generated based solely on sensor data obtained from the test incontinence products. Such recommendations may be used to make assessment and estimation decisions regarding the second set of incontinence products for the care system. For example, preliminary recommendations for assessing and estimating the second set of incontinence products may be generated based on sensor data obtained from the test incontinence products. After the values of the estimation parameters have been determined for the assessment and estimation of the second set of incontinence products, a final recommendation may be generated subsequently.

[0254] At block 514, an indication for the care system may be generated that recommends the care system use the second set of incontinence products. The indication may be generated using sensor data obtained from the test incontinence products.

[0255] In some embodiments, as shown at block 515, process 500 optionally includes automatically transmitting, when the value of at least one of the plurality of estimated parameters has reached or exceeded a threshold, a request for an amount of a second set of incontinence products to be delivered to the care system. For example, when the value of an estimated parameter (e.g., total economic value change, i.e., the increase in cost savings generated by the care system) exceeds a certain threshold, an automatic decision can be made regarding the use of the second set of incontinence products by the care system, which can thus replace the first set of incontinence products. The automatic decision can involve sending an automatic order for a certain amount of the second set of incontinence products. The automatic decision can prompt the initiation of other actions, such as an indication of the training required for the caregiver, an indication of a change to the usage process for the second set of incontinence products, and other actions.

[0256] At block 516, the estimation server can indicate the presentation of the values of the plurality of estimated parameters generated on the user interface. For example, the estimation server can indicate the computer representation of the generation or presentation of one or more values of the plurality of estimated parameters on the user interface. The user interface can include a filter-based user interface (UI) that includes user-selectable filter fields for selecting at least one or more care groups from a plurality of care groups. In an example where the wearer is associated with (e.g., resident in) a care system belonging to a group that includes two or more care systems, the filter-based UI can also include user-selectable filter fields for selecting one or more care systems from one or more care systems. It can be indicated that the filter-based UI is presented on the computer device through which the assessment tool is accessed or on another computer device. One or more computer devices associated with the care system can present the filter-based UI, also referred to as the estimation result UI, in response to corresponding instructions from the estimation server.

[0257] In an example, the estimation server can indicate the presentation of the values of the plurality of estimated parameters generated on Figure 1 the filter-based UI 122. In the method 500 described in connection with Figure 5 the values of the plurality of estimated parameters can indicate a comparison between a first plurality of estimated parameters and a second plurality of estimated parameters. Thus, a filter-based UI can be presented that allows receiving an indication of the selection of one or more intake groups, one or more care systems, one or more wards or other units of the care system, and one or more estimated parameters, such that in response to the selection, a computer representation is generated on the filter-based UI in the form of a comparison between the first plurality of estimated parameters and the second plurality of estimated parameters, as discussed throughout this disclosure.

[0258] In some embodiments, a filter-based user interface is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimated parameters corresponding to one or more selected profile groups (and in some examples one or more additional care systems) in response to receiving user input via a user-selectable filter field. In some embodiments, the computer representation of one or more values of the plurality of estimated parameters includes a first icon representing a corresponding estimated parameter from the plurality of estimated parameters and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing the value of the corresponding estimated parameter.

[0259] The various methods or processes outlined in this disclosure can be implemented in any suitable hardware. Additionally, the various methods or processes outlined herein can be implemented in a combination of hardware and software executable on one or more processors employing any of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Any suitable combination of hardware and software can be used to implement any of the examples discussed herein.

[0260] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a computer system or device (such as, for example, Figure 1 the computer device 102 shown in). The computer device 102 can include any collection of devices that individually or jointly execute a set or multiple sets of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods, processes, steps, or actions described herein. The computer device 102 can be a single multi-purpose programmable digital computing device, or a coordinated system of two or more multi-purpose computing devices that share processing capabilities and jointly execute the techniques described herein, or a single computing device or coordinated system of computing devices (co-located or geographically distributed) dedicated to executing the techniques described herein, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for executing the techniques described herein, or any other suitable system or device.

[0261] The computer device 102 can include processing circuitry, such as at least one processor or processor device 110 and a memory 108. The computer device 102 also includes an input and output interface 1000 configured to communicate with any device, system, and / or component according to an example of the present disclosure. The input and output interface 1000 can include wireless and / or wired receivers, wireless and / or wired transmitters, and / or wireless and / or wired transceivers.

[0262] The processor device 110 can be a computing device programmed to execute instructions when the instructions are stored in a manner accessible to the computing device, such as stored in a data store, e.g., on-chip cache or instruction register, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via a bus, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via one or more networks and accessible by the device / processor, etc. The processor device 110 can include, for example, a general-purpose processor, a special instruction set processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit including processing components, a set of distributed processing components, a set of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components designed to perform the functions described herein, or any combination thereof.

[0263] The memory 108 can be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer-executable instructions for performing or facilitating one or more of the processes described herein. The computer-executable instructions can be implemented as software, including application software, system software, firmware, middleware, embedded code, or any other suitable type of computer code.

[0264] The memory 108 can include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of information structures for supporting the various methods or processes described herein. Any distributed or local memory device can be used with the systems and methods of this specification. The memory 108 can be communicatively coupled to the processor device 110, for example, via circuitry or any other wired, wireless, or network connection. The memory 108 can include non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), or any other medium that can be used to carry or store machine-executable instructions or data structures in the form of desired program code and can be accessed by a computer or other machine having the processor device 110.

[0265] The methods according to aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented by, for example, a computer program product 1080 or a computer program including computer-executable instructions (i.e., software code portions) that, when executed on at least one processor (e.g., processor device 110), cause the at least one processor to perform the actions described herein as performed by computer device 102. In some examples, the computer program product 1080 is stored on a computer-readable storage medium 1090. The computer-readable storage medium 1090 may be, for example, a disk, a universal serial bus (USB) stick, or any other type of computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium 1090 having the computer program product stored thereon may include instructions that, when executed on at least one processor (e.g., processor device 110), cause the at least one processor to perform the actions of the methods described herein as performed by computer device 102.

[0266] As Figure 10 shown, the computer device 102 may include a receiving unit 1002. The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may be configured to receive, for each of a plurality of wearers in a care system, evaluation timing data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during an evaluation period. The evaluation timing data includes evaluation values of estimated parameters related to the use of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products includes a plurality of second steps; and for each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, the steps from the plurality of second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step.

[0267] The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may also be configured to receive a recommendation from an estimation server regarding the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products for the care system.

[0268] The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may also be configured to receive an indication from the estimation server that recommends the care system use the second set of incontinence products.

[0269] The computer device 102 may include an obtaining unit 1004. The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the obtaining unit 1004 may be configured to obtain, from a data storage device, a wearer profile record stored in the data storage device, the wearer profile record being created for the wearer and indicating the profile group to which the wearer from a plurality of profile groups is assigned and metadata related to the wearer.

[0270] The computer device 102 may include a sending unit 1006. The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the sending unit 1006 may be configured to send the wearer profile record to the estimation server. The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the sending unit 1006 may be configured to send the evaluation timing data to the estimation server. The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the sending unit 1006 may be configured to automatically transmit, when the value of at least one of the plurality of estimation parameters has reached or exceeded a threshold, a request to deliver a certain amount of a second set of incontinence products to the care system from the computer device or from the estimation server to an external computer.

[0271] The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may be configured to receive, based on the processing by the estimation server of the evaluation timing data and the wearer profile record of each wearer among the plurality of wearers, values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the plurality of wearers. The values of the plurality of estimation parameters may be received from the estimation server.

[0272] As Figure 10 As further shown, the computer device 102 may include a generating unit 1008. The computer device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the generating unit 1008 may be configured to generate a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to one or more profile groups selected for a care system from one or more care systems. The computer representation may be generated on a UI such as, for example, a filter-based user UI. The filter-based user UI may include user-selectable filter fields for selecting one or more profile groups from the plurality of profile groups and, in some examples, user-selectable filter fields for selecting one or more care systems from one or more care systems. The filter-based UI may be configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and the selected one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields. The user interface may be presented by an evaluation tool.

[0273] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a computer system or server for implementing the examples disclosed herein, for example Figure 1The illustrated estimation server 104. The estimation server 104 can include any collection of servers or devices that individually or jointly execute one or more sets of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods, processes, steps, or actions described herein. The estimation server 104 can be a single multi-purpose programmable digital computing device, or a coordinated system of two or more multi-purpose computing devices that share processing capabilities and jointly execute the techniques described herein, or a single computing device or a coordinated system of computing devices (co-located or geographically distributed) dedicated to executing the techniques described herein, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for executing the techniques described herein, or any other suitable system or device.

[0274] The estimation server 104 can include processing circuitry, such as at least one processor or processor device 144 and a memory 146. The estimation server 104 also includes an input and output interface 1100 that is configured to communicate with any device, system, and / or component according to an example of the present disclosure. The input and output interface 1100 can include wireless and / or wired receivers, wireless and / or wired transmitters, and / or wireless and / or wired transceivers.

[0275] The processor device 144 can be a computing device programmed to execute instructions when the instructions are stored in a manner accessible to the computing device, such as stored in a data store, e.g., an on-chip cache or instruction register, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via a bus, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via one or more networks and accessible by the device / processor, etc. The processor device 144 can include, for example, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), circuitry including processing components, a set of distributed processing components, a set of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination designed to perform the functions described herein.

[0276] The memory 146 can be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer-executable instructions for performing or facilitating one or more of the processes described herein. The computer-executable instructions can be implemented as software, including application software, system software, firmware, middleware, embedded code, or any other suitable type of computer code.

[0277] The memory 146 may include a database component, an object code component, a script component, or other types of information structures for supporting the various methods or processes described herein. Any distributed or local memory device may be used with the systems and methods of this specification. The memory 146 may be communicatively coupled to the processor device 144, for example, via circuitry or any other wired, wireless, or network connection. The memory 146 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine having the processor device 144.

[0278] Methods in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented by, for example, a computer program product 1180 or a computer program that includes computer-executable instructions (i.e., software code portions) that, when executed on at least one processor (e.g., the processor device 144), cause the at least one processor to perform the actions described herein as performed by the estimation server 104. In some examples, the computer program product 1180 is stored on a computer-readable storage medium 1190. The computer-readable storage medium 1190 may be, for example, a disk, a universal serial bus (USB) stick, or any other type of computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium 1190 having the computer program product stored thereon may include instructions that, when executed on at least one processor (e.g., the processor device 144), cause the at least one processor to perform the actions of the methods described herein as performed by the estimation server 104.

[0279] As Figure 11 shown, the estimation server 104 may include a generation unit 1102. The estimation server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the generation unit 1102 may be configured to generate, determine, or calculate values of a plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by a plurality of wearers, based on processing of the evaluation timing data and the wearer profiles recorded for each of the plurality of wearers. The values of the plurality of estimation parameters may be generated as described above.

[0280] The estimation server 104 may include a receiving unit 1104. The estimation server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the receiving unit 1104 may be configured to receive evaluation timing data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer. The evaluation timing data may include evaluation values of evaluation parameters related to the usage of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products may include a plurality of second steps; and for each profile group among the plurality of profile groups, the steps among the plurality of second steps may be associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step.

[0281] The estimation server 104 may include an obtaining unit 1106. The estimation server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the obtaining unit 1106 may be configured to obtain a wearer profile record that is created for the wearer and that indicates the profile group to which the wearer is assigned from among the plurality of profile groups and metadata related to the wearer. The estimation server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the obtaining unit 1106 may be configured to obtain other information, such as information from a product data store, a care system setting, an estimation setting, and the like.

[0282] The estimation server 104 may include a generating unit 1108. The estimation server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the generating unit 1108 may be configured to generate a computer representation of one or more values of a plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to one or more profile groups selected for a care system from one or more care systems. The computer representation may be instructed to be generated or presented on a computer device (e.g., on the computer device 102) or on a user interface of another computer device or system.

[0283] The computer device 102 and the estimation server 104 may include other units that implement the functions of the examples of the present disclosure.

[0284] The operating steps described in any of the exemplary aspects herein are described to provide examples and discussion. These steps may be performed by hardware components, may be embodied in machine-executable instructions to cause a processor to perform these steps, or may be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a particular order of method steps may be shown or described, the order of the steps may be different. Additionally, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0285] In this regard, various inventive concepts can be embodied in at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoding one or more programs (e.g., computer memory, one or more floppy disks, compact disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes, flash memories, circuit configurations in a field-programmable gate array or other semiconductor device, etc.), the one or more programs implementing various embodiments of the present invention when executed on one or more computers or other processors. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media can be transportable such that the one or more programs stored thereon can be loaded onto any computer resource to implement the various aspects of the present invention as described above.

[0286] The term "program" or "software" is used herein in a general sense to refer to any type of computer code or set of computer-executable instructions that can be used to program a computer or other processor to implement the various aspects of the embodiments described above. Additionally, it should be understood that, according to one aspect, one or more computer programs that execute the methods of the present invention when executed need not reside on a single computer or processor, but can be distributed in a modular fashion among different computers or processors to implement the various aspects of the present invention.

[0287] Thus, in some embodiments, the techniques described herein can be embodied in computer-executable instructions implemented as software, including application software, system software, firmware, middleware, embedded code, or any other suitable type of computer code. Such computer-executable instructions can be written using any of a variety of suitable programming languages and / or programming or scripting tools, and can also be compiled into executable machine language code or intermediate code for execution on a framework or virtual machine.

[0288] Computer-executable instructions can be in many forms, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Generally, in various embodiments, the functions of program modules can be combined or distributed as needed.

[0289] Various inventive concepts can be embodied as one or more methods, examples of which have been provided. The acts performed as part of any method described herein can be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments can be constructed in which acts are performed in a different order than shown, which can include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

[0290] All definitions defined and used herein should be understood to control the ordinary meaning of the dictionary definitions and / or defined terms. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meanings as those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having the same meanings as those in the context of this specification and in the relevant technology, and unless explicitly defined as such herein, will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0291] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0292] As used herein, the indefinite articles "a", "an" and "a" are to be understood as meaning "at least one", unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0293] As used herein, the phrase "at least one" with respect to a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more elements in the list of elements, but does not necessarily include at least one of each element specifically listed within the list of elements, and does not exclude any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present in addition to the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.

[0294] As used herein, the phrase "and / or" should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so combined, i.e., elements that are present in combination in some cases and separately in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so combined. In addition to the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, other elements may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, when used in conjunction with open language (such as "comprising"), a reference to "A and / or B" may refer to only A (optionally including elements other than B) in one embodiment; to only B (optionally including elements other than A) in another embodiment; to both A and B (optionally including other elements) in yet another embodiment, etc.

[0295] As used herein, "or" shall be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" shall be interpreted inclusively, i.e., including more than one element or at least one of the elements in the list, but also including more than one, and optionally, additional unlisted items. Terms that are expressly indicated to the contrary, such as "only one" or "exactly one", will refer to including exactly one element of more than one element or elements in the list. Generally, the term "or" as used herein will only be interpreted as indicating an exclusive alternative (i.e., "one or the other but not both") when preceded by an exclusive term (such as "either", "one", "only one" or "exactly one").

[0296] The wording and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as restrictive. The use of "comprising", "including", "having", "containing", "involving" and variations thereof is intended to cover the items listed hereinafter and additional items.

[0297] Any embodiment or example disclosed herein can be combined with any other embodiment in any manner consistent with at least one of the purposes, objectives and needs disclosed herein, and references to "embodiment", "some embodiments", "alternative embodiments", "various embodiments", "one embodiment", etc. are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that the particular features, structures or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments can be included in at least one embodiment. These terms as they appear here do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0298] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects shown above and in the drawings; rather, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and the specification, aspects have been disclosed for illustrative purposes only and not for purposes of limitation, and the scope of the inventive concept is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method (500) performed by at least one processor (144) of an estimation server (104), the method being configured to: For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: During a first evaluation period, receive (502) first evaluation timing data regarding a first usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; During a second evaluation period, receive (506) second evaluation timing data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; And Receive (508) a wearer profile record created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer from a plurality of profile groups is assigned and metadata related to the wearer, wherein: The first evaluation timing data includes evaluation values of first evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second evaluation timing data includes evaluation values of second evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products; The first usage process includes a plurality of first steps, and the second usage process includes a plurality of second steps; and For each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, steps from the plurality of first steps and second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the steps; and In response to receiving the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data and receiving the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, generate (510) values of a plurality of estimation parameters indicating a comparison between the first usage process and the second usage process based on processing the first evaluation timing data, the second evaluation timing data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the values of the plurality of estimation parameters indicate a comparison between a first plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of the first usage process of the first set and a second plurality of estimation parameters related to a computer-generated estimation of the second usage process of the second set.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the values of the plurality of estimation parameters indicate a ratio between the first plurality of estimation parameters and the second plurality of estimation parameters.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: After receiving the first evaluation timing data, receive (504) sensor data obtained from a test incontinence product used by the wearer during an information collection period, the test incontinence product including a wireless sensor configured to measure the excretion activity of the wearer using the test incontinence product as the sensor data including measured test excretion data and configured to send the measured test excretion data to the estimation server.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second set of one or more incontinence products is selected based on the sensor data obtained from the test incontinence product.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first evaluation time series data and the second evaluation time series data are received via an evaluation user interface (114) of an evaluation tool (112).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first evaluation time period and the second evaluation time period have the same duration.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: indicating (516) a computer representation of one or more values of the plurality of estimation parameters presented on a user interface.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises a filter-based user interface, the filter-based user interface comprising user-selectable filter fields for selecting at least one or more profile groups from the plurality of profile groups.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the filter-based user interface is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values of the plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the computer representation of the one or more values of the plurality of estimation parameters comprises a first icon representing a corresponding estimation parameter from the plurality of estimation parameters and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing the value of the corresponding estimation parameter.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Assigning the wearer to a profile group from the plurality of profile groups based at least on the wearer's excretion pattern, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive ability.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first evaluation time series data comprises one or more of the following: skin evaluation, changes in a first set of incontinence products, feces in a first set of incontinence products, toileting, cleaning and protection events, occurrence of urine leakage, clothing change events, bedding change events, application of a first set of incontinence products of a daytime type, and application of a first set of incontinence products of a nighttime type.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second evaluation time series data comprises one or more of the following: skin evaluation, changes in a second set of incontinence products, feces in a second set of incontinence products, toileting, cleaning and protection events, occurrence of urine leakage, clothing change events, bedding change events, application of a second set of incontinence products of a daytime type, and application of a second set of incontinence products of a nighttime type.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products and the second evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the second set of one or more incontinence products are the same parameters.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: automatically transmitting (515) a request to deliver a certain quantity of a second set of incontinence products to the care system to an external computer when a value of at least one of the plurality of estimation parameters has reached or exceeded a threshold.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising automatically generating (512) recommendations for a care system regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the recommendations include recommendations for modifying at least one step of the plurality of second steps of the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the recommendations include recommendations for modifying the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

20. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising generating (514) an indication to the care system, the indication recommending the use of the second set of incontinence products by the care system.

21. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 16, further comprising automatically generating recommendations for a care system regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein The recommendations include recommendations for modifying at least one step of the plurality of second steps of the second usage process of the second set of one or more incontinence products.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the recommendations include recommendations for modifying the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

24. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the recommendations for the care system are generated using the sensor data obtained from the test incontinence products.

25. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

27. An estimation server (104) comprising at least one processor (144), the at least one processor (144) being configured to: For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: During a first evaluation time period, receive first evaluation time-series data regarding a first usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; During a second evaluation time period, receive second evaluation time-series data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; And Receive a wearer profile record created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer from the plurality of profile groups is assigned and metadata related to the wearer, wherein: The first evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of first evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second evaluation time-series data includes evaluation values of second evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products; The first usage process includes a plurality of first steps, and the second usage process includes a plurality of second steps; and For each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, steps from the plurality of first and second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the steps; and In response to receiving the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data and receiving the wearer profile record from each wearer of the plurality of wearers, generate values of a plurality of estimation parameters indicative of a comparison of the first usage process and the second usage process based on processing the first evaluation timing data, the second evaluation timing data, and the wearer profile record from each wearer of the plurality of wearers.

28. The estimation server (104) according to claim 27, wherein the at least one processor (144) is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 24.

29. The estimation server (104) according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data are received from the computer device (102).

30. A system (100) comprising a computer device (102) and an estimation server (104), the estimation server (104) comprising at least one processor (144), the at least one processor (144) being configured to: For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: During a first evaluation period, receive first evaluation timing data regarding a first usage process of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; During a second evaluation period, receive second evaluation timing data regarding a second usage process of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; Receive a wearer profile record created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating the profile group to which the wearer from the plurality of profile groups is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer, wherein: The first evaluation timing data includes evaluation values of first evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second evaluation timing data includes evaluation values of second evaluation parameters related to the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products; The first usage process includes a plurality of first steps, and the second usage process includes a plurality of second steps; and For each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, steps from the plurality of first steps and second steps are associated with an estimated duration required to perform the steps; and In response to receiving the first evaluation timing data and the second evaluation timing data and receiving the wearer profile record from each wearer of the plurality of wearers, generate values of a plurality of estimation parameters indicative of a comparison of the first usage process and the second usage process based on processing the first evaluation timing data, the second evaluation timing data, and the wearer profile record from each wearer of the plurality of wearers.

31. The system (100) according to claim 30, wherein the at least one processor (144) of the estimation server (104) is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 24.

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