Paper diaper for detecting urinary tract infection and design method of detection structure thereof

Abstract

The application provides a paper diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infection and a design method of a detection structure in the paper diaper. The paper diaper comprises a closed cavity defined by a closed layer, a first urine indicator strip is arranged in the closed cavity, a second urine indicator strip is arranged outside the closed cavity, a part of the closed layer adopts a water permeable material layer, and the pore size of the water permeable material layer is suitable for the permeation of liquid in urine and the blockage of inflammatory products in urine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nursing products, and more specifically to a diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections and a design method for the detection structure therein. Background Technology

[0002] Urinary tract infection is a common disease for elderly people who are bedridden for a long time, infants, and people who are unconscious and unable to take care of themselves. Severe urinary tract infection can even lead to liver and kidney failure, which can endanger life. If the infection can be detected in time in the early stage, it can be cured with simple treatment at the hospital.

[0003] However, bedridden elderly people with impaired consciousness, patients who are unable to take care of themselves, and infants and young children are unable to accurately describe their discomfort. In particular, due to the decline in sensory function, if urinary tract infections are not detected in time, they may become life-threatening. Therefore, it is especially important to detect urinary tract infections in these groups in a timely manner.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies include using detection strips or blocks embedded in diapers to detect urine abnormalities, as illustrated in Chinese patent applications CN103099711A, CN104434403A, and CN107714304A. These similar solutions are based on dry chemical methods, employing detection strips or blocks with indicators or chemical reagents to detect analytes in urine. This results in higher costs and more stringent process requirements for the diaper products and their production. Furthermore, parents of infants may worry about the potential health effects of the various chemical reagents contained in traditional diapers, making their widespread use in infant diapers difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections. The diaper includes a closed cavity defined by a sealing layer, a first urine indicator strip disposed within the closed cavity, and a second urine indicator strip disposed outside the closed cavity. A portion of the sealing layer is made of a water-permeable material layer, the pore size of which is suitable for the permeability of liquid in urine and for blocking inflammatory products in urine.

[0006] Furthermore, the permeable material layer is a microporous membrane.

[0007] Furthermore, the diaper also includes an outermost waterproof layer, which, together with the water-permeable material layer, defines the sealing layer.

[0008] Furthermore, both the first urine indicator strip and the second urine indicator strip are disposed adjacent to the waterproof layer.

[0009] Furthermore, the diaper also includes a first absorbent material layer, and the first urine indicator strip and the permeable material layer are both disposed adjacent to the first absorbent material layer.

[0010] Furthermore, a second moisture-absorbing material layer is also provided inside the sealed cavity, and the second moisture-absorbing material layer is disposed between the water-permeable material layer and the first urine indicator strip.

[0011] Furthermore, the first urine indicator strip and the second urine indicator strip are aligned along their respective extension directions.

[0012] Furthermore, the first urine indicator strip and the second urine indicator strip partially overlap.

[0013] Furthermore, the diaper includes two enclosed cavities, each using a different pore size in its permeable material layer.

[0014] This invention also provides a design method for a detection structure in a diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections. The design method includes: setting a closed cavity defined by a sealing layer, setting urine indicator strips inside and outside the closed cavity respectively, and using a water-permeable material layer in a portion of the sealing layer. The pore size of the water-permeable material layer is suitable for the permeation of liquid in urine, while also being suitable for blocking inflammatory products in urine, so that the color difference of the urine indicator strips inside and outside the closed cavity can be used to determine whether there is a urinary tract infection.

[0015] Compared to existing technologies, the diaper for detecting urinary tract infections and the design method of its detection structure in this invention break through the limitations of existing products that often rely on the biochemical characteristics of inflammatory urine and employ chemical methods for detection. It utilizes the physical properties of inflammatory urine, leveraging the difference in permeability between normal and inflammatory urine through a water-permeable material layer with specific pore sizes, and combining this with the urine indicator strips in existing products, to effectively and significantly indicate the urine test results. This diaper for detecting urinary tract infections only requires the addition of a water-permeable material layer to existing products to achieve the function of detecting urinary tract infections. Compared to existing products using detection strips or blocks based on dry chemical methods, the process requirements and production costs are significantly reduced, and no additional chemical reagents are introduced into the product, making it suitable for infants and possessing strong promotional and application value.

[0016] The following will further explain the concept, specific structure, and technical effects of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, features, and effects of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0019] Figure 3 These are microscopic images of urine from the normal group, the mild inflammation group, and the moderate to severe inflammation group after processing.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the test results of a diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0022] 1—Detection area,

[0023] 10—Closed cavity,

[0024] 100—Waterproof layer,

[0025] 200—Moisture-absorbing layer,

[0026] 300—Inner layer,

[0027] 400—Permeable material layer,

[0028] 500—First urine indicator strip,

[0029] 600—Second urine indicator strip,

[0030] 610—upper segment urine display strip,

[0031] 620—Lower segment urine display strip,

[0032] 700—Moisture-absorbing layer. Detailed Implementation

[0033] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. The accompanying drawings are schematic diagrams or conceptual diagrams, and the relationships between the thickness and width of each part, as well as the proportional relationships between each part, etc., are not entirely consistent with their actual values.

[0034] The concept of this invention is to utilize the urine indicator strips in existing diapers to design a detection structure within the diaper for detecting urinary tract infections. Specifically, a closed cavity defined by a sealing layer is provided, and urine indicator strips are respectively placed inside and outside the closed cavity. A portion of the sealing layer is made of a water-permeable material layer. The pore size of the water-permeable material layer is suitable for the permeation of liquid in urine, while also being suitable for blocking inflammatory products in urine. Thus, the color difference between the urine indicator strips inside and outside the closed cavity can be used to determine whether there is a urinary tract infection.

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. A detection structure for detecting urinary tract infections is provided in the detection area 1 (dashed box is used to indicate the area) at the crotch position of the diaper. Specifically, the presence of inflammatory products in the urine is used to determine whether there is a urinary tract infection.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the diaper has a waterproof layer 100, a moisture-absorbing layer 200, and an inner layer 300 arranged from the outside to the inside. In the detection area 1, a water-permeable material layer 400 is arranged between the waterproof layer 100 and the moisture-absorbing layer 200. The water-permeable material layer 400 and the waterproof layer 100 define a closed cavity 10. A first urine indicator strip 500 is arranged inside the closed cavity 10, and a second urine indicator strip 600 is arranged outside the closed cavity 10. The second urine indicator strip 600 is arranged between the waterproof layer 100 and the moisture-absorbing layer 200, which is also the usual location of the urine indicator strip in existing diapers. In existing disposable diapers, the urine indicator strip changes color when it comes into contact with liquid. When the absorbent layer of the diaper is saturated with water, urine flows to the outer layer. When it comes into contact with the urine indicator strip, it causes the urine to develop color, change color, or fade, thus indicating that the diaper needs to be changed. This invention does not improve the urine indicator strip, waterproof layer, absorbent layer, or inner layer of the diaper. The urine indicator strips mentioned in this article are all urine indicator strips with the above-mentioned functions in the prior art. In the implementation of this invention, any type of urine indicator strip or urine indicator strip with any color development principle, as well as the waterproof layer, absorbent layer, and inner layer used in existing disposable diapers, can be used, and there are no restrictions on this.

[0037] A moisture-absorbing layer 700 is also provided in the closed cavity 10. The moisture-absorbing layer 700 is disposed between the first urine indicator strip 500 and the water-permeable material layer 400, so that the urine entering the water-permeable material layer 400 will first come into contact with the moisture-absorbing layer 700. As the moisture-absorbing layer 700 becomes saturated with water, the urine will then permeate and come into contact with the first urine indicator strip 500.

[0038] The permeable material layer 400 is a membrane material with a preset pore size, such as an existing microporous membrane used for filtration. The pore size must be chosen to allow urine to pass through while blocking inflammatory products in the urine; that is, the permeable material layer 400 can filter out inflammatory products from the urine. Normal urine contains only a very small number of bladder exfoliated cells and impurities (a small amount of fine uric acid crystals and a small number of lymphocytes, etc.), which can easily permeate the permeable material layer 400. However, in cases of urinary tract infection and inflammation, the urine will contain a large number of inflammatory cells and exfoliated epithelium; the permeable material layer 400 can block these inflammatory products.

[0039] In this embodiment, the detection structure in detection area 1 can be used to determine urinary tract infection because when the absorbent layer 200 of the diaper gradually absorbs water and becomes saturated from the inside out, urine gradually passes through the absorbent layer 200 and reaches the waterproof layer 100. At this time, when the urine comes into contact with the second urine indicator strip 600, it can cause a rapid color change. At the same time, if it is normal urine, it can also pass through the permeable material layer 400 and enter the closed cavity 10. After the absorbent layer 700 becomes saturated with water, it comes into contact with the first urine indicator strip 500 and causes a rapid color change. If it is inflammatory urine, a large number of inflammatory products in the urine will quickly block the pores of the permeable material layer 400, so that the liquid in the urine cannot enter the closed cavity 10, and the first urine indicator strip 500 will not change color. Thus, by comparing the colors of the first urine indicator strip 500 and the second urine indicator strip 600, it is possible to determine whether there is a urinary tract infection.

[0040] Admittedly, when inflammatory urine reaches the permeable material layer 400 and before the permeable material layer 400 is completely blocked by inflammatory products, a small amount of urine may pass through the permeable material layer 400 and enter the closed cavity 10. However, this small amount of urine will be absorbed by the absorbent layer 700, thus not causing a color change in the first urine indicator strip 500. Even if a very small amount of urine can still come into contact with the first urine indicator strip 500, it will not cause the entire first urine indicator strip 500 to change color. Instead, there will only be some scattered or mottled discolored spots or patches. However, this is enough to show a significant difference from the second urine indicator strip 600, which can be used to determine whether there is a urinary tract infection. At the same time, this situation can also be used to help determine the severity of the urinary tract infection. That is, no discoloration at all compared to scattered or mottled color changes can be considered as more inflammatory products in the urine, indicating a more severe urinary tract infection.

[0041] In a validation experiment, urine samples from each group were first grouped according to the results of routine urinalysis in the laboratory, specifically into a normal group, a mild inflammation group, and a moderate-to-severe inflammation group. First, without any treatment, 200 μL of the undiluted urine was added to a special cell adhesion slide and allowed to settle naturally for at least 20 minutes until completely dry. Then, the slides were stained with hematoxylin for 5 minutes, differentiated with 1% hydrochloric acid-alcohol solution for 2 seconds, rinsed with running water for 5 minutes until the cells showed a blue reversal, stained with eosin for 10 seconds, and dehydrated with graded alcohol to remove excess eosin stain. The slides were then cleared with xylene, mounted with neutral resin, and the cell count under a microscope was determined to further confirm the number and size of inflammatory cells and epithelial cells in the urine. Figure 3 The images, from left to right, show microscopic photographs of samples from the normal group, the mild inflammation group, and the moderate-to-severe inflammation group. It can be seen that there is almost no residue in the urine of the normal group, while there is a large amount of residue in the urine of both the mild and moderate-to-severe inflammation groups, with the moderate-to-severe inflammation group having even more residue.

[0042] Based on the microscopic observations above, subsequent experiments used HOLOGIC medical microporous membranes with pore sizes of 30µm, 20µm, and 10µm. A certain thickness of absorbent paper was cut from diaper pads, and microporous membranes and pH test strips were placed on the top and bottom sides of the absorbent paper, respectively, to prepare experimental samples. Finally, 25 urine samples were collected from each of the normal group, mild inflammation group, and moderate-to-severe inflammation group, and 5ml was added to the above experimental samples. The experiment lasted for 20 minutes, during which the color change of the pH test strips in each sample was observed. The results are shown in the table below.

[0043]

[0044] In the above experiments, any change in pH test strip color, even partial color change, was considered a color change. Observations showed that all color changes occurred within one minute of adding the urine sample. Samples using 20µm microporous membranes effectively and significantly distinguished between inflammatory and normal urine. Based on the above experimental methods and results, it can be predicted that within the pore size range greater than 20µm, there exist corresponding pore sizes that can differentiate between mild and moderate-to-severe inflammation groups. For example, mild and moderate-to-severe inflammation groups might differ in the presence or absence of color change, or in the size of the color change area. Therefore, in some embodiments of the diaper, two detection areas are provided. The permeable material layers used in the detection structures of the two detection areas have different pore sizes. This allows for qualitative determination of the presence of a urinary tract infection through one detection structure, while the other detection structure can assist in indicating the degree of the urinary tract infection.

[0045] In this embodiment, the second urine indicator strip 600 is composed of an upper urine indicator strip 610 and a lower urine indicator strip 620. The upper urine indicator strip 610, the lower urine indicator strip 620 and the first urine indicator strip 500 have the same width. The upper urine indicator strip 610 and the lower urine indicator strip 620 are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the first urine indicator strip 500, and the three are aligned vertically. In another preferred embodiment, the upper urine indicator strip 610 partially overlaps with the upper end of the first urine indicator strip 500, and the lower urine indicator strip 620 partially overlaps with the lower end of the first urine indicator strip 500. That is, one end of the upper urine indicator strip 610 and the lower urine indicator strip 620 covers the edge of the permeable material layer 400. Thus, when normal urine causes the urine indicator strips to change color, a continuous band of consistent color composed of the upper urine indicator strip 610, the first urine indicator strip 500, and the lower urine indicator strip 620 can be seen. When inflammatory urine causes the upper urine indicator strip 610 and the lower urine indicator strip 620 to change color, the first urine indicator strip 500 does not change color, and a band broken in the middle can be seen. (Refer to...) Figure 4 The diagram, from left to right, exemplarily illustrates the color distinctions of the urine display bars in the detection area for pre-test, normal urine test results, and inflammatory urine test results.

[0046] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections, characterized in that, It includes a closed cavity defined by a sealing layer, a first urine indicator strip is disposed inside the closed cavity, and a second urine indicator strip is disposed outside the closed cavity. A portion of the sealing layer is made of a water-permeable material layer, which is a microporous membrane with a pore size suitable for the permeation of liquid in urine and suitable for blocking inflammatory products in urine. It also includes a first moisture-absorbing material layer, a second moisture-absorbing material layer, and a waterproof layer disposed on the outermost side. The waterproof layer and the water-permeable material layer together define the sealing layer. The first urine indicator strip and the second urine indicator strip are both disposed adjacent to the waterproof layer. The second urine indicator strip and the water-permeable material layer are both disposed adjacent to the first moisture-absorbing material layer. The second moisture-absorbing material layer is disposed within the sealed cavity and is disposed between the water-permeable material layer and the first urine indicator strip.

2. The diaper for detecting urinary tract infections as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first urine indicator strip and the second urine indicator strip are aligned along their respective extension directions.

3. The diaper for detecting urinary tract infections as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first urine indicator strip and the second urine indicator strip partially overlap.

4. The diaper for detecting urinary tract infections as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It includes two enclosed cavities, each with a different pore size in its permeable material layer.

5. A method for designing a detection structure in a diaper suitable for detecting urinary tract infections, characterized in that, A closed cavity defined by a sealing layer is provided, and a first urine indicator strip and a second urine indicator strip are respectively provided inside and outside the closed cavity. A portion of the sealing layer is made of a water-permeable material layer. The water-permeable material layer is made of a microporous membrane with a pore size suitable for the liquid in the urine to pass through, while also suitable for blocking inflammatory products in the urine. Thus, the color difference between the urine indicator strips inside and outside the closed cavity can be used to determine whether there is a urinary tract infection. It also includes a first absorbent material layer, a second absorbent material layer, and an outermost waterproof layer. The waterproof layer and the permeable material layer together define the sealing layer. The first urine indicator strip and the second urine indicator strip are both disposed adjacent to the waterproof layer. The second urine indicator strip and the permeable material layer are both disposed adjacent to the first absorbent material layer. The second absorbent material layer is disposed within the sealed cavity and between the permeable material layer and the first urine indicator strip.

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