Remote incontinence monitoring system using multiple RF tags associated with dedicated frequencies

Abstract

A remote incontinence detection / monitoring system is provided, along with methods of operation and manufacture thereof. The system includes a diaper embedded with markers, each associated with a dedicated frequency. Each marker is operable to relay or reflect to an external receiver, or to absorb or block a radio signal tuned to the dedicated frequency emitted from an external transmitter. When the marker comes into contact with liquid, it loses its ability to relay, reflect, absorb, or block the radio signal tuned to the marker's dedicated frequency, indicating saturation of the diaper at the marker's location. A method is also provided for manufacturing diapers incorporating components for the system, such that each diaper manufactured from the same roll of material has the same number of embedded markers responsive to the same set of predetermined dedicated frequencies, with no frequencies missing or overlapping among all diapers.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 988,669, entitled "REMOTE INCONTINENCE DETECTION AND MONITORING SYSTEM WITH METHOD AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF," filed March 12, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0002] The present invention relates to a system for remotely detecting and monitoring incontinence in diaper-like products that does not require a pod to establish an electrical connection between wetness sensors. [Background technology]

[0003] As the population ages, there is an increasing need for adult incontinence protection devices such as diapers, pads, or briefs, to name a few. Although diapers will be referred to herein for clarity, other incontinence protection devices are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] Institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes face the challenge of providing care to their residents, which includes changing residents' diapers in a timely manner to prevent several problems ranging from health issues and patient comfort to managing diaper consumption and laundry.

[0005] One approach has come in the form of diapers containing sensors. These sensors are supplied as strips of different shapes. They can be incorporated into the diaper either during diaper manufacture or by modifying the diaper later. They can also be added to the diaper, for example, in the form of sensor strips.

[0006] Existing technology relies heavily on pods that are clipped or glued to the diaper by various means, the purpose of which is to relay what the sensors detect to an external unit that monitors the presence of liquid in the diaper and triggers an alarm to change the diaper. Some prior art diapers also contain components such as electronic chips that allow the diaper to monitor itself and send notifications to change the diaper.

[0007] With regard to means for detecting and monitoring the presence of liquid in the diaper, the prior art mostly relies on the creation of an electrical circuit formed by the coupling of a sensor, a pod, and liquid released into the diaper. Detection and monitoring ranges from simply sounding an alarm when the diaper is wet to sounding an alarm only when the diaper reaches its saturation level.

[0008] One drawback of the electrical circuit formed by the combination of the sensor and pod is the variability of the electrical signal caused by the manufacturing of the sensor or the installation of the pod. Indeed, if the pod is not installed and connected properly, the detection and monitoring may not be as effective as expected. Some caregiver training is also required to ensure the sensor and pod are installed correctly.

[0009] Another prior art wetness detection system is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0070510(A1), in which a resonant tag is affixed to a diaper, and when the inductor of the resonant tag comes into contact with urine, the substantially constant resonant frequency of the resonant tag is lost, and a remote detection means emits a substantially constant sweep frequency and activates an alarm when the resonant frequency disappears. A problem with this type of prior art wetness detection is that a pre-manufactured resonant tag must be affixed to the diaper, which complicates the manufacture of diapers having such wetness detection systems. Furthermore, such a system in which a resonant tag is affixed to a diaper can only determine whether a specific location on the resonant tag has come into contact with urine, but cannot determine the saturation state of the diaper.

[0010] Another prior art patient incontinence monitoring device and method is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,774,800, in which an RF tag is placed in contact with or spaced apart from a liquid-absorbent material and configured to absorb a radio frequency excitation signal, such that changes in the amount of exuded fluid received by the liquid-absorbent material cause changes in the absorption of energy in the radio frequency excitation signal by the RF tag. This prior art also requires a pre-manufactured resonant tag to be affixed to the diaper, making the manufacture of tagged diapers cumbersome.

[0011] It would therefore be desirable to provide an alternative means of detecting and monitoring incontinence without relying on modifying the diaper or significantly altering its manufacturing process. It would be desirable to provide a diaper that does not require manual attachment of sensors. It would be desirable to provide a diaper that allows for incontinence detection and monitoring without the need for a pod that relays sensor-detected data to an actual monitoring system. It would also be desirable to provide a means for accurately detecting and monitoring incontinence that is not subject to undesirable variability and does not require reliance on sophisticated components. It would also be desirable to provide a cost-effective means of manufacturing diapers that involves moving the actual detection and monitoring process external to the diaper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0070510(A1) [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 6,774,800 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to coupling a diaper with an external monitoring system. During diaper manufacturing, a roll of material is used, the diapers are cut to a predetermined length, and other features are added to complete the product. Markers / tags are (pre)printed onto the material along the length of the diaper to maintain a predetermined number of such markers / tags on each diaper. Every diaper manufactured has the same number of markers / tags printed on the inside.

[0014] Each marker / tag is (pre)printed to respond to a determined individual radio frequency, and the total number of markers printed on a diaper always corresponds to a predetermined set of frequencies, repeated for each set of markers. Each manufactured diaper contains the same number of markers that respond to the same set of predetermined frequencies. As a result, each series of diapers manufactured will be identical in terms of the number of markers and the frequencies to which they correspond.

[0015] The external monitoring system includes a transmitter and a receiver that transmit and receive a series of electromagnetic signals corresponding to preset frequencies associated with the markers. As long as the marker is not exposed to liquid, signals transmitted by the transmitter at the marker's frequency are responded to by the marker, e.g., relayed or reflected by the marker to the receiver, or absorbed or blocked by the marker so that they are not received by the receiver. When the marker is eventually exposed to liquid, the marker loses its ability to relay, reflect, absorb, or block signals, and the frequency associated with that particular marker becomes silent or displayed on the receiver. As more and more liquid expands into the diaper and the diaper becomes saturated, more and more markers lose their ability to respond to those frequencies. Based on the presence and placement of the frequencies on the receiver, it is possible to determine when the diaper needs to be changed and therefore alert the caregiver. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary diaper according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1A]FIG. 1 illustrates a process for printing an RF tag having three layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary unfolded roll of material for making diapers according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a close-up of a section of spread material for making a diaper according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of another exemplary unfolded roll of material for making diapers according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of yet another exemplary unfolded roll of material for making diapers according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary diaper when no liquid is released into the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an exemplary diaper when no liquid is released into the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary diaper when liquid is released into the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an exemplary diaper when liquid is released into the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9A] 1B illustrates an exemplary signal at a transceiver transmitting a signal of constant amplitude at frequency f and receiving a response from the resonant tag fabricated in FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 illustrates a graph of an exemplary signal in a transceiver when a swept frequency is transmitted, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10A] FIG. 1 illustrates successive frequency rollovers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary diaper on a provided bed when no liquid has been released into the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary diaper on a bed when liquid is released in the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary diaper on a bed provided with the diaper when no liquid has been released into the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary diaper on a bed when liquid is released in the diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wetness detection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic diagram of a diaper having multiple (e.g., three) columns of tags according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15A] FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary frequency distribution of a tag in a diaper as shown in FIG. 15, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15B] FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary frequency distribution of a tag in a diaper as shown in FIG. 15, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15C] 1 is a schematic diagram of a diaper having a tag disposed throughout a liquid impermeable layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] 1 shows an exemplary diaper 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, having a length 14 and a width 15. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the diaper 10 is primarily composed of at least two layers of material: an absorbent layer 12 intended to absorb urine or any other bodily fluids, and a liquid-impermeable layer 16. It is understood that other constructions for the diaper are possible and are considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0018] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of tags 18 are provided on the liquid-impermeable layer 16. Preferably, the tags 18 are provided on the inner side of the liquid-impermeable layer 16 (i.e., the side facing the absorbent layer 12), with the absorbent layer 12 positioned on top of the tags 18, i.e., sandwiched between the inner side of the liquid-impermeable layer 16 on which the tags are provided and the underside of the absorbent layer 12. Alternatively, the tags may be provided on the outer side of the liquid-impermeable layer 16 (i.e., the side opposite the absorbent layer 12). In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, nine tags 18 are provided on the inner side of the liquid-impermeable layer 16, for example, on the central axis of the diaper 10 along its length 14. It should be noted that the number (e.g., nine) and arrangement (e.g., central placement and spacing on the inner side of the liquid-impermeable layer) of the tags 18 shown in FIG. 1 are for illustrative purposes only, and that a different number of tags 18 may be present on the liquid-impermeable layer 16, arranged in other arrangements, such as on the left or right, on the outside, etc.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, each tag 18 is associated with a respective dedicated frequency. In particular, each tag 18 is provided or designed to operate at its respective dedicated frequency, i.e., during normal operation, each tag is operable to respond (e.g., resonate and retransmit, or relay, or reflect, or absorb, or jam, etc.) to signals tuned to its respective dedicated frequency. As an example, in Figure 1, nine tags 18 are associated with frequencies f1, f2, ..., f9, respectively, from top to bottom. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the frequencies associated with tags 18 are different from each other in the diaper, e.g., frequencies f1, f2, ..., f9 are (slightly) different from each other, as shown in Figure 1.

[0020] To avoid significant modifications or complications in the diaper manufacturing assembly line, instead of first manufacturing the tag 18 and then inserting the tag 18 into the diaper or onto the liquid-impermeable material / layer, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the tag 18 is printed directly onto the liquid-impermeable material / layer 16.

[0021] As mentioned above, the tags 18 are provided or designed to operate at their respective dedicated frequencies. In embodiments of the present disclosure, each tag 18 is configured to respond to a signal tuned to its respective dedicated frequency by being energized by the signal and then transmitting back a signal at the same frequency. For example, the tags 18 are configured to function as an LC resonant circuit whose resonant frequency is the respective dedicated frequency of the tags 18.

[0022] In embodiments of the present disclosure in which the tag 18 functions as an LC resonant circuit, the tag 18 may be provided by printing a capacitor and an inductor, such as a central capacitor and an inductor arranged (e.g., coiled) around the capacitor, on a liquid-impermeable material / layer. It should be noted that the capacitors and inductors of an LC resonant tag may be arranged in other ways and still be used with the technical solutions of the present disclosure. As an example, the tag 18 may be composed of three layers: a first conductive layer 50, a second insulating layer 60, and a third conductive layer 70, printed on a liquid-impermeable material / layer. FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary process for printing the tag 18 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] 1A, a first conductive layer 50 is printed on the liquid impermeable material / layer 16, a plate 52 is printed in the center thereof, and a conductor 54 is printed spirally around the periphery of the central plate 52 with its first terminal 56 connected to the central plate 52. The conductor 54 also has a second terminal 58. It will be understood that the conductor spiraling around the periphery of the central plate forms a coil, i.e., an inductor.

[0024] Next, a second insulating layer 60 is printed on the first conductive layer 50 to insulate the plates and conductors of the first conductive layer 50 from the plates and conductors of the third conductive layer 70. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second insulating layer 60 covers at least the plates 52 and exposes at least the second terminals 58 and portions of the conductors 54; for example, the second insulating layer 60 covers only the center plate 52 and the connection portion from the center plate 52 to the second terminals 58, and has holes at the locations of the second terminals 58 for exposing the second terminals 58. For example, in the embodiment shown in the center diagram of FIG. 1A , the second insulating layer 60 is formed from a center insulating portion 62 that covers the center plate 52 and a connecting insulating portion 64 that has holes 68 for exposing the second terminals 58.

[0025] Next, a third conductive layer 70 is printed on top of the second insulating layer 60, another plate 72 is formed in a position corresponding to plate 52 (i.e., on central insulating portion 62), and a conductive wire 74 is formed on connecting insulating portion 64 to connect plate 72 to the exposed second terminal 58. It will be understood that the two plates 52 and 72 separated by central insulating portion 62 form a capacitor, and the conductive wire 54 spiraling around plate 52 forms an inductor, and the capacitor and inductor are connected by conductive wire 74. It will also be understood that by controlling, for example, the thickness of central insulating portion 62 (i.e., the distance between plates 52 and 72) and / or the area of ​​plates 52 and 72 and / or the number of turns of the coil formed by conductive wire 54, tag 18 can be printed with a desired resonant frequency, i.e., its dedicated frequency.

[0026] It will be appreciated that the three layers may be printed in the reverse order from that shown in Figure 1A, i.e., first a first conductive layer 50 printed on a liquid-impermeable layer, with plates 72 and leads 74 printed on it, then a second insulating layer 60 printed on the first conductive layer 50, then a third conductive layer 70 printed on top of the second insulating layer, with plates 52 and leads 54 (i.e., inductors) printed on top.

[0027] To avoid potential twisting or bending, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, tag 18 is made rigid. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A , a reinforcing layer, such as a rigid polymer layer, may be added during the tag 18 printing process. As a non-limiting example, during the tag printing process, the reinforcing layer is first printed on a liquid-impermeable layer / material, and then the first conductive layer, second insulating layer, and third conductive layer are printed on the reinforcing layer as shown and described above. It should be noted that the reinforcing layer may be disposed in a different position relative to the other three layers, such as on top of the other three layers, particularly on top of the third conductive layer, or between any two adjacent layers of the other three layers.

[0028] Alternatively, rather than adding an additional reinforcing layer, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one of the three layers of the tag (i.e., the first conductive layer, the second insulating layer, and the third conductive layer) is reinforced to be rigid. For example, at least one of the three layers is reinforced to be rigid with some rigid polymer. As another example, the second insulating layer can simply be made of some rigid polymer.

[0029] It should be noted that the stiffening layer (either an additional stiffening layer or one of the three layers (first conductive layer, second insulating layer, third conductive layer) stiffened with a stiffening material) is configured to prevent twisting or bending of the tag as a whole, i.e., the stiffening layer is configured to stiffen the entire area or surface of the tag. To do this, the stiffening layer needs to either cover the entire surface of the tag (e.g., in embodiments where the stiffening layer is first printed on a liquid impermeable layer / material, and then the first conductive layer, second insulating layer and third conductive layer are printed on the stiffening layer), or have several branches or sections, e.g., in a star-like shape, so as to reach the outer edges of the tag.

[0030] It should also be noted that the reinforcing layer needs to be provided in such a way that it does not interfere with the function and / or operation of the tag. In particular, after adding an additional reinforcing layer, or after constructing one of the three layers (first conductive layer, second insulating layer and third conductive layer) as a reinforcing layer, the tag 18 can still function as an LC resonant circuit, and contact of excreted liquids such as urine with the tag 18 will change the function and / or operation of the tag, e.g., changing the tag's response to signals at the resonant frequency. For example, if the reinforcing layer is provided above the third conductive layer, it will be configured with a number of gaps or holes to allow excreted liquids to pass through and change the function and / or operation of the tag.

[0031] In an embodiment, tag 18 is printed onto a liquid-impermeable sheet, which is supplied in roll form along with tag 18 and transported to a diaper manufacturing assembly line to form the liquid-impermeable layer 16 of the diaper being manufactured. Alternatively, tag 18 can be incorporated into the diaper manufacturing process with minimal modification of the manufacturing process, for example, by including one or more printers in the assembly line to print tag 18 onto (the interior or exterior of) a supplied liquid-impermeable material without tag 18 being pre-printed thereon.

[0032] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, liquid-impermeable sheets for diaper manufacturing are supplied in the form of large rolls. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, to manufacture diapers, a roll of liquid-impermeable sheet (whether or not it already has tags 18 preprinted thereon) is unrolled, and the liquid-impermeable sheet with tags 18 (either preprinted or printed by an assembly line printer) is then combined with other layers, such as the absorbent layer 12, and cut into appropriately sized sections. Each such section contains the same set of tags in the same arrangement (i.e., the same number of tags, the same spacing, and the same relative positions) and is used to form one diaper. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, tags 18 are printed on the liquid-impermeable material / layer with a fixed spacing between two consecutive adjacent tags, ensuring that each section contains the same number of tags if the sections are the same length.

[0033] FIG. 2 illustrates an unrolled roll 20 of liquid-impermeable material / sheet having tags 18 on top of which an absorbent layer 12 is disposed, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As described above, the tags 18 are pre-printed on the liquid-impermeable sheet 20 or printed by an assembly line printer. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the tags 18 are pre-printed or printed in such a manner that sets of a predetermined number of tags 18 are repeated consecutively on the liquid-impermeable sheet along its length without changing the tag arrangement (e.g., spacing and relative positioning), and the tags 18 in one such set operate at different specific frequencies. As an example, in an embodiment such as that depicted in FIG. 2, sets of eight tags 18 are repeated consecutively in the same arrangement on the liquid-impermeable sheet along its length, and the eight tags 18 in one such set operate at eight different frequencies f1, f2, ..., f8, respectively. It should be noted that the number and arrangement of the tags 18 in one such set can be predetermined as needed, for example, based on the size of diapers to be manufactured. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of tags 18 in one such set is predetermined so that each manufactured diaper includes that number of tags 18 on the liquid-impermeable layer 16. Also, to facilitate the printing procedure of the tags on the liquid-impermeable material / layer (either before or during the diaper manufacturing process), the tags 18 of such a set are printed in descending / ascending order of frequency, for example, by gradually increasing / decreasing the thickness of the second insulating layer 60 and / or the area of ​​the plate and / or the number of turns of the coil forming the inductor. As an example, in an embodiment such as that depicted in FIG. 2, the order of frequency may be f1>f2>f3>f4>f5>f6>f7>f8, or f1 <f2<f3<f4<f5<f6<f7<f8である。

[0034] As described above, after the liquid-impermeable sheet 20 is combined with other layers, such as the absorbent layer 12, it is cut into appropriately sized sections, each of which includes the same set of predetermined numbers of tags in the same arrangement, to form a single diaper. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid-impermeable sheet 20, particularly together with the absorbent layer 12, is cut into sections 24 at line 26 so that each section 24 includes a set of eight tags 18, as described above. As an example, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the liquid-impermeable sheet 20, together with the absorbent layer 12, is cut into sections 24 at line 26 so that each section 24 includes a set of eight tags 18. In FIG. 2, as an example, the line 26 is positioned between the tag 18 associated with frequency f8 and the tag 18 associated with frequency f1; that is, the eight tags 18 in each section 24 are associated with eight different frequencies f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6, f7, and f8, respectively, in order from top to bottom.

[0035] It should be noted that in embodiments of the present disclosure, the cutting operation need not be performed at a specific location (e.g., always between two specific consecutive adjacent markers). Instead, the cutting operation may be performed in a manner that ensures that each section contains a predetermined number of tags, e.g., the cutting operation may be performed at regular intervals to obtain sections of a certain length, so that when tags are subsequently printed at regular intervals, each section will contain the same number of tags. It is understood that the placement of the lines 26 (i.e., the cutting locations) as shown in FIG. 2 is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Other possible arrangements and configurations are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. In embodiments of the present disclosure, because sets of a predetermined number of tags 18 are continuously repeated on the liquid-impermeable sheet 20, cutting can be repeatedly performed between any two consecutive (adjacent) tags 18 to obtain sections each containing a predetermined number of tags 18. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the liquid impervious sheet 20 together with the absorbent layer 12 may be cut between a tag 18 associated with frequency f3 and a tag 18 associated with frequency f4, so that each section contains eight tags 18 associated with eight different frequencies f4, f5, f6, f7, f8, f1, f2, f3, respectively, in order from top to bottom.

[0036] 3 is a close-up view of multiple printed tags 18 on a liquid-impermeable layer 16 of a diaper, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, each tag 18 is printed and configured to operate with a signal tuned to a specific frequency. Each tag is designed to operate at its own dedicated frequency. In the embodiment shown, nine tags are printed to operate at a set of frequencies ranging from 11.1 MHz to 11.9 MHz, forming multiple preset frequencies 28. The range of 11.1 MHz to 11.9 MHz is provided for illustrative purposes; any other range of frequencies may be used and is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] Turning to FIG. 4, an illustrative example, a roll 20 is shown with several sections 24 of diaper material ready to be cut at lines 26. Three sections 24a, 24b, and 24c are shown. As can be seen, the tags 18 are pre-printed such that each section 24 receives the same number of tags corresponding to the same plurality of preset frequencies 28. As can be seen, the tags 18 are pre-printed in a manner that ensures that the plurality of preset frequencies 28 are identically repeated on each section 24. As can be inferred, the same plurality of preset frequencies 28 are pre-printed on all sections 24. As a result, all diapers 10 will include the same number of tags 18 corresponding to the same plurality of preset frequencies 28.

[0038] Turning to FIG. 5, a specific situation will be described as an example. In fact, when the roll 20 is unrolled, there is no guarantee that all sections 24 will be cut so that the diapers contain tags that begin at 11.1 MHz and end at 11.9 MHz. The same series of tags is provided endlessly, repeating the same plurality of preset frequencies 28. The goal is for all sections 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d to contain the same number of tags 18 and frequencies 28, even if they do not necessarily begin at a particular frequency and end at another particular frequency. In FIG. 5, the first tag in section 24b corresponds to a frequency of 11.5 MHz. However, the cycle that ends at 11.9 MHz immediately restarts at 11.1 MHz, ensuring that section 24b contains tags with frequencies 28 ranging from 11.1 MHz to 11.9 MHz. As can be seen, sections 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d will contain the same series of tags with the same plurality of preset frequencies 28. Every preset frequency 28 appears only once on every diaper 10. Every diaper 10 has every preset frequency 28 printed on it.

[0039] 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a diaper 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of illustration, the sizes of the different components have been exaggerated. There is at least one absorbent layer 12 disposed on top of at least one liquid-impermeable layer 16. A tag 18 is printed on layer 16. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the tag 18 is printed on a longitudinal axis 22 that runs centrally across the width 15 of the diaper 10. It is understood that this is merely an illustrative example, and that other possible placements of the tag 18 are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional side view of a diaper 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, allowing one to see the placement of tag 18 printed on the length of layer 16 with absorbent layer 12 covering the tag.

[0041] 8 and 9, they illustrate an exemplary diaper 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when a liquid 40 is released into the diaper 10. It can be seen that the liquid 40 is absorbed into the absorbent layer 12. Over time, as the absorbent layer 12 progresses toward saturation at the locations of the tags 18 printed on the layer 16, the liquid will reach and come into contact with the tags 18. In FIG. 9, it can be seen that as more liquid is absorbed into the absorbent layer 12, more of the tags 18 will come into contact with the liquid 40. Over time, most or all of the tags 18 will come into contact with the liquid 40.

[0042] 1A, during its normal operation, the tag 18 receives a signal 36 transmitted by the transmitter 32 tuned to the dedicated frequency f of the tag 18 and resonates, i.e., the tag 18 is energized by the signal 36 transmitted by the transmitter 32. The tag 18 then also transmits back a signal 38 at its resonant frequency (i.e., its respective dedicated frequency f), but gradually decays, for example, after the transmitter 32 stops emitting the signal 36.

[0043] On the other hand, if tag 18 comes into contact with a liquid, the liquid will short out at least some of the exposed portions of conductors 54 (and conductors 74) to each other, resulting in a breakdown of the LC resonant circuit. Thus, tag 18 in contact with a liquid cannot be energized by signal 36 tuned to the tag's dedicated frequency f and cannot transmit back signal 38 at that frequency.

[0044] In such a case, it will be appreciated that the absence at the receiver 34 of a signal 38 (which gradually decays) tuned to the tag's dedicated frequency can be taken as an indication that the tag is in contact with liquid.

[0045] It should be noted that the receiver 34 and transmitter 32 may be implemented as a single unit, e.g., a transceiver. In such a case, the signal at the transceiver will exhibit the behavior shown in Figure 9A, with a constant amplitude first portion representing the signal 36 transmitted by the transceiver 32 / 34 and a gradually decaying second portion representing the signal 38 received by the transceiver 32 / 34, i.e., the signal 38 as transmitted by the resonating tag. It will be appreciated that the absence at the transceiver of the gradually decaying second portion may be used to indicate a fault of that particular tag, i.e., contact of the tag with liquid.

[0046] As described above, the diaper 10 is configured with a predetermined number of tags 18, each of which is designed or configured to operate at its respective dedicated frequency f. If all of the tags 18 in the diaper 10 are printed according to FIG. 1A , each tag 18 is configured to respond to a signal tuned to the tag's dedicated resonant frequency f. In this case, it can be determined that a tag 18 is in contact with liquid when the transmitter 32 emits a signal 36 at its resonant frequency and then the receiver 34 does not receive a signal 38 (which gradually decays) at the same resonant frequency. The saturation level of the diaper 10 can then be determined based on the number and locations of the tags in contact with the liquid. For example, the absence of one frequency at the receiver, or the absence of two frequencies corresponding to two distant tags 18 at the receiver, may be due to an error or may indicate only small, discrete liquid spots and therefore cannot be considered an indication to change the diaper. On the other hand, for example, if four or five frequencies corresponding to four or five consecutive adjacent tags 18 are missed at the receiver, this may be taken as an indication to change the diaper.

[0047] It is understood that due to manufacturing variations and / or defects, it is nearly impossible to provide tags with exact nominal frequencies. And even for diapers that only have tags with exact nominal frequencies, potential folds and / or pressure and / or shifts at or during donning of the diaper may alter these frequencies. Therefore, for better results, it is preferable to determine the actual frequency of the tag in an already-worn diaper before actually measuring the saturation level.

[0048] To avoid the need for such a determination of the actual frequencies of tags 18, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a sweep of frequencies that encompasses at least the nominal frequencies of all tags is transmitted by transmitter 32. Note that the frequency sweep transmitted by transmitter 32 has a higher resolution than the set of nominal frequencies of the tags, i.e., the interval between two consecutive (adjacent) frequencies in the sweep transmitted by transmitter 32 is much smaller than the interval between two consecutive (adjacent) nominal frequencies of tags 18. All frequencies in the sweep other than these nominal frequencies are used to accommodate potential variations or shifts or changes in the actual frequencies of tags 18.

[0049] As an example, consider an embodiment in which nine tags 18 are embedded in a diaper 10, each tag having a nominal frequency of f1, f2, f3, ..., f9, e.g., 10.1 MHz, 10.2 MHz, 10.3 MHz, 10.4 MHz, 10.5 MHz, 10.6 MHz, 10.7 MHz, 10.8 MHz, and 10.9 MHz. A sweep frequency that encompasses at least all of f1, f2, f3, ..., f9, e.g., a sweep frequency ranging from 9.9 MHz to 11.1 MHz, is transmitted by transmitter 32 with a resolution of 0.001 MHz (i.e., an interval of two adjacent frequencies), i.e., 9.9 MHz, 9.901 MHz, 9.902 MHz, 9.903 MHz, ..., 10.604 MHz, 10.605 MHz, 10.606 MHz, ..., 11.099 MHz, 11.1 MHz. In this case, despite potential variations, shifts, or variations in the nine frequencies, there are guaranteed to be nine frequencies in the sweep that (nearly) perfectly match the actual frequencies of the nine tags 18.

[0050] As an example, consider an embodiment in which tags 18 are printed according to FIG. 1A . In the absence of liquid, nine frequencies (i.e., the actual resonant frequencies of the nine tags 18) are expected to appear at the receiver 34, and it is therefore understood that it is possible to determine the saturation level of the diaper 10 based on the number of one or more frequencies missed at the receiver 34 and the location of the corresponding tags. For example, if the receiver misses one frequency, or if the receiver misses two frequencies corresponding to two tags 18 that are spaced apart from each other, this may not be considered an indication to change the diaper. On the other hand, if the receiver misses four or five frequencies corresponding to four or five consecutive adjacent tags 18, this may be considered an indication to change the diaper.

[0051] 9B shows a graph of exemplary signals at a transceiver as a sweep of frequencies is transmitted, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, nine tags are present in the diaper, and a sweep of frequencies f1 through f100 (specifically, 100 signals 36, each tuned to one of frequencies f1 through f100) encompassing the nominal resonant frequencies of the nine tags is transmitted by transceiver 32, by way of example. In the absence of liquid in the diaper, the nine tags resonate at their respective resonant frequencies, and each resonating tag transmits back a signal 38 at their respective resonant frequency. As shown, nine signals 38 appear at the transceiver at frequencies f1 through f1, i.e., the actual resonant frequencies of the nine tags are f1, f2, ..., f1, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 9B, frequencies fa, fb, fc, fd, fe, ff, fg, fh, and fi correspond to frequencies f3, f15, f21, f33, f45, f54, f67, f79, and f88, respectively.

[0052] As discussed above, when a signal 38 at, for example, frequency fc (corresponding to f21) is missing at the transceiver, the tag 18 with actual resonant frequency fc can be determined to be in contact with the liquid. Therefore, based on the number of signals 38 missing at the receiver / transceiver and based on the location of the corresponding tag, it is possible to determine the saturation level of the diaper. Note that it is not necessary to first determine the actual resonant frequency of the tag to determine saturation. Instead, saturation can be estimated without determining the actual resonant frequency of the tag, i.e., by determining an intact tag based on the frequencies appearing at the receiver, and then determining the saturation level based on the locations of the other missing frequencies.

[0053] As an illustrative example, consider an embodiment in which a set of a predetermined number of tags 18 with ascending / descending frequencies is printed repeatedly in the same sequence on a liquid-impermeable material / layer. If a diaper is manufactured (i.e., a roll of integrated material, such as a roll of absorbent material and a roll of liquid-impermeable material, is cut) so that exactly one such set of the predetermined number of tags 18 with ascending / descending frequencies is included in the diaper during manufacture, determining saturation of the diaper is simple and intuitive, since the tags are arranged sequentially in ascending / descending order of frequency along the length of the diaper from one end of the diaper to the other. That is, along the length of the diaper, the tags associated with the highest frequencies are located nearest one end of the diaper, and the tags associated with the lowest frequencies are located nearest the other end of the diaper, with the frequencies of the tags decreasing from one end to the other. Thus, the absence at the receiver of a signal tuned to the nth highest frequency indicates that the nth tag from one end of the diaper has come into contact with the liquid, and two consecutive adjacent frequencies are associated with two consecutive adjacent tags.

[0054] However, as mentioned above, during diaper manufacturing, the diaper can be manufactured so that the resonant frequency does not rise / fall along its length from one end of the diaper to the other. As an example, the diaper can be manufactured so that the tag associated with the nth highest frequency is located closest to one end of the diaper, and the tag associated with the (n+1)th highest frequency is located closest to the other end of the diaper, with the frequency of the tags rising from the (n-1)th highest frequency to the highest frequency, jumping to the lowest frequency, and then rising to the (n+2)th highest frequency from one end to the other (i.e., a combined roll of material, such as a roll of absorbent material and a roll of liquid-impermeable material, is cut). In such a case, a frequency jump exists between two consecutive adjacent tags in the diaper, and is to be taken into account in determining saturation. In particular, the two tags associated with the frequency jump shall be considered to be two consecutive adjacent tags.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a set of a predetermined number of tags is considered to be arranged in a loop, i.e., the last tag in the set is considered to be followed by the first tag in the set, for which an example of nine tags (and nine frequencies) is shown in FIG. 10A . In this way, if the roll of material is cut between any two consecutive adjacent tags, the actual set of tags in the manufactured diaper can be determined from such a loop. Accordingly, the actual set of corresponding frequencies (e.g., resonant frequencies) can be determined from such a loop. By doing so, the adjacency relationship between tags and frequencies in the diaper can be determined, which is useful for determining whether the diaper is saturated, i.e., whether some areas considered wet are contiguous and adjacent.

[0056] 10, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, an exemplary diaper 10 is placed on a bed 30. It should be noted that the diaper of the present disclosure may be used with other devices, such as a chair, or other items, and this shall be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] The bed 30 includes a transmitter 32 and a receiver 34. In this embodiment, the transmitter 32 and receiver 34 are embedded in the bed 30, although other possible embodiments are considered within the scope of this disclosure. In Figure 10, the transmitter 32 and receiver 34 are illustrated as being positioned on opposite sides of the diaper 10. It should be noted that this arrangement is for illustrative purposes only, and that the transmitter 32 and receiver 34 may be placed in any arrangement relative to the diaper 10 (and particularly the tags 18) that enables the tags 18 in the diaper 10 to resonate with the signal tuned to the dedicated frequency of each tag 18 transmitted from the transmitter 32 and send the signal at the dedicated frequency of each tag 18 back to the receiver 34 (if the tags are designed to do so), to relay or reflect the radio signal at the dedicated frequency of each tag 18 transmitted from the transmitter 32 towards the receiver 34 (if the tags are designed to relay or reflect signals tuned to their respective dedicated frequencies), or to absorb or interfere with the radio signal at the dedicated frequency of each tag transmitted from the transmitter 32 and that would otherwise be received by the receiver 34 (if the tags are designed to absorb or interfere with signals tuned to their respective dedicated frequencies); for example, the transmitter 32 and receiver 34 may be placed on the same side of the diaper 10, for example, both on the left side or both on the right side.

[0058] A radio signal 36 is transmitted from transmitter 32 at tag 18's dedicated frequency 28. Because there has been no urination or defecation yet, tag 18 is not in contact with any liquid and therefore operates as configured. That is, if the tag printed on liquid-impermeable layer 16 is designed to relay or reflect radio waves set to a specific frequency, tag 18 will relay or reflect radio signal 36 at frequency 28 to receiver 34, as shown in FIG. 10. Alternatively, if the tag printed on liquid-impermeable layer 16 is designed to absorb or block radio waves set to a specific frequency, (not shown in the drawings), tag 18 will absorb or block radio signal 36 when not in contact with any liquid. Similarly, if the tag printed on liquid-impermeable layer 16 is designed to resonate at the tag's respective frequency and transmit a signal back, (also not shown in the drawings), tag 18 will resonate with signal 36 at frequency 28 and transmit signal 38 back. Direct contact between the transmitter, receiver, and diaper is not required. As can be seen from Figure 10 and below, the process of detecting and monitoring the presence of liquid is done wirelessly and remotely. This process is repeated for all tags 18 printed within the diaper 10. More details are provided in the next figure.

[0059] In Figure 11, liquid 40 is released and spreads within diaper 10. Tag 18, visible in Figure 11, is now in contact with liquid 40, which causes tag 18 to cease operating as designed or configured. That is, when transmitter 32 transmits signal 36 at frequency 28, if tag 18 is designed to relay or reflect radio waves set at frequency 28, tag contact with liquid 40 will not relay or reflect signal 36 back to receiver 34, and therefore receiver 34 will not receive radio signal 36 at frequency 28, as shown in Figure 11. Alternatively, if the tag printed on liquid-impermeable layer 16 is designed to absorb or block radio waves set at a particular frequency, tag 18's contact with liquid will not absorb or block radio signal 36, and therefore receiver 34, although not shown in the drawings, will receive radio signal 36 at frequency 28. Similarly, if the tags printed on the liquid-impermeable layer 16 are designed to resonate with and transmit back signals tuned to their respective dedicated frequencies, then the tag 18, upon contact with liquid, will not resonate with the radio signal 36 at the tag's frequency and therefore will not transmit back the signal 38, and as a result, the receiver 34, not shown in the drawings, will not receive the radio signal 38 at frequency 28. The absence (if the tag is designed to relay or reflect the radio signal, as shown in FIG. 11, or to resonate with and transmit back the signal, not shown in the drawings) or presence (if a marker is designed to absorb or block the radio signal, not shown in the drawings) of a radio signal at the frequency of the tag 18 on the receiver 34 indicates that liquid has reached the tag 18 and that the absorbent layer has reached a level of saturation corresponding to that tag's location in the diaper 10.

[0060] 12, an exemplary diaper 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is placed on a bed 30. A transmitter 32 transmits multiple signals 36 tuned to preset frequencies 28. When the signals 36 tuned to specific frequencies 28 reach corresponding tags 18 designed to relay or reflect (as shown in FIG. 12), absorb or block (not shown), or resonate (not shown) with signals of the specific frequencies 28, if the tags 18 are dry, the tags 18 will relay or reflect (as shown in FIG. 12), absorb or block (not shown), or resonate with the specific frequencies 28 and send back (not shown) the signals 36 / 38 tuned to the specific frequencies 28. Thus, the signals 36 / 38 tuned to the specific frequencies 28 will either be received (as shown in FIG. 12) or not (not shown) by the receiver 34.

[0061] Turning to FIG. 13 , liquid 40 is released into the diaper 10. Additionally, the transmitter 32 emits multiple signals 36 tuned to preset frequencies 28. Tags 18 located toward the end of the diaper 10 are not in contact with the liquid and are therefore still able to operate as designed or configured—i.e., relay or reflect (as shown in FIG. 13 ), absorb or block (not shown), or resonate with the signal 36 and send back a signal 38 of the same frequency 28 (not shown), so that the receiver 34 still receives (as shown) or does not receive (not shown) the signal 36 / 38. However, it can be seen that some tags 18 are trapped in a pool of liquid 40. Due to the presence of the liquid 40, these tags 18 are unable to operate as designed or configured. As shown in FIG. 13 , in an embodiment where tags are designed to relay or reflect signals of specific frequencies, tags trapped in a pool of liquid 40 are no longer able to relay or reflect signals 36 toward the receiver 34. The blank areas 39 visually represent these "cones of no signal," where there are no interrupted signals that the receiver 34 would have received. It can be seen in FIG. 13 that as the liquid spreads further into the diaper 10, more tags 18 become exposed to the liquid and no longer operate as designed or configured, e.g., no longer relay, reflect, or resonate (or absorb or block) the signal 36. As a result, the receiver 34 will either receive less signal 36 / 38 than the outgoing signal 36 transmitted by the transmitter 32 (if the tag is designed to relay, reflect, or resonate back), or will receive more signal 36 than expected (if the tag is designed to absorb or block). Because each tag has its own unique frequency 28, it can distinguish between a signal from one tag 18 (e.g., located in the center of the diaper 10) and a signal from another tag 18 (e.g., located at the end of the diaper 10). Therefore, based on the frequencies received by the receiver 34 and the respective locations of the tags 18 corresponding to the frequencies, it is possible to monitor the progress of the liquid in the diaper and the saturation level until the diaper must be changed.

[0062] 13, in which tags are designed to relay or reflect signals at their respective specific frequencies, for the first urination 40-1, only tag 18-5 comes into contact with liquid, and therefore only the signal 36 at the frequency associated with tag 18-5 is absent at receiver 34, meaning that the diaper 10 is already wet but not yet saturated enough for a change. Then, after the second urination 40-2, both tags 18-5 and 18-6 come into contact with liquid, and therefore both the signals 36 at the frequency associated with tag 18-5 and the frequency associated with tag 18-6 are absent at receiver 34, meaning that the diaper 10 is wetter but not yet saturated enough for a change. After the third urination 40-3, tags 18-4, 18-5, 18-6, and 18-7 all come into contact with liquid, and therefore all the signals 36 at the frequencies associated with these four tags are absent at receiver 34, as shown in FIG. The absence of the four signals 36 at the four frequencies may be taken as an indication to change the diaper 10. From the above, it can be seen that it is possible to monitor the saturation state of the diaper based on the missing frequencies in the receiver 34.

[0063] It is understood that radio signals can be blocked by the body of the diaper wearer, and therefore a loss of signal at the receiver may be due to blockage by the body rather than normal operation of an intact tag (if the tag is configured to absorb or block signals tuned to a dedicated frequency) or failure of the tag in contact with liquid (if the tag is configured to resonate with and retransmit, relay or reflect signals tuned to a dedicated frequency).

[0064] To avoid any potential adverse effects of body blockage, in embodiments of the present disclosure, more than one pair of transmitters and receivers are deployed around the diaper wearer in a manner that ensures that at least one signal path from the transmitter and at least one signal path to the receiver for any of the tags in the diaper are not blocked by the body. The more than one pair deployed around the diaper wearer may be configured to share information with each other, e.g., communicate with each other, so as to make correct decisions even if any signal is lost as a result of body blockage.

[0065] 14 is a schematic diagram of a wetness detection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which three transceivers 51, 52, and 53 are deployed around the lower half of the body (particularly, the diaper) of a diaper wearer lying on a bed. As shown, transceivers 51 and 52 are deployed above and below the lower half of the diaper wearer's body (e.g., directly above and directly below the diaper worn by the wearer), and transceiver 53 is aligned with the upper surface of the bed and deployed toward the diaper wearer's feet (particularly, toward the underside of the diaper worn by the wearer). It will be understood that these three transceivers 51, 52, and 53 as a whole can transmit / receive signals to / from any of the tags in the diaper without being blocked or interrupted by the diaper wearer's body.

[0066] As an example, nine tags 18, i.e., 18-1, 18-2, ..., 18-9, are provided in a diaper worn by a diaper wearer, and three transceivers 51, 52, and 53 are deployed around the diaper, as shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 14 shows, as an example, that the signal paths between the transceiver 51 and tags 18-6, 18-7, 18-8, and 18-9, the signal paths between the transceiver 52 and tags 18-1, 18-2, 18-3, and 18-4, and the signal paths between the transceiver 53 and tags 18-1, 18-2, 18-8, and 18-9 are blocked by the diaper wearer's body. In the worst case scenario, the signals on these blocked signal paths will be completely blocked, so that transceiver 51 will not receive signals from any of tags 18-6, 18-7, 18-8, and 18-9, transceiver 52 will not receive signals from any of tags 18-1, 18-2, 18-3, and 18-4, and transceiver 53 will not receive signals from any of tags 18-1, 18-2, 18-8, and 18-9, regardless of whether the corresponding tag is in contact with liquid. Thus, each of these three transceivers, operating independently, may reach an incorrect conclusion when determining the presence of liquid. However, if the three transceivers share information with each other, the transceivers will reach the correct conclusion.

[0067] When a wearer puts on a diaper, the diaper is crushed between the wearer's legs, resulting in several folds in the diaper, which may cause failure of several tags in the diaper. Note that the folds generally run along the length 14 of the diaper because the wearer always pulls the diaper up as far as possible to avoid possible slipping of the diaper, which also avoids any horizontal folds. To eliminate or mitigate the adverse effects from the vertical folds, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, multiple (e.g., three or four) vertical rows of tags are provided in the diaper along the length 14 of the diaper. With multiple vertical rows of tags in the diaper, at least one tag in each row (i.e., along the width 15) will function normally to indicate the presence or absence of liquid in that row, even with the presence of diaper folds between the legs and the resulting folds.

[0068] For example, in an embodiment such as that shown in FIG. 15, folds or creases in the diaper would cause tags 18-40, 18-41, 18-51, 18-52, 18-60, and 18-62 to fail, but tags 18-42, 18-50, and 18-61 would still function normally, i.e., resonating with, relaying, reflecting, absorbing, or intercepting signals tuned to their respective dedicated frequencies when intact, but not when in contact with liquid. Thus, even with folds or creases, it is still possible to determine whether liquid is present in each row based on the signal at the receiver; that is, a row would be determined to be wet only if all tags in that row do not operate as configured or designed. And only if all tags in multiple (e.g., 4, 5, or 6) consecutive (adjacent) rows do not operate as configured or designed can it be determined that the diaper is saturated and therefore in need of replacement.

[0069] As an example, all tags in a row may be associated with the same frequency, with different rows of tags associated with different frequencies, in which case the row will be determined to be wet only when the receiver lacks the expected signal activity in response to a signal tuned to the row's corresponding frequency. Figure 15A is a schematic diagram of a diaper with three columns of tags 18, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, where all three tags in a row are associated with the same frequency, with different rows associated with different frequencies.

[0070] Alternatively, to improve noise immunity, the frequencies of the tags in the diaper can be more randomized. For example, in at least one region of the diaper, all tags have different frequencies. In that region, all tags in a row have different frequencies. Also, as mentioned above, to facilitate the tag printing procedure, it is practical for the frequencies of the tags in a column to be consecutive, i.e., either ascending or descending. Figure 15B is a schematic diagram of a diaper having three columns of tags 18, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, where all tags in the diaper are associated with different frequencies.

[0071] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, tags are printed on the entire side of a liquid-impermeable layer (either inner or outer), for example, in a 10x20 array where all tags (i.e., frequencies) are different from one another. FIG. 15C is a signal distribution diagram at a receiver after urination according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a 10x20 array of tags is provided in a diaper. In FIG. 15C, shaded areas correspond to tags that do not operate as configured or designed, while unshaded areas correspond to tags that still operate as configured or designed. As mentioned above, normal operation of a tag (i.e., operation as configured or designed) is considered an indication of not being in contact with liquid, and a failure of a tag to operate as configured or designed may be caused by contact of the tag with liquid. However, folds in the diaper may prevent intact tags (i.e., tags that have not been in contact with liquid) from operating as configured or designed. Therefore, to determine liquid-containing areas in the diaper, the shaded areas caused by the folds must be filtered out. As an example, this filtering operation may be performed based on an image processing algorithm. In particular, since liquid released in a diaper generally propagates or spreads through the diaper to form circular or oval areas, any shaded areas that do not constitute a circular or oval area can be considered to be due to folds and are filtered out.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present application, for a diaper with tags printed on the entire side of the liquid-impermeable layer, as shown in FIG. 15C , the object being measured is considered to be a diaper whose saturation is to be determined only if the signal at the receiver indicates a predetermined number of tags functioning as configured or designed; otherwise, the measurement is considered to have been performed on an object other than a diaper and is therefore discarded. This is because, in practice, it is impossible for all tags in a 10×20 array, as shown in FIG. 15C , to come into contact with liquid, especially the outermost tags. As an example, the normal operation of tags in the four outermost vertical rows (two on each end, i.e., the top two rows and the bottom two rows, as shown in FIG. 15C ) and the two outermost horizontal columns (one on each end, i.e., the leftmost column and the rightmost column, as shown in FIG. 15C ) is used to indicate that the object being measured is a diaper whose saturation is to be determined.

[0073] It should be noted that the arrangement of tags as described above and shown in the drawings is for illustrative purposes only, and the technical solutions of the present disclosure can be used in other arrangements. For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, instead of an array with multiple rows and multiple columns, the tags can be arranged in a matrix including two sets of intersecting groups, which can also achieve the same effect.

[0074] Some examples of the present disclosure are summarized below.

[0075] In Example 1, a process for manufacturing a waste monitoring system is provided, the process comprising: providing an array of a plurality of RF tags on a roll of liquid impervious material, each RF tag configured to respond to signals of a different frequency; repeating the steps of providing a plurality of RF tags along the length of the roll of liquid impervious material over the entire length of the roll; cutting the roll of liquid impervious material into sections of predetermined length in a manner that is non-deterministic to the RF tags, such that each section contains a plurality of substantially identical RF tags; and configuring an excrement monitoring system using one of the sections; Contact of the RF tag with excreted fluid changes the response by that RF tag to signals of a corresponding frequency.

[0076] In Example 2, for the process according to Example 1, the cutting step is performed such that each section contains a plurality of RF tags that are not in an array.

[0077] In Example 3, for the process according to Example 1, the cutting step is performed such that each section contains a plurality of RF tags in an array.

[0078] In Example 4, for a process according to any of the previous examples, multiple RF tags are arranged in sequence and the waste monitoring system monitors waste by using the RF tag serial numbers to take into account potential discontinuities in the RF tag serial numbers caused by the step of cutting the roll of liquid-impermeable material into sections in a manner that is non-deterministic to the RF tags.

[0079] In Example 5, for a process according to any of the previous examples, the waste monitoring system monitors waste based on responses from the RF tags and their respective locations.

[0080] In Example 6, for a process according to any of the previous examples, the step of providing a plurality of RF tags is carried out by printing a plurality of RF tags onto a roll of liquid impervious material.

[0081] In Example 7, for a process according to any of the previous examples, the arrays are of a predetermined length and the arrays provided on the roll of liquid impervious material do not overlap each other.

[0082] In Example 8, a process for providing RF tags for monitoring fecal excretion is provided, the process comprising: printing a first conductive layer on a liquid-impermeable material, the first conductive layer including a first plate printed thereon and a first conductor wire having a first terminal connected to the first plate printed thereon in a spiral shape; printing a second insulating layer on the first conductive layer, the second insulating layer having a first insulating portion printed on the first plate and a second insulating portion printed from the first insulating portion toward a second terminal of the first conductor, exposing the second terminal and at least a portion of the first conductor; printing a third conductive layer on the second insulating layer, the second plate being printed on the first insulating portion opposite the first plate, and a second conductive wire being printed on the second insulating portion to connect the second plate to a second terminal of the first conductive wire; The RF tag is configured to respond to signals of a certain frequency, and contact of any exposed portion of the RF tag with excreted fluid changes the response by the RF tag to signals of that frequency.

[0083] In Example 9, there is provided a fecal excretion monitoring system manufactured using a process according to any of Examples 1-7, the system including a plurality of RF tags, each configured to respond to a signal of a different frequency, wherein fecal excretion alters the response of the RF tags contaminated by the excreted fluid to the signal of their respective frequency.

[0084] In a tenth embodiment, the excretion monitoring system according to the ninth embodiment monitors excretion based on responses from RF tags and the respective positions of the RF tags.

[0085] In Example 11, there is provided a method for monitoring excretion using an excretion monitoring system according to any of Examples 9-10, the method comprising: Transmitting a signal at a frequency corresponding to each of the plurality of RF tags to each of the plurality of RF tags; determining a response by each of a plurality of RF tags to the signal; and determining from the responses of the plurality of RF tags whether and / or which RF tags are contaminated by the excreted fluid.

[0086] In Example 12, the method according to Example 11 comprises: Further comprising determining an amount of excreted fluid based on the contaminated RF tag and the respective locations of the one or more RF tags.

[0087] In Example 13, there is provided a method for detecting excrement by using an excrement monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags, each configured to respond to signals of a different nominal frequency, wherein contact of the RF tags with excremented fluids alters the response by the RF tags to signals of a corresponding nominal frequency, the method comprising: transmitting a sweep frequency over a range encompassing the nominal frequencies of a plurality of RF tags; receiving responses from a plurality of RF tags, wherein the expected responses from the RF tags are at actual frequencies of the tags that approximate or match the nominal frequencies of the tags; determining the excretion by comparing the number of the plurality of RF tags with the number of responses received at each actual frequency from the plurality of RF tags.

[0088] In Example 14, the method according to Example 13 comprises: Associating the response with one of the plurality of RF tags based on a proximity or match between the actual frequency of the response and the nominal frequency of one of the RF tags; determining that the RF tag is in contact with the excreted fluid when there is no response whose actual frequency approximates or matches the nominal frequency of the RF tag.

[0089] In Example 15, a method is provided for detecting excrement by using an excrement monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags in sequence, each configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, wherein contact of the RF tags with excremented fluids alters the response by the RF tags to signals of a corresponding frequency, the method comprising: transmitting a signal of a corresponding frequency to each of a plurality of RF tags and receiving a response from the RF tags; determining one or more faulty RF tags whose responses differ from the expected responses as configured; and detecting the excretion based on the malfunctioning RF tag.

[0090] In Example 16, a method is provided for detecting excrement by using an excrement monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags in sequence, each configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, wherein contact of the RF tags with excremented fluids alters the response by the RF tags to signals of a corresponding frequency, the method comprising: transmitting a signal to each of a plurality of RF tags and receiving a response from the RF tags; determining the excrement by using responses from a plurality of RF tags and the RF tag serial numbers, taking into account potential discontinuities in the RF tag serial numbers caused by cutting the RF tags in a non-deterministic manner during manufacturing of the excrement monitoring system.

[0091] In Example 17, there is provided a method for detecting excrement by using an excrement monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags in an array, each configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, wherein contact of the RF tags with excrement fluid changes the response by the RF tags to signals of a corresponding frequency, the array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the method comprising: transmitting a signal of a corresponding frequency to each of a plurality of RF tags and receiving a response from the RF tags; determining one or more faulty RF tags whose responses differ from the expected responses as configured; determining that some of the failed RF tags are caused by folds or bends in the length of the fecal matter monitoring system by considering the area of ​​all of the failed RF tags; and detecting excretion based on the remaining failed RF tags.

[0092] In Example 18, a method is provided for detecting excretion by using an excretion monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags in a matrix including two sets of intersecting groups, each group of RF tags in one of the two sets configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, and contact of an RF tag with excreted fluid changes the response by that RF tag to signals of a corresponding frequency, the method comprising: transmitting a signal at a corresponding frequency to each group of RF tags in one of the two sets and receiving a response from the RF tags in that group; and determining that one group of RF tags of the two sets is in contact with the excreted fluid when all RF tags in that group do not respond as configured to signals of the corresponding frequency.

[0093] In Example 19, a method is provided for detecting excrement by using an excrement monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags in an array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each row of the RF tags configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, and contact of the RF tags with excremented fluids alters the response by the RF tags to signals of a corresponding frequency, the method comprising: transmitting signals at a corresponding frequency to each row of RF tags and receiving responses from the RF tags in that row; determining that a row of RF tags is in contact with the excreted fluid when all RF tags in that row do not respond as configured to signals of the corresponding frequency.

[0094] In Example 20, a system for detecting excretion in a diaper is provided, the system comprising: a diaper having a plurality of RF tags, each configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, such that contact of the RF tags with discharged fluids alters the response by the RF tags to signals of a corresponding frequency; a plurality of detecting means each configured to transmit a signal of a corresponding frequency to each of the plurality of RF tags and receive a response from the RF tags; In operation, when the diaper is put on a diaper wearer, the plurality of detection means are arranged around the diaper such that, for each of the plurality of RF tags in the diaper, at least one of the corresponding signals at corresponding frequencies transmitted by the plurality of detection means arrives at that RF tag and a response from that RF tag is received by at least one of the plurality of detection means; The plurality of sensing means communicate with each other regarding responses from the plurality of RF tags based on the detected excretion.

Claims

1. 1. A process for manufacturing a waste monitoring system, comprising: providing an array of a plurality of RF tags on a roll of liquid impervious material, each RF tag configured to respond to signals of a different frequency; repeating the step of providing a plurality of RF tags along the length of the roll of liquid impermeable material over the entire length of the roll of liquid impermeable material; cutting the roll of liquid impervious material into sections of predetermined length in a manner that is non-deterministic to the RF tags, such that each section contains a substantially identical number of RF tags; configuring the waste monitoring system using one of the sections; Including, A process in which contact of an RF tag with excreted fluid changes the response by said RF tag to said signals of corresponding frequencies.

2. The cutting step is performed so that each section includes the plurality of RF tags that are not in the sequence, or The process of claim 1 , wherein the cutting step is performed such that each section includes the plurality of RF tags in the array.

3. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the plurality of RF tags are arranged in sequence and the waste monitoring system monitors waste by using the RF tag serial numbers to account for potential discontinuities in the RF tag serial numbers caused by the non-deterministic cutting of the roll of liquid impervious material into sections.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the litter monitoring system monitors litter based on the responses from the RF tags and their respective locations.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the plurality of RF tags is carried out by printing the plurality of RF tags onto the roll of liquid impervious material.

6. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the arrays are of the predetermined length and the arrays provided on the roll of liquid impervious material do not overlap each other.

7. 1. A method for detecting excrement by using an excrement monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags, each configured to respond to signals of a different nominal frequency, wherein contact of an RF tag with excremented fluid causes the RF tag to cease responding to the signals of the corresponding frequency, the method comprising: transmitting a sweep frequency over a range encompassing the nominal frequencies of the plurality of RF tags; receiving responses from the plurality of RF tags, the responses from the RF tags being at actual frequencies of the RF tags that approximate or match the nominal frequencies of the RF tags; determining said excretion by comparing the number of said plurality of RF tags with the number of said responses received from said plurality of RF tags; A method comprising:

8. associating the response with one of the plurality of RF tags based on the approximation or match between the actual frequency of the response and the nominal frequency of one of the RF tags; determining that the RF tag is in contact with the excreted fluid when there is no response whose actual frequency approximates or matches the nominal frequency of the RF tag; The method of claim 7 further comprising:

9. 1. A method for detecting excretion by using an excretion monitoring system having a plurality of RF tags in a matrix comprising two sets of intersecting groups, wherein each group of RF tags in one of the two sets is configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, and wherein contact of an RF tag with excreted fluid alters the response by the RF tag to said signals of a corresponding frequency, the method comprising: transmitting signals at the corresponding frequencies to each group of RF tags in one of the two sets and receiving the responses from the group of RF tags; determining that one group of RF tags of the two sets is in contact with the excreted fluid when all RF tags in the group do not respond as configured to the signal at the corresponding frequency; A method comprising:

10. The plurality of RF tags are arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the RF tags in each row being configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, and the method comprises: transmitting signals at the corresponding frequencies to RF tags in each row and receiving the responses from the RF tags in the row; determining that a row of RF tags is in contact with the excreted fluid when all RF tags in the row do not respond as configured to the signal at the corresponding frequency; 10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

11. 1. A system for detecting excretion in a diaper, comprising: a diaper having a plurality of RF tags, each configured to respond to signals of a different frequency, such that contact of the RF tags with excreted fluids alters the response by the RF tags to said signals of a corresponding frequency; a plurality of detecting means each configured to transmit a signal of the corresponding frequency to each of the plurality of RF tags and to receive the response from the RF tags; Equipped with In operation, when the diaper is worn by a diaper wearer, the plurality of detection means are arranged around the diaper so that, for each of the plurality of RF tags in the diaper, at least one of the corresponding signals at the corresponding frequencies transmitted by the plurality of detection means arrives at the RF tag and the response from the RF tag is received by at least one of the plurality of detection means; The system wherein the plurality of sensing means communicate with each other about the responses from the plurality of RF tags based on the detection of the excretion.

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