Excretion detection device

Abstract

To wash and repeatedly use an excretion detecting device without deterioration of detection performance in a gas sensor.SOLUTION: A partition wall (24) for partitioning the inside of a housing (12) into a first chamber (20) and a second chamber (22) in a longitudinal direction is provided. In the housing (12), a circuit board (34) is provided so as to pass through the partition wall (24), and on a portion located in the first chamber (20) on the circuit board (34), a gas sensor (36) is mounted. On a portion located in the second chamber (22) on the circuit board (34), a control unit (40) for controlling the gas sensor (36) is mounted. The circuit board (34) is covered with a protection surface film (C), and the protection surface film (C) has anti-fouling property, waterproofness, and water repellency.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an excretion detection device for detecting whether or not a subject, such as a care recipient or a nursing care recipient, has excreted. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the aging of society has progressed rapidly, and as a result, the number of people receiving care or nursing care who are unable to dispose of their own excrement is increasing.

[0003] In nursing care settings, caregivers regularly check diapers to see if the person they are caring for has excreted, which places a heavy physical and mental burden on the caregiver. Furthermore, even if the person they are caring for has excreted between checks, the excrement is left there, causing mental distress for the person they are caring for. The aforementioned problem applies not only to nursing care settings, but also to other nursing settings.

[0004] For this reason, the applicant of the present application has already developed and filed an application for an excretion detection device for detecting whether or not a subject such as a care recipient or a nursing care recipient has excreted (see Patent Document 1).

[0005] The excretion detection device of Patent Document 1 has a housing formed with a circulation chamber as a first chamber for circulating excretory gas generated from the excreta of a subject, such as a care recipient or a nursing care recipient. The housing has an inlet hole for introducing excretory gas into the circulation chamber and an outlet hole for guiding excretory gas from the circulation chamber. A circuit board is provided inside the housing, and a gas sensor for detecting excretory gas and a control unit for controlling the gas sensor are mounted on the circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-171236 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, during use, the excretion detection device may become soiled with excrement or other contaminants from the subject. In such cases, it is necessary to clean the excretion detection device without degrading the detection performance of the gas sensor. This is especially important in light of the recent calls for measures against infectious diseases.

[0008] However, the excretion detector of Patent Document 1 does not take the above points into consideration, and there is a need for the development of an excretion detector that can be washed and reused without deteriorating the detection performance of the gas sensor.

[0009] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to enable an excretion detection device to be cleaned and reused repeatedly without deteriorating the detection performance of the gas sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the excretion detection device of the present invention comprises a housing having a first chamber formed on one side in the longitudinal direction thereof, a second chamber formed on the other side in the longitudinal direction thereof, an inlet hole formed for introducing excretion gas generated from the subject's excrement into the first chamber, and an outlet hole formed for guiding excretion gas from the circulation chamber; a partition wall formed inside the housing that separates the first chamber and the second chamber in the longitudinal direction; and a circuit board that is formed inside the housing so as to pass through the partition wall, and has a gas sensor that detects excretion gas mounted at a portion located in the first chamber and a control unit that controls the gas sensor mounted at a portion located in the second chamber, wherein a protective coating is coated on the circuit board, and the protective coating has at least one of anti-fouling properties, waterproof properties, and water-repellent properties.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the circuit board is coated with the protective coating, and the protective coating has at least one of antifouling, waterproof, and water-repellent properties. Therefore, even if a cleaning liquid such as water gets into the excretion detection device (the housing), the circuit board including the gas sensor can be prevented from breaking down. In other words, the excretion detection device can be washed and used repeatedly without deteriorating the detection performance of the gas sensor.

[0012] In the excretion detection device according to one aspect of the present invention, the protective coating may be coated on the circuit board except for a detection portion of the gas sensor that comes into contact with excreted gas.

[0013] According to the above-described configuration, the protective coating is applied to the circuit board except for the detection portion of the gas sensor, so that the detection performance of the gas sensor can be sufficiently ensured. In the excretion detection device according to one aspect of the present invention, the protective coating may be coated with a fluorine-based coating agent.

[0014] According to the above-described configuration, since the protective coating is coated with a fluorine-based coating agent, the protective coating can sufficiently ensure antifouling properties, waterproof properties, and water repellency.

[0015] In one embodiment of the excretion detection device of the present invention, a cutout portion is formed in the housing to open a portion of the second chamber, and the device may further include a battery holder provided at the back side of the cutout portion of the housing to hold a battery that is the power source for the gas sensor and the control unit, a cover member that is removably provided on the cutout portion of the housing, and a protective wall provided on the cutout side inside the housing to surround the battery holder except for the side from which the battery is removed.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the protective wall is provided on the cutout side inside the housing, surrounding the battery holder except for the side where the battery is removed, thereby preventing the battery holder from getting wet with liquids such as urine that have entered the flow chamber.

[0017] In the excretion detection device according to one aspect of the present invention, the excreta of the subject may be feces of the subject, and the excretory gas may be hydrogen sulfide or methyl mercaptan.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the gas sensor can detect hydrogen sulfide or methyl mercaptan, which is an exhaust gas. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the excretion detection device can be washed and used repeatedly without deteriorating the detection performance of the gas sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an excretion detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from one side in the width direction. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of the excretion detection device of FIG. 1 as viewed from the other side in the width direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a view of the excretion detection device of FIG. 1 as seen from the front side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the excretion detection device of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram showing the inside of the excretion detection device of FIG. 1 from the back side with the housing body, the circuit board, and the cover member removed. [Figure 6] 2 is a view of the inside of the excretion detection device of FIG. 1 seen from the front side with the housing cover and the lid member removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram of the circuit board as seen from the front side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view of the circuit board of FIG. 7 as seen from the back side. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a view of the excretion detection device from the front side with the cover member removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the specification and claims, the width direction refers to the width direction of the excretion detection device, in other words, the width direction of the housing. The length direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the width direction of the excretion detection device, in other words, the direction perpendicular to the width direction of the housing. The length direction is usually the longitudinal direction of the housing, but is not limited to the longitudinal direction of the housing. In the drawings, "WD" refers to the width direction, and "LD" refers to the longitudinal direction.

[0022] [Outline of excretion detection device] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the excretion detection device 10 according to this embodiment is a device for detecting whether or not a subject, such as a care recipient or a nursing care recipient, has excreted. The excretion detection device 10 is typically installed inside a wearable item, such as a diaper, worn by the subject. In this embodiment, the excretion of the subject that is the detection target of the excretion detection device 10 is the subject's feces, and the excretory gas G is, for example, hydrogen sulfide or methyl mercaptan. Note that the excretion detection device 10 may be installed near the wearable item, such as a diaper, rather than inside the wearable item.

[0023] [Housing configuration] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the excretion detection device 10 has a housing 12 extending in the longitudinal direction, and the housing 12 is made of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene. The housing 12 consists of a box-shaped housing main body 14 and a box-shaped housing cover 18 fixed to the opening side of the housing main body 14 with a plurality of special screws 16. The housing main body 14 is located on the back side of the excretion detection device 10, and the housing cover 18 is located on the front side of the excretion detection device 10. Note that the special screws 16 cannot be released with ordinary tools, so the housing cover 18 cannot be removed from the housing main body 14.

[0024] 5 and 6, a flow chamber 20 is formed as a first chamber for circulating exhaust gas G on one side in the longitudinal direction inside the housing 12. A control chamber 22 is formed as a second chamber on the other side in the longitudinal direction inside the housing 12. A partition wall 24 is provided inside the housing 12 to separate the flow chamber 20 and the control chamber 22, and the partition wall 24 constitutes a part of the housing 12. The partition wall 24 extends in a direction parallel to the width direction, and is composed of a partition wall 24a provided inside the housing main body 14 and a partition wall 24b provided inside the housing cover 18.

[0025] Seven slit-shaped introduction holes 26 are formed on one side in the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 for introducing the exhaust gas G into the flow chamber 20. The introduction holes 26 are formed only in the housing cover 18, but may also be formed in the housing body 14. The shape of each introduction hole 26 may be changed from a slit shape to, for example, a rectangular or round shape as appropriate.

[0026] 2 to 5, six slit-shaped first outlet holes 28 for guiding the exhaust gas G from the flow chamber 20 are formed on one widthwise side of the casing 12. Six slit-shaped second outlet holes 30 for guiding the exhaust gas G from the flow chamber 20 are formed on the other widthwise side of the casing 12. The first outlet holes 28 and the second outlet holes 30 are formed in both the casing body 14 and the casing cover 18, but may also be formed only in the casing cover 18. The first outlet holes 28 and the second outlet holes 30 may be appropriately changed from a slit shape to, for example, a rectangular or round shape.

[0027] In this embodiment, the total flow path area of ​​the three first outlet holes 28 and the three second outlet holes 30 is set to be larger than the total flow path area of ​​the seven introduction holes 26.

[0028] A vertical guide wall 32A is provided inside the housing cover 18 perpendicular to the partition wall 24a, and the vertical guide wall 32A is located in the center in the width direction of the housing cover 18. A rib-shaped auxiliary guide wall 32B is provided inside the housing cover 18 near the inlet hole 26, and the auxiliary guide wall 32B is located in the center in the width direction of the housing cover 18 and extends parallel to the length direction. The partition wall 24, the vertical guide wall 32A, and the auxiliary guide wall 32B guide the exhaust gas G introduced into the flow chamber 20 toward the six first outlet holes 28 and the six second outlet holes 30.

[0029] [Circuit board and its peripheral configuration] 4 to 8, a circuit board 34 extending in the length direction is provided inside the housing 12 so as to pass through the partition wall 24. The circuit board 34 is positioned relative to the housing 12 by a plurality of positioning protrusions 35 provided on the housing main body 14. To allow the circuit board 34 to pass through the partition wall 24a, a recess 24ad is formed in the partition wall 24a, which is recessed by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the circuit board 34.

[0030] A gas sensor 36 for detecting exhaust gas G is mounted on a portion of the circuit board 34 located in the flow chamber 20. The gas sensor 36 has a detection portion 36a that comes into contact with the exhaust gas G. The gas sensor 36 may be a semiconductor gas sensor, an electrochemical gas sensor, a quartz vibration gas sensor, or the like. The gas sensor 36 constitutes a part of the circuit board 34.

[0031] A communication IC chip 38 is mounted on a portion of the circuit board 34 located in the control room 22 as a communication unit that wirelessly transmits and receives data to and from an external information processing device (not shown), such as an external computer. A microcontroller 40 is mounted on a portion of the circuit board 34 located in the control room 22 as a control unit that controls the gas sensor 36 and the communication IC chip 38. The communication IC chip 38 and the microcontroller 40 constitute part of the circuit board 34.

[0032] The microcontroller 40 has a processor such as a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The microcontroller 40 acquires detection results from the gas sensor 36 at predetermined sampling intervals. The microcontroller 40 causes the communication IC chip 38 to transmit the detection results to the external information processing device. This allows the external information processing device to detect (determine) whether the subject has excreted or not by referring to the detection results from the gas sensor 36. Note that the microcontroller 40 may detect whether the subject has excreted or not. In this case, when the microcontroller 40 detects the presence of excretion by the subject, the communication IC chip 38 notifies the external information processing device of that fact.

[0033] It should be noted that various electronic components (not shown) other than the gas sensor 36, the communication IC chip 38, and the microcontroller 40 are mounted on the circuit board 34.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , in this embodiment, the front and back surfaces of the circuit board 34 are coated with a protective coating C that is antifouling, waterproof, and water-repellent, except for the detection portion 36a of the gas sensor 36. The protective coating C is made of a coating agent that is antifouling, waterproof, and water-repellent, such as a fluorine-based coating agent. In other words, the protective coating C has antifouling, waterproof, and water-repellent properties. Furthermore, the areas that are not coated with the protective coating C include not only the detection portion 36a of the gas sensor 36, but also areas of electronic components other than the gas sensor 36 that may be prevented from functioning by the protective coating C. Instead of the protective coating C having antifouling, waterproof, and water-repellent properties, the protective coating C may have at least one of antifouling, waterproof, and water-repellent properties.

[0035] [Battery holder and other components] 2, 3, 5, and 9, the housing 12 has a cutout 42 formed along the width direction to open a portion of the control chamber 22. A battery holder 46 is provided on the rear side of the cutout 42 of the housing 12 to hold a button battery 44, which is the power source for the circuit board 34. The battery holder 46 has a leaf spring portion (not shown) for holding the button battery 44 by spring force. To make it easy to attach and detach the button battery 44, the button battery 44 is held by the button battery 44 with both edges exposed. Note that the excretion detection device 10 may use another battery as a power source instead of the button battery 44.

[0036] A lid member 48 is provided in the cutout 42 of the housing 12 so as to cover the battery holder 46, and the lid member 48 is detachable from the housing 12 via a setscrew 50. When the setscrew 50 is loosened, the lid member 48 is movable in the width direction along the cutout 42 of the housing 12. Thus, before replacing the button battery 44, the setscrew 50 is loosened and the lid member 48 is moved to one side in the width direction to remove it from the cutout 42 of the housing 12. After replacing the button battery 44, the lid member 48 is moved to the other side in the width direction and attached to the cutout 42 of the housing 12, and the setscrew 50 is tightened to secure it to the housing 12.

[0037] A protective wall 52 is provided on the cutout 42 side inside the housing cover 18, and the protective wall 52 surrounds the battery holder 46 except for the removal side of the button battery 44. In this embodiment, a part of the partition wall 24a forms part of the protective wall 52.

[0038] A switch 54 that can be switched between an ON state and an OFF state is provided on the other widthwise side of the housing 12. The ON state means that power is supplied from the button battery 44, and the OFF state means that the supply of power from the button battery 44 is stopped. In addition, an attachment part 56 for attaching a string-like or tape-like connecting member (not shown) is provided on the other longitudinal end of the housing 12, and the connecting member is used to install the excretion detection device 10 inside an article of clothing worn by the subject, such as a diaper.

[0039] [Action and effect] Next, the effects of the excretion detection device 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0040] According to the configuration of this embodiment, the excretion gas G generated from the subject's excrement is introduced into the flow chamber 20 through the plurality of introduction holes 26. The excretion gas G introduced into the flow chamber 20 is guided toward the plurality of first outlet holes 28 and the plurality of second outlet holes 30 by the partition wall 24, the vertical guide wall 32A, and the auxiliary guide wall 32B. The excretion gas G guided toward the plurality of first outlet holes 28 is then discharged from the plurality of first outlet holes 28 to the outside of the housing 12. The excretion gas G guided toward the plurality of second outlet holes 30 is then discharged from the plurality of second outlet holes 30 to the outside of the housing 12. This allows the excretion gas G to flow smoothly within the flow chamber 20, ensuring stable detection of the excretion gas G by the gas sensor 36.

[0041] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the excretion detection device 10 of this embodiment, the circuit board 34 is coated with a protective coating C, except for the detection section 36a of the gas sensor 36, and the protective coating C has antifouling, waterproof, and water-repellent properties. Therefore, even if a cleaning liquid such as water gets into the excretion detection device 10 (housing 12), it is possible to prevent the circuit board 34, which includes the gas sensor 36, the communication IC chip 38, and the microcontroller 40, from breaking down. In other words, according to this embodiment, the excretion detection device 10 can be washed and used repeatedly without deteriorating the detection performance of the gas sensor 36, the communication performance of the communication IC chip 38, and the control performance of the microcontroller 40.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the excretion detection device 10 of this embodiment, a partition wall 24 is provided inside the housing 12 to longitudinally separate the flow chamber 20 and the control chamber 22, thereby preventing liquids such as urine that have entered the flow chamber 20 from flowing into the control chamber 22. Furthermore, a protective wall 52 is provided inside the housing 12 on the side of the cutout 42, surrounding the periphery of the battery holder 46 except for the removal side of the button battery 44, thereby preventing liquids such as urine that have entered the flow chamber 20 from flowing into the battery holder 46. Therefore, the gas sensor 36, communication IC chip 38, microcontroller 40, and battery holder 46 will not get wet with liquids such as urine, and breakdowns of electronic components such as the gas sensor 36 and the battery holder 46 can be prevented.

[0043] Other Embodiments The excretion of the subject that is the detection target of the excretion detection device 10 (10A) may include not only the excretion of feces but also the excretion of urine. In this case, the excretion gas G includes, for example, ammonia in addition to hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan. Furthermore, a temperature sensor may be disposed inside the housing 12 in addition to the gas sensor 36.

[0044] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10. Excretion detection device 12. Case 14. Main body 18 Housing cover 20 Distribution room (Room 1) 22 Control Room (Room 2) 24 Partition Wall 24ad recess 26 Inlet hole 28 1st outlet hole 30 2nd outlet hole 34 Circuit Board 36 Gas Sensor 36a Detection unit 38 Communication IC chip 40 Microcontroller (control unit) 42 Notch 44 Button Cell Battery (Battery) 46 Battery holder 48 Lid member 52 Protective Wall C Protective coating

Claims

1. a housing having a first chamber formed on one side in the longitudinal direction inside the housing and a second chamber formed on the other side in the longitudinal direction inside the housing, an inlet hole formed to introduce excrement gas generated from the excrement of the subject into the first chamber, and an outlet hole formed to discharge the excrement gas from the first chamber; a partition wall provided inside the housing and dividing the housing into the first chamber and the second chamber in the longitudinal direction; a circuit board that is provided inside the housing so as to pass through the partition wall, the circuit board having a gas sensor that detects exhaust gas mounted at a portion located in the first chamber and a control unit that controls the gas sensor mounted at a portion located in the second chamber, a protective coating is applied to the circuit board except for a detection portion of the gas sensor that comes into contact with exhaust gas; The excretion detection device, wherein the protective coating has at least one of antifouling properties, waterproof properties, and water repellency.

2. 2. The excretion detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the protective coating is coated with a fluorine-based coating agent.

3. a cutout portion that opens a part of the second chamber is formed in the housing; a battery holder provided on the rear side of the cutout of the housing for holding a battery that serves as a power source for the gas sensor and the control unit; a cover member provided in the cutout portion of the housing; 3. The excretion detection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a protective wall provided inside the housing on the side of the notch, the protective wall surrounding the periphery of the battery holder except for the side where the battery is removed.

4. 4. The excretion detection device according to claim 1, wherein the excreta of the subject is feces of the subject, and the excretory gas is hydrogen sulfide or methyl mercaptan.

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