Stickable instrument and hollow body with stickable instrument

Abstract

A stickable instrument according to the present disclosure comprises: a stickable sheet having a stickable surface that can be stuck to the outer surface of a hollow body having a partitioned hollow part therein where a liquid can be contained or circulated; and a plurality of electrodes that are spaced from each other and held by the stickable sheet in such a manner as to be in proximity to or in contact with different locations on the outer surface of the hollow body, with the stickable surface of the stickable sheet stuck to the outer surface of the hollow body.

Description

Application device and hollow body with application device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an application device and a hollow body with an application device.

[0002] Conventionally, treatments have been known in which a liquid, such as an infusion solution or nutrient, contained in a container is administered into a living body through a fluid delivery line including a fluid delivery tube. In this type of treatment, when the amount of liquid being administered in the container decreases or runs out, the container may be replaced with a new one containing the liquid, such as an infusion solution or nutrient, in order to continue the administration. For this reason, the use of a detector to monitor the remaining amount of liquid in the container has been considered. Patent Document 1 discloses such a detector. The detector described in Patent Document 1 is configured to detect a decrease in the infusion solution by utilizing the conductivity of the infusion solution using multiple electrodes. The electrodes in Patent Document 1 are attached so as to communicate with the inside and outside of an intravenous tube connected to an infusion bottle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-029364

[0004] As a detector for monitoring the remaining amount of liquid in a hollow body using an electrode, it is desirable that a commonly used, general-purpose hollow body such as a storage container or a tube for delivering liquid can be used as is, and that the electrode does not come into direct contact with the infusion solution or nutrient solution from the standpoint of preventing infection.

[0005] Such a detector may be configured to detect the state of the liquid inside the hollow body from a camera image, but there is still room for improvement in terms of simplifying the detector configuration.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an application device and a hollow body with an application device that can detect the state of liquid inside a hollow body with a simple configuration.

[0007] An adhesive device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is an adhesive device comprising: (1) an adhesive sheet having an adhesive surface that can be attached to the outer surface of a hollow body that defines a hollow section inside that can contain or flow a liquid; and a plurality of electrodes that are spaced apart and held by the adhesive sheet so as to be in close proximity to or in contact with different positions on the outer surface of the hollow body when the adhesive surface of the adhesive sheet is attached to the outer surface of the hollow body.

[0008] An adhesive device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is the adhesive device according to (1) above, wherein: (2) the plurality of electrodes include a reference electrode and a detection electrode; and the adhesive device includes a circuit unit that can electrically connect the reference electrode and the detection electrode to a voltage application unit that can apply an AC voltage between the reference electrode and the detection electrode.

[0009] An adhesive patch device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is the adhesive patch device described in (2) above, wherein: (3) the plurality of electrodes includes two or more detection electrodes; and the circuit unit includes two or more conductive paths that can electrically connect each of the two or more detection electrodes to the voltage application unit separately.

[0010] An adhesive patch device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is the adhesive patch device according to (2) or (3) above, wherein the plurality of electrodes include three or more electrodes spaced apart along a predetermined linear direction in the plane of the adhesive sheet, and the reference electrode is one of the three or more electrodes that is located at an end in the linear direction.

[0011] An adhesive patch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is the adhesive patch according to (5) above, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes two or more electrodes spaced apart along an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the linear direction in the in-plane direction.

[0012] An adhesive device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is (6) the adhesive device according to any one of (2) to (5) above, wherein the circuit section is held by the adhesive sheet.

[0013] An adhesive device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is (7) the adhesive device according to any one of (2) to (6) above, which includes an electrical connection part that electrically connects the circuit part to the voltage application part.

[0014] An adhesive patch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is (8) the adhesive patch according to any one of (2) to (6) above, further comprising the voltage application unit electrically connected to the circuit unit.

[0015] An adhesive patch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is (9) the adhesive patch according to any one of (2) to (8) above, further comprising a control unit capable of detecting the presence or absence of current flow between the reference electrode and the detection electrode in a state where an AC voltage is applied between the reference electrode and the detection electrode.

[0016] An adhesive patch device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is (10) the adhesive patch device described in (9) above, further comprising a notification unit capable of notifying the outside of information relating to the state of the liquid in the hollow body based on the presence or absence of current flow between the reference electrode and the detection electrode.

[0017] A hollow body with an adhesive device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is (11) a hollow body with an adhesive device, comprising: the adhesive device according to any one of (1) to (10) above; and the hollow body to which the adhesive surface of the adhesive sheet of the adhesive device is attached.

[0018] A hollow body with an application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is (12) the hollow body with an application device described above in (11), which is a container capable of containing a liquid in the hollow portion and can be used by being suspended vertically from above to below.

[0019] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an application device and a hollow body with an application device that are capable of detecting the state of liquid inside a hollow body with a simple configuration.

[0020] 6A is a diagram showing an example of a liquid feed line including a hollow body with an adhesive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a hollow body with an adhesive device and a processing device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a hollow body with an adhesive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9D is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of the hollow body with an adhesive device taken along line II in FIG. 3. FIG. 9E is a diagram showing a modified example of the adhesive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9F is a diagram showing a modified example of the adhesive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9G is a diagram showing a state before a different type of liquid in a storage container is mixed with the hollow body with an adhesive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9H is a diagram showing a state after a different type of liquid in a storage container has been mixed with the hollow body with an adhesive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of an adhesive device and a hollow body with an adhesive device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are assigned the same reference numerals.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a liquid supply line 200 including a hollow body with an application device 100 as one embodiment of the hollow body with an application device according to the present disclosure. Specifically, the liquid supply line 200 shown in Fig. 1 includes the hollow body with an application device 100, a processing device 201, a bottle needle 202, a drip tube 203, an indwelling needle 204, a liquid supply tube 205, a liquid supply pump 206, and a clamp 207.

[0023] First, an outline of the liquid transfer line 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] The hollow body with an adhesive device 100 includes an adhesive device 1 as one embodiment of the adhesive device according to the present disclosure, and a hollow body 50. The hollow body 50 of this embodiment is a flexible storage container 51 that defines an internal storage space 51a as a hollow portion 50a capable of storing a liquid X such as an infusion solution, a nutrient solution, or the like. The adhesive device 1 is attached to the storage container 51 by being attached to the outer surface of the storage container 51 as the hollow body 50. The adhesive device 1 and the hollow body 50 will be described in detail below.

[0025] The processing device 201 is electrically connected to the application device 1 that is attached to the outer surface of the container 51 serving as the hollow body 50. The processing device 201 will be described in detail later.

[0026] The bottle needle 202 is liquid-tightly connected to the storage container 51 serving as the hollow body 50. The drip tube 203 is configured to allow visual confirmation of the flow rate of liquid X, such as an infusion solution or a nutrient, supplied from the storage container 51. A medical professional can visually confirm the flow rate of liquid X from the number of drops of liquid X falling through the drip tube 203. The indwelling needle 204 is configured to be inserted into a living body and left indwelling. The liquid delivery tube 205 connects the bottle needle 202, the drip tube 203, and the indwelling needle 204 to one another. More specifically, the liquid delivery line 200 shown in FIG. 1 includes an upstream tube 205a connecting the bottle needle 202 and the drip tube 203, and a downstream tube 205b connecting the drip tube 203 and the indwelling needle 204.

[0027] The liquid delivery pump 206 is attached to the liquid delivery tube 205 and is configured to be able to control the flow rate of the liquid X administered into the living body through the liquid delivery line 200. The liquid delivery pump 206 shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the downstream tube 205b. The liquid delivery pump 206 may be fixed to the pole of a stand placed on the floor, for example, via a pole clamp. The stand may include a hook connected to the upper end of the pole and capable of hanging the storage container 51 using the through-hole 51b of the storage container 51.

[0028] The clamp 207 is attached to the liquid supply tube 205 and is configured to be able to manually adjust the flow rate of the liquid X in the liquid supply tube 205. The clamp 207 shown in Fig. 1 is attached to the downstream tube 205b.

[0029] The liquid supply line to which the hollow body with application device 100 can be applied is not limited to the liquid supply line 200 shown in Fig. 1. The liquid supply line may include, in addition to the above-mentioned components, a connector having a co-injection port formed therein. The liquid supply line may also include, for example, various filters.

[0030] The liquid X contained in the container 51 serving as the hollow body 50 is administered into a living body through the liquid supply line 200 .

[0031] After the administration of the liquid X to the living body is completed, the storage container 51 is removed from the bottle needle 202. When the same or a different type of liquid X is to be continuously administered, a new storage container 51 containing the liquid X to be continuously administered is connected to the bottle needle 202.

[0032] When the amount of liquid being administered in the storage container 51 decreases or runs out, the storage container 51 may be replaced with a new one to continue administration, for example. Therefore, it is preferable to monitor the state of the liquid in the storage container 51, such as the remaining amount of liquid. This monitoring can be performed, for example, by the patient's visual inspection. However, there is a possibility that notification to a medical professional may be delayed, for example, if the patient is asleep. Therefore, in the liquid delivery line 200 shown in FIG. 1 , the state of the liquid X in the storage container 51 can be monitored by attaching the application device 1 to the storage container 51 as the hollow body 50. More specifically, in the liquid delivery line 200 shown in FIG. 1 , the application device 1 and the processing device 201 can detect the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51. Furthermore, the processing device 201 can report information regarding the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 to the outside. The manner of reporting by the processing device 201 is not particularly limited. Specific examples of reporting to the outside by the processing device 201 will be described later.

[0033] In this way, by using the hollow body with application device 100 in the liquid sending line 200, it is possible to monitor the state of the liquid X inside the hollow body 50.

[0034] The hollow body with application device 100 and the processing device 201 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of the hollow body with application device 100 and the processing device 201 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the hollow body with application device 100 shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the hollow body with application device 100 at the position of line II in Figure 3.

[0035] As described above, the hollow body with application device 100 comprises the application device 1 and the storage container 51 as the hollow body 50. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the storage container 51 as the hollow body 50 is used while being suspended from above to below in the vertical direction A. For the sake of convenience, various directions will be described below based on the usage posture of the storage container 51 as the hollow body 50 shown in Figures 1 to 4, unless otherwise specified.

[0036] The storage container 51 serving as the hollow body 50 may be, for example, a flexible liquid bag formed from a resin film. The liquid bag has a storage space 51a formed therein as a hollow portion 50a by heat-welding overlapping resin films. The material of the resin film constituting the liquid bag serving as the storage container 51 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), etc. The thickness of the resin film constituting the liquid bag serving as the storage container 51 may be, for example, 50 to 1000 μm, and preferably 100 to 350 μm.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the adhesive device 1 includes an adhesive sheet 2 and a plurality of electrodes 3. The adhesive sheet 2 has an adhesive surface 2a that can be attached to the outer surface of a storage container 51 (i.e., a hollow body 50). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the state in which the adhesive surface 2a (see FIG. 4 ) of the adhesive sheet 2 is attached to the outer surface of the hollow body 50 may be simply referred to as the "attached state." FIGS. 1 to 4 show the attached state. In the attached state, the plurality of electrodes 3 are held by the adhesive sheet 2 while being spaced apart from one another so as to be in proximity to or in contact with different positions on the outer surface of the storage container 51 (i.e., the hollow body 50). Here, "in proximity to" the electrodes 3 on the outer surface of the hollow body 50 means that the electrodes 3 are not in direct contact with the outer surface of the hollow body 50, but are arranged between the electrodes 3 and the outer surface of the hollow body 50 via only a thin film layer of a predetermined thickness or less, without any intervening air gap. The thickness of the thin film layer is not particularly limited as long as the two electrodes 3 are conductive with the liquid X in the hollow body 50 when an AC voltage is applied between the two electrodes 3, but may be, for example, 500 μm or less. In consideration of the conductivity between the electrodes 3 and the liquid X in the hollow body 50, it is preferable that the electrodes 3 contact the outer surface of the hollow body 50 in an attached state.

[0038] In this way, when the multiple electrodes 3 are in proximity to or in contact with the outer surface of the hollow body 50 in an attached state, when an AC voltage is applied between any two of the multiple electrodes 3, each of the two electrodes 3 and the liquid X in the hollow portion 50a within the hollow body 50 become conductive, even if the hollow body 50 itself is made of a non-conductive material such as resin. This is because the wall of the hollow body 50, which is sandwiched between each of the two electrodes 3 and the liquid X in the hollow portion 50a, functions as a capacitor component, and the high-frequency AC voltage reduces the impedance of the wall of the hollow body 50. Therefore, when the liquid X is present in a position facing the two electrodes 3 in the hollow portion 50a across the wall of the hollow body 50, the two electrodes 3 are electrically conductive through the liquid X.

[0039] 1 to 4, when an AC voltage is applied between two electrodes 3 arranged at different positions in the vertical direction A, if the height position in the vertical direction A of the water surface of the liquid X in the storage container 51 is equal to or higher than the lower end position of the upper electrode 3 of the two electrodes 3 to which the AC voltage is applied, the two electrodes 3 will conduct electricity through the liquid X. Conversely, when an AC voltage is applied between two electrodes 3 arranged at different positions in the vertical direction A, if the height position in the vertical direction A of the water surface of the liquid X in the storage container 51 is lower than the lower end position of the upper electrode 3 of the two electrodes 3 to which the AC voltage is applied, the two electrodes 3 will not conduct electricity through the liquid X.

[0040] In this way, in this embodiment, the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 can be detected based on the presence or absence of current flow between two electrodes 3 that are close to or in contact with each other at different positions in the vertical direction A on the outer surface of the storage container 51 containing the liquid X.

[0041] 1 to 4 is configured to be able to detect the remaining amount of liquid X in the hollow portion 50a in stages by using seven electrodes 3 arranged at different positions in the vertical direction A. A specific example of a method for detecting the remaining amount of liquid X using the seven electrodes 3 will be described later.

[0042] Next, the application device 1 and the processing device 201 of this embodiment will be described in further detail.

[0043] The adhesive device 1 of this embodiment includes a circuit section 4 and an electrical connection section 5 in addition to the adhesive sheet 2 and the plurality of electrodes 3 described above.

[0044] The adhesive patch device 1 of the present embodiment is electrically connected to the processing device 201 by connecting the electrical connection part 5 to the connection part 31 of the processing device 201. More specifically, the circuit part 4 of the adhesive patch device 1 is in a conductive state with the voltage application part 32 of the processing device 201. As a result, an AC voltage can be applied to the multiple electrodes 3 of the adhesive patch device 1 of the present embodiment from the voltage application part 32 of the processing device 201 through the circuit part 4.

[0045] The adhesive sheet 2, the plurality of electrodes 3, the circuit section 4, and the electrical connection section 5 of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 4 , the adhesive sheet 2 of this embodiment has an adhesive surface 2a that can be attached to the outer surface of the hollow body 50. The adhesive sheet 2 is flexible so that it can be attached to the outer surface of the hollow body 50 while conforming to it. The adhesive sheet 2 may be, for example, a laminate of an insulating resin sheet and an adhesive layer that forms the adhesive surface 2a. The material of the resin sheet of the adhesive sheet 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is an insulating material, and may be, for example, polyimide. The material of the adhesive layer is not particularly limited as long as it can be adhered to the hollow body 50, and may be, for example, a rubber-based, acrylic-based, or silicone-based adhesive. The thickness of the adhesive sheet 2 may be, for example, 50 to 1000 μm.

[0047] The plurality of electrodes 3 in this embodiment are held on the adhesive surface 2a of the adhesive sheet 2. That is, the electrodes 3 in this embodiment are exposed on the adhesive surface 2a of the adhesive sheet 2. The electrodes 3 may be, for example, conductive metal electrodes. The material of the metal electrodes 3 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, copper, copper tungsten, etc. The electrodes 3 in this embodiment have a circular, flat outer shape, but may have other outer shapes.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the adhesive patch device 1 of this embodiment includes seven electrodes 3. The seven electrodes 3 are arranged at intervals along a predetermined linear direction B in the plane of the adhesive sheet 2. In FIGS. 1 to 4 , the "predetermined linear direction B" is approximately the same as the vertical direction A. The seven electrodes 3 are arranged in a row in the linear direction B, but the positions of the seven electrodes 3 in the orthogonal direction C are not particularly limited. The orthogonal direction C is an in-plane direction of the adhesive sheet 2 that is orthogonal to the linear direction B. The orthogonal direction C is approximately horizontal in FIGS. 1 to 4 . In other words, it is sufficient that the seven electrodes 3 are arranged at intervals in the linear direction B, and there are no particular limitations on the positional relationship between them in the orthogonal direction C.

[0049] The seven electrodes 3 of this embodiment include a reference electrode 3a and a detection electrode 3b between which an AC voltage can be applied. More specifically, the seven electrodes 3 of this embodiment include one reference electrode 3a. The seven electrodes 3 of this embodiment also include six detection electrodes 3b. The six detection electrodes 3b are, in order from bottom to top in the vertical direction A in FIGS. 1 to 4, a first detection electrode 3b1, a second detection electrode 3b2, a third detection electrode 3b3, a fourth detection electrode 3b4, a fifth detection electrode 3b5, and a sixth detection electrode 3b6. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6, they will simply be referred to as "detection electrodes 3b." When there is no need to distinguish between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrodes 3b, they will simply be referred to as "electrodes 3."

[0050] The circuit unit 4 of this embodiment can electrically connect the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b to a voltage application unit 32 (described later) that can apply an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b. Specifically, the circuit unit 4 of this embodiment includes a conductive path 10 that can electrically connect the electrode 3 to the voltage application unit 32. More specifically, the circuit unit 4 of this embodiment includes a conductive path 10a that can electrically connect the reference electrode 3a to the voltage application unit 32. Furthermore, the circuit unit 4 of this embodiment includes a conductive path 10b that can electrically connect the detection electrode 3b to the voltage application unit 32, and conductive paths 10b1 to 10b6 that can electrically connect each of the six detection electrodes, 1st to 6th, 3b1 to 3b6, to the voltage application unit 32 separately. In this embodiment, when the application device 1 is connected to the processing device 201, the conductive paths 10a, 10b1 to 10b6 of the circuit unit 4 are each brought into a conductive state with the voltage application unit 32 of the processing device 201. That is, in this embodiment, the voltage application unit 32 of the processing device 201 is electrically connected to the reference electrode 3a and the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6 via the conductive paths 10a, 10b1 to 10b6. Hereinafter, unless there is any need to distinguish between the conductive paths 10b1 to 10b6 of the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6, they will simply be referred to as "conductive path 10b." Furthermore, unless there is any need to distinguish between the conductive paths 10a and 10b, they will simply be referred to as "conductive path 10."

[0051] The conductive path 10 may be any conductor capable of electrically connecting the electrode 3 and the voltage application unit 32 of the processing device 201, and its configuration is not particularly limited. Therefore, the conductive path 10 may be, for example, a cable or the like that is free from the adhesive sheet 2 and connected to the electrode 3. However, as in this embodiment, the conductive path 10 is preferably held by the adhesive sheet 2. An example of the conductive path 10 held by the adhesive sheet 2 is printed wiring printed on the adhesive sheet 2. In other words, the circuit unit 4 may be, for example, a printed circuit printed on the adhesive sheet 2.

[0052] The electrical connection unit 5 of this embodiment can electrically connect the circuit unit 4 to the voltage application unit 32. Specifically, the electrical connection unit 5 of this embodiment is configured to be connectable to the connection unit 31 of the processing device 201. When the electrical connection unit 5 is connected to the connection unit 31 of the processing device 201, the circuit unit 4 is electrically connected to the voltage application unit 32. In other words, the conductive path 10 of the circuit unit 4 is brought into a conductive state with the voltage application unit 32 of the processing device 201.

[0053] The configuration of the electrical connection section 5 is not particularly limited as long as it can electrically connect the circuit section 4 to the voltage application section 32, and may be configured by connectors of various shapes.

[0054] Next, a detailed description will be given of the processing device 201 of this embodiment. The processing device 201 of this embodiment includes a connection unit 31, a voltage application unit 32, a control unit 33, and a notification unit .

[0055] The connection part 31 is configured to be connectable to the electrical connection part 5 of the application device 1. The shape of the connection part 31 is not particularly limited as long as it can electrically connect the voltage application part 32 and the circuit part 4 by being connected to the electrical connection part 5. The connection part 31 may be, for example, a female connector into which a male connector as the electrical connection part 5 can be inserted.

[0056] The voltage application unit 32 is capable of applying an AC voltage between two of the multiple electrodes 3 of the adhesive device 1. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the voltage application unit 32 is capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and each of the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6. That is, in the present embodiment, the voltage application unit 32 is capable of separately applying AC voltages between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1, between the reference electrode 3a and the second detection electrode 3b2, between the reference electrode 3a and the third detection electrode 3b3, between the reference electrode 3a and the fourth detection electrode 3b4, between the reference electrode 3a and the fifth detection electrode 3b5, and between the reference electrode 3a and the sixth detection electrode 3b6. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the electric circuit capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1 by the voltage application unit 32 will be referred to as the "first detection circuit." Furthermore, an electrical circuit capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the second detection electrode 3b2 by the voltage application unit 32 will be referred to as the "second detection circuit." An electrical circuit capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the third detection electrode 3b3 by the voltage application unit 32 will be referred to as the "third detection circuit." An electrical circuit capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the fourth detection electrode 3b4 by the voltage application unit 32 will be referred to as the "fourth detection circuit." An electrical circuit capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the fifth detection electrode 3b5 by the voltage application unit 32 will be referred to as the "fifth detection circuit." An electrical circuit capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the sixth detection electrode 3b6 by the voltage application unit 32 will be referred to as the "sixth detection circuit."

[0057] The voltage application unit 32 of this embodiment is capable of applying an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency or higher, such as 100 kHz or higher, between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b.

[0058] More specifically, the voltage application unit 32 of this embodiment includes an AC power source 41, a conductor unit 42, and a switching unit 43. When the connection unit 31 is connected to the electrical connection unit 5 of the application device 1, the conductor unit 42 is electrically connected to the conductive path 10 of the circuit unit 4. The switching unit 43 is capable of switching between the first to sixth detection circuits described above. The switching unit 43 may be configured by, for example, an analog switch / multiplexer or the like.

[0059] The control unit 33 can control various operations of the processing device 201. The control unit 33 can, for example, execute switching control of the switching unit 43 of the voltage application unit 32. The control unit 33 can also detect, for example, whether or not there is electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b in each of the first to sixth detection circuits described above. Furthermore, the control unit 33 can, for example, control the operation of the notification unit 34, which will be described later. Specifically, the control unit 33 of this embodiment can control the notification unit 34 to externally notify information regarding the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51, which is based on whether or not there is electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b.

[0060] A specific example of a method for detecting the remaining amount of liquid X in the container 51 based on the presence or absence of current flow between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b will be described later.

[0061] The control unit 33 includes a processor, such as a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or an MPU (micro processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The control unit 33 may be, for example, a microcontroller. The control unit 33 executes processes related to the operation of the processing device 201 while controlling each part of the processing device 201. The control unit 33 may further include a storage unit, such as a ROM (read only memory) or a RAM (random access memory).

[0062] The notification unit 34 can notify the outside of information relating to the state of the liquid X in the storage container 51 serving as the hollow body 50, based on whether or not there is electrical current passing between the reference electrode 3 a and the detection electrode 3 b. Specifically, the notification unit 34 of this embodiment can notify the outside of information relating to the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51, based on whether or not there is electrical current passing between the reference electrode 3 a and the detection electrode 3 b.

[0063] The notification unit 34 may be, for example, a display unit such as a liquid crystal display. The display unit as the notification unit 34 can notify information regarding the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 by displaying, for example, letters, symbols, etc. Furthermore, the notification unit 34 is not limited to a display unit and may be, for example, a speaker capable of notifying the outside by sound. Furthermore, the notification unit 34 may be, for example, an indicator capable of notifying the outside by light. Furthermore, the notification unit 34 may be, for example, a communication unit capable of transmitting information regarding the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 to an external device. The communication unit as the notification unit 34 may be one or more communication interfaces. The communication interface may be, for example, a wired connector, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) interface, a wireless LAN interface, etc. Furthermore, the external device may be, for example, the liquid feed pump 206. The liquid feed pump 206 may notify the surroundings by sound, light, etc. based on the information received from the notification unit 34. Furthermore, the liquid feed pump 206 may stop feeding liquid, for example, based on information received from the notification unit 34. The external device may also be, for example, a computer in a hospital. In this manner, information regarding the remaining amount of liquid X can be notified to medical personnel who are not near the patient. As described above, the configuration of the notification unit 34 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of notifying the outside world of information regarding the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51.

[0064] Next, an example of a method for detecting the remaining amount of liquid X in the container 51 based on the presence or absence of current flow between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b using the application device 1 and the processing device 201 of this embodiment will be described.

[0065] First, the control unit 33 of this embodiment controls the switching unit 43 to switch the voltage application unit 32 to the first detection circuit, which can apply an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1. In this state, the control unit 33 detects whether or not there is current flow between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1. If the control unit 33 detects that there is no current flow between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1, it is estimated that the surface of the liquid X in the storage container 51 is below the first detection electrode 3b1. In other words, at this point, the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 can be detected. Therefore, the control unit 33 causes the notification unit 34 to notify the outside of information related to the detected remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51.

[0066] On the other hand, if there is electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1, the control unit 33 controls the switching unit 43 to switch to the second detection circuit, which can apply an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the second detection electrode 3b2 using the voltage application unit 32. In this state, the control unit 33 detects whether or not there is electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the second detection electrode 3b2. If the control unit 33 detects that there is no electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the second detection electrode 3b2, it is estimated that the surface of the liquid X in the storage container 51 is between the first detection electrode 3b1 and the second detection electrode 3b2. In other words, at this point, the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 can be detected. Therefore, the control unit 33 causes the notification unit 34 to externally notify information regarding the detected remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51.

[0067] On the other hand, if there is electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the second detection electrode 3b2, the control unit 33 controls the switching unit 43 to switch to the third detection circuit, which can apply an AC voltage between the reference electrode 3a and the third detection electrode 3b3 using the voltage application unit 32. In this state, the control unit 33 detects whether or not there is electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the third detection electrode 3b3. If the control unit 33 detects that there is no electrical conduction between the reference electrode 3a and the third detection electrode 3b3, it is estimated that the surface of the liquid X in the storage container 51 is between the second detection electrode 3b2 and the third detection electrode 3b3. In other words, at this point, the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 can be detected. Therefore, the control unit 33 causes the notification unit 34 to externally notify information regarding the detected remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51.

[0068] In this way, the control unit 33 switches the switching unit 43 in order from the first detection circuit to the sixth detection circuit until it can detect the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51. Then, at the point in time when the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 is detected, the control unit 33 causes the notification unit 34 to notify the outside of information relating to the detected remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51.

[0069] As described above, the application device 1 and the processing device 201 of this embodiment can detect the remaining amount of liquid X in the container 51 .

[0070] The control unit 33 may, for example, notify the outside via the notification unit 34 only when the first detection circuit detects the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51. In other words, the control unit 33 may notify the outside only when the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 is low.

[0071] Furthermore, although the adhesive device 1 of the present embodiment includes seven electrodes 3, there is no particular limitation on the number of electrodes 3. The adhesive device 1 may be configured to include two or more electrodes 3.

[0072] Furthermore, although the patch device 1 of this embodiment includes one reference electrode 3a and six detection electrodes 3b, the configuration is not limited thereto. It is sufficient for the patch device 1 to include at least one reference electrode 3a and at least one detection electrode 3b. However, as in this embodiment, it is preferable for the patch device 1 to include two or more detection electrodes 3b. This allows for more detailed information to be obtained about the state of the liquid X in the storage container 51, which serves as the hollow body 50. More specifically, in this embodiment, two or more detection electrodes 3b are provided that are spaced apart in a predetermined linear direction B (approximately the same direction as the vertical direction A in FIGS. 1 to 4 ) in the in-plane direction of the patch sheet 2. This allows for stepwise detection of changes in the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51, compared to when only one detection electrode 3b is provided.

[0073] Furthermore, in the adhesive device 1 of this embodiment, the seven electrodes 3 are spaced apart along a predetermined linear direction B (substantially the same direction as the vertical direction A in FIGS. 1 to 4) in the in-plane direction of the adhesive sheet 2. The reference electrode 3a is located at the end of this predetermined linear direction B (the lowermost end in the vertical direction A in FIGS. 1 to 4). This makes it possible to more reliably detect a state in which the amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 is low in the usage position (see FIGS. 1 to 4).

[0074] In the present embodiment, a configuration in which seven electrodes 3 are predetermined as reference electrodes 3a and detection electrodes 3b has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In other words, each of the multiple electrodes 3 of the application device 1 may be configured to be usable as both a reference electrode 3a and a detection electrode 3b. To achieve this, the processing device 201 may include, for example, a voltage application unit 32 that can select any two electrodes 3 of the application device 1 and apply an AC voltage between them. In this way, an AC voltage can be applied between any two electrodes 3 of the multiple electrodes 3 of the application device 1. Therefore, the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 may be detected by appropriately switching between the electrode 3 used as the reference electrode 3a and the electrode 3 used as the detection electrode 3b among the multiple electrodes 3.

[0075] Furthermore, the adhesive device 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of electrodes 3 arranged at equal intervals along a predetermined linear direction B (substantially the same direction as the vertical direction A in FIGS. 1 to 4 ) in the plane of the adhesive sheet 2, but is not limited to this configuration. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modified example of the adhesive device 1. As shown in FIG. 5 , the separation distances D1 to D4 between two adjacent electrodes 3 in the linear direction B may vary depending on the position in the linear direction B. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 5 , the separation distances D1 to D4 between two adjacent electrodes 3 in the linear direction B (substantially the same direction as the vertical direction A in FIG. 5 ; hereinafter referred to as the "vertical direction A") are smaller on one side of the vertical direction A (the lower side of the vertical direction A in FIG. 5 ; hereinafter referred to as the "lower side of the vertical direction A") than on the other side of the vertical direction A (the upper side of the vertical direction A in FIG. 5 ; hereinafter referred to as the "upper side of the vertical direction A"). 5 , the separation distance D1 between the two lowest electrodes 3 in the vertical direction A is smaller than the separation distance D2 between the two highest electrodes 3 in the vertical direction A. It is important for the application device 1 to be able to properly detect when the amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 has become sufficiently small or has run out. Therefore, by making the separation distance D1 smaller than the separation distance D2, it is possible to improve the accuracy of detecting the remaining amount of liquid when the amount of liquid in the storage container 51 is small compared to when the amount of liquid is large.

[0076] More specifically, the application device 1 shown in Fig. 5 includes five electrodes 3: one reference electrode 3a and four detection electrodes 3b. The reference electrode 3a is located at the lowest position in the vertical direction A. The four detection electrodes 3b are located above the reference electrode 3a in the vertical direction A and are arranged in a row in the vertical direction A. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the separation distances D1 to D4 between any two adjacent electrodes 3 in the vertical direction A among the five electrodes 3 gradually decrease from the top to the bottom in the vertical direction A. In other words, the separation distances D1 to D4 in Fig. 5 have a relationship of D2 > D4 > D3 > D1. In this way, as the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 decreases, the accuracy of detecting the remaining amount increases and the frequency of external notification can be increased.

[0077] However, the relationship between the distances D1 to D4 is not limited to D2 > D4 > D3 > D1. The distances D1 to D4 may have other relationships, such as D2 = D4 > D3 = D1. Also, although five electrodes 3 are shown in FIG. 5, three or more electrodes 3 may be provided, and for example, six or more electrodes 3 may be provided.

[0078] 6 and 7 are diagrams showing another modified example of the application device 1. FIG. 6 shows the normal use position of the hollow body with application device 100. In contrast, FIG. 7 shows the abnormal use position in which the hollow body with application device 100 is tilted. In FIGS. 6 and 7, for ease of explanation, the voltage application unit 32 of the processing device 201 is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 7, when the hollow body with application device 100 is used while tilted with respect to the vertical direction A, the linear direction B in which the multiple electrodes 3 of the application device 1 are spaced apart is not substantially the same direction as the vertical direction A. This may result in a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51 serving as the hollow body 50.

[0079] 6 and 7 further includes a seventh detection electrode 3b7 in addition to the reference electrode 3a and the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6 shown in Figures 1 to 4. The reference electrode 3a and the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6 and the seventh detection electrode 3b7 are arranged at different positions in the in-plane direction of the adhesive sheet 2 in an orthogonal direction C that is orthogonal to the linear direction B. By providing such a seventh detection electrode 3b7, it becomes possible to detect the tilt state of the hollow body with application tool 100 with respect to the vertical direction A.

[0080] In the normal usage position of the hollow body with an application device 100 shown in Fig. 6 , the first detection electrode 3b1 and the seventh detection electrode 3b7 are disposed at the same position in the vertical direction A but at different positions in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when the hollow body with an application device 100 is used in the normal usage position shown in Fig. 6 , the presence or absence of conduction of electricity between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1 and the presence or absence of conduction of electricity between the reference electrode 3a and the seventh detection electrode 3b7 will be the same. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 7 , when the hollow body with an application device 100 is used at an angle with respect to the vertical direction A, the presence or absence of conduction of electricity between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1 may be different from the presence or absence of conduction of electricity between the reference electrode 3a and the seventh detection electrode 3b7. In the example shown in Fig. 7 , no conduction of electricity occurs between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1. In contrast, there is conduction of electricity between the reference electrode 3a and the seventh detection electrode 3b7. Based on the result of whether or not electricity is applied, the control unit 33 (see FIG. 2, etc.) can detect the tilt state of the hollow body with application tool 100 with respect to the vertical direction A. When the control unit 33 detects that the hollow body with application tool 100 is tilted with respect to the vertical direction A, the control unit 33 may cause the notification unit 34 (see FIG. 2, etc.) to notify the outside.

[0081] 6 and 7 , in the normal usage position of the hollow body with application device 100 shown in FIG. 6 , the first detection electrode 3b1 and the seventh detection electrode 3b7 are arranged to be at the same position in the vertical direction A. Therefore, even if the control unit 33 detects that there is no current between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1, if the control unit 33 detects that there is current between the reference electrode 3a and the seventh detection electrode 3b7, this means that liquid X remains in the storage container 51, and therefore the control unit 33 does not need to cause the notification unit 34 (see FIG. 2 , etc.) to notify the outside. In other words, if the control unit 33 detects that there is no current between the reference electrode 3a and the first detection electrode 3b1 and that there is no current between the reference electrode 3a and the seventh detection electrode 3b7, the control unit 33 may cause the notification unit 34 to notify the outside. In this way, it is possible to avoid external notification based on erroneous detection of the remaining amount of liquid X in the storage container 51.

[0082] When the seventh detection electrode 3b7 is used solely for the purpose of detecting whether or not the hollow body with application device 100 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction A, the seventh detection electrode 3b7 is not limited to being located at a position corresponding to the first detection electrode 3b1 shown in Figures 6 and 7, but may also be located at a position corresponding to any of the second to sixth detection electrodes 3b2 to 3b6.

[0083] 6 and 7 is configured to include only one seventh detection electrode 3b7 as the electrode 3 that is arranged at a different position in the orthogonal direction C from the reference electrode 3a and the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6, but is not limited to this configuration. The application device 1 may also include two or more electrodes 3 that are arranged at a different position in the orthogonal direction C from the reference electrode 3a and the first to sixth detection electrodes 3b1 to 3b6 and at a different position in at least one of the linear direction B and the orthogonal direction C.

[0084] Figure 8 is a diagram showing a hollow body 1100 with an adhesive patch device 1001 as another embodiment of the adhesive patch device 1 according to the present disclosure. The adhesive patch device 1001 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the adhesive patch device 1 and the processing device 201 shown in Figures 1 to 4 are integrated together. In other words, the adhesive patch device 1001 does not have the electrical connection unit 5 shown in Figures 1 to 4. The adhesive patch device 1001 also includes a voltage application unit 1032, a control unit 1033, and an alarm unit 1034. The voltage application unit 1032, the control unit 1033, and the alarm unit 1034 are similar to the voltage application unit 32, the control unit 33, and the alarm unit 34 of the processing device 201 shown in Figures 1 to 4, and therefore will not be described here.

[0085] In this way, the patching device 1001 may itself be configured to integrally include the voltage application unit 1032, the control unit 1033, and the notification unit 1034. However, the patching device 1001 is not limited to a configuration including all of the voltage application unit 1032, the control unit 1033, and the notification unit 1034, and may be configured to include only one or two of these.

[0086] The adhesive patch device and hollow body with adhesive patch device according to the present disclosure are not limited to the specific configurations shown in the above-described embodiments and modified examples, and various modifications, alterations, and combinations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. In the above-described embodiments, a storage container 51 is illustrated as the hollow body 50, but the hollow body 50 may be, for example, a tubular body such as a liquid-supply tube through which a liquid can flow. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the adhesive patch device 1 is used to detect information regarding the remaining amount of liquid X in the hollow body 50 as the state of liquid X in the hollow body 50, but it may also be used to detect other states of liquid X in the hollow body 50. The adhesive patch device according to the present disclosure may be used, for example, to detect whether a different type of liquid is mixed in the hollow body 50 as the state of the liquid in the hollow body 50. Figures 9A and 9B are diagrams showing an adhesive patch device-equipped hollow body 2100 equipped with an adhesive patch device 2001 that can detect whether different types of liquids X1 and X2 are mixed in a storage container 52 as the hollow body 50.

[0087] FIG. 9A shows the state of the storage container 52 before the different liquids X1 and X2 are mixed. FIG. 9B shows the state of the storage container 52 after the different liquids X1 and X2 are mixed. The storage container 52 as a hollow body 50 shown in FIG. 9A partitions the first storage space 52a1 as a hollow portion 50a and the second storage space 52a2 as a hollow portion 50a. The first storage space 52a1 and the second storage space 52a2 are separated by a partition wall 53. The first storage space 52a1 and the second storage space 52a2 contain different liquids X1 and X2, respectively. The partition wall 53 of the storage container 52 is configured to be rupturable by application of an external force. As shown in FIG. 9B, when the partition wall 53 is ruptured, the first storage space 52a1 and the second storage space 52a2 communicate with each other, and a mixed liquid X3 is generated in which the different liquids X1 and X2 are mixed.

[0088] The application device 2001 shown in Figures 9A and 9B includes one reference electrode 3a and one detection electrode 3b. As shown in Figure 9A, the reference electrode 3a is in close proximity to or in contact with the outer surface of the storage container 52 at a position corresponding to the first storage space 52a1. Also, as shown in Figure 9A, the detection electrode 3b is in close proximity to or in contact with the outer surface of the storage container 52 at a position corresponding to the second storage space 52a2. In the state shown in Figure 9A, the liquids X1 and X2 are separated by the partition wall 53, so even if an AC voltage is applied between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b, no current flows between them. In contrast, in the state shown in Figure 9B, the liquids X1 and X2 are mixed to form a combined mixed liquid X3. Therefore, when an AC voltage is applied between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b, current flows between the reference electrode 3a and the detection electrode 3b through the mixed liquid X3. In this way, by using the application device 2001 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, it is possible to detect whether or not different types of liquids X1 and X2 are mixed in the container 52 serving as the hollow body 50.

[0089] The present disclosure relates to an application device and a hollow body with an application device.

[0090] 1, 1001, 2001: application device 2: application sheet 2a: application surface 3: electrode 3a: reference electrode 3b: detection electrode 3b1: first detection electrode 3b2: second detection electrode 3b3: third detection electrode 3b4: fourth detection electrode 3b5: fifth detection electrode 3b6: sixth detection electrode 3b7: seventh detection electrode 4: circuit section 5: electrical connection section 10: conductive path 10a: conductive path of reference electrode 10b: conductive path of detection electrode 10b1 to 10b6: conductive paths of first to sixth detection electrodes 31: connection section 32, 1032: voltage application section 33, 1033: control section 34, 1034: notification section 41: AC power supply 42: conductive wire section 43: switching section 50: hollow body 50a: hollow section 51: Storage container (an example of a hollow body) 51a: Storage space (an example of a hollow portion) 51b: Through-hole 52: Storage container (an example of a hollow body) 52a1: First storage space (an example of a hollow portion) 52a2: Second storage space (an example of a hollow portion) 53: Partition 100, 1100, 2100: Hollow body with application device 200: Liquid delivery line 201: Processing device 202: Bottle needle 203: Drip tube 204: Indwelling needle 205: Liquid delivery tube 205a: Upstream tube 205b: Downstream tube 206: Liquid delivery pump 207: Clamp A: Vertical direction B: Predetermined linear direction C: Orthogonal direction D1 to D4: Distance between two adjacent electrodes X, X1, X2: Liquid X3: Mixed liquid

Claims

1. An application device comprising: an application sheet having an application surface that can be applied to the outer surface of a hollow body that defines a hollow space inside that can contain or flow through a liquid; and a plurality of electrodes that are held by the application sheet and spaced apart from each other so as to be in close proximity to or in contact with different positions on the outer surface of the hollow body when the application surface of the application sheet is affixed to the outer surface of the hollow body.

2. The application device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise: a reference electrode; and a detection electrode; and further comprises a circuit section capable of electrically connecting the reference electrode and the detection electrode to a voltage application section capable of applying an AC voltage between the reference electrode and the detection electrode.

3. The application device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises two or more detection electrodes, and the circuit section comprises two or more conductive paths capable of electrically connecting each of the two or more detection electrodes separately to the voltage application section.

4. The application device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises three or more electrodes spaced apart along a predetermined linear direction in the in-plane direction of the application sheet, and the reference electrode is one of the three or more electrodes that is located at an end in the linear direction.

5. The application device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises two or more electrodes spaced apart from each other along an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the linear direction in the in-plane direction.

6. The application device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the circuit portion is held by the application sheet.

7. The application device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising an electrical connection section that electrically connects the circuit section to the voltage application section.

8. The application device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising the voltage application section electrically connected to the circuit section.

9. The application device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a control unit capable of detecting the presence or absence of electrical conduction between the reference electrode and the detection electrode in a state in which an AC voltage is applied between the reference electrode and the detection electrode.

10. The application device according to claim 9, further comprising an alarm unit capable of externally notifying information relating to a state of the liquid within the hollow body based on the presence or absence of electrical current between the reference electrode and the detection electrode.

11. A hollow body with an application device, comprising: the application device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and the hollow body to which the application surface of the application sheet of the application device is attached.

12. The hollow body with an application implement according to claim 11, wherein the hollow body is a container capable of containing a liquid in the hollow portion and capable of being used while being suspended vertically from above to below.

Images