Circuit carrier, PCB, for a clip for mounting on an absorbent article and a clip for mounting on an absorbent article

Abstract

The invention relates to a circuit carrier (2), PCB, for a clip (1) for mounting on an absorbent article (4). The circuit carrier (2) comprises an impedance and electrochemical sensing module (21) configured to obtain a first measurement signal, a gas sensing module (22) configured to obtain a second measurement signal, a motion and position sensing module (23) configured to obtain a third measurement signal, a temperature sensing module (24) configured to obtain a fourth measurement signal, and a main controller (29) configured to control an operation of the sensing modules (21, 22, 23, 24) for obtaining the measurement signals, to sample and process the obtained measurement signals from the sensing modules (21, 22, 23, 24) and determine an output based on the sampled measurement signals, wherein the main controller (29) comprises a communication unit configured to exchange the measurement signals and / or the determined output with an external device and / or a server using an radio-frequency, RF, module, a gateway and a wireless personal area network transmission, WPAN, protocol, and / or using serial data transmission. The invention further relates to a clip (1) comprising the circuit carrier (2) according to the invention.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Circuit carrier, PCB, for a clip for mounting on an absorbent article and a clip for mounting on an absorbent article

[0003] The invention relates to a circuit carrier, PCB, for a clip for mounting on an absorbent article. Further it relates to a a clip for mounting on an absorbent article comprising the circuit carrier according to the invention.

[0004] One of the biggest challenges that modern societies have to face in coming years is the aging of their populations. The number of caregivers and elderly at nursing homes will become less balanced, therefore less caregivers will attend more residents, which raises several difficulties. Already today caregivers do check on residents according to a tight time schedule, not only making it an exhausting workload but also rendering it difficult to figure out, which urgent need to attend first. Also, important to note is that caregivers have assigned a certain number of residents they have to monitor on each shift, which renders efficient scheduling even more important.

[0005] In home care situations, family caregivers are also confronted with similar problems and have to take care of a cared-for person in addition to their other duties such as work, other family members and other obligations, so that they are under considerable time pressure and are exposed to high levels of stress. Baby care is also a time-consuming task for private households and parents or caregivers.

[0006] There are, among others, two circumstances that cause the need for absorbent articles. Firstly, the circumstance of incontinence, which can be understood as a disease that can have many different causes, and the circumstance in the field of infant care, which is related to the lack of independent control of the child over his excretions.

[0007] Incontinence is a condition in which there is uncontrolled release of natural discharges or evacuations from the bladder and / or bowel. Urinary incontinence refers to loss of bladder control resulting in involuntary or uncontrolled urination. While some forms of incontinence, particularly urinary / bladder incontinence are relatively widespread, the condition typically affects the elderly and the infirm and is more prevalent among women. Another current pain point at care homes are night shifts, wherein one of the main challenges is the wide area of the care home, and the reduced numbers of caregivers during these shifts. Therefore, the physical strain on caregivers becomes a problem.

[0008] Further, due to the lack of caregivers, it often occurs that caregivers have to fill in for others or are hired on a temporary basis from external sources. In such cases, it is important to ensure rapid familiarization and thus smooth integration into the nursing home's workflow.

[0009] There is still a need of supporting care workflows and the included purpose of prevention of disease and injury of care recipients within those care workflows by supporting absorbent article change management.

[0010] It is thus an object of the present disclosure to overcome or reduce at least some of the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a circuit carrier, PCB, for a clip for mounting on an absorbent article that provides a comprehensive overview and monitoring of persons carrying the absorbent article.

[0011] The given task is solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention can further be gained from the dependent claims.

[0012] A first aspect of the disclosure refers to a circuit carrier, PCB, for a clip for mounting on an absorbent article. The circuit carrier comprises an impedance and electrochemical sensing module configured to obtain a first measurement signal for moisture and substance measurement and a gas sensing module configured to obtain a second measurement signal for substance measurement. The circuit carrier further comprises a motion and position sensing module configured to obtain a third measurement signal for movement detection and positioning detection and a temperature sensing module configured to obtain a fourth measurement signal for moisture and substance measurement. Furthermore, the circuit carrier comprises a main controller configured to control an operation of the modules for obtaining the measurement signals, to sample and process the obtained measurement signals from the sensing modules and determine an output based on the sampled measurement signals, wherein the main controller comprises a communication unit configured to exchange the measurement signals and / or the determined output with an external device and / or a server using an radio-frequency, RF, module, a gateway and a wireless personal area network transmission, WPAN, protocol, and / or using serial data transmission and an universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter. In other words, based on the measurement signals from the sensing modules the main controller may be configured to determine various derivatives. The first to fourth measurement signals each comprise measured values that can be used to determine a respective property. The first measurement signal comprises information on moisture and substances in the absorbent article, the second measurement signal comprises information on substances in the absorbent article, the third measurement signal comprises information on a movement and position of the absorbent article, preferably of a person wearing the absorbent article, and the fourth measurement signal comprises information on a temperature in the absorbent article. The corresponding measurement signals are processed by the main controller using appropriate algorithms in order to obtain the corresponding information. The main controller may determine moisture and substance (fecal) to which the absorbent article is exposed by processing the first measurement signal. The main controller may determine substances by processing the second measurement signal. The main controller may determine movements and positions of the absorbent article by processing the third measurement signal. The main controller may be configured to determine present temperatures for moisture and substance measurement by processing the fourth measurement signal. The main controller may be configured controls the modules for performing operations, e.g. for measuring the measurement signals in order to determine associated properties based on the acquired measurement signals. The main controller is configured to transmit and receive the obtained first to fourth measurement signals from the sensing modules and process the measurement signals to derive information from them. The communication unit is configured to exchange data, the measurement signals and / or the determined output with via a gateway of an external device and / or a server using the radio-frequency, RF, module, a gateway and a wireless personal area network transmission, WPAN, protocol, for example the IEEE 802.15 protocol, and / or using serial data transmission.

[0013] Absorbent articles include, but are not limited to, hygiene and sanitary products, including for example (disposable) diapers, sanitary napkins, panty liners, incontinence pads and sweat wipes. These can find application in humans but also in animals, such as pets. The absorbent article absorbs liquid released by the wearer and includes, for example, liquid excreta and body fluids. Absorbent articles represent a particularly broad field of application as incontinence products, especially in the form of diapers for adults and children. Absorbent articles include, in particular, template products that are converted into a final product in further process steps.

[0014] This provides a standardized system that is suitable to be connected to an absorbent article by means of a corresponding clip. When connected, it enables the recording and evaluation of a large number of important parameters that provide a comprehensive picture of a person wearing the absorbent article.

[0015] According to another embodiment, the circuit carrier preferably comprises a pressure sensing module configured to obtain a fifth measurement signal for fall detection, bed sore detection, pressure ulcer detection. The main controller may be configured to determine exertion of force, movements and positions of the absorbent article by processing the fifth measurement signal.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the circuit carrier is electrically and signal conductively connectable with the external device for the exchange of the measurement signals and / or the determined output with the external device, wherein the main controller is configured to assign the circuit carrier to the external device based on the presence of the electrical and signal conducting connection of the circuit carrier with the external device.

[0017] Preferably, the circuit carrier is electrically and signal conductively connectable with a plurality of external devices for the exchange of the measurement signals and / or the determined output with the external devices, wherein the main controller is configured to assign the circuit carrier to one of the plurality of external devices based on a presence of a current electrical and signal conducting connection of the circuit carrier to the one of the plurality of external devices. Preferably the main controller is configured to cancel the assignment of the circuit carrier to the one of the plurality of external devices based on a presence of a new electrical and signal conducting connection of the circuit carrier to another one of the plurality of external devices and to assign the circuit carrier to the other one of the plurality of external devices based on the presence of the new electrical and signal conducting connection of the circuit carrier to the other one of the plurality of external devices. Preferably, the main controller is configured to generate a variable identifier based on the currently connected external device. In other words, the circuit carrier can be connected to an external device and is assigned to it by the main controller if the connection is established. If the circuit carrier is connected to another external device at a different time, the previous assignment is canceled and, if the connection to the other external device is established, it is assigned to it by the main controller.

[0018] Preferably, the circuit carrier is electrically and signal conductively connectable to a docking station, in other words, the external device is preferably the docking station. The docking station or each of the plurality of docking stations is preferably assigned to exactly one person to be cared for wearing the absorbent article, wherein different persons to be cared for each have a personal docking station assigned to them. The circuit carrier itself is not permanently assigned to a person to be cared for. The circuit carrier is assigned to a person to be cared for by connecting it to a (personal) docking station of the plurality of docking stations. Therefore, the circuit carrier is preferably always assigned to the person to be cared for in whose docking station it was last inserted. This makes the circuit carrier more flexible and the workflow less restrictive because the circuit carriers are interchangeable.

[0019] According to another embodiment, the circuit carrier comprises a battery module configured to provide power for operation of the circuit carrier and a battery management module configured to connect the circuit carrier to the battery module, implement a second layer of protection to the battery module, gather battery module information and manage the charging and discharging of the battery module and distribute, or in other words provide, the power for operation with an operating voltage. The circuit carrier comprises an energy management module configured to interact with charging voltage provided from an external power source, or in other words charger, for charging of the battery module and implement a first layer of protection to the circuit carrier while charging of the battery module on a gateway of the external power source. The components of the circuit carrier require a power supply, which is provided by the battery module. The battery management module is configured to connect the circuit carrier to the battery module and to protect the battery module from overvoltage. Furthermore, the battery management module records information such as voltage, current, temperature and SOC. In addition, the battery management module is configured to control the provision of the power to the components of the circuit carrier with an operating voltage. The energy management module is configured to interact with charging voltage provided from the external power source and to protect the circuit carrier by implementing a further layer of protection to the circuit carrier while charging of the battery module on the gateway of the external power source.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the battery module is configured to sample the fourth measurement signal of the temperature sensing module for battery management. The main controller may be configured to determine present temperatures for battery management by processing the fourth measurement signal.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the main controller is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier in a central region in a first direction, e. g. X-axis, and close to a lower edge of the circuit carrier, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the energy management module is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier in an edge region in a first direction, e. g. X-axis, and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction, the battery management module is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier in an edge region in a first direction, e. g. X-axis, and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction, a battery input connector of the battery management module is disposed on a bottom side of the circuit carrier opposite to the battery management module in an edge region in a first direction, e. g. X-axis, and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction, and / or the impedance and electrochemical sensing module is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier in a central area. The arrangement of the main controller enables an optimized layout and routing as well as to observe best practices of RF design. The arrangement of the energy management module is preferably adjacent to a positive terminal of the charging pads (third pad). The arrangement of the battery management module is in order to stay closer to the battery input connector. The arrangement of the impedance and electrochemical sensing module is in order to be as close as possible to the pads to minimize noise in analog signals.

[0023] The sensing modules may be placed in different positions throughout the PCB to optimize their specific functionality.

[0024] According to a further preferred embodiment, at least one cut-out (a recess) is provided or formed in the circuit carrier, which at least partially surrounds the gas sensing module such that heat transfer to surrounding areas is reduced. In other words, the circuit carrier features at least one cut-out (in other words recess) formed along an edge region (e. g. an upper edge) of the circuit carrier. The cut-out preferably extends inward from the upper edge of the circuit carrier, forming a cavity that provides clearance for adjacent components of the circuit carrier. The gas sensing module is preferably located on the circuit carrier such that, in plan view, the gas sensing module at least partially overlaps with a lateral extent of the cut-out along a direction parallel to the upper edge, e. g. the first direction, e. g. X-axis. Preferably the cut-out has a depth, measured in the direction perpendicular to the upper edge, e. g. the second direction, e. g. Y-axis, that is equal to or greater than a length of the gas sensing module measured in that direction, such that the gas sensing module is fully located within the depth of the recess. The cut-out preferably has a U-shaped or semi-circular profile. In other words, the cut-out is preferably defined by two substantially straight vertical segments extending from the upper edge toward an interior of the circuit carrier and merging into a rounded bottom portion, forming a smooth contour that minimizes stress concentration and improves manufacturability. The gas sensing module may be heated, wherein the cut-out thermally decouples the gas sensing module from other components of the circuit carrier. According to a further preferred embodiment, multiple such cut-outs are provided. In other words, multiple such cut-outs are preferably arranged along the upper edge, e. g. arranged in the first direction, e. g. X-axis, separated by sections of circuit carrier material, resulting in a repeating pattern of edge cut-outs. The gas sensing module is preferably arranged on one of the sections that separate the cut-outs from each other. The gas sensing module is preferably located on the circuit carrier such that, when viewed in plan view (top view), the gas sensing module is positioned laterally between two adjacent cut-outs and at least partially overlaps with a lateral extent of the cut-outs along a direction parallel to the upper edge, e. g. the first direction, e. g. X-axis. In other words, a projection of the gas sensing module onto an axis perpendicular to the upper edge coincides at least partially with the projection of the cut-outs in that direction, ensuring that the gas sensing module is located at least partially within the span defined by the cut-outs.

[0025] According to another embodiment, the main controller, the energy management module, the battery management module, and / or some or all of the remaining sensing modules have a predefined minimum distance from the gas sensing module.

[0026] According to another embodiment, heat-dissipating structures are provided immediately around the cut-out(s), for example on inner surfaces of the cut-out or in its immediate surrounding region. These structures may comprise thermally conductive coatings, layers of thermally conductive metals, or the application of thermally conductive pastes, thereby enhancing heat dissipation from the gas sensing module. Preferably, the heat-dissipating structures are arranged on a side of the cut-out that is opposite to a side where the gas sensing module is located.

[0027] According to another embodiment, in addition to an internal heat generated by the gas sensing module itself, additional external heating means for heating an area surrounding the gas sensing module are provided on the circuit carrier in order to promote gas exchange in the vicinity of the gas sensing module. This external heating improves performance characteristics, including, for example, sensitivity, response time, signal-to-noise ratio, and detection limit.

[0028] According to another embodiment, the energy management module comprises a voltage monitor configured to reset the device when it is attached to the gateway of the external power if necessary. According to another embodiment, the battery management module comprises a fuel gauge for implementing the second layer of protection and reading battery module properties, a battery module charger configured to charge the battery module when the device is connected to the external power source, and / or a voltage regulator to provide the operating voltage, wherein the voltage regulator comprises a digitally controlled low dropout regulator, LDO. The battery module charger controls the battery charging when the circuit carrier is attached to the external power source. An LDO is used instead of a switched-mode power supply, SMPS, because the regulated voltage provided by the LDO tends to be less noisy which is fundamental for good analog readings. This LDO is capable of delivering 150 mA of current which is comfortably above the current requirements of the whole system, and it integrates overcurrent protection with disabling feature. The battery module charger implements constant current constant voltage, CC / CV, charging with JEITA temperature profile. The charging voltage is preferably 4.2 V and current is preferably 20 mA (for normal charging) and preferably 2 mA for pre-charging (this is to attend the battery manufacturer recommendations).

[0029] According to one embodiment, the circuit carrier comprises a memory which stores instructions which, when executed by a processor of the main controller, cause the main controller to control the operation of the modules for obtaining the measurement signals, sample (transmit and receive) and process the obtained measurement signals from the modules, control the other operations of the modules, and determine the output based on the sampled measurement signals, to control the communication unit to exchange the measurement signals and / or the determined output with an external device and / or a server using an radio-frequency, RF, module, a gateway and a wireless personal area network transmission, WPAN, protocol, and / or using serial data transmission and an universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter. The included instructions, or in other words software components, comprise an incontinence algorithm, a repositioning algorithm, a zone management algorithm and fall detection algorithm intended for analysis and processing of the acquired measurement signals and data for their specific purposes.

[0030] According to another embodiment, the battery module is a lithium polymer battery with a design capacity of 80 mAh and nominal voltage of 3.8 V. The usage of a secondary cell (rechargeable battery) is chosen in this system as the clip is a multiple use device. The battery may contain its own protection system that is able to detect and act upon multiple failure modes. The charging current is limited to 20 mA to extend battery lifetime. The circuit carrier according to the invention using this battery is capable of a 24 h uninterrupted runtime. This battery also provides its own temperature measurement which can be provided to the energy management module. The battery interacts directly with the energy management module. According to one embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine real-time and / or intermediate moisture fill level information of the absorbent article as output based on the first measurement signal received from the impedance and electrochemical sensing module. Accordingly, the main controller determines the states of the absorbent article based on the corresponding measurement signals recorded by the respective sensing modules.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine real-time and / or intermediate moisture fill level information of the absorbent article as output based on the fourth measurement signal received from the temperature sensing module. The temperature improves the accuracy of the output, as different liquids have different temperatures due to their origin.

[0032] According to another embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine a need for changing the absorbent article as output based on the determined real-time and / or intermediate moisture fill level information of the absorbent article. Traditionally, incontinence management involves caregivers manually checking the fill levels of absorbent articles like diapers where the absorbent article must be temporally partially removed. This check must be done frequently within time intervals as well as in the night while the absorbent article wearing person is sleeping. This method is invasive because the person can be disturbed while sleeping. Existing incontinence products that use color-changing indicators only offer a basic binary status (wet or dry) and do not provide real-time or intermediate fill level information.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine substances in the absorbent article as output based on the second measurement signal received from the gas sensing module. Accordingly, the main controller determines the states of the absorbent article based on the corresponding measurement signals recorded by the respective sensing modules.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine substances in the absorbent article as output based on the first measurement signal received from the impedance and electrochemical sensing module.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine substances in the absorbent article as output based on the fourth measurement signal received from the temperature sensing module. The temperature improves the accuracy of the output, as different substances have different temperatures due to their origin. According to another embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine a need for changing the absorbent article as output based on the determined substances in the absorbent article.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine a position, motion and a corresponding time of the absorbent article as output based on the third measurement signal received from the motion and position sensing module. Accordingly, the main controller determines the states of the absorbent article based on the corresponding measurement signals recorded by the respective sensing modules.

[0037] According to another embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine a need for reposition of a person wearing the absorbent article as output based on the determined position, motion and corresponding time. Repositioning to prevent bedsores traditionally involves manual intervention by caregivers or the use of specialized equipment. Manual repositioning is subject to human error and can be inconsistent. Automated systems like pressure-relief mattresses or beds adjust pressure through air or motorized mechanisms but can be expensive and bulky, limiting their application in some care settings.

[0038] According to another embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine a fall event of a person wearing the absorbent article based on the determined position, motion and corresponding time. Traditional fall detection solutions generally involve wearable devices, such as smartwatches or pendants, which may not be fully integrated with a care management system. These devices can detect falls but lack the integration needed to provide a complete care solution. A disadvantage using a smartwatch for fall detection is the generation of false positives since an arm has more degrees of freedom than a torso.

[0039] According to another embodiment, the main controller is further configured to determine a leaving of a person wearing the absorbent article of a predefined safe zone as output based on the determined position, motion and corresponding time. Traditional zone management, such as monitoring whether a patient has left a designated safe area, often relies on manual checks or basic electronic monitoring systems.

[0040] The described methods according to the state of the art may lack real-time capabilities and integration with other care management tools, leading to inefficiencies and potential safety issues. The circuit carrier according to the invention is helpful in the presence of illnesses or injuries in patients such as incontinence and pressure sores. The system supports non-medical use cases for care and administration, e.g. fall detection and zone management, as well as use cases such as incontinence management and repositioning assistance. This optimizes, facilitates and improves the work of the caregivers as well as the comfort of the person being cared for. The circuit carrier according to the invention supports the benefit of caregiving workflows and included medical purposes to prevent disease and injuries related to care recipient’s situation, to preserve a certain level of quality of life of the care recipient. It reduces disturbance for absorbent article fill degree check, reduce the number of absorbent article changes, as unnecessary changes are avoided, and reduce the time with fully filled absorbent articles. The system provides a 24 / 7 availability and real time monitoring within a setup network area, a state-of-the-art digital system with compatibility to consumer standards for mobile devices and state-of-the art user interaction a safe and biocompatible performance, and no skin contact, a defined correlation between fill degree and impedance and a robust connection to the clip. The circuit carrier provides continuous, real-time monitoring of crucial factors such as absorbent article fill levels, body position, and alerts if a patient leaves a safe zone. This capability allows caregivers to receive immediate notifications when conditions change, enabling them to respond promptly and effectively. This real-time data improves decisionmaking and helps prevent potential issues before they escalate. The circuit carrier consolidates various monitoring functions, such as incontinence management, fall detection, repositioning assistance, and zone management into a single, unified platform. This integration reduces the need for multiple separate devices, simplifying care management and patient monitoring. The monitoring of tasks reduces the frequency for manual checks. This efficiency not only saves valuable caregiver time but also lessens the physical and mental burden on caregivers. A realtime monitoring minimizes human error and ensures that tasks are performed consistently and accurately. By optimizing the use of incontinence products and reducing unnecessary diaper changes, this system helps manage and potentially lower the costs associated with incontinence supplies. This cost-saving benefit is achieved through more efficient use of resources and better management of product inventory. With features such as real-time fall detection and zone management, the circuit carrier enhances patient safety by providing immediate alerts if a patient falls or exits a designated safe area. This timely response capability allows caregivers to act swiftly, reducing the risk of injury and ensuring better overall safety for patients. The digital incontinence monitoring, which can inform caregiver in real-time about the fill degree or status of the absorbent article of a care recipient respectively patient with urinary and / or fecal incontinence can support medical purpose and prevent incontinence related comorbid diseases such as skin irritations, skin infections, bed sores, urinary tract infections or reducing bacterial growth, dermatitis, eczema, and other damages, support medical use of the absorbent article (adult diaper as a medical device), support and optimize diaper changing intervals, avoid long periods of full diapers on a body reducing the risk of skin breakdown caused by prolonged contact with urine or stool and prevent leakages of a absorbent articles. The digital assistance system within the digital incontinence monitoring can be used in short-, mid- and long-term. The repositioning assistance for bed sores prevention, which can inform caregiver in real-time about the body and lying position of a care recipient respectively patient with a bed sores risk or existing bed sores to prevent bed sores by indicating the current and previous period of a specific body respectively lying position, can optimize repositioning intervals by caregiver to relieve pressure on certain areas of the body, and optimize wound healing (avoiding additional harm) as caregivers can ensure the parts of the body receive minimal pressure and friction. The digital assistance system within the repositioning assistance for bed sores prevention can be used in short-, mid- and long-term. The fall detection, which can inform caregiver in real-time whether a care recipient or patient has fallen, can prevent additional disease, injury, or illness, and react immediately as a caregiver. The digital assistance system within the fall detection can be used in short-, mid- and long-term. The zone management, which can inform caregiver in real-time whether a care recipient or patient has left a predefined safe zone (e.g., a ward or the building of a care home), can prevent additional disease, injury, illness or missing medical services (e.g., drug supply), react immediately as a caregiver, avoid searches of a care recipient or patient, and detect wandering, especially for care recipients or patients with dementia or cognitive impairments. The digital assistance system within the zone management can be used in short-, mid- and long-term.

[0041] According to another embodiment, the impedance and electrochemical sensing module comprises a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive and read analog signals provided from the other modules, external modules and / or external measuring means, and / or the motion and position sensing module comprises three orthogonal acceleration sensors (translation sensors) for detecting translational movement in x, y and z axes and three orthogonal angular rate sensors (gyroscopic sensors) for detecting rotational (circular) movements in the x, y and z axes. The digital-to-analog converter is an analog front-end, AFE, and is responsible for reading of the analog signals provided and to ultimately provide impedance measurement. This component is a one component solution for bio-impedance reading and providing all necessary signals to perform the measurement. In other words, the motion and position sensing module comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which is an electronic device that measures and reports an elements specific force, angular rate, and orientation of the element, using a combination of accelerometers and gyroscopes. The inertial measurement unit monitors the position and motion of a person wearing the absorbent article to which the circuit carrier is attached. The supply voltage of both sensing modules is the operating voltage. The external measuring means may be a moisture sensor strip comprising two interdigitated electrodes (IDE) printed with conductive materials-based ink on a polymer substrate suitable for measuring moisture. The external measuring means is to be understood as meaning that the external measuring means comprises at least the components that detect the measurement signal for the first time. This can be generally referred to as a measuring sensor, whereby no sensor is meant in the literal sense. In other words, it is to be understood here as the measuring means that detects the desired measurand by means of the underlying measuring method. In addition, the sensor may also include other components, such as those for processing the measurement signal.

[0042] According to another embodiment, the main controller and each of the modules except the impedance and electrochemical sensing module are configured to interact directly with each other via digital communication, preferably using an inter- integrated circuit, l2C, protocol.

[0043] According to another embodiment, the main controller and the impedance and electrochemical sensing module are configured to interact directly with each other via digital communication, preferably using an SPI protocol.

[0044] According to another embodiment, the main controller is configured to control the communication unit to transmit the obtained measurement signals and / or the determined output, e.g. real-time data, to the external device and / or the server. In this way, caregivers who use, for example, a correspondingly receiving external device can be informed of the results obtained and can take appropriate action.

[0045] According to another embodiment, the impedance and electrochemical sensing module is electrically connectable to external measuring means, preferably the moisture sensor strip. These external measuring means can then be suitable sensors that represent an input for the impedance and electrochemical sensing module.

[0046] According to another embodiment, the circuit carrier further comprises a set of conductive pads for electrically connecting to the external power source, external measuring means, the external device, for the serial data transmission, e.g. external serial communication, and / or being electrically connected to the impedance and electrochemical sensing module and / or to the main controller. This allows, for example, an external sensor to be connected via the pads in order to be the input for the impedance and electrochemical sensing module. Furthermore, the pads can be used to charge the battery module or transmit the measurement signals to other devices, just like the determined output. Updates can also be performed by the pads on the circuit carrier. Further, the pads can be used for detection of a connection to the absorbent article. In other words, the function of the pads is manifold, wherein they can be the input for the impedance and electrochemical sensing module, be part of a detection circuit for external measuring means and can be used for external serial communication.

[0047] According to another embodiment, the conductive pads are electrically connectable to pogo pins in a housing of the clip that are connectable to the external power source, the external measuring means embedded in the absorbent article and / or the external device. The number of the pogo pins preferably correspond to the number of conductive pads.

[0048] According to another embodiment, the number of conductive pads is equal to 4, wherein the set of pads comprises a first, second, third and fourth conductive pad, or is equal to 6, wherein the set of pads comprise a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth conductive pad. For example, precision impedance measurement using an external measuring means in form of a sensor strip comprising two electrodes usually needs four pads resulting in a number of six pads, wherein this is called a four-wire measurement or Kelvin measurement. The remaining two conductive pads are used for charging. The main goal for this is to reduce measuring errors for high accuracy. One problem in impedance measuring is that the wires where an impedance is measured also have their own impedance which interferes with the measurand. Here on each contact point two separate wires measures voltages directly on the unknown impedance. Knowing current and applied voltage with magnitude and phase shift lets derive the complex impedance (real part is related to Ohm resistance, imaginary part is related to electric capacitancy). An additional measuring of voltage on each pad of the unknown impedance can be used to remove the impedance properties of the wires. Basically, the pads for measurement can be reduced from two pairs of pads to just two pads resulting in 4 pads. Since one single pad does not contribute to impedance noticeably, it is sufficient to connect each pair of wires to a single pad. It is possible to use two pairs of pads that are connected to a sensor strip, wherein all four pads or alternatively only two pads are responsible for impedance measurement. At the same time, using only 2 pads for measurement and absorbent article detection is possible just by measuring impedance and comparing it with a threshold value. 2 of 6 or 2 of 4 pads can be used for charging and / or detecting if the circuit carrier is placed into a docking station, for example for charging when connected to the external power source or for serial data transmission, for example for debugging or flashing firmware.

[0049] According to another embodiment, the circuit carrier further comprises a set of conductive pads, with a first and a second conductive pad for impedance measurement, e. g. by electrically connection to the external measuring means, a third and a fourth conductive pad for charging, e. g. by electrically connection to the external power source, the first and a fifth conductive pad for detection of attachment of the absorbent article comprising external measuring means, e. g. by electrically connection to the main controller and to the impedance and electrochemical sensing module, and the fifth and a sixth conductive pad for the serial data transmission, e. g. by electrically connection to the external device, and / or additionally for impedance measurement using four-terminal sensing, e. g. by electrically connection to the external measuring means.

[0050] According to another embodiment, the circuit carrier further comprises a set of conductive pads, with a first and a second conductive pad for impedance measurement, e. g. by electrically connection to the external measuring means, for detection of attachment of the absorbent article comprising external measuring means, e. g. by electrically connection to the external measuring means, and for the serial data transmission, e. g. by electrically connection to the external device, and a third and a fourth conductive pad for charging, e. g. by electrically connection to the external power source.

[0051] According to another embodiment, the impedance and electrochemical sensing module is configured to inject a measurement current in a conductive line of the external measuring means through the first conductive pad and to detect a resulting current from the conductive line of the external measuring means through the second conductive pad, and / or to generate sinusoidal voltages with different frequencies, to apply them to one electrode, e. g. a driver electrode, of an electrically connected moisture sensor strip as external measuring means by means of the first conductive pad and to measure a resulting signal at another electrode, e. g. sensor electrode, of the moisture sensor strip by means of the second conductive pad. This measurement method is dielectric spectroscopy, which is preferably used as a suitable measurement method. Here, an observation of magnitude and phase shift between applied sinusoidal voltage and measured current is performed. This method allows the separation of conductive (real) and capacitive (imaginary) parts of the impedance, furthermore a 4-wire measurement as described above increases the accuracy of the impedance measurements. For each frequency step, the frequency-dependent capacitance is calculated from the voltage and current amplitude and the phase shift between them. This is equivalent to measuring the complex impedance and calculating the capacitance from the imaginary part. The real part is not used (ohmic resistance). The frequency-dependent capacitance is matched to a power law, and a value can be calculated from the matching coefficients, which is called the capacitance. The power law matching is also used for noise suppression. The described methods of measurement using the pads are carried out in the presence of an electrical connection between the corresponding pads and the external sensing means, in other words, when the circuit carrier, with or without a clip, is attached to the absorbent article, which in turn comprises the corresponding external measuring means, for example embedded.

[0052] According to another embodiment, the number of conductive pads is equal to 6 and the impedance and electrochemical sensing module is configured to measure a voltage through the fifth conductive pad and the sixth conductive pad respectively. This enables the four-wire measurement or Kelvin measurement described above.

[0053] According to another embodiment, the number of conductive pads is equal to 6 and the main controller is configured to detect an attachment of the absorbent article comprising external measuring means to the circuit carrier using an electrical connection of the external sensing means to the first conductive pad and the fifth conductive pad. The detection of the absorbent article comprising external measuring means works as follows: A first resistor is connected to an output of the main controller and the fifth pad and a second resistor is connected to another output of the main controller and the first pad. By pulling the output connected to the first resistor up (operating voltage) and the other output connected to the second resistor down (ground), when the sensor strip is connected, there will be a known resistance from fifth pad and first pad and current will flow through first resistor, the sensor strip and second resistor to ground, creating a voltage divider. The voltage at the node, where the first resistor, the fifth pad and a third resistor are connected, will fall below the operating voltage and it is compared with a fixed reference by an internal main controller comparator connected to the third resistor. If the voltage is below the fixed reference, the main controller is interrupted to start the impedance measurement related tasks. This method detects the absorbent article and also helps to prevent incorrect attachments. An interrupt is a feature of the main controller. In other words, the main controller is configured to interrupt, when a condition is fulfilled. A condition is preferably voltage change of a pad. When the condition is fulfilled, the main controller is configured to initiate or control a procedure that has priority. The procedure may be an impedance measurement for moisture measurement. This is intended to react to events that has to be handled fast. In other words, based on a voltage divider formed by the fifth pad and the first pad as well as by a first resistor connected to one output of the main controller and to the fifth pad, by external measuring means connected to the first pad and by a second resistor connected to another output of the main controller and to the first pad, the main controller is configured to detect an attachment of the absorbent article comprising external measuring means and when the attachment is detected to interrupt to control the impedance and electrochemical sensing module to obtain the first measurement signal for moisture and substance measurement.

[0054] According to another embodiment, the number of conductive pads is equal to 4 and the main controller is configured to control the serial data transmission, e. g. external serial communication, using the first conductive pad (and the second conductive pad, or the number of conductive pads is equal to 6 and the main controller is configured to control the serial data transmission, e. g. external serial communication, using the fifth conductive pad and the sixth conductive pad. The external communication will only work when there's no absorbent article attached, and it's meant to operate with the gateway of the communication unit. The protocol used is LIART.

[0055] According to another embodiment, the energy management module is configured to control the charging voltage provided from the external power source through the third conductive pad (5V) and the fourth conductive pad (GND) when connected to the external power source. In other words, the circuit carrier is connected to the external power source via two pads.

[0056] According to another embodiment, the charging voltage is 4.5 to 5.5 V. In other words, the voltage allowed in those pads is 4.5 to 5.5 V. This is a proper voltage for charging the battery module.

[0057] According to another embodiment, the pads are aligned horizontally, vertically and / or in matrix form. The position of the pads on the PCB is a requirement derived from the enclosure design and the dimensions of the external measuring means.

[0058] According to another embodiment, the conductive pads are protected against electrostatic discharge, ESD, using transient-voltage-suppression, TVS, diodes.

[0059] According to another embodiment, the energy management module is configured to provide a signal to the main controller to detect if the circuit carrier is electrically connected to the external power source or not.

[0060] According to another embodiment, the operating voltage of the circuit carrier is 3 V. This is an operating voltage as it is required for the AFE to operate, and all other peripherals and the main controller can operate at the same voltage, so it can be avoided to have multiple voltage domains. A second aspect of the disclosure refers to a clip for mounting on an absorbent article, the clip comprising the circuit carrier according to the invention, a housing, wherein the housing comprises a pivotable upper part, a pivotable lower part connected to the pivotable upper part at a folding edge and a middle part disposed between the pivotable upper part and the pivotable lower part, wherein the pivotable lower part and the middle part form a cavity in which the circuit carrier is accommodated, wherein the pivotable upper part and the pivotable lower part are pivotable around the folding edge between a closed and opened position of the housing, wherein the pivotable lower part comprises a sensor chamber for the gas sensing module and an opening covered with a semi-permeable membrane to seal against liquids and allow gases to pass through, pogo pins disposed in the middle part that are electrically connected to the circuit carrier and are electrically connectable to the external power source, external measuring means embedded in the absorbent article and / or the external device, and a gasket surrounding an inner volume of the housing and contacting the pivotable lower part and the middle part for sealing the cavity. A sensor chamber can provide a more stable and controlled environment. Because of thermodynamics, gases will mix by Brownian motion. If the gas sensing module itself is placed in just a small volume, gases will mix faster than using the whole unseparated volume of the clip. This will lead to a faster sensing module response, a faster recovery time and higher precision. Bu using the semi-permeable membrane, the clip has a water protection function, preferably the category IP65, while still allowing external gases to interact with the gas sensing module while having an intact housing, protecting against humidity, dust and contamination. The semipermeable membrane between the sensor chamber and the outer volume can support gas exchange between inner and outer volume while protecting against humidity, dust and contamination. Possible materials for the membrane are PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), which is hydrophobic and chemically stable, ePTFE (expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene), which is a variant of PTFE with a microporous structure, and microporous polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF).

[0061] According to one embodiment, the pogo pins are electrically connected to the set of conductive pads of the circuit carrier.

[0062] According to another embodiment, the sensor chamber comprises an inward extrusion in the housing. The inward extrusion is preferably a protrusion extending from the housing toward the gas sensing module and is preferably part of or connected to the opening of the housing to form a supply channel for improved gas supply to the gas sensing module. The extrusion is preferably rectangular and has four sides extending from the housing toward the gas sensing module. According to another embodiment, the opening is arranged opposite the sensor chamber and facing the gas sensing module.

[0063] According to another embodiment, the inward extrusion contacts the circuit carrier and forms a closed measuring volume surrounding the gas sensing module that connects the opening covered by the semi-permeable membrane and the gas sensing module in a fluid-conducting manner (and which is isolated from the rest of the cavity of the clip or housing).

[0064] According to another embodiment, the clip further comprises a light source and the gasket comprises an elastic optical waveguide, wherein the light source is configured to couple light into the optical waveguide.

[0065] According to another embodiment, the main controller is configured to control an operation of the light source to provide light with different colors and wherein the color of the provided light depends on an electrical connection state between the circuit carrier and the external power source, the external device and / or the absorbent article comprising external measuring means. In addition to its sealing function, the gasket also fulfills a display function and makes operation easier. For example, a user can use the different colors of the light to see whether the clip is properly connected to the absorbent article, the external power source and / or external sensing means.

[0066] According to another embodiment, the gasket is arranged on an edge of the upper part or the lower part.

[0067] Reference is now made to the following figures, in order to describe preferred embodiments of the invention in more detail.

[0068] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a circuit carrier according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0069] Figure 2 illustrates a semi-schematic block diagram of a circuit carrier according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0070] Figure 3A illustrates a top-view of a circuit carrier according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0071] Figure 3B illustrates a bottom-view of the circuit carrier from Fig. 3A; Figure 4 illustrates an explosive-view of a clip according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0072] Figure 5A illustrates a cross-section of a section of external measuring means;

[0073] Figure 5B illustrates a top-view of a section of the external measuring means Fig. 5A;

[0074] Figure 6A illustrates an absorbent article with a mounted clip according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0075] Figure 6B illustrates the absorbent article from Fig. 6A with the clip placed outside a pocket space;

[0076] Figure 7 illustrates a circuit of a circuit carrier according to an embodiment of the invention for detection of an absorbent article comprising external measuring means;

[0077] Figure 8 illustrates a set of conductive pads of a circuit carrier according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0078] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings. Effects and features of the exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Therein, like reference numerals denote like elements, and redundant descriptions are omitted. The present invention, however, may be embodied in various different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to only the illustrated embodiments herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided solely as examples for fully conveying the aspects and features of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0079] Fig. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a circuit carrier 2 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The circuit carrier, PCB, 2 for a clip 1 for mounting on an absorbent article 4 comprises an impedance and electrochemical sensing module 21 configured to obtain a first measurement signal for moisture and substance measurement and a gas sensing module 22 configured to obtain a second measurement signal for substance measurement. The circuit carrier comprises a motion and position sensing module 23 configured to obtain a third measurement signal for movement detection and positioning detection, a temperature sensing module 24 configured to obtain a fourth measurement signal for battery management and moisture and substance measurement and an optional pressure sensing module 25 configured to obtain a fifth measurement signal for fall detection, bed sore detection, pressure ulcer detection. The circuit carrier 2 comprises an optional battery module 26 configured to provide power for operation and an optional battery management module 27 configured to connect the circuit carrier 2 to the battery module 26, implement a second layer of protection to the battery module 26, gather battery module information and manage the charging and discharging of the battery module 26 and distribute, or in other words provide, the power for operation with an operating voltage. The circuit carrier 2 comprises an optional energy management module 28 configured to interact with charging voltage provided from an external power source (not shown) for charging of the battery module 26 and implement a first layer of protection to the circuit carrier 2 while charging of the battery module 26 on a gateway of the external power source. Furthermore, the circuit carrier 2 comprises a main controller 29 configured to control an operation of the modules 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25 for obtaining the measurement signals, to sample and process the obtained measurement signals from the sensing modules 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25 and determine an output based on the sampled measurement signals, wherein the main controller 29 comprises a communication unit (not shown) configured to exchange the measurement signals and / or the determined output with an external device and / or a server using an radio-frequency, RF, module, a gateway and a wireless personal area network transmission, WPAN, protocol, and / or using serial data transmission and an universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter, LIART. Data communication is indicated by the arrows between the blocks.

[0080] The gas sensing module 22, the motion and position sensing module 23, the temperature sensing module 24 and the pressure sensing module 25 are illustrated as one component, but the invention is not limited thereto. These modules can also be available as separate components.

[0081] The main controller 29 is configured to sample and process the data from the sensing modules 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25 and to communicate with a gateway using the IEEE 802.15 protocol. The Implementation of the RF interface is accomplished by using a chip antenna (not shown). A supply voltage corresponds to the operating voltage. The main controller interacts with all other modules.

[0082] The energy management module 28 is responsible for interacting with a charging voltage from the external power source and to protect the whole circuit carrier 2 while the circuit carrier 2 is charging on the gateway of the external power source. The circuit carrier 2 is connected to the charger via two conductive pads and two pogo pins (see Figs. 3A and 4). The voltage allowed in those pins is 4.5 to 5.5 V. This is suited voltage for charging the battery module 26 which is used in this system. The energy management module 28 also contains a voltage monitor in order to reset the device when it is attached to the gateway if necessary. The energy management module 28 also provides a signal to the main controller 29 to detect if the circuit carrier is attached to the external power source or not.

[0083] The battery management module 27 is responsible for connecting the circuit carrier 2 and its remaining components to the battery module 26, implementing a second layer of protection to the battery module, gathering battery information (voltage, current, temperature, SOC), managing the charging and discharging of the battery module 26 and providing operating voltage. The battery management module 27 contains a fuel gauge which is responsible for implementing the second layer of protection and reading battery module properties. The battery management module 27 contains a battery module charger which controls the battery charging when the device is attached to the charger. The battery management module 27 integrates a digitally controlled, LDO, (low dropout) regulator that is used to provide operating voltage. 3V is selected as system voltage as it is required for the impedance and electrochemical sensing module 21 to operate, and all other peripherals and the main controller 29 can operate at the same voltage. This LDO is capable of delivering 150 mA of current which is comfortably above the current requirements of the whole system, and it integrates overcurrent protection with disabling feature. The battery management module 27 interacts with the main controller 29 through digital communication (l2C protocol).

[0084] External measuring means 43 are indicated which are connect to conductive pads of the circuit carrier which in turn are in contact with pogo pins in a housing of a clip that ultimately make contact with the external measuring means 43 embedded in an absorbent article 4. The function of the pads in combination with the external measuring means 43 are described below.

[0085] The impedance and electrochemical sensing module 21 is responsible for reading of analog signals provided through the pogo pins and the pads (described below), to ultimately provide impedance measurement. This component is a one component solution for bio-impedance reading, providing all necessary signals to perform the measurement. Supply voltage is the operating voltage. The impedance and electrochemical sensing module 21 interacts directly with the main controller 29 through digital communication (SPI protocol) and with the external measuring means 53 receiving the analog signals from external measuring means 53 attached to the clip. The sensing modules 22, 23, 24, 25 contain the environmental sensors of the circuit carrier. The sensing modules 22, 23, 24, 25 interact with the main controller 29 through digital communication (I2C protocol) and operate at operating voltage.

[0086] The circuit carrier may comprise an LED and an LED driver that is responsible to control the LED used for user interface.

[0087] Fig. 2 shows a semi-schematic block diagram of a circuit carrier 2 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Components that are identical to those in Fig. 1 are not described again, so that the description of these components follows from the description of Fig. 1 .

[0088] According to this embodiment, the optional battery management module 27 comprises several separate units. The battery management module 27 comprises a low dropout regulator 271 , a battery module charger 272, a fuel gauge 273 and a voltage regulator 274. The optional energy management module 28 comprises two current limiters 281 and a voltage monitor 282. The voltage provided by the external power source is 5V, which is used to charge the battery module 26. The low dropout regulator 271 limits the voltage of the external power source at 5V and the voltage of the battery module 26 at 3.7V to the operating voltage of 3V. The sensing modules 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25 are also designed separately in the present case. A memory 30 of the circuit carrier is also shown here, which can also be used in the first embodiment. Furthermore, power supply of the various components is shown by the wide arrows, indicating the corresponding (operating) voltages. Data communication between the components is also shown by the thin arrows.

[0089] Figure 3A shows a top-view of a circuit carrier 2 according to an embodiment of the invention and figure 3B shows a bottom-view of the circuit carrier from Fig. 3A. Components that are identical to those in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are not described again, so that the description of these components follows from the description of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The circuit carrier 2 comprises a set of conductive pads 31 to 36 for electrically connecting to the external power source, external measuring means, the external device, for the serial data transmission, e.g. external serial communication, and / or being electrically connected to the impedance and electrochemical sensing module 21 and / or to the main controller 29. The set of conductive pads comprises a first conductive pad 31 , a second conductive pad 32, a third conductive pad 33, a fourth conductive pad 34, a fifth conductive pad 35 and a sixth conductive pad 36. The pads are arranged in two rows, one above the other, with 4 pads in the top row and 2 pads in the bottom row. The main controller 29 is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier 2 in a central region in a first direction, e. g. X-axis, and close to a lower edge of the circuit carrier, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction. The energy management module 28 is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier 2 in an edge region in a first direction, e. g. X-axis, and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction. The shown elements 271 , 272, 273 of the battery management module 27 are disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier 2 in an edge region in a first direction, e. g. X-axis, and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier 2, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction A battery input connector 275 of the battery management module 27 is disposed on a bottom side of the circuit carrier 2 opposite to the elements 271 , 272, 273 of the battery management module 27 in an edge region in a first direction, e. g. X- axis, and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier 2, e. g. in an end region in a second direction, e. g. Y-axis, perpendicular to the first direction. The impedance and electrochemical sensing module 21 is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier 2 in a central area. The arrangement of the main controller 29 enables an optimized layout and routing as well as to observe best practices of RF design. The arrangement of the energy management module 28 is preferably adjacent to a positive terminal of a charging pad 33 (third pad 33). The arrangement of the battery management module 27 and its elements is in order to stay closer to the battery input connector 275. The arrangement of the impedance and electrochemical sensing module 21 is in order to be as close as possible to the pads 31 to 36 to minimize noise in analog signals.

[0090] Multiple cut-outs 18 are provided or formed in the circuit carrier 2 and arranged along the upper edge, e. g. arranged in the first direction, e. g. X-axis, separated by sections of circuit carrier material, wherein the cut-outs 18 partially surround the gas sensing module 22 such that unwanted heat transfer to surrounding areas is reduced. The cut-outs 18 have a U-shaped profile extending inward from the upper edge of the circuit carrier 2, forming a cavity that provides clearance for adjacent components of the circuit carrier 2. The gas sensing module 22 is located on the circuit carrier 2 such that, in plan view, the gas sensing module 22 overlaps with a lateral extent of the cut-outs 18 along a direction parallel to the upper edge, e. g. the first direction, e. g. X-axis. The gas sensing module 22 is arranged on the sections that separate the cut-outs 18 from each other. The cut-outs 18 have a depth, measured in the direction perpendicular to the upper edge, e. g. the second direction, e. g. Y-axis, that is greater than the projection of the gas sensing module 22 in that direction or in other words than the length of the gas sensing module 22 measured in that direction, such that the gas sensing module 22 is fully located within the depth of the cut-outs 18.

[0091] Fig. 4 shows an explosive-view of a clip 1 for mounting on an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the invention. The clip 1 comprises a circuit carrier 2 according to the invention and a housing 11 , wherein the housing 11 comprises a pivotable upper part 111 , a pivotable lower part 112 connected to the pivotable upper part 111 at a folding edge 113 and a middle part 114 disposed between the upper part 111 and the lower part 112, wherein the pivotable lower part 112 and the middle part 114 form a cavity 115 in which the circuit carrier 2 and the battery module 26 are accommodated. The pivotable upper part 111 and the pivotable lower part 112 are pivotable around the folding edge 113 between a closed and opened position of the housing 11 , wherein the pivotable lower part 112 comprises a sensor chamber 116 for the gas sensing module 22, wherein a semi-permeable membrane 12 is disposed between the sensor chamber 116 and an external volume of the housing 11. The clip 1 further comprises pogo pins 13 disposed in the middle part 114 that are electrically connected to the circuit carrier 2 and are electrically connectable to the external power source, external measuring means embedded in the absorbent article and / or the external device. The clip 1 comprises a gasket 14 surrounding an inner volume of the housing 11 and contacting the pivotable lower part 112 and the middle part 114 for sealing the cavity 115. The sensor chamber 116 comprises an inward extrusion 19 in the housing 11. The housing 11 has an opening covered with the semi-permeable membrane 12 to seal against liquids and allow gases to pass through. The opening is arranged opposite the sensor chamber 116 and facing the gas sensing module 22. The clip 1 further comprises a light source 15, for example an LED 15, with a flexible PCB and the gasket 14 comprises an elastic optical waveguide 14, wherein the light source 15 is configured to couple light into the elastic optical waveguide 14. The light source 15 is configured to provide light with different colors and the color of the provided light depends on an electrical connection state between the circuit carrier 2 and the external power source, the external device and / or the absorbent article comprising external measuring means. The gasket is arranged on an edge of the upper part or the lower part 112. A serial number sticker 17 can be provided for information about the clip, for example on combination with a QR-code. An NFC antenna 16 is provided on the pivotable lower part 112.

[0092] The inward extrusion 19 protrudes toward the gas sensing module 22 and is part of the opening of the housing to form a supply channel for improved gas supply to the gas sensing module. The extrusion 19 is rectangular and has four sides extending from the housing toward the gas sensing module 22. The inward extrusion 19 contacts the circuit carrier and forms a closed measuring volume surrounding the gas sensing module 22 that connects the opening covered by the semi-permeable membrane 12 and the gas sensing module 22 in a fluid-conducting manner.

[0093] Figure 5A shows a cross-section of a section of external measuring means 43 and Figure 5B shows a top-view of a section of the external measuring means 43 of Fig. 5A. Here, the external measuring means 43 is a moisture sensor strip comprising two interdigitated electrodes (IDE) 432 printed with conductive materials-based ink on a polymer substrate 431 suitable for measuring moisture.

[0094] Figure 6A shows an absorbent article 4 with a mounted clip 1 according to an embodiment of the invention and Figure 6B shows the absorbent article 4 from Fig. 6A with the clip placed outside a pocket space 42. Components that are identical to those in Fig. 1 , Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 are not described again, so that the description of these components follows from the description of Fig. 1 , Fig. 2 and Fig. 4. Fig. 6A illustrates a partial section view of the absorbent article 4. A strip comprises the moisture sensor strip 43 with two interdigitated electrodes printed with conductive materials-based ink on a PET substrate and a cover layer 41 and is attached to the absorbent article forming a pocket 42 for the clip 1 . The pocket 42 is accessible via an access opening. Also shown is the clip 1 comprising the not shown circuit carrier 2. The lower pivotable part 111 and the middle part 114 are inserted in the pocket 42 and the upper pivotable part 111 can be closed for attaching the clip 1 to the absorbent article 4. The clip 1 is aligned with the moisture sensor strip 43 such that the not shown contact pads of the moisture sensor strip 43 and pogo pins 13 of the clip 1 are conductively connected to each other. The conductive pads 31 to 36 are electrically connected to the pogo pins 13 and consequently also to the moisture sensor strip 43.

[0095] Figure 7 shows circuit of a circuit carrier according to an embodiment of the invention for detection of an absorbent article 4 comprising external measuring means 43. The external measuring means 43 may be the moisture sensor strip 43. When the number of conductive pads is equal to 6 the main controller 29 is configured to detect an attachment of the absorbent article 4 comprising the external measuring means 43 to the circuit carrier 2 using an electrical connection of the external sensing means 43 to the first conductive pad 31 and the fifth conductive pad 35. The detection of the absorbent article 4 comprising external measuring means 43 works as follows: A first resistor R1 is connected to an output 01 of the main controller 29 and the fifth pad 35. A second resistor R2 is connected to another output 02 of the main controller 29 and the first pad 31. By pulling the output 01 connected to the first resistor R1 up (operating voltage) and the other output 02 connected to the second resistor R2 down (ground), when the sensor strip 43 is connected, there will be a known resistance from fifth pad 35 and first pad 31 and current will flow through first resistor R1 , the sensor strip 43 and second resistor R2 to ground, creating a voltage divider. The voltage at the node, where the first resistor R1 , the fifth pad 35 and a third resistor R3 are connected, will fall below the operating voltage and it is compared with a fixed reference by an internal main controller comparator C connected to the third resistor R3. If the voltage is below the fixed reference, the main controller 29 is interrupted to start the impedance measurement related tasks. This method detects the absorbent article 4 and also helps to prevent incorrect attachments.

[0096] Figure 8 shows a set of conductive pads of a circuit carrier according to an embodiment of the invention. The set of conductive pads comprises a first conductive pad 31 , a second conductive pad 32, a third conductive pad 33, a fourth conductive pad 34, a fifth conductive pad 35 and a sixth conductive pad 36. As described above, the first and fifth conductive pads 31 , 35 can be used for absorbent article detection. Actual impedance measurement can be made using the first and second pads 31 , 32. The fifth and sixth pads 35, 36 can be used as means of external communication interface (used to communicate with gateway when attached to it). In other words, the first pad 31 is shared for detection and measurement. The fifth pad 35 is shared for detection and wired communication with gateway, as communication and detection can not happen simultaneously. The thirds and fourth pads 33, 34 can refer to 5V and GND, and are the inputs for the battery module charger 275.

[0097] Reference List

[0098] 1 clip

[0099] 11 housing

[0100] 111 pivotable upper part

[0101] 112 pivotable lower part

[0102] 113 folding edge

[0103] 114 middle part

[0104] 115 cavity

[0105] 116 sensor chamber

[0106] 12 semi-permeable membrane

[0107] 13 pogo pins

[0108] 14 gasket, optical waveguide

[0109] 15 light source, LED

[0110] 16 NFC antenna

[0111] 17 serial number sticker

[0112] 18 cut-out

[0113] 19 extrusion

[0114] 2 circuit carrier

[0115] 21 impedance and electrochemical sensing module

[0116] 22 gas sensing module

[0117] 23 motion and position sensing module

[0118] 24 temperature sensing module

[0119] 25 pressure sensing module

[0120] 26 battery module

[0121] 27 battery management module

[0122] 271 low dropout regulator

[0123] 272 battery module charger

[0124] 273 fuel gauge

[0125] 274 voltage regulator

[0126] 275 battery input connector

[0127] 28 energy management module

[0128] 281 current limiter

[0129] 282 voltage monitor

[0130] 29 main controller

[0131] 30 memory

[0132] 31 first conductive pad

[0133] 32 second conductive pad 33 third conductive pad

[0134] 34 fourth conductive pad

[0135] 35 fifth conductive pad

[0136] 36 sixth conductive pad

[0137] 4 absorbent article

[0138] 41 cover layer

[0139] 42 pocket

[0140] 43 external measuring means, moisture sensor strip

[0141] 431 PET substrate

[0142] 432 IDE

[0143] 01, 02 outputs of the main controller

[0144] R1, R2, R3 first, second and third resistor

[0145] C comparator

Claims

Claims1. Circuit carrier (2), PCB, for a clip (1) for mounting on an absorbent article (4), the circuit carrier (2) comprising: an impedance and electrochemical sensing module (21) configured to obtain a first measurement signal for moisture and substance measurement, a gas sensing module (22) configured to obtain a second measurement signal for substance measurement, a motion and position sensing module (23) configured to obtain a third measurement signal for movement detection and positioning detection, a temperature sensing module (24) configured to obtain a fourth measurement signal for moisture and substance measurement, and a main controller (29) configured to control an operation of the sensing modules (21 , 22, 23, 24) for obtaining the measurement signals, to sample and process the obtained measurement signals from the sensing modules (21 , 22, 23, 24) and determine an output based on the sampled measurement signals, wherein the main controller (29) comprises a communication unit configured to exchange the measurement signals and / or the determined output with an external device and / or a server using an radio-frequency, RF, module, a gateway and a wireless personal area network transmission, WPAN, protocol, and / or using serial data transmission.

2. Circuit carrier (2) according to claim 1 , the circuit carrier (2) further comprising: a battery module (26) configured to provide power for operation of the circuit carrier (2), a battery management module (27) configured to connect the circuit carrier (2) to the battery module (26), implement a second layer of protection to the battery module (26), gather battery module information and manage the charging and discharging of the battery module (26) and distribute the power for operation with an operating voltage, an energy management module (28) configured to interact with charging voltage provided from an external power source for charging of the battery module (26) and implement a first layer of protection to the circuit carrier (2) while charging of the battery module (26) on a gateway of the external power source.

3. The circuit carrier (2) according to claim 2, whereinthe main controller (29) is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier (2) in a central region in a first direction and close to a lower edge of the circuit carrier (2), the energy management module (28) is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier (2) in an edge region in a first direction and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier (2), the battery management module (27) is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier (2) in an edge region in a first direction and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier (2), a battery input connector (275) of the battery management module (27) is disposed on a bottom side of the circuit carrier (2) opposite to the battery management module (27) in an edge region in a first direction and close to an upper edge of the circuit carrier (2), and / or the impedance and electrochemical sensing module (21) is disposed on a top side of the circuit carrier (2) in a central area.

4. Circuit carrier (2) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the energy management module (28) comprises a voltage monitor (282) configured to reset the device when it is attached to the gateway of the external power source.

5. Circuit carrier (2) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the battery management module (27) comprises a fuel gauge (273) for implementing the second layer of protection and reading battery module (26) properties, a battery module charger (272) configured to charge the battery module (26) when the device is connected to the external power source, and / or a voltage regulator (274) to provide the operating voltage, wherein the voltage regulator (274) comprises a digitally controlled low dropout regulator (271), LDO.

6. Circuit carrier (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main controller (29) is further configured to determine real-time and / or intermediate moisture fill level information of the absorbent article (4) as output based on the first measurement signal received from the impedance and electrochemical sensing module (21), andpreferably to determine a need for changing the absorbent article (4) as output based on the determined real-time and / or intermediate moisture fill level information of the absorbent article (4).

7. Circuit carrier (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main controller (29) is further configured to determine substances in the absorbent article (4) as output based on the second measurement signal received from the gas sensing module (22), and preferably to determine a need for changing the absorbent article (4) as output based on the determined substances in the absorbent article (4).

8. Circuit carrier (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main controller (29) is further configured to determine a position, motion and a corresponding time of the absorbent article (4) as output based on the third measurement signal received from the motion and position sensing module (23), and preferably to determine based on the determined position, motion and corresponding time a need for reposition of a person wearing the absorbent article (4) as output, a fall event of a person wearing the absorbent article (4) as output or a leaving of a person wearing the absorbent article (4) a predefined safe zone as output.

9. Circuit carrier (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, the circuit carrier (2) further comprising a set of conductive pads (31 , 32, 33, 34, 35, 36), with a first and a second conductive pad for impedance measurement, a third and a fourth conductive pad for charging, the first and a fifth conductive pad for detection of attachment of the absorbent article (4) comprising external measuring means (43), and the fifth and a sixth conductive pad for the serial data transmission and / or additionally for impedance measurement using four-terminal sensing.

10. Circuit carrier (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the circuit carrier (2) further comprising a set of conductive pads (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36), with a first and a second conductive pad for impedance measurement, for detection of attachment of the absorbent article (4) comprising external measuring means (43) and for the serial data transmission, and a third and a fourth conductive pad for charging.

11. Circuit carrier (2) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the impedance and electrochemical sensing module (21) is configured toinject a measurement current in a conductive line (432) of the external measuring means (43) through the first conductive pad (31) and to detect a resulting current from the conductive line (432) of the external measuring means (43) through the second conductive pad (32), and / or generate sinusoidal voltages with different frequencies, to apply them to one electrode of an electrically connected moisture sensor strip (43) by means of the first conductive pad (31) and to measure a resulting signal at another electrode of the moisture sensor strip by means of the second conductive pad (32).

12. A clip (1) for mounting on an absorbent article (4), the clip (1) comprising: the circuit carrier (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, a housing (11), wherein the housing (11) comprises a pivotable upper part (111), a pivotable lower part (112) connected to the pivotable upper part (111) at a folding edge (113) and a middle part (114) disposed between the pivotable upper part (111) and the pivotable lower part (112), wherein the pivotable lower part (112) and the middle part (114) form a cavity (115) in which the circuit carrier (2) is accommodated, wherein the pivotable upper part (111) and the pivotable lower part (112) are pivotable around the folding edge (113) between a closed and opened position of the housing (11), wherein the pivotable lower part (112) comprises a sensor chamber (116) for the gas sensing module (22) and an opening covered with a semi-permeable membrane (12) to seal against liquids and allow gases to pass through, pogo pins (13) disposed in the middle part (114) that are electrically connected to the circuit carrier (2) and are electrically connectable to an external power source, external measuring means (43) embedded in the absorbent article (4) and / or the external device, and a gasket (14) surrounding an inner volume of the housing (11) and contacting the pivotable lower part (112) and the middle part (114) for sealing the cavity (115).

13. The clip (1) according to claim 12, wherein the sensor chamber (116) comprises an inward extrusion (19) in the housing (11).

14. The clip (1) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the opening is arranged opposite the sensor chamber (116) and facing the gas sensing module (22).

15. The clip (1) according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the clip (1) further comprises a light source (15) and the gasket (14) comprises an elastic opticalwaveguide (14), wherein the light source (15) is configured to couple light into the elastic optical waveguide (14).

16. The clip (1) according to claim 15, wherein the main controller (29) is configured to control an operation of the light source (15) to provide light with different colors and wherein the color of the provided light depends on an electrical connection state between the circuit carrier (2) and an external power source, the external device and / or the absorbent article (4) comprising external measuring means (43).

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