Inflatable Bladder Pressure Sensor for Vital Signs Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring vital signs, such as heart and breathing rates, are often expensive and cumbersome, making them unsuitable for home or non-medical settings, and existing pressure sensing devices are not efficiently integrated with inflatable bladders for comfort and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable bladder with a hermetically sealed housing containing a pressure sensor and a printed circuit board, where the sensor detects pressure changes caused by a subject's force, allowing for the monitoring of vital signs without the need for expensive equipment, and is integrated into existing inflatable mattress manufacturing processes with minimal modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If expensive equipment like EKG or BCG is used to monitor vital signs, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex medical equipment (EKG electrodes, BCG force-measuring platforms) with a simple pressure sensor integrated into an inflatable bladder. The pressure sensor detects mechanical pressure changes caused by heartbeat and respiration, converting these mechanical signals into electrical signals for vital signs monitoring. This substitution maintains measurement capability while dramatically reducing device complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential monitoring function from complex medical equipment and isolates it into a simple pressure sensing element within the inflatable bladder. By taking out only the necessary pressure detection capability and removing unnecessary complexity of EKG or BCG systems, the invention achieves vital signs monitoring with minimal device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If EKG electrodes are attached to user's body, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical attachment of EKG electrodes to the user's body with a passive inflatable bladder that the user simply lies on. The pressure sensor within the bladder detects physiological signals through contactless pressure measurement, eliminating the need for skin contact and electrode attachment while maintaining heart rate detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable bladder acts as an intermediary between the user and the pressure sensor. Instead of directly attaching sensors to the user's body, the bladder mediates the contact by transmitting pressure changes from the user's body to the pressure sensor through the fluid-filled cavity, thereby improving ease of operation while preserving measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If BCG uses large force-measuring platforms, then measurement precision is improved, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the large, heavy BCG force-measuring platform with a lightweight pressure sensor integrated into an inflatable bladder. The pressure sensor detects respiration-induced pressure changes without requiring the massive mechanical structure of traditional BCG systems, thereby achieving the same measurement precision with dramatically reduced weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible inflatable bladder with a thin pressure sensing element instead of a rigid, heavy force-measuring platform. The flexible bladder conformally contacts the user's body, distributing the sensing area and enabling accurate respiration detection while keeping the device lightweight and portable.
4Measurement precision
If piezoelectric films or sensor arrays are used, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pressure sensing function with the existing inflatable bladder structure. Instead of using separate piezoelectric films or sensor arrays that require complex integration, the pressure sensor is incorporated directly into the bladder's seam or housing, combining the structural and sensing functions into a single integrated component that is easier and less costly to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable bladder serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for comfort, contains the fluid medium for pressure transmission, and houses the pressure sensor for vital signs detection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sensing components like piezoelectric films, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining measurement precision.
5Reliability
If pressure sensor is hermetically sealed in housing welded to bladder seam, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensor is pre-assembled into a hermetically sealed housing with the printed circuit board before integration into the bladder. This preliminary assembly ensures proper sealing and electrical connections are established in advance, allowing for reliable integration into the bladder seam through welding without requiring complex on-site assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The hermetically sealed housing acts as an intermediary protective structure between the pressure sensor and the bladder environment. The housing provides mechanical protection and hermetic sealing while being integrated into the bladder seam through welding, thereby ensuring sensor reliability without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables cost-effective and comfortable monitoring of vital signs by using an inflatable bladder with a pressure sensor, providing accurate data on heart rate, respiration, and presence, while being easily integrated into existing mattress manufacturing without significant tooling changes, thus addressing the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure sensor is operable to detect a pressure change within the cavity due to a force exerted by a subject on the inflatable bladder
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
Pressure sensing devices for use with an inflatable bladder and monitoring apparatus for an at rest subject are disclosed herein. The device can comprise a housing comprising a recess and configured to be welded in a seam of the inflatable bladder. A pressure sensor can be located within the recess with a sensing side configured to be exposed to the cavity of the inflatable bladder and a reference side configured to be exposed to ambient air. A printed circuit board can be located within the recess and coupled to the pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is operable to detect a pressure change within the cavity due to a force exerted by a subject on the inflatable bladder.