Body Water Meter Waterproof Slide Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing device for measuring water in a subject's body is prone to failure due to liquid and dust ingress through gaps between the sensor unit and the insertion part, leading to potential infections and inaccurate readings.
Innovation Solution
A device with a protective member that liquid-tightly covers the slide mechanism between the tip and base end insertion parts, ensuring a waterproof and antifouling surface for the sensor unit, preventing liquid and dust entry while maintaining consistent contact with the skin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor unit is made slidable on the insertion part to ensure close contact with skin, then measurement reliability is improved, but liquid and dust can enter through the gap causing device failure
Solution Approach 1:
A protective cover made of flexible material is provided that can elastically deform to accommodate the sliding motion of the sensor unit while maintaining a liquid-tight seal. The flexible cover closes the gap between the sensor unit and insertion part, preventing liquid and dust ingress while allowing the sensor unit to maintain close contact with the skin during measurement.
2Measurement precision
If the sensor unit slides to maintain constant pressing force, then measurement precision is improved, but the device becomes vulnerable to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible protective cover allows the sensor unit to slide smoothly while maintaining a continuous sealed barrier. This enables the sensor to achieve consistent skin contact for accurate water content measurement while the cover prevents contamination that would cause device failure.
3Ease of operation
If a gap is left between sensor unit and insertion part for sliding motion, then ease of operation is improved, but antifouling properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible protective cover eliminates the need for a permanent gap while still allowing sliding motion. The cover deforms elastically to accommodate the sensor unit's movement, providing a smooth sliding surface while maintaining a continuous barrier against dust and liquid entry.
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
The solution enhances the waterproof and antifouling properties of the device, preventing contamination and ensuring accurate water measurement by maintaining a constant pressing force and easy cleaning, thus reducing the risk of device failure and infection.
Implementation Method 1
measures the capacitance between the electrodes while applying the sensor unit to the armpit to calculate the amount of water in the subject's body
Implementation Method 2
a protective member liquid-tightly covering the slide mechanism between the tip side insertion part and the base end side insertion part
Data Source
AI summary
An object is to improve the waterproof and antifouling properties of a device for measuring the amount of water in a subject's body. A device (100) for measuring the amount of water in a subject's body according to the present invention includes a main body part (110) formed in a linear shape and an insertion part (120) extending in a curved shape from one end of the main body part (100). The insertion part (120) includes a tip side insertion part (120-2) having a tip surface (122) to which a sensor unit (121) is fixed, wherein the sensor unit (121) is brought into contact with a body surface of a subject to measure data regarding water in a subject's body, a base end insertion part (120-1) supporting the tip side insertion part (120-2) through a slide mechanism, wherein the slide mechanism allows the tip side insertion part (120-2) to slide in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tip surface (122), and a protective member (651) liquid-tightly covering the slide mechanism between the tip side insertion part (120-2) and the base end side insertion part (120-1), wherein the protective member (651) smoothly connects the outer peripheral surface of the tip side insertion part (120-2) and the outer peripheral surface of the base end side insertion part (120-1) to each other .