Wearable Cavity Temperature Sensor for Continuous Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermometers are bulky and uncomfortable, making it difficult to continuously or periodically monitor body temperature during daily activities or sleep, which is essential for tracking physiological states like fever, stress, and fertility.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device with a miniaturized temperature sensor and transmitter, designed to be inserted into an artificially created body tissue cavity, such as an earring piercing, to measure created cavity temperature (CCT) continuously or periodically, using wireless communication for data tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wearable thermometer is designed to be small and comfortable for continuous wear, then ease of operation and duration of action are improved, but measurement precision may deteriorate due to limited sensor capabilities in miniaturized devices
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: a miniaturized temperature sensor for core temperature measurement, a separate transmitter unit for wireless data communication, and a power source. This segmentation allows the sensing element to be small and wearable while maintaining measurement precision, as the sensor can be optimized independently from the communication and power management systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensor is nested within or integrated with the transmitter unit, forming a compact hierarchical structure. The sensor element is positioned within the housing that contains the transmitter electronics, creating a nested arrangement that minimizes overall device size while preserving the sensor's measurement capabilities through proper thermal isolation and positioning.
2Device complexity
If manual temperature measuring is used in at-home products, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and duration of action deteriorate due to inability to provide continuous monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates automatic temperature measurement and wireless transmission capabilities, eliminating the need for manual operation. The sensor continuously measures temperature and the transmitter automatically sends data to external devices, providing uninterrupted monitoring without requiring user intervention. This self-service mechanism maintains relatively simple device structure while achieving continuous monitoring productivity.
3Measurement precision
If a bulky sensor design is used to ensure accurate temperature measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to size and discomfort preventing wear during daily activities
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from traditional bulky three-dimensional thermometer designs to a miniaturized planar or flattened configuration. By reducing the device in one dimension (making it thin and flat), it can be comfortably worn against the body while incorporating precise temperature sensors that maintain measurement accuracy through direct thermal contact with the skin or body surface.
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 device provides accurate, continuous temperature monitoring, allowing for reliable tracking of fertility trends, fever detection, and stress monitoring, enhancing the Quantified Self movement and reducing medical costs by providing a convenient at-home solution.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor operates periodically or constantly through a specific time interval and reads temperature periodically or constantly
Data Source
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AI summary
With the Quantified Self movement becoming prevalent, more people are looking to incorporate technology to acquire data regarding aspects of a person's daily life in terms of inputs (e.g. food consumed, quality of surrounding air), states (e.g. blood oxygen levels, body temperature), and/or performance. This self-monitoring concept combines wearable sensors with computing devices to produce an output to improve daily functioning. Disclosed is a device that senses and measures the created cavity temperature (CCT) within an artificial cavity in the wearer's body. This current device provides a wearable thermometer that measures temperature for a convenient, comfortable method of continuously tracking the wearer's temperature.