Connected Health Care System with Capacitive User Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for tracking and monitoring health statistics and behaviors are limited by their invasive nature, lack of convenience, and inefficiency, particularly in diagnosing diseases, which require significant time, expertise, and resources, and often focus on passive data collection with limited health metrics.
Innovation Solution
A connected healthcare system that includes various devices such as a connected toothbrush, salivary diagnostic system, and breath analysis system, utilizing capacitive coupling for user identification and data transfer between devices and the Cloud, enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of oral health, fitness, heart health, and diabetes, among other metrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional diagnostic methods (blood analysis, biopsy) are used, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but patient discomfort and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical diagnostic procedures (needle puncture for blood analysis, surgical removal for biopsy) with non-invasive optical and electromagnetic sensing systems. Sensors detect biochemical markers in saliva, breath, and sweat through optical absorption, fluorescence, and mass spectrometry, eliminating physical trauma to the patient while maintaining diagnostic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces saliva, breath, and sweat as intermediary samples that contain biochemical markers of disease. These intermediaries provide indirect but non-invasive access to physiological information, allowing diagnosis without directly penetrating or damaging body tissues as required by traditional blood draws or biopsies.
2Measurement precision
If traditional diagnostic methods are used, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service diagnostic capabilities where patients collect their own samples (saliva, breath, sweat) using portable devices at home, eliminating the need to visit medical facilities for sample collection. The integrated sensors and onboard processing enable immediate or near-immediate analysis, providing results within minutes rather than days required by centralized laboratory processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces time-consuming centralized laboratory processing with decentralized, automated sensing systems embedded in portable devices. Optical sensors, mass spectrometers, and biochemical assays are integrated into handheld or home-use devices, enabling rapid on-site analysis that eliminates transportation, scheduling, and batch-processing delays inherent in traditional laboratory workflows.
3Measurement precision
If traditional diagnostic methods are used, then diagnostic capability is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs multi-functional sensing devices that can detect multiple biochemical markers and diagnose various conditions using a single integrated platform. The same device can analyze saliva for oral health markers, breath for metabolic conditions, and sweat for hydration and electrolyte levels, eliminating the need for separate specialized equipment for each diagnostic test and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple sensing modalities (optical, electrical, mass spectrometric) and multiple sample types (saliva, breath, sweat) into a single integrated diagnostic device. The merged system shares common components such as microfluidic channels, signal processing electronics, and user interface elements, reducing the total number of separate systems required while expanding diagnostic capability.
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
This system provides a comprehensive, efficient, and user-friendly means of tracking health statistics and behaviors, enabling quicker disease diagnosis, reducing the need for invasive tests, and offering a broader range of health metrics, while facilitating data transfer and analysis for improved healthcare management.
Implementation Method 1
A capacitive sensor is provided that has a sensor surface configured to detect a body part of a user
Data Source
AI summary
A connected health care system is provided with various devices for tracking and monitoring health statistics and behaviors including oral health, fitness, heart health, bone health, salivary diagnostics, diabetes, and further options that will be explored in the subsequent sections. The connected health care system is comprised of various devices, a data transfer medium (i.e. “smartphone”), and the Cloud, which allows for data transfer between multiple platforms and devices. Some devices comprised in the connected health care system include a toothbrush, a connected surface with sensors, a salivary diagnostic system, a breath analysis system, and further devices that will be explored in the subsequent sections. The connected health care system further provides a user identification system utilizing capacitive coupling of the human body between devices.