Diaper Sensor System for Continuous Urine Trend Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic systems for urine analysis are limited in monitoring changes over time, relying on visible symptoms for detection of under-hydration, infections, or metabolic issues, and lack the ability to conduct effective trend analysis or epidemiological studies due to manual data entry and lack of continuous monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A diagnostic system comprising a sample collection device with embedded sensors and a computing system that acquires, transmits, processes, and analyzes urine data, enabling trend and statistical analysis, and includes a smartphone application for data acquisition and transmission, along with an online service for storing and analyzing data over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If urine analysis strips are dipped into urine sample and data is manually entered, then diagnostic testing can be performed, but continuous monitoring and trend analysis over time cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data entry with automated electronic data capture using sensors embedded in the diaper that directly transmit urine composition data to a computing system, eliminating the need for manual intervention and enabling continuous automated monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-monitoring through embedded sensors that automatically detect and transmit urine content data without requiring user action, with the computing system autonomously analyzing trends and generating alerts for abnormal patterns
2Ease of operation
If diapers with embedded sensors are used to detect wetness, then basic moisture detection is achieved, but only one-time event alerting is possible without continuous monitoring capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring by having the computing system repeatedly analyze urine data from the embedded sensors over time, storing sequential measurements to detect trends and patterns rather than simply alerting on single wetness events
Solution Approach 2:
The computing system acts as an intermediary between the simple wetness sensors and the caregiver, transforming basic moisture detection data into meaningful health insights by analyzing trends and predicting potential health issues before symptoms appear
3Reliability
If urine analysis is performed only when visible symptoms appear, then symptomatic conditions can be confirmed, but early detection of developing conditions like under-hydration or infections is missed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection by continuously monitoring urine composition parameters and identifying early signs of developing conditions such as dehydration or infection before visible symptoms manifest, allowing preemptive medical intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The computing system provides continuous feedback to caregivers about urine composition trends and potential health risks, enabling informed decisions about when medical attention is needed rather than waiting for obvious symptoms to develop
Data Source
AI summary
A health monitoring system, and methods of use and manufacture thereof are disclosed. The health monitoring system may include a computing system and a diagnostic test coupled to a diaper. The diagnostic test may include one or more sensors configured to produce a visual indication of one or more analytes contained in a sample produced by a subject. The diagnostic test may include a machine-readable code. The computing system may be configured to read the machine-readable code to allow an application running on the computing system to automatically perform at least one task related to a production of a data point based on the visual indication. The health monitoring system may aid in identifying a potential abnormal health condition of the subject by providing automatic longitudinal analysis of analytes contained in samples produced by the subject over a period of time.