Smart Pad Fluid Sensing for Non-Contact Physiological Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing physiological state sensing methods require direct contact with the user's skin, causing discomfort and potential sensor detachment during sleep, which can lead to missed opportunities for timely first aid, especially for continuous monitoring of conditions like breathing suspension.
Innovation Solution
A smart pad with a sensing portion, channel region, and collection portion that uses fluid state changes to detect physiological states and movements without direct skin contact, allowing for non-invasive monitoring through a fluid-filled structure with partitions that separate the sensing and collection areas, enabling pressure and flow changes to be transmitted for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If direct contact sensors are used for physiological state sensing, then sensing accuracy is improved, but user comfort deteriorates and sensor detachment risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fluid medium as an intermediary between the user's body and the sensing system. The fluid transmits physiological signals (pressure changes, flow variations) from the user's body to the sensors, eliminating the need for direct skin contact while maintaining sensing accuracy. This resolves the contradiction by mediating the interaction between user and sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical contact sensing with fluid-based indirect sensing. Instead of sensors directly touching the skin to detect physiological signals, the system uses fluid transmission to convey these signals to the sensors, substituting a mechanical contact system with a fluid-mediated system that improves comfort while maintaining measurement precision.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If sensors are bound to user's skin for continuous monitoring, then continuous detection capability is improved, but sensor detachment during sleep increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid medium serves as a continuous connection between the user's body and the sensing system without requiring physical attachment of sensors to the skin. The fluid remains in contact with the user's body throughout the monitoring period, ensuring continuous detection while eliminating the attachment-stability problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sensing function from the skin-contact interface and relocates it to the fluid medium. By taking out the direct contact requirement and replacing it with fluid-based sensing, the system achieves continuous monitoring without the reliability issues of skin attachment.
3Measurement precision
If partitions are added to separate sub-sensing portions, then sensing specificity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sensing area into multiple sub-sensing portions separated by partitions. Each partitioned region can detect specific physiological parameters independently, improving sensing specificity. The segmentation allows different zones to monitor different aspects of physiological states without interfering with each other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different partitioned regions are designed with specific local characteristics to detect different physiological parameters. Each sub-sensing portion has optimized properties for its specific sensing function, allowing the system to achieve high sensing specificity through localized optimization rather than uniform design.
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 smart pad provides accurate, non-invasive monitoring of physiological states and movements, including heartbeats, breathing, and movements like rotations, without disturbing the user, and can detect critical conditions like breathing suspension, enabling timely alerts for first aid.
Implementation Method 1
a state change of the fluid generated in the plurality of sub-sensing portions corresponding to the physiological state and movement, together or individually, is transmitted to the collection portion through the channel region
Implementation Method 2
The channel region includes a pressure adjusting portion to adjust a distribution of pressure waves (or wave fronts) in the channel region
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a smart pad for detecting a physiological state and movement, together or individually, of a user. The smart pad comprises: a sensing portion, having a plurality of sub-sensing portions, wherein the plurality of sub-sensing portions are respectively separated from each other by a plurality of partitions; a channel portion, communicating with one opening of each of the plurality of sub-sensing portions; and a collection portion, communicating with the plurality of sub-sensing portions through the channel region. The physiological state and movement, together or individually, is determined according to a fluid status change in the plurality of sub-sensing portions delivered to the collection portion through the channel portion. The interior of the plurality of partitions is separated from the interiors of the sensing portion, channel region, and collection portion.