Stretchable Bladder Vital-Sign Sensor for Reliable Signal Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vital-sign detection devices face challenges in achieving reliable and comfortable contact with body parts, particularly for unexperienced users, due to limitations in sensor placement and signal quality, especially when used on smaller limbs like fingers.
Innovation Solution
A vital-sign detection device featuring a bladder made of stretchable sheet material with integrated electronic elements that deform to fit the body part's contour, allowing flexible placement of sensors and improved signal reception, and a non-stretchable outer ring for support and pressure distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid cuff with fixed sensor array is used, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the signal quality deteriorates when the cuff is rotated or improperly positioned on the body part
Solution Approach 1:
The cuff is designed with a stretchable bladder that can dynamically expand and contract, allowing the sensor array to adapt its position and maintain optimal contact with the body part regardless of rotation or user placement variations. This dynamic flexibility resolves the contradiction between simple structure and reliable signal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuff utilizes changes in the physical state of the bladder material from relaxed to inflated state, transforming the sensor array from a non-contact to a contact configuration. This parameter change enables the system to achieve reliable signal quality without requiring precise initial positioning by the user.
2Reliability
If the sensor array is pressed firmly against the body part, then the signal quality improves, but the comfort and ease of wearing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cuff provides dynamic pressure control through the inflatable bladder, allowing the sensor array to apply firm contact pressure for signal acquisition only when needed during measurement, while remaining comfortable during extended wearing periods. The system transitions between low-pressure comfort mode and high-pressure measurement mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuff operates in periodic cycles of inflation for measurement and deflation for comfort, allowing users to wear the device comfortably over extended periods while obtaining high-quality signals during brief measurement intervals. This periodic action resolves the contradiction between contact pressure and comfort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cuff is designed to fit different body part sizes, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cuff is designed as a universal device that can accommodate different body part sizes through the stretchable properties of the bladder material and adjustable fastening mechanisms. The same cuff structure serves multiple size requirements without requiring multiple specialized components, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuff utilizes a flexible bladder made of stretchable material that can elastically deform to fit different circumferences and shapes of body parts. This flexible shell approach eliminates the need for rigid size-adjustment mechanisms while maintaining adaptability across various body part sizes.
4Ease of operation
If a stretchable electrode is used, then the comfort of wearing improves, but the ease of wrapping around small body parts like fingers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cuff employs a flexible bladder shell that provides both the comfort of stretchable materials and the structural integrity needed for easy wrapping around small body parts like fingers. The thin-film construction allows the device to conform to small curvatures while maintaining ease of application.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuff combines stretchable material properties with structural support elements to create a composite construction that is both comfortable for extended wearing and easy to wrap around small body parts. The composite structure integrates the benefits of flexibility and manufacturability.
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
Ensures reliable and precise monitoring of vital signs, even for unskilled users, by providing consistent contact and improved signal quality through adaptive deformation of the bladder and strategic placement of sensors, while maintaining a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a stretchable sheet material (5) of the bladder (3) so as to be pressed onto the body part by deformation of the bladder
Data Source
AI summary
A vital-sign detection device for detecting a vital sign, the vital-sign detection device including: a cuff; a bladder at least partly made from a stretchable sheet material on an inside of the cuff, the bladder being dimensioned to fit onto a body part of a wearer; and at least one sensor that includes an electronic element arranged in and/or on the stretchable sheet material of the bladder in a location so as to be pressed onto the body part by deformation of the bladder.