WCD Garment Wear Tracking Using NFC Tags to Reduce Skin Irritation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wearable cardioverter defibrillators (WCDs) face significant skin irritation issues due to prolonged wear, leading to reduced patient compliance and limited clinical benefits, as current systems do not effectively monitor or remind users to change or wash garments frequently enough.

Innovation Solution

Integration of a remote patient data platform and NFC tag system that tracks and monitors garment wear time, using NFC tags to identify and detect when the garment has been changed or washed, providing alerts and warnings to users and caregivers to prevent skin irritation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If patients wear WCD garments for extended periods to maintain clinical benefit, then patient compliance and clinical effectiveness are improved, but skin irritation and inflammation occur leading to reduced compliance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegarment wear durationVSAvoidskin irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary monitoring of garment wear time and proactively alerts patients before skin irritation occurs. The processor tracks cumulative wear time and generates notifications to change or wash garments before harmful effects manifest, preventing skin irritation rather than treating it after occurrence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring garment wear time through NFC tag readings and providing real-time alerts to patients. The remote patient data platform receives usage data and sends notifications when garments need changing or washing, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to actual wear patterns and prevents skin irritation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Object-affected harmful factors

If garment change and wash frequency is increased to prevent skin irritation, then skin health is improved, but patient convenience and compliance may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveskin irritationVSAvoidpatient convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables patients to self-monitor their garment wear time through automated NFC tag readings and receive personalized alerts based on their individual usage patterns. Patients autonomously manage their garment hygiene without requiring clinician intervention or complex manual tracking, making the compliance process convenient and self-directed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts monitoring parameters based on individual patient patterns. The processor analyzes usage trends and can modify alert thresholds or notification timing to match patient-specific wear patterns, optimizing the balance between preventing skin irritation and maintaining patient convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If manual tracking of garment wear time is implemented, then some monitoring capability is achieved, but measurement precision and reliability are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegarment usage dataVSAvoidwear time accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical tracking methods with automated electronic monitoring. NFC tags embedded in garments are automatically read by the WCD device to record wear time, eliminating human error in manual logging and providing precise, objective measurements of actual garment usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The NFC tag serves as an intermediary between the garment and the monitoring system. This intermediate component enables automatic identification and tracking of garment usage without requiring direct patient input or complex sensor integration into the garment fabric itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240066310A1Garment change and wash detection in a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD)

Publication Date: 2024.02.29 WEST AFFUM HLDG DAC

AI summary

A patient monitoring system comprises a support structure comprising a garment configured to be worn by a patient, a plurality of patient parameter electrodes configured to contact the patient's skin when the patient is wearing the garment, a patient monitoring device configured to receive one or more patient parameters via the plurality of patient parameter electrodes when the patient is wearing the garment, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a likelihood whether the garment has been changed or washed after a predetermined period of use by the patient, and provide an indication regarding garment change or wash status based on the likelihood that the garment has been changed or washed.