Wearable Patch Rigid Insert Force Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable patches, such as ECG electrodes, require reconnection that can be uncomfortable for patients due to the need for forcibly pushing socket connectors, leading to potential bruising and increased costs from excessive patch turnover when patients avoid reconnection to avoid discomfort.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a rigid insert adjacent to connectors to distribute the reconnection force and maintain flexibility, with an optional adhesive layer to prevent delamination, enhancing patient comfort and reducing patch turnover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a socket connector is forcibly pushed onto a stud for reconnection, then the electrical connection is established, but the patient experiences discomfort and potential bruising
Solution Approach 1:
A cushioning element is positioned between the socket connector and the patient's body to absorb and distribute the force applied during reconnection. This cushioning structure prevents direct transmission of the pushing force to the patient's skin, thereby eliminating discomfort and bruising while maintaining secure electrical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary component (cushioning element or distributed force structure) is introduced between the connector and the patient's body. This intermediary distributes the reconnection force over a larger area or absorbs the impact, allowing the socket to be pushed onto the stud without causing harmful effects to the patient.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If patients discard the wearable patch instead of reconnecting the sensor, then patient comfort is avoided, but costs increase due to excessive patch turnover
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-installing cushioning elements at the connection points, the patch enables painless reconnection, eliminating the reason patients would discard the patch. This allows the patch to be reused multiple times with different sensors, reducing overall consumption and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables the wearable patch to be recovered and reused by making sensor reconnection comfortable. Instead of discarding the patch after one use, patients can keep the same patch and simply reconnect different sensors to it, thereby recovering the value of the patch and reducing waste.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid insert is added to distribute force during reconnection, then patient comfort is improved, but the patch structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning element is implemented as a thin, flexible film or layer that can be integrated into the existing patch structure. This thin-film approach provides force distribution functionality without significantly increasing the overall thickness or complexity of the patch, maintaining wearability while improving comfort.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate wearable patches having rigid inserts. The rigid insert is positioned adjacent to one or more connectors, such as studs for receiving sockets to distribute the force transferred to a patient when reconnecting a socket to the stud. The rigid insert may be sized to maintain flexibility in areas of the wearable patch. An optional adhesive layer may be applied to the wearable patch adjacent the rigid insert to reduce the likelihood of delamination of the wearable patch.