Wearable Sensor Enclosure Sandwiching Clothing for Secure Attachment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wearable sensors for health monitoring are restrictive and intrusive, particularly for infants and newborns, as they use tight straps and adhesive materials that can restrict blood flow and irritate fragile skin, and often require specific static placements that can lead to false alarms due to incorrect attachment.

Innovation Solution

A method for universal attachment of wearable sensors to clothing using a sensor enclosure with a contoured design that securely sandwiches clothing between the sensor and enclosure, employing optical and piezoelectric sensors to detect secure attachment and prevent false alarms by transmitting signals to a remote device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If tight straps and adhesive materials are used to attach wearable sensors, then secure attachment is achieved, but blood flow restriction and skin irritation occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment securityVSAvoidblood flow restriction and skin irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces clothing material as an intermediary between the sensor and the subject's body. The sensor is attached to the clothing rather than directly to the body, eliminating direct contact with skin while maintaining secure attachment. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing reliable sensor attachment without causing blood flow restriction or skin irritation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the attachment function from direct body contact by moving it to clothing. The sensor unit is designed to be attached to clothing material, separating the attachment mechanism from the subject's body. This extraction eliminates harmful effects on blood flow and skin while preserving secure sensor positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If specific static placement of sensors is required, then measurement accuracy is improved, but false alarms increase due to incorrect placement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal reliabilityVSAvoidfalse alarm rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates detection sensors that provide feedback on whether the main sensor is correctly attached to the clothing. This feedback mechanism allows the system to verify proper placement and distinguish between intentional removal and incorrect attachment, thereby reducing false alarms while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The detection sensors perform preliminary verification of sensor attachment status before measurements are taken. By checking attachment correctness in advance, the system prevents false alarms from incorrect placement while ensuring measurement accuracy is maintained through proper positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If adhesive materials are used for sensor attachment, then secure fit is achieved, but skin irritation occurs in infants and newborns

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor attachment securityVSAvoidskin irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses clothing material as a mediator between the adhesive sensor and the infant's skin. The adhesive is applied to the clothing rather than directly contacting the skin, eliminating skin irritation while maintaining secure sensor attachment through the clothing intermediary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the adhesive attachment function from direct skin contact by relocating it to clothing. The sensor with adhesive backing is attached to clothing material, separating the potentially irritating adhesive from the infant's delicate skin while preserving secure sensor positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 solution provides a non-restrictive, secure attachment of wearable sensors to clothing, ensuring accurate health signal measurement without restricting blood flow and minimizing false alarms, suitable for infants and newborns, while allowing flexible placement and continuous or intermittent contact with the skin.

Implementation Method 1

employing optical and piezoelectric sensors to detect secure attachment

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical detection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

employing optical and piezoelectric sensors to detect secure attachment

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS10182761B2Method and system of attachment and detection of attachment of a wearable sensor to clothing material

Publication Date: 2019.01.22 MONDEVICES INC

AI summary

A method and system of universal, secure attachment with attachment detection mechanism, of a wearable sensor-unit to any article of clothing worn around the body in order to measure vital signals of a person, such as motion, movements and activity levels. The method and system permits: reliable attachment to any article of clothing; an attachment in any position to clothing or fabric worn by a person; and detection for the wearable sensor attachment to an article of clothing to minimize false alarms.