KR20200114673A - self-powered vital signs sensor and monitoring system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-powered vital sign sensor capable of sensing vital sign information of a user by using self-generated electric energy generated by a touch, and a vital sign monitoring system using the same. The self-powered vital sign sensor comprises: a triboelectric generator to convert the flow of electric charges generated by a touch into electrical energy; a vital sign sensor operated by electric energy provided by the triboelectric generator; and a signal sensing element to sense electric energy transferred via the vital sign sensor. Vital signs of a user can be sensed in real time by using self-generated power generated by a touch without supplying external power, and various types of vital signs can be measured by increasing the power density generated by a self-touch.

Description

Self-powered vital signs sensor and monitoring system using the same

The present invention relates to a self-powered vital sign sensor and a vital sign monitoring system using the same, and more particularly, a self-powered vital sign sensor capable of sensing vital sign information of a user using self-generated electric energy generated by touch And it relates to a vital sign monitoring system using the same.

Human vital signs refer to human body temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, and these signs reflect that the human physical condition is controlled within the normal range through homeostasis mechanisms. Changes in vital signs are an indication of changes in health. This is an index that evaluates the patient's physical condition and can be seen as one of the very important measurement methods for determining the patient's condition. The measurement of vital signs provides basic data for examining physical and mental stress, treatment, nursing response, and usual health status.

Vital signs, even if they are signals measured by the same person, show a wide range of changes due to various external variables such as before and after exercise, before and after meals, and ambient temperature. Therefore, in order for the judgment of the patient's health state to be reliable, it is the basis of the judgment, and continuous collection of bio-signals generated from the patient is very important.

Meanwhile, power supply from the outside was a prerequisite for sensors for measuring vital signs to operate normally. The most commonly used portable power supply is a chemical battery. However, these chemical batteries have limited service life and limitations of chemical contamination problems. In order to solve this inconvenience, a wearable device in which a triboelectric generator is attached to a user's arm has been proposed through Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0105176.

Looking at the configuration schematically, as shown in FIG. 1A, a triboelectric generator composed of a first triboelectric generator TEG1 and a second triboelectric generator TEG2 may be disposed in an armpit area to maximize friction. . As shown in FIG. 1B, a contact/release friction occurs between the first triboelectric generator TEG1 and the second triboelectric generator TEG2 during arm movements such as walking or running, and the friction Electricity is generated by

These triboelectric generators are developed using mutual contact and separation between different types of triboelectric materials. However, all triboelectric generators that are widely known at present are those in which a conductive metal is deposited on the surface of a triboelectric thin film material to output electric power to the outside. These triboelectric generators have problems such as circuit complexity and energy loss due to impedance mismatch between the triboelectric generator and the energy storage device. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to manufacture electrodes on some friction materials such as skin, air, and the like, and these limiting factors have a great influence on the development of the triboelectric generator described above.

Meanwhile, the touch sensor detects a touch by converting a signal of the touch device into a resistance or voltage having a linear or arbitrary functional relationship therewith and outputting it. These touch sensors can be widely used in the fields of robots, human machine interfaces (HMIs) and safety systems. Conventional touch sensors operate mainly based on changes in piezoelectric resistance and capacitance. However, the touch sensor powered by external energy is difficult to be widely applied in the future energy crisis. Therefore, developing a self-driven touch sensor is a key factor in fundamentally solving the problem of long-term and stable operation of these devices.

An object of the present invention is to provide a self-powered vital sign sensor capable of sensing a user's vital signs in real time using a self-generated power generated by a touch without supplying external power, and a vital sign monitoring system using the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-powered vital sign sensor capable of increasing the power density generated by a touch, and a vital sign monitoring system using the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-powered vital sign sensor that measures different vital signs, and a vital sign monitoring system that distinguishes different vital signs information using the same.

The self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention for achieving these objects includes a friction generator that converts the flow of charge generated by a touch into electrical energy, a vital sign sensor operated by electric energy provided by the friction generator, and the It is characterized in that it comprises a signal sensing element for sensing the electric energy transmitted through the vital sign sensor.

A preferred self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention employs a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (SETENG).

The single electrode triboelectric generator in the self-powered vital sign sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a contact layer that exhibits triboelectric properties against an external stimulus, an intermediate layer of a transparent material bonded to the lower surface of the contact layer, and a lower portion of the intermediate layer. It comprises an electrode layer formed in the region and connected to the vital sign sensor.

A single-electrode triboelectric generator in a preferred self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention uses a dielectric formed by mixing 2wt% of silver nanowires (AgNW) with P (VDF-TrFE), which is a ferroelectric polymer material, as a contact layer.

A single electrode triboelectric generator in a preferred self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention applies a nanofiber (NF) structure to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

The single electrode triboelectric generator in a preferred self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention may include silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

The configuration of the self-powered vital sign sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an electrode layer and a vital sign sensor disposed on a horizontal line with each other.

The configuration of the self-powered vital sign sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a vital sign sensor disposed to be stacked by being inserted between the two electrodes constituting the electrode layer.

In the self-powered vital sign sensor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vital sign sensor is configured using a passive element made of any one of a resistor, an inductor and a capacitor.

In the self-powered vital sign sensor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the signal sensing element may monitor any one of current, voltage, and current density flowing through the vital sign sensor.

In the vital signs monitoring system using a self-powered vital sign sensor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of self-powered vital sign sensors are arranged and disposed on a part of the body to operate by electric energy generated through touch. Part, a low-pass filter for removing noise included in the signal provided from the sensor unit, a control unit for analyzing a signal provided through the low-pass filter and generating a control signal for providing to the outside, a signal provided from the control unit It may include a data transmission unit that converts and transmits a wireless signal, and a display unit that receives a signal provided from the data transmission unit and displays it in a user-recognizable form.

In the vital sign monitoring system using a self-powered vital sign sensor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit may be formed in the shape of a transparent touch panel.

In a vital sign monitoring system using a self-powered vital sign sensor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may compare a detection signal provided from the sensor unit with previously stored information to obtain a vital sign value.

The self-powered vital sign sensor and the vital sign monitoring system using the same according to the present invention may exhibit the following effects.

First, it is possible to sense a user's vital signs in real time by using self-generated power generated by a touch without supplying external power.

Second, it is possible to increase the power density generated by self-touch.

Third, it can measure different types of vital signs.

1A and 1B are exemplary views schematically showing the configuration of a triboelectric generator according to the prior art.
2 is an exemplary view schematically showing the configuration of a self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention.
3 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of the self-powered vital sign sensor of FIG. 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exemplary view showing a mechanical stability state of a general single electrode tribological generator and a single electrode tribological generator according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows that a 2wt% silver nanowire (AgNW) synthetic polymer material P(VDF-TrFE) nanofiber containing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was taken with an electron microscope.
6 is an experimental result graph showing an increase in power to load resistance according to a change in weight ratio content of silver nanowires (AgNW).
7 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of the self-powered vital sign sensor of FIG. 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exemplary view showing the operation of the single electrode triboelectric generator according to the present invention.
9 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a vital sign monitoring system using a self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention.
10 is a diagram illustrating an experiment of a vital sign monitoring system using a self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention.

For the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the text, specific structural or functional descriptions have been exemplified for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present invention only, and the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in various forms. It should not be construed as being limited to the described embodiments.

In the present invention, various modifications may be made and various forms may be applied, and specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form of disclosure, it is to be understood as including all changes, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. These terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. Should be. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in the middle. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "just between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

The terms used in the present application are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate the existence of disclosed features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or a combination thereof, but one or more other features or numbers, It is to be understood that the presence or addition of steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, does not preclude the possibility of preliminary exclusion.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as representing meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as ideal or excessively formal meanings unless explicitly defined in this application. Does not.

Meanwhile, when a certain embodiment can be implemented differently, a function or operation specified in a specific block may occur differently from the order specified in the flowchart. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed at the same time, or the blocks may be executed in reverse depending on a related function or operation.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is an exemplary view schematically showing the configuration of a self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention. As shown, the triboelectric generator 100 converting the flow of electric charge generated by the touch into electric energy, the vital sign sensor 200 operated by the electric energy provided by the triboelectric generator 100, and the vitality It comprises a signal sensing element 300 for sensing the electric energy transmitted through the symptom sensor 200.

At this time, the triboelectric generator 100 is preferably configured as a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (SETENG) that does not require an electrode on a surface receiving external stimulation. In this case, the single electrode triboelectric generator may be made of a transparent material in a wearable form. Preferably, the single electrode triboelectric generator may generate power of about 217 W/m ² by a touch and non-touch operation on its surface.

The vital sign sensor 200 is composed of any one of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor, and senses at least one of vital signs including body temperature, respiration, blood pressure, and pulse.

The signal sensing element 300 monitors any one of current, voltage, and current density flowing through the vital sign sensor.

3 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of the self-powered vital sign sensor of FIG. 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the single electrode triboelectric generator 110 has a contact layer 111 that exhibits triboelectric properties with respect to an external magnetic pole, and an electrode layer bonded to the lower surface of the contact layer 111 and connected to the vital sign sensor 210 It is comprised of 112. The self-powered vital sign sensor 10 according to the first embodiment is connected such that the vital sign sensor 210 is placed on the horizontal line with the electrode 112b of the tribological generator 100. The single electrode triboelectric generator 110 may be configured in the form of a single module in which a contact layer 111 and a vital sign sensor 210 are embedded in the electrode layer 112.

At this time, the vital sign sensor 210 and the signal sensing element 310 are used with different symbols from those of FIG. 2 to indicate the first embodiment, have the same configuration, and exhibit the same operation.

A typical single-electrode tribological generator is mechanically unstable when a user's touch is made, as shown in FIG. 4A and exhibits a peeling phenomenon. In order to solve this problem, in the single electrode triboelectric generator according to the present invention, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is mixed with P (VDF-TrFE), which is a ferroelectric polymer material. Accordingly, as shown in (B) of FIG. 4, a mechanically stable state is exhibited, so that a peeling phenomenon does not appear, and a transparent state may be obtained.

On the other hand, it is preferable to apply a nanofiber (NF) structure to the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prevent mechanical fatigue, inelastic scattering, and delamination between fibers.

The electrode layer 112 has a shape including an intermediate layer 112a made of a transparent material surrounding the electrode 112b. It is preferable to perform ultraviolet treatment to enable bonding of the contact layer 111 and the electrode layer 112 by chemical bonding between the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers.

Meanwhile, the single electrode triboelectric generator 110 may include a silver nanowire (AgNW) electrode in the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). FIG. 5 shows a photograph of P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers, which is a polymer material for synthesis of silver nanowires (AgNW) containing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), with an electron microscope. As shown, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is inserted into the micropores to exhibit transparency. At this time, FIG. 6 is a graph of the experimental results showing an increase in power to load resistance according to a change in the weight ratio content of silver nanowires (AgNW). As shown in FIG. 6, silver nanowires (AgNW) were experimentally included, such as 0wt%, 1wt%, and 2wt%.As a result, it can be seen that silver nanowires (AgNW) have an optimal result value when the value is 2wt%.

7 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of the self-powered vital sign sensor of FIG. 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the first embodiment, the self-powered vital sign sensor 20 of the second embodiment is arranged so that the vital sign sensor 220 is inserted in the middle between the two electrodes 122b and 122c forming the electrode layer 122 and stacked. I can see that it was done. In this case, reference numeral 121 denotes a contact layer, and reference numeral 122a denotes an intermediate layer made of a transparent material surrounding the electrodes 122b and 122c of the electrode layer 122. The single electrode triboelectric generator 120 may be configured in the form of a single module in which the vital sign sensor 220 is embedded in the contact layer 121 and the electrode layer 122. In addition, the vital sign sensor 220 and the signal detection element 320 are used with different symbols from those of FIG. 2 to indicate the second embodiment, have the same configuration, and exhibit the same operation.

8 is an exemplary view showing the operation of the self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention. Since the operating principle is only related to a contact portion between the executioner of the touch operation and the contact layer, in FIG. 8, only a portion in which both actually contact is shown, and will be described using reference numerals of the second embodiment. When, for example, a finger of a person performing a touch operation, when a finger contacts the contact layer 121, since the skin and the contact layer 121 have a difference in the order of arrangement in the electrified heat, there is a difference in their ability to obtain electrons. For example, when the skin has a relatively strong ability to lose electrons, a slide in a fine tangential direction is generated between the microstructures of the contact surface after contacting the two, thereby generating surface charges due to friction. Accordingly, the skin surface has a positive charge as shown in FIG. 8A, and the surface of the contact layer 121 has a negative charge.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 8, when the finger is removed, the balance of the surface charge between the skin and the contact layer 121 is destroyed. At this time, electrons move from the electrode layer 122 to the signal sensing element. The signal sensing element 320 may detect the output of an electrical signal correspondingly.

When the finger is completely separated from the contact layer 121 as shown in (c) of FIG. 8, the electric charge is balanced so that the movement of electrons does not occur.

As shown in (d) of FIG. 8, when the finger approaches the surface of the contact layer 121 of the self-powered vital sign sensor 20, electrons move from the ground to the electrode layer 122. At this time, a current in the opposite direction flows to the signal sensing element 320.

Again, when the finger completely contacts the surface of the contact layer 121 of the self-powered vital sign sensor 20, the surface charge is in an equilibrium state, and electrons do not move in the external circuit, so that the output of the current cannot be observed. do.

As in the first and second embodiments, the vital sign sensors 210 and 220 are connected to the electrode layers 112 and 122 to sense the vital sign value. That is, information about the difference between the value of the basic current due to touch and the current value due to the touch in the state in which the vital sign sensor is connected is obtained by using the signal sensing elements 310 and 320. It is calculated and used as a vital sign sensor value.

9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vital sign monitoring system 30 using a self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention. As shown in the experimental example of FIG. 10, it is preferable that the sensor unit 31 is configured as a transparent touch panel and attached to the user's body.

As shown, the vital sign monitoring system 30 using a self-powered vital sign sensor according to the present invention is made by arranging a plurality of vital sign sensors operated by self-power using a single electrode friction generator (SETENG), A sensor unit 31 disposed on a part of the body and operating by electric energy generated through a touch, a low pass filter 32 for removing noise included in a signal provided from the sensor unit 31, and the low pass A control unit 33 that analyzes a signal provided through the filter 32 and generates a control signal to be provided to the outside, and a data transmission unit 34 that converts and transmits a signal provided from the control unit 33 into a wired or wireless signal. And a terminal 35 that receives the signal provided from the data transmission unit 34 and displays it in a form that can be recognized by a user through the mounted display device.

It is important to set an appropriate threshold voltage to filter out electrical noise and crosstalk signals for accurate touch detection. The low pass filter 32 is composed of a 10 MΩ resistor and a 10 nF capacitor to remove noise.

The controller 33 compares the vital sign information from which noise is removed by the low-pass filter 32 with previously stored information to calculate a vital sign value.

The data transmission unit 34 performs a function of transmitting vital sign information to the outside according to a control signal from the control unit 33. At this time, in the case of transmitting in a wireless manner, any one of Bluetooth, short-range wireless communication (NFC), Zigbee, infrastructure mode, or ad hoc mode Wi-Fi mode The method of can be applied.

Meanwhile, the terminal 35 may be a computer, a mobile communication terminal, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. Preferably, the terminal 35 may show vital signs to the user or store it in a cloud storage device through a network to accumulate and store health management information. Although the vital sign sensor 200 in the above description is exemplified by sensing general vital signs such as body temperature, respiration, blood pressure, and pulse, various body information such as blood carbon dioxide level, ph sensing, blood alcohol concentration, muscle mass, body fat information, etc. Can be used to extract

As described above, the self-powered vital sign sensor and the vital sign monitoring system using the same according to the present invention can sense the user's vital signs in real time by using the self-generated power generated by touch without supplying external power. In addition, by increasing the power density generated by self-touch, the effect of measuring different types of vital signs can be achieved.

Although the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will variously modify and change the present invention within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. You will understand that you can do it.

10, 20: self-powered vital sign sensor 100: friction generator
111, 121: contact layer 112, 122: electrode layer
112a, 122a: intermediate layer 112b, 122b, 122c: electrode
200, 210, 220: vital sign sensor 300, 310, 320: signal detection element
30: vital signs monitoring system 31: sensor unit
32: low pass filter 33: control unit
34: data transmission unit 35: terminal

Claims (17)

A triboelectric generator that converts the flow of electric charge generated by the touch into electric energy; A vital sign sensor operated by electrical energy provided by the friction generator; And
Self-powered vital sign sensor comprising a signal sensing element for sensing electrical energy transmitted through the vital sign sensor. The method of claim 1, wherein the friction generator,
Self-powered vital sign sensor, characterized in that a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (SETENG) that does not require an electrode on the surface receiving external stimulation. The method of claim 2, wherein the single electrode triboelectric generator,
A contact layer exhibiting a triboelectric charge characteristic against an external magnetic pole;
An intermediate layer of a transparent material bonded to the lower surface of the contact layer; And
Self-powered vital sign sensor comprising an electrode layer configured in the lower region of the intermediate layer and connected to the vital sign sensor. The method of claim 3, wherein the contact layer,
A self-powered vital sign sensor, characterized in that it is a dielectric formed by mixing silver nanowires (AgNW) with P (VDF-TrFE), a ferroelectric polymer material. The self-powered vital sign sensor according to claim 4, wherein the silver nanowires (AgNW) are mixed by a weight ratio of 2 wt% or less. The self-powered vital sign sensor of claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The self-powered vital sign sensor of claim 3, wherein the electrode layer comprises a silver nanowire (AgNW) electrode. The self-powered vital sign sensor according to claim 3, wherein the vital sign sensor is disposed on a horizontal line with an electrode of the electrode layer. The self-powered vital sign sensor according to claim 3, wherein the vital sign sensor is interposed between and stacked between the two electrodes forming the electrode layer. The self-powered vital sign sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vital sign sensor comprises a passive element. The self-powered vital sign sensor according to claim 10, wherein the passive element is made of any one of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor. The self-powered vital sign sensor according to claim 1, wherein the signal sensing element monitors any one of current, voltage, and current density flowing through the vital sign sensor. The self-powered vital sign sensor of claim 1, wherein the vital sign sensor senses at least one of vital signs including body temperature, respiration, blood pressure, and pulse. A sensor unit comprising a plurality of self-powered vital signs sensors according to claim 1 arranged and arranged on a part of the body to operate by electric energy generated through touch;
A low pass filter for removing noise included in a signal provided from the sensor unit;
A control unit that analyzes a signal provided through the low-pass filter and generates a control signal to be provided to the outside;
A data transmission unit converting the signal provided from the control unit into a wireless signal and transmitting the converted signal;
A vital sign monitoring system using a self-powered vital sign sensor comprising a terminal that receives the signal provided from the data transmission unit and displays it in a form that can be recognized by a user. 15. The vital sign monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the sensor unit has a shape of a transparent touch panel. 15. The vital sign monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the control unit calculates a vital sign value by comparing the detection signal provided from the sensor unit with pre-stored information. [15] The system of claim 14, wherein the terminal transmits a vital sign value to an external database.

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