GB2162980A

GB2162980A - An enuretic detector

Info

Publication number: GB2162980A
Application number: GB08519518A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Logan Murphy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-08-09
Filing date: 1985-08-02
Publication date: 1986-02-12
Also published as: GB2162980B; GB8519518D0; GB8420277D0

Abstract

The invention relates to an enuretic detector which incorporates an alarm generator arranged to be disposed in proximity to a user, said alarm being in the form of a silent tactile sensation imparted to the user. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION .An enuretic detector The present invention relates to an enuretic detector for assisting in the detection and control of enuresis.

Enuresis or incontinence of urine is a condition which can occur whilst the patient is asleep and cannot exert any control over his or her bladder. In order to overcome the condition it is known to provide an alarm which is triggered whenever bed wetting occurs which wakens the patient and allows control to be exercised.

Conventional enuretic aids for wakening a patient suffering from enuresis comprise a loud audible alarm placed at the side of the patient's bed and which alarm is actuated when an electrical circuit is closed between two metal -meshes provided under the sheet on which the patient lies, as a result of urine bridging said metal meshes.

Unfortunately, it is often the case that the alarm wakens other members- of the family and even neighbours. As a consequence of this, use of the aid may be abandoned and a cure of the problem- by this method is given up.

In addition, many of the suffers of this complaint sleep very deeply and are "sleep deaf" to harsh noises to such an extent that it is often the case that other members of the family are awakened first by the alarm and have to rise and rouse the patient.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of enuretic aid and which preferably is capable of wakening a- deep sleeper in the event of he or she wakening a deep sleeper in the event of he or she wetting the bed and without a major disturbance to third parties.

-According to the present invention there is provided a detector for assisting in the control of enuresis comprising electrical means for detecting the presence of urine, and adapted to be connected to sensor means operable by said electrical means on detection of urine in order to waken a patient in response to operation of said sensor means characterised in that the sensor means comprises a tactile sensor adapted to be operatively located adjacent a sensitive part of the nerve system of a patient.

Preferably, the electrical insulating layer is in the form of a flexible sheet to one surface of which is secured a pair of ribbon-like interdigitating conductors; Preferably, the detector is electrically connected to sensor means comprising a lowvoltage electrical source for provuding an electrical supply to a circuit including a normally closed switch.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a detector in accordance with the present invention for the detection of enuresis; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a detector connected to a first form-of sensor arrangement; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a detector connected to a second form of sensor arangement.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings a detector for assisting in the detection and control of enuresis comprises a thin rectangular flexible mat 10 of any suitable electrically insulating material such as a synthetic plastics material. To one surface of the mat 10 there is suitably secured, as by an adhesive, a pair of spaced electrical conductors 11,12. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the conductors 11 and 1 2 each consist of a plurality of inter-digitating but elongated elements 1 a and 1 2a respectively, the elements being electrically separate from each other. The conductors 11,12 are of ribbon-like form and are of any suitable electrically-conductive material such as stainless steel.The relative disposition of the conductors 11,12 result in a grid formation. Electrical leads 13 and 14 extend from one end of each of the conductors 11 and 1 2 respectively for connection to opposite sides of a sensor circuit supplied- by a source of low voltage electrical power, e.g. a battery.

As shown in a first arrangement in Fig. 2, the mat 10 described above is, in use, operatively connected to a sensor arrangement. In Fig. 2 the sensor comprises an electrical power supply consisting of a battery 15, a normally closed switch 16, an electric light 1 7 and an electrically-operated tactile mechanical vibrator 1 8 adapted to be secured in contact with the touch-sensitive sole of a patient's foot by means of a strap or the like.The conductors 11,12, the switch 16, the light 1 7 and the vibrator 1 8 are connnected in series with each other across the battery 1 5. Due to the fact that the conductors 11,12 are electrically spaced apart- from each other, the circuit is normally open so that no power is supplied to the vibrator 1 8 and the light 1 7 when switch 1 6 is closed. However, -when an electrical conductive liquid, such as urine, bridges the conductors 11,12, the- circuit is completed and power is supplied from the battery 1 5 to the vibrator 1 8 and to the light 1 7.

In use, the detector mat 10 is placed below the lower abdominal portion of the body of a patient. The mat may conveniently be located below a sheet of a bed on which the patient is lying. The vibrator .18 is fitted in contact with the sole of one of the patient's feet and the battery 1 5 is disposed on the floor adjacent the patient and switch 1 6 is closed. In the event that the patient experiences enuresis whilst asleep, urine flows on to the conductors 1 1 12. When this occurs, the circuit is completed and power is supplied from the battery 15 to the vibrator 18 and the light 17. The relatively silent vibrations from the mechanical vibrator 18 stimulate the sensitive nerves in the sole of the patient's feet and waken the patient without any audible disturbance to third parties.The light 1 7 allows the patient to see when he wakens so as tenable him to operate the switch 16 in order to break the circuit and turn off the vibrator 1 8.

In the alternative arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3, the arrangement is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that the mechanical vibrator 1 8 is replaced by a sensor consisting of an electrically-operated audible buzzer 19 of conventional form e.g. in which an electrical supply is passed across a pair of carbon brushes set into polystyrene or the like. In this case, the sound emitted by the buzzer 1 9 is of low volume and the buzzer generates sound waves which stimulate the nerve fibres of the sensitive portion of the patient adjacent which the sensor is fitted. In this sense it will be appreciated that the sensor is tactile although the buzzer 1 9 may not be physically in contact with the patient.

The enuretic detector of Fig. 3 operates in exactly the same way as that- of Fig. 2 in -that when enuresis occurs, urine flows on to the detector mat 10 and bridges the spaces between conductors 11,12 causing power to be supplied from the battery 1 5 to the buzzer 1 9 and the light 1 7. The buzzer 1 9 creates sound waves which provide a tactile stimulus which awakens the patient. The light allows the patient to operate the switch 1 6 in order to cut off the electrical supply from battery 1 5 thereby terminating operation of the buzzer 19.

In the above described arrangements; sensor means has been described in which the tactile sensor is either in the form of a virtually silent mechanical vibrator or a low-volume audible sensor such as sound wave-generating buzzer. It will be appreciated that any other form of electrically-operable tactile sensor can be substituted. Also, instead of being fitted to the sole of a patient's foot, the sensor can be fitted to any other suitably sensitive part of the patient's body such as the palm of a hand.

It has been found that a detector in accordance with the present invention has proved to be satisfactory in the treatment of patients suffering from enuresis. It assists patients in immediately detecting and enabling them to control their problem; Furthermore, when a tactile sensor is employed which is substantially non-audible, potential embarrassment to the patient is prevented.

Audible sensor means has also been tried where an audible alarm is located in a pillow cavity and surrounded by a sound box in order to direct the sound emanating from the audible alarm at the ear of the patient. Such an arrangement has beenfound not to be as effective as the tactile sensor arrangement of the present invention.

Claims

1. A detector for assisting in the control of enuresis comprising electrical means for detecting the presence- of urine, and adapted to be connected to sensor means operable by said electrical means on detection of urine in order to waken a patient in response to operation of said sensor means characterised in that the sensor means comprises a tactile sensor adapted to be operatively located adja cent a sensitive part of the nerve system of a patient.

2. A detector as claimed in claim 1, in which the tactile sensor is a vibratory mecha nism in physical contact with the patient and adapted to waken the patient on operation thereof.

3. A detector as claimed in claim 5, in which the tactile sensor is an audible mecha nism adapted to generate vibratory sound waves which act to waken the -patient.

4. A detector as claimed in any preceding claim in which the electrical means comprises a layer of electrically insulating material of at least one pair of electrical conductors spaced from each other and located on a surface of said layer so that they are adapted to be electrically interconnected on the presence of urine.

5. A detector as claimed in claim 4 in which the electrically insulating layer is in the form of a flexible sheet to one surface of which is secured a pair of ribbon-like interdigi sating conductors.

6. A detector as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which the insulating layer is of synthetic plastics material.

7. A detector.as claimed in any of claims 4 to 6, in which the conductors are of stain less steel-.

8. A detector as claimed-in any of claims 1 to 7, comprising a low-voltage electrical source electically connected to the sensor for providing an electrical supply to a circuit including a normally closed switch.

9. A detector as claimed in claim 8, in which the electrical circuit incorporates an electric light which is actuated on the circuit being completed.

1 0. A detector for assisting in the detec tion of enuresis, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.