JP6801044B2 - Wetting detection system for disposable diapers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wetness detection system for disposable diapers that utilizes the property of an IC tag whose radio waves are shielded by surrounding liquids.

Since it is not possible to predict the timing and frequency of defecation and urination when changing disposable diapers for the elderly, disabled people, newborn babies, infants, etc., there is no choice but to visually check the inside of the disposable diapers, and the confirmation work is frequent. Because it is necessary to do this, it is physically and mentally burdensome for the manager who changes the disposable diapers. In addition, for the elderly and the handicapped, the act of repeatedly confirming the presence or absence of defecation / urination is accompanied by shame, which imposes a heavy mental burden.

In view of this situation, a technique for notifying the administrator of the appropriate replacement timing of disposable diapers has been conventionally proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which an indicator portion that changes color upon contact with excrement is provided between the back sheet of a disposable diaper and an absorber so that the color change can be visually recognized from the outside. However, even with a disposable diaper to which this technique is applied, the discolored part cannot be confirmed unless the clothing of the lower body is removed, so that not all the mental burdens of the elderly and disabled disposable diaper wearers are eliminated.

On the other hand, in Non-Patent Document 1, a tape-shaped sensor attached to the inner surface of an existing disposable diaper and a state in which the sensor is attached to the outer surface of the disposable diaper to defecate or urinate (hereinafter referred to as “)”. , A wet state) is disclosed as a technique for a wetness detection system for disposable diapers, which comprises a wireless communication unit for detecting the wet state. This wireless communication unit is equipped with a power supply, an antenna, a circuit, etc., and when it detects a wet state, it notifies a pre-registered smartphone. According to this technique, the manager can know the necessity of changing the disposable diaper without checking the inside of the disposable diaper or taking off the clothes of the lower body.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-337384

Sanwa Co., Ltd., "Brand introduction", [online], [Search on February 9, 2017], Internet <URL: http://sanwajp-group.com/brand.html>

However, since the above-mentioned wireless communication unit is provided with a strong housing for accommodating parts such as a power supply, there is a risk of giving a foreign body sensation or discomfort to the wearer of the disposable diaper who has turned over.

On the other hand, the IC tag and the sensor for detecting the wet state are provided in the disposable diaper, and the IC tag reading device is provided separately from the disposable diaper to detect the wet condition without giving a foreign body sensation or discomfort to the disposable diaper wearer. However, it is not preferable to attach the sensor to a disposable disposable diaper, which is a daily necessities, from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost and selling price.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems. One of the objects of the present invention is that the disposable diaper wearer can use the disposable diaper without feeling any foreign body sensation or discomfort, and the administrator does not perform a shameful confirmation work on the disposable diaper wearer. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wetness detection system for disposable diapers that can grasp the replacement timing and can be manufactured at low cost.

Means for Solving Problems and Effects of Invention

According to the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the first aspect of the present invention, it has a plurality of disposable diapers and unique information, receives radio waves from the outside and transmits the unique information as radio waves, and also surrounds liquid. When the amount of radio waves increases, at least one of the radio waves received or transmitted is blocked, and the radio waves are transmitted to the plurality of IC tags provided in each of the plurality of disposable diapers and the IC tags of the plurality of disposable diapers. From a reader having a first communication unit that receives radio waves transmitted from each of the plurality of IC tags and transfers unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags, and from the first communication unit of the reader. Wet information indicating whether or not each of the plurality of disposable diapers is in a wet state based on the second communication unit that receives the transferred unique information and whether or not the second communication unit can receive the unique information. An external device having a notification unit for notifying the outside, and a corresponding setting unit for associating the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags with the paper diaper wearer or the paper diaper can be provided. According to the above configuration, by putting the sheet-shaped IC tag in the disposable diaper, the appearance becomes the disposable diaper itself, and it can be used in the same sense as a general disposable diaper. In addition, since an IC tag that shields at least one of the radio waves that are received or transmitted when the amount of surrounding liquid increases is adopted, the radio waves do not reach the reader and the external device, so that the disposable diaper is in a wet state. By making the IC tag a passive type without using parts such as a sensor that detects liquid, the unit price of the product can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the external device notifies the wet information in association with each of the plurality of disposable diapers based on whether or not the unique information transmitted from the IC tag can be received, the administrator can, for example, wear a large number of disposable diapers. It is possible to centrally manage the timing of changing the disposable diaper of the disposable diaper wearer, for example, with a smartphone or the like at a nursing care facility or the like where the diaper is present. Furthermore, by using the application corresponding to an example of the corresponding setting unit, the administrator can associate the unique number of the IC tag with the wearer of the disposable diaper with a simple operation.

Further, according to the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the second aspect of the present invention, the notification unit of the external device can receive the correspondence set by the corresponding setting unit and the second communication unit. Based on the unique information of the IC tag that did not exist, it is possible to have a display unit that can identify the wet paper diaper wearer or the paper diaper. According to the above configuration, the wet disposable diaper wearer or the disposable diaper is displayed based on the correspondence set by the corresponding setting unit and the unique information of the IC tag that could not be received by the second communication unit. As a result, the manager can easily identify the wet disposable diaper wearer or the disposable diaper.

Furthermore, according to the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the third aspect of the present invention, the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags transferred from the reading device is transmitted to the external device via the Internet. it can. According to the above configuration, even if the reading device and the external device are separated from each other, the administrator who owns the external device can receive the notification.

Furthermore, according to the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags is uploaded from the reading device, and the unique information is obtained in response to the access. It can be equipped with cloud storage that is downloaded to an external device and is connected so that it can communicate via the Internet.

Furthermore, according to the paper diaper wetting detection system according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the reading device can periodically upload the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags to the cloud storage. According to the above configuration, for example, by accessing the cloud storage from a smartphone, a personal computer, or the like, information on the wet state of the disposable diaper can be read out from anywhere.

Furthermore, according to the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the plurality of IC tags can be arranged on each of the plurality of disposable diapers. According to the above configuration, the degree of wetness of the disposable diaper and the wet portion can be determined from the position of the IC tag in which the wet state is detected.

Furthermore, according to the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the plurality of IC tags extend in the confrontation direction between the ventral side and the dorsal side in a state where the plurality of disposable diapers are spread out. Can be configured to

It is a block diagram of the wetting detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on 1st Example to which this invention was applied. It is a functional block diagram of the wetting detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on 1st Example to which this invention was applied. It is the schematic of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the developed state of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA'in FIG. 4 of a disposable diaper to which the present invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about the arrangement of the IC tag in the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about the communicable range of the 1st radio wave and the 2nd radio wave in the wetness detection system of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about the communicable range of the 1st radio wave and the 2nd radio wave in the wetness detection system of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about the communicable range of the 1st radio wave and the 2nd radio wave in the wetness detection system of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation of an application. It is an image diagram of an application showing an initial screen. It is an image diagram of the user interface which shows the state of the disposable diaper of a registrant. It is an image diagram of a user interface which shows the notification state by push notification. It is a flowchart which shows the operation flow of the wetting detection system of a disposable diaper. It is a block diagram of the wetting detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on the 2nd Example to which this invention was applied. It is a block diagram of the wetting detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on 3rd Example to which this invention was applied.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below exemplify a wetness detection system for disposable diapers for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the wetness detection system for disposable diapers to the following. In addition, the present specification does not specify the members shown in the claims as the members of the embodiment. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the specific description unless otherwise specified, and are merely described. It's just an example. The size and positional relationship of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation. Further, in the following description, members of the same or the same quality are shown with the same name and reference numeral, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Further, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are composed of the same member and the plurality of elements are combined with one member, or conversely, the function of one member is performed by the plurality of members. It can also be shared and realized.
(First Example)

In the following, the case where the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied is used to centrally manage the timing of changing the disposable diapers of three disposable diaper wearers in the same hospital room will be described as an example. To do. The number of paper diaper wearers that can be centrally managed by using the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 is not limited to three, and may be three or more or three or less. The case of managing one disposable diaper wearer will be described in detail in the third embodiment.
(Configuration of Paper Diaper Wetting Detection System 1)

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper diaper wetting detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied includes tape-stop type paper diapers 11a to 11c and a reading device, respectively, which are provided with IC tags 12a to 12c. It consists of 14 and a smartphone 15 (corresponding to an example of an "external device" within the scope of claims. Details will be described later).

The disposable diapers 11a to 11c correspond to the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c (corresponding to an example of "unique information" in the claims. Details will be described later). QR code (registered trademark) 111a to 111c (corresponding to an example of "corresponding setting unit" and "symbol" in the claims. Details will be described later) is printed on each, and the dedicated application 16 ("corresponding" in the claims Corresponding to an example of the "setting unit" and the "notification unit". Details will be described later.) By reading the QR codes 111a to 111c with the camera 151 of the smartphone 15, the unique numbers 13a to 13c are associated with the disposable diaper. Can be done.

The reading device 14 is an antenna unit 141 (claimed) that transmits the first radio wave RW1 (details will be described later) and the second radio wave RW2 (details will be described later) transmitted by the IC tags 12a to 12c. Corresponds to an example of the "first communication unit" in the range. The details will be described later) and the communication unit 142 (the first communication unit in the claims) that transmits the third radio wave RW3 (details will be described later). Corresponding to an example of the "second communication unit", the smartphone 15 has a communication unit 152 (corresponding to an example of the "second communication unit" within the scope of claims), which has a communication unit 152 capable of receiving radio waves from the communication unit 142. The details will be described later.) The communicable range between the reading device 14 and the IC tags 12a to 12c is such that the entire hospital room can be covered, the radius is about 2 to 6 m, the reading device 14 and the smartphone. The communicable range with 15 is within a spherical range having a radius of about 15 m.

The arrows shown in FIG. 1 schematically represent radio waves, and the solid arrows are transmitted from the reading device 14 and received by the IC tags 12a to 12c as a power source for the IC tags 12a to 12c. The first radio wave RW1 to be used is shown, and the white arrow indicates the second radio wave RW1 transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c, received by the reading device 14, and including the information of the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c. The radio wave RW2 is indicated, and the dashed arrow indicates the information of the unique number transmitted from the reading device 14, received by the smartphone 15, and received by the reading device 14 among the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c. The third radio wave RW3 is shown. In the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, a paper diaper having a unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3 is determined as a wet paper diaper.

A dedicated application 16 is installed in the smartphone 15, and when the application 16 detects a wet disposable diaper, it corresponds to an example of the speaker 153 of the smartphone 15 (“notification unit” within the scope of claims. Details will be described later. ), And displays the paper diaper that needs to be replaced on the touch panel LCD screen 154 (corresponding to an example of the "notification unit" and "display unit" in the claims. Details will be described later). To do.

The wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the disposable diaper is not limited to the tape stopper type, and may be a pants type, a flat type, or a pad type. Further, not only the QR codes 111a to 111c but also the barcode, the password, and the unique number itself may correspond to the corresponding setting unit in the claims. Further, the QR codes 111a to 111c may not be provided if they can be replaced by other means such as manually corresponding to the smartphone 15 itself.
(Paper diapers 11a-11c)

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the paper diaper 11a in the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a paper diaper unfolded state, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA'in FIG. Shown in 5. Since the configurations of the disposable diapers 11b and the disposable diapers 11c are the same as those of the disposable diapers 11a, the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the disposable diapers 11a are tape-stopping type disposable diapers, and are mainly composed of a surface material 112a, an intermediate material 113a, an absorbent material 114a, a waterproof material 115a, and an exterior material 116a. , The three-dimensional gather 117a, the elastic bodies 1181a and 1182a, and the tape 119a. These members are joined to each other to the extent that they are not peeled off by the movement of the disposable diaper wearer and to the extent that they allow liquid to pass through. Specifically, it is bonded by an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, and solid, bead, curtain, summit, spiral coating, or the like is used as the method of applying the adhesive. In particular, in the elastic bodies 1181a and 1182a, a comb gun, a sure wrap coating or the like is also used in place of or in combination with these coating methods. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent skin troubles such as rash and redness caused by wrinkles generated by peeling of members from rubbing against wet skin after excretion. In addition, since the adhesive is bonded so as to allow the liquid to pass through, there is no risk that the adhesive will hinder the absorption of the liquid. The joining of the members is not limited to the joining by an adhesive, and may be, for example, joining by material welding such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing.

The surface material 112a is made of, for example, a perforated or non-perforated non-woven fabric, a porous plastic sheet, or the like, and has a property of allowing a liquid to permeate. The raw material fibers for the non-woven fabric are not particularly limited, and include, for example, olefin-based fibers such as polyethylene and polypropylene, synthetic fibers such as polyester-based and polyamide-based fibers, recycled fibers such as rayon and cupra, natural fibers such as cotton, and the like. It may be a mixed fiber, a composite fiber, or the like in which two or more kinds of fibers are used. Further, as a known method for processing a non-woven fabric, for example, there are a spunlace method, a spunbond method, a thermal bond method, a melt blown method, a needle punch method, an air through method, a point bond method and the like. It may be manufactured. For example, if flexibility and drapeability are required, a span race method may be used, and if bulkiness and softness are required, a thermal bond method may be used.

The intermediate material 113a can be formed of, for example, the same material as the surface material 112a, and has a property of drawing in the liquid of the surface material 112a, quickly feeding the liquid to the absorbent material, and preventing the excrement from returning. The intermediate material does not necessarily have to be formed of the same material as the surface material, but when the same material is used, the melting points of the surface material 112a and the intermediate material 113a are the same, so that the surface material 112a and the intermediate material are the same. A heat seal or an ultrasonic seal can be preferably used for joining with the 113a.

The absorbent material 114a is formed by, for example, a cotton-like pulp 1142a and a superabsorbent polymer 1143a mixed and laminated, and coated on an absorbent paper 1141a. The super absorbent polymer 1143a can quickly absorb a liquid of about 50 to 100 times its own weight. The absorbent paper 1141a prevents the laminated cotton-like pulp 1142a and the super absorbent polymer 1143a from losing their shapes due to the load generated by the movement of the disposable diaper wearer. Further, since the absorbent material 114a includes two slits 1144a and the liquid is diffused along the two slits 1144a, the liquid is efficiently dispersed by the two slits 1144a and the liquid is quickly dispersed. Can be absorbed.

The waterproof material 115a is a waterproof sheet and prevents liquid from seeping out of the disposable diaper 11a. Further, the waterproof material 115a includes an IC tag 12a on the surface of the absorbent material 114a (details will be described later).

The exterior material 116a is a sheet that covers the outside of the disposable diaper 11a, and the QR code 111a is printed on the outer surface on the abdominal side.

The three-dimensional gather 117a includes a gather sheet 1171a and an elastic body 1181a. For example, the gather sheet 1171a is made of a non-woven fabric, and the elastic body 1181a is made of an elastic material such as polyurethane elastic fiber. The three-dimensional gather 117a prevents urine and stool from leaking from around the thigh (generally called lateral leakage). Further, elastic bodies 1182a are provided on both edges of the waterproof material 115a. As a result, the paper diaper 11a fits around the thighs of the paper diaper wearer, so that the wearing comfort is improved and lateral leakage can be prevented as in the case of the three-dimensional gather 117a.

Two tapes 119a are provided on the outer surface of the waterproof material 115a on the back side, and urine and stool leak from around the waist on the back side by attaching the paper diaper so that it fits on the lower abdomen of the wearer of the paper diaper (generally). This is called back leakage.) In addition, the tape 119a can also be used for rolling and fixing the used disposable diaper when discarding it, and prevents urine and stool from leaking to the outside.

The disposable diaper 11a is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the material of the surface material 112a may be polypropylene, or the tape 119a may be one on each side. Further, the arrangement of the IC tag 12a is not limited to the surface of the waterproof material 115a on the absorbent material 114a side.
(IC tags 12a to 12c)

The IC tag 12a in the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. Since the configurations of the IC tag 12b and the IC tag 12c are the same as those of the IC tag 12a, the description thereof will be omitted.

The IC tag 12a is a passive type IC tag that does not have a built-in battery, and has an antenna unit 121a that receives the first radio wave RW1 transmitted from the antenna unit 141 of the reading device 14, as shown in FIG. The first radio wave RW1 received by the antenna unit 121a is converted into electric power, and the electric power is supplied to the IC chip 122a. The IC chip 122a of the IC tag 12a has an internal memory for storing the unique number 13a, and when the first radio wave RW1 is received, the IC chip 122a controls the antenna unit 121a to obtain information on the unique number 13a. The second radio wave RW2 including the signal is transmitted radially. The reading device 14 receives the second radio wave RW2, and the reading device 14 transmits the received unique number information as the third radio wave RW3.

Further, the IC tag 12a is arranged on the surface of the waterproof material 115a on the side of the absorbent material 114a, and the liquid from urine or stool permeates the surface material 112a, the intermediate material 113a, and the absorbent material 114a in this order. Since the liquid has a characteristic that it is difficult for the first radio wave RW1 and the second radio wave RW2, which are radio waves, to pass through, when the absorbent material 114a absorbs the liquid and becomes wet, the antenna portion 121a of the IC tag 12a receives the first radio wave. Since the RW1 cannot be received and the power cannot be supplied to the IC chip 122a, the second radio wave RW2 cannot be transmitted, or the antenna unit 121a can receive the first radio wave RW1. However, since the second radio wave RW2 transmitted from the antenna unit 121a is shielded by the liquid, the second radio wave RW2 does not reach the reading device 14 (hereinafter, referred to as a shielded state). In the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the wetness detection system 1 is determined to be a wet disposable diaper by utilizing this shielding state.

Specifically, after the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 receives the third radio wave RW3 on the smartphone 15, the application 16 described later wets the paper diaper wearer corresponding to the unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3. It is judged as a disposable diaper in a state and the administrator is notified. In addition, instead of giving the application 16 a wet state determination function, for example, the state of the disposable diaper may be updated periodically so that the administrator can determine whether or not the application 16 is in a wet state.

As described above, by using the property that the liquid does not easily pass radio waves to determine that the disposable diaper is in a wet state, it is not necessary to separately provide a sensor for detecting the amount of liquid such as a humidity sensor in the disposable diaper. Manufacturing cost can be suppressed. Further, since only a thin IC tag is provided on the disposable diaper, there is no risk of giving a foreign body sensation or discomfort to the disposable diaper wearer.
(Unique numbers 13a to 13c)

The unique numbers 13a to 13c are different unique numbers and are stored in the internal memories of the IC chips 122a to 122c, respectively. As for the disposable diapers used for carrying out the present invention, it is desirable that all the manufactured disposable diapers have IC tags having different unique numbers, but as described above, all the manufactured disposable diapers have unique numbers. Not limited to different modes, at least as many disposable diapers as the number of disposable diaper wearers managed simultaneously by the wetness detection system of the disposable diapers may have different unique numbers. In other words, if lot management does not use the same unique number at the same time, not all disposable diapers manufactured need to have different unique numbers. For example, when a 12-bit internal memory is adopted, 4096 different unique numbers can be assigned, but even with such a limited number, the sales form (location, region, time, etc.) is different. This makes it possible to avoid the situation where disposable diapers having the same unique number are used at the same time.
(QR codes 111a to 111c)

The QR codes 111a to 111c are printed on the abdominal outer surface of the exterior materials 116a to 116c of the disposable diapers 11a to 11c, respectively, and have information on the unique number of the IC tag included in the printed disposable diapers. The administrator reads the QR codes 111a to 111c using the camera 151 in the paper diaper wearer registration mode (details will be described later) of the application 16 introduced in the smartphone 15, and registers the name of the paper diaper wearer. By doing so, the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c can be easily associated with the wearer of the disposable diaper. The printed portion of the QR codes 111a to 111c is not limited to the abdominal outer surface of the exterior materials 116a to 116c.
(Arrangement of IC tags 12a to 12c in disposable diapers 11a to 11c)

The arrangement of the IC tag 12a in the disposable diaper 11a will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The arrangement of the IC tag 12b and the IC tag 12c in the paper diaper 11b and the paper diaper 11c is the same as the arrangement of the IC tag 12a in the paper diaper 11a, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the IC tag 12a is arranged on the surface of the waterproof material 115a on the absorbent material 114a side, and when the absorbent material 114a absorbs the liquid, it is in a shielding state, that is, the wetness detection system 1 of the disposable diaper is a disposable diaper. 11a is in a wet state. The arrangement of the IC tag 12a is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

Further, as another embodiment, one paper diaper may be provided with a plurality of IC tags having different unique numbers. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, five IC tags 12a-1 to 12a-5 can be arranged on a disposable diaper. According to this, the wetness detection system 1 of the disposable diaper can determine the degree of wetness in addition to the determination of whether or not the disposable diaper is in a wet state. Specifically, the larger the amount of urine, the wider the wet range of the disposable diaper, so that the number of shielded IC tags increases. Utilizing this characteristic, the application 16 determines that the amount of urine is small when, for example, the number of shielded IC tags is 2 or less, and when the number of shielded IC tags is 3 or less, the application 16 determines. , It is possible to judge the degree of wetness, such as judging that the amount of urine is large. In addition, if the IC tag 12a-1 is in the shielded state, it can be determined that the dorsal side is wet, and if the IC tag 12a-5 is in the shielded state, it can be determined that the ventral side is wet. That is, by arranging a plurality of IC tags on one disposable diaper, the wet position in the disposable diaper can be determined.

As described above, the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied changes the detection content of the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 by changing the arrangement and / or the number of IC tags. can do.
(Reading device 14)

The reading device 14 in the paper diaper wetting detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 7 to 9.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 to 9, the reading device 14 includes an antenna unit 141, a communication unit 142, and a control unit 143 that controls them, and supplies power to the IC tags 12a to 12c. It plays a role of relaying the information of the unique numbers 13a to 13c transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c so that the smartphone 15 can receive them, and transmits the first radio wave RW1 and the third radio wave RW3 and receives the second radio wave RW2. ..

As shown in FIG. 7, the reading device 14 is installed, for example, substantially in the center of the hospital room. The reading device 14 and the IC tags 12a to 12c have a communicable range within a spherical range having a radius of about 2 to 6 m, and a communicable range over the entire hospital room. Further, the communicable range between the reading device 14 and the smartphone 15 is within a spherical range having a radius of about 15 m, and similarly, the entire area of the hospital room is the communicable range. That is, when the administrator who possesses the smartphone 15 enters the hospital room, the presence or absence of a wet state can be detected, and if it is wet, the application 16 notifies the administrator, so that the administrator checks the inside of the disposable diaper. You can know whether or not you need to change disposable diapers without having to take off your lower body clothing.

The communicable range between the reading device 14, the IC tags 12a to 12c, and the smartphone 15 is not limited to the above, and the performances of the reading device 14, the IC tags 12a to 12c, and the smartphone 15 and the wetness of the disposable diaper It varies depending on the environment in which the detection system 1 is used. Further, the installation location of the reading device 14 is not limited to the above-described aspect.

For example, when the communicable range between the reading device and the IC tag is narrow and within a spherical range having a radius of about 2 to 3 m, it can be dealt with by using one reading device for one disposable diaper. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the readers 14a to 14c are worn with the corresponding disposable diapers 11a to 11c so that the IC tags 12a to 12c provided on the corresponding disposable diapers 11a to 11c are within the communicable range. Install around the bed used by the person.

When the communicable range between the reader and the IC tag is further narrowed, as shown in FIG. 9, the antenna portions 141a to 141c of the readers 14a to 14c are formed in a sheet shape under the bed mattress. By arranging them so that they are laid out, it is possible to cover the narrow communication range.

As described above, by appropriately changing the arrangement and configuration of the reading device, an inexpensive IC tag having a narrow communicable range can be used in the present invention, so that the manufacturing cost and the selling price can be further suppressed.

Furthermore, the information possessed by the third radio wave RW3, that is, the information of the unique number received by the reading device 14 among the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c, is transmitted from the reading device 14 to the smartphone 15 using the Internet. You can also send it. According to this, no matter how far the reader 14 and the smartphone 15 are, the administrator who owns the smartphone 15 can receive the notification. Alternatively, information on the wet state of the disposable diapers 11a to 11c is periodically uploaded from the reading device 14, for example, to the cloud storage on the Internet so that the information is updated, and the information is updated from the smartphone 15 or the personal computer to the cloud storage. By accessing, the information regarding the wet state of the disposable diapers 11a to 11c may be read from anywhere.
(Smartphone 15)

The smartphone 15 plays a role of notifying the administrator of the wet state, and as shown in FIG. 2, they receive instructions from the camera 151, the communication unit 152, the speaker 153, the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154, and the application 16. It is provided with a control unit 155 that controls the members of the above, and has a photographing function, a wireless communication function, a voice reproduction function, and a moving image reproduction function.

When using the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers, the camera 151, communication unit 152, speaker 153, and touch panel LCD screen 154 of the smartphone 15 are operated by the application 16, and when the wet state is detected, the smartphone 15 gets wet with the administrator. Notify the status.

A tablet terminal having the same function may be used instead of the smartphone 15. Further, instead of a smartphone or tablet, a personal computer connected to the reading device 14 by wire may be used to centrally manage the wet state, or the wet state may be notified by the nurse call in conjunction with the nurse call. You may. In this case, the information of the unique number received by the reading device 14 among the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c described above is transmitted by wired communication using electric signals instead of wireless communication by radio waves. Furthermore, wireless communication is not limited to Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi®.
(Application 16)

The application 16 in the paper diaper wetting detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the operation flowchart shown in FIG. 10 and the image diagram of the user interface screen shown in FIGS. 11 to 13.

The application 16 is installed on the smartphone 15 and mainly performs the correspondence between the unique number and the wearer of the disposable diaper, the determination of the wet state, and the notification of the wet state.

First, when the application 16 is started in step ST101, the application 16 displays the initial screen 161 as shown in FIG. 11 on the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154 in step ST102.

The initial screen 161 is provided with a disposable diaper wearer registration button 1611, a registrant management button 1612, a setting change button 1613, and a detection start / end button 1614. When the disposable diaper wearer registration button 1611 is tapped, the disposable diaper is provided. In the wearer registration mode, when the registrant management button 1612 is tapped, the mode shifts to the registrant management mode, and when the setting change button 1613 is tapped, the mode shifts to the setting change mode. Further, the detection start / end button 1614 alternately switches the start / end of the detection of the wet state each time it is tapped.

In step ST103, the application 16 confirms the tapped button and executes the corresponding operation in steps ST103-1 to ST103-4. If the button is not tapped, the process proceeds to step ST103-5 (do nothing). In other words, in step ST103 and step ST103-5, the input standby state is set.

The application 16 repeats until the steps of step ST102 and step ST103 are completed. In the following, the operations in steps ST103-1 to ST103-4 will be described in detail.
(Step ST103-1: Paper diaper wearer registration mode)

In step ST103-1, application 16 executes the disposable diaper wearer registration mode. The paper diaper wearer registration mode is a mode for associating the unique number of the IC tag with the paper diaper wearer, and is started by tapping the paper diaper wearer registration button 1611 on the initial screen 161.

In the disposable diaper wearer registration mode, the application 16 first reads the QR code, and then guides the administrator to input the name of the wearer of the disposable diaper on which the read QR code is printed. The application 16 stores the unique number obtained by reading the QR code and the input name of the disposable diaper wearer as a set, and associates the unique number of the IC tag with the disposable diaper wearer. Therefore, the administrator can associate the unique number of the IC tag with the wearer of the disposable diaper with a simple operation.

The disposable diaper wearer registration mode is not limited to the above mode. For example, the method of obtaining a unique number is not limited to reading a QR code, but when a barcode, password, or the unique number itself is displayed on a disposable diaper as a corresponding "symbol" in the claims. , The unique number may be obtained by reading or inputting these. Further, the association between the unique number and the paper diaper wearer is not limited to the association by the name of the paper diaper wearer, and may be associated by the number of the hospital room or bed, the face photograph of the paper diaper wearer, or the like.
(Step ST103-2: Registrant management mode)

In step ST103-2, application 16 executes the registrant management mode. The registrant management mode is a mode for confirming, correcting, or deleting the registered contents of a disposable diaper wearer (hereinafter referred to as a registrant) associated with a unique number in the disposable diaper wearer registration mode, and is an initial screen. It starts by tapping the registrant management button 1612 of 161.
(Step ST103-3: Setting change mode)

In step ST103-3, the application 16 executes the setting change mode. The setting change mode is a mode for setting the notification method to the administrator, the character size in the application, the screen brightness, and the volume of the notification sound, and the setting change button 1613 on the initial screen 161 is tapped. Start with. The setting contents are not limited to the above contents. For example, when a mode in which a plurality of IC tags are provided on the above-mentioned one paper diaper (see FIG. 6) is adopted as a mode of the paper diaper, a wetness detection system for the paper diaper is adopted. The detection content of 1 may be set in this mode.
(Step ST103-4: Switching between wet state detection start / end)

In step ST103-4, the application 16 alternately switches the start / end of the detection of the wet state of the disposable diaper. When the application 16 detects the wet state of the disposable diaper, the application 16 displays one column of the registrant and the presence / absence of the wet state on the touch panel liquid crystal screen 154 in association with each other, as in the user interface screen shown in FIG. For example, when the disposable diaper becomes wet, the display of the presence or absence of the wet state is switched from "none" to "yes", and the notification sound is reproduced from the speaker 153 to notify the administrator. Further, for example, when a wet state is detected in the standby state in which the power of the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154 of the smartphone 15 is turned off, a push notification as shown in FIG. 13 and a notification sound are used to notify the administrator. Do.

In the above-mentioned example of the user interface screen of the application 16, the arrangement, shape, display method, size, color scheme, pattern, etc. of each button can be appropriately changed, and the notification method is not limited to the above method. When a personal computer connected to the reading device 14 by wire is used instead of the smartphone 15, software having the same function as the above-mentioned application 16 is installed in the personal computer.
(Flow of operation of the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers)

The operation flow of the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the operation flowchart shown in FIG. Here, the administrator emphasizes the flow of operations of the entire system after the paper diaper with the IC tag incorporated is attached to the wearer of the paper diaper, and the flow of operations to be executed by the application 16 of the smartphone 15. For details of, refer to the item of application 16.

First, in step ST201, the administrator activates the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers to transmit / receive the first radio wave RW1 to the third radio wave RW3. The transmission / reception of each radio wave is as described above (see FIG. 1). The activation of the paper diaper wetting detection system 1 here means setting the communication devices such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and starting the application 16 on the smartphone 15 so that the paper diaper wetting detection can be started. Means that.

Next, in step ST202, the administrator reads the QR codes 111a to 111c of the paper diapers 11a to 11c in the paper diaper wearer registration mode of the application 16 of the smartphone 15, and sets the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c. , Correspondence and registration with the disposable diaper wearer, and tap the detection start / end button 1614 to start the detection of the wet state.

Next, in step ST203, the application 16 of the smartphone 15 verifies whether all the unique numbers 13a to 13c registered in step ST202 are included in the third radio wave RW3, and according to the collation result, step ST203. -1 to step ST203-3 is executed. Application 16 repeats the steps from step ST203 to step ST203-3 until a wet state is detected.

The reading device 14 receives the second radio wave RW2 transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c, and transmits the unique number included in all the received second radio waves RW2 as the third radio wave RW3. Therefore, for example, the smartphone 15 When the third radio wave RW3 is received, the unique number included in the third radio wave RW3 is collated with the unique numbers 13a to 13c registered on the smartphone 15 side, and there is a unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3. For example, it can be determined that the second radio wave RW2 cannot be received from the IC tag corresponding to the unique number, and the paper diaper on which the IC tag is placed is in a wet state. In the present embodiment, depending on how the disposable diaper is used and how the reading device is installed, the reading device 14 may not be able to receive the second radio wave RW2 even though the second radio wave RW2 is transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c. Therefore, it is determined that the disposable diaper is in a wet state when it cannot be received for each IC tag, for example, four times.

If the results of the collation in step ST203 match the two, the process proceeds to step ST203-1. If the process proceeds to step ST203-1, application 16 does nothing. In other words, in step ST203 and step ST203-1, the standby state for detecting the wet state is established.

Further, as a result of collation, if there is a unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3, the process proceeds to step ST203-2. If the process proceeds to step ST203-2, the application 16 increments the counter count assigned to the unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3. This counter is 0 in the initial state, and when it reaches 4, the process proceeds to step ST203-3. If the process proceeds to step ST203-3, the administrator is notified. That is, in order to prevent malfunction, it is not considered to be in a wet state until the counter reaches 3.

Since the administrator can identify the wearer of the disposable diaper in the wet state by the notification, the disposable diaper is changed in step ST204. Then, in step ST202 again, if the unique number of the new disposable diaper is associated with and registered with the wearer of the disposable diaper, the wet state of the disposable diaper can be detected again by this system.
(Second Example)
(Configuration of Paper Diaper Wetting Detection System 2)

The second embodiment to which the present invention is applied has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment, but the components corresponding to the “reader” and the “external device” in the claims are different. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the reading device 14 is provided as a component corresponding to the "reading device", and the smartphone 15 is provided as a component corresponding to the "external device". In the second embodiment, reading devices 24a to 24c with a notification function are provided as components corresponding to both the “reading device” and the “external device”. Hereinafter, the configuration of the wetness detection system 2 for disposable diapers according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 15, the paper diaper wetness detection system 2 according to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applied includes tape-stop type paper diapers 21a to 21c provided with IC tags 22a to 22c, respectively, and a notification function. It is provided with reading devices 24a to 24c.

Further, the reading devices 24a to 24c with a notification function have antenna units 241a to 241c that transmit one type of radio wave and receive the radio wave transmitted by the IC tags 22a to 22c, and the IC tags 22a to 22c. The communicable range with is within a spherical range having a radius of about 2 to 3 m.

The arrows shown in FIG. 15 schematically represent radio waves, and the solid arrows are transmitted from readers 24a to 24c with a notification function, received by the corresponding IC tags 22a to 22c, and ICs. The white arrow indicates the first radio wave RW1 used as the power source for the tags 22a to 22c, and the white arrow indicates the second radio wave RW2 transmitted from the IC tags 22a to 22c and received by the corresponding readers 24a to 24c with a notification function. ing. When the reading devices 24a to 24c with a notification function cannot receive the second radio wave RW2 from the corresponding IC tags 22a to 22c, they notify the administrator that the corresponding disposable diaper is in a wet state. Hereinafter, the reading devices 24a to 24c with a notification function, which are different from the first embodiment, will be described.
(Reading devices 24a to 24c with notification function)

The reading device 24a with a notification function in the wetness detection system 2 for disposable diapers according to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. Since the configurations of the reading device 24b with a notification function and the reading device 24c with a notification function are the same as those of the reading device 24a with a notification function, the description thereof will be omitted.

The reading device 24a with a notification function includes an antenna unit 241a, a speaker 242a, and an LED lighting unit 243a, and plays a role of notifying the administrator when the disposable diaper 21a becomes wet.

The reading device 24a with a notification function is a bed used by a disposable diaper wearer so that only the IC tag 22a provided on the corresponding disposable diaper 21a falls within the communicable range (within a spherical range having a radius of about 2 to 3 m). When it is installed in the vicinity and the second radio wave RW2 from the IC tag 22a cannot be received, a notification sound is emitted by the speaker 242a, which corresponds to an example of the LED lighting unit 243a (“notification unit” in the claims). ) Turns on the LED to notify the administrator that the disposable diaper 21a is in a wet state. According to this, the wetness detection system 2 for disposable diapers determines the wet state depending on whether or not the readers 24a to 24c with a notification function can receive the second radio wave RW2 transmitted by the corresponding IC tag. The third radio wave RW3 in the wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers is not required. In other words, since the components corresponding to the "unique information" and the "corresponding setting unit" in the claims are not required, the paper diaper wetting detection system 2 has the unique information of each IC tag and the paper diaper wearer or the paper diaper wearer. It can be used without the work of associating it with a disposable diaper.
(Third Example)

The third embodiment to which the present invention is applied is when the first embodiment is applied to the management of one disposable diaper wearer, for example, when it is used for home care. Hereinafter, the wetting detection system 3 for disposable diapers according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16, the paper diaper wetting detection system 3 according to the third embodiment to which the present invention is applied includes tape-stop type paper diapers 31a to 31t (paper diaper wearers wear paper diapers 31a), respectively, provided with IC tags 32. ), The reader 34, and the smartphone 35. For example, 20 disposable diapers 31a to 31t are sold as a set, and each includes QR codes 311a to 311t corresponding to the unique numbers 33a to 33t of the IC tags 32a to 32t.

The application 36 is installed on the smartphone 35 to register the unique number 33a of the disposable diaper 31a being worn, determine the wet state, and notify the wet state. The wetness detection system 1 for the disposable diaper according to the first embodiment stores the unique number and the input name of the disposable diaper wearer as a set in the application 16, but the disposable diaper according to the third embodiment is stored. Since the wetness detection system 3 is applied to the management of one disposable diaper wearer, it is not always necessary to store the name of the disposable diaper wearer. The other aspects of the application 36, the method of associating the unique number with the wearer of the disposable diaper, the communicable range, the notification method, etc. are the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

The arrows shown in FIG. 16 schematically represent radio waves, and the solid arrows are the first radio waves transmitted from the reader 34, received by the IC tag 32a, and used as a power source for the IC tag 32a. The white arrow indicates RW1, the white arrow is transmitted from the IC tag 32a and received by the reading device 34, and the second radio wave RW2 containing the information of the unique number 33a of the IC tag 32a is transmitted. When the RW2 is received, it is transmitted from the reading device 34, received by the smartphone 35, and shows the third radio wave RW3 including the information of the unique number 33a of the IC tag 32a. The wetness detection system 3 for a disposable diaper according to a third embodiment to which the present invention is applied determines that a disposable diaper worn by a disposable diaper wearer is a wet disposable diaper when the third radio wave RW3 cannot be received by the smartphone 15. ..

According to this, the wetness detection system 3 for disposable diapers determines the wet state based on whether or not the smartphone 35 can receive the third radio wave RW3 including the information of the associated unique number 33a. Therefore, for example, the disposable diaper Even if other disposable diapers 31b to 31t are within the communicable range, such as when other disposable diapers 31b to 31t are placed on the side of the bed on which the wearer lies, the disposable diapers 31a worn by the wearer of the disposable diaper Only the wet state can be appropriately detected. Instead of the smartphone 35, a personal computer connected to the reading device 14 by wire may be used.

As described above, the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the present embodiment can be manufactured at low cost, but can be used by the wearer of the disposable diaper without feeling a foreign body sensation or discomfort. It is possible to grasp the appropriate replacement timing of the disposable diaper without performing a shameful confirmation work on the disposable diaper wearer. In addition, the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to this embodiment flexibly adjusts its sensitivity, detection content, arrangement / performance of each component, user interface, etc. so as to be suitable for the number of people to be centrally managed, the place / environment of use, etc. Can be changed.

In the above-described embodiment, the disposable diaper wearer who wears the disposable diaper and the administrator who exchanges the disposable diaper are described as different persons, but they may be the same person. For example, a person with a lower body paralysis disorder may use the wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to the present embodiment in order to know the wettability of his / her own disposable diaper. Further, the disposable diaper, which is one component of the present invention, broadly includes all disposable diapers, regardless of the material or the presence or absence of a super absorbent polymer, for example.

The present invention can be used for checking the wet state of a single or a plurality of disposable diaper wearers.

1, 2, 3 ... Paper diaper wetness detection system 11a to 11c, 21a to 21c, 31a to 31t ... Paper diapers 111a to 111c, 311a to 311t ... QR code; 112a ... Surface material; 113a ... Intermediate material; 114a ... Absorbent material; 1141a ... Absorbent paper; 1142 ... Cotton-like pulp; 1143a ... Super absorbent polymer; 1144a ... Slit; 115a ... Waterproof material; 116a ... Exterior material; 117a ... Three-dimensional gathers; 1171a ... Gather sheets; 1181a, 1182a ... Elastic body; 119a ... Tapes 12a to 12c, 12a-1 to 12a-5, 22a to 22c, 32a to 32t ... IC tags 121a to 121c ... Antenna section; 122a to 122c ... IC chips 13a to 13c, 33a to 33t ... Unique numbers 14, 14a ~ 14c, 34 ... Readers 141, 141a ~ 141c ... Antenna unit; 142 ... Communication unit; 143 ... Control unit 15, 35 ... Smartphone 151 ... Camera; 152 ... Communication unit; 153 ... Speaker; 154 ... Touch panel type liquid crystal screen; 155 ... Control units 16, 36 ... Application 161 ... Initial screen; 1611 ... Paper diaper wearer registration button; 1612 ... Registerer management button; 1613 ... Setting change button; 1614 ... Detection start / end buttons 24a to 24c ... Reading with notification function Devices 241a to 241c ... Antenna unit; 242a to 242c ... Speaker; 243a to 243c ... LED lighting unit RW1 ... First radio wave; RW2 ... Second radio wave; RW3 ... Third radio wave

Claims (6)

With multiple disposable diapers,
The plurality of disposable diapers that have unique information, receive radio waves from the outside and transmit the unique information as radio waves, and shield at least one of the received or transmitted radio waves when the amount of surrounding liquid increases. Multiple IC tags provided in each of
A first communication unit that transmits radio waves to the IC tags of the plurality of disposable diapers, receives radio waves transmitted from each of the plurality of IC tags, and transfers unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags. With a reader
Each of the plurality of disposable diapers becomes wet based on the second communication unit that receives the unique information transferred from the first communication unit of the reading device and whether or not the second communication unit can receive the unique information. An external device having a notification unit for notifying the outside of wet information indicating whether or not there is,
A corresponding setting unit that associates the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags with the disposable diaper wearer or the disposable diaper.
A cloud storage that is communicably connected via the Internet, in which unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags is uploaded from the reading device and the unique information is downloaded to the external device in response to access.
A wetness detection system for disposable diapers. The wetting detection system for disposable diapers according to claim 1.
The notification unit of the external device is a wet disposable diaper wearer or a wet diaper wearer based on the correspondence set by the corresponding setting unit and the unique information of the IC tag that could not be received by the second communication unit. A wetness detection system for disposable diapers, which comprises a display unit for identifiable display of disposable diapers. The wetting detection system for disposable diapers according to claim 1 or 2.
A wetness detection system for disposable diapers, characterized in that unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags transferred from the reading device is transmitted to the external device via the Internet. The wetting detection system for disposable diapers according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
The reading device is a wetness detection system for disposable diapers that periodically uploads unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags to the cloud storage. The wetting detection system for disposable diapers according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .
The plurality of IC tags are a wett detection system for disposable diapers, which are arranged in plurality on each of the plurality of disposable diapers. The wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to claim 5 .
The plurality of IC tags are a wetness detection system for disposable diapers extending in a confrontation direction between the ventral side and the dorsal side in a state where the plurality of disposable diapers are spread out.

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