NL1043034B1

NL1043034B1 - A self-powered system for monitoring incontinence

Info

Publication number: NL1043034B1
Application number: NL1043034A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Valer Pop Dr; Matthijsse Daan
Original assignee: Lifesense Group B V
Priority date: 2018-10-10
Filing date: 2018-10-10
Publication date: 2020-06-05
Also published as: NL1043034A

Abstract

According to one aspect of the inventive concept there is provided a system for monitoring incontinence comprising: a system for monitoring incontinence comprising a urine-sensitive circuit arranged to present a changed electrical characteristic when exposed to urine, a frequency-generating circuit arranged to perform a transmission signa! by a frequency when the urine-sensitive circuit exposed to urine and an etectrical circuit arranged to: drive the frequency-generating circuit when the urine-sensitive circuit exposed to urine. Wherein the urine-sensitive circuit inctudes a portion arranged to generate power when exposed to urine to power a frequency transmission from the frequency-generating circuit, and wherein the electrical circuit is arranged to drive the frequency-generating circuit when the urine-sensitive circuit is exposed to urine.

Description

A SELF-POWERED SYSTEM FOR MONITORING INCONTINENCE

Technical field

The present inventive concept relates to an alarm, specifically to a bedwetting alarm which generates it’s own power and uses a (wireless) frequency transmission.

Background

Urinary incontinence, or an inability to control urinary function, is a common problem affecting both men and women of all ages. Many feel embarrassed and do not dare to visit the doctor for help. This can lead to chronic incontinence. In the prior art, a common way of managing incontinence is to use absorbent articles such as diapers, sanitary napkins or pads, or even catheters. However, this only reduces the inconvenience for a wearer when an incontinence event occurs.

Common types of urinary incontinence include stress incontinence and urge incontinence. There is also a mixed type of incontinence including both stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence may be caused by loss of support of the urethra which is usually a consequence of damage to pelvic support structures as a result of childbirth, overweight or and some medications. Stress incontinence is typically characterized by a leakage of a relatively small volume of urine during activities which increase abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing and lifting, or rapid movements for example during sporting activities. The main treatment for stress incontinence is pelvic floor exercises. Other possibilities would be a surgery to tighten or support the bladder outlet or prescription of medications. Urge incontinence may on the other hand be caused by abnormal bladder contractions. This is sometimes also referred to as an overactive urine bladder. Urge incontinence is typically characterized by a leakage of a relatively large volume of urine in association with insufficient warning to get to the bathroom in time. Possible treatments for urge incontinence are pelvic floor exercises to retrain the bladder or prescription of medications to relax the bladder.

In the prior art, various systems relying on electrical sensors for detecting presence or urine in for example a diaper are known. Such prior art systems are however often merely able to detect that the diaper has become wet and signal the need to change the diaper to for example the wearer of the diaper or a caretaker. However, this only provides a limited help to people suffering from incontinence in that it mainly make it easier for the wearer or caretaker to determine that it may be time to change the diaper and it doesn’t provide the wearer or caretaker with any data about the events, which might be useful for analysis and prevention in the future.

Another type of incontinence is bedwetting. Persistent bedwetting (functional nocturnal enuresis) is a common problem for more than 15% of all 5-year-olds and still 2% for 12-14-year-olds. Involuntary urination at least twice a week for 5-6-years-old and once a week for children 7 years and older can be seen as enuresis.

Enuresis can be frustrating and embarrassing. Having to change sheets and the washing and cleaning in the middle of the night does not only affect the night’s rest of the child but also of the parents.

The actual causes of nocturnal enuresis are quite unknown but stress, genetics, constipation and hormonal problems seem to affect it. Some children may produce a large amount of urine during the night due a lack of the arginine vasopressin hormone which can cause the enuresis.

Also, being able to recognize when the bladder is full is a skill which has to be learned and for some children this process takes longer than normal, causing them to involuntary urinate in bed during the night. The brains of child need to recognize the signals the bladder sends as soon as it is full and contracts. The brains can be trained to recognize the signals of the bladder by either postponing (holding on) or by using the toilet.

In the prior art, a common way of managing this problem is to use absorbent articles such as diapers. However, this only manages the problem and mostly reduces the inconvenience of washing and changing sheets in the middle of the night, but it does not help to overcome the problem itself.

In the prior art, various systems detecting enuresis and activating an alarm are known. Such prior art systems however often require batteries to operate which make the systems large and expensive in use. US Pat. No. 2.014.152.442 describes a system which generates its own energy using a combination of magnesium and carbon.

Many of these prior art systems also use an unfriendly buzzing sound and are fairly obtrusive, since they are quite large and require wires to be passed underneath the pajamas. The non-wireless prior art systems which require the sensor to be connected to the alarm by a wire are less attractive due to the awkwardness and risk of entanglement. Some of the prior art systems also only wake up the wearer of the system and not the parents or caregiver which might need to be awaken to assist the child by going to the bathroom.

In the prior art, most systems only wake up the wearer and/or parents and do not automatically log the time of the event, making it harder to discover patterns.

Summary of the inventive concept

The inventors have realized that it would be advantageous to provide a system allowing for an improved comfort and user experience, a frequency transmission and elimination of the batteries. More specifically the inventors have realized that, for a great number of people suffering from incontinencelike problems, it would be helpful to have a system for monitoring incontinence providing monitoring of aspects other than merely the presence of moisture in a diaper.

According to an aspect of the inventive concept there is provided a a system for monitoring incontinence comprising:

a urine-sensitive circuit arranged to present a changed electrical characteristic when exposed to urine;

a frequency-generating circuit arranged to perform a transmission signal by a frequency when the urine-sensitive circuit exposed to urine and an electrical circuit arranged to:

drive the frequency-generating circuit when the urine-sensitive circuit exposed to urine.

Wherein the urine-sensitive circuit includes a portion arranged to generate power when exposed to urine to power a frequency transmission from the frequency-generating circuit, and wherein the electrical circuit is arranged to drive the frequencygenerating circuit when the urine-sensitive circuit is exposed to urine.

The system may also contain:

a local mobile device arranged to receive a frequency from the frequency-generating circuit and to produce a sound and transmit a signal in response to the frequency received by the frequency-generating circuit;

a remote mobile device arranged to produce a sound after an event has been communicated by the local mobile device.

The local mobile device can be a device such as a tablet, smartphone, pc or any other mobile device which can receive a frequency signal in any way.

The remote mobile device can be a device such as a tablet, 5 smartphone, pc, light, speaker, alarm or any other mobile device.

The system makes it possible to correlate (the time and day of) an actual detection of an involuntary urination event (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as a urination event or an incontinence event) with a parameter which is indicative of a urine bladder fill level. This type of correlation may be 10 particularly useful for providing the user and the caregiver with a preventive alarm, to prevent the user from wetting himself (during the night). Information regarding a fill level of the urine bladder preceding or upon the occurrence an incontinence event may thereby be valuable for understanding at which urine bladder fill level the risk of an incontinence event is increased. However, it 15 should be noted that the system also may be useful for monitoring relatively small urine leakages caused by stress and activities implying increased abdominal pressure as the risk for such leakages also may increase with the urine bladder fill level.

By triggering the recording of the data in response to detecting or 20 determining that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine, an accurate monitoring is provided since the urine bladder fill level indicative parameter will correspond to the conditions prevailing at the time of the incontinence event. This accuracy would be difficult to achieve with any manual monitoring method.

The local mobile device may further be arranged to record in said data, an indication of that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine. The local mobile device may hence be arranged to associate the indication of that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine with said at least one parameter determined by the local mobile device and/or the electrical circuit.

The association may include linking the indication to said at least one parameter determined by the local mobile device and/or the electrical circuit.

The local mobile device may be arranged to record the data in a memory.

According to one embodiment the electrical circuit is arranged to drive 35 the frequency-generating circuit when the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine based on the changed electrical characteristic.

According to one embodiment the electrical circuit can be extended with other components to function as circuits known as e.g. a processing circuit, Bluetooth circuit, analog-to-digital converter circuit, NFC circuit, measurement circuit or other types of circuits.

According to one embodiment the frequency-generating circuit is arranged to produce a frequency when the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine based on the changed electrical characteristic.

According to one embodiment, the electrical circuit and/or the frequency-generating circuit may be part of a voltage boost circuit.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is arranged to determine that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine based on the frequency produced by the frequency-generating circuit. More specifically, the local mobile device may determine that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine by detecting the frequency produced by the frequencygenerating circuit which is driven by the electrical circuit which is powered by the urine-sensitive circuit.

According to one embodiment the urine-sensitive circuit is arranged to present an electrical response when exposed to urine, and wherein the local mobile device is arranged to determine that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine by detecting the frequency produced by the frequencygenerating circuit.

According to one embodiment, the urine-sensitive circuit may also be used to present a changed electrical characteristic when being exposed to other body fluids than urine (e.g. sweat, menstrual fluid, vaginal discharge, etc.).

According to one embodiment the changed electrical characteristic or the electrical response of the urine-sensitive circuit includes one or more selected from the group comprising: a changed resistance, a changed capacitance, a changed inductance, a changed impedance, a changed resonance frequency, a changed voltage generated by the urine-sensitive circuit, a changed current generated by the urine-sensitive circuit, a changed resonance frequency of the urine-sensitive circuit.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is further arranged to estimate a urine bladder fill level based on the at least one determined parameter, i.e. by using the at least one determined parameter. The estimate of the urine bladder fill level may be included in said recorded data and/or indicated to the wearer.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is arranged to provide a signal which is indicative of a urine bladder fill level based on the at least one determined parameter. The signal may for example be used to provide a user with information on the bladder fill level. The signal may indicate the fill level in relative or absolute terms. A user of the system may, based on this information, be able to decide whether it is time to visit the toilet or not.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is arranged to provide a signal which is indicative of an increased risk for an incontinence event based on the at least one determined parameter. The signal may for example be used to provide a user with a preventive alarm to prevent the user from involuntary urinating (in bed). A user of the system may, based on this information, also be able to decide whether it is time to visit the toilet or not.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is further arranged to determine a threshold based on the at least one determined parameter represented by the recorded data. A threshold corresponding to a urine bladder fill threshold may thus be determined. Since the threshold is based on the at least one determined parameter, the threshold may be determined to correspond to a fill level of the urine bladder at, and above, which there is an increased risk for an incontinence event. Moreover by basing the threshold on the at least one determined parameter, which is/are measured parameter(s), the threshold may be tailored for a specific individual.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is further arranged to determine a threshold based on the at least one determined parameter represented by the recorded data and a previously determined threshold. The advantages discussed in connection with the preceding embodiment apply correspondingly to this embodiment. Moreover by basing the threshold determination also on a previously determined threshold, the threshold may overtime be tuned to better correspond to the incontinence problems for the specific individual.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is further arranged to compare at least one of the parameters represented by the recorded data to a threshold and generate an alert signal based on a result of the comparison. The threshold may be determined in accordance with any one of the above mentioned embodiments. The wearer may thus be alerted of that there may be an increased risk for an incontinence event.

According to one embodiment the system further comprises a sensor arranged to determine an orientation or a movement of the sensor, and a local mobile device being further arranged to, in response to determining that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine, record data representing an estimated movement and/or posture of the wearer based on an orientation and/or a movement determined by the sensor. This embodiment enables correlation of the actual detection of the urination event with the at least one determined parameter being indicative of a urine bladder fill level and an estimated movement and/or posture of the wearer (which is indicative of a current activity of the wearer).

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is further arranged to determine a threshold based on the at least one determined parameter represented by the recorded data and the estimated movement and/or posture. As will be explained in more detail below, a movement and/or posture of the wearer may influence both the determination of the parameter(s) by the local mobile device and the risk of an incontinence event at a certain fill level. This embodiment therefore enables a threshold to be determined based also on the estimated movement and/or posture the wearer had at the time of the incontinence event. Thresholds may thus be associated with movements and/or postures.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is arranged to repeatedly determine at least one parameter which varies with a fill level of the urine bladder and the local mobile device is further arranged to compare the repeatedly determined parameters to one or more thresholds, each threshold being associated with a movement and/or posture of the wearer. The advantage of this embodiment may be understood from the previous embodiment.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is arranged to provide an alarm signal in response to determining that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine. A user may thus be informed of that a urine leakage has occurred, which otherwise could have passed by unnoticed. This may simplify for the user to understand which situations may lead to involuntary urination.

According to one embodiment the system further comprises at least one or a combination of a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, an altimeter or a skin contact sensor. Further sensors enable more parameters which may have an influence on the urination event to be recorded in the data. Thus, parameters measured by these sensors may be included in the data recorded by the local mobile device in response to a urination event.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is arranged to wirelessly communicate with the sensor. This communication can be Bluetooth, WIFI, RF, ZigBee, sound, IR or any other wireless technology based on frequency or sound.

According to one embodiment the remote mobile device is arranged to wirelessly communicate with the local mobile device and/or the sensor. This communication can be Bluetooth, WIFI, RF, ZigBee, sound, IR or any other wireless technology.

According to one embodiment the urine-sensitive circuit and the electrical circuit are galvanically connected. This may enable a simple communication between the urine-sensitive circuit and electrical circuit.

According to one embodiment the electrical circuit and the frequencygenerating circuit are galvanically connected. This may enable a simple communication between the electrical circuit and frequency-generating circuit. The type of signal the electrical circuit communicates to the frequencygenerating circuit can be pulses, a frequency, a PWM signal, a voltage, a current, a sinewave, a square wave or any other signal which is produced with a certain frequency.

According to one embodiment the urine-sensitive circuit and the local mobile device are galvanically separated. This may simplify use of the system since the urine-sensitive circuit may be handled without having to deal with any wiring. Also, it allows the urine-sensitive circuit to be used as a disposable component of the system which easily may be replaced following an incontinence event.

According to one embodiment the urine-sensitive circuit includes a portion arranged to generate a current when exposed to urine to power a transmission of a signal from the frequency-generating circuit to the local mobile device, wherein the local mobile device is arranged to record said data in response to receiving the signal from the frequency-generating circuit. Thus, the urination event may directly trigger the recording of the data by the local mobile device. Moreover, since the current powering the transmission of the signal is generated by the urine, no additional power source in the urine sensitive circuit is required. The urine-sensitive circuit may thereby be produced rationally at a relatively low cost.

According to one embodiment the portion includes a first conducting path or electrode arranged to act as an anode and a second conducting path or electrode arranged to act as a cathode when the portion is exposed to urine. An anode-cathode pair makes rational and relatively inexpensive production of a reliable, self-powered urine-sensitive circuit possible. Also more than two paths, electrodes or pairs can be used. Placing these (pairs of) electrodes in series or parallel can be used to produce more electric power.

According to one embodiment, materials from the sensor such as the material of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) can function as one of the above mentioned electrodes. This material includes one or more selected from the group comprising: copper, magnesium, silver, gold, carbon, aluminum, zinc, iron, nickel, tin, lead or any other material or alloys of these materials.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is further arranged to, in response to determining that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine, record time data. The time of the incontinence event may thereby be recorded.

According to one embodiment the remote mobile device is arranged to, in response to receiving a signal from the local mobile device, provide an alarm signal to the user of the remote mobile device. More specifically, the remote mobile device is arranged to provide an alarm signal when the urinesensitive circuit has been exposed to urine or when the local mobile device generates an alert signal based on any of the above mentioned embodiments.

According to another embodiment, the remote mobile device is arranged to, in response to receiving a signal from the sensor, provide an alarm signal to the user of the remote mobile device. More specifically, the remote mobile device is arranged to provide an alarm signal when the urinesensitive circuit has been exposed to urine.

According to another embodiment, the remote mobile device is arranged to start operating in response to receiving a signal from the local mobile device.

According to one embodiment the local mobile device is further arranged to, subsequent to detecting a urination event (e.g. by detecting that the urine-sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine), perform a comparison between: the at least one parameter represented by the data recorded in response to the detection of the urination event, and a parameter determined by the local mobile device and/or the electrical circuit at an instant subsequent to the detection of the urination event.

According to one embodiment, which is contemplated to also form a separate inventive aspect there is provided a system comprising:

a skin proximity sensor arranged to present a first electrical characteristic or response when being proximate to the skin of a user and a second electrical characteristic or response when being remote from the skin of the user;

an electrical circuit arranged to:

in response to detecting a separation between the skin proximity sensor and the skin of the user based on a changed electrical characteristic or response of the skin proximity sensor, break the electrical circuit of the sensor a first instant at or prior to the detection of the separation.

According to another embodiment the urine-sensitive circuit may function as the skin proximity sensor. A separation between the sensor and the skin of the user may be detected by detecting a changed electrical characteristic.

The skin proximity sensor may be arranged to be attached to e.g. an absorbent article worn by the user (such as a diaper/nappy or underwear/undergarment) or an upper edge of for example clothing (such as a pair trousers, a pair of shorts, a skirt or the like worn by the user). When the user pulls down the absorbent article or the clothing the skin proximity sensor may lose the proximity with the skin. When the user pulls up the absorbent article or the clothing after the urination the skin proximity sensor may regain proximity with the skin. The sensor may be arranged to be attached to e.g. an absorbent article worn by the user (such as a diaper/nappy, underwear/undergarment, pair of shorts, pair of trousers, pajamas). It may be arranged to be attached using an adhesive material, snaps, magnets, a needle, a clip or any other way to attach or stick two materials together.

According to one embodiment, the adhesive material may be made out of or include a porous or absorbing material such that it can absorb or let through fluids.

According to one embodiment the system may include a portion which changes color or electrical characteristic when being exposed to urine. The change of color or the change in the electrical characteristic may be an indication of the presence of (a certain concentration of) a substance which in turn may be an indication of e.g. pregnancy, cystitis, diabetes, ovulation, etc.

According to one embodiment, the system may also be used for other applications in health, sport, lifestyle, etc.

Brief description of the drawings

The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present inventive concept, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present inventive concept, with reference to the appended drawings, where like reference numerals will be used for like elements, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a system in accordance with an embodiment for monitoring incontinence;

Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of a system in accordance with another embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of a possible configuration of a sensor in accordance with an embodiment;

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic overview of the system and the connections between the elements.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Detailed embodiments of aspects of the present inventive concept will now be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a system 100 for monitoring incontinence. The system comprises a sensor 110 and may also comprise of two optional devices 120 and 130. In use, the sensor 110 may typically be positioned in or near the crotch region of the wearer, for example at an absorbent article (e.g. a diaper/nappy, a sanitary napkin/pad, or some other article for absorbing urine) or in connection to the underwear or undergarment. The wearer may also be referred to as a user of the system 100.

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a system 100 for monitoring incontinence in more detail. The system 100 comprises of a sensor 110, a local mobile device 120 and remote mobile device 130 which may be optional 120 and 130 from Fig. 1. The sensor 110 comprises of a urine-sensitive circuit 111, an electrical circuit 112, a frequency-generating circuit 113 and an optional sensor 114 which will be discussed in further detail below.

The urine-sensitive circuit 111 is arranged to present a changed electrical characteristic when exposed to urine. In other words the urinesensitive circuit 111 may, in response to being exposed to urine, present a changed electrical characteristic or electrical property. If an incontinence event occurs urine may be released onto the absorbent article or the underwear of the wearer wherein the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may be exposed to the urine. The electrical circuit 112 is arranged to start operating when the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine. As will be described in further detail below, the electrical circuit 112 may be arranged to communicate (e.g. over a wireless or wired interface) with the urine-sensitive circuit 111 and determine that the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine by detecting that an electrical characteristic of the urinesensitive circuit 111 has changed. The electrical circuit 112 may also be arranged to drive the frequency-generating circuit 113 which starts to produce a frequency when the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine.

The electrical characteristic of the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may change from a first characteristic to a second characteristic when the urine exposure is increased (i.e. due to an incontinence event), it should be understood that a changed electrical characteristic may occur as a result of the urine-sensitive circuit 111 changing from a relatively dry condition (e.g. before occurrence of an incontinence event) to a relatively moist condition (e.g. upon occurrence of an incontinence event). The changed characteristic may also occur as a result of the urine-sensitive circuit 111 changing from an already moist condition (e.g. as a result of a first incontinence event) to an even more moist condition (e.g. as a result of a second incontinence event, subsequent to the first incontinence event). Thus the electrical characteristic may change in a manner which is proportional to the amount of urine to which the urine-sensitive circuit 111 is exposed.

Moreover, an exposure to urine for the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may in this context not necessarily imply a direct contact with the urine. In fact, the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may be embedded in an absorbent material and thus not come into direct contact to urine released by the wearer. However, the presence of urine proximate to the urine-sensitive circuit may nevertheless cause a changed electrical characteristic.

According to some embodiments the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may be arranged to present an electrical response when exposed to urine, and wherein the electrical circuit 112 is arranged to determine that the urine sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine by detecting the electrical response of the urine-sens'rtive circuit 111.

The changed electrical characteristic or the electrical response of the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may for example include a changed electrical parameter of the urine-sensitive circuit 111. The particular type of electrical parameter which is changed may depend on the actual design of the urinesensitive circuit 111 (e.g. which circuit elements are included in the circuit 111) and may for example include one or a combination of a changed resistance, a changed inductance, a changed capacitance or a changed impedance. As will also be described in more detail below, the changed electrical characteristic may also include a changed voltage at a pair of electrodes (e.g. an anode-cathode pair) of the urine-sensitive circuit 111.

The electrical circuit 112 may be arranged to detect the changed electrical characteristic of the urine-sensitive circuit 111. The electrical circuit 112 may further be arranged to drive the frequency-generating circuit 113 when urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine. The type of signal the electrical circuit 112 communicates to the frequency-generating circuit 113 may be a signal based on frequencies (e.g. pulses, a frequency, a PWM signal, a voltage, a current, a sinewave, a square wave, etc.).

The frequency-generating circuit 113 may be arranged to produce a frequency signal when the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine. In particular, the frequency-generating circuit may, after the urinesensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine, receive a signal from the electrical circuit 112 which has been powered by the urine-sensitive circuit 111. As non limiting examples, the frequency-generating circuit 113 can be a speaker or an antenna, used to transmit a frequency signal.

The local mobile device 120 may be arranged to receive a frequency signal transmitted by the frequency-generating circuit 113. The local mobile device 120 may further be arranged to give a signal to the user (e.g. over a wireless or wired interface) that the absorbent article (e.g. a diaper/nappy, a sanitary napkin/pad, or some other article for absorbing urine) may be saturated and has to be changed. This will avoid leakage of the absorbent article. In another non-limiting example, the local mobile device 120 may be arranged to give a signal to the user that he is leaking urine white he is asleep so that the user can visit the toilet to finish urinating. Meanwhile, local mobile device 120 is also arranged to, in response to determining that the urinesensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine, record data representing the at least one parameter determined by the local mobile device circuit 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112. The parameter(s) determined by the local mobile device 120 may for example be the date of the event, the time of the event and/or the number of the event.

The electrical circuit 112 may be arranged in a same unit as the urinesensitive circuit 111, the frequency-generating circuit 113 and the optional sensor 114 and be galvanically connected to the urine-sensitive circuit 111, the frequency-generating circuit 113 and the optional sensor 114. The urinesensitive circuit 111, the electrical circuit 112, the frequency-generating circuit 113 and the optional sensor 114 may also be arranged on separate carriers (e.g. different circuit boards or different substrates) wherein the circuits 111, 112,113 and 114 may be connected by wires or a plug-socket interface. The urine-sensitive circuit 111, the electrical circuit 112, the frequency-generating circuit 113 and the optional sensor 114 may aiso be arranged on a same carrier wherein the circuits 111, 112, 113 and 114 may be connected by a set of conductive paths.

The local mobile device 120 may be arranged to record data at an instant immediately preceding the detection of a frequency signal of frequency-generating circuit 113. Specifically, the local mobile device 120 may be arranged to record data at an instant immediately preceding the detection of a urination event by the electrical circuit 112, e.g. by detecting the changed electrical characteristics of the urine-sensitive circuit 111. The recorded data may be used to correlate a date and time to the occurrence of a urination or incontinence event. The data may be recorded in a memory of the local mobile device 120 which will be discussed in more detail below. This recorded data may be stored for transmission to an external unit or for further analysis.

In particular, the local mobile device 120 may be arranged to record data representative of the parameter(s) as determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112 at an instant immediately preceding the detection of the urination event by the electrical circuit 112. Thereby, the recorded data may be used to correlate a urine bladder fill level to the occurrence of a urination or incontinence event.

More specifically, the local mobile device 120 may record the data in a data structure linking the at least one parameter as determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112 to the detected urination event. The data may for example be stored in an array data structure or as entries in a database, associating the at least one parameter as determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112 with the detected urination event. Along with the data, an indication of that the urinesensitive circuit has been exposed to urine may be stored, for example using a single-bit binary flag. The local mobile device 120 may include a timer wherein a time of the detection of the urination event may be recorded in the data structure. The stored time may for example correspond to a (time of the) day.

The local mobile device 120 may also be arranged to continuously, or repeatedly compare the data representing the parameter(s) as determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112 to a respective threshold which could be the date and/or time. For example, if the local mobile device 120 is arranged to measure the date and time of an urination event, the threshold may be a moment in a week or on a day which correspondents to a moment at which the risk of an involuntary urination event is substantially increased. The threshold may thus be referred to as a urine bladder fill threshold. The threshold may be stored in a memory. If the local mobile device 120 determines that the threshold is met or exceeded an alert signal (i.e. a warning signal) may be provided to the wearer or the caretaker to indicate that the risk of an involuntary urination event is increased. Advantageously, the local mobile device 120 may provide the signal to the wearer or caretaker already when a determined time differs from the threshold by less than a predetermined amount, adapted to give the wearer some time to e.g. go to the toilet (e.g. 10 minutes or 20 minutes in advance before the time when an incontinence event is expected to occur). The signal may be a visual, audible and/or tactile signal generated by a visual indicator (e.g, a display or a LED), an audible indicator (e.g. a speaker) or tactile indicator (e.g. a vibrator). Alternatively, the signal may be provided by the local mobile device 120 to an external device such as the remote mobile device 130, (e.g. a mobile phone, a tablet computer, intelligent lighting or a speaker) which may present a warning on a display thereof or generating an audible warning.

The above described time-based threshold comparison may be made in a corresponding manner also for the other parameter types which the electrical circuit 112 and/or the local mobile device 120 may determine, as described above. Thus, each type of parameter threshold may be referred to as respective a urine bladder fill threshold. The local mobile device 120 may be arranged to provide a warning signal in response to any one of the determined parameter(s) meeting or exceeding its associated threshold.

The threshold(s) may be predetermined, for example during a calibration phase of the system 100. According to an alternative embodiment, the local mobile device 120 may be arranged to determine the urine bladder fill threshold(s). The local mobile device 120 may set or configure each threshold based on the parameter(s) determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112 and represented by the data recorded by the local mobile device 120 in response to detecting the incontinence event. The local mobile device 120 may be arranged to set or configure each threshold for example in response to a first detected urination event. Optionally, local mobile device 120 may set or configure each threshold based on both the parameter(s) determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112 and a previously determined threshold. For example, if the data recorded by the local mobile device 120 in response to detection of an urination event represents a parameter value which is smaller than a previous threshold, a new threshold may be configured to be smaller than the previous threshold. Conversely, if the data recorded by the local mobile device 120 in response to detection of an urination event represents a parameter value which is greater than a previous threshold, a new threshold may be configured to be greater than the previous threshold. Thereby the threshold(s) may be adapted based on the bladder fill level at the time of the actual occurrences of urination events.

Optionally other parameters could be the intensity of the sound generated by the frequency-generating circuit or/and the level of the electrical characteristic which could be proportional with the urine quantity.

Optionally, the local mobile device 120 may be arranged to repeatedly provide a signal which is indicative of a urine bladder fill level. The signal may for example indicate a value or values of the parameter(s) most recently determined by the local mobile device 120. The signal may also be indicative of a ratio or ratios between a value or values of the parameter(s) most recently determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112, and associated parameter thresholds. The signal may for example be provided to a display providing information allowing the urine bladder fill level to be determined. The value(s) and/or ratio(s) may for example be presented on a display connected to the local mobile device 120. Alternatively, the signal may be provided by the local mobile device 120 to a remote mobile device (e.g. a mobile phone, a tablet computer, intelligent lighting or a speaker) which may present the value(s) and/or ratio(s) on a display.

As described above, the sensor 110 may further include an optional sensor 114 which is arranged to be attached on the wearer. This optional sensor 114 may be arranged to determine an orientation and/or a movement of the optional sensor 114. The optional sensor 114 may be provided in a same unit as the urine-sensitive circuit 111, the electrical circuit 112 and the frequency-generating circuit 113. The optional sensor 114 may include an accelerometer and/or a gyroscope, for example in the form of MEMS devices. The accelerometer may be a single-axis accelerometer, a dual axis accelerometer or a three-axis accelerometer. The accelerometer may provide measurements of the orientation and/or movement, e.g. by storing the measurements in a memory or buffer accessible by the electrical circuit 112. The optional sensor 114 may be arranged to store a predetermined number of measurements and start discarding the oldest measurement when the predetermined number is exceeded. This may for example be conveniently implemented using a first-in-first-out buffer (i.e. a FIFO-buffer). The electrical circuit 112 may, based on the orientation and/or movement measurements, estimate a movement and/or posture of the wearer of the sensor 110. By comparing movement measurements during a time interval, electrical circuit 112 may determine whether the wearer was moving during the time interval and/or estimate a posture of the wearer. The electrical circuit 112 may optionally also characterize the type of movement as movement by walking, by running, or by the wearer changing orientation or posture. As a non-limiting example, if an axis of an accelerometer is oriented along the length direction of the body, the accelerometer may provide a signal corresponding to the acceleration due to gravity when the user is standing up, and a signal close to zero when the user is lying down. This concept may be expanded to be able to identify further postures.

The movement pattern and posture of the wearer of the sensor 110 may affect whether a present urine bladder fill level implies an increased risk for an involuntary urination event. Therefore advantageously, the local mobile device 120 may, in response to determining that the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine, record data representing the parameter determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112 as well as an orientation or a movement determined by the optional sensor 114. The additional data may enable a more accurate and extensive analysis of the incontinence events of the wearer since the occurrence of an incontinence event may be correlated to a movement pattern or posture of the wearer and the urine bladder fill level.

In case the local mobile device 120 is arranged to perform threshold comparisons, as described above, a parameter threshold may preferably be associated with a respective movement or posture of the wearer. For example, a first time threshold may be used when the wearer is lying down and a second threshold may be used when the wearer is upright or is walking. As a non-limiting example, the risk of an involuntary urination for a particular person can be higher when this person is laying on his back then when he is laying on his side. The time threshold may need to be shifted forward or backward based on the position of the person. The thresholds may be stored in a memory or buffer accessible to the local mobile device 120. The remote mobile device 130 may be arranged to receive a signal from the local mobile device 120 that the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine. The remote mobile device may also be arranged to receive a signal directly from the sensor 110 that the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine. As a non-limiting example, the remote mobile device 130 may give a signal to the caretaker or the wearer that the absorbent article may be saturated and has to be changed.

Fig. 3 illustrates a schematic illustration of a possible configuration of a sensor in accordance with an embodiment and which may be used as the sensor in the system 100. The sensor 110 may include a portion 111 arranged to generate a current when exposed to urine. Portion 111 may also be referred to as the urine-sensitive circuit 111 as mentioned above. The urine-sensitive circuit 111 includes a first and a second electrode 117,118. The first electrode 117 and the second electrode 118 are arranged to act as respectively the anode and the cathode when urine is present between the electrodes 117, 118. Thus, the urine may act as an electrolyte wherein a voltage may be generated between the first and the second electrode 117, 118. The urine-sensitive circuit 111 is thus arranged to present a changed voltage characteristic and current characteristic when exposed to urine. The magnitude of the generated current may be proportional to a surface area of the electrodes 117, 118 and/or to a surface area of substrate 115 being exposed to urine. Various material combinations for the electrodes 117, 118 are possible. For example, the first electrode 117 may include copper and the second electrode 118 may include magnesium; the first electrode 117 may include copper and the second electrode 118 may include zinc; the first electrode 117 may include carbon and the second electrode 118 may include magnesium.

As may be understood, a maximum current generated at the urinesensitive circuit 111 will be limited by inter alia by the dimensions (e.g. length) of the electrodes and the substrate 115, the amount of urine absorbed by the substrate 115, the amount of overlap between adjacent anode-cathode electrode portions and the electrolyte concentration (ions concentration) in the urine. A generated current may hence be increased by providing a salt (e.g. sodium chloride) in the urine-sensitive circuit 111 and/or the substrate 115.

Optionally, a polymer coating, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane, may be applied at the urine-sensitive circuit 111, the substrate 115 and/or to the electrodes 117, 118. More generally, the polymer may be a polymer which reacts with one or more specific analytes which may be present in the urine (e.g. creatinine, calcium or uric acid). The current generated at the urine-sensitive circuit 111 when exposed to urine (and the analytes present in the urine) may thereby be increased.

The first and the second electrode 117, 118 may be galvanically connected to the electrical circuit 112. A current generated at the electrodes 117,118 may thus power the electrical circuit 112 to drive the frequencygenerating circuit 113. The frequency-generating circuit 113 may produce a frequency when the electrical circuit 112 is powered by electrodes 117 and 118. As described above, the frequency may be received by local mobile device 120 and/or remote mobile device 130 which may determine that the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may be provided on, in or between a substrate 115. The substrate may generally be a relatively thin and flexible substrate. The circuit elements forming the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may be formed by conducting portions provided on the substrate 115, e.g. by deposition of a conducting material on the substrate or by masking and etching of conducting material from the substrate, according to processes which per se are well-known to the skilled person. The substrate 115 may for example be a thin plastic foil, such as a PET-foil (Polyethylene terephthalate). One face of the substrate 115 may be provided with an adhesive 116. The sensor 110 may thus be arranged as a patch-like structure. An adhesive face may allow for easy attachment of the sensor 110 on an absorbent article or underwear and easy removal therefrom.

Advantageously, the substrate 115 is biocompatibte and environmentally friendly and is provided with a shape and a size minimizing inconvenience for the wearer throughout his/her daily activities. The substrate 115 may also include or be made an absorbent material, such as paper, a cloth, cotton or absorbent polymers. The substrate itself may thus absorb the urine, wherein the absorbed urine in turn may cause a change of the electrical characteristic of the urine-sensitive circuit 111. The substrate 115 with the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may be arranged on an inside of the absorbent article (e.g. the diaper or the underwear) with the urine-sensitive circuit 111 facing towards the absorbent article (wherein the substrate will be interposed between the urine-sensitive circuit 111 and the skin) or towards the skin of the wearer. The urine-sensitive circuit 111 may alternatively be arranged on an outside of the absorbent article wherein the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may be exposed to urine absorbed by the absorbent article. According to a further option, the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may alternatively be integrated in the absorbent article, for example within the absorbent material of a diaper or a sanitary napkin or within the absorbent material of the substrate 115.

As described above, the electrical circuit 112 may determine that the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine by detecting that an electrical characteristic of the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has changed, and, in response to determining that the urine-sensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine, drive the frequency-generating circuit 113. With reference to Fig. 2, the local mobile device 120 may, in response to detecting the frequency signal from the frequency-generating circuit 113, record data representing the at least one parameter related to the urine bladder fill level, provide the wearer with an alert signal about the urination event and optionally communicate the urination event to the remote mobile device 130.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic overview of an embodiment of the system 100 and the connections between the elements. The numbered elements in the schematic overview of Fig. 4 may be implemented in accordance with elements with the same reference numbers from the previously described figures. The system 100 includes a sensor 110. This sensor 110 may include a urine-sensitive circuit 111 .The sensor 110 may further include an electrical circuit 112, a frequency-generating circuit 113 and an optional sensor 114.

The frequency-generating circuit 113 may include both a transmitter portion for supporting communication with an external device or a communication network (for example a Bluetooth® protocol such as

Bluetooth® tow energy) as well as a transmitter portion for sending read-out or interrogation signals to the urine-sensitive circuit (e.g. using NFC). The electrical circuit 112 may include both a receiver portion for supporting communication with the external device or the communication network (for example a Bluetooth® protocol such as Bluetooth® tow energy) as well as a receiver portion for receiving signals from the urine-sensitive circuit (e.g. using NFC).

The system 100 further comprises of a local mobile device 120, remote mobile device 130, and a communication network 140.

The local mobile device 120 may include a memory 122 for recording data representing parameter(s) related to the urine bladder fill level determined by the local mobile device 120 and/or the electrical circuit 112, data representing the movement and/or posture of the wearer, as well as thresholds. The local mobile device 120 may further include a receiver 121 for receiving the frequency signal from the sensor 110 and a transmitter 123 for transmitting signals to the remote mobile device 130, the communication network 140 and/or other external devices. The local mobile device may further comprise of other sensors which are known in the art.

The local mobile device 120 may further include for example a microprocessor or a CPU. The logic governing the operations of the local mobile device 120 may for example be stored as software instructions in a storage medium (typically non-transitory form), for example the memory 122 which instructions are arranged to perform the operations of the local mobile device 120 described herein when executed by the local mobile device 120. The memory 122 may be a volatile memory, e.g. a Random Access Memory (RAM) or a flash memory etc. The memory 122 may for example include a program section and a data section, wherein the program section may store the above-mentioned software instructions and the data section may store data and variables used to carry out the described operations.

The remote mobile device 130 may include a receiver 131 for receiving signals from the local mobile device 120 and/or the sensor 110. The remote mobile device 130 may further include other sensors which are known in the art.

The local mobile device 120 and the remote mobile device 130 may further include a user interface including a user input device, such as a button or keypad, lights, speaker, and display, such as a liquid crystal (LCD) display or a light-emitting diode (LED) display. The speaker and/or the display may be used for providing indications and alerts to the user and/or caretaker, as described above. The user interface may also include a tactile indicator, such as a vibrator, which may be used instead, or as a complement to the speaker and the display. The user interface may also include a user input device such as buttons or a keypad to allow the user and/or caretaker to change the settings of the system 100.

As schematically indicated in Fig. 4, the elements 111-114 may be arranged on a same carrier. The carrier 110, also referred to as sensor 110 may preferably be a relatively light-weight and unobtrusive unit which may be secured to the skin at the bladder region or to an absorbent article (e.g. by means of an adhesive) of the wearer, secured to the wearer by means of a strap or secured to an edge of the diaper or underwear.

If the urine-sensitive circuit 111 is implemented in accordance with the urine-sensitive circuit 111 as described in Fig. 2 and 3, the urine-sensitive circuit 111 may in response to being exposed to urine generate a current powering transmission of a wireless signal which may be received by the receiver 121 of the local mobile device 120. The local mobile device 120 may, in response to detecting the wireless signal, determine that a urination event has occurred and accordingly record data representative of the parameter(s) (as determined by the electrical circuit 112 and/or the mobile device 120) at an instant immediately preceding, or at a same time as, the detection of the wireless signal as well as data representing an estimated movement and/or posture of the wearer as determined by the optional sensor 114. Optionally the local mobile device 120 may, in response to detecting that the urinesensitive circuit 111 has been exposed to urine, send a wireless signal to the receiver 131 of the remote mobile device 130.

Optionally, the sensor 110 may include other additional sensors, generally indicated as element 114. For example, and as discussed above, the sensor 110 may include a skin proximity sensor (e.g. a touch capacitivebased or resistive-based sensor which per se are well-known in the art for detecting skin proximity or contact). The skin contact sensor may be arranged to interrupt the circuit of urine-sensitive circuit 111, electrical circuit 112 or the frequency-generating circuit 113 in response to detecting loss of contact with the skin of the wearer. By interrupting the either of these circuits, the sensor 110 will stop transmitting a signal. This may indicate to the local mobile device 120 that the user has removed the sensor from his body and/or the absorbent article. In case the frequency which the frequency-generating circuit 113 produces is audible, interrupting the circuit will also make the sensor 110 stop making sound. Optionally, instead of a dedicated skin proximity sensor the urine-sensitive circuit 111, which may present a changed electrical characteristic when proximate or in contact with the skin, may be used to detect the proximity or contact with the skin.

As a replacement of or in addition to the skin-proximity sensor, the sensor 110 may also include a temperature sensor for measuring a skin temperature and/or an ambient temperature. The sensor 110 may also include an altimeter for measuring the altitude. Data related to the measurements performed by these additional sensors 114 may also be stored in the memory 122 of the local mobile device 120 in response to detecting an incontinence event or in a memory or buffer accessible to electrical circuit 112. This additional data may enable an even more accurate and extensive analysis of the incontinence events of the wearer since the occurrence of an incontinence event may be correlated to additional parameters which may have an influence on the occurrence of the involuntary urination event. The recorded data may repeatedly, or upon request, be transmitted by the transmitter 123 of the mobile device 120 to the remote mobile device 130 or a communication network generally indicated by element 140 in Fig. 4. The transmitter 123 may for example use the Bluetooth® low energy protocol.

Alternatively, the functions of the system 100 may be implemented in one or more integrated circuits, or even in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

The local mobile device 120 may be a small, battery-powered, portable device such as a device intended to be placed next to the bed or in the room of the wearer or which accompanies the wearer of the sensor 110 throughout a daily routine (e.g. a mobile phone). The remote mobile device 130 can for example be a mobile device of the wearer, a mobile device of a medical staff or caretaker and/or a networked device or server. The remote mobile device 130 may have a simple user interface, such as a button or keypad, and a display or other visual indicator as mentioned above. As a further example the remote mobile device 130 may be a mobile phone. The transmitted data can in turn be used to provide indications on the mobile device to the wearer or the medical staff of an impending, an already occurred incontinence event and/or an estimated bladder fill level. The transmitted data can also be used to perform analytical studies to determine an incontinence diagnose and suggest a treatment best suited for the user’s condition. As another example, the remote mobile device 130 may be a smart lighting system (e.g. Philip Hue) which may be used to light up the room when an incontinence event has been detected during the night.

For analysis and diagnosis purposes, the data recorded by the local mobile device 120 may be used to establish a micturition log or micturition diary. For example, the diary may include the diurnal (day time) and nocturnal (night time) incontinence events and the time thereof.

In the above the inventive concept has mainly been described with reference to a limited number of examples. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other examples than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the inventive concept, as defined by the appended claims.

For example, instead of being wireless connected (and thus galvanically disconnected) the sensor 110 may be galvanically connected by wire to the local mobile device 120. The wires may for example be integrated in the undergarment or in the absorbent article. For example a sensor similar to the sensor 110 however without the frequency-generating circuit 113 could be used wherein a current or voltage generated at the electrodes 117, 118 could be directly detected and measured by the local mobile device 120 using techniques which are well-known in the art. According to another example a sensor similar to the sensor 110 could be used wherein a changed impedance, resistance or capacitance between the electrodes 117,118 could be directly detected and measured by the local mobile device 120. In these examples, the electrodes 117, 118 of the urine-sensitive circuit 111 can for example be formed as thin layers on the substrate 115. The layers may for example be of a micrometer thickness, wherein the electrodes may be flexible and thus may minimize discomfort for the wearer. To further reduce the weight of the electrodes 117, 118 they may be perforated.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring incontinence consisting of:

A urine sensitive circuit arranged to present an altered electronic property when it comes into contact with urine;

A frequency generating circuit arranged to perform a frequency transmission when the urine sensitive circuit is in contact with urine and;

An electronic circuit designed to:

driving the frequency generating circuit when the urine sensitive circuit comes into contact with urine, wherein the urine sensitive circuit comprises a portion arranged to generate power when it comes into contact with urine, thus driving a frequency transmission from the frequency generating circuit and wherein the electronic circuit is arranged to drive the frequency generating circuit when the urine sensitive circuit comes into contact with urine.

A system according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the urine sensitive circuit is further contained in a layer of the Printed Circuit Board of the electronic circuit

A system, according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the layer comprising a portion of the urine sensitive circuit is the metal layer of the Printed Circuit Board.

A system according to claims 1-3, wherein the metal layer of the Printed Circuit Board functions as a first electrode of the urine sensitive circuit.

A system, according to claims 1-4, wherein the Printed Circuit Board has a function as a portion of the packaging of the incontinence monitoring system.

A system, according to claims 1 to 5, wherein a second metal layer is further arranged to function as a second electrode of the urine sensitive circuit.

A system, according to claims 1-6, wherein the incontinence monitoring system communicates with external devices to expand the functionality of the incontinence monitoring system.

A system, according to claims 1-7, wherein the incontinence monitoring system is used to repeatedly determine at least one parameter, which varies with the times of the incontinence.

10 urinating and an external device further arranged to compare these repeatedly determined parameters with one or more time thresholds and inform the user when it is time to visit the toilet.