TWI617806B - Sensing device, nursing bra and method of fabricating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A sensing device for sensing an ion concentration in a solution, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, a sensing layer, and two electrodes. The first substrate, the material of which comprises cellulose. The second substrate is on the first substrate. The sensing layer is on the second substrate. The two electrodes are separately disposed on the sensing layer to expose the sensing layer, and the solution is brought into contact with the sensing layer to measure the resistance value of the solution, and is converted into the concentration of ions in the solution.

Description

Sensing device, breastfeeding underwear and manufacturing method thereof

The present invention relates to a sensing device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a sensing device for use in a breastfeeding underwear and a method of manufacturing the same.

When women are not in the process of breast-feeding, if they do not clean or do not empty the milk, it may lead to blockage of the mammary gland or mastitis, which may cause redness, stiffness, pain or hotness in the breast.

At present, it has been studied to place a temperature sensor in a female underwear to sense an abnormal rise in local body temperature. However, when the abnormal temperature rises abnormally, the mammary duct is clogged or the mammary gland is inflamed, so the above symptoms cannot be prevented. Therefore, how to effectively prevent the symptoms of breast blockage or inflammation of the breast is one of the issues that the industry's R&D personnel need to solve urgently.

The present invention provides a sensing device and a method of fabricating the same that have the function of measuring the concentration of ions in a solution and the characteristics of being easily integrated onto a non-planar substrate.

The invention provides a breast-feeding underwear sensing device and a manufacturing method thereof, which have the function of monitoring the ion concentration in the milk to effectively prevent the symptoms of blockage of the breast tube or inflammation of the breast.

The present invention provides a sensing device suitable for sensing an ion concentration in a solution, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, a sensing layer, and two electrodes. The first substrate, the material of which comprises cellulose. The second substrate is on the first substrate. The sensing layer is on the second substrate. The two electrodes are separately disposed on the sensing layer to expose the sensing layer, and the solution is contacted to the sensing layer to measure the resistance value of the solution, and the ion concentration in the solution is obtained after conversion.

In an embodiment of the invention, an insulating layer is further disposed between the second substrate and the sensing layer.

In an embodiment of the invention, a protective layer is further included covering the top surface and the sidewall of the two electrodes.

In an embodiment of the invention, the ions include sodium ions, potassium ions, or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment of the invention, the concentration of the sodium ion ranges between 10 mmol/L and 25 mmol/L.

In an embodiment of the invention, the potassium ion concentration ranges between 5 mmol/L and 20 mmol/L.

In an embodiment of the invention, the material of the sensing layer comprises a metal oxide.

In an embodiment of the invention, the material of the sensing layer comprises tin oxide, zinc oxide, tungsten oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, zirconium oxide, indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide or a combination thereof.

The present invention provides a breastfeeding underwear suitable for sensing the concentration of ions in milk, comprising two cup portions, a connecting portion, two breast pads, and two of the above sensing devices. The two cup portions are respectively disposed at positions corresponding to the human breast. The connecting portion is connected between the two cup portions. Two breast pads are located on the inside of the two cup portions. Two of the above sensing devices are respectively disposed on the two breast pads.

In an embodiment of the invention, the transmission device is further disposed on the inner side of the connecting portion, wherein the transmitting device is configured to output the data of the two sensing devices.

The present invention provides a method of fabricating a sensing device suitable for sensing the concentration of ions in a solution, comprising the following steps. A first substrate is provided wherein the material of the first substrate comprises cellulose. A second substrate is formed on the first substrate. A sensing layer is formed on the second substrate. Two electrodes separated from each other are formed on the sensing layer to expose the sensing layer, and the solution is brought into contact with the sensing layer to measure the resistance value of the solution, and the ion concentration in the solution is obtained after conversion.

In an embodiment of the invention, the method for forming a first substrate, a second substrate, a sensing layer, and two electrodes is provided, and the forming method includes 3D printing.

In an embodiment of the invention, the step of forming the sensing layer comprises previously forming an insulating layer on the second substrate, wherein the insulating layer is located between the second substrate and the sensing layer.

In an embodiment of the invention, after forming the two electrodes, the method further comprises forming a protective layer, wherein the protective layer covers the top surface and the sidewall of the two electrodes.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a breastfeeding underwear suitable for sensing the concentration of ions in milk, comprising the following steps. The two breast pads are respectively disposed on the inner sides of the two cup portions of the breastfeeding underwear, wherein the two cup portions are respectively located at positions corresponding to the human breast. The manufacturing method of the above sensing device is performed on two breast pads to form two sensing devices.

In an embodiment of the invention, the transmission device is further disposed on the inner side of the connecting portion connected between the two cup portions, wherein the conveying device is configured to output the data of the two sensing devices.

Based on the above, the sensing device of the present invention is produced by a 3D printing method, so that the sensing device can be easily formed on a non-planar substrate. In addition, the sensing device of the present invention has the function of measuring the resistance value in the solution, and the ion concentration in the solution can be obtained by conversion. Therefore, the sensing device of the present invention integrates the sensing device into the nursing underwear, so as to monitor the sodium in the milk at any time. The concentration of ions or potassium ions allows women to know when to clean or empty the milk during breastfeeding to effectively prevent breast blockage or mastitis symptoms.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a sensing device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention includes a first substrate 102 , a second substrate 104 , an insulating layer 106 , a sensing layer 108 , two electrodes 110 , and a protective layer 114 . The first substrate 102 is, for example, a flexible substrate. In some embodiments, the surface of the first substrate 102 is planar. In other embodiments, the surface of the first substrate 102 is non-planar. For example, the surface of the first substrate 102 may be a surface of a curved surface, a concave surface, a concave-convex surface, a sloped surface, or a combination thereof. The method of forming the first substrate 102 includes an imprint method, a vacuum filtration method, a 3D printing method, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, the first substrate 102 can be a porous material having holes. For example, the material of the first substrate 102 may be cellulose, such as nano cellulose, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). , polyimide (PI) or a combination thereof.

The second substrate 104 is optionally located on the first substrate 102. In some embodiments, the sensing device 100 can have a second substrate 104. In other embodiments, the sensing device 100 may not have the second substrate 104. The material of the second substrate 104 is different from the material of the first substrate 102, and the material of the second substrate 104 is, for example, a metal, a polymer, a ruthenium layer, or a combination thereof. The formation method of the second substrate 104 is, for example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), 3D printing, ink jet printing (Ink Jet Printing), or a combination thereof.

In embodiments where the first substrate 102 is a porous material, the second substrate 104 can extend into the holes of the first substrate 102. As a result, the adhesion between the first substrate 102 and the second substrate 104 can be increased to improve the stability of the sensing device 100.

The insulating layer 106 is located on the second substrate 104 to block moisture and prevent short circuit problems caused by dust intrusion. In addition, the insulating layer 106 also prevents ion/metal ion contamination. More specifically, when the sensing device 100 senses a solution containing sodium ions, potassium ions, or metal ions, the insulating layer 106 may make ions in the solution difficult to enter the second substrate 104 or the first substrate 102, Therefore, contamination of ions/metal ions can be avoided, so that the sensing device 100 has good durability. The insulating layer 106 may be a single layer or a plurality of layers. The material of the insulating layer 106 may be an inorganic material or an organic material. The inorganic material may be an oxide, a nitride, an oxynitride or a combination thereof, such as cerium oxide, cerium nitride, cerium oxynitride or a combination thereof. The organic material may be tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or a combination thereof. The method of forming the insulating layer is, for example, a chemical vapor deposition method, a 3D printing method, an inkjet printing method, or a combination thereof.

The sensing layer 108 is on the insulating layer 106. The material of the sensing layer 108 can be, for example, a metal oxide. For example, the metal oxide may be tin oxide (SnO ₂ ), zinc oxide (ZnO), tungsten oxide (WO ₃ ), titanium oxide (TiO ₂ ), iron oxide (Fe ₂ O ₃ ), zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ). ), indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or a combination thereof. The method of forming the sensing layer 108 is, for example, a chemical vapor deposition method, a 3D printing method, an inkjet printing method, or a combination thereof.

The two electrodes 110 are separately disposed on the sensing layer 108 to expose the sensing layer 108. In this way, the solution to be tested can enter from the opening 112 between the two electrodes 110 and be in contact with the surface of the sensing layer 108. Therefore, by measuring the resistance, conductivity, current, voltage, etc. between the two electrodes 110, The change can be used to estimate the change in ion concentration in the solution to be tested. In the present embodiment, the sensing device 100 estimates the concentration of sodium ions and potassium ions in the solution by measuring resistance or conductivity, but the invention is not limited thereto. In an exemplary embodiment, the sensing device 100 can measure sodium ion concentrations ranging from 10 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) to 25 mmol/L; potassium ion concentrations ranging from 5 mmol/L to 20 mmol. Between /L.

In an embodiment, a modification layer 116 (shown in FIG. 2) may also be disposed on the sensing layer 108 between the two electrodes 110 to enhance the selectivity of the sensing device 100. For example, the modification layer 116 can be an ion selective layer. More specifically, the ion-selective layer may be a negatively charged film such that negatively charged ions (e.g., chloride ions) in the solution are less proximate to the surface of the sensing layer 108, and thus, the sensing layer 108 can be positively charged. Ions (eg, sodium ions or potassium ions) are sensed to enhance the selectivity of the sensing device 100. The material of the modification layer 116 may be Nafion ^® , chitosan or a combination thereof. The method of forming the decorative layer 116 may be a 3D printing method, an inkjet printing method, a dispensing method, or a combination thereof.

The protective layer 114 covers the top and outer sidewalls of the two electrodes 110 to prevent the electrode 110 from being scratched. In an embodiment, the protective layer 114 also optionally covers both inner and outer sidewalls of the electrode 110. In the present embodiment, the protective layer 114 covers not only the top surface and the outer sidewall of the electrode 110 but also the sensing layer 108, the insulating layer 106, the two sidewalls of the second substrate 104, and the top surface of the first substrate 102. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The material of the protective layer 114 may be polyimide (PI), tantalum nitride (SiN), or a combination thereof. The formation method of the protective layer 114 is, for example, a 3D printing method, an inkjet printing method, or a combination thereof. The above-mentioned "outer side wall of the electrode 110" indicates a side wall of the two side walls of the electrode 110 away from the opening 112.

It is worth noting that the temperature of the solution is related to its relative resistance or conductivity. In other words, the same solution does not have the same resistance and conductivity at different temperatures. Therefore, in an embodiment, when the second substrate 104 is a temperature sensing layer, when the relationship between the temperature and the resistance value is known, the resistance value at the current temperature can be accurately sensed to avoid the temperature. The error caused by the change.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, a method of fabricating the sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps. A first substrate 102 is provided. A second substrate 104, an insulating layer 106, a sensing layer 108, and two electrodes 110 separated from each other are sequentially formed on the first substrate 102. The two electrodes 110 separated from each other expose a portion of the sensing layer 108 such that the solution can contact the surface of the sensing layer to measure the resistance value of the solution, which is converted to the ion concentration in the solution. In addition, a protective layer 114 may be formed on the electrode 110 to cover the top surface and the outer sidewall of the electrode 110.

In one embodiment, the method of providing the first substrate 102, the method of forming the second substrate 104, the method of forming the sensing layer 108, the method of forming the insulating layer 106, the method of forming the electrode 110, and the method of forming the protective layer 114 are 3D printing method, inkjet printing method or a combination thereof, wherein the 3D printing method or the inkjet printing method facilitates the first substrate 102, the second substrate 104, the insulating layer 106, the sensing layer 108, the electrode 110, and the protective layer 114 Formed on curved surfaces, concave surfaces, beveled surfaces, combinations thereof, or the like, which is difficult to achieve with conventional semiconductor fabrication methods.

In addition, the present invention can form the sensing device 100 by 3D printing, and thus the sensing device 100 can be easily formed on a wide variety of substrates, which has wide applicability. The sensing device 100 of the present invention is applied to a breastfeeding underwear, and by monitoring the ion concentration in the milk, and early detecting the blockage of the mammary duct or the sign of mastitis, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the sensing device 100 can also be applied to general underwear to detect the signs of breast cancer by monitoring the body surface temperature of the breast.

2 is a schematic view of a breastfeeding underwear in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a breastfeeding underwear 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes two cup portions 202, a connecting portion 204, two breast implant pads 206, and a sensing device 100. The two cup portions 202 are respectively disposed at positions corresponding to the human breast. The material of the cup portion 202 may be, for example, a fluorine-containing fiber, a polyurethane resin, a nylon fiber, or a combination thereof.

The connecting portion 204 is located between the two cup portions 202 for connecting the two cup portions 202. In an embodiment, a transmission device 208 may also be disposed on the connecting portion 204 to output the data measured by the sensing device 100. Transmission device 204 can be, for example, a wireless transmission device. For example, the wireless transmission device can be Bluetooth, wireless personal area network, Zigbee, Ultra Wide Band (UWB), or a combination thereof. In the present embodiment, the transmission device 208 is located inside the connecting portion 204, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the delivery device 208 can also be located outside of the connection portion 204 or at other locations of the breastfeeding underwear 200. The above-mentioned "inside of the connecting portion 204" indicates the side where the connecting portion 204 is close to the skin. The above-mentioned "outer side of the connecting portion 204" indicates the side of the connecting portion 204 away from the skin.

The breast pad 206 is located inside the two cup portions 202, respectively. In one embodiment, the breast pad 206 includes a contact layer 206a, an absorbent layer 206b, and a waterproof layer 206c (shown in Figure 4). More specifically, the contact layer 206a is in contact with the skin of the breast, which may be a material having a good air permeability, such as non-woven fabric, polyester fiber or pure cotton fiber. The absorbing layer 206b is located between the contact layer 206a and the waterproof layer 206c, which may be a material having good water absorption to absorb spilled milk. For example, the material of the absorbing layer 206b may be pulp, a polymer absorber, or a combination thereof. The waterproof layer 206c may be a liquid impermeable material to prevent the milk from eroding the outer wetted underwear. For example, the waterproof layer 206c may be a polyethylene waterproof film.

The sensing device 100 is optionally disposed on the contact layer 206a, the absorbing layer 206b or the waterproof layer 206c in the diaper pad 206, and the invention is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the sensing device 100 can be disposed on the water absorbing layer 206b of the breast pad 206 such that the sensing device 100 does not directly contact the skin of the breast, thereby causing the user to have a bad touch.

The sensing device 100 is located on each of the two breast pads 206 to sense the electrical resistance or conductivity of the milk to estimate the ion concentration in the milk. Therefore, the breastfeeding underwear 200 can monitor the concentration of ions in the milk at any time, so that the woman can know when to clean or empty the milk during the breastfeeding period to effectively prevent the symptoms of breast tube blockage or mastitis. More specifically, the sodium ion concentration in the milk ranged from 10 mmol/L to 25 mmol/L; the potassium ion concentration in the milk ranged from 5 mmol/L to 20 mmol/L; sodium ion concentration and potassium The ratio of ion concentration is less than 0.6 (Na ⁺ /K ⁺ <0.6) is normal, and the ratio of sodium ion concentration to potassium ion concentration is greater than 1 (Na ⁺ /K ⁺ >1) is an abnormal condition. Blockage of the mammary gland or inflammation of the breast requires cleaning or emptying the milk as soon as possible.

A plurality of sensing devices 100 may be disposed on the breast pad 206 to enhance the accuracy of the sensing device 100. The breast pad 206 is selectively evenly distributed on the breast pad 206 or concentrated on the breast pad 206 at a position corresponding to the milk secretion, which is not limited thereto.

It is worth noting that the range of ion concentrations of human sweat and milk is different, so the problem of mutual interference can be avoided. More specifically, the sodium ion concentration of human sweat ranges from 26 mmol/L to 44 mmol/L; the potassium ion concentration of human sweat ranges from 5.1 mmol/L to 8.2 mmol/L; physiological saline (0.9) The sodium ion concentration of gram NaCl dissolved in 1 liter of water was 154 mmol/L. It can be seen that the concentration of sodium ions and potassium ions in the milk is different from that of sweat and physiological saline. Therefore, the breastfeeding underwear 200 can accurately determine whether there is a blockage of the mammary gland or inflammation of the breast without being affected by sweat or It is the effect of physiological saline.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, a method of manufacturing the breastfeeding underwear 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps. A breastfeeding underwear 200 is provided. Two breast pads 206 are respectively covered on the inner sides of the two cup portions 202 of the breastfeeding underwear 200, wherein the two cup portions 202 are respectively located at positions corresponding to the human breast. Sensing device 100 is formed on two breast pads 206, respectively. A transport device 208 is formed on the connecting portion 204 connected between the two cup portions 202, wherein the transport device 208 is used to output the data of the sensing device 100.

It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the method of forming the sensing device 100 is a 3D printing method, an inkjet printing method, or a combination thereof. Therefore, the sensing device 100 can be easily formed on the non-planar breast pad 206 in the breastfeeding underwear 200, which is difficult to achieve by conventional semiconductor manufacturing methods.

In summary, the present invention forms the sensing device by 3D printing, so it is easy to form the sensing device on the non-planar breast pad in the breastfeeding underwear. Further, the sensing device of the present invention has a function of measuring a resistance value or an electrical conductivity in a solution, and the ion concentration in the solution can be known by conversion. Therefore, the sensing device can be integrated into the breastfeeding underwear, and the concentration of sodium or potassium ions in the milk can be monitored at any time, so that the woman can know when to clean or empty the milk during the breastfeeding period, so as to effectively prevent the blockage of the breast tube or Symptoms of mastitis.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

100‧‧‧Sensing device

102‧‧‧First substrate

104‧‧‧Second substrate

106‧‧‧Insulation

108‧‧‧Sensor layer

110‧‧‧Electrode

112‧‧‧ openings

114‧‧‧Protective layer

116‧‧‧Retouching layer

200‧‧‧ breastfeeding underwear

202‧‧‧ cups

204‧‧‧Connecting Department

206‧‧‧ breast pad

206a‧‧‧Contact layer

206b‧‧‧Absorber

206c‧‧‧Waterproof layer

208‧‧‧Transportation device

1 is a cross-sectional view of a sensing device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a sensing device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a schematic view of a breastfeeding underwear in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a schematic view of a breast pad in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (15)

A sensing device for sensing an ion concentration in a solution, the sensing device comprising: a first substrate having a material comprising cellulose; a second substrate on the first substrate; a sensing layer located at the On the second substrate; and two electrodes disposed separately on the sensing layer to expose the sensing layer, contacting the solution with the sensing layer to measure the resistance value of the solution And converting to the concentration of the ions in the solution, wherein the step of forming the first substrate, forming the second substrate, forming the sensing layer, and forming the two electrodes comprises 3D printing . The sensing device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer between the second substrate and the sensing layer. The sensing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a protective layer covering the top surface and the side wall of the two electrodes. The sensing device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the ions comprise sodium ions, potassium ions, or a combination thereof. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the sodium ion concentration ranges between 10 mmol/L and 25 mmol/L. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the potassium ion concentration ranges between 5 mmol/L and 20 mmol/L. The sensing device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the material of the sensing layer comprises a metal oxide. The sensing device of claim 7, wherein the metal oxide comprises tin oxide, zinc oxide, tungsten oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, zirconium oxide, indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide or a combination thereof. A breastfeeding underwear adapted to sense an ion concentration in a milk, the breastfeeding underwear comprising: two cup portions respectively disposed at positions corresponding to a human breast; a connecting portion connected between the two cup portions; The irrigated breast pads are respectively located on the inner sides of the two cup portions; and the sensing devices according to any one of the claims 1 to 8 are respectively disposed on the two galactornasal pads. The breastfeeding underwear of claim 9, further comprising a transport device located inside the connecting portion, wherein the transport device is configured to output data of the two sensing devices. A method of manufacturing a sensing device, the sensing device being adapted to sense an ion concentration in a solution, the method of manufacturing the sensing device comprising: providing a first substrate, wherein a material of the first substrate comprises cellulose; Forming a second substrate on the first substrate; forming a sensing layer on the second substrate; Forming two electrodes separated from each other on the sensing layer to expose the sensing layer, and contacting the solution to the sensing layer to measure a resistance value of the solution, and converting into a The concentration of the ions in the solution, the method of providing the first substrate, the method of forming the second substrate, the method of forming the sensing layer, and the method of forming the two electrodes include 3D printing . The method of manufacturing a sensing device according to claim 11, wherein before the step of forming the sensing layer, further comprising: forming an insulating layer on the second substrate, wherein the insulating layer is located in the Between the second substrate and the sensing layer. The method of manufacturing a sensing device according to claim 11, wherein after forming the two electrodes, further comprising: forming a protective layer covering a top surface and a sidewall of the two electrodes. A method for manufacturing a breastfeeding underwear, wherein the breastfeeding underwear is adapted to sense an ion concentration in a milk, the method of manufacturing the breastfeeding underwear comprising: disposing two breast pads on an inner side of two cup portions of the breastfeeding underwear Wherein the two cup portions are respectively located at positions corresponding to the human breast; and the method for manufacturing the sensing device according to any one of claims 11 to 13 is respectively performed on the two breast pads, To form two sensing devices. The method for manufacturing a breastfeeding underwear according to claim 14, further comprising: arranging a transport device on an inner side of the connecting portion connected between the two cup portions The transmission device is configured to output data of the two sensing devices.