TWI725358B - Physiological sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

A physiological sensor includes a flexible substrate, a plurality of sensing module and a processing module. The sensing modules are disposed on the sensor modules and configured to produce sensing signal. The processing module is connected to the sensing module and configured to receive the sensing signal.

Description

Physiological sensing device

A sensing device, especially a physiological sensing device.

In medical treatment, in order to accurately treat patients' symptoms, doctors need to further observe the patient's physiological state to formulate treatment methods. Although medical technology continues to advance, there are many instruments that can measure the various physiological states of patients. However, most of the measuring instruments are dedicated instruments, which are expensive and bulky, and most patients need to go to a designated place to use the instrument to receive measurements. Some instruments involve all-weather monitoring, such as all-day heartbeat measurement or male erection measurement. Although designed to be portable, they are still large in size and need to be worn on the patient through a strap, such as fixed to the waist or leg. Take the male erection measuring instrument as an example. When using the instrument, the instrument is tied to the thigh, and then set on the patient's genitals with a loop, and it must be half-naked when worn. It is easy for the patient to feel uncomfortable and inconvenient to use the instrument to measure the erection state while wearing the instrument. Therefore, how to solve the above-mentioned problems and make the physiological sensing device easier to use is worth considering for those with ordinary knowledge in this field.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a physiological sensing device, which has a separate design and is integrated into the underwear without causing discomfort to the wearer during use. The invention provides a physiological sensing device, which includes a flexible substrate, a plurality of sensing modules, and a processing module. A plurality of sensing modules are arranged on the flexible substrate and are suitable for generating a sensing signal. The processing module is connected to the sensing module and is suitable for receiving the sensing signal. The aforementioned physiological sensing device further includes a wireless communication module electrically connected to the processing module. The aforementioned physiological sensing device further includes a first acceleration sensor which is electrically connected to the processing module. In the aforementioned physiological sensing device, the sensing module includes a group consisting of at least one pressure sensor and at least one second acceleration sensor. In the above-mentioned physiological sensing device, the sensing module includes at least one textile sensor, which is electrically connected to the processing module. In the aforementioned physiological sensing device, the sensing module includes at least one variable resistor, which is electrically connected to the processing module. In the above physiological sensing device, the variable resistor includes a plurality of conductive contacts, at least one flexible conductive block and at least one wire. The conductive contact is arranged on a surface of the flexible substrate. The flexible conductive block covers the conductive contact. The wire is electrically connected between the flexible conductive block and the processing module. In the above physiological sensing device, the variable resistor further includes at least one conductive paint, and the conductive paint is coated on the conductive contact. In the aforementioned physiological sensing device, the conductive paint is conductive ink or conductive silver paste. In the above physiological sensing device, the soft conductive block includes a plurality of conductive particles, and the conductive particles are coated in the soft conductive block. In the above physiological sensing device, the flexible conductive block includes a plurality of conductive fibers and a plurality of non-conductive fibers, and the conductive fibers and the non-conductive fibers are mixed woven. In the aforementioned physiological sensing device, the wireless communication module is communicatively connected to a box channel device, and is communicatively connected to a servo host via the box channel device. The aforementioned physiological sensing device further includes a wireless charging receiving module. The present invention also provides a physiological sensing wearable article, including a wearable article and the above-mentioned physiological sensing device. The physiological sensing device is arranged in the wear. In the aforementioned physiological sensing wearable article, the physiological sensing device is covered in a waterproof layer. The present invention also provides a physiological sensing management system, which includes a plurality of the aforementioned physiological sensing devices, a cassette device, a servo host, and at least one client device. Box road device. The communication is connected to the physiological sensing device. The servo host computer is connected to the cartridge channel device. The client device is communicatively connected to the server host. In the aforementioned physiological sensing management system, the cassette device further includes a wireless charging and power supply module. In the above-mentioned physiological sensing management system, the sensing signal of the physiological sensing device is transmitted to the servo host via the box channel device, and the client device reads the sensing signal from the servo host. In the aforementioned physiological sensing management system, the physiological sensing device is initially in a first measurement mode, and when the sensing signal exceeds a first threshold, the physiological sensing device enters a second measurement mode. In the above-mentioned physiological sensing management system, when the sensing signal exceeds a second threshold, the server host generates a warning message and transmits the warning message to the client device. In the above-mentioned physiological sensing management system, the client device is adapted to set the first critical value and the second critical value of each physiological sensing device through the server host. The aforementioned physiological sensing management system, wherein the physiological sensing device records an erection event in the second measurement mode. The aforementioned physiological sensing management system, wherein the physiological sensing device judges a bedridden posture and records a bedridden event in the second measurement mode.

The present invention provides a physiological sensing device, which is integrated on the close-fitting clothing or fabric, and the sensing end is separated from the control end. Even if no measurement is performed, the physiological sensing device can be worn as general clothing without affecting the wearer’s daily life. Improve the convenience of use. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the physiological sensing device of the present invention. The physiological sensing device 100 includes a processing module 110, a sensing module 120, a wireless communication module 130, a first acceleration sensor 140, a memory 150, an energy storage element 160, and a wireless charging module. Group 170 and a flexible substrate 102 (as shown in FIG. 2 ), wherein the sensing module 120 is disposed on the flexible substrate 102. In addition, the physiological sensing device 100 of the present invention is suitable for being installed on a fabric, such as underwear, bracelets, waistbands and other fabrics, so as to achieve the effect of convenient wearing. The processing module 110 is the computing center element of the physiological sensing device 100. The processing module 110 is adapted to receive signals from the sensing module 120, the wireless communication module 130, and the first acceleration sensor 140, and perform different calculations and operations. control. The sensing module 120 is disposed on the flexible substrate 102, and the sensing module 120 is suitable for generating a pressure sensitive signal. That is, the sensing module 120 can measure the pressure (force) given by the external force and generate a change in voltage output, and the processing module 110 detects the change in voltage and further calculates the pressure value. The principle of the voltage change of the sensing module 120 will be described later. The wireless communication module 130 is connected to the processing module 110, and the wireless communication module 130 is, for example, a communication module of wireless communication specifications such as wifi, Bluetooth, and NFC. The wireless communication module 130 enables the physiological sensor device 100 to have a wireless communication function, and can control the physiological sensor 100 through an external electronic device, or receive data measured by the physiological sensor device 100. The external electronic device is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer or a personal computer, and the wireless communication function realizes the function of separate and remote control. The first acceleration sensor 140 (G-sensor) is connected to the processing module 110. The first acceleration sensor 140 is adapted to detect the three-axis dynamics of the physiological sensor device 100 and transmit the measurement signal to the processing module. 110. The specific application of the first acceleration sensor 140 is, for example, to detect the dynamics of the wearer of the physiological sensing device 100, such as the bed posture, joint displacement state and other information. The memory 150 is connected to the processing module 110, and the memory 150 is suitable for storing the measurement data calculated by the processing module 110 and can be stored for a long time. In one embodiment, the processing module 110 can also read the data in the memory 150 to generate information such as a graph or a comparison table. Further, the data stored in the memory 150 can be transmitted to an external electronic device via the processing module 110 and the wireless communication module 130. The energy storage element 160 is connected to the processing module 110. The energy storage element 160 is, for example, a small battery, which provides power required for the operation of the physiological sensing device 100. The wireless charging module 170 is connected to the energy storage element 160, that is, the physiological sensing device 100 can be connected to an external wireless charger through the wireless charging module 170 for wireless charging, which improves the convenience of using the physiological sensing device 100. Please refer to FIG. 2A, which is a schematic diagram of the physiological sensing device. In a preferred embodiment, the body of the physiological sensing device 100 will present a capsule-shaped sheet with a thickness of less than 1 mm. It also includes the main circuit part 101 and the flexible substrate 102, so the physiological sensing device 100 has a certain degree of flexibility. The processing module 110, the wireless communication module 130, the first acceleration sensor 140, the memory 150, the energy storage element 160, the wireless charging module 170 and other components are arranged in the main circuit part 101, and the sensing module The 120 side is arranged on the flexible substrate 102. In addition, the body of the physiological sensing device 100 will be covered with a waterproof material to facilitate cleaning. Wherein, the flexible substrate 102 has a plurality of sensing modules 120, and the sensing module 120 is a group consisting of at least one pressure sensor and at least one second acceleration sensor. Therefore, a plurality of pressure sensors and a second acceleration sensor (G-sensor) can be provided on the flexible substrate 102, or only a pressure sensor or a second acceleration sensor can be provided, which can be adjusted according to different measurement purposes. The number of pressure sensors and second acceleration sensors. Please refer to FIG. 2B. FIG. 2B illustrates a physiological sensing device according to another embodiment. The physiological sensing device 100 will be arranged in a pad 11. In the embodiment of FIG. 2B, the physiological sensing device 100 can also be distributed in various parts of the pad 11, that is, the main circuit portion 101 and the energy storage element 160 are respectively arranged on both sides of the pad 11, and cannot be flexed. The element is arranged at a position relatively unbent, and the space of the pad 11 is sufficiently used. Please refer to FIG. 2C. FIG. 2C shows a schematic diagram of a physiological sensing device used to measure male erection. The embodiment of FIG. 2C uses the physiological sensing device 100 for measuring male erection, so it is installed in a male underwear 10. In other embodiments, if it is used to detect urine leakage in women, it can be set in women's underwear; if it is used to detect the aging degree of the knee, it can be set in the knee pad. In FIG. 2C, the pad 11 and the physiological sensing device 110 are arranged on the male underwear 10, and the part with the sensing module 120 is arranged at a position corresponding to the male genitals. In a preferred embodiment, the liner 11 is designed to reserve a space at the position corresponding to the male genitalia, which improves the comfort of the wearer, and can make the genitalia contact the sensing module 120 when the male erects. Please continue to refer to FIG. 2A, the sensing module 120 in the present invention is arranged on the flexible substrate 102 in an array. Please refer to FIG. 3A. FIG. 3A illustrates the sensing module of the first embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the sensing module 120 is a pressure sensor, and the function of pressure sensing is completed through a variable resistor. The variable resistor of the sensing module 120 includes a plurality of flexible conductive blocks 122, A plurality of conductive contacts 123 are connected to a plurality of wires 121, and the wires 121 are connected to the flexible conductive block 122. The processing module 110 calculates the detected pressure value based on the voltage difference between the two ends 121a and 121b of the wire, and the flexible conductive block 122 is squeezed by the pressure, its resistance value will change, and then the voltage difference between the two ends 121a and 121b will be generated. , To achieve the effect of measuring pressure. Please refer to FIG. 3C, which is a schematic diagram of the sensing module. One of the sensing modules 120 will have multiple conductive contacts 123, the conductive contacts 123 will be divided into two groups, the conductive contacts 123 of the two groups will be respectively connected to two wires 121, and two groups of conductive contacts 123 It is not directly connected. The soft conductive block 122 includes a soft material and a plurality of conductive particles, and the conductive particles are coated in the soft material. The soft material is, for example, silicone or rubber with shape recovery characteristics. The flexible conductive block 122 is arranged on a predetermined position 122' and covers two sets of non-contact conductive contacts 123. That is, the non-contact conductive contact 123 is connected and energized through the conductive particles in the flexible conductive block 122. When the flexible conductive block 122 is squeezed by pressure, the distance between the conductive particles is reduced, thereby reducing the resistance. Therefore, when the flexible conductive block 122 is subjected to a large pressure, the resistance becomes smaller, and the voltage difference between the two ends 121a and 121b will also be reduced. Become smaller. The processing module 110 converts the voltage difference between the two ends 121a and 121b into a pressure value. In an embodiment, the flexible conductive block 122 can also be designed as a conductive fiber bundle, and the conductive fiber is woven by a mixture of conductive fibers and non-conductive fibers. When the conductive fiber bundle is squeezed, the distance between the conductive fiber and the non-conductive fiber will be reduced. At the same time, the contact area of the conductive fiber bundle and the conductive contact 123 will increase, so that the resistance of the conductive fiber bundle will decrease, so that both ends The voltage difference between 121a and 121b will also become smaller, resulting in the effect of measuring pressure. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, a plurality of sensing modules 120 are arranged to form an array to improve the precision of the resistance change of the sensing module 120, so that the sensing module 120 can measure the pressure more accurately. Please refer to FIG. 3B. FIG. 3B illustrates an additional application of the first embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, a conductive paint 124 is further provided on the conductive contact 123, and the conductive paint 124 is, for example, conductive ink. Coating the conductive paint 124 on the conductive contact 123 will further change the resistance change of the sensing module 120, and by adjusting the change in the number of the sensing module 120 and the conductive paint 124, the resistance change of the sensing module 120 can be adjusted Interval (change the maximum or minimum measurable value), thereby affecting the sensitivity of pressure measurement. Therefore, as long as the quantity of the sensing module 120 and the conductive paint is changed, the sensing module 120 can be adapted to the measurement interval of different requirements and applied to different requirements. In this embodiment, the part of the conductive contact 123 that contacts the soft material is formed by etching the copper foil substrate and then exposing the copper, and the soft material is attached to the exposed copper part through glue to improve the conduction efficiency. The conductive paint applied in Figure 3B is applied to the exposed copper part. The conductive contact 123 in this embodiment is made by etching, but it is not limited to this. The conductive contact 123 can also be made by coating with conductive paint or other circuit manufacturing methods. Please refer to FIG. 4, which shows the sensing module of the second embodiment. The sensing module 120 of the second embodiment uses a plurality of conductive fabrics 120' as the sensing unit for pressure sensing. The conductive fabric 120' is composed of multiple conductive fibers laminated, and when pressure is applied, the laminated structure of the conductive fibers changes, or the contact area between the conductive fabric 120' and the conductive contact 123 changes, which causes the resistance to change. Thereby, the voltage difference of the terminal 121' is changed to achieve the effect of pressure sensing. Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of the physiological sensing device used in conjunction with the network. The physiological sensing device 100 includes a wireless communication module 130. Therefore, the physiological sensing device 100 can be communicatively connected to a cassette device 20 through the wireless communication module 130. The cassette device 20 is a Gateway, which can be the aforementioned external electronic device. In some embodiments, multiple physiological sensing devices 100 may be connected to the same cassette device 20 in common. In one embodiment, the cassette device 20 further includes a wireless charging and power supply module, which is suitable for supplying power to the wireless charging receiving module 170 and charging the energy storage element 160. In addition to reading the data of the physiological sensor device 100 through the cartridge device 20, the physiological sensor device 100 can also be connected to a servo host 21 via the cartridge device 20, and the server host 21 is an online cloud server. Therefore, the measurement data of the physiological sensing device 100 can be transmitted to the servo host 21 through the cassette device 20 for storage, so that the servo host 21 can perform further statistics and analysis. At the same time, the external client device 22 can also be connected to the server host 21 to read the measurement data, so as to achieve the function of data query or remote monitoring. In addition, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the initial state of the physiological sensing device 100 is the first measurement mode. The first measurement mode refers to a daily measurement mode, such as general attitude detection. When the sensing signal (such as the pressure or acceleration sensing signal) of the sensing module 120 exceeds a first threshold, the physiological sensing device 100 enters the second measurement mode. The second measurement mode is a measurement mode for a specific purpose, such as erection measurement or bed posture. That is, the physiological sensing device 100 will detect the state of the wearer, and when the wearer enters a certain state (the measured value exceeds the first threshold), the physiological sensing device 100 will measure the state of the wearer. In another embodiment, regardless of whether the physiological sensing device 100 is in the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode, when the sensing signal exceeds a second threshold, the physiological sensing device 100 will send a signal to the box channel device 20 The server host 21, the server host 21 will generate a warning message and send it to the client device 22. The warning information is, for example, push information. In other words, when the physiological sensor device 100 is used to measure an important signal, if the important signal enters a dangerous value (more than the second critical value), the physiological sensor device 100 transmits through the box channel device 20 and the servo host 21 The warning information informs the user of the client device 22. Among them, in the physiological sensing management system, each physiological sensing device 100 can be set with different first and second critical values, and the first critical value of each physiological sensing device 100 can be set through the servo host 21 And the second critical value to correspond to the needs of different wearers and measurement purposes. Please refer to FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B. FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are the measurement methods of the physiological sensing device. In the embodiment of FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the physiological sensing device 100 will be used as a measuring device for male erection measurement and bed rest posture. Therefore, the processing module 110 performs measurement according to the following steps. Please refer to FIG. 6A first. First, using the above-mentioned physiological sensing device 100, the processing module 110 starts measurement (step A10). At this time, the physiological sensing device 100 is in the first measurement mode. Then, the first acceleration sensor 140 is used to detect the amount of bed rest (step A20), and further calculate the sleep index and the bed rest posture (step A30). At the same time as step A20, the processing module 110 reads the sensing value of the sensing module 120 (step A40), and generates a male genital activity signal map (step A50). Next, according to the measurement results of step A30 and step A50, it is detected whether there is erection (step A60). If the erection is confirmed, the physiological sensing device 100 enters the second measurement mode and starts to record the erection event (step A70). After the erection event recording is completed, it is determined whether the wearer gets up or ends the measurement (A80), if it is otherwise, re-execute step A60; if it is yes, end the measurement (step A90). Please refer to Fig. 6B, Fig. 6B is the measurement method of lying in bed posture. The method for measuring the posture of lying in bed in this embodiment is the specific method of step A20 described above. First, the physiological sensing device 100 is in the first measurement mode, and the bed-resting activity is detected by the first acceleration sensor 140 (step B10), and then it is judged according to the bed-resting activity whether it enters the sleep index (step B20), if not, it continues Step B10 is executed, and if yes, the physiological sensing device 100 enters the second measurement mode, and measures the signals of the three axes through the first acceleration sensor 140 (step B30), and determines whether lying on the right side, lying on the left side, lying on the right side, Lying on the stomach, getting out of bed, or walking around (step B40), and then recording the events of bed rest and getting out of bed (step B50). Next, determine whether to get up or end the measurement (step B60), if otherwise, continue to perform step B40, if yes, end the measurement (step B70). After the erection measurement and bed posture measurement methods described above in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the processing module 110 can obtain the physiological sensing data of the erection measurement and the bed posture, and further transmit it to the external client device 22 through the wireless communication module 130 (Or cassette device 20), allowing the user to receive the data detected by the physiological sensing device 100. The physiological sensing device 100 of the present invention, through the arrangement of the sensing module 120 and the wireless communication module 130, and the miniaturization and thin design, makes the physiological sensing device 100 a separate measuring device. It is integrated with the underwear and can still be used as general underwear when not in use, without causing discomfort or affecting the wearer's daily life. When the measurement is needed, the electronic device can receive the signal to perform the measurement, which greatly improves the convenience of use, and can be adapted to different types of physiological signal measurement. The description of the present invention is as above, but it is not intended to limit the scope of patent rights claimed in this creation. The scope of its patent protection shall be determined by the attached scope of patent application and its equivalent fields. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the field, without departing from the spirit or scope of this patent, makes changes or modifications that are equivalent changes or designs completed under the spirit of this creation, and should be included in the scope of the following patent applications Inside.

10: Underwear 11: Pad 20: Box channel device 21: Servo main muscle 22: Client device 100: Physiological sensing device 101: Main circuit part 102: Flexible substrate 110: Processing module 120: Sensing module 120' : Conductive fabric 121: wire 121': terminal 121a, 121b: both ends of the wire 122: flexible conductive block 123: conductive contact 124: conductive paint 130: wireless communication module 140: first acceleration sensor 150: memory Body 160: Energy storage element 170: Wireless charging module A10~A90, B10~B70: Step flow chart

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of the physiological sensing device of the present invention. Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of a physiological sensing device. FIG. 2B shows a physiological sensing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 2C shows a schematic diagram of a physiological sensing device used to measure male erection. FIG. 3A shows the sensing module of the first embodiment. FIG. 3B shows an additional application of the first embodiment. Fig. 3C shows a schematic diagram of the sensing module. Fig. 4 shows the sensing module of the second embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the physiological sensing device used in conjunction with the network. 6A and 6B show the measurement method of the physiological sensing device.

100: Physiological sensing device

110: Processing module

120: Sensing module

130: wireless communication module

140: The first acceleration sensor

150: memory

160: Energy storage element

170: wireless charging module

Claims (12)

A physiological sensing device is suitable for sensing and recording the sleep process of a user. The physiological sensing device includes: a flexible substrate; a plurality of sensing modules arranged in an array on the flexible substrate, suitable for generating A sensing signal, wherein the sensing module is a pressure sensor, and the function of pressure sensing is completed through a variable resistor. The variable resistor includes a plurality of flexible conductive blocks and a plurality of one arranged on the flexible substrate. Conductive contacts on the surface covered by the flexible conductive blocks, and a plurality of wires connected to the conductive contacts, wherein the flexible conductive block includes a plurality of conductive particles, and the conductive particles are coated on the flexible conductive block Among them, when the flexible conductive block is squeezed by pressure, its resistance value will change, which will cause a voltage difference between the two ends of the wire; at least one conductive paint is applied to the conductive contact and the quantity of the conductive paint is adjusted. The resistance change interval of the sensing modules can be adjusted; and a processing module, connected to the wire of the sensing module, is suitable for calculating the detected pressure value through the voltage difference between the two ends of the wire. According to the physiological sensing device described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, the conductive paint is conductive ink or conductive silver paste. A physiological sensing device is suitable for sensing and recording the sleep process of a user. The physiological sensing device includes: a flexible substrate; a plurality of sensing modules arranged in an array on the flexible substrate, suitable for generating A sensing signal, wherein the sensing module is a pressure sensor, and the function of pressure sensing is completed through a variable resistor. The variable resistor includes a plurality of flexible conductive blocks and a plurality of one arranged on the flexible substrate. Conductive contacts on the surface covered by the soft conductive blocks, and a plurality of wires connected to the conductive contacts, wherein the flexible conductive block includes a plurality of conductive fibers and a plurality of non-conductive fibers, the conductive fibers and Should not conduct electricity The fiber is mixed woven. When the soft conductive block is squeezed by pressure, its resistance value will change, which will cause a voltage difference between the two ends of the wire. At least one conductive paint is applied to the conductive contact and the quantity of the conductive paint is adjusted. , The resistance change interval of the sensing modules can be adjusted; and a processing module, connected to the wire of the sensing module, is suitable for calculating the detected pressure value based on the voltage difference between the two ends of the wire. A physiological sensing wearable article includes: a wearable article; and the physiological sensing device according to any one of items 1 to 3 in the scope of the patent application, and the physiological sensing device is arranged in the wearable article. According to the fourth item of the scope of patent application, the physiological sensing wearable article, wherein the physiological sensing device is covered in a waterproof layer. A physiological sensing management system, comprising: a plurality of physiological sensing devices as described in any one of items 1 to 3 in the scope of the patent application; a cassette device, which is communicatively connected to the physiological sensing device; and a servo The host is communicatively connected to the box channel device; and at least one client device is communicatively connected to the server host. According to the physiological sensing management system described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein the box channel device further includes a wireless charging and power supply module. The physiological sensing management system according to the sixth item of the scope of patent application, wherein the sensing signal of the physiological sensing device is transmitted to the server host via the box channel device, and the client device is read from the server host The sensing signal. The physiological sensing management system described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein the physiological sensing device is initially in a first measurement mode, and when the sensing signal exceeds a first threshold, the physiological sensing device enters a The second measurement mode. For example, the physiological sensing management system described in item 9 of the scope of patent application, wherein, when the sensing signal exceeds a second threshold, the server host generates a warning message and sends the warning message to the client device, The client device is adapted to set the first threshold value and the second threshold value of each physiological sensing device through the server host. The physiological sensing management system described in claim 9, wherein the physiological sensing device records an erection event in the second measurement mode. The physiological sensing management system described in claim 9, wherein the physiological sensing device determines a bedridden posture in the second measurement mode and records a bedridden event.

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