Apparatus for a diaper, a system, a diaper and a method of manufacturing an electrode

• US 10,111,787 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Inventors: Ying, Jackie Y., Xu, Guolin, Deng, Rensheng, Chen, Xiaojun
• Primary Examiner(s): Aziz, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US14/424,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20150209193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 3405735
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15707 Mechanical treatment, e.g. notching, twisting, compressing, shaping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49 Absorbent articles specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/424 having an electronic device

Abstract

Various embodiments provide an apparatus for a diaper. The apparatus has two electrodes and an electronic device. The electronic device is coupled to the two electrodes. The two electrodes are operable to generate a potential difference when they are electrically connected together by ionized liquid. The electronic device is operable to generate an alarm signal when the potential difference is generated. Various other embodiments relate to a corresponding system, diaper and method of manufacturing an electrode.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a diaper, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of electrodes; and

an electronic device coupled to at least two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes;

the at least two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes being operable to generate a potential difference when electrically connected together by ionized liquid, and the electronic device being operable to generate an alarm signal when the potential difference is generated, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise at least two arc-shaped electrodes together forming at least a portion of a circle, and a further electrode being positioned inside the circle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the further electrode is positioned at a center of the circle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device further comprises a power source operable to provide power to generate the alarm signal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each electrode of the at least two electrodes is made of a different material.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one electrode of the at least two electrodes comprises a metal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one electrode of the at least two electrodes comprises carbon.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least two electrodes are parallel with each other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least two electrodes have different lengths and/or widths.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a sheet of flexible material, wherein the at least two electrodes are printed onto the sheet of flexible material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a speaker and the alarm signal comprises an audio signal emitted from the speaker.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a light source and the alarm signal comprises a visual signal emitted from the light source.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a transmitter and the alarm signal comprises a communication signal transmitted from the transmitter.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electronic device is operable to measure a value of the potential difference and cause the transmitter to transmit the communication signal in dependence on the value.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is operable to periodically measure the value of the potential difference and periodically cause the transmitter to transmit the communication signal in dependence on the value.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is operable to generate the alarm signal only when the value of the potential difference is at or above a threshold value of the potential difference.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises one or more additional electrodes, each additional electrode being coupled to the electronic device, and the electronic device being operable to generate the alarm signal when the potential difference is generated across at least two electrodes.

17. A system comprising:

an apparatus for a diaper, the apparatus comprising;

two electrodes; and

an electronic device coupled to the two electrodes;

the two electrodes being operable to generate a potential difference when electrically connected together by ionized liquid, and the electronic device being operable to generate an alarm signal when the potential difference is generated, wherein the two electrodes are arc-shaped forming at least a portion of a circle, and a further electrode is positioned inside the circle, wherein the electronic device being operable to generate the alarm signal when the potential difference is generated across at least one of the two arc-shaped electrodes and the further electrode; and

a server having a receiver operable to receive a communication signal from the apparatus, the server being further operable to generate an indication that the communication signal has been received.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server comprises a display screen and the server is operable to display the indication on the display screen.

19. The system of claim 17, comprising:

two or more of the apparatuses, each apparatus being operable to include a unique identifier in a communication signal transmitted from the apparatus, the unique identifier uniquely identifying that apparatus, and

wherein the server is operable to determine which apparatus transmitted a received communication signal based on the unique identifier in the received communication signal and to provide a reference to the unique identifier with the indication corresponding to the received communication signal.

20. A diaper comprising:

two electrodes; and

an electronic device coupled to the two electrodes;

the two electrodes being operable to generate a potential difference when electrically connected together by ionized liquid, and the electronic device being operable to generate an alarm signal when the potential difference is generated, wherein the two electrodes are arc-shaped forming at least a portion of a circle, and a further electrode is positioned inside the circle, wherein the electronic device being operable to generate the alarm signal when the potential difference is generated across at least one of the two arc-shaped electrodes and the further electrode.

21. The diaper of claim 20, further comprising a sheet of flexible material, wherein the electrodes are printed onto the sheet of flexible material, wherein the sheet of flexible material is a sheet of material of the diaper.