Indicator panels for incontinence products

• US 10,383,564 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixie Scientific, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pixie Scientific, LLC
• Inventors: Meek, Scott, Faybishenko, Yaroslav
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Catharine L
• Application Number:
  US15/162,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20160338883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/007 for taking urine samples measuring urological functions A61B5/20; genital receptacles A61F5/451; urinals for bed-ridden persons A61G9/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0006 involving a colour change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14507 specially adapted for measuring characteristics of body fluids other than blood devices for taking samples of body liquids A61B10/0045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/207 Sensing devices adapted to collect urine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6808 Diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/422 the alarm being a colour change
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/427 pH indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530481 having superabsorbent materials, i.e. highly absorbent polymer gel materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8473 for diagnostic purposes

Abstract

Indicating panels adapted to provide a qualitative or quantitative indication of a characteristic of a liquid absorbed by the indicator panel. The indicating panels include a porous inner sheet that is impregnated with a first indicator selected to respond to a target analyte by creating a detectable response, and a porous outer sheet impregnated with a polymeric mordant selected to stabilize indicators.

Claims

1. An indicating panel for an incontinence product, comprising:

a porous inner sheet that is impregnated with a first indicator;

wherein the first indicator is selected to respond to a target analyte by creating a detectable response;

a porous outer sheet adjacent to the inner sheet, wherein the outer sheet is impregnated with a polymeric mordant selected to stabilize indicators that generate detectable responses; and

a separation layer disposed between the inner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the separation layer is at least water-soluble.

2. The indicating panel of claim 1, wherein the porous inner sheet further includes a second indicator, wherein the second indicator is selected to respond to the detectable response of the first indicator by generating a second detectable response.

3. The indicating panel of claim 1, wherein the first indicator is a colorimetric indicator.

4. The indicating panel of claim 2, wherein the second indicator is a colorimetric indicator.

5. The indicating panel of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first indicator and second indicator is a pH indicator.

6. The indicating panel of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first indicator and second indicator is a metal ion indicator.

7. The indicating panel of claim 1, wherein the first indicator is poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) (PMVEMA).

8. The indicating panel of claim 2, wherein the second indicator is a pH indicator.

9. The indicating panel of claim 1, wherein the separation layer is porous.

10. The indicating panel of claim 1, wherein the polymeric mordant is a polymeric cationic surfactant.

11. The indicating panel of claim 1, wherein the polymeric mordant is poly[methyl acrylate-co-(3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride].

12. An indicating incontinence product, comprising:

an absorbent core;

a porous inner sheet adjacent to the absorbent core that is impregnated with a first indicator;

wherein the first indicator is selected to respond to a target analyte by creating a detectable response;

a porous outer sheet adjacent to the inner sheet, wherein the outer sheet is impregnated with a polymeric mordant selected to stabilize indicators that generate detectable responses; and

a separation layer disposed between the inner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the separation layer is at least one of water-soluble and porous.

13. The incontinence product of claim 12, wherein the absorbent core includes a superabsorbent polymer.

14. The incontinence product of claim 12, wherein the absorbent core includes a superabsorbent sodium polyacrylate polymer.

15. An indicating system for an incontinence product, comprising:

an indicating panel including;

a porous inner sheet impregnated with a pair of coupled indicators,

wherein a first indicator of the coupled pair is selected to respond to a target analyte by creating a reporting condition,

wherein a second indicator of the coupled pair is selected configured to respond to the reporting condition by generating a detectable response,

a porous outer sheet adjacent to the inner sheet, wherein the outer sheet is impregnated with a polymeric mordant selected to irreversibly stabilize the second indicator that is generating the detectable response, and

a separation layer disposed between the inner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the separation layer is at least one of water-soluble and porous; and

a reference panel disposed adjacent to the indicating panel, where the reference panel includes a substantially white and porous material.

16. The indicating system of claim 15, wherein the reference panel includes a cellulose-based filter paper.

17. The indicating system of claim 15, wherein the first and second indicators are selected to produce a detectable response that is a distinct color change in the presence of the target analyte.

18. The indicating system of claim 15, wherein the reference panel is configured so that, upon absorption of a urine sample, a color of the reference panel will substantially correspond to that of the urine sample.

19. The indicating system of claim 18, wherein color data of the indicating panel is configured to be scanned by an optical device coupled to a processor, and the processor is capable of processing the color data so as to detect and/or quantify a presence of the target analyte.

20. The indicating system of claim 19, wherein the processor is additionally capable of using a color of the reference panel to control for urine color when processing the color data.

21. An indicating panel for an incontinence product, comprising:

a porous inner sheet that is impregnated with a first indicator;

wherein the first indicator is selected to respond to a target analyte by creating a detectable response;

a porous outer sheet adjacent to the inner sheet, wherein the outer sheet is impregnated with a polymeric mordant selected to stabilize indicators that generate detectable responses; and

a separation layer disposed between the inner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the separation layer is at least porous.

22. The indicating panel of claim 21, wherein the porous inner sheet further includes a second indicator, wherein the second indicator is selected to respond to the detectable response of the first indicator by generating a second detectable response.

23. The indicating panel of claim 21, wherein the first indicator is a colorimetric indicator.

24. The indicating panel of claim 22, wherein the second indicator is a colorimetric indicator.

25. The indicating panel of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first indicator and second indicator is a pH indicator.

26. The indicating panel of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first indicator and second indicator is a metal ion indicator.

27. The indicating panel of claim 22, wherein the second indicator is a pH indicator.

28. The indicating panel of claim 21, wherein the polymeric mordant is a polymeric cationic surfactant.

29. An indicating panel for an incontinence product, comprising:

a porous inner sheet that is impregnated with a first indicator;

wherein the first indicator is selected to respond to a target analyte by creating a detectable response; and

a porous outer sheet adjacent to the inner sheet, wherein the outer sheet is impregnated with a polymeric mordant selected to stabilize indicators that generate detectable responses;

wherein the polymeric mordant is poly[methyl acrylate-co-(3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride].

30. An indicating panel for an incontinence product, comprising:

a porous inner sheet that is impregnated with a first indicator;

wherein the first indicator comprises poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) (PMVEMA) and is configured to respond to a target analyte by creating a detectable response; and

a porous outer sheet adjacent to the inner sheet, wherein the outer sheet is impregnated with a polymeric mordant selected to stabilize indicators that generate detectable responses.