Wearable article with multi-level alert system

• US 20050079637A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Soerens, Dave Allen, Wilhelm, Hoa La, Wang, James Hongxue, Wilhelm, Lee Delson
• Granted Patent: US 7,241,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/518
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm

Abstract

A wearable article equipped with a multi-level alert system detects and emits signals corresponding to various abnormal levels of a substance in a mammalian extract. By providing different signals corresponding to multiple abnormal levels of the substance, the wearer is simultaneously alerted to the existence of an abnormality, and informed of the level of severity.

Claims

1. A wearable article equipped with a multi-level alert system for detecting two or more levels of a mammalian substance in a mammalian extract, the wearable article comprising:

a substrate;

a target area on the substrate including first and second sub-areas for receiving the mammalian extract; and

a chemical detection system on the target area for detecting at least a first lower level of the mammalian substance in the first sub-area and a second higher level of the mammalian substance in the second sub-area;

wherein the chemical detection system comprises a first chemical composition on the first sub-area and a second chemical composition on the second sub-area, the first chemical composition detects the first lower level of the mammalian substance and the second chemical composition detects the second higher level mammalian substance; and

the mammalian substance being detected is not a hydrogen ion or ion aggregate.

3. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the first chemical composition emits a first color to indicate detection of the first lower level of the mammalian substance, and the second chemical composition emits a second color to indicate detection of the second higher level of the mammalian substance.

4. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the target area further comprises a third sub-area, and the chemical detection system further comprises a third chemical composition on the third sub-area for detecting a third level of the mammalian substance.

5. The wearable article of claim 4, wherein the first chemical composition emits a first color to indicate detection of the first level of mammalian substance, the second chemical composition emits a second color to indicate detection of the second level of mammalian substance, and the third chemical composition emits a third color to indicate detection of the third level of mammalian substance.

6. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the wearable article is a personal care absorbent article.

7. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the wearable article is a medical absorbent article.

8. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the wearable article is an athletic absorbent article.

9. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the wearable article is a nonabsorbent article,

2. (canceled)

10. A wearable article equipped with a multi-level alert system for detecting two or more levels of a mammalian substance in a mammalian extract, the wearable article comprising:

a substrate;

a target area on the substrate including first and second sub-areas for receiving the mammalian extract; and

a chemical detection system on the target area which initiates a first signal in response to a first level of the mammalian substance in the first sub-area and a second signal in response to a second level of the mammalian substance in the second sub-area;

wherein the chemical detection system comprises a first chemical composition on the first sub-area and a second chemical composition on the second sub-area, the first chemical composition detects the first lower level of the mammalian substance and the second chemical composition detects the second higher level mammalian substance; and

the mammalian substance being detected is not a hydrogen ion or ion aggregate.

11. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the first signal comprises a first color change in the first sub-area and the second signal comprises a second color change in the second sub-area.

12. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the first signal comprises a first light and the second signal comprises a second light.

13. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the first signal comprises a first sound and the second signal comprises a second sound.

14. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the target area includes a third sub-area, and the chemical detection system initiates a third signal in response to a third level of mammalian substance in the third sub-area.

15. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the wearable article is a personal care absorbent article.

16. The wearable article of Claim 10, wherein the wearable article is a garment.

17. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the wearable article is a medical absorbent article.

18. The wearable article of Claim 10, wherein the wearable article is an article of clothing.

19. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the wearable article is a nonabsorbent article.

20. A wearable article equipped with a multi-level alert system for detecting three or more levels of a mammalian substance in a mammalian extant, the wearable article comprising:

a substrate;

a target area on the substrate including first, second and third sub-areas for receiving the mammalian extract;

a first chemical composition on the first sub-area, which detects a first level of the mammalian substance;

a second chemical composition on the second sub-area, which detects a second level of the mammalian substance; and

a third chemical composition on the third sub-area, which detects a third level of the mammalian substance;

wherein the mammalian substance being detected is not a hydrogen ion or ion aggregate.

21. The wearable article of claim 20, wherein the first, second and third sub-areas comprise concentric shapes.

22. The wearable article of claim 20, wherein the first, second and third sub-areas comprise stripes.

23. The wearable article of claim 20, wherein the first, second and third sub-areas comprise adjacent shapes selected from the group consisting of squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, diamonds, and combinations thereof.

24. The wearable article of claim 20, wherein the first, second and third sub-areas comprise numbers, symbols, letters or words.

25. The wearable article of claim 20, wherein the first chemical composition comprises phenolphthalein, the second chemical composition comprises o-tolidine, and the third chemical composition comprises leucomalachite.

26. The wearable article of claim 20, wherein the mammalian substance comprises blood, and the chemical compositions in the sub-areas are adapted to detect different levels of the blood.

27. (Canceled)

28. A wearable article equipped with a multi-level alert system for detecting two or more levels of a mammalian substance in a mammalian extract comprising:

a substrate;

a target area on the substrate including first and second sub-areas for receiving the mammalian extract;

a first chemical composition on the first sub-area which emits a first signal in response to a first level of the mammalian substance; and

a second chemical composition on the second sub-area which emits a second signal in response to the first level of the mammalian substance;

wherein the first and second signals can be compared to quantify the first level of the mammalian substance; and

the mammalian substance being detected is not a hydrogen ion or ion aggregate.