METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR MONITORING USE OF AN ABORBENT PRODUCT

• US 20140292520A1
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essity Hygiene and Health Aktiebolag (Essity AB)
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Inventors: Carney, Joshua, Carln, Henrik
• Granted Patent: US 9,931,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/424 having an electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A method for monitoring use of an absorbent product, such as an incontinence pad or a diaper, worn by a wearer is provided. The method includes obtaining, by way of a mobile device, intake information indicative of intake of fluid and/or solid material by the wearer, obtaining, by way of the mobile device, voiding information indicative of urinary and/or faecal voiding by the wearer, predicting, based on the intake and voiding information, future voiding by the wearer, and providing, by way of the mobile device, product-related information based on the prediction. In this way, the product-wearer or his caregiver can be provided with valuable information related to the use of the product, for example recommendations on when to change the product.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring use of an absorbent product worn by a wearer, comprising at least the steps of:

obtaining, by means of a mobile device, intake information indicative of intake of fluid and/or solid material by the wearer,

obtaining, by means of the mobile device, voiding information indicative of urinary and/or faecal voiding by the wearer,

predicting, based on the intake and voiding information, future voiding by the wearer, and

providing, by means of the mobile device, product-related information based on said predicting, wherein said product-related information comprises at least one of;

an indication that no change of the absorbent product is necessary,

a recommendation to change the absorbent product,

a recommendation to change the absorbent product before a certain time, and

a recommendation to exchange the absorbent product for another absorbent product having higher or lower capacity than the currently worn absorbent product.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intake information comprises information relating to one or more intakes of fluid and/or solid material by the wearer, and the voiding information comprises information relating to one or more urinary and/or faecal insults by the wearer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the intake information and/or the voiding information is obtained through manual input of information on the mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the intake information and/or the voiding information is obtained automatically by the mobile device based on information about the wearer.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the information about the wearer comprises information selected from at least one of:

normal intake routines of the wearer;

normal voiding behaviour of the wearer;

age of the wearer;

gender of the wearer;

health of the wearer, and

use of medicines by the wearer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intake information comprises an indication of a point in time for one or more intakes, and the voiding information comprises an indication of a point in time for one or more insults of urine and/or faeces.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intake information comprises an indication of an amount of one or more intakes of fluid and/or solid material.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voiding information comprises an indication of an amount of one or more insults of urine and/or faeces.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intake information comprises an indication of a type of the intake, and/or the voiding information comprises an indication of a type of voiding.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining capacity information related to capacity of the absorbent product, and

providing said product-related information based on both the predicting of future voiding by the wearer and said capacity information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the capacity information comprises information selected from at least one of:

a type of the absorbent product,

an absorbency level of the absorbent product, and

a size of the absorbent product.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining, based on said capacity information, a first parameter indicative of an amount of urine and/or faeces that can be absorbed by the absorbent product,

determining, based on the predicting of future voiding by the wearer, a second parameter indicative of a predicted amount of urine and/or faeces voided by the wearer at a future point in time,

comparing said first parameter and said second parameter, and

providing said product-related information based on said comparison.

13. The method according to any of the claim 10, wherein the product-related information comprises a recommendation to change the absorbent product before a future point in time at which a predicted amount of urine and/or faeces exceeds an amount of urine and/or faeces that can be absorbed by the absorbent product.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the product-related information comprises a recommendation as to the use of the absorbent product.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said product-related information is provided by at least one of visual, audible and vibratory signalling on the mobile device.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent product is an absorbent personal hygiene article.

17. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing thereon a program for monitoring use of an absorbent product worn by a wearer, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, causes the mobile device to perform the method according to claim 1.

18. A mobile device that monitors use of an absorbent product worn by a wearer, the mobile device comprising a processor and a computer readable recording medium storing the computer program according to claim 17.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the absorbent personal hygiene article is one of a male or female incontinence protector, a sanitary pad, a diaper with tape fastener, a pant diaper and a belted diaper.