INCONTINENCE MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

• US 20160220164A1
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fred Bergman Healthcare Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fred Bergman Healthcare Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Lewis, Philippa Mary, Carey, Karen Maree, Cottenden, Alan Michael, Barda, David Albert, Curran, Peter, Black, Don
• Granted Patent: US 9,913,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/202 Assessing bladder functions, e.g. incontinence assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/207 Sensing devices adapted to collect urine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/208 adapted to determine urine quantity, e.g. flow, volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/424 having an electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system for monitoring incontinence in one or more subjects comprises display means; input means operable by a user; one or more transmitters, each transmitter being associated with one or more subjects being monitored; the one or more transmitters being configured to transmit signals containing continence-related data for the one or more subjects, wherein the continence-related data has been obtained over time from a continence sensor associated with an absorbent article worn by each respective subject; a receiver unit configured to receive signals from the one or more transmitters; and processing means in communication with at least the receiver unit, the processing means including a display processor configured to process the received signals and communicate display information to the display means for display of a visual representation of continence-related information derived from continence sensors in the absorbent articles worn by the one or more subjects being monitored. The system may include a volume estimator and means for communicating to a carer a ‘risk of wetness leakage’ based on e.g. an estimated volume of wetness and e.g. a pad type. Pad type may be communicated to the system automatically by way of a pad type indicator associated with the pad and/or pad/sensor combination.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring incontinence in one or more subjects, the system comprising:

a. a display means;

b. input means operable by a user;

c. one or more transmitters, each transmitter being associated with one or more subjects being monitored, the one or more transmitters being configured to transmit signals containing continence-related data for the one or more subjects, wherein the continence-related data has been obtained over time from a continence sensor associated with an absorbent article worn by each respective subject;

d. a receiver unit configured to receive signals from the one or more transmitters; and

e. processing means in communication with at least the receiver unit, the processing means including a display processor configured to process the received signals and communicate display information to the display means for display of a visual representation of continence-related information derived from continence sensors in the absorbent articles worn by the one or more subjects being monitored;

wherein the processing means is configured to receive automatically, a sensor status indicator which distinguishes whether a sensor, or absorbent article associated with a sensor, is newly connected to the system or is instead re-connected to the system and wherein the sensor status is determined by reference to a characteristic of a sensor status circuit on the absorbent article, the characteristic being determined by reference to one or more elements incorporated into the sensor status circuit, said elements selected from a group consisting of capacitors, expirable components, contactless devices, read only memory devices and programmable memory devices.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means includes a volume estimator configured to apply the continence-related data to a pre-determined mathematical model to estimate a volume of wetness in the absorbent article;

wherein the estimated volume of wetness is;

a. a cumulative wetness volume in the absorbent article; and

b. a volume of an individual wetness event in the absorbent article.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is configured to receive automatically a pad type indicator for an absorbent article worn by a subject and, based on the pad type indicator and continence-related data collected during wearing of said absorbent article by said subject, calculate a risk of wetness leakage from the absorbent article.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processing means calculates the risk of wetness leakage from the absorbent article using the pad type indicator and a volume estimate determined by the processing means, wherein the risk of wetness leakage calculation is static, or is dynamic and based on continence-related data obtained from the subject over time.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the pad type indicator is determined by reference to a characteristic of an identifier circuit associated with the continence sensor, the characteristic being selected from the group including:

resistance, impedance, capacitance, inductance, a resonant frequency or a carrier frequency associated with the identifier circuit or a potential difference or current value measurable from the identifier circuit.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the identifier circuit exists in parallel with a sensing circuit associated with the continence sensor.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor status circuit is configured to identify automatically a type of sensor with which it is associated, wherein a designated sensor type is associated with a designated capacitor value.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the visual representation shows diagrammatically on a time scale one or more of:

a. estimated void volumes in the absorbent article of a subject being monitored;

b. occurrence of one or more non-wetness events specific to the subject being monitored; and

c. a risk of wetness leakage indicator for an absorbent article worn by a subject being monitored.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transmitters is configured to perform one or more of:

a. transmitting data to the processing means identifying points in time for which non-wetness event data is required; and

b. causing a visible and/or audible and/or haptic reminder to be presented to a user, prompting the user to enter the required non-wetness event data using the input means.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the input means facilitates manual entry of non-wetness event data by one or more of:

a. a menu list of items presented on the display means;

b. one or more actuators on an associated transmitter;

c. optically, electronically or otherwise scanning a code from a card or other reference guide; and

d. manual entry of a code;

wherein any of the foregoing are optionally performed using a hand held device.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the processing means is configurable to receive inputs from a particular sensor type by, for a configuration period:

a. collecting continence data from a sensor of the particular sensor type associated with an absorbent article worn by a subject;

b. collecting non-wetness event data pertaining to the subject; and

c. using the collected non-wetness event data and sensor data to optimise a mathematical model executed by the processing means for monitoring incontinence in a subject;

wherein the optimised model is used to monitor incontinence in a subject wearing an absorbent article with a sensor of the particular sensor type.

12. The system according to claim 1, further including a waste receptacle fitted with a scale, wherein the scale determines a mass of a soiled absorbent article placed in the waste receptacle.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the receptacle includes pad type identifying means for identifying a pad type for which the mass is determined by the scale, wherein the pad type identifying means uses one or more of the following to determine pad type:

a. a pad type indicator circuit associated with a sensor on the absorbent article;

b. scanning means scanning a barcode on a surface of the absorbent article;

c. a pad type receiver receiving a pad type signal from a contactless transmitter on the pad;

d. a sequence of events where disconnection of the pad from the transmitter is followed by deposition of the pad into the receptacle; and

e. manual entry of a pad type identifier.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means includes a data compiling processor receiving multi-site continence-related data obtained from a plurality of sites where the system is used to monitor subjects for incontinence, a data store storing the multi-site data, and one or more network communication elements connecting the one or more sites with the data compiling processor, wherein the data compiling processor utilises data obtained from the plurality of sites to perform automatically, one or more of:

a. verifying a mathematical model for estimating void volume;

b. improving a mathematical model for estimating void volume;

c. identifying trends in usage of absorbent articles;

d. evaluating care assessments for subjects being monitored;

e. identifying trends in carer behaviour, and

f. analysing population data.

15. The system according to claim 1, including one or more sensors for detecting wetness events in an absorbent article, each sensor including an identifier circuit for automatic identification of one or both of a pad type associated with the absorbent article;

and a sensor status.

16. The sensor for monitoring continence according to claim 15, wherein the identifier circuit is exists in parallel with a sensing circuit.

17. A method for monitoring incontinence in a subject wearing an absorbent article containing a wetness sensor coupled to a transmitter, the method including the steps of:

a. transmitting from the transmitter continence-related data to a processor;

b. estimating a volume of wetness in the absorbent article; and

c. the processor communicating display information to a display means for display of a visual representation of estimated wetness volume with respect to time.

18. The method according to claim 17, including the step of operating an input means to provide to the processor time-marked non-wetness event data and causing the processor to include on the visual representation the time location of one or more non-wetness events for a subject being monitored.

19. The method according to claim 17, including the step of receiving a pad type indicator for an absorbent article and calculating a risk of wetness leakage from an absorbent article based on an the estimate of volume of wetness in the absorbent article and the pad type of the absorbent article.

20. The method according to claim 19, including the step of providing a visual representation on the display means which is indicative of the calculated risk of wetness leakage.

21. The method according to claim 19, including determining automatically when the risk of wetness leakage exceeds a pre-determined acceptable risk and transmitting automatically an alert to a carer for the subject being monitored.

22. The method according to claim 19, including determining automatically when the estimated volume of wetness in an absorbent article exceeds a pre-determined threshold volume and transmitting automatically, an alert to a carer for the subject being monitored.

23. The method according to claim 19, further including the step of transferring continence-related data to an analysis processor receiving continence-related data from a multiplicity of sites and collating, packaging, extracting, correlating, integrating and/or analysing the multi-site data for use by an entity selected from a group including:

hospitals, care institutions, manufacturers of absorbent articles, governments, health insurers, researchers and individuals.