Unintentional urination sensing device

• US 4,738,260 A
• Filed: 04/18/1985
• Issued: 04/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Travis Industries Inc.
• Original Assignee: Travis Industries Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stouffer, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US06/724,584
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 128/138 A, 604/361, 340/573, 340/604, 340/825.74, 200/61.04, 200/61.05, 200/193, 24/306
• US Class Current: 128/886
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/202 Assessing bladder functions, e.g. incontinence assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/485 Absorbent protective pads mattress underlays A47C21/06; bed linen A47G9/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2708 Combined with diverse fastener

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting unintentional urination by a user includes an elongated belt of a liquid impermeable flexible material to which a urine sensing pad is detachably mounted. An electrical circuit carried by the belt, which may include a transmitter for sending a encoded signal to a receiver at a remote location, is responsive to the detection of urine by the urine sensing pad to provide an indication of this condition. The electrical circuitry is shielded from corrosive urine by the belt assembly. In one form, the urine sensing pad is detachably mounted to the belt by a combination of hook and eye fabric and snap fittings. Also, the urine sensing pad may be enclosed by a sheath of soft liquid absorbent material. In another form, the urine sensing pad is contained within a paper envelope.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting unintentional urination by a user of the apparatus comprising:

an elongated belt;

elongated urine sensing pad means including first and second separated electrodes which form a portion of an electrical circuit path, the conductivity of the portion of the circuit path between the electrodes increasing upon the presence of urine between the electrodes;

attachment means for detachably securing the pad means to the belt with the pad means disposed adjacent the groin area of the user for the reception of urine from the user, the attachment means including a first section of hook and eye fabric means mounted to said belt means, a second section of hook and eye fabric means mounted to an upper end of said pad means and cooperatively engaging the first section of hook and eye fabric means to detachably secure the pad means to the belt, first and second spaced apart electrically conductive snap fastener means mounted to the belt and projecting through the first section of hook and eye fabric means, and third and fourth spaced apart electrically conductive snap fastener means mounted to an upper end portion of said pad means and each in electrical contact with respective one of the first and second electrodes, the third fastener means engaging the first fastener means and the fourth fastener means engaging the second fastener means to detachably secure the pad means to the belt; and

electrical circuit means carried by the belt and coupled to the first and second fastener means such that the electrodes are coupled to said electrical circuit means when the first and second fastener means engage the respective third and fourth fastener means, said electrical circuit means comprising means for sensing and indicating the increase in conductivity between the first and second electrodes upon the presence of urine between the electrodes.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the second section of hook and eye fabric means surrounds the upper end of said pad means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 in which said pad means includes an outer backing panel of closed celled foam material and means for adhesively securing the first and second electrodes to a single face of the backing panel.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 including pad sheath means of a liquid absorbing material for receiving the pad means through an upper opening in the sheath means and for surrounding the received portion of the pad means, the pad sheath means having a closed bottom and the apparatus also including sheath fastener means for detachably connecting the sheath means to the pad means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 in which the sheath means is of a flannel material and the pad means and sheath means have rounded lower corners.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the belt is of a urine impermeable closed celled foam material.

7. An apparatus for detachably supporting an elongated urine detecting pad with first and second elongated spaced electrodes defining a portion of an electrical current path having a conductivity which increases when urine from a user enters that portion of the path between the electrodes, comprising:

an elongated belt of a urine impermeable closed celled foam material;

attachment means mounted to the belt for detachably securing the urine detecting pad to the belt;

electrical circuit means carried by the belt for coupling to the first and second electrodes of the pad and for sensing and indicating the increase in conductivity between the first and second electrodes upon the presence of urine between the electrodes;

the belt having a front side surface which is exposed when the belt is worn by a user and a rear side surface which is positioned adjacent to the user when the belt is worn by the user, the belt also having a first battery compartment opening and a second auditory indicator receiving opening, each of the first and second openings extending through the belt from the front side surface to the rear side surface, the attachment means including electrically conductive fastener means projecting from the front surface of the belt for engaging the first and second electrodes of the pad, the electrical circuit means including an auditory indicator means positioned in the second opening for providing an audio signal upon the presence of urine between the electrodes, battery support means positioned in the first opening for receiving a battery to power the electrical circuit means, and conductor means for electrically and operatively interconnecting the battery support means, the auditory indicator means and the fastener means such that the auditory indicator means provides an audio signal upon the presence of urine between the electrodes, the conductor means being positioned along the rear side surface of the belt, and urine impermeable panel means mounted to the rear side surface of the belt and overlying the conductor means and first and second openings for sealing the conductor means and such first and second openings from urine.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 in which the second opening is sized smaller in cross section than the cross sectional dimension of the auditory indicator means, the portion of the belt bounding the second opening being compressed by and snugly abutting the auditory indicator means upon insertion of the auditory indicator means into the second opening, the portion of the belt bounding the second opening thereby assisting in sealing the second opening against penetration of urine from the front side surface of the belt between the auditory indicator means and the portion of the belt bounding the second opening.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 in which the auditory indicator means is adhesively secured to the portion of the belt bounding the second opening to seal the second opening against penetration of urine from the front side surface of the belt between the auditory indicator means and portion of the belt bounding the second opening.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7 including means for covering the first opening at the front side surface of the belt for preventing penetration of urine into the first opening.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 in which said last named means comprises a cover receiving panel of hook and eye fabric which has a central opening and which is mounted to the front side surface of the belt so as to surround the first opening with the central opening of the panel overlying and leading to the first opening, and a cover of hook and eye fabric which engages the cover receiving panel to close the central opening and thereby the battery compartment.

12. An apparatus for detachably supporting an elongated urine detecting pad with first and second elongated spaced electrodes defining a portion of an electrical current path having a conductivity which increases when urine from a user enters that portion of the path between the electrodes, comprising:

an elongated belt of a urine impermeable closed celled foam material;

attachment means mounted to the belt for detachably securing the urine detecting pad to the belt;

electrical circuit means carried by the belt for coupling to the first and second electrodes of the pad and for sensing and indicating the increase in conductivity between the first and second electrodes upon the presence of urine between the electrodes; and

the belt having a front side surface which is exposed when the belt is worn by a user and a rear side surface which is positioned adjacent the user when worn by the user, the belt comprising means for substantially containing and sealing the electrical current means from urine and also comprising means for cushioning the user from the electrical circuit means, the attachment means including a first hook and eye fabric urine pad engaging strip secured to the front side surface of the belt and first and second electrically conductive snap fastener means mounted to the belt and projecting through the first hook and eye fabric strip.

13. An apparatus for detachably supporting an elongated urine detecting pad with first and second elongated spaced electrodes defining a portion of an electrical current path having a conductivity which increases when urine from a user enters that portion of the path between the electrodes, said apparatus also for indicating the presence of urine between the electrodes, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated belt of a urine impermeable closed celled foam material;

attachment means mounted to the belt for detachably securing the urine detecting pad to the belt;

electrical circuit means carried by the belt for coupling to the first and second electrodes of the pad and for sensing and indicating the increase in conductivity between the first and second electrodes upon the presence of urine between the electrodes; and

the electrical circuit means including transmitter means for transmitting an encoded digital urine indicting signal upon the presence of urine between the electrodes, the apparatus also including receiver means at a location remote from the belt for receiving the encoded digital signal and producing an output signal in response to the encoded signal, the output signal for indicating the presence of urine between the electrodes.

14. A urine responsive pad for detection of unintentional urination by a user wearing the pad in combination with an electrically activated signaling apparatus comprising:

an elongated backing panel of a urine impermeable material;

first and second spaced apart electrodes mounted to the backing panel;

a liquid absorbing pad overlying the electrodes with the electrodes positioned between the pad and the backing panel;

a paper envelope surrounding the backing panel, electrodes and pad; and

first and second electrode contactor means, each in electrical contact with a respective one of the electrodes and each exposed at the exterior of the pad, the electrode contactor means connecting the backing panel and electrodes to the paper envelope.

15. A pad according to claim 14 in which the first and second electrode contactor means comprise first and second snap fastener means each extending through one end portion of the pad and engaging a respective one of the first and second electrodes.

16. A pad according to claim 15 in which the backing panel is of a closed celled foam material.

17. A urine responsive pad for detection of unintentional urination by a user wearing the pad in combination with an electrically activated signaling apparatus comprising:

an elongated backing panel of a urine impermeable material;

first and second spaced apart electrodes mounted to the backing panel to form a backing panel and electrode assembly;

a hook and eye fabric reinforcing strip mounted to and surrounding one end of the backing panel and electrode assembly;

first and second electrode contactor means extending through the reinforcing strip and contacting the respective first and second electrodes.

18. A pad according to claim 17 in which the first and second electrode contactor means comprise respective first and second snap fittings, the pad including a third snap fitting and a flannel sheath for receiving the backing panel and electrode assembly, the flannel sheath being closed at the bottom and including a fourth snap fitting for engaging the third snap fitting to detachably secure the sheath to the backing panel and electrode assembly.