Method and apparatus of detecting pooling of fluid in disposable or non-disposable absorbent articles

• US 7,174,774 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Faulks, Michael J., Pawar, Pau-Lin, Kromenaker, Frank F., Honer, Pete D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSSER, KATHLEEN MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US10/232,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20040043369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 434/262, 434/267, 434/261, 434/273, 340/573.5, 340/604, 607/41, 702/19, 702/50, 702/51, 702/55, 702/183, 703/11, 604/361, 73/73, 738/664, 73/38, 324/694, 324/696
• US Class Current: 73/73
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0076 Body hygiene; Dressing; Knot tying

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting pooling of fluid in disposable or non-disposable absorbent articles is provided. The apparatus includes an object that has at least one surface area onto which pooling may occur. A fluid delivery apparatus is present and is used for introducing fluid onto the surface area of the object. Also, a sensor is present and is used for indicating the presence of pooling on the surface area of the object.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting pooling and absence of pooling comprising:

an object having at least one surface area onto which pooling can occur, the object comprising a lower-torso mannequin configured for having an absorbent article placed thereon;

a fluid delivery apparatus for introducing fluid onto said surface area of said object;

at least two sensors located on said object for indicating the presence of pooling on said surface area of said object, wherein said at least two sensors are located on said object such that said at least two sensors are covered by said absorbent article and can indicate the presence of pooling at different locations on said object; and

a computer that receives a signal from said sensor that indicates the presence of pooling, said computer configured to cause said fluid delivery apparatus to stop delivering fluid to said surface area of said object, said computer also configured to record the time of pooling.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an absorbent article at least partially surrounding said object and configured for absorbing the fluid from said surface area of said object, and wherein the absorbent article is selected from the group consisting of disposable or non-disposable diapers, disposable or non-disposable adult incontinence products, and disposable or non-disposable feminine products.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least two sensors each comprise two conductive electrodes.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid delivery apparatus comprises a computer controlled pump in communication with embedded tubing within said object.

2. An apparatus for detecting pooling and absence of pooling comprising:

an object having at least one surface area onto which pooling can occur, the object comprising a lower-torso mannequin configured for having an absorbent article placed thereon;

a fluid delivery apparatus for introducing fluid onto said surface area of said object; and

at least two sensors located on said object for indicating the presence of pooling on said surface area of said object, wherein said at least two sensors are located on said object such that said at least two sensors are covered by said absorbent article, and wherein said at least two sensors are located at different locations on said object in order to indicate the presence of pooling at different locations on said object.

6. An apparatus for detecting pooling and absence of pooling comprising:

an object having at least one surface area onto which pooling can occur, wherein said object comprises a lower-torso mannequin configured for placing an absorbent article thereon;

a fluid delivery apparatus for introducing fluid onto said surface area of said object; and

at least eight sensors for indicating the presence of pooling on said surface area of said object, wherein at least eight sensors are present and are located on said object such that said sensors are covered by said absorbent article when placed thereof, wherein one of said at least eight sensors being located at least at the front waist, stomach, crotch, leg joint, left thigh, right thigh, buttock, and back waist of said lower-torso mannequin, wherein said sensors are used to indicate the presence of pooling at different locations on said lower-torso mannequin.

7. A method for detecting pooling on the surface of a lower-torso mannequin, comprising;

providing a lower-torso mannequin having a plurality of sensors located on the surface of said lower-torso mannequin, wherein said plurality of sensor are located on said object such that said plurality of sensors are covered by an absorbent article placed on said object, and wherein said sensors are located in at least two different locations on the surface of said lower-torso mannequin;

providing a computer in communication with said plurality of sensors;

at least partially covering said lower-torso mannequin with an absorbent article;

introducing fluid onto the surface of said lower-torso mannequin;

detecting pooling on the surface of said lower-torso mannequin;

detecting the absence of pooling on the surface of said lower-torso mannequin;

calculating with said computer the pooling time by taking the time difference between the detection of pooling and the absence of pooling; and

determining the location of pooling with the use of said computer.

8. The method of detecting pooling on the surface of a lower-torso mannequin as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of stopping the introduction of fluid once pooling is detected.

9. The method of detecting pooling on the surface of a lower-torso mannequin of claim 7, further comprising the step of adjusting the structure of said absorbent article based on results from said step of calculating pooling time.

10. The method of detecting pooling on the surface of a lower-torso mannequin of claim 7, further comprising the step of calculating the amount of fluid introduced onto the surface before pooling is detected.

11. A method for detecting pooling on an object comprising:

providing an object having at least one surface area onto which pooling occurs and being at least partially surrounded by an absorbent article, wherein said object comprises a lower-torso mannequin;

locating sensors on said object in at least two different locations on the surface of said object to be covered by the absorbent article;

providing a computer in communication with said sensors;

wetting said surface area of said object with a fluid; and

detecting the presence of pooling of the fluid on said surface area of said object; and

determining the location of pooling with the use of said computer.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of detecting the absence of pooling of the fluid on said surface area of said object.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the step of stopping said wetting of said surface area once pooling is detected.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising the step of recording the time of pooling as being the time interval between said detection of the presence of pooling, after said stopping of wetting said surface area, and said detection of the absence of pooling.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said step of detecting the presence of pooling of the fluid is accomplished by a sensor having two conductive electrodes which detect completion of a circuit when fluid or a section of wet absorbent article is therebetween.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said absorbent article is selected from the group consisting of disposable or non-disposable diapers, disposable or non-disposable adult incontinence products, and disposable or non-disposable feminine products.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein said step of detecting the presence of pooling occurs at one or more locations selected from the group consisting of the front, waist, stomach, crotch, leg joint, left thigh, right thigh, buttock, and back waist of said lower-torso mannequin.

18. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising the step of reporting the intensity and duration of pooling in a computer generated display in a three dimensional model having color indicators to indicate the intensity and duration of pooling.

19. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the fluid is a 0.9% sodium chloride solution.

20. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of calculating the amount of fluid applied to said surface area of said object before pooling is detected.