Incontinence monitoring and assessment

• US 9,283,123 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/508,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.5, 340/573.1, 340/604, 340/602, 340/539.11, 340/10.1, 340/540, 340/501, 340/635, 604/361, 604/362
• 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; and

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

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;

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; and

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;

or wherein the sensor status circuit includes a fuse and the sensor status is determined to be newly connected to the system when the fuse is initially closed.

2. A 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, and wherein the volume estimator is configured to perform one or more of:

a. estimating cumulative wetness volume in the absorbent article;

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

c. categorising a volume estimate as one or more of small, medium, large, damp, wet and soaked.

3. A 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. A 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, and wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

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.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein the pad type is determined by reference to a resistance value in the identifier circuit, wherein a designated pad type is associated with a designated resistance value.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the visual representation shows diagrammatically on a time scale at least one of:

a. one or more estimated void volumes in the absorbent article of a subject being monitored; and

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

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the display means provides a risk of wetness leakage indicator for an absorbent article worn by a subject being monitored.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the one or more transmitters is configured to transmit data to the processing means identifying points in time for which non-wetness event data is required.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is configurable to receive input 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; and

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.

10. A 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.

20. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processing means is configured to cause 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.

21. A system according to claim 10, wherein the receptacle includes pad type identifying means for identifying a pad type for which the mass is determined by the scale.

23. A system according to claim 21, 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.

11. A sensor for detecting wetness events in an absorbent article, the sensor including an identifier circuit for automatic identification of one or both of:

a. a pad type associated with the absorbent article; and

b. a sensor status;

wherein the identifier circuit facilitates distinguishing a sensor status as one of;

a. newly connected;

or instead

b. re-connected; and

wherein the identifier circuit facilitates identification of a particular pad type by reference to a characteristic of the identifier circuit selected from the group comprising;

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

12. A sensor according to claim 11, wherein the identifier circuit exists in parallel with a sensing circuit.

13. A sensor according to claim 11, wherein the identifier circuit indicates the pad type by reference to a resistance value in the identifier circuit, wherein a designated pad type is associated with a designated resistance value.

14. A sensor according to claim 11, wherein the sensor status is determined by reference to a characteristic of one or more elements incorporated into the identifier circuit, said elements selected from a group consisting of:

a. capacitors;

b. expirable components;

c. contactless devices;

d. read only memory devices; and

e. programmable memory devices.

15. A sensor according to claim 11, wherein the identifier circuit includes a capacitor, and the sensor status is determined to be newly connected when the capacitor is uncharged.

16. A sensor according to claim 11, wherein the identifier circuit includes a fuse, and the sensor status is determined to be unused when the fuse is closed.

22. A sensor according to claim 15, wherein the capacitor value further designates one or both of pad type and sensor type.

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;

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

d. receiving automatically, a sensor status indicator which distinguishes whether a sensor, or an absorbent article associated with a sensor, is newly connected to the system or is instead re-connected to the system; and

e. 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.

18. A 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. A method according to claim 17 including the step of providing a visual representation on the display means which is indicative of the calculated risk of wetness leakage.