Incontinence monitoring and assessment
First Claim
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 and/or the sensor, 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 and/or the absorbent article with which it is associated, wherein a designated sensor type is associated with a designated value selected from the group consisting of resistance, impedance capacitance, inductance a resonant frequency, carrier frequency and potential difference.
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Accused Products
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.
48 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring incontinence in one or more subjects, the system comprising:
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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 and/or the sensor, 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 and/or the absorbent article with which it is associated, wherein a designated sensor type is associated with a designated value selected from the group consisting of resistance, impedance capacitance, inductance a resonant frequency, carrier frequency and potential difference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. 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:
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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; and d. calculating a risk of wetness leakage for the absorbent article by analysing information selected from the group consisting of the estimate of volume of wetness in the absorbent article, the pad type of the absorbent article and/or the pad type of the wetness sensor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification