Single-chambered sweat rate monitoring sensor

• US 9,980,672 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Peppou, George Charles, Manion, Michael Keoni, Millar, Benjamin William
• Primary Examiner(s): Agahi, Puya
• Application Number:
  US14/801,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20170014067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0064 for taking sweat or sebum samples measuring sweat production A61B5/4266
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick

Abstract

Technologies are generally described to monitor a sweat rate of an area of a skin. A hydration status of a human or non-human entity is monitored based on the sweat rate. The sweat rate is monitored when the sweat rate monitor is detected as sealed against the surface of the skin. The sweat rate monitor is attached to the surface of the skin with an adhesive, or a tape among other schemes to hold the sweat rate monitor in place during a measurement. The sweat rate monitor includes a container to capture an initial amount of sweat that comes out of the surface of the skin. When, the container is detected as filled with the initial amount of sweat, a pump of the sweat rate monitor is actuated to compress the container. The container is compressed to force a volume of the initial amount of sweat in the container out of an ejection port of the sweat rate monitor.

Claims

1. A sweat rate monitor module to monitor a sweat rate of an area of a skin, the sweat rate monitor module comprising:

a container configured to capture an initial sweat that comes out of a surface of the skin;

one or more analog inputs attached to the container;

a support ring that encapsulates the container; and

a processor configured to perform or cause to be performed;

detect the container as filled with the initial sweat;

actuate a pump attached to the support ring to compress the container in order to force a volume of the initial sweat in the container out of an ejection port of the container; and

measure a start time of the actuation of the pump and a refill time of the container with an additional sweat to determine the sweat rate.

2. The sweat rate monitor module of claim 1, wherein a surface of the container is configured to be sealed against the surface of the skin.

3. The sweat rate monitor module of claim 1, wherein the support ring is coated with a silicone-based material.

4. The sweat rate monitor module of claim 1, wherein the one or more analog inputs are attached by a silicone material to the container by insertion of the one or more analog inputs into a depth of about 0.1 mm into a surface of the container.

5. The sweat rate monitor module of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a silicone-based material.

6. The sweat rate monitor module of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform or cause to be performed:

force down a coil located on a top section and a center section of the container to force the volume of the initial sweat out of the container, in response to the detection of the container as filled with the initial sweat; and

retract the coil to expand the container in order to allow room for the additional sweat, in response to a detection of the volume of the initial sweat as forced out of the ejection port of the container.

7. The sweat rate monitor module of claim 6, wherein the coil is attached to the container with a gel adhesive.

8. The sweat rate monitor module of claim 1, further comprising a ring magnet attached to a top section of the container to actuate a coil to one or more of compress the container and expand the container.