Absorbent Article With Sensor

• US 20170252225A1
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Arizti, Blanca, Hasenoehrl, Erik John, Joyce, Jonathan Livingston, Schmidt, Mattias, Sherman, Faiz Feisal, Specht, Steven Jeffrey, Striemer, Grant Edward Anders
• Granted Patent: US 10,285,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49 Absorbent articles specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/58 Adhesive tab fastener elements A61F13/5611, A61F13/5616, A61F13/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/62 Mechanical fastening means, A61F13/5611, A61F13/5616, A61F13/581, A61F13/66 take precedence; Fabric strip fastener elements, e.g. hook and loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/64 Straps, belts, ties or endless bands A61F13/5605, A61F13/5622, A61F13/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/422 the alarm being a colour change
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/423 the alarm being a volume change or a movement of a component
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/424 having an electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/426 Moisture sensitive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/427 pH indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/428 for articles with superabsorbent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/429 Thermochromic materials, e.g. ink or dye
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an absorbent article for personal hygiene. More particularly, in one embodiment, the absorbent article absorbent article includes at least one property changing indicator. A detector device is also provided that includes at least one sensor. The sensor is adapted to detect the property change of the property change indicator in the absorbent article. In one particular embodiment, for example, the property changing indicator may include an optical property indicator such as a color change indicator and the sensor may include an optical sensor such as a color sensor.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring an absorbent article designed to absorb and contain one or more bodily exudates, the system comprising:

an absorbent article comprising at least one property changing indicator, the property changing indicator adapted to change at least one physical, chemical or biological property in response to the presence or absence of bodily exudates, wherein the absorbent article and the indicator form one integral unit; and

a detector device comprising a first sensor adapted to detect the change of at least one physical, chemical or biological property of the at least one indicator at a first location of the absorbent article and a second sensor adapted to detect the change of at least one physical chemical or biological property of the at least one indicator at a second location of the absorbent article spaced from the first location,

wherein at least one of the absorbent article and the detector device is adapted to be associated together and disassociated from each other, wherein when the absorbent article and the detector device are associated together the detector device is adapted to detect the change of property of the at least one indicator.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the absorbent article comprises a back sheet, a top sheet and an absorbent core disposed between the back sheet and top sheet.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one property changing indicator is disposed between the absorbent core and the back sheet of the absorbent article.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is adapted to detect the change in property of a first property changing indicator of the at least one property changing indicator and the second sensor is adapted to detect the change in property of a second property changing indicator.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are adapted to detect the changes in property at different locations of the same property changing indicator of the at least one property changing indicator.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first location and the second location are spaced at least about 2 cm from each other.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the property changing indicators comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a spectral changing indicator, a color changing indicator, a spectral changing adhesive, a color changing adhesive, a spectral changing indicator, a color changing composition, a color changing ink, a thermochromic ink, a thermochromic dye, a thermochromic liquid crystalline material and a washable ink.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the absorbent article comprises a connector selected from at least one of the group comprising:

a pocket, a sleeve, a loop, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a mechanical fastener, a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap, a slot, a hole, a button, a belt, a magnet, a magnetic fastener, a paramagnetic fastener, a cohesive fastener and a strap.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the absorbent article connector is adapted to attach the detector device to the absorbent article juxtaposed the property changing indicator of the absorbent article.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector device comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a loop, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a mechanical fastener, a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap, a slot, a hole, a button, a belt, a magnet, a magnetic fastener, a paramagnetic fastener, a cohesive fastener and a strap.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one property changing indicator is disposed at least in a crotch region or the front region of the absorbent article.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor of the detector device comprises at least one of an optical sensor and a color sensor.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor comprises an optical sensor and is paired with at least one of an LED and an OLED.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the optical sensor comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a photodiode, phototransistor, electron tube detector, photosensor, photomultiplier tube, phototube, photodetector, opto-semiconductor detector, photodiode, phototransistor, photomultiplier, image sensor, infrared detector, thermal sensor, illuminance sensor, visible light sensor and color sensor.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the absence or presence of bodily exudates is determined based at least in part upon property changes detected via the first and second sensors.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the absence or presence of bodily exudates is determined based at least in part upon the property changes detected and information independent from the first and second sensor.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the information independent of the first and second sensor comprise information selected from the group comprising:

wear time of the absorbent article, time the absorbent article was attached to a wearer, current time, absorbent article wearer information, wearer gender, wearer weight, wearer height, wearer age, wearer feeding habits, activity during wear time, wearer or caregiver preferences, biometric information, demographic information.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein an exudate content quantity of the absorbent article is determined based at least in part upon property changes detected via the first and second sensors.

19. The detector of claim 18 wherein the exudate content quantity comprises a liquid exudate quantity or a solid exudate quantity.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the exudate content quantity is determined based at least in part upon the property changes detected and information independent from the first and second sensor.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the information independent of the first and second sensor comprise information selected from the group comprising:

wear time of the absorbent article, time the absorbent article was attached to a wearer, current time, absorbent article user information, wearer weight, wearer height, wearer age, feeding information, activity during wear time, user caregiver preferences, biometric information, demographic information.

22. The detector device of claim 1 wherein the detector device further comprises at least one sensor selected from the group comprising:

a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a relative humidity sensor, an electrical sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, a continuity sensor, a chemical sensor, an audio sensor, a microphone, a strain gauge, a material expansion sensor and a vibration sensor

23. A system for monitoring an absorbent article designed to absorb and contain bodily exudates, the system comprising:

an absorbent article comprising an optical property changing indicator adapted to change at least one optical property in response to the presence or absence of bodily exudates, wherein the absorbent article and the indicator form one integral unit; and

an optical sensor detector device comprising a housing, an optical sensor and a light spaced from the optical sensor, the optical sensor adapted to detect the change of the optical property of the indicator,

wherein at least one of the absorbent article and the detector device is adapted to be associated together and disassociated from each other, wherein when the absorbent article and the detector device are associated together the detector device is adapted to detect the change of optical property of the indicator.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the optical sensor comprises a color sensor detector device.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the light comprises at least one of the group comprising:

an LED and an OLED.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the optical sensor comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a photodiode, phototransistor, electron tube detector, photosensor, photomultiplier tube, phototube, photodetector, opto-semiconductor detector, photodiode, phototransistor, photomultiplier, image sensor, infrared detector, thermal sensor, illuminance sensor, visible light sensor and color sensor.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the light and sensor of the optical sensor detector device are spaced at least about 5 mm apart from each other.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein the light and sensor of the optical sensor detector device are spaced between about 10 mm and about 15 mm from each other.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein the optical property changing indicator comprises a chemical substance which induces a color change when at least one bodily exudate is present.

30. The system of claim 23 wherein the optical property changing indicator comprises a pH-sensitive composition.

31. The system of claim 23 wherein the absorbent article comprises a connector selected from at least one of the group comprising:

a pocket, a sleeve, a loop, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a mechanical fastener, a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap, a slot, a hole, a button, a belt, a magnet, a magnetic fastener, a paramagnetic fastener, a cohesive fastener and a strap.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the absorbent article connector is adapted to attach the detector device to the absorbent article juxtaposed the property changing indicator of the absorbent article.

33. The system of claim 23 wherein the detector device comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a loop, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a mechanical fastener, a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap, a slot, a hole, a button, a belt, a magnet, a magnetic fastener, a paramagnetic fastener, a cohesive fastener and a strap.

34. The system of claim 23 wherein the property changing indicator is disposed in at least one of a crotch region or a front region of the absorbent article.

35. The system of claim 23 wherein the absorbent article comprises a least a first layer of material and a second layer of material that define a pocket formed between the first layer of material and the second layer of material.

36. The system of claim 23 wherein the detector device can provide information to a display element.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the display element is provided in a separate unit.

38. The system of claim 23 wherein the absorbent article comprises a topsheet facing the wearer, a backsheet, generally co-extensive with the topsheet and facing away from the wearer and an absorbent core, encased between the topsheet and the backsheet and wherein the optical property changing indicator is disposed between the backsheet and the core.

39. The system of claim 23 wherein the optical property changing indicator is attached to a backsheet of the absorbent article.

40. The system of claim 23 wherein the absorbent article comprises a topsheet facing the wearer, a backsheet, generally co-extensive with the topsheet and facing away from the wearer and an absorbent core, encased between the topsheet and the backsheet, the backsheet comprises two layers, an inner backsheet layer and an outer backsheet layer, and the optical property changing indicator is disposed between the core and the inner backsheet layer.

41. The system of claim 23 wherein the absence or presence of bodily exudates is determined based at least in part upon an optical property change detected via the optical sensor.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the absence or presence of bodily exudates is determined based at least in part upon the optical property change detected and information independent from the optical sensor.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the information independent of the first and second sensor comprise information selected from the group comprising:

wear time of the absorbent article, time the absorbent article was attached to a wearer, current time, absorbent article user information, wearer weight, wearer height, wearer age, feeding information, activity during wear time, user caregiver preferences, biometric information, demographic information.

44. The system of claim 23 wherein an exudate content quantity of the absorbent article is determined based at least in part upon the optical property change detected via the optical sensor.

45. The detector of claim 44 wherein the exudate content quantity comprises a liquid exudate quantity or a solid exudate quantity.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein the exudate content quantity is determined based at least in part upon the optical property change detected and information independent from the optical sensor.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the information independent of the first and second sensor comprise information selected from the group comprising:

wear time of the absorbent article, time the absorbent article was attached to a wearer, current time, absorbent article user information, wearer weight, wearer height, wearer age, feeding information, activity during wear time, user caregiver preferences, biometric information, demographic information.

48. The system of claim 23 wherein the optical sensor is adapted to detect graduated optical property changes of the absorbent article.

49. The system of claim 23 wherein an exudate content quantity of the absorbent article is determined based at least in part upon detected graduated optical property changes of the absorbent article.

50. The system of claim 23 wherein the detector device comprises a communication module selected from at least one of the group comprising:

a Bluetooth communication module, a BTLE communication module, a mesh communication module, a WiFi communication module, a communication module incorporating one or more protocols defined in IEEE 802, an RFID module, a 3G communication module, a 4G communication module, a Backscatter communication module, a light communication module, a sound communication module, and a harvesting protocol communication module

51. An absorbent article comprising:

a back sheet;

a top sheet;

an absorbent core disposed between the back sheet and top sheet; and

an optical property changing indicator disposed within the absorbent article and adapted to change an optical property of the optical property changing indicator in response to one or more bodily exudates within the absorbent article; and

a connector adapted to removably connect a detector device with the absorbent article, wherein the connector is disposed juxtaposed the optical property changing indicator.

52. The absorbent article of claim 51 wherein the connector comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a pocket, a sleeve, a loop, a non-woven backsheet having a basis weight of at least 15 gsm, a non-woven backsheet having a basis weight between about 20 and about 25 gsm, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a mechanical fastener, a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap, a slot, a hole, a button and a strap.

53. The absorbent article of claim 51 wherein the absorbent article further comprises a property changing indicator disposed in the absorbent article and spaced from the optical property indicator, the property changing indicator adapted to change a physical, chemical or biological property of the property changing indicator in response to the presence or absence of one or more bodily exudates.

54. The absorbent article of claim 53 wherein the property changing indicator comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a second optical property changing indicator, a color changing optical indicator, an electrical property changing indicator, an electromagnetic property changing indicator, a capacitance changing indicator and a resistance changing indicator.

55. The absorbent article of claim 51 wherein the absorbent article comprises an indicia positioned to indicate a desired location of a detector device.

56. The absorbent article of claim 55 wherein the indicia comprises at least one magnetic or paramagnetic element.

57. A detector device comprising:

a housing;

a light;

an optical sensor adapted to detect a change in at least one of optical property of an absorbent article, the optical sensor spaced from the light;

a communication module adapted to provide an indication that a change in property of an indicator of an absorbent article has been detected;

at least one battery adapted to provide power to the sensor; and

a connector adapted to removably connect the detector device with an absorbent article.

58. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the at least one battery comprises at least one silver oxide battery.

59. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the housing has a first dimension of at least about one inch and a second dimension of at least about two inches.

60. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the communication module comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a Bluetooth communication module, a BTLE communication module, a mesh communication module, a WiFi communication module, a communication module incorporating one or more protocols defined in IEEE 802, an RFID module, a 3G communication module, a 4G communication module, a Backscatter communication module, a light communication module, a sound communication module, and a harvesting protocol communication module.

61. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the light comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), an incandescent light bulb, a thermionic light emitter, a luminescence light emitter, a fluorescence light emitter, a chemilluminescence light emitter, and an electroluminescence light emitter.

62. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the optical sensor comprises at least one of the group comprising:

a photodiode, phototransistor, electron tube detector, photosensor, photomultiplier tube, phototube, photodetector, opto-semiconductor detector, photodiode, phototransistor, photomultiplier, image sensor, infrared detector, thermal sensor, illuminance sensor, visible light sensor and color sensor.

63. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the detector device further comprises at least one sensor selected from the group comprising:

a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a relative humidity sensor, an electrical sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, a continuity sensor, a chemical sensor, an audio sensor, a microphone, a strain gauge, a material expansion sensor and a vibration sensor.

64. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the light is adapted to provide intermittent light.

65. The detector device of claim 57 wherein the detector device comprises a second sensor adapted to detect a position indicia of an absorbent article.

66. The detector device of claim 65 wherein a detection of the position indicia indicates that the detector device is positioned such that the sensor is aligned with the indicator of the absorbent article.

67. A method of monitoring an absorbent article, the method comprising:

detecting an absence or presence of a bodily exudate in an absorbent article;

altering at least one physical, chemical or biological property of an indicator in the diaper in response to a detection of the absence or presence of the bodily exudate in the absorbent article;

detecting the change in the at least one physical, chemical or biological property of the indicator via a detector device comprising a spaced sensor and light pair.