Tampon saturation monitoring system

• US 7,806,882 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kevin B. Larkin
• Original Assignee: Kevin B. Larkin
• Inventors: Larkin, Kevin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAND, MELANIE JO
• Application Number:
  US11/673,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.17, 604/385.18, 604/904
• US Class Current: 604/385.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/2051 characterised by the material or the structure of the inner absorbing core
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm

Abstract

A tampon that has a sensor and a signal line that peripherally connects the sensor with a peripheral signal processor. The sensor provides a blood wetting signal in response to a progressing blood saturation boundary in the tampon. The signal may be resistive, capacitive or optic. The simple sensor has two proximal signal terminals separated by a fluid responsive medium in wetting communication with the tampon'"'"'s body. The tampon may be removed by use of the signal line. From signal timing and/or signal gradient the processor may predict when the tampon needs to be changed.

Claims

1. A tampon saturation monitoring system comprising:

a. a tampon including;

i. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

ii. a saturation sensor extending axially with respect to said saturation progress axis in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across a fluid responsive medium that is separating said at least two proximal signal terminals, said fluid responsive medium being in a wetting communication with said fluid absorption body, said fluid saturation sensor generating a gradual wetting response signal in conjunction with an axially progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption element;

iii. a first signal line peripherally connecting said saturation sensor across said peripheral end;

b. a signal processor in a first communication with said saturation sensor via said first signal line, said signal processor monitoring the progress of said saturation boundary based on the wetting response signal; and

c. a notifier in communication with said signal processor, said notifier providing notification about said saturation boundary progress in response to a signal from said signal processor.

2. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said processor and said notifier provides a tampon full forecast from said gradual wetting response signal.

3. A tampon saturation monitoring system including a tampon comprising:

a. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

b. a saturation sensor positioned in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across a fluid responsive medium that is separating said at least two proximal signal terminals, said fluid responsive medium being in a wetting communication with said fluid absorption body, said fluid saturation sensor generating a wetting response signal in conjunction with an axially progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption element; and

c. a first signal line peripherally connecting said saturation sensor across said peripheral end, wherein said first signal line is a cable.

4. A tampon saturation monitoring system, including a tampon comprising:

a. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

b. a saturation sensor positioned in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across a fluid responsive medium that is separating said at least two proximal signal terminals, said fluid responsive medium being in a wetting communication with said fluid absorption body, said fluid saturation sensor generating a wetting response signal in conjunction with an axially progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption element;

c. a cable peripherally connecting said saturation sensor across said peripheral end; and

wherein said cable is structurally combined with said fluid absorption body via a knot at said peripheral end such that said tampon may be pulled out of a vaginally arrested position of said tampon via said cable.

5. A tampon saturation monitoring system, including a tampon comprising:

a. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

b. a saturation sensor positioned in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across a fluid responsive medium that is separating said at least two proximal signal terminals, said fluid responsive medium being in a wetting communication with said fluid absorption body, said fluid saturation sensor generating a wetting response signal in conjunction with an axially progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption element;

c. a cable peripherally connecting said saturation sensor across said peripheral end; and

wherein at least one of said at least two proximal signal terminals is an integral part of a strand of said cable.

6. A tampon saturation monitoring system, including a tampon comprising:

a. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

b. a saturation sensor positioned in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across a fluid responsive medium that is separating said at least two proximal signal terminals, said fluid responsive medium being in a wetting communication with said fluid absorption body, said fluid saturation sensor generating a wetting response signal in conjunction with an axially progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption element;

c. a cable peripherally connecting said saturation sensor across said peripheral end; and

wherein at least one of said at least two proximal signal terminals is a strand of said cable separated and spaced from at least one other of said at least two proximal signal terminals by a number of spacers axially arrayed with respect to said saturation progress axis.

7. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 6, wherein said cable includes a surrounding insulation, and wherein at least one of said number of axially arrayed spacers is of said surrounding insulation.

8. A tampon saturation monitoring system, including a tampon comprising:

a. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

b. a saturation sensor extending axially with respect to said saturation progress axis in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across a fluid responsive medium that is separating said at least two proximal signal terminals, said fluid responsive medium being in a wetting communication with said fluid absorption body, said fluid saturation sensor generating a gradual wetting response signal in conjunction with an axially progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption element;

wherein;

a. said at least two proximal signal terminals are electric conductors;

b. a physical property change due to a menstrual blood wetting of said fluid responsive medium is a gradual electric resistance change; and

c. said gradual wetting response signal is a resistive signal occurring in between said electric conductors and across said fluid responsive medium in conjunction with said gradual electric resistance change and a voltage difference between said two electric conductors.

9. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 8, wherein one of said electric conductors is an enveloping conductor, and wherein said enveloping conductors is an electric ground.

10. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 9, wherein said enveloping conductor is fluid permeable.

11. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 10, wherein said first signal line is a coaxial cable, and wherein said enveloping conductor is an integral conductive part of a shielding mesh of said coaxial cable.

12. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 8, wherein said voltage difference is a fraction of a processing voltage of said processor selected in conjunction with:

a. a predetermined maximum conductivity between at least one of said proximal signal terminals and a proximal vaginal lining; and

b. a maximum allowed body leakage current.

13. A tampon saturation monitoring system, including a tampon comprising:

a. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

b. a saturation sensor positioned in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across a fluid responsive medium that is separating said at least two proximal signal terminals;

wherein said fluid responsive medium is integral part of said fluid absorption body; and

wherein said fluid saturation sensor generating a wetting response signal in conjunction with an axially progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption element.

14. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 13, wherein:

a. said fluid absorption body is of gauze material; and

b. said at least two proximal signal terminals being part of a cable sewed on said gauze material; and

wherein said cable is peripherally connecting said saturation sensor across said peripheral end such that said tampon may be pulled out of a vaginally arrested position of said tampon via said cable.

15. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said at least two proximal signal terminals is backwards bending extending from a sewed on portion of said cable such that a signal terminal end is in immediate proximity to said peripheral end.

16. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said backwards bending signal terminal is sewed on to said gauze material.

17. The tampon saturation monitoring system of claim 15, wherein one of said backwards bending signal terminal is said bent backwards through said gauze material such that said one of said backwards bending signal terminal is separated and spaced apart from one other of said backwards bending signal terminal by said gauze material.

18. A tampon system comprising:

a. a tampon formed from an absorbent material and having distal and proximal ends with said tampon being insertable into a vagina from said distal end thereof;

b. a pair of wires, with one set of ends thereof being positioned within said tampon near said proximal end thereof and with said opposed ends of said pair of wires being terminated in a first electrical connector located outside of said tampon, wherein said pair of wires are spaced apart within said absorbent material and are defining in conjunction with said absorbent material a saturation sensor;

c. a monitor having a second electrical connector, said monitor measuring an electric resistance between said pair of wires in conjunction with a blood saturation boundary progressing along said pair of wires spaced apart within said absorbent material and generating a wetness signal while said second electrical connector being connected with said first electrical connector; and

d. a notifier housed together with said monitor and in response to receipt of said wetness signal generating a user perceptible alert signal.

19. A tampon comprising:

a. a fluid absorption body protruding along a saturation progress axis, said fluid absorption body including a fluid access end and a peripheral end opposite to said fluid access end in the direction of said saturation progress axis;

b. a saturation sensor positioned in between said fluid access end and said peripheral end, said saturation sensor including at least two proximal signal terminals and a portion of said fluid absorption body that is in between said proximal signal terminals, said proximal signal terminals having a signal potential across said portion of said fluid absorption body, said fluid saturation sensor generating a wetting response signal in conjunction with a progressing saturation boundary of said body fluid absorption body; and

c. a first signal line peripherally connecting said saturation sensor across said peripheral end.

20. The tampon of claim 19, wherein said at least two proximal signal terminals are integral part of said first signal line.