WO1998010390A1

WO1998010390A1 - The electronic radio acoustic bodily liquids detector

Info

Publication number: WO1998010390A1
Application number: PCT/IT1997/000218
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabio Giuliani; Rosario Zorzi
Original assignee: Fabio Giuliani; Rosario Zorzi
Priority date: 1996-09-06
Filing date: 1997-09-05
Publication date: 1998-03-12
Also published as: ITRM960610A1; AU4396197A; IT1285883B1

Abstract

The Electronic Radio Acoustic Bodily Liquid Detector aims at optimizing the kind of help needed by incontinent people, either elders or fine babies, because they are temporarily or definitively not able to control their bodily wants. It works according to two distinct basic principles and it consists of three parts: the Sensor, the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio-Transmission, and the Receiver. The Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio-Transmission is fastened and electrically connected to the Sensor, which is set between two hydro-absorbent films and then worn by a subject or put under his body. When the bodily liquids come in contact with the Sensor, they fastly soak the hydro-absorbent film: the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio-Transmission is activated and sends an encoded radio-frequency signal to the Receiver, which compares the received code with its own and, if the identification is successful, produces an intermittent sound. In this way, the person who keeps the Receiver is able to know in real-time when the subject needs aid and can help him as soon as possible, so as to cause the least troubles and inconveniences.

Description

DESCRIPTION

The Electronic Radio Acoustic Bodily Liquids Detector

Technical Field Our invention gets rid of some inconveniences and troubles suffered both by people who are temporarily or definitively not able to control their bodily wants, elders or fine babies, and the people who nurse such subjects .

Indeed, the incontinent people are often not immediately nursed after having a motion of the bowels, unless the nursing people often do continuous, disagreeable check ; this results in a more or less prolonged contact with the liquids and a negative influence on the subject's psyche and health, because to be continuously in contact with bodily liquids can cause several painful irritations.

Our invention allows to check the subjects continuously and communicate their needs of aid to the nursing people in real time .

Disclosure of invention

The Electronic Radio Acoustic Bodily Liquids Detector works on the basis of two distinct basic principles : the electrical conductivity of bodily liquids and the peculiar characteristic of bodily liquids to act as an electrolyte in a system that consists of proper metals, so that it turns into a sort of electrical generator or a cell. Our invention consists of three parts :

- the Sensor

- the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio-Transmission - the Receiver

The Sensor consists of several parts solidly assembled among one another : two electrodes made of thin, flexible, filigree metal foils among which there is a thin hydro-absorbent film. Each Sensor electrode is solidly assembled and electrically connected to a metallic male press-button that has to be pushed into the corresponding female press-button assembled and electrically connected to the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio- Transmission . Because of its peculiar use, the Sensor is thrown away after being used, therefore, in order to restrain production expenses at most, the fastening system between the Sensor and the

Detector can be made simpler by using synthetic material instead of the metal press-buttons.

They are more easily available at a lower price and strongly stick to one another thanks to a slight pressure.

On the cover of the Subsystem of Detection and Transmission two metallic convex knobs, instead of the press-buttons, are to be set and surrounded by the special adhesive material.

At the same time a piece of the same material must be stuck on the top of the Sensor so as to leave the ends of the electrodes uncovered. In order to fasten the Subsystem of Detection and Transmission to the Sensor you should just make sure that each knob touches the electrodes and then act a slight pressure.

Both the two fastening systems offer a solid electrical connection that can even stand mechanical stress .

The electrodes may be made of the same metal if the Sensor works on the principle of the electrical conductivity of bodily liquids . The electrodes must not be made of the same metal

(for example Zinc and Copper ) if the Sensor works as an electrical generator or cell where bodily liquids act as electrolyte .

The Sensor may be set between two hydro-absorbent layers which may either wrap up the pelvis of the subject to nurse or be put under the subject's body . Anyway, it is never in direct contact with the subject's skin.

The functioning of the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio-Transmission varies according to how you have the Sensor work .

If the Sensor works according to the principle of the electrical conductivity of bodily liquids, provided they are lacking, there is no ion exchange between electrodes since they are separated by a hydro-absorbent dielectric film; in this way the Detector does not enable the Transmitter that is blocked .

As soon as the subject's bodily liquids soak the hydro-absorbent film, an ion exchange between the electrodes occurs, making it possible for the current to flow. In this way the

Detector enables the encoder which modulates, in accordance with a stored code, a radio- frequency wave that is propagated by the aerial .

If the Sensor works as a sort of electrical generator or a cell, when the liquids are lacking there is no potential difference between the electrodes of the Sensor, the Detector does not enable the Tansmitter that is blocked . As soon as the hydro-absorbent film between the electrodes soaks up the subject's liquids, an ion exchange between the two foils, or better, a potential difference occurs between the electrodes. Having excedeed a limit that has been set by a differential comparator this latter enables the encoder which, in accordance with a stored code, modulates a radio-frequency wave that is propagated by the aerial .

The receiver picks up the signal that has been opportunely codified and transmitted by the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio Transmission .

The code received is compared with the one stored in the Receiver and the successful result of this comparison results in an intermittent sound that informs the person keeping the Receiver that the subject needs immediate help .

Brief description of drawings

In FIG.1 we can see the three parts forming the Electronic Radio Acoustic Bodily Liquids Detector .

- the Receiver (la)

- the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio-Transmission (lb)

- the Sensor (lc)

In FIG.5 the block diagram of the Receiver is shown . The radio frequency signal, picked up by the receiving aerial (R), is opportunely amplified and demodulated (S), then it reaches the decoder (T), which compares its own code with the code received by the radio signal.

If the comparison is successful, the amplified pulse generator (U) turns on and drives directly a buzzer (V), which produces an intermittent sound, otherwise the buzzer is off.

The battery (Z) , that supplies power to the subsystem, completes FIG.5 . FIG 3 shows a block diagram of the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio- Transmission whose working principle is based on the electrical conductivity of bodily liquids. The output of the square wave oscillator with fixed frequency (B) is connected with one of the electrodes of the Sensor (A) .

The other electrode of the Sensor is connected to a detector (C) whose output is cleaned from noise or spurious signal by means of the filter (D) before reaching the encoder (E), which, according to a stored code, modulates the amplitude of the radio-frequency wave generated by the radio-transmitter (F) and propagated by the aerial (H). The battery (G), that supplies power to the subsystem, completes FIG.3 . FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio- Transmission whose working principle is based on the peculiar characteristic of bodily liquids acting as an electrolyte in a system that consists of proper metals, so that the system turns into a sort of electrical generator or a cell . The electrodes of the Sensor (J) are connected to a detector Schmitt trigger type (K) whose output is cleaned from noise or spurious signal by means of the filter (L) before reaching the encoder (M), which, according to a stored code, modulates the amplitude of the radio- frequency wave generated by the radio-transmitter (N) and propagated by the aerial (P) . The battery (Q), that supplies power to the subsystem, completes FIG.4 . FIG. 2 shows all the several parts the Sensor is composed of . Both the electrodes "dl" and

"d3"are made of thin, flexible, filigree metal foils, as to allow the bodily liquid to soak the hydro-absorbent film (d2) between the two electrodes more quickly and uniformly .

On each electrode a metallic male press-button (d4) is connected which correspons to the two female buttons (el) of the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Radio-Transmission as showed in FIG. 1 .

Best mode for carrying out the invention

The Subsystem of Detection and radio transmission may be carried out using a single-chip microcontroller that has on board the following devices: - a 12 bit Manchester encoder .

- a Schmitt trigger detector .

- a 5 volts square-wave oscillator module that works on supersonic frequency of 40 Khz. The microprocessor has to be connected to a hybrid radio transmission module that has the following characteristic: - transmission frequency fixed by a laser trimmed coil at 433.92 Mhz in conformity with regulation I-ETS 300-220 .

- 5 mW radiated power .

- an aerial on board .

A12 volts battery model 23 a or 231 or 23 m or vr22, supplies the Subsystem. The Receiver consists of a single microcontroller that has on board the following devices :

- a 12 bit decoder and a pulse generator .

- power pulse generator. To the Receiver is connected to superregeneration hybrid radio receiver module in conformity with I-ETS 300-220 regulation working on 433.92 Mhz frequency fixed by a laser tuned coil.

Driven by the microcontroller is a piezoelectric transducer that produces a 5 Khz sound frequency.

Claims

1- Our invention works on the basis of two distinct basic principles : the electrical conductivity of bodily liquids and the peculiar characteristic of bodily liquids to act as an electrolyte in a system that consists of proper metals, so that it turns into a sort of electrical generator or a cell .

2- Our invention allows the subjects to be helped in time in order to prevent them from painful irritations caused by a prolonged contact of the liquids with the skin .

3- The very low alternating current needed by the Sensor, that works according to the principle of electrical conductivity of bodily liquids, to carry out its control avoids significant, undesired chemical-physical alterations of the materials as well as of the elements in contact with the Sensor .

4- The Detector does not produce any sensory impulse that can be heard by the subject . Therefore, it does not influence negatively his psyche . 5- As a matter of fact, the timely help received by the subject can only positively affect his psycho-physical state .

6- The continuous control and detection metodology carried out by the device makes it possible to intervene only in case of real need, thus avoiding recurrent embarassing check .

7- The new electromechanic fastening system makes it possible for our invention to be worn very easily as well as quickly .

8- The possibility to choose among over eight thousand codes that can be programmed on the Electronic Subsystem of Detection and Transmission allows a variety of usage as well as the discrimination of different events on different subjects in the same place .

9- The reduced weight and size of the Electronic Radio Acoustic Bodily Liquids Detector exalt its overall efficiency .

10- In order to use our invention no specific skill is required .