Abstract Urinary incontinence can be evaluated both in respect of frequency and quantity by use of a detector device in the form of a flexible sheet of absorbent material having elongate electrodes supported in it in an interleaved, uniformly spaced array. This device is worn as a diaper and any incontinence will vary and be detectable and measurable by the electrical conductivity of the sheet material between the electrodes. Any undesirable variations in this technique due to compression of the sheet in use can be offset by supporting the electrodes in a waved manner along their lengths and through the sheet thickness, and by quilting the sheet. Other variations due to differing urine salts content can be taken into account by pre-loading the sheet with a salt to give a datum or bias salt level above which such variations are less significant.
A urinary incontinence detector device comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; a dry salt dispersion in said sheet to preload the sheet whereby, when moistened with urine, the natural salt content of urine is not a significant factor in changing the electrical conductance of the sheet; a pair of elongate electrodes connected to said sheet in a uniformly spaced array extending over a major area of said sheet; and terminals for connecting said electrodes to an electrical conductance indicator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A urinary incontinence detector device comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; a dry salt dispersion in said sheet to preload the sheet whereby, when moistened with urine, the natural salt content of urine is not a significant factor in changing the electrical conductance of the sheet; a pair of elongate electrodes connected to said sheet in a uniformly spaced array extending over a major area of said sheet; and terminals for connecting said electrodes to an electrical conductance indicator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein each of said electrodes comprises a plurality of parallel limbs each connected at one end to a common terminal conductor, the limbs of the respective electrodes being interleaved in an alternating sequence.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said electrodes are supported in said sheet in a generally cyclically varying waveshape extending along their lengths and through the thickness of said sheet, which waVeshape is of short length compared to the planar dimensions of said sheet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said sheet is of laminated form comprising a thicker layer of a first absorbent material to enhance the spread of urine through the plane of said thicker layer and thereby act against local saturation therein, a second layer of different absorbent material having a lesser liquid permeability than said first material, said second layer backing said first layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said sheet is quilted along lines which are uniformly spaced between adjacent lengths of said electrodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said salt dispersion is approximately equivalent in electrical conductance to that of the salt in a 5 percent, by weight, aqueous sodium chloride solution saturating said sheet.