JP7313675B2 - LIQUID DETECTION SENSOR, DETECTION OBJECT AND LIQUID DETECTION SYSTEM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid detection sensor, an object to be detected, and a liquid detection system, and more particularly to a liquid detection sensor, an object to be detected, and a liquid detection system for detecting liquid.

In recent years, the aging of the population has progressed rapidly in Japan, and it is said that the elderly population will exceed 30% in 2025. Along with this, the number of people requiring nursing care will increase, and the shortage of care facilities and human resources will become a serious social problem. Excretion, bathing, eating, etc. are cited as burdens in nursing care sites, and excretion in particular is a burden not only for nursing care facility staff but also for care recipients. Nursing staff are burdened with checking diapers every two hours, directing them to the toilet, dealing with leakage of excrement, and lack of manpower at night. On the other hand, care recipients are mentally burdened by being disturbed from a good night's sleep and having their dignity violated because they are checked for excretion from early in the morning. Therefore, there is a need for a system that detects excretion and notifies the nursing facility staff in order to reduce the burden on nursing facility staff and care recipients.

Conventionally, there are devices that detect urine using sensor ICs such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and wetness sensors, and wirelessly notify terminals such as smartphones of excretion (Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4). These devices require batteries for sensor power and wireless communication.

"D Free," Internet < URL: https://dfree. biz/. ＞ "Adult Smart Diaper - Diaper Sensor," Internet < URL: http://www. iqlabo. com/smart-diaper/. ＞ “MONIT,” Internet <URL: https://sankei. en-jine. com/projects/monit.com/projects/monit. ＞ "Health Care and Incontinence Management," Internet <URL: http://rfmicron. com/health-care/. ＞

The devices described above need to be collected after use, which increases the workload compared to when the devices are not used. In addition, there is a problem in terms of hygiene and the like in the case of reuse. There are also problems such as poor wearing comfort due to the large size of the device and high cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid detection sensor that can be constructed in a small size and at a low cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an object to be detected and a liquid detection system using a liquid detection sensor having a compact and low-cost configuration.

In order to achieve the above object, a liquid detection sensor according to the present invention includes a sheet substrate formed using a material that deforms in response to liquid, an antenna formed on the sheet substrate, and a communication circuit connected to the antenna and performing wireless communication via the antenna.

According to the present invention, the communication circuit performs wireless communication via the antenna. At this time, when the sheet substrate reacts with the liquid and deforms, the antenna on the sheet substrate is deformed, the apparent area of the antenna is reduced, and the radio wave intensity is reduced. Alternatively, the connection between the antenna and the communication circuit is broken and communication is interrupted. In this way, since it is possible to know that the liquid detection sensor has reacted with the liquid, a compact and low-cost configuration can be achieved.

A detection target according to the present invention is a liquid detection target including the liquid detection sensor described above and having the liquid detection sensor attached to its surface or inside.

In this way, an object to be detected using a liquid detection sensor having a compact and low-cost configuration can be obtained.

A liquid detection system according to the present invention is a liquid detection system for detecting liquid in a detection target, and includes the liquid detection sensor attached to the detection target, and a communication device that performs wireless communication with a communication circuit of the liquid detection sensor.

According to the present invention, the communication circuit of the liquid detection sensor performs wireless communication with the communication device via the antenna. At this time, when the sheet substrate reacts with the liquid and deforms, the antenna on the sheet substrate is deformed, the apparent area of the antenna is reduced, and the radio wave intensity is reduced. Alternatively, the connection between the antenna and the communication circuit is broken and communication is interrupted. Then, it can be seen that the liquid detection sensor has reacted with the liquid due to a decrease in radio wave intensity or communication interruption in the communication device.

In this way, since it is possible to know that the liquid detection sensor has reacted with the liquid, a compact and low-cost configuration can be achieved.

As described above, according to the liquid detection sensor of the present invention, it is possible to achieve the effect of being able to achieve a compact and low-cost configuration.

Further, according to the detection target object and liquid detection system of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect that a liquid detection sensor having a compact and low-cost configuration can be used.

1 is a block diagram showing a liquid detection system according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing an installation example of a liquid detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a liquid detection sensor according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a top view showing how the sheet substrate and the antenna of the liquid detection sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention are contracted. FIG. 4 is a top view showing how the sheet substrate and the antenna of the liquid detection sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention are broken; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the liquid detection sensor according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a top view showing how the sheet substrate and the antenna of the liquid detection sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention are contracted; It is a figure for demonstrating the method to insert a liquid detection sensor in a diaper. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a method of inserting the liquid detection sensor into the diaper;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. A case where the present invention is applied to a liquid detection system for detecting the presence or absence of excrement as liquid in a diaper will be described below as an example.

<Overview of Embodiments of the Present Invention>
The liquid detection sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention is a thin film device having an antenna for wireless communication using the UHF band (RFID) and having as a substrate a sheet having a structure that collapses when reacting to moisture (urine/stool). When moisture touches this sheet, the sheet collapses and the antenna disconnects, resulting in a loss of communication. Excrement can be detected remotely by detecting this communication interruption.

Since the liquid detection sensor uses wireless communication, the wearer can be notified of the detection of excrement even when the wearer is away from the wearer. Moreover, since the liquid detection sensor does not have a battery, it does not need to be collected for reuse. In addition, the price can be suppressed, which leads to miniaturization.

In addition, by configuring the liquid detection sensor in a small size, even if a diaper having a built-in liquid detection sensor is worn, there is no sense of discomfort. In addition, by enabling the liquid detection sensor to be easily attached to the diaper, it is possible to suppress an increase in the burden of putting the diaper on. In addition, the liquid detection sensor can be configured at a low cost, which is cheaper than the products using the above-described conventional technology, and is easy to introduce. Moreover, since the disposable liquid detection sensor does not need to be collected, it is possible to suppress an increase in work load.

In addition, the caregiver does not need to check the inside of the diaper every few hours, and the burden of excretion care is reduced. In addition, the cared person will not be seen inside the diaper even though he/she has not excreted. In addition, by quickly changing diapers after excretion, discomfort and skin rash caused by excrement can be eliminated.

<Configuration of liquid detection system according to embodiment of the present invention>
As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid detection system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid detection sensor 10, a wireless communication device 50, and an information processing device . The liquid detection sensor 10 and the wireless communication device 50 are connected wirelessly (for example, in the UHF band). The wireless communication device 50 and the information processing device 70 are connected via a network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the Internet.

As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid detection sensor 10 is attached inside the diaper 20 . The wireless communication device 50 is installed on the back side of the bed 30 and performs wireless communication with the liquid detection sensor 10 attached to the diaper 20 worn by the person lying on the bed 30 .

As shown in FIG. 3A, the liquid detection sensor 10 includes a sheet substrate 12 formed using a material that deforms in response to liquid, an antenna 14 formed on the sheet substrate 12, and a communication circuit 16 connected to the antenna 14 and performing wireless communication via the antenna 14. The antenna 14 and the communication circuit 16 on the sheet substrate 12 are covered with a coating layer 12A. Here, deformation is a concept including collapse, large deformation, and plastic deformation.

The material of the sheet substrate 12 is a material that reacts with liquid and deforms, and is, for example, wafer, SBS-based material, or PVA-based material, or a combination of two or more of these materials. Similarly, the coating layer 12A of the sheet substrate 12 is also made of a material that reacts with liquid and deforms.
However, the covering layer 12A may not be provided.

The antenna 14 is formed on the sheet substrate 12 so that the function of radiating radio waves into the air is impaired as the sheet substrate 12 deforms. The shape of the antenna 14 is, for example, rectangular. The antenna 14 is formed of conductive ink, and the antenna 14 is formed on the sheet substrate 12 by printing using the conductive ink.

The communication circuit 16 is configured as an IC tag, for example, and installed on the sheet substrate 12 .

Since the sheet substrate 12 and the coating layer 12A are made of wafer, the sheet substrate 12 and the coating layer 12A contract as shown in FIG. As a result, the apparent area of the antenna 14 is reduced (lower diagram in FIG. 3B), the performance (communication distance) of the antenna 14 is degraded, and the radio wave intensity received by the wireless communication device 50 is degraded. Alternatively, when the sheet substrate 12 and the coating layer 12A react with the liquid, the sheet substrate 12 and the coating layer 12A are melted and broken as shown in FIG. As a result, the antenna 14 is disconnected and communication becomes impossible, and the wireless communication device 50 detects the communication interruption.

Note that the liquid detection sensor 10 may include two support layers 12B and 12C that support the sheet substrate 12, as shown in FIG. 4A. In this case, the sheet substrate 12 is made of a material that tends to shrink, such as SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer).

The support layer 12B that directly supports the sheet substrate 12 is made of a water-soluble material such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). Since PVA is water-soluble, it disappears when water is applied.
However, if the support layer 12B is sufficiently thick and the shape of the sheet substrate 12 is sufficiently maintained, the support layer 12C may not be provided.

The support layer 12C supporting the support layer 12B is formed of a material for maintaining the shape of the sheet substrate 12, such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

In the example of FIG. 4A, the sheet substrate 12 and the support layers 12B and 12C are processed to be perforated in a laminated state. Since the sheet substrate 12 and the support layers 12B and 12C are perforated, the liquid can easily come into contact with the support layer 12B, and the support layer 12B melts quickly, thereby improving liquid detection accuracy.

When the support layer 12B melts, there is no layer that directly supports the sheet substrate 12, so the sheet substrate 12 shrinks, thereby breaking the connection between the wireless communication device 50 and the antenna 14 (see FIG. 4B).

As shown in FIG. 1 above, the wireless communication device 50 includes a reading section 52 and a communication section 54 .

The reading unit 52 communicates with the communication circuit 16 of the liquid detection sensor 10 by wireless communication (e.g., UHF band) in response to a command from the information processing device 70, and transmits the communication result (whether communication is successful or communication is interrupted, and radio wave intensity) to the information processing device 70 via the communication unit 54.

The communication unit 54 transmits and receives data to and from the information processing device 70 via the network N. FIG.

Power is supplied to the wireless communication device 50 from a power supply unit 51 including, for example, a battery. The power supply unit 51 is installed on the back side of the bed 30, for example.

The information processing device 70 is configured by a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a display, and the like (not shown). The ROM stores a liquid detection processing program. The liquid detection processing program is read from the ROM, developed in the RAM, and executed by the CPU to execute the liquid detection processing.

The information processing device 70 includes a communication section 72, a control section 74, and a display section 76, as shown in FIG.

The communication unit 72 transmits and receives data to and from the wireless communication device 50 via the network N. FIG.

The control unit 74 transmits a command to perform wireless communication with the communication circuit of the liquid detection sensor 10 to the wireless communication device 50 via the communication unit 72 every predetermined period, and acquires the communication result received from the wireless communication device 50 via the communication unit 72.

When the obtained communication result indicates that the wireless communication with the communication circuit 16 of the liquid detection sensor 10 has been interrupted or indicates that the radio wave intensity in the wireless communication with the communication circuit 16 of the liquid detection sensor 10 has decreased below the threshold value, the control unit 74 determines that excrement in the diaper 20 has been detected, and causes the display unit 76 to display a message indicating that the excrement as liquid has been detected.

<Operation of liquid detection system>
Next, operation of the liquid detection system 100 according to the embodiment of the invention will be described.

First, the caregiver attaches the liquid detection sensor 10 inside the diaper 20 as shown in FIGS. For example, the diaper 20 is formed with a pocket 20A for inserting the liquid detection sensor 10, and the liquid detection sensor 10 is attached inside the diaper 20 by inserting the liquid detection sensor 10 into the pocket 20A. Then, the cared person wears the diaper 20 to which the liquid detection sensor 10 is attached. Then, when the cared person wearing the diaper 20 is lying on the bed 30, the information processing device 70 executes the liquid detection process according to the operator's operation.

In the liquid detection process, the control unit 74 transmits a command to perform wireless communication with the communication circuit of the liquid detection sensor 10 to the wireless communication device 50 via the communication unit 72 at predetermined intervals, and acquires the communication result received from the wireless communication device 50 via the communication unit 72.

At this time, when the cared person excretes excrement on the diaper 20, the sheet substrate 12 and the covering layer 12A of the liquid detection sensor 10 contract in response to the excrement, and the antenna 14 made of conductive ink on the sheet substrate 12 also contracts in accordance with the contraction of the sheet substrate 12 and the covering layer 12A. As a result, the apparent area of the antenna 14 is reduced and the radio wave intensity is reduced. Alternatively, the sheet substrate 12 and the covering layer 12A of the liquid detection sensor 10 are melted and broken by reacting with the excrement, and along with the breakage of the sheet substrate 12 and the covering layer 12A, the conductive ink antenna 14 on the sheet substrate 12 is also broken, and the antenna 14 is broken to disable communication.

The reading unit 52 of the wireless communication device 50 communicates with the communication circuit 16 of the liquid detection sensor 10 by wireless communication in response to a command from the information processing device 70, and transmits a communication result indicating communication interruption to the information processing device 70 via the communication unit 54.

When the acquired communication result indicates that the wireless communication with the communication circuit 16 of the liquid detection sensor 10 has been interrupted or indicates that the radio wave intensity in the wireless communication with the communication circuit 16 of the liquid detection sensor 10 has decreased below the threshold value, the control unit 74 of the information processing device 70 determines that excrement in the diaper 20 has been detected, and causes the display unit 76 to display a message indicating that the liquid excrement has been detected.

The caregiver can confirm the message displayed on the display unit 76, know that the care recipient has excreted the excrement in the diaper 20, and can immediately change the diaper 20. - 特許庁At this time, the used diaper 20 is discarded with the liquid detection sensor 10 still attached.

As described above, according to the liquid detection system according to the embodiment of the present invention, an antenna made of conductive ink and a communication circuit, which is an IC tag, are mounted on the sheet substrate of the liquid detection sensor. When the sheet substrate reacts with moisture (urine or feces), the sheet substrate physically collapses, causing the antenna to shrink or disconnect. In this way, it is possible to know that the liquid detection sensor has reacted with the liquid by using the liquid detection sensor with a compact and low-cost configuration.

Further, the diaper is provided with a pocket for inserting the liquid detection sensor, and the liquid detection sensor is inserted into the diaper for use. After use, the diapers can be discarded as they are, without needing to be collected.

In addition, the wireless communication device installed on the bed performs wireless communication with the liquid detection sensor attached to the diaper and remotely notifies the information processing device 70 of the communication result, so that the state inside the diaper (presence or absence of excrement) can be remotely confirmed without checking the inside of the diaper.

Also, the liquid detection sensor can be easily attached to existing diapers.

<Modification>
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

For example, liquid detection may be performed by using an electrification type sensor that conducts electricity in response to the liquid.

In addition, the information processing device 70 may perform excretion prediction by AI (artificial intelligence) using excretion interval data obtained by collecting detection results of excrement detection.

In addition, although the case where the sheet substrate is formed using wafer, SBS, PVA, and PET as a material that reacts with liquid and deforms is described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of SBS, polystyrene isoprene styrene, polydimethylsiloxane, silicone, polystyrene, polymethacrylic acid, polylactic acid, polylactic glycolic acid copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, chitosan, alginic acid, cellulose acetate, hyaluronic acid, gelatin, or collagen may be used. Also, instead of PVA, sodium alginate or PNIPAM (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) may be used. Also, instead of PET, PP (polypropylene), PPE (polyphenylene ether), COP (cycloolefin), PI (polyimide), aluminum foil, conductive polymer film, paper, polysaccharide film, silicone resin, silicon wafer, glass, etc. may be used.

In addition, although the wireless communication between the liquid detection sensor and the wireless communication device uses the UHF band as an example, it is not limited to this, and NFC, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used, and at least two or more of the UHF band, NFC (Near field communication), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used in combination.

Further, although the diaper is provided with a pocket for inserting the liquid detection sensor, the present invention is not limited to this, and the diaper may be provided with a notch for inserting the liquid detection sensor, and the liquid detection sensor may be inserted into the diaper through the notch. Alternatively, a liquid detection sensor may be attached to the surface of the diaper. Alternatively, the liquid detection sensor may be fixed by placing the liquid detection sensor on the surface of the diaper and covering it with a urine absorbing pad or the like.

Moreover, although the case where the wireless communication device is provided on the back side of the bed has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and the wireless communication device may be provided near the bed. Further, a wireless communication device may be provided at the doorway of the room to detect the entry and exit of the room of the cared person wearing a diaper fitted with a liquid detection sensor to prevent wandering. Also, a wireless communication device may be provided on a shelf for storing diapers, etc., and the number of diapers to which the liquid detection sensor is attached may be detected to perform diaper inventory management.

Also, the liquid detection system according to the embodiment of the present invention may be used in situations where liquid detection is required (applications to buildings, robots, etc.). For example, the liquid detection sensor may be attached to diapers of infants as well as care recipients. A liquid detection system may also be used in situations where rain detection is required. A liquid detection system may also be used to detect heatstroke. Moreover, you may attach a liquid detection sensor to a pet toilet.

10 liquid detection sensor 12 sheet substrate 12A coating layers 12B, 12C support layer 14 antenna 16 communication circuit 20A pocket 30 bed 50 wireless communication device 51 power supply unit 52 reading unit 54 communication unit 70 information processing device 72 communication unit 74 control unit 76 display unit 100 liquid detection system

Claims (7)

a sheet substrate formed using a material that dissolves or shrinks in response to a liquid;
an antenna formed on the sheet substrate;
a communication circuit connected to the antenna and performing wireless communication via the antenna;
including
The liquid detection sensor, wherein the antenna is made of conductive ink and is formed on the sheet substrate so that the radio wave intensity decreases as the sheet substrate melts or shrinks. 2. The liquid detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the material is styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer, polystyrene isoprene styrene, polydimethylsiloxane, silicone, polystyrene, polymethacrylic acid, polylactic acid, polylactic glycolic acid copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, chitosan, alginic acid, cellulose acetate, hyaluronic acid, gelatin, collagen, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), or wafer. 3. The liquid detection sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna is made of conductive ink. including the liquid detection sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A detection target, which is a liquid detection target, and has the liquid detection sensor attached to its surface or inside. A liquid detection system for detecting liquid in a sensing object, comprising:
The liquid detection sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , which is attached to the detection target;
a communication device that performs wireless communication with a communication circuit of the liquid detection sensor;
liquid detection system including; 6. The liquid detection system according to claim 5 , further comprising an information processing device that determines that liquid has been detected in the detection target when wireless communication between the communication device and the liquid detection sensor communication circuit is interrupted or when radio wave intensity in wireless communication between the communication device and the liquid detection sensor communication circuit decreases. 7. The liquid detection system according to claim 5 , wherein the object to be detected is a diaper.