JPH11230900A - Urine detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To measure the light intensity of a material to be detected such as a diaper by attaching the material to the material to be detected such as a disposable diaper without subjecting the material to be detected such as a diaper to special processing. In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a urine detecting device that easily detects the wetness of a material to be detected such as a diaper. A urine detecting device mounted on a detection member (2) comprising a urine absorbing member (21) and a polyethylene surface cover (22) to detect urination, wherein the detection member (2) has a polyethylene cover (22). , A light-emitting unit 111 that emits near-infrared light having a wavelength of 1200 nm or more, a light-receiving unit 112 that receives near-infrared light reflected from the polyethylene surface cover 22 of the detection target material 2, a light-emitting unit 111, and a light-receiving unit Control for controlling the light intensity obtained by the light receiving unit 112
A calculation unit 113, a detection signal transmission unit 114 that wirelessly transmits a signal detected by the control / calculation unit 113 from the detector 11 to the annunciator 12, a detection signal reception unit 121 that receives the detection signal, and a detection signal And a control unit 122 for controlling

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for detecting leakage of a material to be detected such as a diaper due to urination in a home or a medical or welfare facility.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, diaper leak detection due to urination is performed based on electrodes and temperature.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-21702 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-23999 also relate to the detection of urination using light.
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 0, the former requires that a material that changes color due to diaper wetting be formed inside or on the surface of the diaper, which is difficult to cope with commercially available diapers, and that the latter detects urination by optical measurement. However, it is necessary to attach a diaper surface that changes depending on the internal wetting condition.

In order to correspond to many commercially available disposable diapers and the like, it is necessary to change the configuration of the diaper in the former detection method. Observation becomes difficult because light is blocked by the colored cover on the surface of the diaper.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and does not apply any special processing to a material to be detected, such as a diaper, and mounts it on a material to be detected, such as a commercially available disposable diaper. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a urine detecting device that easily detects the wetness of a material to be detected such as a diaper by measuring the light intensity of the material to be detected such as a diaper.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems The invention according to claim 1 of the present application (invention 1) is a urine detecting device which detects urination by being attached to a material to be detected constituted by a urine absorbing member and a polyethylene surface cover. A light-emitting portion that emits near-infrared light having a wavelength of 1200 nm or more from the polyethylene surface cover side to the detection target material and receives near-infrared light reflected from the polyethylene detection surface side of the detection target material; A light-receiving unit, a control / calculation unit that controls the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, and calculates light intensity obtained by the light-receiving unit; and a signal detected by the control / calculation unit is wirelessly transmitted from the detector to the alarm. It comprises a detection signal transmitting section for transmitting, a detection signal receiving section for receiving the detection signal, and a control section for controlling the detection signal.

According to the invention of claim 2 of the present application (Invention 2), the wavelength of near-infrared light emitted from the light-emitting member to the surface of the polyethylene cover from the light-emitting member is 1200 to 2300 n.
m.

[0008]

According to the urine detecting apparatus of the present invention, a light-emitting portion that emits near-infrared light having a wavelength of 1200 nm or more from the polyethylene side to the material to be detected, and a near-infrared light reflected from the polyethylene surface cover side of the material to be detected. A light receiving unit for receiving light, a control / arithmetic unit for controlling the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, and calculating a light intensity obtained by the light receiving unit, and a detector for wirelessly detecting a signal detected by the control / arithmetic unit Since the detection signal transmission unit that transmits to the alarm from the, the detection signal receiving unit that receives the detection signal, and the control unit that controls the detection signal, without performing any special processing on the material to be detected such as a diaper, By attaching to a detection target material such as a commercially available disposable diaper, near-infrared light emitted from the light-emitting unit from the detection target material's polyethylene front cover side can be seen through the polyethylene front cover,
Further, the strength of the leakage of the urine absorbing member of the material to be detected can be measured by the light receiving portion depending on the degree.

The annunciator may be integrated with the detector, but may be separately placed at the bedside or in another room and controlled by radio or the like.

The notification can be made by sound, blinking light or the like.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the urine detector of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the urine detecting device 1 includes a detector 11 mounted on the material 2 to be detected, and an alarm 12 for receiving a detection signal from the detector 11.

The material to be detected 2 comprises a urine absorbing material 21 and a polyethylene surface cover 22, such as a diaper.

The detector 11 includes a light emitting unit 111 and a light receiving unit 11
2. It has a control / calculation unit 113 and a detection signal transmission unit 114.

The light emitting portion 111 is a portion which emits near-infrared light of 1200 nm or more from the surface cover 22 made of polyethylene to the material to be detected 2.

The light receiving portion 112 is a portion for receiving near infrared light emitted from the light emitting portion 111, which is reflected and scattered by the urine absorbing member 21 of the material 2 to be detected, and which passes through the polyethylene surface cover 22. is there.

The control / calculation section 113 is a section for calculating the light intensity obtained by the light receiving section 112.

The detection signal transmitting section 114 is a control / calculating section 1
The signal detected at 13 is wirelessly transmitted from the detector 11 to the alarm 1
2.

The alarm 12 includes a detection signal receiving section 121, a control section 122, and an alarm sound generating section 123.

The detection signal receiving section 121 wirelessly connects the detector 1
This is a part that receives the detection signal transmitted from 1 to the alarm 12.

The control section 122 controls the detection signal received by the detection signal receiving section 121 and transmits it to the notification sound generating section 123.

The notification sound generation section 123 is a section that sounds in response to a signal controlled by the control section 122.

The light emitting section 111 may be a light emitting section having a relatively wide wavelength such as a light bulb or a light emitting section having a narrow wavelength range such as an LED or a laser. The light source and the detector 11 to be used may be single or plural.

However, regarding urination detection, at least one
It is necessary to output and detect near-infrared light of 200 nm or more, preferably 1200 to 2300 nm.

In order to prevent the wearer from feeling uncomfortable, it is necessary to reduce the size and weight of the wearer.
It is desirable to use an LED that emits near-infrared light of nm or more, preferably 1200 to 2300 nm, and an optical semiconductor element as a detector that detects the light.

The reason why near-infrared light having a wavelength of 1200 nm or more is required can be understood from the absorbance characteristics of water in FIG. 3 and the absorbance characteristics of polyethylene in FIG. This is because it rises sharply.

The principle will be described below. Light emitting unit 111
The light emitted from is measured by the light receiving unit 112. However, it is assumed that a water absorbing layer of the material to be detected 2 such as a diaper is interposed therebetween.

At this time, the light emitting portion 111 and the light receiving portion 112 can be installed inside the material 2 to be detected, such as a diaper.
From a sanitary point of view, it is desirable to install it outside the detection target material 2 as shown in FIG.

The light emitted outside the material to be detected 2 is applied to the front cover. However, since the front cover 22 is made of polyethylene, it transmits relatively near-infrared light of 1200 nm or more, preferably about 1200 to 2300 nm, so that light having a wavelength included in this range is used for measurement. .

The light transmitted through the material 2 to be detected is reflected and scattered by the material inside the material 2 to be detected and the contact member that comes into contact therewith, and part of the light is measured by the light receiving element.

Here, when the person wearing the detected material 2 urinates, the urine is absorbed into the detected material 2. That is, the light emitting unit 11
Urine is present in the optical path between 1 and the light receiving section 112.

The absorbance of water, which is the main component of urine, is 1200 n
m, the light obtained by the light receiving unit 112 decreases depending on urine. Urination is detected from this change in light intensity.

[Embodiments] The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments. In the present invention, the present invention is applied to a material to be detected 2 such as a diaper whose surface is made of polyethylene.

The light emitting unit 111 and the light receiving unit 112 are
Fixed from outside.

The light emitting section 111 used was an LED having a center wavelength at 1400 nm from the transmittance of polyethylene and the absorbance of water, and the light receiving section 112 was a Pbs cell.

Measurement is performed once a minute by the control / calculation unit 113 so that the light emitting unit 111 and the light receiving unit 112 are operated.
The decrease in light intensity at 2 was monitored.

When a decrease in light intensity obtained by the light receiving section 112 due to urination is detected by the control / calculation section 113 by detection, the detection signal transmitting section 121 wirelessly transmits the alarm 1 provided in another room.
2 was sent a detection signal.

In the annunciator 12, when the detection signal is received by the detection signal receiving section 121, the alarm sound generating section 123 sounds, indicating that the person wearing the urine detecting device 1 has excreted urine.

[0039]

Since the urine detecting device of the present invention is constructed as described above, the material to be detected such as a diaper is not subjected to any special processing, and is attached to a material to be detected such as a commercially available disposable diaper. Thus, by measuring the light intensity of the material to be detected such as a diaper, it is possible to easily detect the wetness of the material to be detected such as a diaper.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a urine detection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing how the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the urine detecting device according to the present invention are installed on a material to be detected.

FIG. 3 is an absorbance characteristic curve diagram of water.

FIG. 4 is an absorbance characteristic curve diagram of polyethylene.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 urine detecting device 2 detected material 3 contact member 11 detector 12 annunciator 21 urine absorbing member 22 polyethylene surface cover 111 light emitting unit 112 light receiving unit 113 control / calculation unit 114 detection signal transmission unit 121 detection signal reception unit 122 control unit 123 alarm sound generator

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A urine detecting device for detecting urination, which is attached to a material to be detected comprising a urine absorbing member and a polyethylene surface cover, wherein the material to be detected is 1200 nm or more in wavelength from the polyethylene surface cover side. A light-emitting unit that emits near-infrared light, a light-receiving unit that receives near-infrared light reflected from the surface of the detection target material made of polyethylene, and a light-receiving unit that controls the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit. A control / arithmetic unit for calculating the light intensity obtained in step 1, a detection signal transmitting unit for wirelessly transmitting a signal detected by the control / arithmetic unit from the detector to the alarm, and a detection signal receiving unit for receiving the detection signal A urine detection device comprising: a control unit that controls a detection signal. 2. The wavelength of near-infrared light emitted from the light-emitting member from the side of the polyethylene front cover to the material to be detected is 120.
The urine detection device according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength is from 0 to 2300 nm.