Patent Grant
10905371
The present application is related to an automatic detection of human physiological phenomena, and more specifically to methods and systems that measure properties associated with human excretion.
Most women today use traditional feminine hygiene products such as tampons, panty liners, and sanitary napkins during their menstrual cycle. With traditional feminine hygiene products, women do not know when the feminine hygiene product is full, unless they visually inspect the feminine hygiene product. Forgetting to check the feminine hygiene product can result in embarrassing bloodstained clothing. Further, keeping track of how long the tampon has been inserted in the body is difficult, and if the tampon has been inserted for a sufficiently long time, the tampon can cause lethal toxic shock syndrome.
Introduced here is technology to monitor moisture levels in a hygiene product, such as tampons, sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, child diapers, adult diapers, etc. According to one embodiment, a moisture sensor is inserted inside a feminine hygiene product, such as a tampon, a sanitary napkin, or a menstrual cup. The moisture sensor is connected to a wearable device which gathers the moisture data and sends it to a mobile device, such as a cell phone. The cell phone generates notifications to the user, such as percentage of saturation of the feminine hygiene product, message to change the feminine hygiene product, expected start and end dates of the next menstrual cycle, etc. According to another embodiment, the moisture sensor can be inserted in other hygiene products, such as child diapers or adult diapers, to measure the amount of urination, defecation, or other excretions, and to generate notifications to the user, the user's caretaker, or a third party, such as a doctor.
These and other objects, features and characteristics of the present embodiments will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended claims and drawings, all of which form a part of this specification. While the accompanying drawings include illustrations of various embodiments, the drawings are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter.
Terminology
Brief definitions of terms, abbreviations, and phrases used throughout this application are given below.
Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described that may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described that may be requirements for some embodiments but not others.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof, mean any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements. The coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, two devices may be coupled directly, or via one or more intermediary channels or devices. As another example, devices may be coupled in such a way that information can be passed therebetween, while not sharing any physical connection with one another. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.
If the specification states a component or feature “may,” “can,” “could,” or “might” be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or have the characteristic.
The term “module” refers broadly to software, hardware, or firmware components (or any combination thereof). Modules are typically functional components that can generate useful data or another output using specified input(s). A module may or may not be self-contained. An application program (also called an “application”) may include one or more modules, or a module may include one or more application programs.
The terminology used in the Detailed Description is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with certain examples. The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in the specific context where each term is used. For convenience, certain terms may be highlighted, for example using capitalization, italics, and/or quotation marks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaning of a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the same context, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated that the same element can be described in more than one way.
Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein, but special significance is not to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification, including examples of any terms discussed herein, is illustrative only and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification.
Technology
According to one embodiment, the clamp 240 includes a mechanism similar to that of a slide-button flashlight. The wearable device 200 includes slide a button. When the button is slid into a locked position, the clamp 240 locks the string 210 into place, where the conductive wires inside the string 210 establish an electrical contact with a wearable device 200. When the button is slid into an open position, the clamp 240 releases the string 210, and the electrical contact is terminated.
According to another embodiment, the string 210 includes a stiff end, which is not attached to the tampon 220. The stiff end plugs into the wearable device 200 with a small hook or a bump, which fits into a groove inside the wearable device 200, “locking” the string in place.
Additional clamping mechanisms include:
In addition, any combination of the two or more clamping mechanisms described herein can also be employed to secure the string inside the wearable device.
When the absorbent part of the tampon 300 is dry, the current flowing between the probe pair 310 is low, meaning that the ohmic resistance is high. The conductance between the probe pair 310 when the absorbent part of the tampon 300 is dry is known before the tampon 300 is inserted in the body. As the absorbent part of the tampon 300 receives more blood, the conductance changes, e.g., the ohmic resistance between the probe pair 310 decreases, allowing more electric current to flow between the probe pair 310 because blood is conductive. Thus, as the absorbent part of the tampon 300 gets more saturated, more electric current flows between the probe pair 310. The plurality of conductive wires 320, enclosed in a string 330 attached to the tampon 300, carry the electric current outside of the tampon 300 and into the wearable device.
Alternatively, the saturation of the tampon 300 can be measured using capacitance sensing. When the absorbent part of the tampon 300 is dry, the capacitance is low. As the absorbent part of the tampon 300 receives more blood, the capacitance increases. A single probe can be inserted into the tampon 300 to measure capacitance. As with the resistance-measuring probe(s), this single probe connects to the wearable device, as described herein.
According to another embodiment, each of the conductive wires in the plurality of conductive wires 320 can be enclosed in a single string, attached to the tampon 300. In this case, each string enclosing a conductive wire attaches to the wearable device, and establishes an electrical contact therein.
The wearable device performs initial processing on the data received, such as performing low-pass filtering to obtain a smooth data. The wearable device wirelessly communicates the smooth data and/or the data received to a remote processor for further analysis. When the tampon 300 is disposed of, the conductive wires, and the probe pair are disposed of at the same time.
The external electronics unit 350 can include a processor to analyze the data, such as performing a low-pass filter on the data coming in from the probe pair 355 to create a smooth data. The external electronics unit 350 includes a wireless transceiver to send the smooth data and/or data to a remote processor for further analysis. The wireless transceiver uses a wireless protocol, such as Bluetooth, to communicate with the remote processor. The internal electronics unit 350 can also connect to a plurality of conductive wires 375 enclosed within the string 370 attached to the housing 360. The plurality of conductive wires 375 can connect to the wearable device, as described above.
The external electronics unit 350 and the probe pair 355 can detach from the tampon 365 when enough outward force 380 is applied. Thus, the absorbent part of the tampon 365 can be disposed of, while the external electronics unit 350 and the probe pair 355 are preserved. The external electronics unit 350 and the probe pair 355 can be reused in another tampon. When the probe pair 355 is inserted into a tampon, the processor associated with the external electronics unit 350 measures the amount of electronic current inside the dry tampon 365. The processor associated with the external electronics unit 350 stores the measurement as a baseline for comparison with future electronic current measurements. The processor associated with the external electronics unit 350 can communicate the baseline measurement to a remote processor. The absorbent part of the tampon includes a cavity in the shape of the probe pair to allow the probe pair 355 to be inserted into the absorbent part of the tampon 365.
The remote processor can be associated with a mobile device, a wearable device, a computer, a cloud computer, etc. The mobile device can be a tablet, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, etc. The wearable device can be a watch, a heart rate monitor, a wearable device integrated into clothing, fitbit bracelet, etc. The remote processor performs various functions, such as receiving the smooth data and/or data from the wearable device via the wireless connection, storing the smooth data and/or data in a database to create a historical data associated with the menstrual cycle of the user, and analyzing the smooth data and/or data, and/or the historical data to generate various notifications to the user. In analyzing the data, the remote processor can utilize various machine learning algorithms. The remote processor sends notifications to a display associated with the processor, such as a display associated with the mobile device, a display associated with a wearable device, or a display associated with the computer. The display generates a visual message corresponding to the notification, the visual message comprising at least one of a textual message, an image, a graph, or a video.
The tip region 405 associated with the probe pair 410 includes a cathode and an anode, which are made out of an exposed conductor. The base region 415 associated with the probe pair 410 includes a conductor covered with an insulator. The base region 415 is not conductive.
In one embodiment, the electronics unit 420 can connect to a plurality of conductive wires 480 enclosed inside the string 470 coming out of the sanitary napkin 400. The string 470 can connect to a wearable device, as described above.
A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the technology disclosed herein can be applied to monitor additional physiological phenomena associated with a user. The physiological phenomena includes secretions such as an amount of urination, an amount of defecation, an amount of penile and vaginal discharge, etc. The sensor can be disposed inside a child diaper, an adult diaper, training pants, incontinence pads for men and women, a tampon, a panty liner, a sanitary napkin, a sanitary brief, a menstrual cup, etc.
An electronics unit 1000 receives data from the probe pairs 1010-1060. The electronics unit 1000 can send the gathered data to a processor, either wirelessly or through a wire connected to the electronics unit 1000. The electronics unit 1000 can send to the processor, in addition to the gathered data, an identification (ID) associated with the probe pair corresponding to the collected data. Further, the electronics unit 1000 can send to the processor information associating the probe ID with the front or the back of the diaper 1070, or associating the probe ID with the physiological phenomena, such as urination and/or defecation.
The electronics unit 1000 can process the gathered data, such as performing low-pass filtering on the gathered data to obtain smooth data, combining the data from the plurality of probe pairs 1010-1060 into a single measurement representing an amount of saturation of the diaper, or calculating an amount of urination and an amount of defecation and sending the amount of urination and the amount of defecation to the processor. Electronics unit 1000 can then communicate the smooth data and/or the single measurement to the processor either wirelessly or through a wire connected to the electronics unit 1000.
In addition to the probe pairs, the sensor can include a piezo sensor, a temperature sensor, etc.
In addition, the processor can compare the data received and the historical data to detect an abnormal fluctuation between the historical data and the received data. The abnormal fluctuation is outside of a normal fluctuation range associated with the historical data. For example, if the normal fluctuation range for the number of times a baby urinates is between four and eight times a day, an abnormal fluctuation is when the baby urinates two times a day. When the abnormal fluctuation is detected, the processor sends the notification to a responsible person that the user may be sick (e.g., the user may be having a urinary tract infection). The responsible person can be the user, or the responsible person can be a caretaker associated with the user, such as the baby's mother.
In step 1220, the processor analyzes the data to generate a notification. The notification includes at least one of: a message to change the feminine hygiene product, a prediction of a start date and an end date associated with a next menstrual cycle, the message that the user may be sick, an amount of saturation associated with the feminine hygiene product, a graph of an amount of time passed before the feminine hygiene product is full versus day of the week, an expected day when the menstrual flow will be the heaviest, a countdown timer that warns when the feminine hygiene product should be changed based on how long the previous feminine hygiene product took to fill up, etc.
The processor can make predictions of the heaviest flow day, or the start and end dates associated with the next menstrual cycle based on weighted averages. To predict the start and end dates of the next menstrual cycle, the processor can use weighted averages, machine learning algorithms, etc. In addition, other biological phenomena, such as body temperature, can be taken into account to predict the start and end dates of the next menstrual. For example, to predict the start and end dates of the next menstrual cycle, the processor determines the time between the previous six cycles and calculates a weighted average, where the weight is correlated to how recent the menstrual cycle is. For example, assume the time between the last six menstrual cycles lasted 23, 26, 30, 32, and 28 days, where the time between the last cycle in the next-to-last cycle lasted 28 days. The processor calculates the time to the next cycle to be equal to 0.4*23+0.25*26+0.2*30+0.1*32+0.05*28=26.3. The processor then rounds the results to the nearest integer number of days, thus obtaining 26 days to the next cycle.
Similarly, the weighted averages approach, or machine learning algorithms can be used to predict the heaviest flow day. In addition, other biological phenomena, such as body temperature, can be taken into account to predict the heaviest flow day. For example, assume the heaviest flow day in the last three menstrual cycles was day 2, day 3, and day 1. The processor calculates that the heaviest flow day in the next menstrual cycle to be equal to 0.5*2+0.3*3+0.2*1=2.1 the processor then rounds the result to the nearest integer number of days, thus obtaining that day 2 will be the heaviest in the next menstrual cycle.
In step 1230, the processor sends the notification to a responsible person. The responsible person can be the user, a caretaker associated with the user, and/or a third party that has been given access to the user data, such as a doctor, the user's partner, etc. For example, the processor can receive an authorization from the user to share the data and/or the historical data with a third party device associated with the third party. The user can authorize sharing of a specified time window of historical data, full historical data, and/or currently measured data.
According to one embodiment, the processor can determine whether the feminine hygiene product is within a predefined threshold of being fully saturated. For example, if the feminine hygiene product is 60% saturated, the processor sends a notification to the responsible person to change the feminine hygiene product, such as a notification including a time when the feminine hygiene product is expected to be fully saturated. In another embodiment, the processor displays a constant update of the present saturation of the feminine hygiene product.
The processor can also obtain the time elapsed since the feminine hygiene product has been in use. When the time elapsed is above a specified threshold, the processor sends the notification to the responsible person to change the feminine hygiene product. For example, if the feminine hygiene product does not saturate after eight hours to the level that generates a notification that the feminine hygiene product is saturated, the processor generates a notification to the user to change the tampon based on current industry prevention standards against toxic shock syndrome.
In various embodiments, the processor can generate a plurality of calendar entries associated with the start date and the end date of the next menstrual cycle, and display the plurality of calendar entries in a calendar. Based on the historical data, on a given day, the processor calculates an average amount of time elapsed before the feminine hygiene product is fully saturated. For example, the processor calculates an average amount of time the feminine hygiene product takes to be saturated on day 1, on day 2, on day 3, etc. for each day of the menstrual cycle. The processor then generates a graph representing a correspondence between the day of the menstrual cycle and the average amount of time elapsed before the feminine hygiene product is fully saturated. The graph can be a plot of number of hours versus days of the week, number of hours versus dates, number of hours versus day of the menstrual cycle (such as day 1, day 2, day 3), etc.
The processor can detect an abnormal fluctuation between the historical data and the data. The abnormal fluctuation is outside of a normal fluctuation range associated with the historical data. For example, if the normal fluctuation range for the number of hours the feminine hygiene product takes to fill up on day 1 is between 4 and 8 hours, an abnormal fluctuation is when the feminine hygiene product fills up in 2 hours. When the abnormal fluctuation is detected, the processor sends the notification to a responsible person that the user may be sick, such as, the user may be having a hormone imbalance, a dysfunction of the ovaries, a uterine fibroid, a polyp, adenomyosis, etc. The responsible person can be the user, a caretaker associated with the user, or the user's partner.
In various embodiments disclosed herein, there can be one or more probe pairs disposed within the hygiene product.
System
The subsystem 1300 includes a sensor, a transmitter, and a processor. The sensor is inserted into a hygiene product, as disclosed herein. The transmitter and the processor can also be included in the hygiene product, or they can be part of a separate device, such as a wearable device, a mobile device, a personal digital assistant, etc., or a combination of two or more of these. The processor can be, for example, a microcontroller, a conventional microprocessor such as an Intel Pentium microprocessor or a Motorola power PC microprocessor, etc. The processor performs various operations on the data received from the sensor, such as performing a low-pass filter operation. The transmitter communicates to the user device 1320 using a wireless network 1310.
The user device 1320 comprises a display including a graphical user interface (GUI), and an analytics module. The GUI displays various information regarding the observed human physiological phenomena as described herein. The analytics module can perform the various methodologies discussed herein. The user device 1320 includes a processor for running the analytics module, and a memory associated with the processor. The analytics module can be a stand-alone, and/or can be integrated with a third-party software, such as Google health applications, and/or Apple health applications. The memory is coupled to the processor by, for example, a bus. The memory can include, by way of example but not limitation, random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM), etc. The memory can be local, remote, or distributed, such as a local database, remote database, or a distributed database. The user device 1320 can be a cell phone, a tablet, a wearable, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a game console, a set-top box, a blackberry, etc. The user device 1320 communicates to the server 1340 using a wireless network 1330.
The server 1340 includes an analytics module. The analytics module can perform the various methodologies discussed herein. The server 1340 includes a processor for running the analytics module, and a memory associated with the processor. The memory can include, by way of example but not limitation, random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM), RAID (redundant array of independent disks), etc. The memory can be local, remote, or distributed, such as a local database, remote database, or a distributed database. The server 1340 can be implemented in hardware and/or in software. The server 1340 can include a database server, a file server, a mail server, a print server, a Web server, a game server, an application server, etc. The server 1340 can be part of a cloud computing system.
The wireless networks 1310 and/or 1330 may be, for example, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), wireless LAN (WLAN), Bluetooth®, Internet Protocol (IP) data casting, satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like, or any combination thereof.
Remarks
The foregoing description of various embodiments of the claimed subject matter has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the claimed subject matter to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Embodiments were chosen and described in order to best describe the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the relevant art to understand the claimed subject matter, the various embodiments, and the various modifications that are suited to the particular uses contemplated.
While embodiments have been described in the context of fully functioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various embodiments are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that the disclosure applies equally regardless of the particular type of machine or computer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.
Although the above Detailed Description describes certain embodiments and the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the embodiments can be practiced in many ways. Details of the systems and methods may vary considerably in their implementation details, while still being encompassed by the specification. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of various embodiments should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless those terms are explicitly defined herein. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the embodiments under the claims.
The language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this Detailed Description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of various embodiments is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the embodiments, which is set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to the U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/260,583 filed Nov. 29, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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