SENSOR UNIT FOR ATTACHNG TO A HUMAN OR ANIMAL BODY

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sensor unit for securing to a human or animal body, especially to the skin of the body, and to a sensor portion and an electronics portion for such a sensor unit.

Prior Art

There exist various sensor units on the market that are intended for direct securing to the human body and with which various body parameters can be detected, for instance the electrical activity of the heart or brain.

In general, these sensor units—as well as one or more suitable sensor elements—have an electronics unit comprising an energy supply, with which the respective sensor element is operated and which can store and/or evaluate the measurement results.

The known solutions generally have significant bulk, since the electronics unit, for protection from environmental influences, has to be/is housed in a rigid plastic container, such that they are perceived to be troublesome by the respective person having the sensor unit secured to their body.

Moreover, there can be hygiene problems with various solutions when the sensor units and especially the sensor elements thereof that are in contact with or close to the skin are used for different people.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the light of this, it is an object of the present invention to further develop sensor units that are designed and intended to be secured to human or animal bodies.

This object is achieved by a sensor unit for securing to a human or animal body, especially to the skin of the body, comprising a sensor portion that has a film sensor for measurement of one or more body parameters, having a piece of film that has at least one electrical wire disposed on said piece of film and having a measurement sensor that has electrically conductive connection to said wire and is preferably disposed on said piece of film, and comprising an electronics portion which is connected, preferably releasably, to said sensor portion and has an electronics unit for operation of said film sensor, or of embodiment 1; a sensor portion for such a sensor unit having a film sensor for measurement of at least one body parameter, having a piece of film that has at least one electrical wire disposed on said piece of film and having a measurement sensor that has electrically conductive connection to said wire and is preferably disposed on said piece of film, wherein the film sensor of the sensor portion is operable together with the electronics unit of the electronics portion of the sensor unit and wherein the sensor portion is connectable, preferably releasably, to said electronics unit, or of embodiment 26; and an electronics portion for such a sensor unit having the features of claim 16 comprising an electronics unit for operating the film sensor of the sensor portion of the sensor unit, wherein the electronics portion is connectable, preferably releasably, to said sensor portion, or of embodiment 28.

A sensor unit of the invention for securing to a human or animal body, especially to the skin of the body, accordingly comprises a sensor portion that has a film sensor for measurement of one or more body parameters, wherein the film sensor has a preferably flexible piece of film having at least one electrical wire disposed on said piece of film and has a measurement sensor that has electrically conductive connection to said wire and is preferably disposed on said piece of film. The sensor unit further comprises an electronics portion which is connected, preferably releasably, to said sensor portion and has an electronics unit for operation of said film sensor.

With regard to the securing of the sensor unit on the body, the sensor unit may preferably be adhesive bonded to the skin of the body. In particular, the film sensor, preferably the piece of film of the film sensor (at least a portion thereof in each case), may be adhesive bonded to the skin.

The material used for the adhesive bonding of the sensor unit or of the film sensor, especially of the piece of film, to the skin of the body may be any material that the person skilled in the art would select for the purpose. The material for adhesive bonding preferably comprises or takes the form of a non-cytotoxic adhesive. The adhesive is preferably selected from the group consisting of acrylic adhesive, a (thermoplastic) polyurethane adhesive, an epoxy resin adhesive, a silicone adhesive, a rubber adhesive, or a mixture of at least two of these. Preference is given to using one of the polyurethane adhesives as described in the publications of EP 3 502 156 A1 or US 2019/0233691 A1.

It is preferable to use a flexible elastic film in or for the sensor unit, especially for or as the flexible piece of film. The film preferably includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, soft polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane or a mixture or combination of at least two of these.

The film preferably has a permeability with respect to water vapor within a range from 2 to 100 g/24 h*m², preferably 3 to 50 g/24 h*m², more preferably 5 to 20 g/24 h*m²(determination in accordance with DIN 53122-1-2001 under conditions B (38° C. and 90% relative humidity), and was measured on 150 μm films, unless stipulated otherwise).

It is preferable to use the film, preferably in the form of a membrane film, as water vapor barrier. The film, as well as low permeability to water and water vapor, should have a profile of mechanical properties that makes it suitable for use in the sensor unit, which is subjected to mechanical stresses both as a result of the movement of the person or animal and as a result of any disassembly and assembly of the sensor unit. The film is preferably weldable, flexible under cold conditions, and stable to surfactants or other media influences, as occur in the daily life of a human or animal. The film should preferably be renderable or rendered antistatic.

The aforementioned properties of the film, especially of the membrane film, may preferably be achieved in that the film has a single- or multilayer structure, where preferably at least one layer includes consists of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

Preference is given in accordance with the invention to using TPUs, the longer-chain diol component of which is a polyester or polyether, and which has a Shore A hardness of preferably 75-95, more preferably 85-95, determined to DIN 53 505. Particular preference is given to TPUs with a polyether diol component (TPU ethers).

Preference is given to the combination of TPU ether and TPU ester layers in a multilayer film.

Suitable thermoplastic polyurethanes are obtainable, for example, under the following trade names: Desmopan® and Texin® (Bayer MaterialScience AG, Leverkusen, DE), Elastollan® (Elastogran GmbH, Lemforde, DE), Estane® (Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA) or Morthane® (Morton International, Inc., Chicago, Ill, USA).

The film preferably additionally includes, in at least one layer, especially in the layer formed from thermoplastic polyurethanes, commonly used additives selected from the group comprising

- I. antiblocking agents, inorganic or organic spacers,
- II. lubricants or demolding agents,
- III. pigments or fillers and
- IV. stabilizers
  
  or a combination of at least two of these.

The proportion of additives I to IV mentioned preferably adds up to between 0% by weight and 30% by weight.

The outer layer, especially the TPU layer, preferably contains up to 30% by weight of an antistat.

Additives present in the preferred films are described, for example, in Gachter and Willer in: Plastics Additives, Carl Hanser Verlag Munich, 4th edition (1996).

An at least three-layer construction of a multilayer film is preferably characterized in that at least one layer based on a polyethylene (PE), preferably a soft polyethylene, also called low-density polyethylene (LDPE), lies between two layers formed from thermoplastic polyurethane.

Suitable polyethylenes preferably have a density within a range from 0.915 to g/I. The polyethylene preferably has an average molecular mass within a range from 5000 to 20 000 g/mol, further preferably within a range from 7000 to 15 000 g/mol.

Further preferably, the film has an at least five-layer structure, where TPU is present in the two outer layers. There is preferably a middle layer based on a polyethylene which is bonded to the two outer TPU layers via intermediate layers, called adhesion promoter layers, that are formed from a copolymer-based adhesion promoter.

Copolymer-based adhesion promoters are characterized by gradations both of polar and nonpolar molecular constituents. Particular preference is given to olefin-based polymer adhesion promoters.

The group of the olefin-based polymer adhesion promoters especially includes ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and ethylene-acrylate copolymers having a comonomer content lower than the olefin content. Particular preference is given to olefin-based copolymers having comonomer contents of 15% to 30% by weight.

Preference is given to films having a total thickness within a range from ≥50 to ≤1000 μm, further preferably from ≥70 to ≤900 μm, more preferably from ≥90 to ≤800 μm.

In the case of a multilayer film, the thickness of the individual layers of thermoplastic polyurethane is preferably within a range from ≥20 to ≤350 μm, the thickness of the polyethylene layer within a range from ≥5 to ≤50 μm, and that of the adhesion promoter layers preferably within a range from ≥5 to ≤200 μm.

Preferably, the film consists of at least two outer layers of TPU and one inner layer of polyethylene, especially soft polyethylene.

Particularly suitable methods of producing the single- or multilayer film are the standard thermal forming methods for processing of plastics to give single- or multilayer sheetlike structures. One example here would be production by (co)extrusion, which is preferably effected by the blown film method. Because of the better composite adhesion achievable, coextrusion is preferred to a particular degree among the suitable production methods for multilayer thermoplastic sheetlike structures.

The films described in the examples and comparative examples that follow were produced by blown film coextrusion. The screw tools used for digestion of thermoplastic resins are described in terms of their construction, for example, by Wortberg, Mahlke and Effen in: Kunststoffe, 84 (1994) 1131-1138, by Pearson in: Mechanics of Polymer Processing, Elsevier Publishers, New York, 1985, or by the company Davis-Standard in: Paper, Film & Foil Converter 64 (1990) p. 84-90. Tools for shaping the melt to films are elucidated, inter alia, by Michaeli in: Extrusions-Werkzeuge [Extrusion Tools], Hanser Verlag, Munich 1991.

With regard to the at least one electrical wire mounted on the piece of film, this may be printed on, preferably as a conductor track, by means of known printing methods or by (other) thin-layer techniques for electronic circuits.

It is further conceivable that the (at least one) measurement sensor as well, for example an electrode, is applied to the piece of film by one of these techniques. It is also conceivable, by means of the printing or thin-layer techniques, to print, or to apply by means of the thin-layer techniques, one or more electronic (semiconductor) components that may be additionally required on the piece of film, for example resistors, transistors, capacitors or the like.

The printing can be effected inter alia by means of inkjet printers or screen printers using polymer-based “inks” known per se, which are enriched with electrically conductive particles. Additionally possible are processes of applying conductive “inks” or materials having membrane functions by a dispenser process.

It is also conceivable to apply the (at least one) electrical wire and/or the (at least one) measurement sensor and/or the further electronic (semiconductor) component(s) by means of 3D printers.

The use of a film sensor envisaged in accordance with the invention for the sensor unit permits a particularly flat construction of the sensor unit and inexpensive production thereof. If the sensor portion and the electronics portion are additionally releasably bonded to one another, permanently particularly hygienic use of the sensor unit is possible. For example, before the sensor unit is passed on to another person or before another use, the comparatively inexpensively producible sensor portion comprising the film sensor may be removed and exchanged for a new, still unused sensor portion, while the generally complex and costly electronics portion can continue to be used. Since it is generally only the sensor portion that rests directly against the body, it is thus possible to effectively counter hygiene problems in this way.

With regard to the dimensions of the sensor unit, the sensor unit may preferably have a length and/or a width between 20 mm and 200 mm, more preferably between 30 mm and 100 mm. The (construction) height may preferably be between 4 mm and 30 mm, more preferably between 6 mm and 20 mm. The (outer) contour or (outer) shape, especially in terms of the footprint, may preferably be square or rectangular.

With regard to the dimensions of the sensor portion, the sensor portion may preferably have a length and/or a width between 20 mm and 200 mm, more preferably between 30 mm and 100 mm. The (construction) height may preferably be between 4 mm and 20 mm, more preferably between 6 mm and 15 mm. The (outer) contour or (outer) shape, especially in terms of the footprint, may preferably be round, square or rectangular.

With regard to the dimensions of the electronics portion, the electronics portion may preferably have a length and/or a width between 20 mm and 80 mm, more preferably between 30 mm and 60 mm. The (construction) height may preferably be between 4 mm and 15 mm, more preferably between 6 mm and 12 mm. The (outer) contour or (outer) shape, especially in terms of the footprint, may preferably be round.

It will be apparent that the abovementioned (construction) height of the sensor unit means the dimension thereof which, when the sensor unit is secured as intended on the skin of the body, would determine the extent of the entire sensor unit perpendicularly or at least approximately perpendicularly to the skin surface.

The (construction) height of the sensor portion or of the electronics portion means the respective corresponding dimension thereof in the same direction of extent as defined above, but solely based in each case on the sensor portion or electronics portion thereof, i.e., if appropriate, in a state (possibly hypothetically) separated from the respective other component.

In a first preferred development of the invention, the electronics portion includes at least one piece of material, especially one which is elastic, preferably composed of a foam material composed of plastic, especially composed of polyurethane, or of an elastomer material or a silicone. The electronics unit of the electronics portion may be partly or fully integrated or embedded into the piece of material of the electronics portion. This permits good protection of the electronics portion against possible harmful outside influences. At the same time, such a material is generally perceived to be pleasant and not very troublesome by persons with such a sensor unit attached to their skin—for instance by comparison with a known housing by means of rigid hard plastic.

The material for the piece of material may be any material that the person skilled in the art would select for the abovementioned purpose, especially for buffering of shocks. The elastic piece of material is preferably composed of a material of low to zero cytotoxicity. The material is preferably selected from the group consisting of a gel, a hydrogel, a foam, or a combination of the two.

The material intended for embedding is preferably a thermoplastically formable foam. The foam material is preferably selected from the group consisting of a silicone, a polystyrene (PS), a polypropylene (PP), a polyvinylchloride (PVC), a polyurethane (PU), a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a chloroprene, a natural rubber, an acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber or a combination of at least two of these. The foam material preferably includes a thermoplastic polyurethane.

The foam material has preferably been produced by mixing a first polyurethane dispersion (A) with at least a second polyurethane dispersion (B), optionally with addition of further additives, foaming and subsequent drying of the mixture, where the polyurethane dispersion (A) is obtainable by preparing

- A) isocyanate-functional prepolymers from
  - A1) organic polyisocyanates
  - A2) polymeric polyols having number-average molecular weights of 400 to 8000 g/mol, preferably 400 to 6000 g/mol, or preferably from 600 to 3000 g/mol, and OH functionalities of 1.5 to 6, preferably 1.8 to 3, or preferably from 1.9 to 2.1, and
  - A3) optionally hydroxy-functional compounds having molecular weights of 62 to 399 g/mol, and
  - A4) optionally isocyanate-reactive, anionic or potentially anionic and optionally nonionic hydrophilizing agents, and then reacting
- B) the free NCO groups thereof wholly or partly
  - B1) optionally with amino-functional compounds having molecular weights of 32 to 400 g/mol and
  - B2) with amino-functional, anionic or potentially anionic hydrophilizing agents, with chain extension, and dispersing the polymers in water before, during or after step B), with conversion of any potentially anionic groups present to the anionic form by partial or complete reaction with a neutralizing agent, and wherein the second polyurethane dispersion (B) is obtainable by reactive conversion of at least the following components:
- A. an aliphatic polyisocyanate component having an average isocyanate functionality of ≥1.8 and ≤2.6,
- B. a polymeric polyether polyol component;
- C. an amino-functional chain extender component having at least 2 isocyanate-reactive amino groups, containing at least one amino-functional compound C1. that has no ionic or ionogenic groups, and/or an amino functional compound C2. that has ionic or ionogenic groups,
- D. optionally further hydrophilizing components other than C2.,
- E. optionally hydroxy-functional compounds having a molecular weight of 62 to 399 mol/g,
- F. optionally further polymeric polyols other than B.,
- G. a compound that has exactly one isocyanate-reactive compound, or a compound that has more than one isocyanate-reactive group, where only one of the isocyanate-reactive group reacts under the reaction conditions chosen with the isocyanate groups present in the reaction mixture, and
- H. optionally an aliphatic polyisocyanate component having an average isocyanate functionality of >2.6 and ≤4,
  
  where components B. and F. together contain ≤30% by weight of component F., preferably ≤20% by weight of component F., or preferably ≤10% by weight of component F., based on the total mass of component B. and F.

Examples of the production, possible compositions and properties of the foamed article, referred to here as foam material, that arises from the reactive conversion of the first polyurethane dispersion (A) produced from the prepolymer A) composed of components A1) to A4), and B1), B2), with the second polyurethane dispersion (B) composed of components A. to H. can be found in publication WO 2020/173760, especially pages 2 to 23.

Additionally or alternatively, the sensor unit may also include such a piece of material composed of such a polymer foam material or elastomer material or silicone as described above. The piece of film in the film sensor may be inextricably or fixedly bonded, especially cohesively, to the piece of material of the sensor portion, especially to an outer face thereof. The bond may, for example, be made by adhesive bonding, more preferably by means of a double-sidedly adhesive piece of adhesive material or via an adhesive layer. Alternatively, the piece of film could also be laminated onto the piece of material. Various bonding variants are conceivable here.

With regard to the optionally releasable connection of electronics portion and sensor portion, the sensor portion may be force-fittingly, cohesively and/or form-fittingly bonded to the electronics portion. In particular, it may be releasably adhesive bonded thereto, for instance by means of a double-sidedly adhesive piece of adhesive material.

Material used for such adhesive bonding of electronics portion and sensor portion may be any material that the person skilled in the art would select for the purpose. This material may preferably comprise or take the form of an adhesive selected from the group consisting of acrylic adhesive, a (thermoplastic) polyurethane adhesive, an epoxy resin adhesive, a silicone adhesive, a rubber adhesive, or a mixture of at least two of these. Preference is given to using one of the polyurethane adhesives as described in the publications of EP 3 502 156 A1 or US 2019/0233691 A1. It is especially conceivable that the material for adhesive bonding comprises or takes the form of a noncytotoxic adhesive.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the piece of material of the sensor portion may have a depression in which the electronics portion is disposed. This is especially with releasable connection of the electronics portion, especially the piece of material thereof, to the piece of material of the sensor portion by means of a/the double-sidedly adhesive piece of adhesive material. This variant permits a particularly compact construction of the sensor unit, and opens up the option of largely being able to dispense with troublesome projections etc.

The depression in the piece of material of the sensor portion may be bounded here by a base wall formed by the piece of material and by a side wall which is connected in a one-piece manner to said base wall, is formed by said piece of material of the sensor portion and laterally surrounds the depression.

The depression may be introduced into the piece of material by embossing, for example, to form the base wall and the side wall.

The piece of material of the electronics portion can preferably close the depression of the sensor portion on an (otherwise open) side of the depression. It may especially do so on a side opposite the side of the base wall that faces the depression.

The piece of material of the electronics portion may be force-fittingly bonded to the side wall that laterally surrounds the depression. This is preferably done by introducing the piece of material of the electronics portion into the depression with force-fitting contact with the side wall and with (lateral) interference.

The outer contour of the piece of material of the electronics portion may otherwise advantageously be matched to the inner contour of the side wall that laterally surrounds the depression in the piece of material of the sensor portion. For example, it would also be possible for the outer contour of the piece of material of the electronics portion to be shaped like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle or to have some other free form which is then reflected in matched form in the inner contour of the side wall. During the production of the sensor unit, or if the sensor portion is to be exchanged, it is then possible to print or introduce a piece of material of the electronics portion (especially by interference fit) into the depression a with correspondingly contoured side wall.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it may be the case that a first section of the piece of film of the film sensor is assigned to (preferably disposed atop) a first side of the piece of material of the sensor portion and is especially connected (preferably inextricably) thereto, especially to the inner face of the base wall that faces the depression, and in that a second section of the piece of film of the film sensor is assigned to (preferably disposed atop) a second side of the piece of material of the sensor portion that faces the body when the sensor unit is being used as intended and is especially connected (preferably inextricably) thereto, especially to the outer face of the base wall which is preferably parallel to and opposite the inner face.

The two sections of the piece of film may be connected to one another, especially in a one-piece manner, by a connecting section of the piece of film which is guided from the first side to the second side of the piece of material of the sensor portion to form a turnover region in which the connecting section is turned, especially by 180°, preferably in a u shape, about an edge of a preferably plate-shaped edge region of the piece of material of the sensor portion.

The measurement sensor of the film sensor may be disposed on an outer face of the sensor portion that faces the body when the sensor unit is being used as intended, especially of the piece of material of the sensor portion. It may preferably be disposed on the outside of the base wall of the sensor portion that bounds the depression.

The measurement sensor may preferably be disposed on the second section of the piece of film of the film sensor.

With regard to the electronics unit the electronics portion, this may preferably have a circuit board, especially one that is flexible, having one or more electronic components, especially having one or more measurement electronics components, and/or having an energy supply unit, especially a battery, for operation of the electronics unit and/or having a transmitting and/or receiving unit for wireless transmission of information to a remote transmitting and/or receiving unit.

For electrical connection of electronics portion and sensor portion, the electronics unit may have one or more contact elements that are releasably electrically connected to one or more assigned electrical contact elements of the film sensor that are especially disposed on the piece of film of the film sensor of the sensor portion.

The electrical contact element(s) of the electronics unit of the electronics portion may be disposed on one side of the circuit board facing the piece of material of the sensor portion, especially the base wall that bounds the depression of the piece of material of the sensor portion.

The electronic components of the electronics unit that are disposed on the circuit board may be disposed on a side of the circuit board remote from the piece of material of the sensor portion, especially on a side remote from the base wall of the piece of material of the sensor portion.

A flat, electrically conductive material or piece of material may be disposed between the piece of material of the sensor portion and the piece of material of the electronics portion, where the electrical contact element(s) of the electronics unit adjoin a first side of this flat material or piece of material and are connected thereto in an electrically conductive manner, and where the contact element(s) of the film sensor adjoin a second side of the conductive material or piece of material opposite the first side and are bonded thereto in an electrically conductive manner. Accordingly, the electrically conductive material or piece of material in this variant establishes an electrical connection between the contact elements of the electronics unit and the contact elements of the film sensor.

The flat, electrically conductive piece of material may, for example, be a or the double-sidedly bonding piece of adhesive material.

With regard to the film sensor, this, especially the second section of the piece of film of the film sensor which is assigned to the second side of the piece of material of the sensor portion, may have one or more measurement sensors, namely at least one temperature sensor and/or one conductivity sensor and/or one pressure sensor and/or one impedance sensor. One or more of these or other sensors can then be used to detect measurements that form a basis for determination of the body parameters to be detected.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it may be the case that the piece of material of the sensor portion has a passage opening that extends especially from the first side thereof to the second side thereof, through which there extends the main viewing direction of an electrooptical detection device, especially one comprising an electronic camera, which is especially assigned to the electronics portion and is preferably disposed on the circuit board of the electronics unit of the electronics portion.

The passage opening, for protection of the camera, may be covered by a transparent protective layer disposed especially on the first and/or second side of the piece of material of the sensor portion.

The second side of the piece of material of the sensor portion may additionally have one or more elevations that protrude with respect to at least one other region, especially a flat region, of this second side, where the or each measurement sensor is disposed on such an elevation. These elevations, when the sensor unit is secured on the body, may lead to a high contact pressure of the measurement sensor on the body and correspondingly to a good connection between measurement sensor and body that optimizes the subsequent measurements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the appended claims, from the description of preferred embodiments that follows, and from the appended drawings. The figures show:

FIG. 1a a section diagram of a first embodiment of a sensor unit of the invention, composed of sensor portion and electronics portion, in an (as yet) unbonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 1b the section diagram according to FIG. 1a, in a bonded or assembled state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 2a a section diagram of a second embodiment of a sensor unit of the invention, composed of sensor portion and electronics portion, in an unbonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 2b the section diagram according to FIG. 2a, in a bonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 3a a section diagram of a third embodiment of a sensor unit of the invention, composed of sensor portion and electronics portion, in an unbonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 3b the section diagram according to FIG. 3a, in a largely bonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 4a a section diagram of a fourth embodiment of a sensor unit of the invention, composed of sensor portion and electronics portion, in an unbonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 4b the section diagram according to FIG. 4a, in a bonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 5a a section diagram of a fifth embodiment of a sensor unit of the invention, composed of sensor portion and electronics portion, in an unbonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 5b the section diagram according to FIG. 5a, in a bonded state of the individual parts that form the sensor unit,

FIG. 6 an exploded drawing of the fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The sensor unit 10 shown in FIGS. 1a-5b is intended and designed to be secured to a human (or animal) body in order to detect body parameters. Such body parameters may, for example, be electrical activity of the heart or brain. The detection of various other body parameters is also naturally conceivable.

First of all, the components of such a sensor unit 10 are described hereinafter, which are possessed by all the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1a-5b. Subsequently, the differences between the individual embodiments are addressed.

The sensor unit 10 of each embodiment comprises a sensor portion 11 with a film sensor 12 having a plurality of measurement sensors 13 in the present case (it will be apparent that one measurement sensor 13 may also be sufficient), and also an electronics portion 17 which is releasably connected to the sensor portion 11 in the present case and has an electronics unit 18 for operation of the film sensor 12.

The measurement sensors 13 are disposed on a flexible piece of film 14 (which serves as carrier for said measurement sensors 13) of the film sensor 12 of the sensor portion 11, specifically on a side of the piece of film 14 remote from the electronics portion 17.

The measurement sensors 13 are also connected in an electrically conductive manner by means of electrical wires 15 disposed on the piece of film 14 to (electrical) contact elements 16 that are likewise present on the piece of film 14 and serve for contacting of the film sensor 12.

The measurement sensors 13, the electrical wires 15 and/or the contact elements 16 may be applied to the piece of film 14, for example, by means of additive printing technology.

It will incidentally be apparent that it is also within the scope of the invention to dispose the measurement sensors 13 and/or the contact elements 16 outside the piece of film 14, for example directly adjacent thereto.

In general, the sensor unit 10 or the sensor portion 11 of the sensor unit 10 is secured on the skin of the person whose body parameters are to be detected in such a way that the measurement sensors 13 lie directly on the skin.

As shown explicitly (solely) by the embodiments of FIGS. 1a-3b, the sensor unit 10 can be secured here on the respective body, for example, by using flat, skin-compatible, double-sidedly adhesive pieces of adhesive material 21 (double-sided adhesive tape) which are correspondingly adhesively bonded by one side to the side of the sensor portion 11 that faces the body and by their other side to the skin of the respective body.

For electrical insulation, in addition, an insulation layer 23 is provided on the side of the piece of film 14 or of the film sensor 12 of the sensor portion 11 which is remote from the electronics portion 17, namely on the side facing the body in the case of use as intended, and this especially covers and electrically insulates the electrical wires 15 to the outside or toward the body.

With regard to the electronics unit 18 of the electronics portion 17, this has a measurement electronics unit 34 which is disposed on a circuit board 20 that is flexible in the present case, and to which the measurement sensors 13 of the sensor portion 11 are electrically connected and which receives and optionally evaluates the (measurement) signals from the measurement sensors 13.

A transmitter unit 35 designed as a radio module in the present case is additionally disposed on the circuit board 20 for wireless transmission of signals from the measurement sensors 13 or of information based thereon to a corresponding remote receiver unit (not shown).

The electronics unit 18 further comprises an energy or power supply 36, in the form of a battery in the present case, for the individual components of the electronics unit 18 or of the film sensor 12.

The aforementioned components are each disposed or secured on a first side of the circuit board 20 which is remote from the sensor portion 11.

On the opposite side of the circuit board 20 facing the sensor portion 11, this has electrical contact elements 19 that are connected in an electrically conductive manner to the electrical contact elements 16 of the film sensor 12.

For releasable securing of the electronics portion 17 to the sensor portion 11—similarly to the securing of the sensor unit 10 to the body of the user—(at least) one double-sided piece of adhesive material 22 is provided in the present case, which is (adhesive) bonded in contact with the contact elements 19 (as well) firstly to the side of the circuit board 20 facing the sensor portion, and secondly in contact with the contact elements 16 (as well) to the side of the piece of film 14 of the film sensor 12 that faces the circuit board 20 or the electronics portion 17.

The adhesive of the double-sided piece of adhesive material 22 is selected such that the electronics portion 17 is releasable from the sensor portion 11 if required. But an inextricable connection of these components is also within the scope of the present invention.

The double-sided piece of adhesive material 22 is in electrically conductive form, such that the electrically conductive connection between the contact elements 16 of the film sensor 12 and the contact elements 19 of the electronics unit 18 is brought about thereby.

The sensor unit 10 may, in accordance with the invention, likewise be of very flat construction overall by virtue of a/the flat construction of the electronics component 17 or have a low (construction) height. In the figures, the height of the sensor unit 10 corresponds to that dimension which determines the extent of the sensor unit 10 from the bottom upward, or in the present context the distance between the side of the sensor unit or of the sensor portion 11 which is disposed on the body and the side of the sensor unit 10 or of the electronics portion 17 which is remote from the body.

The embodiment of FIGS. 1a, 1b does not have any further components and/or peculiarities beyond the components described above.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2a, 2b, by contrast, the electronics portion 17 additionally has a protective casing 24 into which the electronics unit 18 is integrated and which surrounds the components of the electronics unit wholly or partly in a protective manner.

The embodiment of FIGS. 3a, 3b differs from the embodiment of FIGS. 1a, 1b in that the sensor portion 11 additionally includes a piece of material 25 made of polymer foam, for instance PU foam, to which the film sensor 12 is cohesively bonded, for example adhesive bonded, in the present context. It will be apparent that the invention also extends to various other modes of bonding between film sensor 12 and sensor portion 11.

As is apparent, a first section 14a of the piece of film 14 of the film sensor 12 is assigned to or disposed on a first side of the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11 that faces the electronics portion 17, and is fixedly bonded to that side.

A second section 14b of the piece of film 14 of the film sensor 12 is assigned or disposed on and fixedly bonded to a/the opposite second side of the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11 that faces the body.

The two sections 14a, 14b of the piece of film 14 are connected to one another in a one-piece manner by a connecting section 14c of the piece of film 14, so as to form a turnover region 26 in which the connecting section 14c is turned, in the present case by 180°, here roughly in a u shape, about an edge 27 of an edge region 28, which is plate-shaped here, of the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11, and in this way is guided from the first side to the second side of the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11.

Alternatively, it is naturally also conceivable to guide the connecting section 14c from the first to the second side through a suitable passage opening in the piece of material 25.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 4a, 4b, the protective envelope 24 of the electronics portion—similarly to the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11—is formed from a piece of material 29 of foam material made of plastic, for instance PU foam, or else from a silicone or an elastomer material. The electronics unit 18 is wholly or partly embedded into the piece of material 29.

Additionally introduced, for example by an embossing method, into the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11 is a depression 30 in which the electronics portion 17 rests and is held or secured there by the double-sided piece of adhesive material 22.

The depression 29 in the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11 may be bounded (in the downward direction) by a base wall 31 formed by the piece of material 25 and (to the side) by a side wall 32 which is connected in a one-piece manner to said base wall 31, is likewise formed by said piece of material 25 and laterally surrounds the depression 30.

As apparent, the electronics portion 17 or the piece of material 29 closes the depressions 30 of the sensor portion 11 on an (otherwise open) side, namely on the (upper) side, which is opposite the side of the base wall 31 that faces the depression 30.

The piece of material 29 of the electronics portion 17 and the depression 30 are preferably matched to one another—though this is not absolutely necessary—in such a way that the piece of material 29 is force-fittingly bonded to the side wall 32 of the depression 30. This is done, for example, by introducing the piece of material 29 of the electronics portion 17 into the depression 30 with force-fitting contact with the side wall 32 and with lateral interference.

It is additionally apparent in FIGS. 4a and 4b that the outer face of the base wall 31 which is remote from the depression 30 has an elevation 38 that protrudes with respect to the adjoining flat plane of the outer face, on which there is disposed a/the measurement sensor 13, in order to improve the contact of the measurement sensor 13 with the body when the sensor unit 10 is disposed on the respective body.

By comparison with the embodiment of FIGS. 4a, 4b, finally, the embodiment of FIGS. 5a, 5b, 6 has an electronic camera 37 assigned to the electronics portion 17. Specifically, this is positioned in the present case on the circuit board 20 of the electronics unit 18. This camera 37 can, for example, visually detect the skin of the body of the respective user.

Both the electronics portion 17 and the sensor portion 11 have an opening which together form a passage opening 33 through which the main viewing direction of the camera 33 is directed, and which extends up to the outer face of the sensor portion 11 disposed on the body when the sensor unit 11 is used as intended.

Preferably, this passage opening 33 may be covered by a transparent protective layer or a corresponding transparent protective part which is especially disposed on the first and/or second side of the piece of material 25 of the sensor portion 11.

Only in FIG. 6 it is apparent that the piece of material 29 of the electronics portion 17 is provided with a (thin) film 39a/39b on each of the two opposite sides, namely on the side remote from the sensor portion 11 and on the side facing the sensor portion 11. This may, for example, be a TPU film.

In the same way, the piece of material 25 of the centre portion 11 is also provided with such a film 40a/40b, namely the first and second sides of the piece of material 25, likewise especially with a TPU film.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

1. A sensor unit for securing to a human or animal body, especially to the skin of the body, comprising a sensor portion (11) that has a film sensor (12) for measurement of one or more body parameters, having a piece of film (14) that has at least one electrical wire disposed on said piece of film (14) and having a measurement sensor (13) that has electrically conductive connection to said wire and is preferably disposed on said piece of film (14), and comprising an electronics portion (17) which is connected, preferably releasably, to said sensor portion (11) and has an electronics unit for operation of said film sensor.

2. The sensor unit according to embodiment 1, characterized in that the electronics portion (17) and/or the sensor portion (11) (each) includes at least one piece of material (25, 29), especially elastic material, preferably made of a foam material composed of plastic, especially of polyurethane, or an elastomer material.

3. The sensor unit according to embodiment 2, characterized in that the electronics unit is partly or fully integrated or embedded into the piece of material (29) of the electronics portion (17).

4. The sensor unit according to embodiment 2 or 3, characterized in that the piece of film (14) of the film sensor (12) is inextricably or fixedly bonded, especially cohesively, to the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11), especially to an outer face thereof, preferably by adhesive bonding, more preferably by means of a double-sidedly adhesive piece of adhesive material.

5. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that the sensor portion (11) is force-fittingly, cohesively and/or form-fittingly releasably bonded to the electronics portion (17), especially releasably adhesive bonded thereto, preferably by means of a double-sidedly adhesive piece of adhesive material.

6. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 2, characterized in that the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) has a depression (30), and in that the electronics portion (17) is disposed in the depression (30), especially with releasable connection of the electronics portion (17), especially of the piece of material (29) thereof, to said piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11), preferably via the double-sidedly adhesive piece of adhesive material.

7. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiments 2 and 6, characterized in that the depression (30) in the piece of material (25) in the sensor portion (11) is bounded by a base wall which is formed by said piece of material (25), and by a side wall which is connected in a one-piece manner to said base wall, is formed by said piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) and laterally surrounds the depression (30).

8. The sensor unit according to any of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 2 or embodiment 6, characterized in that the piece of material (29) of the electronics portion (17) closes the depression (30) of the sensor portion (11) with respect to an (otherwise open) side, especially to a side opposite the side of the base wall that faces the depression (30).

9. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 2 or 7, characterized in that the piece of material (29) of the electronics portion (17) is force-fittingly connected to the side wall that laterally surrounds the depression (30), preferably in that the piece of material (29) of the electronics portion (17) is introduced into the depression (30) with force-fitting contact with the side wall and with (lateral) interference.

10. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 2 and 7, characterized in that the outer contour of the piece of material (29) of the electronics portion (17) is matched to the inner contour of the side wall that laterally surrounds the depression (30) in the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11).

11. The sensor unit according to any of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that a first section of the piece of film (14) of the film sensor (12) is assigned to a first side of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) and is especially connected (preferably inextricably) thereto, especially to the inner face of the base wall that faces the depression (30), and in that a second section of the piece of film (14) of the film sensor (12) is assigned to a second side of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) that faces the body when the sensor unit is being used as intended and is especially connected (preferably inextricably) thereto, especially to the outer face of the base wall which is preferably parallel to and opposite the inner face.

12. The sensor unit according to embodiment 11, characterized in that the two sections of the piece of film (14) are connected to one another, especially in a one-piece manner, by a connecting section of said piece of film (14), which is guided from the first side to the second side of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) to form a turnover region in which the connecting section is turned, especially by 180°, preferably in a u shape, about an edge of a preferably plate-shaped edge region of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11).

13. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that the measurement sensor (13) of the film sensor (12) is disposed on an outer face of the sensor portion (11) that faces the body when the sensor unit is being used as intended, especially of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11), preferably on the outside of the base wall of the sensor portion (11) that bounds the depression (30).

14. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 11, characterized in that the measurement sensor (13) is disposed on the second section of the piece of film (14) of the film sensor (12).

15. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that the electronics unit of the electronics portion (17) has a circuit board (20), especially one that is flexible, having one or more electronic components, especially having one or more measurement electronics components, and/or an energy supply unit, especially a battery, for operation of the electronics unit (17) and/or a transmitting and/or receiving unit for wireless transmission of information to a remote transmitting and/or receiving unit.

16. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that, for electrical connection of electronics portion (17) and sensor portion (11), the electronics unit has one or more contact elements that are releasably electrically connected to one or more assigned electrical contact elements of the film sensor that are especially disposed on the piece of film (14) of the film sensor (12) of the sensor portion (11).

17. The sensor unit according to embodiment 15 or 16, characterized in that the electrical contact element(s) of the electronics unit of the electronics portion (17) may be disposed on one side of the circuit board (20) facing the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11), especially the base wall that bounds the depression (30) of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11).

18. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 15, characterized in that the electronic components of the electronics unit that are disposed on the circuit board (20) are disposed on a side of the circuit board (20) remote from the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11), especially on a side remote from the base wall of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11).

19. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 16, characterized in that a flat, electrically conductive material or piece of material is disposed between the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) and the piece of material (29) of the electronics portion (17), where the electrical contact element(s) of the electronics unit adjoin a first side of this flat material or piece of material and are connected thereto in an electrically conductive manner, and where the contact element(s) of the film sensor (12) adjoin a second side of the conductive material or piece of material opposite the first side and are bonded thereto in an electrically conductive manner.

20. The sensor unit according to embodiment 19, characterized in that the flat, electrically conductive piece of material (25) is a single- or double-sidedly adhesive piece of adhesive material.

21. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, at least according to embodiment 2 or 7, characterized in that the depression (30) in the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) is introduced into the piece of material by embossment to form the base wall and the side wall.

22. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that the film sensor (14), especially the second section of the piece of film of the film sensor (12) which is assigned to the second side of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11), has one or more measurement sensors (13), namely at least one temperature sensor and/or one conductivity sensor and/or one pressure sensor and/or one impedance sensor.

23. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) has a passage opening that extends especially from first side thereof to the second side thereof, through which there extends the main viewing direction of an electrooptical detection device, preferably one comprising an electronic camera, which is especially assigned to the electronics portion (17) and is preferably disposed on the circuit board (20) of the electronics unit of the electronics portion (17).

24. The sensor unit according to embodiment 23, characterized in that the passage opening is covered by a transparent protective layer disposed especially on the first and/or second side of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11).

25. The sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that the second side of the piece of material (25) of the sensor portion (11) has one or more elevations (38) that protrude with respect to at least one other region, especially a flat region, of this second side, and that the or each measurement sensor (13) is disposed on such an elevation (38).

26. A sensor portion for a sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, having a film sensor (12) for measurement of at least one body parameter, having a piece of film (14) that has at least one electrical wire disposed on said piece of film (14) and having a measurement sensor (13) that has electrically conductive connection to said wire and is preferably disposed on said piece of film (14), wherein the film sensor (12) of the sensor portion (11) is operable together with the electronics unit of the electronics portion (17) of the sensor unit and wherein the sensor portion (11) is connectable, preferably releasably, to said electronics unit.

27. The sensor portion according to embodiment 26, further characterized by one or more features of embodiments 1-25.

28. An electronics portion for a sensor unit according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, comprising an electronics unit for operating the film sensor (12) of the sensor portion (11) of the sensor unit, wherein the electronics portion (17) is connectable, preferably releasably, to said sensor portion (11).

29. The electronics portion according to embodiment 28, further characterized by one or more features of embodiments 1-25.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

- 10 sensor unit
- 11 sensor portion
- 12 film sensor
- 13 measurement sensor
- 14 piece of film
- 14
  a first section of piece of film
- 14
  b second section of piece of film
- 14
  c connecting section of piece of film
- 15 electrical wires
- 16 contact elements of film sensor
- 17 electronics portion
- 18 electronics unit
- 19 contact elements of electronics unit
- 20 circuit board
- 21 piece of adhesive material
- 22 electrically conductive piece of adhesive material
- 23 insulation layer
- 24 protective envelope
- 25 piece of material of sensor portion
- 26 turnover region
- 27 edge
- 28 edge region
- 29 piece of material of electronics portion
- 30 depression
- 31 base wall
- 32 side wall
- 33 passage opening
- 34 measurement electronics unit
- 35 transmission unit
- 36 energy supply unit
- 37 camera
- 38 elevations
- 39
  a film
- 39
  b film
- 40
  a film
- 40
  b film

SENSOR UNIT FOR ATTACHNG TO A HUMAN OR ANIMAL BODY

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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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