Patent Application
20140323912
Urinary incontinence is a problem that decreases the quality of life for many women. The problem is generally caused by lack of balance between the bladder pressure and the urethral closure pressure at rest and/or during activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, hiccupping, tightening, bearing down, walking, running, etc. This imbalance is due to deficiency of mechanical function (referred as stress urinary incontinence) and/or neurological function (referred as urge urinary incontinence or overreacting bladder) in controlling the muscles in the pelvic floor associated with bladder action and urethral closure.
Various techniques may be utilized for improving functions of the muscles in the pelvic floor to decrease urine leakage. Amongst them, one called the KNACK has been disclosed as an effective therapy focusing on learning timely and correct contraction of the muscles in the pelvic floor. This technique may utilize a feedback device to quantify the amount of urine leakage in diagnosis at the start of the training and in monitoring the progress of the training. A brown paper towel has been disclosed for the purpose, which is used being held by a woman against a pudendal region of her body and provides visual feedback on the amount of urine leakage during an intentional cough. Because the paper towel needs to be held against the pudendal region of the body, this technique can be practiced only in private spaces such as a physician's office, a physiotherapist's office, a bathroom, etc., during limited times of a day. Further, a brown paper towel can allow urine to penetrate through and wet her hand as she attempts the procedure. Such a scenario also can cause discomfort by placing a paper towel against a sensitive region of the woman's body. Additionally, such a configuration cannot accommodate unexpected heavy flow during practicing the technique.
Embodiments of the disclosed herein include a kit with a wetness detection device and instructions. The wetness detection device may include an insert with an indicator for detecting liquid that can be placed on top of the wetness detection device or be incorporated within the wetness detection device during manufacturing. The instructions may be utilized for communicating a self-diagnostic test procedure for assessing the value of attempting a pelvic training and/or for providing training for performing the training exercises.
Similarly, some embodiments include a standalone wetness detection device and/or insert. The insert may be configured with predetermined absorbent characteristics and a liquid indicator that allows spread of liquid to determine volume of the liquid. Depending on the particular embodiment, the insert may be coupled to an exterior portion of a wetness detection device and/or incorporated within the wetness detection device. The insert may also be coupled or otherwise associated with a user's undergarments. The wetness detection device or insert alone can be coupled to a separately manufactured and purchased absorbent article, such as, for example, an incontinence device or menstrual product.
Embodiments disclosed herein include a wetness detection device with an insert that includes least one indicator that may be utilized for determining a volume of liquid. The wetness detection device may be part of a kit that also includes instructions for testing and training pelvic floor muscles of a wearer. The insert can be placed on top of the wetness detection device and/or may be incorporated within the wetness detection device. Depending on the particular embodiment, placement of the insert may be performed during manufacturing and/or by a consumer after purchase. The indicator may be configured for quantifying the volume of liquid absorbed by each insert. The indicator is described herein as part of an “insert”; however, an indicator may simply be printed or otherwise integrally included on other features of a wetness detection device.
The instructions that are included in the kit may be utilized for a health provider-assisted and/or a self-diagnostic test procedure. The test procedure includes contracting one's pelvic floor muscles while applying downward pressure on one's abdomen to assess the amount of urine leakage during a stress induced incontinence episode in which the pelvic floor muscles are tightened to enhance the restriction force of the urethra sphincter muscles. The instructions may additionally describe exercises for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, as well as subsequent testing procedures.
Referring specifically to the drawings,
As the insert 30 will likely be placed against the wearer's skin, the insert 30 may be compliant, soft feeling, and non-irritating. The insert 30 may include a portion that is (or may entirely be) liquid pervious or permeable, permitting liquid bodily exudates (e.g., urine, menses, etc.) to readily penetrate through its thickness. Liquid pervious materials may be manufactured from a wide range of materials such as woven and nonwoven materials (such as hydrophilic or rendered hydrophilic materials); polymeric materials such as thermoplastic films, porous thermoplastic films, apertured thermoplastic films, textured thermoplastic films; foam materials such as porous foam materials, reticulated foam materials; etc. Suitable woven or nonwoven materials can include natural fibers (e.g., pulp, cotton fibers, cotton linters), regenerated natural fibers (e.g., rayon fibers, viscose rayon fibers, cupper ammonium rayon fibers, cellulose acetate fibers), synthetic fibers (e.g., polymeric fibers such as polyester fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyethylene fibers) or from a combination of the fibers.
The insert 30 may include textures, folds, holes, apertures, slits, and any other mechanical manipulation to alter physical characteristics and appearance of materials of which the insert is made, such as coefficient of friction, softness, flexibility, resiliency, permeability, etc. In some embodiments, the insert 30 can include color, graphics, prints, etc.
The backsheet 24 may be substantially impervious to liquid and may be manufactured from a thin plastic film, although other flexible liquid impervious materials may also be used such as a liquid impervious but vapor pervious film/nonwoven laminate, a microporous film, an apertured formed film, or other polymer film that is vapor permeable, or rendered to be vapor permeable, but substantially impervious to fluid. As such, the backsheet 24 may be constructed of materials that are compliant and will readily conform to the general shape and contours of the human body. The backsheet 24 may be configured to prevent the liquid bodily exudates absorbed and contained in the absorbent core 60 from wetting articles that contact the wetness detection device 20. The backsheet 24 may thus include a woven or nonwoven material, polymeric films such as thermoplastic films of polyethylene polypropylene, composite materials such as a film-coated nonwoven material, and/or other similar materials.
Some embodiments may be configured with the insert 30 joined to the absorbent core 60 (and/or the secondary top sheet if present) by a fusion bond resulting from an application of heat/pressure. The pattern of the fusion bond can include a continuous line(s) and/or a number of discrete portion of fusion bonds.
Further, the backsheet 24 may be provided with adhesive fasteners for attaching the wetness detection device 20 to the wearer's undergarment. Wetness detective device 20 may employ lateral flaps or wings that can be wrapped around the wearer's undergarment for a more secure fit. The garment facing surface of the flaps, adjacent the distal edges of the flaps, may also be provided with a flap adhesive fastener.
As described above, the wetness detection device 20 can be (or can include) any kind of external absorbent article, such as a panty liner, menstrual pad, or incontinence product.
The wetness detection device 20 may be configured to absorb liquid bodily exudates such as sweat, blood, urine, menses, etc. The wetness detection device 20 may be disposable and thus may be partly or wholly disposed of after a single use.
It should be understood that the wetness detection device 20 can generally have any thickness including relatively thick, intermediate thickness, relatively thin, or even very thin (or “ultra-thin”). Embodiments of “ultra-thin” wetness detection devices include a caliper of less than about 3 mm. Based on the volume of liquid that has been received by the wetness detection device 20, a recommendation may be made regarding the thickness of the next wetness detection device that the wearer may purchase.
As also illustrated in
In operation, the insert 30 may be configured to absorb liquid bodily exudates such as sweat, urine, blood, menses, etc., and distribute the liquid bodily exudates on and/or under its surface. In one embodiment, the indicator 34 is placed on top of the wetness detection device 20 by a wearer during the self-diagnostic test procedure. In another embodiment, the indicator 34 is incorporated within the wetness detection device 20 during manufacturing of the wetness detection device.
In embodiments where the insert 30 is a material or a product being placed on top of the wetness detection device 20, the insert 30 may include adhesive on one surface so that the insert 30 may be substantially secured to the wetness detection device 20 while being worn by the wearer. The adhesive can be located on a portion of the insert 30 (such as along the perimeter) so that a liquid bodily exudate is absorbed by the insert 30 for being absorbed by the absorbent core 60. When the insert 30 is incorporated within the wetness detection device 20 during manufacture, the insert 30 can be configured as a top sheet or as a secondary top sheet of the wetness detection device 20.
The insert 30 may include a material that is wettable by a liquid bodily exudate such as urine and may exhibit a contact angle with a saline solution of less than 90 degrees. The insert 30 may include one or more macroscopic or microscopic spaces that allow a liquid bodily exudate such as urine to pass or flow through based on the surface tension of the fluid relative to the solid surfaces of the materials that compose the insert 30. The insert 30 may include of a single layer or a plurality of layers. The plurality of layers may be joined such as via adhesive, mechanical bonding, thermal bonding, and/or other joining mechanisms.
Additionally, the indicator 34 can change in appearance and/or provide a signal after being in contact with a liquid. The indicator 34 can indicate the amount of a liquid bodily exudate absorbed by the insert 30 through a linear measurement of the spread of liquid. Referring back to
As discussed above, the indicator 34 may be configured to change color, change visibility, and/or send an electrical signal. For a color change, the initial color of the indicator 34 and the subsequent color can each be any variation of any color, so long as the subsequent color is visually distinguishable from the initial color. For an electrical signal, the indicator 34 may be coupled to an integrated circuit or other electrical device that identifies when and at which portions of the indicator 34 a liquid was received. Upon detecting the presence and location of the liquid, the integrated circuit may send a signal to a computing device with digital display, such as a personal computer, mobile device, server, etc. or otherwise communicate to a user (wearer, health care provider, etc.) the volume of liquid received by the wetness detection device 20.
Embodiments discussed above refer to identifying a volume of liquid based on a measurement of the sprawl of that liquid. This may be due to the predetermined absorbency of the insert 30 and the absorbent core 60. However, some liquids may have different properties and may thus behave differently when in contact with the wetness detection device 20. Accordingly, some embodiments may be configured to identify the type of liquid that has been received and, based on the type of liquid, identify the volume. As an example, if it is determined that the liquid is urine, the indicator 34 may change into a first color or provide a first signal type. Based on the color and the sprawl of the urine, a determination may be made regarding the volume of the liquid. If the liquid is menses, the indicator 34 may change into a second color or signal and a volume determination may be made based the sprawl of the liquid and based on the fact that menses may have a different sprawl than urine. In some embodiments, the indicator may only react to one type of liquid. Accordingly, the wetness detection device may be used to help a user quantify menses flow for selecting an appropriate menstrual product.
It should be understood that while
It should be understood that, while the insert 31 is depicted in
It should be understood that while the embodiments discussed above are directed to a wetness detection device 20, this is merely an example. In some embodiments, the wetness detection device 20 is part of a kit for assessing the strength of a person's pelvic floor muscles that affect urinary incontinence and/or training a wearer to perform pelvic floor exercises. The pelvic floor exercises may include exercises such as KNACK exercises, which develop reflexive response that helps prevent incontinence issues associated with sneezing, coughing, and/or other involuntary responses that exert pressure on the bladder. The kit may additionally include instructions, such as textual instructions, audio instructions, and/or video instructions for testing and/or exercising the pelvic floor muscles, as well as a slender insertion object that may provide direct physical and visual feedback to the wearer (or administrator) while performing the bodily exercise. The instructions may include one or more of the following: a booklet, pamphlet, leaflet, printed instructions on a package, digital media via a CD, DVD, flash drive, internet link, QR code, and/or other reference.
It should be understood that the instructions may describe the exercise or testing that the wearer will perform. As an example, the instructions may provide a recommendation for a training regimen of contracting pelvic floor muscles during intentional increase of abdominal pressure from coughing, sneezing, laughing, hiccupping, tightening, and/or bearing down on the wearer's abdominal muscles. The instructions may additionally provide a recommendation to seek professional medical help if the amount of fluid absorbed by the insert 30 is greater than a predetermined threshold.
Accordingly, the instructions may describe that the wearer should utilize the wetness detection device 20 to identify the volume of liquid prior to a first exercise. The instructions may indicate that the wearer is to perform the exercises (and/or wait a predetermined amount of time) before utilizing a different wetness detection device to determine any progress that the wearer has made with the pelvic floor muscles. Based on the progress and condition of the wearer's pelvic floor muscles, additional exercises may be instructed, and/or wetness detection devices with different absorption qualities may be recommended.
The figures of the present disclosure are intended to illustrate elements, their parts, and their relationships, as described in the specification; the figures are not intended to illustrate any particular relative or absolute size or dimension, unless otherwise stated in the text.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application and any patent application or patent to which this application claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
In addition, the following references are incorporated by reference in their entireties:
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61817011 | Apr 2013 | US |
