Fred Bergman Healthcare Pty Ltd

David Albert Barda

Peter Curran

Mohammad Hadi Mashinchi

Don Black

Remi Guibert

Maria C Rodda

Guy Eitzen

Philippa Mary Lewis

Jian Huang

Daniel Weinstock

Karen Maree Carey

Alan Michael Cottenden

Frederick Bergman

Juuso Olkkonen

Tomi Juha Mattila

Hadi Mashin-Chi

Bradley John Phillips

Bradley Phillips

Peter Kotlarski

Ari Bergman, Legal Representative

Tomi Juha Petteri Mattila

Juuso Tuomas Olkkonen

A system for monitoring incontinence in one or more subjects comprises display means; input means operable by a user; one or more transmitters, each transmitter being associated with one or more subjects being monitored; the one or more transmitters being configured to transmit signals containing continence-related data for the one or more subjects, wherein the continence-related data has been obtained over time from a continence sensor associated with an absorbent article worn by each respective subject; a receiver unit configured to receive signals from the one or more transmitters; and processing means in communication with at least the receiver unit, the processing means including a display processor configured to process the received signals and communicate display information to the display means for display of a visual representation of continence-related information derived from continence sensors in the absorbent articles worn by the one or more subjects being monitored. The system may include a volume estimator and means for communicating to a carer a 'risk of wetness leakage' based on e.g. an estimated volume of wetness and e.g. a pad type. Pad type may be communicated to the system automatically by way of a pad type indicator associated with the pad and/or pad/sensor combination.

Incontinence monitoring and assessment

The present invention relates to sensor signal analysis. It relates particularly, but not exclusively, to methods, systems and devices for monitoring and processing the sensor signals to determine automatically characteristics of events represented by the sensor signals. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, related to methods, systems and devices for monitoring moisture in absorbent articles such as diapers, incontinence garments, dressings and pads resulting from wetness events caused by, for example, urinary and/or faecal incontinence. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method for processing sensor signals representing an event in an absorbent article. The method comprises: receiving sensor signals from a sensor representing one or more events in an absorbent article; and processing the sensor signals to determine a characteristic of at least one event in the absorbent article. One such characteristic can include the volume of a voiding event such as a urinary incontinence event. In another embodiment, the method includes carrying out a learning phase including the steps of: receiving sensor signals representing one or more events in each of one or more absorbent articles; receiving observation data indicative of a cumulative characteristic of the one or more events in each absorbent article; and identifying an optimal mathematical model describing a relationship between the sensor signals and the observation data. Such events can include urinary incontinence events occurring in absorbent articles such as diapers. Observation data can be measured cumulative volume of a cycle of voiding events occurring in a diaper.

Apparatus and method for analysing events from sensor data by optimisation

A method for analyzing incoming data, comprising the steps of processing the incoming data in segments to output a sequence of segment types by extracting one or more properties of an incoming data segment and forming an Unknown Property Vector for each segment of data in the incoming data, and processing the sequence of segment types to identify events in the incoming data. The sequence of segment types is determined, for each segment, by analyzing the Unknown Property Vector by reference to one or more collections of vectors obtained from a set of Reference Property Vectors. This may each of the one or more collections of vectors being selected from the set of Reference Property Vectors randomly or based on relevance or clustering.

Detecting fecal and urine events by reference to collections of data

A method for analyzing incoming data, comprising the steps of processing the incoming data in segments to output a sequence of segment types by extracting one or more properties of an incoming data segment and forming an Unknown Property Vector for each segment of data in the incoming data, and processing the sequence of segment types to identify events in the incoming data. The sequence of segment types is determined, for each segment, by reference to a set of Reference Property Vectors that are relevant to the Unknown Property Vector. This may involve application of first and/or second and/or further functions to identify at least a first subset of Reference Property Vectors that are relevant to the Unknown Property Vector. Alternatively, a logistic regression algorithm, derived using clustering or classification methods for identifying candidate vectors, may be used.

Event detection algorithms

A sensor device for sensing wetness in an absorbent article worn by a subject includes one or more sensing elements; and a coupling for communicating sensor signals between the one or more sensing elements and a receiver. A change in environmental parameter causes a change in electrical behavior of at least one of the sensing elements, which behavior can be analyzed to determine occurrence of a wetness event in the absorbent article. The changes in electrical behavior are communicated in the sensor signals to the receiver. The analysis may be by the receiver or a processor in communication with the receiver. Ideally, the sensing elements include capacitive elements and preferably, resonance circuits.

Capacitive wetness sensor and method for manufacturing the same

An incontinence management system for monitoring wetness in one or more absorbent articles, includes input for receiving one or more sensor signals indicative of a presence of wetness in an absorbent article, processor for processing the one or more sensor signals and for performing an analysis of the signals to characterize wetness events occurring in an absorbent article and user interface for communicating with a user of the system. A mathematical model is used to characterize wetness events, receiving as inputs variables derived from sensor signals and optionally, patient and demographic data. The mathematical model can be configured and/or re-configured utilizing observation data obtained while monitoring a patient for wetness. A diaper for use with such as system is also disclosed.

Incontinence management system and diaper

An incontinence management system for monitoring wetness in one or more absorbent articles, includes input for receiving one or more sensor signals indicative of a presence of wetness in an absorbent article, processor for processing the one or more sensor signals and for performing an analysis of the signals to characterise wetness events occurring in an absorbent article and user interface for communicating with a user of the system. A mathematical model is used to characterise wetness events, receiving as inputs variables derived from sensor signals and optionally, patient and demographic data. The mathematical model can be configured and/or re-configured utilising observation data obtained while monitoring a patient for wetness. A diaper for use with such as system is also disclosed.

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Rose Bay, Australia

David Albert Barda