Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Jose Kollakompil Abraham

Sridhar Ranganathan

John Gavin MacDonald

Davis Dang Hoang Nhan

Joseph R Feldkamp

Kathy Geralyn Richardson

David William Koenig

Candace Dyan Krautkramer

Davis-Dang H Nhan

Theodore T Tower

Kathleen C Engelbrecht

Jin Seong Heo

Dave Allen Soerens

Kaiyuan Yang

Andrew Thomas Baker

Ning Wei

Thomas Michael Ales

Carl Gerard Rippl

WanDuk Lee

Thomas M Ales, Jr

Sudhanshu Gakhar

Shawn Jeffery Sullivan

Jeffrey Robert Heller

Waihong Leong

Paige N Anunson

Divesh Bhatt

InYoung Sa

CholWon Koh

Aster Ellen Kammrath

Inyoung Sa

A cleaning article includes a cleaning article sheet comprising a fabric substrate, wherein the fabric substrate includes pores therein, and wherein the fabric substrate has a background moisture percentage by weight, and liquid water disposed substantially and disconnectedly within the pores, wherein the liquid water is at moisture percentage by weight that is 5 to 150 percentage points higher than the background moisture percentage. The nonwoven substrate can include pores formed between and/or within the fibers and can have a background moisture percentage by weight. The substrate can include a treatment to increase the dielectric constant from the dielectric constant of the substrate without the treatment. The moisture of the article can be configured to exhibit a dielectric constant of at least 50% and up to 600% higher than the dielectric constant of the same article with only background moisture.

Low-moisture cloud-making cleaning article

A system for removing microorganisms from a surface is described. The system includes a conducting member, a voltage source, and an electrostatic field controller. The conducing member includes a nonwoven material incorporating conductive fibers. The controller is electrically connected to the conducting member and is configured to apply a DC voltage of about 15 volts or less to the conducting member via the voltage source. The surface to be contacted can include any surface present in households, food industry facilities, medical facilities, etc. Such surfaces can include tables, countertops, walls, cabinets, doors, door handles, door knobs, etc. The system can also be used to treat devices used in the aforementioned environments, such as food preparation equipment, medical devices, household appliances, etc. The system can reduce the amount of microorganisms on the surface by at least about 1 log (90%) without the use of chemicals, high voltages, or long exposure times.

Method and system to clean microorganisms without chemicals

An absorbent article facilitating sensing the presence of a body exudate in the absorbent article includes an absorbent member; a sensor coil disposed on or in the article; and an electrical double-layer capacitor disposed on or in the article and in electrical communication with the sensor coil, wherein the capacitor is in fluid communication with the absorbent member. An absorbent article system also includes a detector circuit including an exciter coil configured for electromagnetic communication with the sensor coil, and sensor electronics configured to indicate the presence of a body exudate based on changes in the electromagnetic communication between the exciter coil and the sensor coil.

Contactless passive sensing for absorbent articles

A wetness monitoring system is provided for an absorbent article, the wetness monitoring system including a signaling device including an alarm to indicate that the absorbent article has reached an insult limit. The signaling device operates with a sensor array which is disposed on the outermost surface of the absorbent article outer cover. The signaling device includes a detection circuit which measures changes in inductance or capacitance. The wetness monitoring system does not make direct contact with the absorbent structure located within an outer cover of the absorbent article.

Absorbent article fullness indicator

An electronic discriminating device incorporating a non-contact electronic sensor array, a controller, and a signaling device that may indicate the presence of urine and/or bowel movement is disclosed. In particular, the electronic discriminating device can discriminate between an insult of urine only and an insult containing bowel movement. The device can then generate different alerts based on the type of insult. The electronic discriminating device may also emit a signal at or near the opening of an absorbent article or transmit the alert wirelessly to a radio, computer device, or smartphone.

Electronic discriminating device for body exudate detection

Systems and methods for monitoring nutritional uptake of an individual are disclosed. The method can include monitoring microflora intestinal gas concentration levels associated with a patient and adjusting the volume of nutrient provided by the patient with an artificial feeding device based at least in part on the microflora intestinal gas levels associated with the patient. A microflora intestinal gas sensor can be used to monitor the microflora intestinal gas associated with the patient. The microflora intestinal gas sensor can monitor the microflora intestinal gas in a patient's exhaled breath or in the patient's digestive tract. The microflora intestinal gas sensor be included as part of an enteral feeding system at the distal end or outside end of an enteral feeding tube. Systems and methods for monitoring nutritional uptake of an infant based on microflora intestinal gas levels associated with the infant are also disclosed.

Method and system for monitoring nutritional uptake as a function of microflora intestinal gas levels

An absorbent article incorporating a non-contact electronic sensor array that may indicate the presence of a body exudate is disclosed. In particular, the absorbent article includes at least a non-contact electronic sensor array that may include one or more gas sensors, a controller and a signaling device. The signaling device is capable of alerting a user (wearer or caregiver) that an insult of urine or bowel movement has occurred. In accordance with the present disclosure, various attachment mechanisms are disclosed for attaching the non-contact electronic sensor array, controller and signaling device to an absorbent article.

Absorbent article with sensor array for body exudate detection

An absorbent article includes a chassis including a bodyside liner, an outer cover having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and an absorbent structure positioned adjacent the interior surface of the outer cover, the chassis including an insult zone and a crotch region positioned in between a front region and a back region, the front region and the back region defining a waist region therebetween. The absorbent article also includes a sensor element disposed in or on the chassis, the sensor element extending from a proximal end in the waist region to at least the insult zone and in fluid communication with the insult zone, the sensor element including a multi-layer wicking material.

Sensor products using wicking materials

A system for detection and monitoring of body exudates includes an absorbent article and at least one gas emitting substance incorporated within the absorbent article that can emit a gas after a liquid insult. After an insult, a device incorporating at least one gas sensitive composition can detect the gas and signal that an insult has occurred. The gas may also be detected by a non-contact gas sensor linked to a controller and signaling device which can send visual, auditory, and/or vibratory alerts. The alerts may be perceptible in an area outside the wearer's clothing or at a remote location, such as a watch, radio, computer device and/or smart phone. The system can also determine the fullness of an absorbent article and monitor dry time. The system can be used for interactive toilet training or for caring for an infant, a disabled person, an incontinent youth, or an elderly person.

System for detection and monitoring of body exudates using a gas emitting substance for use in interactive toilet training

The present subject matter relates to absorbent articles and signaling devices for use therewith. The signaling device can be configured to detect the presence of an insult in the absorbent article and/or in an undergarment. The signaling device can be further configured to determine whether the insult is a urine insult or a feces insult. The signaling device can provide a notification to a user that an insult has occurred and can inform the user whether the insult is a urine insult or a feces insult.

Body fluid discriminating sensor

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

Jose Kollakompil Abraham