AU690901B2 - Improvements in or relating to the prevention reduction or management of incontinence and other distressing dangerous or potentially dangerous conditions - Google Patents

Description

C M INVESTMENT NOMINEES PTY LTD

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE PREVENTION REDUCTION OR MANAGEMENT OF INCONTINENCE AND OTHER DISTRESSING DANGEROUS OR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS" This invention is described in the following statement: I -q -2- This invention relates to the detection monitoring control and management of certain distressing and possibly dangerous conditions and disorders including urinary faecal and other forms of incontinence, in hospitals, nursing homes, geriatric institutions, private homes, gardens and suchlike places where, unchecked, such conditions can give rise to discomfort or at least embarrassment for the patient, an unpleasant odour and environment for others in the vicinity, and considerable expenditure of human and financial resources due to the need for checking and where necessary changing and cleaning bed-linen and clothes.

Health regulations or recommlendations may prescribe a maximum period o.19 e.g. 15 minutes for which a patient can be left in a wet state. In the past, in order to ensure both reasonable comfort for incontinents and compliance with prevailing .oo.

regulations or normal practice it has generally been necessary for nursing staff manually to check every patient at least once in the prescribed period. Quite apart from the unrpleasantness, for nursing staff, of skin contact with patients' urine or 15 faeces, such a regimen can be a severe strain on staff resources and an often unnecessary interruption to patients' sleep.

An object of the invention is to release human resources from mere checking procedures enabling them to be channelled to more productive tasks.

Another object is to avoid or reduce the need to disturb patients when they do not require attention.

A further object is to enable a nurse to know when a patient is "wet" without the patient having to signal or the nurse to do a manual check.

7181 SPE (26 594) 12/03 '98 THU 14: 23 VAX 0392542770 0i c C MiE j3OUllNE, IA 004 P.\OP1MMATrM3934'4.71. M -3- Yet another object is to detect anid record. for a particular patient, any incontinence pattern rhythmnicity or regularity that can be used as a basis for predicting the likelihood of that patient being in a wet or dry state at a particular time, and preferably forestalling such an event to enable the patient to receive appropriate and timely attention such as "toileting", e.g. by commode or bedpan.

A still further object is to reduce hospital cleaning and laundry bills.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

Accordingly the present invention provides a device or monitor for use at a nurses' station in a hospital or nursing home or suchlike location, the device being adapted to receive and record signals from a plurality of distant sensors at various and possibly variable locations with respect to said station, each sensor being associated with a respective patient and 15 responsive to urinary incontinence or other condition distressful or potentially distressful for that person, the device being capable of recording the time of onset and other parameters relevant to the condition, and of indicating any regularity or pattern thereof in respect of each said patient, the monitor including booster means to boost signals received thereby and/or for transmission to one or more pager units.

A sensor/transmitter for each patient (or other person to be monitored) may include an e. m. f. source such as a battery for a signal transmitter and a sensor wired in circuit therewith and responsive L~ a condition the onset of which a warning is required.

For a urine detector, for example, the sensor may include two tunriimals between which is a moisture-receptive strip or pad of which the electrical conductivity is substantially zero in the normal or dry state but increases sharply -4when moistened by even a small amount of urine. The sensor therefore may act as a switch to pass voltage/current to the signal transmitter, which may be in the form of a small wireless transmitter, at the onset of urination.

The signal can be transmitted as or via a coded radio signal to a receiver which could be located in a nurses' station or central office. Associated with the receiver may be a microprocessor which interrogates the receiver to determine or confirm that an alarm has been triggered and to identify the relevant patient, with a computer (such as a standard 386 with e.g. a 40 megabyte hard disk) arranged to operate on a program specially dedicated to the purpose of recording •data for each of up to e.g. 48 patients.

The detector strip may be a re-usable strip attached to a "nappie" or other •eel moisture-absorbent pad suitably worn to detect the presence of urine. It may be secured using a piece of medical tape or placed in a pocket. Strips could be recovered by arrangement with a laundry service. If the garment to which it is T5 attached is disposable, the strip could be recovered by a staff member for cleaning "in house".

But in order that the invention may be better understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which are to be considered as part of this specification and read herewith. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a practical embodiment of the invention in schematic form; Fig. 2 shows a detector band sensor and insertion tool for use with the 7181.SPE (26.5.94) invention as illustrated in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows a moisture absorbent pad capable of receiving a sensor by the means shown in Fig. 2.

The practical embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, including the operation thereof, will now be described.

Fig. 1 shows a monitor for only six patients. This is merely for convenience of illustration. It is envisaged that a much larger number could be monitored by the one device.

A master station receives signals, via a suitable antenna, from patient '1 transmitters up to 250 metres distant. The station may have an associated personal computer or may be connected direct to a printer.

Each patient has a code. The station may be powered from 240V AC mains supply reduced to 12V with battery back-up in case of mains failure. The battery may be "trickle-charged" in known manner. Setter buttons may be provided to record time, day, month, year and "re-set". If a personal computer is used, such controls may not be required if software allows for setting.

In lieu of a PC monitor, a 3-4 digit Alpha numeric light emitting diode may display patient numbers and "low-battery" indication thereafter.

Simultaneous "alerts" may be sorted out by arranging for the display to repeatedly "scroll" through alert numbers in succession, dropping off each number as the relevant patient is attended to.

The master station is operated by connecting to printer or PC, setting the 7181.SPE (26.5.94) -6date and time, and noting and acting upon "alerts" as they are displayed.

A booster, repeater or pager unit may be mounted in a roof cavity of the master station unit. It can be adjusted to receive one frequency e.g. 27 MHZ and boost the signal to the master station should circumstances so require. A different frequency e.g. 150 MHZ could be used to transmit a signal to a pager. Antennas and suitable connectors may be installed for both or all relevant frequencies.

Fig. 2 illustrates an elongate sensor or detector band 4 and an applicator tool 5 for inserting band 4 into a nappie-type moisture absorptive pad 6 (Fig. 3) adapted to be worn by the patient. Band 4 may include a pair of spaced electrically conductive strips 7, 8 of silver or other suitable material mounted on a length of polyester or other suitable insulating material. The top surface of each strip may be coated e.g. with carbon to prolong life of the strip. Strips 7, 8 are suitably positioned as to contact and to be conductively bridged and thereby short- S.circuited by wetting of a pad such as 6 into which the band has been inserted, due care having been taken to ensure that the "conductive" side of the band i.e. the side to which strips 7, 8 are affixed, is in contact with the pad itself.

Band 4 has a forward end portion 9 receivable into spring clip 10 of tool At the "rearward" end of band 4 is a connector element 11 whereby strips 7, 8 are placed in circuit with transmitter unit 12 (Fig. 3).

The detector band (Fig. 2) is fitted to the pad (Fig. 3) as follows: the forward end portion 9 of a dry band is inserted into spring clip 10 of the applicator tool, of which tool pointed end 13 is used to puncture a waterproof plastics or like -7lining 14 of pad 6 about 60 to 80 mm in from the edge as shown in Fig. 3. The tool 5 with band 4 in train is then pushed inwards along the centre line of pad 6, just separating the lining from the absorbent material.

When the band is fully inserted, connector 11 is held independently of the tool which is pushed further in so as to disengage band 4 from clip Tool 5 is then turned 1800 about its longitudinal axis so that it can be withdrawn without the dip 6 catching the band. Band 4 now having been suitably located with conductive strips 7, 8 thereof facing the absorbent material of pad 6, tool 5 is withdrawn, leaving band 4 in place.

°Transmitter 12 can then be fitted to pad 6 using chrome clasps 14, as shown in Fig. 3, with appropriate electrical connections to strips 7, 8 via 11.

The pad/transmitter assembly is now ready for fitting to the patient.

Rather than being inserted and attached to pads such as 6, a sensor band or unit could be incorporated into e.g. a disposable paper garment or into a blanket such as by printing or stitching, with suitable means for connection to a separate transmitter.

Transmitters should be as small as possible. A LED may show when it is activated and may stay on until band 4 is removed from a moisture zone thereby concluding an "episode".

The transmitter may be powered by a re-chargeable NiCd battery.

A low power battery signal may report to both master display and pager (Fig. 1).

7181.SPE (26.5.94) -8- The transmitter may be operated as follows: open the transmitter unit 12; select a patient code number e.g. Mr Smith 007. (If a computer is used the patient code is keyed in); install the battery, close the transmitter unit, and attach unit 12 to pad 6 as already described with strips 7, 8 suitably connected.

When an "episode" occurs the transmitter LED illuminates and a signal is transmitted to the booster station. The booster repeats the signal, at frequency "B" (see Fig. 1) to the master station which displays "007" for the duration of the episode. The printer records "007" on a date/time basis.

The booster sends also a signal of frequency to the pager to alert the nurse. The signal identifies "007" alert, also the time and date, on the pager display. The nurse acknowledges the message on the pager. Only one signal need by sent to the pager.

The nurse attends to the patient, disconnects the transmitter and fits a new absorbent pad. The transmitter is re-connected ready for the next episode. The pager memory can now be cleared, because data of the episode will have been recorded by the master station printer and/or computer.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the invention can also be applied to the monitoring of other conditions such as body temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate. It can also be used against other dangerous conditions or situations e.g. "cot death" such as by using, as a sensor/detector, a pressure switch or pad strapped to an infant's abdomen and/or side(s) and responsive to weight should the child roll over into a potentially dangerous situation, especially face- 7181 .SPE 26.5.94) down on the abdomen.

Furthermore it will be clear that especially in the case of bed-ridden patients, rather than by radio, signals could be sent through an electric wiring system from a transmitter at the bedside and only a sensor/pad component need be attached to the patient.

In some cases signals could be sent by wire (as distinct from radio) through the same or similar system to that known and used e.g. with a nurse call button.

Also the invention can evidently be applied to the unconscious, semi conscious, paralyzed, part-paralyzed or confused, or any other patient who may S be unable to initiate a signal.

Furthermore it will be clear that the invention, in its "radio" form, is e$$o applicable to patients who are free to move around and even outside a building.

Appropriate circuitry may provide an indication of the wearer's location (distance S and direction) relative to a datum point, including an alarm should the wearer .1 stray beyond a prescribed boundary.

CQ

Claims (6)

1. A device or monitor for use at a nurses' station in a hospital or nursing home or suchlike location, the device being adapted to receive and record signals from a plurality of distant sensors at various and possibly variable locations with respect to said station, each sensor being associated with a respective patient and responsive to urinary incontinence or other condition distressful or potentially distressful for that person, the device being capable of recording the time of onset and other parameters relevant to the condition, and of indicating any regularity or pattern thereof in respect of each said patient, the monitor including booster means to boost signals received thereby and/or for transmission to one or more pager units.

2. A monitor as claimed in claim 1 including a master station and a radio receiver at said station adapted to receive and discriminate between signals from transmitters associated with 15 the respective sensors, and display means for indicating said signals to an operator of the station.

3. A monitor as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the display means include an alpha numeric LED capable of displaying code indicia for each patient.

4. A monitor as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 including computer and printer means associated with said receiver for assessing indicating and storing information concerning said condition parameters.

5. A monitor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each sensor is a flexible band comprising an insulating mounting for spaced conductor strips, the band being locatable or incorporable in a moisture-absorbent pad or garment to be worn by the patient co that at the onset of a wetting episode the moisture completes an electric circuit between said strips and triggers a coded signal to the monitor. I in *^r4' I I P I ,I w I 'Al I M 2'3 .vI 11

6. A hospital or like monitor for urinary incontinence, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 26 day of February 1998. C M INVESTMENT NOMINEES PTY LTD By its patent attorney DAVIES COLLISON CAVE e so ABSTRACT A monitor for use in hospitals, nursing homes and the like, to receive and record signals, from a plurality of sensors, of urinary incontinence or other distressful conditions in a corresponding number of patients to show when attention is required and to indicate, in respect of each patient, such pattern or regularity of such condition as may assist in the perception of the needs of that patient and, therefore, in the management of the condition and the efficiency of *W running of the establishment as a whole. i a g a o*oo 7181 .SP (26.5.94)