JPH11178849A - Urine suction device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically suck urine from a certain posture by detecting urination. SOLUTION: An open-cell cushion material 6 is sandwiched between a cover and a skin material 10, and urine is sucked by a urine pipe 14 from a suction opening provided to correspond to the private parts. An urine sensor 28 is connected to the urine pipe 14 to detect urination, and the position of a user's body is converted to a supine position by a position conversion mat during urination to suck urine using an air pump.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to detecting urine and automatically sucking it.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Bedridden caregivers need to take care of diapers. This is mainly to check for diaper wetness and change. And as is well known, changing diapers is a burdensome work for the caregiver.

Here, it is known that a urination sensor is attached to a diaper to detect urination (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 62-62).
299264). However, a diaper structure suitable for this has hardly been studied. For example, a diaper using a water-absorbing polymer such as an acrylic acid polymer may be used as it is. However, diapers made of water-absorbing plastic are not suitable for incineration because they contain a large amount of water, and are very difficult to dispose. In addition, when urine is absorbed, the water-absorbing polymer becomes hard, increases body pressure, and causes bedsores.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a diaper structure suitable for detecting and sucking urine with a urination sensor. It is an object of the invention according to claims 3 and 4 to combine such a diaper with a postural change mat so that urine can be sucked without leaking to a bedridden care receiver. An object of the invention of claim 5 is to distinguish between urination and defecation by a urination sensor so that care such as changing diapers can be performed at the time of defecation, and record the time at the time of urination and refer to the time for guiding to the toilet. In order to be able to use it.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inner skin material, an intermediate cushion material, an outer cover, and a urination pipe, and urine is supplied between the cushion material and the outer cover to the urination pipe. And a urinary tract for guiding. The cushioning material uses a non-water-absorbing polymer or the like, preferably a continuous-pore non-water-absorbing polymer, a non-water-absorbing polymer made of a stitch-like three-dimensional knit, or a steel scourer-like non-water-absorbing polymer. Is used. A urine collection pipe is preferably used in the urinary tract, and is disposed between the outer cover and the cushion material. Claim 3
In the invention of the present invention, a urination sensor is connected to the urination pipe at a position outside the cover, and a postural change mat is provided.
When the urination is detected, the position change mat is changed to a supine position. Preferably, the urination pipe and the postural change mat are connected to a common air pump, and the air pump is used for both urine suction and driving of the postural change mat. Also preferably, a urination sensor is connected to the urination pipe at a position outside the cover, and a unit for identifying defecation and urination from an output pattern of the urination sensor, and a unit for notifying outside when urinating, Means for recording the time of urination are provided.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, urine is not stored in the diaper, but is guided to the urination pipe through the urinary tract. Therefore, the diaper does not become hardened by absorbing urine, and there is no problem associated with incineration of the water-absorbing polymer that has absorbed urine. That is, in the present invention, since the urine is sucked and processed, the diaper does not need to absorb the urine, and the intermediate cushion member only has to guide the urine to the suction pipe, and does not need to absorb the urine. If a urinary tract composed of continuous pores, a urine collection pipe, and the like is provided in the cushion material, urine flows along the urinary tract to the urine drainage pipe and is sucked. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cushion material is made of a porous continuous pore non-water-absorbing polymer. Such polymers are inexpensive, easily obtainable, and have high elasticity, and are suitable for preventing bedsores. Then, the urine flows through the continuous pores and the urine collection pipe and is guided to the urination pipe. According to the third aspect of the invention, the diaper according to the first aspect of the present invention is combined with a postural change mat, and when urination is detected by the urination sensor, the care receiver is returned to the back of the patient to prevent urine from leaking from the diaper. It is preferable to change the posture occasionally with a position change mat for a cared person who is difficult to change the posture by himself. Here, when urination is detected by the urination sensor, the body of the care receiver is returned to the back. In this position, the urine does not leak laterally from the diaper, and the urine is naturally drawn from the urination pipe. The urination sensor is located outside the cover, and there is no discomfort associated with mounting the sensor inside the diaper. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, an air pump for sucking urine and an air pump for driving the air mat of the repositioning mat are used in combination, thereby reducing the number of parts. According to the invention of claim 5, urination and defecation are distinguished by a urination sensor so that nursing such as diaper change can be performed at the time of defecation, the time is recorded at the time of urination, the urination schedule is known from the tendency, and the urine is discharged to the toilet. It can be used to refer to the guidance time, etc., and can prevent bedriddenness.

[0007]

1 to 8 show an embodiment and its modifications. FIGS. 1 to 4 show a diaper 2 according to an embodiment. Reference numeral 6 denotes a cushion material using a continuous pore non-water-absorbing polymer, for example, a porous material having continuous pores, a three-dimensional knitted fabric,
Alternatively, a steel scourer-shaped material such as Breath Air (Breath Air is a trade name of Toyobo Co., Ltd.) is used.

The thickness of the cushion material 6 is, for example, 10 to 30.
mm, and when it is thicker than 30 mm, discomfort occurs when worn,
When the thickness is less than 10 mm, the thickness is reduced to 5 mm or less due to body pressure when worn, and urine cannot be sufficiently accumulated while urine is guided to the urination pipe 14. The cushion 6 preferably has a thickness of 10 to 30 mm in order to eliminate discomfort when worn and prevent urine from leaking and spreading in the diapers 4 and 6. The amount of urine that can be accumulated in the cushion material 6 is preferably, for example, the entire amount of one urination, but since the suction is performed almost simultaneously with the urination, it is not necessary to accumulate the entire amount of one urination. The cushion material 6 does not need to be provided on the entire surface of the diaper, but may be provided on the buttocks and crotch, the lower half of the side surface, and the like.

Reference numeral 8 denotes an outer cover which is permeable and non-permeable to prevent leakage of urine from the cushion material 6. Reference numeral 9 denotes a urine collection pipe, which is disposed in large numbers from the crotch portion of the cover 8 and the cushion material 6 to the buttocks side. 10 is a skin material,
It is composed of three-dimensional knitting of non-absorbent fine fibers. This is because the cushion material 6 withstands body pressure and
In order to prevent the pores and the urine collection pipe 9 from being closed, it is necessary to use a thick wire or a rough material, and to prevent the cushion 6 from directly touching the skin to improve the touch. . Reference numeral 12 denotes a seal portion that prevents the urine from leaking laterally by using a gather, an air pipe, or the like. When an air pipe is used, an air pump 3 described later is used.
4, when the urine is detected, air is supplied to the pipe to expand it, thereby preventing lateral leakage of urine.

A urination pipe 14 is provided at an appropriate position, such as a crotch, etc., and 16 is an attachment of the urination pipe 14 to the cover 8, from which a number of urine collection pipes 9 pass between the cover 8 and the cushion material 6. It extends from the crotch to the hip side.
Reference numeral 28 denotes a urination sensor such as a semiconductor gas sensor, which is attached to the urination pipe 14 at a position outside the cover 8 via a waterproof film such as a Teflon film (not shown). Although one urination pipe 14 is shown in the embodiment, for example, a plurality of pipes may be provided by providing a hot air pipe for drying, a hot water pipe for washing, and the like. FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the urine collection pipe 9 from the attachment 16 into the diaper. FIG. 4 shows a state of wearing the diaper 2, in which the upper side of the figure is the upper side, the posture of a person lying on his back is a leg, the left is a leg, and the right is a torso.

The cushion material 6 of the diaper 2 can be variously deformed. For example, a three-dimensional knitted fabric 4 shown in FIG. 5 may be used, or a steel scourer-shaped material shown in FIG. May be. These are all porous non-water-absorbing polymers.

FIG. 7 shows a configuration including the postural change mat 22. The diaper shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is preferably used in combination with the postural change mat 22, but may be used without the postural change mat 22 in the case of a care receiver who can change his / her own posture. The repositioning mat 22 is known per se (for example, JP-A-7-116199), and includes four air mats 23 to 26 corresponding to a lower left body, a lower right body, an upper left body, and an upper right body. The configuration is such that the body position can be changed between a posture in which the upper body is raised and a posture in which the patient is sleeping. Note that it is not necessary to be able to change the posture between the upper body posture and the sleeping posture.

Numeral 30 denotes a urine collection container connected to a urination pipe.
Remove the stored urine from the pipe so that it can be disposed of. A non-permeable membrane (not shown) is provided between the urine collection container 30 and the air pump 34 to prevent the air pump 34 from being contaminated. Reference numeral 32 denotes a control unit which detects urine based on a signal from the urination sensor 28, increases the suction speed of the air pump 34 to suck urine, and stores the urine in the urine collection container 30. At the same time, the position of the care receiver is changed to a posture raised on the back, thereby preventing the urine from leaking from the inside of the diaper. 36 is an air mat 23-2
Reference numeral 38 denotes a distribution valve for changing the amount of air supplied to the tube 6, and reference numeral 38 denotes a distribution valve for changing the amount of suction from the urination pipe 14. The control unit 32 distinguishes between urination and defecation based on the duration of the output of the urination sensor. As shown in FIG. 8, the signal b at the time of urination is narrower than the signal a at the time of defecation. 8A shows the output waveform of the ammonia sensor, and FIG. 8B shows the output waveform of the hydrogen sulfide sensor. The control unit 32 has an LED 4 for notification at the time of defecation.
4 and buzzer, etc., and record the time when urinating.
Record at 5 to record the temporal pattern of urination. Then, the next urination scheduled time can be known from this pattern, and the user can be guided to the toilet in advance. This also helps prevent bedridden.

The operation of the embodiment will be described. The urine discharging pipe 14 and the urine collecting pipe 9 connected to the urine pipe 14 always suck a small amount of air, for example. And the urine enters the cushion material 6,
The odor passes through the urine collection pipe 9 and the urination pipe 14 and is detected by the urination sensor 28. Then, the control unit 32 switches the distribution valve to increase the amount of suction from the urination pipe 14. At the same time, if the care receiver's posture is not on his back, the care receiver is switched to a posture in which his or her posture is raised using the air mats 23 to 26. Here, since the urine discharge pipe 14 is connected to the intake side of the air pump 34 and the air mats 23 to 26 are connected to the air supply side, the same air pump 34 can simultaneously perform urine suction and body position change.

While urine is stored in the pores in the cushion material 6, the urine flows through the urine collection pipe 9 to the attachment 16, and the side leakage is prevented by the seal portion 12, and the care receiver's posture is raised. Turn things into things. In this position, urine flows downward through the pores and space of the cushion material 6 under the influence of gravity, is blocked by the cover 8, passes through the urine collection pipe 9 on the lower surface of the cushion material 6, and attaches to the attachment 1.
6 and side leakage is completely prevented. Urine is sucked from the attachment 16 by the urination pipe 14, and the urine collection container 3
Stored at zero. Based on the duration of the signal from the urination sensor, whether urination or defecation is identified. In the case of defecation, notification is made by the LED 44 or the like. For example, when a predetermined time elapses after the detection of urination, the suction amount of the air pump 34 is reduced by a timer. Thereafter, suction is continued for a predetermined time with a slightly larger suction amount than usual, to suck the urine remaining in the urine collection pipe 9 and to dry the cushion material 6, and thereafter reduce the suction amount to a normal value. And for example 1
The urine in the urine collection container 30 is discarded about once or several times a day, and in the case of urination only, the diapers may be replaced once a day when defecation is performed and the old diapers may be washed each time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a diaper according to an embodiment is developed and a lower half is viewed, with a partially cutaway portion.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the diaper according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of the diaper according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the diaper according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a three-dimensional knitting in a diaper according to a modified example.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a steel scourer-like non-water-absorbing polymer in a modified diaper.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a urination suction device using the diaper of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram showing outputs of a urination sensor during urination and defecation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Diaper 4,6,7 Cushion material 8 Cover 9 Urine collection pipe 10 Skin material 12 Seal part 14 Urination pipe 16 Attachment 22 Posture change mat 23-26 Air mat 28 Urine sensor 30 Urine collection container 32 Control unit 34 Air pump 36,38 Distribution valve 40-43 Air pipe 44 LED 45 Memory

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takayuki Tsuji 3-50 Aoyamadai, Suita-shi (72) Inventor Akinori Nakao 3-25 Ishimaru, Minoh-shi For Leaves Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A urinary tract for guiding urine to a urination pipe between the cushion material and the outer cover, comprising an inner skin material, an intermediate cushion material, an outer cover, and a urination pipe. Urination suction device provided. 2. The urination suction device according to claim 1, wherein said cushion material is made of a porous nonporous polymer having continuous pores. 3. A urination sensor is connected to the urination pipe at a position outside the cover, and a postural change mat is provided to change the postural change mat to a supine posture when urination is detected. Item 7. A urination suction device according to Item 1. 4. The urination suction device according to claim 3, wherein said urination pipe and said postural change mat are connected to a common air pump. 5. A means for connecting a urination sensor to the urination pipe at a position outside the cover, means for discriminating defecation and urination from an output pattern of the urination sensor, and means for notifying to the outside at the time of defecation. 2. The urination suction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for recording urination time.