JPH11264795A - Moisture sensing device for object to be inspected - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the uninvasive measurement of the moisture of a commercially available diaper without requiring any particular device for an object to be inspected such as the diaper and with the diaper on a body, and to judge easily and simply whether the diaper is wet together with its degree of wetting. SOLUTION: This device comprises a sensing device 12 including a light emitting part 26 to emit near-infrared rays, to be cast onto an object to be inspected as a measuring beam of light, and a light receiving part 30 which senses the penetrative diffusion beams of the measuring light given from the object, a microcomputer 16 to make computational processing of the water content of the object on the basis of the reflectivity at the measuring wavelength sensed by the sensing device 12, and a display device 18 to display the result of computation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for detecting moisture in a subject, and more particularly to a device for detecting moisture contained in a diaper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Diapers used by bedridden elderly persons, sick persons, babies, etc., contain moisture due to excretions, and therefore need to be appropriately replaced so that they can be comfortably spent. Conventionally, a caretaker, for example, a nurse, a housekeeper, a mother, or the like, checks the diaper appropriately and replaces the diaper according to the degree of dirt (the degree including moisture).

[0003]

In the prior art, there is a method of detecting the moisture contained in a diaper by embedding a conductive electrode in the diaper and detecting a change in electric resistance. However, a special mechanism is required. However, there is a drawback that the usability is poor and the utility is poor. First, the principle of moisture measurement by absorption of near-infrared light will be described. In addition to the light reflected on the surface, the light reflected on the surface of the sample particles, so-called scattering, There is reflected light, which contains the absorption characteristics of the sample. Normally, a moisture meter uses the reflected light intensity of the comparative wavelength instead of the incident light intensity and the reflected light intensity of the measured wavelength instead of the transmitted light to determine the moisture contained in the sample, and corrects errors due to the condition of the sample surface. It has been reduced.

[0004] That is, at a wavelength λ ₁ that absorbs water well, the reflectance in the case of low moisture is low, and the reflectance increases as the moisture becomes medium and high. Therefore, 2
Equation for calculating wavelength method, the measurement wavelength lambda ₁ of the reflectivity R ₁ and Comparative wavelength lambda ₂ in a ratio of reflectance R _2, i.e., measuring the amount of moisture contained when calculating the R ₁ / R ₂ to the subject Can be. The calculation formula of the three-wavelength method is as follows: the reflectance R ₁ of the measurement wavelength λ ₁ , the reflectance R ₂ of the comparison wavelength λ _2, and the reflectance R _{2 of the} comparison wavelength λ ₃
By calculating the ratio of R ₃ and R ₃ , R ₁ / (R ₂ + R ₃ ), the amount of water contained in the subject can be measured. The formula for calculating the actual water content W (%) is obtained by the following equation (1).

[0005]

W (%) = Klog ₁₀ {(R ₂ + R ₃ ) / 2R ₁ } where K is a constant calculated in advance. Hence,
A main object of the present invention is to provide a moisture detecting device for a subject, which has a simple structure and can surely detect moisture contained in a diaper or the like.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a light-emitting portion for emitting light in a near-infrared region, a light emitted from the light-emitting portion is radiated to a subject as measurement light, and the measurement light incident from the subject is measured. Detection sensor means including a light receiving unit for detecting transmitted scattered light,
A detecting means for calculating the degree of moisture of the subject based on the reflectance at the measurement wavelength detected by the light receiving portion of the detecting sensor means, and a display means for displaying a detection result of the calculating means; Device.

Further, the present invention provides a probe section having a near infrared light emitting section and a light receiving section, calculating means for calculating the degree of moisture based on the reflectance of the measurement wavelength detected by the probe section, and A moisture detecting device for an object to be detected, comprising: a grip unit having a display unit for displaying a calculation result; and a connection unit connecting the probe unit and the grip unit.

[0008]

The object is irradiated with near-infrared light, the light intensity of the transmitted scattered light is measured by the detection sensor means, and based on the result, the degree of moisture contained in the object is calculated by calculation means including a microcomputer. By displaying the calculation result on the display means, the degree of moisture contained in the subject such as a diaper is determined.

[0009]

According to the present invention, no special device is required for a subject such as a diaper, and the moisture contained in a commercially available diaper can be measured in a non-invasive state while worn on the body. Therefore, it can be easily and easily determined whether the diaper is wet. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A moisture detecting device 10 of this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has a probe section 12 as a moisture detecting sensor device.
And the probe section 12 is connected to the connection section 1 having a flexible structure.
The microcomputer 16 includes a microcomputer 16 serving as a calculation device including a calculation / control unit and the like electrically connected by 4 and a grip unit 20 including a display unit 18 for displaying calculation results of the microcomputer 16.

The probe section 12 employs a three-wavelength method as a moisture detection sensor device, and is shown in FIGS.
, Three near-infrared lights L arranged in a substantially regular triangular shape and having a wavelength used for measurement as an emission center wavelength.
EDs 22, 22, and 22 and each L provided on the front surface thereof
The light emitting units 26, 26 and 26 are respectively provided by the ED cover 24.
These light-emitting units 26 are connected to the microcomputer 16 via an LED drive unit 28. At the center of the three near-infrared light LEDs 22, 22, and 22, a photodiode 32 constituting a light receiving unit 30 is arranged and connected to the microcomputer 16 via a signal amplifying unit 34. A display unit 18 provided on the grip unit 20 displays a calculation result output from the microcomputer 16.

Using the moisture detector 10 of this embodiment,
For example, a description will be given of a case where moisture contained in a diaper is detected. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, first, a sensor of the probe unit 12 is attached to a diaper surface 38 in contact with a skin surface 36 of a human body such as a baby. When the power switch 42 and the measurement start SW 44 of the operation unit 40 provided on the side surface of the grip unit 20 are operated, the three wavelengths λ ₁ from the light emitting unit 26 are output.
λ ₂ and λ ₃ near infrared light LED ₁ , LED ₂ and L
The ED ₃ is sequentially scattered and reflected at the portion 46 containing the moisture of the diaper. The scattered and reflected light is received by the light receiving section 30 of the photodiode 32, amplified by the signal amplifying section 34 and processed to reflectivity for each wavelength λ. The water content (%) is obtained by the calculation formula shown, and is displayed on the display device 18 provided in the grip portion 20. That is, the percentage of the weight of water per unit weight of the diaper is displayed, and the necessity of replacing the diaper is notified by the number of times of the electronic buzzer sound (for example, required: three times, unnecessary: one time).

In the moisture detector 10 of this embodiment,
The moisture measurement procedure will be described according to the flowchart shown in FIG.
Start T Next, in step S1, the measurement start switch is turned on, and in step S3, the light emitting device that emits the absorption wavelength λ ₁
Drive ED ₁ . Reads the received voltages V ₁ at step S5, in terms of reflectance R _1, it stops the light emission of the LED ₁ at step S7. Similarly, to drive the LED ₂ of the comparison wavelength lambda ₂ in step S9, the light receiving voltage V in step S11
₂ is read, converted into a reflectance R ₂ , and the emission of the LED ₂ is stopped in step S13. Further, the LED ₃ of the comparison wavelength λ ₃ is driven in step S15, the emission voltage V ₃ is read in step S17, converted into the reflectance R ₃ , and the LED ₃ is stopped in step S19.

If the measurement has not been completed three times in step S21, the process returns to step S3 and repeats the measurement. If the measurement has been completed three times, in step S23, the calculation formula of Equation 1 is used.
The water content is calculated based on (%) = Klog ₁₀ {(R ₂ + R ₃ ) / 2R ₁ }, and in step S 25, the content is displayed by displaying the water content in%, necessity of changing a diaper, unnecessary, sounding of an electronic buzzer, and the like. Is notified, and a series of measurement operations ends.

In order to accurately detect the degree of moisture contained in the diaper, if the probe section 12 is applied to a plurality of locations of the diaper and measured a plurality of times, the variation in the measurement accuracy is reduced and the accuracy is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a specific usage example.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a cross section of a main part of a probe section including a measurement site.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a measurement procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Moisture detection device 12 ... Probe part 14 ... Connection part 16 ... Microcomputer 18 ... Display part 20 ... Grip part 26 ... Light emitting part 30 ... Light receiving part

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A light-emitting section for emitting light in a near-infrared region, and a light-receiving section for irradiating a subject with light from the light-emitting section as measurement light and detecting transmitted and scattered light of the measurement light incident from the subject. Detection sensor means, comprising: a calculation means for calculating the moisture content of the subject based on the reflectance at the measurement wavelength detected by the light receiving unit of the detection sensor means; and a display means for displaying a detection result of the calculation means. Prepare,
An apparatus for detecting moisture in a subject. 2. A probe section having a light emitting section and a light receiving section for near-infrared light, calculating means for calculating the moisture content of the subject based on the reflectance at the measurement wavelength detected by the probe section, and a result of the calculating means. A moisture detecting device for a subject, comprising: a grip unit having a display unit for displaying a signal; and a connection unit that electrically connects the probe unit and the grip unit. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the grip section includes an operation section. 4. The connection section includes a flexible structure.
The apparatus for detecting moisture of a subject according to claim 2 or 3. 5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the probe section includes a plurality of light emitting sections and one light receiving section. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said probe section includes three light emitting sections arranged in a triangular shape and a light receiving section at the center thereof.