Monit diaper sensor how to#
Monit diaper sensor skin#

Monit diaper sensor skin#

Skin is the body's largest organ, Cheng explained, so if it is not processing moisture correctly, that could indicate that some other health issue is going on. It can also indicate emotional stressors like cognitive load, heat, cold, physical effort and exercise-induced fatigue.Ĭompared with breath, the human skin exhibits a smaller change in humidity, but the researchers were still able to detect changes using their pencil-on-paper humidity sensor, even after test subjects applied lotion or exercised. He added that respiratory rate is a fundamental vital sign and research has shown it to be an early indicator of a variety of pathological conditions such as cardiac events, pneumonia and clinical deterioration. Credit: Huanyu 'Larry' Cheng / Penn State Schematics showing the (a) fabrication processes and (b) the response mechanism of the flexible pencil-on-paper hydration sensor with (c) applications in health monitoring, noncontact switching, and skin characterizations. Illustration showing fabrication and application of the pencil-on-paper hydration sensor. Cheng explained that the data collected could be used to detect the onset of various disease conditions, such as respiratory arrest and shortness of breath and provide opportunities in the smart internet of things and telemedicine. The sensor easily differentiated mouth breathing from nose breathing and was able to classify three breathing states: deep, regular and rapid. For wireless application, such as 'smart diapers' and mask-based respiration monitoring, the drawing is connected to a tiny lithium battery which powers data transmission to a smartphone via Bluetooth.įor the respiration monitor, the team drew the electrode directly on a solution-treated face mask. The paper can be connected to a computer with copper wires and conductive silver paste to act as an environmental humidity detector. As water molecules are absorbed by the paper, the solution becomes ionized and electrons begin to flow to the graphite in the pencil, setting off the sensor, which detects those changes in humidity in the environment and sends a signal to a smartphone, which displays and records the data.Įssentially, drawing on the pre-treated paper within pre-treated lines creates a miniaturized paper circuit board. The device takes advantage of the way paper naturally reacts to changes in humidity and uses the graphite in the pencil to interact with water molecules and the sodium chloride solution. You just need to be able to draw within the lines of a pre-drawn electrode on a treated piece of paper. 'You don't need to have some piece of multi-million-dollar equipment for fabrication.

Monit diaper sensor how to#

'We wanted to develop something low-cost that people would understand how to make and use-and you can't get more accessible than pencil and paper,' said Li Yang, professor in the School of Artificial Intelligence at China's Hebei University of Technology. Flexible humidity sensors have become increasingly necessary in health care, for uses such as respiratory monitoring and skin humidity detection, but it is still challenging to achieve high sensitivity and easy disposal with simple, low-cost fabrication processes, he added.

Research into wearable sensors has been gaining momentum because of their wide-ranging applications in medical health, disaster warning and military defense, Cheng explained. The hydration sensor is highly sensitive to changes in humidity and provides accurate readings over a wide range of relative humidity levels, from 5.6% to 90%.

The sensor is created using a pencil, drawn on paper treated with a sodium chloride solution. 'The goal is early prediction for disease conditions and health situations, to spot problems before it is too late.'Ĭheng is the lead author on a new study, published in the journal Nano Letters, which describes the design and fabrication process for a reliable, hand-drawn electrode sensor. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State. 'Our team has been focused on developing devices that can capture vital information for human health,' said Huanyu 'Larry' Cheng, the James L. The new sensor-so cheap and simple to produce that it can be hand-drawn with a pencil onto paper treated with sodium chloride-could clear the way for wearable, self-powered health monitors for use not only in 'smart diapers' but also to predict major health concerns like cardiac arrest and pneumonia.