Preliminary Study of a Capacitive Diaper Sensor System for Urine Absorption Estimation

Disposable adult diapers are used in medical and nursing care for people with dementia or bedridden patients who are unable to go to the toilet by themselves because of incontinence. To determine if a diaper needs to be changed, the blanket must be turned up, clothing removed, and the diaper opened for inspection. Several studies and products detect urination in diapers. However, most of them are specialized for urination detection, and it is not easy to evaluate the urination time and voided volume. Thus, we are developing a capacitive diaper sensor system that allows nurses and caregivers to remotely monitor urinary information. Herein, we compared the evaluation results of the developed capacitive sensor in phantom experiments with those in demonstration experiments. The results show the ability to remotely assess urination time and urine absorption in the diaper.