Disclosed is a method of distinguishing between types of excretion in an absorbent hygiene article provided with a strip element including a first temperature sensing element, and a first impedance sensing element, the method including detecting a first temperature value, and detecting a first impedance value the method further including at least one determining that no excretion is present if the first temperature value does not pass a first temperature threshold and the first impedance value does not pass a first impedance threshold, determining that a first type of excretion is present if the first temperature value passes the first temperature threshold and the first impedance value passes the first impedance threshold; and determining that a second type of excretion is present if the first temperature value passes the first temperature threshold and the first impedance value does not pass the first impedance threshold.

Disclosed is a strip element configured to be externally and removably provided to an absorbent hygiene article, the strip element comprising at least two sensing elements for obtaining excretion-related information in the absorbent hygiene article, at least two close contact sensing zones for being removably attached to a garment facing surface of the absorbent hygiene article, respectively, and each comprising one of the at least two sensing elements, wherein, each close contact sensing zone includes first attachment means for keeping the close contact sensing zone in contact with the absorbent hygiene article by a first attachment force, the two close contact sensing zones being separated by a flex zone which is either free of any attachment means or includes second attachment means for establishing a second attachment force between the flex zone and the absorbent hygiene article, the second attachment force being a smaller force than the first contact force.

A personal hygiene device may have a main body with an absorbent material configured to absorb a fluid, a sensor disposed within the main body, and a controller configured to communicate with the sensor. The sensor has a conductor and an insulator containing at least a portion of the conductor, and the sensor is configured to detect a first electrical value and a second electrical value that is different from the first electrical value. The sensor is also configured to transmit a signal to the controller upon detection of the second electrical value.

A patient support apparatus includes a frame and a mattress supported by the frame and arranged to support a patient thereon. A sensor is included to detect moisture on the patient and/or the patient support apparatus. The sensor produces signals indicative of the presence of moisture on the patient support apparatus. One or more alerts are output in response to the signals provided by the sensor to notify a caregiver of the presence of moisture on the patient support apparatus.

A disposable, wearable article can be used for collecting a sample and performing urinalysis. The article incorporates a test port feature to simplify this function. The test port has a resealable cover that can be used to selectively expose an aperture through the backsheet of the disposable article. The test port is used to position test devices, such as urine test strips to urine collected in the disposable article.

A hygiene monitoring system comprising: a hygiene monitoring device, the hygiene monitoring device comprising a housing with an identifier-obtaining component; and a station for receiving the hygiene monitoring device, the station comprising: a securing component configured to receive and hold the housing at a defined location relative to the station; and a station identifier configured to provide an identifier to the identifier-obtaining component when the housing of the hygiene monitoring device is received by the securing component of the station.

The invention relates to a vaginal fluid monitoring device embedded into a feminine sanitary pad, said device comprising a stack of the following elements: An absorbent layer (100) configured to be in proximity to, and collect, a vaginal fluid; and A biosensing system (1000) in fluidic connection with said absorbent layer (100), said biosensing system (1000) comprising: A microfluidic chip (200) configured to perform an immunoassay to detect the presence and/or the concentration of at least one target biomarker comprised in a vaginal fluid; Means (300) for providing a readout of the presence and/or the concentration of said at least one target biomarker; and An electrode array (400) located along the microfluidic chip (200) configured to detect and analyze the flow of said vaginal fluid by impedance means; wherein said immunoassay is configured to detect the presence and/or the concentration of at least one target biomarker indicative of a pre-term birth (PTB) risk and/or premature rupture of membrane (PROM) risk. The invention also relates to a method for detecting at least one target biomarker comprised in a vaginal fluid.

The vehicle control system/method for adapting a control function based on a user profile may comprise: a gesture recognition module; a user profile module; a function control module; a processor; a non-transitory storage element coupled to the processor; encoded instructions stored in the non-transitory storage element, wherein the encoded instructions when implemented by the processor, configure the system to: identify a user; retrieve a user profile for the identified user; receive at a gesture recognition module, an input indicating a gesture from the user; identify a control function request corresponding to the gesture input; send a verification of the control function request; and receive at a function control module characteristics parsed from the user profile that effect the control function request by the user profile module to adapt a control function command for an adapted control function output by the function control module.

A substrate suitable for incorporation into an absorbent article for automatic detection of wetness events therein, the substrate comprising a first surface capable of being arranged proximal to a body facing side of the absorbent article and a second surface opposite said first surface and capable of being arranged proximal to a garment facing side of said absorbent article, said substrate comprising a plurality of sensor tracks disposed on said first surface and said sensor tracks comprising: at least one central track extending parallel to a length of the substrate and parallel to a longitudinal axis crossing a first end and a second end of the substrate; at least two side tracks extending parallel to the central track and oppositely arranged such that the central track extends therebetween; and wetness sensing tracks extending outboard of said two side tracks, wherein said central track, said side tracks, and said wetness sensing tracks are in electrical communication via one or more shortening elements positioned proximal to said second end and distal from said first end, and wherein the substrate is connectable to a clip-on data processing module at a position proximal to said first end and distal from said shortening elements such to form a closed electrical circuit, typically for measuring resistance and/or capacitance therethrough. In an embodiment said substrate consists of a liquid impermeable backsheet, preferably a breathable liquid impermeable backsheet.

A disposable, wearable article can be used for collecting a sample and performing urinalysis. The article incorporates a test port feature to simplify this function. The test port has a resealable cover that can be used to selectively expose an aperture through the backsheet of the disposable article. The test port is used to position test devices, such as urine test strips to urine collected in the disposable article.