U.S. patent number 3,678,928 [Application Number 05/012,631] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-25 for hygienic device for detecting unintentional urination.
Invention is credited to Alexander Mozes.
United States Patent |
3,678,928 |
Mozes |
July 25, 1972 |
HYGIENIC DEVICE FOR DETECTING UNINTENTIONAL URINATION
Abstract
A hygienic device for detecting unintentional urine flow
comprises an alarm device, an electronic device for operating the
alarm device and batteries all of which are supported preferably in
a waist belt to which is attached a cap closely fitting around the
urine outlet of a patient wearing the device, and urine sensing
electrodes and stimulator electrodes disposed in the cap for
triggering the alarm device and for supplying stimuli to the
patient, a position sensitive switch being provided arranged to
switch off the device automatically when the patient assumes an
upright position. The alarm device may emit an audible sound, and
an overriding switch may be provided for manual control of the
device.
Inventors: |
Mozes; Alexander (Don Mills,
404, Ontario, CA) |
Family
ID: |
25757043 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/012,631 |
Filed: |
February 19, 1970 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Feb 25, 1969 [DT] |
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P 19 09 261.6 |
Feb 25, 1969 [DT] |
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P 19 09 262.7 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
128/886;
340/604 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
5/48 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
5/48 (20060101); A61b 019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/138,418,419S |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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807,115 |
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Jun 1951 |
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DT |
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827,696 |
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Jan 1952 |
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DT |
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Primary Examiner: Charles; Lawrence
Claims
We claim:
1. A hygienic device for detecting unintentional urination
comprising
a waist belt,
a moisture-impenetrable, flexible, self-sustaining cap connected to
said waist belt and adapted to sealingly abut the body in a manner
engaging and surrounding the urinal organ,
sensing electrode means for electrically detecting urination
disposed in said cap,
stimulator electrode means for delivering voltage impulses to the
body upon urine flow disposed along the rim of said cap in the
vicinity of said sensing electrode means, said stimulator electrode
means being arranged to substantially surround in operation the
sphincter muscle of the body,
circuit means disposed in said waist belt for actuating said
stimulator electrode means in response to the detection of urine by
said sensing electrode means, and
conductor means electrically connecting said sensing electrode
means and said stimulator electrode means.
2. A hygienic device according to claim 1, wherein the cap consists
of a synthetic resin.
3. A hygienic device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing
electrode means are welded to the cap at selected spot-like
locations.
4. A hygienic device according to claim 1, wherein the stimulator
electrode means are interwoven around a rubber-like enlargement
which covers the edge of the cap.
5. A hygienic device according to claim 1, wherein the stimulator
electrode means are adapted to be supplied with voltage impulses of
different stimulative strength.
6. A hygienic device according to claim 1 further comprising strap
means which connect the underside of the cap to the waist belt, the
strap means and the waist belt being constructed of a resilient
material.
7. A hygienic device according to claim 1 further comprising a
device for switching off the stimulator electrode means including a
position-sensitive switch adapted to be attached to the body of a
patient such that when the patient is vertically oriented said
switch is in an off position.
8. A hygienic device according to claim 7, wherein the switch is a
mercury switch.
9. A hygienic device according to claim 7, wherein the position
sensitive switch is adapted to control the entire electrical system
of the hygienic device.
10. A hygienic device according to claim 1 further comprising a
device for switching off the stimulator electrode means including a
position-sensitive switch adapted to be attached to an article of
clothing worn by the patient such that when the patient is
vertically oriented the switch is in the off position.
11. A hygienic device according to claim 1 wherein said circuit
means comprises an electronic device means adapted to trigger said
stimulator electrode means and a source of electrical energy for
feeding said electronic device means and said alarm means with
electrical energy.
12. A hygienic device according to claim 11, wherein the forward
part of the belt portion includes a pocket containing said circuit
means.
13. A hygienic device according to claim 11, wherein the pocket is
closable, for example, by means of a zip fastener.
14. A hygienic device according to claim 11 wherein said circuit
means further comprises an acoustical signal transmitter
operatively associated with said sensing electrode means for
delivering an audible signal upon detection of urination by said
sensing electrode means.
15. A hygienic device according to claim 10 wherein said acoustical
signal transmitter, said electronic device means and said source of
electrical energy are disposed in the front part of said waist
belt.
16. A hygienic device according to claim 10 wherein said acoustical
signal transmitter, said electronic device means and said source of
electrical energy are disposed along at least one side of said
waist belt.
Description
This invention relates to a hygienic device for detecting
unintentional urination comprising a sensing device which includes
sensing electrodes and which is exposed to the unintentional flow
of urine, an alarm device electrically connected to the sensing
device and arranged to become operative upon the flow of urine, an
electronic device initiating the alarm device and an electrical
energy source feeding the whole hygienic device.
Such a device has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2 874 695. In
this known device sensing electrodes in the form of two conductors
are disposed one behind the other at the inside in the forward
region of a pair of pants or panties, a textile fabric being
disposed between the electrodes which are covered by a further
textile fabric on their side adjacent to the body. The conductors
are connected to two press studs disposed at the level of the waist
line. The known arrangement further consists of a belt which is
provided at one point of its periphery with an enlargement in which
an alarm device in the form of a buzzer is located, with a device
for initiating the buzzer, and with an energy source in the form of
battery cells. The belt is placed around the body of a patient and
is connected to the press studs the pants or panties by means of
press studs located on the belt. This arrangement has the
disadvantage that it consists of two units which must be connected
to each other by means of the press studs. This makes the
application of the known arrangement cumbersome and time consuming.
A further disadvantage is that this known arrangement has an alarm
device only in the form of an acoustic signal transmitter and thus
the patient is dependent only upon this one signal transmitter
which, moreover, he may not hear during very deep sleep.
Furthermore this known arrangement is relatively complicated. Thus
for example the leads are not only separated from each other by a
textile fabric, but are also additionally covered by the fabric of
the pants and finally additionally at the inside by a further
textile fabric which extends from the crotch to the belt. In spite
of this complicated multi-layer fabric structure, however, there is
no certainty that additionally to these pants or panties provided
with the known arrangement other articles of clothing are not also
affected by urine flow.
A further such arrangement is known from the German Pat. No. 807
115 which consists of two parts. In this arrangement the sensing
electrodes are attached to the front part of pants and stimulator
electrodes of an alarm device are attached to the back part thereof
at the level of the waist line and are connected through leads to
the rest of the alarm device, to the electronic device triggering
the alarm device, and to the energy supply source. The various
parts of this arrangement must be connected to each other by means
of leads. When a patient wishes to use this known arrangement an
apparatus which comprises the alarm device, the electrical device
and the energy source, must first be placed by him adjacent to his
bed, then he must put on the article of clothing which contains the
electrodes, and finally he must connect this latter by leads to the
apparatus located in the vicinity of the bed. If then an indication
occurs, for example during the night, the patent who is still half
asleep must first disconnect the lead connection between the
article of clothing and the controlling and indicating apparatus,
and only then can he use a lavatory. Unless the patient is under
observation in a hospital he is likely to omit, at least
occasionally, these various manipulations, which are a condition
for perfect functioning of the arrangement partly for reasons of
laziness, partly for reasons of forgetfulness, whereby the curative
process is made doubtful. Although this arrangement contains
stimulator electrodes the latter are, however, located on the body
at a location which is not too sensitive to stimuli. A further
disadvantage of this known arrangement is that it is relatively
expensive.
It is an object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages of the
known arrangements. The object is attained in accordance with the
invention in that an alarm device is provided with stimulator
electrodes which when urine begins to flow are arranged to deliver
voltage pulses to a body and that a sensing device comprising
sensing electrodes, the alarm device comprising the stimulator
electrodes, an electronic device and a source of electrical energy
are arranged to be carried at the lower part of the human body and
are disposed for this purpose in an article of clothing constructed
preferably substantially as a waist belt or girdle which is
provided with a cap which is adapted to rest closely on the body
and in which the sensing electrodes and the stimulator electrodes
are disposed closely adjacent to each other.
The hygienic device thus provided by the invention has the
advantage that the whole arrangement inclusive of the alarm device
comprising the stimulator electrodes is accommodated in an
extremely limited space in a small article of clothing or other
garment which is easy and comfortable to wear. The patient does not
feel constricted by this article of clothing which is substantially
in the form of a waist belt or hip girdle. A further advantage
consists in that, owing to the disposition of the stimulator
electrodes in the vicinity of the point of urine outlet,
substantially lower stimulator currents are sufficient to wake up
the patient. This disposition of the stimulator electrodes is
furthermore suited in advantageous manner to influence under
certain circumstances additionally the obturator muscles of the
urethra. Finally, only an extremely small part of the article of
clothing must be provided with electrodes and this small part can
easily be produced separately by a production method which takes
into account the arrangement of the electrodes. Thus stimulator
electrodes need not be provided at other points of the article of
clothing so that the production of such hygienic devices can be
effected in a simple manner. Furthermore the cap covers the region
of the urine outlet of the human body. Owing to the cap shape it
adjusts itself in an ideal manner to the body contours in that
region. Because the cap rests closely on the body the issuing urine
is retained in the cap and in an advantageous manner neither the
underwear no other articles of clothing are disadvantageously
affected. The issuing urine reaches under all circumstances the
individual sensing electrodes and produces a current path between
them without an absorbent material being placed between the sensing
electrodes and the human body; the urine cannot flow away laterally
at any point without causing the device according to the invention
to effect an indication. A further considerable advantage consists
in that hygienic device according to the invention is constructed
in an extremely simple manner and is accommodated in an article of
clothing which can be worn very easily and with comfort. The
patient does not feel inconvenienced by this article of clothing
which is constructed substantially in the form of a waist belt or
hip girdle, and also he is not disturbed thereby in his night
rest.
In order to attain an economic production and thus reduced
production costs of the hygienic device according to the invention,
the cap is preferably constructed substantially the same for male
and female patients.
Preferably the cap consists of a synthetic resin, and in one
embodiment of the invention the sensing electrodes are located
directly at the concave inside of the cap. In this case a
low-priced and easily moulded material is considered which retains
the issuing urine in the region of the sensing electrodes and does
not permit it to seep through, so that thereby as well as by the
disposition of the sensing electrodes between the cap and the skin
of the body perfect detection by the device according to the
invention is always ensured. The sensing electrodes are attached
directly to the concave inside of the cap in one embodiment of the
invention such attachment being effected by welding to spot-like
locations of the cap.
In one embodiment the stimulator electrodes are arranged to be
supplied with voltage impulses of different stimulative strengths,
and in this way the different sensitivity of individual people is
taken care of in a simple and advantageous manner.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention an acoustic signal
generator, the electronic device and the energy supply source are
so disposed in the belt of the article of clothing or other garment
that the individual units of the hygienic device according to the
invention do not disturb the patient while he is sitting, walking,
lying or even sleeping, that is to say they are disposed e.g. in
the front part or at one or both sides of the garment.
In order to accommodate the individual units in the article of
clothing in a protected position, one embodiment of the invention
provides that the front part of the belt is constructed as a
pocket. In a further embodiment, the pocket may be closable, for
example by means of a zip fastener, so that the units of the
hygienic device according to the invention can be removed and
interchanged by any person easily and without difficulty, this
being of particular importance in respect of the energy supply
source.
In one embodiment of the invention the belt of the article of
clothing and straps which connect the underside of the front part
of the article of clothing to the belt consist of resilient or
elastic material. This has the particular advantage that the
article of clothing can be easily applied and is comfortable to
wear owing to the resilience of the material. Furthermore, this
article of clothing can be used for a wide range of body
measurements.
Known arrangements which are provided with a device for switching
off the alarm device include commonly used on-off switches, for
example in the form of a rocker switch, in order to make the whole
arrangement operative and to switch it off again. This has in
particular the disadvantage that the switched position of such
switch is dependent upon human manipulation and contributes to the
moment of human indolence. Thus when the patient wets and therefore
waking impulses or stimuli occur in his body owing to the action of
the stimulator electrodes, he must switch off the apparatus. The
disadvantage of this arrangement resides in the fact that switching
on and off depends upon the will of the patient. No provision is
made for the case that the patient, for example, forgets to switch
on the apparatus after visiting a lavatory, for example, that he
switches off the apparatus from the bed while he is half asleep and
then remains in the bed. In order to prevent this, the means for
switching off the alarm device, in a preferred embodiment of the
invention, comprises a switch which is adapted to be attached to
the body of the patient and the switched position of which is
dependent upon the vertical or horizontal position of the patient.
This has the particular advantage that for changing the switched
position of the switch, human manipulation is not required, and
that because it is attached directly to the body of the patient the
switch responds directly to the movements of the body of the
patient. The switch switches the arrangement off when the patient
gets up or at least raises himself. Similarly, the series of human
failings, such as e.g. laziness, forgetfulness or error, is avoided
by which a healing process is frequently prevented or at least long
drawn out. When the alarm device responds with the patient lying in
bed, it is therefore absolutely necessary for switching off the
alarm device that the patient raises himself and subsequently
visits the lavatory. The patient is thus forced to get up.
The position-sensitive switch need not switch off the whole alarm
device comprising for example the stimulator electrodes and a
buzzer, but may be so arranged that it switches off merely either
the stimulator electrodes or the buzzer.
In one embodiment of the invention there is no manually operable
switch within reach of the lying patient by which the hygienic
device or the alarm device may be switched off. Thereby the
advantage is obtained that the alarm device is switched off only
when the patient raises himself of gets up from his bed. In one
embodiment of the invention the switch is constructed as a mercury
switch. In this case a robust switch with long life and high
operative reliability is utilized. A further advantage resides in
the fact that these mercury switches constitute particularly light,
small and space saving units. In a preferred embodiment, the whole
hygienic device can be switched off by the position-sensitive
switch. Owing to he fact that not only the alarm device, but the
whole system is switched off by the position-sensitive switch, the
result is attained in a particularly advantageous manner that
energy is saved and thus the drain on the batteries is considerably
reduced.
The switch may be attached by adhesive bandages, tape or the like
directly to the body of the patient in such manner that the
switched position of the switch is different when the body of the
patient is in an upright attitude and when the body is in a lying
attitude. In one embodiment of the invention, however, the switch
may be sewn in this position into an article of clothing thereto in
some other manner, for example to the article of clothing to which
also the electrodes are attached which detect the urine flow.
Further details and constructional features of the invention may be
taken from the following description in which the invention is
described and explained in detail with reference to the embodiment
illustrated in the drawings. The features which may be taken from
the description and the drawings may be used, in other embodiments
of the invention, individually by themselves, or several thereof in
any combination. In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the hygienic device according
to the invention for detecting bed wetting and a urine flow during
the day,
FIG. 2 illustrates a part of the hygienic device according to the
invention illustrated in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the invention in section along the
line III--III of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale,
FIG. 4 illustrates a mercury switch, partly broken away, for use in
hygienic device according to the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the electronic device forming part
of the hygienic device according to the invention.
As may be seen from FIG. 1 a hygienic device according to the
invention comprises an article of clothing which is constructed
substantially like a waist belt or girdle. This article of clothing
or other garment consists of a lower, substantially triangular
front portion 1 which covers and surrounds the place of urine
outlet of a person and which preferably consists of linen or like
material, an upper portion in the form of a belt 2 connected to the
base side of the substantially triangular front portion 1, and
straps 4 and 5 which are connected at their one end to the belt 2
and at their other end to the apex of the triangular front portion
1 disposed opposite to the base side thereof. The belt 2 as well as
also the straps 4 and 5 consist preferably of a resilient material,
for example in the form of a rubber band, so that the hygienic
device according to the invention can be easily applied by the
wearer without troublesome buttoning up. At the inside of the front
portion 1 of the article of clothing there is disposed a cap 6
which consists preferably of a synthetic resin, which, however, may
alternatively consist for example of natural rubber or of paper,
card, asbestos or aluminum coated with a synthetic resin. The edge
of the cap 6 is surrounded by a rubber-like enlargement 7. In its
upper part the cap 6 is provided with air openings 8 which serve
for admitting air to and ventilating the human body portion located
under the cap 6. For fixing the cap 6 to the front portion 1 tapes
9 attached to the front portion 1 are pulled through the lateral
air openings 8 and tied over the edge of the cap 6. The cap 6 may
alternatively be attached in a different manner to the front
portion 1, for example, directly by sewing or adhesive fixing.
On the concave side of the cap 6 turned towards the human body
there are located sensing electrodes 13, 14, 15 and 16 which are
welded at selected points to the inner surface of the cap 6. The
sensing electrodes 13, 14 and 15 are attached to the cap in the
shape of a parabola, and the individual parabola shaped electrodes
13, 14 and 15 are telescoped into each other, whereas the sensing
electrode 16 is disposed on the cap 6 in such manner that it forms
the common axis of the telescoped parabola-shaped electrodes 13, 14
and 15. The plug part of press studs 17, 18 and 19 is attached or
welded to the convex side of the cap 6 which is adjacent to the
front portion 1. The plug part of the press stud 17 is connected to
the sensing electrodes 13 and 15, and the plug part of the press
stud 18 is connected to the sensing electrodes 14 and 16. The
enlargement 7 surrounding the edge of the cap 6 is interwoven by
the stimulator electrodes 11 and 12 in such manner that always a
section of the stimulator electrodes 11 and 12 lies on the surface
of the enlargement 7 in regular sequence and thus comes into direct
contact with the human body when the hygienic device according to
the invention is applied. The stimulator electrodes 11 and 12
extend through the enlargement from the top to the bottom as
illustrated in FIG. 1.
In another embodiment of the invention, not illustrated in detail,
the stimulator electrodes 11 and 12 consist of two conductive tapes
or strips of synthetic resin which cover the edge of the cap 6 and
are fixed thereto insulated from each other. The stimulator
electrode 11 is connected to the plug part of the press stud 18,
and the stimulator electrode 12 is connected to the plug part of
the press stud 19. Leads 20, 21 and 22 are grouped together to form
a cable 23 and are soldered to the socket parts of the press studs
17, 18 and 19. A cable 23 leads to the belt 2 of the hygienic
device according to the invention.
The front portion of the belt 2 is arranged to form a pocket 3
which is closable, for example, by a zip fastener 24.
Alternatively, the pocket 3 may be arranged to be closed by means
of press studs or other means. The pocket 3 comprises a second
pocket 25 which is also closable in a manner not illustrated in
detail and which contains two sets of batteries 26 and 27 each
having two batteries connected in series, a terminal strip 28 to
which an electronic device, which comprises inter alia a position
sensitive mercury switch, is connected in accordance with FIG. 5,
and a buzzer device 29 forming part of an alarm device. The
batteries 26 and 27, the terminal strip 28 and the buzzer device 29
are connected to each other and via the cable 23 to the electrodes
11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 attached to the cap 6 and the enlargement
7. The buzzer device may, but need not be audible so loudly that it
awakes a sleeping patient. If it does not serve for waking the
patient by producing a noise, it serves for producing induction
currents which are supplied through the stimulator electrodes to
the body of the patient and wake him in this manner.
FIG. 2 illustrates in detail the devices disposed in the pocket 3
of the belt 2. In order to facilitate an interchange of the two
batteries 26 and 27 the latter are connected by plugs 30 and 31 to
the terminal strip 28 and to the electronic device connected
thereto. Four plugs 33, 34, 35 and 36 are disposed at the terminal
strip 28 and a socket connected to the housing of the buzzer 29 can
be pushed thereon selectively. Each of the plugs 33, 34, 35 and 36
forms together with the socket 32 a press stud. In other
embodiments of the invention these push connections may
alternatively be constructed in some other manner. The socket 32
and the plugs 33, 34, 35 and 36 are so disposed in the pocket 3 or
in the second pocket 25 of the belt 2 that the push connection can
be changed easily by the person wearing the hygienic device
according to the invention, or by another person, after the pocket
3 or 25 has been opened.
The sensing electrodes may be disposed in the immediate vicinity of
the body skin in a region which is affected with certainty by the
issuing urine. Alternatively the sensing electrodes may, be in
contact with an absorbent material, for example paper, which
absorbs the issuing urine.
FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which the
sensing electrodes are located at a spacing from the body skin
without absorbent material being provided. This makes it necessary
that the sensing electrodes are disposed at a selected location and
that the issuing urine is guided to this location by the cap. In
this case the sensing electrodes 13, 14 , 15, and 16 are attached
to the inside of a strip 37 of a synthetic resin material which has
a hip roof-like structure, the attachment being effected for
example, by adhesion or welding at selected spots. The strip 37 is
spaced from the cap 6 in certain intervals by pins 38 each of which
extends into a point at both ends and which can therefore be pushed
into the strip 37 as well as into the cap 6, the spacing
corresponding at least to the thickness of the sensing electrodes
13, 14, 15 and 16 which are thus connected to the cap 6.
As illustrated in FIG. 4 on an enlarged positional a
position-sensitive mercury switch 39 comprises a surrounding
cylindrical sleeve 40 which is provided with a hemispherical head
and from the end of which two connecting leads 41 and 42 project.
In its interior the mercury switch 39 has a first pin-like
electrode 43 and a tubular electrode 44 which is insulated
therefrom and the inner space of which receives the electrode 43
and also contains the mercury 45. When the mercury switch 39 is in
the illustrated vertical position the switch 39 is in the open
position. When the positionAl angle of the switch referred to the
horizontal, is smaller than 45.degree., the mercury comes into
contact with the pin-like electrode 43 and thus establishes a
connection between the electrodes 43 and 44 which means that the
switch is in the closed position. In other alternative embodiments
of the switch 39, the switch-off angle may lie in the range of
between 45.degree. and 90.degree.. The switch 39 is in any case so
inserted in the hygienic device according to the invention that
when the patient wears the article of clothing constituting the
hygienic device according to the invention, the mercury switch 39
is in the closed position when the patient is lying, whereas the
switch 39 opens automatically when the body of the patient is
erected beyond a certain angle relatively to the horizontal and
switches off the hygienic device according to the invention.
The circuit arrangement of the various component devices disposed
in the belt 2 of the hygienic device according to the invention,
and the inter connection thereof, is illustrated in FIG. 5. The
positive pole of the batteries 26 and 27 is connected through the
position-sensitive mercury switch 39 to one terminal of the buzzer
device 29, and the negative pole of the batteries 26 and 27 is
connected through a controllable silicon device or thyristor 53 to
the other terminal of the buzzer device 29. A lead 20 extends from
the sensing electrodes 13, 15 through a resistor 51 to the control
connection of the thyristor 53, a resistor 52 lying in parallel
with the cathode and the control connection thereof, under certain
circumstances this resistor may be constructed as a potentiometer.
A lead 21 extending from the sensing electrodes 14 and 16 and the
stimulator electrode 11 is connected to the positive pole of the
battery set 26, 27. A lead 22 connected to the stimulator electrode
12 leads to three resistors 46, 47 and 48 each of which is
connected respectively to a plug 33, 34, 35 of the terminal strip
28. Alternatively the resistors 46, 47 and 48 may under certain
circumstances be constructed as a potentiometer, whereby the socket
32 and the plugs 33, 34, 35 and 36 become superfluous. The socket
32, which can be attached selectively to one of the plugs 33, 34,
35 and 36, is electrically connected to the housing of the buzzer
device 29. Furthermore, a resistor 50 is disposed parallel to the
buzzer device 29, the resistor 50 and a further resistor 49 being
connected in series across the mercury switch 39.
When a conductive path is established between the open ends of the
sensing electrodes 13, 15 and 14, 16, which occurs in the case of
unintentional urination by a patient who wears the hygienic device
according to the invention, the control connection of the thyristor
53 is connected to the positive battery voltage, whereby the
tyristor 53 is made operative and the buzzer device 29 is directly
connected to the battery voltage. Because the one end of a coil
disposed in the buzzer device 29 is connected to the housing of the
buzzer device 29, the stimulator electrode 12 is supplied thereby
through the push connection 32 and 33, or 32 and 34, or 32 and 35,
and the appropriate one of the resistors 46, 47 or 48 and the lead
22 with negative battery voltage. As mentioned above the stimulator
electrode 11 is continuously connected to the positive battery
voltage. Thereby approximately battery voltage is applied to the
stimulator electrodes 11 and 12. Because of the particular circuit
of the buzzer device 29, the relay of the buzzer device 29 is
alternately de-energized and is energized again after some time.
When the relay of the buzzer device 29 is de-energized the voltage
disappears from the stimulator electrode 12. As a result voltage
impulses occur at the stimulator electrode 12; the voltage impulses
at the stimulator electrode 12 can exceed considerably the
magnitude of the battery voltage because of the intermediate
incomplete collapse of the magnetic field in the relay coil. By
transferring the socket 32 to another one of the various plugs 33,
34 and 35 of the terminal strip 28, a resistor 46, 47 or 48 of
different magnitude may be inserted, so that thereby the magnitude
of the voltage impulses at the stimulator electrode 12 can be
pre-selected within a certain range. When the plug connection 32,
36 is established the stimulator electrode 12 is disconnected so
that unintentional urination is indicated only by the buzzer device
29.
In another embodiment of the invention illustrated by a dash-dotted
line in FIGS. 1 and 5, a switch 54 is disposed parallel to the
mercury switch 39. The switch 54 is manually closed when the
hygienic device is used during the day, that is to say when the
patient is in a sitting or vertical position. This switch is
connected to the hygienic device by means of sockets and plugs, and
when it is closed it overrides the function of the mercury switch
39 and provides for switching the device on and off in a manual
manner.
* * * * *