The 21st Shanghai International Nonwovens Exhibition(SINCE)

More and more companies are developing sensors for baby and adult diapers.

In the last couple of years, the hygiene market has seen a spate of new products for adult and baby diapers that feature wearable sensor technology. These technologies alert caretakers of when a diaper needs to be changed, which can help prevent skin issues for the wearer, and even ultimately save time and money for healthcare institutions.

In the adult incontinence category, Australian company Simavita’s Smart Incontinence Management (SIM) technology is an automated system that helps facilities to create customized care plans, which can help reduce falls, UTIs, and skin issues while increasing quality of life and dignity for the aged, according to the company.

Simavita’s SIM pod is a wearable medical device that connects to Simavita’s SIM sensor, a single-use disposable device, which wirelessly transmits incontinence data to a server. The incontinence data collected is synchronized and processed with the incontinence-related observations that are recorded by staff via the SIM assist application. The SIM assist app is a software application that allows caregivers to take clear, unambiguous observations and integrate them directly into the incontinence assessment record.

Meanwhile, Danish company Abena, maker of Bamboo nature baby diapers, has developed a new intelligent diaper for the incontinence market. The Nova fuses the in-depth clinical expertise of incontinence and the experienced diaper manufacturing from Abena with the innovative wearable sensor technology of Silicon Valley-based MediSens Wireless.

Equipped with a unique digital sensor and wireless connection, Nova continuously registers changes in wetness levels of the continence product. This information is shared in real time with caregivers via the Nova App on their mobile devices.

Currently, Nova is part of a large trial with the second largest special needs healthcare provider in Netherlands, Philadelphia Zorg. The trial will take place over a six-month period among approximately 100 clients in multiple care facilities. Nova is expected to launch broadly in early 2018.

On the baby side, six fathers who worked for Samsung Electronics recently developed the Monit Sensor, which detects feces and urine in a baby’s diaper. Working with the company’s in-house developed algorithm, the product recognizes the baby’s diaper status through temperature, dampness and gas outside of the diaper—so the puck-sized sensor isn’t inside the diaper, nor does it touch baby’s skin. Unlike other smart diapers that are disposable, the Monit can be reused. The product is expected to be on the market in August.