BME.03 – Designing a Smart Diaper

• Emmanuel Acheampong
• Uurtuya Altangerel
• Breanne Frausto
• Orla Joy

Urine output is an important vital sign for determining a patient’s ability to maintain homeostasis and changes in urine output are important to monitor in patients suffering from a variety of illnesses or injuries. Approximately 87,000 infants each year experience either acute or chronic illness; where accurate measurement of urine output at home is important but difficult to achieve. Therefore, there is a need for a method to accurately measure infant urinary output in the home environment. Our solution needs to measure 50 cc of urine with a 10% accuracy rate (± 5cc) which correlates to the average urine output of a 10 kg infant. Our design is an insert for a diaper that uses a series of open circuits to calculate the soiled area of the insert and volume absorbed. As urine is absorbed the circuits placed in the insert will close due to the conductivity of urine. The soiled area will be calculated based on the soiled area detected. To validate our design, we performed validation testing using an infusion pump to deliver 50cc of saline solution over a two hour period. Results that fell within the 10% accuracy rating for the 50cc measurement testing were accepted, and all others were rejected. This solution will allow caregivers to accurately track infant urinary output at home so that clinicians can properly monitor and treat patients with renal, urological, or cardiac conditions.