Patent ID: 7387619
Filing Date: 2008-06-17
Classification: A61F,A61G

Abstract:
1. A capacitance-coupled sensor configured to detect the presence or absence of a substance, comprising: a sensor unit having a transmission electrode, a reception electrode capacitively couplable to said transmission electrode, and a shielding electrode interposed between said transmission electrode and said reception electrode for shielding the transmission electrode and the reception electrode from each other, a high-frequency oscillator interposed between said transmission electrode and said shielding electrode for applying a high-frequency voltage to said transmission electrode; a detector interposed between said reception electrode and said shielding electrode for converting a high-frequency voltage outputted from said reception electrode into a DC voltage; an excrement cup attachable to a patient for receiving at least excrement of said patient; and a stool discharge passage for discharging at least stool from said excrement cup with an in-cup opening which opens upward in said excrement cup, wherein said sensor unit is placed across said in-cup opening so that stool excreted by said patient can be received by the sensor unit and said stool on said sensor unit is passed through said sensor unit when said stool discharge passage is subjected to suction, and wherein said sensor unit is constituted of a plurality of conductive wires divided into first to third groups each having a plurality of conductive wires, said plurality of conductive wires including at least three conductive wires extending in parallel to each other at small intervals as a whole, a plurality of conductive wires in said first group serving as a plurality of transmission electrodes, a plurality of conductive wires in said second group serving as a plurality of reception electrodes, and a plurality of conductive wires in said third group serving as a plurality of shielding electrodes, said conductive wires serving as shielding electrodes being arranged between each of conductive wires serving as transmission electrodes and each of said conductive wires serving as reception electrodes, said conductive wires serving as transmission electrodes being electrically connected with each other at one end, said conductive wires serving as said reception electrodes being electrically connected with each other at one end, and said conductive wires serving as shielding electrodes being electrically connected with each other at one end an excrement cup attachable to a patient for receiving at least excrement of said patient.