Abstract:
A condition management system monitors a variety of biological and environmental conditions. Information collected with respect to conditions monitored are processed to create an information hierarchy that controls the operation of various alert devices. Important or critical conditions take precedent over less critical conditions both in terms of the nature of the alert and the processing order.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/492,547 filed on Aug. 5, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for monitoring and detecting conditions and more particularly to managing the information obtained from such condition monitoring and detecting.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is becoming increasingly important to be able to accurately monitor the status of a variety of conditions for both people and objects, as well as being able to access and use the information collected in a variety of ways both local and distant from the source of the monitored condition. For example, it is estimated that one third to one half of all nursing home residents are incontinent. Incontinence problems are often neglected, unchecked or otherwise mismanaged by healthcare personnel, thereby causing discomfort and unpleasantness for the patients which often creates further health complications. As an example, many residents suffer from pressure sores (decubitus ulcers) that occur as a result of unrelieved pressure on the skin due to lack of movement. These decubitus ulcers are exacerbated by poorly managed incontinence problems, i.e., failure to change a patient&#39;s diaper or bedding when wet.  
         [0004]     The problems in nursing homes and other managed care facilities are not limited to incontinence management. A state of crisis has been recognized in the U.S. among nursing homes, largely attributed to shortages in qualified caregivers. Common problems in care received by patients include, in addition to incontinence, malnutrition, dehydration, irregular and incorrect administration of medication, patients wandering outside of their rooms and abuse of patients by healthcare workers. The poor care received in these institutions is often most frustrating for the patients&#39; loved ones, who often cannot regularly monitor the level of care their friend or family member is receiving.  
         [0005]     Furthermore, the problems associated with monitoring individuals are not limited to nursing homes or health care facilities. They also extend to daycare facilities, nurseries, schools, and even individual homes. When the care of infants or children is involved, problems may arise ranging from a child who wanders unnoticed from their room to an infant who stops breathing while they are supposedly asleep.  
         [0006]     Additionally, there is a growing need to monitor objects or locations as well as individuals. Improper storage and handling of food products may result in sickness or even death of people who eat such food. The fact that improper handling or storage had occurred is often difficult or impossible to determine. If a shopper placed a package of meat on a shelf in another area of a store, a store employee may merely return that package to the meat case without knowing how long the meat had gone unrefrigerated. Another shopper could easily purchase that meat package, never knowing that it had been left unrefrigerated for a potentially lengthy, and unhealthy, length of time.  
         [0007]     It would be desirable to have a system to manage and monitor the conditions of objects and individuals, as well as their environment, and to utilize the information collected to perform functions or alert a responsible party in order to reduce problems that could otherwise become severe if not for the intervention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for monitoring and detecting the status and/or change of a condition applicable to an object or to an individual. The information collected that relates to the status or change of the condition is managed to provide an appropriate response or remedy to any problems or difficulties that may be detected.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING  
       [0009]     The above-mentioned and other advantages of the present invention, and the manner of obtaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of one embodiment of a condition monitoring system in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a garment having a wetness sensor in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the garment depicted in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective diagrammatic view of a practical application of one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a sensor in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of a mattress in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic view illustrating signal flow for a condition monitoring and management system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic view illustrating signal flow for the condition monitoring system shown in  FIG. 7 , applied to multiple locations.  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of one application in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic view of a condition monitoring and management system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of an individual wearing sensors in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 12  is a diagrammatic view illustrating multiple features and capabilities of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 13  is an exploded diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the present invention related to monitoring of packaged food items. 
     
    
       [0023]     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     The embodiments of the present invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present invention.  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown one embodiment of a system  20  of the present invention where system  20  is used for detecting and signaling that a person has become incontinent. System  20  illustratively is shown to include a wet cell battery  22 , which further includes, in the example of  FIG. 1 , an anode  24 , a cathode  26  and an absorbent material, such as membrane  28 , disposed therebetween. In one application, battery  22  may be incorporated into a garment, such as a diaper, for example, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and as described in more detail below. Membrane  28  is preferably impregnated with a salt, such as NaCl. In operation, when battery  22  becomes wet with urine, the salt in membrane  28  disassociates into positive and negative ions, allowing electrons to travel from the cathode back to the anode, thereby creating a current flow. In this way battery  22  acts as a wetness or incontinence detector. Wet cell batteries are well-known in the art and their operation need not be described in further detail herein. Technology is also available to manufacture paper batteries, as well as paper antennas, with conductive ink, thereby further simplifying the manufacture of the components of system  20 .  
         [0026]     In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , anode  24  and cathode  26  may be made from thin foil of suitable dimension, and membrane  28  may be made from cotton cloth, cellulose fibers, non-woven polyethylene or polypropylene, or some other porous, conductive or non-conductive membrane. Anode  24  and cathode  26  may also be made from aluminum, steel, copper, composites of these and other materials suitable.  
         [0027]     In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , membrane  28  is impregnated with potassium chloride and sodium chloride in trace amounts, and the assembly of battery  22  is accomplished through a laminated assembly process.  
         [0028]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , current  32  (identified by arrow i) powers annunciation device  34  that is made up of a base or first member  36  through which the current passes, and a second or attachment member  38  that incorporates a speaker  40  which produces an acoustic signal schematically illustrated by sound rings  42 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , device  34  is illustratively made in a combination of hand and automatic assembly and made available by SMT Sales, Inc., 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, N.Y. 14865 U.S.A. Device  34  may, for example, include a semiconductor timer, such as that identified by the designation LM555 (available from National Semiconductor), which can be used to measure the degree of wetness based on the timer output frequency.  
         [0029]     While device  34  is shown in the embodiment in  FIG. 1  as producing acoustic signal  42 , it would be readily recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that current  32  generated by battery  22  could be used to power a wide variety of signal producing devices, including but not limited to, radio frequency transmitters, light bulbs, light emitting diodes  
         [0030]     (LEDs), infrared transmitters, electromagnetic devices and the like. If device  34  is configured to produce an acoustic signal, for example, an acoustic converter  44  is preferably positioned a distance D 1  from device  34 . Distance D 1  will be chosen based on the volume of the acoustic signal produced by device  34 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , converter  44  is made in a combination of hand and automatic assembly and made available by SMT Sales, Inc., 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, N.Y. 14865 U.S.A. In one application, for example, converter  44  may be mounted to the bed of the patient wearing battery  22  and device  34 . The combination of battery  22  and device  34  are referred to herein as sensor  23 . Sensor  23  may be manufactured as part of a diaper and made disposable, e.g., with a paper battery and paper antenna, or it may be implemented in a reusable smart card that is inserted into a slot formed into the diaper during manufacture. The smart card could also store condition information for use at a later time.  
         [0031]     Converter  44  receives acoustic signal  42 , amplifies it and converts it to a radio signal  46  that is transmitted to transceiver  48 . The distance between converter  44  and transceiver  48 , shown in  FIG. 1  as D 2  Clearly, D 2  can be much greater than D 1 , as D 1  is limited by the signal volume or loudness of speaker  40  of device  34 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , transceiver  48  is made in a combination of hand and automatic assembly and made available by SMT Sales, Inc., 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, N.Y. 14865 U.S.A. It should also be appreciated that system  20  may be designed and constructed to eliminate device  34 , such that detection of wetness by battery  22  directly causes converter  44  to transmit a signal to transceiver  48 .  
         [0032]     In one application of the present invention, transceiver  48  may be located outside the room of a patient and mounted to a wall, for example. Transceiver  48  may be configured with one or more signal-producing devices, such as audible device  50  and/or light  52 . Transceiver  48  may also relay a signal to a base station  56 . In one embodiment, base station  56  is located at a health care facility nurse&#39;s station. Base station  56  may be configured to receive signals  54  from multiple transceivers, collectively designated as  48 , that are located within different patient rooms in the same facility, or from different facilities entirely.  
         [0033]     In another embodiment, base station  56  may be represented as a bracelet mounted, necklace mounted, belt mounted, or wall mounted device, any of which may incorporate a light bulb or buzzer, for example, to provide an immediate alert signal, or base  56  may contain electronic or computer memory storage for storing signals and data.  
         [0034]     Turning now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , battery  22  can be installed in a garment  58 , such as a diaper, absorbent pad, sleeping garment, bed pad, wound dressing or bandage. Mesh  60  is preferably selected from a material that will spread or wick urine or some other body fluid to battery  22 , thereby activating it. That is, until membrane  28  becomes wet, battery  22  does not generate a current. Many suitable materials for mesh  60  are known in the art, such as, but not limited to, polyester and natural fibrous materials. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , garment  58  is made of multiple layers of nonwoven, spunbond polyethylene and polypropylene, laminated to multiple layers of absorbent cellulosic material. Battery  22  is inserted within the mesh layers in a combination of hand and automatic assembly and made available by SMT Sales, Inc., 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, N.Y. 14865 U.S.A.  
         [0035]     Conditions other than wetness alone may also be monitored. A variety of testing apparatus or components may also be incorporated within sensor  23 . For example, the specific gravity of the urine may be measured to determine if the patient is dehydrated. Other measurements, such as urine pH, muscle contraction, and the amount of urine expelled, can be used to determine other health or body conditions. Other tests or measurement would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.  
         [0036]     With reference to  FIG. 4 , the benefits of system  20  are shown. Infant  62  in crib  64  is shown wearing a garment  66  having sensor  23 , as described above. Although  FIG. 4  shows an infant, system  20  is equally applicable to adults as well, with a bed being substituted for crib  64 . When infant  62  (or adult, as the case may be) urinates, battery  22  in sensor  23  generates a current, which in turn produces a signal  67 , e.g., acoustic or otherwise. Detector  68  (which corresponds in function to converter  44  in  FIG. 1 ) illustratively converts signal  67  received from sensor  23  to a radio frequency signal  69 , amplifies it, and transmits it to transceiver  48 . In turn, transceiver  48  relays a signal  54  to base  56 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 , base  56  may be a central station in a day care facility, for example. Base  56  may receive multiple signals  54  from multiple transceivers  48  that are located in different rooms of the facility, for example. An operator positioned at base  56  may dispatch a caregiver to perform some service, such as changing the diaper of infant  62 , when an appropriate signal  54  is received.  
         [0037]     Other conditions of infant  62 , or of the environment surrounding infant  62  can also be monitored, including blood pressure, respiration rate, body and room temperature, lighting, etc., as described in more detail below. As one example, a sensor  70  may monitor heartbeat. Sensor  70  may also be made available by SMT Sales, Inc., 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, N.Y. 14865 U.S.A. Sensor  70  may be configured to send a signal  71  to transceiver  48  when the infant&#39;s heartbeat stops or becomes irregular. Transceiver  48  thereafter transmits a signal  54  to base  56 . Advantageously, system  20  can be linked to a communications network, for example, the internet as shown by reference numeral  72 . That is, information received by base  56  can be in turn transmitted to the internet, as signal  73  in  FIG. 4 , by conventional means, such as a computer or wireless device that may be incorporated in base  56 . If infant  62  is being watched at a day-care facility, the infant&#39;s parents could log on to a specific web site to check whether the infant&#39;s diapers are timely being changed. The parents could also check other vital signs that may be monitored, such as respiration, heart rate and body temperature. These capabilities are similarly advantageous for private residences, nursing homes and other facilities. Significantly, the invention provides a powerful tool for family members or others to determine the current state of health (e.g., fever, dehydration) as well as to ensure that their loved ones are receiving proper care.  
         [0038]     Turning to  FIG. 5 , a mattress  74  may be configured such that it produces a signal in response to a multiplicity of conditions, including, for example, the presence of blood, wetness due to incontinence, heart rate, respiration, body temperature, lack of movement, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 5 , mattress  74  is a typical bed mattress that has micro-filament conductive wires  75  interspersed throughout the surface of the mattress in variable patterns and in physical contact with multiple, dispersed microsensors  77 .  FIG. 5  shows a cotton textile overlay  79 , such as a typical fitted bed sheet, that has microfilaments  75  and sensors  77  sewn or screen printed onto textile sheet  79 . Each microfilament wire  75  uses the same principal condition detection method described with respect to  FIG. 1 . Signals indicative of the condition detected by the microsensors are conducted via microfilaments  75  to connectors  81  that are connected to transmitter  76  in either a detachable or permanently attached manner.  
         [0039]     In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 5 , transmitter  76  may be employed to power the sensors  77  in mattress  74 , or sensors  77  in mattress  74  may be “passive.”  FIG. 6  presents another example of a mattress  78  which includes multiple transducers (i.e., sensors)  80  disposed within a “smart pad”  82  placed on top of mattress  78 . Transducers  80  could be configured, for example, to detect movement, or lack thereof, in a bed. Further, transducers  80  may be configured to detect where specifically on the bed a patient is located or whether the patient is no longer in the bed. Transducers  80  may further be configured to generate a signal that is applied to annunciator  81  which in turn produces acoustic signal  84  to alert a caregiver that a particular condition has been detected. Transducers  80  may comprise a variety of different types of transducers for monitoring and detecting a variety of conditions. Annunciator  81  is therefore configured to receive signals from different types of transducers, and may be capable of determining to which condition a particular signal relates. In this way, annunciator  81  may generate different types of signals, e.g., light, bell, horn, depending upon the seriousness of the condition that is being monitored. For example, diaper wetness may cause annunciator  81  to initially turn on a light, while a sudden drop in heart rate or respiration may indicate a critically serious heath problem, such that annunciator  81  sounds a loud horn or buzzer. Annunciator  81  may also sound a buzzer or bell if a patient who has experienced diaper wetness is not attended to within a reasonable period of time following the light being lit. In this way, system  20  discriminates between signals based on their seriousness initially as well as any escalating seriousness that may result from lack of response given to earlier alert signals.  
         [0040]      FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate some of the capabilities of system  20  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a patient  86  in bed  87  of room  90  is wearing a garment with sensor S 1  (such as sensor  23  as shown in  FIG. 1 ). Upon occurrence of a condition (e.g., incontinence), sensor S 1  provides a signal to rt 1  (such as converter  44  as shown in  FIG. 1 ). In turn, rt 1  provides a signal to RT 1  (which corresponds to transceiver  48  as shown in  FIG. 1 ). Patient  88  and bed  89  are also located in room  90  and are similarly configured with sensor S 2 , converter rt 2  and transceiver RT 2 . An intermediate transceiver RT A  can be positioned outside room  90  as shown. RT A  can provide multiple functions, including producing a signal exterior to room  90  to alert an attendant or other passerby that there is a condition in room  90  that must be checked and attended; and transmitting data to a base station  56 . Signal flow for room  90  is represented in a flowchart on the right hand side of  FIG. 7 . As can be seen, transceiver RT A  acts as an information collector or hub, and may discriminate between the signals from RT 1  and RT 2  in order to process the signal indicating the most serious or critical condition vis-à-vis patients  86  and  88 .  
         [0041]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , information can be relayed among several rooms  91 ,  92  and  94 , each having one or more beds designated as  93  and configured to provide appropriate condition-identifying signals, to transceivers RT A , RT B  and RT C . Information may also be collected from each patient, or for each room, by attendant or caregiver  95  via a wrist or neck-worn base  56  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . Transceivers RT A , RT B  and RT C  ( . . . RT n ) can relay their signals to base station  56  serially (as shown) or directly. Base stations  56  may relay the information to internet  72  , as shown, via a telephone or cable modem, or via an acceptable wireless protocol, such as the Bluetooth wireless protocol administered by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Data is also received and stored by computer  96 , which in turn is connected to printer  98  that may be used to generate hard copy reports.  
         [0042]     The system of the present invention can also be used to help a caregiver, physician, pharmacist or nurse to administer aid to a patient. With reference to  FIG. 9 , an illustrative example shows a patient  104  being treated by a nurse  100 . Nurse  100  is equipped with a personal digital assistant (“PDA”)  102 . One type of PDA is manufactured by 3COM and sold under the Palm brand. Other suitable PDAs are mobile phones, cellular phones and pagers. PDA  102  is configured with a recognition system that confirms nurse  100  is treating the correct patient. One such recognition system may include a fingerprint recognition pad, a heartbeat identification receiver/scanner, or some other device that can accurately verify the identify of a patient. Patient  104  may also be configured with a bracelet  106 , or some other type of wearable device, which includes patient data and is capable of transmitting the same to PDA  102 . Nurse  100  may also wear a bracelet  108  that includes identification information about nurse  100  that may also be transferred to PDA  102 .  
         [0043]     Once PDA  102  reads or otherwise obtains information about patient  104 , either by means of bracelet  106  or by a recognition system such as those described, PDA  102  may provide instructions for nurse  100  to administer treatment such as medicine to patient  104 . PDA  102  may then prompt nurse  100  to confirm that the medicine has been administered, thereby creating a patient record.  
         [0044]      FIG. 10  illustrates how information such as that acquired from nurse  100  can be managed. As shown, patient data and treatment information stored on PDA  102  may be made available in real time on the internet, for example, to family members of the patient, or to the patient&#39;s physician or healthcare provider management or medical payor, such as a medical insurance company. As illustratively shown in  FIG. 10 , information from PDA  102  is transferred to base station  56 , which may upload that information to internet  72  directly, or through intermediate means, such as computer  101 . The information is then made available to authorized persons, as described above, via internet access device  103 , such as a computer, PDA, or cellular telephone, for example. Base station may also initiate a call to emergency medical personnel, or to a patient&#39;s family, should the status of a condition warrant it. For example, if an incontinent patient had not be changed for a long period of time, base station  56  could initiate a call to the patient&#39;s spouse or other family member informing them, perhaps through a computer-generated message, that their loved one was not receiving proper care.  
         [0045]     As made clear from  FIG. 11 , the present invention is not limited to the monitoring and management of any particular patient condition. As shown, many conditions can be monitored, such as blood pressure, brain activity, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiration, incontinence, body temperature, muscle activity, impact (indicating a fall has occurred), medication history, treatment history, and patient location, or environmental conditions, such as ambient or room temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide level, to name just a few.  FIG. 11  shows a representative patient  110  having a number of sensors, all designated  112 , located proximal to or in contact with his body. Sensors  112  communicate with devices such as converter  44  and transceiver  48  in order to provide the necessary patient condition data which is then processed in a manner that generates appropriate alert signals in an appropriate hierarchical order indicative of the degree of criticality of the status of the condition being monitored. One application could be to use system  20  as a conventional audible baby monitor along with an indictor, such as a light, to indicate some other condition, such as wetness. In this way, a parent or caregiver hearing a baby cry over the monitor would have additional information to determine the reason for crying.  
         [0046]      FIG. 12  provides a flowchart that illustrates through one example many of the features of the present invention and their relation to one another. The figure also illustrates data flow from the point of sensing of a condition to various data output devices. List  114   a  includes a number of possible conditions that may be monitored or measured by the system of the present invention. List  114   a  is not intended to be all inclusive, but only to act as representative examples of monitorable conditions. Typically each condition will be associated with a separate sensor, but some sensors may be sufficiently sophisticated or complex to monitor multiple conditions. Output signals from the sensors associated with list  114   a  are applied to processor  116 , which may include devices similar to converter  44  and transceiver  48 , or some other device or circuitry that performs similar functions. Other patients having their own associated lists, such as lists  114   b  and  114   c , for example, may also provide information to processor  116 . Verification of patient identity may be done by verifier  118  through fingerprint recognition or some other form of identity recognition. Caregiver or authorized person information, represented by lists  120   a  and  120   b , may also be verified by verifier  118 . Proper verification of patient and, in some cases, authorized persons, may be required by verifier  118  before processor  116  accepts information from the sensors associated with lists  114   a ,  114   b  or  114   c , or those persons associated with lists  120   a  or  120   b.    
         [0047]     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, processor  116  identifies and discriminates the items of information that are generated by the various sensors. The signal hierarchy, as described previously, may determine the type of alert that is activated, e.g., light, buzzer, horn, notification at nurses station, as well as any escalation of alert that may be needed due to a failure to timely respond to a lower level alert. The hierarchy may also be used to determine who has access to particular information. For example, information concerning room temperature may not be made available to the patient&#39;s family, but certainly body temperature or heart rate would most likely be made available. Processor  116  also determines the order in which signals should be processed from different patients and/or different rooms or locations. The information hierarchy created by processor  116  controls the operation of alert displays  122   a  and  122   b . The information from processor  116  may be transmitted or otherwise transferred to various devices, such as alert devices  122   a  and  122   b  (and possibly many other alert devices as well), by either wired or wireless means. Alert device  122   a  is shown as also incorporating wireless transmission means, which may be via cellular phone communications, or via the internet, for example, that communicates with receiver  124 . Receiver  124  may also receive information signals by hardwire means as well. Receiver  124  is illustratively shown as being connected to a printer  126  and an computer  128 , although connection to other devices, by wired or wireless means, is also contemplated.  
         [0048]     The examples given have primarily dealt with the monitoring of conditions related to infants, or to patients in health care facilities. Monitoring of individuals for other purposes is also contemplated by the present invention, such as the location of students within a school, locating a nursing home patient who wanders unnoticed out of a facility, aiding in finding abducted children or children who run away from home, or any number of other possible purposes.  
         [0049]     Existing technology that can be useful in implementing embodiments of the present invention is available from Westinghouse lighting Systems Division under the name Retrolux. This technology incorporates wireless communications technology associated with fluorescent lighting fixtures and bulbs that may be used to provide the necessary communications link for the devices in system  20  described herein. Outdoor alert signs or billboards may also be used in connection with this technology.  
         [0050]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, condition monitoring is not limited to conditions associated with individuals. Conditions of animals or objects may be monitored as well, with physical location and body conditions of animals in homes, zoos and in the wild being desirable.  FIG. 13  illustrates a monitoring system  130  which is used to monitor the condition of an object, for example, the quality of the environment in which the meat or other food is packaged. System  130  illustratively includes a selection or cut of meat  132  , e.g., steak or roast, conventionally packaged with a foam tray  134  and plastic overwrap  136 . Pad  138 , which may be used to control moisture within the package, is disposed between meat  132  and tray  134 . A sensor  140  is placed within the package and preferably in contact with meat  132 . Sensor  140  may also be incorporated within pad  138  for manufacturing purposes. Sensor  140  may be configured to monitor or measure one or more characteristics, such as, for example, current temperature, maximum temperature, moisture content, or bacterial count. Other characteristics may also be monitored as desired.  
         [0051]     Information from sensor  140  may be collected via known, conventional means, such as by rf tagging technology, visual inspection (e.g., sensor  140  may be visible through a transparent area of tray  134 ) that indicates a particular condition, or other means that cause sensor  140  and any associated circuitry to transmit or otherwise transfer information to a collection device. Such a collection device might take the form of a PDA, or a wrist-worn receiver. In  FIG. 13 , collection device is shown as PDA  142  incorporating wireless communication technology. Information collected by PDA  142  may be transmitted to a base station  144 , which may also collect information from a number of other PDAs, illustratively shown as PDA  142   n . PDA  142  and/or base station  144 , in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, processes the collected information and creates an information hierarchy that is used to generate alert signals that are applied to various alert systems. For example, an indication that a loaf of bread were hard or stale might generate a message to the department manager that stock should be replaced when convenient. An indication that high bacteria level were found in a package of meat could generate an alarm that required immediate action to remove that package before it was inadvertently purchased by a customer who might later become ill. Other examples of object monitoring will be apparent to one skilled in the art and are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure.  
         [0052]     While preferred embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention has been disclosed hereinabove, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.