RAZOR WITH CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SENSOR
A razor has an electrochemical sensor for sensing various characteristics, such as biological, chemical, temperature, humidity, and pressure. The electrochemical sensor is positioned within a razor head of the razor, but may be attached to and enclosed in the razor head housing or attached to a razor blade of the razor. The electrochemical sensor may be positioned at different locations within the housing and on the razor blades. The electrochemical sensor may be positioned such that a sensing surface is exposed to a shaving surface of a patient. The razor may also have various electrical components for processing signals generated by the electrochemical sensor and determining the presence or concentration of a chemical or biological marker. The data associated with the signals may be displayed, transmitted to a separate computing device, or stored in a memory.
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This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/428,826 filed Dec. 30, 2010, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a razor with a sensor for detecting various chemicals and biological materials during shaving.
2. Description of the Related Art
Despite many technological advances in medical care and treatment, many tests, such as testing for cancer cells or cardiac markers in blood samples and biological tests, may require a waiting time of several days to weeks to receive results. If the test is for something more serious, such as, cancer cells, a patient may become increasingly anxious and nervous waiting for the results. These feelings of anxiousness and nervousness may be compounded, for example, if the test has to be administered again due to indeterminate results or if the lab administering the test contaminates the sample.
Waiting for days to weeks for test results is not limited to an out-patient scenario. Before, or even during a surgery, a patient may need to undergo various tests to assess risks associated with the surgery. For example, before administering anesthesia a variety of physical and blood tests are required. These additional tests are usually not scheduled on the same day as the surgery, inconveniencing the patient, who may need to make several appointments that interrupt daily life.
Furthermore, medical devices capable of delivering results during a patient visit to a clinic are limited in the tests that can be performed. The cost of providing test equipment capable of performing the tests needed for a wide range of conditions is prohibitive for implementing at many locations. For example, a general practice clinic does not have the money, space, or resources to have many different types of medical testing equipment. The only alternative today is to take samples from the patient and send them to a laboratory for testing. This also consumes additional time and resources.
BRIEF SUMMARYA solution to providing rapid test results shortly after a sample of biological material is taken is described in the present disclosure. A razor with an embedded biological sensor, such as electrochemical, photochemical, or the like for detecting various chemicals, biological markers, temperature, etc. may be used during certain medical procedures to detect a variety of chemicals and biological markers soon after the sample is taken during shaving.
The razor has a plurality of razor blades. The sensor is attached to one of the razor blades or positioned inside the head, adjacent to the razor blade. The sensor may alternatively be attached to an outside surface of the razor head of the razor. The sensor generates signals when biological material passes over the sensing surface. These signals are sent to various electrical components for processing, which may include an analog-to-digital converter, a potentiostat, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor processes the signals to determine the presence or concentration of a chemical or biological marker. The data associated with the signals may be displayed on a display, stored in a memory, or transmitted to a separate computing device.
The sensor may be positioned in various locations in the razor. The sensor may be enclosed in the razor head and not attached to a razor blade, such as located above the blades or on the lotion comfort strip. The sensor may also be attached to a razor blade of the razor head. The sensor may be attached to only one razor blade so that the surface opposite the sensing surface is attached to the razor blade. The sensor may alternatively be attached to more than one razor blade so that the sensing surface faces the shaving edges of the razor blades. If the sensor is attached to more than one razor blade, the sensor may be positioned so the sensing surface makes contact with the shaving surface of the patient. The sensor may also be positioned further back from the shaving surface of the patient but still in close enough proximity so the sensing surface is exposed to biological material.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and methods of forming the structures associated with the semiconductor package have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the descriptions of the aspects of the present disclosure.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising,” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.”
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more aspects of the present disclosure.
In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar features or elements. The size and relative positions of features in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The sensor 26 is a biological sensor that can be configured to detect various types of biological samples. The sensor may be a biochemical sensor, an optical sensor, or other sensor that detects the status of biological material. The biological material sensed may include chemical molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc., but may also include biological organic compounds, such as blood sugar, cardiac markers, cancer markers, hormones, antibodies, virus RNA, etc. By way of example, the sensor 26 may be configured to detect an oxygen level in a patient who is being prepared for a medical procedure. The patient may need to have electrodes attached to a part of the body that may have hair growing out of it. The electrodes will be used to monitor various biological functions, such as heart rate. The electrodes are typically attached to the patient's bare skin, therefore the patient's chest will be shaved. The two-blade razor 20 may be used to remove the hair and also output data about the condition of the patient that is current as of just prior to the medical procedure.
In addition to removing hair so the electrodes may be attached to the patient's bare skin, various biological information will be simultaneously obtained. As the razor blades 24 of the two-blade razor 20 remove hair, small layers of skin and other biological material, including minute blood droplets are also removed from the body. The hair, skin, and blood droplets come into contact with the sensor 26 which generates signals indicative of chemical reactions from the oxygen in the blood droplets, the temperature of the biological material, pressure indicative that material is present on the sensor, such as when a hair presses against the sensor 26, etc.
The signals generated at the sensor 26 are carried through to other electrical components for processing and identification. For example, the generated signals are carried from electrodes 47 in the sensor 26 to an analog-to-digital (“ND”) converter 48 that transforms the received signals into digital data. (See
The digital signals output from the A/D converter are subsequently processed by a microprocessor 50 that is designed to determine what type and concentration of chemical is being sensed based on the generated signals. The microprocessor 50 may then output the determination results to an output device, such as an Input/Output (I/O) slot 30, a communication module 31, and a display 32.
The sensor 26 shown in
The specific details of the types of electrochemical sensors that can detect and output electrical signals based on chemicals in the skin and blood of a patient are disclosed in co-pending applications Ser. No. 13/016,086 filed Jan. 28, 2011; Ser. No. 13/170,058 filed Jun. 27, 2011 and Ser. No. 13/176,599 filed Jul. 5, 2011. The electrodes 47 can be any type of sensing electrodes, such as electromechanical, electro optical, photo detectors, electrochemical or other combinations which output an electrical signal representative of a sensed biological parameter. The electrodes 47 may include a potentiostat on the same substrate and other membranes, layers or materials to assist in sensing the target parameter and converting it into an electrical signal. As previously noted, many sensor electrodes are known in the art which contain various membranes that absorb a chemical element, compound, biological sample or other molecule and convert the sensing of the presence of the molecule into an electrical signal. Electrodes are also known that emit light at certain frequencies and then sense changes in the light after it passes through the human tissue. Many such electrodes are known in the art today for sensing various gases such as O2, CO2, CO, and N2, as well as for biological samples such as cardiac markers, blood glucose, blood alcohol iron in the blood, blood oxygen levels and the like.
Additional types of electrodes with membranes are now being developed and will be developed in the future in many different laboratories for even more extensive biological sensing such as for various cancer markers, including specific types of cancer, genetic variations, liver disease, kidney function, flu, malaria, e coli, and various other biological functions. Any of these biological sensors and electrodes that are developed in the future can be used for the electrodes 47 of the present invention.
The results of the microprocessor are transmitted from the sensor 26 to the output circuits 100 within a razor handle 28 to which the razor head 22 is attached. The razor handle 28 may comprise any of the Input/Output (I/O) slot 30, the communication module 31, and the display 32 for receiving data from the sensor 26, all of which are examples of output circuits. The I/O slot 30 is configured to receive electronic cards, such as a SIM card, a memory card, a connection to a computer or the like for reading from and writing to the processor 50. For example, data from the sensor 26 may be stored on a memory card inserted into the I/O slot 30 or downloads to a computer with a USB-type connection.
The communication module 31 is configured to wirelessly communicate the data from the sensor 26 to a separate computing device (not shown). The display 32 is configured to show various indicators, such as that a sufficient sample of biological material has been obtained at the sensor 26, then after a short time, output results from the sensor 26. It may also display battery power level, free space in the memory, that data has been sent to a computer, and other system functions.
In some embodiments, the display 32 may show the results of the test, such as the blood glucose level. In other embodiments, the test results are too complicated to show on a single screen. In such cases, the razor 20 will be coupled to a computer via I/O slot 30 or via the communication module 31 following the collection of data by shaving. The data will be downloaded to a computer which will further analyze the data and output it to a physician for a diagnosis or other medical treatment.
The razor handle 28 also has an on/off button 34, a reset button 36, and a battery 38. The on/off button 34 turns the two-blade razor 20 on and off. The reset button 36 is used to reset the display 32 and trigger a new sensing operation for the sensor 26. The battery 38 supplies power to the two-blade razor 20 and may be a permanent battery or a replaceable battery, depending on whether the two-blade razor 20 is a one-time use or multiple use razor. The sensor 26 is coupled to the I/O slot 30, the communication module 31, the display 32, the on/off button 34, the reset button 36, and the battery 38 within the razor handle 28.
In addition, in the embodiment of
In an alternative embodiment as shown in
According to another alternative embodiment, the electrodes 47 shown in
The electrodes 47 shown in
The electrodes 47 are coupled to the electrical components 48, 50 through wires affixed to the razor blade 24 to which the electrodes 47 are attached. The electrical components 48, 50 are housed within an end of the razor head 46 and may further be coupled to the communication component 31, the I/O slot 30, the display 32, the on/off button 34, the reset button 36, and the battery 38.
In an alternative embodiment, the electrodes 47 are formed of a semiconductor die integrating the sensing electrodes, the A/D converter 48 and the potentiostat. The integrated electrodes 47 are connected to the microprocessor 50 and may be positioned within the razor head 46 or in the handle. Integrating the ND converter 48 and the potentiostat on the same semiconductor die as the electrodes permits the output signal to be in digital form. This reduces noise introduced into the signals during transmission to the processor 50. The output of the chip is therefore a digital signal to the microprocessor 50 and is more immune to noise.
According to the embodiment shown in
The embodiments shown in
As another example, the three-blade razor 20 of
The insulated wires 68 provide the power source, ground, and data lines to and from the sensor 26. In an alternative embodiment, the insulated wires 68 provide the power source and the data lines, but the razor blade to which the sensor 26 is attached provides a ground for the sensor 26. A metal grounding pad (not shown) formed on the underside of the sensor 26 makes contact with the razor blade and is used to ground the sensor 26 to the razor blade.
The sensor 26 shown in
Positioning the sensor 26 nearer the cutting edges of the razor blades 24 allows biological material to more easily come into contact with the sensor 26 and is more easily rinsed clean.
In the embodiment of
The embodiment shown in
In one aspect, varying the spacing and positioning of the razor blades may depend on the placement of the sensor 26. For example, if the sensor 26 is positioned on the underside of the middle razor blade as shown in
In one embodiment, one or more of the razor blades 24 will be projecting more than normally would be used in a standard shaving head on commercial razor blades. Generally, on a commercial razor blade, the blades 24 are recessed slightly as compared to the sidewalls of the head an amount designed to cut the hair but not so close as to actually cut layers of the skin or cut the person being shaved. The razor blade projections of the present invention may be slightly modified, since the goal is to shave sufficiently close to ensure that some skin is scraped by the razor blade 24 and that sufficient scraping is done to slightly rub the skin and remove small amounts of blood. Accordingly, one of the razor blades, such as the middle blade or the topmost blade, may be projecting a small additional amount, such as a quarter or a tenth of a millimeter more than would be standard in a razor blade. As the first razor blade passes over the skin, all the hair is cut and the skin is wiped clean of shaving cream and other debris. As the second blade 24 passes over the skin it projects slightly further than the other blade and may cut into one of the upper layers of skin to ensure that some skin cells as well as some blood is removed from the biological sample. In normal razor used daily, the razor blades 24 are set back sufficiently far to avoid frequent skin irritation and cutting of the upper layers of skin so that razor rash and skin burn are avoided when shaving every day, but since the razor 20 will be used only once per patient on a single doctor visit, razor burn from repeated close shaving is not a concern. Accordingly, the razor blades 24 may be adjusted to shave extra close to ensure that a few skin cells having blood therein, or some small flecks of blood, are obtained by the razor 20.
To the user, the razor blade will not be perceived as cutting the skin or as removing blood. Rather, it will be perceived as an extra close shave. Because the sensor 26 has the electrodes 47 and all the components integrated closely adjacent to each other, incredibly small samples, such as a few molecules of blood, a few skin cells or a micro liter of biological material will be sufficient in order to carry out the desired tests. Even in standard shaving, small amounts of skin and flecks of blood are removed from the body and enter the razor. If such amounts of biological material are deemed sufficient for the tests to be performed by the sensor 26, then a standard razor blade placement for blades 24 can be used. If the parameters being tested by the sensor 26 require more aggressive sampling, then one or more of the blades 24 can be slightly advanced to project just slightly farther from the housing in order to ensure removal of some cells from the upper layer of skin and ensure that sufficient samples are obtained.
A razor blade 20 according to the embodiments herein has the advantage that it can be used in a number of settings. In a first embodiment, it can be used in a doctor's office by a nurse or other clinical technician as they collect data prior to the interview with the physician. Alternatively, it may be used in a hospital just prior to surgery in order to collect final data prior to applying anesthesia to the patient and carrying out other medical procedures. In one preferred embodiment, the razor is provided to individual people in their homes and the patient performs the shaving using the razor in the home. The patient may then look at the display 32 to see the output. In addition, the patient may link the razor to their home computer using communication link 31 via wireless connection or via a cord coupled to their computer through the I/O slot 30. The computer contains a software program to download the data from the razor and transmit it to the physician's office for further analysis and for storage. In addition, the software may be installed on the computer that performs a detailed analysis of the data having been collected by the razor and provides an output to the patient immediately on the computer screen providing some of the results of the tests which have just been carried out. The data can be stored in the computer locally and compared against similar tests carried out on subsequent days so that a long-term record is kept of the patient's health status including such features as daily blood glucose tests, the time of day that the test was taken and other features which may be important for long-term monitoring and testing. The data record can be stored locally at the computer or, at any time, the entire data file can be transferred to the physician's office for analysis by a professional doctor.
When carrying out the shaving, the skin can be prepared by any acceptable technique according to those preferred by the patient. For example, standard shaving cream can be used of a type commonly available. Alternatively, a lubrication layer, such as soap, lotion, gel or other layer can be applied to the skin in order to provide more comfort when performing the shaving. Alternatively, the bare skin can be shaved without the application of any kind of lubrication. Normally, shaving without a lubricant such as a gel, or a cream results in razor burn and more irritation to the skin. However, in this particular invention, some slight irritation to the skin is acceptable, and for some tests may even be desirable. One of the goals of the razor is to dislodge skin cells, blood cells and other biological material from the skin surface of the user. Accordingly, for some tests shaving the area without the application of lubrication will result in collection of more data samples. It will also ensure the material collected is more likely to be biological material rather than contain extraneous matter such as cream or gel. Thus, shaving without the application of any cream or gel is advantageous in some embodiments since the electrodes are more likely to receiver actual biological matter directly thereon rather than the lubricant.
Of course, any location of the patient can be shaved. For most tests, however, certain areas might be more desirable for shaving than other depending on the test to be carried out. For example, it may be acceptable to shave the back of the hand, the leg or an inconspicuous location such as the middle of the back for a number of tests to be carried out. In other tests, a specific part of the body may be more desirable to be shaved to increase the collection of the biological matter of most interest. For example, if a test is being performed of skin cancer or mole then it is appropriate to shave that area which is suspected of having the skin cancer thereon and which may have a higher likelihood of containing certain cancer markers. In addition, some areas of the skin are known to be particularly thin, such as the inner thigh, and therefore shaving areas at the inner thigh aids in more easy collection of deeper layers of skin and also blood cells and in some instances additional fat cells. Thus, depending on the test to be carried out, there may be specific parts of the body on which the shaving is preferred to be carried out.
According to one method of carrying out the present invention, the location on the patient's skin to be shaved is washed and dried. It may be washed with sterile or medically pure water to ensure that no chemicals in the water affect the samples to be collected. Usually, tap water will not include blood or skin cells, therefore, if the test being performed is for markers in the blood, such as cardiac markers or cancer markers, washing with standard tap water is acceptable, but if the test is for bacterial or certain chemicals, washing with sterile water is preferred.
After the area is washed and confirmed clean, the razor 20 containing the sensor 26 is passed over the skin in a normal manner of shaving, cutting the hair and removing some biological samples from the patient. The display 30 will indicate if sufficient biological material has been collected to permit testing to occur. If enough data is collected, the test will then be carried out; if there is not enough material collected, the display will show an indication to carry out the step of shaving again with the same razor. This is repeated until a valid sample is obtained. Once sufficient material is collected, the sensor 26, in combination with the processor 50 conducts the tests and outputs the results. The results will be output to an appropriate source based on the test being carried. For example, a blood glucose test will show the results on the display 30. Similarly, a test for blood alcohol levels, vitamin levels, (such as vitamin B in an older patient), other medical maintenance test will be shown on the display 30. Tests of a sensitive or confidential nature will not be displayed on the display 30. For example, tests for certain cancers, cardiac markers, diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, swine flu and the like will normally have the results transmitted to a computer and then to the physician for further study and consultation with the patient rather than show the results directly on the display 30. Transmitting the results rather than immediately display them is done to permit proper medical counseling, for privacy issues, and, if needed, a second set of tests.
Because the razor blades 24 are staggered and the head swivels, the sensor 26 is positioned at an angle that is parallel to the shaving plane of the razor head 42 and will directly abut the skin. For some tests, it is desirable for the sensor 26 to be in physical contact with the skin surface being sensed. In the embodiment shown in
One of the ports 62 of
In the embodiment shown in
A first pad 82 and a second pad 84 also comprise the three-blade razor head 76. The first pad 82 may be made of a material that stretches the skin to better grip and shave the hairs. The first pad 82 also removes a portion of shaving cream or lotion on the skin to reduce the amount of non-biological material that may make contact with the sensor 26. The second pad 84 may be made of a lubricant or moisturizing material that coats a shaved surface as the three-blade razor head 76 moves down the shaved surface.
The middle razor blade shown in
A four-blade razor head 86 embodiment is shown in
Instead of a sensor positioned in between the razor blade supports 81 as shown in
To use the four-blade razor head 86, after the conventional razor blades 78 have shaved an area of skin, the four-blade razor 86 may be pivoted or rotated so that the razor blade 90 faces the shaved portion. As the razor blade 90 is moved across the surface of the skin, additional biological material, such as any remaining hair, skin, and small particles of blood may be cut and carried to the sensor 88 by the razor blade 90 and the pad 92. Because the surface of the skin has already been shaved, less non-biological material is present, such as shaving cream, which permits remaining or newly cut biological material to be exposed to the surface of the sensor 88. The sensor 88 generates signals from the electrodes and sends the signals to the electrical components within the razor handle 28.
A razor can be made using any of the various combinations as described herein. For example, embodiments of
Each razor blade head 42 may have custom sensors placed thereon depending on the test to be carried out. For example, the physician carrying out the testing may have a variety of razor blade heads provided depending on the test to be conducted. For example, one set of razor heads can be specifically designed for detecting various cancer markers. Another razor blade head can be designed for testing blood glucose levels, while other razor heads may be custom designed for testing blood alcohol levels, cardiac markers, or other appropriate biological tests, respectively. A common handle having a microprocessor 50 with all of the possible tests to be carried out stored therein may be provided in the handle 28. The processor will be capable of managing hundreds of different types of biological tests, sorting the data, and storing it appropriately. Accordingly, a single processor may be used with multiple different types of razor shaving heads, each having custom sensors located therein.
The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent application, foreign patents, foreign patent application and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, application and publications to provide yet further embodiments.
These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
Claims
1. A handheld razor comprising:
- a handle;
- a razor blade housing coupled to the handle and having a razor blade therein; and
- a biological sensor positioned adjacent to the razor blade and within the razor blade housing.
2. The handheld razor of claim 1, further comprising:
- a microprocessor located within the handle and electrically coupled to the sensor.
3. The handheld razor of claim 1, further comprising:
- a communication port located within the handle and configured to transmit data at the biological sensor to a microprocessor outside of the sensor.
4. The handheld razor of claim 1, further comprising:
- a display positioned on the handle and configured to display alphanumeric values of signals generated by the biological sensor.
5. The handheld razor of claim 1, further comprising:
- a card slot located within the handle and configured to receive memory cards and store data on the memory cards.
6. The handheld razor of claim 1, wherein the biological sensor is attached to the razor blade.
7. The handheld razor of claim 6, wherein a sensing surface of the biological sensor is exposed to the ambient environment directly adjacent a cutting edge of the razor blade.
8. An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of razor blades within the housing; and
- a biological sensor positioned posterior of at least one of the razor blades relative to a direction of shaving.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the biological is an electrochemical sensor that is enclosed within the razor blade housing.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the biological sensor includes at least two sensing elements, one of which is photo emitter and one of which is a photo detector.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electrochemical sensor is positioned near the shaving edge of the razor blade and a sensing surface of the electrochemical sensor is exposed to the ambient environment.
12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a bottom surface of the electrochemical sensor is attached to the razor blade and the top surface of the electrochemical sensor is attached to another razor blade of the razor blade housing.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
- a biological matter guide attached to an additional razor blade of the razor blade housing, the additional razor blade positioned below the razor blade; and
- a pad configured to remove material from a surface shaved by the razor.
14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the razor blade is attached to a top portion of the razor blade housing and positioned separately from any other razors of the razor blade housing.
15. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the electrochemical sensor is positioned behind a shaving edge of the razor blade.
16. A razor blade assembly comprising:
- a shaving edge;
- a surface adjacent to the shaving edge; and
- an electrochemical sensor attached to the surface of the razor blade.
17. The razor blade of claim 16, wherein the electrochemical sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements configured to sense a plurality of characteristics.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 26, 2011
Publication Date: Jul 5, 2012
Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS PTE. LTD. (Singapore)
Inventors: Suman Cherian (Singapore), Olivier Le Neel (Singapore)
Application Number: 13/191,331