Abstract: A sensor device for measuring levels of one or more stereoisomers in body fluids, for example lactate in sweat. The device includes a body fluid collection means and an optical measurement system. The measurement of the isomer levels is based on measuring an optical property of an incident light which is known to be modified in a reliable and reproducible way by intrinsic optical activity of at least one isomer within the sample. By measuring the optical property, an indication of concentration of at least one stereoisomer can be derived. For example, D- and L-lactate are enantiomers and the optical activity of each has the effect of changing a rotation angle of light polarization. It also has the effect of changing a central frequency of a spectral composition of the incident light. In each case a polarization state modification is applied to the light before or after application to the sample.

Abstract: Provided is a method (100) comprising providing (102) a nonblood bodily secretion sample having a concentration of an analyte. The analyte is separately detectable in blood. The method also comprises determining (104), independently of any measurement of said concentration, a measure of an absolute amount, in other words a total amount, of the analyte in the nonblood bodily secretion sample. Further provided is a sensing assembly for implementing the method, and a method for determining a correlation between such a measure of an absolute amount of the analyte in a nonblood bodily secretion sample and a blood concentration of the analyte in blood.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an apparatus for predicting a ballistic force on a subject, the apparatus comprising: a memory comprising instruction data representing a set of instructions; and a processor configured to communicate with the memory and to execute the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: model the body of the subject as a mechanical system comprising a plurality of masses joined by springs and dampers, wherein each of the masses represents a different region of the body of the subject, and predict the ballistic force on the subject, based on oscillations of the mechanical system.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a method comprising: receiving (402), from a sensor, first data indicative of a concentration of a first substance in sweat secreted from sweat glands of a subject; determining (404) a relationship between (i) a time of occurrence of a characteristic event in relation to the concentration of the first substance in sweat and (ii) a time of occurrence of the characteristic event in relation to the concentration of the first substance in blood; and determining (406), based on the relationship and the received first data, a time window regarding the intake of a second substance by the subject. Another aspect provides an apparatus for carrying out this method.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus (100) for transporting sweat droplets (112) to a sensor. The apparatus comprises a chamber (102) for filling with sweat. The chamber has an inlet (104) lying adjacent the surface of the skin (106), which inlet permits sweat to enter and fill the chamber. The chamber has an outlet (114) from which a sweat droplet protrudes once the chamber has been filled. The apparatus further comprises a fluid transport assembly which is designed to enable the sweat droplet protruding from the outlet to become detached from the outlet of the chamber. The sweat droplet is subsequently transported by the fluid transport assembly to the sensor. Once the protruding droplet has been released from the outlet, the outlet is made available for a subsequent sweat droplet to protrude therefrom upon further filling of the chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a system (300) for determining a sweat rate per gland and measuring biomarker concentration. The system comprises an apparatus and a sensor (166). The apparatus receives sweat from the skin and transports the sweat as discrete sweat droplets to the sensor. The sensor senses each of the counted sweat droplets. The system further comprises a processor which counts the number of sensed sweat droplets during a time period. The processor also determines time intervals between consecutive sensed sweat droplets, and receives a measure of the volume of each of the counted sweat droplets. The time intervals and the measure of the volume are then used by the processor to identify sweat burst and rest periods of the sweat gland or glands producing the sweat. This identification process necessarily involves assigning the sweat burst and rest periods to the sweat gland or glands, such that the processor is permitted to determine the number of sweat glands involved in producing the sweat.

Abstract: A wearable patch system comprises a sensor (14) for measuring at least one sweat parameter, and a controller (16) for indicating the need to replace the patch. The controller is configured to receive the at least one sweat parameter and compare the at least one sweat parameter to a first threshold. The controller is also configured to determine the replacement information based on the total amount of time during which the at least one sweat parameter exceeds the first threshold; and/or a value indicative of the at least one sweat parameter in respect of the total amount of time during which the at least one sweat parameter exceeds the first threshold. The controller is further configured to output an indication that the wearable patch needs (12) replacing based on the replacement information.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a system (10) comprising a sweat stimulation device (100) for stimulating sweat generation from sweat glands of a subject, the device comprising: a stimulation element (102) configured to provide modulated stimulation between two non-zero states to the sweat glands through the skin of the subject; and a sensor (104) for measuring data indicative of a characteristic of sweat generated by the sweat glands in response to the stimulation; and a processor (110) configured to receive the measured data from the sensor; compare the measured data with a threshold value; and responsive to determining that the measured data meets or exceeds the threshold value, generate an alert signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to body fluid monitoring. It is proposed to incorporate a reagent-free calibration method into a patch or wearable. The method comprises capturing molecules of interest, i.e. calibration molecules inside the bioliquid of the patient, and release them when needed for calibration. This eliminates the need for onboard reagent storage. Because the calibration is done in the same bioliquid, any matrix effects are corrected for.

Abstract: The present invention relates to devices and methods for uptaking and analyzing sweat from a skin of a user. In particular, it is proposed to provide a variability in the size of the sweat sensor inlets (102, 103, 104), which can be used for improving the determination of sweat parameters like for example determining the number of active sweat glands The variability in the size of the inlets (102, 103, 104) with which the sweat sensor (100) uptakes the sweat from the user's skin (111) can be achieved by having either plurality of inlets wherein at least some of them have different opening sizes and to use the differently sized inlets based in different situations. Alternatively, one or more inlets may have openings with variable cross-sectional area, like e.g. an adjustable diameter of their opening, and also a combination of these two alternatives is of course possible.

Abstract: A sweat sensing system comprises a mesh for location over a sweat surface on which sweat is formed or collected, and a vibration system for vibrating the mesh to nebulize sweat droplets. The nebulized sweat droplets are condensed on a sensing surface, and a sweat sensor performs biomarker sensing of the sweat at the sensing surface.

Abstract: There is provided a wearable device for quantitatively detecting a biomarker in a sweat sample obtained from the skin of a subject. The wearable device comprises a microfluidic network. The microfluidic network comprises a reservoir filled with a carrier fluid containing a predetermined amount of a marker; a sample collection chamber disposed downstream from the reservoir and adapted to contact the skin of the subject and collect a sweat sample; a first sensor disposed downstream from the sample collection chamber and adapted to detect the marker; and a second sensor disposed downstream from the first sensor and adapted to detect the biomarker.

Abstract: Provided is a method of determining a concentration (Ca) of a first analyte (a) in sweat excreted by a first sweat gland type at a first skin location (i) having the first sweat gland type and a second sweat gland type. The method comprises measuring a first concentration (I) of the first analyte in sweat excreted at the first skin location and measuring at least one parameter of sweat excreted by the second sweat gland type at a second skin location (ii) having the second sweat gland type but not the first sweat gland type. The at least one parameter is used to determine a dilution factor (II) which quantifies dilution of the first analyte by sweat excreted by the second sweat gland type at the first skin location. This dilution factor (II) is then used to correct the first concentration (I) so as to determine the concentration (Ca). Further provided is an apparatus (100) for determining the concentration (Ca).

Abstract: A system is provided for detecting fluid accumulation in a subject. A movement induced by the beating of the heart is analyzed over time, by monitoring a movement, pressure or force. Changes in density caused by fluid accumulation result in changes in the sensor arrangement signals. Changes are used to indicate that fluid accumulation such as internal bleeding is likely to have taken place.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device, system and method for improved non-invasive and objective detection of pulse of a subject. The device comprises an input unit (2a) configured to obtain a series of images of a skin region of the subject and a processing unit (2b) for processing said series of images by detecting pulse-related motion of the skin within the skin region from the series of images, generating a motion map of the skin region from the detected pulse-related motion, comparing the generated motion map with an expected motion map of the skin region, and determining the presence of pulse within the skin region based on the comparison.

Abstract: A breast pump device (1) is equipped with or used in conjunction with an acoustic milk expression assessment system (6) for the purpose of obtaining an indication about a fat content of expressed milk. The acoustic milk expression assessment system (6) includes an acoustic sensor (61) and a processor (62) configured to process an acoustic signal received from the acoustic sensor (61) during operation of the breast pump device (1) when a milk receptacle (4) is used with the device (1). By recording sound during a pumping session, it is possible to determine a frequency shift in the sound of droplets falling down in the receptacle (4) and hitting a surface of the milk contained by the receptacle (4) with respect to a reference situation of a liquid having 0% fat content, which can be taken as a factor in estimating a value related to the fat content of the milk.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for determining a severity of a respiratory disease of a patient. The patient is instructed by a system to recite a phrase. The system receives the phrase recited by the patient as acoustic signal and analyzes the acoustic signal with respect to a severity of a respiratory disease. The result of the analysis is provided, which is indicative for the severity of the respiratory disease of the patient.

Abstract: A system determines a risk level of a respiratory attack of a user of the system. The system comprises part of a network of systems, and it reports information to, and receives information from, the network. The system comprises a local activity monitoring device for tracking the physical activity level of the user. Location information and activity levels in respect of other users of the network of systems are received, relating to when they have suffered a respiratory attack. A warning can then be given to the user which takes account of the location of the user and the activity level or planned activity level of the user, and the received location information and activity levels in respect of other users.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus disclosed herein relate to apparatus and techniques for harvesting energy from operation of a pill pack, and utilizing that energy for various purposes. In various embodiments, an energy harvesting apparatus configured to receive a pill pack (104, 304) is disclosed. An energy harvesting apparatus in accordance with various embodiment may include a housing (102, 302), where the housing is configured to receive a pill pack (104, 304), and an electrical generator incorporated into the housing (102, 302), where the electrical generator converts motion associated with compression of at least one blister (1031-n, 3031-n) of the pill pack (104, 304) expelling one or more pills (1051-n, 3051-n) from the pill pack into electrical energy, where the electrical energy is used to collect one or more data points associated with operation of the pill pack during the expelling of the one or more pills.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and corresponding output generator for handling alarm events, generated by a subject/patient monitoring device, and generating clinician-perceptible outputs indicative of the alarm events. Alarm events are divided into non-actionable and actionable alarm events. Information on non-actionable alarm events is stored. Stored information on non-actionable alarm events is contained in a clinician-perceptible output generated in response to detecting an actionable alarm event.