This project develops and evaluates the Smart Brief, a sensor-enabled smart medical product that incorporates a wireless moisture detection sensor into incontinence briefs allowing caregivers to non-invasively determine if an individuals brief is soiled. Project activities include optimizing sensor and reader design to maximize sensitivity, specificity, and read range of the system to reliably detect an incontinent event and report it to caregivers and/or healthcare providers. The Smart Brief eliminates the need for unnecessary check and change procedures each day and promotes better quality and more economic healthcare by freeing staff to perform other duties. Project outcomes include an optimized and commercially viable sensor suitable for integration into incontinence briefs and a simple, portable, reader/antenna system that reliably communicates with the Smart Brief. This product ultimately helps to preserve privacy and dignity, allows for fewer disruptions of daily activities, and facilitates longer periods of uninterrupted sleep for individuals with disabilities and/or who use incontinence briefs.
