IP Library Granted Patent US 12685486
Granted Patent B2
US 12685486 · App. 17/626,089 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Sensor sheet with digital distributed data acquisition for wound monitoring and treatment

Inventors: David Michael Bray (Edinburgh, GB); Felix Clarence Quintanar (Hull, GB)
Assignee: Smith & Nephew PLC
A61B5/6833A61B5/0031A61B5/0059A61B5/01A61B5/026A61B5/053A61B5/11A61B5/14542A61B5/318A61F13/00055A61F13/00063A61F13/05A61M1/90A61M1/95A61B5/0008A61B5/14539A61B5/1455A61B2562/0219A61B2562/0247A61B2562/066A61B2562/164A61B2562/166A61F2013/00438A61F2013/00953A61F2013/00957A61F2013/00961A61F2013/0097A61M2205/3306A61M2205/3317A61M2205/3324A61M2205/3331A61M2205/3368A61M2205/50A61N1/0468A61N1/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12685486
App. No.
17/626,089
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wound monitoring and/or therapy apparatus can include multiple sensor circuits, a selection circuit coupled to each sensor circuit, and a processor configured to be in communication with the selection circuit. Each sensor circuit can process multiple sensor signals to generate a single output signal from the multiple sensor signals. Each of the sensor signals can correspond to a measurement of a sensor positioned on a substrate that is configured to be positioned at least partially in a wound. The selection circuit can receive the single output signals from the sensor circuits and outputs a selected single output signal. The processor can receive the selected single output signal and decomposes the selected signal output signal into the multiple sensor signals used to generate the selected single output signal. The processor can activate sensors and receive sensor data from the sensors. The processor can digitize the sensor data and transmit the digitized sensor data to a remote controller.

Claims (37)

1 . A wound monitoring and/or therapy apparatus comprising:

a substrate configured to be positioned at least partially in a wound, the substrate supporting a plurality of sensors;

a plurality of sensor circuitries positioned on the substrate, each sensor circuitry configured to process a plurality of input signals to generate a single output signal from the plurality of input signals, wherein the plurality of input signals corresponds to measurements from at least two sensors of the plurality of sensors, and wherein the at least two sensors are each of a different type;

a selection circuitry positioned on the substrate and coupled to each sensor circuitry of the plurality of sensor circuitries, the selection circuitry configured to receive a plurality of single output signals from the plurality of sensor circuitries and output a selected single output signal of the plurality of single output signals; and

a processing circuitry configured to be in electrical communication with the selection circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to:

communicate, to the selection circuitry, an indication of a selected sensor circuitry of the plurality of sensor circuitries,

receive, from the selection circuitry, a selected single output signal generated by the selected sensor circuitry, and

separately extract each input signal of a plurality of input signals from the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of input signals from the selected single output signal comprises at least a first input signal and a second input signal, wherein the first input signal corresponds to a zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal, and wherein the second input signal corresponds to a non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal is a first non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal, and wherein the plurality of input signals further comprises a third input signal, the third input signal corresponding to a second non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal that is different from the first non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal corresponds to a frequency of 50 kHz.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal corresponds to a frequency between 1 kHz and approximately 10 kHz.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of input signals comprises at least a first input signal and a second input signal, and wherein the first input signal corresponds to a DC component of the selected single output signal.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first input signal corresponds to measurements from a first sensor of the plurality of sensors and the second input signal corresponds to a measurement from a second sensor of the plurality of sensors.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second sensors comprises one of a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, an accelerometer, a motion sensor, a gyroscope, an impedance sensor, a conductivity sensor, a pH sensor, a pressure sensor, or a perfusion sensor, and wherein the first and second sensors are of a different type.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first sensor is a temperature sensor and the second sensor is an impedance sensor.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to separately extract each of the plurality of input signals from the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry by being further configured to:

determine a first input signal of the plurality of input signals based at least in part on a zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry; and

determine a second input signal of the plurality of input signals based at least in part on a non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry.

11 . A method of operating a wound monitoring and/or therapy apparatus, the method comprising:

by a processing circuitry, communicating to a selection circuitry positioned on a substrate and coupled to each sensor circuitry of a plurality of sensor circuitries an indication of a selected sensor circuitry of the plurality of sensor circuitries, wherein:

the substrate is configured to be positioned at least partially in a wound and the substrate supports a plurality of sensors;

the plurality of sensor circuitries is positioned on the substrate and configured to process a plurality of input signals to generate a single output signal from the plurality of input signals, the plurality of input signals corresponding to measurements from at least two sensors of the plurality of sensors, the at least two sensors each being of a different type; and

the selection circuitry is configured to receive a plurality of single output signals from the plurality of sensor circuitries and output a selected single output signal of the plurality of single output signals;

by the processing circuitry, receiving from the selection circuitry, a selected single output signal generated by the selected sensor circuitry; and

by the processing circuitry, separately extracting each input signal of a plurality of input signals from the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of input signals from the selected single output signal comprises at least a first input signal and a second input signal, wherein the first input signal corresponds to a zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal, and wherein the second input signal corresponds to a non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal is a first non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal, and wherein the plurality of input signals further comprises a third input signal, the third input signal corresponding to a second non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal that is different from the first non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal corresponds to a frequency of approximately 50 KHz.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the second non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal corresponds to a frequency between approximately 1 kHz and approximately 10 kHz.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of input signals comprises at least a first input signal and a second input signal, and wherein the first input signal corresponds to a DC component of the selected single output signal.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first input signal corresponds to measurements from a first sensor of the plurality of sensors and the second input signal corresponds to a measurement from a second sensor of the plurality of sensors.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each of the first and second sensors comprises one of a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, an accelerometer, a motion sensor, a gyroscope, an impedance sensor, a conductivity sensor, a pH sensor, a pressure sensor, or a perfusion sensor, and wherein the first and second sensors are of a different type.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first sensor is a temperature sensor and the second sensor is an impedance sensor.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising separately extracting each of the plurality of input signals from the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry by:

determining a first input signal of the plurality of input signals based at least in part on a zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry; and

determining a second input signal of the plurality of input signals based at least in part on a non-zero-frequency component of the selected single output signal of the selected sensor circuitry.