Incontinence detection system and detectors

1. An incontinence detector for use in a multi-layer incontinence detection pad, the incontinence detector comprising:

a layer of nonwoven material having uniformly distributed electrically resistive fiber elements that are embedded within the layer of nonwoven material so as to be dispersed uniformly throughout an entirety of a thickness, a length, and a width of the layer of nonwoven material and which impart a baseline electrical resistance to the layer, the layer also having an actual electrical resistance that varies depending upon an amount of liquid to which the layer is exposed;

an RFID tag; and

first and second leads which extend between the RFID tag and the material layer without contacting each other, the RFID tag being responsive to a deviation of the actual resistance when the pad is wet from the baseline resistance established when the pad is dry.

2. The incontinence detector of claim 1 further including a processor which evaluates the electrical resistance relative to the baseline resistance thereby causing the RFID tag to be responsive to the deviation of the actual resistance from the baseline resistance.

3. The incontinence detector of claim 2 wherein the evaluation of electrical resistance relative to the baseline resistance includes determining if the actual resistance of the material layer is higher than or lower than a given threshold resistance.

4. The incontinence detector of claim 1 wherein the layer of nonwoven material comprises a rectangular sheet of nonwoven material.

5. The incontinence detector of claim 1 wherein the resistive fiber elements comprise carbon fibers.

6. The incontinence detector of claim 1 wherein the layer of nonwoven material comprises a carbon fiber impregnated nonwoven material in which the carbon fibers establish the baseline resistance.

7. The incontinence detector of claim 2 wherein absorption of a liquid by the layer of nonwoven material causes the actual resistance to deviate from the baseline resistance, and the processor responds to the deviation by indicating at least one of:

a) presence of the liquid, or

b) identity of the liquid.

8. The incontinence detector of claim 2 wherein the actual resistance is influenced by the presence of a liquid in the layer of nonwoven material, and the detector responds by at least one of:

a) indicating that the liquid is present, or

b) indicating identity of the liquid.

9. The incontinence detector of claim 1 further comprising an RFID interrogator.

10. The incontinence detector of claim 6 wherein the RFID tag issues a signal consistent with the deviation of the actual resistance from the baseline resistance.

11. An incontinence detection system comprising:

a multi-layer pad which includes carbon fiber segments that are uniformly distributed and that are embedded within a layer of nonwoven material so as to be dispersed uniformly throughout an entirety of a thickness, a length, and a width of the layer of nonwoven material and so that the pad has a dry electrical resistance when the pad is dry and a wet electrical resistance when the pad is wet with an electrically conductive liquid, the wet electrical resistance being less than the dry electrical resistance; and

a processor and machine readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to respond in a first way to the dry electrical resistance and to respond in a second way to the wet electrical resistance.

12. The incontinence detection system of claim 11 further comprising an RFID tag which includes the processor and a memory which holds the machine readable instructions; and

an RFID reader for interrogating the RFID tag and receiving a return signal from the RFID tag;

wherein the return signal includes information revealing the response of the processor to the electrical resistance of the pad.

13. The incontinence detection system of claim 12 wherein the first way of response and the second way of response distinguish between presence and absence of the electrically conductive liquid in the pad.

14. The incontinence detection system of claim 12 wherein the information permits the reader to determine an identity of a liquid to which the pad is exposed and the first way of response and the second way of response distinguish between liquids of different identities.