Optical Bladder Fullness Sensor via External Wall Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with spinal cord injuries or other conditions lose the ability to sense bladder fullness, leading to risks of infection and discomfort due to the reliance on urethral catheters, which are invasive and prone to complications.
Innovation Solution
A bladder monitoring system using an optical sensor affixed to the external wall of the bladder, emitting and detecting light to determine bladder fullness without piercing the bladder, providing real-time feedback and potentially triggering urination through a connected urinary control apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If urethral catheters are used to monitor bladder fullness, then bladder emptying can be achieved, but the risk of infection increases due to constant contamination and trauma
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sensing function from the invasive catheter and places it externally on the bladder surface. The optical sensor device is affixed to the external surface of the bladder to detect wall distension, eliminating the need for internal catheterization while still providing reliable bladder fullness monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the bladder wall itself as an intermediary medium. Light emitted through the external sensor passes through the bladder wall, and the changes in light transmission or reflection caused by wall distension provide information about internal bladder fullness without requiring penetration of the bladder.
2Ease of operation
If pudendal nerve stimulation systems are used to control voiding, then voluntary urination can be restored, but the system cannot detect when the bladder is full
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the nerve stimulation system with an external optical sensing system. The controller receives both nerve stimulation commands and optical sensor signals about bladder fullness, integrating these functions to provide both voluntary control and automatic fullness detection without requiring internal devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical sensor provides continuous feedback about bladder wall distension to the controller. This feedback loop enables the system to detect when the bladder is full and can trigger appropriate responses, such as alerting the patient or initiating voiding protocols, while maintaining the voluntary control aspects of nerve stimulation.
3Measurement precision
If internal sensors are placed in the bladder to detect fullness, then accurate measurement can be achieved, but the invasive procedure increases infection risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/internal sensing methods with an optical system positioned externally. Instead of placing pressure sensors or other mechanical devices inside the bladder, the invention uses light emission and detection through the bladder wall to measure fullness, substituting optical physics for mechanical intrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention measures bladder fullness by detecting changes in optical parameters (light transmission, reflection, or scattering) as the bladder wall distends. These optical parameter changes correlate with internal bladder volume and pressure, providing accurate measurement without physical contact with bladder contents.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces the risk of infection by avoiding internal catheterization, allows for precise monitoring of bladder fullness, and enables patients to void their bladder at appropriate times, reducing the likelihood of infection and improving urinary control.
Implementation Method 1
The light emitter can be positioned to emit light at the external wall of the bladder, and the detector can be positioned to detect the emitted light reflected off the external bladder wall
Data Source
AI summary
A bladder fullness monitoring systems includes a controller and an active optical sensor that is affixed to a patient's bladder. The sensor emits light onto the bladder and further detects light reflected from the bladder, in order to generate an output signal that indicates an amount of emitted light was reflected back to the detector. The controller is coupled to the optical sensor to receive and interpret the output signals, e.g., to determine when the bladder is full. The controller may be operatively coupled to a urinary control apparatus which uses the output signals to trigger urination in patients who have lost the ability to voluntarily urinate. Embodiments are particularly useful for monitoring bladder fullness in patients who have lost bladder sensation and/or the ability to voluntary urinate and rely on a urinary control apparatus in order to urinate.