Portable Uroflow Monitoring for Accurate Home Void Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional uroflowmeters are bulky, expensive, and non-portable, making it inconvenient for patients to accurately record their urinary events over an extended period, leading to incomplete data and erroneous recordings.
Innovation Solution
A handheld voiding device equipped with flow sensors and a processing element that communicates with a server to validate and analyze urine flow data, generating a urine flow void profile and urinary diary for display on a user device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional in-office uroflowmeters are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device portability and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional bulky in-office uroflowmeter is segmented into a portable handheld device that patients can carry home, with data transmission capabilities to the physician's office. The measurement function is separated from the analysis function, allowing the simple sensor to be portable while the complex processing occurs remotely.
Solution Approach 2:
A data transmission intermediary system (wireless communication, mobile devices, or automated transcription systems) is introduced between the portable measurement device and the physician's analysis system. This allows the measurement device to remain simple and portable while maintaining connection to the comprehensive analysis capabilities of the office uroflowmeter.
2Duration of action of moving object
If patients use traditional paper diaries and measurement bowls, then continuous monitoring duration is improved, but data reliability and measurement precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automated recording where the portable uroflowmeter automatically detects and records void events without patient intervention. The device self-activates when urine flow is detected and automatically transmits data, eliminating the need for patients to manually fill out diaries or carry measurement bowls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides automated feedback to patients about their voiding patterns and receives automated feedback from the device about detected events. This creates a closed-loop system where data is immediately recorded and transmitted, reducing delays and errors associated with manual diarykeeping.
3Device complexity
If manual paper diaries are used, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical system of paper diaries and handwriting is replaced with an electronic data transmission system. The portable uroflowmeter uses electronic sensors and wireless communication to transmit data directly to the physician's system, eliminating handwriting, physical storage, and manual transcription processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating unique paper records that must be physically transported and transcribed, the system creates digital copies of the voiding data that can be automatically transmitted and stored. Multiple copies can be simultaneously created and distributed, eliminating loss risks associated with single physical diaries.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for generating a void profile for user void events. The method includes receiving by a processing element a plurality of outputs from a fluid level sensor corresponding to a plurality of levels of fluid flowing through a voiding device during a flow event; determining by the processing element a beginning and an end time of the fluid flow into the voiding device during the flow event; analyzing the plurality of outputs of the fluid level sensor over a time interval defined by the beginning and end time of the fluid flow to determine at least one of a fluid flow rate data and an accumulated volume data for the fluid flowing through the voiding device; and storing the fluid flow rate data and the accumulated flow volume data in a memory.