Urinary Flow Rate Measurement Device with Visual Marker

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for measuring urinary flow rate, such as uroflowmetry, are limited by accessibility and cost, often only conducted in specialist settings after symptoms appear, failing to detect reduced flow rates until conditions are advanced, which can lead to severe health issues like chronic kidney disease and renal failure.

Innovation Solution

A urinary flow rate measurement device with a vessel having a drainage aperture and a marker indicating flow rates above or below 15 milliliters per second, allowing users to assess their flow rate at home, providing a cost-effective and accessible tool for early detection of potential medical conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If electronic uroflowmetry testing is conducted in specialist practices, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase, and accessibility decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveurinary flow rate measurementVSAvoidelectronic uroflowmeter

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a simple, inexpensive plastic vessel with a drainage aperture and visual marker instead of expensive electronic equipment. The device is designed for single-use or limited-use scenarios, eliminating the need for costly electronic uroflowmeters while providing sufficient measurement capability for screening purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the electronic measurement system with a purely mechanical/passive system. Instead of using electronic sensors and digital processing, the device uses a physical vessel with a pre-calibrated volume marker that visually indicates when a threshold flow rate has been achieved, substituting electronics with simple mechanical geometry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If uroflowmetry testing is performed only in specialist practices, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation decreases and accessibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveurinary flow rate measurementVSAvoidhome testing

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device enables patients to perform their own urinary flow rate testing at home without requiring specialist training or clinical staff assistance. The simple visual indication system allows patients to independently assess their flow rate by observing whether urine reaches the marker, making the testing process self-service oriented and accessible in home settings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses visual markers (such as colored bands or text on the vessel) that provide immediate visual feedback to the patient. This color/visual change approach simplifies the interpretation of results, allowing patients to easily determine whether their flow rate meets the threshold without requiring technical knowledge or complex readout systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

3Device complexity

If testing is delayed until symptoms appear, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time increases and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimple vessel designVSAvoiddetection delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables patients to perform flow rate testing proactively before symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia become severe. By providing an accessible home testing solution, patients can monitor their urinary flow rate over time and seek medical advice early when flow rate decreases are first detected, rather than waiting for advanced symptoms to develop.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device provides immediate visual feedback to patients about their urinary flow rate status. The simple marker system gives patients real-time information about whether their flow rate is adequate or reduced, enabling them to track changes over time and take timely action by consulting a healthcare provider when deterioration is detected, thus creating a feedback loop for early intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

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

Enables early detection of reduced urinary flow rates, prompting users to seek medical advice, potentially preventing the progression of conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia and associated complications, and serving as a cost-effective screening tool for urinary health.

Implementation Method 1

a drainage aperture located at or near a base of the vessel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow through aperture:

Data Source

PatentUS20230181076A1Urinary flow rate measurement device and method

Publication Date: 2023.06.15 DOCSHEEN PTY LTD

AI summary

A urinary flow rate measurement device comprises a vessel having an upper opening configured to receive a urinary input. The device includes a drainage aperture located at or near a base of the vessel, and the device includes a marker located on the wall of the vessel and configured to indicate if the volumetric flow rate of liquid entering the vessel is above or below a predetermined threshold.