Handheld Uroflowmeter Flow-Bench Validation for Accurate Urine Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing uroflowmeters are not portable and require cumbersome data recording, leading to suboptimal urine flow measurement due to non-portable devices and difficulties in consistent data collection, necessitating a portable and user-friendly solution for testing and validation.
Innovation Solution
A handheld uroflowmeter test system with a test flow bench, adjustable nozzle, and sensor setup that simulates urine flow to assess fluid flow parameters, allowing for the development and validation of portable uroflowmeters that can accurately measure urine flow rate, duration, and volume while minimizing turbulence and overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional uroflowmeters are used in physician offices, then measurement capability is available, but portability is lost and data collection becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical uroflowmeter systems with a portable electronic device that uses sensors (optical, capacitive, or weigh-based) to detect and measure urine flow. This substitution enables accurate measurement while providing portability and automated data collection capabilities, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable uroflowmeter automatically collects and records urination data without requiring manual intervention. The device self-calibrates, automatically timestamps measurements, and stores data in memory, eliminating the need for patients to manually maintain voiding diaries and reducing operational complexity while maintaining measurement accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If non-portable devices are used, then measurement accuracy can be maintained, but timing of bladder emptying becomes suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, fixed-location uroflowmeter into a dynamic, portable device that can move with the patient. This allows the patient to urinate at the optimal natural time without traveling to a physician's office, capturing accurate measurements at the peak of bladder fullness while maintaining measurement precision through advanced sensing technology.
3Ease of operation
If portable uroflowmeters are developed, then ease of use improves, but device complexity increases during testing and validation
Solution Approach 1:
The test flow bench is designed as a universal testing platform that can validate multiple aspects of the portable uroflowmeter (flow rate measurement, timing accuracy, data collection) using a single integrated system. The system uses a controllable fluid source to simulate various urine flow conditions, allowing comprehensive validation of the portable device's functionality without requiring multiple separate test setups, thereby managing complexity while enabling portability.
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
The system enables the creation of portable uroflowmeters that provide accurate and reliable urine flow measurements, improving patient data collection and practitioner diagnosis through enhanced portability and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor in fluid communication with the adjustable nozzle... monitoring, by the computing device, at least one fluid flow parameter of the fluid flowing through the test device, wherein the at least one fluid flow parameter is detected by the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The test lab set-up includes a test flow bench for mounting one or more test devices, an adjustable nozzle for simulating urine flow, and a sensor for collecting data associated with the simulated urine flowing through the test device(s). A computing device for measuring and/or calculating various parameters associated with the simulated urine flow may also be included. The test device may have a shape corresponding to a handheld uroflowmeter subject to testing. The angle of the adjustable nozzle may be adjusted to test for various angles of urine flow. Similarly, the angle, pitch, and roll of the test device may be adjusted to test for various angles at which a uroflowmeter is held. As fluid flows through the test device, the sensor collects information such as, for example, flow rate, duration, volume, and the like. The sensor transmits the data collected to a computing device for additional processing.