Wearable Bladder Monitoring via Phased Array Ultrasound
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bladder monitoring systems require invasive implantation, which is stressful to patients and increases the risk of infections, and they fail to provide non-invasive, accurate monitoring of urine turbidity and bladder volume.
Innovation Solution
A wearable bladder monitoring device with a phased array of ultrasound transducers and a configurable controller that directs ultrasound beams into the body at various angles, allowing for non-invasive estimation of bladder volume and urine turbidity through echo signal processing, using a remote device for data communication and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive implantation is used for bladder monitoring, then measurement precision is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to infection risk and patient stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary medium (ultrasound waves) to transmit information about bladder volume and urine properties without direct contact or implantation. The ultrasound transducer array acts as a mediator that non-invasively probes the bladder through the abdominal wall, eliminating the need for invasive catheters or implanted sensors while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical invasive system (implanted catheters, pressure sensors, or electrical probes) with a non-mechanical ultrasound-based detection system. This substitution eliminates physical penetration of the body barrier, thereby removing the primary source of infection risk while preserving the ability to monitor bladder parameters.
2Measurement precision
If invasive implantation is used for bladder monitoring, then measurement precision is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates due to procedural stress
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasound waves serve as an intermediary that enables measurement without direct physical intervention. The external transducer array communicates with the bladder through sound waves that penetrate tissue without causing discomfort, eliminating the procedural stress associated with needle insertion, catheter placement, or surgical implantation.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing mechanical invasive procedures with acoustic wave propagation, the system eliminates patient discomfort associated with physical penetration. The ultrasound-based approach allows the bladder to be monitored through the intact abdominal wall, preserving patient comfort while maintaining measurement precision.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If non-invasive monitoring is used, then object-affected harmful factors are reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to signal attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ultrasound detection into multiple frequency components and processes them separately. By segmenting the signal analysis into different frequency bands and path lengths, the system can isolate and analyze the attenuation characteristics specific to urine properties, thereby maintaining measurement precision despite signal attenuation through tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-frequency ultrasound to multi-frequency spectral analysis, adding a frequency dimension to the measurement. This dimensional expansion allows the system to characterize urine properties by analyzing how different frequency components are attenuated, thereby overcoming the limitation of signal attenuation and enabling accurate turbidity detection.
4Reliability
If continuous monitoring is performed, then reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases reducing battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring at optimized intervals rather than continuous operation. By determining appropriate monitoring frequencies based on clinical requirements and adjusting the duty cycle of the ultrasound transducer array, the system maintains reliable detection of bladder volume changes and urine properties while minimizing energy consumption to extend battery life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic adjustment of monitoring parameters, including adaptive sampling rates and variable power levels for the ultrasound transducers. The system can increase monitoring intensity when changes are detected and reduce power during stable periods, thereby maintaining reliability while optimizing energy usage for extended operational duration.
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 accurate, non-invasive monitoring of bladder volume and urine turbidity, reducing the risk of infection and improving patient comfort while extending battery life by optimizing operating frequencies based on bladder volume changes.
Implementation Method 1
a phased array of ultrasound transducers having configurable output frequencies; a configurable phased array controller adapted to control the phased array to direct ultrasound beams into the subject's body under a plurality of discrete beam angles and to collect echo signals of said ultrasound beams
Implementation Method 2
an acoustic transducer within a lumen of a biological creature to transmit ultrasound through intraluminal fluid to be reflected or otherwise affected by the fluid with subsequent reception by the same transducer
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable bladder monitoring device is disclosed and includes a fastener for securing the device to a subject's body; a phased array of ultrasound transducers having configurable output frequencies; a configurable phased array controller adapted to control the phased array to direct ultrasound beams into the subject's body under a plurality of discrete beam angles and to collect echo signals of the ultrasound beams, wherein the phased array controller is adapted to direct a set of ultrasound beams into the subject's body for at least a subset of the discrete beam angles in response to a configuration instruction defining the respective output frequencies of the ultrasound beams in the set; and a device transceiver for communicating data pertaining to the echo signals to a remote device to facilitate the remote processing of the data and to receive the configuration instruction from the remote device.