IMPROVED URETHRAL PROFILOMETRY MEASUREMENT

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A METHOD FOR PROFILING URETHRAL PRESSURE USING A NONMOVING TRANSDUCER THAT PROVIDES A DYNAMIC PRESENTATION OF THE URETHRAL PRESSURE OVER ITS ENTIRE LENGTH. THE APPROACH IS BASED ON APHYSICAL PROPERTY CALLED MAGNETOSTRICTION THAT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE VOLUME CHANGES IN MAGNETIC MATERIALS. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THE PROJECT ARE TO DEVELOP A LABORATORYPROTOTYPE FOR MAGNETOSTRICTIVE MEASUREMENT OF URETHRAL PRESSURE PROFILES (PHASE I) AND TO MAKE IN VIVO MEASUREMENTSWITH HUMAN SUBJECTS (PHASE II). THE METHODOLOGY FOR PHASE IINVOLVES CONSTRUCTING A WORKING PROTOTYPE DEVICE FOR LABORATORY EXPERIMENTATION AND MAKING IN VITRO MEASUREMENTS WITH THIS PROTOTYPE IN AN ARTIFICIAL URETHRA UNDER SIMULATED HUMAN CONDITIONS. THE INNOVATIVE ASPECTS OF THE RESEARCH LIE IN THE NOVEL APPLICATION OF THE MAGNETOSTRICTIVE PROPERTY AND IN THE REALIZATION OF AN INSTRUMENT THAT WILL MEASURE URETHRAL PRESSURE WITHOUT INTRODUCING THE ARTIFACTS THAT TRADITIONAL MEASURING TECHNIQUES PRODUCE DUE TO CANAL IRRITATION AND TRANSDUCER TWISTING AND MISPOSITIONING.