AMBULATORY, NONINVASIVE, URINARY INCONTINENCE MONITOR

URINARY INCONTINENCE AFFECTS A SIZABLE PORTION OF THE ELDERLY POPULATION, WITH THE INCIDENCE OF OCCURRENCE BEING HIGHEST AMONG NURSING HOME RESIDENTS. THE CONDITION ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE PATIENT'S PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. FURTHERMORE, THE LABOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF SUCH PATIENTS HAS A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE NURSING HOMES INVOLVED. THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP A LOW-COST, AMBULATORY INSTRUMENT THATCAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS IN INCONTINENT PATIENTS. USING NONIONIZING ENERGY, THE DEVICE WILL CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR THE VOLUME OF URINE IN THE PATIENT'S BLADDER AND AUTOMATICALLY SET OFF AN AUDIBLE ALARMWHENEVER THIS VOLUME EXCEEDS A PRESET MAXIMUM. THE PATIENT CAN THEN PERFORM, OR BE HELPED TO PERFORM, A CONTROLLED VOIDING BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. FURTHERMORE, THE FEEDBACK CAPABILITIES OF THE DEVICE ARE EXPECTED TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE EFFICACY OF BOTH BLADDER AND HABIT TRAINING PROGRAMS. THE INSTRUMENT HAS THEPOTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF INCONTINENCE MANAGEMENT IN THE ELDERLY AND OF BLADDER TRAINING ASSOCIATED WITH THE REHABILITATION OF SPINAL INJURY PATIENTS.