Methods and apparatus for urodynamic analysis

• US 20060276712A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hegln (Dalian) Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hegln (Dalian) Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Inventors: Stothers, Lynn, Macnab, Andrew J., Gagnon, Roy E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/438
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/202 Assessing bladder functions, e.g. incontinence assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts

Abstract

A method for monitoring bladder function in an animal having a bladder, the method including positioning of a light emitter and a light detector on the animal'"'"'s skin adjacent to the animal'"'"'s bladder, emitting light at the bladder with the emitter while detecting light with the detector, and collecting data representative of detected light during bladder activity, to provide an indication of bladder function. Also provided are light shield apparatus and filter apparatus for near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) bladder monitoring.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring bladder function in an animal having a bladder, the method comprising:

(a) positioning of an electromagnetic radiation emitter and an electromagnetic radiation detector adjacent to the animal'"'"'s bladder;

(b) emitting electromagnetic radiation at the bladder with the electromagnetic radiation emitter while detecting electromagnetic radiation with the electromagnetic radiation detector; and

(c) collecting data representative of detected electromagnetic radiation during bladder activity, to provide an indication of bladder function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is near infrared (NIR), the emitter is a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) emitter, the detector is a NIRS detector and the data is NIRS data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning of the detector is on the animals skin adjacent to the animal'"'"'s bladder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is coherent electromagnetic radiation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning is accomplished ultrasonically.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning is about 10 mm cephalic of the animal'"'"'s symphysis pubis and wherein the animal is an adult human.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein ultrasonic positioning comprises:

(a) transmitting ultrasonic energy from a transducer; and

(b) receiving reflected ultrasonic energy to determine the location of the animal'"'"'s bladder.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the emission of NIR electromagnetic radiation is in the 750-950-nanometer range.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the collected NIRS data is indicative of the animal'"'"'s level of one or more of:

oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO₂);

de-oxygenated hemoglobin (Hb);

oxidized cytochrome a, a₃;

reduced cytochrome a, a₃;

oxidized minus reduced forms of the cytochrome C oxidase (Cyt).

10. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning comprises securing the NIRS emitter and the NIRS detector with a electromagnetic radiation shield to exclude ambient electromagnetic radiation from interfering with collection of NIRS data.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, further comprising attenuating the emitted electromagnetic radiation prior to emitting electromagnetic radiation at the bladder, whereby attenuation is adapted to compensate for variations in a physical parameter of the animal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein attenuating is accomplished by filtering of the electromagnetic radiation emitted.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein filtering of the light electromagnetic radiation is accomplished with a filter chamber having selectable filters, operable to incrementally filter emitted electromagnetic radiation.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining ultrasonic measurements of the animal'"'"'s bladder parameters.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning of the electromagnetic radiation emitter and the electromagnetic radiation detector provides for a separation of said electromagnetic radiation emitter and said electromagnetic radiation detector of between about 15-90 mm.

16. An electromagnetic radiation shield apparatus, comprising:

(a) an opaque shield body defining an emitter aperture, a detector aperture and an ultrasound probe aperture, wherein the emitter aperture, the detector aperture and the ultrasound probe aperture permit access to defined areas on an animal'"'"'s skin to which the electromagnetic radiation shield apparatus is applied;

(b) an emitter retainer operable to hold an NIRS emitter within the emitter aperture so that the NIRS emitter is positionable to access an emission surface on the animal'"'"'s skin, wherein the emitter retainer is operable to reduce ambient electromagnetic radiation contamination of the emission surface; and

(c) a detector retainer operable to hold an NIRS detector within the detector aperture and spaced apart from the NIRS emitter so that the NIRS detector is positionable to access a detection surface on the animal'"'"'s skin, wherein the detector retainer is operable to reduce ambient electromagnetic radiation contamination of the detection surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an ultrasound probe closure, having open and closed positions, the ultrasound probe closure being operable to permit an ultrasound probe access to an ultrasound surface on the animal'"'"'s skin in the open position and operable to reduce ambient electromagnetic radiation contamination of the ultrasound surface in the closed position.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an attachment means operable to hold the electromagnetic radiation shield against the animal'"'"'s skin.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the attachment means is selected from the group consisting of:

a urologic diaper, an adjustable belt, an adjustable strap system, an adhesive glue, an adhesive tape, static electrical charge, vacuum suction and weighted tab system.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising interface cable retention means.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the emitter aperture is spaced apart from the detector aperture to provide for a separation of the NIRS emitter and the NIRS detector of between about 15-90 mm.

22. A filtering apparatus for attenuation of NIR electromagnetic radiation emitted by a near infrared spectroscopy emitter, the apparatus comprising

a filter chamber comprising a plurality of filters, wherein the filter chamber is configured to selectively position one or more of said plurality of filters in the path of the electromagnetic radiation.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of filters is slidable between a filtering position in the path of the electromagnetic radiation and a non-filtering position outside the path of the electromagnetic radiation.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the plurality of filters are stepped at attenuation increments selected from the group consisting:

1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% and 10%.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality of filters are stepped at attenuation increments of 6%.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality of filters are stepped at attenuation increments of 7%.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality of filters are stepped at attenuation increments of 5%.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the filter chamber is configured to selectively position at least two of the plurality of filters in the path of the electromagnetic radiation at the same time.