Apparatus for measuring rates of urine flow electrically
First Claim
1. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a vessel for holding a changing volume (V) of urine having a flow rate (F(t)) to be measured in terms of dV/dt, an electrical capacitor submersible in the vessel and having a capacitance (C) which varies with the change of volume (V) in the vessel, means to charge the capacitor with an electrical current, an electrical circuit connected to the output of the capacitor to receive therefrom a signal which varies in accordance with the variation in capacitance C, and electrical differentiating means receiving said signal and deriving therefrom the urine flow rate equivalent.
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Abstract
This invention relates to apparatus for measuring the rate of flow F(t) of urine electrically using a measuring vessel whose filled volume V at any particular time is measured as a function V(t) of time t, so that the rate of flow F(t) = dV/dt of the urine can be obtained by differentiating the time function.
In such apparatus, there is provided at least one electrical capacitor which is acted on by the amount of urine in the vessel and whose capacitance C(t) is influenced by the time-dependent amount of urine present, the urine acting both as an electrical conductor and as a di-electric, and the capacitance being used as an indication of the filled volume function which is to be differentiated electrically.
70 Citations
8 Claims
- 1. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a vessel for holding a changing volume (V) of urine having a flow rate (F(t)) to be measured in terms of dV/dt, an electrical capacitor submersible in the vessel and having a capacitance (C) which varies with the change of volume (V) in the vessel, means to charge the capacitor with an electrical current, an electrical circuit connected to the output of the capacitor to receive therefrom a signal which varies in accordance with the variation in capacitance C, and electrical differentiating means receiving said signal and deriving therefrom the urine flow rate equivalent.
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8. A method of determining the flow rate (F(t)) of urine comprising, immersing an electrical capacitor in a vessel for receiving the urine, said capacitor having a capacitance which varies with the level of urine, interposing the capacitor in an electrical differentiating circuit which emits signals corresponding to the rate of change in capacitance, varied by the level of urine, and deriving from said signals the urine flow rate equivalent.
Specification