Systems for and methods of assessing lower urinary tract function via sound analysis

• US 7,758,519 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Original Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Inventors: Zvarova, Katarina, Brohan, John, Zvara, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): EISEMAN, ADAM JARED
• Application Number:
  US12/123,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 600/561, 600/573, 600/584, 702/104
• US Class Current: 600/584
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/202 Assessing bladder functions, e.g. incontinence assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/208 adapted to determine urine quantity, e.g. flow, volume

Abstract

Systems for and methods of assessing lower urinary tract function from urinary flow data via sound analysis and user-provided information regarding the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of frequency, urgency and urge incontinence. Embodiments of the LUTS assessment systems include a computer and a telephone or a digital recording mechanism to capture the sound of one or more urination events, which are stored as audio files in a database. The LUTS assessment systems may include sound analysis software for analyzing the strength and duration of each urination event and may include a web-based software application for viewing the results via the Internet or other network. The database stores information from multiple urination events, and combined with information regarding the lower urinary tract symptoms, serves as an objective tool to assess bladder function and monitor progression of disease or therapy effectiveness.

Claims

1. A method of assessing lower urinary tract function of a person, comprising:

capturing the sound of a person'"'"'s micturition into an air-liquid interface with a sound-capture device;

providing information with respect to one or more lower urinary tract symptoms associated with the micturition using the sound-capture device;

analyzing the sound of micturition to determine at least one of the following attributes of the micturition;

strength and duration; and

analyzing the information with respect to one or more lower urinary tract symptoms together with or without the one or more of said attributes of the micturition for the assessment of lower urinary tract function.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the capturing step includes capturing the sound of a person'"'"'s micturition at a first location and at about the same time providing the sound to a second location that is remote from the first location, the providing step includes providing the information from the first location to the second location, and the analyzing step includes analyzing the sound of micturition at the second location.

3. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of displaying (i) the information and (ii) at least one of the strength and duration attributes, in a user interface.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sound-capture device is a telephone.

5. A method according to claim 1, where in the sound-capture device is microphone not part of a telephone.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the sound of micturition and the information is transferred to the second location using a telecommunication network.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the providing step includes using an interactive voice response system to assist a user in providing the information.

8. A method according to claim 2, further including analyzing at the second location the information provided over a first period of time to determine frequency of micturition during the first period of time.

9. A method according to claim 1, further including determining frequency of micturition over a first time period based on the time between successive transfers of the sound of micturition during the first time period.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the capturing step further includes converting the sound of micturition to a digital file and storing the file in an electronic database.

11. A method according to claim 1, further including determining whether or not the person has bladder overactivity or other lower urinary tract dysfunction based on the information and the sound of micturition.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the providing step is performed 1 second to 5 minutes before or after the capturing step.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes an identification of the urgency of the micturition.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes an indication whether or not the micturition occurred as consequence of nocturia.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes an indication whether or not the micturition occurred as urge incontinence.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing step further includes the step of analyzing the sound of micturition to determine at least one of the following:

mean flow, maximum flow and interval.

17. A method of assessing lower urinary tract function of a person, comprising:

transferring the sound of a person'"'"'s micturition provided to a sound-capturing device at a first location from the first location to a second location remote from the first location, wherein the transferring occurs substantially simultaneously with the micturition via a telecommunications network;

providing information with respect to one or more lower urinary tract symptoms associated with the micturition to the sound-capturing device at the first location from the first location to the second location via the telecommunications network 1 second to 5 minutes before or after before or after the micturition;

analyzing the sound of micturition to determine at least one attribute of the micturition; and

;

analyzing the information with respect to one or more lower urinary tract symptoms with or without one or more of the attributes of the micturition for the assessment of lower urinary tract function.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising displaying the at least one attribute and at least some of the information with respect to lower urinary tract symptoms in a remote location display.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising prompting performance of the transferring and providing steps with a prompt that is perceivable by a human being.

20. A system for assessing lower urinary tract function of a person using urinary flow data and lower urinary tract symptom data from the person, the system comprising:

a storage medium in which may be stored (i) an audio file including information representing the sound of urination of a person and (ii) lower urinary tract symptom data for the person;

a device for obtaining and, when connected to a telecommunications network, providing to the storage medium via the telecommunications network, both the sound of urination of a person and lower urinary tract symptom data for the person; and

a management tool for retrieving and evaluating said audio file and said lower urinary tract symptom data so as to assess lower urinary tract function of the person.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein said device is a telephone.

22. A system according to claim 21, further comprising an interactive voice response system in communication with said telephone for guiding the person with respect to capturing and providing said sound of urination and said lower urinary tract symptom data to said storage medium.

23. A system according to claim 20, further including a software program stored on a storage medium that analyzes said sound of urination to define at least one of the following:

strength and duration, and includes instructions for organizing and displaying at least some of said lower urinary tract symptom data.