Systems for and Methods of Assessing Urinary Flow Rate Via Sound Analysis

• US 20080082022A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Original Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Inventors: Zvarova, Katarina, Brohan, John, Zvara, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,811,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/573
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/208 adapted to determine urine quantity, e.g. flow, volume

Abstract

Systems for and methods of assessing urinary flow rate via sound analysis. Embodiments of the uroflow measurement 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 uroflow measurement systems may include sound analysis software for analyzing the strength and duration of each urination event and may include a web-based uroflow software application for viewing the results via the Internet or other network In one embodiment, the sound analysis software performs the steps of reading in the raw data of a selected audio file, generating a plot of the audio signal amplitude vs. time, generating a plot of smoothed data for the purpose of presenting an outline of the flow, generating a main flow plot, which is a plot of the largest continuous flow that has a strength that is greater than a predetermined minimum, and generating a set of numerical values that correspond to the strength and duration of urination.

Claims

1. A method of assessing urinary flow rates, comprising:

a. capturing the sounds of urination into a receptacle, said urination sounds having a strength and duration;

b. saving said sounds as an audio file; and

c. analyzing the audio file to determine strength and duration of urination.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said capturing step is performed using a microphone positioned proximate said receptacles

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said capturing step is performed using a telephone positioned proximate said receptacle.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said analyzing step includes generating a main flow plot of amplitude versus time for said audio file.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said analyzing step includes generating a set of numerical values that correspond to said strength and duration of said sounds of urination

6. A method according to claim 5, further including comparing said numerical values from a first urination event with said numerical values from a second urination event.

7. A method according to claim 1. wherein said analyzing step includes generating a raw data plot of amplitude versus time for said audio file and selecting a portion of said raw data plot as a main flow plot.

8. A method according to claim 1, where in said analyzing step includes determining the maximum flow, time to maximum flow, voiding time, average flow and score.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said sounds of urination are captured at a first location and said analyzing step is performed at a second location remote from said first location, further including transferring said sounds of urination via a website from said first location to said second location.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle is a toilet.

11. A method according to claim 1, further including displaying said strength and duration determined in said analyzing step in a display for a computing resource.

12. A system for assessing urinary flow rates using the sounds of urination in a receptacle, the system comprising:

a. a database having stored therein an audio file including information representing the sounds of urination in a receptacle;

b. a software program for analyzing said audio file to determine strength and duration of the urination, said software program including;

i. a first module that generates a plot of amplitude versus time of the urination using said audio file; and

ii. a second module that generates a set of numerical values that correspond to the strength and duration of the urination using said plot.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said database further includes an image file containing information that represents graphically the strength and duration of the urination

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein said first module generates a raw data plot of amplitude versus time using said audio file and a main flow plot of amplitude versus time of a portion of said raw data plot.

15. A system according to claim 12, further including a microphone for capturing sounds of urination in a receptacle and providing a digital signal representing said sounds, said microphone connected so that said digital signal is provided to said database.

16. A system according to claim 12, further including a telephone for capturing sounds of urination in a receptacle and providing a signal representing said sounds, said telephone connected so that said signal is provided to said database.

17. A system according to claim 12, further including:

a. a sound capture device for capturing the sound of urination in a receptacle and providing a signal having information representing said sound; and

b. a digital recording device connected to said sound capture device for recording said information, said digital recording device also connected so that said information is provided to said database.

18. A system according to claim 12, wherein said software program provides said numerical values for at least one from the group consisting of maximum flow, time to maximum flow, voiding time, average flow and score.

19. A system according to claim 12, wherein said software program compares said numerical values from a first urination event to said numerical values from a second urination event.

20. A system according to claim 12, wherein said database is located at a first location, the system further including a website via which said information is provided from a second location to said first location.

21. A system according to claim 12, wherein said software program compares said numerical values from a urination event to normalized values from other urination events.

22. A device for assessing urinary flow rates, the device comprising:

a. a computing resource for executing software instructions, said computing resource having a first memory for storing database files;

b. a database for storing a file including information representing the sounds of urination in a receptacle, said file stored in said first memory; and

c. a software program, executable by said computing resource, for analyzing said file to estimate strength and duration of the urination, said software program including;

i. a first module that generates a plot of amplitude versus time of the sounds of the urination using said file; and

ii. a second module that generates a set of numerical values that correspond to the strength and duration of the urination using said plot.

23. A device according to claim 22, further including:

a. a sound capture device for capturing the sound of urination in a receptacle and providing a signal having information representing said sound; and

b. a digital recording device connected to said sound capture device for recording said information, said digital recording device also connected to said computing resource for providing said information to said database.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein said first module of said software program generates a raw data plot of amplitude versus time using said file and a main flow plot of amplitude versus time of a portion of said raw data plot.

25. A website operating on a server computing system, the website comprising:

a. a database operable on the server computing system for storing a file including information representing the sounds of urination in a receptacle;

b. a software routine executable on the server computer system for determining strength and duration of urination in a receptacle, said routine including;

i. a first module that generates a plot of amplitude versus time of the sounds of the urination using said file; and

ii. a second module that generates a set of numerical values that correspond to the strength and duration of the urination using said plot; and

c. one or more web pages in which at least one of the following are displayed;

said plot and said set of numerical values.

26. A website according to claim 25, including a user interface for permitting a user to transmit information representing the sounds of urination in a receptacle to the server computer.

27. A website according to claim 25, wherein said set of numerical values includes at least one of the following:

maximum flow, time to maximum flow, voiding time, average flow and score.

28. A website according to claim 25, wherein said database is further operable to store images representing said plot.

29. A website according to claim 25, further including a user interface for permitting limited access to the database.

30. A website for use in assessing urinary flow rates, the website comprising the features of:

a. receiving an audio file including information representing the sounds of urination in a receptacle;

b. determining strength and duration of urination; and

c. displaying the results of said determining strength and duration of urination,

31. A website according to claim 30, wherein said determining feature includes generating a plot of amplitude versus time of the sounds of the urination using said digital file.

32. A website according to claim 30, wherein said determining feature includes generating a set of numerical values that correspond to the strength and duration of the urination using said plot.