Devices and methods for sensing bladder fullness
Inventors
Peterson, Ralph Walter • Horlen, Kyle • Kraus, Stephen R. • Spehr, Paul • Fischer, Elmar • George, Varghese • Imran, Mir A.
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-11786158-B2
Publication Date
2023-10-17
Expiration Date
Abstract
A bladder fullness monitoring systems includes a controller and an active optical sensor that is affixed to a patient's bladder. The sensor emits light onto the bladder and further detects light reflected from the bladder, in order to generate an output signal that indicates an amount of emitted light was reflected back to the detector. The controller is coupled to the optical sensor to receive and interpret the output signals, e.g., to determine when the bladder is full. The controller may be operatively coupled to a urinary control apparatus which uses the output signals to trigger urination in patients who have lost the ability to voluntarily urinate. Embodiments are particularly useful for monitoring bladder fullness in patients who have lost bladder sensation and/or the ability to voluntary urinate and rely on a urinary control apparatus in order to urinate.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a bladder monitoring system that includes a sensor device fixedly positionable on an external wall of the bladder without piercing an internal wall of the bladder. The sensor device includes a light emitter positioned at the external wall to emit light to targeted regions within the bladder in a plurality of wavelength ranges, and a detector positioned to detect reflected emitted light based on the emitted light. The sensor device generates an output signal indicative of the reflected emitted light detected by the detector, and a controller processes the output signal using logic executed by one or more processors.
In a first mode, the light emitter targets the emitted light in a first of the plurality of wavelength ranges to a first region of the targeted regions between the external wall and the internal wall to determine bladder fullness based on a correlation between light reflected back to the detector and fullness of the bladder. In a second mode, the light emitter targets a second region that coincides with a distal interior wall to determine a time of flight measurement based on the light reflected back from the distal interior wall to calculate distance between the proximal wall and the distal wall.
In a third mode, the light emitter targets a third region submerged below a fluid level to determine differences in refractive index between wall tissue of the bladder and liquid contents of the bladder. The controller selects the targeted region for directing the emitted light so that different types of information can be determined, and operates the sensor device in the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode to receive output indicative of fullness, distance between the proximal wall and the distal wall, and refractive-index differences.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent claims: clm-00001, clm-00016, and clm-00022. Across these claims, the inventive features center on external, non-piercing optical bladder sensing with targeted-region, multi-wavelength operation in three modes.
External mounting without piercing and multi-wavelength targeted-region light sensing
A sensor device fixedly positionable on an external wall of the bladder without piercing an internal wall of the bladder, including a light emitter positioned at the external wall to emit light to targeted regions within the bladder in a plurality of wavelength ranges, and a detector positioned to detect reflected emitted light based on the emitted light.
Mode 1 fullness determination by correlation of reflected light
In a first mode, the light emitter targets emitted light in a first of the plurality of wavelength ranges to a first region between the external wall and the internal wall to determine bladder fullness based on a correlation between light reflected back to the detector and fullness of the bladder.
Mode 2 time of flight measurement to calculate distance between proximal and distal walls
In a second mode, the light emitter targets emitted light in a second of the plurality of wavelength ranges from a proximal wall relative to the sensor device to a second region that coincides with a distal interior wall to determine a time of flight measurement based on the light reflected back from the distal interior wall to calculate distance between the proximal wall and the distal wall.
Mode 3 refractive-index differences determination for submerged region
In a third mode, the light emitter targets emitted light to a third region submerged below a fluid level in the bladder to determine differences in refractive index between wall tissue of the bladder and liquid contents of the bladder.
Controller selects targeted region and operates sensor in selected modes
A controller operatively coupled to the sensor device, causing processors to select the targeted region for directing the emitted light such that different types of information can be determined, and to operate the sensor device in the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode to receive mode-specific output.
Across clm-00001, clm-00016, and clm-00022, the claim coverage is directed to a modal optical bladder monitoring architecture in which a sensor affixed to an external wall without piercing the internal wall emits light in multiple wavelength ranges to targeted regions, and the resulting detector output is used in distinct modes to determine bladder fullness, distance via time of flight, and refractive-index differences. Controller or sensor logic selects the targeted region and operates the sensor in the corresponding modes to provide mode-indicative output.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
Interested in licensing this patent?