Urethral sleeve sensor: a non-withdrawal method to measure maximum urethral pressure

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Urodynamics
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Maximal urethral closure pressure (MUCP) is a key urodynamic parameter for assessing female continence.
• Current methods like urethral pressure profilometry (UPP) can be uncomfortable and have limitations in dynamic assessment.
• The urethral sleeve sensor (USS) is a novel device designed to improve MUCP measurement accuracy and patient comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the axial variation, performance in dynamic conditions, and patient tolerability of the USS for MUCP measurement.
• To compare the USS with the established UPP technique.
• To assess the correlation between MUCP values obtained by USS and UPP.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen continent and seven stress-incontinent women were assessed using both USS and UPP in a randomized order.
• Urethral closure pressure (p(clo)) was calculated from intravesical and urethral pressure signals.
• Patient discomfort was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS).

Main Results:

• A high correlation (r=0.86, p<0.001) was found between MUCP measurements from UPP and USS.
• USS measurements were influenced by catheter orientation, with higher pressures at 12 o'clock.
• Subjects reported significantly less discomfort with the USS compared to UPP (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• The urethral sleeve sensor (USS) provides reliable MUCP measurements in both static and dynamic conditions.
• USS technology demonstrates superior patient tolerability compared to traditional withdrawal techniques like UPP.
• USS represents a promising advancement in urodynamic assessment for evaluating urethral function.