Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Evaluation of Biomaterials for Bladder Augmentation using Cystometric Analyses in Various Rodent Models
Published on: August 9, 2012
Analysis of the urine flow characteristics inside catheters for intermittent catheter selection
1College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
In this study, we conducted a numerical analysis on catheter sizes using computational fluid dynamics to assess urinary flow rates during intermittent catheterization (IC). The results revealed that the fluid (urine) movement within a catheter is driven by intravesical pressure, with friction against the catheter walls being the main hindrance to fluid movement. Higher-viscosity fluids experienced increased friction with increasing intravesical pressure, resulting in reduced fluid velocity, whereas lower-viscosity fluids experienced reduced friction under similar pressure, leading to increased fluid velocity. Regarding urine characteristics, the results indicated that bacteriuria, with lower viscosity, exhibited higher flow rates, whereas glucosuria exhibited the lowest flow rates. Additionally, velocity gradients decreased with increasing catheter diameters, reducing friction and enhancing fluid speed, while the friction increased with decreasing diameters, reducing fluid velocity. These findings confirm that flow rates increased with larger catheter sizes. Furthermore, in terms of specific gravity, the results showed that a 12Fr catheter did not meet the ISO-suggested average flow rate (50 cc/min). The significance of this study lies in its application of fluid dynamics to nursing, examining urinary flow characteristics in catheterization. It is expected to aid nurses in selecting appropriate catheters for intermittent catheterization based on urinary test results.
Related Concept Videos
Formation of Dilute Urine
Filtrate Osmolarity in the PCT
Initially, as the filtrate passes through the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), its...
Introduction to Types of Flows
Two-dimensional flow involves changes in both length and height, as seen in...
General Characteristics of Pipe Flow I
The classification of fluid...
Formation of Concentrated Urine
Eulerian and Lagrangian Flow Descriptions
The Eulerian method focuses on fixed points in space where fluid properties, such as velocity, pressure, and temperature, are observed as the fluid moves between these...
Determination of Renal Drug Clearance: Graphical and Midpoint Methods
The graphical method involves plotting the rate of drug excretion in urine against the plasma drug concentration. By analyzing the graph, the clearance can be calculated and obtained. Drugs rapidly excreted by the kidneys exhibit a...

