Experimental Demonstration of Microwave Bladder Fullness Detection with 3-D Pelvic Model

Non-invasive microwave (MW) bladder state detection has potential as a support tool for individuals with urinary incontinence, to alert when the bladder is full and provide information on bladder volume. In this work, an experimental demonstration of MW differentiation of full and empty bladder is investigated. A realistic and anatomically accurate model of the pelvic region was 3-D printed and filled with a homogeneous tissue-mimicking background. Two antennas placed on the skin, supported in place by the 3-D printed model, were used to measure S-parameters for both full and empty bladder models. Overall, this work provides a design for a life-sized pelvic phantom and demonstrates the potential for experimental testing and optimization of MW bladder sensing technologies.Clinical Relevance-This work establishes a novel experimental testbed to evaluate the viability of microwave (MW) sensing of the bladder to support patients with urinary incontinence.