Urine Volume Estimation Using Eight-electrode Electrical Impedance Measurements: A Healthy Volunteer Study.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Gerontology
• Urology

Background:

• Urinary incontinence significantly impacts the quality of life for older adults.
• Effective continence care is challenged by difficulties in sensing bladder fullness, particularly in individuals with dementia or neurological conditions.
• Current management often relies on timed voiding, which may not be optimal for all patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a non-invasive method for estimating urine volume in the bladder.
• To assess the feasibility of using electrical impedance (EI) measurements for bladder volume estimation.
• To provide a tool that can support personalized continence care for vulnerable populations.

Main Methods:

• A small, eight-electrode sensor device was used to measure electrical impedance values.
• Linear regression models were applied to the EI data from 20 healthy adults before urination.
• Urine conductivity was evaluated as an independent variable in the estimation model.

Main Results:

• The linear regression model showed a strong fit to the data, with an R² value greater than 0.9.
• The root-mean-square errors for volume estimation were 57 mL (with conductivity) and 60 mL (without conductivity).
• The results indicate the practical applicability of the eight-electrode EI measurement for estimating urine volume.

Conclusions:

• The developed eight-electrode EI measurement technique shows promise for accurate urine volume estimation.
• This technology can assist healthcare professionals in providing more personalized and effective continence care.
• Further research with larger datasets and advanced models is recommended to enhance estimation accuracy.