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

Urinary incontinence is prevalent among older people. Continence care based on regular urine volume measurements is effective for older people who maintain their urinary storage function but have difficulty feeling bladder fullness owing to dementia or neurological disorders. In this study, the urine volume in the bladder was estimated by applying a linear regression model to the electrical impedance values measured before urination in 20 healthy adults using a small eight-electrode sensor device. The linear regression model demonstrated a good fit to the data with an R² value > 0.9. The root-mean-square errors of volume estimation were 57 and 60 mL with and without urine conductivity as one of independent variables, respectively. These results demonstrated the applicability of the eight-electrode EI measurement for urine volume estimation. Further study includes improvement of estimation accuracy employing other estimation models with data from more participants.Clinical Relevance- Continence care for older people is important but is a huge burden for nurses and caregivers. Our method will aid nurses and caregivers in providing personalized continence care via continuous monitoring of bladder volume.