Apparatus for automatic measurement and collection of urinary output from a patient

Claim 1

An apparatus for automatic measurement and collection of urinary output from a patient having a catheterized bladder, comprising a microprocessor means (21) and characterized by collection means (30), said collection means (30) comprising, in combination, catheter coupler means (35), said catheter coupler means (35) being adapted to couple to said catheter; measurement column means (40) coupled to said catheter coupler means (35), said measurement column means (40) being adapted to receive and retain said urinary output for optical measurement of its content; optical sensor means (42, 44) positioned adjacent to said measurement column means (40), said optical sensor means (42, 44) being adapted to determine and indicate whether said measurement column means (40) is essentially empty; pump means (50) coupled to said measurement column means (40), said pump means (50) being adapted to remove urinary output from the measurement column means (40) at a known rate of flow; collection bag means (90) communicating with said measurement column means (40); and clock means (26); and further characterised by said microprocessor means (21) being connected to said optical means (42, 44), said pump means (50) and said clock means (26), and being adapted to monitor said clock means (26) and said optical sensor means (42, 44), start and stop said pump means (50), and to compute intermittent flow of urinary output by periodically emptying said measurement column means (40) by starting said pump means (50) when said optical sensor means (42, 44) indicates that said measurement column means (40) is not essentially empty, and to direct the output of said pump means (50) to said collection bag means (90) over a time period indicated to said microprocessor means (21) by said clock means (26) until said optical sensor means (42, 44) indicates that said measurement column means (40) is essentially empty.

Claim 2

An apparatus for automatic measurement and collection of urinary output from a patient having a catheterized bladder, comprising a microprocessor means (21) and characterized by collection means (30), said collection means (30) comprising, in combination, catheter coupler means (35), said catheter coupler means (35) being adapted to couple to said catheter; measurement column means (40) coupled to said catheter coupler means (35), said measurement column means (40) being adapted to receive and retain said urinary output for optical measurement of its content; optical sensor means (42, 44) positioned adjacent to said measurement column means (40), said optical sensor means (42, 44) being adapted to determine and indicate whether said measurement column means (40) is essentially empty; pump means (50) coupled to said measurement column means (40), said pump means (50) being adapted to remove urinary output from the measurement column means (40) at a known rate of flow; collection bag means (90) communicating with said measurement column means (40); and clock means (26); and further characterised by said microprocessor means (21) being connected to said optical means (42, 44), said pump means (50) and said clock means (26), and being adapted to monitor said clock means (26) and said optical sensor means (42, 44), start and stop said pump means (50), and to compute intermittent flow of urinary output by periodically emptying said measurement column means (40) by starting said pump means (50) when said optical sensor means (42, 44) indicates that said measurement column means (40) is not essentially empty, and to direct the output of said pump means (50) to said collection bag means (90) over a time period indicated to said microprocessor means (21) by said clock means (26) until said optical sensor means (42, 44) indicates that said measurement column means (40) is essentially empty.

Claim 7

An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that said collection means (30) includes second optical sensor means (82, 84) being adapted to determine when said bottle means (80) is full, said second optical sensor means (82, 84) being coupled to said microprocessor means (21); and wherein said microprocessor means (21) is further adapted to operate said valve means (70) to cease flow to said bottle means (80) when said bottle means (80) is full as indicated by said second optical sensor means (82, 84).

Claim 8

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised by including anti- reflux valve means (38) coupled to said catheter coupler means (35), said anti-reflux valve means (38) being adapted to permit flow of urinary output away from said patient while preventing flow of urinary output towards said patient.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that printer means (24) is coupled to said microprocessor means (21), said printer means (24) being adapted to print urinary output statistics for permanent records.

Claim 11

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said collection means includes a further optical sensor means (41, 43) adjacent said measurement column means (40), said further optical sensor means (41, 43) being adapted to determine and indicate when said measurement column means (40) is full, said further optical sensor means (41, 43) being coupled to said microprocessor means (21); and wherein said microprocessor means (21) is adapted to operate said pump means (50) at any time when said measurement column means (40) is full as indicated by said further optical sensor means (41, 43).

Claim 12

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said pump means (50) includes flexible tube means (36a) for input and output of said fluid; disc means (52), said disc means (52) being placed adjacent said flexible tube means, a plurality of freewheeling rollers (54), each said roller being mounted on said disc means (52) with peripheral surfaces of each of said roller means (54). extending beyond the periphery of said disc means (52); and ring member means (56), said ring member means (56) holding said tube means (36a) between said disc means (52) and said ring member means (56) so that said flexible tube means (36a) is compressed by said rollers (54) when brought into contact with said tube means (36a) by rotation of said disc means (52), to urge fluid within said tube means (36a) through said tube means (36a) ahead of said rollers 54).