Novel Flowmeter Streamlines Urine Flow Screening

An innovative self-operating device measures urine flow rate, providing important indicators for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

The Oruba (Ankara, Turkey) Oruflow is a fully automated, contactless, uroflowmetry device that requires no human intervention for function and sanitation. It has a built-in barcode scanner that registers the patient and collects all necessary information; textual, audio, and visual tutorials on using the device to ensure that the patient is adequately informed; and self-cleaning and sanitizing, preparing the device for use by the next patient in under a minute.

The internet-of-things (IoT)-supported uroflowmeter is designed to increase patient comfort and privacy. Oruflow starts the screening automatically, prepares a report while the patient is finishing up, prints it out for patient convenience, and also sends a digital version to the hospital information system (HIS). For clinics that do not use a barcode scanner, registration can be completed through Oruflow software, which can be used on any device with an internet connection; test results can also be examined on those devices.

“Oruba is a technology-focused startup with an interdisciplinary team of computer, electronics, mechanical and biomedical engineering, physics, industrial design, urology, and emergency care specialists,” stated the company. “Oruba is devoted to creating advanced medical devices that capture all bioinformation in human excreta. We are constantly working to develop innovations that can be highly scalable and have not been developed and in the world.”

Uroflowmetry is an essential tool to assess bladder and sphincter function. It requires the patient to urinate into a funnel-shaped device to measure amount of urine passed, urination speed (expressed in milliliters per second), and the length of time it takes to empty the whole bladder. Flow rates can help determine potential existence of diseases, such as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), bladder cancer, prostate cancer, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, and urinary blockage.

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