A Compact Uroflowmeter Measures and Evaluates Urine Flow Rates

An innovative urine flow meter helps physicians screen patients for urinary obstruction by noninvasively measuring urine flow over time.

The Microflo II is a small, economic uroflowmeter that automatically calculates and reports all standard clinical urine flow measurements and prints the study results in less than two minutes. The patient urinates into a special funnel that is connected to the device, which then calculates the amount of urine, rate of flow in seconds, and length of time until completion of the void. This information is converted into a graph, which helps the physician evaluate function of the lower urinary tract, or help determine if there is an obstruction of normal urine outflow.

The system can be mounted on a wall, making it an ideal solution for physicians who wish to conserve space or place the instrument in a discreet location. The uroflow procedure recording is facilitated by a proprietary smoothing algorithm and a filter that suppresses artifacts without compromising fidelity. A high sample rate eliminates a "digitized” appearance of the output, and an autoscaling feature optimizes the appearance and readability of the printed flow trace display. Among the other features of the device are ease of operation due to universal function buttons, nomogram charts for males under and above fifty years of age, and a separate chart for women. The Microflo II uroflowmeter is a product of Life-Tech (Stafford, TX, USA).

Uroflowmetry is a simple noninvasive diagnostic screening procedure used to assess bladder and sphincter function. During normal urination, the initial urine stream starts slowly but almost immediately speeds up until the bladder is nearly empty. The urine flow then slows again until the bladder is empty. In persons with a urinary tract obstruction, this pattern of flow is altered, and increases and decreases more gradually. The uroflowmeter displays this information in a graph form, taking into account the person's gender and age. Uroflowmetry is widely performed by urologists, urogynecologists, gynecologists, rehabilitation specialists, and general physicians.

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