RU2071724C1 - Device for measuring urination flow rate and volume of discharged urine - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medical engineering. SUBSTANCE: device has cylindric reservoir for collecting urine with a float placed inside and mechanically related to converter for transforming float displacement into electric current having unit for electronic signal processing. The float displacement converter has rotatable disk with holes (modulation member), light-emitting source and photosensitive cell rigidly fixed on the opposite sides of the disk. Optical axis of the light-emitting source - photosensitive cell system passes through a circle the centers of the disk holes belong to. The photosensitive cell is connected to electronic signal-processing unit and the float is connected with disk rotation axle. Modulator holes diameter and space size between them are not less than photosensitive cell input aperture diameter. Beside that modulator holes are distributed near the border equidistant from the center and one from another. Holes diameter is equal to the interhole spaces. The float has centering hemispheric pins are manufactured from low friction coefficient material like fluoroplast symmetrically spaced along the superior lower edge. EFFECT: enhanced accuracy of measurements. 4 cl, 3 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to medical equipment, namely to devices for urological research, which are designed to determine the time dependence of the volumetric rate of urination (flow rate) and the volume of urine excreted.

 The closest in technical essence and the achieved result is a device for measuring the volumetric rate of urination (Kharitonov I. B. Pavlyuchuk V.A. Medical equipment, 1976, N2, p. 42 44 (Instrument for measuring micration rate) and V.A. Klimov, N.G. Koblova, V.A.Pavlyuk, I.B.Kharitonov, Automated differentiating device for a device for determining micration rate (Med.tehnika, 1986, N4, p. 51 52), containing a cylindrical reservoir for collecting urine , a float mechanically coupled to a transducer for moving the float into an electric th signal and differentiator.

 This device has the disadvantage that it requires complex adjustment, strictly horizontal installation and zero calibration, since the initial electrical signal is proportional to the instantaneous value of the volume of urine excreted, and the dependence of the volumetric rate of urination on time is obtained by applying the differentiation operation, which significantly reduces the measurement accuracy.

 The problem to be solved is an increase in accuracy and an increase in the reliability of measurements.

 In FIG. 1 shows a general functional diagram of the device; figure 2 block of mechanical nodes (front view, section); figure 3 reservoir for collecting urine with an inlet pipe and a breaker jet (top view).

 The main units of the device are indicated by dashed lines.

 The device (Fig. 1) includes a mechanical unit 1 with an optical sensor 2, to the output of which is connected an electronic signal processing unit 3 that generates a “Debit” signal, and an electrically connected unit 4 for generating a signal “Volume”. Block 1 includes a vessel 5 for collecting urine, in which the float 6 floats freely, equipped with centering pins 7, which protect the float 6 from sticking and reduce its friction on the surface of the vessel, an inlet pipe 8, over which a funnel 9 for collecting urine is connected, connected with a working vessel with a horizontal channel 10, and two dampers-absorbers 11 of the kinetic energy of the urine stream, one of which is installed in the horizontal channel, and the other in the lower part of the vessel 5 for collecting urine. In the center of the upper surface of the float 6, a thread 12 is fixed at one end, passing through the hole 13 of the cover 14 of the vessel 5, which, enveloping the pulley 15 and covering the axis 16 of the disk of the modulator 17, is fixed at the outer surface of the cylindrical drum 18 with a coil spring 19 located inside it , the moment of which is less than the weight of the float 6 in the air, but more than the weight of the float 6, and immersed in the liquid. On both sides of the disk of the modulator 17, the light source 20 and the photosensitive element 21 are fixedly fixed, forming an optical sensor 2 located so that its optical axis passes through a circle on which the centers of the openings of the modulator 17 are equally spaced from each other, their diameters and gap sizes between them at least the diameter of the aperture of the photosensitive element 21 is selected.

 The light source 20 is connected to the power supply unit 22, and the photosensitive element 21 is connected to the input of the RS-flip-flop 23, which is the first stage of the unit 2. The output of the RS-flip-flop 23 is connected to the input of the double differentiating circuit 24, the outputs of which, in turn, are connected to the inputs of the standby multivibrator 25. One of the outputs of the multivibrator 25 is connected to the input of the Converter 26 "frequency-amplitude", the output connected to the input of the filter 27 low frequency. To the output of the latter, in turn, the input of UPT 28 is connected, which is the output stage of block 2, which forms the “Debit” signal.

 The second output of the waiting multivibrator 25 is connected to the input of the integrator 29, forming a block 4, forming a signal "Volume". To the outputs "Debit" and "Volume" is connected a recording device 30 (for example, a two-channel recorder), which is turned on by the pedal 31, which the patient presses in the presence of a mica.

 All electronic components of the device, including the LED, are powered by a power supply unit 22.

 The urine collection vessel 5 (FIG. 2) is a top-open cylinder of non-oxidizing material, for example, stainless steel with a polished surface inside, mounted vertically and welded to the base 32, in which there is a horizontal channel 10 connecting the vessel 5 with the outlet pipe 8 A channel has one of the quenchers 11 of the kinetic energy of the urine current, which is a protrusion perpendicular to the direction of the channel. The second damper 11 is installed in the lower part of the vessel 5 and consists of two disks with holes located coaxially at a certain distance from each other, the holes of one disk being offset from the holes of the second disk. Above the kinetic energy absorber 11 installed in the channel 10, there is a hatch 33 with a cover 34, which serves to clean the channel in case of clogging, for example, with blood clots. The cover is attached to the base with 32 screws 35. In the lower part of the base under the cylinder 8 there is a tap 36, which serves to drain the urine after measurements.

 The float 6 is made in the form of a hollow cylinder with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 5. Centering pins are located on the upper and lower edges of the float 7. A thin flexible thread 12 is attached to the upper part of the float, which passes through the hole 13 of the cover 14, worn on the cylinder 5, envelops a small pulley 15 mounted on the cover 14, a large pulley 37, covers the axis 16 of the disk of the modulator 17 and is mounted on the outer surface of the cylindrical drum 18, inside which there is a spiral spring 19. The pulley 37, the disk of the modulator 17 and the drum 18 fixed using racks 38, 39, 40, respectively, on a special support rod 41, which is attached to the outer surface of the cylinder 5 using brackets 42 and 43. An optical sensor holder 44 is attached to the rack 39.

 The entire device is closed by a metal casing (not shown in the figure) with an opening for the inlet pipe 8. A bracket for the funnel 9 is mounted on the casing, the pipe 45 is put on its narrow end, and to prevent air congestion, the outer diameter of the pipe 45 is much smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe 8.

 The device operates as follows.

 Prior to the start of research, a quantity of liquid (water or saline), determined in advance when calibrating the device, is poured into the funnel 9, which allows the float 6 to emerge.

 During the mixing, the patient’s urine through the funnel 9 and the tube 45 enters the inlet 8, and from there, according to the law of communicating vessels, through the horizontal channel 10 into the vessel 5, the kinetic energy of the stream is suppressed by two dampers 11. When the vessel 5 is executed, the float 6 moves upward, the polished inner surface of the vessel and the fluoroplastic pins of the float provide minimal friction. The spiral spring 19, fixed inside the hollow cylindrical drum 18, selects the thread 12 associated with the float 6, keeping it in tension. The thread 12, bending around the guide pulleys 15 and 37, causes the modulator 17 to rotate through the axis 16, the openings of which periodically block the light flux from the light source 20 to the photosensitive element 21, and the pulse repetition rate, which is the primary electrical quantity of the sensor 2, is directly proportional angular velocity of rotation of the modulator 17, i.e. urinary volumetric rate.

Since for a high-quality conversion of the pulse repetition rate into a constant voltage amplitude, it is necessary that the duration and amplitude of the pulses supplied to the converter be strictly constant, the signal from the photosensitive element 21 is processed in blocks 23 25 before being fed to the converter 26. The signal is transmitted from the photosensitive element 21 to the input RS-trigger 23, and two direct voltages are removed from its direct and inverting outputs, the diagrams of which are sequences of rectangular pulses with about duty cycle 2, shifted relative to each other by 180 ^o . These voltages are differentiated by a double differentiating circuit 24, as a result of which short pulses of positive polarity are fed to the input of the waiting multivibrator 25, the repetition frequency of which is twice the repetition frequency of the initial pulses. Doubling the frequency increases the accuracy of the device at low values of the volumetric rate of urination.

 From one of the outputs of the multivibrator 25, rectangular pulses of constant duration and amplitude are taken, which are fed to the input of the "frequency" "amplitude" 26 converter, from the output of which a signal proportional to the volumetric rate of urination is fed through the low-pass filter 27 and a constant current amplifier 28 "Debit."

 From the second output of the multivibrator 25, the signal is fed to the input of the integrator 29 with a large time constant, which generates a signal proportional to the total volume of urine in the vessel 5 (output "Volume").

Claims (4)

 1. A device for measuring the volumetric rate of urination and the volume of urine output, containing a cylindrical urine collection tank with a float located inside it, mechanically connected to a transducer for moving the float into an electric signal, including an electronic signal processing unit, characterized in that the transducer contains a disk with holes a modulator made with the possibility of rotation, a light source and a photosensitive element fixed motionless from opposite sides of the disk, moreover, The main axis of the system is the light source, the photosensitive element passes through a circle on which the centers of the holes are located, the photosensitive element is connected by the output to the electronic signal processing unit, and the float is connected to the axis of rotation of the disk.  2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the holes of the modulator and the gap between them is not less than the diameter of the input aperture of the photosensitive element.  3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the holes of the modulator are located at the edge at the same distance from its center and at equal distance from each other, and the diameter of the holes is equal to the gap between them.  4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the float is equipped with centering pins of a hemispherical shape made of a material with a low coefficient of friction, for example, fluoroplastic and located symmetrically on the upper and lower edges.

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