The goal is to develop a method for carrying out tests of urodynamic behavior based on continual monitoring over a prolonged period of time that includes routine daily activities.
The specific aims are: (1) develop a portable monitoring system attached to the patient that can record physiological data over a 24-hour period; and (2) implement automated methods for analyzing the recorded data. This approach will result in a system that will enable dynamic information to be incorporated into a patient's urologic history, and will assist the clinician in establishing diagnostic and treatment procedures. Phase I will use conventional equipment to test the efficacy of long-term urodynamic monitoring in a population of spinal cord injured, and will include preliminary manual interpretation of the data. The tests will be carried out during resting conditions similar to routine studies, and during dynamic conditions that include various daily functional tasks. The results of Phase I will be used in Phase II to construct portable urodynamic monitoring equipment and automated signal processing algorithms, and to evaluate these in diverse patient populations by means of a formal assessment protocol. The technological innovation and commercial potential of the research lies in the development of a marketable portable urodynamic monitoring system, and the establishing of scanning centers that will interpret data and furnish laboratory reports.
