Urinary incontinence, characterized by an involuntary loss of urine, affects over 10 million people in the United States alone. In addition to adversely affecting the patient's physical and psychological well- being, it costs nursing homes over $1 billion/year to deal with the problem. The goal of this project is to develop a low-cost, ambulatory instrument that can significantly reduce the number of accidents in incontinent patients. Using non-ionizing ultrasonic energy, the unit will continuously monitor the fullness of the patient's bladder and automatically set-off an audible alarm whenever a pre-established volume threshold is exceeded. The patient can then perform, or be helped to perform, a controlled voiding and minimize the risk of an accident. The device is also expected to improve the efficacy of both bladder and habit training programmes by providing a more direct mechanism for tangible feedback. During Phase I an experimental unit was developed, clinical tests conducted, and the feasibility of the concept proven. During Phase II, the goal is to complete the development of a clinically validated product prototype.
