Urodynamic study subtraction channel using abdominal electrical activity

1 . A urodynamic study system for generating an abdominal pressure from a measurement of vesical pressure and a measurement of electrical activity of abdominal muscles using electromyography, the system comprising:

a. a vesical catheter adapted to sense vesical pressure in furtherance of measuring same;

b. an abdominal electromyography sensor to sense electrical activity of abdominal muscles in furtherance of measuring same; and,

c. a signal processing interface for producing synchronous channels of vesical pressure and generated abdominal pressure in furtherance of performing a urodynamic patient assessment, the signal processing interface comprising:

i. one or more signal receivers configured to receive first and second signals comprised, respectively, of measured values of vesical pressure and measured values of abdominal electrical activity;

ii. a processer for calibrating select signals from the one or more signal receivers received thereby, select signals from the one or more signal receivers characterized by first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity corresponding to a passive patient status characterized by an empty bladder and inactive non-volitional abdominal contractions, and further characterized by one or more measured values of abdominal electrical activity corresponding to one or more active volitional abdominal contractions, said signals associated with measured values of abdominal electrical activity having been filtered for the removal of electrical cardiac activity, resulting calibrated select signals evidencing a relationship between abdominal electrical activity and abdominal pressure in furtherance of obtaining generated abdominal pressure values; and,

iii. an output device for outputting synchronous channels of measured values of vesical pressure and generated abdominal pressure correlated to the calibrated select signals.

2 . A signal processing interface for producing synchronous channels of vesical pressure and generated abdominal pressure in furtherance of performing a urodynamic patient assessment, the signal processing interface comprising:

a. one or more signal receivers configured to receive first and second signals comprised, respectively, of measured values of vesical pressure and measured values of abdominal electrical activity;

b. a processer for calibrating select signals from the one or more signal receiver received thereby, select signals from the one or more signal receiver modules characterized by first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity corresponding to a passive patient status characterized by an empty bladder and inactive non-volitional abdominal contractions, and further characterized by one or more measured values of abdominal electrical activity corresponding to one or more active volitional abdominal contractions, said signals associated with measured values of abdominal electrical activity having been filtered for the removal of electrical cardiac activity, resulting calibrated select signals evidencing a relationship between abdominal electrical activity and abdominal pressure in furtherance of obtaining generated abdominal pressure values; and,

c. an output device for outputting synchronous channels of measured values of vesical pressure and generated abdominal pressure correlated to the calibrated select signals.

3 . A method of generating abdominal pressure values from measured vesical pressure values and measured abdominal electrical activity using a signal processing interface for producing synchronous channels of vesical pressure and generated abdominal pressure, the interface characterized by, in operative combination, a signal receiving module and a processor for calibrating select signals from the signal receiving module, the method comprising:

a. measuring a quantity of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity to obtain first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity, said first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity corresponding to a passive patient status characterized by an empty bladder and inactive non-volitional abdominal contractions, said first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity receivable by the signal receiving module;

b. measuring a quantity of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity to obtain second measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity, said second measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity corresponding to an active patient status characterized by one or more active volitional abdominal contractions, said second measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity receivable by the signal receiving module;

c. filtering out electrical cardiac activity from signals associated with measured abdominal electrical activity;

d. calibrating data corresponding to signals associated with first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity, and data corresponding to signals associated with second measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity via the processor; and,

e. generating abdominal pressure values from measured values of abdominal electrical activity during a urodynamic study as a result of the calibration of data corresponding to signals associated with first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity, and data associated with second measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the calibrating includes performing a calibration protocol with regard to said second measured values of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity corresponding to an active patient status characterized by one or more active volitional abdominal contractions so as to establish a relationship for and between abdominal electrical activity and abdominal pressure.

5 . The method of claim 3 wherein measuring a quantity of vesical pressure is enabled via a vesical catheter.

6 . The method of claim 3 wherein measuring a quantity of vesical pressure is enabled via a single vesical catheter.

7 . The method of claim 3 wherein measuring a quantity of vesical pressure is enabled with a vesical catheter and measuring a quantity of abdominal electrical activity is enabled via surface electromyography.

8 . The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more active volitional abdominal contractions comprise both fast moving and slow moving contractions.

9 . The method of claim 3 wherein first and second measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity are received as signals corresponding to first and second signal receivers of the signal receiving module.

10 . The method of claim 3 further comprising determining whether a signal quality of signals associated with measured values of abdominal electrical activity enable generating abdominal pressure values from measured values of abdominal electrical activity during a urodynamic study as a result of the calibration of data associated with first measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity, and data associated with second measured values of each of vesical pressure and abdominal electrical activity.