Bedwetting training device and method
A bedwetting monitoring method implemented by a computer, bladder monitoring device and a patient alert device and includes determining a urination volume of a bladder of a patient at which a patient will urinate, determining a trigger volume of the bladder of the patient representing a volume that is less than the urination volume, monitoring a volume of the bladder of the patient with a bladder monitoring device, and alerting the patient with the patient alert device at the trigger volume to wake the patient prior to urination.
1. A bedwetting training method implemented by a computer, bladder monitoring device, and a patient alert device, the method comprising:
determining a urination volume of a bladder of a patient at which the patient will urinate;
determining a trigger volume of the bladder of the patient representing a volume that is less than the urination volume when the patient should be stimulated prior to urination;
monitoring a volume of the bladder of the patient with a bladder monitoring device, wherein monitoring the volume of the bladder comprises:
measuring heart rate variability of the patient;
detecting signal changes of the heart rate variability at various frequencies, wherein detecting signal changes at the various frequencies comprises detecting signal changes in a plurality of frequency ranges including a very low frequency band, a low frequency band, and a high frequency band;
determining bladder filling based on the detected signal changes; and
estimating the volume of the bladder based on the determined bladder filling; and
alerting the patient with the patient alert device at the trigger volume to wake the patient prior to urination.
2. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
alerting the patient with the patient alert device at a first intensity when the trigger volume is reached; and
increasing the intensity of the patient alert device after the trigger volume has been reached to increase stimulation of the patient prior to the urination volume being reached.
3. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , wherein the bladder monitoring device comprises an ultrasound or photo optical sensor, and wherein the volume of the bladder is calculated using the ultrasound or the photo optical sensor.
4. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , wherein the heart rate variability is determined using a photo optical sensor sensing heart rhythms associated with urination.
5. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the volume of the bladder based on the detected signal changes comprises:
determining an initial volume of the bladder at a first time;
calculating an amount of urine generated in the bladder per unit time based on the detected signal changes;
determining an amount of elapsed time since the first time
multiplying the amount of urine generated per unit time by the amount of elapsed time to determine the volume of the bladder.
6. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , further comprising a bedwetting sensor that provides a signal representative of whether the patient wets the bed.
7. The bedwetting training method according to claim 6 , further comprising setting the urination volume and trigger volume based on the signal from the bedwetting sensor.
8. The bedwetting training method according to claim 7 , further comprising alerting the patient with the patient alert device when the signal from the bedwetting sensor is provided.
9. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , wherein the patient alert device is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (LAMES), audible, vibration, or visual alarm.
10. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frequency ranges further includes an ultralow low frequency band.
11. A bedwetting training device, comprising:
a computer;
a bladder monitoring device connected to the computer; and
a patient alert device connected to the computer;
wherein:
the computer determines a urination volume of a bladder of a patient at which the patient will urinate;
the computer determines a trigger volume of the bladder of the patient representing a volume that is less than the urination volume;
the computer stores the trigger volume and the urination volume in a memory device;
the bladder monitoring device monitors a volume of the bladder of the patient, wherein the bladder monitoring device:
measures heart rate variability of the patient;
detects signal changes of the heart rate variability at various frequencies, wherein detecting signal changes at the various frequencies comprises detecting signal changes in a plurality of frequency ranges including a very low frequency band, a low frequency band, and a high frequency band;
determines bladder filling based on the detected signal changes; and
estimates the volume of the bladder based on the determined bladder filling; and
the patient alert device alerts the patient at the trigger volume to wake the patient prior to urination.
12. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
alerting the patient with the patient alert device at a first intensity when the trigger volume is reached; and
increasing the intensity of the patient alert device after the trigger volume has been reached.
13. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , wherein the bladder monitoring device comprises an ultrasound or photo optical sensor, and wherein the volume of the bladder is calculated using the ultrasound or the photo optical sensor.
14. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , wherein the bladder monitoring device comprises a photo optical sensor that measures the heart rate variability.
15. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , further comprising a bedwetting sensor that provides a signal representative of whether the patient wets the bed.
16. The bedwetting training device according to claim 15 , wherein the computer sets the urination volume and trigger volume based on the signal from the bedwetting sensor.
17. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , wherein the patient alert device is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (LAMES), audible, vibration, or visual alarm.
18. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , wherein the bladder monitoring device is further configured to:
determine an initial volume of the bladder at a first time;
calculate an amount of urine generated in the bladder per unit time based on the detected signal changes;
determine an amount of elapsed time since the first time; and
multiply the amount of urine generated per unit time by the amount of elapsed time to determine the volume of the bladder.
19. The bedwetting training method according to claim 1 , wherein the heart rate variability is determined using a photo optical sensing device.
20. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , wherein the bladder monitoring device comprises a photo optical sensor that measures the heart rate variability.
21. The bedwetting training device according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of frequency ranges further includes an ultralow low frequency band.