Automated urine output measurement systems and methods thereof
An automated urine-output-measurement system can include single-patient equipment and multi-patient equipment. The single-patient equipment can include a urinary catheter and a urine-collection system. The urine-collection system can include drainage tubing and a drainage receptacle. The multi-patient equipment can include a urine monitor. The urine monitor can include a housing having a cavity configured to house the drainage receptacle, a urine-measurement means for measuring urine-output into the drainage receptacle, and an integrated display screen configured to display patient information including measurements of the urine output. A method of the automated urine-output-measurement system can include placing the drainage receptacle in the urine monitor of the automated urine-output-measurement system, and confirming a volume of urine in the drainage receptacle with that indicated on the urine monitor once a patient has produced urine.
1. An automated urine-output-measurement system, comprising:
a) single-patient equipment including:
a urinary catheter; and
a urine-collection system including drainage tubing and a drainage receptacle; and
b) multi-patient equipment including:
a urine monitor including:
a housing having a cavity configured to house an entirety of the drainage receptacle;
a urine-measurement means for measuring urine output into the drainage receptacle; and
an integrated display screen configured to display patient information including measurements of the urine output.
2. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the urine-measurement means is a load cell for weight-based urine-output measurements.
3. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 2 , wherein the load cell is a tension load cell located within the housing of the urine monitor and coupled to a load-bearing hook located in a back of the cavity such that a load of the drainage receptacle is applied to the load cell while the drainage receptacle hangs from the load-bearing hook.
4. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 2 , wherein the load cell is a compression load cell located in a bottom of the cavity such that a load of the drainage receptacle is applied to the load cell while the drainage receptacle sits on the load cell.
5. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the urine-measurement means is an in-line flow meter for volume-based urine-output measurements.
6. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the urine-measurement means is a contactless ultrasonic liquid-level sensor for volume-based urine-output measurements from above the drainage receptacle.
7. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the urine-measurement means is a contactless optical liquid-level sensor for volume-based urine-output measurements from a side of the drainage receptacle.
8. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , the urine monitor further including a radiofrequency identification (“RFID”)-unit reader-writer configured to identify a presence of an RFID unit integrated into the urine-collection system, read data from the RFID unit, and write data to the RFID unit.
9. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 8 , wherein the RFID unit is a bead around a length of the drainage tubing adjacent the drainage receptacle.
10. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 8 , wherein the housing of the urine monitor has an RFID-unit receptacle including the RFID-unit reader-writer therein or thereabout, the RFID-unit receptacle configured to retain the drainage tubing by way of the RFID unit.
11. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , the urine monitor further including lighting features configured to indicate a state of the urine monitor, indicate positive placement of the urine-collection system or a portion thereof, illuminate the drainage receptacle, indicate a urine monitor alert, indicate a patient alert, or a combination thereof.
12. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , the urine monitor further including an embedded system including a microcontroller configured to process urine-measurement data corresponding to the urine output into the drainage receptacle, a graphics controller configured to render on the integrated display screen the patient information including the measurements of the urine output, and one or more wireless communication modules configured to wirelessly communicate the patient information including the urine output to a companion wireless device when paired therewith.
13. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , the multi-patient equipment further including a companion tablet computer configured to wirelessly communicate with the urine monitor and one or more networked computers to update electronic medical records with the patient information including the urine output or retrieve historical patient information from the electronic medical records.
14. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , the multi-patient equipment further including one or more rechargeable batteries configured to power the urine monitor.
15. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , the multi-patient equipment further including a pole mount, a bed-rail mount, or a floor stand, the housing of the urine monitor having mounting interfaces to support the pole mount, the bed-rail mount, and the floor stand.
16. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 1 , the multi-patient equipment further including a urine-clearing device for clearing urine from the drainage tubing.
17. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 10 , wherein the housing of the urine monitor further includes a transverse drainage-tubing channel including the RFID-unit receptacle, the transverse drainage-tubing channel configured to accommodate the drainage tubing on each side of the RFID unit when the RFID unit is around a length of the drainage tubing adjacent the drainage receptacle, as well as provide strain relief to the drainage tubing by guiding and supporting the drainage tubing to prevent kinks therein.
18. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 8 , wherein the housing of the urine monitor further includes a longitudinal drainage-tubing channel configured to retain the drainage tubing by a compressive force on sides of the urine monitor between the RFID unit and either a backup or faux RFID unit around opposing portions of a length of the drainage tubing.
19. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 18 , wherein the RFID-unit reader-writer is disposed within the housing on a side of the urine monitor or the urine monitor includes two RFID-unit reader-writers disposed within the housing on both sides of the urine monitor about the drainage-tubing channel.
20. The automated urine-output-measurement system of claim 18 , wherein the housing of the urine monitor further includes a companion drainage-tubing slot to the transverse drainage-tubing channel, the companion drainage-tubing slot configured to accommodate the drainage tubing, as well as provide strain relief to the drainage tubing by guiding and supporting the drainage tubing to prevent kinks therein.