Uroflow measures urine flow to monitor medical treatment

Many medical conditions can affect urine flow, either as a primary effect or as a secondary symptom. This is especially true for men, as prostate problems often affect urination. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), for example, is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate that results in a weak stream of urine. BPH is usually treated with medication, but doctors need a way to measure the effectiveness of treatment. Jerry Smith developed Uroflow to monitor urine flows and track the progress of BPH treatment.

When the prostate enlarges, it can both put pressure on the bladder and restrict the urethra. This leads to a frequent feeling of needing to urinate, but also to a weak stream. When the enlargement is not related to cancer, it falls under the umbrella of BPH. The key to diagnosing BPH is a urine flow test, which detects the strength of the stream and the volume of urine. Follow-up urine flow tests help doctors monitor treatment. But typical urine flow testing equipment is expensive and requires the patient to visit their doctor. Uroflow is not expensive to buildwhich will allow patients to perform urine flow tests at home.

Uroflow works by measuring the weight of a cup while the patient urinates. The device can determine total volume based on weight and can calculate flow by measuring weight over time. The Uroflow device consists of an inexpensive food scale and Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 board. The Arduino monitors the output from the scale and sends the results to a computer. Custom software interprets the results and performs the calculations, then displays the data in a graph. Patients can compare many graphs collected during their treatment to assess the efficacy of drugs.