Hypothesis / aims of study
The Foley Catheter has been draining bladders for almost 100 years, however it needs to be modernised to serve the changing requirements of modern ‘data driven’ healthcare. This paper reports on the results of a ‘bench trial’ on a device that attaches between the outflow of a foley catheter and the drainage-bag, that can monitor many aspects of urine output.
Study design, materials and methods
The device, invented by the author, monitors the urine composition and temperature, as well as detecting if the catheter is blocked. It then transmits these wirelessly to a cloud computing system, where a computer algorithm can detect early warning signs and inform the patient’s physician or caregiver. In this bench trial, we attached the device to a foley catheter inserted into a model bladder. We then simulated haematuria, concentrated/dilute urine and catheter blockage. The data were transmitted and analysed independently to see if the various scenarios could be differentiated and identified.
Interpretation of results
The device is able to identify whether a catheter is blocked, whether a patient is haematuric and can provide some indication as to whether a patient is developing a UTI.