Method of Diagnosing Urological Disorders

Abstract

Parametrical analysis of uroflowmetry test results to identify urological disorders particularly to distinguish men who have low urinary tract disorder/benign prostatic hyperplasia from those who have overactive bladder. Primary urine flow dynamic parameters and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters are calculated. Patient's urological disorders can be assessed by comparing the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters with a library or database of comparable data derived from healthy or normal individuals as well as comparable data derived from individuals afflicted with specific urological disorders. A predictive model of lower urinary tract function disorders can be developed from existing reference primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters. The model allows for complex analysis and objective disease prediction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of assessing urological disorders in an individual comprising:
 (a) acquiring the individual's uroflowmetry data that includes the individual's voiding flow rate over time;   (b) calculating primary urine flow dynamic parameters from the uroflowmetry data;   (c) calculating secondary urine flow dynamic parameters from the primary urine flow dynamic parameters; and   (d) analyzing the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the calculated primary urine flow dynamic parameters are selected from the grouping consisting of maximum urine flow, time to maximum urine flow, average urine flow, voided urine volume, void time, total void time, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the calculated secondary urine flow dynamic parameters are selected from the group consisting of urine flow acceleration, average urine flow to maximum urine flow ratio, time-to-maximum urine flow to total time ratio, void time to total time ratio, “Plateau” time, “Plateau” time to total time ratio, “Plateau” time to void time ratio, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (d) comprises comparing the individual's the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters with reference primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters from a reference population. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the reference population comprises a population comprising individuals with urological disorders. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the reference population has a comparable medical history to that of the individual. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the medical history includes one or more patient information that is selected from the group consisting of the subject's gender, age, height, weight, blood pressure, ethnicity, and combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (d) comprises applying a predictive model to the individual's the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising step (f) of diagnosing the individual's urological disorder. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising step (f) of differentiating the individual's urological disorder as being low urinary tract disorder or overactive bladder. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises electronically capturing or downloading an electronic file containing the individual's uroflowmetry data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising treating the individual to alleviate a urological disorder by administering an effective amount of a drug or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) of acquiring the individual's uroflowmetry data comprises the steps of (i) detecting acoustic energy that is generated as urine impacts a liquid surface, (ii) converting the acoustic energy into electrical signals, (iii) converting the electrical signals into digital form, (iv) extracting filtered signals from the electrical signals in digital form with a digital filter; and (v) processing the filtered signals to generate output signals that represent urinary flow data for the individual. 
     
     
         14 . Computerized system for assessing a urological disorder in an individual that comprises:
 a database for storing the individual's uroflowmetry data that includes the individual's voiding flow rate over time;   a processor for calculating primary urine flow dynamic parameters from the uroflowmetry data;   a processor for calculating secondary urine flow dynamic parameters from the primary urine flow dynamic parameters; and   a processor for analyzing the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters.   
     
     
         15 . The computerized system of  claim 14  wherein the calculated primary urine flow dynamic parameters are selected from the grouping consisting of maximum urine flow, time to maximum urine flow, average urine flow, voided urine volume, void time, total void time, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The computerized system of  claim 14  wherein the calculated secondary urine flow dynamic parameters are selected from the group consisting of urine flow acceleration, average urine flow to maximum urine flow ratio, time-to-maximum urine flow to total time ratio, void time to total time ratio, “Plateau” time, “Plateau” time to total time ratio, “Plateau” time to void time ratio, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The computerized system of  claim 14  the processor individual's the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters with reference primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters from a reference population. 
     
     
         18 . The computerized system of  claim 14  comprises means for electronically capturing or downloading an electronic file containing the individual's uroflowmetry data. 
     
     
         19 . The computerized system of  claim 14  further comprising means for acquiring the individual's uroflowmetry data by (i) detecting acoustic energy that is generated as urine impacts a liquid surface, (ii) converting the acoustic energy into electrical signals, (iii) converting the electrical signals into digital form, (iv) extracting filtered signals from the electrical signals in digital form with a digital filter; and (v) processing the filtered signals to generate output signals that represent urinary flow data for the individual. 
     
     
         20 . The computerized system of  claim 14  wherein the processor for analyzing the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters being programmed with a predictive model that applies the primary and secondary urine flow dynamic parameters.