Development of a Scale-type Uroflowmeter for Standing Urination

A scale-type uroflowmeter designed specifically for male standing urination has been developed. While several uroflowmeters exist, most require the voided urine to come into contact with a uroflowmeter container or similar device. These devices and containers may become contaminated with urine, necessitating cleaning, and potentially serving as a breeding ground for infection. To address these issues, we developed a scale-type uroflowmeter. One example of a typical disease causing lower urinary tract symptoms is benign prostatic hyperplasia. Our uroflowmeter is designed to automatically measure the decrease in weight during standing urination. A basic study using water demonstrated an excellent correlation between the volume of water poured and the measured weight, with errors within 10 mL. Furthermore, a feasibility study involving five young and six older subjects showed good agreement in voided volume (VV) and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) between the novel device and a medical uroflowmeter. The average VV error rate was 5.30 ± 4.60%, and Qmax error rate was 15.74 ± 16.91%. The uroflowmeter for standing urination developed in this study allowed measurement of VV and Qmax with the same accuracy as the medical uroflowmeter. This system has the potential to be utilized as a noncontact uroflowmeter, offering a more hygienic and convenient solution for measuring urinary flow.