An apparatus and methods to quantify the volume of urine in a human
bladder with a limited number of acoustic beams is disclosed. In a first
version the apparatus is composed of a transducers assembly that
transmits a plurality of narrow ultrasound beams in different directions
towards the bladder and receives the returning ultrasound signals; a
receiver detector for processing the returned signals; an
analog-to-digital converter; a memory to store the digitized data and a
volume display allowing to define the optimal position of the transducer
assembly. The apparatus also includes a signal processing software that
automatically determines the bladder Depth D and Height H and computes
the volume of urine using an empirical formula corrected by specific,
empirically measured, filling dependant correction factors. In a second
version a single wide angle ultrasound beam transducer transmitting
ultrasound signals at fundamental frequency is used to quantify the urine
volume. Return signals originating from a depth beyond the usual position
of the posterior wall depth of a filled bladder are analyzed for presence
of higher harmonic signals which in turn are related to presence or
absence of urine. Both methods or a combination thereof can be used us a
simple warning device for presence of residual urine after voiding or
indicate the presence of a critical bladder urine filling level.