Microcontroller-based urine output monitoring system design and implementation

Abstract

Urinary system disorders that occur at later ages are more common as the average human lifespan increases. Although urinary system disorders are widespread among elderly individuals, these disorders are seen in young people. The catheter system is used in some diseases such as urinary incontinence in the elderly. In addition, patients in different age groups who are hospitalized may need the catheter system during their treatment processes. In this study, a urine output monitoring system was designed and implemented to facilitate the tracking of the patient’s health situation. The designed control system was created based on the PIC18f45K22 microcontroller. The urine output monitoring system was created with a load cell, color sensor, buzzer, liquid crystal display screen, and Bluetooth communication units. A mechanical connection system was developed in which the urinary drainage bag attached to the catheter could be suspended to the control system by means of a hook. Thus, the developed system measured the weight of the urinary bag with a mean relative error value between 0.18% and 1.25%. The load cell–based created control system sensed the weight of the urinary catheter system and gave a warning when the urine in the drainage bag reached a predetermined weight. In addition, the optical density of the urine was measured, sent to the control unit using a wireless Bluetooth communication system, and classified on a 5-point scale to provide a simple visual indicator for caregivers to distinguish normal urine from urine requiring investigation. An audible warning was created using the microcontroller-based system in case of an emergency. The health condition of the patient was visualized through the designed interface program.