FR3110383A1 - MICTIONAL RECORDING DEVICE AND METHOD, AND MICTION ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a voiding recording device and method (1), characterized in that it is designed to equip a patient user (2) and in that 'it comprises at least: ○ a sound recorder (3), ○ a spatial detection means (4), designed to detect the position taken by at least a part of the body of said user patient (2) ○ a control unit, designed for triggering a sound recording of a urination (7) of said user patient (2) using said sound recorder (3) when said detecting means (4) detects that said body part of said user patient (2) is placed in a particular predetermined position suitable for urination. The invention is particularly suited to sound recording and analysis of a patient's urination. Figure for the abstract: Figure 1.

Description

VOIDING RECORDING DEVICE AND METHOD, AND VIDANCE ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND METHOD

The present invention relates to the general technical field of urology, and in particular to devices intended for recording urination, for example to detect urinary disorders in patients.

The present invention relates more particularly to a voiding recording device.

The present invention also relates to a voiding recording method.

The present invention further relates to a voiding analysis system, comprising at least the recording device mentioned above.

The present invention further relates to a method for analyzing urination, comprising at least the recording method mentioned above.

Urology is the medical field concerned with the kidneys, urinary tract and male reproductive system. Thus, nearly two-thirds of men develop during their lifetime, and in particular from the age of forty or fifty, one or more chronic urinary disorders. These urinary disorders are reflected in male patients by repeated problematic urination, that is to say painful, incomplete and/or upset urination, the frequency, volume and/or variations of which are often the most obvious signs. . These difficult male urinations often lead to a significant decrease in living comfort, a negative change in social life, as well as physical complications that can sometimes lead to hospitalizations and surgical interventions.

One of the most common causes of these chronic urinary disorders is benign prostatic hypertrophy (or hyperplasia), which results in particular in an increase in the volume of the prostate, inducing abnormal pressure on the urethra and the bladder. This hypertrophy of the prostate can have the following effects in patients who are affected by it: increased frequency of urination (action of voluntarily emptying the bladder, even partially), reduction in the volume of the bladder and/or urethra , decreased ability to hold urine, difficulty starting and stopping urination, involuntary interruptions of urination, significant generation of post-voiding lag drops (i.e. after the theoretical cessation of urination), relatively frequent nocturnal awakenings (nocturia) resulting in reduced quality of sleep, and incontinence.

Diagnoses of voiding disorders are generally carried out thanks to an interrogation of the patient on the one hand, and on the other hand one or more clinical examinations making it possible to identify the causes of these disorders and their possible complications. This questioning generally includes the establishment of a “ voiding calendar ”, while the clinical examinations often include the realization of measurements of uroflowmetry. The voiding calendar is often carried out by the patient himself who notes the number and the estimated volume of the urinations that he performs daily. Urinary flowmetry measurements, generally carried out by a urologist using suitable devices, are measurements of the flow of urine evacuated during the patient's urination, thus making it possible to evaluate the pressure of the urinary stream at a given moment.

However, although they generally fulfill their functions, neither the voiding schedule made by the patient, nor the current urinary flowmetry measurements are completely satisfactory. Indeed, the voiding calendar is obtained via subjective evaluations of the patient, who can thus make errors, omissions or significant approximations in the recording of his urinations, especially since he has no means of evaluation. (or objective measurement) of his urination. The urinary flowmetry measurements carried out by a urologist are only occasional evaluations of one or a few micturitions of the patient at a particular given time, and thus do not give a complete overview of the real micturition situation (daily or at longer term) of said patient, which limits or prevents the establishment of an accurate diagnosis of any urinary disorders of the latter.

It is preferable, in the context of urological problems and in particular urinary dysfunctions, to be able to establish a diagnosis in a way that is discreet, precise, objective and without significant constraint for the patient, such constraints however going against the Known practices for voiding diary and uroflowmetry measurements in the urologist.

There is therefore a need to be able to make precise recordings of a patient's urination for a significant period of time (one day, several days, one or more weeks, one or more months), while preserving the patient's quality of life.

The invention therefore proposes to remedy the various drawbacks set out above and to propose a new urination recording device capable of making regular and quality recordings of a patient's urination during a determined period of time, without negatively impacting the patient's quality of life.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a novel voiding recording device which is quick and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention aims to propose a novel voiding recording device which is particularly light and which has a reduced size.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new voiding recording device whose use is both practical and without risk for the patient.

Another object of the invention aims to propose a new voiding recording device making it possible to collect in a precise and objective manner the data necessary for the realization of the voiding calendar of a patient.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new particularly reliable and robust voiding recording device.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new voiding recording device whose design makes it particularly easy to adapt to different patients.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a novel voiding recording device of particularly simple design.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new voiding recording device, the manufacture of which lends itself particularly well to industrialization at different production scales.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new voiding recording device with excellent autonomy.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new voiding recording device that is all the more economical as its design optimally limits its need for recording storage memory.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a novel voiding recording device that is particularly energy efficient.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new voiding recording device, the production of which uses available, simple, proven and economical components.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new voiding recording device, the design of which gives it a discreet appearance and allows use involving little or no constraint for the patient, thus avoiding a negative impact on social and family life. of the last.

Another object of the invention is to propose a new micturition recording device making it possible to carry out mainly or even only relevant urinary recordings, and thus to obtain recording data in limited quantity, particularly easy and quick to process by urology professionals and their equipment.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new simple, fast voiding recording method, with excellent repeatability and suitable for producing a voiding schedule over a period of one or more days.

Another object of the invention aims to provide a new simple, robust and reliable micturition analysis system, while making it possible to help quickly obtain an objective micturition schedule for a patient and a diagnosis. precise urological analysis of the urinary state of said patient.

Another object of the invention aims to propose a new method for analyzing urination that is simple, quick to implement, and making it possible to help quickly obtain an objective micturition schedule for a patient and a precise urological diagnosis of the urinary state of said patient.

The objects assigned to the invention are achieved using a voiding recording device, characterized in that it is designed to equip a patient user and in that it comprises at least:
- a sound recorder,
- a spatial detection means, designed to detect the position taken by at least a part of the body of said user patient,
- a control unit, designed to trigger a sound recording of a urination of said user patient using said sound recorder when said detection means detects that said part of the body of said user patient is placed in a particular predetermined position appropriate to the urination.

The objects assigned to the invention are also achieved with the aid of a voiding analysis system, comprising at least the voiding recording device as described above, and a calculation server designed to digitally process the data from sound recording of urination of said user patient.

The objects assigned to the invention are also achieved using a voiding recording method characterized in that it comprises at least:
- a step of equipping a user patient with a voiding recording device comprising at least one sound recorder and a spatial detection means,
- a sound recording step of a urination using said sound recorder,
said recording step being triggered in response to a detection, by the spatial detection means, of the placement of at least a part of the body of said user patient in a particular predetermined position suitable for urination.

The objects assigned to the invention are also achieved with the aid of a urination analysis method comprising the urination recording method described above, as well as a step of digital processing of the sound recording data of urination.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear and emerge in more detail on reading the description given below, with reference to the appended drawings, given by way of purely illustrative and non-limiting examples, in which:

illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary patient implementation of a voiding recording device of the invention, as well as a voiding analysis system of the invention.

illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary voiding analysis method of the invention.

The invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a micturition recording device 1. Said recording device 1 is advantageously designed to record a urinary sound, and more precisely the noise produced by a jet of urine during urination. , that is to say a mictional noise produced during the natural emission of urine by the evacuation of the bladder, the urinary sound being for example produced by the impact of the jet of urine emitted against a surface of liquid, usually water, contained at the bottom of a toilet bowl 5, or a solid surface, for example that of the toilet bowl 5 itself or a male urinal.

According to the invention, the voiding recording device 1 is designed to equip a patient user 2. In particular, the voiding recording device 1 is preferably designed to be worn by said patient user 2. In a particularly advantageous manner, the device recording device 1 is intended to be worn by said user patient 2 so as to record the noise produced by the latter's urination for one or more days, for example at least one week, preferably between five and fifteen days, more preferentially between eight and twelve days.

According to the invention, the voiding recording device 1 comprises at least:
- a sound recorder 3,
- a spatial detection means 4, designed to detect the position taken by at least a part of the body of said user patient 2,
- a control unit, designed to trigger a sound recording of a urination 7 of said patient user 2 using said sound recorder 3 when said detection means 4 detects that said part of the body of said patient user 2 is placed in a position particular predetermined appropriate for urination.

Thus, the micturition recording device 1 is preferably designed to activate the sound recording of a micturition 7 of said patient user 2 using said sound recorder 3 only when said patient user 2 positions at least said part of his body in said particular predetermined position suitable for urination. In other words, the control unit (not shown) of the device 1 is advantageously intended to activate the sound recorder 3 to make a sound recording 7 of a urination of said user patient 2, only when the latter puts said part of his body in said particular predetermined position, which allows said patient user 2 to perform urination. Said part of the body of said user patient 2 is advantageously equipped with the voiding recording device 1, and in particular, said part of the body of said user patient 2 preferably carries the voiding recording device 1, or at least part of the latter. (for example, at least the spatial detection means 4).

Advantageously, recording device 1 embeds said sound recorder 3 and said spatial detection means 4. Recording device 1 preferably also embeds said control unit, which comprises for example a processor.

The recording device 1 preferably forms an independent and autonomous unit designed to be carried on oneself by the patient user 2, that is to say to be embarked on the body of the latter, in the manner of a garment, of an accessory or a jewel for example.

According to a preferred (but non-limiting) embodiment, the voiding recording device 1 is designed to be worn at least partly on the arm of said user patient 2, preferably at the level of the forearm, and even more preferential on the wrist, and is for example of the bracelet and/or watch type. In this particular embodiment, said part of the body is thus advantageously constituted by at least one of the arms of said patient user 2, and more advantageously by at least one of the wrists of said patient user 2. More generally, in addition to its urination recording function, the micturition recording device 1 advantageously has the appearance, and even more advantageously the function, of an accessory, a piece of jewelry, and/or an item of clothing (belt, watch, t-shirt, bracelet, ring…).

Said sound recorder 3 is therefore preferably designed to produce at least one, and preferably several, sound recording(s) 7, each sound recording 7 preferably being a sound recording of urination 7. Thus, advantageously, the recording device 1 is designed to make, with the aid of said sound recorder 3, sound recordings 7 in the broad sense, that is to say that the recording device 1 can store and/or transmit one or more sounds regarding urination. In general, the sound recorder 3 is preferably intended to pick up the sound of the environment, said sound of the environment containing more preferably still a noise directly relating to urination. In order to make the sound recordings of urination 7, the sound recorder 3 advantageously comprises at least one microphone. Said recording device 1 is preferably designed to record, with the aid of said sound recorder 3, the sound of urination(s) in general, that is to say of one urination or more advantageously of a plurality successive urinations.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a voiding recording method comprising a step of equipping a user patient 2 with a voiding recording device 1, which is preferably as described above and below. , and which comprises at least one sound recorder 3 and a spatial detection means 4. The preceding and following description concerning the voiding recording device 1 is therefore preferably also valid for the voiding recording method, and vice versa.

Thus, according to the invention, the micturition recording method further comprises at least one sound recording step E of a micturition using said sound recorder 3, said recording step E being triggered in response to a detection, by the spatial detection means 4, of the placement of at least a part of the body of said user patient 2 in a particular predetermined position suitable for urination. Of course, the sound recording step E is preferably intended to make a sound recording 7 of urination, this sound recording 7 being for example stored in said recording device 1 in digital form.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, illustrated schematically in , said spatial detection means 4 is designed to detect the position taken by the wrist, and the control unit is designed to trigger a sound recording 7 by means of the sound recorder 3 when said detection means 4 detects that the wrist of said user patient 2 is placed in a particular predetermined position suitable for urination, the recording step E therefore being triggered. Thus, according to this particular embodiment, said recording step E is triggered in response to a detection, by the spatial detection means 4, of the placement of the wrist of said user patient 2 in said particular predetermined position suitable for urination. An example of use of the device 1 according to the particular embodiment mentioned above will be described below, by way of non-limiting illustration, and is illustrated schematically in . When a male user patient 2 wishes to urinate, that is to say perform urination, he positions his wrist in the particular predetermined position, which constitutes said part of the body in question and carries the recording device 1, at like a watch or a bracelet. The recording device 1 surrounds said wrist and therefore has the general appearance (as well as possibly the functions) of a watch or bracelet, which contributes to its discreet and practical character. The particular predetermined position is here a specific position of the wrist (alternatively of the hand), placed in front of the patient user 2 and according to a particular orientation possibly preceded by a particular movement, with possibly in addition a standing position, allowing said patient user 2 to urinate in a toilet bowl 5 while holding the penis with the hand relative to said wrist, as illustrated schematically in (some elements not shown, including penis and urine stream). The spatial detection means 4 then detects that the wrist is positioned in the particular predetermined position, and transmits the information to said control unit. Said control unit then transmits a signal to said sound recorder 3 so that it starts operating to trigger the sound recording 7 of the surrounding noises potentially including urination of the user patient 2, thus initiating the recording step E. The voiding recording device 1 is then fully activated. The triggering of the recording step E results in practice preferably in the triggering of the sound recorder 3, which begins to record the ambient sound (in the form of the sound recording 7 preferably of digital type) in said digital storage means. The triggering of the sound recording 7, produced by the sound recorder 3 recording the ambient sound, is illustrated in by a microphone symbol turned towards the toilet bowl 5, the spatial detection means 4 being illustrated in this figure by a position symbol (round with a peak protruding downwards). The time counting means also records within said digital storage means the date and time of the start of the sound recording 7. The wrist, which is therefore that of the hand holding the penis performing urination, is then at relative proximity to the place of impact of the jet of urine, that is to say the toilet bowl 5. The jet of urine either directly touches the liquid (often water) generally placed at the bottom of the said bowl 5, or the bowl 5 itself before sliding (thus indirectly) in said liquid, all these urination noises being recorded by the recording device 1 in order to constitute a sound recording 7 preferably formed by one or more files digital audio. When the urination seems completely finished to the patient user 2, the latter changes the position of his wrist, which leaves the particular position which it is therefore no longer necessary to adopt. The spatial detection means 4 then detects this change in position, and transmits the information to said control unit, which in response sends a deactivation signal to the sound recorder 3 so that it deactivates and stops the sound recording. 7. The recording device 1 is then (at least partly) deactivated, that is to say that said sound recorder 3 ceases to record ambient sound and to store one or more digital audio files. The counting means records in said digital storage means the date and especially the end time of the sound recording 7.

According to another purely illustrative and non-limiting example, the voiding recording device 1 is designed to be worn at least in part at the level of the hips of said patient user 2, the hips preferably constituting the part of the body considered of said patient user 2, the latter being preferentially female. The voiding recording device 1 has for example the appearance of a belt, and can have the function thereof. The particular predetermined position may in this case be a seated position, possibly accompanied by a particular orientation of the hips, and/or even a movement of the latter.

Of course, it is possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to combine several particular predetermined positions suitable for urination, for several corresponding respective parts of the body of said user patient 2, regardless of the sex of the latter. On the other hand, the recording device 1 may optionally be, without departing from the scope of the invention, in several distinct parts, one being carried by the waist (and including for example the control unit and/or the sound recorder 3), the other being carried by the wrist of said user patient 2 (and including for example the spatial detection means 4) according to a purely illustrative and non-limiting example.

Said part of the body of said patient user 2, which is advantageously equipped with said recording device 1 (and even more advantageously carries the latter), is preferably placed in said particular predetermined position when the patient user 2 wishes to urinate. Said particular predetermined position can be a seated position, a standing position, an orientation of the hand or of the wrist with respect to the rest of the body of said patient user 2, a prior movement, a combination of the above, etc. The control unit 1 can be configured to trigger the sound recorder 3 with a particular predetermined position or a set of several particular predetermined positions, that is to say that, advantageously, the control unit activates the sound recorder 3 so that it triggers the sound recording 7 only, on the one hand, when the relevant part of the body of said user patient 2 is placed in said or one of said particular predetermined positions, and on the other hand when this placement is detected by said spatial detection means 4. Preferably, the control unit only triggers sound recording 7 using said sound recorder 3 (and therefore only activates the latter) when said particular predetermined position is maintained for a predetermined duration, for example a few milliseconds or seconds. Obviously, the particular predetermined position is advantageously an average position of said part of the user's body maintained for a predetermined time interval, which is preferably relatively short, ranging for example from a few milliseconds to a few seconds or minutes.

The triggering of the sound recording 7, and therefore the activation of the sound recorder 3, is therefore advantageously caused by said control unit only when said part of the body of said patient user 2 is in said particular predetermined position. Such a configuration thus makes it possible to extend the " lifetime " of the recording device 1, that is to say in other words to extend the autonomy of the recording device 1, which can in this way equip patient user 2 for one or more days continuously. The recording device 1 thus records in the most precise and faithful manner possible the voiding habits of said user patient 2, with the aim of producing, for example, a detailed and objective voiding schedule over an extended period (one day, or between two and fifteen days for example), advantageously in order to ultimately be able to establish the most accurate urological diagnosis possible on any conditions (urological, urinary, prostate, etc.) of said user patient 2. In addition, this recording selectivity facilitates considerably the work of the urology professionals having to process the data resulting from the sound recordings of urination 7, since advantageously the recordings 7 made all potentially contain urination sounds, that is to say that they each relate to a a priori a respective time interval during which the patient user 2 performs urination, each interval d e time representing only a small portion of a day considered, for example a few seconds or a few minutes. This selectivity of the recordings 7, which therefore concern only a fraction of the time during which the patient user 2 is equipped with the recording device 1, also makes it possible to store more easily the data resulting from the sound recordings of urination 7, since they do not concern the whole day but only the “ potentially voiding moments ”, that is to say the moments during which the patient user 2 positions said part of his body in said particular predetermined position suitable for urination.

There thus illustrates purely schematically the sound of urination by waves in the form of arcs of a circle coming from the bottom of a toilet bowl 5 hit by a jet of urine (not shown) of said user patient 2, the urination noise being picked up by said sound recorder 3 (also illustrated purely schematically), which is then in operation to make the sound recording 7.

Preferably, said spatial detection means 4 comprises at least one or more motion and/or position sensors making it possible to detect said particular position. Advantageously, said movement and/or position sensor or sensors comprise at least one gyroscope and/or one accelerometer, more advantageously at least one gyroscope and at least one accelerometer. Optionally, said movement and/or position sensor or sensors comprise at least one magnetometer. There purely schematically illustrates an example of said spatial detection means 4, which detects said particular predetermined position taken by the part of the user patient's body 2 (in the middle of the ), which causes the control unit to trigger, thanks to said sound recorder 3, the sound recording 7, thus initiating said recording step E. Said spatial detection means 4 can be permanently activated, or it can be designed to activate only when said user patient 2 starts moving, and to deactivate when said user patient 2 is no longer equipped with the recording device 1 (and in particular no longer wears it) and/or when said user patient 2 is immobile, in particular when he is sleeping, said part of the latter's body then also being immobile, in a position not suitable for urination, for an extended period. The particular predetermined position may for example include an orientation, an altitude, a prior movement (speed, acceleration), etc., each of which may be relative (for example with respect to the positioning of the rest of the body of said patient user 2) . The triggering of the sound recording 7, and therefore of said recording step E, is preferably automatic, that is to say that it advantageously does not require manual intervention on the part of said patient user 2 other than the placement in a particular position of the part of the body considered. Optionally, said sound recorder 3 can be positioned at a distance from said spatial detection means 4, the sound recorder 3 being for example worn by a wrist of said user patient 2, the spatial detection means 4 being worn at the waist of said user patient 2 , or conversely, the part of the body considered being able to be both the wrist and the waist, or alternatively another part of the body.

Advantageously, said spatial detection means 4 detects the placement of said part of the body of said user patient 2 in said particular predetermined position suitable for urination, which then advantageously makes it possible to carry out said recording step E . For example, the recording device 1 is designed so that, when said particular predetermined position is reached, said detection of the placement of said part of the body of said user patient 2 is carried out by said spatial detection means 4, which then emits a information signal corresponding to said control unit, which in turn transmits a trigger signal, to said sound recorder 3, so that the latter activates and triggers the sound recording 7, that is to say begins recording ambient sound potentially containing the sound of urination in progress.

In practice, said recording step E advantageously results in the sound recorder 3 being put into operation and maintained by the control unit so long as said spatial detection means 4 detects that said part of the body of said user patient 2 remains placed in said particular predetermined position. Thus, advantageously, when said sound recorder 3 is in operation, said voiding recording device 1 records the ambient noise, which therefore advantageously contains voiding noise.

Preferably, when said part of the body of said patient user 2 is positioned in a position other than said particular predetermined position, the voiding recording device 1 is designed to automatically stop the sound recording 7. Advantageously, the sound recorder 3 at least is deactivated, while the spatial detection means 4 remains (at least partly) active (preferably permanently), thus making it possible to detect the movements of said patient user 2 and in particular when the latter places said part of his body in said particular predetermined position. Thus, preferably, at least one of said motion and/or position sensors of the spatial detection means 4 remains permanently active.

Particularly advantageously, said control unit is designed to stop the sound recording 7 after said detection means 4 has detected that said part of the body of said patient user 2 has left said particular predetermined position. Said control unit can according to a first example be designed to carry out the stopping of said sound recording 7 after a determined duration from the moment when said detection means 4 has detected that said part of the body of said user patient 2 has left said particular position. predetermined, or after a determined duration from the moment when said detection means 4 has detected that said part of the body of said patient user 2 is placed in said particular predetermined position. According to a second example, said control unit is designed to stop said sound recording 7 as soon as said detection means 4 has detected that said part of the body of said user patient 2 has left said particular predetermined position.

Preferably, the sound recording step E is therefore stopped in response to a detection, by the spatial detection means 4, of the placement of said part of the body of said user patient 2 in a different position than said particular predetermined position.

Preferably, the urination recording device 1 comprises (at least) one digital storage means, designed to digitally store each sound recording of urination 7 of said user patient 2. Said digital storage means therefore advantageously has a storage memory, for example of several gigabytes, in particular between 1 and 100 gigabytes, preferably between 1 and 32 gigabytes. When said sound recorder 3 is triggered, that is to say when the spatial detection means 4 detects that the part of the body of said patient user 2 is in said particular predetermined position, the control unit is advantageously designed to carry out the activation of said digital storage means, which then begins to store data from the sound recording 7 of the ambient noise made by said sound recorder 3. It goes without saying that the sound recordings of urination 7 preferably take the form of data, which are therefore advantageously digital, alternatively analog. Thanks to the particular selectivity of the sound recordings 7, which are advantageously made by the recording device 1 of the invention only when the spatial detection means 4 detects the placement in particular position of the part of the body of said user patient 2, the need for storage memory is relatively limited, which not only makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing costs of the recording device 1, a larger storage memory being more expensive, but also makes it possible to obtain a particularly small footprint in With regard to the aspect of the recording device 1, a large storage memory generally requiring a larger physical size of the storage medium, here the digital storage medium.

Obviously, the voiding recording device 1 also advantageously comprises an energy storage means intended to provide a certain autonomy to said recording device 1, which equips the patient user 2 and more preferably is worn by the latter. Said autonomy can for example be approximately one day (between 12 and 36 hours, for example between 20 and 28 hours), several days, and in particular at least one week, more preferably at least eight days, even more preferably for at least ten days, said energy storage means being able to be designed for daily, several-day, weekly, monthly, etc. energy recharging. Said energy storage means is for example formed by an electric battery, one or more batteries (preferably rechargeable), etc. The voiding recording device 1 may optionally comprise a means for producing electricity and/or a means for recharging the means for storing energy, for example a device for producing solar energy including a photovoltaic panel. The recording device 1 can thus be integrated within a solar-powered watch, or have the appearance of a solar-powered watch, according to a purely illustrative and non-limiting specific example. Said recharging means may also optionally include a female port, intended in particular to receive a separate male peripheral charging socket, the female port being for example a USB, mini-USB or micro-USB port.

The energy storage means supplies energy to the rest of the recording device 1 all the longer as the latter advantageously does not activate completely, that is to say does not trigger the sound recording 7 at the means of the sound recorder 3, only when the part of the body of said user patient 2 is placed in said particular position. Similarly, the digital storage means can record the micturitions of said user patient 2 for a period of time that is all the longer (at least one or more days, a week, or ten days, etc.) than it stores digitally the sound of the environment only intermittently, when said patient user 2 potentially performs urination and therefore has the part of his body in said particular position. The rest of the time, that is to say when the part of the body of said user patient 2 is not in the particular predetermined position suitable for urination, the recording device 1 can optionally be on standby (in particular when said patient user 2 no longer moves, when sleeping for example), said watch being preferably partial since said spatial detection means 4 remains at least partially active. Preferably, when the recording device 1 is on standby, the energy storage means supplies very little energy, while the energy storage means records nothing, and therefore does not fill its memory with storage, since only said spatial detection means 4 remains (at least partly) active while the sound recorder 3 is switched off or inactive; in fact, the digital storage means does not store anything, and therefore does not fill its storage memory. Several standby levels can of course be provided in order to save the energy stored by the energy storage means and the storage memory of the digital storage means.

Preferably, the micturition recording device 1 comprises time counting means designed to determine and record the time of triggering of said sound recording of urination 7, that is to say the time of triggering of said step of E record. Said time counting means is also advantageously designed to determine and record the stop time of said sound recording of urination 7, that is to say the stop time of said recording step E . Of course, the time counting means also advantageously determines and records the date of each start and/or stoppage of the sound recording 7. Such a configuration naturally helps in establishing a precise voiding calendar. The recording device 1 is preferably designed to store the times (and dates) determined by the time counting means within said digital storage means.

Advantageously, each sound recording 7 is produced in the form of a respective slightly or uncompressed (PCM) digital audio file, with pulse code modulation (PCM), for example stored by WAVE container format on Windows ^® or AIFF on Mac ^OS® , at a higher sampling frequency comprised between 400 and 45,000 Hz, preferably comprised between 4,000 and 44,600 Hz, for example equal to approximately 44,100 Hz (+/-500 Hz). These frequency ranges correspond to recording qualities suitable for urination noises, and in particular, sampling frequencies close to 44,100 Hz correspond to excellent recording quality, since they make it possible to effectively capture the lowest frequency. highest perceptible to humans, which is 22,050 Hz (approximately). Indeed, to make an audio recording via quality digitization, it is preferable to sample at twice the highest frequency perceptible to humans (22,050 Hz), or advantageously 44,100 Hz (approximately), application practice of the relative Nyquist frequency theory (Nyquist frequency = sampling frequency / 2, and here Nyquist frequency = frequency perceptible by human beings). Alternatively, a sampling frequency lower than 44,100 Hz may be sufficient (but preferably higher than 400 Hz), depending on the desired quality of the sound recording of urination 7, depending on the treatment envisaged for last, or even depending on the storage available in the digital storage medium. Thus, the digital storage means is advantageously designed to store said digital audio files, each preferably corresponding to the sound recording 7 of a potential urination of said user patient 2, that is to say a sound recording 7 of the sound ambient when the part of the body of the user 2 is in the particular position suitable for urination and that consequently the control unit triggers the recording using said sound recorder 3, which is then activated. Each digital audio file being very little compressed or even uncompressed, it has excellent quality from an acoustic point of view, but also a large size from a digital storage point of view. The invention advantageously makes it possible to store said digital audio files without any particular difficulty, cost or excessive bulk, in particular due to the relatively occasional operation of the sound recorder 3, which is preferably triggered only intermittently, and in particular a few times. at most in one day, when said patient user 2 puts his part of the body in said particular position suitable for urination. This allows the patient user 2 to remain equipped with the recording device 1 for a particularly long period (for example one or more days, more than a week, etc.) without having to recharge said energy storage means or to emptying said digital storage medium. In addition, this last high sampling frequency configuration allows urology professionals to have audio recordings (of the micturitions of said patient user 2) of excellent quality and relating only to potentially micturition periods of each day, without having to processing audio recordings relating to non-voiding periods which generally make up the bulk of each day, since the majority, almost all or all of these non-voiding periods are preferably not recorded by the recording device 1.

Advantageously, the micturition recording device 1 comprises a transmission means, preferably automatic, designed to transmit the micturition recording data 7 of said user patient 2 to a calculation server 6 itself designed to process said data. recording, as shown in Figure 1.

Indeed, in order for example to establish a micturition calendar of said user patient 2, it is often necessary to process the sound recordings of micturition 7. This processing can in particular be carried out either by said recording device 1 itself , which then contains a particular module dedicated to this use, or by a calculation server 6, which is preferably separate from the recording device 1 and has a much better calculation capacity than that of the latter. Said calculation server 6 can for example carry out the processing of sound recordings of urination in real time, and/or at the time of restitution by the patient user 2 of the micturition recording device 1 to one or more urology professionals ( urologists, computer scientists and/or acousticians supporting the urologist, etc.).

Said means of transmission is, according to a first embodiment, automatic, and advantageously transmits the sound recording data of urination to said calculation server 6 without any manual action being necessary, in particular without the patient user 2 or a urology professional should intervene. The automatic transmission means can then advantageously be designed to regularly transmit said recording data. According to a second embodiment, said means of transmission is manual, and requires manipulation for example by the patient user 2 to extract therefrom the sound recording data of urination, in particular in the form of digital audio files transportable on a medium. appropriate (USB key, micro-SD card, etc.).

Preferably, said transmission means is designed to transmit said recording data to said calculation server 6 wirelessly. Preferably, said transmission means makes it possible to establish a wireless connection, direct or indirect, with said calculation server 6, said direct wireless connection being for example a Bluetooth ^® or NFC ^® connection, while said wireless connection indirect is done, for example, via the Internet or an intranet. In particular, when said means of transmission is automatic, it can advantageously transmit the recording data automatically as soon as a wireless connection is made, directly or indirectly, between the recording device 1 and the calculation server 6.

The recording device 1 can optionally be designed to purge the storage memory of the digital storage medium as soon as a transmission of the urination sound recording data (between the digital storage medium and the calculation server 6, therefore) is carried out, in particular when the means of transmission is automatic and wireless.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a voiding analysis system 10, comprising at least the voiding recording device 1 as described above, and a calculation server 6 designed to digitally process the recording data micturition sound 7 of said user patient 2. The preceding description concerning the voiding recording device 1 as well as the voiding recording method is therefore preferentially also valid for the voiding analysis system 10, and conversely, the description which The foregoing and the following regarding the voiding analysis system 10 is preferably also valid for the voiding recording device 1 and the recording method. The voiding analysis system 10 is in particular a digital voiding sound analysis system, i.e. it is preferably designed to digitally analyze the voiding recordings 7 made by the recording device 1, in order to help establish an objective voiding calendar for a user patient 2, with the final aim of helping to carry out the most precise possible urological diagnosis of possible urological conditions (urinary, prostatic …) of said patient user 2.

Particularly advantageously, as schematically illustrated in , said calculation server 6 is designed at least for:
- segmenting, at fixed and regular intervals, each micturition recording 7 considered into several segments 8 of the same duration;
- submitting each segment to a predictive model algorithm 9, making it possible to determine membership (mention “ 8=urination ” in the ) or non-membership (mention “ 8≠micturition ” in the ) of each segment 8 to a void;
- when at least one segment 8 of the recording 7 considered belongs to a micturition according to the predictive model algorithm 9, calculate the ratio R of the number of segments 8 belonging to a micturition (mention " nb. 8=micturition " in there ) on the number of segments 8 not belonging to a micturition (mention " nb. 8≠micturition " in the ) or on the total number of segments 8 of the record 7;
- classify said recording 7 considered as a voiding record (mention " 7=voiding " in the ) when said ratio R is greater (or optionally, equal) to a predetermined value V _p , and as a non-voiding record otherwise (mention “ 7≠micturition ” in the ).

Such a configuration makes it possible in particular to quickly classify, preferably automatically, the relevant sound recordings 7, that is to say those which really concern a urination of said user patient 2, and the irrelevant recordings 7, which example a non-voiding moment of the day of said patient user 2. Indeed, the recording device 1 is preferably designed to operate the sound recorder 3 only in the " potentially voiding " moments of the patient user 2, but the sound recorder 3 may possibly be triggered in non-voiding moments, for example when the patient user 2 puts the part of his body in a position close or similar to the particular predetermined position, thus misleading the spatial detection means 4. Sound recorder 3 may also possibly remain in operation a bit too long before or after a moment of voiding. It is also possible that the recording device 1 indeed makes a sound recording 7 during a micturition period of the user patient 2, but that, for various reasons, this recording is of poor sound quality and therefore unusable by urology professionals. ; in this case also, the recording will advantageously be classified as non-voiding. Such a configuration of the calculation server 6 facilitates the subsequent processing of the micturition recordings 7 made by the recording device 1, this subsequent processing generally being carried out by urology professionals. This last configuration of the calculation server 6 also advantageously makes it possible to classify the voiding and non-voiding segments 8 .

According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a method for analyzing urination comprising the urination recording method as described above, as well as a step of digital processing of the urination sound recording data 7. Said step digital processing is preferably implemented using said calculation server 6. Thus, the above description concerning the voiding recording device 1, the calculation server 6 and the voiding recording method, is therefore advantageously also valid for the voiding analysis procedure and vice versa. The method of analysis of urination advantageously comprises a step of transmission T of sound recording data of urination 7 of said patient user 2 to said calculation server 6, as illustrated in , said transmission step T being preferably carried out by said transmission means.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, and as illustrated schematically in , said digital processing step comprises at least:
- A segmentation S , at fixed and regular intervals, of each micturition recording 7 considered into several segments 8 of the same duration;
- a submission M of each segment 8 to a predictive model algorithm 9, making it possible to determine the membership or non-membership of each segment 8 in a urination;
- when at least one segment 8 of the recording 7 considered belongs to a micturition according to the predictive model algorithm 9, a calculation C of the ratio R of the number of segments 8 belonging to a micturition (mention " nb. 8=micturition " in the ) on the number of segments 8 not belonging to a micturition (mention " nb. 8≠micturition " in the ) or on the total number of segments 8 of the record 7;
- a classification L of said record 7 considered as a urination record (mention " 7=micturition " in the ) when said ratio R is greater (or optionally, equal) to a predetermined value V _p , and as a non-voiding record otherwise (mention “ 7≠micturition ” in the ).

Obviously, the calculation C , the ratio R , the classification L mentioned above must preferably be understood in the broad sense, whether for the method or the system for analyzing urination 10. Thus, the ratio considered can possibly be the ratio of the number of segments 8 not belonging to a micturition to the number of segments 8 belonging to a micturition or to the total number of segments 8 of the recording 7. The ranking L mentioned above is then reversed, c that is to say that the recording 7 considered is in this case classified as a voiding recording when said ratio is less than (or optionally, equal) to a predetermined value, and as a non-voiding recording Otherwise.

Preferably, as shown in , during said segmentation step S, said segments 8 may overlap so as not to lose any data from said micturition recording 7 considered. Such a configuration also facilitates the production of segments 8 of the same duration.

Advantageously, said processing step further comprises a step of identifying segments 8 not belonging to a micturition (mention “ 8≠micturition ” in the ) in non-voiding segments on the one hand and in segments corresponding to interruptions of urination on the other hand. This makes it possible to separate on the one hand the non-voiding segments which have nothing to do with urination, and on the other hand the interrupted urination segments, which in practice relate to (often involuntary) pauses during the urination of said user patient 2 (or in other words, interruptions of the urine stream during urination). These micturition interruption segments may be of interest in the establishment, by urology professionals, of a micturition schedule for said patient user 2 and/or a urological diagnosis of the latter.

Preferably, said processing step further comprises a step of determining one or more of the following parameters from the urination records 7 and their segments 8: number of urinations, average duration of urinations, average power of urinations, average change in voiding power, average number of nocturnal and/or daytime voidings, average rate of interrupted voiding.

The voiding recording method and device 1 and the voiding analysis method and system 10 of the invention are particularly suitable for helping to carry out a voiding calendar and a urological diagnosis of a user patient. 2.

Claims (19)

Voiding recording device (1), characterized in that it is designed to equip a user patient (2) and in that it comprises at least:
- a sound recorder (3),
- spatial detection means (4), designed to detect the position taken by at least a part of the body of said user patient (2),
- a control unit, designed to trigger a sound recording of a urination (7) of said patient user (2) using said sound recorder (3) when said detection means (4) detects that said part of the body of said user patient (2) is placed in a particular predetermined position suitable for urination. Voiding recording device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said control unit is designed to stop the sound recording (7) after said detection means (4) has detected that said part of the body of said patient user (2) has left said particular predetermined position. Voiding recording device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said spatial detection means (4) is designed to detect the position taken by the wrist, and in that the control unit is designed to triggering a sound recording (7) by means of the sound recorder (3) when said detection means (4) detects that the wrist of said user patient (2) is placed in a particular predetermined position suitable for urination. Voiding recording device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed to be worn at least partly on the arm of the said user patient (2), preferably on the wrist, and is for example of the bracelet and/or watch type. Voiding recording device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said spatial detection means (4) comprises at least one or more movement and/or position sensors making it possible to detect the said particular position. Voiding recording device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the said movement and/or position sensors comprise at least one gyroscope and/or one accelerometer. Voiding recording device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises time counting means adapted to determine and record the time of the initiation of said sound recording of urination (7) A voiding recording device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises digital storage means, adapted to digitally store each voiding sound recording (7) of said user patient (2). A voiding recording device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises transmission means, preferably automatic, adapted to transmit the voiding recording data (7) of said user patient ( 2) to a calculation server (6) itself designed to process said recording data. Voiding recording device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said transmission means is designed to transmit said recording data to said calculation server (6) wirelessly. Voiding recording device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each sound recording (7) is produced in the form of a respective slightly or uncompressed digital audio file (PCM), with pulse-code modulation ( MIC), for example stored by WAVE container format on ^Windows® or AIFF on Mac ^OS® , at a sampling frequency of between 400 and 45,000 Hz, for example equal to about 44,100 Hz (+/- 500 Hz). A voiding analysis system (10), comprising at least the voiding recording device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, and a calculation server (6) adapted to digitally process the sound recording data of urination (7) of said user patient (2). Urination analysis system (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said calculation server (6) is designed at least for:
- segmenting, at fixed and regular intervals, each micturition recording (7) considered into several segments (8) of the same duration;
- subjecting each segment (8) to a predictive model algorithm (9), making it possible to determine the membership or non-membership of each segment (8) in a urination;
- when at least one segment (8) of the recording (7) considered belongs to a micturition according to the predictive model algorithm (9), calculating the ratio (R) of the number of segments (8) belonging to a micturition on the number of segments (8) not belonging to a micturition or on the total number of segments (8) of the recording (7);
- classifying said recording (7) considered as a voiding recording when said ratio (R) is greater than (or optionally equal) to a predetermined value (V _p ), and as a non-voiding recording otherwise. Voiding recording method characterized in that it comprises at least:
- a step of equipping a user patient (2) with a voiding recording device (1) comprising at least one sound recorder (3) and a spatial detection means (4),
- a sound recording step (E) of urination using said sound recorder (3),
said recording step (E) being triggered in response to a detection, by the spatial detection means (4), of the placement of at least a part of the body of said user patient (2) in a particular predetermined position appropriate to the urination. Voiding recording method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the sound recording step (E) is stopped in response to a detection, by the spatial detection means (4), of the placement of the said part of the body of the said user patient (2) in a different position than said particular predetermined position. A voiding analysis method comprising the voiding recording method according to claim 14 or 15, together with a step of digitally processing voiding sound recording data (7). Method for analyzing micturition according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the said digital processing step comprises at least:
- a segmentation (S), at fixed and regular intervals, of each micturition recording (7) considered into several segments (8) of the same duration;
- submission (M) of each segment (8) to a predictive model algorithm (9), making it possible to determine the membership or non-membership of each segment (8) in a urination;
- when at least one segment (8) of the recording (7) considered belongs to a micturition according to the predictive model algorithm (9), a calculation (C) of the ratio (R) of the number of segments (8) belonging to a void on the number of segments (8) not belonging to a void or on the total number of segments (8) of the recording (7);
- a classification (L) of said recording (7) considered as a voiding recording when said ratio (R) is greater than (or optionally equal to) a predetermined value (V _p ), and as a non-voiding recording Otherwise. Micuration analysis method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that during said segmentation step (S), said segments (8) overlap so as not to lose any data from said urination recording (7) considered. A voiding analysis method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said processing step further comprises a step of identifying (D) the segments (8) not belonging to a voiding into non-voiding segments on the one hand and in segments corresponding to interruptions of urination on the other hand.