Abstract: Provided is a biofeedback apparatus using a magnetic stimulator. In the biofeedback apparatus, a tube filled with a non-conductive fluid is disposed between a magnetic stimulator and patient's pelvic floor muscles to measure a change in pressure according to muscle exercise of the pelvic floor muscles, biofeedback is available without insertion of a tool for measurement of a pressure or an EMG (electromyogram) into vagina, urethra, or the like. In the biofeedback apparatus, since driving of the magnetic stimulator and driving of a pressure transducer do not influence each other, a controller can continuously monitor a state of change in pressure of the pelvic floor muscles by using the pressure transducer and, at the same time, can adjust a strength of a magnetic field generated from the magnetic stimulator to an optimal strength according to the monitored state, so that it is possible to maximize the effect of treatment.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an amount of urine in a bladder includes a transducer, a switch for selecting one of operational modes, which include a bladder position check mode and a urine amount measurement mode, and a central control unit for operating the apparatus according to the operational mode selected by the switch. The central control unit in the bladder position check mode repeats sequentially predetermined operations until the urine amount measurement mode is selected, the predetermined operations include performing a preliminary scan to a single scan plane related to an aiming direction of the transducer, detecting a center point of the bladder in a ultrasound image, and representing a predetermined mark at the center point of the bladder in the displayed ultrasound image in order to indicate visually a center point of the bladder.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an amount of urine in a bladder using ultrasonic signals includes: a transducer; a switch for selecting one of operational modes, which include a preliminary scan mode and a scan mode; a transducer drive unit for driving the transducer; and a central control unit for operating according to the operational mode to provide an amount of urine in the bladder. The central control unit in the preliminary scan mode performs a preliminary scan to obtain ultrasonic signals for a single scan plane from the transducer, generates a 2-D B-mode ultrasonic image using the ultrasonic signals obtained in the preliminary scan, trace an outline of a bladder on the 2-D B-mode ultrasonic image, generates an aiming image, estimate a volume of the bladder, and displays the 2-D B-mode ultrasonic image represented the traced outline, the aiming image and the estimated value to the display unit.

Abstract: Provided is a biofeedback apparatus using a magnetic stimulator. In the biofeedback apparatus, a tube filled with a non-conductive fluid is disposed between a magnetic stimulator and patient's pelvic floor muscles to measure a change in pressure according to muscle exercise of the pelvic floor muscles, biofeedback is available without insertion of a tool for measurement of a pressure or an EMG (electromyogram) into vagina, urethra, or the like. In the biofeedback apparatus, since driving of the magnetic stimulator and driving of a pressure transducer do not influence each other, a controller can continuously monitor a state of change in pressure of the pelvic floor muscles by using the pressure transducer and, at the same time, can adjust a strength of a magnetic field generated from the magnetic stimulator to an optimal strength according to the monitored state, so that it is possible to maximize the effect of treatment.

Abstract: The method of accurately measuring the volume of urine in a bladder includes generating a plurality of ultrasound scan planes using the received ultrasound signals; detecting distances between the front and back walls of the bladder for each scan line in the ultrasound scan planes; determining an area of the bladder using the detected distances of the scan lines for each ultrasound scan plane; generating a virtual radius of the bladder using the determined area of the bladder for each ultrasound scan plane; determining a calibration coefficient for each ultrasound scan plane using the detected distances of the scan lines; calibrating the virtual radius of the bladder for each ultrasound scan plane using the calibration coefficient; determining the volume of urine in the bladder by calculating the volume of a sphere of which the radius is the average of the calibrated virtual radii for the ultrasound scan planes.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an amount of urine in a bladder using ultrasonic signals comprises: a transducer; a switch for selecting one of operational modes, which include a preliminary scan mode and a scan mode; a transducer drive unit for driving the transducer; and a central control unit for operating according to the operational mode to provide an amount of urine in the bladder. The central control unit in the preliminary scan mode acquires the ultrasonic signals for a single scan plane from the transducer, generates a 2-dimensional B-Mode ultrasonic image using the acquired ultrasonic signals, displays the B-Mode ultrasonic image, and marks a vertical center-line on the B-Mode ultrasonic image. The central control unit in the scan mode acquires ultrasonic signals for a plurality of scan planes from the transducer, measures an amount of urine in the bladder using the acquired ultrasonic signals, and provides the amount of urine.

Abstract: Disclosed an apparatus for measuring an amount of urine in a bladder using ultrasonic signals. The apparatus is comprising: a transducer; a switch for selecting one of operational modes, which include a preliminary scan mode and a scan mode; a transducer drive unit for driving the transducer; and a central control unit for operating according to the operational mode to provide an amount of urine in the bladder. The central control unit in the preliminary scan mode acquires the ultrasonic signals for a single scan plane from the transducer, generates a 2-dimensional B-Mode ultrasonic image using the acquired ultrasonic signals, and displays the B-Mode ultrasonic image. The central control unit in the scan mode acquires ultrasonic signals for a plurality of scan planes from the transducer, measures an amount of urine in the bladder using the acquired ultrasonic signals, and provides the amount of urine.

Abstract: The method of accurately measuring the volume of urine in a bladder includes the steps of; generating a plurality of ultrasound scan planes using the received ultrasound signals; detecting distances between the front and back walls of the bladder for each scan line in the ultrasound scan planes; determining an area of the bladder using the detected distances of the scan lines for each ultrasound scan plane; generating a virtual radius of the bladder using the determined area of the bladder for each ultrasound scan plane; determining a calibration coefficient for each ultrasound scan plane using the detected distances of the scan lines; calibrating the virtual radius of the bladder for each ultrasound scan plane using the calibration coefficient; determining the volume of urine in the bladder by calculating the volume of a sphere of which the radius is the average of the calibrated virtual radii for the ultrasound scan planes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus and method for the urinary bladder. The ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus has a preliminary scan mode and a scan mode. The ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus first operates in the preliminary scan mode and operates in the scan mode after accurately detecting the location of the urinary bladder, thus measuring the amount of urine in the urinary bladder. When operating in the preliminary scan mode, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus receives pieces of ultrasonic information of n scan lines for a single plane, and acquires and displays an image for a corresponding plane using the pieces of received ultrasonic information. When operating in the scan mode, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus sequentially receives pieces of ultrasonic information of n scan lines for each of m planes from a transducer, and calculates the amount of urine in the urinary bladder using the pieces of received ultrasonic information.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is ultrasonic scanning apparatus and method for diagnosing a bladder. The ultrasonic scanning apparatus includes a transducer, a transducer support, an analog signal processing unit, a display unit, a central control unit, a first stepping motor, a second stepping motor, and a drive control unit. The transducer emits ultrasonic signals for respective scan lines and receives ultrasonic signals reflected from an object. The transducer support configured such that the transducer is fixedly installed therein. The analog signal processing unit converts the ultrasonic signals into digital signals. The display unit outputs specific image signals. The central control unit performs image processing on the digital ultrasonic signals, outputs the results of the processing to the display unit, and controls the overall operation of the apparatus. The first stepping motor rotates in a first direction. The second stepping motor rotates in a second direction.