Development of a Reusable Smart-Catheter System for Improved Urinary Health Monitoring

Individuals requiring frequent urinary catheterization are especially prone to developing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI’s). This is especially true for individuals with Spinal Cord Injury or Disease (SCI/D) due to their need for frequent urinary catheterization and inability to experience urinary tract irritation and pain that are often the indicators of urinary tract infections. Medically relevant data for the assessment of urinary tract health may include parameters such as bladder temperature, internal bladder pressure, urine pH, catheter insertion shear forces, and the detection of leukocyte esterase. The collection of such biometric data as part of their routine and frequent catheterization process may greatly aid in the early detection of CAUTI’s, prevent the need for frequent inclinic assessment, and reduce the costs associated with preventative care for these individuals. In this study, “smart” catheter prototypes with integrated sensors were fabricated by packaging commercially available temperature and pressure sensors and an in-house fabricated flexible pH sensor onto additively-printed circuits on a flexible dielectric substrate. These assembled circuits were then further assembled on 3D-printed catheter tips. Encapsulation materials were then deposited for the purpose of electrical insulation, mechanical support of the components, and to ensure the biocompatibility of the “smart” catheter assembly. Flexible hybrid electronic circuits (FHE’s) were built due to their flexibility/conformability and low-cost/fast-speed of fabrication. To assess the electrical performance of circuits and catheter prototype devices, testing environments were established for both before and after the electronics packaging process. We have found that these smart-catheter prototypes have demonstrated the capability of providing temperature, pressure, and pH information when tested in both water and artificial urine (AU) and continue to function unchanged after exposure to repeated catheter cleaning regiments.