Development of an Imaging‐Based Method for Analyzing Voided Urine Flow Using Conventional and High‐Speed Video Cameras: A Phantom Study

AIMS: This study examined whether voided urine form could be an independent parameter to evaluate pathology of the lower urinary tract separately from conventional uroflowmetric measurements. We also evaluated a novel combined methodology of dynamically measuring the velocity and cross-sectional area (CA) of voided urine. METHODS: A male urethral phantom was connected to an electric pump, and voided water was recorded using a high-speed video camera (HSVC). The parameters of voided water form included length to the first twist (LFT), length to the scattered water (LSW), and voided water angle (VWA), which were measured in combination with conventional uroflowmetry. The velocity and CA of voided water were measured using an analysis program of fluid movement. Variations of ductal deformity were simulated using silicon tube attachments. RESULTS: Each parameter increased with pump speed apart from VWA. Flow rate did not change for any attachment except for the stricture type, for which the relative change of LFT surpassed that of LSW. The VWA results were slightly increased by urethral deformity. All results for velocity and CA increased with pump speed and were unaffected by urethral deformity under fixed water flow. CONCLUSION: LFT and LSW represent novel voided water form parameters that are separate from conventional uroflowmetric measurements, such as flow rate. Voided water velocity and CA can be non-invasively determined by the combination of uroflowmetry and a HSVC.