Basic Science and Instrumentation Scientific Session 2
Evaluation of Urinary Incontinence by Automated Quantification of Urethral Mobility in Ultrasound Imaging
Sunday, April 7, 2024
3:20pm – 3:32pm
Location: 410
Authors: Kourosh Kalayeh, University of Michigan J. Brian Fowlkes, University of Michigan Haowei Tai, University of Michigan Payton Schmidt, University of Michigan Bryan Sack, Michigan Medicine William Schultz, University of Michigan James Ashton-Miller, University of Michigan John DeLancey, University of Michigan
In the domain of stress incontinence, urethral mobility plays a pivotal role, yet current methodologies largely depend on manual tracking, leading to data limitations and observer variability. In this study we showcase our recent advancements in developing an automated, near real-time system for tracking and quantifying urethral mobility using ultrasound cine loops. Our software is capable of tracking urethral motion during various physiological activities, including Valsalva maneuver and Kegel exercises, with excellent fidelity to the observed movements. Detailed quantification, including displacement vectors and degrees of rotation, will be discussed to illustrate the system’s capability to offer nuanced insights into urethral motion. The software operates efficiently across various commercial ultrasound platforms, completing analyses in near real-time, thus making it a robust tool for research and clinical applications. The objective measurement provided by the software developed in this study holds the potential to significantly advance our understanding of the interplay between urethral mobility and closure pressure, ultimately aiding in more precise diagnosis and targeted treatments for stress incontinence.