• capacitive
• catheter
• incontinence
• measurements
• pressure sensors
• profilometry
• urethra

In the present work, a catheter prototype for urethral pressure profilometry (UPP) using capacitive sensing technology has been developed. UPP is a diagnostic procedure performed in clinical practice to detect urinary incontinence (UI), a pathology affecting about 35% of the population over the age of 60, with an higher incidence in women. During an UPP procedure, pressure measurements inside the bladder and at the level of the urethral sphincter are performed. The innovativeness of the developed catheter relies on the possibility to obtain a real-time three-dimensional reconstruction of the pressure pattern inside the urethra by means of equally spaced sensors along the longitudinal axis of the lumen. Some promising results have been achieved: the developed prototype is able to detect the direction of pressure variation thanks to circumferentially distributed sensors. These new features are improvements of a disposable, low-cost water-perfusion catheter with a reliable mechanical behavior, considered as a standard. The catheter has been designed to be suitable for both male and females.