Patent ID: 6582379
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: A61B,G01F

Abstract:
An apparatus for measuring the discharge of a liquid, in particular urine, from a patient, and comprising:a container (1) for receiving said liquid, said container (1) having a bottom wall (20), a top wall (25), side walls (22, 23) and an inlet opening (2) for said liquid, said container (1) being adapted to define a state of maximum filling in which a liquid-empty part of the container (1) has a smallest volume, a measuring pipe (5) having a first opening (14), a second opening (15) and a third opening (16), said first opening (14) communicating with said container (1) such that said liquid in said container (1) defines a surface (7) of said liquid within said measuring pipe (5), said surface (7) being at a highest level in said state of maximum filling of said container (1), said second opening (15) being arranged so as to communicate with said liquid-empty part of said container (1), means (H) for emitting a first acoustic signal through said liquid-empty part of said container (1), said second (15) and third (16) openings together with said liquid surface (7) in said measuring pipe (5) defining a liquid-empty resonance chamber, means (M) communicating with said third opening (16) for recording a second acoustic signal generated in said resonance chamber in response to said first signal, and means (45) for determining a current amount of liquid in said measuring container (1) on the basis of said second acoustic signal recorded by said means (M) for recording.