Using deconvolution to determine the sphincter strength distribution around the urethra

Abstract

Urethral Pressure Profilometry (UPP) is a tool in the diagnosis of urinary incontinence. The pressure profile along the urethra is measured by a special catheter in order to assess the contraction strength of the sphincter muscle. However, the diagnostic value of pressure profilometry is limited. We seek to increase the diagnostic value by providing a detailed spatial reconstruction of the pressure profile on the outside surface of the urethra. We use deconvolution in order to solve the inverse problem of determining the pressure distribution on the outside of a tube from measured data on the inside. Therefore, we propose a parametric Point-Spread-Function (PSF) and optimize its parameters using a Finite-Element (FE) model. Simulation results verifying accuracy and robustness of this method conclude this work.