Early research hardware

Artifact-aware urine output for earlier AKI review.

Urine AKI U1 is an early-research Foley-drainline prototype: continuous urine output first, line-artifact detection second, and optional urine electrolyte/pH excretion context only after flow is trustworthy.

Research status: concept render and build package only. Not a medical device, not sterile, not diagnostic, and not for patient care.
Open hardware render Open bedside mockup
Why this problem

AKI monitoring already depends on urine output. The workflow is the gap.

KDIGO AKI staging includes urine-output windows, but real ICUs still rely on intermittent manual reads and artifact-prone drainlines. U1 aims to make the existing signal continuous, weight-normalized, and invalid-window aware.

UO firstContinuous ml/kg/h is the product core. Chemistry is optional context, not the first claim.
Fail closedKinks, airlocks, bag lifts, and disconnections suppress clinical staging instead of triggering false AKI alerts.
Closed pathThe urine-contacting cassette is disposable. Reusable electronics stay outside the wet path.
ICU ROIEarlier review, less manual charting, fewer missed oliguria windows, and structured event logs.
Rendered prototype

Disposable flow cassette plus reusable bedside reader.

The render shows the U1 architecture: Foley inlet, flow cassette, pressure/bubble/tilt diagnostics, side-stream chemistry chamber, reusable reader, and collection-bag path.

Clinical surface

Separate line problems from kidney problems.

The bedside mockup prioritizes measurement validity. If the line is kinked, lifted, bubbling, disconnected, or being emptied, U1 asks for a line fix before it shows AKI staging.

Build path

Only build after the bench gates pass.

Bench truthControlled pump profiles, load-cell collection reference, artificial urine, and simulated artifacts across 0-500 ml/h.
Artifact gateDetect or invalidate kinks, clamps, dependent loops, airlocks, bag lifts, bag emptying, disconnections, and flush/sample events.
KDIGO logicCalculate rolling ml/kg/h windows only from valid samples. Invalid windows never count as oliguria or anuria.
Chemistry gateNa/K/Cl/NH4/pH channels remain research context until reference stability, calibration, matrix effects, and excretion-rate math pass.