Techniques for evaluating stress urinary incontinence (sui) using involuntary reflex cough test

A method of evaluating a patient for stress urinary incontinence, comprising:

• having the patient produce a voluntary cough and identifying any urine leakage time during the voluntary cough;
• inducing an involuntary reflex cough event within the patient that activates the nucleus ambiguous and medial motor cell column of the patient and stimulates involuntary cough activated paraspinal muscles in the pelvis of the patient;
• and
• identifying any urine leakage time that occurs during the involuntary reflex cough event and correlating within a processor the urine leakage time for both the voluntary cough and involuntary cough event and their duration to determine stress urinary incontinence.

A system for evaluating a patient for stress urinary incontinence, comprising:

• a nebulizer containing an agent that induces an involuntary reflex cough event within the patient that activates the nucleus ambiguous and medial motor cell column of the patient and stimulates involuntary cough activated paraspinal muscles in the pelvis of the patient;
• at least one electromyogram (EMG) pad configured to be attached to the lumbar region of the patient's back and obtain EMG signals from the involuntary cough activated paraspinal muscles;
• a urine leak detect device configured to detect urine leakage;
• and
• a processing device that receives the EMG and correlates the EMG and duration of the involuntary reflex cough event with an urine leakage time to determine stress urinary incontinence.

A device for evaluating a patient for stress urinary incontinence, comprising:

• a housing configured for handheld use;
• at least one interface carried by the housing and configured to receive an electromyogram (EMG) data from paraspinal muscles in the pelvis of the patient that had been activated by an involuntary reflex cough event that activates the nucleus ambiguous and medial motor cell column of the patient and data relating to an urine leakage time during the involuntary reflex cough test;
• and
• a processor carried by the housing and configured to receive and process the EMG and urine leakage time and correlate data regarding the duration of the involuntary reflex cough event to determine stress urinary incontinence.