 |
|
|
You really expect me to pee into that, Doctor?
Dr Vincent Forte, a GP, explains why he invented a revolutionary and hygienic way for women to deliver mid-stream urine samples for medical analysis.
Article last updated: November 26th 2009
Back in the mid-nineties, during another busy day of surgery, a patient emerged from the Practice toilet to return the bottle into which I had asked her to provide a mid-stream urine sample. Her embarrassment was palpable as she handed it to me, complete with urine sample, but resplendent with damp label.
"I washed it, Doctor," she said. "But this process must have been invented by a man". She explained how difficult it had been to start-stop-start in order to deliver the required mid-stream into such a narrow-necked bottle. She wet her hands, splashed her legs, the toilet seat and the floor and then, with every good intention, cleaned up using paper towels. It occurred to me that whilst the toilet will have looked clean, without disinfectant, it couldn't be guaranteed so for the next patient. Those in the know, know that urine can carry all manner of bacteria and infection including Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Hep B and Hep C amongst others.
The Universal Container is 21mm in diameter. Most men would have difficulty filling it without generating some spillage; why does the medical profession expect women to deliver what is likely to be an imperfect sample in such an undignified and unhygienic manner? Where's the patient care and medical diligence in that?
There and then, I made a private pledge to try and solve the problem, the upshot of which is the Award-winning device that is now Peezy - inspired by that female patient who had the courage to speak up.
How Peezy worksThere are a number of established, conventional ways for women to provide a urine sample for medical analysis, none of which guarantees a mid-stream, and most of which engender contamination of the sample. This can yield a false-positive result, a requirement to re-test, delayed or inaccurate diagnosis and the prescribing of a broad-spectrum antibiotic instead of something targeted to treat the prevalent infection.
Peezy is a cleverly engineered funnel that is shaped to fit the female perineum comfortably. It features a special duct onto which the standard Universal Container fits, below which there is an overflow outlet. There is no need for the patient to think about anything more than releasing her urine stream. She does not need to worry about start-stop-start, wet bottle, wet hands, toilet seat or floor.
The patient simply positions Peezy against her body, and 'lets go'. Peezy does the rest: the first-burst of approximately 10ml exits via a void at the base of the funnel which is fitted with a compressed cellulose sponge.
On contact with the urine, this sponge expands to fill the void; the urine is then contained within the funnel to the point where it flows into the Universal Container, which fills with pure 'gold-standard' mid-stream.
Once the bottle is full, excess urine is diverted via the overflow spout, into the toilet below. It cannot return into the funnel which, with a normal stream, cannot overflow.
When she has finished, the patient counts to 20 to ensure the sponge had drained. She lifts Peezy away from her body, unscrews the container, throws the funnel into the bin and puts the lid onto the bottle.
The upshot of this simple process is a dignified, dry patient, dry environment and a pure mid-stream sample for prompt and accurate medical analysis.
Why is mid-stream the preferred sample?Urinary tract infection affects 10-20% of women at some time in their lives. The MSU and clean-catch samples are the most valuable specimens and those preferred by laboratories.
Truly accurate bacteriological analysis requires the middle part of the sample - bladder urine if you like. Discarding the 'first-burst' reduces the possibility of contaminating the sample with skin or urethral organisms, which can be washed into the container, as urine is released by the patient.
A contaminated sample will normally lead to a request for a repeat sample, which in turn means a second or even third appointment, taking up valuable time not only of the patient, but the nurse and any other attendant clinician too - not to mention the matter of waiting lists.
We know that Peezy satisfies the need for mid-stream and can reduce the retest rate because it takes the right part of the sample and also because we have carried out rigorous microbiology tests and can guarantee that, whilst not sterile (it is aseptically produced) the device itself will not contaminate the sample and affect the result.
How we know Peezy really works
During our extensive product development phase, we conducted routine tests at every prototype stage, to ensure that Peezy was working to the highest standards.
This comprised setting up a catheter leg bag, fixed to work at a maximum 40ml/second and minimum 10ml second, the levels that represent the extremes of urine flow in a healthy woman.
We filled the first 10ml of the leg-bag tube with blue dye. When the liquid was released into Peezy, we were able to ascertain that all of the blue dye was expelled through the void at the bottom of the funnel and none - not a micro-drop - appeared in the Universal Container.
A film of this test can be seen on our website at www.funnellyenough.com
Not only does Peezy absolutely guarantee the midstream, it brings dignity to the patient and hygiene to a previously undignified, and dirty process.
Who uses Peezy?Female patients all over the world are starting to use Peezy because healthcare providers across Europe and part of South-East Asia are buying them. Our own healthcare systems, private and NHS, are gradually accepting that Peezy provides the patient care and high standards of care that leads to better provision of services and we are working hard to expand the number of surgeries and hospitals, in both sectors, that will accept Peezy as the most reliable, dignified and hygienic method of female urine collection.
A private hospital customer who places repeat orders, declared:
"Peezy has virtually eliminated our false-positive results. We are treating faster and making fewer repeat appointments. The patients are happy, we're happy."
On the NHS side of things, we have testimonials galore from delighted clinicians, which can be seen on our website; the most touching and rewarding of all outcomes however, is the dignity that Peezy affords to the very young, the elderly, patients with visual impairment and those with learning difficulties.
In some cases, we have been told that Peezy has facilitated the first opportunity to take a pure mid-stream from such patients. It has facilitated accurate and swift treatment, putting an end to long term discomfort and distress.
For each of these patients, if help is required, it can be easily given by a carer holding the device from the bottle in a non-invasive way - a far better experience for both parties. There's no requirement to start-stop-start, which can be especially difficult for the young and elderly and those with learning difficulties.
Patients with visual impairment can run their hands over Peezy and understand how it works before using it. A blind patient of mine, a lady in her thirties was able to deliver her mid-stream unaided and hygienically for the very first time. The dignity afforded by such a solution to a very personal, and in this case lifelong problem can only be imagined.
Peezy recognitionIndustry opinion formers can often provide the endorsement that an inventor and his product needs to help persuade the world at large that something works. In our case, we have the full support of the union UNISON, which represents hospital cleaners and a large percentage of nurses in the UK. They support Peezy because not only will it reduce infection control hazards for their cleaners working in hospital and surgery toilets, but help Nurses deliver a better quality of care and outcomes for patients.
Peezy has also been recognised by both the NHS and the British design world.In March 2009, we were awarded Best Industrial Product at the highly regarded Design Week Awards - and then beat technology giant Apple to Best of Show. Judges included the heads of some of the UK's most successful and influential product design agencies as well as the Deputy CEO of the Design Council.
"The [Best of Show] winner, the Peezy urine sampler from the appropriately named Funnelly Enough, brings design right down to earth, where it can really make a difference to people's lives," commented the Design Week Award judges. "The Peezy is not a glamorous product, but it is well designed and has been created to meet a market crying out for design intervention. This is the stuff we need more of."
Hot on the heels of this success, Peezy won the East of England NHS Health and Social Care Technology Award, a true accolade from those that appreciate every nuance and benefit of the product. As one of the female judges summed up:
"The Mid Stream Urine sample is one of those things women would say "must have been invented by a man". This man has found a way to make it much more dignified for all women."
Peezy is already available at selected Private and NHS surgeries and hospitals. Let's hope that the healthcare industry at large recognises it as the gold standard female urine collection method and ensures that it is available at a surgery, clinic or hospital near you very soon.
Request a Peezy
If you're still using the old universal bottle system your patients are needlessly suffering incovenience and your hygiene standards are being compromised. Peezy is the modern alternative to the old system of sample collection. You can see for yourself by ordering a sample. If you'd like to request a Peezy or ask a question please contact us or call 0203 358 0359 |
|
|
|
|
|
