The Client

Name: Ian K.
Service Type: Home User
Product Purchased: M1 Bladder Scanner

Overview

A home user experiencing intermittent urinary retention purchased a portable bladder scanner from Oras Medical to help better understand bladder volume changes and support more informed decision-making around catheterisation.

The user had previously experienced episodes of retention without obvious symptoms, sometimes reaching significant bladder volumes without discomfort. This created uncertainty around whether reduced urination was due to genuine retention or other factors such as exercise, heat, hydration, or normal fluctuations in condition.

By introducing portable bladder volume assessment at home, the user was able to gain greater visibility into their condition and reduce reliance on precautionary catheterisation.

The Challenge

The user described difficulties determining whether reduced urination represented actual urinary retention or temporary changes related to environmental or physical factors.

In some cases, they experienced minimal urination for several days followed by sudden improvement. On other occasions, genuine retention occurred without clear discomfort, with bladder volumes reaching approximately 650ml.

Without access to objective volume information, decision-making around catheterisation often became precautionary rather than evidence-based.

According to the user:

“I use it when I'm not weeing much, to see if that is actually retention or just hot weather/exercise/my body being odd. Then I can take a decision on catheterisation.”

The Solution

The user integrated a portable bladder scanner into their home monitoring routine to help assess bladder volume when symptoms or uncertainty arose.

Rather than relying purely on sensation or assumptions, the scanner provided objective information that could help guide decision-making.

The user also highlighted the value of having access to bladder volume assessment at home rather than needing to attend hospital purely for volume confirmation.

“It shows people that you can do this yourself and not have to go to A&E to get a volume.”

The Outcome

Since using the bladder scanner, the user reported greater confidence in distinguishing between genuine retention and temporary fluctuations.

Most notably, access to real-time bladder volume information helped reduce precautionary catheterisation frequency significantly.

“With actual knowledge of volume I can tell the difference and have cut from 1 a month to be on the safe side to hopefully 1 or 2 a year.”

The user also described increased reassurance and autonomy from being able to assess bladder volumes independently at home.

Learning Curve & Support

The user noted that becoming confident with scanning technique required practice and highlighted the importance of positioning and repeated measurements.

“It took a lot of getting the hang of it as there can be wild variation in measurements with seemingly very little movement.”

However, they also emphasised the importance of ongoing support during the learning process.

“The tech support was always there when I asked.”

This feedback has also helped inform future improvements to educational and onboarding materials provided by Oras Medical.

Key Takeaways

This case highlights the potential role portable bladder scanners can play not only within clinical settings, but also in supporting informed decision-making, reassurance, and self-monitoring in appropriate home-use situations.

It also reinforces the growing importance of portable diagnostics in helping reduce uncertainty, improve access to information, and support more confident healthcare decisions closer to the point of need.

About Oras Medical

Oras Medical helps clinicians and healthcare users adopt portable diagnostic devices confidently through education, onboarding, and ongoing support.