What is Erectile Dysfunction (ED)?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is more common in older men but can also occur at younger ages. ED is often caused by the existence of medical conditions and sometimes occurs due to psychological reasons.

Many men are reluctant to discuss ED with doctors, and thus the condition is under-diagnosed. Nevertheless, it is estimated that 30 million men in North America experience ED and within 20 years, 322 million men worldwide will be affected by it.

ED Diagnostics

Diagnosis of ED may involve the following:

• Primary evaluation. A medical history is taken to identify psychological, physical, or medical factors contributing to ED.
• Psychosocial examination. An interview may reveal psychological factors contributing to ED.
• Physical examination. To determine physical causes of ED.
• Laboratory tests. To help identify potential underlying causes of ED.
• Complete blood counts
• Urinalysis: An abnormal urinalysis is a sign of diabetes or kidney damage
• Lipid profile: High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood can cause atherosclerosis
• Blood glucose levels: Abnormally high levels are a sign of diabetes
• Serum creatinine: An abnormal serum creatinine is suggestive of kidney damage
• Total testosterone levels: A low level may suggest hypogonadism.
• PSA levels: PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood levels to exclude prostate cancer.
• More specialized tests may include:
• Ultrasound. To determine if penile blood flow might be impaired.
• Neurological evaluation. To assesses possible nerve damage
• Dynamic infusion cavernosometry and cavernosography (DICC). This procedure involves injecting a dye into penile blood vessels to visualize any possible abnormalities in blood pressure and blood flow into and out of the penis. It's generally done with local anesthesia.
• Nocturnal tumescence test. Monitoring erections during sleep (nocturnal penile tumescence) can help distinguish between psychological or physical causes of ED.

NIRS ED Technology

Urodynamix is developing a Penile Blood Flow Monitor (NIRS ED) to aid in the diagnosis, characterization and treatment of chronic, drug-refractory erectile dysfunction (ED).

NIRS ED is a non-invasive diagnostic device based on near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology. It uses a new proprietary disposable sensor that emits infrared light to the penis and senses the returned light to measure penile blood flow. The measurement is direct and does not interfere with normal functioning.

Initial clinical studies carried out by Urodynamix have shown that NIRS ED can objectively and reproducibly measure blood flow throughout the penis.

The latest study results presented at the 2009 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting showed that NIRS can be used to assess penile blood flow. The NIRS testing detected a rise in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) concentration, which correlates well with patient perceived erections. The prototype of the NIRS device is easy to use, safe and requires no special training to interpret the results.

Click here for the full abstract.