A New Harmless Method for the Diagnosis of the Erectile Dysfunction: the Digital Inflection Rigidometer

Introduction: We have designed the Digital Inflection Rigidometer (DIR), a new electronic method for the diagnosis of the erectile dysfunction19 (fig. 1). Objectives: We aim to demostrate that the DIR, used by the patient himself either at the clinic or at home will provide accurately, in a noninvasive and fast way the penile axial32 rigidity (PAR) in grammes, the relative intracavernosal pressure (RICP), the glans temperature (GT) and the total time of useful erection.20 Method: 15 impotent patients were evaluated. We used DIR, Rigiscan and Eco-Doppler in the diagnosis process. Patients where divided into two groups A, of 8 patients and B, of 7 patients. Minutes before evaluation, we injected both groups39 with 15 mg. PGE1. Patients from group A were monitorized with the Rigiscan. Eco-Doppler evaluation was performed to group B. Axial rigidometry test was applied to both groups, instructing how to use the DIR and, that in case erection was archieved42, they should take measurements with a frequency of 5 minutes. Results: From group A, in three cases the Rigiscan showed21 a circumferential rigidity between 60 and 80% which did not correlate to the axial rigidity achieved between 300 and 400 grs. The Eco-Doppler evaluation showed normal vascular anatomic parameters but did not correspond to a normal axial rigidity, above 500 grs.41 Conclusions: The DIR has proved to be the only equipment able to measure reliably the axial rigidity, the relative intracavernosal pressure and the glans temperature in a27 noninvasive way, and it offers the possibility of being used by the patient himself either at the clinic or at home. It provides too information about the total time of erection.31