Penis plethysmograph to detect nocturnal erection phase - contains also detector of REM sleep phase and records coincidence of both events to distinguish cause of impotence

摘要

The device has a detector for penile dia. variations to give an electrical signal which is input to a graphic recorder. Another detector is used to detect at least one sign of the REM sleep of the patient. This detector gives an electrical signal which is shaped in a threshold circuit whose output is connected to an adder. This adder also receives data from the measurement variation detector. The adder output is connected to the recorder input. The recorder therefore shows the simultaneous existence of both the nocturnal erection and the REM sleep phases or the absence of one of these phases. The recording is used to determine if the sexual impotence is due to psychological or pathological reasons.