GB2219943A - Urinary incontinence control device - Google Patents

Abstract

A urinary incontinence control catheter device of a shortened form and which has internally contained a magnetic urine voiding control valve with axial movement to open or close the urine voiding flow and activated by means of an external magnet or electro magnet attached to the patients lower abdomen such that the patient is able to control the external magnetic directional polarity to attract or repulse the internal magnet valve to move on its longitudinal axis to open or close the valve, thus retaining the urine internally until such a time as the patient decides to void, and entirely eliminating the use of an external urine storage bag attached to the body.

Description

This invention relates to devices for controlling or mitigating the urinary incontinence of human wale or female persons and which are hereinafter referred to as urinary control devices (UCD), According to written medical statistics ten per cent of the human population (400 million) suffer fron tenporary or permanent urinary incontinence or the inability of the human body sphincter muscles to control urination to appropriate selected times and place.

The human bladder as soon as any urine is collected witi allows it to flow away past the faulty sphincter muscles to the external urethra exit where it causes considerable inconvenience.

Existing devices consist of the external attachment cf large and obvious devices such as drainage bags, penis constriction straps, soaking pads, etc.

These with the exception of the penis constriction strap, are only externa ] collectors or absorbers of urine without any form of involuntary urine flow control.

Th: external penis control device docs control involuntarf urination, and is externally released when ur#nation is required.

It is towards the solution of this problem in a better and more inconspicuous way that this invention is directed.

The Urinary Incontinence Flow Control Device (hereinafter abbreviated to UCD) is specifically designed to retain a Male or Female patients Urine within the Bladder in its normal internal storeage space until such a time as the Patient decides to externally and manually by remote valve operated control to open the Catheter Urine Flow Control Valve and void the contained Urine at the Patients chosen time and selected convenient location.

This type of UCD device thus eliminating the external attachment of any ungainly and bulky Urine retaining and storage container strapped to the Patients leg with its constant attendant embarassnient and worry to the Patient, and the consequent encumbrance and enforced restriction of the patients Physical and Occupational movements and at the same time allowing the Patient with this new design of UCD to participate in the same normal necessary and enjoyable unencumbered movements and activities as that of a normal Urine continent person.

In the Worlds Human Population - married sexual activities are the normal and natural functions of life which affects Hale and Female mostly between the ages of twenty and forty five years old and this represents probably twenty per cent of the 400 Million suffering from incontinence. Unfortun- ately the present incontinence devices have to be removed and discarded for every sexual act, which is expensive and is a nuisance to those engaged in this activity.

If a Balloon Type Catheter Principle is used to retain the UCD Control Device in situ then a small diameter Plastic Tube is required long enough to be attached externally to the Patients Body with a one way normally closed valve attached to its extremity end remote from the Urine Bladder for liquid filling injection into the Catheter Balloon to inflate same for retention and end location in its operatzont bladder location and function in situ for Urine Flow Control and also for release of the liquid filling when the Catheter is to be removed from the Bladder for replacement.

List of Figures Fig. 1 Shews a Female Body (also applicable to Male Bodies) with section through Urine Bladder with the Balloon Catheter in operational situ position within the Urethra - and an externally attached Balloon Liquid Filling inflation tube and one way normally closed Valve required wçhen Balloon is inflated for retention in the Urine Bladder and attached to the body by means of a Pad.

Pig. 2 shewing Female Body (also applicable to Male Bodies) with externally attached Magnet or Electrically energised Magnet in close proximity to the Bladder such that when the Polarity direction of the external Magnet is altered in relation to the Catheter Magnetic Urine Flow Control Valve longitudinal axis and the Electro Magnet is energised in a like polarity direct ion changeover manner the Urine Flow Valve is opened of closed by attraction or repulsion as required by the ratient.

Pig. 3 Shews a section through the Top Valve End of the Balloon Catheter protruding into the Urine Bladder with a Magnetic Valve in the Open Urine Voiding position.

Fig. 4 Shews a section through the Upper Catheter Tube Stem with a Magnetic Urine Flow Control Valve in the Open Urine Voiding rosition and located and supported in its operating position by means of Valve Stem Pin Tides and a closing compression spring.

Fig. 5 Shews the external Magnet or Electro Magnet Valve attached to the lower abdomen in close proximity to the internal Urine Voiding Flow Control Magnetic Valve.

NO DESCRIPTION SH #9 IN FIGS 1 Female Body 1.2 2 Thigh 1.2 3 Lower Abdomen 1.2.3 4 Urethra (M-20C1; F-4CM) 1.3.4 5 Bladder 1.3 6 Urine Inside Bladder 1.3 7 Balloon (Catheter) 1.3 8 Balloon Liquid Contents 1.3 9 Balloon Liquid Filling Tube 1 10 Balloon Liquid Inj'n Valve 1 11 Catheter 1.3.4 12 Urine Plow Voiding Holes 3.4 13 Urine Vent Hole 3.

14 V1. Magnet Valve 3.

15 V2. Magnet Valve 4 16 Valve Positions (O'Open/C-Closed) 3.4 17 Valve Closing Pressure spring 3,4 18 Valve Fixed Guide 3.4 19 Valve Stop 3.4 20 Valve Seat 3.4

NO DESCRIPTION SHENN IN FIGS 21 Valve Int'1 Support Body 3.4 22 Pad (Body Attachment) 1.2.5 23 Bxt'l. Control Unit (Permanent or Electro Magnet)2.5 24 Insertion L Withdrawal Cord 4.

25 Valve Component Support Cord 3.4 UCD Urinary Control Device UF Direction of Urine Voiding Plow 3.4 I Direction of Catheter Insertion W Direction of Catheter Withdrawal 4.

The preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by ways of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 Shews part of a Female Body (1) with a new type of (UCD) Urinary Incontinence Control Device - Balloon Catheter (11) of a shortened form terminating within the Urethra (4) in its Urine Flow Control location situ with and required only for Balloon Catheter Types (7) a small diameter plastic tube (9).

Terminating in a one way - non return balloon liquid injection Valve (10) Shewn attached to the thigh (2) or alternatively may be attached to the lower abdomen (3) see Pigs. 1 & 2; by means of attachment pad (22) The Balloon is inflated by injection of liquid (8) into balloon (7) via tube (9) and Valve (10) after the Catheter is correctly positioned in Bladder (6) for Urine Voiding Control purposes.

The Balloon filling liquid (8) after injection into Balloon (7) being retained therein until the UCD has to be removed or replaced which is effected by hold ing the one way injection valve (1O) open with a probe until the Balloon liguid (8) is passed out and the Balloon deflates allowing the UCD to be removed.

Fig. 2 Shews a sectional portion of a Female Body (1) with an external Magnet or Electro Magnet Control Device (23) attached by means of a Pad or similiar device (22) onto the lower abdomen (3) in close proximity and externally adjacent to the Valve (14) see Fig. 3 or Valve (15) see Fig. 4.

Such that by twisting the Permanent Magnet (23) axially on its body attachment < w plane the Magnetic Force Polarity is reversed so that depending on its relative polarity position to the Valves (14)see Fig.4 and their fixed Polarity in relation to their designed movement will attract or repulse the Urine Flow Control Valve to open or Close the Valve(14)or(15)Relative to its Urine Flow Valve Closing seat (20).

Polarity Reversal of an alternative Electro Magnet Control Device (23) is effected simply by either preferably switching the DC Supply off or changing the connections to the Magnet Coil Terminals by mechanical switchover means.

Fig. 3 Shews the Urine Plow Control Valve (14) in an open Urine Free Voiding Plow position relative to its Valve Closing seat (20) and located in the top Bnd of the Catheter within the Urine Bladder so that when the Valve (14) is magnetically opened - Voiding Hole Ports (12) are opened for Voiding Urine in tne direction shewn by arrows (UF).

The movement of the Valve (14) is shewn at (16) (O ~Open - C Closed).

it is also shewn by the Valve (14) in relation to the Urine Voiding Yorts (lz) that the Valve shape and special designed position does not materially affect the Urine full flow sectional Area in relation to the Valve Seat (20) and open orifices tl2) because when the Valve t14) is fully open it completely clears the Urine Voiding torts (12).

The Closing of the Valve can be effected by any/or some of the following alternative forces.

(a) Magnetic repulsion of the external Control Magnet (23) - (basic operational force).

(b) Gravity and additionally when Valve is closed the refilling of the Bladder putting back pressure on the Valve (14).

(c) Valve pressure closing spring (17).

Note - All Forces (b & c) together must be weaker than operational force (a) required to open the Valve exerted by the Control Magnet.

It will be seen that a small Vent Hole (13) is shewn in the top of the Catheter Body (ll) this is to ensure that when the Valve opens no Urine back Pressures will Fig. 3 Cont. be exerted by the compression of the top surface of the Magnetic Valve (14 or 15) upon any trapped Urine between ( (14 or 15) and (11) and likewise when returning to the closed Valve position no partial vacuun is exerted between (13) or (14 or 15) and (11) thus impeding the closing of the Valve Urine Flow shut off.

In manufacture it would probably be preferable for the Component Valve Unit Assembly to be located within a Valve Internal support body (21) with the Valve Closing Seat ('20) Urine Vent Holes (12) Magnetic Valve (14) V1 Fig.3 and above Valve (15) V2 Fig. 4 rigidly attached to centre support #re (25) Return Spring (17) Valve Stop (19) and Valve Fixed Guide (16).

The internal Urine Flow functional Control location of the UCD Catheter is within the Urethra t4) with the location Balloon (7) and the Catheter tip protruding within the Bladder (5).

Externally if a Balloon Type Catheter is used a remote one way Balloon Liquid Filling Valve (10) is required attached to a small diameter Liquid filling tube (9).

If Catheter types are used lternatively without a balloon the external components (9) (10) and (22) will not be required and other types of existing standard Catheter retention devices for location within the ratient will be used instead, Fig. 3 Cont. Valve (14) vi. Fig. 3 is shewn within the Bladder (5) and above Balloon (7) in its normal correct voiding operational position.

In Fig. 3 is shewn an end view of a section(AA) through the Valve Internal support body (21) with small fixed struts attached to and supporting the Valve Fixed Guide (18) within which freely slides the Valve (14) Support Wire or Cord (25) see also Fig. 4. - Valve (15S as the Valve is axially movement operated.

Although in Figs. 1 & 2 a Female Body Form is shewn this Urinary Control Device is equally applicable to Males also.

Also this type of Urinary Control Device in its basic form can be used within any other type of standard Catheter method.

Pig. 4 Shews a Urine Flow Magnetic Valve Type (15) V2 Fig. 4 such as to that as shewn in Fig. 3 retained within a Valve Internal support body (21).

This Valve type may be sheathed within an open ended Catheter (11) or simply retained within the Urethra and being located to prevent migration in or out, and to assist withdrawal from a replacement or exchange point of View by means of attached withdrawal Cord (24).

The Device as a whole being retained within the Patient in its functional operational position by means of external standard devices attached to the cord (24).

Fig, 4 Cont. The remaining numbered components on this Valve Type are as previously described in Figs. 1.2 & 3.

With this Type Urine Flow is shewn as arrowed (UF), Part of the Urine flowing outward through the Urine Voiding Ports (12) with no Urine flow impedance by the Valve (15) as also described in Fig. 3.

It will be seen to assist the Urine flow the Urethra may temporarily expand locally adjacent to the Urine Plow Ports (12) while Voiding is taking place through Ports (12) and the open end of the shortened Catheter.

Fig. 5 Shews the external Permanent Magnet or Electro Magnet (23) on a suitable fixing base attached to the body attachment Pad (22) which is also shewn in Figs. 1 & located in the Lower Abdomen position (3) and in close external proximity to the internal Urinary Incontinence Control Device (UCD) (11) and the Urine Voiding Plow Control Valves (14) see Fig. 3 and (15) see Fig. 4 to obtain the maximum operational magnetic force between the external and internal Operat(OvlO1magnets.

On this figure are shewn arrows indicating the 1600 movement required on the External Permanent Magnet to obtain the reversal movement of the Magnetic polarity to effect the Urine Voiding movement on the internal Magnetic Valve C14 and 15) to function correctly at its maximum strength of attraction and repulsion.

Fig. 5 Cont. A Minimum magnetic path of Correctly related operational polarity between the external Controlled Magnet and the Internal Valve movable Magnet is essential and critical and the position of these two related and adjacent components must be carefully selected and maintained during the operation and reliable function of the UCD - Urine Voiding Catheter.

As explained if an Electro Magnet 2X) is installed instead of a Permanent Magnet it will operate and function as explained under Fig. 2.

Claims (6)

Claims

1. A Urine Flow Control Device directly under the Control of the Patient such as to retain Urine within the Bladder thus elininating the necessity of an external Urine Leg Storage Container and reducing the length of the Catheter required within the Urethra until the Patient he/she wishes to Urinate at a particular time and a selected convenient place which is effected by means of an external body attached Permanent Magnet or Electro Magnet which has a Patient Controlled Directional Reversible rolarity Magnetic Field which by adjustment is used to position the internal Urine Voiding Flow Control Magnetic Valve to open or close as required by the Patient with movement taking place when the lines of field flux of both Valve Magnet and external Control Magnet are on a parallel axis and in the maximum operational power attraction or repulsion line to correctly position the Magnet Valve in the Open or Closed Urine Voiding position.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 which requires one control valve only in the Catheter to control the Urine Voiding Flow function.

3. A Device as claimed in Claims 1 & 2 where the Urine Flow Control Valve may be located at any preferred location within the Catheter - Bladder or Urethra.

4. A device as claimed in Claims 1.2 & 3 where the Catheter is considerably reduced in length such that the Urine exit end of the Catheter terminates inside the Catheter.

5. A device as claimed in Claims 1.2.3. & 4 where the Urine Plow Control is a Magnetic Moving Valve located within the Catheter and externally movement activated by means of a Patient Polarity reversible magnet or Electro Magnet attached to the Body.

6. A Urine Flow Control Device substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.