EP0444831A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Female incontinence control device with mechanically operable valve
Assignee: Urocath Corp
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Filing: 1991-02-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-02-22
Abstract
Abstract A female incontinence control device for insertion into the urethra includes a conduit (12, 92, 132, 182, 242) having a drainage inlet opening (14, 96, 136, 186, 246) to receive urinary fluid from the bladder, and an outlet discharge opening (18, 102, 166, 190, 250) positioned outside the urethra. The device also includes stabilizing structure for holding the conduit in its installed position relative to the urethra and bladder. The conduit (12, 92, 132, 182, 242) includes a manually actuatable drainage control valve (60, 110, 148, 198, 260) positioned outside the urethra. Manual actuation of the drainage control valve from a closed position to an open position is easily accomplished by manipulating an actuator member (80, 118, 164, 210, 268) at a distal end portion of the conduit to selectively control urinary discharge from the conduit. The actuator member can be formed as an extension of a valve member (62, 262) or interconnected with the valve member (112, 152, 200) through a flexible connecting link (120, 170, 212). The actuator member (164) can also be constituted as a flexible discharge member (150) which permits control of the direction of discharge of urinary fluid.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert E. Trick
- 👤 Carl Barwick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 04:50
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/0004; A61F2/0009; A61F2/0013; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
An incontinence device for a female, comprising conduit means for receiving, conducting and discharging urinary fluids from the bladder, said conduit means having a proximal end portion with an inlet opening and a distal end portion with an outlet opening, and including means for holding said conduit means in a predetermined position relative to the urethra such that said inlet opening is adapted to receive urinary fluid from the bladder and said outlet opening is positioned outside the urethra, and mechanically actuatable valve means having a closed position, said valve means being a predetermined distance from said distal end portion proximate the outlet opening such that said valve means is positioned outside the urethra, said valve means being manually actuatable from said closed position to an open condition, to selectively control the flow of urinary fluid through said conduit means for discharge through said outlet opening.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
40 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said valve means includes a manually accessible actuating means at the distal end portion of said conduit means for actuating said valve means from said closed position to said open condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said valve means includes a valve member normally maintained in said closed position, said valve member being releasable from said closed position by manual actuation of said manually accessible actuating means to cause movement of said valve member from said closed position to said open condition to permit flow of urinary fluid through said conduit means for discharge through said outlet opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said valve means further includes means at said distal end portion for urging said valve member in said normally closed position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said urging means include a biasing spring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said valve means includes a valve member moveable within said conduit means, between a valve closed position and a valve open condition, upon manual manipulation of said manually accessible actuating means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said valve means is a normally closed valve.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said manually accessible actuating means includes an actuating member and said valve means includes a valve member, said actuating member being joined to said valve member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said valve member includes a valve stem movable relative to the proximal end portion of said conduit means when said valve means is placed in said open condition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said actuating member is joined to said valve stem.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said valve stem is projectible from the proximal end portion of said conduit means when said valve means is placed in said open condition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 10 including a flexible connecting member joining said actuating member to said valve stem.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said actuating member is inflexible and is integrally joined to said valve stem.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the distal end portion of said conduit means includes a distal surface and said actuating means includes an actuating member of predetermined cross section that permits movement of said actuating member on said distal surface to cause corresponding movement of said valve member to place said valve means in said open condition.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said actuating member is of circular cross section to permit slidable movement of said actuating member on said distal surface to place said valve means in said open condition.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 15 wherein said actuating member is of spherical shape.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 15 wherein said actuating member is of cylindrical shape.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conduit means include a conduit member, and a flexible discharge member including said discharge opening is provided at the distal end portion of said conduit means to form an extension of said conduit member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 18 wherein said discharge member includes a bellows portion to permit expansion and contraction of said discharge member.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
66 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 18 wherein said conduit member includes a drainage lumen and said discharge member is communicable with said drainage lumen through said valve means and the flexibility of said discharge member permits movement thereof in a selected direction to control the direction of orientation of said outlet opening and thereby control the direction of fluid discharge from said outlet opening.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 18 wherein said discharge member is joined to said valve means and is extendible a predetermined amount away from said valve means such that the extension of said discharge member said predetermined amount causes said valve means to move from said closed position to said open condition.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 21 wherein said discharge member includes an expandible and contractible bellows portion to permit extension of said discharge member said predetermined amount.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 21 including a connecting member connecting said discharge member to said valve means such that extension of said discharge member said predetermined amount causes said connecting member to move said valve means from said closed position to said open condition.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
57 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 6 including a drainage passage between said inlet opening and said outlet opening and wherein the direction of said drainage passage is substantially in a first direction and the direction of movement of said valve means between said closed position and said open condition is substantially in a second direction.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 24 wherein the first and second directions are substantially parallel.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 24 wherein the second direction is offset from the first direction by a predetermined angle of 60 degrees or less.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 24 wherein the second direction is offset from the first direction by a predetermined angle of approximately 90 degrees.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
101 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 27 wherein said conduit means includes a conduit member having an axis in said first direction and said valve means comprises a slidable valve member having opposite ends and being movable in said second direction, one of said valve member ends projecting from said conduit member when said valve member is in one of said open condition and closed position, said valve member being movable in said predetermined second direction to the other of said open condition and closed position when said one end of said valve member is displaced toward said conduit member.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
33 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 28 wherein said valve member includes a reduced section that aligns with said fluid drainage passage when said valve member is moved to said open condition.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
39 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 28 wherein said valve member includes an enlarged section that aligns with said fluid drainage passage to close said fluid drainage passage when said valve member is moved to said closed position.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
54 words
The incontinence device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conduit means includes a lumen having an inlet opening at said distal end portion and an outlet opening a predetermined distance from said proximal end portion to communicate with said urethra to permit infusion of an antimicrobial agent through said lumen into said urethra.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
193 words
An incontinence device for a female comprising conduit means for receiving, conducting and discharging urinary fluids from the bladder, said conduit means having a proximal end portion with an inlet opening and a distal end portion with an outlet opening, and including a fluid drainage passage extending from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, means for holding said conduit means in a predetermined position relative to the urethra such that said inlet opening is adapted to receive urinary fluid from the bladder and said outlet opening is positioned outside the urethra, and mechanically actuatable valve means having a closed position, said valve means being a predetermined distance from said distal end portion proximate the outlet opening such that said valve means is positioned outside the urethra, said valve means having a valve member with a valve closure portion in alignment with said fluid drainage passage when said valve means is in said closed condition, said valve member being manually actuatable to move said valve closure portion from said closed position to an open condition, to selectively control the flow of urinary fluid through said conduit means for discharge through said outlet opening.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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