Artificial urethral sphincter with adjustable gripping force

Abstract

To provide an ergonomic artificial urethral sphincter which minimizes a patient's discomfort, minimizes a risk of injury during a long-term use, is simple and is inexpensive.SOLUTION: An artificial urethral sphincter 100 includes a cuff member 102, a hollow cylinder, a spring, and a cable. The cuff member includes a first layer and a second layer which define an internal pocket between the first layer and the second layer. The cuff member is configured to encircle the urethra of a patient when the cuff member is wrapped around the urethra of the patient. The hollow cylinder is configured to be disposed inside the patient's body. The spring is disposed inside the hollow cylinder. A first part of the cable is disposed inside the internal pocket. The first part of the cable is configured to block the urethra of the patient through gripping the urethra of the patient when the first part of the cable is pulled out of the internal pocket. The first part of the cable is configured to unblock the urethra of the patient by releasing the urethra of the patient when a second end of the spring is pulled toward the first end of the hollow cylinder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

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