Adjustable Rear Tip Extender for Penile Prosthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rear tip extenders for penile prostheses are fixed in size, leading to waste and increased manufacturing costs due to the need for multiple sizes, and can cause patient discomfort when the ideal size is between pre-molded options.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable length rear tip extender, such as a telescoping or fluted design, which can be selectively set to multiple lengths to match individual patient anatomy, reducing waste and manufacturing costs while ensuring a comfortable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixed-size rear tip extenders are provided to match different patient needs, then proper fit for various patients is ensured, but manufacturing cost and inventory complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rear tip extender is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can be independently adjusted. Each segment can be extended or retracted to achieve different overall lengths, allowing a single device to replace multiple fixed-size extenders in the inventory while maintaining proper fit for various patient anatomy requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear tip extender transitions from a static fixed-size design to a dynamic adjustable design. The telescoping mechanism allows the extender length to be changed after manufacturing, enabling one device to adapt to multiple patient size requirements without requiring multiple different-sized devices to be manufactured and stored.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixed-size rear tip extenders are manufactured, then proper fit options are available, but waste increases from discarded unused sizes
Solution Approach 1:
A single adjustable rear tip extender design serves multiple functions that previously required multiple different devices. By making the extender size-adjustable, one universal design replaces multiple size-specific designs, allowing the same device to be used across different patient populations without creating waste from unused fixed-size variants.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed-size rear tip extenders are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but patient comfort decreases when ideal size is between pre-molded options
Solution Approach 1:
The extender incorporates a telescoping mechanism that allows continuous or incremental adjustment of length, enabling precise matching to the patient's ideal size rather than being constrained to discrete pre-molded sizes. This dynamic adjustment capability maintains manufacturing simplicity while significantly improving patient comfort through customized fit.
4Productivity
If discrete sizes of rear tip extenders are provided, then manufacturing is cost-effective, but precision of fit is limited to predetermined sizes
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the extender into adjustable telescoping sections, the device achieves high precision fit capability without requiring high-precision manufacturing of multiple discrete size variants. The segments can be adjusted to provide precise length matching to patient needs while maintaining cost-effective manufacturing of a single standardized design.
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable penile prosthesis having an adjustable length rear tip extender. The extender is connectable with at least one inflatable cylinder. The adjustable length rear tip extender can be telescoping, or include one or more segments capable of being cut away or otherwise removed, to adjust the effective length for the at least one inflatable cylinder.