Artificial Urinary Sphincter with Soft Casing and Remote Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current artificial urinary sphincter devices are cumbersome to implant, prone to tissue damage, difficult for patients to actuate, and have multiple points of failure due to their complex assembly and separate pieces, which complicates the treatment of urinary incontinence.
Innovation Solution
A modular artificial urinary sphincter device with a soft, atraumatic casing and internal rigid skeleton, featuring movable force members and an actuation assembly with a button-actuated mechanism that transitions between closed and open states to inhibit or allow urine flow, designed for varied urethra locations and patient anatomy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the device is made from multiple separate pieces that must be connected together, then the device can be manufactured and implanted in a modular fashion, but the implantation process becomes tedious and unwieldy, and the connected pieces form points of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate pieces into a single integrated unit. The artificial urinary sphincter device is constructed as one cohesive component rather than multiple detachable parts that require assembly. This eliminates the need for surgeons to connect separate pieces during implantation, reducing procedural complexity and eliminating connection points that could become failure points.
2Reliability
If the device is implanted in tissue, then the device can function to inhibit urine flow, but the device tends to damage or irritate tissue in which it is planted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a soft, flexible outer casing or shell that envelops the rigid internal components of the device. This flexible exterior conforms to the surrounding tissue without causing irritation or damage, while the internal rigid skeleton provides the necessary structural support for device functionality. The soft shell acts as a protective interface between the rigid mechanism and the biological tissue.
3Force
If the device is designed with a rigid structure to exert force on the urethra, then the device can effectively inhibit urine flow, but the device becomes difficult for patients to actuate, especially older patients lacking in dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a remote actuation mechanism that allows patients to control the device from a distance or through a different spatial dimension. Instead of requiring direct manual manipulation of the rigid sphincter mechanism, patients can actuate the device through a remote button or control located in an accessible position, translating the actuation action from one spatial location to another. This maintains the rigid structure's ability to exert force on the urethra while making the device user-friendly for patients with limited dexterity.
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial urinary sphincter device is configured to be implanted in a relationship with a patient's urethra for the treatment of urinary incontinence. The size and shape of the device can vary for implantation on any of a wide variety of locations relative to the urethra such that it can exert a force onto the urethra for inhibiting or preventing involuntary leakage of urine.