Self-Catheterization Anchor Device for Urethra Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Women with neurogenic bladder face challenges in self-catheterization due to difficulty in locating the urethra, leading to increased risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and inefficient bladder emptying, as current assistive devices are either discontinued or do not adequately address the issue of urethra location and bacterial contamination.
Innovation Solution
A device with an elongate anchor member and guide mechanism that anchors relative to a vaginal landmark, providing a bridge to accurately position a catheter for urethra insertion, allowing for frequent and proper catheterization without caregiver assistance, reducing the risk of UTIs by minimizing bacterial contamination and improving catheter placement accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If women perform self-catheterization without assistive devices, then the process is simple, but the difficulty of locating the urethra leads to contamination and increased UTI risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a catheterization assistive device that acts as an intermediary between the user and the urethra. The device includes a guide member with a distal end that positions a catheter tip adjacent to the urethral opening, and a bridge member that spans across the labia minora to provide stable positioning. This intermediary structure eliminates the need for users to manually locate the obscured urethra while maintaining a relatively simple single-use disposable design.
2Ease of operation
If women use current catheter designs like SpeediCath, then insertion is more compact and comfortable, but the difficulty of locating the urethra and infection risk remain unmitigated
Solution Approach 1:
The assistive device serves as a mediator that positions the catheter tip precisely at the urethral opening before insertion. The guide member directly guides the catheter tip to the target location, while the bridge member stabilizes the position across the labia minora. This intermediary positioning system ensures accurate placement without requiring users to manually search for the urethra, thereby reducing contamination risk while maintaining ease of use.
3Reliability
If women catheterize less frequently due to difficulty, then the process is less challenging, but stagnant urine increases UTI risk five-fold
Solution Approach 1:
The assistive device acts as a reliable intermediary that makes catheterization straightforward and accurate. By providing a guide member that directly positions the catheter tip and a bridge member that stabilizes the device across the labia minora, the system eliminates the manual searching and positioning difficulties that previously made catheterization challenging. This reliability encourages and enables users to perform catheterization frequently as medically recommended, thereby preventing stagnant urine accumulation and reducing UTI risk.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods are provided to facilitate self-catheterization of a urethra. In an exemplary embodiment, the device includes an elongate anchor member comprising a proximal end and a rounded distal end to facilitate insertion into a user's vagina, a bridge extending laterally from an intermediate location of the anchor member, a guide on the bridge spaced apart from the anchor member such that the guide is aligned with the user's urethra, the guide including a passage therethrough sized to receive a urinary catheter therethrough, and a handle on the proximal end of the anchor member to facilitate manipulation by the user and consistent, accurate alignment of the guide.