Catheter Coupler and Control Valve for Bagless Urination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional catheter systems with collection bags are messy, embarrassing, and do not provide a natural appearance or use of urination, while bagless systems often result in clothing soiling due to leakage or drippage, and existing solutions are complicated to utilize and store.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system featuring a flexible tube with a control valve and a coupler that allows the catheter to be mounted to a waist belt in an upright orientation, enabling easy access and natural urination without a collection bag, with a spring-biased control button for fluid flow control and a U-shaped mounting clip for quick stowing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a collection bag is used with the catheter, then urine can be collected and stored, but the system becomes messy, embarrassing, and does not provide a natural appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the collection bag from the catheter system, extracting the problematic element that caused messiness and embarrassment. The catheter tube is left to dangle freely without an attached bag, allowing urine to drain naturally through the external end without requiring bag removal or emptying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of collecting urine in a bag and then emptying it (conventional approach), the system inverts the approach by allowing continuous natural drainage through the external end of the catheter. The catheter is positioned to drain urine directly without intermediate collection and disposal steps.
2Device complexity
If the catheter external end is left to dangle within clothing, then the collection bag is eliminated, but clothing soiling occurs through leakage or drippage
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter external end is positioned in a specific spatial orientation (dangling within clothing) to utilize gravity and anatomical positioning for natural drainage. The vertical orientation allows urine to flow downward through the external end without lateral leakage that would soil clothing.
Solution Approach 2:
The control valve acts as an intermediary mechanism between the bladder and the external environment. It regulates fluid flow to prevent uncontrolled leakage while allowing intentional urination, thus preventing clothing soiling while maintaining the bagless design.
3Reliability
If a pouch with catheter supports is used, then the catheter is enclosed and protected, but the system becomes complicated to utilize and store
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the complex pouch with multiple catheter supports from the system. Instead of enclosing the catheter in a structured pouch requiring careful positioning and latching, the catheter is allowed to dangle freely without containment structures, simplifying both use and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the catheter from the pouch concept entirely, allowing the catheter to function independently without requiring integration into a structured support system. This segmentation eliminates the complexity of aligning and latching the catheter to multiple supports.
4Reliability
If a pouch is used to enclose the catheter, then the catheter is protected, but the pouch is unsightly and makes it obvious that a catheter is being utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The unsightly pouch is completely removed from the system. The catheter is allowed to dangle freely without enclosure, eliminating the visible pouch that made catheter use obvious. The focus shifts to the catheter itself being the only visible element, which can be positioned to minimize visual indication.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables natural and discreet urination by allowing the catheter to mimic normal bladder function, preventing soiling and providing a quick, efficient, and unnoticeable stowing mechanism, maintaining hygiene and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-biased control button for fluid flow control
Implementation Method 2
a U-shaped mounting clip for quick stowing
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter system is disclosed that includes a catheter with an elongated, flexible tube having an entry end, an exit end, and a control valve. The control valve controls the flow of fluids through the catheter tube. The exit end or control valve also includes a coupler which is utilized to allow the catheter to be moved between a stowed condition coupled to a flexible belt and an in-use condition uncoupled from the belt.