Urinary Catheter Port Layout for Complete Bladder Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing indwelling urinary catheters suffer from issues such as the catheter tip irritating the bladder wall, incomplete bladder drainage due to the drainage port being spaced from the balloon, and potential mucosal damage from the drainage port, leading to residual urine that can become infected.
Innovation Solution
A urinary catheter design featuring a shaft with a port unit at the distal end, where the balloon is located proximally of the port, and a drainage port on the side, with a connection tube for inflation, secured by adhesive and a heat shrink component to smooth transitions, allowing for improved comfort and complete drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drainage port is spaced from the base of the bladder by the balloon, then the balloon provides retention in the bladder, but the bladder cannot drain completely leading to residual urine that can become infected
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage port is extracted from the conventional position spaced from the balloon base and relocated to be in direct communication with the bladder base. This allows complete drainage of the bladder base while the balloon maintains its retention function at a different location along the catheter shaft.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage port is positioned on the lateral side of the catheter shaft rather than at the distal tip, creating a spatial reconfiguration that allows the drainage pathway to extend to the bladder base while the balloon remains positioned for retention.
2Ease of manufacture
If the catheter tip is exposed, then the catheter can be manufactured simply, but the tip irritates the bladder wall
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage port is positioned on the lateral side of the catheter shaft, acting as an intermediary structure that allows urine drainage without requiring the tip to be exposed. This lateral port configuration enables complete drainage while the tip can be covered or modified to reduce irritation.
3Reliability
If the drainage port is located at the tip, then drainage is achieved, but material of the bladder wall can become drawn into the drainage port causing discomfort and mucosal damage
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage port is extracted from the tip location and repositioned on the lateral side of the shaft. This removes the harmful effect of bladder wall material being drawn into the port while maintaining effective drainage function through the lateral communication pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage port is moved from a tip-positioned configuration to a lateral side-positioning on the shaft. This spatial reconfiguration allows drainage to occur through the shaft wall rather than the tip, preventing direct contact between the drainage port and bladder wall material.
4Device complexity
If the balloon is toroidal in shape and located proximally of the catheter tip, then the catheter structure is simplified, but the drainage port is spaced from the base of the bladder preventing complete drainage
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is segmented into distinct functional zones: the balloon positioned proximally for retention, the lateral drainage port on the shaft for drainage, and the tip configuration for insertion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function optimally without compromising the others.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage port is positioned on the lateral side of the shaft rather than at the tip, creating a three-dimensional configuration that allows complete drainage of the bladder base while maintaining the simple toroidal balloon structure proximally.
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
The new design reduces irritation and mucosal damage, ensures complete bladder drainage, and minimizes the risk of balloon detachment, providing enhanced patient comfort and reducing infection risk.
Implementation Method 1
The adhesive may secure the connection tube to the inside of the inflation lumen of the shaft and to the inflation passage of the port unit
Implementation Method 2
The urinary catheter may further comprise a heat shrink component for smoothing a transition region between the shaft and the port unit
Implementation Method 3
Once the tip of the catheter is in the bladder it is retained in position by means such as a balloon inflated within the bladder
Data Source
AI summary
A urinary catheter has a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft having a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end; and a port unit secured to the distal end of the shaft, the port unit comprising a port configured to communicate with the lumen of the shaft via a passage in the port unit, the distal end of the shaft being received in a recess of the port unit.