Urinary Catheter Valve With Pressure Threshold for Home Voiding Trials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voiding trials for patients with urinary catheters are inefficient and inconvenient, often requiring prolonged clinic visits and increased material and infection risks due to failed attempts, while standard UDS testing cannot be used at home and lacks dynamic bladder pressure measurement.
Innovation Solution
A urinary catheter system with a valve that includes a valve gate regulated by a spring and lever mechanism, allowing patients to test their ability to generate a threshold bladder pressure to open the valve, minimizing failed trials by enabling home assessment of bladder function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard voiding trials are performed with catheter removal, then patient bladder function can be assessed, but prolonged clinic visits and repeated catheter replacements are required increasing time loss and infection risk
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device is pre-configured with a spring mechanism that automatically opens the valve gate when bladder pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold, enabling preliminary assessment of bladder function before actual voiding trial. This allows patients to demonstrate voiding capability at home without requiring prolonged clinic visits or repeated catheter replacements.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve device enables patients to self-assess their bladder function at home by simply attempting to void through the catheter. The spring-loaded valve automatically responds to bladder pressure changes, eliminating the need for clinic staff intervention, repeated testing, or complex monitoring equipment during the assessment process.
2Ease of operation
If catheter is removed for voiding trial, then bladder emptying ability can be tested, but material costs and infection risks increase due to failed attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device performs preliminary assessment of bladder function while remaining in place, automatically opening when adequate bladder pressure is generated. This eliminates the need for repeated catheter removals and replacements that cause infection risk, while maintaining ease of operation for the patient.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded valve gate acts as an intermediary mechanism between the bladder and the external environment. It mediates the voiding process by automatically opening when bladder pressure exceeds the threshold, allowing patients to assess their function without direct catheter removal and reducing infection risk associated with repeated insertions and removals.
3Measurement precision
If standard UDS testing is used, then bladder pressure can be measured, but the device cannot be used at home and does not establish dynamic relationship of volume voided to volume remaining
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device is designed for self-service operation at home, automatically responding to bladder pressure changes without requiring external monitoring equipment or clinic staff. It establishes a dynamic relationship between volume voided and volume remaining by automatically opening when adequate pressure is generated, providing measurement precision comparable to standard UDS testing while enabling home use.
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 system reduces the need for repeated catheter replacements by allowing patients to safely and easily assess their bladder function at home, predicting successful voiding trials and reducing material costs and infection risks.
Implementation Method 1
a spring connected to the valve gate, the spring configured to apply a threshold pressure against the valve gate to keep the valve gate in a closed position when the arm is removed from the valve lumen
Implementation Method 2
a lever connected to the valve gate configured to manually pull the valve gate into the open position when the arm is removed from the valve lumen
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods are described for urinary catheters and catheter valves. For example, this disclosure relates to urinary catheters having valves that facilitate testing of a user's ability to urinate.