Foldable Vaginal Insert for Urinary Incontinence
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a consumer-friendly, user-friendly, and comfortable urinary incontinence device that can be easily inserted and removed by women to address stress urinary incontinence, which is not met by existing products that often require medical intervention and are not discreet or effective over an extended period.
Innovation Solution
A vaginal insert device with a support portion, stabilizing portion, and fluid passageway that expands to deliver outward compression against the bladder neck, featuring foldable areas for easy insertion and removal, and optionally includes an absorbent material for dual functionality as a tampon.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vaginal insert device uses a rigid structure to provide support and compression, then the effectiveness in preventing urinary incontinence is improved, but the ease of insertion and removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support portion is designed with foldable areas that allow it to dynamically change its configuration. During insertion, the support portion is compressed into a compact configuration to facilitate easy insertion. Once in place, it expands to a rigid configuration to provide the necessary support and compression for preventing urinary incontinence. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between ease of insertion and effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the vaginal insert device is designed with a larger diameter to provide adequate support, then the effectiveness in stabilizing the bladder neck is improved, but the ease of insertion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support portion with its larger diameter structure is nested within a smaller insertion configuration. The foldable areas allow the larger-diameter support structure to be collapsed into a compact form that can be easily inserted into the vagina. After insertion, the support portion expands to its full diameter to provide adequate support for stabilizing the bladder neck, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of insertion.
3Reliability
If the vaginal insert device uses specialized materials and complex structure to ensure proper fit and extended performance, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vaginal insert device is segmented into distinct functional portions: a support portion with foldable areas, a stabilizing portion, and a removal portion. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity. The foldable areas in the support portion provide the necessary structural transformation capability without requiring complex mechanisms, thus achieving extended performance with controlled complexity.
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 device provides effective prevention of urinary stress incontinence by stabilizing the bladder neck and supporting the urethral sphincter, offering comfort and discreet use, with adjustable sizes to ensure proper fit and extended performance.
Implementation Method 1
The resilient support portion expands to deliver an outward compression force against the bladder neck
Data Source
AI summary
Generally, a vaginal insert device used to treat urinary incontinence is disclosed. The vaginal insert device includes a support portion, a stabilizing portion, a removal device, and at least one fluid passageway extending though the support portion. The substantially cylindrical support portion has a distal end and a proximal end. In addition, the support portion has a plurality of foldable areas extending from the distal end to the proximal end. Desirably, the plurality of foldable areas helically curve as the plurality of foldable areas extend from the distal end to the proximal end. The largest outer circumference of the support portion has an insertion diameter when the plurality of foldable areas are compressed and foldable inward and an in-use diameter wherein the plurality of foldable areas are extended outward into a maximum in-use diameter position. Desirably, the in-use diameter is larger than the insertion diameter.