Adhesion Zone Rotation for Male External Catheters
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Solution Overview
Problem
The prolonged use of self-adhesive male external catheters (MECs) leads to skin irritation and maceration due to continuous adhesive contact, and the removal process further exacerbates skin damage, causing pain and potential infection.
Innovation Solution
The system includes MECs with differently configured adhesion zones, allowing for alternating adhesion locations on the skin to reduce adhesive contact time with affected areas, thereby minimizing skin irritation and maceration. This is achieved by using MECs with zones of exposed adhesive separated by zones without adhesive, enabling rest periods for healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If self-adhesive male external catheters are used continuously for urinary incontinence management, then effective urine collection is maintained, but skin irritation and maceration occur at the adhesion site
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system is divided into multiple catheters with different adhesion zone configurations. Each catheter in the plurality has adhesive zones positioned at different locations along the sheath, allowing segmentation of the adhesion burden across different skin areas when catheters are rotated or alternated.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesion zone configuration is made variable through providing multiple catheter options with differently positioned adhesive zones. This allows dynamic adjustment of adhesion locations by selecting different catheters from the plurality, enabling the system to adapt to skin condition changes and promote healing by varying contact points.
2Reliability
If the MEC is removed after prolonged use, then urine collection function is maintained, but skin tearing and further maceration occur due to adhesive pulls
Solution Approach 1:
By providing a plurality of catheters with segmented, non-overlapping adhesion zones, the removal stress is distributed across different skin areas. When one catheter is removed, the adhesive pull is confined to its specific zone, while other zones remain intact or are positioned to avoid already damaged skin.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables preliminary rotation or alternation of catheters before skin damage becomes severe. By proactively changing catheters with different adhesion configurations, the system prevents prolonged stress on any single skin area, reducing the likelihood of tearing during removal.
3Ease of operation
If the same adhesion location is used repeatedly, then application simplicity is maintained, but skin healing and regeneration are inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
Each catheter in the plurality serves multiple functions: it provides urine collection and can be applied to different skin locations depending on its adhesion zone configuration. The system as a whole is universal, accommodating various adhesion patterns by selecting from multiple catheter types, thus maintaining simplicity while enabling skin rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic rotation of catheters with different adhesion zone configurations. By alternating between catheters in a planned sequence, the same skin areas are allowed to rest and heal between adhesive contact periods, promoting skin regeneration while maintaining continuous catheter function.
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
This approach reduces the duration of adhesive contact with any given skin area, mitigating iatrogenic symptoms and allowing impaired skin to heal, thereby improving urinary incontinence management and preventing skin tearing and infection.
Implementation Method 1
the interior surface including two zones of exposed adhesive separated by a zone of no exposed adhesive
Data Source
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AI summary
Devices and/or methods for treating and/or managing urinary incontinence. A self-adhering male external catheter (MEC) is worn by the patient. Adhesive applied to a surface of the MEC adheres the MEC to the patient's skin. An adhesion zone of the MEC or another MEC to the skin is adjusted during the course of the treatment or management to allow the skin to rest and rejuvenate and reduce incidence of skin problems at the site of skin to adhesive contact.