Moisture-Responsive Vaginal Insert for Incontinence Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vaginal inserts for treating urinary incontinence are often uncomfortable, difficult to insert and remove, and can cause irritation or infections due to their size and design, lacking a configuration that allows for easy expansion and collapse for effective incontinence prevention during stress events.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a vaginal insert comprising a core with anchoring and supporting elements, a cover blank with specific seam configurations, and a removal element, allowing the insert to expand for incontinence prevention and collapse for easy removal, featuring a band of material for conforming the cover to the core and maintaining reduced dimensions for comfort and efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vaginal inserts are designed to apply pressure against the bladder neck to block urine flow, then incontinence protection is improved, but the device becomes difficult to remove and may cause vaginal irritation or infections
Solution Approach 1:
The vaginal insert is designed with dynamic properties allowing it to expand when wet to provide effective incontinence protection, yet collapse when dry to facilitate easy removal. The material transitions between expanded and collapsed states based on moisture content, enabling the device to be effective during use but simple to remove afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert utilizes changes in physical parameters (moisture content) to alter its functional state. When exposed to moisture from urine, the material expands to provide pressure support. When dry, it collapses to a compact state for easy removal, eliminating the need for manual compression during removal.
2Ease of operation
If vaginal inserts are designed to remain in the vagina for a prolonged period to avoid frequent medical professional visits, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of vaginal infections, pressure ulcers, and bleeding increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vaginal insert is designed as a disposable device intended for short-term use only. The packaging indicates it should be removed after a single use or after a short period, eliminating the risks associated with prolonged retention such as infections and pressure ulcers. The disposable nature allows women to use it temporarily during high-risk periods without concern for long-term complications.
3Reliability
If vaginal inserts are designed with a larger size to provide effective incontinence protection, then incontinence protection is improved, but comfort during insertion and removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insert dynamically changes size based on moisture content. In its dry state, it maintains a compact, small size that facilitates comfortable insertion. Upon contact with urine moisture, it expands to its full functional size to provide effective incontinence protection. During removal, it has already collapsed back to its small dry state, making removal comfortable despite its larger functional dimensions.
4Reliability
If vaginal inserts are designed to expand following insertion to provide incontinence protection, then incontinence protection is improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion mechanism relies on simple parameter changes in the material itself rather than complex mechanical systems. The material undergoes a phase transition or swelling response when exposed to moisture, automatically expanding to the functional size needed for incontinence protection. This passive, material-based expansion eliminates the need for batteries, motors, or complex mechanical actuators.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of manufacture for a vaginal insert. The vaginal insert may have a core, a cover, and a removal element. In various embodiments, the cover can be conformed to the vaginal insert.