Segmented Catheter Tip Design for Complete Urine Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard Foley catheters face challenges in complete urine drainage due to their spherical balloon design, which can lead to residual void volumes and discomfort, as well as issues with debris passage and bladder spasm, especially during removal.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a bladder inflatable element configured as a lobe or multiple lobes with a slotted tip to enhance drainage, reduce bladder spasm, and prevent 'cuffing' upon removal, along with a urethral inflatable element for improved anchoring and comfort, featuring detachable legs or a dissolvable tip for efficient fluid passage and reduced profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spherical balloon is used to anchor the catheter in the bladder, then the catheter can be secured in place, but it causes residual void volumes and discomfort to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is divided into multiple legs (typically three) that are spaced apart to form slots, rather than using a single spherical balloon. This segmentation allows urine and debris to flow through multiple pathways while distributing the anchoring function across several points, reducing bladder spasm and discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter design transitions from a two-dimensional spherical balloon to a three-dimensional structure with legs extending in multiple directions. The legs are spaced apart to form slots that provide drainage pathways in multiple dimensions, improving both anchoring reliability and debris passage while reducing bladder irritation.
2Reliability
If a spherical balloon design is used, then the catheter can anchor in the bladder, but it creates difficulty in passing large debris and results in residual void volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is segmented into multiple legs with slots between them, creating multiple drainage pathways. This allows large debris to pass through the slots while the legs maintain anchoring function, significantly improving drainage efficiency and eliminating residual void volumes that occur with spherical balloon designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The design uses multiple legs that are essentially copies of a basic structural element, each contributing to both anchoring and drainage. This replicated structure provides redundant drainage pathways, ensuring complete bladder emptying while maintaining secure anchoring.
3Reliability
If a standard Foley catheter with a spherical balloon is used, then the catheter can anchor in the bladder, but it causes 'cuffing' upon removal
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is segmented into multiple flexible legs rather than a single spherical balloon. Upon removal, these legs can flex and collapse independently, preventing the 'cuffing' effect that occurs with spherical balloons. The segmented structure allows smooth passage through the urethra during removal while maintaining anchoring during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter legs are designed to be dynamic rather than static - they maintain a spread configuration during anchoring but can collapse and flex during removal. This dynamic behavior eliminates the cuffing problem while preserving anchoring reliability during the catheter's functional period.
4Reliability
If the catheter tip is designed with a closed spherical balloon, then anchoring is achieved, but it reduces the opening area for fluid and debris passage
Solution Approach 1:
The closed spherical balloon is segmented into multiple legs with open slots between them. This segmentation transforms a single small opening into multiple larger pathways, dramatically increasing the total drainage opening area while the legs themselves provide the anchoring function that previously required the spherical balloon.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a two-dimensional closed sphere to a three-dimensional open framework with legs extending in multiple directions. This dimensional change creates large open slots for drainage while the spatial arrangement of legs maintains anchoring capability, effectively increasing the drainage opening area.
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter is described herein, having a catheter shaft including a proximal end and a distal end, a tip attached to the distal end, including first and second legs spaced apart to form a slot therebetween, the slot in fluid communication with a lumen of the catheter shaft, and a bladder inflatable element positioned over an outer surface of at least one of the first and second legs.