Segmented Penile Prosthesis Cylinder Fluid Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional penile prostheses require a significant volume of fluid to transition between erect and flaccid states, necessitating excessive pumping effort and larger prosthesis size.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an inner tube member with inflatable chamber sections that expand the outer tube member's girth and stiffness using a reduced volume of fluid, featuring a unique geometry with wall junctions and a central chamber filled with open-cell material or low-durometer silicone, allowing for efficient fluid transfer and reduced fluid volume requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional penile prostheses use traditional cylinder designs, then sufficient rigidity and volume are achieved, but excessive fluid volume is required and pumping effort is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder is divided into multiple separate chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber) instead of a single large chamber. Each chamber can be inflated independently with smaller fluid volumes, reducing the total pumping effort required while achieving the same overall rigidity and volume effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a longitudinal dimension to the chamber arrangement by positioning chambers at different locations along the length of the cylinder (proximal, middle, distal sections). This spatial distribution allows fluid to be introduced at multiple points, reducing the volume needed in each individual chamber while maintaining overall cylinder rigidity.
2Strength
If conventional penile prostheses use traditional cylinder designs, then adequate rigidity is achieved, but the prosthesis size and fluid reservoir volume are excessive
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the cylinder into multiple smaller chambers allows the same rigidity to be achieved with less total fluid volume. Each small chamber can be efficiently inflated to provide localized structural support, and the segmented design reduces the required reservoir size compared to a single large chamber design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the cylinder (proximal, middle, distal) are equipped with separate chambers that can be independently controlled. This allows rigidity to be distributed locally where needed along the cylinder length, rather than requiring uniform inflation of a single large chamber, thereby reducing overall fluid volume requirements.
3Productivity
If multi-chamber design is used to reduce fluid volume, then fluid transfer efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation into multiple chambers is achieved through internal partitions within the cylinder rather than separate external components. This integrated approach allows fluid transfer between chambers through controlled pathways, improving efficiency while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple chambers are nested within the single cylinder structure, with chambers positioned concentrically or adjacently within the same cylindrical envelope. This nesting approach allows complex multi-chamber functionality to be achieved within a simple external cylinder form, minimizing the increase in device 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
This design reduces the volume of fluid needed to achieve erection, minimizing patient effort and potentially allowing for a smaller reservoir, while maintaining the desired rigidity and natural feel of the penis.
Implementation Method 1
Inflation of the chamber sections expands a girth of the outer tube member and/or increases a stiffness of the outer tube member
Implementation Method 2
a central chamber formed between the interior walls of the chamber sections and the outer tube member, wherein an object or material is provided within the central chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are directed to an implantable penile prosthesis cylinder comprising an outer tube member and an inner tube member. The outer tube member has a longitudinal axis. The inner tube member is contained within the outer tube member. The inner tube member includes a plurality of inflatable chamber sections each defined by an exterior wall facing the outer tube member and an interior wall. Inflation of the chamber sections expands a girth of the outer tube member.