Self-Deploying Urinary Catheter With Spill-Proof Lubricant
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Solution Overview
Problem
Urinary catheters often spill lubricant, are difficult to manipulate, and have packaging shapes that are inconvenient for carrying, leading to soiling and mobility issues for users, especially those who self-catheterize.
Innovation Solution
A urinary catheter design with a catheter tube having a distal and proximal end, an inlet and outlet section, and a handling member, featuring a lubricant-containing closed volume that can be selectively opened and closed, and grasping features for ease of use, allowing for compact packaging and spill-proof deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the catheter is pre-lubricated, then the catheterization process is facilitated, but the lubricant may spill and soil the user's clothing
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant is nested within the lumen of the catheter tube, contained between the proximal and distal ends. This nested configuration allows the lubricant to be integrated into the catheter structure without being exposed to the external environment, preventing spillage while maintaining its function during catheterization.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter is designed as a disposable device with the lubricant contained within its structure. After use, the entire catheter including the contained lubricant is discarded, eliminating the need to worry about lubricant spillage affecting clothing or requiring separate lubricant containment measures.
2Volume of moving object
If the catheter packaging shape is compact, then it is easier to carry, but the catheter may be difficult to manipulate during self-catheterization
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is segmented into distinct functional sections: a compact loop configuration for storage and carrying, and an extended configuration for use. The inlet and outlet sections can be selectively positioned and manipulated, allowing the user to handle the catheter in a compact form for carrying but an extended form for manipulation during self-catheterization.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter is designed to be dynamic in its configuration, transitioning from a compact loop shape for storage to an extended configuration for use. This dynamic reconfigurability allows the same device to optimize for both carrying convenience and manipulation ease, eliminating the need for separate packaging and use configurations.
3Ease of operation
If the catheter tube is made flexible, then it is easier to insert, but the lubricant may leak from the lumen
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tube is constructed as a flexible shell that maintains its structural integrity while allowing for easy insertion. The flexible material is selected and configured to prevent lubricant leakage from the lumen while still providing the necessary flexibility for smooth insertion into the urethra. The flexible shell design ensures both insertion ease and lubricant containment reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a urinary catheter generally configured for self-deployment. The catheter includes a closed volume within the lumen of the catheter containing a lubricant. The proximal end and the distal end of the catheter tube are coupled with a handling member disposed along the catheter tube to define a compact packaging shape of the catheter tube including one or more loops. The closed volume is breached by separating the proximal and distal ends away from the handling member in a single step via simultaneous application of separating forces to the proximal and distal ends. The handling member includes a pull ring for applying an oppositely directed separating force to the handling member. The catheter includes an inlet section configured of insertion into the patient and an inlet collar is slidably coupled with the inlet section. where in the inlet collar serves as a guide during insertion of the catheter.