Urethral Plug with Sealing Rings for Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for urinary incontinence, such as absorbent products, collecting systems, and indwelling catheters, are cumbersome, prone to leakage, and often lead to urinary tract infections, limiting the quality of life for individuals with urinary incontinence.
Innovation Solution
A user-friendly urethral plug designed for easy insertion and removal, featuring a plug body with a tapered shape and sealing rings, coupled with a lanyard and stopper, that provides a secure seal to prevent leakage without the need for assistance, allowing for repeated use and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If absorbent products are used to manage urinary incontinence, then ease of acquisition and use is improved, but bulkiness, leakage, odors, and skin breakdown occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the core function of urinary containment from bulky absorbent products by introducing a compact urethral plug that occludes the urethra internally, eliminating the need for external absorbent materials and their associated harmful effects
Solution Approach 2:
The urethral plug acts as an intermediary device between the bladder and external environment, providing a mechanical barrier that prevents urine leakage without requiring absorbent materials that cause skin breakdown
2Reliability
If indwelling catheters are used to manage urinary incontinence, then reliability in preventing leakage is improved, but urinary tract infections occur frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable urethral plugs that are inserted and removed periodically, avoiding the continuous presence of indwelling catheters that create infection pathways while maintaining reliable leakage prevention during use
Solution Approach 2:
The solution segments the urinary management function into periodic insertions of discrete plugs rather than continuous presence of a single indwelling catheter, reducing infection risk while maintaining reliability
3Ease of operation
If fixed-occlusion devices are used for light or moderate incontinence, then ease of use is improved, but effectiveness is limited to light or moderate cases only
Solution Approach 1:
The patent varies the dimensions, materials, and occlusion mechanisms of urethral plugs to create different models suitable for varying degrees of incontinence severity, while maintaining ease of insertion and removal across all models
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
The urethral plug effectively prevents urinary leakage throughout the day and night, allowing users to maintain a normal lifestyle without discomfort or skin irritation, while being easy to use and maintain, with the option for reuse or single use.
Implementation Method 1
the plug body occluding the urethra, preventing leakage
Implementation Method 2
sealing rings... providing a secure seal to prevent leakage
Data Source
AI summary
A urethral plug having a plug body, a lanyard and a stopper. The plug body having a leading end shaped to spread tissue at the urethral, a central portion; a trailing end tapering down from the central portion, and a sealing ring encircling the central portion. The plug body is shaped so that when positioned within the urethra the plug body is retained within the urethra, to restrict urine flow within the urethra past the plug body.