Urinary Catheter Valve for Threshold-Based Bladder Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voiding trials for patients with urinary catheters are inconvenient, costly, and risky due to the need for repeated catheter insertion and lack of effective home-based assessment of bladder function, especially for patients on pain medications or post-surgery.
Innovation Solution
A urinary catheter system with a valve that regulates fluid communication through a valve gate, using a spring mechanism to maintain a closed position until a threshold pressure is reached, allowing manual override for testing bladder function and ensuring adequate bladder pressure before catheter removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a patient undergoes repeated catheter insertion for voiding trials, then the ability to assess bladder function is improved, but the risk of infection and patient discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device is pre-configured with a threshold pressure setting that simulates the voiding trial condition before the actual test. This allows the patient to practice and understand the testing mechanism in advance, reducing anxiety and improving compliance during the actual assessment without requiring repeated catheter insertions
Solution Approach 2:
The valve device acts as an intermediary between the catheter and the bladder, providing a controlled environment for testing. It mediates the interaction by allowing fluid flow only when threshold pressure is exceeded, enabling repeated assessments without removing the catheter, thus reducing infection risk and patient discomfort
2Measurement precision
If standard UDS testing is used, then bladder pressure measurement is achieved, but the device cannot be used by patients at home and requires complex clinical setup
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device is designed to be self-contained and portable, allowing patients to perform bladder function assessments at home without requiring complex clinical equipment or personnel. The device includes all necessary components (valve body, valve gate, spring mechanism, pressure sensor) integrated into a single unit that can be operated independently by the patient
Solution Approach 2:
The essential measurement function is extracted from the complex clinical UDS system and integrated into a simplified valve device. By removing the need for external monitoring equipment and clinical setup, the core pressure measurement capability is made portable and suitable for home use while maintaining measurement precision
3Ease of operation
If the catheter remains in place during voiding trial, then patient comfort is maintained, but the ability to assess true voiding function is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device provides dynamic control over fluid flow based on real-time pressure sensing. It automatically opens when bladder pressure exceeds the threshold and closes when pressure drops, creating a dynamic assessment that accurately reflects true voiding function while allowing the catheter to remain in place for patient comfort throughout the testing process
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
Minimizes failed voiding trials by safely assessing bladder function at home, reducing the need for repeated catheter insertion and associated risks, and predicting successful voiding ability based on bladder pressure thresholds.
Implementation Method 1
a spring connected to the valve gate, the spring configured to apply a threshold pressure against the valve gate to keep the valve gate in a closed position when the arm is removed from the valve lumen, where a fluid pressure above the threshold pressure against the valve gate is configured to overcome the threshold pressure and actuate the valve gate into the open position
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods are described for urinary catheters and catheter valves. For example, this disclosure relates to urinary catheters having valves that facilitate testing of a user's ability to urinate.