Urinary Incontinence Introducer with Nested Storage and Segmented Plunger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing introducers for urinary incontinence devices do not effectively maintain the device in a non-compressed state during storage and insertion, potentially affecting its performance and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
The introducer features a housing with a vaginal insertion tube and a storage section designed to keep the device in a non-compressed state, along with a plunger that allows for two-step pushing to facilitate insertion and deployment, ensuring the device remains in its expanded state during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the storage section is designed to hold the device in a non-compressed state, then the device performance is improved, but the storage section diameter must be larger, increasing the introducer size
Solution Approach 1:
The vaginal insertion tube is nested within the storage section, with the tube's proximal end positioned at the vaginal abutment surface. This nested configuration allows the introducer to maintain a compact overall size while providing both storage space for the non-compressed device and a insertion pathway, resolving the contradiction between storage volume and overall device size.
2Ease of operation
If the vaginal insertion tube has a smaller cross-sectional size for easier insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but the device cannot be properly deployed
Solution Approach 1:
The vaginal insertion tube is designed with dynamic compression capabilities, allowing it to be compressed during insertion to navigate the vaginal canal, then expand to its full diameter at the deployment location. This dynamic behavior enables both easy insertion through compression and proper device deployment through expansion, resolving the contradiction between insertion ease and deployment reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the plunger allows two-step pushing for better user control, then ease of operation is improved, but the plunger structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger is segmented into a first plunger portion and a second plunger portion, with the first portion having a larger cross-sectional area than the second. This segmentation creates two distinct gripping areas that allow users to apply force in two sequential steps: first pushing with the larger area for initial movement, then using the smaller area for final deployment. The segmentation provides enhanced user control while keeping the structural complexity manageable through a straightforward divided design.
Data Source
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AI summary
An introducer used to insert a urinary incontinence device into a vagina. The introducer includes a housing including a vaginal insertion tube at a proximal end of the housing and a storage section at a distal end of the housing. The storage section is shaped and dimensioned for storage of the urinary incontinence device prior to insertion and the vaginal insertion tube is shaped and dimensioned for the passage of the urinary incontinence device therethrough. The dimensions of the storage section are such that the urinary incontinence device contained therein is in its deployed non-compressed state allowing the urinary incontinence device to be stored in its non-compressed state prior to use. The introducer also includes a plunger which travels within the housing.