Urinary Prosthesis Funnel with 360° Contact Profile
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing urinary prostheses and catheters cause excessive patient discomfort due to inadequate contact with bladder tissues, leading to limited use and potential leakage.
Innovation Solution
A urinary prosthesis with an elongate flexible tube and a flexible funnel providing a 360° contact profile, coupled with equidistantly spaced flexible stabilizers and magnetic components that can be remotely actuated, allowing for improved tissue contact and reduced stress concentrations, along with a tubular assembly of rigid links for flexibility and rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prior urinary prostheses and catheters are used, then the device structure is simple, but patient discomfort occurs due to inadequate contact with bladder tissues and potential leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis is divided into multiple functional segments including a funnel portion with 360-degree contact profile, an elongate tube, and a stabilizer portion with multiple stabilizers. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the funnel provides comprehensive tissue contact for sealing, the tube provides structural support, and the stabilizers prevent rotation and maintain positioning, thereby improving seal reliability while reducing patient discomfort through proper force distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the prosthesis are designed with locally optimized properties: the funnel portion has a specific 360-degree contact profile with defined radius of curvature (0.5-2.0 cm) to distribute pressure evenly across bladder tissues; the stabilizers have specific dimensions and materials to provide appropriate rigidity for prevention of rotation while maintaining comfort; and the tube has tailored mechanical properties. This local quality optimization ensures reliable sealing without causing excessive discomfort at any specific location.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the funnel provides a 360° contact profile with native bladder tissues, then patient comfort is improved by evenly distributing forces, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel portion is designed with a curved 360-degree contact profile having a specific radius of curvature (0.5-2.0 cm) that conforms to the natural geometry of the bladder tissue. This spherical/curved geometry allows the funnel to evenly distribute forces across the tissue surface, preventing stress concentration points. The curved design achieves comfortable tissue contact while maintaining a relatively simple single-piece funnel structure, balancing comfort improvement with device simplicity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If stabilizers are added to prevent rotation and improve positioning, then the prosthesis stability is improved, but the device complexity and potential patient discomfort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizers are designed as flexible structures that can bend and conform to the bladder tissue geometry while providing sufficient rigidity to prevent prosthesis rotation. This flexibility allows the stabilizers to adapt to individual patient anatomy without causing discomfort, while their strategic positioning provides effective rotational prevention. The flexible design reduces the number of rigid components needed, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving improved stability.
4Ease of operation
If the elongate tube is made flexible to navigate the urethra, then ease of insertion is improved, but structural support and positioning accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate tube is designed with dynamic mechanical properties that allow it to be flexible during insertion to navigate the urethra easily, yet provide sufficient structural support when positioned in the bladder. The tube's material and construction enable it to maintain its shape and provide positioning accuracy once deployed, while remaining flexible enough for comfortable insertion. This dynamic design achieves both ease of operation and structural strength without requiring additional rigid support components.
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 solution enhances patient comfort by evenly distributing forces across a larger surface area, reducing stress concentrations and improving the prosthesis's ability to remain in place for extended periods without leakage, while allowing for remote actuation and fluid management.
Implementation Method 1
Such a tubular assembly can also include plural magnetic components that can be remotely actuated to rotate within the tubular assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A urinary prosthesis can include an elongate tube that can extend from outside a patient's body, through the patient's urethra, and into the patient's bladder. A funnel can be coupled to a terminal end portion of the elongate tube, and can be positioned inside the patient's bladder so that a surface of the funnel contacts tissue within the patient's bladder surrounding the patient's urethra across a full 360° contact profile.