Urine pump for condom catheters and method for using
First Claim
1. A urine collection apparatus (50) comprising, a collector (52) designed and arranged to fit against a person and receive urine discharge therefrom, a pump apparatus (56) having an inlet (54) and an outlet (58) and being designed and arranged to periodically and automatically pump fluid from said inlet to said outlet, said collector fluidly coupled to said inlet, and a container (62) fluidly coupled to said outlet, wherein said urine collection system receives said urine discharge from said person and automatically pumps said urine discharge to said container.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for collecting urine from an incontinent person including a condom catheter fluidly coupled to the inlet of a urine pump, with the outlet of the pump fluidly coupled to a urine collection bag suspended about the person'"'"'s abdomen by an integral strap. The pump is fastened to the strap adjacent to the urine bag. The pump mechanism has a resilient flexible tubular section that is provided with inlet and outlet check valves and functions by displacing liquid present within the tubular section by physically deforming the tubing. A cam, driven by a solenoid, causes a crimping of the tubular section which expels fluid through pump discharge. When the force causing physical deformation is released, the resilient tubular section returns to its original shape, providing a suction at the pump inlet. For continuous or intermittent pumping, the solenoid is repeatedly actuated and de-energized according to a timing sequence that is user controllable according to expected urine leakage conditions via the electronic control circuitry. When the user wishes to urinate, the user may simply void in the normal fashion, as free flow of urine through pump assembly is permitted. A manual activation switch allows the user to pump accumulating fluid from the condom catheter independently of the timing sequence, if needed.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A urine collection apparatus (50) comprising,
a collector (52) designed and arranged to fit against a person and receive urine discharge therefrom, a pump apparatus (56) having an inlet (54) and an outlet (58) and being designed and arranged to periodically and automatically pump fluid from said inlet to said outlet, said collector fluidly coupled to said inlet, and a container (62) fluidly coupled to said outlet, wherein said urine collection system receives said urine discharge from said person and automatically pumps said urine discharge to said container.
-
17. A urine pump (56) comprising,
a resilient chamber including and bounded by a resilient body (84), an inlet check valve (72) coupled to a first end of said body, and an outlet check valve (74) coupled to a second end of said body, said resilient chamber characterized by having an original shape, and a displacement member (86) designed to periodically, automatically and compressively deform said resilient chamber to displace a portion of liquid therein through said outlet check valve (74) and to relax to allow said resilient chamber to return to said original shape and suck a liquid through said inlet check valve (72) into said resilient chamber.
-
26. A method of collecting urine from a person comprising the steps of,
coupling a first end of a catheter (58) to a urethral opening of said person, coupling a second end of said catheter to an inlet (54) of a urine pump (56), coupling an outlet (58) of said urine pump to an input (60) of a urine collection container (62), and causing said urine pump (56) to periodically and automatically transfer urine in said catheter (52) to said urine collection container (62).
Specification