Incontinence strip for treating urinary incontinence

• US 20040249240A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aesculap AG (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Aesculap AG (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Odermatt, Erich K, Goldmann, Helmut, Melchior, Hansjoerg, Woelfle, Werner, Weis, Christine
• Granted Patent: US 7,351,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06004 Means for attaching suture to needle tipping A61B17/06195; connecting wire to other metallic objects B21F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0608 J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/004 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings

Abstract

The invention relates to a an incontinence strap (66) for treating urinary incontinence, in particular, urinary incontinence in females, that is configured such that it is flexible.

Claims

1-43. -43. (Canceled)

44. An incontinence strap for treating urinary incontinence wherein the incontinence strap is configured such that the incontinence strap is flexible.

45. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein the incontinence strap is configured such that at least one member of the group consisting of materials employed and construction differs over the length of the incontinence strap.

46. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein a longitudinal midsection of the incontinence strap, that is intended for arrangement in the vicinity of the urethra, differs from the remainder of the strap in at least one member of the group consisting of structure and material.

47. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein the incontinence strap at least partially consists of resorbable material.

48. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein the longitudinal midsection of the incontinence strap at least partially consists of resorbable material.

49. An incontinence strap according to claim 47, wherein the resorbable material at least partially consists of polyvinyl alcohol.

50. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein at least the longitudinal midsection of the incontinence strap has smooth lateral edges.

51. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein at least the longitudinal midsection of the incontinence strap has a smooth outer surface.

52. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein the longitudinal midsection of the incontinence strap is at least one of the group consisting of wider and thicker than the remainder of the strap.

53. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein the incontinence strap is configured such that its thickness may be varied, at least over its longitudinal midsection.

54. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein the incontinence strap is configured such that at least its longitudinal midsection is double-walled.

55. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein the incontinence strap is configured such that at least its longitudinal midsection is tubular.

56. An incontinence strap according to claim 46, wherein the incontinence strap is configured such that at least its longitudinal midsection is in the form of a chamber (64) that may be filled with a fluid.

57. An incontinence strap according to claim 56, wherein the chamber that may be filled with fluid has a fluid line extending to at least one end of the strap.

58. An incontinence strap according to claim 56, wherein the walls of the chamber that may be filled with fluid at least partially consists of pierceable, self-sealing material.

59. An incontinence strap according to claim 56, wherein the fluid line at least partially consists of pierceable, self-sealing material.

60. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein the incontinence strap has at least one of the group consisting of an outer surface and construction that promotes a self-anchoring in the abdominal wall in the vicinities of the ends of the incontinence strap.

61. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein both of the ends of the incontinence strap are configured for attaching the incontinence strap to a shaft, in particular, a curved shaft, for emplacing the incontinence strap in the abdominal cavity.

62. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein the incontinence strap is narrower at the ends of the strap than in the other regions.

63. An incontinence strap according to claim 61, wherein the incontinence strap is attachable to the shaft such that the incontinence strap cannot twist.

64. An incontinence strap according to claim 61, wherein the incontinence strap is attachable to the shaft such that the incontinence strap lies in a plane aligned on the shaft.

65. An incontinence strap according to claim 61, wherein the incontinence strap is attachable to the shaft such that the incontinence strap will have a cross-section predetermined by the flat shape of the incontinence strap.

66. An incontinence strap according to claim 61, wherein the incontinence strap is attached to a coupler that is attachable to the shaft.

67. An incontinence strap according to claim 61, wherein the incontinence strap is attachable to the shaft such that the incontinence strap cannot subsequently be detached therefrom.

68. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein the incontinence strap is arranged in a sheath having a midsection that is transversely split, or is transversely splittable, and is withdrawable over the ends of the strap following implantation of the strap.

69. An incontinence strap according to claim 61, wherein at least one shaft is allocated to the incontinence strap for the purpose of inserting the strap into the patient'"'"'s lower abdomen.

70. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein at least one end of the strap has at least one attachment device.

71. An incontinence strap according to claim 70, wherein the incontinence strap is reinforced in the vicinity of the attachment device.

72. An incontinence strap according to claim 70, wherein the incontinence strap is reinforced in the vicinity of the attachment device, by a thermal bonding the incontinence strap to another material.

73. An incontinence strap according to claim 68, wherein the incontinence strap is thermally bonded to the sheath in the vicinity of the attachment device.

74. An incontinence strap according to claim 70, wherein additional, thermally bondable material is employed for reinforcing the incontinence strap in the vicinity of the attachment device.

75. An incontinence strap according to claim 70, wherein at least the sheath is folded over and thermally bonded to the incontinence strap in order to reinforce the incontinence strap in the vicinity of the attachment device.

76. An incontinence strap according to claim 70, wherein the strap is encased by at least one other casing and is at least partially thermally bonded thereto in the vicinity of the attachment device.

77. An incontinence strap according to claim 70, wherein at least one additional ply of thermally bondable material(s) is/are employed for reinforcing the incontinence strap in the vicinity of the attachment device.

78. An incontinence strap according to claim 68, wherein the at least one additional ply has a film thickness exceeding that of the sheath.

79. An incontinence strap according to claim 73, wherein the thermal bonding covers an extended area.

80. An incontinence strap according to claim 73, wherein the thermal bonding is formed from point bonds.

81. An incontinence strap according to claim 73, wherein the thermal bonding is formed from partial bonds, each of which covers an extended area.

82. An incontinence strap according to claim 73, wherein the thermal bonding is a combination of bonding covering an extended area, a partial area and points whereby the attachment device thus has spatially varying flexibilities.

83. An incontinence strap according to claim 73, wherein the thermal bonding is a combination of bonding covering an extended area, a partial area and points whereby the attachment device is stiffer at the center of the attachment device than at the edges of the attachment device and thus has spatially varying flexibilities.

84. An incontinence strap according to claim 71, wherein both ends of the strap have attachment devices with reinforcements.

85. An incontinence strap according to claim 68, wherein at least one end of the strap has at least one attachment device and the incontinence strap is reinforced in the vicinity of the attachment device and wherein the width of the incontinence strap in the vicinity of the attachment device is at a maximum ut most equal to the width of the sheath outside the reinforced section of the incontinence strap.

86. An incontinence strap according to claim 71, wherein the attachment device has at least one through hole.

87. An incontinence strap according to claim 68, wherein at least the sheath and any other material or other plies that may be employed consist of thermoplastic material.

88. An incontinence strap according to claim 74, wherein the incontinence strap consists of thermoplastic material whose melting range lies at temperatures exceeding those of the melting range of a ply lying on the strap.

89. An incontinence strap according to claim 44, wherein the incontinence strap consists of various polymeric materials that are in the form of a textured foil or a fabric.

90. An incontinence strap according to claim 68 wherein the sheath, that is transversely split at the midsection of the sheath, is transparent and has mutually overlapping ends, and each segment thereof exhibits asymmetrically arranged, identifying, longitudinal lines that become double lines in the vicinity of the overlapping ends of the sheath.

91. An incontinence strap according to claim 70, wherein the incontinence strap is thermally bonded to the sheath in the vicinity of the attachment device.

92. An incontinence strap according to claim 77, wherein the at least one additional ply has a film thickness exceeding that of the sheath.

93. An incontinence strap according to claim 77, wherein at least the sheath and any other material or other plies that may be employed consist of thermoplastic material.