Artificial sphincter

• US 4,417,567 A
• Filed: 11/17/1981
• Issued: 11/29/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medical Engineering Corporation (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company)
• Original Assignee: Medical Engineering Corporation (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company)
• Inventors: Trick, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US06/322,285
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 128/1 R, 128/346, 128/DIG. 25, 138/30
• US Class Current: 600/31
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0027 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/004 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

An artificial sphincter comprises a closed hydraulic system which includes an inflatable occlusion means which is normally inflated with hydraulic fluid under pressure to cut off flow through a body passage. An accumulator balloon having a relatively inelastic shell serves as a reservoir for hydraulic fluid for the inflatable occlusion means and includes a gas filled bladder within the inelastic shell to maintain a constant pressure in the system. The system also contains a pump to suck fluid from the occlusion means to deflate it and open the body passage to fluid flow and tubing connecting the inflatable occlusion means, the accumulator balloon and the pump to complete a closed system. The sphincter also includes a pressure intensifier which temporarily increases the pressure in the occlusion means to compensate for an anticipated increase in fluid pressure in the body passage. The pressure intensifier includes a source of pressurizing fluid which can be actuated in anticipation of the increase in fluid pressure in the body passage to deliver an increased volume of fluid under pressure to the occlusion means and to operate a pressure actuated shut-off valve which prevents the loss of fluid from the occlusion means.

Claims

1. In an artificial sphincter for controlling the flow of fluid through a body passage which comprises an inflatable occlusion means which is normally inflated with hydraulic fluid to close the body passage, a source of pressurizing fluid for keeping the occlusion means inflated, pump means for sucking hydraulic fluid from the inflatable occlusion means to cause it to deflate and the body passage to open, and tubing connecting the pump means to the inflatable occlusion means and to the source of pressurizing fluid to form a closed system;

the improvement which comprises pressure intensifying means for increasing the pressure in the occlusion means and preventing a temporary increase in fluid pressure in the body passage from causing fluid to leak past the occlusion means, said pressure intensifying means comprising a normally open pressure actuated valve for cutting off flow from the occlusive means to the pump means and the source of pressurizing fluid and a second pump means containing pressurizing fluid and operatively connected by a second length of tubing to both the pressure actuated valve and the occlusion means so that when said second pump means is operated both additional fluid is introduced into the occlusion means to increase the pressure therein and the pressure actuated valve is closed to prevent the additional fluid from leaving the occlusion means until the increased pressure is no longer needed.

2. The artificial sphincter of claim 1 in which the pressure intensifying means includes a second valve located in the second length tubing between the second pump means and the occlusive means, said second valve generating a back pressure when the second pump means is operated thus causing pressurizing fluid to flow to and close the pressure actuated valve.

3. The artificial sphincter of claim 1 in which the second pump means is a pressure bulb.

4. In an implantable artificial sphincter for controlling fluid flow through a body passage, said sphincter comprising an inflatable occlusion means for closing off the body passage, a source of pressurizing fluid for keeping the occlusion means normally inflated at a predetermined pressure to keep the body passage collapsed and closed, a length of tubing connecting the occlusion means to the source of pressurizing fluid and a pump operatively connected in the tubing between the occlusion means and the source of pressurizing fluid for sucking fluid from the occlusion means thus causing it to deflate and the body passage to open, the improvement which comprises pressure intensifying means for increasing the pressure in the occlusion means thus preventing a temporary increase in the fluid pressure in the body passage from causing fluid to leak past the occlusion means, said pressure intensifying means comprising a second pump containing pressurizing fluid, a second length of tubing connecting the second pump to the occlusion means, a branch in the second length of tubing and a normally open pressure actuated valve which is operatively connected to the first length of tubing between the occlusion means and the first pump and the source of pressurizing fluid, said pressure actuated valve being closed by fluid pressure when the second pump is operated to introduce additional fluid into the occlusion means to increase the fluid pressure therein.

5. The artificial sphincter of claim 4 in which the pressure intensifying means includes a second valve located in the second length of tubing between the second pump and the occlusion means, said second valve permitting fluid to flow freely from the occlusion means to the second pump and providing a resistance to flow from the second pump to the occlusion means thus generating a back pressure when the second pump is operated which causes a portion of the pressurizing fluid from the second pump to flow through the branch and close the pressure actuated valve.