Intra-urethral prosthetic sphincter valve
First Claim
1. A prosthetic urethral sphincter valve comprising a rigid tubular casing adapted to be placed in a patient'"'"'s urethra with its top end portion located adjacent and exposed to the patient'"'"'s bladder, inturned annular flange means on the top end portion of said casing, said flange means being provided with flow-damping aperture means, annular upstanding thin-walled flexible diaphragm means secured peripherally on said flange means and overlying said aperture means, substantially annular thin-walled flexible bag means connected between the inner peripheral edge portion of said flange means and the inside peripheral wall surface of said casing and having a depending annular thrust portion and inner wall means defining a substantially tubular central through passage, viscous liquid material substantially filling the bag means and said flexible diaphragm means, and upward biasing means in the rigid casing drivingly engaging said depending annular thrust portion to normally urge the bag means to assume a collapsed state wherein said tubular central passage is occluded, said bag means being downwardly extensible to open said tubular central through passage responsive to sustained bladder pressure acting externally on said flexible diaphragm means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic urethral sphincter valve that is placed totally within a patient'"'"'s urethra, the valve including a collapsible flexible thin-walled annular bag member secured in a rigid casing with flexible retaining petals at its top end receivable in the patient'"'"'s bladder. An upstanding annular flexible thin-walled diaphragm is provided over an inturned top flange on the casing, the flange having small flow apertures forming damping ports communicating with the flexible bag member. The bottom end of the bag member is engaged with an annular guide urged upwardly by a coiled spring bearing on an inturned bottom flange of the casing. The working space between the bag member and the diaphragm is filled with viscous grease. The bag member has a central tubular passage which is normally occluded or kinked by the upward biasing force of the coiled spring. When the patient exerts sustained bladder pressure, the flexible bag member is distended downwardly, causing the central tubular passage to elongate and thereby open up, enabling it to pass urine. After urination, the bladder pressure is released, allowing the spring to return the bag member to its collapsed state and restore the occlusion of its central tubular passage, providing positive shut-off of the valve.
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Citations
12 Claims
- 1. A prosthetic urethral sphincter valve comprising a rigid tubular casing adapted to be placed in a patient'"'"'s urethra with its top end portion located adjacent and exposed to the patient'"'"'s bladder, inturned annular flange means on the top end portion of said casing, said flange means being provided with flow-damping aperture means, annular upstanding thin-walled flexible diaphragm means secured peripherally on said flange means and overlying said aperture means, substantially annular thin-walled flexible bag means connected between the inner peripheral edge portion of said flange means and the inside peripheral wall surface of said casing and having a depending annular thrust portion and inner wall means defining a substantially tubular central through passage, viscous liquid material substantially filling the bag means and said flexible diaphragm means, and upward biasing means in the rigid casing drivingly engaging said depending annular thrust portion to normally urge the bag means to assume a collapsed state wherein said tubular central passage is occluded, said bag means being downwardly extensible to open said tubular central through passage responsive to sustained bladder pressure acting externally on said flexible diaphragm means.
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11. A prosthetic urethral sphincter valve for implantation within the urethra adjacent the bladder, and capable of control by the exertion by the patient of sustained intra-abdominal pressure for at least several seconds, said valve comprising
tubular casing means for said valve, said casing means being adapted to be placed in a patient'"'"'s urethra with its top end portion located adjacent and exposed to the patient'"'"'s bladder; -
holding means on the top end portion of said casing for holding said casing in place within the patient'"'"'s urethra; valve means for maintaining said urethra in a normally closed condition; damping means for transmitting sustained intra-abdominal pressure from the patient to the valve means, whereby sustained intra-abdominal pressure from the patient causes movement of said damping means from an initial at rest position to a threshold detection position; biasing means for biasing and returning said damping means to said initial position; threshold detection means for detecting when said damping means has reached said threshold position; and wherein the valve means opens to permit passage of urine therethrough upon actuation by said threshold detection means upon said damping means reaching said threshold position, said valve closing as said biasing means moves said damping means away from said threshold position. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification