Implantable blood flow and occlusion pressure sensing sphincteric system
First Claim
1. A blood flow and occlusion pressure sensing sphincter system having a hollow, infatable occlusion cuff to be located around the urethra of an incontinent patient for occluding and relaxing the urethra to enable the patient to be restored to continence, said sphincter system also comprising:
- fluid source means interconnected with said occlusion cuff to supply fluid thereto, whereby to inflate said cuff and apply occlusive pressure to the urethra for achieving coaptation;
transducer means to provide an output signal in response to the patient'"'"'s blood flow through the urethra when said cuff is inflated and the urethra is occluded;
indicator means interconnected with said transducer means to receive the output signal therefrom for providing an indication when excessive occlusive pressure is applied to the urethra so as to interrupt the flow of blood therethrough; and
electro-fluidic path means including first and second electrically conductive portions, said first and second portions being electrically connected between respective ones of a pair of opposite polarity terminals of said transducer means and corresponding terminals of said indicator means for transmitting the output signal of said transducer means to said indicator means, said first portion being of hollow, tubular construction and interconnected between said fluid source means and said occlusion cuff for infusing said cuff with fluid from said source means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable, percutaneously accessed blood flow and occlusion pressure sensing sphincteric system including an inflatable occlusion cuff to surround a patient'"'"'s urethra for occluding and relaxing the urethra to produce lumenal coaptation for the treatment of urinary incontinence. The occlusion cuff is electro-fluidically interconnected to a hyponometer by way of electro-fluidic coupling, a coaxial, electrically conductive hypodermic needle, and a fluid pressure regulating and control chamber. Thus, the occlusion cuff can be percutaneously and variably infused with a precisely measured supply of fluid from the hyponometer for inflating the cuff and thereby increasing the application of occlusive pressure to the urethra. The occlusion cuff is provided with a transducing element, so that the patient'"'"'s arteriovascular blood pulses through the urethra can be remotely monitored at the hyponometer to enable the physician to receive a visual and/or audible indication when blood flow through the patient'"'"'s urethra is compromised as a consequence of applying excessive occlusive pressure to the urethra. Hence, the risks of ischemia and necrosis, as an undesirable result of overpressurizing the occlusion cuff, can be minimized.
61 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A blood flow and occlusion pressure sensing sphincter system having a hollow, infatable occlusion cuff to be located around the urethra of an incontinent patient for occluding and relaxing the urethra to enable the patient to be restored to continence, said sphincter system also comprising:
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fluid source means interconnected with said occlusion cuff to supply fluid thereto, whereby to inflate said cuff and apply occlusive pressure to the urethra for achieving coaptation; transducer means to provide an output signal in response to the patient'"'"'s blood flow through the urethra when said cuff is inflated and the urethra is occluded; indicator means interconnected with said transducer means to receive the output signal therefrom for providing an indication when excessive occlusive pressure is applied to the urethra so as to interrupt the flow of blood therethrough; and electro-fluidic path means including first and second electrically conductive portions, said first and second portions being electrically connected between respective ones of a pair of opposite polarity terminals of said transducer means and corresponding terminals of said indicator means for transmitting the output signal of said transducer means to said indicator means, said first portion being of hollow, tubular construction and interconnected between said fluid source means and said occlusion cuff for infusing said cuff with fluid from said source means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A sphincteric system including a hollow, inflatable occlusion cuff to be located around the urethra of an incontinent patient for occluding and relaxing the urethra to enable the patient to achieve continence, said sphincteric system comprising:
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hyponometer means to be interconnected with said occlusion cuff so that said cuff can be percutaneously infused with or exfused of a measured supply of fluid, whereby to inflate or deflate said cuff and regulate occlusive pressure to the urethra; transducer means located at said occlusion cuff to provide an output signal in response to the patient'"'"'s blood flow through the urethra when said cuff is inflated and said urethra is occluded; indicator means located at said hyponometer means and interconnected with said transducer means to receive the output signal therefrom and provide an indication when excessive occlusive pressure is applied to the urethra so as to interrupt the flow of blood therethrough; and electro-fluidic path means located between said hyponometer means and said occlusion cuff and having a fluid circuit to convey fluid from said hyponometer means to said occlusion cuff and an electrical circuit to transmit the output signal of said transducer means to said indicator means at said hyponometer means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A sphincteric system including an inflatable occlusion cuff to be located around the urethra of an incontinent patient for occluding and relaxing the urethra to enable the patient to achieve continence, said system comprising:
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fluid source means interconnected with said occlusion cuff to supply fluid thereto for inflating said cuff and applying occlusive pressure to the urethra for occluding the urethra; hyponometer means containing a supply of fluid and interconnected with said occlusion cuff to selectively supply additional fluid thereto for increasing the occlusive pressure to the urethra until coaptive continence is achieved; transducer means located at said occlusion cuff to provide an output signal in response to the patient'"'"'s blood flow through the urethra when said cuff is inflated and the urethra is occluded; indicator means interconnected with said transducer means to receive the output signal therefrom for providing an indication when excessive occlusive pressure is applied to the urethra so as to interrupt the blood flow therethrough; and electro-fluidic path means having first and second electrically conductive portions to be electrically connected between respective terminals of said transducer means and corresponding terminals of said indicator means for transmitting the output signal of said transducer means to said indicator means, the first portion of said electro-fluidic path means being of hollow, tubular construction and interconnected between said hyponometer means and said occlusion cuff to convey fluid therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification