Device for women suffering from incontinence

• US 5,813,974 A
• Filed: 12/18/1996
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jose Manuel Dolade Guardia
• Original Assignee: Jose Manuel Dolade Guardia
• Inventors: Dolade Guardia, Jose Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kearney, Rosiland
• Application Number:
  US08/769,154
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 600/29, 600/30, 600/31, 600/32, 128/DIG. 25, 128/885, 128/887
• US Class Current: 600/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0009 placed in or outside the body opening close to the surface of the body plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ A61B17/0057
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

The device comprises a cylindrical sleeve provided, at one end, with an extension for closing the neck of the bladder, which extension has transverse openings for communicating with the axial hole of the sleeve, and having, at the opposite end, a removable plugging means, for the said axial hole, and in that it also has a semi-rigid rod provided with a rounded end and with a flange and a holding grip at the other end, for the introduction of the cylindrical sleeve until the neck of the bladder has been closed.

Claims

1. Device for women suffering from incontinence, comprising a cylindrical sleeve having an axial hole extending therethrough and provided, at one end, with a frustroconical-shaped end extension for abutting the neck of the bladder, wherein the end extension has transverse openings for communicating with the axial hole of the cylindrical sleeve, and having, at the opposite end, a removable plugging means for plugging the said axial hole, wherein the plugging means plugs the opposite end, at a lower end of the cylindrical sleeve, and the plugging means is formed by a projection of a resilient laminar extension of said lower end of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein the lower end is remote from the end extension which abuts the neck of the bladder;

and

wherein the cylindrical sleeve also has a semi-rigid rod provided with a rounded end and with a flange and a holding grip at the other end, for the introduction of the cylindrical sleeve until the neck of the bladder has been abutted by the end extension.

2. Device for women suffering from incontinence, according to claim 1, wherein the end extension of the cylindrical sleeve has a substantially rounded frustoconical structure with various axially spaced openings communicating with the axial hole of the cylindrical sleeve.

3. Device for women suffering from incontinence, according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical sleeve is composed of silicone rubber and has thin walls.

4. Device for women suffering from incontinence, comprising a cylindrical sleeve having an axial hole extending therethrough and provided, at one end, with an end extension for abutting the neck of the bladder, wherein the end extension has transverse openings for communicating with the axial hole of the cylindrical sleeve, and having, at the opposite end, plugging means integrally attached to the opposite end for removably sealing the axial hole at the opposite end, and wherein the plugging means plugs the opposite end, at a lower end of the cylindrical sleeve, and the plugging means is formed by a projection of a resilient laminar extension of said lower end of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein the lower end is remote from the end extension which abuts the neck of the bladder;

and

wherein the cylindrical sleeve also has a semi-rigid rod provided with a rounded end and with a flange and a holding grip at the other end, for the introduction of the cylindrical sleeve until the neck of the bladder has been abutted by the end extension.

5. A device for women suffering from incontinence, comprising:

a cylindrical sleeve having an axial hole extending therethrough and having a first end and a second end, each with a respective axial opening to the axial hole;

a frustroconical-shaped head having at least one opening therein, positioned on the first end, for being positioned within the junction of the bladder and the urethra; and

a flexible extension member, integrally connected to the second end, having a projection, wherein bending of the flexible extension member allows the projection to plug and seal the axial opening at the second end.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one opening of the frustoconical-shaped head and the axial openings in the first and second ends form a passage for the flow of urine upon selective unsealing of the axial opening at the second end by selective removal of the projection therefrom.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one opening in the frustroconical head is transverse to and is connected to the axial opening of the first end of the cylindrical sleeve for communicating with the axial hole of the cylindrical sleeve.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the frustoconical head is substantially rounded.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein a portion of the projection has a substantially identical cross-section as the axial opening in the second end to substantially seal the axial opening in the second end when the portion of the projection is positioned therein.

10. The device of claim 5 wherein the cylindrical sleeve is composed of silicone.

11. A kit for a woman suffering from incontinence, comprising:

a closure element to be positioned in the urethra of the woman, the closure element including;

a cylindrical sleeve having an axial hole extending therethrough and having a first end and a second end, each with a respective axial opening to the axial hole;

a frustroconical-shaped head having at least one opening therein, positioned on the first end, for abutting the neck of the bladder at the junction of the bladder and the urethra; and

a flexible extension member, integrally connected to the second end, having a projection, wherein bending of the flexible extension member allows the projection to plug and seal the axial opening at the second end; and

an elongated rod having a rounded end for closing the at least one opening of the frustroconical-shaped head when the elongated rod is positioned within the cylindrical sleeve during introduction of the closure element into the urethra and the neck of the bladder, to prevent the flow of urine during the introduction.