Urinary incontinence diagnostic system

• US 6,461,332 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solarant Medical, Inc. (Endo International PLC)
• Original Assignee: SURX, Inc. (Endo International PLC)
• Inventors: Mosel, Brian J., Ingle, Frank W., Roy, Loren L., Levy, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maynard, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US09/413,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 604/157, 604/159, 604/174, 604/331, 604/528, 604/510, 604/95.01, 604/517, 606/108, 606/185, 606/213
• US Class Current: 604/174
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00291 using suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00517 Urinary bladder or urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00523 Treatment of incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00714 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/202 Assessing bladder functions, e.g. incontinence assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/205 Determining bladder or urethral pressure

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for diagnosing and/or treating urinary incontinence can accurately and reliably monitor both a vesicle pressure and a maximum urethral pressure of a patient during an abdominal pressure pulse so as to determine relationships between these pressures. Alignment between the location of maximum urethral pressure and a pressure sensor of a catheter can be maintained using an anchoring structure having a surface which engages a tissue surface along the bladder neck, urethra, or external meatus, which move with the urethra during abdominal pressure pulses. A pressuregram is generated graphically showing an increase in urethral pressure relative to an increase in vesicle pressure, and is often displayed in real time to a system operator adjacent the patient. Quantitative and/or qualitative diagnostic output allow selective remodeling of the patient'"'"'s support structure so that the incontinence is inhibited.

Claims

1. A urethral catheter holder, comprising:

a supporting base;

a suspension housing mounted to the supporting base;

a catheter securement device adapted to hold a catheter passing longitudinally therethrough, the catheter securement device being adapted to slide longitudinally within the suspension housing; and

a biasing device adapted to pus the catheter securement device against the external meatus of a patient'"'"'s urethra, wherein the catheter securement device comprises;

a toroidal balloon;

a generally shed balloon support mount surrounding the torroidal;

balloon; and

a pneumatic or hydraulic pressure tube for inflating and deflating the toroidal balloon, the pressure tube passing through the balloon support mount.

2. The catheter holder of claim 1, wherein the pressure tube extends from the torroidal balloon to a position external to the suspension housing.

3. The catheter holder of claim 2, wherein the pressure tube moves longitudinally in a groove in the suspension housing as the balloon support mount slides longitudinally within the suspension housing.

4. The catheter holder of claim 1, wherein the torroidal balloon is made of silicone rubber.