Intraurethral continent prothesis
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a plug member including a lumen therein;
a valve adapted to open and close the lumen in response to a control signal;
a controller adapted to transmit a control signal to the valve; and
at least one sensor adapted to send a sensor signal to the controller;
wherein the plug member is adapted to be positioned entirely within a patient'"'"'s body, and wherein any part of the apparatus that is physically coupled to the plug member is adapted to be positioned entirely within the patient'"'"'s body.
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Abstract
An implantable apparatus may include a plug member having a lumen and a valve adapted to open and close the lumen in response to a signal. The apparatus may also include at least one sensor and a controller adapted to control the valve. The controller may be programmable to open the valve to permit the flow of urine under at least one mode of operation selected from a predetermined time interval operation, a sensor operation, and a manual actuation operation.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a plug member including a lumen therein;
a valve adapted to open and close the lumen in response to a control signal;
a controller adapted to transmit a control signal to the valve; and
at least one sensor adapted to send a sensor signal to the controller;
wherein the plug member is adapted to be positioned entirely within a patient'"'"'s body, and wherein any part of the apparatus that is physically coupled to the plug member is adapted to be positioned entirely within the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A flow control apparatus comprising an assembly for insertion into a patient'"'"'s body, the assembly adapted to be positioned so that no portion of the assembly and no portion of the flow control apparatus that is physically coupled to the assembly is located outside of the patient'"'"'s body, the assembly comprising:
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an intravesicular pressure transducer; and
a polyelectrolytic hydrogel coupled to the transducer, the polyelectrolytic hydrogel being adapted to receive a signal from the intravesicular pressure transducer and to control flow in response to the signal.
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27. An apparatus for controlling the flow of a substance in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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an implantable valve adapted to be positioned along a route that the substance flows through the body;
an implantable controller for opening and closing the valve in response to an input provided by the patient; and
an implantable sensor which signals the controller to open the valve in response to the input provided by the patient;
wherein the implantable valve, the implantable controller, the implantable sensor, and any additional components physically coupled to at least one of the implantable valve, the implantable controller and the implantable sensor are adapted to be positioned entirely within the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method to control the flow of urine in a patient, comprising:
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implanting a plug device including an integral controller, a valve, and at least one sensor into the patient so that the plug device and any components physically coupled to the plug device are positioned entirely within the patient;
sensing an increase in an intravesicular pressure in at least one of the bladder and urethra and supplying a signal to the controller in response to the pressure increase;
opening the valve when the pressure reaches a first predetermined amount; and
closing the valve when the pressure decreases to a second predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A method for controlling the urinary flow of a patient, comprising:
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positioning a valve and a lumen in the patient in a location selected from the group of the urethra and the bladder so that the valve and lumen and any components physically coupled to the valve and lumen are positioned entirely within the location selected from the group of the urethra and the bladder;
positioning a sensor in the patient in a location selected from the group consisting of the urethra and the bladder;
sensing a condition in the patient relating to the urinary flow using the sensor; and
applying an electrical signal to actuate the valve and control the urinary flow through the lumen.
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34. An apparatus to regulate urine flow, comprising:
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a valve adapted to open and close in response to a signal to regulate urine flow;
at least one sensor; and
a controller adapted to control the valve;
wherein the valve, sensor, controller and any component physically coupled to at least one of the valve, sensor and controller is adapted to fit entirely inside of at least one of the bladder and the urethra.
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35. A flow control apparatus for insertion into a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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an intravesicular pressure transducer coupled to a controller;
the controller adapted to receive a transducer signal from the intravesicular pressure transducer; and
a polyelectrolytic hydrogel electrically coupled to the controller, the polyelectrolytic hydrogel being adapted to receive an electric field signal from the controller, wherein the polyelectrolytic hydrogel is further adapted to control flow be undergoing a change in dimension in response to the electric field signal;
wherein the flow control apparatus is adapted to be entirely positioned within the patient'"'"'s body.
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36. An apparatus comprising:
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a plug member including a lumen;
a valve positioned within the plug member and adapted to open and close the lumen in response to a control signal;
a sensor adapted to transmit a sensor signal; and
a controller positioned within the plug member and adapted to receive the sensor signal, the controller also adapted to control the valve in response to the sensor signal;
wherein the sensor is electrically connected to the controller member and wherein the plug member is adapted to be positioned entirely within a patient'"'"'s body and any part of the apparatus that is physically coupled to the plug member is adapted to be positioned entirely within the patient'"'"'s body.
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37. An apparatus for controlling the flow of urine in a patient, comprising:
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implantable means for housing a lumen;
implantable valve means for opening and closing the lumen;
implantable means for sensing a condition related to the flow of urine inside the patient; and
implantable means for controlling the valve means in response to a signal from the sensing means;
wherein any part of the apparatus that is physically coupled to the implantable means for housing a lumen is adapted to be positioned entirely within the patient.
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38. An apparatus for controlling the flow of urine in a patient, comprising:
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a plug member including a lumen therein;
a valve adapted to open and close the lumen in response to a control signal;
at least one sensor adapted to sense a condition in the patient and provide an output; and
a controller adapted to transmit a control signal to the valve based on the output from the sensor;
wherein the plug member, the valve, the sensor and the controller are positioned entirely within the patient, and wherein any part of the apparatus that is physically coupled to the plug member is adapted to be positioned entirely within the patient. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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Specification