Urethral indwelling catheter with magnetically controlled drainage valve and method

• US 5,041,092 A
• Filed: 10/30/1990
• Issued: 08/20/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Urocath Corporation
• Original Assignee: Medical Engineering Corporation
• Inventors: Barwick, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gutowski, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US07/608,605
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 604/8, 604/9, 604/65, 604/96, 604/97, 604/99, 604/101, 604/246, 604/247, 604/280, 128/DIG. 25, 600/12, 600/29-31, 251/65
• US Class Current: 604/104
• 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 catheter includes a user controlled incontinence portion that is combinable with a combination inflation/drainage member. The inflation/drainage member can be detached from the incontinence portion to provide a user controlled device. A magnetic valve is incorporated in the user controlled incontinence portion for magnetic actuation with an external magnet. The valve is normally closed and magnetically actuatable to an open condition. Removal of the external magnet from proximity to the penis enables the valve to assume its normally closed position. In one embodiment of the invention the valve includes a pressure relief feature. In another embodiment of the invention there is no pressure relief feature.

Claims

1. A urethral catheter for controlling incontinence in males comprising

a flexible elongated tubular member having first and second opposing end portions, said end portions each having an opening, said tubular member having a drainage passage extending between said openings, said tubular member being predeterminedly dimensioned so as to be positionable indwelling within the male urethra with said first end portion at least proximate to the bladder and said second end portion in the pendulous penis,

valve means in said second end portion of said tubular member for controlling fluid flow through said drainage passage, said valve means having a normally closed position for preventing flow of fluid through said drainage passage, said valve means being magnetically actuatable into an open condition by a magnet placed external to the pendulous penis proximate to said valve means for permitting flow through said drainage passage, and

retaining means secured to said tubular member for retaining said indwelling tubular member within the urethra.

2. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said valve means includes a movable valve member, a valve seat engageable by said valve member and biasing means for biasing said valve member into engagement with said valve seat when said valve means is in said normally closed position.

3. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a magnet for imposing a magnetic deflection force on said biasing means to unseat said valve member from said valve seat thereby placing said valve means into an open condition, said biasing means reseating said valve member upon removal of said magnetic deflection force.

4. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 2 further comprising actuating means for imposing a magnetic deflection force on said magnetically actuatable member to deflect said magnetically actuatable from said first nondeflected position to place said valve in an open condition, and wherein removal of said magnetic deflection force enables said biasing means to automatically urge said valve member into said normally closed position.

5. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said biasing means includes a spring having a fixed end portion and a deflectable end portion.

6. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said biasing means includes a magnetically actuatable member having a first predetermined location relative to said valve seat when said valve member is in said closed position and magnetically movable away from said first predetermined location relative to said valve seat when said valve member is in said open condition.

7. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 6 wherein said magnetically actuatable member is a first predetermined distance from said valve seat when said valve member is in said closed position and a second predetermined distance greater than said first predetermined distance from said valve seat when said valve member is in said open condition.

8. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said valve means includes a longitudinal axis and a magnetically actuatable member, said magnetically actuatable member being in axial alignment with said valve seat when said valve member is in said closed position, said magnetically actuatable member being out of axial alignment with said valve seat when said valve member is in said open condition.

9. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 6 wherein said magnetically actuatable member is formed of a magnetic or magnetically attractive material.

10. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 6 wherein said magnetically actuatable member is in a general shape of a cylinder.

11. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 9 wherein said magnetically actuatable member includes opposite ends and said biasing means further include a spring having opposite ends, one end of said magnetically actuatable member being in contact with one end of said spring, the other end of said spring having a fixed position in said valve means, and the other said end of said magnetically actuatable member being engageable with said valve member.

12. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 11 wherein said valve member is a ball.

13. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 6 wherein said magnetically actuatable member includes opposite ends and said biasing means further include a spring having opposite ends, one end of said magnetically actuatable member being in contact with one end of said spring, the other end of said spring having a fixed position in said valve means, and the other said end of said magnetically actuatable member being engageable with said valve member.

14. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 13 wherein said valve member is a ball.

15. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said valve member is oriented in said tubular member such that the normal path of fluid flow through the tubular member is in a direction from the valve seat to the valve member.

16. The urethral catheter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said valve means is oriented in said tubular member such that the normal path of fluid flow through the tubular member is in a direction from the valve member to the valve seat.

17. A method of draining fluid from the male urinary system comprising

(a) installing a predeterminedly dimensioned catheter in the urethra so as to extend from the bladder into the pendulous penis,

(b) incorporating a magnetically actuatable, externally controllable valve in the catheter so as to be positioned within the pendulous penis when said catheter is installed, said valve having a normally closed feature such that the valve requires actuation to an open condition to permit bladder drainage through the catheter,

(c) actuating the valve to an open condition with a magnet placed totally external to and in proximity of the pendulous penis, and

(d) removing the magnet from proximity of the pendulous penis to permit the valve to reassume its normally closed condition.

18. A urethral catheter for controlling incontinence in males comprising

(a) a flexible elongated tubular member having a fluid drainage passageway, said tubular member being predeterminedly dimensioned so as to be insertable and properly positionable within the urethra with one end at least proximate to the bladder and the other end in the pendulous penis,

(b) a valve within said tubular member proximate to said other end so as to be within the pendulous penis when said tubular member is properly positioned, said valve including

(i) a valve seat with an orifice,

(ii) a valve member removably engageable with said valve seat, said valve member being in a closed position when engaged with said valve seat and closing said orifice, said valve member being in an open condition when unseated from said valve seat and an opening said orifice,

(iii) biasing means for urging said valve member into engagement with said valve seat to normally maintain said valve member in said closed position,

(iv) said biasing means including a deflectable magnetically actuatable member having a first nondeflected position corresponding to said closed position of said valve member and a deflected position corresponding to an open condition for said valve member,

(c) actuating means operable totally external to the body and removably positionable proximate to the pendulous penis for imposing when proximate to the pendulous penis a magnetic deflection force on said magnetically actuatable member for deflecting said magnetically actuatable member from said first nondeflected position and placing said valve in said open condition, and for removing said imposed magnetic deflection force when distant from the pendulous penis enabling said biasing means to automatically urge said valve member into said normally closed position, and

(d) retaining means secured to said tubular member for retaining said tubular member within the urethra.