This application claims the benefit of and priority to Taiwan Patent Application Serial No. 112144393, filed on Nov. 16, 2023, entitled “DETACHABLE CATHETERIZATION DEVICE,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein fully by reference for all purposes.
The present disclosure generally relates to a field of detachable urethral catheterization devices and, more particularly, to a clamping module that facilitates quick replacement and/or cleaning of a urinary catheter, and a urethral catheterization device including the urinary catheter, which is operable by a user.
When a user experiences difficulty in urination, in order to facilitate the smooth discharge of urine from the patient's bladder, it is necessary for healthcare providers to perform urethral catheterization on the patient. Healthcare providers may insert a urethral catheter, through the patient's urethra, into the bladder to assist in the external drainage of urine. Since the urinary catheter is soft, the insertion process into the urethral opening of a male patient may be prone to inaccuracies due to the proficiency of manual handling. This may necessitate repeated attempts, leading to discomfort for the patient.
To address the shortcomings of manual procedures, urinary catheterization devices have been developed as assistive tools for urinary catheter insertion. However, users may only undergo urinary catheterization device operations with assistance received from healthcare providers, for example, in a hospital setting. Additionally, existing urinary catheterization devices have integrated transport mechanisms for holding the urinary catheter, and these mechanisms may not be detached, for example, for cleaning. The transport mechanisms, particularly those used for clamping the catheter, are prone to accumulating dirt, and are challenging to be cleaned thoroughly. Specific cleaning tools are required to clean these transport mechanisms. However, even with the use of specific cleaning tools, effectively cleaning (e.g., the dirt) in the crevices of the device is challenging, rendering the crevices prone to bacterial growth. This may result in the contamination of the urinary catheter, increasing the risk of bacterial infection for the user. Therefore, addressing the difficulty in cleaning urinary catheterization devices and enhancing operational convenience is a pressing issue.
In view of the above, there is a need in the field to provide a detachable urinary catheterization device that is easy for users to operate independently and is also easy to clean/sterilize.
In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a detachable urethral catheterization device for guiding a movement of a urinary catheter is provided. The urethral catheterization device includes: a conveying body including a driving module, a conveying channel, and a module accommodating groove in communication with the conveying channel, the module accommodating groove including a first coupling component; and a clamping module coupled to the driving module, the clamping module having a second coupling component, where the second coupling component is detachably coupled to the first coupling component in the module accommodating groove, and the driving module is configured to control the clamping module to clamp the urinary catheter and move the urinary catheter in the conveying channel and the module accommodating groove.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the first coupling component and the second coupling component are matching magnetic components, and the clamping module is defined as detachable via a magnetic attraction between the first coupling component and the second coupling component.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the clamping module includes a clamping body positioned within the module accommodating groove, the clamping body having a clamping channel that is correspondingly positioned within the conveying channel, and that is configured to accommodate the urinary catheter; a main driving component configured to couple to the driving module; and an auxiliary driving component, where the main driving component and the auxiliary driving component are respectively located at two sides of the clamping channel, the main driving component and the auxiliary driving component contact an outer side of the urinary catheter, the driving module is configured to control the main driving component to move the urinary catheter, and the auxiliary driving component synchronously provides a moving assistance force based on a movement state of the urinary catheter.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the clamping channel is equipped with a limiting portion, and the limiting portion is configured to limit a moving direction and a deviation of the urinary catheter.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the main driving component comprises a first coupling portion, the driving module comprises a second coupling portion, the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion include matching coupling structures, and when the first coupling portion is correspondingly coupled to the second coupling portion, the main driving component is coupled and fixed to the driving module.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the first coupling portion has a guiding inclined surface, and the guiding inclined surface is configured to guide the second coupling portion to be coupled and fixed to a coupling position of the first coupling portion.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the clamping module is positioned within the module accommodating groove, a gap is between two outer sides of the clamping module and an inner wall of the module accommodating groove, and the gap is configured to ensure a central axis of the conveying channel and a central axis of the urinary catheter are coaxial.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the conveying channel includes a urinary catheter guiding portion and a urinary sheath accommodating portion, the module accommodating groove is located between the urinary catheter guiding portion and the urinary sheath accommodating portion, the urinary catheter guiding portion is configured to guide a movement path of the urinary catheter, the urinary sheath accommodating portion is configured to accommodate a urinary sheath, and a central axis of a through-hole of the urinary sheath is coaxial with a central axis of the urinary catheter.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the clamping module includes a manual adjustment component, the manual adjustment component is configured to manually adjust a clamping force between the clamping module and the urinary catheter, and a movement range of the urinary catheter between the conveying channel and the module accommodating groove.
In another implementation of the first aspect, the conveying body further includes: a main controller electrically connected to the driving module, the main controller configured to control an operation of the driving module; a speed controller electrically connected to the main controller, the main controller controlling a driving operation of the driving module according to an operating speed and mode of the speed controller; a power controller configured to provide a power for an operation of components of the conveying body; and a display electrically connected to the main controller, the display configured to display an operational state of the conveying body.
The present disclosure will be better understood from the following detailed description read in light of the accompanying drawings, where:
The following disclosure contains specific information pertaining to exemplary implementations in the present disclosure. The drawings in the present disclosure and their accompanying detailed disclosure are directed to merely exemplary implementations. However, the present disclosure is not limited to merely these exemplary implementations. Other variations and implementations of the present disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art. Unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding components among the figures may be indicated by like or corresponding reference numerals. Moreover, the drawings and illustrations in the present disclosure are generally not to scale and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions.
For the purposes of consistency and ease of understanding, like features are identified (although, in some examples, not shown) by numerals in the exemplary figures. However, the features in different implementations may be different in other respects, and thus shall not be narrowly confined to what is shown in the figures.
The disclosure uses the phrases “in one implementation,” “in some implementations,” and so on, which may each refer to one or more of the same or different implementations. The term “coupled” is defined as connected, directly, or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the equivalent.
Additionally, for the purposes of explanation and non-limitation, specific details, such as functional entities, techniques, protocols, standards, and the like, are set forth for providing an understanding of the described technology. In other examples, detailed disclosure of well-known methods, technologies, systems, architectures, and the like are omitted so as not to obscure the disclosure with unnecessary details.
The clamping module 13 is coupled to the driving module 121, and the clamping module 13 operates under the driving force of the driving module 121. The driving module 121 may be used to control the clamping module 13 to clamp the urinary catheter 11 and move the urinary catheter 11 in the conveying channel 122 and the module accommodating groove 123. The clamping module 13 is provided with a second coupling component 16. The number and position of the second coupling component 16 corresponds to the first coupling component 14. The clamping module 13 utilizes the second coupling component 16 to combine and remove the first coupling component 14 of the module accommodating groove 123, where the second coupling component 16 corresponds to the first coupling component 14, which allows the clamping module 13 to be individually detached for subsequent cleaning. In some implementations, the first coupling component 14 and the second coupling component 16 are matching magnetic components, defining the clamping module 13 as detachable through magnetic attraction. Specifically, both the first coupling component 14 and the second coupling component 16 may be magnetic elements capable of mutual magnetic attraction. Alternatively, one of the first coupling component 14 and the second coupling component 16 may be a magnetic element, and the other may be a metal component that may be magnetically attracted by the magnetic element. The coupling structure and types of the first coupling component 14 and the second coupling component 16 are not limited to magnetic elements. In addition, other quick-detach and assembly structures, such as quick-release buckle structures, may be used in the first coupling component 14 and the second coupling component 16.
After inserting the urinary catheter 11 from one end of the urinary catheter guiding portion 1221, urinary catheter 11 advances through the module accommodating groove 123 towards the through-hole 151 of the urinary sheath 15 on the urinary sheath accommodating section portion 1222, the urinary catheter 11 passing through the user's genital urethral opening until urinary catheter 11 reaches the bladder.
In some implementations, the main driving component 132 and the auxiliary driving component 133 may be guide wheels, gears, or a combination thereof. The main driving component 132 and the auxiliary driving component 133 are respectively located on two sides of the clamping channel 1311. When the urinary catheter 11 passes through the clamping channel 1311, the main driving component 132 and the auxiliary driving component 133 may simultaneously contact the outer side of the urinary catheter 11. The driving module 121 is used to control the main driving component 132 to move of the urinary catheter 11, and the auxiliary driving component 133 synchronously provides a moving assistance force based on the movement state of the urinary catheter 11.
After the driving module 121 drives the main driving component 132 to operate, the main driving component 132 may press against one side of the urinary catheter 11 and drive the urinary catheter 11 (e.g., to move in a certain direction). At this time, the auxiliary driving component 133 on the opposite side of the main driving component 132 also presses against the other side of the urinary catheter 11 to provide the moving assistance force for the urinary catheter 11. This causes the main driving component 132 to rotate under the drive of the driving module 121, simultaneously driving the urinary catheter 11 to move back and forth along the movement path.
Specifically, when an abnormality occurs in the movement of the urinary catheter 11, fine adjustments may be made using the manual adjustment component 1331. For example, when the main driving component 132 and the auxiliary driving component 133 clamp the urinary catheter 11, a spacing D3 may be created between the main driving component 132 and the auxiliary driving component 133. Under normal use of the urinary catheter 11, the urinary catheter 11 is usually clamped in the spacing D3. The catheter of the urinary catheter 11 may slightly expand or the diameter of the urinary catheter may vary under different circumstances (e.g., due to the effects of thermal expansion and contraction from urine), causing the urinary catheter 11 to be tightly clamped in the spacing D3 between the main driving component 132 and the auxiliary driving component 133, making it difficult for the urinary catheter 11 to move. Under such a circumstance, the user may adjust the manual adjustment component 1331, causing the auxiliary driving component 133 to shift, thereby adjusting and increasing the range of spacing D3 to spacing D4, where spacing D4 is greater than spacing D3. This allows the urinary catheter 11 to move smoothly without being tightly clamped by the main driving component 132 and the auxiliary driving component 133.
After the above described preparatory steps are completed, the user may control the operation of the conveying body 12, such as operating the driving module 121 by controlling, for example, the speed controller 30, to insert the urinary catheter 11 into the genitalia of the user (e.g., for daily urination). When the user finishes the catheterization procedure and wishes to remove the urinary catheter, the same principles may apply. For example, the speed controller 30 may be used to control the operation of the driving module 121 to move the urinary catheter 11 away from the genitalia of the user and out of the conveying body 12. Due to the usage of the conveying body 12 and the clamping module 13, residual urine remaining inside the urinary catheter 11 is likely to flow out and cause a spillage within the clamping module 13. Therefore, the user may remove the clamping module 13 directly from the module accommodating groove 123, making the clamping module 13 work as a separate component. After removal, subsequent cleaning procedures may be performed. The components inside the clamping module 13 may be made of waterproof and rust-resistant materials, and the components may be designed to be permeable to water, allowing the user to directly soak the individual clamping module 13 in disinfectant solution or use other cleaning methods for overall disinfection. This maintains the cleanliness of the detachable urinary catheterization device 10, preventing bacterial infections. Additionally, the clamping module 13 may serve as a disposable/consumable device, saving time on cleaning and disinfection. This may also help saving costs associated with replacing the conveying body 12.
In summary, the urinary catheter, catheter sheath, and clamping channel of the present disclosure may be adjusted and replaced, according to the size of the user's genitalia. The clamping module may be an independent component, allowing users to quickly replace and clean the clamping module in the most convenient way. This not only addresses the problem of bacterial growth due to ineffective cleaning but also provides a detachable clamping module for easy usage by the users (or their family members) at home or in other medical facilities, thereby enhancing the convenience and flexibility in usage of the device.
The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiment described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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112144393 | Nov 2023 | TW | national |