The present invention relates to a device and method for external urinary incontinence treatment for men. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device and method for the external urinary incontinence treatment for men that reversibly contact-connects a urine receiving component that has spring-like characteristics to the skin surrounding the external urethral orifice in a urine leak-free connection in a that is easy to adjust so as to minimize the discomfort caused to the treated patient. The device of the present invention is self-deployed by a patient or is deployed by a care giver.
The preferred treatment of urinary incontinence in men it is often the use of a device that externally connects to the body of the treated patient and collects urine directly from the external orifice of the ureteral tract without penetrating into the orifice. Typically in the various external incontinence treatment devices that have been described in publications, a component that directly receives the urine from the urethral orifice without penetrating the orifice is utilized. The component directs the urine without leaks to a tube that drains the urine to a collection vessel, typically a disposable bag. The urine draining tube is also referred in the following text as: the urine removal tube. The urine receiving component from the orifice of the urethral tract in the text that follows is also referred to interchangeably as the “receiving component” and is also written in an abbreviated form, as: URC.
Some of the disclosed external urinary incontinence treatment devices for men connect the device to the penis by a “condom-like” tube that tightly wraps around the penis and has an opening at the tip that connects to a tube that removes the urine to a collecting vessel, typically a bag. The “condom-like” urinary incontinence treatment devices do not facilitate often and readily adjustment of the devices to the physiology of the treated patients and, when utilized for periods longer than a few hours, the constant tight contact between the large surface area of the devices and the skin of the patients causes skin-irritations. An examples of “condom-like” urinary incontinence treatment devices is give in NL8,602,986 (Wilhelmus).
Another approach for external urinary incontinence treatment devices is reversibly connecting the URC of the device (only) to the glans penis of the treated patient. Such devices substantially reduce the total contact area between the skin of the treated patient and the urinary incontinence treatment device but require, in order to prevent urine leaks, the forming of a stable and tight connection between the skin of the glans penis and the device. Examples of glans penis connected devices are given in: U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,947 (Kay) and PCT/IL2014/000039 (Laniado).
Laniado discloses an external urinary incontinence treatment device that enables the changing of the position and tightness of the connection in the course of treatment between the receiving component and the skin of the glans penis by the use of a locking system. The locking system enables the motion and positioning of the receiving component to provide a desired connection while minimizing the discomfort of the treated patient.
The present invention of a device and method for external urinary incontinence treatment for men provides a device in which the receiving component reversibly connects to the glans penis of the treated patient by an “accordion” pressure mechanism that provides a stable yet substantially better adjustable connection than the connection described in PCT/IL2014/000039.
The present invention is a device and method for reversibly connecting in an external-body connection, a urine removal tube to the glans penis of a treated patient for the removal of urine to a urine collection vessel (typically a disposable collection bag). The connection, disconnection and again reconnection of the device of the present invention to the glans penis, is easy and simple to establish while minimizing the discomfort created by the connection. The device of the present invention is either self-deployed by a patient or is deployed by a care giver to a treated patient.
The ability of external urinary incontinence treatment devices to collect urine without spills to the surrounding while causing the user minimal discomfort relates to the spatial configuration of the urine receiving component and to the manner in which the receiving component is reversibly connected, adjusted, fastened and fixated to the penis, near and/or over the orifice of the urethra. The term “adjusted” in context of the receiving component of the present invention refers to minor placement and tightening movements of the component to comfortably connect to the skin in the near or over the orifice of the urethra. The term “fastened” in context of the receiving component of the present invention, is used to describe the tightening of the receiving component to the skin surface surrounding the orifice of the urethra of a treated patient in manner that produces a reversible urine leak-free connection. The term “leak-free connection” refers to a connection that prevents the spillage of urine to the surrounding while passing from the urethral tract of the treated patient on its way to a collecting vessel.
The term “contact-connection” in the text refers to a connection in which the connection between surfaces is established and kept by pressuring the surfaces to each other and where no adhesive material nor mechanical means to maintain the connection is used.
The terms “proximal” and “dorsal” in the text relate to a directional reference of either being in the direction towards the body and away from the body of the treated patient, respectively.
The skin of the glans penis is especially sensitive to touch, thus, with an increase of pressure applied to the skin of the glans penis of a treated patient the discomfort caused to the patient increases. In reversibly contact-connecting an URC of an external urinary incontinence treatment device to the skin surrounding the orifice of the urethral tract in the glans penis, it is desired that the contact-connection be leak-free yet be in a tightness that minimizes the discomfort cause to the treated patient.
In accordance to the device and method for the treatment of external urinary incontinence for men of the present invention, devices are constructed of: a urine removal tube connector component (also referred to interchangeably as the: tube connector component and the TCC) and a penis connection component (also referred to as: PCC). The TCC forms a tight urine leak-free contact-connection with the skin that surround the external orifice of the ureteral tract of a treated patient and reversibly connects and communicates freely with a urine-removing-tube that flows the urine discharged from the orifice to a urine collecting vessel, typically a urine collection bag. The PCC reversibly anchors, stabilizes and fixates the TCC to the glans penis of the treated patient.
The TCC is constructed of two connected components: a glans penis stabilization component (also referred to as GPSC) and a urine receiving component (also referred to as: URC). The PCC is constructed of at least one connection-sheet-component (also referred to as: CSC) having a sticky, adhesive material coated layer side, and at least one connection-sheet-protection-component (also referred to as: CSPC) that reversibly connects to the sticky side of the CSC prior to the deployment of the device of the present invention.
Reference is presently made to the construction of the components of a device for external urinary incontinence treatment for men of the present invention.
The components of the TCC, the GPSC and the URC, are produced as a single entity component or, alternatively, they are produced as two separate entity components and are connected prior to the deployment of the device for the treatment of external urinary incontinence for men of the present invention.
The GPSC of the TCC is hollow dome structure made of a semi-rigid flexible material that has a hole at the dorsal, (“top-side”) of the dome and least two sheets, referred to as: “stabilizing-sheets”, made of a semi-rigid flexible material that protrude and connect to the proximal-side (“bottom side”), circumference rim of the dome. The stabilizing-sheets have a concaved configuration and they fully surround or, alternatively, partially surround, the rim of the hollow dome and form segmented-hollow-dome spatial structure.
The URC is typically produced as a single entity component that is constructed of: a first tube, a hollow dome which extends to hollow tube with a hole at its top, and a second tube. The first tube connects through the tube of the dome and the hollow dome to the second tube. The proximal-side rim of the hollow dome connects to the rim of the second tube. The first and second tube communicate freely between them and enable the free flow of urine from the free opening (proximal side) of the second tube to the free opening (dorsal side) of the first tube. The proximal-side rim of the free opening of the second tube reversibly contact-connects with the skin surrounding the orifice of the urethral tract, the free opening of the first tube connects with a tube that flows urine to a collecting vessel, typically a urine collection bag. The hollow dome and the second tube are interchangeably referred to in the context of the present invention as the: “accordion dome” and “accordion tube”, respectively.
The URC connects to the GPSC by inserting the first tube of the URC into the hole (in “top-side”) of the dome of the GPSC. The friction between the rim of the hole and the external surface of the tube maintains the connection between the components.
The Internet Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/accordion-fold) defines the adjective “accordion” as: having a fold or folds like the bellows of an accordion (musical instrument)”. In the context of the present invention the term “accordion tube” and “accordion dome” refers to a tube and dome structures, respectively, constructed of parallel connected hoops. The tubes are constructed of and are connected by a semi-rigid material such as, but not limited to, silicon or rubber. The connected hoops form ribbed-shaped structures that have resiliency in the longitudinal dimension, bestowing flexible spring-like characteristics to the URC. The “accordion configuration” of the dome structure facilitates side-way (swaying) movements of the first tube of the URC and the “accordion configuration” of the accordion tube facilitates, softness yet tightness of the contact-connection between the rim of the proximal opening of the accordion tube and the skin of the glans penis of the treated patient, according to changing patient's body postures and inside URC urine-pressure conditions. The softening of the tightness is achieved by delicately compressing and/or decompressing the accordion tube, thus delicately changing the length of the tube and the pressure applied by the accordion tube to the rim of the tube that is in contact with the skin surrounding the orifice of the ureteral tract.
The CSC of the PCC is composed of a flexible material coated on one side by a sticky, adhesive material coating layer. The CSC is structured as an elongated and flat sheet with a hole at its center. Typically the flat sheet has a “T” configuration. Alternatively, each of two or more connection-sheet-components has a spatial configuration that is part of a segmented-dome structure configuration with a hole at its dorsal (“top”) side that is formed when all the sheets are placed one beside the other. The circumference of the rim of the hole fits in its dimension to surround the rim of the hollow-dome of the GPSC.
Each CSPC of the PCC is constructed of a sheet made of a flexible material that reversibly connects to the sticky coating layer side of a CSC and is peeled off from the CSC when the device of the present invention is deployed.
Reference is presently made to the deployment procedure of a device of the present invention:
The GPSC and the URC are connected to form a TCC. The connection is done by inserting the first tube of the URC through the dome of the GPSC. With the components connected, the GPSC is positioned over the glans penis of the treated patient and is pressed in the proximal direction so as to come into contact with the skin. The segmented-dome of the GPSC fits around the glans penis and stabilizes the TCC in its glans-penis contacted position. The proximal side of the URC of the TCC reversibly comes into contact with the skin that surrounds the orifice of the urethral tract of the treated patient. The URC, with its “spring-like” characteristics, softens the urine leak free tight contact-connection between the component and the sensitive skin of the glans penis.
The CSC of the PCC, after the removal of the CSPC, wraps around the GPSC and reversibly connects in an a adjustable connection, by the sticky adhesive material layer, the TCC to the glans penis of the treated patient. The adhesive connection of the CSC to the glans penis anchors, stabilizes and fixates the GPSC in its position. The wrapping around of the GPSC by the CSC and the ability to choose the connection position of the CSC to the glans penis, enables the adjustments of the tightness of the contact-connection of the URC to the skin surrounding the orifice of the ureteral tract of a treated patient. The CSC is/are simply and easily connected, disconnected and again connected to the glans penis of a treated patient in accordance with changes in the posture of the patient and changes in urine discharge (pressure and amount) from the treated patient.
The easy and simple ability to adjust the tightness of the connection by the CSC (by the patient himself or by a care giver) together with the “spring-like” characteristics of the URC, minimizes the discomfort caused to a treated patient when applying the external urinary incontinence device of the present invention to the body of the patient.
In order to better understand the present invention, and appreciate its practical applications, the following Figures are provided and referenced hereafter. It should be noted that the Figures are given as examples only and in no way limit the scope of the invention. Like components are denoted by like reference numerals.
It should be clear that the description of the embodiment and attached Figures set forth in this specification serves only for a better understanding of the invention, without limiting its scope.
Two embodiments of the external urinary incontinence treatment device of the present invention are described. The first embodiment is illustrated in
A device of the present invention (the two embodiments of the device are designated 10 and 11, respectively) is constructed of: a tube connector component (also referred to as TCC) (29) and a penis connection component (also referred to as: PCC) (23).
The TCC (29) is constructed of two connected components: a glans penis stabilization component (also referred to as GPSC) (16) and a urine receiving component (also referred to as: URC) (22). The PCC (23) is constructed of at least one connection-sheet-component (also referred to as: CSC) (12) having a sticky, adhesive material coated layer, side, and at least one connection-sheet-protection-component (also referred to as: CSPC) (14).
GPSC (16) is constructed of a hollow dome structure, referred to as cover-dome (19) with a hole at its dorsal (“top”) side (20) and stabilizing-sheet-components (18) that are connected to, and extend radially from, the rim of the dome, at its proximal (“bottom”) side. Stabilizing-sheet-components (18) are referred to interchangeably as: SSC Cover-dome (19) is made of a semi rigid material such as, but not limited to, silicone or rubber, or plastic. SSC (18) are structured as at least two sheets also made of semi-rigid flexible material such as, but not limited to, plastic, rubber or silicone. The SSC (18) are connected to cover-dome (19) in a configuration that forms a segmented dome connected to cover-dome (19), shown in
URC is constructed of a first tube (24), a dome structure that has a hollow and opened tube that runs through the dome structure and extended from the dome (26) and an accordion tube (28). Tube (24) has an opening hole (30) in its dorsal (“top”) side to which a urine-removal-tube tube (31) reversibly connects and through which urine is flowed to a collecting vessel, typically, a urine collection bag (tube (31) shown in
The CSC (12) of PPC (23) is composed of at least one sheet made of flexible material such as, but not limited to, cloth or plastic or silicone. The sheet has a “sticky” side which is covered by a coating layer of an adhesive material and a plain, “not-sticky” side. The adhesive material can be spread directly on the surface of the sheet, or alternatively, the material is on a thin film that is connected to the surface of the sheet. The adhesive material is present on the surface of the sheet when the sheet is in storage, prior to deployment, or alternatively, the adhesive material is applied just prior to the deployment of the sheet.
In the embodiment (10) illustrated in
In the embodiment (11) illustrated in
CSPC (14) is composed of at least one sheet made of a flexible material such as, but not limited to, paper or plastic, or silicon. Each individual CSPC reversibly covers and connects to the sticky side of an individual CSC. The CSPC preserve the stickiness of sticky side on the CSC and are removed from the CSC and discarded prior to the deployment of the device of the present invention.
Reference is presently made to the figures:
In
It should also be clear that a person skilled in the art, after reading the present specification could make adjustments or amendments to the attached Figures and above described embodiments that would still be covered by the present invention.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IL14/00066 | 12/24/2014 | WO | 00 |