Patent Application
20240207084
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to catheterization devices and more particularly pertains to a new catheterization device for externally catheterizing a female. The present invention discloses a catheterization device for a female comprising a shell that can be positioned comfortably over the vulva so that urine collects in a fill material and then can be suctioned off to a reservoir of a vacuum assembly
The prior art relates to catheterization devices, which may comprise at least one element that is inserted vaginally to help in retaining the device in place. Other prior art catheterization devices comprise a ring like structure that is sealably positioned around the urinary meatus of a female or a cup like structure sealably positioned around the vulva of the female. What is lacking in the prior art is a catheterization device for a female that can be positioned comfortably over the vulva and which comprises a shell that collects urine in a fill material, with the urine then being suctioned off to a reservoir of a vacuum assembly.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shell, which defines an interior space and which is substantially impermeable to urine. A cutout is positioned in an upper face of the shell. The shell is configured to be positionable between legs of a female such that the cutout is positioned over a vulva of the female. A fill material, which is positioned in and which substantially occupies the interior space, is configured to wick urine. The fill material thus is configured to wick urine from the vulva into the interior space. A tube, which is attached to and which extends from the shell, is in fluidic communication with the interior space and is configured to be operationally engaged to tubing that extends from, and which is operationally engaged to, a vacuum assembly. The tube is configured to allow for passage of the urine from the fill material so that the urine is suctioned through the tubing and into a reservoir of the vacuum assembly.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes an external urinary catheterization system, which comprises an external urinary catheterization device, as described in the disclosure above, and a vacuum assembly. The tubing of the vacuum assembly is operationally engaged to the tube of the external urinary catheterization device. The tube is configured to allow for passage of the urine from the fill material so that the urine is suctioned through the tubing and into the reservoir.
Yet another embodiment of the disclosure includes a method for externally catheterizing a female comprises first and second provision steps, which entail providing a vacuum assembly and an external urinary catheterization device, respectively, as described in the disclosure above. A setup step of the method is connecting the tube to the tubing. Operational steps of the method are positioning the shell between the legs of the female, allowing the fill material to collect urine, and selectively actuating the vacuum assembly for suctioning the urine from the fill material to the reservoir.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A fill material 22, which comprises one or more of meshed wool, cotton, polyester, polyethylene, and microfiber cloth, is positioned in and substantially occupies the interior space 14. The fill material 22 thus is configured to wick urine from the vulva into the interior space 14. The present invention also anticipates the cutout 18 being mesh covered with a nonabsorbent material to limit direct contact of the fill material 22 with the vulva.
A tube 24, which is attached to and which extends from the shell 12, is in fluidic communication with the interior space 14 and is configured to be operationally engaged to tubing 26 that extends from, and which is operationally engaged to, a vacuum assembly 28. The tube 24 is configured to allow for passage of the urine from the fill material 22 so that the urine is suctioned through the tubing 26 and into a reservoir 30 of the vacuum assembly 28. The present invention is anticipated to be useful for patients in hospitals and nursing homes who are female and incontinent. The external urinary catheterization device 10 also is anticipated to be useful to females in home care settings.
As shown in
The present invention anticipates an external urinary catheterization system 42, as shown in
In use, the external urinary catheterization device enables a method for externally catheterizing a female 46, which comprises a first provision step 48 that entails providing a vacuum assembly 28. A second provision step 50 of the method 46 is providing an external urinary catheterization device 10, as described in the specification above. A setup step 52 of the method 46 is connecting the tube 24 to the tubing 26. A first operational step 54 of the method 46 is positioning the shell 12 between the legs of the female so that the cutout 18 is positioned over the vulva of the female. A second operational step 56 of the method 46 is allowing the fill material 22 to collect urine. A third operational step 58 of the method 46 is selectively actuating the vacuum generator 44 of the vacuum assembly 28 to suction the urine from the fill material 22 to the reservoir 30.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
