Currently, there are a significant number of people who suffer from neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, also commonly known as neurogenic bladder. Neurogenic bladder can be defined as impaired urinary function due to neurological injury or disease such as spinal cord injury (SCI). The current standard of care for management of chronic urinary retention disorders such as neurogenic bladder is to drain the bladder using intermittent catheterization (IC) or indwelling Foley catheters. Current methods however are associated with high rates of urinary tract infection and genito-urinary (GU) injury, both of which significantly diminish the patient's quality of life. Furthermore, because individuals with neurogenic bladder commonly lack bladder sensation and thus cannot accurately perceive bladder fullness, many are susceptible to bladder over-filling resulting in urinary “accidents” and/or urinary reflux which presents a high risk of both infection and tissue damage to the upper urinary tract. To avoid these outcomes, individuals with neurogenic bladder on IC programs commonly rely on a timed catheterization schedule. This approach is imprecise and may call for catheterization more frequently than necessary, further increasing the risk of infection and GU injury. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved urinary prosthesis that overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding problems. A fully-internal, semi-permanent urinary prosthesis that enables voluntary bladder voiding without the need for IC or external drainage bags could significantly decrease medical complication rates while improving the comfort and convenience of urinary management for many individuals with neurogenic bladder. A urinary prosthesis device having a valve that is fully internal to the user's body, which also allows the user to open and close the valve from outside the body, would significantly reduce the frequency of foreign objects entering the urethra, thereby lowering the risk of infection and/or GU injury. A urinary prosthesis having a retention mechanism resting in the user's bulbar urethra can aid in proper placement of the prosthesis and reduce migration of the prosthesis once placed. A urinary prosthesis device having an atraumatic retention mechanism can aid in reduced risk of infection to the user's body. A urinary prosthesis device shaped and sized to house one or more sensors within the prosthesis can aid in accurate reading by the sensors to collect data. A urinary prosthesis device housing one or more sensors and properly placed in the user's body can prevent displacement of sensors and prevent trauma to the user's body. A urinary prosthesis device adapted to house sensors and be placed inside a user's body for an extended period of time can aid with consistent reading of data, e.g. pressure, pH, volume of urine, etc. A urinary prosthesis device adapted to place a sensor in a consistent location within the user's body can integrate with other medical apparatuses, e.g. CT, ultrasound, x-ray, electronic data storage devices, etc. A urinary prosthesis device having sensors can aid in collection of data while being used with external devices, e.g. sensors placed in toilets, etc. Further, if such a prosthesis could be periodically inserted, removed, and replaced by the user without medical visits or the aid of another individual, the user would save additional time and medical expenses while avoiding discomfort and inconvenience. A delivery (insertion) device with a mating structure that firmly connects to the urinary prosthesis can allow a user to conveniently manipulate and accurately place the catheter inside the user's body without requiring auditory and visual feedback.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds