Devices for anatomical support, and particularly those for treatment of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse have been proposed in recent years. Such devices have included suburethral sling devices for urinary incontinence, and mesh devices for pelvic organ prolapse. Sling devices are surgically implanted under a patient's urethra to provide support to the urethra so that during a provocative event such as coughing or laughing, urine is inhibited from leaking out of the urethra. Devices for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse are also surgically implanted, to inhibit herniation or prolapse of an organ (e.g., the bladder) into the vaginal space. Such support from the sling and mesh devices replaces natural anatomical support that is lacking in the patient. But implanting and anatomically securing some devices may be difficult and time consuming. Further, in the case of urinary incontinence, some sling devices may provide unreliable anatomical fixation and unacceptable adjustment or tensioning for supporting the urethra, thereby leading to suboptimal or even unacceptable results for treatment of urinary incontinence.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds