Device for Urine Drainage

The invention can best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the catheter in the preferred embodiment, having portions thereof cut away or otherwise adapted for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the catheter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates an inward urging of the rearward portion of the catheter to effect a generally circular deformation thereof to allow the insertion of the penis therewithin;

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the catheter during and after the preferred procedure for applying the catheter to the penis; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 represent, in part, an alternative procedure for applying the catheter to the penis.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the invention in the preferred embodiment comprises an external catheter 10 of one-piece construction including a tubular forward portion 16 and associating forward edge 12 in axial alignment with an opposing, generally conical or cup-shaped rearward portion 26 and associating rearward edge 14. During its intended use as a device for urine drainage, the forward portion 16 of the catheter is connected to a drainage tube for the transfer of urine to a drainage receptacale (not shown), while the rearward portion 26 is adhesively attached to the penis and is fittingly molded about the same, as will be discussed more fully in connection with the discussion of FIGS. 3 through 6. The rearward portion of the catheter is adapted in size to loosely receive and to loosely accommodate what would be a relatively large penis, and thus is also adapted to accommodate a wide range of penis sizes ranging from small to large. Though a one-size-fits-all scheme is contemplated, it would be well within the practice of the present invention to provide, for example, one size intended for a small to medium size penis and another size intended for a medium to large size penis.

Continuing with the description of the invention in the preferred embodiment, the external catheter 10 is constructed of a resilient material such as a latex, presents a wall 28 of substantially uniform thickness between inner and outer wall surfaces that is continuous about the longitudinal axis of the catheter, and has a wall thickness that cooperates with the degree of resiliency of the material used in its construction to define a substantially shape-retaining, yet readily deformable structure. It is to be understood that each portion of the device may be considered as having itself a wall, even though the device, in essence, presents only one wall beginning and ending at the edges of the device. The wall thickness of the rearward portion of the catheter may be on the order of 0.025 to 0.050 of an inch, while the forward portion may be of an equal or greater wall thickness. Preferred in the construction of the device is a dip molding process of manufacture.

An optional feature incorporated in the catheter 10 is a dilation in its forward portion 16 which defines a surge chamber 20 and a non-kinking area for flexion. A surge chamber, such as herein illustrated and briefly described, is well known to the art.

Proceeding further in the discussion of the invention in the preferred embodiment, the forward portion 16 of the catheter is circularly tubular in its forward part 18, and defines a central fluid passage 22 extending from the forward edge 12 of the catheter to a forward discharge opening 24 defined collectively by the surge chamber 20 and the catheter's rearward portion 26. The forward discharge opening 24, common to both forward and rearward portions of the catheter allows fluid communication between central fluid passage and the rearward portion of the device.

In member relation to the catheter is a continuous adhesive band 30 residing on the inner wall surface of its rearward portion 26. The adhesive band 30 comprises a thin layer of medically-approved adhesive substance which is suitable for application to latex and the like and is suitable for the purposes of the present invention. Though in the practice of the present invention the adhesive substance may reside on the entire inner wall surface of the rearward portion of the catheter (or even the inner wall surface of the entire catheter for that matter), it is preferred that the adhesive band 30 be spaced a distance both below the rearward edge 14 of the catheter and above the forward discharge opening 24 so that the adhesive band will avoid adhesive contact with the more delicate tissue area of the urethral meatus and glands region of the penis (a consideration particularly relevent to the circumsized patients) and will define a non-adherent band 32 between the adhesive band 30 and the rearward edge 14 of the catheter. The non-adherent band 32, provided in effect by the adsence of adhesive material on this portion of the catheter's inner wall surface, serves a later-identified purpose during the removal of the catheter from the penis.

FIGS. 1 through 3, taken together, illustrate other features of the present invention in the preferred embodiment. Specifically, the rearward portion 26 of the catheter progresses and progressively enlarges away from the forward discharge opening 24 in a manner that causes the wall thereof to resemble a cone-shaped or conical structure, while, at the same time, said rearward portion 26 is constructed to elliptically surround the longiltudinal axis of the device. As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, the elliptical nature of this portion of the catheter presents opposing sides that reside relatively close or adjacent to each other and opposing sides which are elliptically most distant from each other when the rearward portion of the catheter is in a relaxed state. This arrangement contemplates a width between the relatively close sides of the catheter's rearward portion which will normally interfere with a free reception of the penis therewithin. It is intended, however, that the elliptically most distant sides of this portion of the catheter be urged inwardly (FIG. 3) to widen the distance between said sides in preparation for a non-restrictive reception of the penis. Also intended is a release of the rearward portion of the catheter against opposing sides of the penis after its insertion therein. Accordingly, when released, the rearward portion will resiliently return to its relaxed state, lightly compress against the penis, and form an intial adhesive contact therewith which will maintain the penis in the position in which it was placed within the catheter. Alternatively, however, the practice of the invention may include a catheter having a rearward portion which is of circular configuration about the central axis of the catheter and will have, in the relaxed state, a combined appearance of FIGS. 1 and 3. In a catheter of this configuration, opposing sides of its rearward portion may be manually compressed after receiving the penis in order to initiate adhesive contact therewith.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 through 6, the placement procedure, and completion of this procedure, is illustrated. The placement of the catheter upon the penis may be performed by an attendent or by the patient himself. One method of applying the catheter 10 involves an inward urging of the eliptically most distant sides of the catheter's rearward portion 26 by thumb and forefinger manipulation (FIG. 3), a placing of the free end 52 of the penis 50 in close space-relation to the forward discharge opening 24 of the catheter followed by the act of releasing the rearward portion 26 of the catheter upon the penis for initial adhesive contact (FIG. 4), and a molding and an adhesive securing of said rearward portion 26 about and to the penis 50 to effect a liquid-tight seal between the penis and inner wall surface of the catheter's rearward portion (FIGS. 5 and 6). The catheter may be fittingly molded about the penis by starting from the midline areas of initial adhesive contact and by manually pressing the rearward portion against and surroundly about the penis in a fashion whereby the excess of the rearward portion of the catheter not used to surround the penis will form, when pressed together, bilaterally projecting adhesive-to-adhesive wall approximations 40 and 42 of longitudinal extent and comprising adhesively approximated longitudinal sections of said rearward portion. When the catheter is fittingly molded about the penis and adhesively secured thereto as intended, the adhesive substance, in cooperation with the flexibility of the rearward portion of the catheter and the relative looseness of the penile skin, will act to prevent the leakage of urine past the device in the areas of the performed wall approximations 40 and 42.

It can readily be appreciated that by releasing the rearward portion 26 of the catheter upon the penis 50, the initial adhesive contact between the adhesive band 30 and the penis 50 which follows will maintain the penis in an intended position while the rearward portion 26 of the catheter is formed about the penis to effect a liquid-tight seal therebetween. It can also be appreciated that the rearward portion of the catheter will, when correctly applied to the penis, adapt to individual size requrements for the creation of a liquid-tight seal. It can further be appreciated that the application of the device upon the penis will not, as is common with the condom type of catheter, act to push the free end 52 of the penis away from the forward discharge opening 24 of the catheter nor act to rearwardly displace the penile skin away from the catheter by the unrolling action of a rearward portion. It should be noted that the catheter need not cover the entire length of the penis for a proper application and that, though highly preferred, the free end of the penis need not necessarily be in close approximation to the forward discharge opening, as the shape-retaining character of this portion of the catheter will help prevent a twisting or a collapsing thereof which would restrict the outflow of urine from the device.

Another method of manually applying the catheter to the penis is outlined by FIGS. 7 and 8. Whether constructed elliptically or circularly about the central axis of the catheter, the generally conical or cup-shaped nature of its rearward portion 26, in cooperation with the resiliency of the material used in the catheter's construction, allows the rearward portion of the catheter to be easily inverted, into a self-maintained inverted stated with the rearward edge 14 of the catheter facing in the direction of the catheter's forward edge 12. According to this method of application, then, the inverted rearward portion 26 of the catheter 10 will outwardly expose the adhesive band 30, as shown in FIG. 7, and will prevent its contact with the penis when the penis is placed at or near the forward discharge opening 24. Subequent to the inversion of the rearward portion 26 of the catheter, the penis 50 is placed in axial alignment with the catheter and the free end 52 of the penis 50 is placed near or against the inner wall surface of the catheter in the area of the forward discharge opening 24, followed by an extension of this portion of the catheter in what may be called "roll-sock fashion" over the penis, as illustrated in FIG. 8. After the complete extension of the rearward portion of the catheter over the penis, the rearward portion is then fittingly molded about the penis and is adhesively attached thereto in the manner described in connection with FIGS. 3 through 6. The non-adherent band 32 presents a suitable non-sticky holding area during this alternative placement procedure.

Recalling the location and provision of the non-adherent band 32, it will be seen that the rearward portion of the catheter above the adhesive band 30 will freely separate from the penis 50. The removal of the catheter may be accomplished by grasping this portion of the catheter on opposing sides and at locations distant from the wall approximations with a thumb and forefinger grasp, followed by a slow, steady pulling action of the catheter away from the penis to effect an adhesive separation of the catheter from the penis and to effect a separation of wall approximations 40 and 42.

In conclusion, it should be pointed out that the shape-retaining nature of the catheter will ordinarily prevent an unintended adhesive bonding between portions of the adhesive band unless the catheter is sufficiently compressed. To prevent this from happening during shipping and storage however, it would be appropriate to package the device in a rigid container, such as a box or a clam shell plastic container, as opposed to the use of a flexible-walled bag.

Though presented in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention may be practiced according to variations from that which is described herein and/or by the substitution of equivalents.