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A lot of older people become incontinent either after prostate surgery or due to some other medical condition. The reactions to this are varied but among them are the urge to drink less fluids (which can be physically damaging) and a hesitation to go out in public (they become shut-ins due to their
fear of embarrassment). A plastic penile angioplastic device would permanently inserted into the urethra and have a stopper inside it that could be opened and closed via a small cap on the lid. The stopper would have to be removable too so it could be periodically cleaned to prevent infection. With this kind of device incontinent people could finally go back out in public without the constant threat of an embarrassing accident.
In case someone offers adult diapers as a better solution, they're uncomfortable, messy, and can leak.
Catheterization
http://www.snihc.co...nary%20Catheter.htm
not a pleasant alternative [dentworth, Oct 04 2004]
Development of an artificial urethral valve using SMA actuators
http://www.iop.org/...t/0964-1726/6/4/004
[xclamp, Oct 04 2004]
Artifical Bladder Sphincters
http://www.visitams...ent.asp?pageID=299&
Just one of the many variants [oneoffdave, Oct 04 2004]
[link]
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what you are suggesting is permanent catheterization. Other complications are more serious such as chronic urinary infection. link |
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I read the link. Pretty interesting. Not sure from reading it if this idea matches any of the permanent catheters that were described. This device wouldn't reach all the way into the bladder, it would block the flow before that point. A plastic stent somewhat like those used to keep arteries around the heart open could be used to hold the stopper in place. Since everything except this stent could be removed for sterilization that might cut down on the risk of infection. I'm not a doctor though so maybe the risk would still be too high. |
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there are some erors in your thinking, the urethra itself is a passive duct. the urethral sphincter where the bladder meets the urethra is the structure you would want to place a valve in (angio=artery, doesn't apply here, but i understand you want to use similar techniques to introduce the device). it is loss of function of this structure that causes the most common form of incontinence. placing the valve higher would result in pain and possible disruption of the stent from the pressure of the urine. |
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the second error involves the manual manipulation of the device which has the very high potential for introducing bacteria into the urinary tract, the main problem that [dent] points out. if left in place the chance for infection is much lower, as urine is sterile, any bacteria is introduce from the outside. |
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so if you could figure a way to place a valve into the urethral sphincter and have it be controlled without actually manipulating it manually, you'd be onto something. as proof it's already been done (link). don't know if they were successful but you're on the right track. so congratulations on some good thinking. |
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The AMS and other artificial bladder sphincters hve been around for a while. The only real drawback is that the surgery to implant it is fairly major, requiring opening the lower abdomen. |
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