DK178335B1

DK178335B1 - A urine flow control system and a magnetic actuator device

Info

Publication number: DK178335B1
Application number: DKPA201470306A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Niels Erikstrup
Original assignee: Magcath Aps
Priority date: 2014-05-28
Filing date: 2014-05-28
Publication date: 2015-12-21
Also published as: DK201470306A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a urine flow control system (50) including a catheter device (10, 100) for insertion into a urethra, the catheter device (10, 100) having: a proximal end portion (14) and an opposite distal end portion (16, 102), a conduit (C) between said proximal end portion (14) and said distal end portion (16) having a urine inlet opening (2) at said proximal end portion (14) and a urine outlet opening (4, P) at said distal end portion (16, 102), and a magnetically actuatable valve located at said distal end portion (16, 102) for controlled discharge of urine from said catheter device (10, 100) through said outlet opening (4, P), and a magnetic actuator device with an actuator magnet (201), separate from said catheter device (10, 100), for operating said valve, characterized in said magnetic actuator device (200) comprising a housing (205) for receiving urine discharged from said catheter device (10, 100), said housing (205) having a first open end (202) configured for receiving said distal end portion (16, 102) with said magneti- cally actuatable valve and said outlet opening (4, P), and a second end, said housing (205) having at said first end (202) said actuator magnet (201).

Description

A urine flow control system and a magnetic actuator device

The present invention relates to an improved urine flow control system of the typeinvolving the use of a magnetic valve body and magnetic actuator device, and to amagnetic actuator device for use in said system.

Incontinence is the inability of any of the physical organs to restrain discharges oftheir contents; in the present context, incontinence is considered the involuntarydischarge or evacuation of urine. This could e.g. be during movement, such asjumping, or when sneezing or laughing where persons suffering from incontinenceexperience problems.

Persons suffering from incontinence are often compelled to wear a pad for collect-ing urine being discharged from the urethra. In addition, persons suffering fromincontinence may experience that the discharge of urine causes unwanted odours,which may cause the person to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. Therefore,there is a need for a device hindering uncontrolled discharge of urine.

Some persons, on the other hånd, have problems emptying their biadder. Thismay be due to low detrusor activity, which is associated to neurological or myo-genic conditions. It may also be due to patient age factors, medication or biadderoutlet obstruction. Such patients insert catheters when emptying the biadder. Ei-ther they catheterize themselves, have nurses perform the catheterization, orthey carry a catheter permanently.

Such patients may be helped by wearing a urine flow control system with a valvecatheter, as this can eliminate the need for catheterization every time the biadderneeds emptying.

US patent application 2001/0034470 and US patent 5,030,199 show examples ofprior art urine flow control systems or incontinence device, both involving a con-duit for urethral installment as well as a magnetic actuator device allowing a userto control urine discharge. A user may control discharge of urine by manuallyholding the actuator device in the form of an actuator magnet close to the distalend of the conduit outside the urethra. In the prior art the actuator magnet is alsoreferred to as a "portable activating magnet" which is configured to be placed in apocket, a pocket book, or which can be formed in a decorative shape to be wornon a necklace or bracelet for convenient access. It may even be formed for reten¬tion in a key Chain or as part of a ring.

One aspect of general importance to a user of an incontinence device is that dis¬charge of urine should be possible to carry out in a highly hygienic manner. Thefaet that the prior art actuator magnet is hånd held involves the risk that the user will soil herself as the actuator magnet is held close to the valve body, and thismay be seen as a problem with those prior art catheter devices that have a mag-netically actuatable drainage control valve.

The present invention aims at solving this problem and, hence, to increase theuser-convenience experienced with the particular type of magnet operated urineflow control systems referred to above which for many reasons would be expectedto be more popular than non-magnetic catheter devices, such as those having aurine discharge conduits with a valve that must be squeezed manually to open it.

Broadly, the aforementioned problems are solved with a system and a magneticactuator device as claimed. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependentclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following an embodiment of the invention will be described in more detailwith reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a simplified anatomical view showing the general location ofan inconti-nence device in the urethra, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a prior art incontinence device as shown in FIG.1,located in the urethra, FIG. 3 shows a perspectival partial view of another incontinence device, FIG. 4 shows the novel urine flow system according to the invention, including amagnetically activated catheter device and a magnetic actuator device, FIG. 5a and 5b show, respectively, a sectional view of the magnetic actuator de¬vice and various types of actuator magnets for the magnetic actuator device,

Fig. 6a and 6b show perspective views of an embodiment incorporating a horse-shoe magnet, and

Fig. 7a and 7b show field lines when using magnets of the two types shown in fig.5b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is emphasized that the urine flow control system discussed in the following mayequally be used by a person suffering from problems emptying their biadder. For convenience, however, the urine flow control system of the invention will in thefollowing be described in the context of incontinence devices.

Fig. 1 shows an example of a prior art female incontinence control device in theform of a catheter device 10 with a urine discharge conduit C, the conduit C hav¬ing an inlet opening 2 at the proximal end portion nearest biadder B of the cathe¬ter device 10 and an outlet opening 4 at the distal end portion thereof. To main-tain the correct position of the catheter device 10 in the urethra use is made of abiadder engaging section 8 located at the proximal end portion of the catheterdevice 10. The biadder engaging section 8 may, as shown, be an inflatable bal-loon; in other catheter devices 10 an insertion tool may be used which reducesthe length of the catheter device at the same time as it bring about a radial orsidewards expansion of the proximal end portion, to maintain the position of thecatheter device.

The prior art catheter device 10 shown in fig. 1 is illustrative of the general typeof incontinence devices, or urine flow control devices, to which the present inven¬tion is related, namely where a magnetically activatable drainage control valve isincluded to seal off the urine discharge conduit C, as discussed below. In this way,a user may control discharge of urine by manually holding an actuator in the formof an actuator magnet close to the distal end of the conduit C outside the urethra.This operation is shown in fig. 2 where the actuator magnet is referenced by nu-meral 27. The magnetically activatable drainage control valve includes a valvebody 14 ofa magnetically attractive or magnetized material, arranged in a cham-ber 16; in fig. 2 the valve body 14 is biased by a spring 18 towards a closed posi¬tion (not shown) resting against a valve seat 19 and preventing outflow of urinethrough the sideways oriented outlet opening 4 at the distal end portion. It will beunderstood that the magnetic force by actuator magnet 27 is such that the valvebody 14 is drawn against the spring 18 towards its open position away from thevalve seat 19, allowing sideways outflow of urine through the outlet opening 4located at the distal end portion.

In the prior art the actuator magnet 27 shown in fig. 2 is also referred to as a"portable activating magnet" which can be placed in a pocket, a pocket book, orwhich can be formed in a decorative shape to be worn on a necklace or braceletfor convenient access. It may even be formed for retention in a key Chain or aspart of a ring.

One aspect of general importance to a user of an incontinence device is that dis¬charge of urine should be possible to carry out in a highly hygienic manner. Thefaet that the prior art actuator magnet 27 is hånd held involves the risk that theuser will soil herself as the actuator magnet 27 is held close to the valve body 14, and this may be seen as a problem with those prior art catheter devices that havea magnetically actuatable drainage control valve.

The present invention aims at solving this problem and, hence, to increase theuser-convenience experienced with the particular type of magnetic catheter devic¬es referred to above which for many reasons would be expected to be more popu-lar than non-magnetic catheter devices, such as those having a urine dischargeconduits with a valve that must be squeezed manually to open it.

The invention will in the following be discussed in connection with a novel catheterdevice 100 subject ofa parallel patent application by the present inventor andwhich is shown partially in fig. 3; however, it is stressed that any type of inconti-nence catheter device having a magnetically actuatable drainage control valve,such as that shown in fig. 2, may normally form part of the present novel inconti-nence flow control system and be used in connection with the novel magnetic ac-tuator device discussed in the following.

Shown in fig. 3 is an incontinence device 100 having a urine discharge conduit Cand a metal coil 121 which provides for stability of the device 100 and which alsoserves to attract a magnet acting as a valve body 126 towards a valve seat 134near the end of the coil 121. The valve body 126 is mounted to be axially dis-placeable within a chamber 142 in the distal end portion 102.

In fig. 3, for discharging urine a user has approached the valve body 126 with anactuator magnet 201 held in her hånd close to the distal end portion of the cathe¬ter device 100, which distal end portion 102 is located outside the urethra. Themagnetic force from actuator magnet 201 pulis or displaces the magnet acting asvalve body 126 away from the valve seat 134 to allow for an axial outflow ofurine, as shown by the arrow P. By "axial outflow" is meant herein a flow of urinedirected parallel with, substantially parallel with, the conduit C, in contrast to the"sideways outflow" discussed in relation to fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the catheter device 100 of fig. 3 approximately in the position itwould be in in the urethra, as shown in fig. 1, and with its distal end portion 102being slidably received in the open end 202 ofan embodiment of the novel mag¬netic actuator device 200 of the present invention, which comprises a tubular oressentially tubular housing 205 or funnel and a centrally located raised housingsubportion 207 wherein an actuator magnet 201 as discussed above is lodged.

Fig. 4 as such shows the novel urine flow system 50 according to the inventionbeing the novel combination ofa magnetically activated catheter device 100 withthe novel magnetic actuator device 200. The raised subportion 207 defines a pas¬ sage 230 on either side, each passage 230 being delimited to the other side oppo-site the raised subportion 207 by a portion of the wall 206 of the housing 205.

The housing 205 is preferably molded of a plastics material and is easy to rinse,and the actuator magnet 201 may be embedded in the material forming the hous¬ing subportion 207 during the molding operation. Alternatively, the actuator mag¬net 201 may be arranged, still centrally along the central axis X of the housing205, with its surface directly exposed. Fig. 5a is a sectional view of the magneticactuator device 200 and fig. 5b shows various types of actuator magnets 201 forlodging in the housing subportion 207.

Referring again to fig. 4, when a female using the catheter device 100 wishes todischarge urine she will hold on to the outside gripping portion 210 of the magnet¬ic actuator device 200 and move it towards to distal end portion 102 of the cathe¬ter device 100 which projects from the urethra. The magnetic actuator device 200is configured so that the distal end portion 102 of the catheter device 100 simplyslides into the inside of the housing 205 through the open end 202, with or with-out contacting the housing wall 206 and without establishing any mechanical con-nection between the catheter device 100 and the magnetic actuator device 200.

Common to the use of the present magnetic actuator device 200 with the generaltype catheter devices shown in fig. 2 and 3 is that as soon as the distal end por¬tion with the urine outlet opening 4, P is received within the tubular housing 205the catheter device valve opens as the valve body 14, 126 is attracted by actuatormagnet 201, such that urine discharge into the interior of housing 205 throughpassage P, 4, respectively, is permitted.

In this connection, it may sometimes be advantageous when the catheter deviceis of the type providing for an axial outflow, as in fig. 3, but clearly the catheterdevice of fig. 2 offering a sideways outflow may also be used as the housing wall206 will prevent spillage of urine due to the location of the actuator magnet 201centrally within the housing 205 in the embodiment of fig. 4. As the skilied personwill realize, in some combinations it may be desirable to position the actuatormagnet 201 spaced a relatively large distance from the open end 202. This maybe the case where movement or actuation of the valve body 19, 126 requires theactuator magnet 201 to be positioned axially to the catheter device, as shown infig. 2, rather than along the side of the catheter, as shown in fig. 4.

In some applications it may alternatively be preferred to embed or arrange theactuator magnet 201 in the peripheral wall 206 of the housing 205, with the actu¬ator magnet 201 being shielded such that the magnetic field outside the housing205 is of such low strength that the valve body 14, 126 will not be affected if the housing 205 incorrectly is incorrectly held close to the catheter device 100 withoutthe distal end portion thereof being received within the housing 205. Fig. 6a and6b show such an embodiment incorporating a horseshoe magnet embedded orotherwise arranged at the first open end 202; the magnetic field lines are suchthat the valve will more likely open for urine discharge when the distal end portionis received inside the housing 205 than outside.

Preferably, the magnetic field lines and strength of the actuator magnet 201 are/isselected such that the valve will only open when the distal end portion of thecatheter device, which projects from the urethra, is substantially or fully receivedin the housing 205 such that there is a high certainty that urine will be dischargedinto the elongated magnetic actuator housing 205 and flow along the lengththereof. This means that the magnetically activatable drainage control valve willpreferably not open if the magnetic actuator device 100 is merely brought close tothe catheter device; only when the distal end portion of the catheter device is lo-cated within the housing 205 of the magnetic actuator device 200 will the valveopen. Fig. 7a and 7b show field lines when using magnets 201 of the two typesshown in fig. 5b, i.e. where field lines run more or less parallel with the housingwall 206, or perpendicularly thereto. The embodiment of fig. 7b may in some cas¬es be preferred since the distal end portion 102 of the catheter device 10 will bedrawn towards the projecting or raised subportion 207, leading to a higher degreeof guidance of the housing 205 relative to the distal end portion 102, as the mag¬netic actuator device 200 is moved towards the catheter device 10, i.e. towardsthe distal end portion 102 thereof.

It is possible to form the housing 205 with a closed end opposite the open end202, so that urine may be collected in a chamber in the housing 205, or alterna-tively to form the housing 205 with an aperture 217 opposite the open end 202 toallow urine to be immediately discharged into a toilet.

Preferably, the elongate housing 205 has a length in the order of 5cm-15cm and awidth or diameter in the order of 2cm-3cm. A shorter housing 205 may also finduse, such as where the user prefers to attach a flexible collection bag to the endof the housing 205 at aperture 217; such a bag may be of the type having a nar¬row opening that may be pulled over the housing wall 206 and attached thereto,such as by a rubber band or similar.

Claims

A urinary tract control system (50), comprising: - a catheter device (10, 100) for insertion into a urethra, said catheter device (10, 100) having: - a proximal end portion (14) and an opposing distal end portion (16) , 102), - a channel (C) between the proximal end portion (14) and the distal end portion (16) with a urinary inlet opening (2) at the proximal end portion (14) and a urinary outlet opening (4, P) at the distal end. end portion (16, 102), and - a magnetically actuated valve located at the distal end portion (16,102) for controlled discharge of urine from the catheter device (10, 100) through the outlet port (4, P), and - a magnetic actuator device with an actuator magnet ( 201), separated from the catheter device (10, 100), for operating the valve, characterized in that the magnetic actuator device (200) comprises - a housing (205) for receiving urine discharged from the catheter device (10,100), which housing (205) has a first open end (202) configured for receiving the distal end portion (16, 102) with the magnetically actuable valve and outlet opening (4, P), and a second end, said housing (205) having the actuator magnet (201) at said first end (202).

The system of claim 1, wherein the outlet opening (4) sits on one side of the catheter device (10) to secure side outlets.

The system of claim 1, wherein the outlet opening (P) is axially located at the end of the channel (C) to ensure axial outlet.

System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator magnet (201) is located inside the housing (205).

A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises an integrated molded housing base (207) defining a space, the space including the actuator magnet (201).

The system of any preceding claim, wherein the housing (205) includes a passage (230) defined between the actuator magnet (207) and a wall portion of the housing (205) for receiving the distal end portion (102) with the magnetically actuated valve and outlet opening (4, P).

A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (205) includes a chamber for storing the discharged urine.

A magnetic actuator device with an actuator magnet (201) for operating a valve in a catheter device, comprising: - a housing (205) for receiving urine discharged from the catheter device (10,100), said housing (205) having a first open end ( 202) configured to receive the distal end portion (16, 102) with the magnetically actuated valve and outlet port (4, P), and a second end, said housing (205) having actuator magnet (201) at said first end ( 202), which actuator magnet (201) sits inside housing (205), - which housing includes an integrally molded housing base (207), which defines a space, which space includes the actuator magnet (201), and / or - which housing (205) includes a passage (230) defined between the actuator magnet (207) and a wall portion of the housing (205) for receiving the distal end portion (102) with the magnetic actuator valve and the outlet opening (4, P).

Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the housing (205) includes a chamber for storing the discharged urine.

Device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the housing has a length in the order of 5 cm - 15 cm and a width or diameter at the first open end (202) in the order of 2 cm - 3 cm.

A magnetic actuator device with an actuator magnet (201) for operating a valve in a catheter device, comprising: - a housing (205) for receiving urine discharged from the catheter device (10,100), said housing (205) having a first open end ( 202) configured to receive the distal end portion (16, 102) with the magnetically actuated valve and outlet opening (4, P), and a second end - which housing (205) has the actuator magnet (201) at the first end (202), which actuator magnet (201) is a horse magnet located with magnetic field lines across the open end (202) within the housing (205) - which housing (205) includes a passage (230) across the field lines receiving of the distal end portion (102) with the magnetic actuator valve and the outlet opening (4, P).