IE62880B1 - Urinary incontinence device - Google Patents

Description

URINARY INCONTINENCE DEVICE The present invention relates to devices for controlling urinary incontinence and to vaginal and rectal prolapse in females.

Particularly, the invention relates to a device which may be removably inserted into the vagina.

Female urinary incontinence is a common problem and is particularly prevalent where damage to the bladder or neck of the bladder has occurred during child birth. In elderly female patients, urinary incontinence is widespread.

In normal continent patients, in the erect position there is no descent of the bladder neck below the pelvic floor muscle, thereby equal distribution of intra-abdominal pressure to the bladder and bladder neck and pelvic urethra occurs, and continence is maintained. However, in stress incontinence this is lost due to descent of the bladder neck below the pelvic floor muscle. On coughing or sneezing or physical exercise, i.e. when strain is put upon the bladder, an involuntary spurt of urine release is unpleasant and embarrassing. - 2 The released urine may irritate the groin region and result in an offensive odour.

% Vaginal and rectal prolapse are quite common conditions in females, particularly those who have vaginalIv delivered one or more ’ children. These conditions may be painful, and uncomfortable.

Additionally, sexual intercourse may be impaired by occlusion of the vagina.

It is generally accepted view that surgical treatment is most appropriate for cure of stress incontinence and vaginal and rectal prolapse. However, in elderly or infirm patients the risk of surgery is too great, so that often these conditions go untreated.

Previously proposed devices to treat incontinence and avoid recourse to surgery have generally been unsatisfactory. Particularly, they are cumbersome, difficult to use, need to be replaced frequently, and inadequate in cases of permanent incontinence and often fail to prevent involuntary urinary leakage.

A previously known intra-vaginal device for controlling urinary incontinence in females is disclosed in US Patent 1,139,006. This previously know device has as its object the deflection of the urethra. More particularly it has the object of displacing a surface of the superior wall of the vagina, and an intermediate section of the urethra adjacent thereto, toward to pubic bone, to reduce the urethro-visicle angle to restore the patient's natural control over the flow of urine through the urethra from the bladder to the urethral opening. The device is slightly convex and has a pair of forward projections which lie on either side of the urethra intermediate portion and apply force thereto to deflect the intermediate portion of the urethra toward the pubic bone. The preamble of Claim 1 corresponds to this prior art device.

A One aspect of the present invention has the object of providing an intra-vaginal device to aid in controlling urinary incontinence.

There is disclosed herein an intra-vaginal device to aid in controlling urinary incontinence in females, said device having a central portion of an arcuate cupped configuration and shaped to be retained, within the vagina of a user, in an upwardly convex configuration, a rearward portion extending rearwardly from said central portion to engage the posterior vaginal wall, a forward portion extending upwardly from said central portion to engage the anterior vaginal wall adjacent the bladder neck and to lift the bladder portion located adjacent thereto, a bladder neck cradle provided by said forward portion positioned to cradle the bladder neck, and wherein said device is formed of resiliently deformable material so as to flex onto engagement with the posterior and anterior vaginal wall to retain the device in its upwardly convex position with the forward portion lifting the bladder and cradling the bladder neck.

Further preferred embodiments are specified in the depended claims The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic bottom plan view of an intra-vaginal device to aid in controlling urinary incontinence; Figure 2 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the device of Figure 1 sectioned along the line 8-8; and Figure 3 is a schematic end elevation of the device of Figure 1.

In Figures 1 to 3 there is schematically depicted an intra-vaginal device to aid in controlling urinary incontinence. The device 30 is formed of resilient material so that in use it is resiliently deformed within the vagina so as to be biased outward into contact with the posterior and anterior vaginal wall. The device is about 8 cm in diameter. The device 30 includes a central portion 31 of an arcuate cupped configuration having an aperture 32 to allow for the discharge of menstrual blood and vaginal secretions.

Extending rearwardly from the central portion 31 is a rear portion 33 which in this particular embodiment comprises a pair of rearwardly < extending projections 34.

Il Also extending from the central portion 31, is a forward portion 35 which projects generally upwards and in use, extends both forwardly and upwardly to engage the anterior vaginal wall adjacent the bladder neck. The forward portion 35 includes a pair of upwardly extending projections 35 which engage the anterior vaginal wall to lift the bladder adjacent the bladder neck. The projections 35 are about 2cm high. Defined between the portions 35 is a cradle 37 within which the bladder neck lies to be cradled thereby. It should be appreciated that the pressure applied to the bladder neck are minimised by the cradle neck 37.

Preferably the device 37 would be integrally formed of moulded elastomeric material having sufficient resilience so that upon being deformed and inserted in the vagina, the rear portion 33 and forward portion 35 are resilientlv biased into contact with the posterior and anterior wall of the vagina.

The central portion 31 has sides 38 which also engage the sides of the vaginal wall to aid in retaining the device 30 in position, that is convex upwardly so that the forward portion 35 engages the anterior vaginal wall adjacent the bladder.

In the above embodiment the device 30 is preformed so as to be cup shaped. However, the central portion 31 could be of a more planar configuration, so that in position within the vagina it is resilientlv deformed into an arcuate or cup shaped configuration.

The above discussed preferred embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that it may be placed in position by a medical practitioner without anaesthetic with immediate results achievable.

Claims (6)

1. An entirely intra-vaginal device for controlling incontinence in 5 females comprising: a body (30) having an annular configuration and being at least slightly convex: and two projections (36) located adjacent one another on a forward 10 portion (35) of the body (30), the projections defining therebetween a cradle (37), The device being formed from a resilient material and being retainable within the vagina, characterised in that 15 the body is convex in a direction which is, when the device is in position within the vagina, substantially upward, the projections (36) extend, in the same direction as the body is convex, to engage the anterior vaginal wall so that the bladder is lifted and supported by the cradle (37).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the upwardly extending projections (36) also extend forwardly of the annular body.

3. The device of either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the body has a 25 cupped configuration which, in use, is flexed into engagement with the vaginal walls.

4. The device of any one of claims Ϊ to 3, wherein the body is only slightly convex so as to be of a more planar configuration and which in 30 use, is flexed into engagement with the vaginal walls.

5. The device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the body further comprises rearwardly extending projections (34) which aid in biasing the device against posterior walls of the vagina.

6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and substantially as described herein, with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.