American Medical Systems, Inc.

Conticare Medical, Inc.

Contimed, Inc.

Other

Urologix, Inc.

Consert Inc.

Ams Medinvent, S.a.

Tihon, Claude

Claude Tihon

John H Burton

Mark A Rydell

Timothy C Cook

Michael A Mikulich

W Scott Andrus

William P Ryan

Alan P Lonneman

Ronald Svejkovsky

Lloyd R Armstrong

Charles S Desilets

Claire T Hovland

David Rhum

Bradford G Staehle

James E Burgett

Jonathan Achenbach

Claude O Clerc

Michael R Jedwab

Adrian Furrer

Alain Mariller

Allen Putnam

To increase the resistance to liquid and substance flow through a lumen of a tubular organ, a flexible apparatus is appended to an exterior wall of the tubular organ such that it only partially surrounds the tubular organ. Ultimately, tissue ingrowth through the apparatus integrates the apparatus into the wall of the tubular organ. When the apparatus is applied to tubular tissue, flow though the tubular tissue is restricted. The apparatus may also support an optional expandable component, e.g., a balloon-like element that can be selectively inflated and/or deflated to restrict the lumen of the tubular tissue by a desired degree.

Partial cuff

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward providing enhanced structural support to an organ. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes structure configured and arranged to partially encircle a tubular organ, having a semi-cylindrical shape with a tapered end and blunt end of the cylinder. A gap region provides a region of the organ that is unrestricted/unsupported. Struts/lattice facilitate ingrowth of tissue, and couple the apparatus to the organ, which allows the apparatus to provide support/restrict flow in the organ without necessarily coupling to any other structure (e.g., with the majority or all of the support provided via the apparatus as coupled onto and terminating on a sidewall of the tubular organ).

To increase the resistance to liquid and substance flow through a lumen of a tubular organ, a cuff comprising a flexible, mesh base member is appended to an exterior wall of the tubular organ such that it only partially surrounds the tubular organ. Ultimately, tissue ingrowth through the mesh base member integrates the cuff into the wall of the tubular organ. When the cuff is applied to the urethra of an incontinent patient, the increased resistance to flow renders the patient continent while still allowing normal voiding. The base member may also support an optional expandable component, e.g., a balloon-like element that can be selectively inflated and/or deflated to restrict the lumen of the tubular organ by a desired degree.

A thermal therapy of body tissue with electromagnetic energy is controlled by feedback from one or more temperature sensors placed in the vicinity of the tissue to be treated. The temperature sensors are calibrated by comparing stabilized temperature values of the one or more temperature sensors against a normal range of body temperature and adjusting sensed temperature to a value within a normal body temperature range if the actual temperature value of a stabilized temperature sensor is less than the normal body temperature range. The temperature adjustment to the temperature sensor is maintained throughout the thermal therapy which reduces the risk of thermal damage to healthy tissue located near the tissue to be treated.

Thermal therapy temperature sensor calibration method

The disclosure provides an incontinence prevention device provided with a loop type retention structure. The retention structure is in the form of a closed loop attached to the distal end of a shaft. The shaft is configured to function as an incontinence prevention device. The retention structure projecting laterally from and configured non-concentrically along the longitudinal axis of the shaft retains the incontinence prevention device within the patient. The retention structure may additionally include a protuberance extending therefrom. There is further provided a method for using the urethral catheter.

Female incontinence prevention device

A kit to facilitate self-placement of an incontinence prevention device within the urethra includes a deployment base member, a deployment tube, a deployment pusher along with the incontinence prevention device in a sterile pack. The base member includes a rigid shaft of a predetermined length having a finger grip member at one end and a hook member at its opposite end. The shaft of the base member is adapted to fit through the lumen of the deployment tube with the hook projecting out from a proximal end of the deployment tube and with the hook engaging a retention loop on the incontinence prevention device when in its sterile package. Upon removal of the kit components, the deployment tube is slid off the deployment base member and, in doing so, the incontinence prevention device becomes loaded into the deployment tube. The pusher is then used to urge the incontinence prevention device from the deployment tube into the urethra.

Incontinence device insertion kit

An urethral drain having deep external drainage channels, a low-profiled bladder retention segment, and a reversibly detachable collection segment, facilitates the draining of urine and fluids from the bladder. The low-profiled retention means minimizes bladder irritations and the deep external channels reduce the occurrence of infections. Incorporation of a reduced diameter smooth segment on the catheter, proximate the location of the external urethral sphincter allows the patient to void normally and at will. Modifying the size of this smooth segment aids the function of a defective sphincter in controlling urine leakage. The drain can be worn concealed within the urethra. Flushing action from normal voiding washes out particulate matters in the urethra and the concealed drain further minimizes contamination. Together, these features improve quality of life for patients needing catheterization.

Self-cleansing bladder drainage device

A urinary drain device comprising an elongated flexible tube member whose distal end portion is preformed so as to assume a coiled configuration when unconstrained. The distal end portion also includes one or more openings through its side wall through which urine may enter and flow. A stiffening member in the form of a semi-rigid tube having an open distal end leading to its lumen is designed to be inserted into the lumen of the tubular drain body member to thereby straighten the coil during insertion and removal. Urine entering the distal end portion of the drain body member may flow through the open end of the tubular stiffener and, thence, through the lumen of the tubular stiffener to provide an indication to a medical attendant that the distal end portion of the drain body member has been advanced to the point that it is resident within the urinary bladder. Removal, now, of the tubular stiffener allows the distal end portion to revert back to a coiled condition for retaining the urinary drain device in place.

Urinary drain

The disclosure provides an incontinence prevention device provided with a loop type retention structure. The retention structure is in the form of a closed loop attached to the distal end of a shaft. The shaft is configured to function as an incontinence prevention device. The retention structure projecting laterally from and configured non-concentrically about the longitudinal axis of the shaft retains the incontinence prevention device within the patient. The retention structure may additionally include a protuberance extending therefrom. There is further provided a method for using the urethral catheter.

A sling for supporting the urethra and neck of the bladder to prevent urinary incontinence is disclosed. The sling is designed to provide sufficient support to inhibit the unintended flow of urine, yet stretch in a controlled fashion so that the bladder can be voided at approximate times.

Bladder sling

An apparatus and method for the treatment of diseases of the prostate, including BPH and prostate cancer, utilizing transurethrally applied focussed ultrasound energy to produce hyperthermal and thermotherapeutic effects in diseased tissue are disclosed. A first preferred embodiment of the apparatus relies on visual control; and a second preferred embodiment of the apparatus incorporates an integrated ultrasonic imaging and therapy transducer. The apparatus and method feature the close proximal placement of the ultrasound transducer to the diseased tissue to be treated, resulting in less attenuation of the beam and deposition of a greater fraction of the total emitted ultrasound energy in the selected portion of the diseased tissue. The ultrasound energy passes atraumatically through the urethral wall and other tissue not targeted. At the focal point of the ultrasound energy, substantial heating of diseased tissue to produce hyperthermal effects therein occurs, and even higher thermotherapeutic temperatures are attainable to produce coagulative necrosis of diseased tissue.

Apparatus and method for transurethral focussed ultrasound therapy

A device for managing urinary incontinence in a human female comprises a soft, non-porous dome-shaped suction cup like device having a flat annular zone about its periphery and adapted to cooperate with the vestibule floor of female genitalia for blocking the flow of urine without being in physical contact with the urethral meatus.

Female incontinence device

A prostatic obstruction relief catheter for insertion in the urethra of a male patient comprises an elongated, flexible, tubular, plastic catheter body having a generally cylindrical wall where along its length it is partitioned into a bladder retention zone, a prostate gland spanning zone, a zone designed to cooperate with the urinary sphincter and a fourth zone extending at least partially through the pendulous penis. The tubular catheter body has a plurality of radially extending bores through its wall and in fluid communication with a lumen, whereby urine collected in the bladder may readily bypass a patient's enlarged prostate gland while being controlled by his urinary sphincter to thereby maintain continence.

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Claude Tihon