The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 07, 1996
Filed:
Apr. 18, 1995
John G Simon, Boston, MA (US);
Paul D McLaughlin, Scituate, MA (US);
Leo C Felice, Pascoage, RI (US);
UroMed Corporation, Watertown, MA (US);
Abstract
A device for the control of urinary incontinence comprising a urethral plug self-movable between a first condition in which the plug is relatively rigid and generally tubular, with a smaller diameter for travel through the orifice of the urethra, and a second condition in which the plug is flexible and expansible to a larger diameter for retaining the plug in a mammalian body and blocking the flow of urine. A larger diameter is achieved by exposure of a tube-like member of the plug to natural bodily conditions, resulting in an automatic expansion of the tube, whereupon the expansion causes the tube-like member to form a seal with the urethra, bladder neck or bladder wall. The plug further has a meatal plate for anchoring the plug in the urethra and preventing migration into the bladder. Removal of the plug for bladder evacuation is easily accomplished by grasping and pulling a tab associated with the meatal plate, or in another embodiment by pulling on a cord means associated with the meatal plate, causing the deformation of the expanded tube to a smaller diameter. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, there is provided a method for controlling incontinence in mammals.