Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Patent
1995-10-18
1998-01-13
Clarke, Robert A.
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
604328, 607116, A61M 532, A61M 100
Patent
active
057073678
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present application claims the benefit of the priority of earlier filed International Application Number PCT/SE94/00154 which was filed 24 Feb. 1994 (24.02.94), as well as the priority of earlier filed Swedish patent application Number 9300655-9, which was filed 26 Feb. 1993 (26.02.93).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a catheter of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1 and known from published Swedish specification SE 8902333-7, for instance.
Catheters of this kind are often used particularly as so-called discharge arrest catheters for people suffering from incontinence. Urine incontinence afflicts both men and women, often men and women above the age of forty-five, and it is calculated that at least five-hundred thousand people suffer this loss of evacuative control. In the case of males, urine incontinence can often be caused by an enlarged prostate, although it is normally the annular sphincter in the urethra which become relaxed, therewith leading initially to slight urine incontinence in many cases. The person who suffers from urine incontinence is primarily worried by the thought that any involuntary urine discharge will be smelt by those in his/her vicinity, causing the sufferer to be afraid to venture outdoors and possibly leading to depression. Investigations have shown that practically all people who suffer incontinence are subjected to physical strain. The medical treatments available include prostate surgery, electrical stimulation of the muscles in the urethra, and training of the bladder.
Medical treatment in the form of electrical stimulation of the prostate and/or sphincter in the urethra have been found to have a good effect. The disadvantage with such treatment is that the person suffering incontinence is obliged to seek general care where appropriate means and assistance are provided, although the treatment prescribed will normally take a long time to effect.
The object of the present invention is to provide a urethra insertable catheter with which the urethra muscles which control the discharge of urine are electrically stimulated, and also the prostate of males, wherein the applied voltage is utilized as a muscle stimulant and the heat generated by the electric voltage is used to treat the prostate gland.
The invention takes as its starting point a catheter which comprises an elongated or relatively elongated hollow body which is open at both ends thereof and has a circular cross-sectional shape and which is produced from an appropriate synthetic material, said body presenting along its length at least one annular thickening or swelling which projects radially out from the body and which is intended to lie against the inner walls of the urethra.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the intention of solving the aforesaid problem, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the catheter body and the at least one thickening are both comprised of or include an electrically conductive synthetic material; and in that the end of the catheter body opposite to the catheter insertion end is provided with means for connecting the catheter body to a source of low a.c. voltage.
A source of electric current can be easily connected to a catheter of this construction. This obviates the need for the complicated equipment normally required at present for this purpose. The voltage applied may be a constant or pulsated voltage, as desired. By using a thickening that comprises an electrically non-conductive material and which can be moved axially along the catheter body as described in claim 2, the catheter can be brought to a position in the urethra in which it lies against a relaxed sphincter and therewith stimulate the muscle. According to the invention, the catheter body can also be inserted into the urethra to an extent at which the prostate will be electrically stimulated. It has also been observed medically (inter alia in the journal "Ny Teknik", No. 3, 1993) that certain prostate diseases can be alleviated or cured by subjecting the prostate to heat. I
REFERENCES:
patent: 5007437 (1991-04-01), Sterzer
patent: 5295979 (1994-03-01), DeLaurentis et al.
patent: 5328954 (1994-07-01), Sarangapani
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