Patent ID: 8911424
Filing Date: 2014-12-16
Classification: A61L,A61M

Abstract:
1. A device for preventing catheter-related urinary tract infections, the device comprising: a cylindrical member having first and second opposed ends, wherein the first end is convex and the second end is concave, a lumen extending through the member, an inner surface about the lumen such that the lumen communicates with openings in the first and second ends, wherein the inner surface has a circumference and a length, and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface and the outer surface define a body wall; a slit defining a plane that extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of the member through the body wall for at least a portion of the length of the device, the slit having opposed facing sides having opposed surfaces, wherein the slit extends out from the lumen to the outer surface, such that the plane is tangential to both the circumference and the length of the inner surface; a plurality of protrusion members extending from the inner surface into the lumen for securely engaging a catheter; and a locking mechanism associated with the surfaces of the slit, wherein the device has a first open configuration and a second closed configuration such that the opposed surfaces are in contact with each other in the second closed configuration, and wherein the member comprises a hydrogel having a compliance matched to tissue to which the device is engaged, and an antimicrobial agent.