Patent ID: 8177774
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. A urinary catheterization device suitable for self-catheterization, the device comprising: a catheter introducer comprising a first guide section including an inlet for receiving a urinary catheter tip and a second guide section including an aperture for releasing said catheter tip, said second guide section comprising a cavity adapted for initially containing an amount of a wetting liquid, and, optionally, a removable aperture cover, said aperture adapted for contacting a urethral opening; a catheter made out of polyvinylchloride coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone comprising a tip having at least one urine inlet, a urine outlet, and an outer surface including a urethra-insertable portion, and said tip being initially disposed in said first guide section; a flexible walled sheath comprising first and second ends, a lumen, and a length that is less than that of said catheter, said sheath first end being sealingly attached to said catheter at a non-urethra-insertable location on said catheter adjacent to said urine outlet, and said sheath second end being sealingly attached to said first guide section, whereby said catheter tip is initially retained in said first guide section and prevented from slipping into said sheath lumen, and at least said urethra-insertable portion of said catheter being enclosed in said sheath lumen, said sheath lumen adapted for containing said liquid for wetting said enclosed portion of said hydrophilic catheter; and a diaphragm disposed in said catheter introducer between said first and said second guide sections, and adapted for being pierced by said catheter tip to form a leakage resistant opening for a wetted hydrophilic catheter, said diaphragm capable of preventing flow of said wetting liquid into said first guide section prior to said diaphragm being opened, wherein said wetting liquid is one of water or saline, wherein while oriented such that said second guide section is above said sheath lumen said wetting liquid enters said first guide section and flows into said sheath lumen and onto said urethra-insertable portion after said diaphragm is pierced and said catheter tip is retracted, and said amount of said wetting liquid is sufficient to wet said urethra-insertable portion of said catheter to render said portion of catheter lubricious within thirty seconds of exposure to said wetting liquid, said urethra-insertable portion not wetted prior to said diaphragm being pierced; wherein none of the wetting liquid is carried forward or spilled through the diaphragm as the catheter emerges from the catheter introducer.