URINE RETAINING DEVICE

Abstract: Urine incontinence protection device for male patients consisting of a protecting bag having an opening for the introduction of the male genitals, said bag consisting of two congruent walls (1) and (2) which roughly have the form of a parallellogram and are attached to eachother along three of its edges (3, 4, 5) so that the third edge (6) will form an opening and constitutes the entrance of the device, said walls (1) and (2) consisting of a water-impenetrable material, characterized in that said walls (1) and (2) consist of a laminate of a water-impenetrable material such as polyethylene film, preferably with a thickness in the range 0.1 - 0.025 mms., especially about 0.035 mms., and a synthetic non-woven material which can be heat-laminated to the water-impenetrable film, thge said layer of non-woven material forming the outer surfaces of the device and the water-impenetrable film material forming the inner surfaces of the device, and in that the device solely in the part thereof which is delimited by a line essentially running between the two opposite corners (10) and (11) and between the attached edges (3) and (4) is provided with an insert (7), optionally attached to the surface of the device, consisting of material with a great water-absorbing capacity under swelling to the formation of a gel-like mass.

Description: Urine retaining device The present invention relates to a urine retaining device for male patients suffering from urine incontinence. « Urine incontinence, i.e. the inability to retain urine, is an increasingly notable problem, especially among older persons. Patients suffering from urine incontinence may be provided with an absorbing diaper; however, such devices always cause consi¬ derable inconveniences from a practical as well as estetical viewpoint. Different types of urine-retaining devices for pati- ents suffering from urine incontinence have been suggested which however, all have substantial disadvantages. It has thus been suggested to construct a urine-retaining device for the present purpose from a water-imperneable plastic sheet material in the form of a kinf of bag having slanting sides, the inne surface of the same being covered with a commecially available swellable polymer materials having a great water-absorbibg capacity. In the previously known devices all of innersurfaces are covered with such water-absorbing polymer material adhered thereto which has the disadvatage that the male sexual organ will be in cotact with the moist polymer material swelled due to urine absorption. This will usually cause skin irritation of various degrees of severity and discomfort for the patient. A further disadvantage is that the outer surfaces of the device which consist of said water-impermeable plastic material, will adhere to the skin due to perspiration from the skin and also there skin irritations as mentioned above will occur. The present invention relates to an improved device for male patients suffering from urine incontinence, in which the above- mentioned disadvantages are removed. The invention is described and elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side-view of a urine-retaining device according to the invention and Fig.2 shows the same device in a partly opened state, i.e. in the form the device has when in use. Fig. 1 is a side-view of the device which comprises two layers 1 and 2 in Fig.2. Three of its side edges 3, 4 and 5 are attached to eachother, whereas the fourth side 6 forms the opening of the device. When used the device is opened along the edge 6 so as to give it the form generally shown in Fig.2 and the male genitals are introduced into the opening with the penis directed towards the edge 5. In the in-use position the device will have such a position that the corner 8 is in the highest position and the corner 9 is in the lowest. Within the device and solely in the part thereof which is delimited by a line essentially running between the two opposite corners 10 and 11 and between the two side edges 3 and 4 and insert 7 is located which insert has a form adapted thereto and is made from a pre¬ ferably web-formed polymer material with a very high water-ab- sorbing capacity under swelling to the formation of a gel-like mass. When urine is released unintentionally, i.e. urine incontinence, Urine will run from the penis which is in a position near the edge 5 but below the corner 8 on to the inner side of the device which is water-repelling and thereon in the direction towards the corner 9 and between the edges 3 and 4 for absorp¬ tion by the inserted material 7 with a great water-absorbibg capacity. Common water-impenet able plastic sheet materials are essenti¬ ally hydrofobic and for this reason the genitals will not be moisted by urine when the device is used which is an important advantage to the patient. The walls 1 and 2 of the device consist of the above-mentioned layers layers of thin water-impenetrable material which in the device according to the invention on the outside thereof only is provided with an attached layer consisting of soft so-calle non-woven material which gives a comfortable feeling on the skin in contact therewith and prevents that the water-impene¬ trable material sticks to the skin and permits perspiration to evaporate. The walls 1 and 2 in the device according to the i'nvention thus consist of a laminate having one water-impenetrable component consisting of a suitable sheet material such as polyethylene with a melting point preferably in the range 110 - 120 °C and a thickness preferably in the range 0.1 - 0.025 mms., suitably about 0.035. It is obvious that several other suitable material are commercially available which can be used. The second component in the laminate is a thin non-woven materi which usually is a polymer. One such material which is suitable for the purpose is a non-woven polypropylene material; other non-woven materials can also be used. A preferred non-woven sheet material consists of polypropylene fibres having a meltin point of about 170 C. The difference between the melting point of the two components in the laminate should be of such a mag- nitude that heat-lamination of the laminate components will be easy to perform. When manuf cturing the urine incontinence device according to the invention the laminate defined above is first manufactured in the form of a web from which pieces forming the walls 1 and 2 of the device are punched to the roughly paral lellogram form. The walls 1 and 2 are subsequently heat-laminated to eachother along the edges 3, 4 and 5. The insert 7 consists of a material having a great water- absor bing capacity which suitably is a sheet material. Such material are commercially available and are generally polymers of diffe¬ rent types. An example of a such material is commercially avail n able under the tradename FAVOR SAB 901 and consists of a salt of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid. Other products with similar properties are available and can be used. From the sheet materi with a great water-absorbing capacity pieces are punched having a form adapted to suit the inne form of the device in the inten ded part thereof after folding along the symmetri line.

Claims: Patent claims 1. Urine incontinence protection device for male patients con¬ sisting of a protecting bag having an opening for the introduc tion of the male genitals, said bag consisting of two congruen walls (1) and (2) which roughly have the form of a parallello- gram and are attached to eachother along three of its edges (3, 4, 5) so that the third edge (6) will form an opening and constitutes the entrance of the device, said walls (1) and (2) consisting of a water-impenetrable material, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said walls (1) and (2) consist of a laminate of a water-impenetrable material such as polyethylene film, preferably with a thickness in the range 0.1 - 0.025 mms., especially about O.035 mms., and a synthetic non-woven materia which can be heat-laminated to the water-impenetrable film, the said layer of non-woven material forming the outer surface of the device and the water-impenetrable film material forming the inner surfaces of the device, and in that the devicesolely in the part thereof which is delimited by a line essentially running between the two opposite coerners (10) and (11) and between the attached edges (3) and (4) is provided with an insert (7), optionally attached to the surface of the -device, consisting of material with a great water-absorbing capacity under swelling to the formation of a gel-like mass. 2. Device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the water-impenetrable film is polyethylene with a meltin point in the range 110 - 120 °c. 3. Device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the non-woven material comprises polypropylene fibres and has a thicknedd of about 0.1 - 0.5 mms. 4. Device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the water-inpenetrable film and the layer of non-woven material are heat-laminated to eachother so as to form a lamin 5. Device according to anyone of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the the walls (1) and (2) are heat-laminated to eachother along three edges (3, 4 and 5) thereof. 6. Device according to anyone of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the insert (7) is punched from a sheet material to a form and size adapted to the device and suitably in one piece which is folded and inserted in the position defined and covering the whole area or a substantial part of the inne surface of the device which is delimited by the edges (3) and (4) and a line running between corners (10) and (11) of the device. _ 7. Device according to anyone of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the edge (3) is double-curv so that the corner part (9) forms a container for material swelled to a gel by absorbed urine.

Inventors: LENNAARD DOUGLAS, LENNAARD, DOUGLAS
Applicants: LENNAARD DOUGLAS, LENNAARD, DOUGLAS
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A61F5
IPC codes: A61F5, A61F13