DEVICE IN MALE INCONTINENCE PROTECTORS

Abstract: Device in an incontinence protector for incontinent male individuals, and intended to be applied around the user's penis. A device performed in accordance with the invention is primarily distinguished by comprising a means for the alignment and retainment of the user's penis in a predetermined position in the protector so as to enable optimal utilization of the absorbency thereof while simultaneously avoiding leakage or splashing.

Description: Device in male incontinence protectors -- The present invention relates to a device in an incontinence protector intended for incontinent male r t users and designed to be applied around the user's penis. 5 Beyond the sole aspects of size, the demands on incontinence protectors for adults in the form of diapers, for example, differ on a number of points from those placed on diapers for infants. Since adult incontinence is no unitary problem but varies with 10 regard to nature and degree between each incontinent individual, the incontinence protectors must be adapted accordingly. In milder forms of incontinence with only minor amounts of discharged liquid, the use of a thin, small underwear protector could suffice, whereas in 15 cases of severe incontinence highly absorbent diapers providing high leakage security would be required. For anatomical reasons, male and female diapers furthermore have to be differently designed. The specific problems associated with the design of male 20 incontinence protectors are essentially related to the fact that the male organ is easily displaceable within the protector, or is misplaced already when applying the protector. In conventional male incontinence protectors it has also been impossible in the past to 25 foresee in what area of the protector wetting will primarily occur, whereas in female incontinence protectors the so-called wetting point is more readily established, which makes it easier to optimize the absorption capacity and counteract the risk of leakage 30 in female incontinence protectors. -~ With male incontinence protectors it has also been impossible so far to control the position of penis in the protector. Therefore, the quantity of absorbent material in different regions of the 35 protectors has been impossible to adjust in contrast to female incontinence protectors, but instead the male protectors have been given unnecessarily large dimensions with a higher total absorbency for the sake of reducing the risk of leakage. Despite the above measures, previously known male incontinence protectors have often had a tendency to leak as a result of urine either flowing out to the sides of the protector, or at uncontrolled spots within it. Because of urine being absorbed within randomly selected regions of the incontinence protector, certain sections of the absorbent material have been supersaturated with liquid thereby giving rise to leakage, whereas other sections of the absorbent material have remained unsaturated. Only by taking great care when applying the protectors in order to secure proper placement of penis in the protector from the very beginning, the risk of leakage could be somewhat diminished. However, owing to the nursing staff many times lacking time and knowledge and, as is especially common with elderly men, sufficient handling capacity, the protectors were often incorrectly applied. If leaving penis pointing up towards the abdomen for example, the risk of splash and leakage would be particularly obvious. The problems of splash and leakage are especially difficult to handle with the incontinence patient lying on his back. Since many bed-ridden men, e.g. patients subjected to long-term hospital care, are suffering from urinary incontinence, the attendance o.f such patients would be substantially facilitated if the problems associated with urinary incontinence were eliminated so as to minimize the frequent change of clothing and bedding. With elderly men whose penis is often small and retarded, there is a special problem related to their inability of using urine collecting tubes, flasks or the like designed to be applied to, or threaded over penis. For this reason there is a particularly urgent need for this group of men to have access to a well-functioning incontinence protector. %. To overcome the problems described above, a number of temporary solutions have been resorted to * 5 such as, for example, the use of double diapers, or diapers with higher absorbency than necessary with regard only to the amount of liquid discharged. Even "home-made diaper packages" have been employed. Thus, male diapers were made more voluminous and clumsy than 10 actually needed should the absorbent material have been fully utilizable. Also, the bulkiness of prior art diapers have rendered them awkward and difficult to conceal under normal pants or trousers, which of course gives the 15 wearer a feeling of embarrassment. In particular, such incontinence protectors seem to be overdi ensioned in the very common cases of male incontinence referred to as drop incontinence and which may be caused, for example, by the sufferer being unable to empty his 20 bladder on urination. The comparatively small amount of residual urine, which leaks out little by little, gives rise to unpleasant odors and a constant feeling for the sufferer of being wet. Despite the relatively small amounts of discharged liquid, large and bulky 25 incontinence protectors were previously required to secure sufficient leakage protection caused by the uncontrollable spread of urine. With the present invention there has been accomplished a device of the type mentioned in the 30 introduction, which reduces the risk of leakage and » splashing. Said device is primarily distinguished by a means for aligning and placing the user's penis in a ' "- predetermined position in the protector so that the absorbency thereof can be optimally utilized while 35 simultaneously avoiding leakage or splashing. In a preferred embodiment, a device of this kind made according to the invention comprises a soft and flexible strip of fiber fabric for example, which is secured with one of its ends to the fiber fabric and has an opening intended to be threaded over penis on application of the protector. In another suitable embodiment the strip has a section extending between the opening and its free end which, when the protector is applied to the user's body and his penis is threaded through the strip opening, can be bent back over penis for preventing splashing during urination. In a third embodiment the strip is made elastic. In a fourth embodiment there is affixed to the device a ring, a strap, a loop, a collar or the like which is intended, when applying the protector, to be threaded over penis and which acts during use to retain and direct penis into the protector. The device may further include a tab or strip arrangement which is foldable over penis to prevent splashing. In a fifth embodiment the means for guiding and positioning the user's penis consists of at least one strip, tab, flap or the like having one of its or their ends secured in the protector, the other end serving to be wound around the user's penis for placing and retaining it in the predetermined position. The device may also include suitable agents such as an adhesive for affixing the free end of said means after folding it around the user's penis. In a further embodiment the positioning means consists of a liquid-impermeable layer facing the user's body during use of the protector and being made of a heavily hydrophobized fiber fabric, an opening made in said layer serving to permit insertion of the user's penis into the protector. In a still further embodiment the incontinence protector is composed of a liquid-impermeable outer layer, an inner body-contacting layer of a liquid- permeable material and a liquid-absorbing layer applied between said two layers. The positioning means thus constitutes a folded formation in the inner layer consisting of a liquid-permeable material. The invention will be described more closely in the following with reference to a number of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, of which Fig 1 is a side view of an incontinence protector made in accordance with the invention; Fig 2 shows the incontinence protector of Fig 1 in its state of use as viewed from the side facing the user during use; Fig 3 is a view corresponding to Fig 2 of a second embodiment of the inventive incontinence protector; Fig 4 is a view corresponding to Figs 2 and 3 of a third embodiment; whereas finally Figs 5-9 are corresponding views showing four additional embodiments of the inventive incontinence protector. The incontinence protector 1 illustrated in Figs 1 and 2 consists of two equally dimensioned, rectangular absorbent layers 2,3 of so-called fluff pulp for example, which are laid together and inter- connected along two meeting edge lines 4,5. In the example shown, one edge line 5 is a folding line and the other 4 is a joint. On its body-contacting inside 6, the protector 1 has an outer layer of a liquid- permeable material such as fiber fabric for ' example, whereas the outside 7 of the protector is provided with a liquid-impermeable outer layer in the form of a polyethylene film, for example. Inside the protector 1, a strip of fiber fabric is secured with its one end portion to the closed corner 9 of the protector located between the edges 4 and 5, said strip having a slit 10 made at approxi¬ mately half the strip length counted from its point of attachment in the protector. On application of the protector, the user's penis is inserted through the slit 10 in the strip 8 and is properly positioned in the protector so as to rest on the strip while being oriented towards the closed corner 9 of the protector. The free strip end 11 and the strip 8 are then placed over penis in the same direction down towards said corner 9. The strip 8 has for its object to hold penis in place inside the incontinence protector and to prevent it from slipping around therein without control. In this manner, discharged urine will primarily wet the absorbent material within the area of the closed corner 9 of the protector to be eventually carried on, thereby making use of the surrounding absorbent material as well. The risk of urine leakage is thus reduced. due to the well-defined wetting point provided for the liquid, said wetting point being located relatively far away from the edges of the protector while being surrounded on all sides by absorbent material. In addition, the almost bowl-like configura¬ tion of the protector when in use contributes to mini¬ mizing the risk of leakage since the protector is then primarily wetted at the bottom of the bowl. The strip 8 also functions as a liquid conductor both by leading all urine voided onto it down towards a certain point, i.e. towards the closed corner 9 in the example shown, and due to the free strip end 11 laid back over penis catching splashes of urine while also conveying moist down towards the same corner 9. In addition, the strip 8 enforces greater accuracy when applying the protector to the user's body, securing in this manner correct positioning with penis properly placed from the very beginning. An automatically correct application of the protector is a factor contributing to enhance its security against splashing and leakage. By being threaded onto penis, the strip further prevents the protector from being displaced due to the user's movements. Beyond reducing the risk of urine splashing and leaking, which in turn facilitates change of the incontinence protectors, there is acquired improved comfort to the user because of the absorbency being more effectively utilized with a protector performed according to the invention, which makes it possible to choose a more compact and discrete type of protector. In addition, a protector designed in accordance with the invention will be experienced as more pleasant to wear due to the wet, body-contacting area being smaller than that of conventional male incontinence protectors. The use of oversized or improper inconti- nence protectors is also avoided with the aid of said strip. In the embodiment of Fig 3, a strip 11 is affixed with both its end portions so as to form a strap in the protector 1, enabling thereby for penis to be threaded down between the strip 11 and the protector 1 while being oriented towards the closed corner 9 thereof. In a protector of the type shown in Fig 3, the strip or tab 11 should be secured in the protector at one end only. When applying the protector, said strip or tab is laid around the user's penis which will then be properly aligned and retained in the protector, the free end of the strip or tab then being affixed to the inside of the protector which is for this purpose provided with an adhesive agent in the form of an area covered with adhesive coating, for example, at the free end of said strip or tab. The final result will then be similar to the embodiment shown in Fig 3. A piece of tubing 4 could have a corresponding function which is shown in Fig 4, as would also an eye or a loop 13 of fiber fabric which is shown in fig 5. If the means for aligning penis is given the configuration indicated in Fig 6, i.e. the design of a strip 14 affixed to the closed corner 9 of the protector and having at its free end a ring 15 to be threaded over penis, there is gained not only the function of retaining and aligning penis but also the above-described urine-conducting effect of the strip 8 illustrated in Figs 1 and 2. The alignment means shown in Figs 3-6 can be combined with a separate flap or strip (not shown) ' made of fiber fabric, for example. This flap or strip may either be secured to the protector, or it may be detached and placed over penis in order to avoid splashing. The embodiment shown in Fig 7 of a bowl-shaped incontinence protector according to the invention is of the same type as those shown in Figs 1-6 but is provided here with a liquid-tight body-contacting layer 16 which bridges at least the main portion of the opening of the bowl-shaped protector and is provided with an opening 17 through which the user's penis is inserted into the protector .on application thereof. In this embodiment of the inventive protec¬ tor, the layer 16 thus constitutes the means for aligning and retaining penis and can be made of ' heavily hydrophobized fiber fabric for example. If the fiber fabric is further given a certain degree of elasticity, the material surrounding the opening 17 will seal around the user's penis. In this manner the protector will be securely fixed in place during use. Fig 8 illustrates a rectangular incontinence protector 18 having a body-contacting layer 19 made of a liquid-permeable material. This layer 19 is provided with a fold 20 forming a pocket 21 for receiving the user's penis. During use of the protector, penis is held fixed in position between the fold 20 and the section of the layer 19 located underneath the fold. In this embodiment, the fold constitutes a means for aligning and retaining penis in the protector. The incontinence protector 1 shown in, Fig 9 is similar to that of Figs 1 and 7 and consists of a liquid-impermeable outer layer 7, a body-contacting inner layer 6, and an intermediate absorbent layer which is placed between the two aforementioned layers but which is not visible in Fig 9 - On either side of the joint 4 there are applied to the inner layer 6 of the protector two substantially parallel folds 22,23 forming flaps which project out from said layer 6 in order to direct the user's penis into the protector and to retain it there, creating in this manner the means serving the inventive purpose. Because the exemplary protector has been obtained by folding together a rectangular absorption body longitudinally and joining together the two halves along one long side 4 of the double absorption body thus created, the folds 22,23 can be achieved in a most simple manner by their constituting one single longitudinal fold in the layer 6 of the originally rectangular absorption body. The protectors shown in Figs 8 and 9 exemplify embodiments illustrating how a simple and inexpensive solution may simultaneously render the inventive incontinence protector extremely well-functioning. Within the scope of the invention, it is of course also possible to combine the illustrated means for aligning and positioning penis with other types of incontinence protectors than those exemplified here. Alignment means in the form of strips, loops, rings or the like can be delivered as separate items not to be attached to the incontinence protector until the moment of use. In this manner any suitable type of incontinence protector can be freely selected accord¬ ing to the user's need or desire. Said loosely delivered alignment means can be provided with glued areas or the like for enabling attachment in the incontinence protectors. Thus, an incontinence protector performed in accordance with the invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown here, since numerous modifications are conceivable within the scope of the patent claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device in an incontinence protector intended for incontinent male individuals and appli- able around the user's penis, characterized by a means for alignment and placement of the user's penis in a predetermined position in the protector so as to optimally utilize the absorbency thereof and to avoid leakage or splashing. 2. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said means is a strip (8) of fiber fabric for example, which is secured with one of its ends in the protector and has an opening (10) " for enabling the strip to be threaded over penis when applying the protector. 3. A device according to Claim 2, characterized by a section expending between the opening (10) and the free end of the strip (8) which, when applying the protector onto the incontinent patient and inserting his penis through the opening (10) of the strip (8), is intended to be bent back over penis for preventing splashing during urination and for conducting the urine to its appropriate place (9) in the protector. 4. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the strip (8) is made elastic. 5. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the means for retaining and aligning penis in the protector consists of a ring, strap, loop, collar (11,12,13,14) or the like secured inside the protector and intended to be threaded over penis when applying the protector (Figs 3-6). 6. A device according to Claim 5, characterized in that said means further includes a tab or strip intended to be bent over penis so as to prevent splashing and to conduct the urine to its appropriate place in the protector. 7. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said means comprises at least one tab, strip, flap or the like having one end secured in the protec¬ tor while the other end is intended to be wound around the user's penis for placement and retainment thereof in the predetermined position within the protector. 8. A device according to Claim 7, characterized in that said means consists of a tab, a strip, a flap or the like, and in that the protector includes an agent for the attachment of the free end of the means after being wound around the user's penis. 9. A device according to Claim 8, characterized in that said agent is an area coated with adhesive. 10. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said means is a liquid-impervious layer (16) facing the body during use of the protector and made for example of a heavily hydrophobized fiber fabric, said layer being provided with an opening (17) intended for the insertion of the user's penis into the protector. 11. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the protector is composed of a liquid- impermeable outer layer, a body-contacting inner layer of a liquid-permeable material, and an intermediate liquid-absorbing layer preferably consisting of so- called cellulose fluff pulp, applied between said two layers, and in that said means is formed of a fold (20,22,23) made in the inner layer consisting of a liquid-permeable material.

Inventors: RUNEMAN BO, RUNEMAN, BO
Applicants: MOELNLYCKE AB
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A61F5
IPC codes: A61F5, A61F13