Patent Publication Number: US-2023157532-A1

Title: Female Urethral Catheterization Assist Device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/782,237 filed on Oct. 12, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/407,039 filed on Oct. 12, 2016. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to The present invention relates to a device and method of inserting a female urethral catheter. More specifically, the present invention provides a female urethral catheterization assisting device having a pair of opposing lateral arms pivotally connected so as to allow for the selective opening and closing thereof. The lateral arms each include a paddle disposed at a distal end that extends from a first side that engages with a labia minora and majora of a female patient and exposes the urinary meatus. 
     Currently, when a female patient undergoes catheterization, a medical worker must use a short, small device to retract the labia minora and labia majora to expose the urinary meatus. Because this requires the medical worker to place her or his hands in the vicinity of a sensitive area of the patient, this can be an unpleasant and uncomfortable experience for both the patient and the medical worker. Additionally, these known devices fail to provide a female urethral catheterization assisting device that provides a full and clear view of the urethral opening for ease of catheterization by clinical or non-clinical persons. 
     In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the devices in the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing female urethral catheter devices. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of female catheterization devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a female urethral catheterization assist device wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when performing catheterization upon a female patient. 
     The female urethral catheterization assist device comprises a pair of lateral arms comprising a first lateral arm and a second lateral arm. The first lateral arm has a first handle at a proximal end. The second lateral arm has a second handle at a proximal end. The first handle and the second handle are designed to be engaged by a user&#39;s fingers. The first lateral arm is secured to the second lateral arm by a pivot. The pivot is disposed intermediately between the proximal ends and distal ends of the first lateral arm and the second lateral arm and enables bilateral and unrestricted rotation of the first lateral arm and the second lateral arm. The distal end of the first lateral arm comprises a first platform and the distal end of the second lateral arm comprises a second platform. The first platform and the second platform each comprise a pair of curved lateral sides. The pair of curved lateral sides consist of an interior lateral side and an exterior lateral side. The first platform and the second platform are each dimensioned to receive a finger thereon. The first platform comprises a first paddle disposed on the interior lateral side of the first platform of the first lateral arm, forming a flush surface therewith. The second platform comprises a second paddle disposed on the interior lateral side of the second platform of the second lateral arm, forming a flush surface therewith. Each paddle defines a base in contact with the interior lateral side of the lateral arm. Each paddle is of an arcuate profile and comprising a singular apex extending inwardly from the lateral arm. Each paddle extends linearly upward entirely from the base of each paddle to a top edge thereof. The singular apex of the first lateral arm and the singular apex of the second lateral arm contact each other in the closed configuration. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG.  1    shows a perspective view of the female urethral catheter assist device. 
         FIG.  2    shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device. 
         FIG.  3 A  shows an overhead view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device in a closed configuration. 
         FIG.  3 B  shows an overhead view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device in an open configuration. 
         FIG.  4    shows an in-use view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the XXX. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  1  and  2   , there is shown a perspective view and an exploded view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device, respectively. The female urethral catheter assist device  10  provides a medical device that is configured to engage with a labia minora and majora to expose the urinary meatus of a patient, and therefore allow for the insertion of a female urethral catheter therein. 
     The female urethral catheter assist device  10  comprises a pair of lateral arms  11 ,  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pair of lateral arms  11 ,  12  consists of a first lateral arm  11  and a second lateral arm  12 . Each lateral arm  11 ,  12  defines a proximal end  14   a ,  14   b  disposed opposite a distal end  15   a ,  15   b . In the illustrated embodiment, each lateral arm  11 ,  12  is integrally formed, such the components defined thereby are substantially rigid, secured, and inseparable. 
     The first lateral arm  11  and the second lateral arm  12  are connected at a pivot  13  that interconnects a portion of the first lateral arm  11  with a portion of the second lateral arm  12 . The pivot  13  is disposed intermediate to the proximal end  14   a ,  14   b  and a distal end  15   a ,  15   b  of the first lateral arm  11  and the second lateral arm  12 . The pivot  13  is configured to enable bilateral and unrestricted rotation of the first lateral arm  11  and the second lateral arm  12 . 
     The first lateral arm  11  comprises a first handle  16  disposed at the proximal end  15   a  of the first lateral arm  11 . The first handle  16  is configured to be engaged by a first finger of the user. The second later arm  12  comprises a second handle  17  disposed at the proximal end  15   b  of the second lateral arm  12 . The second handle  12  is configured to be engaged by a fourth finger of the user. 
     The distal end  14   a  of the first lateral arm  11  comprises a first platform  18   a . The first platform  18   a  comprises a pair of curved lateral sides  19   a ,  19   b . The pair of curved lateral sides  19   a ,  19   b  consists of an interior lateral side  19   a  and an exterior lateral side  19   b . The interior lateral side  19   a  curves outwardly from the first platform  18   a  towards the second platform  18   b . The exterior lateral side  19   b  curves outwardly from the first platform  18   a , away from the second platform  18   b . As such, an oval-shaped area is defined by the first platform  18   a . The first platform  18   a  is dimensioned to receive a finger thereon. 
     The distal end  14   b  of the second lateral arm  12  comprises a second platform  18   b . The second platform  18   a  comprises a pair of curved lateral sides  20   a ,  20   b . The pair of curved lateral sides  20   a ,  20   b  consists of an interior lateral side  20   a  and an exterior lateral side  20   b . The interior lateral side  20   a  curves inwardly from the second platform  18   b  towards the first platform  18   a . The exterior lateral side  20   b  curves outwardly from the second platform  18   b  away from the first platform  18   a . As such, an oval-shaped area is defined by the second platform  18   b . The second platform  18   b  is dimensioned to receive a finger thereon. 
     A first paddle  21   a  is disposed on the interior lateral side  19   a  of the first platform  18   a  of the first lateral arm  11 . The first paddle  21   a  forms a flush surface with the interior lateral side  19   a  of the first lateral arm  11 . The first paddle  21   a  defines a base  22   a  in contact with the interior lateral side  19   a  of the first lateral arm  11 . The first paddle  21   a  is of an arcuate profile, defining a singular apex  23   a , and extends inwardly from the first arcuate arm  11 , along the perimeter of the interior lateral side  19   a . The first paddle  21   a  extends linearly upward from the base  22   a  to a top end  24   a  of the first paddle  21   a . The first paddle  21   a  comprises a flat surface disposed at the top end  24   a  thereof, such as to prevent the first paddle  21   a  from cutting the skin. 
     A second paddle  21   b  is disposed on the interior lateral side  20   a  of the second platform  18   b  of the second lateral arm  12 . The second paddle  21   b  forms a flush surface with the interior lateral side  20   b  of the second lateral arm  12 . The second paddle  21   b  defines a base  22   b  in contact with the interior lateral side  20   a  of the second lateral arm  12 . The second paddle  21   b  is of an arcuate profile, defining a singular apex  23   b , and extends inwardly from the second arcuate arm  12 , along the perimeter of the interior lateral side  20   a . The second paddle  21   b  extends linearly upward from the base  22   b  to a top end  24   b  of the second paddle  21   b . The second paddle  21   b    
     Referring now to  FIGS.  3 A and  3 B , there is shown an overhead view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device in the closed configuration and an overhead view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device in the open configuration, respectively. As demonstrated, the female urethral catheter assist device  10  is movable about the pivot  13  between a closed configuration (shown in  FIG.  3 A ) and an open configuration (shown in  FIG.  3 B ). The female urethral catheter assist device  10  is usable in any number of intermediate positions defined between the open configuration and the closed configuration. Furthermore, the female urethral catheter assist device  10  is freely movable in both directions around the pivot  13 , such as to prevent excessive pressure from being applied to the patient. 
     The closed configuration (shown in  FIG.  3 A ) is defined where the singular apex  23   a  of the first paddle  21   a  of the first lateral arm  11  contacts the singular apex  23   b  of the second paddle  21   b  of the second lateral arm  12 . When in the closed configuration, or in a configuration closer to the closed configuration relative to the open configuration, the first paddle  21   a  and the second paddle  21   b  may be more easily positioned into a narrow space, such as the space between the labial minora and majora of a patient undergoing catheterization. 
     The open configuration (shown in  FIG.  3 B ) is defined where a fastener  25   a ,  25   b  is engaged. The fastener  25   a ,  25   b  comprises a first member  25   a  and a second member  25   b , wherein the first member  25   a  is configured to engage and couple with the second member  25   b , restricting movement of the first lateral arm  11  and the second lateral arm  12 . The first member  25   a  is disposed on an interior side of the first lateral arm  11 , facing the second lateral arm  12 , between the pivot  13  and the proximal end  15   a  of the first lateral arm  11 . The second member  25   b  is disposed on an interior side of the second lateral arm  12 , facing the first lateral arm  11 , between the pivot  13  and the proximal end  15   b  of the second lateral arm  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener  25   a ,  25   b  comprises a first member  25   a  comprising a transverse bar and a second member  25   b  comprising a latch. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  4   , there is shown an in-use view of an embodiment of the female urethral catheter assist device. In use, a female urethral catheter  26  may be inserted into a urethra  27  with assistance from the female urethral catheterization assist device. The paddles  21   a ,  21   b  of the female urethral catheterization assist device may be utilized to gently engage with a labia minora and/or labia majora  28  of the patient. Once engaged, the female urethral catheterization assist device to a relatively open configuration to expose the urethra  27 . The female urethral catheter  26  may then be inserted into the urethra  27  completing the catheterization. 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.