Patent Publication Number: US-2020281778-A1

Title: Incontinence device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/577,243, filed on Oct. 26, 2017, now pending, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to absorbent pads used by catheterized individuals. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Urinary catheters are often required after surgical procedures to facilitate discharge of urine. For example, after a prostatectomy, patients are generally required to have a urinary (Foley) catheter for several days or longer. Such catheters are prone to leakage around the outer surface of the catheter, i.e., at the meatus-catheter junction. It is not uncommon for a patient&#39;s bladder to spasm due to, for example, the presence of the catheter. When a near-empty bladder spasms, the bladder wall may occlude the catheter openings preventing urine from being discharged normally through the lumen of the catheter. However, the same spasm creates pressure which forces urine to be discharged around the outside of the catheter. This can create an uncomfortable and embarrassing problem for the patient. 
     To accommodate such leakage, catheterized individuals often use incontinence pads to absorb the urine. However, the use of such pads is not entirely effective because leaked urine often follows along the surface of the catheter and around the edge of the incontinence pad. Accordingly, there continues to be a need for an absorbent pad which is better able to prevent urine from leaking beyond the pad, causing discomfort and embarrassment for a catheterized individual. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure may be embodied as an incontinence device for a catheterized individual. The device includes an absorbent pad configured to be worn by the individual. The absorbent pad having a slit partially separating the pad into two portions. A fastener may be provided for selectively attaching the two portions to each other. In this way, a catheter may be disposed through the slit of the device and the two portions may be attached to each other using the fastener to surround a circumference of the catheter. The fastener may be reusable. In some embodiments, the device includes more than one fastener. The fastener may be one or more of an adhesive, a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap fastener, or combinations thereof. 
     The pad may have a primary longitudinal axis, and the slit may be arranged at any angle with respect to such longitudinal axis. For example, the slit may be disposed at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 180°, 270°, or any value therebetween. 
     In some embodiments, the device is configured to be folded when in use. In such embodiments, the device may include one or more closures configured to selectively secure the two portions of the pad adjacent to each other in a folded configuration of the pad. The one or more closures comprise an adhesive, a hook-and-loop fastener, or a snap fastener, or combinations thereof. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a male incontinence device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure and showing a catheter line disposed through a slit; 
         FIG. 3A  is a top view of device of another embodiment; and 
         FIG. 3B  is a top view of the device of  FIG. 3A  as it would be configured in use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , the present disclosure may be embodied as a male incontinence device  10  for use by a catheterized individual. The device  10  of the present disclosure comprises an absorbent pad  12  for absorbing urine. The absorbent pad  12  is configured to be worn by the individual.  FIG. 1  shows an exemplary configuration intended to be worn within the individual&#39;s undergarment. In this way, some embodiments of the device  10  may be held in place by force of the undergarment. Other exemplary absorbent pads may be configured to be worn without the need for securement using an undergarment. For example, the absorbent pad might be configured like underwear and held up by, for example, a waistband. Other configurations will be apparent in light of the present disclosure. 
     The absorbent pad  12 , includes a slit  14  which partially separates the pad  12  into two portions—a first portion  16  and a second portion  18 . The slit  14  is configured such that a catheter  90  can be disposed through the slit  14 —i.e., such that a circumference of the catheter  90  is effectively surrounded by the pad  12  at a location along the length of the catheter  90  (see, for example,  FIG. 2 ). In embodiments where the absorbent pad has an elongated shape—i.e., along a longitude—the slit  14  may be a transverse slit. In some embodiments, the slit may be arranged at an angle, such as a non-orthogonal angle, with respect to a primary longitudinal axis of the pad. The angle may be any value selected for a particular pad design, intended use, etc. For example, the angle may range from parallel to the longitudinal axis (e.g., 0° or 180° with respect to the axis), to being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (e.g., 90° or 270°), or at any other angle from 0° to 360°. Although depicted as a generally linear slit, the slit need not be linear. For example, the slit may be curvilinear. In some embodiments, the slit may have a combination of one or more curved and/or linear portions. Such configurations may provide, for example, improved retention of a catheter within the slit, improved performance in blocking urine from migrating along an outer surface of the catheter, etc. 
     The incontinence device  10  further includes a fastener  20  for selectively attaching the two portions  16 ,  18  of the pad  12  to each other. In this manner, when a catheter is disposed in the slit  14 , the fastener  20  is used to secure the pad  12  around the catheter to prevent urine from traveling past the pad  12 . More than one fastener  20  may be used. For example,  FIG. 1  shows an embodiment having two fasteners  20 . The fastener  20  may be permanent or temporary (i.e., reusable) such that the fastener  20  can be removed and reattached more than one time. The fastener  20  may be of any type suitable for joining the two portions of the pad  12 . For example, the fastener may be an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a hook-and-look fastener, a snap fastener, or any other type of fastener or combinations of fastener types. 
     In some embodiments, the incontinence device is intended to be folded on itself and so as to be affixed around the penis of a catheterized male. For example,  FIGS. 3A and 3B  show an exemplary device  50  having absorbent pad  52  and slit  54 , partially dividing the absorbent pad  52  into two portions—first portion  56  and second portion  58 . A fastener  60  is provided as described above. The device  50  of this embodiment also includes one or more closures  62  which are configured to affix the first portion  56  adjacent to the second portion  58  when the absorbent pad  52  is folded. The device  50  of the depicted embodiment shows where the absorbent pad  52  is folded at a location that is substantially along the slit  54 . However, other similar pads may be folded at locations other than the slit. The absorbent pad  52  is configured to be folded such that the glans of the penis of the individual is between the first portion  56  and the second portion  58 . Once the absorbent pad  52  is folded, the closure(s)  62  may be used to affix the first portion  56  to the second portion  58  in much the same way as described above with respect to the fastener. In this way, the device  50  will remain attached to a location on the penis advantageous to prevent leakage of urine beyond the device. The one or more closures  62  may utilize adhesive, hook-and-loop, snap fasteners, etc.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  show an exemplary embodiment using four closures  62 , but any number of closures may be used as will be apparent to one having skill in the art. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to one or more particular embodiments, it will be understood that other embodiments of the present disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Hence, the present disclosure is deemed limited only by the appended claims and the reasonable interpretation thereof.