Patent ID: 8323176

Claim:
A stress-incontinence treatment device, comprising: a horizontally-oriented proximal portion; and a distal portion that: extends away and downward from the proximal portion at an angle, measured between the proximal and distal portions, in the range of about 100 degrees to about 160 degrees; and comprises a urethral support; wherein: the proximal portion comprises two proximal arms extending proximally from an inflection at which the distal portion is contiguous with the proximal portion; the distal portion comprises two distal arms extending away and downward from the inflection, each distal arm contiguous with a respective proximal arm to form a contiguous arm; the proximal arms have greater flexibility laterally than vertically; and the device is sized and shaped so that, when positioned in the vagina of a standing woman: the proximal portion is supported by the woman's pubococcygeus muscle; the distal portion descends between separated anterior fibers of the woman's pubococcygeus muscle; and the urethral support is positioned to support the woman's urethra at a mid-urethral position.