Leakage resistant external female catheter system and method of use
A system and method for automatically removing by suction urine voided by a female. The system includes an external catheter. The external catheter includes a suction tube having a portion enclosed in a hydrophilic sponge cover. The suction tube is arranged to be coupled to suction of a desired value. The cover is arranged to be disposed externally at the female's urethra opening to receive urine voided by the female, whereupon the suction draws the urine through the cover into the suction tube. The external catheter is arranged to be connected to a receptacle for collecting the urine received by the external catheter. Various embodiments of the suction tube and the cover are disclosed.
1. An external catheter configured to be coupled to a source of suction for removing by suction urine voided by a female, said external catheter comprising:
an elongated suction tube having a longitudinal central axis, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least a first passageway extending longitudinally therethrough from said distal end to said proximal end, said proximal end being configured to be coupled to the source of suction, said distal end being open, wherein said elongated suction tube comprises at least one continuous elongated slot extending longitudinally along said at least one first passageway for a length in the range of one inch to two inches from said open distal end, said at least one continuous elongated slot being in fluid communication with said at least one first passageway along an entire length of said at least one continuous slot, wherein said least one continuous elongated slot and said at least one first passageway comprises an extrusion, and wherein said elongated suction tube additionally comprises a coupling tube having a distal portion into which a proximal end portion of said extrusion extends, and a heat shrink tube disposed over said distal portion of said coupling tube and over said extrusion but leaving a length of said at least one slot contiguous with said open distal end of said elongated suction tube uncovered and in direct fluid communication with a cover; and wherein said cover is formed of a body of moist hydrophilic polyurethane foam, said cover having a longitudinal axis and an external surface, said external surface comprising a proximal end surface, a distal end surface and an arcuate lateral surface interposed between said proximal end surface and said distal end surface, said distal end surface having an apex, said entire body being liquid-permeable, whereupon said arcuate lateral surface is liquid-permeable and extends around said longitudinal axis from said distal end surface to said proximal end surface, said cover being directly disposed over and about said elongated suction tube to enclose a section of said elongated suction tube contiguous with said open distal end thereof, said open distal end of said elongated suction tube being spaced from said apex, said at least one continuous slot being in direct fluid communication with said cover along an entire length of said at least one continuous slot, said cover being configured for external disposition with respect to the female, whereupon any portion of said liquid-permeable arcuate lateral surface is in fluid communication with a urethra opening of the female and with said cover being oriented so that said longitudinal axis of said cover is in a generally vertical orientation with said distal end surface being pointed downward, whereupon when said external catheter is coupled to the source of suction, suction is applied down said at least one first passageway and through said at least one slot so that urine voided by the female passes through a portion of said lateral surface and flows downward through said body of said cover into said at least a first passageway to be carried by suction from said at least a first passageway out of said external catheter for collection.
2. An external catheter configured to be coupled to a source of suction for removing by suction urine voided by a female, said external catheter comprising:
an elongated suction tube having a longitudinal central axis, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least a first passageway extending longitudinally therethrough from said distal end to said proximal end, said proximal end being configured to be coupled to the source of suction, said distal end being open, said elongated suction tube comprising a tubular coupler having a central passageway and a flexible tube having a central passageway, said tubular coupler having a distal end and a proximal end in which a distal end of said flexible tube is fixedly secured, said distal end of said tubular coupler forming said open distal end of said suction tube; and
a cover formed of a body of moist hydrophilic polyurethane foam, said cover having a longitudinal central axis, an external surface, a bore extending along said longitudinal central axis from said proximal end surface, and a slit extending from said proximal end of said cover to a point adjacent the proximal end of said tubular coupler and in communication with said bore, said slit providing access through which said tubular coupler and said contiguous portion of said flexible tube is inserted laterally, said external surface comprising a proximal end surface, a distal end surface and an arcuate lateral surface interposed between said proximal end surface and said distal end surface, said distal end surface having an apex, said entire body being liquid-permeable, whereupon said arcuate lateral surface is liquid-permeable and extends around said longitudinal axis from said distal end surface to said proximal end surface, said cover being directly disposed over and about said elongated suction tube to enclose a section of said elongated suction tube contiguous with said open distal end thereof, said open distal end of said elongated suction tube being spaced from said apex, said cover being configured for external disposition with respect to the female, whereupon any portion of said liquid-permeable arcuate lateral surface is in fluid communication with a urethra opening of the female and with said cover being oriented so that said longitudinal axis of said cover is in a generally vertical orientation with said distal end surface being pointed downward so that urine voided by the female passes through a portion of said lateral surface and flows downward through said body of said cover into said at least a first passageway to be carried by suction from said at least a first passageway out of said external catheter for collection, wherein said distal end of said tubular coupler is spaced by a distance in the range of 1 inch to 2 inch from said apex, and wherein said cover includes a hollow cavity extending along said longitudinal central axis from said open distal end of said elongated suction tube to a point in the range of 0.375 inch to 1 inch from said apex.
3. An external catheter configured to be coupled to a source of suction for removing by suction urine voided by a female, said external catheter comprising:
an elongated suction tube having a longitudinal central axis, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least a first passageway extending longitudinally therethrough from said distal end to said proximal end, said proximal end being configured to be coupled to the source of suction, said distal end being open, said elongated suction tube comprising a tubular coupler having a central passageway and a flexible tube having a central passageway, said tubular coupler having a distal end and a proximal end in which a distal end of said flexible tube is fixedly secured, said distal end of said tubular coupler forming said open distal end of said suction tube; and
a cover formed of a body of moist hydrophilic polyurethane foam, said cover having a longitudinal axis and an external surface, said external surface comprising a proximal end surface, a distal end surface and an arcuate lateral surface interposed between said proximal end surface and said distal end surface, said distal end surface having an apex, said entire body being liquid-permeable, whereupon said arcuate lateral surface is liquid-permeable and extends around said longitudinal axis from said distal end surface to said proximal end surface, said cover being directly disposed over and about said elongated suction tube to enclose a section of said elongated suction tube contiguous with said open distal end thereof, said open distal end of said elongated suction tube being spaced from said apex, said cover being configured for external disposition with respect to the female, whereupon any portion of said liquid-permeable arcuate lateral surface is in fluid communication with a urethra opening of the female and with said cover being oriented so that said longitudinal axis of said cover is in a generally vertical orientation with said distal end surface being pointed downward so that urine voided by the female passes through a portion of said lateral surface and flows downward through said body of said cover into said at least a first passageway to be carried by suction from said at least a first passageway out of said external catheter for collection, wherein said cover includes a first bore section extending from said proximal end surface of said cover to a first intermediate point, and a second bore section extending distally from said first bore section, said tubular coupler being located in said second bore section with a contiguous portion of said flexible tube being located in said first bore section.
4. The external catheter of claim 3 , wherein said distal end of said tubular coupler is spaced by a distance in the range of 1 inch to 2 inch from said apex, and wherein said cover includes a hollow cavity extending along said longitudinal central axis from said distal end of said tubular coupler to a point in the range of 0.125 inch to 1 inch from said apex.