Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
The present invention relates to the diagnosis and treatment of stress urinary incontinence. In one embodiment, the diagnosis and treatment involves the use of a positional feedback catheter. Positional sensors may be embedded in the catheter to provide real-time tracking of the position and movement of the catheter.
1. A method for sensing the relative position of a patient bladder comprising inserting a positional sensor enabled catheter within the bladder, and determining the position of the bladder relative to at least one fixed reference point within the patient.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fixed reference point is the pubic bone, the coccyx, or the vagina.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is performed on a patient in a real-time operation.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is performed on a patient at multiple time intervals surrounding an event.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said intervals surrounding an event includes at least one pre-event and at least one post-event measurement.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said event is pregnancy or menopause.
7. A method for treating female stress incontinence comprising inserting a positional sensor enabled catheter within a patient bladder, determining the position of the bladder relative to a fixed reference point within the patient; and manipulating the bladder to a position suitable for alleviating the incontinence.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said fixed reference point is the pubic bone, the coccyx or the vagina.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said method is performed on a patient in a real-time operation.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said method is performed on a patient at multiple time intervals surrounding an event.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said intervals surrounding an event includes at least one pre-event and at least one post-event measurement.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said event is pregnancy or menopause.