Urinary Incontinence Valve--Remote Controlled

The goal of this effort is to develop a remote-controlled urinary incontinence valve for adultpatients. This valve will be inserted using a non--surgical in-office procedure, and will reside within theurethra at the neck of the bladder. The valve will be battery powered, and will be replaced with a newvalve at two-month intervals. The low cost of the device allows frequent replacement, thereby ensuringproper monitoring of the patient's health and reducing the likelihood of serious complications. Inoperation, the patient would press a handheld controller against the lower abdomen whenever voidingis desired, and push a button. The handheld unit transmits a magnetic command signal through theabdominal tissues which directs the valve to open, allowing the bladder to void. When finished, thepatient commands the valve to return to its closed state. Under Phase I, a proof-of-principle demosystem will be constructed to validate the overall system concept. Animal testing is planned for thesecond half of Phase II. This device is expected to become the treatment of choice for a significantfraction of the adult incontinent population.