Penile prosthesis utilizing patient controlled cam actuator apparatus

A penile prosthesis comprising:

• (a) a distal end;
• (b) a proximal end;
• (c) an outer elongated sheath formed from physiologically inert and pliable material;
• (d) an articulated column of segments having slideable joints therebetween and enclosed within said sheath, said articulated column disposed intermediate of said distal and proximate ends;
• (e) an actuator apparatus disposed intermediate of said articulated column and one of said distal and proximal end portions, said actuator apparatus including a cam member and a cam follower member;
• (f) biasing means cooperating with said actuator apparatus to longitudinally bias said cam member and said cam follower member toward one another;
• and
• (g) tension means cooperating with said actuator apparatus to longitudinally bias said cam member and said cam follower member away from one another when said tension means is placed in tension, said tension means causing said cam member and said cam follower member to longitudinally move apart when placed in sufficient tension to overcome said biasing means, said tension means being placed in said sufficient tension by applying a bending force on the prosthesis to cause bending of the same, said cam member and said cam follower member moving longitudinally toward one another upon removal of said bending force, said cam follower member and said cam member comming to rest a first or second relative longitudinal displacement between one another upon removal of said bending force, said cam member and said cam follower member being farther apart in said first relative longitudinal displacement, said actuator apparatus cooperating with said tension means to compress said articulated column when in said second relative longitudinal displacement and further cooperating with said tension means to place said articulated column in a noncompressed state when in said first relative longitudinal displacement.

A bistable penile prosthesis having an erect state and a flaccid state, comprising:

• (a) an elongated cylindrical body having a longitudinal axis and a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, said elongated cylindrical body being bendable into a first curved configuration;
• (b) an articulated column of radiused segments disposed intermediate of said distal end portion and said proximal end portion, adjacent ones of said segments cooperating to form slideably joints between said adjacent ones of said segments;
• (c) an outer elongated sheath formed from physiologically inert and pliable material enclosing said articulated column;
• (d) actuator means disposed intermediate of said articulated column and one of said distal and proximal end portions, said actuator means including cam means and cam follower means, said cam means providing a pathway for only one-way travel therealong by said cam follower means;
• (e) biasing means cooperating with said actuator means to longitudinally bias said cam means and said cam follower means toward one another;
• (f) tension means cooperating with said actuator means to longitudinally bias said cam means and said cam follower means away from one another when said tension means is placed in tension, said tension means causing said cam means and said cam follower means to move longitudinally away from one another when said elongated cylindrical body of the prosthesis is bent into said first curved configuration, said biasing means longitudinally moving said cam means and said cam follower means toward one another when said elongated cylindrical body of the prosthesis is returned to a second configuration having less curvature than said first configuration;
• and
• (g) said cam means and said cam follower means alternately returning to a first or second relative longitudinal displacement between one another upon return of said elongated cylindrical body of the prosthesis to said second configuration, said cam means and said cam follower means being further apart when displaced by said first relative longitudinal displacement, said cam follower means cooperating with said cam means to maintain said second relative longitudinal displacement, said biasing means and said tension means counterbalancing one another when said cam means and said cam follower means are in said first relative longitudinal displacement, the prosthesis being in the erect state when said cam means and said cam follower means are in said second relative longitudinal displacement and in the flaccid state when said cam means and said cam follower means are in said first relative longitudinal displacement.