Nonsurgical intraurethral bladder control device

Bladder control apparatus comprising:

• a. a valve assembly mount adapted for intraurethral placement;
• b. means including a textured outer surface on the mount for holding said bladder control apparatus in contact with urethral tissue;
• c. a chamber in the amount;
• d. connection means in the chamber for receiving and releasibly holding a valve assembly;
• e. a valve assembly adapted to be connected to the connection means;
• f. a moveable valve in the valve assembly for opening and closing the assembly to fluid flow;
• g. bias means for biasing the valve closed;
• h. pressure means for holding the valve open in the presence of a fluid flow of a predetermined level;
• i. a first valve ring mounted on the moveable valve and within a fluid flow path within the valve assembly;
• j. a second valve ring mounted on the connection means and within the fluid flow path;
• k. a spacer mounted in the valve assembly for maintaining a minimum spaced between the first and second rings;
• and
• l. the first and second rings cooperating in the presence of fluid flow of a predetermined level to induce a negative force according to Bernoulli's principle for holding the moveable valve open.

Intraurethral bladder control apparatus comprising:

• a. a housing having an outer surface and an inner chamber;
• b. a valve assembly having an input orifice and an output orifice, and a fluid flow path between the input and output orifices;
• c. a moveable valve mounted in the valve assembly and moveable between a closed location adjacent the input orifice and an open position spaced from the input orifice;
• d. valve closing means for normally holding the valve in the closed position and responsive to a predetermined pressure to allow movement of the valve to the open position;
• and
• e. valve control means mounted in the valve assembly fluid flow path and responsive to the flow of fluid to hold the valve in the open position when the fluid flow rate is above a predetermined rate.

In bladder control apparatus adapted to be placed in a urethra and including a valve block having a valve with open and closed positions and a fluid flow path through the valve block, the method of controlling fluid flow comprising the steps of:

• a. normally biasing the valve in the closed position;
• b. moving the valve to the open position when the hydrostatic pressure in the urethra exceeds a predetermined level;
• c. inducing a negative pressure from means in the fluid flow path according to Bernoulli's principle;
• d. holding the valve in the open position with the negative pressure;
• and
• e. moving the valve to the closed position when the induced negative pressure falls below the normal biasing pressure.

In bladder control apparatus adapted to be placed in a urethra and including a valve block having a valve with open and closed positions and a fluid flow path through the valve block, the method of controlling fluid flow comprising the steps of:

• a. normally biasing the valve in the closed position;
• b. moving the valve to the open position when the hydrostatic pressure in the urethra exceeds a predetermined level;
• c. increasing the surface area of impingement of the fluid flow on means in the flow path to create a valve holding pressure;
• d. holding the valve in the open position with the valve holding pressure;
• and
• e. moving the valve to the closed position when the valve holding pressure falls below the normal biasing pressure.