The Technology
The technology behind the Connected Catheter™ allows us to achieve the following key product features (many of which have never been incorporated into a product for users):
Semi-Permanent - One Connected Catheter will last for approximately one month and may replace as many as 200 intermittent (disposable) catheters.
Minimally-Invasive - The Connected Catheter is inserted and extracted through the urethra almost exactly the same way that intermittent and indwelling (Foley) catheters.
Fully-Internal - The Connected Catheter is fully internal to the body. The valve is positioned at the base of the penis and is easily actuated by the user.
Quickly Inserted/Removed - Our insertion/extraction mechanism allows a clinician or user to insert/remove the device so that it can be removed in the event of Autonomic Dysreflexia or any other issue.
Connected - Our device wirelessly relays pressure data to an external device that alerts a user when their bladder is full and about to void. This also offers clinicians the opportunity to utilize predictive analytics and advanced software algorithms to make more informed decisions.
The Impact
Many people don't realize just how debilitating the conditions associated with paralysis can be. It is common for people to see a wheelchair and think "Oh man, that must be really tough because he/she can't walk." I thought the same thing before my injury but what I learned was that the human body was not designed to spend the entire day in a seated position. A variety of secondary conditions result from this issue that is often more troubling than the mobility issue.
In peer-reviewed research, a doctor asked paraplegics and quadriplegics what function they would choose to return if they had the option and paraplegics reported Trunk Stability, Sexual Function, and Bowel/Bladder Function all as more important than the ability to walk.
This is similar for quadriplegics except that they also would rather regain Hand/Arm function ahead of walking in addition to the Trunk Stability, Sexual Function, and Bowel/Bladder function. This is the truth that most people don't see and prefer not to talk about (because it can be embarrassing).
The Impact the Connected Catheter can have is vast. One Urologist with over two decades of experience treating Neurogenic Bladder said …
"Imagine the improvement in quality of life for the millions of patients who wear permanent indwelling urinary catheters or do intermittent catheterizations... As someone who has managed thousands of patients with neurogenic bladder and urine retention who need the assistance of a catheter to maintain renal function, this device could be revolutionary in its impact."
http://www.spinalsingularity.com Phone: 470-222-5323 Email: [email protected]
Connected Catheter