7 replies to this topic

[Apparelyzed]

I just posted this brainwave on the SIA board, but thought I'd post it here as well as it would be of interest to our readers.

Wouldn't it be great if those with an S.P.C could have a pressure sensing valve attached to their catheter?

I'm thinking along the lines of a pressure cooker, which when the pressure builds up in the pan, a pre-determined pressure relieves the valve and lets the pressure out.

Of course, applied to the bladder, when a certain pressure built up, the valve would be triggered allowing the flow of urine untill the bladder was empty.

I'm sure this could be done, and it would save so much agro with "clip and release".

Anyone out there want to develop this idea, Coloplast, Bard, ...Anyone?

Contact me for royalty fees, or just credit this idea to www.apparelyzed.com, but cash is King.

Simon.

[Rye]

I hear you there! I would be happy to find an antireflux valve that connects to my catheter to prevent backflow of urine from the tubing to the bag with the antirelex valve. Most infections are caused from urine backflowing from tubing into the bladder. If one exsist please post a link. I'm getting tired of UTI's! The pressure valve would be the best though.

[russ1]

Simon it's a cracking good idea but a bit more complicated than the pressure relief valve which just prevents too much pressure rather than releasing all the pressure. I can't think of a way it could be done with a simple valve and of course everyones pressure would need to be different. I suspect we'd be getting into the realms of some sort of electronic control.

I'm lucky (or not depending on how you view it), I just don't leak even when I get very full. Once my bladder is full I get early symptoms of AD and then flip the valve. Then all I have to do is to remember to close it again. It does mean that I have no fail safe mechanism if the catheter blocks or anything like that but so far that's not been an issue <touchwood> since I went onto a SPC. Had a very serious AD episode in Rehab when I was trying to start on intermittents which wouldn't go in though and I had no way to empty the bladder which got seriously overfull. Reminds me I really should get some GTN spray at home - if anything happens at the moment it'd be 999 and hope they arrived before the cardiac arrest.

Rye - a good leg bag should have a anti reflux valve - try manfred sauer leg bags. I changed to them after a suggestion on here and they have just such a valve.

[Rye]

Russ,

I use the UroCare bags with the antireflex valves. They work excellent by keeping the urine in the bag but the infections come from the tubing that connects to the bag and to the catheter. I would like a antireflex device that connects to the catheter and keeps the urine from backflowing into the catheter. Any suggestions?

[russ1]

Rye, on May 19 2006, 01:35 PM, said:

I use the UroCare bags with the antireflex valves. They work excellent by keeping the urine in the bag but the infections come from the tubing that connects to the bag and to the catheter. I would like a antireflex device that connects to the catheter and keeps the urine from backflowing into the catheter. Any suggestions?

How's that work then? - in a sealed system if there's an anti reflux valve at the end of the tube then for urine to flow back into the catheter and then back into the bladder it would have to overcome the vacuum that would be formed. Is your catheter / tube interface letting in air? If so you need to sort that out but you should know if there's a problem there as it'd leak too.

These are reusable - yes? Are you reusing the tubes too? If so then are the tubes and bag being sufficiently sterilised between uses. You don't say where you are in th eworld but in the UK we're lucky that we get disposable bags supplied for free. I wouldn't dream of ever reconnecting a used bag (the bags over here come with the tubes connected although my cath connects direct to the bag.) as, so I'm told, thats where infections are most likely to get in. All the new bags are sterilised in sealed packaging. An infection could travel up through the system without the urine actually physically doing so but I'm unconvinced that an anti reflux valve would prevent the infection. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[kanga2433]

I am surprised that you are getting infections if you are doing the right thing and keeping the bag attached to the catheter except when changing it. How often do you change the beg? The advice in the Uk is to keep te leg bag attached fro 5 days and to change it then. I've been using an SPC since 1998 and not had a single infection.

I'm not sure how the valve would work for me, by the way. My bladder had an extension via a clam illeocystoplasty in 1999 to try and stop leaks via the urethra. That didn't work that well so I am taking tablets to stop it contracting. I think if I used a pressure valve the urine would be gone the wrong way by the time it opened!

[Apparelyzed]

Quote

I think if I used a pressure valve the urine would be gone the wrong way by the time it opened!

The valve could have a small dial on it for different pressure settings, once you knew the setting, you could set the dial for your bladder pressure.

Another idea is a magnetic valve, which when a magnet is passed over it, would release the valve. Take the magnet away, and the valve closes.

Simon.

[kanga2433]

The magnet idea might be rather good and one could have a drainage bag attached and quietly empty into it without fiddling with taps etc. Might be interesting in an MRI scan though. Let me know when ylou start to develop it.