A method of identifying a site for a perineal incision on a patient includes inserting a distal end portion of an intra-urethral probe into a urethra of the patient, and guiding the distal end portion of the intra-urethral probe along a length of the urethra no farther than a junction in the urethra. The method additionally includes transmitting a signal from the distal end portion of the intra-urethral probe through the urethra, and sensing the signal at a location on a perineal skin surface, where the location correlates with the junction in the urethra.

In one embodiment, a medical device includes a delivery tool having a carrier member, and a cartridge. The cartridge is coupled to the delivery tool. The cartridge defines an opening. The cartridge is configured to retain an anchor defining a lumen. The carrier member has a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. The carrier member is configured to extend through the lumen defined by the anchor and through the opening defined by the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the delivery tool and the carrier member is in its extended configuration.

A control assembly for implantation in a patient comprises a first unit adapted for subcutaneous implantation at a first side of a body tissue of said patient, a second unit adapted for implantation in a body cavity of said patient at a second side of said body tissue, wherein at least one of the first and the second unit is adapted to control an implanted powered medical device, and an interconnecting device adapted for mechanical interconnection of the first and second units to keep the assembly in place by the body tissue, the interconnecting device having a cross-sectional area which is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first unit and the second unit in a plane parallel to the extension of the body tissue.

The present invention relates to devices for treating or managing fecal or bowel incontinence and methods employing them. Such a device can form a seal with at least a portion of the bowel to prevent unwanted discharge of fecal matter from the rectum.

A sphincter augmentation device includes a plurality of bodies and a flexible band coupled with the bodies. The bodies define a first circumferential portion of the device and are magnetically biased toward one another. The flexible band defines a second circumferential portion of the device such that the bodies are arranged non-axisymmetrically about a central axis of the device. The device is sized to be positioned around a human urethra so that the bodies and the flexible band bear inwardly against the urethra. The device is configured to transition between a radially expanded state and a radially contracted state by the magnetic bias of the bodies to constrict the urethra.

A sphincter assist device includes a plurality of interconnected and adjacent links which define a ring. Each link includes a body section and a latch cam. The body section includes a first set of side beams and a first set of snap arms. The latch cam includes a post extending from the body section and a cam disposed at an end portion of the post. The cam is engagable with the first set of snap arms of an adjacent link. Translation of the cam displaces the first set of snap arms and the first set of side beams to transition the sphincter assist device between open and closed configurations. The first set of snap arms, in combination with the first set of side beams, exert a positive non-linear force profile on the cam, thus defining a non-linear force profile of the sphincter assist device between the open and closed configurations.

Methods are disclosed for forming tissue engineered, tubular gut-sphincter complexes from intestinal circular smooth muscle cells, sphincteric smooth muscle cells and enteric neural progenitor cells. The intestinal smooth muscle cells and neural progenitor cells can be seeded on a mold with a surface texture that induces longitudinal alignment of the intestinal smooth muscle cells and co-cultured until an innervated aligned smooth muscle sheet is obtained. The innervated smooth muscle sheet can then be wrapped around a tubular scaffold to form an intestinal tissue construct. Additionally, the sphincteric smooth muscle cells and additional enteric neural progenitor cells can be mixed in a biocompatiable gel solution, and the gel and admixed cells applied to a mold having a central post such that the sphinteric smooth muscle and neural progenitor cells can be cultured to form an innervated sphincter construct around the mold post. This innervated sphincter construct can also be transferred to the tubular scaffold such that the intestinal tissue construct and sphincter construct contact each other, and the resulting combined sphincter and intestinal tissue constructs can be further cultured about the scaffold until a unified tubular gut-sphincter complex is obtained.

A urinary incontinence prevention clip for men includes: a clip body having an upper frame positioned so as to correspond to the upper part of male genitalia, a lower frame positioned so as to correspond to the lower part of the male genitalia, and a connection part connected to one side of the upper frame and the lower frame and providing elastic force in a direction, in which the upper frame and the lower frame are spread; cushion parts respectively provided on the inside of the upper frame and the inside of the lower frame; and locking parts formed at both ends of the clip body so as to be fastened to each other, wherein the upper frame is formed so as not to press the blood vessels of the male genitalia and the lower frame is formed so as to press the urethras of the male genitalia.

Disclosed herein are elastic, bioresorbable encasements for medical implants, methods for making the same and uses thereof.

A spring (3, 3′) comprising a plurality of elements (30), each element (3) comprising a rigid portion (31) and a flexible beam (32), the extremities (320, 321) of the flexible beam being supported by the rigid portion (31), the flexible beam (32) having a single stable position, so that the flexible beam can be deformed when a pressure is exerted between said extremities in the direction of the rigid portion (31), and returns to said single stable position when the pressure is released, and wherein the rigid portion (31) of at least one element (30) is in contact with the flexible beam (32) of the next element between said extremities (320, 321) of the flexible beam (32), so that the spring has a negative stiffness over an operating range. The arrangement ensures a pure radial compression/expansion of the spring.