| abstract |
A urine management system for human females comprising a novel collection device, a novel conveyance tube, and a novel storage container is described. The collection device is worn by the user in direct contact with the skin surfaces surrounding the urethral opening being held in place by an undergarment. The collector comprises a thin layer of pliable and water-permeable material through which leaked or voided urine passes and that is underlain by a layer of water-wicking material which may also contain one or more open channels for directing and conveying the flow of urine to a fitting connection with the conveyance tube. The conveyance tube, a novel thin-wall, flat tube, contains a spacer throughout its length to prevent the tube lumen from being completely closed and sealed off by kinks or twists in the tube. The tube can conform to the body shape of the wearer, expands as flow rate increases, and shrinks and flattens as flow drops off. Urine is retained as physically stabilized material in a storage container that can be either replaced and disposed of or emptied and reused with cleaning as needed. Physical stabilization of the fluid urine is accomplished using an absorbent or gel-forming material. The storage container's internal structure also provides a means for unique fluid transfer and retention capabilities. To form the entire system, the devices are serially and contiguously connected to form a continuous liquid pathway that enables removal of residual pools of urine, as well as transport and storage of urine at locations higher than the source. |