More than three million women worldwide are paraplegic, for example due to
accidents or as a result of multiple sclerosis. What’s more, around 100 million women suffer from urinary incontinence. Paraplegics in particular need a catheter to empty their bladder since it can no longer empty itself once a certain degree of paralysis has been reached. The catheter is inserted into the bladder through the urethra and drains the urine from the body. Without this vital process, patients would die in less than three days.
More privacy for women
Since permanent catheters carry a higher risk of infection, paraplegics need a new catheter around four to eight times a day. Unlike in men, the urethra in women is hidden inside the body. This makes it difficult for women to change the catheter themselves, which is why they often have to rely on nursing staff for assistance. Not only can this be embarrassing for those affected; it also increases the risk of urinary tract infections — and thus the likelihood of developing bladder cancer later on in life.
This is where Urs Schneider, physician and scientific director for health and bioproduction technology at Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart, comes in. Together with his colleagues, he is developing a device as part of the 2LIP project that makes it easier for paraplegic women to catheterize themselves: “The situation on the toilet is often very stressful for those affected, causing them embarrassment,” Schneider says. “Our device is designed to help women with paraplegia regain their sense of privacy.”
The team has developed a seat that patients can use without having to leave the wheelchair or slide forward. Two shells hold their legs slightly apart. Whereas previously they had to sit with their legs separated by around 110 degrees in order to insert a new catheter themselves, the new device only requires an angle of 20 degrees. Patients can then use a lever to open their labia gently and with little effort. An integrated mirror and a lamp allow them to view their genital area, making it easier for them to insert the catheter hygienically and without external assistance.
Nursing staff also benefit from the development: The device provides physical and mental relief, saves time and helps to improve the quality of care. The first prototypes of the catheterization device are already available, and the feedback from patients, carers and insurance companies has been extremely positive following the first tests. The researchers are currently working on four to six different geometric shapes so that the device can be adapted to as many anatomies as possible. Driven by the success, the team is now planning to found a start-up to produce the device themselves. A comprehensive trial study is already in the pipeline. The device could be introduced into the market in just two to three years, closing a major gap in women's healthcare.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft