Artificial urinary sphincter: evolution and development

The first hydraulic artificial urinary sphincter came into clinical use in 1972. The original prototype has undergone many modifications resulting from advances in mechanical design, applications of new technology, and clinical experience. This evolutionary process has culminated in the AS800, the most frequently used hydraulic artificial urinary sphincter in the U.S. today. Although the AS800 device most closely approximates the biological urinary sphincter, clinical demands for an ever more ideal urinary sphincter require the ongoing improvement of this device.