Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026
Evaluation of Biomaterials for Bladder Augmentation using Cystometric Analyses in Various Rodent Models
Published on: August 9, 2012
A Preliminary Evaluation of Ovine Bladder Mucosal Damage Associated With 2 Different Indwelling Urinary Catheters
James A Greenberg1, Anna T Grazul-Bilska2, Brett T Webb2
1Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Objective:
To determine whether a new catheter design with a low-profile, open-ended rounded rather than pointed Foley catheter tip can reduce mucosal damage to the bladder of ewes.
Methods And Materials:
Six ewes were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 indwelling urinary catheters-a 16 Fr Foley catheter or a 16 Fr open-tip CystoSure catheter. After 96 hours, all the animals were sacrificed and their bladder and urethra harvested for analysis.
Results:
Image analysis of the bladder surfaces demonstrated a significant decrease in the percentage of bladder area covered by ulceration and inflammation in sheep with CystoSure catheters compared with Foley catheters (P < .002) as well as a trend toward less edema (P = .17). Macro-morphologic evaluations were confirmed with immunohistochemical markers of cell proliferation and inflammation.
Conclusion:
In this pilot study, we were able to demonstrate that a new catheter design with an open-ended rounded rather than pointed tip and a reduced balloon base-to-tip profile may reduce mucosal damage to the bladder of ewes. Based on the findings from this trial, we believe this new catheter design with its low-profile, rounded tip may reduce bladder mucosal injury, which is a risk factor for catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
