Reusable catheter for long-term sterile intermittent catheterization

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Neurogenic bladder often requires long-term catheterization, leading to potential urologic complications.
• Current catheterization methods can be costly and inconvenient for patients, especially those with spinal cord injuries.
• Sterile intermittent catheterization is preferred but may not be consistently feasible due to cost and convenience factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a new, resterilizable, low-cost, and convenient catheter for long-term sterile intermittent catheterization.
• To evaluate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this new catheter for managing neurogenic bladder.
• To assess the potential impact of this catheter on reducing urologic morbidity.

Main Methods:

• Development and description of a novel reusable catheter designed for intermittent catheterization.
• Evaluation of catheterization time and successful use in a wheelchair.
• Estimation of the cost per catheterization.

Main Results:

• The new catheter is resterilizable, low-cost, and convenient for long-term use.
• Average self-catheterization time was 2 minutes.
• Successful catheterization was demonstrated even when performed in a wheelchair.
• Estimated cost per catheterization ranged from 10 to 20 cents.

Conclusions:

• The Wu Reusable Catheter offers a feasible and cost-effective option for sterile long-term intermittent catheterization.
• Reduced cost and increased convenience can improve patient adherence and quality of life.
• This approach has the potential to significantly decrease urologic morbidity associated with indwelling and external catheters.