Intravesicular balloon

Abstract

An expandable balloon for insertion into the urinary bladder of an individual. The balloon may be used in treating the urinary bladder, in monitoring the urinary bladder or in the treatment of urinary incontinence.

1 . An expandable balloon for insertion into the urinary bladder of an individual, the balloon having a wall and a lumen.  
     
     
         2 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , being formed with a magnetable portion.  
     
     
         3 . The balloon according to  claim 2 , wherein the magentable portion of the balloon comprises one or more magnetable particles in the lumen of the balloon.  
     
     
         4 . The balloon according to  claim 2 , wherein the magnetable portion of the balloon comprises one or more magnetable particles attached to the wall of the balloon.  
     
     
         5 . The balloon according to  claim 2 , wherein the magentable portion of the balloon comprises one or more magnetable particles embedded in the wall of the balloon.  
     
     
         6 . The balloon according to any one of the preceding claims in which the balloon further comprises a self-sealing valve.  
     
     
         7 . The balloon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the balloon upon expansion floats in the bladder.  
     
     
         8 . The balloon according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein the balloon sinks in the bladder.  
     
     
         9 . The balloon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the balloon is capable of storing one or more compounds and releasing them into the urinary bladder.  
     
     
         10 . The balloon according to  claim 9 , wherein the one or more substances are stored in the lumen of the balloon.  
     
     
         11 . The balloon according to  claim 9 , wherein the one or more substances are stored in the wall of the balloon.  
     
     
         12 . The balloon according to any one of  claims 9  to  11 , wherein one or more of the one or more substances are drugs or antibiotics.  
     
     
         13 . The balloon according to any one of  claims 9  to  11 , wherein one or more of the one or more substances are radioactive substances.  
     
     
         14 . The balloon according to any one of the previous claims, further comprising a device for imaging the urinary bladder.  
     
     
         15 . The balloon according to any one of the previous claims, further comprising one or more devices for monitoring urinary bladder parameters and its contents.  
     
     
         16 . The balloon according to  claim 15 , wherein one or more of the one or more devices monitors a parameter of the urinary bladder selected from the list comprising: 
 (a) bladder pressure;    (b) urine temperature;    (c) urine density;    (d) urine composition.    
     
     
         17 . The balloon according to  claim 14 , further comprising a transmitter imaging for transmitting signals from the imaging device to a receiver.  
     
     
         18 . The balloon according to  claim 15  or  16 , further comprising a transmitter for transmitting signals from the monitoring device to a receiver.  
     
     
         19 . A system for treating the urinary bladder of an individual, the system comprising: 
 (a) a balloon according to any one of the previous claims;    (b) an applicator for inserting the balloon into the urinary bladder of an individual or for removing the balloon from the individual's urinary bladder, the applicator fitted at an end thereof with a gripping device for releasably gripping the balloon;    (c) an expanding device for expanding the balloon in the individual's urinary bladder; and    (d) a magnetable displacing member for displacing the balloon within the urinary bladder.    
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , further comprising an immobilizing member comprising a magnetable portion, said immobilizing member being secured onto the individual's body for immobilizing the balloon at a desired location in the individual's urinary bladder.  
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein the immobilizing member is in the form of a hygienic pad to be placed in the individual's underwear.  
     
     
         22 . The system of any one of  claims 19  to  21 , wherein the gripping device comprises flanges.  
     
     
         23 . The system of any one of  claims 19  to  21 , wherein the gripping device comprises a magnetable portion.  
     
     
         24 . The system of any one of  claims 14  to  23 , wherein the expanding device comprises an injector for injecting a fluid into the balloon so as to expand the balloon.  
     
     
         25 . The system of any one of  claims 19  to  23 , wherein the expanding device comprises a decompressor for decompressing a previously compressed balloon so as to expand the balloon.  
     
     
         26 . The system according to any one of  claims 19  to  25 , for use in the treatment of a disorder selected from the list comprising: 
 (a) urinary incontinence;  
 (b) urinary bladder infections;  
 (c) urinary bladder tumors;  
 (d) bladder dysfunction.  
 
     
     
         27 . The system according to any one of  claims 19  to  25  comprising a balloon according to  claim 18 , further comprising a receiver receiving signals from said transmitter.  
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 27 , further comprising one or more components selected from the list comprising: 
 (a) a processing unit processing signals received from the receiver;    (b) a display for displaying signals received by the receiver;    (c) a display for displaying an output produced by a processing unit.    
     
     
         29 . The system according to any one of claims  27  or  28 , for use in monitoring one or more urinary bladder parameters selected from the list comprising: 
 (a) urine temperature;  
 (b) bladder pressure;  
 (c) urine density;  
 (d) urine conductivity;  
 (e) urine composition.  
 
     
     
         30 . The system according to any one of  claims 19  to  25 , comprising a balloon according to  claim 17 , further comprising a receiver receiving signals from said transmitter.  
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising one or more components selected from the list comprising: 
 (a) a processing unit processing signals received from the receiver;    (b) a display for displaying signals received by the receiver;    (c) a display for displaying an output produced by a processing unit.    
     
     
         32 . The system according to any one of claims  30  or  31 , for use in imaging the urinary bladder of an individual.  
     
     
         33 . A method for treating urinary incontinence in an individual comprising the steps of: 
 (a) inserting a balloon of any one of  claims 2  to  18  into the individual's urinary bladder;    (b) expanding the balloon in the urinary bladder;    (c) displacing the balloon into a sealing position for sealing the urinary bladder; and    (d) displacing the balloon within the urinary bladder into an unsealing position for voiding the urinary bladder.    
     
     
         34 . A method for releasing one or more substances into the urinary bladder of an individual comprising the steps of: 
 (a) loading the one or more substances into a balloon according to any one of  claims 9  to  13 ;    (b) inserting the balloon into the individual's urinary bladder;    (c) expanding the balloon in the urinary bladder; and    (d) displacing the balloon within the urinary bladder to a desired location.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of the one or more substances are selected from the list comprising: 
 (a) drugs;    (b) antibiotics; and    (c) radioactive substances.    
     
     
         36 . A method for monitoring the interior of an individual's urinary bladder comprising the steps of: 
 (a) inserting a balloon according to  claim 17  into the individual's urinary bladder;    (b) expanding the balloon in the urinary bladder;    (c) displacing the balloon within the urinary bladder to a desired location within the urinary bladder; and    (d) transmitting signals from one or more of the one or more monitoring devices to a receiver.    
     
     
         37 . A method for imagining the interior of an individual's urinary bladder comprising the steps of: 
 (a) inserting a balloon according to  claim 17  into the individual's urinary bladder;    (b) expanding the balloon in the urinary bladder;    (c) displacing the balloon within the urinary bladder to a desired location within the urinary bladder; and    (d) transmitting signals from the imaging device to a receiver.    
     
     
         38 . The method of claims  36  or  37 , further comprising one or more steps selected from the list comprising: 
 (a) storing the signals in a computer memory;  
 (b) displaying the signals on a display;  
 (c) processing the signals in a computer processing unit;  
 (d) storing results of the processing in a computer memory; and  
 (e) displaying results of the processing on a display.