A Low-Cost, Easily Deployable Vesicovaginal Fistula Occluding Device for Providing Interim Continence
Name
med_016_02_024501.pdf
Size
1.03 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e2644ea4ceb6c7c671946593a2316ac2
Author(s)
Das, Madhurima
Hahm, Katie S.
LaRocca, Ava A.
Luna, Cecilia Alessandra
Mendez, Keegan
Hoffman, Rachel
Verheyen, Connor A.
Kim, Tesia G.
Wamakima, Bridgette W.
Roche, Ellen T.
Date Issued
March 2, 2022
Journal
Journal of Medical Devices
Publisher
ASME International
Citation
Das, M., Hahm, K. S., LaRocca, A. A., Luna, C. A., Mendez, K., Hoffman, R., Verheyen, C. A., Kim, T. G., Wamakima, B. W., and Roche, E. T. (March 2, 2022). "A Low-Cost, Easily Deployable Vesicovaginal Fistula Occluding Device for Providing Interim Continence." ASME. J. Med. Devices. June 2022; 16(2): 024501.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Vesicovaginal fistulas (VVFs), abnormal openings between the vagina and bladder, disrupt the lives of over 3 million people worldwide due to resulting incontinence and infections. VVFs are commonly treated with surgery after the fistula has had time to heal over several months. In low-resource areas, immediate incontinence often leads to ostracization from the community and can be devastating for the patient. To address this problem, we have designed a three-tiered silicone plug consisting of a bladder-dwelling disk, a midfistula disk, and a vagina-dwelling cross-shaped tapered plug, all supported on a central stem. The system is designed to occlude the fistula and enable full continence until the patient is able to access surgery. This proof-of-concept device withstands typical expulsion forces from the bladder and does not leak under typical bladder filling or urination pressures. The maximum device expulsion force is 3.69 N and it is watertight up to 9.8 kPa. It is designed to be easily deployed by trained community members.
Subjects
Biomedical Engineering
Medicine (miscellaneous)
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Harvard University--MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4053603
