The technology

Many patients with urinary retention problems require the use of a permanent transurethral bladder catheter, which have to be changed from every 3 weeks to every 3 months depending on the catheter’s material. Normally, the catheter is inserted by a home nurse or family doctor.

The majority of patients that experience repeated complications from the urethral catheter changing procedure end up visiting the urological polyclinic on a regular basis. The replacement is for the most part performed by an experienced nurse, or a urologist if complications arise. In complicated situations where the catheter cannot be placed into the bladder, it is usually replaced using a mandreng. This procedure involves an element of risk and can give the patient urethral damage. Therefore, it has to be carried out by an experienced physician. Alternatively, the urethral catheter can also be replaced by "guide wire". However, this procedure is more complicated, and requires that the patient’s catheter is modified with a hole in the tip.

The CathTract system enables less experienced personnel to perform the catheter replacement. Our experience is that home nurses doesn’t want to change the catheter, because they are afraid of causing damage to the urethra.  Please, take a look at our film in order to understand the process.

Patent status:

Norway: Norwegian Patent Application No. 327189

Europe: The present patent application comprising equipment for changing a catheter in the name of Urological AS has received a communication undr Rule 71(3) EPC and a EP-patent is expected to be granted within the first part of 2012. 

USA: Pending U.S. Pat. Appl. No 11/921,547