Project Description: 

More than 6 in every 10 women will, at some point in their life, be unable to toilet. For these women, the best options currently include the Foley catheter, a device that is inserted up the urethra and can cause infection and damage if not managed properly. Currently, there is a lack of external urinary collection devices for women with incontinence that keep them dry and can be used in both sitting position and when they move around.

Key stakeholders include not only the patients themselves, but also their care team, including nurses, nursing assistants, and their doctors, who prescribe solutions to incontinence. The global incontinence market size is about 10.12 billion a year, as 80 percent of patients are women. SAM for this product would be around 8 billion and SOM focusing only on the market in the United States would be about 506 million.
The UCollect system is an interlabial external urinary collection device designed for women, and comes in two main parts: the collection cup, and the attachment mechanism. The collection cup covers the female vulva area around urethra opening for maximal urine collection. It prevents the backflow of urine with a catch canal around the cup inside to minimize skin irritation from residual urine. The device can be kept attached to the body through a number of different mechanisms, including an intravaginal method, modeled after devices that are already on the market for intravaginal use, or with our specially modified underwear. The device is compatible with current urine collection bags, which can be attached to the leg or wheelchair of the patient for urine drainage. The device is washable and reusable, which makes it much more eco-friendly than single use catheters or diapers.