Artificial sphincter urinary control system

Claim 1

An artificial sphincter system adapted for reversibly occluding a passageway in a vessel, said system comprising, a normally closed first valve adapted to be positioned in said vessel, said valve being actuateable to an open condition in response to external pressure being applied to it, inflatable cuff means adapted for substantially encircling said vessel and said valve to be opened and closed for constricting said vessel and said valve in response to fluid pressure; means for supplying fluid under pressure comprising a manually deformable, elastomeric bulb in fluid flow configuration with said cuff means, said bulb serving as both a fluid reservoir and a pump; flow passage means connecting said bulb with the inside of said cuff means, a one-way valve means in said flow passage means for normally restricting flow from said cuff to said bulb, said one-way valve means being normally closed but actuateable to an open position in response to fluid pressure from said bulb, and said one-way valve means being actuateable to an open position in response to manual operation allowing fluid flow from said cuff to said bulb, said cuff, bulb and flow passageway comprising a closed system through which fluid is adapted to reversibly flow between said cuff and said bulb, and said bulb having a normal expanded condition due to memory of the bulb when said cuff is deflated and a contracted condition when said cuff is inflated whereby when said one way valve means is manually operated to said open position, said bulb memory returns said bulb to its normal expanded condition causing said bulb to function as a two-way pump for returning said fluid from said cuff to said bulb.