Urinary catheters are thin flexible tubes used to drain urine from the body. Catheters have been around for a long time, according to URO Today Urology News:
"Catheters were used as early as 3,000 B.C. to relieve painful urinary retention. In those times, many materials were used to form a hollow catheter shape, including straw, rolled up palm leaves, hollow tops of onions, as well as, gold, silver, copper, brass, and lead. Malleable catheters were developed in the 11th century. In time, silver was used as the basis of catheters as it could be bent to any desired shape and was felt to have an antiseptic function."
I am relieved that no one has to cath using rolled up palm leaves anymore! Over time catheters have become more comfortable and they are made of latex-free silicone or latex red rubber. I remember when people were told they could wash and reuse intermittent catheters many times before discarding them. Now, it is universally accepted that a catheter should be used once and discarded. Modern catheters are all very similar and they are all made of the same general materials. If that is the case, what can be better about Cure Medical catheters?
Cure Medical Commits to Supporting Research
To start, Cure Medical sets itself apart from the other manufacturers of catheters because Cure Medical is committed to donating 10% of net income to Spinal Cord Injury and Central Nervous System research. Every time you purchase Cure catheters you are making a donation to researching spinal cord injury and central nervous system research. If all catheters are the same, Cure Medical is the stand out choice because with every purchase you are actively helping fund important research. It is important to note however, not all catheters are the same, not even close. Not all catheters are made with fire polished eyelets and not all catheters are DEHP free either. Cure Medical takes the extra steps necessary to make sure they make a catheter that is consistent in quality and material.
Why Are Fire Polished Catheter Eyelets Important?
Catheters traverse the urethra on their way to the bladder. A catheter once inserted will be used to drain the bladder and then the catheter will be removed. Many people think inserting the catheter is potentially the most uncomfortable part of the process. However, when you insert the catheter the tube is, or should be, properly lubricated. You can use a hydrophilic catheter or you can use a separate sterile lubricating jelly and coat the catheter before insertion. This lubrication helps ease insertion. Once inside the bladder, the urine will be drained and you will begin to remove the catheter. Now, some of the lubrication will still be on the catheter but definitely not as much as when you inserted the catheter. Hydrophilic catheters fare better and remain more slick than standard catheters. However, even a hydrophilic catheter is not as slick as it was when you started the process. So, the catheter is in place and you need to remove it. This is where fire polished eyelets matter. Those polished and smooth eyelets that are slightly recessed will not catch on tender tissue. The eyelets are polished and smooth so they do not add to the friction. They are recessed so they do not rub against your urethra. The fire polished eyelets make a difference when you insert the catheter. However, they really make a difference when the catheter is removed.
Cure Medical is Committed to the People Who Use Catheters
Cure Medical is committed to research. They prove this by donating to research in order to hopefully find a cure for spinal cord injuries. That aspect of their mission is clear and easy to see because it is everywhere on their website, it is even in the company name, Cure. They are committed to research in a more subtle but equally important way as well. They are committed to continue improving the urinary catheter for the people who use them. Whether you have a spinal cord injury or you need catheters for urinary retention, regardless of the medical reason you use catheters, Cure seeks to create the best catheter experience possible. Take the new Cure Pocket XL, it is 25" long and sold in a curved package complete with a packet of sterile lubricant. This catheter would not exist without the special approach to catheter development and research that Cure uses. The Cure Pocket XL was not thought of in a boardroom it was created because Cure Medical listened to the people who use their catheters. A man talked to some of the people from Cure while at a conference and told them what he needed in a catheter and they listened. This person wanted a catheter he could use from his wheelchair without having to transfer to a toilet seat or use extension tubing. Now he and the many other people who need the same thing have a catheter that works for them. This approach doesn't stop with the hardware of the catheter. When people told Cure that they didn't like having loose packets of lubricant getting dirty in purses and pockets, Cure included a sterile gram pack of lubricant in their packaging to make sure the people who use their products have it the way they needed it. From the Cure Straight Tip Male Hydrophilic Intermittent Catheter to the Cure 5" Ultra, Cure Medical thoughtfully and with the collaboration of people who actually use their products commit to making catheters that are always improving.
