Crtrader wrote:I have absolutely no medical or engineering background. I am hoping to get an implant within the next few weeks. I have been researching the implants currently available on the market and have come to this conclusion (again- as a layman): There is a duopoly, Coloplast & AMS- Bought by BSX. The design,engineering and technology seem very outdated. It just seems they are years behind what could be created at this moment. One prime example is all the comments on the pump being ridiculously hard to pump and operate. Shouldn’t it work nice and easy out of the box? I’m sure a team could design,engineer,and build something superior in no time. I think this medical device category needs some competition. In the meantime, I’m trying to decide which of my 2 choices I want.
It is tough to design a pump that meets all these criteria:
Easy to use without being able to see it or even to feel it very well.
Easy to switch between inflate and deflate modes
In a housing of extremely limited size
As reliable as any mechanical device can be made
Leak-proof (both external leakage and internal)
Having a single button to switch between inflate and deflate has GOT to be a tough design to create. Two control buttons would be pretty complex to operate inside one's scrotum!
I hear you on the need for a better device and "they" are working on designs. Heat-activated memory metal (no pump, liquid or reservoir required) is the latest I have heard. But it requires an external device to fire it up.
In the meantime, I still haven't figured out why they cannot break in the pump bulb before shipping it out. That seems to me to be simple enough and would have negligible impact on service life of the pump. Instead, the suffering new implantee has to struggle against post-up discomfort AND breaking in (softening up) the pump bulb. Sadists!