Welcome to Reliance Inc.! Providing effective solutions for urinary incontinence At Reliance Inc. our goal is to help improve the quality of life for patients with incontinence through developing economical solutions that will help manage urine flow.   Project Description This project was sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Medical Instrumentation (RERC on AMI) and is part of the 2007-2008 National Student Design Competition sponsored by The University of Connecticut and Marquette University. The project was to design an Accessible Incontinence Control Device. The purpose of the device was defined by the competition: Design a device to allow the patient (or caregiver) to control and manage urine flow. It should 1) be easily used by a patient (or caregiver) with disabilities, 2) allow emptying of the bladder when desired, 3) prevent urine flow when not desired, 4) provide an indication of the status of the bladder. Facts about urinary incontinence Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of urine in a quantity sufficient to cause medical, psychological, or hygiene problems. It is a common and embarrassing problem that often goes unreported and, consequently, untreated. Urinary incontinence negatively affects the quality of life of affected individual and is sometimes so severe that patients avoid public interactions altogether. The National Association for Continence (NAFC) estimates that about 25 million adults in the United States experience urinary incontinence, 85 % of which are women.5 In 1995, approximately $26.3 billion was spent on direct and indirect costs associated with urinary incontinence.1 The severity of urinary incontinence can range from occasional leaking to episodes of strong urinary urgency.2 Urinary incontinence is often erroneously believed to be directly caused by aging or, in women, an inevitable consequence of childbirth. However, it is a common condition, not a disease, experienced by men and women of all ages with many possible causes, some relatively simple and others more complex.   To find out more about Urinary Incontinence and alternative treatments please visit the National Association for Continence: http://www.nafc.org/home/ For more information regarding the RERC-AMI National Student Design Competition please visit: http://www.rerc-ami.org/ami/projects/d/2/		Adjunct Device Product Concepts Universal valve read more >   Pressure Transducer read more >