Our Solution
Indwelling Urinary “Foley” Catheter
A Short History
In 1935 Dr. Frederick Foley presented a prototype catheter to the American Urologists Society. It was originally designed for brief use after prostate surgery; not months and years as is often the case today.
Today long-term use is very common and often results in painful friction and abrasion injuries in the urethra such as urethritis, urethral erosion, urethral strictures, pressure ulcers, genital pain, and UTI’s.
Proluma’s Solution: A Floating, Frictionless Foley
The Proluma Friction-Free Foley Catheter
The Proluma catheter is simple, unique, proprietary, and superior to competing products. It will be offered with standard tips and diameters in 2-way and 3-way lumen configurations.
The blue children’s toy demonstrates the motion of an enclosed toroidal balloon.
The model catheter shaft floats inside with no motion outside.
This red prototype works the same way, allowing the catheter shaft to float away from urethra. The urethra experiences no motion, friction, abrasion, trauma, or resulting pain and inflammation.
The balloon sleeve is thin, comfortable, and eliminates sliding and friction against the urethra.
Support for Proluma Catheter
American Urological Association - AUA
The AUA is the largest urology association in the world with over 26,500 members from 138 countries.
Proluma was selected for the AUA’s competitive Innovation Nexus and will be featured as a showcase company at the AUA annual conference in May 2026. Innovation Nexus contributors and participants include clinicians, industry representatives, investors, and the scientific community.
“AUA Innovation Nexus unites critical stakeholders to drive breakthrough innovation in the field of urology. It is our goal to empower and support startups from early- to late-stage with the mentorship, industry connections, and resources needed to turn ideas into impact.”
Urologists Support Proluma Medical
“The number one problem with Foley catheters is friction. There is no number two.”
Peter D. Sershon, MD
Blount Memorial Physician Group
Residency, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
“Foley catheters are painful and injure the anterior and prostatic urethra. Lubricants used with self-catheters (single use) wear off quickly and are not suitable for indwelling Foley catheters. Proluma’s toroidal balloon design eliminates friction and shows great promise to significantly reduce trauma in the urethra.”
Pablo Gomery, MD
Academic Urologist, Boston, MA
“Proluma’s toroidal Foley is a completely unique design that appears to effectively eliminate friction and reduce the urethral trauma that causes pain and inflammation and possibly contributes to catheter-associated infection. If human trials confirm what is apparent in the animal data, the toroidal Foley will revolutionize the use of Foley catheters.”
Douglas M. Dahl, MD, FACS
Academic Urologist, Boston, MA