Soft Health Technologies has received a patent for a revolutionary new product designed to liberate the millions of women who experience mild to moderate bladder leaks, clinically known as stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Finess is a first-of-its-kind, over-the-counter disposable patch that stops bladder leaks before they start. The soft, comfortable single-use device is worn externally over the urethral opening to create a leak-proof seal. Issued on July 3, 2018, Finess’ newest U.S. patent protects its technology which utilizes a gentle hydrogel technology to stop leaks from occurring by providing broad coverage through a single discreet device.  

“Until recently, there has been little or no innovation in the fem-tech space or the burgeoning fem-care market,” says Soft Health Technologies co-founder and chief marketing officer Jenna Anderson, who has been on the leading edge of innovation in healthcare and technology throughout her career. “In the same way the invention of the tampon in the 1920s finally brought women across the globe a modern solution to feminine protection, Finess is bringing the bladder leak market into the 21st century—and it’s about time. This new patent will not only enable Finess to bring relief to a long-underserved market, but also disrupt a growing $7 billion global industry—of which the U.S. share accounts for $2 billion—currently dominated by a couple of companies offering women few alternatives for dealing with bladder leaks other than bulky absorbent pads and invasive internal bladder supports.”

SUI affects one in three adult females over 30 worldwide. It occurs commonly after childbirth and with the aging process and impacts the quality of life of more than 20 million women in the U.S. who experience unexpected bladder leakage during activities like running, dancing and jumping, as well as simple everyday actions such as sneezing, coughing and laughing. Recognizing that none of the existing options offered in the incontinence market, nor surgery, consider a woman’s active lifestyle, body form or the desire for something more discreet and less invasive, Soft Health Technologies created Finess to provide women with light to moderate SUI a new level of protection, confidence and simplicity.

“Unlike any other product, Finess offers bladder-leak defense without discomfort, wetness, residue or odor,” adds Anderson. “More importantly, it gives women the freedom they deserve to live life unencumbered by the challenges they face as females—and the courage to change the conversation about a subject that has been difficult to broach. Based on the early commercial sales of more than 500,000 Finess softpatches, we know we are well on the way to fulfilling our mission of empowering women to laugh often, worry less and enjoy all of life’s moments—leak free.”