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Otis Bougie-à-Boule

Ball-tip urethral sound, designed by Fessenden Nott Otis (1825–1900, New York). Used for calibrated urethral luminal assessment — the ball passes smoothly through a patent urethra and "hangs up" at a stricture, giving both location and caliber.

Design​

  • Metal sound with a ball-shaped terminal tip
  • Calibrated French sizes in a graduated set
  • Curved or straight shaft variants

Key Uses​

  • Intraoperative stricture localization — the ball catches at the narrowed segment
  • Urethral calibration — largest passable ball defines the luminal caliber
  • Adjunct to retrograde urethrogram during office evaluation (less common now with flexible cystoscopy)

History​

Otis was a pioneer of American urology and the developer of the Otis urethrotome — an internal urethrotomy instrument that bears his name. He established the American tradition of urethral instrumentation and stricture management.

See also: Van Buren Sound, Guyon Sound.