Has the maker sought legal advice? | Yes, on risks, sales wording, and patents [OK Prostate Chip]

This page is based on entries from "ok-lab's diary" (https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/), the Japanese development diary written by Mr. Okada, founder of OK Lab, a small company in Japan (Okada Comfortable Life Laboratory). Only the entries about "consulting patent attorneys and lawyers" are summarized here, in order of publication. Past prices and sizes are as written at the time. Current prices come from the official product list (retrieved September 4, 2026). Quotations are translated from Japanese.

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Note: This page is a personal reading log by someone with no connection to the maker or the seller. It reflects the source entries as of their publication dates and makes no guarantee of accuracy or safety. The product is not a medical device; talk to a doctor about any health decision. Check the official site for current information. This page contains advertising.

In short

• The diary records legal consultations, safety incidents, and limits on patent protection.
• Mr. Okada revised designs and documentation, and said in July 2021 that medical-device approval had not been obtained.
• In August 2025, he considered delaying a new release while seeking patent advice.

If you see blood in your urine, even a small amount or for the first time, do not wait and see. See a urologist right away. If you suddenly cannot urinate, or the device cannot be removed, do not try to fix it yourself. Go to a medical facility, including emergency care, immediately.

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About this product

The OK Prostate Chip is a small device that is placed in the urethra (the urine passage) so that it acts on the prostate; the maker sells it in several shapes, sizes and materials. It is made and sold by OK Lab (Okada Comfortable Life Laboratory), a small company in Japan, through its own online store, and prices are in Japanese yen (JPY). The maker's development diary, "ok-lab's diary", is written in Japanese. This page is an English summary of it, and every quotation is translated. OK Lab ships internationally, so readers outside Japan can order (see "Buying from outside Japan" below). Product names on this page are plain-English descriptions. The official Japanese product name is shown once in the product table so you can find the same item in the store.

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Before you read: key terms

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What happens: OK Prostate Chip legal advice

The OK Prostate Chip is a small device placed in the urethra, the urine passage, to act on the prostate. These entries describe advice from a patent attorney (an adviser handling invention protection) and lawyers consulted about sales risks and product wording. Their discussions concern the company's decisions about the device, including what to disclose, how to describe it, and whether to delay sales. Mr. Okada also records injuries and design changes alongside that correspondence.

Legal advice accompanied a long-chip warning after reported muscle injury

In an entry published in December 2017, Mr. Okada reported a long-chip tester's injury to the urinary sphincter (a muscle involved in urination). The tester described 24-hour wear over several days, while Mr. Okada said he had removed his own chip at night. He suspected that a long chip's position could put excessive strain on the sphincter.

He had also commissioned a lawyer's report about the risks of selling devices left in the urethra. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list. Mr. Okada said the advanced long chip would be sold for short periods only because of the greater strain.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published December 2017)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/20171231/1514712104

Legal advice preceded a decision against immediately stopping chip sales

In an entry published in March 2018, an anonymous customer reported that a connected pair became tangled inside the prostate and required hospital removal. Mr. Okada said this was the first hospital-removal report he had received; the customer wanted the incident recorded, without seeking compensation. After consulting a patent attorney and lawyer, he rejected an immediate sales stop but said repeated reports could prompt reconsideration.

He suspected a chip had reversed direction, although the anonymous report did not establish exactly what had happened. He announced that the leading chip would increase from about 25-28mm to 30mm or more, while acknowledging that reversal might remain possible. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published March 2018)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/20180310/1520672565

Patent advice ruled out an application for the electrode chips

In an entry published in April 2019, Mr. Okada described unsuccessful patent consultations about electrode chips (chips with electrical contacts). These had contacts for a stimulation device; he decided against pursuing a patent. The published fitting surcharge was ¥4,000 (about $26 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04) excluding tax, added to either the anal-chip price or the threadless urethral-chip price.

He listed the single-bump anal version at ¥9,000 (about $58 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04) and glass semi-long version at ¥7,000 (about $45 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04), both excluding tax. The short resin version cost ¥5,000 (about $32 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04) excluding tax, as published in April 2019. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published April 2019)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2019/04/13/150233

Patent advice stopped planned photographs before an application was filed

In an entry published in December 2022, Mr. Okada described disagreements with his patent attorney over a prototype's application. It concerned a retaining device (Gatekeeper), intended to keep the penis tucked inward. The attorney told him not to publish photographs even of an older version.

According to Mr. Okada's account, relevant blog passages needed to accompany the patent application. He therefore abandoned a planned email excerpt and revised which product features he intended to claim. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published December 2022)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/12/17/122643

Patent advice distinguished overseas sales from imports entering Japan

An entry published in January 2023 discussed a report of a Chinese-made chip offered through an overseas shopping website. Mr. Okada's patent attorney said OK Lab's patents (rights protecting inventions) had been obtained only in Japan. The attorney said overseas manufacture and sale fell outside those rights, but exports to Japan and imports into Japan could be challenged.

The reply described enforcing patent rights against personal imports as generally difficult. It distinguished trademarks (rights protecting product names), saying customs could stop personal imports when those rights applied. Mr. Okada said he could not assess the other product's safety and left that judgment to individuals.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published January 2023)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2023/01/28/122843

A ceramic breakage report appeared alongside discussion of patent advice

In an entry published in March 2024, Mr. Okada separately relayed a customer's report about a broken ceramic chip. The second sea-slug ceramic chip (Umiushi 2) reportedly broke in half, leaving about 25mm of its tip in the bladder. He expressed hope that the fragment would come out.

The diary does not record whether the fragment was removed or passed. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published March 2024)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2024/03/09/122635

Patent advice could delay sales of a new bladder-loop design

In an entry published in August 2025, Mr. Okada described a prototype with a nitinol (nickel-titanium wire) bladder loop intended to improve stability. His first loop using 0.2mm wire followed earlier experiments with 0.3mm and 0.4mm wire. He planned to consult his patent attorney and temporarily withhold sales if protection appeared possible.

If the idea proved too ordinary to protect, he planned to announce prices the following week. The diary does not record which course he ultimately took. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published August 2025)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2025/08/16/122934

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The maker's answer to OK Prostate Chip legal advice

Mr. Okada revised documentation, limited an experimental wire design, and planned further patent applications.

Legal advice led to separate product notices and proposed instructions

In entries published in July 2021, Mr. Okada asked whether instructions could accompany novelty goods (products presented as jokes). His lawyer replied that instructions conflicted with the position that such products were not actually intended for use. Mr. Okada insisted on documentation, received an acknowledgment from the lawyer, and separated the product description from what he called joke instructions.

He described the products as legally treated as novelty goods because the medical-device applications he discussed had not been made. The proposed instructions disclaimed responsibility for accidents and losses and made no promise of benefits or effects. Mr. Okada said prospective buyers needed to understand that the products lacked the approval described in his notice.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published July 2021)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2021/07/17/125832

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published July 2021)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2021/07/24/125923

Alongside patent advice, Mr. Okada limited an exposed-wire experiment

In an entry published in April 2024, Mr. Okada described testing ceramic twist chips joined by shape-memory wire (wire formed to retain a bend). He said the pair, connected at 90 degrees, stayed in place through urination and bowel movements. On inspection, he reported no obvious problem and no sense of relief that would suggest a large burden.

Nevertheless, he believed exposed wire must be pressing somewhere on the lining of the urine passage. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list. Mr. Okada therefore ruled out keeping that uncovered-wire arrangement in place continuously for several days.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published April 2024)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2024/04/20/122856

Patent advice shifted protection plans toward applications before further disclosure

In an entry published in October 2024, Mr. Okada discussed protecting devices made with silicone-covered nickel-titanium wire. He and his patent attorney considered design registration (protection based on product shape) too easy for competitors to work around. Mr. Okada said they chose to pursue a patent for selected products after discussing possible features to claim.

Already disclosed products would not form part of the proposed application. He warned that future product announcements might slow because some new designs could fall within its scope.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published October 2024)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2024/10/26/122649

If you see blood in your urine, even a small amount or for the first time, do not wait and see. See a urologist right away. If you suddenly cannot urinate, or the device cannot be removed, do not try to fix it yourself. Go to a medical facility, including emergency care, immediately.

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How OK Prostate Chip legal advice changed over time

The diary does not say what the current state is.

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OK Prostate Chip products related to OK Prostate Chip legal advice

No current product is directly tied to this topic.

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Common worries about OK Prostate Chip legal advice

The diary's correspondence asks about material disclosure, continuity of legal support, and how a proposed device works.

"Why did patent advice keep the resin supplier private?"

In an entry published in April 2018, a customer asked which resin supplier and product Mr. Okada used. The customer also reported adhesive failure in a self-modified long chip, leaving it inside the bladder for one week. The report says it eventually passed during urination.

Mr. Okada declined to name the resin after his patent attorney advised keeping manufacturing knowledge private. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list. Mr. Okada warned prospective long-chip buyers that complications could require hospital treatment.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published April 2018)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/20180407/1523090115

"Could patent advice continue after the founder's death?"

In an entry published in March 2022, Mr. Okada described a call from his patent attorney about the company's future. The attorney had read his blog and asked about maintaining legal support if someone else continued the business. The concern was how future disputes over copying would be handled after Mr. Okada's death.

Mr. Okada said staff had expressed willingness to learn chip production. He proposed handing over the attorney relationship once they had mastered that work. The diary does not record whether that proposed handover was completed.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published March 2022)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/03/26/123336

"What did patent questions establish about the tube design?"

In an entry published in November 2023, the patent attorney asked how a sample's tube structure allowed urine to pass. The looped tube device (Gourd Bougie) was a urethral dilator (a device intended to widen the urine passage). Mr. Okada explained that its hollow tubes were chosen for their flexibility, with urine passing through spaces between them.

He also described different tube lengths as balancing the forces that held the loops open. No matching product can be confirmed on the current list.

(Source: ok-lab's diary, published November 2023)
https://ok-lab.hatenablog.com/entry/2023/11/11/122638

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Buying from outside Japan

OK Lab ships internationally to countries covered by Japan Post's EMS courier service. Overseas orders are paid in advance by PayPal. Each order carries a ¥400 (about $3 at ¥156 = $1, rate as of 2026-09-04) handling fee, and EMS shipping is charged on top. These terms come from OK Lab's official sales-terms page (written here as plain text, not a link: ok-lab.net/docs/law), checked on September 7, 2026; confirm them on the official store before you order, because they can change.

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Summary of this article

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Source: ok-lab's diary (Okada Comfortable Life Laboratory). The original entries are in Japanese; quotations on this page are translated. Photos and videos are on the original entries.