Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-23
2002-10-08
Chapman, Jeanette (Department: 3765)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S358000, C604S385010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06461341
ABSTRACT:
FIELD
The present invention pertains to the absorption of light bodily discharges and more particularly to a sanitary device for the absorption of light anal and vaginal/urethral discharges and to a method for its use and disposal.
BACKGROUND
It is well known that light amounts of anal and vaginal/urethral discharges require absorption for proper hygiene and personal comfort. The release of intestinal gas, for example, apart from normal bowel movements, may sometimes be accompanied by the release of small amounts of fecal matter, perhaps containing varying degrees of moisture. Such discharges may not be an occasion for a normal bowel movement nor of sufficient volume for such a movement, and they are usually unintentional and/or involuntary. Nevertheless, they are a rather common human occurrence, and although not often the subject of conversation, they usually require the attention, or at least get the attention, of the person affected. Some individuals, perhaps those of advanced age, may be more prone to such releases, but various foods or disorders of the digestive tract may be the cause in persons of any age.
Whatever the reason, such releases may result in great embarrassment and in addition may soil the person's clothing. If a clothing change is inconvenient or impractical, or perhaps not essential, the affected person must suffer the discomfort, either physical or mental, of the presence of the discharged matter on soiled undergarments. Even where no such matter is actually released, the person may not know this and may assume, albeit mistakenly, that the worst has happened.
Apart from such releases, undergarments may be soiled because of inadequate cleaning after a bowel movement. Even with reasonable cleaning, soiled streaking of underwear can occur simply due to bunching of the garment between the buttocks. Having to wear clothing soiled in the manner described thus leaves a person feeling unclean and uncomfortable. Presenting garments soiled in this manner for laundering is a further source of embarrassment.
The foregoing problems have been addressed in the Martrullo U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,335 and in patents cited therein. Martrullo discloses an anal filter including a layer of gauze and an overlying layer of fluffy cotton that is intentionally not compacted but is fluffed up into a thick layer and then folded over into dual layers prior to insertion. The patent states that such fluffiness is to provide for attachment of the device to a person and for gas pervasiveness. Although Matrullo provides no specific dimension for the thickness of the two layers, it may be inferred from his description and drawings that the thickness is about ¼″ when unfolded prior to use on a person, and about ½″ when folded (see
FIG. 2
of the patent) for insertion and attachment to a person.
The Matrullo patent also refers to the Brown and Davis U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,570,489 and 3,881,485 and their disclosure of plugs that are intended to be pushed up the anal canal and even into the rectum when in operative position.
Whether or not the devices disclosed in the Matrullo, Brown or Davis patents would be effective to absorb fecal matter as described above is unknown to applicant. What is known is that to be of any use, any anal device must be worn. If a device is uncomfortable to the user, or is difficult, inconvenient, undesirable, or unsanitary to handle, it is unlikely to be worn. Devices that are of about ½″ thick or even ¼″ thick when placed between the buttocks, or that fit significantly into the anal canal or into the rectum are unlikely to be used since they are very likely to be uncomfortable. Apart from physical discomfort, the mere bulk and/or size of such a prior device makes the wearer conscious of its presence. Such devices are thus unacceptable as a solution to the above-described problem.
The absorption of light vaginal/urethral discharges is perhaps an even more universal problem or at least is given more general recognition. Various devices have long been known for absorbing such discharges including products commonly known as pantiliners. Although such products are generally useful for their intended function, they are typically limited to such function and are not useful for absorbing other bodily discharges, such as the anal discharges described above.
SUMMARY
A sanitary device for the absorption of light anal and vaginal/urethral discharges and a method for its use and disposal are provided. The device includes a towelette and an attached string. The towelette is a thin, soft, dry, flexible sheet of absorbent paper material permeable to gas, absorbent of small amounts of moisture, and folded lengthwise into a pair of wings. The string is also soft and flexible and has ends attached to the towelette inside the wings and providing a relatively short outwardly extending loop. For anal use, the device is inserted between the buttocks and pinched and held by the sphincter muscle at the exit of the anal canal. For vaginal/urethral use, the device is inserted and frictionally held between the labial folds at the exit of the vagina. In either use, the loop of the string extends outwardly from the body and is accessible for convenient grasp by the wearer. The method involves grasping the towelette in one hand of the user and, with certain of the user's fingers inside the wings, pushing the towelette into the above-described anal or vaginal/urethral position, while minimizing direct hand-contact with these body regions. When neatly tucked into position, the device covers the anal or vaginal/urethral orifice with the wings flat against each other and in a position to intercept and filter light bodily discharges. The thin device is thus undetectable to most users and, when spent, is easily removed by grasping and pulling on the string and disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary device for the absorption of light anal and vaginal/urethral discharges and to a method for its use and disposal.
Another object is to provide a dual-purpose sanitary device that is alternatively usable for absorbing light anal or light vaginal/urethral discharges.
A further object is to absorb small amounts of fecal matter that may accompany the release of intestinal gas.
An additional object is to intercept and filter light anal or vaginal/urethral discharge before it contacts undergarments.
Another object is to avoid soiling undergarments either by fecal matter that is discharged when intestinal gas is released, and/or by such matter that has not been thoroughly cleaned from the anal region after a bowel movement or otherwise, and/or by vaginal/urethral discharges.
Yet a further object is to avoid the embarrassment of presenting garments soiled with fecal matter or vaginal/urethral discharges for laundering by someone other than the wearer.
A still further object is to give a person a feeling of cleanliness and well being notwithstanding the occurrence of anal or vaginal/urethral discharges or such possibility.
Another object is to provide a sanitary absorbent device that is undetectably worn on the user's body in covering relation to the anal or vaginal/urethral orifice instead of on the wearer's clothes.
Still another object is to absorb and filter light anal or vaginal/urethral discharges at the immediate exit of the anus or vagina.
Another object is to provide a sanitary anal or vaginal/urethral filtering device that is so thin as to be undetectable to most users and yet has sufficient absorbing qualities as to absorb light bodily discharges.
Yet another object is to provide a sanitary anal or vaginal/urethral device that is pinched and thereby held in place by the sphincter muscle at the exit of the anal canal or that is frictionally held by and between the labial folds of the vagina.
An additional object is to facilitate the insertion and removal of a sanitary device that absorbs light discharges from the anus or vagina.
A still further object is to insert a sanitary
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