Surgery – Sexual appliance
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-10-23
Lacyk, John P. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Sexual appliance
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306080
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the medical therapeutic industry and, more particularly, to the field of treatments for male impotence.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, in the male penis, an erection is produced when arterial blood flows to the erectile tissues of the penis, but the veinal return flow of blood to the body is restricted so that the erectile tissues become filled or engorged with blood. The restriction is normally performed by sphincter muscles which function in response to sexual arousal. Some men have various problems, e.g., advancing age, physiological or psychological problems, or premature relaxation prior to completion of coitus, with these sphincter muscles properly functioning. This often leaves these men unsatisfied with the sex act process.
By the recognition that penile arteries are located primarily in the deep interior of the male penis, and the return veins are located in a sub-dermal region along the surface of the organ, it has been known to secure a band of material around the base of the penis closely adjacent a user's body to restrict the return veinal blood flow. This assists in maintaining an erection while the arterial flow remains substantially unimpeded, i.e., the arteries are deep within the organ and protected from pressure by the erectile tissue.
Over the years, various types and configurations of bands for assisting in this restriction of the return veinal blood flow have been developed. Examples of such devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,432 by Koch titled “Male Therapeutic Device,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,800 by Rowland titled “Man's Erection Truss,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,251 by Edminster titled “Penile Erection Sustainer,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,227 by Osbon et al. titled “Apparatus For Augmenting Male Potency,” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,710 by Burgos titled “Disposable Penile Adjustable Constriction Device.” Some of these bands have been developed with a readily detachable fastener which allows the band to be positioned from a substantially open-band configuration to encircle the penis and fasten to a closed configuration. This type of band, however, can often be readily detached by loosening the fastener and is not capable of being stretched much in the closed position without the band or fastener breaking or the fastener detaching. The lack of stretching capabilities makes the band difficult, if not impossible, to use with a ring or band loading device which assists in positioning the band over the distal end and onto a proximal portion of a penis. Additionally, these types of bands require two hands of a user to fasten during the arousal state and can be cumbersome or awkward to use during this state, especially if an erection assist device is used as well.
Other of these bands, do not provide a fastener, but allow the closed band to be stretched for positioning over a distal end of the penis and moved to the proximal end, i.e., the base, of the penis for release into a penile constricted position. As suggested above, band stretching and positioning tools, e.g., a ring loader, have also been developed to aid in the positioning process of these bands. A problem with these types of bands, however, is that once the user is finished with the band and the band is in a tight constricted position, the band can be difficult to remove back over the distal end of the penis, especially over an enlarged organ and over the head of the penis. Also, a band left on a penis in the tight constricted position can cause bruising or other problems with the penis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention advantageously provides a disposable penile constriction device which can be both easily stretched in a closed band position for inserting over a male penis and yet can be readily detached without having to take the band back over the enlarged organ and over the head of the penis. The present invention also advantageously provides a disposable penile constriction device and associated methods which allow the user to readily break or tear the band for ease of removal from the base of a penis. The present invention additionally advantageously provides a disposable penile constriction device which can readily e molded in large quantities and yet still have the above described advantages. The present invention further advantageously provides a disposable penile constriction device and associated methods which can easily be used with vacuum assist erection devices, band or ring loaders, and other penile erection devices from various manufacturers and yet still have the above described advantages.
More particularly, the present invention provides a disposable penile constriction device which preferably includes a strip of bendable and stretchable material formed in a closed band shape when in a closed position so that inner surface peripheries of the strip of material substantially surround and abuttingly contact outer surface peripheries of a proximal portion of a penis when positioned thereon and preformed tearing means formed in the strip of material for readily tearing the strip of material by a hand of a user so that the closed band shape is separated to an open position and the strip of material can be readily removed from a proximal portion of a penis without the necessity of moving the strip of material over a distal end of a penis.
The present invention also advantageously provides methods of using, forming, and disposing of a penile constriction device. A method of using a penile constriction device preferably includes stretching a closed band of material, positioning the closed band of material over a distal end and to a proximal portion of a penis of a user, releasing the stretch of the closed band of material so that inner surface peripheries of the closed band of material abuttingly contact outer surfaces of the proximal portion of the penis, and tearing the band of material in a preformed predetermined tear region thereof with the hand of the user.
A method of forming a penile constriction device is provided according to the present invention which preferably includes molding a strip of material so that the strip of material defines a band shape when in a closed position and molding a predetermined tear region in the strip of material.
A method of disposing of a penile constriction device is also provided according to the present invention which preferably includes tearing a closed band of material mounted to a proximal portion of a penis of a user in a preformed predetermined tear region with the hand of the user to thereby open the closed band of material, removing the open and torn band of material from the proximal portion of the penis of the user, and discarding the band of material. The method can also include pulling a tear strap connected to the band of material in the preformed predetermined tear region so that the step of tearing the closed band of material occurs responsive to the pulling of the tear strap.
By the use of the preformed tearing means, a penile constriction device can readily be torn open by a hand of a user when positioned on a penis and then discarded, e.g., disposable. In other words, it is anticipated that a user will only use a particular penile constriction device once for each erection assisted episode and then a new penile constriction device will then be used. The penile constriction devices can advantageously be molded and formed relatively inexpensively according to the present invention. Penile constriction devices, including the one of the present invention, often are used in conjunction with a lubricant. As such, the present invention recognizes that disposing of the device after use can be quite desirable. Otherwise, cleaning or sterilizing such a device can be difficult, if not impossible, without significant damage to the device itself. Because a penile constriction device can desirably be disposable, the present invention greatly enhances the process of mounting and removing such a device after use and yet takes advantage of th
Hamilton Chris
Mitchell John
Snoke Phillip Jack
Allen Dyer Dopplet Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
Cadugan Joseph A
Lacyk John P.
Soma Blue, Inc.
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