Female Urinary Device

Abstract

A female urinary device comprising a tubular body defining a fluid reservoir and provided with structure at one end with insertion within a vaginal cavity whereby the body is mounted in fluid communication therewith. The opposite end of the body is adapted to be coupled to a receptacle and the body is shaped to define a fluid reservoir. Means is provided to maintain the structure at least partially inserted within the cavity to thereby dispose the body in an operative position.

Description

This invention relates to improvements in urinary devices worn on the body and, more particularly, to an improved female urinary device.

The present invention is directed to a device of the type described which is adapted to be worn on the body in a position to receive urine flow when the wearer is sitting, standing or reclining. The device is comprised of an assembly formed of a moldable, nontoxic material and includes a tube having means at one end thereof for mounting the same in fluid communication with a vaginal cavity. The tube is adapted to be coupled at its opposite end to a fluid receptacle and means is provided for holding the tube in place while providing maximum comfort to the wearer. The nontoxic material forming the assembly prevents harmful skin rashes and the like which ordinarily result when toxic materials, such as latex, contact the body. To this end, the assembly is formed of vinyl material inasmuch as vinyl is nontoxic and is extremely stable and has good storage properties at room temperature.

The assembly portion which contacts the tissues defining the vaginal cavity is textured in a manner to provide maximum comfort to the wearer. Moreover, the holding means is arranged to minimize or substantially eliminate any seepage past the assembly, whereby the area about the assembly is kept as sanitary as possible. The assembly is further constructed to permit the user to move about without irritation of body tissues and the reservoir configuration of the tube is especially adapted for use when the wearer is reclining. It is contemplated that the invention be disposed of after a single use but, if desired, it can be washed and sterilized and used again.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a female urinary device adapted to be worn on the body for relatively long periods of time while providing maximum comfort to the wearer and assuring substantially complete and sanitary disposal of urinary wastes even though the wearer is sitting, standing or reclining.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which can be held in place in an operative position by an absorbent pad whereby the device is not only maintained in place to receive urine flow at all times but it also cooperates with the pad to permit the latter to absorb any seepage in and around the device to thereby maintain the area as sanitary as possible during the time when the device is in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the aforesaid character whose configuration at one end is such as to permit it to be partially inserted into and to conform generally to a vaginal cavity to provide the desired comfort for the wearer, to avoid irritation of sensitive body tissues, and to provide a seal to minimize seepage.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing for an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device looking from the left in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the device looking in the downstream direction of the device.

The urinary device of this invention is broadly denoted by the numeral 10 and includes a tube or tubular body 12 which is open at both ends and has first portion and second portion 16 and 18 arranged in end-to-end relationship. Body 12 has a pair of opposed, generally flat sides 20 (FIG. 2) which are interconnected by a longitudinally straight end wall 22 and an irregularly-shaped end wall 24 (FIG. 1) whereby sides 20 and end walls 22 and 24 effectively define portions 16 and 18.

End wall 24 has a first stretch 26 which is essentially parallel to end wall 22, a second stretch 28 which is angularly disposed and connected to stretch 26, and a third stretch 30 which is essentially parallel to end wall 22 and stretch 26. The configuration of end wall 24 therefore provides that portion 18 has a maximum transverse dimension greater than that of portion 16, whereby portion 18 defines a fluid reservoir broadly denoted by the numeral 32 (FIG. 1). The relatively small cross section of portion 16 allows the same to be coupled to a conduit, such as a plastic tube for connecting body 12 to a fluid receptacle.

A mounting member 34 is secured to the open end of portion 18 and extends outwardly therefrom. Member 34 has an outer, tapered, textured continuous surface 36 which is adapted to be inserted into a vaginal cavity and to complimentally engage the outer portions of such cavity tissues. Surface 36 has a velvet texture to provide maximum comfort for the wearer to avoid irritation of the body tissues. Also, the outer extremities of surface 36 are rounded, as at the location denoted by numeral 38, to eliminate sharp corners which may chafe the body tissues. The outer surface 36 essentially conforms to the cavity-defining body tissues to provide an effective seal against seepage to thereby maintain the area around device 10 as sanitary as possible.

Body 12 and mounting member 34 are preferably of a one-piece construction and, to this end, are formed from a moldable, nontoxic material. Vinyl has been found to be especially suited for this purpose since it is nontoxic, is stable and can be stored for long periods of time without any substantial change in structural characteristics. Using this material, device 10 can be molded and the desired texture of surface 36 can be attained simultaneously with the formation of the remainder of device 10. For this purpose, the mold for device 10 in the vicinity of the area which defines surface 36 is initially sandblasted so as to form tiny pits. During the molding step, the pits form tiny projections on surface 36 to provide the desired texture therefor.

Means is provided for holding the device in place with the mounting member 34 at least partially inserted in a vaginal cavity. To this end, member 34 has an outer, continuous shoulder 39 projecting laterally from body 12. This shoulder cooperates with an absorbent mounting pad 40, such as a sanitary pad, having a die-cut, central opening 42 therethrough for receiving the end of portion 18 of body 12. Pad 40 abuts shoulder 39 in the manner shown in FIG. 2 and pad 40 is held in place on the body of the wearer in any suitable manner, such as the usual way of keeping sanitary pads in place during a menstrual cycle. In such use, the pad is urged against the body and, when held in this manner, it also holds mounting member 34 in the vaginal cavity. The die cutting of opening 42 allows for a tight fit of body 12 in the opening and the location of the opening provides that the pad circumscribes member 34 as shown in FIG. 3.

The absorbency of pad 40 serves to collect any seepage which may happen to issue from the cavity to thereby maintain the area as sanitary as possible. Both device 10 and pad 40 can be disposed of as a unit after a single use, whereupon a new device and pad can be inserted in place.

In use, device 10 is first inserted through opening 42 until pad 40 abuts shoulder 39 in the manner shown in FIG. 2. Mounting member 34 is then inserted into a vaginal cavity until pad 40 engages the area immediately exteriorly of the cavity. The pad is then secured in place in the usual manner to thereby hold device 10 in fluid-receiving relationship to the cavity. Then, a conduit is coupled to the outer end or portion 16 of body 12 whereby the body can be connected to a fluid receptacle. Thus, any flow from the vaginal cavity into reservoir 32 will be directed through body 12 and into the receptacle coupled thereto.

End wall 22 is made longitudinally straight so that it will maintain receptacle 32 drained at all times. To this end, end wall 22 is adapted to define the rear extremity of the device when the same is worn so that the wearer can recline without interrupting the drainage from body 12 into the fluid receptacle.

When the assembly is to be changed, the old device and its pad are thrown away and replaced by a new device and its pad.

Device 10 is formed from a nontoxic, thermoplastic material. Vinyl is suitable for this purpose since it is extremely stable and has good storage properties at room temperature.

Since device 10 can be easily and inexpensively molded, it can be made to have a relatively low unit cost to permit it to be sold at a relatively low retail price and thereby to be disposed of at relatively frequent intervals at minimum expense. This low-price feature allows the user to avoid infection and irritation due to prolonged use. This is extremely important for paraplegics and others who have no control over their urinary systems and must be provided with a device of this type at all times.

Device 10 can be made by a dipping process or can be made by injection molding techniques. If the molding step is carried out by a dipping process, the curing preferably takes place from the inside toward the outer surface of the device with the buildup of the wall of the body 12 and member 34 being controlled by the way in which the dipping occurs. The setting of the material is preferably done by hot atmosphere oven curing and the texture of surface 36 can be assured by the way in which the mold is made.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and describes, it would appear that other adaptations and modifications of this device can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A female urinary device comprising: a tube having a pair of opposed, open ends; a mounting member secured to one end of the tube and having an opening therethrough in communication with said tube, said member having a continuous outer surface extending longitudinally of the tube and tapering inwardly as the outer extremity of the member is approached, said member adapted to be at least partially inserted into a vaginal cavity with said outer surface of the member in engagement with the body tissue surrounding said cavity; and an absorbent pad having a hold therethrough, said tube being positionable through said hole and said member being engageable with said pad, said pad laterally extending beyond said member.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner extremity of the member has a flat end face for engaging the surface of the pad in surrounding relationship to said hold.