Genital Erector

Abstract

Apparatus for aiding the erection of the male genital organ including a transparent tube for placement about the male genital organ and in abutment with the scrotum, and a vacuum pump for evacuating the transparent tube and inducing the erection of the organ. A flexible hose extends between the tube and the pump so that the pump can be oriented at substantially any position with respect to the tube. The pump is a hand operated reciprocating piston pump mounted in an upright attitude on a base for convenient operation by a paraplegic in a prone position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The erection and distension of the male organ or penis is a result of the inflation of the organ with blood. Blood must flow into the organ at a higher rate than it is allowed to escape to achieve erection of the organ, and at the end of the cycle the blood drains at a higher rate away from the organ through a set of subcutaneous veins which are located dorsally and laterally on both sides of the penis. The most common cause of failure of organ erection and distention is a weakness of the muscles which surround the case of the penis and function to restrict the outflow of blood for erection and distension.

While muscle failure can be partially compensated for by the use of elastic sleeves or similar devices wrapped about the base of the organ to aid the muscles in their flow restrictive functions after erection and distension of the organ, it has been found desirable to utilize a device to initially induce a flow of blood into the organ to induce distension.

Various devices have been developed for inducing blood flow into the male genital organ and the resulting erection and distension of the organ. These devices have usually included a tube or chamber that fits about the organ, and a pump or similar air evacuating device for creating a partial vacuum within the tube. The atmospheric pressure and the internal pressure of the male genital organ tends to cause the organ to occupy the space evacuated, which causes the organ to enlarge by the flow of blood into the organ. The various devices previously developed for this purpose have been partially unsatisfactory in that they are difficult to manipulate and control. Obviously, a device of this nature is most desirably used in privacy and with a certain degree of tact and convenience. Moreover, in the case of a paraplegic, traumiligic, quadraplegic, heraplegic, or the polio paraplegic who may have difficulty in achieving an erection, it is frequently necessary that the device be extremely simple to operate and operable from a prone position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, the present invention comprises a device for aiding the erection and distension of the male genital organ by inducing a flow of blood into the organ. The device includes a tube that fits over the organ and abuts the scrotum, and a hand-operated pump connected to the tube by a flexible hose which allows the pump to be operated discretely and unobtrusively by the patient or an assistant. The tube that fits over the organ is transparent so that the enlargement of the organ can be observed and controlled.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a male genital organ erector for inducing a flow of blood into the organ in a convenient, tactful, unobtrusive manner to aid organ distension.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for erecting and developing the male genital organ in a controlled manner.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the genital erector.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, in cross section, of the pump and valve assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows genital erector 10 which includes transparent organ receiving tube 11, flexible hose 12, and pump and valve assembly 14. Transparent tube 11 is open at both ends, with its base 15 defining an opening 16 of a diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of tube 11. An internal recess or groove 19 is formed in tube 11 adjacent its opening 16 and flange 18 extends outwardly from opening 16. Flange 18 is arranged to abut the body about the base of the organ while groove 19 arranged to accommodate the tubes in the penis leading up from the scrotum area. The other end of transparent tube 11 terminates in a nipple 20 suitable for connection to flexible hose 12.

Flexible hose 12 has one of its ends 21 normally extending over nipple 20 of tube 11 so as to communicate with the internal chamber 22 of the tube. The opposite end 24 of hose 12 is connectable to nipple 26 of valve 25 of pump and valve assembly 14. As is best shown in FIG. 2, pump and valve assembly 14 includes valve 25, base 28, and pump 29. Valve 25 is an airflow check valve assembly and includes ball 30 urged toward its seat 31 by coil compression spring 32. Bleed valve 34 communicates with valve 25 and includes branch conduit 35 and cap 36. Branch conduit 35 defines air bleed opening 38 while cap 36 defines air bleed opening 39. Cap 36 is rotatable with respect to branch conduit 35 so that its bleed opening 39 can be aligned with or rotated out of alignment with bleed opening 38 of branch conduit 35.

Base 28 of pump and valve assembly 14 includes conduit 40 imbedded therein which terminates in upwardly extending joints 41 and 42. Valve 25 is connected to joint 41 while pump 29 is connected to joint 42.

Pump 29 includes internal conduit 44 which is rigidly connected at its lower end to joint 42 in base 28. The upper end of internal conduit 44 has a flexible "leather" valve or washer 45 connected thereto, and jam nut 46 holding valve 45 to internal conduit 44. Jam nut 46 defines central opening 48 therein. Outer sleeve 49 fits over internal conduit 44 and flexible valve 45. Cap 50 closes the lower end of outer sleeve 49. Cap 50 defines central opening 51 that fits about internal conduit 44 with a loose fit. Compression spring 52 is located within outer sleeve 49 and extends about internal conduit 44.

OPERATION

When the patient or a medical assistant places the genital erector in use, he locates pump and valve assembly 14 at a convenient location adjacent the operating area, inserts one end of flexible hose 12 about valve nipple 26 and the other end about tube nipple 20. Transparent tube 11 is then placed about the genital organ of the patient with flange 18 in abutment with the body of the patient about the base of the organ. The patient or the assistant then reciprocates outer sleeve 49 of pump 29. Outer sleeve 49 is sized and shaped so as to be conveniently manipulated by the patient in virtually any position, including a prone position. When outer sleeve 49 is lifted away from base 28, upper chamber 55 above flexible valve 45 becomes progressively larger while lower chamber 56 below flexible valve 45 becomes progressively smaller. Since flexible valve 45 prevents the flow of air from lower chamber 56 into upper chamber 55, a partial vacuum will be drawn in upper chamber 55. Since opening 48 of jam nut 46 communicates with internal conduit 44, the partial vacuum of upper chamber 55 will be communicated through internal conduit 44, conduit 40 of base 28, to valve 25. When the partial vacuum is felt in spring chamber 33 of valve 25, ball 30 will be urged away from its seat 31, and a flow of air induced through flexible hose 12 from tube 11. If flange 18 is held in proper contact against the body of the patient, there will be little, if any, air leakage about flange 18, so that the partial vacuum induced in upper chamber 55 of pump 29 will tend to evacuate a portion of the air in transparent tube 11.

When outer sleeve 49 of pump 29 is moved in a downward direction, flexible valve 45 will bend inwardly around its periphery to allow air to flow from upper chamber 55 into lower chamber 56. In the meantime, spring 32 will have urged ball 30 into sealing abutment with valve seat 31 to prohibit the flow of air back through flexible hose 12 into tube 11 and maintain the partial vacuum in tube 11. When outer sleeve 49 is subsequently lifted, pump 29 again tends to draw a vacuum in tube 11. Coil compression spring 52 which surrounds internal conduit 44 and is confined in outer sleeve 49 engages the bottom surface of flexible valve 45 when outer sleeve 49 is raised to its upper limit, to prevent the downwardly extending flange of flexible valve 45 from being damaged during pump operation.

As transparent tube 11 is progressively evacuated by operation of hand operated reciprocating pump 29, the space evacuated by the air will tend to be filled by blood flowing into the penis, which causes a corresponding enlargement and erection of the organ. The transparency of tube 11 allow the patient to observe the reaction and control of degree of enlargement by a corresponding operation of pump 29. With a patient that has little or no sense of feel in his penis, the visual observation of the degree of enlargement of the penis is virtually the only control maintained during the function.

Base 28 is sized and shaped so as to normally maintain pump 29 in an upright attitude during the operation of the pump by the patient, without any substantial hazard of tilting or tipping over. Moreover, base 28 is of a weight sufficient to hold base 28 in abutment with a table top or floor surface when outer sleeve 49 of pump 29 is lifted to induce the vacuum within the tube 11. Of course, in a situation where it is desirable to have a light weight structure, base 28 can be fabricated of light weight material and a clamp, screw, or similar attachment means can be utilized to connect base 28 to the surface upon which it rests.

Since pump 29 evacuates transparent tube 11 when outer sleeve 49 is lifted in an upward direction, it is virtually impossible for pump 29 to inadvertently exert too much negative pressure within transparent tube 11, as might be possible with a pump structure having a downward pumping stroke. The requirement of lifting outer sleeve 49 thus becomes a safeguard against injury. Moreover, valve 25 is constructed so that it creates a substantial flow restriction in the airflow from tube 11 to pump 29, so that transparent tube 11 will not be inadvertently evacuated too rapidly so as to injure the patient.

After the organ has been properly enlarged and erected, the patient merely turns cap 36 of bleed valve 34 so that its opening 39 is in alignment with opening 38 of branch conduit 35, whereupon air is allowed to flow from the atmosphere through bleed valve 34 back into the evacuated space of tube 11. This relieves the vacuum previously exerted in tube 11, and tube 11 can then be removed from the organ.

To assist in maintaining organ erection, an elastic sleeve or similar aid can be applied to the base of the organ to restrict the flow of blood away from the organ.

Since flexible hose 12 is easily removable from transparent tube 11 and valve 25, the transparent tube can be removed from the assembly and cleaned after each operation. Moreover, transparent tube 11 is inexpensive and disposable. This feature of the assembly is such that sanitary conditions can be maintained during the several uses of the assembly, even with various different patients at close time intervals. Also, the size of transparent tube 11 can be varied as may be required and the length of flexible hose 12 can be varied as may be convenient. In order to further protect the paraplegic patient, an air pressure gauge (not shown) can be inserted into communication with flexible hose 12 in order to enable the operator to determine the degree of vacuum applied to the organ of the patient.

Genital erector 10 is usable in a program for progressive enlargement of an under developed penis. In such a program a small transparent tube 11 is initially used to induce an erection of the under developed penis and the tube size is progressively increased during the development of the penis. The tube size chosen should be the size which is only slightly larger than the penis and the tube should be evacuated to the extent necessary for the penis to virtually fill the tube. When the penis is able to develop to the size of the tube in an erection without the use of genital erector 10, the next larger size tube should be used with the assembly to continue the program of development. The tube circumference or length, or both the circumference and length can be varied in the penis development program to cause a corresponding change in the shape of the penis.

In such a development program the tube size should vary only slightly when a size change is made, and the evacuation of the tube should be substantially complete so that the penis virtually fills the tube. In this manner, the assistant to the paraplegic patient, or the patient himself, will not inadvertently cause damage to the organ as might occur if an oversized tube were substantially completely evacuated and the tissue of the penis ruptured.

While the genital erector 10 has been disclosed with the male organ, the function of the female clitoris is similar to the male organ and the genital erector 10 can be used in similar manner with the clitoris if modified in size and shape to correspond to the size, shape and location of the clitoris.

While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore.

Claims

I claim:

1. Apparatus for aiding the erection of the male genital organ comprising a substantially rigid transparent tubular member defining an open end and including internal dimensions sized and shaped to generally conform to the size and shape of a distended male genital organ, a flexible conduit communicating at one of its ends with said transparent tubular member, a pump comprising a hand-operated reciprocating piston pump mounted in an upright attitude on a support platform and communicating with the other end of said flexible conduit and arranged to pump air from said transparent tubular member and through said flexible conduit member only during a manual upward movement of said pump to exhaust the air from said transparent tubular member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein said pump comprises an upright internal conduit supported at its lower end by said support platform and communicating at its lower end with said flexible conduit, a flexible radially outwardly extending leather connected to the upper end of said internal conduit, an outer sleeve reciprocally mounted over the upper end of said internal conduit and said leather, and check valve means arranged to permit air to flow from said tubular member toward said pump and to inhibit air flow from said pump toward said tubular member, whereby the upward movement of said outer sleeve results in evacuating air from said tubular member.