U.S. patent number 3,894,539 [Application Number 05/430,597] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-15 for medication applicator.
Invention is credited to L. Dee Tallent.
United States Patent |
3,894,539 |
Tallent |
July 15, 1975 |
Medication applicator
Abstract
An applicator for slowly applying medication to hermorrhoids
while providing firm support for the swollen hemorrhoidal tissue.
The applicator is a member of generally cylindrical shape having an
enlarged bulletshaped head at the front end and a toroidal
enlargement at the rear separated by a reduced tubular segment with
a plurality of perforations in its wall. Additionally, it has a
concentric hollow with an enlarged portion extending forwardly from
the rear through the tubular segment. A tapered stopper for the
hollow is provided for closure of its rear opening. The
bullet-shaped head is sized to permit insertion of the applicator
in the rectum with minimal discomfort, and the length of the
perforated tubular segment is such as to assure support for the
swollen hemorrhoidal tissue when the head is pushed into the rectum
past the sphincter. Prior to such insertion, the enlarged portion
of the hollow can be packed with anhydrous lanolin and plugged at
the rear with the stopper. When the packed applicator is inserted
into the rectum as described, the lanolin liquefies as it
approaches body temperature and seeps or drains out of the
perforations in the tubular segment onto the hemorrhoids.
Inventors: |
Tallent; L. Dee (Cabazon,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23708245 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/430,597 |
Filed: |
January 3, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/57; 604/215;
606/197; 604/275 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
31/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
31/00 (20060101); A61m 031/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/261,271,341,272 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Medbery; Aldrich F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Crowe; John H.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A means for the automatic dispensing of medications, in the form
of a salve at room temperature and liquified form at body
temperature, onto the walls of a body cavity by natural internal
body fluid pressures comprising a body cavity insertion member
having
a tubular intermediate segment having a hollow interior for holding
said medicament, said hollow interior being defined by a wall
having penetrating holes through which the liquefied medicament can
flow laterally outwardly from the applicator;
a bulbous head portion integral with one end of the intermediate
segment, said head portion being adapted to pass through the
sphincter opening and into the body cavity; and
an enlarged rear portion integral with the opposite end of the
intermediate segment, said rear portion being adapted to provide an
enclosure for the applicator at the rear;
said bulbous head portion having a body fluid inlet opening spaced
forwardly from the intermediate segment and a hollow passageway
connecting the hollow interior of said intermediate segment with
said inlet opening; and
said intermediate segment being of a length to occupy the area of
the sphincter opening in such manner that the applicator can be
inserted in said sphincter opening until its bulbous head portion
passes completely into said body cavity whereby said inlet opening
is disposed within the cavity, and the intermediate segment is then
held relatively firmly against longitudinal movement in the opening
by the bulbous head and enlarged rear portions of the applicator
sandwiching the sphincter at the ends of said intermediate
segment;
whereby said medicament can be packed, in salve form, into the
hollow interior of said intermediate segment and said bulbous head
portion then inserted into said body cavity, and whereby body
temperature thereafter causes the medicament to liquefy, after
which said medicament is forced through the holes in the wall of
said intermediate segment onto the surrounding tissue by the
pressures of internal body fluids in said body cavity acting
through said inlet opening and said hollow passageway.
2. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 1 particularly
adapted for use in the treatment of hemorrhoids, where said opening
is the anus and said body cavity is the bowel.
3. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 2 in which said
enlarged rear portion has an access opening and an interior passage
joining the hollow interior of said intermediate segment with said
access opening, and which includes a closure for said access
opening, the closure being removable to permit the packing of said
hollow interior with said medicament, through said interior
passage, and subsequent sealing of the access opening against fluid
movement therethrough.
4. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 3 of generally
cylindrical character in which said bulbous head portion is
bullet-shaped, said tubular intermediate segment is cylindrical and
the hollow passageway in said bulbous head portion, the hollow
interior of said intermediate segment and the passage of said
enlarged rear portion form a longitudinal hollow concentrically
disposed conduit means within the applicator.
5. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 4 in which said
enlarged rear portion is of toroidal shape.
6. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 5 formed
substantially from a material selected from the group consisting of
plastic and rubber compositions sufficiently rigid for the purpose,
harmless and nonirritating to those human tissues with which it
will come into contact in use and resistant to chemical attack by
acidic and other substances of the type found in body tissues and
fluids which it will encounter in use.
7. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 6 formed
substantially from polyethylene.
8. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 7 having a
length of about 3 inches and in which said bulbous head portion has
a maximum cross-sectional diameter of approximately 3/4-inch, said
enlarged toroidal rear portion has a maximum cross-sectional
diameter of approximately 3/4-inch, and said tubular intermediate
segment has a cross-sectional diameter of approximately 1/2-inch
and is approximately 11/4 inches long.
9. A medication applicator in accordance with claim 8, in which the
wall of said tubular intermediate segment contains 12 round
perforations of approximately 1/16-inch diameter each.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to means for applying medication to
hemorrhoidal tissue, and particularly to such means for supporting
the swollen tissue while automatically feeding the medication to
the tissue at a relatively slow rate to provide relief for extended
periods of time.
Hemorrhoids are among the most common of human ailments, painfully
afflicting the great majority of persons at one time or another
during their lifetimes. Various commercial preparations for the
soothing and healing of hemorrhoids have been advertised and sold
for a great many years. These preparations have often taken the
form of salves or ointments and, because of the rather difficulty
accessible location of swollen hemorrhoidal tissues, have been hard
to administer in such a way as to give maximum relief. Although I
am aware that perforated dispensing tubes have been provided for
insertion, and discharge of medication, in the anus, such tubes are
designed for relatively quick insertion and withdrawal so
cross-sectional relief is provided for only a short time and the
swollen hemorrhoidal tissues remain painfully unsupported after
withdrawal thereof. For these reasons, namely, the application of
medication in discrete doses (which dissipate after relatively
short periods of time) and lack of support of the hemorrhoidal
tissue shortly after the application of each dose, the treatment of
hemorrhoids with soothing salves or ointments under present methods
of application leaves much to be desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have now, by this invention, provided an applicator of simple and
inexpensive construction suitable for the sustained application of
soothing, healing medication to hemorrhoids and simultaneous
support of the swollen hemorrhoidal tissues so as to reduce
irritation of the tissues to a minimum and relieve the pain and
discomfort normally accompanying such irritation. To accomodate
these purposes, the applicator is preferably of elongate and
generally cylindrical form, and has a bullet-shaped penetrating
head at its forward end, an enlarged toroidal base at its rear end
and a cylindrical midsection joining the head and the base. The
midsection is concentric with the head and base, and of reduced
cross-sectional diameter by comparison with the maximum diameters
of the latter. The applicator is formed with a concentric,
longitudinal hollow coaxial therewith, the hollow being of enlarged
cross-sectional diameter from the rear to an annular shoulder
forward of the front end of its reduced midsection, and of lesser
crosssectional diameter from there to the front. A friction-fitting
plug or stopper for the back opening of the longitudinal hollow is
provided as a removable rear closure for the applicator.
To prepare my novel applicator for use, the enlarged portion of its
longitudinal hollow is packed with a suitable salve or ointment and
the closure plug is inserted into the rear opening of the hollow to
prevent subsequent escape of the medication through that opening.
The salve or ointment can be any commercially available salve or
ointment for the treatment of hemorrhoids, such as, for example,
the well-known "Preparation H". Preferably, however, it will be
anhydrous lanolin, which I have found ideally suitable as a
healing, soothing medication for hemorrhoids. Insofar as I am
aware, no one has yet proposed the use of anhydrous lanolin for
this purpose. As will shortly be evident, the salve or ointment
must be of a type that is liquid at body temperature, anhydrous
lanolin being, of course, a material of this type. Anhydrous
lanolin is also water soluble, a desirable property in a
hemorrhoidal treatment ointment.
After the applicator is packed with medication as described, its
bullet-shaped head is inserted into the rectum of the user until
the head clears his sphincter. Some of the medication can be
smeared on the outside of the applicator, and particularly its
head, to serve as a lubricant and make the insertion easier, if
desired. After the applicator has been fully inserted, it remains
in position with its reduced midsection in contact with the
patient's hemorrhoids, and is prevented from substantial movement
out of position by the head at one end and toroidal base at the
other. For best effectiveness, the midsection is sized to fully
occupy the sphincter opening (anus) so as to prevent longitudinal
slippage of the applicator within that opening. I have found a
midsection length of about 11/4 inches to provide a satisfactory
fit, in this respect, for the average adult. The longitudinal
hollow within the applicator is preferably of large enough diameter
so that the wall of the reduced midsection of the device is
relatively thin, yet thick enough to remain substantially rigid
under conditions of use.
The inserted applicator can be left in place for long enough to
permit liquefaction of substantially all of the medication in its
longitudinal hollow, if desired, or, for a longer time than this.
As the medication liquefies under the influence of body heat, it
seeps out of the applicator through the holes in its midsection
wall, to bathe the swollen hemorrhoidal tissues with a soothing
balm. At the same time, the hemorrhoids are supported in such a way
as to be free of painful, rubbing contact with one another, so that
frictional irritation is kept to a minimum and healing is
accelerated. While these objects can be accomplished by leaving the
applicator in position just long enough to permit liquefaction and
drainage of the medication therefrom (for example, for a period of
half an hour or so), longer residence times, such as, for example,
periods of two or three hours or even for as long as all night, are
sometimes preferable for better healing effect or to avoid the
necessity of removing the applicator at inconvenient times.
The novel applicator of this invention can be made of any
relatively soft material capable of use as described without
discomfort or harm to inflamed hemorrhoidal tissues and tough and
durable enough for the purpose. Additionally, the material should
be one which is resistant to attack by body chemicals such as the
acids found in those tissues and fluids with which it will come
into contact in use. Various plastic and rubber materials known to
those skilled in the art fit these requirements, a preferred one of
which is polyethylene. The applicator is of extremely simple
construction, and can be easily manufactured by known techniques at
low enough cost for wide distribution to virtually anyone in need
of the soothing and healing relief it makes possible.
It is thus a principal object of this invention to provide
hemorrhoid medication application means of simple and inexpensive
construction.
It is another object of the invention to provide such means for the
sustained bathing of inflamed hemorrhoidal tissues with soothing
medication and simultaneous support of the tissues in a way to
reduce irritation thereof to a minimum during the bathing
process.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such means in
the form of an applicator which can be left in its normal position
of use for relatively long periods of time to ease the pain and
irritation of swollen hemorrhoidal tissues and/or avoid the
discomfort of removal during the night or at any other inconvenient
time.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent in the light of subsequent disclosures herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of medication
applicator in accordance with this invention.
FIG. 2 is a view, mostly in longitudinal section, of the FIG. 1
applicator.
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a modified version
of the applicator.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Considering now the drawing in greater detail, there is shown
generally at 10, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the
medication applicator of this invention. The applicator 10 is of
generally tubular character, having a concentric longitudinal
passageway 19 running therethrough from end to end, and being of
round cross section throughout. At its forward end, the applicator
has an enlarged, bullet-shaped head 12, and at its rear end, a
toroidal base 14. Separating the head 12 and base 14 is a
relatively thin-walled midsection 16 having a plurality of
perforations 18 distributed fairly uniformly around its
circumference, all as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Applicator 10
is formed from a fairly rigid type of plastic (preferably
polyethylene) meeting the requirements previously set forth
herein.
Internal passageway 19 of applicator 10 is divided into two
portions, namely, a diametrically enlarged rear portion 20, running
from the base of the applicator to an annular shoulder 24 situated
in front of the forward end of the perforated midsection 16, and a
diametrically reduced forward portion 22, running from this
shoulder to the front end of said applicator. Applicator 10 is
provided with a tapered plug or stopper 26, sized for frictional
engagement with the rear opening of the enlarged segment 20 of
passageway 19. This plug or stopper can be made of the same
material as the main body of the applicator, or of any other
suitable material.
As will be clear from previous disclosures herein, applicator 10 is
prepared for use by packing or loading at least the enlarged
portion 20 of passageway 19 with a suitable salve or ointment for
the soothing and/or healing of hemorrhoids and then closing the
rear end of the passageway with the plug or stopper 26. Normally,
some of the salve or ointment will be unintentionally smeared on
the outer surfaces of the applicator during the loading process,
but if not, these outer surfaces can be intentionally lubricated
with the salve or ointment for enhanced ease of use. The applicator
is then inserted, head first, into the rectum of the user, until
the enlarged head 12 clears his sphincter. At this point, the
applicator is retained firmly in position by the sphincter, and its
salve or ointment charge begins to liquefy as its temperature is
raised by the body heat of the user. As the salve liquefies, it
seeps out of the applicator through the perforations 18 in the
midsection of said applicator, to bathe and soothe the inflamed
hemorrhoidal tissues thereadjacent. This medication seepage
continues until substantially all of the salve or ointment in the
applicator is liquefied and escapes through the perforations 18.
The applicator can then be removed, if desired, or left in position
to support the user's swollen hemorrhoidal tissues for a period of
several hours, or even for as long as all night, if this appears
desirable to promote healing of said tissues or to avoid
unnecessary discomfort to the user. For reasons already given, my
preferred medication for use in applicator 10 is anhydrous
lanolin.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, applicator 10 can
be easily fabricated, using known techniques, from relatively
inexpensive stock materials, to permit its distribution and sale at
prices within the reach of virtually anyone. One way of
manufacturing the applicator would be to obtain tubular plastic
stock having an inside diameter equal to that of the reduced
portion 22 of its internal passageway and an outside diameter equal
to the maximum diameter of its head or toroidal base, externally
shape segments of the tubular stock equal to the length of the
applicator into the form illustrated in the drawing, enlarge an
appropriate portion of the bore of each applicator segment of the
stock and perforate the tubular midsection portion of each
applicator as necessary to complete the fabrication thereof. This
method of manufacture will result in some wastage of material,
however. A way of avoiding this wastage would be to assemble the
applicator from separately manufactured segments designed to fit
together in such a way as to provide a product of similar size and
shape to applicator 10. FIG. 3 shows such an applicator at 28,
formed from a separate head segment 30, a tubular midsection
segment 32, and a toroidal base segment 34. These parts can be
separately manufactured and glued or melded together with a
suitable adhesive or solvent cement in the manner indicated in FIG.
3.
Applicator 10 or 28 can, of course, vary in its dimensions as
necessary to fit individual users. For fairly universal
applicability, however, the applicator can have a length of about 3
inches, maximum head and toroidal base diameters of approximately
3/4 inch each, a midsection length of about 11/4 inch, an inside
diameter of about 1/8 inch throughout the length of the reduced
portion of its longitudinal passageway, an inside diameter of
approximately 1/4 inch throughout the length of the enlarged
portion of its longitudinal passageway, an outside diameter of
about 1/2 inch throughout the length of its tubular midsection, and
midsection perforations of approximately 1/16 inch diameter each.
The number of the midsection perforations can vary within the scope
of my invention, 12 or 16 being, perhaps, fairly typically
representative of an optimum number.
While the novel medication applicator of this invention has been
herein illustrated and described in what are considered to be the
preferred embodiments, there are, as will be appreciated,
variations of these embodiments within the scope of the invention.
Certain of these variations have already been mentioned, and others
will occur to those skilled in the art in the light of present
teachings. Examples of the latter result when noncritical changes
are made in the shapes and arrangements of the various parts or
features of the illustrated applicator, equivalent materials of
construction are substituted for the preferred materials, etc.
In summary, the scope of the present invention extends to all
variant forms thereof encompassed by the language of the following
claims.
* * * * *