US2869546A - Vaginal applicator - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 20, 1959 E. 5. CANTOR 2,869,546

' VAGINAL APPLICATOR Filed Nov. 12, 1957 INVENTOR. [DNARD B. CANTOR United States Patent 2,869,546 VAGINAL APPLICATOR Edward B. Cantor, Sherman Oaks, Caiif. Application November 12, 1957, Serial No. 695,928 4 Claims. or. 128-261) This invention relates to vaginal applicators and has as its general object to provide an improved applicator for the injection of vaginal jelly, medicaments, cleansing fluids etc.

The invention deals particularly with the problem of eifectively treating a cervix that is displaced from a nor mal position in the vagina, and in this respect the invention aims to provide an applicator having a bell mouth outlet especially adapted for accurate centering location over a normally positioned cervix but having in addition a plurality of lateral outlets for discharging medicant or jelly in an annular pattern completely encircling the vaginal cavity so as to provide a plurality of discharges one of which will register with a misplaced cervix sufficiently closely to provide for effective application of 'medicaments or jelly thereto.

Another object is to provide an applicator which is especially adaptable for use either in the application of medicaments such as a salve or jelly and which is as readily applicable to the delivery of a cleansing solution from a douche can. In this respect, the invention contemplates particularly a sectional applicator including a nozzle or tip, a cylinder detachably connected thereto and a piston. The applicator is used in the manner of a syringe for injecting a salve or jelly, the piston being removable upon separation of the cylinder and nozzle and the rear end of the cylinder being particularly adapted for attachment thereto of a rubber hose for connection to a douche bottle or can.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in :the ensuing specifications and appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an applicator embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view of the applicator;

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the applicator nozzle;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the nozzle taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view showing the filling of the applicator with a medicament or jelly; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the connection of a rubber hose to the applicator cylinder.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the inven tion may be embodied, an applicator comprising, in general, acylinder 10, a nozzle hand aplunger 12. In the form shown, the parts are fabricated from a suitable synthetic-resin plastic material by injection molding and machine finishing techniques. Thecylinder 10 includes a cylindricalmain body portion 13, a reduced, externally threadedtip 14 on the forward end thereof, and aknob 15 on the rear end thereof,knob 15 being defined by an annularexternal groove 16 of crescent-shaped cross section. Extending through thebody portion 15 and thetip 14 is acylindrical bore 17 terminating at its rear end in anannular shoulder 18 adjacent the forward extremity ofannular groove 16. Asmaller diameter bore 19 extends fromshoulder 18 through theknob 15.

2,869,546 Patented -J an. 20, 1959 Plunger 12 includes apiston 20 which is snugly fitted for sliding movement incylinder 17, anintegral stem 21 which is snugly fitted in and extends through thesmaller bore 19 and a button 22 which is releasably attached to stem 21 by means of a series ofrings 23 in the outer end ofstem 21. Button 22 may be of soft rubber or of an equivalent yieldable material with internal annular beads positioned for engagement in the grooves between therings 23 ofstem 21. Easy removal of the button 22 may be provided for by utilizing a button of sufficiently, resilientmaterial to provide for spreading of the neck portion thereof to accommodate pulling the ringed end of thestem 21 out of the button or pushing it back into the button as the case may be, the back portion of the button spreading to accommodate the passage of therings 23.

Amedicament receiving chamber 17 is defined between piston' 20 andnozzle 11.Nozzle 11 includes an internally threadedcollar portion 24 having internal threads to mate with the threads ofcylinder tip 14 and a bulb shapedhead 25 the end of which is provided with abell mouth 26 of frusto conical form. Thebell mouth 26 is adapted to receive the protruding end of a normally positioned cervix. An axially disposedpassage 27 extends from the base ofcollar 24 to the apex of thebell mouth 26 for discharging medicament or jelly directly against the mouth of the cervix as cupped in thebell mouth 26.

In an annular dome at the base ofnozzle head 25 Where it joinscollar 24, there is provided two series ofradial discharge outlets 28 and 29. Each of these series of discharge outlets consists in four passages radiating from theaxial passage 27, apart, the outlets ofgroup 28 being displaced 45 from the outlets ofgroup 29 as indicated by the full lines and dotted lines of Fig. 4. The two groups of outlets are located in respective planes, as close to one another as possible with a thinwall of separating material between them where they come together at thecentral passage 27. Between the plane ofopenings 29 and the rim ofbell mouth 26, thenozzle head 25 is bulged outwardly with an external surface that corresponds to an equatorial zone of a sphere, to press the vaginal walls radially outwardly slightly beyond the diameter of the nozzle at the outer extremity ofdischarge outlets 28, 29. Thus there is provided a narrow annular space between the nozzle and the vaginal wall, into which theseveral outlets 28 and 29 can discharge medicament or jelly.

To fill .the applicator, theplunger 12 is drawn rearwardly to the point where thepiston 20 stops againstannular shoulder 18. Thenozzle 11 is unscrewed from thetip 14 of the cylinder. Holding the cylinder in an upright position as shown in Fig. 5, the discharge neck of a flexible tube container 30 of vaginal jelly or medicant is inserted into thetip 14 as shown in Fig. 5, and a portion of the contents of the tube are squeezed into the cylinder. Thenozzle 11 is then reattached to the cylinder and the applicator is ready for use in which, after insertion full depth into the vaginal canal, theplunger 12 is pushed forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, ejecting the contents through theaxial passage 27, thebell mouth 26 and thedischarge outlets 28 and 29. In the event a normally positioned cervix is cupped in thebell mouth 26, the major portion of the discharge will be directed thereagainst. However, if the cervix is displaced to a point at the top or bottom or either side of the vaginal canal, the rim of thenozzle 11 may be sealed against the end of the vaginal canal to increase the lateral discharge through theoutlets 28 and 29.

The applicator may be readily converted for use in douche applications, by removing thenozzle 11, removing the button 22 from thestem 21, slipping theplunger 12 out of thecylinder 10, and coupling the knob to arubber hose 31 through aflexible coupling 32 adapted to clamp over theknob 15, as shown in Fig. 6.

I claim:

1. In a vaginal applicator, a cylinder having, a bore, a plunger slid-able therein, a nozzle including asbulbed head and a reduced neck portion for detachable coupling to the forward end of the cylinder, said cylinder having a bore in which is defined a medicament chamber, said nozzle having an axial passage for communication with said chamber at the forward end of the cylinder, 5 bell mouth at the forward end of said axial passage, for cupping reception of a normally positioned cervix, and a plurality of radial outlet passages radiating from said axial passage at the junction between said bulbed head and said neck portion of the nozzle, in equidistantly circumferentially spaced relation to one another, for discharge against an eccentrically displaced cervix.

2. An applicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said nozzle head has a convex external face of a contour corresponding to an equatorial zone of a sphere.

3. An applicator as defined in claim 2, wherein said cylinder at its forward end has an externally threaded tip of reduced diameter and wherein said neck portion of the nozzle is an internally threaded collar adapted to be threaded onto said tip.

4. An applicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said cylinder at its rear end is formed with an integral knob to which a flexible hose may be coupled for delivering an irrigating liquid through the bore of said cylinder after removal of said plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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