Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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DEVICE FOR EXERCISING THE VAGINAL MUSCLES
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices for exercising the
vaginal muscles.
The primary object of the present invention is to
afford a novel device for use in exercising the vaginal
muscles of a female.
Another object is to afford a novel device of the
aforementioned type which may be readily inserted into the
vagina of a female.
A further object is to afford a novel device of the
aforementioned type, the parts of which are constituted
and arranged in a novel and expeditious manner effective
to protect the female against injury during insertion
thereof into the vagina and during use thereof in the
exercising of the vaginal muscles.
Weakness of the muscles of the pelvic floor is common
among adult female population, and, particularly among those
who have borne children. Advanced degrees of weakness of
these muscles culminate in loss of support of the bladder,
urethraf rectum and uterus.
Exercise is a well established means of obtaining and
maintaining muscle fitness. Exercises may be classified
into passive, active and resistive categories. Resistive
exercises require the use of muscles against a force which,
commonly, is relatively small at the beginning of an
exercise program and gradually increases as the muscle tone
and strength increases.
The pelvic floor muscles support the vaginal walls
of a female. It is an important object of the present
invention to afford a novel device for use in resistive
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exercising of these muscles.
Another object of the present invention is to afford
a novel device of the aforementioned type wherein the
resistive force thereof increases with increases in the
tone and strength of the muscles.
Exercise devices for insertion into the vagina of a
female have been heretofore known in the art, being shown,
for example, in United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,507,858,
issued to Arnold Kegal; 2,541,520, issued to Arnold Kegal;
3,598,106, issued to Eric Buning; 3,726,273, issued to Ned.
S. Cole; 4,048,985, issued to Howard A. Sasse; 4,050,449,
issued to Frank S. Castellana, et al.; 4,106,489, issued
to Kenneth W. Martin; and 4,216,783, issued to Howard
Kaiser.
Exercise devices of the aforementioned type, which
have been heretofore known in the art, have commonly had
several inherent disadvantages, such as, for example, being
difficult to insert into the vagina; being painful to insert
into the vagina or being painful in use during exercising
of the vaginal muscles; being so constituted and arranged
as to create danger of injury to the vagina during insertion
thereinto and/or during use therein; or creating a maximum
initial pressure against the vaginal walls, which, in the
use thereof, can be the cause of injury to damage to such
walls, and the like and also because the compositions of
such devices are latex or rubber, such materials are
irritative to human tissues and difficult to clean and
maintain for repetitive use. It is an important object
of the present invention to overcome such disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to afford
a novel exercise device of the aforementioned type, which,
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when inserted into position o use in a vagina, exerts a
soft, yielding minimal pressure or force against the vaginal
walls, which force increases as the vaginal muscles are
exercised and contract.
A further object of the present invention is to afford
a novel exercise device of the aforementioned type, wherein
the parts thereof are so constituted and arranged that,
in ~se, the female using the device is able to recognize
the degree of muscle activity being exerted by her own
sensations.
Another object of the present invention is to afford
a novel device of the aforementioned type, which, if
desired, may embody a measuring device for indicating the
~t of muscle contraction taking place during exercise
by measurement of the volume of displaced air from the
dev ice O
Another object of the present invention is to afford
a novel exercise device of the aforementioned type which
is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be
readily and economically produced commercially.
Other and further objects of the present invention
will be apparent from the following description and claims
and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, by
way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment of the
present invention and the principles thereof and what I
now consider to be the best mode in which I have
contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments
of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles
may be used and structural changes may be made as desired
by those skilled in the art without departing from the
present invention and the purview of the appended claims.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a
device embodying the principles of the present invention,
to illustrate the presently preferred embodiment of the
present invention, and showing the device connected to a
vacuum pump or syringe;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing part
of the device in a different position, and showing the
vacuum pump in actuated position;
10FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2 but showing the
device being inserted into a vagina;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the
device inserted into the vagina and in operable position
relative thereto;
FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view taken substantially
along the line 5-5 in FIG. l;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a
modified form of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view taken substantially
20along the line 7-7 in FIG. 6; and
; FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the
device shown in FIG. 1, showing the device attached to a
pressure gauge.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS SHOWN HEREIN
An exercise device 1, embodying the principles of the
present invention, is shown in the drawings to illustrate
the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The exercise device 1 embodies, in general, an
elongated rod 2 having a distal end portion 3 and a proximal
30end portion 4, with a cuff portion 5 mounted on the distal
end portion 3, FIGS. 1-4.
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The rod 2, preferably, is semi-rigid and flexible-
pliable in construction, and may be made of several suitable
materials, such as, preferably medical grade silicone which
does not react to human tissue. As will be discussed in
greater detail presently, in the use of the device 1, the
distal end portion 3 of the rod 2, with the cuff 5 attached
thereto, is inserted into the vagina of a female, the
proximal end portion 4 of the device 1 affording a member
by which the device 1 may be manually retained in such
position in the vagina. The free end 6 of the distal end
portion 3 preferably is rounded, to facilitate such
insertion of the device into the vagina, and as protection
against injury to the female during such insertion into
the vagina and during the time the device is retained
therein.
The cuff portion 5 includes a substantially air
impervious medical grade silicone cover 7 and a body portion
8 disposed within the cover 7. Both the cover 7 and the
body portion 8 are disposed around the distal end portion
3 of the rod 2, preferably in spaced relation to the end
6 thereof.
The cover 7 is flexible and it is preferably made of
medical grade silicone or the like. Preferably, it also
is elastic for reasons which will hereinafter be discussed
in greater detail. Preferably, the cover 7 is comprised
of a suitable elastic material such as the aforementioned
medical grade silicone.
The cover 7 is tubular in form, and the end portions
9 and 10 thereof are hermetically sealed to the outer
surface of the rod 2 by suitable means, such as, for
example, being vulcanized thereto or by a suitable medical
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grade cement such as silicone cement, or the like.
The body or sponge portion 8 affords a resilient mass
which preferably completely fills the cover 7 between the
end portions 9 and 10 thereof and, when the exercise device
is disposed in normal inoperative position, outside the
vagina, the sponge portion is preferably effective in
yieldingly holding the cover 7 in fully expanded position,
as shown in FIG. 1. The body or sponge portion 8 may be
made of any suitable resilient material, but, preferably,
is made of several grades or densities of a spongelike
resilient material having a multitude of interstices spread
therethrough, such as, for example, sponge-type silicone
or a suitable resilient plastic material, such as, for
example, foamed polyurethane, or the like, for a purpose
which will be discussed in greater detail presently.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the cuff
portion 5 is similar in construction to the cuffs embodied
in the tracheal tubes disclosed in llnited States Letters
Patent Nos. 3,640,282 and 3,799,173, issued to Jack M.
Kamen.
An elongated passageway 11 extends longitudinally
through the rod 2 from the free end 12 of the proximal end
portion 4 thereof into the interior of the cuff 5,
terminating at its inner end 13 in inwardly spaced relation
to the free end 6 of the distal end portion 3. Passageways
14 extend radially outwardly from the passageway 11, through
the rod 2 and open outwardly into the interior of the cuff
5 for the purpGse which will be discussed in greater detail
presently.
3Q An adapter 15, embodying an elongated tubular body
member 16 is mounted in tl e proximal end portion 4 of the
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rod 2, with one end portion of the body member 16 disposed
in the passageway 11, FIGS. 104. The adapter 15 also
includes a plug 17, attached to the body portion 16 by a
flexible strap 18, the plug 17 being movable on the strap
18 between a position wherein it is disposed in the free
end portion 19 of the body portion 16 of the adapter 15
to thereby close the passageway 11 and the body portion
16 to the atmosphere, as shown in FIG. 3, and a position
wherein it is disposed out of the adapter 15, as shown in
FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.
With the exercise device 1 constructed in the
aforementioned manner, when it is desired to insert it into
a vagina, such as the vagina 20 diagrammatically shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4, a partial vacuum may be applied to the free
end 19 of the adapter 15 by any suitable means, such as,
for example, a vacuum syringe P, shown in F~GS. 1 and 2,
to thereby cause the cuff portion 5 to move from its normal
expanded position, shown in FIG. 1, to a collapsed position
as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. After the cuff portion 5 has
thus been collapsed, the passageway through the adapter
15 and the passageways 11 and 14, into the interior of the
cuff 5, may be closed by any suitable means, such as, for
example, by first pinching tubular member 16 to close the
same, then withdrawing the syringe P from the adapter 15,
and immediately closing the end portion 19 of the tubular
member 16 by a finger, or the like. However, in the
preferred form of the present invention, such closing of
the end portion 19 is effected by inserting the plug 17
thereinto, as shown in FIG. 3. This, it will be seen, is
effective to retain the partial vacuum in the
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cuff 5 and, therefore retain it in the collapsed position
shown in FIG. 2 and 3.
While thus maintaining the vacuum on the cuff 51 the
distal end portion 3 and the cuff 5 may be inserted into
a vagina, such as the vagina 20, FIG. 3, the collapsed
position of the cuff 5 facilitating such insertion.
Preferably, this insertion of the device l is such that
the cuff 5 is disposed in position within the sphincter
type muscles in the vaginal area. Thereafter, when the
device l has been moved into the desired position in the
vagina 20, the partial vacuum in the cuff 5 may be released
to thereby permit the cover 7 to be pushed and expanded
outwardly by the expansion of the resilient sponge body
member 8. The expansion of the cover 7 is from the
collapsed position to a position wherein it is yieldingly
positioned within the body portion 8 in engagement with
the inner wall 21 of the vagina 20, FIG. 4. Such movement
and expansion, it will be seen, is caused by the resiliency
of the sponge body portion 8 and is a direct result of the
volumetric expansion thereof. Importantly, the density
of the sponge body portion 8 may be varied to provide
different grades or amounts of yielding pressure gradients
within each exercise device. This is to be distinguished
from the expansion of the aforementioned cuffs on exercise
devices heretofore known in the art, which cuffs are
expanded by the application of a positive pressure, by the
introduction of air of other working fluid thereinto under
pressure. Such devices therefore start with the largest
force upon initial contact with the vaginal muscles.
It will be remembered that the cover 7 of the cuff
5 may be made of any suitable flexible material, but
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preferable is medical grade silicone. When so constructed,
the cove~ comprised of medical grade silicone is so constructed
that the wrinkles that are formed therein when in the collapsed
position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, are soft and minimize a-
brasive tendencies with the vaginal muscles. Whereas with
some materials which are flexible but do not possess softness
and which are abrasive, such as, for example, certain plastic
or rubber sheet materials, and the like, wrinkles could be
formed when the cover 7 is disposed in a position wherein it
was extended outwardly less than that which it occupies when
in fully extended position. Thus, it is not essential as to
whether or not the cover 7 is wrinkled when the cuff 5 is in
fully collapsed position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and it
is not essential nor an absolute requirement, when the cuff
5 is disposed in operative engagement with the walls of a
vagina, such as is shown in FIG. 4, that the cover 7 be wrin-
kle free. However, it is preferred that the cover 7 be struc-
tured and sized to substantially envelope the sponge portion
8, when the cuff 5 is in operative engagement with a vagina,
as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, to insure against such abra-
sive wrinkles, I prefer that the cover 7 be made of a suit-
able material such as medical grade silicone.
With device 1 thus disposed in operative position in
the vagina of a female, the female may contract her pelvic
floor muscles against the urging of the body portion 8 of the
cuff 5. This, it will be seen, is a gentle, yielding urging,
which is, unlike the urging of the fluids used to inflate
cuffs of exercise devices heretofore known in the art with
an unyielding positive pressure which cannot be compressed,
does not exert a positive pressure against the sidewalls of
the vagina, which positive
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pressure is in danger of injuring delicate membranes such as
the sidewalls of the vagina. Instead, the present invention
begins with a minimal resistive force which increases as con-
traction increases. The present invention provides a cuff
that can be compressed by muscle action and which requires
increasing muscle force to increase the compression, thus re-
sulting in a resistive muscle exercise.
It is important to note that the use of the device 1,
in pelvic floor muscle exercise, provides not only a resis-
tive exercise for such muscles, but also provides progress-
ively increasing resistance as the body portion 8 of the cuff
5 continues to be compressed. Thus, it will be seen that the
device 1 is capable of exerting a small minimal resistive
force at the beginning of an exercise program, when the mus-
cular tone and strength is relatively weak, while affording
a gradually increasing resistive force as the muscular tone
and strength increases. Also, with this increasing resistance
by the body portion 8 of the cuff 5, the female using the de-
vice is able to recognize this increasing resistance by her
own sensations, and thus realize that the exercises are being
effective in building up the tone and strength of her pelvic
floor muscles.
At the completion of the exercises, the device 1 may be
manually removed from the vagina. Preferably, prior to such
removal, a partial vacuum is again applied to the cuff 5 in
the aforementioned manner, to thereby dispose the cuff 5 in
partially or totally collapsed position, as shown in FIGS. 2
and 3, to facilitate removal of the device 1.
Although the rod 2 is shown in FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings
as embodying the passageway 11 as an integral part thereof,
it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this
is merely by way of illustration of the preferred e~bodiment
of the present invention, and not by
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way of limitation, and that other passageways may be
afforded without departing from the purview of the broader
aspects of the present invention. For example, instead
of the rod 2, a solid semi-rigid but flexible rod 2a, as
shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, may be used, and a separate tube,
such as a tube 22 having a passageway lla therethrough may
be substituted therefor.
Also, it will be seen that, with the device 1
constituted and arranged in the aforementioned manner, if
it is desired to do so, a measuring device may be associated
therewith for measuring the performance of the female in
contracting her pelvic floor muscles, rather than the
aforementioned reliance on her own sensations as to the
increasing resistance of the body portion 8. For example,
as illustrated in FIG. 8, a volume displacement measuring
device, such as an air gauge means 23, may be secured to
the end portion 19 of the tubular body portion 16 of the
adapter 15 by a suitable conduit, such as a tube 24, the
gauge 23 being capable of measuring the air flow from within
the cuff 5, the passageway 11 and the adapter 12 caused
by the contraction of the vaginal muscles of the female,
greater contraction, of course, causing higher air flow.
If desired, the user of the device can even place a finger
adjacent to the opening 19 and physically feel and sense
the air flow upon contraction of the vaginal muscles.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the present
invention affords a novel device for use in exercising the
vaginal muscles of a female.
In addition, it will be seen that the present invention
affords a novel device of the aforementioned ~ype which
is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be
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readily and economically produced commercially.
Thus, while I have illustrated and described the
preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be
understood that these are capable of variation and
modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited
to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself
of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview
of the following claims.
