PESSARIES

• US 3,683,904 A
• Filed: 10/05/1970
• Issued: 08/15/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard B. Forster
• Original Assignee: Howard B. Forster
• Inventors: Forster, Howard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunne, G. F.
• Application Number:
  US05/077,895
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 128/127,294,260,261
• US Class Current: 128/834
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 6/08 Pessaries, i.e. devices worn in the vagina to support the uterus, remedy a malposition or prevent conception , e.g. combined with devices protecting against contagion

Abstract

A pessary intended for insertion in the vaginal passage of a human female is formed with a resiliently flexible forward end wall which effectively closes the vaginal passage anteriorly of the cervix uteri so as to restrict movement of spermatozoa thereto. A projection is formed on the forward surface of the forward end wall of the pessary for disposition in the posterior fornix of the vaginal passage and abutment with the cervix uteri to stabilize the pessary against angular displacement during coitus. The forward projection is usefully formed with an internal compartment for containing a spermicidal fluid material and a passage communicating with that compartment opens, when the pessary is correctly positioned in the vaginal passage, in general apposition to the cervix uteri. In such a construction, the forward end wall of the pessary partially defines the compartment so that, during coitus, flexure of the forward end wall causes discharge of the spermicidal fluid material from the compartment about the cervix uteri, so further reducing the risk of live sperm reaching the uterus.

Claims

1. A pessary for insertion into and disposition in a vaginal passage of a human female and which pessary comprises a fluidimpermeable cup including a forwardly convex forward end wall having a forwardly facing forward end surface and terminating peripherally and rearwardly in a resiliently outwardly urged first annular lip and a rearwardly and outwardly diverging cuff terminating rearwardly in a resiliently outwardly urged second annular lip and integrally formed essentially completely thereabout with said forward end wall to provide an obliquely disposed inner surface of said cuff about a generally semiconical anterior portion thereof, said second annular lip being spaced apart rearwardly from said first annular lip and together therewith defining a generally cylindrical locus and each of said first and second annular lips being disposed obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said generally cylindrical locus to extend rearwardly from its posterior limit to its anterior limit, and a projection on said forward end wall and extending forwardly therefrom in a direction generally parallel to said longitudinal axis and being transversely offset with respect thereto whereby, when said pessary is correctly disposed in a vaginal passage with said first and second annular lips thereof in snug engagement with the interior wall of the vaginal passage, said projection is disposed in the posterior fornix of the vaginal passage and in general apposition to the cervix uteri so as to prevent angular displacement of said pessary during coitus and whereby said obliquely disposed inner surface of said cuff is operative to engage the anterior surface of a glans penis in turn to guide the penis during coitus so that it is disposed generally parallel to said longitudinal axis of said generally cylindrical locus.

2. A pessary as claimed in claIm 1 which additionally comprises a pressure-actuated fluid-retaining and discharging means disposed forwardly of said forward end wall of said fluid-impermeable cup and in which said forward end wall is resiliently flexible and is operatively associated with said fluid-retaining and discharging means so that penile thrust against said forward end wall during coitus causes flexing of said forward end wall and, in turn, actuation of said fluid-retaining and discharging means to cause discharge of fluid material thereby.

3. A pessary as claimed in claim 2 in which said projection includes at least one compartment defined in part by said forward end wall of said fluid-impermeable cup and constituting said fluid-retaining and discharging means, said projection including an opening in fluid communication with the interior of said compartment for the discharge of fluid material therefrom whereby said flexing of said forward end wall of said cup by penile thrust during coitus causes variation in the volume of said compartment and the discharge of fluid material therefrom.

4. A pessary as claimed in claim 3 which said opening in said projection is disposed so as to be in general apposition to the cervix uteri when said pessary is itself correctly positioned in the vaginal passage of a human female.

5. A pessary as claimed in claim 4 in which said projection includes a generally cuspate nipple-shaped compartment wall integral with said forward end wall of said cup.