Nasal and/or rhinopharyngeal tampon

• US 5,391,179 A
• Filed: 07/28/1993
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gioregio Mezzoli
• Original Assignee: Giorgio Mezzoli
• Inventors: Mezzoli, Giorgio
• Primary Examiner(s): KRUTER, JEROME
• Application Number:
  US08/098,090
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 604/1-3, 604/11, 604/15, 604/18, 604/358, 604/385.1, 604/904, 606/196, 606/199
• US Class Current: 606/196
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12104 in an air passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/24 for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose for medical inspection of cavities or tubes in the body A61B1/00; Tongue scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/36 Surgical swabs, e.g. for absorbency or packing body cavities during surgery A61F13/38 takes precedence

Abstract

Nasal and/or rhinopharyngeal tampon including an elongated core, with aspiration holes, around which there is a shaped body made of elastic spongy material covered by a thin deformable membrane made of impermeable material; the core has a stem for connection to an aspiration unit suitable to make the body assume an insertion or extraction configuration having a limited volume in a vacuum state; the flow of air through the stem into the shaped body is suitable to make the body resume an active configuration having a large volume at atmospheric pressure.

Claims

1. A nasal tampon comprising:

a shaped body formed of a mass of elastic spongy material for insertion in a nasal cavity, the shaped body having an outer surface;

a hollow elongated core element inserted in said mass of elastic spongy material of said shaped body, the hollow elongated core element having an inside;

at least one hole means provided in said hollow elongated core element for permitting air flow between the mass of elastic spongy material of the shaped body and the inside of said hollow elongated core element;

a deformable membrane impervious to air which substantially entirely covers the outer surface of said shaped body; and

a hollow stem element which is inserted through said deformable membrane and which is connected to said hollow elongated core element, said hollow stem element defining an air passage for air flow between the inside of said hollow elongated core element and an environment outside of the deformable membrane;

said deformable membrane defining an air chamber in which said mass of elastic spongy material is accommodated and which communicates with the environment outside of the deformable membrane by means of said hollow stem element, and said hollow stem element being connectable to an aspirator device for subjecting said air chamber to vacuum thereby to elastically compact said mass of elastic spongy material for effective insertion and removal of said shaped body respectively into and from the nasal cavity.

2. Tampon according to claim 1, wherein said membrane is made of silicone.

3. Tampon according to claim 1, wherein said hollow elongated core element is slightly curved.

4. Tampon according to claim 1, further comprising a breathing hollow core which extends completely through said mass of elastic spongy material of said shaped body, said breathing hollow core having two open ends which extend outside of said deformable membrane, thereby said breathing hollow core defining a passage for breathing of a user.

5. Tampon according to claim 1, further comprising a breathing hollow core which extends completely through said mass of elastic spongy material of said shaped body, said breathing hollow core having two open ends which extend outside of said deformable membrane, thereby said breathing hollow core defining a passage for breathing of a user, said breathing hollow core being arranged parallel to said hollow elongated core element.