Disposable penile constriction device having preformed tear configuration and associated methods

• US 6,306,080 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Augusta Medical Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Soma Blue, Inc.
• Inventors: Mitchell, John, Hamilton, Chris, Snoke, Phillip Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cadugan, Joseph A
• Application Number:
  US09/401,430
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 600/38-41, 606/141
• US Class Current: 600/38
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/41 Devices for promoting penis erection penis implants A61F2/26; massage of the genitals A61H19/00

Abstract

A disposable penile constriction device and associated methods are provided. The disposable penile constriction device preferably includes a strip of bendable and stretchable material formed in a closed band shape when in a closed position so that inner surface peripheries of the strip of material substantially surround and abuttingly contact outer surface peripheries of a proximal portion of a penis when positioned thereon and a preformed predetermined tear region formed in the strip of material which readily allows tearing of the strip of material by the hand of a user so that the closed band shape is separated to an open position and the strip of material can be readily removed from a proximal portion of a penis without the necessity of moving the strip of material over a distal end of a penis. A method of using a penile constriction device is provided which preferably includes stretching a closed band of material, positioning the stretched closed band of material over a distal end and to a proximal portion of a penis of a user, releasing the stretch of the closed band of material so that inner surface peripheries of the closed band of material abuttingly contact outer surfaces of the proximal portion of the penis, and tearing the band of material in a preformed predetermined tear region thereof with the hand of the user.

Claims

1. A disposable penile constriction device comprising:

a strip of bendable and stretchable material formed in a closed band shape when in a closed position so that inner surface peripheries of the strip of material is adapted to substantially surround and abuttingly contact outer surface peripheries of a proximal portion of a penis when positioned thereon; and

preformed tearing means formed in the strip of material for readily tearing the strip of material by a hand of user so that the closed band shape is separated to an open position and the strip of material is adapted to be readily removed from a proximal portion of a penis without the necessity of moving the strip of material over a distal end of a penis when positioned thereon.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said strip of material is formed in a molding process, and wherein said preformed tearing means is formed in the strip of material during the same molding process.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said preformed tearing means includes a predetermined tear region of the strip of material, and wherein the strip of material has a pair of non-predetermined tear end portions within the predetermined tear region when in the open position.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein the pair of non-predetermined end portions each have a roughened and uneven surface extending from outer surface peripheries to the inner surface peripheries of the strip of material when in the open position.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein the predetermined tear region includes a tear strap connected thereto so that a pulling force by a user of the tear strap responsively causes the strip of material in the predetermined tear region to tear forming the pair of non-predetermined end portions.

6. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the tear strap has a tear member formed on an end thereof, surrounded by portions of the strip of material, and formed of a different hardness than the surrounding portions so that the pulling force of the tear strap by a user responsively causes the tear strap and tear member to be separated from the strip of material.

7. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the predetermined tear region has portions of the strip of material having an overlapping configuration, wherein the tear strap extends outwardly from the strip of material along the same radial direction as the strip of material, and wherein the pulling force of the tear strap by a user responsively causes the strip of material to unravel in the predetermined tear region.

8. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said preformed tearing means includes a portion of the strip of material being thinner than other thicker surrounding portions.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein the thinner portion includes at least one preformed tear line extending from outer surface peripheries of the strip of material when in the closed band shape position to the inner surface peripheries when in the closed band shape position.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, wherein the at least one preformed tear line comprises a pair of preformed tear lines each positioned on opposite side peripheries of the strip of material when in the closed band shape position.

11. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said preformed tearing means further includes a tear strap connected to the thinner portion of the strip of material and being responsive to a pulling force by a user so that the strip of material tears along at least the thinner portion thereof.

12. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said preformed tearing means includes a portion of the strip of material having a different hardness than other surrounding portions.

13. A device as defined in claim 12, wherein said preformed tearing means further includes a tear strap connected to the portion having the different hardness than surrounding portions thereof and being responsive to a pulling force by a user so that the strip of material tears along at least the portion having the different hardness.

14. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said preformed tearing means includes a predetermined tear region of the strip of material and at least one tear strap connected to and extending outwardly from the predetermined tear region of the strip of material so that a pulling force of a user tears the strip of material along the predetermined tear region.

15. A device as defined in claim 14 wherein the at least one tear strap has at least one opening formed therein so as to define a pull loop for griping by a finger of a user and thereby enhance the tearing of the strip of material to the open position.

16. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein the at least one tear strap comprises a pair of tear straps connected along a common tear line, wherein each of the pair of tear straps has the at least one pull loop connected thereto, and wherein pulling of the respective each of the at least one pull loop of the pair of tear straps separates the pair of tear straps along the common tear line to thereby enhance the tearing of the strip of material to the open position.

17. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein said preformed tearing means further includes a portion of the strip of material having a preformed tear line extending from outer peripheries of the strip of material when in the closed band shape position to inner peripheries when in the closed band shape position, and wherein the common tear line of the pair of tear straps extends to and runs contiguous with preformed tear line of the strip of material.

18. A device as defined in claim 14, wherein the predetermined tear region of said preformed tearing means includes a fastener having portions thereof connected to end portions of the strip of material and which readily closes but only opens by damage to the fastener so as to define a one-way fastener whereby the strip of material readily fastens in a closed band shape position and does not readily unfasten therefrom, and wherein a pulling force by a user on said tear strap readily tears the one-way fastener so that the strip of material then readily extends to the open position.

19. A device as defined in claim 18, wherein the strip of material has a pair of non-predetermined tear end portions within the predetermined tear region when in the open position, the non-predetermined tear end portions including at least portions of the one-way fastener.

20. A device as defined in claim 19, wherein the pair of non-predetermined end portions each have a roughened and uneven surface extending from outer surface peripheries to the inner surface peripheries of the strip of material when in the open position.

21. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the inner surface peripheries of the strip of material include a plurality of pressure ridges formed thereon which abuttingly contact a proximal portion of a penis to thereby provide a plurality of pressure contact regions around the outer surface peripheries of the proximal portion of a penis.

22. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein in the strip of material includes a urethra notch formed in the strip of material, the urethra notch being formed of a different hardness of the material than surrounding portions thereof.

23. A device as defined in claim 22, wherein the urethra notch is formed by portions of the material being absent in a region of the material to be positioned closely adjacent a urethra of a penis so that the region has a different harness than surrounding portions thereof.

24. A disposable penile constriction device comprising:

a strip of bendable and stretchable material formed in a closed band shape when in a closed position so that inner surface peripheries of the strip of material is adapted to substantially surround and abuttingly contact outer surface peripheries of a proximal portion of a penis when positioned thereon; and

a preformed predetermined tear region form in the strip of material which readily allows tearing of the strip of material by the hand of a user has been inserted between the words “

user” and

“

so”

so that the closed ban shape is separated to an open position and the strip of material is adapted to be readily removed from a proximal portion of a penis without the necessity of moving the strip of material over a distal end of a penis when positioned thereon.

25. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein said strip of material is formed in a molding process, and wherein said preformed predetermined tear region is formed in the strip of material during the same molding process.

26. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein the strip of material has a pair of non-predetermined tear end portions within the preformed predetermined tear region when in the open position.

27. A device as defined in claim 26, wherein the pair of non-predetermined end portions each have a roughened and uneven surface extending from outer surface peripheries to the inner surface peripheries of the strip of material when in the open position.

28. A device as defined in claim 27, wherein the preformed predetermined tear region further includes a tear strap connected thereto so that a pulling force by a user of the tear strap responsively causes the strip of material in the predetermined tear region to tear forming the pair of non-predetermined end portions.

29. A device as defined in claim 28, wherein the tear strap has a tear member formed on an end thereof, surrounded by portions of the strip of material, and formed of a different hardness than the surrounding portions so that the pulling force of the tear strap by a user responsively causes the tear strap and tear member to be separated from the strip of material.

30. A device as defined in claim 28, wherein the preformed predetermined tear region further has portions of the strip of material having an overlapping configuration, wherein the tear strap extends outwardly from the strip of material along the same radial direction as the strip of material, and wherein the pulling force of the tear strap by a user responsively causes the strip of material to unravel in the predetermined tear region.

31. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein the preformed predetermined tear region includes a portion of the strip of material being thinner than other thicker surrounding portions.

32. A device as defined in claim 31, wherein the thinner portion includes at least one preformed tear line extending from outer surface peripheries of the strip of material when in the closed band shape position to the inner surface peripheries when in the closed band shape position.

33. A device as defined in claim 32, wherein the at least one preformed tear line comprises a pair of preformed tear lines each positioned on opposite side peripheries of the strip of material when in the closed band shape position.

34. A device as defined in claim 31, wherein said preformed predetermined tear region further includes a tear strap connected to the thinner portion of the strip of material and being responsive to a pulling force by a user so that the strip of material tears along at least the thinner portion thereof.

35. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein said preformed predetermined tear region includes a portion of the strip of material having a different hardness than other surrounding portions.

36. A device as defined in claim 35, wherein said preformed predetermined tear region further includes a tear strap connected to the portion having the different hardness than surrounding portions thereof and being responsive to a pulling force by a user so that the strip of material tears along at least the portion having the different hardness.

37. A device as defined in claim 24, further comprising at least one tear strap connected to and extending outwardly from the strip of material so that a pulling force of a user tears the strip of material along the preformed predetermined tear region.

38. A device as defined in claim 37, wherein the predetermined tear region of said preformed tearing means includes a fastener having portions thereof connected to end portions of the strip of material and which readily closes but only opens by damage to the fastener so as to define a one-way fastener whereby the strip of material readily fastens in a closed band shape position and does not readily unfasten therefrom, and wherein a pulling force by a user on said tear strap readily tears the one-way fastener so that the strip of material then readily extends to the open position.

39. A device as defined in claim 38, wherein the strip of material has a pair of non-predetermined tear end portions within the predetermined tear region when in the open position, the non-predetermined tear end portions including at least portions of the one-way fastener.

40. A device as defined in claim 39, wherein the pair of non-predetermined end portions each have a roughened and uneven surface extending from outer surface peripheries to the inner surface peripheries of the strip of material when in the open position.

41. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein the at least one tear strap has at least one opening formed therein so as to define a pull loop for gripping by a finger of a user and thereby enhance the tearing of the strip of material to open position.

42. A device as defined in claim 41, wherein the at least one tear strap comprises a pair of tear straps connected along a common tear line, wherein each of the pair of tear straps has the at least one pull loop connected thereto, and wherein pulling of the respective each of the at least one pull loop of the pair of tear straps separates the pair of tear straps along the common tear line to thereby enhance the tearing of the strip of material to the open position.

43. A device as defined in claim 41, wherein said preformed tearing means further includes a portion of the strip of material having a preformed tear line extending from outer peripheries of the strip of material when in the closed band shape position to inner peripheries when in the closed band shape position, and wherein the common tear line of the pair of tear straps extends to and runs contiguous with reformed tear line of the strip of material.

44. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein the inner surface peripheries of the strip of material include a plurality of pressure ridges formed thereon which abuttingly contact a proximal portion of a penis to thereby provide a plurality of pressure contact regions around the outer surface peripheries of the proximal portion of a penis.

45. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein in the strip of material includes a urethra notch formed in the strip of material, the urethra notch being formed of a different hardness of the material than surrounding portions thereof.

46. A device as defined in claim 45, wherein the urethra notch is formed by portions of the material being absent in a region of the adapted material to be positioned closely adjacent a urethra of a penis so that the region has a different hardness than surrounding portions thereof.

47. A method of using a penile constriction device, the method comprising the steps of:

stretching a closed band of material;

positioning the stretched closed band of material over a distal end and to a proximal portion of a penis of user;

releasing the stretch of the closed band of material so that inner surface peripheries of the closed band of material abuttingly contact outer surfaces of the proximal portion of the penis;

tearing the band of material in a preformed predetermined tear region thereof with the hand of the user to thereby open the closed band of material;

removing the open and torn band of material from the proximal portion of the penis of the user without the necessity of moving the strip of material over a distal end of the penis; and

discarding the band of material.

48. A method as defined in claim 47, further comprising the step of pulling a tear strap connected to the band of material in the preformed predetermined tear region so that the step of tearing the closed band of material occurs responsive to the pulling of the tear strap.