Condoms configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide

• US 7,975,699 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Hyde, Roderick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bianco; Patricia M
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, BRANDON LEE
• Application Number:
  US12/005,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20090107512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 128/842, 128/844, 128/918, 600 38- 41, 604347-353
• US Class Current: 128/844
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 6/04 Condoms, sheaths or the like , e.g. combined with devices protecting against contagion
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/114 Nitric oxide, i.e. NO
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/16 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L31/047 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/917 Body fluid, devices for protection therefrom, e.g. aids, hepatitus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/918 Condoms and shields

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to condoms that are configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide.

Claims

1. A condom comprising:

a flexible tube having an open end and a closed end;

one or more sensors operably associated with one or more control units and configured to detect penile rigidity;

one or more light sources configured to release light in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity; and

one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors configured to release nitric oxide in response to light of at least one of the one or more light sources.

2. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more optical waveguides.

3. The condom of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to release light in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity comprises:

one or more light emitters configured to release light in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity.

4. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more power supplies.

5. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more electromagnetic receivers.

6. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more quantum dots.

7. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more rare-earth materials.

8. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more fluorescent materials.

9. The condom of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to release light in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity comprise:

one or more light sources configured to release light that specifically facilitates release of nitric oxide in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity.

10. The condom of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to release light in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity comprise:

one or more light sources configured to release light specifically selected to avoid tissue damage in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity.

11. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more transmitters.

12. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more receivers.

13. The condom of claim 1, wherein the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors configured to release nitric oxide in response to light of at least one of the one or more light sources comprises:

one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors decoupled from the flexible tube and configured to release nitric oxide in response to light of at least one of the one or more light sources.

14. The condom of claim 1, wherein the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors configured to release nitric oxide in response to light of at least one of the one or more light sources comprises:

one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors that include one or more diazeniumdiolates configured to release nitric oxide in response to light of at least one of the one or more light sources.

15. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more other sensors.

16. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

17. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide donors.

18. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more nitric oxide permeable layers.

19. The condom of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more nitric oxide permeable layers that include one or more nitric oxide selective membranes.

20. The condom of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to release light in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity comprises:

one or more light sources configured to release light in response to one or more detected values of penile rigidity and one or more detected values of nitric oxide.