Intra-vaginal devices and methods for treating fecal incontinence
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An intravaginal device for the control of stool passage, the device comprisingan expandable occluding body;
- a stabilizing body supporting the occluding body to maintain position and stability of the occluding body in the user'"'"'s vagina during repeated expansions of the occluding body in an extension direction to contact the user'"'"'s recto-vaginal septum to at least partially occlude the rectum, the stabilizing body comprising first and second segments that are moveable along an axis relative to one another, and the stabilizing body having first and second states, a perimeter of the device in the first state of the stabilizing body being greater than the perimeter of the device in the second state of the stabilizing body, the first and second segments defining a portion of the perimeter, the perimeter measured in a plane including the axis of the first and second segments; and
wherein the first segment defines a recess, the second segment comprises a locking feature configured to be disposed in the recess to hold the first and second segments in a fixed position along the axis relative to one another, and the locking feature of the second segment is moveable out of the recess to allow the first and second segments to be moved along the axis relative to one another.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein are devices and methods for intra-vaginal bowel control.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. An intravaginal device for the control of stool passage, the device comprising
an expandable occluding body; -
a stabilizing body supporting the occluding body to maintain position and stability of the occluding body in the user'"'"'s vagina during repeated expansions of the occluding body in an extension direction to contact the user'"'"'s recto-vaginal septum to at least partially occlude the rectum, the stabilizing body comprising first and second segments that are moveable along an axis relative to one another, and the stabilizing body having first and second states, a perimeter of the device in the first state of the stabilizing body being greater than the perimeter of the device in the second state of the stabilizing body, the first and second segments defining a portion of the perimeter, the perimeter measured in a plane including the axis of the first and second segments; and wherein the first segment defines a recess, the second segment comprises a locking feature configured to be disposed in the recess to hold the first and second segments in a fixed position along the axis relative to one another, and the locking feature of the second segment is moveable out of the recess to allow the first and second segments to be moved along the axis relative to one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method of selectively occluding a rectum to inhibit stool passage, comprising
inserting an intravaginal device into a user'"'"'s vagina, the device comprising a stabilizing body and an occluding body, the stabilizing body comprising first and second segments that are moveable relative to one another, the first segment defining a recess, the second segment comprising a locking feature configured to be disposed in the recess to hold the first and second segments in a fixed position along an axis relative to one another, and the locking feature of the second segment being moveable out of the recess to allow the first and second segments to be moved along an axis relative to one another; -
adjusting a perimeter of the stabilizing body from a first state to a second state by moving the first and second segments along an axis relative to one another, the first and second segments defining a portion of the perimeter; engaging vaginal anatomy with the stabilizing body to stably support the occluding body; and extending the occluding body against a recto-vaginal septum of the user to at least partially occlude the rectum. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification