Male impotence prosthesis

• US 4,690,135 A
• Filed: 05/05/1986
• Issued: 09/01/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synergist Limited
• Original Assignee: Synergist Limited
• Inventors: Gerow, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stone, Cary E.
• Application Number:
  US06/859,459
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 128/79, 604/347, 604/349
• US Class Current: 600/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2005/412 by vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/41 Devices for promoting penis erection penis implants A61F2/26; massage of the genitals A61H19/00

Abstract

In an external device for receiving and positioning the male penis in a simulation of an erection to overcome impotence, which includes a flexible hollow cylindrical body enclosed at one end and having the other end open for receiving inserting the penis with a tube provided for introducing a negative pressure in the interior of the body for drawing the penis into the body to its anatomic limit to achieve an erection, the improvement comprising a sealing member integrally extending from the open end of the cylindrical body and comprising a thin-walled flexible sleeve-like sealing portion having a predetermined substantially constant inner circumferential measurement which is a function of the circumference of the stretched non-erect penile shaft, the predetermined inner circumferential measurement being less than the inner circumferential measurement of the cylindrical body for functioning as a seal about the penile shaft to maintain the negative pressure introduced therein, but not engaging the penile shaft tightly enough to restrict venous blood flow therein, and a flexible transition portion integrally interconnecting one end of the sleeve-like sealing portion and the open end of the body for positioning the sleeve-like sealing portion in concentric axial alignment with the cylindrical body.

Claims

1. An external device for accepting a male penis to its anatomic limit for overcoming impotence and permitting sexual intercourse, comprising:

a generally cylindrical hollow body member constructed of a flexible and elastic material for accommodating the penis and having distal closed end and a proximal open end, said body member having a first predetermined substantially constant inner circumferential measurement that is a function of the measured circumference of the erect penile shaft,

a sealing member integrally extending from said proximal open end of said body member and comprising

a flexible sleeve-like sealing portion having a second predetermined substantially constant inner circumferential measurement which is a function of the measured circumference of the stretched non-erect penile shaft, said second predetermined inner circumferential measurement being less than said first predetermined inner circumferential measurement, and

a flexible transition portion integrally interconnecting one end of said sleeve-like sealing portion and said open proximal end of said body member for positioning said sleeve-like sealing portion in concentric axial alignment with said body member,

said sleeve-like sealing portion having a wall thickness substantially less than the wall thickness of said body member and adapted to be rolled up over the open end of the thicker-walled body member to permit the distal end of the male penis to be inserted into said proximal open end of said hollow body member,

said second predetermined substantially constant inner circumferential measurement of said sealing member sleeve-like sealing portion selected for permitting said sealing portion to snugly contact the exterior surface of the non-erect penile shaft throughout the length of said sleeve-like sealing portion when returned to the unrolled extended position,

a length of flexible tubing at least a portion of which is disposed longitudinally in the wall of said body member, one end of said tubing communicating with the most distal end of the interior of the hollow body member, the other end of said tubing freely extending from said body member, and

means cooperating with said other end of said tubing for evacuating the air from the interior of said body member forward of the inserted penile end for exerting a negative pressure therein for permitting the male penis to expand to its anatomic limit in an erect condition into the interior of the hollow body member, said negative pressure exerted within said body member further acting on said thin-walled sleeve-like portion for collapsing said thin walls about the non-erect portion of the penile shaft in contact with said sealing portion for maintaining an air-tight seal therewith during movement of the penis with respect to said body member during intercourse but not engaging the non-erect penile shaft tightly enough to restrict venous blood flow therein.

2. The device as described in claim 1, wherein said transition portion also provides a radiused circumferential shoulder extending axially from said one end of said sleeve-like sealing portion and flaring outwardly to an increased diameter to join said open proximal end of said body member.

3. The device as described in claim 2, wherein said radiused circumferential shoulder of said transition portion has a radius of sufficient size for providing a smooth rounded surface that will not injure the erect penis.

4. The device as described in claim 2, wherein said transition portion has a variable cross-sectional thickness tapering from a thicker-walled end integrally joining said proximal end of said body member to a thin-walled end forming said radiused circumferential shoulder integrally joining said one end of said sleeve-like sealing portion.

5. In an external device for accepting a male penis to its anatomic limit for overcoming impotence and permitting sexual intercourse, including a generally cylindrical flexible hollow body member having a distal closed end and a proximal open end for accommodating the male penis, the body member having a sustantially constant inner circumferential measurement, and a means for introducing a negative pressure into the hollow body member through its distal end, the improvement comprising

a sealing member integrally extending from said proximal open end of said body member and comprising

a flexible sleeve-like sealing portion having a predetermined substantially constant inner circumferential measurement which is a function of the

measured circumference of the stretched non-erect penile shaft, said predetermined inner circumferential measurement being less than said inner circumferential measurement of said body member, and

a flexible transition portion integrally interconnecting one end of said sleeve-like sealing portion and said open proximal end of said body member for positioning said sleeve-like sealing portion in concentric axial alignment with said body member,

said sleeve-like sealing portion having a wall-thickness substantially less than the wall-thickness of said body member and adapted to be rolled up over said transition portion onto the thicker-walled body member to permit the distal end of the male penis to be inserted into the proximal end of said hollow body member,

said second predetermined substantially constant inner circumferential measurement of said sealing member sleeve-like sealing portion selected for permitting said sealing portion to snugly contact the exterior surface of the non-erect penile shaft throughout the length of said sleeve-like sealing portion when returned to the unrolled extended position, said negative pressure exerted within said body member further acting on said thin-walled sleeve-like portion for collapsing said thin walls about the non-erect portion of the penile shaft in contact with said sealing portion for maintaining an air-tight seal herewith during movement of the penis with respect to said body member during intercourse but not engaging the non-erect penile shaft tightly enough to restrict venous blood flow therein.

6. The device as described in claim 5, wherein said transition portion also provides a radiused circumferential shoulder extending axially from said one end of said sleeve-like sealing portion and flaring outwardly to an increased diameter to join said open proximal end of said body member.

7. The device as described in claim 6, wherein said radiused circumferential shoulder of said transition portion has a radius of sufficient size for providing a smooth rounded surface that will not injure the erect penis.

8. The device as described in claim 6, wherein said transition portion has a variable cross-sectional thickness tapering from a thicker-walled end integrally joining said proximal end of said body member to a thin-walled end forming said radiused circumferential shoulder integrally joining said one end of said sleeve-like sealing portion.