Claims
- 1. An apparatus for delivering a composition to an internal wall or lumen of a cavity, comprising: a housing member having a first open end and a second end; an elongated flexible toroidal member contained within said housing member and having an outer surface portion thereof secured to said housing adjacent said first open end; and means, adjacent said second end, contacting a surface portion of said toroidal member, and movable through said housing member towards said first open end thereof so as to cause said toroidal member to evert and extend outwardly from said first open end of said housing member, wherein said toroidal member is a tampon comprising a permeable film and an absorbent material contained within said permeable film.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tampon further contains at least one of a perfume and an antibacterial agent within said permeable film.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said composition is impregnated in or coated on said permeable film.
- 4. An apparatus for delivering a pharmaceutical or other composition in fluid or solid form to an internal wall or lumen of a cavity, comprising in combination a housing member having a first open end and a second end; an elongated flexible toroidal member contained within said housing member and having an outer surface portion thereof secured to said housing adjacent said first open end thereof; means adjacent said second end, contacting a surface portion of said toroidal member, and movable through said housing member towards said first open end thereof so as to cause said toroidal member to evert and extend outwardly from said first open end of said housing member; a tubular housing having a proximal end and an open distal end; a delivery tube adapted to axially fit within said tubular housing and to axially fit within the toroidal member, the delivery tube having an open distal end and a proximal end: an aerosolized composition delivery chamber at said proximal end of the delivery tube; means to extend said delivery tube longitudinally outwardly from said open distal end of said tubular housing and to retract said extended delivery tube back into said tubular housing; and a valve adjacent said delivery chamber to dispense an aerosolized composition contained in said delivery chamber through said delivery tube to said distal end thereof when said delivery tube is extended from said tubular housing and is retracting thereinto.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means to extend said delivery tube includes a spring coaxially mounted around said delivery tube for retracting said delivery tube into said tubular housing.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means to extend said delivery tube includes a slider cooperating with said tubular housing to extend said delivery tube longitudinally therefrom.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a vent for allowing aerosol gas to escape from said body cavity.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vent is a longitudinal groove along the outer surface of said housing member.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pharmaceutical or other composition is provided without a solid or liquid carrier.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pharmaceutical or other composition is dissolved in a non-CFC propellant.
- 11. A method for delivering a pharmaceutical or other composition in fluid or solid form to an internal wall or lumen of a cavity, comprising:providing in combination a housing member having a first open end and a second end; an elongated flexible toroidal member contained within said housing member and having an outer surface portion thereof secured to said housing adjacent said first open end thereof; means adjacent said second end, contacting a surface portion of said toroidal member, and movable through said housing member towards said first open end thereof so as to cause said toroidal member to evert and extend outwardly from said first open end of said housing member; a tubular housing having a proximal end and an open distal end; a delivery tube adapted to axially fit within said tubular housing and to axially fit within the toroidal member, the delivery tube having an open distal end and a proximal end; an aerosolized composition delivery chamber at said proximal end of the delivery tube; means to extend said delivery tube longitudinally outwardly from said open distal end of said tubular housing and to retract said extended delivery tube back into said tubular housing; and a valve adjacent said delivery chamber to dispense an aerosolized composition contained in said delivery chamber through said delivery tube to said distal end thereof when said delivery tube is extended from said tubular housing member and is retracting thereinto; advancing said means adjacent said second end through said housing member so as to evert said toroidal member into said internal body cavity; inserting and extending said delivery tube through said toroidal member; and operating said valve when said delivery tube is extended so as to release said composition into said internal body cavity.
- 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a vent for allowing aerosol gas to escape from said body cavity.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vent is a longitudinal groove along the outer surface of said housing member.
- 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the pharmaceutical or other composition is provided without a solid or liquid carrier.
- 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the pharmaceutical or other composition is dissolved in a non-CFC propellant.
- 16. A method for delivering a pharmaceutical or other composition in fluid or solid form to an internal wall or lumen of a cavity, comprising:providing in combination a housing member having a first open end and a second end; an elongated flexible toroidal member contained within said housing member and having an outer surface portion thereof secured to said housing adjacent said first open end thereof; means adjacent said second end, contacting a surface portion of said toroidal member, and movable through said housing member towards said first open end thereof so as to cause said toroidal member to evert and extend outwardly from said first open end of said housing member; a tubular housing having a proximal end and an open distal end; a delivery tube adapted to axially fit within said tubular housing and to axially fit within the toroidal member, the delivery tube having an open distal end and a proximal end; an aerosolized composition delivery chamber at said proximal end of the delivery tube; means to extend said delivery tube longitudinally outwardly from said open distal end of said tubular housing and to retract said extended delivery tube back into said tubular housing; and a valve adjacent said delivery chamber to dispense an aerosolized composition contained in said delivery chamber through said delivery tube to said distal end thereof when said delivery tube is extended from said tubular housing member and is retracting thereinto; extending said delivery tube through said toroidal member; advancing said means adjacent said second end through said housing member so as to evert said toroidal member into said internal body cavity and simultaneously insert said delivery tube into said internal body cavity; operating said valve when the delivery tube is extended so as to release said composition into said internal body cavity.
- 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a vent for allowing aerosol gas to escape from said body cavity.
- 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the vent is a longitudinal groove along the outer surface of said housing member.
- 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the pharmaceutical or other composition is provided without a solid or liquid carrier.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the pharmaceutical or other composition is dissolved in a non-CFC propellant.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/917,566 filed Aug. 26, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,688 the contents of which incorporated by reference in their entirety. This application is also a U.S. continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/CA98/00800, filed Aug. 26, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (40)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3329176 |
Nov 1984 |
DE |
0357581 |
Mar 1990 |
EP |
0432199 |
Jun 1991 |
EP |
8801924 |
Mar 1988 |
WO |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/CA98/00800 |
Aug 1998 |
US |
Child |
08/917556 |
|
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/917556 |
Aug 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/239950 |
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US |