Patent Application
20220062097
This disclosure introduces a penile holder having improvements in the structure over prior holders to enable a doctor or technician to perform a wave therapy treatment for erectile dysfunction.
As shown in
There are several weaknesses to this prior art penile holder. First, given the human anatomy and often the structure of the patient table that the patient sits on, the size and adjustment capabilities of the penile holder 100 are not sufficient to position the holder component 108 in a comfortable and proper position. The penile holder 100 is also not strong enough to be used over time. Next, feature 112 shows an end portion of the holder portion 108 that hangs over the support 110 which is configured to slide along support 104. The overlap 112 can cause instability in the system. The wider portion of the support 110 is orthogonal to the direction of the holder portion 108, which can cause instability and limits its use. There is also only one degree of freedom in the adjustment capabilities of the penile holder 100. These and other deficiencies in the current penile holder design are addressed in the improvements described herein.
In order to describe the manner in which the various advantages and features of the disclosure can be obtained, a more particular description of the principles described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only example embodiments of the disclosure and are not to be considered to limit its scope, the principles herein are described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the drawings in which:
Certain aspects and embodiments of this disclosure are provided below. Some of these aspects and embodiments may be applied independently and some of them may be applied in combination as would be apparent to those of skill in the art. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the application. However, it will be apparent that various embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. The figures and description are not intended to be restrictive.
The ensuing description provides example embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the application as set forth in the appended claims.
The present disclosure introduces a new penile holder that addresses one or more of the deficiencies in the prior art holder shown in
An improved penile holder device includes one or more of a base, a riser attached to the base at a central portion of the base, the riser including a holder support and an open channel through an upper portion of the riser and a holder having an attachment portion complementary to the holder support in the riser. The attachment portion can have a wider surface in a same plane as the direction along the length of a holder portion. The configuration of the attachment portion and the riser (which can be cylindrical in shape with a slot configured for the attachment portion to be inserted) can provide new capabilities for the penile holder. These features enable the holder portion to tilt, which capability was not possible in the prior art penile holder. The holder portion can extend horizontally from a top edge of the attachment portion. The attachment portion can include a slot and an attachment portion front edge is in a same plane as holder portion front edge. A locking mechanism can lock the holder in a chosen position relative to the riser. The holder can also tilt and the holder device can include a scale (configured, for example, in the riser) used to trigger a notification when a threshold amount of pressure is placed on the holder portion. The pressure can relate to how much pressure a doctor might use while providing treatment with a wave-producing medical tool.
Improvements also include new dimensions for the penile holder that increase the stability and flexibility of the system. The base can be approximately 15 inches wide and approximately 4 inches deep. In this case, “approximately” means the given length plus or minus 8% of that distance. The base can include a hole that is used to attach the riser to the base via a dowel. The riser can be configured to be approximately 8 inches high. A scale can be configured in some location in the device to trigger a notification upon a threshold pressure being pressed down on the holder. In one example, the scale is configured in the riser. The scale can be configured in the riser, for example, below the holder support.
The first member and the second member can include a quick release mechanism or a screw and a knob. Other mechanisms can be used to adjust at least one of a height and a tilt of the holder.
The holder attachment of the holder can be approximately 5 inches long. The holder portion can be approximately 7 inches long. The holder portion can be configured to be approximately 2.2 inches wide and approximately 1 inch tall.
The holder portion can have an interior surface having a first surface at an approximately 90 degree angle to a second surface. The holder portion can be attached to the attachment portion at a first end and the holder portion can include a second end having a convex surface having a depth of approximately 0.6 inches.
The above introduction and other improvements in the dimensions and configuration of the penile holder address the weaknesses in the prior art design. The new design provides greater stability, more comfort and flexibility, and can include a scale for identifying a threshold pressure during treatment. The new penile holder provides an overall improvement in the treatment experience for patients with ED.
This disclosure now provides more detail regarding new structures as introduced above.
In one example, the riser 204 is cylindrical in shape but could also have a rectangular or square cross-sectional shape. Other shapes are contemplated as well. The holder portion 208 can extend horizontally from a top edge of the attachment portion 210. The attachment portion 210 can include a slot 216 and an attachment portion front edge 214 can be in a same plane as holder portion front edge 214. This feature is illustrated in
A locking mechanism 206 can lock the holder 207 in a chosen position relative to the riser 204. In one aspect, the device 200 can enable the holder portion 208 to be raised to height of approximately 12 or 12.5 inches. The holder 207 can also tilt and the holder device 200 can include a scale (configured, for example, in the riser or the base) used to sense the pressure on the holder portion 208 (due to treatment with the medical device) and trigger a notification when a threshold amount of pressure is placed on the holder portion 208. The scale will be introduced in more detail in connection with the discussion of
Improvements also include the new dimensions that increase the stability of the system. The base 202 can be approximately 15 inches wide and approximately 4 inches deep. These dimensions are illustrated in
In one example, the scale 502 is configured in the riser 500, for example, below the holder support 212. The scale can also be configured in the base 202, the holder 207, or any other location within the penile holder 200. As shown in
Generally speaking, the holder device 200 can include a scale 502, which can be operable and configured to determine whether a threshold amount of pressure or force has been provided via the use of the wave-producing medical device. When the threshold pressure is experienced by the scale, a sensor 508 can cause or trigger a notification to the doctor or technician which can be provided via the output component 510. Thus, as a doctor or technician is treating a patient, a light, or a sound, or a notification from a mobile device such as a smart phone or laptop or other medical device, can indicate that the proper amount of pressure has been applied using the wave-producing medical device. Such feedback can enable the treatment to be more consistent and effective. Wireless communication components to enable a wireless link or wireless communications between the scale 512 and a remote device 514 can be included in the scale 512 structure.
A radius of curvature associated with various corners and surfaces are also shown by way of example. For example,
The above introduction and other improvements in the dimensions and configuration of the penile holder 200 address the weaknesses in the prior art design. The new design provides greater stability, more comfort and overall an improvement in the treatment experience for patients with ED.
In another example, a device includes a base 202 and a riser 204 attached to the base 202 at a central portion of the base. The riser 204 can include a holder support 212 and an open channel 218 through an upper portion of the riser 204. A holder 207 can have an attachment portion 210 complementary to the holder support 212 in the riser 204 and a holder portion 208 that extends horizontally from a top edge of the attachment portion 210. An attachment component 206 can adjustably attaches the holder 207 to the riser 204. An optional scale 502 can trigger a notice upon a threshold pressure being pressed on the holder or holder portion.
The scale 502 further can include one or more of a battery 506, a controller 504, a sensor 508 and an electronic notification component or output component 510. A wireless communication component can be included as well. The notice can include one or more of an audio notice, a visual notice, a tactile notice, and a multi-modal notice. The scale 502 can further include a transmission component configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote device 514 such as a mobile phone or server system over a network. The communication can be achieved through any wireless protocol such as BlueTooth™, WiFi, cellular, 5G, or any protocol for communicating data. Thus, a doctor or technician could receive a notification (sound, text, tactile output, etc.) on a mobile phone or a device held by the doctor or technician. The wave-producing medical device can also be configured to receive information about the amount of pressure such that the notification that a threshold pressure has been met can be provided to the doctor or technician right on the wave-producing medical device. Thus, the scale 502 and its components can be configured to communicate with the other medical tool used to provide the treatment. In one aspect, the function of the wave-producing medical device could be coordinated with the scale 502 data. For example, the waves that are produced can be adjusted or cut off relative to the sensed pressure on the holder portion 208.
The scale 502 can further include a controller 504 that can be configured to adjust the threshold pressure on an individual basis. The adjustment can be made through the use of an app on a mobile device that inputs data about the individual patient. The medical wave-treatment tool can receive patient data, or the scale 502 can have a user interface that receives input about the patient. Then, the proper threshold can be identified and applied for the treatment for that patient.
The type of medical device used to treat ED is not relative to the present disclosure. For example, the tool may use sound waves or electromagnetic waves. Other medical treatments may be used as well in connection with the disclosed penile holder 200. Because the wave-producing tool might also be electromagnetic rather than sound-based, the threshold pressure levels might need to be adjusted based on the type of treatment. Thus, the threshold pressure level that triggers a notification can vary based on the type of medical device being used for the ED treatment.
Embodiments can be claimed from the standpoint of the holder device 200, the wave producing medical device, a combination of both, or a separate mobile device or server as described herein. For example, an application or an “app clip” as introduced by Apple Computers, or through a browser or other user interface, can be configured on a mobile device and steps are performed by that mobile device can be covered as it receives data, interacts with the holder device 200, receives notification or triggers, and so forth. All steps or operations that might be performed by the holder device 200 and particularly with respect to the built-in scale 502, are covered as within the scope of this disclosure. For example, receiving sensor readings, generating data, evaluating a weight experienced by the scale and determining whether a threshold pressure has been met, and taking other steps such as communicating or transmitting data from the holder device 200 to a remote device 514 are all covered as within the scope of this disclosure. These various steps can be claimed from the standpoint of the holder device 200, from the standpoint of a remote device 514 or from the standpoint of both devices operating together. The remote device 514 can represent a mobile phone, a remote device, a server over the Internet, a medical tool, and so forth.
In one aspect, the data can be gathered for each individual treatment through sensors that are part of the scale 502. For example, data such as how long the treatment lasts, the weight or pressure applied during the treatment, information about the patient, information about the signals used in the wave-procedure, and so forth can be gathered, aggregated and used for improving the treatment process. For example, in accordance with guidelines for managing patient information, such data can be aggregated, and otherwise, and used to provide guidance regarding additional treatments such that through one or more of the wave-treatment medical device, the scale 502 as part of the holder device 200, the doctor can be guided with respect to how to perform the treatment based on historical data which can be linked to success rates. Machine learning tools of any type can also be used to evaluate the data and to provide guidance or suggestions regarding treatment procedures.
To enable user interaction with the device 700, an input device 745 can represent any number of input mechanisms, such as a microphone for speech, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture or graphical input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech and so forth. An output device 735 can also be one or more of a number of output mechanisms known to those of skill in the art. In some instances, multimodal systems can enable a user to provide multiple types of input to communicate with the device 700. The communications interface 740 can generally govern and manage the user input and system output. There is no restriction on operating on any particular hardware arrangement and therefore the basic features here may easily be substituted for improved hardware or firmware arrangements as they are developed.
Storage device 730 is a non-volatile memory and can be a hard disk or other types of computer readable media which can store data that are accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, solid state memory devices, digital versatile disks, cartridges, random access memories (RAMs) 725, read only memory (ROM) 720, and hybrids thereof.
The storage device 730 can include services or modules 732, 734, 736 for controlling the processor 710. Other hardware or software modules are contemplated. The storage device 730 can be connected to the system connection 705. In one aspect, a hardware module that performs a particular function can include the software component stored in a computer-readable medium in connection with the necessary hardware components, such as the processor 710, connection 705, output device 735, and so forth, to carry out the function.
In some cases, such a computing device or apparatus may include a processor, microprocessor, microcomputer, or other component of a device that is configured to carry out the steps of the methods disclosed above. In some examples, such computing device or apparatus may include one or more antennas for sending and receiving RF signals. In some examples, such computing device or apparatus may include an antenna and a modem for sending, receiving, modulating, and demodulating RF signals, as previously described.
The components of the computing device can be implemented in circuitry. For example, the components can include and/or can be implemented using electronic circuits or other electronic hardware, which can include one or more programmable electronic circuits (e.g., microprocessors, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), and/or other suitable electronic circuits), and/or can include and/or be implemented using computer software, firmware, or any combination thereof, to perform the various operations described herein. The computing device may further include a display (as an example of the output device or in addition to the output device), a network interface configured to communicate and/or receive the data, any combination thereof, and/or other component(s). The network interface may be configured to communicate and/or receive Internet Protocol (IP) based data or other type of data.
The methods discussed above can be illustrated as a logical flow diagram, the operations of which represent a sequence of operations that can be implemented in hardware, computer instructions, or a combination thereof. In the context of computer instructions, the operations represent computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or more processors, perform the recited operations. Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular data types. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described operations can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the processes.
For example,
Additionally, the methods disclosed herein may be performed under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions and may be implemented as code (e.g., executable instructions, one or more computer programs, or one or more applications) executing collectively on one or more processors, by hardware, or combinations thereof. As noted above, the code may be stored on a computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium, for example, in the form of a computer program comprising a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors. The computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium may be non-transitory.
The term “computer-readable medium” includes, but is not limited to, portable or non-portable storage devices, optical storage devices, and various other mediums capable of storing, containing, or carrying instruction(s) and/or data. A computer-readable medium may include a non-transitory medium in which data can be stored and that does not include carrier waves and/or transitory electronic signals propagating wirelessly or over wired connections. Examples of a non-transitory medium may include, but are not limited to, a magnetic disk or tape, optical storage media such as compact disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD), flash memory, memory or memory devices. A computer-readable medium may have stored thereon code and/or machine-executable instructions that may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, or the like.
In some embodiments the computer-readable storage devices, mediums, and memories can include a cable or wireless signal containing a bit stream and the like. However, when mentioned, non-transitory computer-readable storage media expressly exclude media such as energy, carrier signals, electromagnetic waves, and signals per se.
Specific details are provided in the description above to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments and examples provided herein. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For clarity of explanation, in some instances the present technology may be presented as including individual functional blocks comprising devices, device components, steps or routines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of hardware and software. Additional components may be used other than those shown in the figures and/or described herein. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
Individual embodiments may be described above as a process or method which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed, but can have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
Processes and methods according to the above-described examples can be implemented using computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwise available from computer-readable media. Such instructions can include, for example, instructions and data which cause or otherwise configure a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or a processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. Portions of computer resources used can be accessible over a network. The computer executable instructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, firmware, source code. Examples of computer-readable media that may be used to store instructions, information used, and/or information created during methods according to described examples include magnetic or optical disks, flash memory, USB devices provided with non-volatile memory, networked storage devices, and so on.
Devices implementing processes and methods according to these disclosures can include hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof, and can take any of a variety of form factors. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks (e.g., a computer-program product) may be stored in a computer-readable or machine-readable medium. A processor(s) may perform the necessary tasks. Typical examples of form factors include laptops, smart phones, mobile phones, tablet devices or other small form factor personal computers, personal digital assistants, rackmount devices, standalone devices, and so on. Functionality described herein also can be embodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Such functionality can also be implemented on a circuit board among different chips or different processes executing in a single device, by way of further example.
The instructions, media for conveying such instructions, computing resources for executing them, and other structures for supporting such computing resources are example means for providing the functions described in the disclosure.
In the foregoing description, aspects of the application are described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the application is not limited thereto. Thus, while illustrative embodiments of the application have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed, and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations, except as limited by the prior art. Various features and aspects of the above-described application may be used individually or jointly. Further, embodiments can be utilized in any number of environments and applications beyond those described herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the specification. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. For the purposes of illustration, methods were described in a particular order. It should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments, the methods may be performed in a different order than that described.
Where components are described as being “configured to” perform certain operations, such configuration can be accomplished, for example, by designing electronic circuits or other hardware to perform the operation, by programming programmable electronic circuits (e.g., microprocessors, or other suitable electronic circuits) to perform the operation, or any combination thereof.
Claim language or other language reciting “at least one of” a set and/or “one or more” of a set indicates that one member of the set or multiple members of the set (in any combination) satisfy the claim. For example, claim language reciting “at least one of A and B” or “at least one of A or B” means A, B, or A and B. In another example, claim language reciting “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” means A, B, C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, or A and B and C. The language “at least one of” a set and/or “one or more” of a set does not limit the set to the items listed in the set. For example, claim language reciting “at least one of A and B” or “at least one of A or B” can mean A, B, or A and B, and can additionally include items not listed in the set of A and B.
