Patent Application
20160166423
It is a common problem for older males to suffer various inconveniences related to the positioning of the scrotum, and particularly the distance of hang of the scrotum and scrotal sack. When a man is engaged in many activities of daily life, the scrotum can be supported by undergarments such as briefs. In some activities, however, such as using a toilet, undergarment support is not available. In these instances, the increased hang distance of the scrotum experienced by many older men may cause a number of inconveniences, such as unwanted contact between the scrotum and the toilet water or other contents of the toilet.
Some men experiencing undue scrotal hang, particularly due to age, require general age- or condition-related medical treatment that may include assistance going to the bathroom and with hygiene, such as taking showers or baths. For example, some elderly men live in nursing homes, hospice facilities, or other assisted-living facilities in which care providers assist with tasks like going to the bathroom arid taking showers. For men experiencing undue distance of scrotal bang, the unwieldy nature of the hanging scrotum and the increased potential for unwanted contact between the scrotum and the contents of a toilet can make the task of as care provider more dangerous, particularly if the care provider is required to assist with scrotal cleaning after the man has used the toilet. This can also result in serious discomfort to the man whose scrotum is being cleaned.
In some circumstances, a man experiencing undue scrotal bang may, when using the toilet, suffer direct contact between his scrotum and toilet water and its contents, which may include urine, blood, or fecal matter. These undesirable, and often pathogenic, substances must then be cleaned from the scrotum either by the man or by a care provider.
The scrotum is a sensitive part of the male anatomy. The scrotum has thin skin, and contact with the scrotum can be painful. Any method of support for the scrotum must account for its weight, size, and, most of all, sensitivity to touch and to pain.
A number of health-related devices are known to the art to provide scrotal support in the context of health care, particularly when a man is either standing and active, or, alternatively, when he is laying down. When a man is standing or active, it is well known to the art to use a jock-strap type of support, where a sling configured to hold the scrotum is attached to a belt around the man's waist. A number of devices are also known to the art to support the scrotum of a recumbent man. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,710 presents support that functions as a sling to hold the scrotum up during medical analysis and treatment. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0099028 discloses a sling for scrotal support when as male is recumbent, such as when a male patient is sedated or sleeping. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2004/0199091, similarly, discloses a sling-configuration support device for supporting the scrotum of a recumbent man. U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,202 discloses a profiled block apparatus designed to hold the scrotum in place, again, similarly, when a male patient is recumbent.
There is a need for a device that supports a man's scrotum and prevents undue scrotal hang when the man is seated without other scrotal support, such as when using a toilet. Such a device should support the scrotum sufficiently to prevent it from contacting the toilet water or toilet contents such as urine blood, or feces, should be sufficiently comfortable to accommodate the sensitive scrotum, and, since the device is likely to encounter pathogenic. substances like feces, should be disposable or easily cleanable. Still floater, there is a need for a method for supporting male genitalia that does not require the placement of briefs or a support device around the patient's waist.
A device for supporting a male scrotum when the male is in a seated position and particularly when using the toilet, is provided. In a first embodiment, the support device is disposable and comprises a flexible support member and two or more attachment members to removably attach the support member to the user's thighs such that the support, member is suspended under the user's scrotum and prevents undue hang of the scrotum. In a second embodiment, the support device is easily cleanable and comprises a support member and two or more outwardly depending wings configured to rest upon the tops of the user's thighs such that the support member is suspended under the user's scrotum and prevents undue hang of the scrotum.
So that the manner in which the features of the present invention can be better understood, certain drawings are shown. It is to be noted, however, that these illustrations depict only selected embodiments of the inventions and systems and are not to be considered limiting of scope, for the inventions may admit to other equally effective embodiments and applications.
For purposes herein, “scrotum” refers to the common anatomical male feature of a pouch of skin containing one or more, and most commonly two, testicles. A man's scrotum is, for the purposes of this invention, considered to hang unduly or to suffer undue hang when any portion of his scrotum is at or substantially near the level of the water of a toilet at an point while he sits upon the toilet to use it. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the proximity of a man's scrotum to the water level of a toilet depends upon a number of variables, such as the size and length of the scrotum the type and configuration of the toilet, the overall size and shape of the man's legs and buttocks, and the thickness of the toilet seat. Accordingly, whether a man's scrotum is considered to hang unduly o to suffer undue hang for purposes of this invention is determined subjectively according to an individual determination by the man, his care provider, or another individual that the scrotum is touching, is likely to touch, or is too close to the undesired contents of as toilet, and is not determined as a function of any particular objective measure of scrotal size or length, or any particular distance from the water level of a toilet.
Referring now to
A support member (1) in these embodiments of the invention is sized and shaped to accommodate a wide variety of sizes of scrota. In preferred embodiments, the support member (1) has a generally bag-like shape approximately complimentary to the overall shape of most male scrota and is four inches or less in overall depth, with a profiled cutout on its front side to allow the penis to hang outside of, and not be captive by or within, the support member (1). As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, however, a variety of sizes at d shapes are possible within the scope and spirit of this invention.
The support member (1) is in these embodiments detachably attached to two or more attachment members. In a preferred embodiment, the support member (1) is detachably attached to a first attachment member (5) on a first side of the support member (1), and detachably attached to a second attachment member (7) on a second side of the support member (1 ) opposite the first side of the support member (1). Preferably, the first side of the support member (1) is located to one side of the scrotum at a point approaching one of the user's legs, and the second side of the support member (1) is located to an opposite side of the scrotum approaching the other of the user's legs. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment members attach to the support member (1) by adhesive connection. Optionally, the attachment members may be mechanically attached to the support member (1) by a mechanical connection other than adhesive, or, still further optionally, may be integral to the support member (1).
In the depicted preferred embodiment, the support member (1) is a bag with a mouth wider than the user's scrotum and a profiled cut-out to allow escape of at least a portion of the user's penis, and the attachment members are detachably attached to the support member (1) at locations near the mouth of the bag and at opposite sides. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, a number of attachment locations and configurations of attachment member to support member (1) are possible within the scope and spirit of this invention.
Attachment members, including at least the first attachment member (5) and second attachment member (5), attach to the legs of a user, and preferably to the inner or upper thighs. In a preferred embodiment, a first attachment member (5) attaches to one leg of the user, and a second attachment member (7) attaches to the other leg of the user. Attachment members of these embodiments preferably attach to the legs of a user by removable adhesive connection to skin or clothing. In this way, the fit of the device can he customized by moving one or more attachment members to different locations on the user's legs. For example, the device can provide enhanced support and allow less scrotal hang if attachment members are attached higher on a user's leg, or further forward, or both. The device can provide enhanced comfort and allow greater hang if one or more attachment members are attached lower or further back on the user's legs. Asymmetries in the user's body, particularly in his scrotum, can be addressed by adjusting the attachment point of each attachment member individually for optimal fit that balances the user's preferences for comfort and amount of scrotal hang. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, similar customization of tit can be accomplished in some embodiments by altering the attachment point or one or more attachment members to the support member (1). A device within the scope and spirit of this invention may include three, four, or more attachment members.
Attachment members in these embodiments are flexible and disposable. Preferably, the first attachment member (5) and second attachment member (7) are comprised of an adhesive ribbon, such as disposable and easily removable adhesive tape, most preferably surgical tape. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the attachment members may composed of a wide variety of adhesive tapes or ribbons within the scope and spirit of this invention.
Referring now to
A support member (9) in these embodiments of the invention is sized and shaped to accommodate a wide variety of sizes of scrota. The support member (9) is relatively rigid and is composed of a cleanable and substantially inflexible material, such as HDPE, PVC, polypropylene, Lexan, or other plastics. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, other cleanable materials, such as stainless steel or PEEK, may be used.
In preferred embodiments, the support member (9) has to generally cup-like shape approximately complimentary to the overall shape of most male scrota and is four inches or less in overall depth. Preferably, the support member (9) includes a profiled cut-out to allow at least a portion of the penis to escape and not be captured by the support member (9) when the device is in use. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, a variety of sizes and shapes of support member (9) are possible within the scope and spirit of this invention.
The support member (9) is in these embodiments attached to two or more wings. The wings are, preferably, made of a cleanable, rigid material similar to the support member (9), and most preferably are made of the same material. In a preferred embodiment, the support member (9) is integrally attached to a first wing (11) outwardly depending from a first side of the support member (9) to one side of the scrotum, in the direction of the user's leg on that first side, and is integrally attached to a second wing (13) outwardly depending from a second side of the support member (9) opposite the first side, in the direction of the user's other leg in this alternative preferred embodiment, the first wing (11) and second wing (13) depend from the support member (9) both outwardly away from the scrotum and towards the user's legs and upwardly away from the scrotum and towards the tops of the user's thighs when seated, so that in use, each wing rests across one of the user's legs and the support member (9) is suspended between the wings in a location suitable to support the user's scrotum and prevent undue hang. Herein, the distance that a wing extends from the scrotum towards a user's leg when the user is seated will be referred to as “outwardly” or “outward travel,” and the distance a wing extends from the scrotum vertically upwardly when the user is seated will be referred to as “upwardly” or “upward travel.”
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the device of the embodiments illustrated in a preferred version in
In the depicted preferred embodiment of
The foregoing description and examples have been set forth merely to illustrate the inventions and are not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the inventions may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed broadly to include all variations falling within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereof.
