GB2425957A

GB2425957A - Contoured swab

Info

Publication number: GB2425957A
Application number: GB0509367A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Russell Khan-Sullman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-05-09
Filing date: 2005-05-09
Publication date: 2006-11-15
Also published as: GB0509367D0

Abstract

A medical or hygienic swab is formed from a stick 1 having an absorbent material 4 covering one or both ends. The covered part(s) of the stick 2 can be undulating (e.g. waves or spirals) or formed to have undulating shapes (e.g. spheres, cones or discs). The covering material adopts the shape of the underlying stick. The undulations may occupy more than one plane. The width of the covered part of the stick may be different to the width of the uncovered part.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN MEDICAL SWABS - THE CONTOURED SWAB

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the fields of hygiene and medicine, more specifically to the use of medical swabs, of the type exemplified by devices such as cotton wool buds.

BACKGROUND

Current styles of swab and cotton buds incorporate a stick with absorbent material covering one or both free ends of the stick.

The disadvantage of current styles is that the surface smoothness of current swabs often results in smearing and impaction of material during cleaning in addition to retrieval and removal. A swab with surface contouring would therefore improve cleaning and function.

DESCRIPTION

The Contoured Swab comprises a stick (made from materials such as plastic, resin, wood, paper, etc.), with absorbent material (e.g. cotton, foam, paper, etc.) covering part of the longitudinal length of the stick at one or both of the axial free ends of the stick, and characterised wherein a part of the longitudinal length of the stick at one or both of the axial free ends (these ends being designed to be covered, at least in part, by the absorbent material) is contoured in undulating shapes, with parts that are convergent with, parallel to and divergent from, the longitudinal/central axis of the absorbent material-covered (contoured) parts of the stick.

The overlying absorbent material on the finished swab thereby forms a bud similar in shape to the contours of the underlying part of the stick to which it is attached, the final shape, size and contour of the bud being dependant upon the amount and thickness of the absorbent material as well as the contoured shape of this part of the stick.

The preferred embodiment of the Contoured Bud incorporates a series of wave-like undulations of identical or similar frequency (length) and amplitude (height) in the contoured part of the stick, wherein the undulations exist preferably in one plane, and consist of either gentle curves or of angular waves. Alternative embodiments incorporate wave-like undulations of dissimilar size and shape, and/or undulations that exist and occupy more than one plane.

Where there exists more than one bud on a single Contoured Bud, the undulations on the buds may exist in and occupy the same plane, whilst other embodiments will incorporate buds that exist in and occupy different and separate planes from one another.

The stick may be of the same transverse cross-section in terms of size and/or shape along its entire length, whilst other embodiments will have variable transverse cross- section in size and shape along their longitudinal lengths.

The layer of absorbent material may be variable in thickness along the longitudinal length of the bud, according to function and requirement. Further, the contoured parts of the stick designed to bear the bud may be further prepared or patterned to assist in the satisfactory adhesion of the absorbent material that forms the bud-part of the invention.

The handling part of the stick (non-absorbent material covered part) may be made wider (and may also be patterned for ease of handling, e.g. ribbed) than the absorbent material-covered, contoured ends to assist in function and also to act in an insertion- limitation function. For example, if the wider part of the swab is wider than the diameter of a child's nostril, the swab cannot be inserted beyond this limit.

The functional parts of the longitudinal length of the stick designed to support and be covered by the absorbent material are contoured: - a) In a series of identical and similar or dissimilar wave-like undulations (like those found on one arm of a bobby pin [hairpin]) formed by gentle curves (with an outer and an inner curve) or with more angular or sharper bends, or a mixture of both these types of wave undulation; b) In a series of two or more spherical or ovoid shapes arranged in a row in-line with one another along a straight axis (which may be the same as the longitudinal axis of the non-bud covered stick-part of the invention), wherein the shapes either merge with one another or are distinct and separate, the latter with or without linear, non-contoured lengths of the stick between each of the undulating shapes; c) In a series of two or more spindles, discs and/or cones arranged wherein their longitudinal axis are shared and the same as the longitudinal axis of the non- bud covered part of the stick.

d) In the shape of a ribbed, patterned or simple cylinder; e) In the shape of a spiral.

The contoured part of the stick may be provided with any of the above shapes, a mixture of these, or a mixture of other shapes.

The invention provides absorbent swabs, then, that with supported contouring are able to exert greater displacement forces when used than those types of swab currently available.

A modified embodiment of the invention can incorporate an axial curve or arc along part or all of the contoured parts of the stick to allow satisfactory use in enclosed areas with limited access.

The invention can be made from existing materials currently used in swab and cotton bud manufacture, but can also be fabricated from future materials as necessary.

The invention is provided in forms wherein the swab may be either narrower, the same as, or wider than all or part of the non-contoured part of the stick.

The absorbent material of the swab may also be further patterned to increase and improve the retentivity in function of the swab.

Although the contoured shapes may be arranged along a straight axis that is the same as or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the non-bud covered part of the stick, the incorporation of one or more bends along the longitudinal length of the stick will provide an embodiment of the invention wherein the longitudinal axis of the bud(s) will be different, at last in part, to the longitudinal axis of the non- bud covered/noncontoured part of the stick.

Other modifications and embodiments of the device, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby being sought.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the Prior Art of a stick 80 in general use currently as a component structure of the cotton wool bud, with axial free ends 81.

Figure 1(B) shows how cotton buds 82 are placed at the axial ends of the bud, with Figure 1(C) showing a longitudinal cross-section of the cotton wool bud.

Figure 2(A) shows a perspective view of a preferred form of the stick part of the invention. Figure 2(B) shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the absorbent material swab in position. The stick 1 is rod-like, with a contoured end 2, wherein the contoured part of the stick describes a series of similar wave-like or zig-zag undulations that exist in the same plane that, which, when covered by a layer of absorbent material, form an absorbent bud/swab 3 with an undulating surface similar to the undulations of the underlying contoured part of the stick. In this embodiment of the invention, the wave-like undulations 2 and the non- contoured 1 part of the stick occupy the same plane.

Figure 2(C) shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the invention showing how the overlying absorbent material 4 adopts the same shape as the underlying contoured part 2 of the stick 1, with the contoured part 2 acting as a skeletal support for the swab as well as shape-forming for function.

Figure 2(D) shows how the stick-part of this embodiment of the invention incorporates undulations comprising angular bends 11 between straight lengths (a and b) of the stick, wherein some parts of the undulations (a) converge with the longitudinal axis XY of the stick 10, whilst other parts of the undulations (b) diverge from the longitudinal axis XY of the stick 10.

Figure 2(E) however shows an embodiment of a stick that incorporates a series of undulations comprising curving waves 14.

Figure 2(F) shows a stick with wave-like undulations wherein all parts of the stick, contoured and non-contoured, exist and occupy one plane EFGH.

This embodiment is for a rod-like example, but the stick may becircular, ovoid or some other shape in transverse cross-section. This embodiment exists in one plane, but other embodiments can be provided in forms wherein the component parts exist in more than one plane.

Figure 3(A) and (B) show perspective views of the stick-part and the final form swab of another embodiment of the invention, incorporating a series of two adjacent spheres XX and YY separated by a linear length of the stick P. Figure 3(B) shows that when a layer of absorbent material TT is placed over the contoured part of the stick, a dumbbell shaped swab SS is formed.

Varying the distance P between XX and YY can increase or decrease the depth of the dip L in the swab between the wider parts, where the thickness of the absorbent material is unchanged.

Other similar embodiments can incorporate one or more spheres or ovoids, two or more spheres or ovoids of varying size, and spheres or ovoids with variable distance between them, or no distance at all between them.

Figure 4 shows at (A) a perspective view of the stick-part of the device wherein the contoured part of stick 16 comprises a ribbed cylinder 21, which when covered with a layer of absorbent material forms a ribbed swab 22 cylindrical in shape. 4(C) shows a longitudinal cross-section of this.

Figure 5 shows a further embodiment featuring a contoured surface 23 on the stick 24 generally bamboo in shape, which is then mirrored by the overlying absorbent material to form a similarly shaped swab 25 to form swab 27.

Figure 6 shows another emodiment of the invention wherein there is an arrangement of two spindles 31 laid end-to-end on the stick 32.

Figure 7 shows yet another example of the invention wherein a series of three cones 33 are arranged end-to-end, such that the overlying absorbent material forms a Christmas-tree shaped swab 34. Figure 7(C) shows this in longitudinal cross-section.

Figure 8(A) shows a swab 35 with two incorporated bends B such that the axis AB of the swab 35 is parallel to but different to the longitudinal axis of the non-contoured part of the stick 36 CD.

Other embodiments similar to that shown in Figure 8(A) could incorporate bends such that the swabs and contoured parts of the stick have longitudinal axes separate and non-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main part of the non-contoured stick.

Figure 8(B) shows another embodiment of the invention wherein the contoured part of the stick (and thereby the swab 40) exists along a curving arc MN, such that the axis of the swab 40 is curved, and separate and different from the axis UV of the non- contoured part of the stick 42.

Figure 9 shows another embodiment of the device when double-ended at (A) and (B) wherein the contoured parts of the stick 50 are formed by a series of three adjacent spheres 51 to form swabs 52.

Figure 9 shows yet another example of the device.

Claims

1) A Contoured Swab comprising a stick, with absorbent material overlying part of the longitudinal length of the stick at one or both of its axial ends to form one or more absorbent buds, characterised in that the absorbent material- covered parts of the stick are contoured, at least in part, to form undulations (e.g. a series of wave-like undulations comprising similar or dissimilar curves or angular bends, similar to the undulations found on one arm of a bobby hair- pin, these undulations existing in and occupying one or more planes) or undulating shape(s) that incorporate surfaces that converge with, are parallel to, and diverge from the longitudinal/central axis of the absorbent material- covered part of the stick (i.e. the contoured part of the stick), such that the absorbent swab located at one or both ends of the invention assumes a substantially similar shape to that of the underlying contoured part of the stick; 2) A Contoured Swab as claimed in Claim I wherein the undulations may comprise one or a series of two or more spherical, ovoid, cone, spindle, spiral or patterned cylindrical shapes, or some other shape; 3) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the undulating shapes on a contoured part of the stick may be separate and distinct from one another or alternatively they may merge together; 4) A Contoured swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the width of the non-covered parts of the stick is different from the maximum width of the absorbent material-covered parts of the stick; 5) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material overlying the contoured parts of the stick is not absorbent; 6) A Contoured Swab as claim in any preceding claim wherein the series of wave-like undulations may be described by a series of similar or dissimilar waves or corrugations, wherein the frequency (length) and/or amplitude (height) of the peaks and troughs of the undulations may vary throughout the same contoured part of the stick, i.e. the same contoured part of the stick may bear a series of identical wave-like undulations or corrugations, or alternatively the contoured part of the stick may be made up a collection/continuous series of waves of different sizes and/or shapes; 7) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the maximum width of the absorbent-material covered parts of the stick are the same as the non-covered parts of the stick; 8) A Contoured Swab as cl&imed in any preceding claim wherein the series of wave-like undulations of the same contoured part of the stick exist in and occupy the same (one) plane; 9) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the series of wave-like undulations of the contoured part of the stick exist in and occupy separate and different planes; 10) A Contoured swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein where there exists more than one bud on an embodiment of the invention, the component buds exist in and occupy the same plane; 11) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein where there exists more than one bud on an embodiment of the invention, the component buds exist in and occupy separate and different planes; Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1) A Contoured swab comprises a stick, with absorbent material overlying part of the longitudinal length of the stick at one or both of its axial ends to form one or more absorbent buds, characterised in that part of the stick, at one or both axial ends, is contoured in a manner wherein the contoured surface of the stick forms undulations such that the surface longitudinally of the contoured length either converges with or diverges from the end-to-end longitudinal axis of the stick, these undulations embodied in one of two forms, firstly, a wave-like series (which exist in at least one plane) of identical or differing amplitude and frequency; or, secondly, undulating formations; wherein the component parts of each contoured section of stick may be inter-linked or separated by un-contoured lengths of stick; 2) A Contoured Swab as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the width of the non- covered parts of the stick is different from the maximum width of absorbent-material covered parts of the stick; 3) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material overlying the contoured parts is non-absorbent; 4) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the undulations comprise one or a series of spherical, ovoid, conical or spindle-like shapes; 5) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the axial length of the buds is different from (but may be parallel with) the axial (end-to-end) length of the stick; 6) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the transverse cross-section of the stick component in terms of size and shape will be the same along the entire length of the longitudinal length of the stick; 7) A Contoured Swab as claimed in claim 1-5 wherein the transverse crosssection of the stick component in terms of size and shape varies along the longitudinal length of the stick; 8) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the non- contoured part of the stick is patterned to assist in handling; 9) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the stick may be of circular transverse cross-section; 10) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein all parts of the swab exist in the same plane; 11) A Contoured Swab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the swab has one or more bends along its non-contoured length such that component parts of the swab occupy different planes; 12) A Contoured Swab substantially as herein described with reference to the embodiments, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings.