EP1228743A1

EP1228743A1 - Device for treatment of prostatitis

Info

Publication number: EP1228743A1
Application number: EP01200403A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alfred Christensen
Original assignee: ABC Investdk AS
Current assignee: ABC Investdk AS
Priority date: 2001-02-05
Filing date: 2001-02-05
Publication date: 2002-08-07

Abstract

The present invention concerns a device for treatment of prostatitis by drainage of prostatic fluid from the glands inside the prostate and comprises a massage arm portion for insertion into the rectal passage including abutment means for massaging the prostate positioned at the first end of the arm, a handle rod portion, said massage arm being connected to the handle rod at its second end, wherein said handle rod includes a supporting rod portion extending beyond the connection point for supporting the device on a supporting surface in such a way that a fulcrum point is provided for pivoting the device. Hereby, a device is achieved that is simple and relatively comfortable to use, either for a man diagnosed with prostatitis or by the doctor or another assistant helping the man carry out the massage of the prostate.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for treatment of prostatitis comprising a massage arm portion for insertion into the rectal passage including abutment means for massaging the prostate positioned at the first end of the arm, a handle rod for pivoting the massage arm, said massage arm being connected to the handle rod at its second end.
In many studies, it has been proven that prostatitis may be treated by massage of the prostate which can reduce the size of the prostate as a supplement to an antibiotic treatment. One treatment for non-bacterial disorder of chronic prostatitis and a congested prostate is for the doctor to massage the prostate at regular intervals. However, many doctors do not have long and sufficiently strong fingers to perform a massage that provides sufficient drainage of the prostate. Most men find it difficult to massage the prostate gland themselves in a way that provides a sufficient drainage of the prostate and often, men have a psychological barrier about touching or being touched in the rectum.
In order to overcome this inconvenience, devices for self-massage may be desirable. A device of such kind is known from US patent No. 2,478,786, in which a prostate gland massaging implement is described. This implement includes an anterior handle portion which constitutes a power arm and a substantially horizontal portion extending under the groin and an upwardly bent posterior portion which forms the massage arm and extends into the rectal passage. The bent portion between the horizontal and the posterior portions serves as a fulcrum point against the front wall of the rectal opening when the implement is subjected to pivotal movement around this point. However, this implement will not provide a sufficient pressure on the prostate in the downwards direction towards the urethra. This results in insufficient drainage of the prostate.
Another solution is known from US patent No. 5,861,000, in which a device of similar kind is described. The device comprises an L-shaped rod with a head for insertion into the rectal passage. The head is sized in such a way that is can be inserted into the rectum and, when inserted, it can be pressed against the prostate by contracting the sphincter. However, this implement will not provide a sufficient pressure on the prostate in the downwards direction towards the urethra. This also results in insufficient drainage of the prostate.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for treatment - after consulting a doctor - of non-bacterial or bacterial prostatitis that enables a man to carry out self-massages of the prostate so as to drain the fluid from the congested prostate and thereby ensure proper drainage of the prostate.
This object is achieved by a device of the initially mentioned kind, wherein the handle rod includes a supporting rod portion extending beyond the connection point for supporting the device on a supporting surface in such a way that a fulcrum point is provided for pivoting the device.
Hereby, a device is achieved that is simple and relatively comfortable to use in privacy for a man diagnosed by a doctor as having prostatitis or just to treat any sensitive disorders in the groin area originating from an enlarged prostate.
In order to provide a soft point of contact with the prostate, the abutment means preferably includes a padding of at least the side facing the handle on the end region of the massage arm. This padding is preferably an elastomer, such as a rubber or rubber-like top layer on the massage arm portion.
Preferably, the device is moulded in one single piece. The padding may be integrally moulded onto the arm portion in the same moulding process, e.g. by a double injection moulding process. Preferably, the device is made in one or more biologically inert polymeric materials.
Preferably, the supporting rod portion is provided with friction means at the supporting end opposite the handle rod and the massage arm. Hereby, the device is prevented from slipping on the supporting surface during the pivoting movement. The support of the device could also be provided by an additional device placed on both legs between the thighs.
The massaging arm may be provided with a sterile protective cover, in particular a disposable cover, in order to prevent infections and to ensure that the cleaning of the device after a massage is easily and effectively done. In addition, a lubrication gel may also be used for inserting the device in the rectum.
The device according to the invention is to be used for massaging the prostate by placing the patient with his back against a support surface and inserting the massage arm of the device for treating prostatitis into the rectum so that the arm abuts the prostate from the top, and gently pivot the device around the fulcrum and support point where the supporting rod portion of the device contacts the supporting surface creating a pressure towards the urethra and draining the prostatic fluid out of the urethra.
In the following, a preferred embodiment of the invention is described with reference to a schematic drawing showing the operation of the device.
The figure shows a device according to the present invention for massaging a prostate rectally to drain the glands in the prostate 8 for congested prostatic fluid. The device includes a massage arm 1, a handle rod 2 and a supporting rod portion 3. The handle rod 2 is curved and is integrally connected to the supporting rod 3. At this connection point, the massage arm 1 is protruding in the direction of the curvature of the handle rod 2. The handle rod 2 and the supporting rod portion 3 are formed successively with the lower support portion 3 as a relatively straight portion and the handle 2 as a curved portion.
The massage arm 1 is positioned essentially orthogonally to the supporting rod portion 3. However, it is realised that the angle and the position may be varied substantially without departing from the scope of the invention. The important issue is to position the pad 6 in contact with the upper part of the prostate 8 in such a way that a sufficient pressure is created on the prostate 8 by lifting the handle 2 of the device and by using a sufficient stable counter pressure base for the supporting rod 3.
The supporting rod portion 3 is provided with a friction pad at the end of the support rod 3 at the point where it makes contact with the support surface 4 for creating a firm fulcrum point for the device at this point of contact. The massage arm 1 is provided with a padding 6 at the tip of the arm 1 in order to diffuse the pressure on the internal organs.
For using the device, the person is lying down or standing up with his back against a support surface 4, such as a floor or a wall, or by using an additional counter pressure device placed on the legs between the thighs of the man. The massage arm 1 is gently inserted in the rectum 7 with the handle portion 2 between the legs with the supporting portion 3 pointing to the support surface 4. The prostate 8 is located by adding slight pressure to the soft pad 6 of the arm 1 inside the rectal passage 7. The prostate 8 is normally located 6-10 cm from the sphincters 7 and the semi vascular vessel 9 9-13 cm from the sphincters 7. The semi vascular vessel 9 may also be drained by this device. When the device is positioned correctly on top of the prostate 8, the tip of the supporting rod portion 3 can be moved about 2 cm from the centre towards one of the legs to start creating a downwards pressure on the prostate 8 from one side of the prostate 8. The procedure is then be repeated towards the other side of the prostate 8. Then, pressure is slightly added by moving the handle portion 2 away from the stomach until the man gets the sensation like urinating. Hereby, the prostate 8 will be drained for prostatic fluid through the urethra 10. When the person feels that the drainage is done, 2-4 drops of clear prostatic fluid will normally be drained which usually indicates that the prostate 8 should be normal. If the prostate is enlarged, 2-4 teaspoons of prostatic fluid may be drained and the drainage will normally be done by 2 -3 pressures of a duration of 5-10 seconds from each side of the prostate 8, before the device is gently removed. A sample of the prostatic fluid may be collected in a microscopic examination glass, dried and kept in an closed container for analysis by a doctor, especially for blood cells (WBC) which will indicate if there is an inflammation of the prostate 8 which calls for an antibiotic treatment of the urinal tract by the doctor. If the prostatic fluid looks contaminated by visual inspection without any sign of inflammation, the patient can continue the daily massages until the prostatic fluid clears up. Afterwards, the massage frequency may be reduced to once a week at the patient's convenience.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is moulded in one single piece, preferably in a biologically inert polymeric material. The padding 6 and the friction tip 5 are preferably made of a soft elastomer, such as a rubber or a rubber-like material. In an advantageous embodiment, the elastomer may be provided in an injection moulding, preferably in a double injection moulding process together with the moulding of the device itself.
By the invention, it is realised that the utility of the device is not directly dependable on the size of the device relative to the size of the user. Therefore, a device according to the invention may be produced in one-size, making the manufacture relatively simple.

Claims

A device for treatment of prostatitis comprising:

a massage arm portion for insertion into the rectal passage including abutment means for massaging the prostate positioned at the first end of the arm,

a handle rod portion for pivoting the massage arm, said massage arm being connected to the handle rod at its second end,

characterised in that
said handle rod includes a supporting rod portion extending beyond the connection point for supporting the device on a supporting surface in such a way that a fulcrum point is provided for pivoting the device.
A device according to claim 1, wherein the abutment means includes a padding on at least the side facing the handle at the end region of the massage arm.
A device according to claim 2, wherein the padding is an elastomer.
A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device is moulded in one single piece.
A device according to claim 4, wherein the device is moulded in one or more biologically inert polymeric materials.
A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supporting rod portion is provided with friction means at the supporting end opposite the handle rod and the massage arm.
A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the massaging arm may be provided with a sterile protective cover, such as a disposable sterile wrapping.
A method of massaging the prostate by placing the patient with his back against a support surface and inserting the massage arm of a device for treating prostatitis into the rectum so that the arm abuts the prostate, and then gently pivoting the device around the fulcrum and support point where the supporting rod portion of the device is in contact with the supporting surface.