FR2517539A1 - Intra=uterine contraceptive device - has central cylindrical portion from which extend inclined circular section arms encircled by wire coils - Google Patents

Abstract

The intra-uterine contraceptive device has a central cylindrical vertical portion (1) terminating at the bottom in an enlarged cylindrical part (2) containing a transverse passage (3) for an extraction cord (4). Round-section arms (6,7,8) extend at 45 deg. from the central portion, having drop-shaped hemispherical enlarged ends (9). The uppermost arms (8) have coils of wire (10) wound round them. The top end of the central portion can have a hemispherical enlargement (9) with radiused lower edges. The metal for the wire can be copper, silver, gold, platinum or an alloy of them. The design avoids discomfort in use while allowing easy withdrawal.

Description

 Intrauterine devices, often called "IUDs", have already been known for a very long time, but until now all of these devices have not given complete satisfaction because, on the one hand, they are very often poorly tolerated by the patient, and sometimes cause side reactions such as hey ## orragies, local inflammations, and although we have sought by afferent means to alleviate these drawbacks, the results are unsatisfactory, and on the other hand, recovery of the device often poses problems and, as a result, bone is still required to limit the use of this intrauterine device.

 The present invention overcomes these drawbacks by creating an intrauterine device which is studied so as to be very flexible and to allow easy introduction and remaining in place in such a way that no accident occurs. This gives excellent tolerance.

In addition, its conformation is such that its removal no longer poses a problem.

 According to the invention, the device consists of a vertical central cylindrical part and ends at its lower part with a cylindrical bulge pierced with a channel through which passes a recovery braid while branches of substantially round section come to fix by one of their ends to the central element so that these branches extend substantially at an angle of 450, these branches further comprising at their free end a semi-spherical bulge in a drop of water and finally the upper branches carry a metallic wire wound in spirals whose turns are more or less contiguous.

 along another characteristic of the invention, the upper end of the vertical cylindrical central part ends in a hemispherical bulge with rounded lower edges.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the metal used to shout the turns on the upper branches is made of copper, silver, gold, Latin or an alloy of these metals.

 Various other characteristics of the invention will also emerge from the detailed description which follows.

 An embodiment of the object of the invention is shown, by way of nonlimiting example, in the accompanying drawings.

 Fig. I is a front elevation of the unfolded intrauterine device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation corresponding to FIG. 1
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a uterus and its appendices showing the position occupied by the device when it is in place.

 In fig. 1, the intrauterine device mainly consists of a vertical central part 1 of circular section, the lower end of which carries a bulge 2 also cylindrical with upper edges 2a and lower 2b rounded so as to avoid unpleasant friction both at introduction and removal of the intrauterine device.

The bulge 2 is pierced with a channel 3 through which a recovery braid 4 of the device has passed. The central part 1, which ends at its upper end 1b with a hemispherical bulge 5, carries in its middle and upper zone three pairs of branches 6, 7, 8 which are connected directly to the central part 1. The branches 6, 7, 8, which have a generally round section, terminate at their free end 6a, 7a 8a by semispherical protrusions in a drop of water 9 thus avoiding unpleasant friction during the introduction and removal of the available. The latter is produced by molding, most often in a synthetic plastic material such as that known in the trade under the name of PVC and which can be easily sterilized. In addition, the upper branches 8 carry two metal wires 10 correctly twisted to form substantially contiguous turns 11.

 The ends of the wires 10 are covered by the turns II using a winding process of the quilting type.

 The braid 4 is most often made of synthetic material such as that known in the trade under the name of Nylon.

 When the apparatus is introduced, the branches 6, 7, 8 are folded towards the central part 1 as shown in FIG. 3 and thus occupy almost the entire uterine cavity, the hemispherical bulge coming to be applied against the upper wall and the protrusions 9 against the side walls while the lower bulge 2 is located practically in the cervix, the ends braid 4 protruding alone into the vagina thus allowing easy recovery of the intrauterine device.

 In general and although this is not limiting, the device has a total length of 3.45 cm. The branches 6, 7, 8 of round section have substantially a diameter of 1 mm and have a length of 1.5 to 3 cm while the protrusions 9 in a drop of water have a diameter of 1 mm.

 The metal wire 10 wound in spirals substantially gives an area of between 200 and 250 mm 2, this useful surface being variable depending on the diameter of the metal wire 10 used.

 As can be seen in fig. 3, the intrauterine device according to the invention has all the characteristics desired for good tolerance and the surface of the metal wire is such that it avoids implantation in a safe manner.

 Various modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its scope.

Claims (3)

 CLAIM  I - Intrauterine device, characterized in that it is constituted by a vertical cylindrical central part 1 and ends at its lower part by a cylindrical bulge 2 pierced with a channel 3 through which passes a recovery braid 4 while that branches 6, 7, 8 of substantially round section are fixed by one of their ends to the central element 1 so that these branches extend substantially at an angle of 450, these branches further comprising at their free end a semispherical bulge in a drop of water 9 and finally the upper branches 8 carry a metal wire 10 wound in spirals whose turns 11 are more or less contiguous.  2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper end lb of the vertical cylindrical central part 1 ends in a hemispherical bulge 9 with rounded lower edges.  3 - Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the metal used to create the turns 11 on the upper branches 8 is copper, silver, gold, platinum or an alloy of these metals.