FR2569977A1 - STRAINERING CYLINDER FOR INFLATABLE PENIAN ERECTION DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

TEACHED IS AN ADVANCED STRAIGHTENING CYLINDER 10 FOR USE AS A COMPONENT OF A PENIAL ERECTION DEVICE. THE CYLINDER IS EQUIPPED WITH ONE OR MORE PLIES 18 IN THE FORM OF BELLOWS WHICH ALLOW SUBSTANTIAL ELONGATION AND ALSO ELIMINATE LOCAL BENDING OF THE CYLINDER. FURTHERMORE, THE CYLINDER IS DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND MORE VERTICALLY THAN HORIZONTALLY, SO THAT WHEN TWO OF THESE CYLINDERS ARE USED SIDE BY SIDE IN THE PENIS, THE PENIS TAKES A GLOBALLY CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION A 'STATE OF ERECTION.

Description

STRAIGHTENER CYLINDER FOR ERECTION DEVICE

INFLATABLE PENIENNE

  The present invention relates generally to the field of inflatable penile erection devices, and more particularly relates to an improved stiffening cylinder which is implanted in the corpus cavernosum of the penis. There is a growing activity in the field of penile erection devices to help male persons who suffer from erectile impotence. Reference is made to U.S. patent application no. 476,931 having the title "manually operated and fully implantable penile erection device". In this device and in others, fluid actuated stiffening cylinders are implanted in each of the corpora cavernosa, and serve to achieve the erection state when they are filled with fluid, and to achieve the flaccid state when they are emptied

fluid.

  Current stiffening cylinders for inflatable penile erection devices have several serious shortcomings. One of these faults is the fact that they do not lengthen to a significant extent in the erection state. For example, these devices only extend

  about 0.5% from flaccid state to e-

  rection, i.e. a practically im- portant variation in length

  perceptible. A second defect is the fact that in the flas-

  that, the cylinders bend where the hanging part enters the body. This can lead to cracking and fluid leakage from the cylinders after several

years of twist.

  A third defect relates to the implantation of two cylinders in the corpora cavernosa of the penis. The

  cylinders are of circular cross section and con-

  serve their circular shape when they expand. Because these cylinders are mounted side by side in the

  penis, when swollen, the hanging part of the

  nis takes a flattened form which is not physiologically

  equivalent to the generally circular cross-section

  from a normal erect penis.

  U.S. Patent No. 4,267,829 Burton (Figure 4) describes

  a wavy woven material sandwiched between two cy-

  elastomeric linders, as a structure for a penis cylinder. Although the wavy fabric allows some

  longitudinal expansion, while prohibiting voluntary-

  Because of the fact that the undulations of the tissue are confined between two elastomer cylinders, the longitudinal expansion is extremely limited and the phenomenon of bending at the base of the hanging part of the penile cylinder remains present. Thus, the Burton patent does not teach a device or method for obtaining a significantly greater penis length during

  erection, does not solve the problem of constraints ex-

  discontinuous at the point where the cylinder bends in a flaccid state, and always produces a flattened shape when

  two cylinders located side by side are inflated to make

er erection.

  In view of the above defects of conventional stiffening cylinders, it is entirely desirable to provide an improved cylinder which is closer to the

  physiological normality that current cylinders in effect

  killing a noticeable length change and per-

  putting the penis to take a cross section glo-

  circular balement during erection. It is also desirable to improve current cylinders by proposing a cylinder which does not have localized stress zones.

  Thus, an object of the present invention is to pro-

  place a stiffening cylinder through which the penis reaches

  considerably greater length when erected

tion only in a flaccid state.

  Another object of the present invention is to pro-

  install a means to eliminate the bending of the rai-

  straightener where it enters the body, thus increasing

the life of the cylinder.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a stiffening cylinder having a non-circular, substantially elliptical cross section, which

  expands to a greater extent in a vertical direction

  wedge only in the horizontal direction, so that the penis has a more physiologically cross section

circular in erect state.

  To achieve objects of growth in the longitudinal direction and of elimination of localized stresses, the stiffening cylinder of the present invention uses one or more folds at the base of the hanging part, which lengthen considerably when the pressure of the cylinder fluid is increased to obtain the erection state, and which, when the penis is flaccid, allow a curvature without bending. Furthermore, having these

  folds at the base of the hanging part makes possible the existence

  tence of a physiologically normal curvature of the penis to

flaccid state.

  To achieve the object of obtaining a section

  circular cross section of the penis when erect, each

  one of the two stiffening cylinders can be made with a vertically elongated cross section, and with thicker elastomer sections in the upper and lower parts than on the sides. Thus, when the cylinder expands under the increase in the pressure of the internal fluid (that is to say during the erection state), the cross section of the cylinder increases more in vertical dimension than in horizontal dimension. Thus, with two of these cylinders mounted horizontally side by side (that is to say with the adjacent vertical walls),

  the penis takes a substantially circular cross-section

  erect, rather than the less physiological flattened state presented using the

prior art.

  A second way of obtaining a stiffening cylinder which expands elliptically is to use a cylinder which has a cross section in the form of a vertical ellipse, of substantially uniform wall thickness and which comprises a horizontal elastomer partition. molded

  in him in his center so as to bring the parties together

  opposite sides of the cylinder. The horizontal partition

  also finished fluid receiving chambers

  lower and lower which are in fluid communication with each other by at least one opening defined by the partition. With this structure, we can ensure that both the upper and lower chambers are

  expand more vertically than horizontally.

  So two of these cylinders mounted horizontally side by side

  side by side will give the erect penis a cross section

  circular, physiologically normal.

  These objects of the invention, as well as others, its advantages, and the structural details will become more apparent.

  clearly on reading the following description, made

  with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a form of elliptical stiffening cylinder perfected in a horizontal, but flaccid state,

  Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view

  showing it a simple fold of the hanging part of the cylinder while it is curved downwards in the flaccid state, FIG. 3 illustrates the fold of FIG. 2, the flaccid state being indicated in solid lines and the state erection in dotted lines, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the stiffening cylinder, along line 4-4 of Figure 1, illustrating the arrangement of thin side walls and comparatively thick upper and lower parts, Figure 5 is a view in partial longitudinal section of the free end portion of another improved form of elliptical stiffening cylinder, in a horizontal but flaccid state, and FIG. 6 is a view in transverse section of the stiffening cylinder of FIG. 5, along line 6-6 of this figure, which uses a horizontal partition

  centered in elastomer to ensure greater displacement-

  vertical than horizontal when the cylinder is put

under pressure.

  In FIG. 1, the improved stiffening cylinder is generally indicated at 10, as it would appear in the corpus cavernosum of the penis P of a male human being. Such a cylinder is implanted in each of the two corpora cavernosa of the penis P. The cylinder has an inlet portion 12 which is connected to its inner surface

  13 to a source of fluid (not shown). Food-

  tion in pressurized fluid causes the cylinder 10 to assume the erection state; fluid removal

  reduces the pressure and causes the flaccid state to return.

  Specific methods and apparatuses for supplying and removing the fluid, and the overall cooperation of the elements used in penile erection devices of the type concerned here, are described in the application.

  U.S. Patent No. 476,931 mentioned above.

  The cylinder 10 has an inflatable hanging part 14 which is contained inside the penis P, and a

  separate root part 16. The hanging part 14 comprises

  carries a cylindrical upper part 14a, a cylindrical lower part 14d, and one or more folds 18 situated at the base of the hanging part 14 of the penis P. FIG. 1 shows the shape of three of these folds 18 when the penis P is flaccid but kept in a horizontal position. These folds 18 generally have the form of an extensible bellows, each fold corresponding to a

simple convolution of the bellows.

  Figure 2 shows the shape of a single fold 18 when the penis is curved downward from its base, which normally takes place in a flaccid state. Thus, the upper fold 18a is partially open and the fold

  lower 18b is partially compressed.

  Because the fold 18 curves as shown, the cylinder 10 will not bend when the penis is

  curved downward to its normal flaccid state.

  This should lead to a longer lifespan of the implantation of the cylinder 10, since the part

  pendant 14 will not be subject to undue stress

  ves at its base due to bending, as is the case

  with existing prior art cylinders. In by-

  particular, the cylinders of the prior art are devoid of

  means which allow the upper part of the cylinder

  dre to remain partially extended while it is bent, without exerting excessive stress on a bent lower part. Such bending could eventually cause the cylinder to rupture at the stress points, which would cause fluid to leak into the hanging tissue and make the erection device

penile inoperative.

  In FIG. 3, the solid lines represent a fold 18 in the flaccid state (but not curved). The dashed lines represent the state in which the fluid pressure is increased inside the part.

  pendant 14 of cylinder 10 (corresponding to the state of

  rection). In this state, the fold 18 takes the form sensi-

  straightened 18 'without being subjected to a substantial tension, while the upper cylindrical part 14a adopts the shape as indicated in 14a'. Because the fold 18 straightens when the cylinder 10 is in the erect state, the hanging part 14 has a

  significantly greater length during erection.

  When the fluid pressure is removed, the fold 18 resumes the shape illustrated in solid lines in Figure 3. The top and bottom of the fold 18 can be made significantly thicker than the side walls thereof, if desired , as illustrated in Figure 4 for the

rest of cylinder 10.

  The entire hanging part 14 of the cylinder, from the body to the end, preferably has a length of the order

  15 cm. Each of the folds 18 preferably has a depth

  0.6 cm deur. It will however be understood that the length of the hanging part 14 and the depth of each fold

  18 can be modified to adjust the characteristics

ticks of the device.

  A fold depth of 0.6 cm allows an extension

  1.2 cm per fold of the hanging part 14, minus the thickness of such a fold, when the fluid pressure causes the cylinder to assume the erection state. The thickness of a fold 18 is represented by the sum of the thicknesses of each of the two cylinder sections 19 (FIG. 3) which are joined together to form the fold, that is to say that two sections with a thickness of 0.1 cm each gives a fold thickness of 0.2 cm. If the hanging part 14 has three of these folds 18, as shown in FIG. 1, with a depth of 0.6 cm, while the hanging part 14 is elongated by 3.6 cm, minus the thickness

  0.6 cm from the folds, during the erection state.

  For a hanging part 14 with a length of 15 cm, this elongation represents a 20% increase in the

  pendant length between flaccid state and erect state

  tion. With this depth of 0.6 cm for pleats 18, the percentage increase in the hanging length is approximately 6.5% and 13% for one ply and for two plies, respectively. Even if the depth of the folds 18 was reduced to 0.3 cm, a single fold would increase the length of the cylinder by around 3%. Because the current cylinders allow only a fraction of a percent increase in the hanging length, the object of providing a hanging portion 14 of a markedly greater length during erection is achieved even when the cylinder 10 is only provided with a relatively shallow fold. FIG. 4 represents the cross section of the hanging part 14 of the stiffening cylinder 10, along the section line 4-4 of FIG. 1. In this view, the solid lines represent the flaccid state, and the dotted lines represent the erection state. The vertical walls 14b and 14c are significantly thinner and more

  as long as the upper part 14a and the lower part

  lower 14d, thinner and shorter, the vertical walls

  wedges and the upper and lower parts being symmetrical

  triques in cross section with respect to perpendicular axes of the hanging part 14. Thus, when the fluid pressure is increased inside the cylinder 10, the thin walls 14b and 14c stretch and elongate vertically in a measure significant, and expand only slightly horizontally, to

  reach positions 14b 'and 14c' as shown

  tees in dotted lines in FIG. 4. On the contrary, the upper part 14a and the lower part 14d expand vertically to a significant extent, but

  do not extend significantly horizontally.

  This expansion and this differential elongation lead to an outward displacement of the walls

  vertical 14b and 14c less than that of the upper part

  lower 14a and lower part 14d when the cylinder 10 is pressurized. Thus, the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the hanging part 14 of the cylinder 10 increases from the flaccid state (represented in solid lines in FIG. 4) to the erect state (represented in dotted lines in the figure 4). Because there are two of these cylinders

  side by side in the corpora cavernosa of the P, penis.

  this design of the cylinders 10 leads the penis to take a more circular cross section than is the case in the prior art, where the two cylinders are of circular cross section and retain this cross section when they expand. he

  It should also be noted that the stiffening cylinders

  10 produced have two functions with regard to the shape and size of their cross section. They give the erect penis P a physiologically circular cross section, and define means by which the erect penis becomes thicker and

increases in circumference.

  The typical dimensions of a deflated cylinder 10 are of the order of 0.8 to 1 cm between the outside of a vertical side wall 14b and the outside of the other vertical wall 14c, and of the order of 1.3 to 1.4 cm between the top of the upper part 14a and the bottom of the lower part 14d. The respective thicknesses of the vertical side walls 14b and 14c and the upper and lower horizontal portions 14a and 14d are 0.02 cm and 0.1 cm. When inflated, the external distance between the side walls 14b 'and 14c' increases by about 0.1 cm, up to around 0.9 to

  1.1 cm, and the outside distance between the upper part

  lower 14a 'and the lower part 14d' increases by

  about 0.2 cm, up to around 1.5 to 1.6 cm.

  The magnitude of these dimensional increases depends on the hardness of the elastomeric material used for the stiffening cylinders 10. A hardness of the order of 35 to will be suitable for applications such as this. Although the folds 18 are shown in Figure 1 as being located at the base of the hanging part 14 of the cylinder 10, one or more of the folds may be located elsewhere along the length of the cylinder. However, it is preferable to have at least one pleat 18 at the base of the hanging part, to

  allow the hanging part 14 to bend naturally

  actually without creating constraint points to the part

bottom of the base.

  Figure 5 shows the free end part

  of the longitudinal section of a second embodiment

  tion of an elliptical cylinder 20 which will give a penis P 'a circular cross section when two of

  these cylinders 20 will be mounted side by side and then expanded.

  As shown in Figure 6, the elliptical cylinder 20 uses an upper chamber 22 which is separated from a

  lower chamber 24 by a horizontal partition 26.

  The upper chamber 22 has an upper wall

  28 and the lower chamber 24 has a lower wall

  rieure 30. The thickness of the two walls 28 and 30, as well as the partition 26, is substantially uniform, and of the order of 0.03 cm. The typical external dimensions of the cross section of the cylinder 20 in the deflated state will be 1.4 cm high by 1 cm wide. The partition 26 can be terminated by being spaced from the end of the cylinder 20 to define an opening 260, as shown in FIG. 5, or it can have small holes (not shown), so as to ensure fluid communication between the upper Room

22 and the lower chamber 24.

  The nature of the thin-walled, elliptical-shaped elastomer cylinders is such that they tend

  to become circular. when pressurized.

  Due to the horizontal partition 26, each chamber 22

  and 24 will individually try to take a confi-

  substantially circular guration when it is pressurized, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 6. Thus, the fact that the dimensions of each chamber 22 and 24 in the deflated state are about 0.7 cm high by 1 cm wide, as indicated above, when the chambers are pressurized,

  each will tend to approach a cross-section

  dirty circular or round as a result of an increase

  tion of the dimension of 0.7 cm, with a substantially less variation of the dimension of 1 cm at the level of the partition 26. This will lead to a greater expansion of the cross section 20 towards

  vertical only in horizontal direction.

  Thus, when two elliptical cylinders 20 such as that shown in Figures 5 and 6 are placed side by side and pressurized, they will cause the erect penis P 'to take a circular cross section, which is the desired result . Another advantage of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 is the fact that the horizontal partition 26 has a very low rigidity, and that in the flaccid state, the penis P will be

actually extremely flaccid.

  Although a wide variety of elastomeric materials

  may be satisfactory for stiffened cylinders

  sors 10 and 20, we prefer a silicone rubber

  medical grade or polyethylene.

  Various other modifications, adaptations and alternative designs are of course possible in the light of the above teachings, without going out

of the scope of the present invention.

Claims (37)

  1. Stiffening cylinder for an erection device   penile tion, characterized in that it comprises:   an elongated flexible hanging part (14)   dant a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior space, said hanging part taking an erection state when said interior space is at a first pressure and taking a flaccid state when said interior space is at a second pressure less than the first pressure, and elongation means (18) defining a part of the wall of the hanging part (14), comprising parts of the inner and outer surfaces of the wall, intended to increase the length of the hanging part when it is in an erect state and to decrease the length of the hanging part when it is in a flaccid state, said arrangement means being able to be   lying down without being subjected to significant tension.   2. stiffening cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongation means (18) include a bellows.   3. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that the bellows is located at the base of the hanging part (14).   4. Stiffener cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that the bellows comprises from one to three convolutions. 5. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that the depth of the bellows is about 0.3 cm.   6. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that the depth of the bellows is around 0.6 cm.   7. stiffening cylinder according to claim 1,   characterized in that the pressure in the interior space   The cylinder is developed by a fluid.   8. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongation means (18)   extend the hanging part (14) by at least 3%.   9. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a root part (16) attached to the hanging part (14) to the basic part of it.   10. Stiffening cylinder for an erection device   penile tion, characterized in that it comprises:   an elongated flexible hanging part (14)   dant a wall defining an interior space, said hanging part taking a state of erection when said interior space is at a first pressure and taking a flaccid state when said interior space is at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and means d of constraints in the   hanging part, intended to prevent bending of re-   localized regions of said hanging part (14) when it is in a flaccid state.   11. stiffening cylinder according to claim 10, characterized in that the elongation means (18) include a bellows.   12. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 11, characterized in that the bellows is located at the base of the hanging part (14).   13. stiffening cylinder according to claim 11, characterized in that the bellows comprises from one to three convolutions.   14. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 11, characterized in that the depth of the bellows is about 0.3 cm.   15. stiffening cylinder according to claim 11, 256 9977   characterized in that the depth of the bellows is around 0.6 cm.   16. A stiffening cylinder according to claim 10,   characterized in that the pressure in the interior space   The cylinder is developed by a fluid. 17. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for attenuation of   constraints also serve to lengthen the section   dante. 18. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises a root part (16) attached to the hanging part (14) in one basic part of it.   19. Stiffening cylinder for a penile erection device, characterized in that it comprises:   an elongated flexible hanging part (14) pos-   sedating a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior space, said hanging part assuming an erect state   when said interior space is at first press-   extension and assuming a flaccid state when said interior space is at a second pressure less than the first pressure, elongation means (18) defining a   part of the wall of the hanging part (14), including   part of the inner and outer surfaces of the wall, intended to increase the length of the hanging part when it is in an erect state and to decrease the length of the hanging part when it is in a flaccid state , said elongation means being able to be elongated without being subjected to a significant tension, and means for reducing stresses in the hanging part, intended to prevent bending from   localized regions of said hanging part (14) during that it is in a flaccid state.   20. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 19, characterized in that the elongation means (18) and the stress relieving means comprise a single structure comprising a bellows. 21. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 20, characterized in that the bellows is located at the base of the hanging part (14).   22. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 20, characterized in that the bellows comprises from one to three convolutions.   23. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 20, characterized in that the depth of the bellows is about 0.3 cm.   24. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 20, characterized in that the depth of the bellows is around 0.6 cm.   25. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 19, characterized in that the pressure in the interior space of the cylinder is developed by a fluid. 26. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 10, characterized in that the elongation means elongate the hanging part of at least 3%.   27. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises a root part (16) attached to the hanging part (14) in a basic part of it.   28. Stiffening cylinder for a penile erection device, characterized in that it comprises:   an elongated flexible hanging part (14)   dant a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior space,   said hanging part taking an erection state during   that said interior space is at a first pressure and assuming a flaccid state when said interior space is at a second pressure less than the first pressure; said wall comprising extendable lateral parts (14b, 14c) and extensible upper and lower parts (14a, 14d), the lateral parts   and the upper and lower parts being sensitive-   symmetrical in cross section with respect to perpendicular axes of the hanging part; and said wall extending more in a direction corresponding to one of the perpendicular axes of the hanging part than in a second direction corresponding to the second of the perpendicular axes, when said hanging part passes from the flaccid state to the state of erection, so that the hanging part has an elliptical configuration when it is in an erect state.   29. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 28,   characterized in that the upper and lower parts   higher (14a, 14d) are thicker than the parts lateral (14b, 14d).   30. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 28,   characterized in that the upper and lower parts   lower (14a, 14d) are shorter than the parts lateral (14b, 14d).   31. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 28, characterized in that it further comprises elongation means (18) in said hanging part (14), intended to increase the length of the hanging part when it is at erection state and to decrease the length of the hanging part when it is in a flaccid state. 32. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 31, characterized in that it further comprises means for reducing stresses in the hanging part, intended to prevent the bending of localized regions of said hanging part (14) when it is in a flaccid state. 33. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 28, characterized in that it further comprises means for reducing stresses in the hanging part, intended to prevent the bending of localized regions of said hanging part (14) when it is at flaccid state. 34. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 28, characterized in that it further comprises a root part (16) attached to the hanging part (14) in a basic part of it.   35. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 28, characterized in that the upper, lower (28, 30) and lateral parts are of substantially uniform thicknesses, and in that a flat partition (26) joins said lateral parts to limit the outward expansion of the lateral parts in the plane of the partition.   36. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 35, characterized in that the planar partition (26) defines chambers for receiving fluid (22, 24) in the cylinder   stiffener (20) on either side of the partition.   37. Stiffening cylinder according to claim 36, characterized in that the receiving chambers of   fluid are in fluid communication with each other   be by at least one opening (260) defined by said partition (26).