US1591828A - Applicator - Google Patents

Description

July 6 1926.

N. H. HORNE APPLICATOR Filed Jan. 2, 1925 Kid Patented July 6, 1926.

NEWTON H. HORNE, OF,KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

APPLICATOR.

Application filed January 2, 1925. Serial No. 212'.

This invention relates to improvements in ointment applicators and more particularly to an applicator designed for use in applying ointments or other medicinal preparations to affected parts of the rectum in the treatment 'of'piles, hemorrhoids, and fistula. Heretofore, great difficulty has been experienced by physicians in applying medicaments in the rectum, especially where the seat of trouble is located relatively high up in the rectum. Various types of applicators have been devised for this purpose but they, as a'rule, embody disadvantageous features which inhibit, their successful use. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an applicator by the use of which medicaments such as ointments may be thoroughly and successfully applied to the affected parts of the rectum, regardless of the'location 0f the said affected parts, and in this manner the maximum benefit derived from the medicament.

One of the disadvantages presented by the ordinary applicator designed for the purpose above outlined, is that the ointment or other medicament is liable to be taken up by the Walls of the rectum near the anus so that if the affected area is located near the upper end of the rectum, there will be an insuiiicient quantity of the medicament remaining upon the applicator to serve any useful purposefby the time the applicator has been inserted tot-he distance to reach theaffected area. .Therefore, it is another important object of the present invention to so form the exterior surface of the applicater that'substantially all of the medicament will remain intact upon the surface of the applicator until the applicator has been inserted sufficiently far into the rectum to reach the affected area, thereby providing means whereby themedicament may be carried directly to the place'where it is most needed a-nd vhere it Will best serve its purpose.

Another disadvantage presented by the ordinary applicator resides in'the fact that that portion of the instrument Which is to be introducedinto the rectum is more or less rigid and hard so that not only is inconvenience caused to the patient, but the walls of the rectum are likewise liable to be irritated, thereby aggravating the diseased conditions. The present invention, therefore, has as a further object to provide an applicator which will be soft and pliable and capable of yielding to any resistance offered to its insertion, to an extent to prevent inconvenience being caused the patient.

and yet not to an extent to actually interi'ere with the insertion of the applicator into the rectum.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an applicator for the pur-' pose stated above, which may be inserted into the rectum and, after the affected part has been reached, may be permitted to remain in position for a suflicient length of time to permit the medicament carried upon the outer surface thereof to become absorbed and exert its healing properties, the

presence of the applicator under these conditions causing no inconvenience whatsoever to the patient because of the peculiar construction of the applicator.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an appli cator constructed in accordance With the present invention;

Figure 2 is-a longitudinal sectional View taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustratingthe manner in which the applicator is to be prepared for insertion into the rectum. i

The applicator embodying the invention consists of a soft hollow rubber body of substantially elongate ellipsoidal form, the

.body being indicated in general by the illustrated form and yet the Wall is not ofv such thickness as to render it stiff or inflerc ible. The two ends of the body are more or less blunt, and in practice the body will be substantially of a length equal to the length of the average human rectum, namely approximately five inches.

For a purpose to be presently explained,

the exterior surface of the Wall of the applicator is formed, between its mid-portion and its end 2, With intersecting relatively shallow outstanding ridges t providing approximately diamond shaped shallow pockets 5, the ridges being molded on the surface of the soft rubber Wall. The exterior surface of the wall of the applicator between its said mid-portion and its end 3 is preferably provided with substantially circumferentially extending ridges G which are likewise relatively shallow as illustrated in Figure 2. Likewise, for a purpose to be presently explained, the applicator is formed in its end 3 with an opening indicated by the numeral 7. The inner surface of the wall of the applicator is formed smooth.

Preparatory to actual use of the applicator, the physician will dust into the palm of his left hand a small quantity of talcum powder and will compress the applicator in his right hand, thus expelling the air from the same through the opening 7. He will then apply the end 3 of the applicator to the powder and by relieving the applicator of pressure, will permit it to expand, thus creating a partial vacuum through the medium of which the powder will be drawn through the opening 7 into the applicator. The applicator is then shaken or otherwise manipulated until the entire inner surface of the wall thereof has become coated with the powder. The applicator is then in condition for use and in using the same the physician will place the tip of the forefinger of the right hand over the opening 7 and against the end 3 of the applicator, holding the applicator in his left hand, and will press inwardly longitudinally until his tinger has entered the applicator and the end 3 of the applicator has been carried into the body thereof approximately an inch. In this operation, the air trapped in the applicator is compressed and prevented from escaping through the opening 7 by reason of the fact that this opening 15 now closed by the tip of the forefinger, as stated above. The end portion 2 of the applicator is now rubbed over or in the ointment or other medicament to be applied until its exterior surface at this end has become more or less thickly coated with the medicament. Due to the fact that the trapped air in the applicator is placed under pressure through the inward movement of the end portion 3 of the applicator, the portion of the applicator at and beyond the tip of the finger will be sustained by the compressed air to an extent to prevent its collapse and render it more or less inflexible. The applicator is now inserted into the rectum and to such distance as to bring the medicament carrying end portion 2 thereof in direct contact with the affected area of the wall of the rectum. In inserting the applicator, the medicament, being more or less confined within the shallow pockets 5 formed by the intersecting ridges l, will be prevented from being taken up by the wall of the rectum between the affected area and the anus so that the medicament is carried, practically without any loss in volume, to the affected area. It will be evident that, due to the pneumatic cushion effect produced by the compression of air within the entering end of the applicator, that the applicator may be inserted without any likelihood of bending or doubling and yet the wall of the applicator is sufficiently yield-able to avoid any inconvenience to the patient. The applicator having been inserted in the manner just stated. the linger may be withdrawn and in this operation, the ridges 6 will-constitute friction means insuring the end portion 3 of the applicator being drawn outwardly to its original position. in which position it will extend suiliciently far beyond the anus as to permit of its being grasped for the purpose of completely withdrawing the applicator after the applicator has remained in position within the rectum for a sufficient period of time to insure of the most beneficial results being obtained from the medicament.

It will be evident that the purpose of drawing talcum or similar powder into the applicator through the opening 7 as previously described, is to coat the interior surface of the wall of the applicator so that as the end portion 3 is pushed into the body of the applicator in the manner shown in Figure the contacting wall surfaces will ride smoothly past each other and there will he no appreciable friction between the wall surfaces as would otherwise be the case.

Having thus what I claim is:

1. Au applicator of the class described comprising a hollow elongate ellipsoidal body of I leldable material, the entering end portion of which is formed upon its exterior surface with medicament receiving pockets, the exterior surface of the body at its other end portion being provided with circumscribing relatively shallow ridges to frictionally hold the last-mentioned end portion of the device in engagement with a linger insertet therein. 7 M

2. An applicator of the class described comprising a hollow elongated ellipsoidal body of yieldable material adapted to hold a medicament upon its surface and formed at one end with a perforation adapted to be closed by a linger employed to force the adjacent end portion longitudinally inward, the last-mentioned end portion of said body being roughened to frictionally hold the same in engagement with a finger inserted therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

described the invention,

xnwrox n. norm. 1. s. 1

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