Combined pessary and menstrual cup

Inventors: Lauren Coy (Toledo, OH); Joelle Gallais (Toledo, OH); Morgan Folley (Toledo, OH); Tara Dobric (Toledo, OH)

Assignee: The University of Toledo

A61F5/4553 A61F6/08 A61F5/455

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12672979
App. No.: 18/234,006
Granted: Jul 7, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A combined pessary and menstrual cup useful for a human needing a pessary during menstruation is described.

Claims (26)

1 . A combined pessary and menstrual cup comprising:

a ring portion comprising a knob extending radially outwardly from a base ring along a portion of a circumference of the base ring; and

a cup portion extending from the base ring to a cup bottom point and defining an internal volume configured to retain a volume of liquid, wherein the base ring defines an opening to the internal volume.

2 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the internal volume is in a range of from about 8 mL to about 79 mL.

3 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the knob takes up from about one-eighth to about one-fourth of the circumference of the base ring.

4 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the knob has a thickness diameter measured from a top surface of the knob to a bottom surface of the knob, the base ring has a thickness diameter measured from a top surface of the base ring to a bottom surface of the base ring, and the thickness diameter of the knob is larger than the thickness diameter of the base ring.

5 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 4 , wherein the thickness diameter of the knob is from about 10% larger to about 300% larger than the thickness diameter of the base ring.

6 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 4 , wherein the thickness diameter of the knob is about two times larger than the thickness diameter of the base ring.

7 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the knob is trapezoidal in shape.

8 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the knob is solid.

9 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , further comprising a support member spanning the opening.

10 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 9 , wherein the support member comprises at least one hole therethrough.

11 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the cup portion extends from an exterior surface of the base ring, and wherein the cup bottom point is concentric with the base ring.

12 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the cup portion extends from an interior surface of the base ring, and wherein the cup bottom point is concentric with the base ring.

13 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , wherein the cup portion extends from a bottom surface of the base ring, and wherein the cup bottom point is concentric with the base ring.

14 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 1 , further comprising a stem protruding from the cup portion.

15 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 14 , wherein the stem extends from the cup bottom portion to the knob.

16 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 14 , wherein the stem protrudes from the knob.

17 . A combined pessary and menstrual cup comprising:

a ring portion comprising a base ring; and

a cup portion extending from an interior surface of the base ring to a cup bottom point and defining an internal volume configured to retain a volume of liquid, wherein the base ring defines an opening to the internal volume;

wherein the base ring has a thickness diameter measured from a top surface of the base ring to a bottom surface of the base ring, the cup portion has a cup height measured from a plane defined by a bottom surface of the base ring to a parallel plane defined by the cup bottom point, and a ratio of the thickness diameter to the cup height is from about 0.60:1 to about 3:1; and

wherein a loop diameter from a first side of the base ring to a second side of the base ring is from about 51 mm to about 95 mm.

18 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 17 , wherein the thickness diameter is greater than 75% of the cup height.

19 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 17 , wherein the combined pessary and menstrual cup has a height measured from a plane defined by a top surface of the base ring to a parallel plane defined by the cup bottom point, and the thickness diameter is at least half of the height.

20 . The combined pessary and menstrual cup of claim 17 , further comprising a stem extending from the cup bottom point.