IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,045,246
Granted Patent B1
US 11,045,246 · App. 16/219,876 · Granted Jun 29, 2021

Apparatus for effecting feedback of vaginal cavity physiology

Inventor: Alan N. Schwartz (Edmonds, WA)
A61B18/06A61B18/02A61B18/1477A61N1/00A61N2/004A61N5/00A61N5/1027A61B2017/00743A61B2018/00017A61B2018/0022A61B2018/00196A61B2018/00279A61B2018/00428A61B2018/00577A61B2018/00613A61B2018/00642A61B2018/00702A61B2018/00708A61B2018/00791A61B2018/00839A61B2018/00863A61B2018/00875A61B2018/00994A61B2018/0262A61B2018/0293A61B2018/044A61B2018/1472A61B2090/378A61B2090/3908A61B2090/3966A61B2218/002A61M25/0068A61M2025/0046A61N1/406A61N7/02A61N2007/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,045,246
App. No.
16/219,876
Granted
Jun 29, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

The subject matter described herein is designed to facilitate and overcome the limitations of rehabilitation of body changes and to improve, retrain, and facilitate body functions micturition, defecation, sexual pleasure, anatomic prolapse, and their related bodily dysfunctions. The devices can include sensor, optics, send and receive transmitters, local positioning system (LPS) or sensors, computing devices and display elements and devices, which can be powered by bio-generating machines and devices.

Claims (69)

1. A vaginal device, comprising:

a conformable vaginal insert shaped for insertion into a vaginal cavity of a female human;

a contact point configured to change a shape of the conformable vaginal insert;

a sensor configured to measure and relay measured characteristics of the vaginal cavity and the surrounding structures of the vaginal cavity and the supportive structures of the vaginal cavity, wherein

the measured characteristics are acquired on at least one of a one-time basis and a multiple-time basis comprising one of a non-continuous period, a continuous period, and an intermittent temporal period; and

a processor configured to:

control the contact point to shape the conformable vaginal insert;

generate information on the vaginal cavity and the surrounding structures of the vaginal cavity and the supportive structures of the vaginal cavity comprising at least one of a vaginal cavity profile and a vaginal cavity device profile as generated by the processor from at least of one of the measured characteristics, a computer modeling process, a physiologic characteristic, a biologic characteristic, a mechanical characteristic, an optimization process, an activation process, a relaxation process, a neuro-muscular function feedback, a physiologic feedback, a mechanical feedback and a biological feedback characteristic;

store the measured characteristics and the information; and

based on the stored measured characteristics and the stored information, automatically modify the shape of the conformable vaginal insert to change the characteristics of the vaginal cavity and the surrounding structures of the vaginal cavity and the supportive structures of the vaginal cavity to provide treatment, wherein

the processor can modify the shape of the conformable vaginal insert on at least one of a one-time basis and a multiple-time basis comprising one of a non-continuous period, a continuous period, and an intermittent temporal period.

2. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a delivery device configured to perform interfacing with the walls of the vaginal cavity under control of the processor.

3. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the delivery device is provided relative to a surface of the conformable vaginal insert that faces one of the walls of the vaginal cavity.

4. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein interfacing with the walls of the vaginal cavity comprises one or more of mechanical interaction, electrical interaction, chemical interaction, kinetic interaction, Brownian motion, mechanical and thermal interaction, pressure, hot, cold, electromagnetic interaction, electrical interaction, magnetic interaction, electromechanical interaction, hydraulic interaction, vibrational interaction, acoustic interaction, ultrasonic interaction, chemical energy interaction, interaction with biological forces, interaction with energy, biological chemical interactions, hormonal and neurotransmitter interactions, interaction with gravitational force, interaction with position, interaction with pressure, interaction with biological sensations, pain interaction, pleasure interaction, interaction with visible light, interaction with non-visible light, interaction with infrared energy, interaction with ultraviolet energy, interaction with radioactive energy, and triggering a state change.

5. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the chemical interaction comprises one or more of outputting into the vaginal cavity a liquid, solid, gas, gel, gel slurry, nitric oxide, a biological chemical, and at least one of a fully formed and a precursor of, a hormone, peptide, and neuro-muscular transmitter.

6. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , the information further comprising at least one of:

a definition of a target shape of the conformable vaginal insert configured to address a homeostatic biological female function; and

a definition of a target shape of the conformable vaginal insert configured to address a rehabilitate medical target female condition.

7. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the information is tailored to the female human and to a specific disease state or dysfunction affecting the female human.

8. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a guidance system operatively coupled to the the processor configured to modify the information as a further function of a user input provided through the guidance system, wherein the user input can be derived from at least one of:

one of a user awareness sensation received by the processor as feedback through the guidance system;

an internal sensor which is a component of the conformable vaginal insert; and

an external sensor which is not a component of the conformable vaginal insert.

9. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , the conformable vaginal insert further comprising one or more of:

a structure defining a plurality of chambers;

a structure comprising of one or more of a solid, gas, gel, and gel slurry; and

a structure comprising one or more of macro, micro, and nano structures and devices.

10. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

a transceiver through which signals can be wirelessly relayed between the sensor and the processor;

a transceiver through which signals can be wirelessly relayed between the contact point and the processor;

a wired connection over which signals can be hardwire relayed between the sensor and the processor; and

a wired connection over which signals can be hardwire relayed between the contact point and the processor.

11. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the measured characteristics comprise one or more of position, shape, size, pressure, physical contact, movement, temperature, vibration, and tumescence, blood chemistry, blood flow, neural sensations, taste, odor, sound, visual characteristics, color, tactile, kinesthetic, moisture, hardness and softness, durometers, elasticity, resiliency, chemical, hormonal, transitions of states, static phases, changing phases, pulsatile phases, intermittent phases, continuous phases, sucking, pumping, throbbing, physical sensations, proprioception, stereognosis, special relationships, slipperiness, contraction, relaxation, change in length, pulse, blood pressure, electro-conductivity, physiology, biology functions and measurements, bio-structure measurements, physical measurements, biologic function measurements, physiologic measurements and associated, initial, static and change of state in bio-structure measurements, biology measurements, physical measurements, and a physiologic measurements of a body.

12. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , the sensor configured to sense one or more of position, shape, pressure, physical contact, movement, temperature, thermal, vibration, and tumescence, blood flow, neural sensations, taste, odor, sound, visual characteristics, color, tactile, kinesthetic, moisture, hardness and softness, durometers, elasticity, resiliency, chemical, hormonal, transitions of states, static phases, changing phases, pulsatile phases, intermittent phases, continuous phases, sucking, pumping, throbbing, physical sensations, pain, pleasure, proprioception, stereognosis, special relationships, slipperiness, contraction, relaxation, change in length, pulse, blood pressure, electro conductivity, change of state, and physiology, biology functions and measurements, bio-structure measurements, physical measurements, biologic function measurements, physiologic measurements and associated, initial, static and change of state in bio-structure measurements, biology measurements, physical measurements, and a physiologic senses of a body.

13. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory operatively coupled to the processor and within which programmable algorithmic instructions that are performable by the processor are stored.

14. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 13 , the programmable algorithmic instructions comprising at least one of:

generating a description of at least one of a physical and a physiologic aspect of the vaginal cavity;

generating a description of a physical aspect of the conformable vaginal insert; and

generating a description of at least one of a physical and a physiologic aspect of the vaginal cavity and the relationship of the vaginal cavity to a physical aspect of the conformable vaginal insert.

15. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 13 , the programmable algorithmic instructions comprising:

evaluating a medical condition relating to one or more of urination, defecation, prolapse, sexual function, and physiology of a body.

16. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 13 , the programmable algorithmic instructions comprising:

describing physical structure of one or more of the walls of the vaginal cavity, an urethra, a bladder, an uterus, a rectum, and an anus.

17. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 13 , the programmable algorithmic instructions comprising at least one of:

facilitating rehabilitation of structure of the vaginal cavity;

addressing urinary incontinence of the female human;

addressing prolapse of structure of the vaginal cavity;

mapping the vaginal cavity;

stimulating the vaginal cavity and local region; and

measuring and arousing pleasure.

18. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an additional conformable vaginal insert and an attachment to the conformable vaginal insert, the additional conformable vaginal insert and the attachment to the conformable vaginal insert comprising at least one of characteristics similar to the conformable vaginal insert and characteristics dissimilar to the conformable vaginal insert, the additional conformable vaginal insert and the attachment to the conformable vaginal insert comprising at least one of:

an anal insert shaped for insertion into the anus and the rectal cavity of the female human;

an additional structure shaped to conform to an external female genitalia of the female human; and

an additional conformable insert provides placement and support to the conformable vaginal insert.

19. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 18 , further comprising:

an additional sensor configured to measure and relay signals reflecting additional measured characteristics of at least one of an external female genitalia, female supportive structures, female pleasure structures, perineum, anus, and rectal cavity while the conformable vaginal insert is in a target shape; and

the processor further configured to:

modify the stored information as a further function of the additional measured characteristics as reflected by the female physiology.

20. A vaginal device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a power source comprising at least one of:

a battery power source;

a wired power source;

a solar power source;

a wireless power source;

a magnetic power source;

an electromagnetic power source; and

a kinetic power source.

Continuity (19)
Continuation 15974652 · May 8, 2018
Continuation In Part 15842815 · Dec 14, 2017
Continuation In Part 15785278 · Oct 16, 2017
Continuation 14639991 · Mar 5, 2015
Continuation 13624841 · Sep 21, 2012
Continuation In Part 15808833 · Nov 9, 2017
Continuation 15345458 · Nov 7, 2016
Continuation 13897322 · May 17, 2013
Continuation In Part 14663348 · Mar 19, 2015
Continuation 13343626 · Jan 4, 2012
Provisional Application 62504463 · May 10, 2017
Provisional Application 62435016 · Dec 15, 2016
Provisional Application 61648425 · May 17, 2012
Provisional Application 61538708 · Sep 23, 2011
Provisional Application 61475469 · Apr 14, 2011
Provisional Application 61475489 · Apr 14, 2011
Provisional Application 61475530 · Apr 14, 2011
Provisional Application 61429693 · Jan 4, 2011
Provisional Application 61429687 · Jan 4, 2011
Cited By (2)
US 12,318,074 US 12,406,372