Skin-Tube Clamping Device

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for clamping portions of the human penile shaft skin or the foreskin (30) to allow for penile skin extension through the application of an external axial force. A soft hollow body (100), at its proximal end, has a mushroom-shaped outer surface (200) and a funnel-shaped inner portion (210) that extends into a structured axial cavity. Midway, the hollow body evolves into a tube (300) towards its distal end. The structured axial cavity inside the hollow body carries a tightly inserted, rigid, hollow pulling rod (400). Upon placing the funnel-shaped portion (210) of the hollow body (100) onto the glans (20), penile skin (30) is slid onto the stipe of the mushroom-shaped outer surface until the top portion of the skin tube comes to rest in a toroidal recess (240). The skin is entrapped and held in place by folding the distal tube (300) of the hollow body (100) over. In operation, a pulling force acting on the hollow pulling rod insert (400) lifts the hollow body (100) with the entrapped skin (30) from the glans (20) and thereby stretches the penis skin.

Claims

1. An appliance suitable for clamping and applying axial tension onto a human penile skin tube comprising a soft hollow body (100) with, at its proximal end, a funnel-shaped inner surface (210) and a mushroom-shaped outside surface (200) in contact with the inside surface of a penile skin tube (30) up to a toroidal recess (240) on its stipe, and with, at its distal end, a reversible hollow protrusion (300) in contact, in its backfolded state, with the outside surface of the penile skin tube (30), characterized in that said funnel-shaped inner surface (210) of said hollow body (100) extends into an inner cavity (220) that carries an axially hollow and rigid pulling rod insert (400) as discharge conduit, as structural stabilizer and as distributor of externally acting tensile loads.

2. The appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface shape (230) of said inner cavity (220) matches the proximal outer surface shape (410) of said hollow pulling rod insert (400) over their entire contact length.

3. The appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that said inner cavity (220) interlocks said hollow pulling rod insert (400) by a tight mechanical fit.

4. The appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow pulling rod insert (400) has a predominantly cylindrical shape.

5. The appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow pulling rod insert (400) has at least one circumferential protrusion.

6. The appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow pulling rod insert (400) has an appendix (430) at its distal end adapted to attach an external pulling entity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings illustrate the skin-tube clamping and tensioning device. In such drawings, arrows indicate objects, solid lines indicate regions, dashed lines indicate surface shapes.

[0033] FIG. 1 depicts the skin-tube clamping and tensioning device, without the hollow pulling rod insert present, in its folded and unfolded state, both in perspective, top and section views.

[0034] FIG. 2 depicts the skin-tube clamping and tensioning device, with the hollow pulling rod insert engaged, applied to a human penis without tension and under light tension in perspective, top and section views.

[0035] FIG. 3 depicts the hollow pulling rod insert in perspective, top and section views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0036] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a penile appliance made of a soft and stretchable material that serves as a skin-tube clamping and tensioning device for the human penile shaft skin or the foreskin.

[0037] A hollow body 100 provides a mushroom-shaped outer surface 200 at its base and a cylindrical protrusion 300 at its opposite end (FIG. 1B). The cylindrical protrusion 300 can be folded backward over the mushroom-shaped outer surface 200 of the hollow body 100 (FIG. 1A).

[0038] A penile skin tube 30 slides onto the stipe-portion of the mushroom-shaped outer surface 200 of the hollow body 100 in its unfolded state and is entrapped in a toroidal recess 240 upon turning the cylindrical protrusion 300 inside out, thereby folding it backwards towards the base of the hollow body 100 to rest with its originally outside surface on the outer surface of the skin tube 30 (FIG. 2A, C). As apparent to one skilled in the art, both the outer surface of the cylindrical protrusion 300 and the mushroom-shaped outer surface 200 of the hollow body 100 could furthermore be structured to enhance their grip to the entrapped skin tube 30. As furthermore apparent to one skilled in the art, the protrusion 300 can deviate from cylindrical shape towards either dome shape or funnel shape to better fit diverse penis geometries.

[0039] The axial length of the cylindrical protrusion 300 matches or exceeds the axial length of the mushroom-shaped outer surface 200. The largest outer diameter of the cylindrical protrusion 300 stays within the largest diameter of the user's glans 20. A material-dependent wall thickness is chosen for the cylindrical protrusion 300 that renders it stable and prevents its rupture when applying typical pulling forces during use.

[0040] During application of the skin clamping and stretching device, a funnel-shaped inner surface 210 at the base of the hollow body 100 temporarily rests on the tip of the glans 20 of the penis 10 (FIG. 2C). An inside cavity 220 within the hollow body 100 at the end of the inner funnel 210 accommodates a rigid hollow insert 400 (FIG. 3, 2A-D). The surface of the inner funnel 210 of the hollow body 100 is smooth and slightly rounded at its entrance to form a liquid-tight seal with the glans 20 when both are in contact (FIG. 2C). Upon proper alignment with the urethral exit 40, the inner funnel 210 will guide urine into the device and direct it through the inner tubular passage 420 of the hollow insert 400 towards its exit 450, where it is discharged from the device.

[0041] The outer surface 410 of the hollow insert 400 and the inner surface 230 of the inner cavity 220 of the hollow body 100 both have matching shapes where in contact with each other to mechanically fasten the hollow insert 400 firmly within the hollow body 100 (FIG. 2C, D). Apparent to those skilled in the art, the matching surface shapes 230, 410 can be designed differently to optimize the mechanical anchoring of the hollow insert 400 within the hollow body 100 upon axial application of a pulling force.

[0042] The inner tubular passage 420 of the hollow insert 400 is smooth and has a diameter that matches the exit-diameter of the inner funnel 210 of the hollow body 100. This exit-diameter matches or exceeds the diameter of the urethral exit 40 (FIG. 2C, D).

[0043] A string 500 is slid through a through-hole 440 of an appendix 430 at the outside upper end of the hollow insert 400 to apply an axial pulling force onto the assembly of the hollow body 100 with the hollow insert 400 engaged therein (FIG. 2A-D). In the simplest case, a knot 510 at the lower end of the string 500 prevents the string from escaping the through-hole 440 upon applying an upward pulling force. As could be readily devised by one skilled in the art, any number of blocking entities can be attached to the string 500 to serve this purpose and to facilitate the exertion of a pulling force. Equally apparent to those skilled in the art, appendix 430 could have any other shape, relative position or fastening mechanism for strings or other kinds of pulling aids. Any pulling force that is axially applied to the string 500 will lift the assembly of the hollow body 100 and the hollow insert 400 from the glans 20, and axially stretch the skin 30 of the penis 10 (FIG. 2D).

[0044] The hollow body 100 is preferably made of a soft, highly elastic, translucent and biocompatible material. Apparent to those skilled in the art, an axial gradient in material stiffness is beneficial to physically reinforce the inner cavity 220 of the hollow body 100 while keeping the remaining device soft.

[0045] The hollow insert 400 is preferably made of a stiff, robust and biocompatible material such as a polymer, a metal or a combination of these two.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

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