Patents Examined by Paula Craig
  • Patent number: 8394074
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an undergarment (1) comprising: a supporting part (2) which surrounds at least the hips and the top of each thigh; and a flexible collecting bag (10) positioned in the crotch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6)
    Inventors: François Piette, Roger Tambrun
  • Patent number: 8388586
    Abstract: An ostomy appliance is disclosed with an inflatable seal for sealing against the stoma. The inflatable seal has a first inflatable chamber portion for fitting inside the stoma to seal against the internal tissue. The inflatable seal also has a second inflatable chamber portion for sealing externally against the stoma and peristomal skin. In one embodiment, a tube extends through the inflatable seal to provide a communication passage for discharge of body waste without removing the inflatable seal. The tube floats with respect to an adhesive mounting member to allow a waist between the first and second inflatable chamber portions to self-locate in the stoma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: ConvaTec Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Bret Weig
  • Patent number: 8382727
    Abstract: A skin topical applicator apparatus includes an arm that has a first end and a second end. A cavity is positioned in the arm and is adjacent to the first end. A mount is attached to the arm and extends away from the first end of the arm. A roller is rotatably attached to the mount. A canister is removably mounted in the cavity and a nozzle is fluidly coupled to the canister and extends outwardly of the first end. The nozzle is directed toward the roller. The canister is filled with a fluid under pressure. The canister includes a valve that is actuated to release the fluid into the nozzle to coat the roller with the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Inventor: Chris Martin
  • Patent number: 8383875
    Abstract: An absorbent article is provided for absorbing a liquid, the absorbent article including a chassis including a liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent structure positioned between the liner and the outer cover, the chassis including a front region and a back region, the front region and the back region defining a waist region therebetween. The absorbent article also includes a wetness indicator positioned adjacent the liner or the outer cover, the wetness indicator including a hydrophanous tissue layer having an absorbent-structure-facing side and being in liquid communication with the absorbent structure or the liner, and an indicator material disposed between the absorbent-facing side of the tissue layer and the absorbent structure. The absorbent article can also include a film layer disposed adjacent the tissue layer, and the indicator material can include an active constituent adapted to wick along the tissue layer when the absorbent article is insulted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Mark Long, Shirlee Ann Weber, Jessica Sara Van Handel, Brooke Ashley Zimmer, Davis-Dang Nhan, Darold Dean Tippey
  • Patent number: 8377026
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an absorbent wearing article being capable of alleviating irritation to the wearer's skin as well as to be easily produced and a method for making the same. A liquid-absorbent chassis 4 is provided with a barrier cuff 5 including first and second barrier cuffs 5a, 5b each comprising an outermost edge 21, an innermost edge 24 and front and rear ends 22, 23 opposed to and spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction Y. The outermost edge 21 as well as the front and rear ends 22, 23 are joined to a topsheet 10 to define a fixed edge and the innermost edge 24 is not joined to the topsheet 10 to define a free edge adapted to be freely spaced from the liquid-absorbent chassis 4. Of the first and second barrier cuffs 5a, 5b, at least the fixed edge is formed by an inelastic, substantially non-extensible first sheet 25 while the free edge is formed by an elastically extensible second sheet 26.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Mishima, Kyo Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8361047
    Abstract: The absorbent article includes a chassis, a crotch region, an absorbent body, and an elastic member arranged along a side edge in width direction of the crotch region. The oblong absorbent body arranged in the crotch region includes a first narrow width section, a second narrow width section, a center low rigidity section formed along a center line that halves the absorbent article in the width direction and a pair of lateral low rigidity sections provided at both sides of the center low rigidity section in the width direction with a substantially equal interval. Skin contacting face-side sheets and non-skin contacting face-side sheets 6 and 10 are arranged in the crotch region. The initial tensile strength of the skin contacting face-side sheets is lower than that of the non-skin contacting face-side sheets or that of the chassis 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotomo Mukai, Akiyoshi Kinoshita, Tomoko Tsuji, Norihiko Ishikawa, Tatsuya Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8357128
    Abstract: A portable heater with ovoid receptacle is disclosed. The portable heater comprises a top member comprising a semi-ovoid cavity, a bottom member comprising a semi-ovoid cavity, a hinge operatively connected to the top and bottom members, and a heating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Inventor: Shrikant S Bhamre
  • Patent number: 8348912
    Abstract: The present application discloses a new and novel system and apparatus for improving the accuracy with which a person may apply eye drops to their own eye. The apparatus holds a bottle of eye drops at a fixed and certain distance above the eye, beside the nose, and below the forehead brow such that the user may easily apply eye drops consistently to one particular portion of their own eye. The apparatus sits on the nasion of the nose using a nasal bridge device and also rests on two pillars that are placed on the user's forehead. Used in such a manner, the apparatus facilitates one-handed eye drop application, facilitates both non-visual alignment and oblique alignment, and reduces reflective blinking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Anakin LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Rehkemper, David T. Tse, Steven Rehkemper, Brad D. Simons, Jay Tapper
  • Patent number: 8343116
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, a system for treating skin includes a handpiece assembly comprising a tip and a main body portion, the main body portion comprising an interior cavity and at least one canister configured to store at least one of a treatment material and a waste material. The treatment material and/or the waste material is in fluid communication with the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Edge Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Ignon, Ed F. Nicolas
  • Patent number: 8343120
    Abstract: The invention provides an ostomy bag assembly including an outer bag and an inner bag secured to one side of a flange. The inner bag is removable to facilitate disposal. The flange has a polymeric backing film and a layer of bioadhesive for securing the ostomy bag assembly to the body of a patient. The flange includes an orifice to enable bodily waste to be received by the inner bag. The outer bag is detachably bonded to a first attachment zone on the flange and the inner bag is secured to a second attachment zone on the flange. The outer bag is mounted to the flange by an annular bonding element is formed from a multilayer polymeric material comprising first and second ethylene vinyl acetate layers and a polymeric support layer interposed there between. A method of fabricating ostomy bags is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Welland Medical Limited
    Inventors: Rory James Maxwell Smith, Paul Bird, Owen May
  • Patent number: 8343121
    Abstract: An ostomy appliance comprises an ostomy pouch having front wall, a rear wall with a stomal aperture, and an adhesive body fitment secured or securable around the stomal aperture. At least a portion of the adhesive of the body fitment is moldable. The front wall of the pouch comprises an access aperture providing access through the pouch interior for molding the adhesive. The access aperture is closable by a closure panel attachable over said access aperture by a peelable/resealable adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: ConvaTec Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kathryn E. Cramer, Matthew Dawson, Tinh Nguyen-DeMary
  • Patent number: 8343117
    Abstract: A cigarette lighter device comprising a cigarette lighter component having a top end, a bottom end, and a butane reservoir disposed inside; an eye drop dispenser removably attached to the bottom end of the cigarette lighter component, wherein the eye drop dispenser has a reservoir for storing an eye drop fluid; a connecting tube fluidly connecting the reservoir to an aperture tip disposed at a first end of the eye drop dispenser; wherein the eye drop fluid can be squeezed from the reservoir out of the eye drop dispenser; a removable cap attached to the first end of the eye drop dispenser for temporarily preventing eye drop fluid from unintentionally exiting the eye drop dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Rosado
  • Patent number: 8337473
    Abstract: A dispenser containing a substance to be applied on a patient is described. The dispenser includes a plunger, a tube and a perforated element located inside the tube. The tube contains openings at its application end. When the plunger is pushed during application, the substance is squeezed through the perforated element and the openings and is applied to the patient. Selection of the height of the perforated element and presence or absence of alignment between the perforations of the perforated element and the openings allows control of the application of the substance on the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Inventor: Christian Javier Zino Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 8328775
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a metered drop bottle for dispensing microliter amounts of a liquid in the form of a drop comprising: (a) a bottle with a flexible portion on the walls to decrease the internal volume by a fixed volume; (b) a plunger with a fixed stroke for depressing the flexible portion of the walls of the bottle; and (c) a nozzle tip having an internal and/or outer diameter no more than 1.2 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited
    Inventors: Satish Madhukar Gokhale, Abhijit Takale, Prashant Kane
  • Patent number: 8314285
    Abstract: A sanitary napkin comprising a fluid permeable topsheet, a fluid permeable backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed therebetween is disclosed. The sanitary napkin can be a pantiliner. The absorbent core comprises relatively hydrophilic material defining a core outer periphery. The topsheet and the backsheet comprise relatively hydrophobic nonwoven material, at least one of the topsheet and the backsheet defining a sanitary napkin outer periphery that is substantially larger than the core outer periphery. The area between the core outer periphery and the sanitary napkin outer periphery is a breathable zone. The sanitary napkin further comprises a fluid impermeable barrier between the backsheet and the absorbent core, the fluid impermeable barrier being disposed within the core outer periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: The Procter and Gamble Company
    Inventors: Paolo Veglio, Ivano Gagliardi, Giovanni Carlucci, Roberto D'Addario, Vincenzo Partenza
  • Patent number: 8277426
    Abstract: A male urinary incontinence device is provided which includes a body, the body having a shell, and the shell forming a cavity adapted to hold male genitalia. An absorbent, suitable for absorbing urine, is at least partially disposed within the cavity and a moisture barrier is positioned adjacent the body to help protect clothing from urine soiling. A liquid-permeable liner is attached to the body in a spaced-apart relation to the absorbent. To create a hammock-like effect, the liquid-permeable liner may be attached at the perimeter of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Inventors: Heather J. Wilcox, Nolan M. Wilcox
  • Patent number: 8277427
    Abstract: A fecal management device suitable for attachment directly to the perianal skin between the buttocks of the wearer. The device utilizes an optimised adhesive wafer in order to securely attach the device to the skin of the wearer so that the device is maintained in position for the entire period of wear, including circumstances or periods of wear during which the wearer is active, i.e. not bedridden. In addition the fecal management device of the present invention has the ability for easy application of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Coloplast A/S
    Inventors: Henrik Edvardsen, Danuta Ciok, Michael Hansen, Esben Stroebech
  • Patent number: 8257329
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a contraband retrieval device that can be used as a law enforcement tool that allows a law enforcement officer to retrieve items that are ingested or inserted into the body. A pan includes a plurality of apertures in a bottom thereof. Drug use, excrement can be retrieved in the pan and with water or a suitable liquid can be washed away leaving behind contraband substances which was contained in the excrement in the pan. The contraband substances can be retrieved from the pan and placed into evidence in a criminal investigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Inventor: Myron Jefferson
  • Patent number: 8246607
    Abstract: A system for applying suction to a wound uses a reference airflow for monitoring system operation. A reference airflow (or “controlled leak”) to the suction source is provided when the system is in operation, such that deviation from the reference airflow can be monitored as an indication of a change in operation, such as a leak in the seal of the wound cover, a blockage of airflow from crimping of the suction conduit or overfill of the waste collector, or an inadvertent turn off or disconnect from the suction source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Boehringer Technologies, L.P.
    Inventors: John Karpowicz, Christopher L. Radl, Kevin P. Klocek, John R. Boehringer, Derek Norton
  • Patent number: 8246589
    Abstract: Precision lid retracting eyedropper device with a hollow, rigid housing having an upper aperture that allows a push button topped piston to enter the housing where the piston can impinge on a resilient tubular member that is part of a pump assembly. The housing also includes a solution storing chamber that feeds solution to the pump assembly. A solution exit tube attached to the outgoing portion of the pump assembly emanates from the bottom part of the housing and can be directed towards the user's eye. Integral downwardly facing resilient legs are placed just above and below the user's orbital ridge so that when the legs are squeezed and released, the user's eye lids are forced open allowing the user to dispense a precise amount of solution into his or her eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Inventor: Alvin J. Marx