Patents Examined by Larry I. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 6951552
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a diapering system (200) suitable for the collection of urine and faeces. Claimed and described is a diapering system comprising one human waste collection bag integral with one absorbent component (preferably a diaper like absorbent component) located outside of or adjacent to the collection bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Vincenzo D'Acchioli, Gianfranco Palumbo
  • Patent number: 6951553
    Abstract: A tissue closure treatment system and method are provided with an external patient interface. A first fluid transfer component FTC.1 comprises a strip of porous material, such as rayon, with liquid wicking properties. FTC.1 can be placed directly on a suture line for transferring fluid exuded therethrough. An underdrape is placed over FTC.1 and includes a slot exposing a portion of same. FTC.2 comprises a suitable hydrophobic foam material, such as polyurethane ether, and is placed over the underdrape slot in communication with FTC.1. Negative pressure is applied to FTC.2 through a connecting fluid transfer component FTC.3. A negative pressure source can comprises a manual device or a power-operated suction device. The tissue closure method includes a manual operating mode using a manual suction device with an automatic shut off for discontinuing suction when a predetermined volume of fluid has been drained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: KCI Licensing, Inc
    Inventors: Stephen K. Bubb, David S. Zamierowski
  • Patent number: 6949689
    Abstract: An absorbent article 1 comprising a topsheet 2, a backsheet 3, and an absorbent member 4 is disclosed. The backsheet 3 comprises a laminated sheet composed of a breathable film 3a printed with a multicolor pattern 10 and nonwoven materials 3b and 3c superposed on the printed side of the film 3a. The printed area of the film has an L* value of 10 to 93 and a C* value of 20 to 120 as measured with a color difference meter. The nonwoven materials 3b and 3c have a light transmittance of 40 to 83%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Noda, Koji Kanazawa, Akihiko Gunji
  • Patent number: 6949090
    Abstract: A post urination drip collector includes a tubular member having a first end, a second end and a perimeter wall extending between the first and second ends. The first and second ends are open. A cap member is integrally coupled to and covers the second end such that a housing is defined. An absorbent material is attached to and substantially covers an inner surface of the cap member. The housing is removably positioned over a penis to collect any post urination dripping that may occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Inventors: Jody L. Leers, James Eslinger
  • Patent number: 6946585
    Abstract: An absorbent article having an absorbent core and a backsheet, wherein the backsheet has a MVTR of from about 5800 to about 10000 g/m2/24 hrs. and a basis weight of less than about 32 g/m2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: McNeil-PPC, Inc.
    Inventor: Allison London Brown
  • Patent number: 6946584
    Abstract: An absorbent article has two side edges (9, 10), two end edges (11, 12), a liquid-permeable surface layer (2), a liquid-tight surface layer (3), and an absorption body (4) arranged between the surface layers (2, 3). The absorption body (4) includes at least one intermediate storage part (22–25) arranged along a side edge (9, 10), in direct contact with a liquid transfer part (26). The liquid transfer part (26) has a higher liquid affinity than the intermediate storage layer, so the liquid transfer layer drains from the intermediate storage part (22–25) better than the intermediate storage part (22–25) drains liquid from the liquid transfer part (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB
    Inventors: Ted Guidotti, Kent Malmgren
  • Patent number: 6945965
    Abstract: An apparatus designed to empty a urinary drain bag having a battery powered wireless remote transmitter that activates a wireless remote controlled receiv r relay connected to a battery powered solenoid operated pinch valve that is attached to a flexible drain tube, attached to an outlet of a urine drain bag to an “on” position, allowing the bag to drain for a designated period of time after which time the solenoid returns to a closed or “off” position, stopping the draining of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Inventor: Howard Anthony Whiting
  • Patent number: 6945968
    Abstract: The invention relates to an absorbent product, such as a diaper or an incontinence garment, comprising a casing, an outer side of the casing being distal from the body of the wearer in use of the garment and an inner side being proximal to the body of the wearer in use of the garment, said casing having a front part, a rear part and a crotch part lying between the front and rear parts, the casing comprising an absorbent structure, whereby the absorbent product further comprises a fastening system, for attaching opposing side portions of the front and rear parts to each other, comprising at least two cooperating fastening elements, wherein the first element functions as a landing zone for the second element, characterized in that the first element comprises at least one skewing-preventing part, which skewing-preventing part prevents the front and rear parts to slide relative one another, as it adheres to the inner part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB
    Inventors: Charlotth Svensson, Anna Svernlöv
  • Patent number: 6945966
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a breast pad which avoids discomfort caused by thermal deformations and heat treatments. In considering this, the breast pad of the present invention has a maim body formed by laminating and fixing together a liquid-absorbing member 12, a waterproof member 11 disposed at an outside of the liquid-absorbing member and a surface member 13 disposed on a surface of the liquid-absorbing member opposite to a surface on which the waterproof member is disposed. The main body further includes elastic members 17, 17 each disposed on a respective side edge portion of the main body, and side edges 13a of the surface members to be disposed at a user's skin side are folded so as to embrace side edges of the liquid-absorbing member therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Pigeon Corporation
    Inventor: Ikuko Mikami
  • Patent number: 6942641
    Abstract: The catheter includes an outer tube with an inlet end portion and a stop formed on the inlet end portion. The stop, which normally assumes a collapsed orientation, is moveable between a collapsed orientation and a deployed orientation. The catheter may include at least one of a diagnostic port disposed on the outer tube proximate the bottom of the stop, a locking device proximate the bottom of the catheter for securing the stop in the deployed orientation, and an actuator for operatively moving the stop between collapsed and deployed orientations. Applying force to the actuator moves the stop from the collapsed orientation to the deployed orientation. The actuator may also include a fail-safe mechanism designed to fail when a predetermined amount of force is applied to the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Inventor: J. Michael Seddon
  • Patent number: 6942651
    Abstract: A fastener tab for use on an absorbent garment is provided. The fastener tab has a tab body with a proximal edge for locating proximate the garment, a distal edge opposite the proximal edge, a top edge adjacent the proximal edge, and a bottom edge opposite the top edge, and a fastening area for removeably fastening the tab body to the garment. The fastening area has a first edge. A first tangent line is tangent to a first portion of the first edge of the fastening area, a second tangent line is tangent to a second portion of the first edge of the fastening area, the second tangent line intersects the first tangent line, and one of the first and second tangent lines is non-parallel to a primary pull direction of the fastener tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Paragon Trade Brands, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernadette M. Gibbs
  • Patent number: 6942650
    Abstract: An improved smoke evacuation system (10), a method for removing gaseous byproducts of surgical procedures, and noxious vapors from chemicals, is provided. The smoke, and vapor evacuation system includes a vacuum head (18) positioned at a surgical site or incorporated into a workstation. The vacuum head includes a plenum (28), a plenum support for preventing the plenum from collapsing when a vacuum or low pressure is established therein, and is adapted to facilitate the use of the system in a variety of surgical or commercial procedures at a variety of surgical sites or commercial workstations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Innovative Surgical Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard S. Schultz, Jeffrey K. Drogue, Kevin W. Gracie
  • Patent number: 6939339
    Abstract: An access member for use in catheterization having an outer end and an inner end. The access member, which is adapted to extend from the outside of the body through a canal extending from the user's abdominal wall to the bladder and into the bladder, has at least one cavity extending substantially throughout the length of the access member. The walls of the access member are made from a flexible material such that the cavity is generally kept closed by the mutual contact of the walls while allowing for intermittent insertion of a catheter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Coloplast A/S
    Inventors: Morten Bay Axexandersen, Suzanne Fis Benzon
  • Patent number: 6939332
    Abstract: The object of the invention is a collection device that can be carried by disabled persons, comprising a section of duct, destined to be connected to the rectum of the person, an expansible container, connected to said section of duct, and a shutter device interposed in the aforesaid section of duct and controlled by actuator means, for example shape-memory or electromagnetic means, activated by the signal of a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Piero Perlo, Gianfranco Innocenti, Stefano Alacqua
  • Patent number: 6939340
    Abstract: A tampon for feminine hygiene having an insertion end, a withdrawal end, a longitudinal axis, and an outer surface. The tampon has a compressed fibrous material. The outer surface of the tampon has a first raised portion adjacent to a second raised portion. The first raised portion has a first width dimension and the second raised portion has a second width dimension The first width dimension is greater than said second width dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Christine Berges
  • Patent number: 6936038
    Abstract: An absorbent article is disclosed having an absorbent with first and second longitudinal sides. A liquid permeable wrapper encloses the absorbent. The wrapper extending laterally outward from each of the first and second longitudinal sides a distance of at least about 10 millimeters to form a pair of fringes. The pair of fringes are capable of being biased upward to form a pair of upstanding side walls when the absorbent article is placed in an undergarment. The upstanding side walls form a pair of reservoirs located adjacent to the absorbent. The reservoirs are capable of retaining body fluid that has run off of the wrapper until the body fluid can be absorbed by the absorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Denise Crites Tears, Amanda Lee O'Connor, Russell Gerald Mayer, Stephen Alan Kolasinski, Wendy Jean Wegner, Chad Krueger
  • Patent number: 6936037
    Abstract: A tissue closure treatment system and method are provided with an external patient interface. A first fluid transfer component FTC.1 comprises a strip of porous material, such as rayon, with liquid wicking properties. FTC.1 can be placed directly on a suture line for transferring fluid exuded therethrough. An underdrape is placed over FTC.1 and includes a slot exposing a portion of same. FTC.2 comprises a suitable hydrophobic foam material, such as polyurethane ether, and is placed over the underdrape slot in communication with FTC.1. Negative pressure is applied to FTC.2 through a connecting fluid transfer component FTC.3. A negative pressure source can comprises a manual device or a power-operated suction device. The tissue closure method includes a manual operating mode using a manual suction device with an automatic shut off for discontinuing suction when a predetermined volume of fluid has been drained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: KCI Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen K. Bubb, David S. Zamierowski
  • Patent number: 6932798
    Abstract: Disclosed is a colored absorbent article to be attached to an inner side of an undergarment matching in color with the article. The absorbent article has a body surface for facing the skin of a wearer and a garment surface for facing the inner side of the undergarment. A color given to the absorbent article is visually recognizable from the side of the body surface. When measured for the body surface of the absorbent article, a Munsell value is in a range of 5.7 to 8.7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Kudo, Hideki Kondo, Yukihiro Ito
  • Patent number: 6932801
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an absorbent article in the form of a sanitary napkin, a panty liner or an incontinence protector and comprising a front portion, a rear portion, a liquid-permeable top sheet (2), a liquid-impermeable backing sheet (3), and an absorbent body (1) enclosed between the top and backing sheets, wherein the rear portion of the article includes a longitudinally extending ridge-shaped elevation (9) that projects out from that side of the article that contains the top sheet. According to the invention a central string of material (8) extends in the rear portion of the article and the absorbent body (1) between the top sheet (2) and the backing sheet (3) in the rear portion of the article extends around the long sides of said string. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such an article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB
    Inventor: Ann Samuelsson
  • Patent number: 6933420
    Abstract: An odor controlling material and an absorbent article containing material for removing or reducing odor emanating from certain gaseous and liquid compounds in body fluid. The odor controlling material includes conventional absorbent materials such as silica, alumina, silicates, and natural and synthetic aluminosilicates that are doped with one or more dopants, which have the same or similar chemical characteristics as the gaseous or liquid compounds in the body fluid to be absorbed. These dopants include fatty acids and their derivatives, amines and their salts, ammonia, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, heterocompounds containing at least one nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen atom and mixtures thereof. The odor control material is suitable for incorporation in an absorbent article such as a pantiliner or a sanitary napkin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Italo Corzani