Abstract:
An exerciser for tightening vaginal muscles employing a series of computer-calibrated spheres and cylinders composed of one of Type 303 Series surgical stainless steel and Type 6061 hardened aluminum alloy.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    NONE 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program. 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    NOT APPLICABLE 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates to an exerciser for contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor, in general, and to an improvement of the exerciser for orifice muscles shown in my U.S. Design Pat. D465,852 issued Nov. 19, 2002, in particular. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    My Design Pat. D465,852 discloses a device for enhancing vaginal exercise to strengthen the pubococcygeus muscles of the pelvic floor. That exerciser has been shown to improve, cure or prevent many different feminine issues that result from weak pelvic floor muscles including: 
         [0008]    All forms of incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse into the vagina, sexual problems (for example, lack of orgasm, painful intercourse, lack of sensation and lack of lubrication) and such pregnancy related issues as lead to trauma during the birth process. 
         [0009]    Through continuous testing and development, certain requirements were established to obtain the results desired. Foremost amongst them was that the exerciser had to be made bacteria free, durable in use and washable. Surgical stainless steel of the type used for medical equipment was found highly desirable as it was easy to enter the vagina during vaginal exercise. Being hypoallergenic, and constructed of a series of computer-calibrated shaped spheres and cylinders which measure 6⅞″ in length and 1⅛″ at its widest point, such orifice muscle exerciser was not only simple to use, but worked with a women&#39;s body to help regain a more youthful, healthy pelvic region when used as directed for just eight to ten minutes every other day for three months. Working on a temperature basis, the surgical stainless steel exerciser stored at a room temperature of 70 degrees caused constriction of the pubococcygeus muscles when inserted into the body—and in essentially taking all of the guesswork out of the exercises being performed. 
       OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to investigate manners of modifying the exerciser of my Design Pat. D465,852 to yield further increases in muscle strength during the vaginal exercising. 
         [0011]    It is an object of the present invention, also, to provide an enhanced orifice muscle exerciser of such type which can be fabricated for retail sale at a non-prohibitive price. 
         [0012]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide such an enhanced exerciser without significantly modifying, if at all, the length and size dimensions which studies have confirmed show an increase in vaginal muscle strength of approximately 57% through the exercise regimen. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Recognizing that the increase in muscle strength follows from the use of a vaginal exercise plan, the exerciser of the invention should be compared in use with my previous exerciser in that same plan. Such recommended plan is one of twelve weeks—in which the exerciser is used for eight-twelve minutes at a time every other day for twelve weeks, with each block of four weeks employing a different exercise. In essence, during the first four weeks a woman would insert the largest sphere of the exerciser into the vagina, clamping down, and inserting up to the middle sphere, relaxing, and then clamping down again as the exerciser is withdrawn. With the diameter of the largest sphere of my previous exerciser and of my enhanced exerciser being 2.9 cm, the diameter of the middle sphere being 2.4 cm, and the diameter of the smallest sphere being 2.0 cm, the use of the exerciser in the following four weeks may be slightly different, as would be the four weeks following that. 
         [0014]    Recognizing, also, that the strengthening of the vaginal muscles follows from constriction as the cooler temperature of the exerciser (70 degrees) constricts the muscles and helps the muscles to clamp down upon insertion, a material fabrication which would retain the cooler temperature a longer period of time would go further in increasing the pubococcygeus muscle strength even more. A resistive, less porous and hardened material which will not rust and which won&#39;t become magnetized would be most desirable, if it could retain its relatively cooler room temperature for a longer period of time. In accordance with the invention, each of Type 303 surgical stainless steel and Type 6061 aluminum alloy met such requirements—as did platinum and gold which, however, were rejected because of their prohibitive cost. 
         [0015]    Type 303 surgical stainless steel and Type 6061 aluminum alloy were determined to maintain their room temperatures for some seven-eight minutes, as contrasted with other types of stainless steel and aluminum alloys which maintained room temperatures upon vaginal insertion only to the extent of some three-four minutes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of the orifice muscle exerciser of my Design Pat. D465,852 while 
           [0018]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are top plan and bottom plan views thereof, respectively—the same respective views of the enhanced exerciser of this invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The Society of Automotive Engineers designates steel grades as: a) carbon and alloy steel; b) stainless steel; and c) high-strength low-alloy steel. Carbon steels and alloy steels are designated by a four digit number, where the first digit indicates the main alloying element(s), the second digit indicates the secondary alloying element(s), and the last two digits indicate the amount of carbon, in hundredths of a percent by weight. Stainless steels are designated as: a) 100 Series and 200 Series—austenitic chromium-nickel-manganese alloys; b) 300 Series—austenitic chromium-nickel alloys; c) 400 Series—ferritic and martensitic chromiium alloys; d) 500 Series—heat-resisting chromium alloys; and e) 600 Series—martensitic precipitation hardening alloys. In the 300 Series there are Types 301, 302, 303, 304, 304L, 304LN, 308, 309, 316, 321 and 347—eleven types in all—each offering different characteristics for use. Type 304L, for example, is the same as the 304 grade but contains less carbon to increase weldability, though it is slightly weaker than the 304 grade; Type 304 LN is the same as the 304L grade, but nitrogen is added to obtain a much higher yield and tensile strength than 304L; Type 304 is the most common grade, with Type 303 being a free machining version of the Type 304 grade via the addition of sulphur and phosphorous. 
         [0020]    Testing has shown that the Type 303 grade surgical stainless steel (an austenitic chromium-nickel alloy free machining stainless steel) retains room temperature for eight-ten minutes when inserted into the vagina to constrict the pubococcygeus muscles, more than with the other type stainless steels and more than the Type 316 stainless steel, for example, which added two-three percent molybdenum to the chromium-nickel alloy to provide corrosion resistance. Enhanced increase in vaginal muscle strength followed from the fabrication of the orifice muscle exerciser of my Design Patent of Type 303 Series surgical stainless steel with its increased temperature retention characteristic. 
         [0021]    Increased temperature retention and enhanced vaginal muscle strength similarly followed a fabrication of the orifice muscle exerciser of my Design Patent with the heat retention characteristic of Type 6061 aluminum alloy according to the present invention. Commonly employed for general purpose use, the Type 6061 material is a precipitation aluminum hardening alloy containing magnesium and silicon as its major alloying elements. Fabricating the exercise device of the invention with this alloy also resulted in a room temperature retention of some eight-ten minutes in constricting the pubococcygeus muscles when inserted according to the vaginal exercise plan. 
         [0022]    In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the orifice muscle exerciser here described, to be most effective when fabricated of either the 303 surgical stainless steel type or the 6061 aluminum alloy type, should be kept at room temperature of about 70 degrees, and not be warmed up by any method prior to use. The coolness of the steel or aluminum alloy, and the retention of their temperatures for eight-ten minutes go to help the proper muscles in clamping down when the exerciser is inserted. In particularly hot climates, it might first be necessary, however, to rinse the exerciser in cool water prior to use, even when fabricated of these two described material compositions. Such Type 303 surgical stainless steel and Type 6061 hardened aluminum alloy may be obtained from Rancocas Metals Corp. of Rancocas, N.J., Penn Stainless Products, Inc. of Quakertown, Pa., Hadco Aluminum and Metal Corp. of Jamaica, N.Y., and Earle M. Jorgensen Company of Langhorne, Pa. 
         [0023]    In a preferred construction of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  for vaginal rejuvenation, the distance between the top and middle computer-calibrated shaped spheres was selected to be 6.0 cm, while that between the middle and bottom computer-calibrated shaped spheres was selected to be 5.0 cm. The diameters for the top, middle, and bottom shaped spheres were selected to be 2.9 cm, 2.4 cm and 2.0 cm, respectively for an overall length of some 6⅞″ for the exerciser of the invention and a widest width of some 1⅛″. 
         [0024]    While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. Thus, while the Type 303 surgical stainless steel and Type 6061 hardened aluminum alloy materials are to be preferred in manufacture, other materials might be used as alternatives as long as they exhibit the characteristics of hardness, non-porosity, non-toxicity, non-corrosiveness, non-magnetizability, non-rusting, durability, washability, resistivity, bacteria freedom and some 7-8 minutes substantially 70° room temperature retention when inserted into the vagina associated with these preferred materials. For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.