PEDICURE TOOL AND METHOD FOR CLEANING AND/OR REMOVING SKIN TISSUES

Abstract: A tool for cleaning and/or removing skin tissue which is present under and/or adjacent to the nail of a human toe, comprising clamping means by which the tool can be clamped round toe, pulling means which can be placed in abutment with a skin fold abutting against the nail edge, and contacting means, on which a force can be exerted in order to pull back the skin fold from the nail edge, using said pulling means, in such a manner that the skin tissue to be treated will be exposed.

Description: PEDICURE TOOL AND METHOD FOR CLEANING AND/OR REMOVING SKIN TISSUES The invention relates to a pedicure tool for cleaning and/or removing skin tissue which is present under and/or adjacent to the nail of a human toe. As is well-known, a pedicure is someone who occupies himself or herself with foot care, such as trimming toe nails and removing calluses and corns. Pedicures are frequently confronted with clients who are troubled by ingrown, that is, deep-lying toenails. A problem that occurs with such toenails is the accumulation of dirt between the nail and the adjacent and underlying skin tissue, which can eventually lead to inflammation. This part of the toe needs to be cleaned very well on a regular basis, therefore, whereby tissue that shows early signs of inflammation is also removed. A pedicure tool that is generally used thereby is a small cutter, which bears a great deal of resemblance with a dentist's drill as regards its operation and its dimensions. In order to be able to use this tool, the pedicure must first pull back the skin fold in which the toe nail is embedded from the nail edge so as to make the tissue to be cleaned accessible to the cutter. It is 'usual for the pedicure to do this without aids, using the fingers of his or her left hand, assuming that the cutter is handled with the right hand. For left-handed pedicures, the reverse obtains, of course. One drawback of this method is that it is very difficult to create sufficient space for the cutter and to maintain the space thus created for a longer period of time. Furthermore this method provides little support for the pedicure, and there is a risk of the cutter being moved in an uncontrollable manner. This involves the danger of surrounding healthy tissue of the client being damaged by the cutter, which can be painful, of course, and which moreover increases the risk of further infections. The object of the invention is to provide a pedicure tool of the kind referred to in the introduction, which creates sufficient space for the cutting tool in an efficient and simple manner, and which moreover provides sufficient support for the pedicure to enable him or her to handle the cutter in an accurate manner, thus reducing the risk of healthy tissue being damaged. In order to accomplish that objective, the pedicure tool comprises clamping means by which the tool can be clamped round the toe, pulling means which can be placed in abutment with a skin fold abutting against the nail edge, and contacting means, on which a force can be exerted in order to pull back the skin fold from the nail edge, using said pulling means, in such a manner that the skin tissue to be treated will be exposed. In addition to that, the present pedicure tool protects the other toe tissue from being damaged undesirably by treatment tools. 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LQ P Φ H I- 1 H S H- Φ o rt 3 Φ CQ CQ Φ φ P rt Ω tr Φ r- 1 H- o *d ^ rr P J μ- Pi rt SD μ- ^ tr Φ Φ H- ■ <: tr H i-S μ- P- SD SD o rt rt rt P J φ 3 CQ Φ H- r Φ •<: rt M P tr 3 tr H Φ reused, such an inexpensive and simple production method has the advantage that the pedicure can purchase several sizes and that the tool can be disposed of without objection after being used a few times. The invention furthermore relates to a method for cleaning and/or removing skin tissue that is present under and/or adjacent to the nail of a human toe, wherein a tool is clamped round the toe, wherein the tool is placed in abutment with a skin fold abutting against the nail edge, and wherein a force is exerted on the tool in order to pull back the skin fold from the nail edge, in such a manner that the skin tissue to be treated will be exposed. The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of an exemplary embodiment as shown in the figures, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pedicure tool; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a toe around which the pedicure tool of Figure 1 is fitted; and Figure 3 is a schematic, perspective view of the use of the pedicure tool of Figure 1. The plastic pedicure tool as shown in Figure 1 is made in one piece of, for example, polypropylene, using an injection moulding process. Tool 1 comprises a flexible clamping portion 2, which mainly consists of a curved strip of material, whereby the thickness of the material decreases towards end 3, as a result of which the material becomes more flexible in that direction, a characteristic which is schematically illustrated by the broken lines. ω to to H H CD LΠ o LΠ O LΠ can then easily clean said tissue with a rotating cutter 16 and remove any inflamed tissue whilst fingers 13, 14 rest on the tool . Fingers 13 , 14 can in turn provide support for the pedicure ' s right hand which handles the cutter 16. The embodiment of the tool that is shown herein is not symmetrical, and consequently it can be produced in a left-hand version as well as in a right-hand version. Alternatively, the pointed projection 7 can be positioned in the centre of the strip-shaped material, thus enabling two-sided use of the tool 1.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A pedicure tool (1) for cleaning and/or removing skin tissue which is present under and/or adjacent to the nail (2) of a human toe (9), comprising clamping means (2) by which the tool (1) can be clamped round the toe (9) , pulling means (7) which can be placed in abutment with a skin fold (11) abutting against the nail edge (10) , and contacting means (5, 6) , on which a force can be exerted in order to pull back the skin fold (11) from the nail edge (10) , using said pulling means (7) , in such a manner that the skin tissue to be treated will be exposed. 2. A pedicure tool (1) according to claim 1, wherein said pulling means (7) comprise a hook-shaped portion. 3. A pedicure tool (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said pulling means (7) have a pointed end (8) . 4. A pedicure tool (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3 , wherein said clamping means (2) comprise an elastically deformable, bent strip. 5. A pedicure tool (1) according to claim 4, wherein thickness of the strip (2) decreases from a largest thickness near the pulling means (7) to a smallest thickness near the end (4) of the strip (2) that is positioned opposite the pulling means. 6. A pedicure tool (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said contacting means (5, 6) comprise at least one rib (6) , which extends in transverse direction to the strip (2) . 7. A pedicure tool (1) according to claim 4, 5 or 6 , wherein said contacting means (5, 6) extend laterally with respect to the strip (2) . 8 A pedicure tool (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 - 7, wherein said tool (1) is substantially made in one piece. 9. A pedicure tool (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 - 8, wherein said tool (1) is made of plastic material. 10. A method for cleaning and/or removing skin tissue that is present under and/or adjacent to the nail of a human toe (9) , wherein a tool (1) is clamped round the toe (9) , wherein said tool (1) is placed in abutment with a skin fold (11) abutting against the nail edge (10) , and wherein a force is exerted on the tool (1) in order to pull back the skin fold (11) from the nail edge (10) , in such a manner that the skin tissue to be treated will be exposed. 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the skin tissue is treated with a rotating cutter (16) .

Inventors: SPAPENS IRENE, SPAPENS, IRENE
Applicants: SPAPENS IRENE, SPAPENS, IRENE
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A61F5
IPC codes: A61B17, A61F5