Abstract:
A device is provided to aid prevention and treatment of ear infections in animals. In an embodiment, the device comprises a first strip and second strip of material such as elastomeric fabric. Each strip defines first and second holes corresponding to an animal&#39;s ears. Each ear may be received by one of the holes defined by the first strip. Then, the ears may be folded over the first strip to expose the animal&#39;s outer ear canal. Finally, the second strip may be placed over the folded ears and secured to the first strip to maintain the ears between the first and second strips. Thus, in practice, the device fixedly exposes the outer ear canals to air flow to prevent the growth of bacteria and yeast and further aids cleaning and medicinal applications.

Description:
GOVERNMENT CONTRACT 
     Not applicable. 
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT RE. FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     COPYRIGHT &amp; TRADEMARK NOTICES 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document may contain material that is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and/or describe matter that is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights and trade dress rights whatsoever. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosed subject matter relates generally to animal care and, more particularly, a device to for aiding prevention and treatment of outer ear conditions that are known to effect some animals. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Ear infections, particularly of the outer ear canal, commonly occur in dogs and other animals when bacteria and even yeast become trapped in the animals&#39; ears. Indeed, some estimate that treatment and prevention of such a pervasive condition contributes to a $50 million-a-year industry. 
     Popular methods for addressing this problem occur in two phases. First bacteria and yeast inhabiting the ear canal must be eliminated by effectively cleaning the ear canal. Second, medications for preventing bacteria and yeast from growing must be applied. Even when appropriate medications are timely applied, infection is known to recur and even persist. This is due in large part to anatomy. Animals with long, heavy, and even particularly hairy ears that block airflow, in turn trapping heat and moisture within the air canal, are known to experience increased incidences of ear infections. With respect to dogs, breeds such as Cocker Spaniels, Bassett Hounds, Airedales, and Golden Retrievers exhibit such ear anatomy and, as a result, are known to similarly suffer from chronic ear conditions. 
     Solutions have been proposed to aid prevention and treatment of animal ear infections. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,926 to Nunez discloses a water resistant cap for protecting animals&#39; ears from moisture during bathing. U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,256 to Mann discloses a restrictive cover formed as shells that cover the animals&#39; ears. Although these prevent moisture and debris from initially entering the animals&#39; ear canals, they fail to provide the airflow necessary to reduce humidity already existing therein. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,254 to Chao discloses an apparatus formed as two connected elastic rings that lift the bases of an animal&#39;s floppy ears away from the animal&#39;s head. This solution is deficient, however, because by merely lifting the base of the ear, the device fails to fully expose the ear canal to airflow. Indeed, a portion of the floppy ear at least partially obscures the opening of the ear. 
     In light of these deficiencies, other practices have been implemented in an attempt to, at least temporarily, permit unimpeded airflow in and around the animal&#39;s ear and reduce the humidity that allows yeast and bacteria to thrive within the ear canal. Some animal owners and veterinarians, for instance, simply observe the affected animal and, when the animal falls asleep, flip its ear or ears to expose its ear canals to the open air. Many animals, however, are quick to wake up upon such contact, and shake their own ear back into its naturally flopped position. Others have attempted to more securely expose the animals&#39; ear canals by clipping, pinning, or tying the ears back. These solutions, however, can be uncomfortable for the animal and even risk cutting off circulation to the pinned or tied portion of the animal&#39;s ears. Indeed, if pinned or tied tight enough or for a long enough period of time, the affected tissue may even experience necrosis and fall off of the ear. 
     Although various proposals have been made to solve the problem, none of those in existence combine the characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, there remains a need for a device that aids prevention and treatment of animal ear conditions by securely exposing their ear canals. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure is directed to a device for preventing and aiding treatment of ear infections and other conditions in animals. The disclosure is further directed to a device for aiding animal caregivers with applying medication to the animals&#39; ears. 
     For purposes of summarizing, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features have been described. It is to be understood that not all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment. Thus, the disclosed subject matter may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages without achieving all advantages as may be taught or suggested. 
     In accordance with one embodiment, the device comprises a first and second strip of material. Each strip may have a top and a bottom side, and further define a first and second hole corresponding to respectively to each of an animal&#39;s ears. The material may be any material able to conform to the shape of an animal&#39;s head. It is further contemplated that the material may even be elastomeric in order to enhance comfort and accommodate animal heads of various shapes and sizes. Thus flexible material such as neoprene, nylon, cotton, gauze, silk, linen, or even a combination of any of the same may be selected to comprise the first and second strips. Of course, it should be noted that such materials are offered by way of example only and not of limitation. 
     In use, each of the animal&#39;s ears may be received by one of the holes defined by the first strip. Then, each of the ears may be folded over the top side of the first strip toward the top of the animal&#39;s head. In this manner, the animal&#39;s ear canals may become exposed to the open air. In order to secure the device on the animal&#39;s head, the first strip may further comprise first and second ends that are releasably securable beneath the animal&#39;s chin. For example, the first and second ends may comprise releasably meshable hook and loop fasteners or even snaps to ensure the device remains securely placed on the animal&#39;s head while in use. In some embodiments, the first and second ends may even further be tapered in order to enhance comfort and avoid impeding the animal&#39;s cervical and mandibular ranges of motion. 
     When the animal&#39;s ears have been received through the holes defined by the first strip, and the first strip has been secured around the animal&#39;s head, the second strip may then be placed over the openly folded ears so that each of the first and second holes defined by the second strip may overlay on each of the ears&#39; canals, allowing the ear canals to remain exposed to the open air while the device is in use. 
     In one embodiment, the first and second strips may be releasably securable to one another so that the ears may be selectively maintained in their openly folded position. For example, the top side of the first strip and bottom side of the second strip may comprise hook and loop fasteners to securably mesh with one another. As another example, the top side of the first strip and bottom side of the second strip may comprise snaps or zippers or other means for selectively securing the first and second strips to one another. In this manner, it is contemplated that an animal caregiver such as pet owner or even veterinarian may repeatedly secure and unsecure the first and second strips from one another. This may be particularly desirable where a caregiver wishes to enhance the animal&#39;s comfort while wearing the device for extended periods of time, such as during any healing period associated with ear infections or inner ear surgeries. 
     Thus, the device may be employed to naturally dry an animal&#39;s ear canals by exposing them to unobstructed airflow. This may prevent ear infections by eliminating humidity in the ear canals known to breed harmful bacteria and yeast following activities such as bathing, swimming, and grooming. In the event that an ear infection or other ear injury has been contracted, use of this device may even decrease healing times. The device may also be used by dog owners who wish to keep long-eared dogs ears clean during feeding, which is especially important in the dog show industry. 
     It is contemplated that the device may be employed not only for selectively increasing airflow around an animal&#39;s ear canals, but also in any scenario where it may be desirable to provide a caregiver with unobstructed access to the animal&#39;s ear canals. For example, securing the ears in an openly flipped position may aid caregivers in applying medications to the ears. As another example, exposing the ear canals in this manner may ease grooming, ear cleaning, and treatment procedures by freeing the caregiver&#39;s hands from needing to hold the ears back. Instead, the caregiver&#39;s hands may be free to enhance his or her dexterity. This may even allow the caregiver to easily soothe or even restrain the animal if necessary. 
     Of course, it will be recognized that the device may be used to expose ear canals of many kinds of animals. More particularly, it may be used to expose the ear canals of animals with floppy ears that fold over or cover the animals&#39; ear canals. For example, some breeds of dogs are known to have floppy ears. These breeds may include Cocker Spaniels, Bassett Hounds, Airedales, and even Golden Retrievers. The device may even be used to expose the ear canals of animals such as rabbits, goats, sheep, and even horses. As such, it will be recognized that the device is not limited to use with particular breeds or even species of animals, and the foregoing are offered by way of example only. 
     Thus, it is an object of the invention to securely expose an animal&#39;s ear canals to unobstructed airflow in order to prevent bacteria and yeast buildup and further speed any healing process associated with certain ear conditions. 
     It is a further object of the invention to securely expose an animal&#39;s ear canals in order to aid cleaning of the ears and ear canals. 
     It is another object of the invention to securely expose an animal&#39;s ear canals in order to aid drying of the ear canals following grooming, bathing, and swimming activities. 
     It is still another object of the invention to securely expose an animal&#39;s ear canals in order to aid application of certain medicines and treatments in the ear canal. 
     It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a device for securely restraining an animals ears so that a caregiver may maintain use and dexterity of his or her hands while applying medication to the ears, cleaning the ears, or otherwise treating the ears. 
     One or more of the above-disclosed embodiments, in addition to certain alternatives, are provided in further detail below with reference to the attached figures. The disclosed subject matter is not, however, limited to any particular embodiment disclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a device for securely exposing an animal&#39;s ear canals. 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate perspective, environmental views of an embodiment of the device from  FIG. 1  receiving an animal&#39;s left ear. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective, environmental view of an embodiment of the device from  FIG. 1  receiving an animal&#39;s right ear. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective, environmental view of an embodiment of the device from  FIG. 1  being secured around an animal&#39;s head beneath its chin 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate a perspective, environmental view of an embodiment of the device from  FIG. 1  securing an animal&#39;s ears in place. 
         FIG. 8  shows an perspective, environmental view of an embodiment of the device from  FIG. 1  securely exposing an animal&#39;s ear canals. 
     
    
    
     The disclosed embodiments may be better understood by referring to the figures in the attached drawings, as provided below. The attached figures are provided as non-limiting examples for providing an enabling description of the device claimed. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered as limiting of its scope. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without some of the details included in order to provide a thorough enabling description of such embodiments. Well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. 
     The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular placement, or sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of physical arrangement other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Having summarized various aspects of the present disclosure, reference will now be made in detail to that which is illustrated in the drawings. While the disclosure will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. Rather, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  for securely exposing an animal&#39;s ear canals may comprise an elongate first strip  12  and an elongate second strip  14  having a top side  12   a,    14   a  and a bottom side  12   b,    14   b.  Furthermore, the first strip  12  may comprise a first hole  16   a  and a second hole  16   b,  and the second strip may similarly define a first hole  18   a  and a second hole  18   b.    
     The first and second strips  12 ,  14  may comprise any material capable of conforming to the shape of an animal&#39;s head. Thus, in an embodiment, the material may be flexible. Moreover, the material may be rugged to withstand stress and strain from natural motions practiced by any animal wearing the device  10 . In some embodiment, the material may even be elastomeric in order to enhance the animal&#39;s comfort while wearing the device  10  and accommodate the heads of animals of various shapes and sizes. Thus, it is contemplated that the first and second strips  12 ,  14  may comprise material such as neoprene, nylon, cotton, gauze, silk, linen, or even a combination of any of the same. Such material may even be disposable after a single use or washable for many uses over an extended period according to the needs of the animal and/or caregiver. Of course, it should be noted that such materials are offered by way of example only and not of limitation. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 through 8 , an embodiment of the device  10  is shown in use to securely expose a dog&#39;s  20  ear canals. Of course, it will be recognized that the device may be used to expose ear canals of various animals. For example, the device  10  may be used to expose the ear canals of animals with floppy ears that fold over or otherwise cover the animals&#39; ear canals. One skilled in the art will recognize, for example, that some breeds of dogs are known to have floppy ears that breed ear infections and other conditions potentially harmful to the animals&#39; health. These breeds may include Cocker Spaniels, Bassett Hounds, Airedales, and even Golden Retrievers. Other breeds have particularly hairy ears that similarly breed infections that may be eradicated with increased exposure to airflow provided by the device  10 . Such breeds may include Shih Tzus, Poodles, Chows, and Terriers. Of course, many other breeds susceptible to infection exist, and even dogs of breeds not known for experiencing chronic ear conditions may need their ears cleaned or treated from time to time. As such the foregoing breeds are mentioned simply to illustrate applicability of the invention, and not to limit it. Indeed, the device may even be used to expose the ear canals of animals such as rabbits, and goats, sheep, horses and any other animal whose ears a caregiver—such as a veterinarian, pet owner, rancher, or farmer—may have need to treat. Thus, it will be recognized that the device is not limited to use with particular breeds or even species of animals. 
     With attention turned to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first hole  16   a  defined by the first strip  12  may be sized to receive one of an animal&#39;s ears  22   a.  As illustrated, the animal&#39;s ear  22   a,  here belonging to a dog  20 , may be pulled through the hole  16   a  by a caregiver represented by hands  24 . It will also be noted that the ear  22   a  is a left ear, however, it is contemplated that the device may be symmetrical so that the first hole  16   a  may receive either of an animal&#39;s left ear or right ear there through without inhibiting the functionality of the device. Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the ear  22   a  may be received by the hole  16   a  defined by the first strip  12  and then positioned toward the top of the dog&#39;s  20  head. In this manner, the ear canal  24   a  may become exposed to the open air. 
     Similarly, and with reference to  FIG. 4 , the second hole  16  defined by the first strip  12  may be sized to receive another of the animal&#39;s ears  22   b.  Then, with attention drawn to  FIG. 5 , the second hole  16   b  defined by the first strip  12  may be sized to receive a second one of the animal&#39;s ears  22   b.  It will be noted that the ear  22   b  is a right ear, however, as above, it is contemplated that the device may be symmetrical so that the second hole  16   b  may receive either of an animal&#39;s left ear or right ear there through without inhibiting the functionality of the device. toward the dog&#39;s  20  second ear. As above, the ear  22   b  may be received by the hole  16   b  defined by the first strip  12  and then positioned toward the top of the dog&#39;s  20  head. In this manner, the ear canal  24   b  may become exposed to the open air. 
     With reference again to  FIG. 1 , in order to secure the device on the animal&#39;s head, the first strip  12  may further comprise first and second ends  26   a,    26   b  that are releasably securable beneath the animal&#39;s chin  28 , illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , the first and second ends  26   a,    26   b  may comprise releasably meshable hook and loop fasteners  30 . It is contemplated that providing releasably meshable hook and loop fasteners  30  in this manner may facilitate repeated adjustment of the device  10  on the animal&#39;s head. It is further contemplated that facilitating repeated adjustment of the device  10  in this manner may allow a caregiver to use the device  10  to treat or prevent ear conditions for several individual animals having differently shaped and sized heads at different times. In some embodiments, the first and second ends  26   a,    26   b  may even further be tapered in to enhance comfort and avoid impeding the animal&#39;s cervical and mandibular ranges of motion. Of course, one skilled in the art will recognize that various other methods of releasably securing the first and second ends  26   a,    26   b  may be used to practice the invention. Indeed, it is contemplated that the first and second ends  26   a,    26   b  comprise elongate strings for tying the ends beneath the animal&#39;s chin  28  or even snaps to ensure the device remains securely placed on the animal&#39;s head while in use. As such, the hook and loop fasteners  30  illustrated are offered simply by way of example and not of limitation. 
     When the animal&#39;s ears have been received through the holes defined by the first strip  12 , and the first strip has been secured around the animal&#39;s head  20 , the second strip may then be placed over the openly folded ears as demonstrated in  FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 . In this manner, each of the first and second hole  18   a,    18   b  defined by the second strip  14  may overlay one each of the ears&#39; canals  24   a,    24   b,  allowing the ear canals to remain exposed to the open air while the device is in use. 
     In one embodiment, the first and second strips may be releasably securable to one another so that the animal&#39;s ears may be selectively maintained in their openly folded position. For example, referring again to  FIG. 1 , the top side  12   a  of the first strip  12  and bottom side  14   b  of the second strip  14  may comprise hook and loop fasteners  32  to securably mesh the first and second strips  12 ,  14  with one another. As another example, the top side  12   a  of the first strip  12  and bottom side  14   b  of the second strip  14  may comprise snaps or zippers or other means for selectively securing the first and second strips  12 ,  14  to one another. In this manner, it is contemplated that an animal caregiver such as pet owner or even veterinarian may repeatedly secure and unsecure the first and second strips  12 ,  14  from one another. This may be particularly desirable where a caregiver wishes to enhance the animal&#39;s comfort while wearing the device for extended periods of time, such as during any healing period associated with ear infections or even ear surgeries. 
     In some embodiments, and with reference again to  FIG. 2 , the second strip  14  may further comprise first and second ends  34   a,    34   b  wherein one of the first and second ends  34   a  is securely attached to the first strip  12 . For example, one of the ends  34   a  may be stitched to the first layer  12  to enhance security of the first strip over the animal&#39;s ears. This may also avoid the risk of losing or damaging separate pieces of the device and as a decrease costs associated with replacing such lost or damaged pieces. 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely examples of possible implementations. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims. 
     Moreover, embodiments and limitations disclosed herein are not dedicated to the public under the doctrine of dedication if the embodiments and/or limitations: (1) are not expressly claimed in the claims; and (2) are or are potentially equivalents of express elements and/or limitations in the claims under the doctrine of equivalents. 
     CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
     While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications are contemplated and can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, material chosen to comprise the device may be selected to accommodate the particular needs of the animal For example, disposable material such as cotton gauze may be chosen for application in short term or temporary use following surgery or in the event of unusual or unanticipated ear infections or treatment. As another example, rugged material such as neoprene may be chosen to efficiently accommodate an intended long-term use for animals prone to repeated or frequent ear infections. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited, except as by the appended claim(s). 
     The teachings disclosed herein may be applied to other systems and devices, and may not necessarily be limited to any described herein. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention. 
     Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being refined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the device for securely exposing animal ear canals with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be constructed to limit the device for securely exposing animal ear canals to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification unless the above description section explicitly define such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosed device. The above description of embodiments of the device for securely exposing animal ear canals is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise form disclosed above or to a particular field of usage. 
     While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the device are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible for which those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. 
     While certain aspects of the device disclosed are presented below in particular claim forms, various aspects of the device are contemplated in any number of claim forms. Thus, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the device for securely exposing animal ear canals.