Abstract:
A model for demonstrating a physiological condition of a part of a being includes a chamber with a transparent wall, and first and second components located in the chamber and configured to represent the part of the being and a substance capable of affecting the normal condition of the being&#39;s part, respectively. The components interact with one another to demonstrate the physiological condition of the organ caused by the substance during displacement of the model.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/643,685 filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 13, 2005 and fully incorporated herein. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a model for demonstrating pathological physiological conditions. 
   2. Background 
   Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all body cells. Cholesterol is produced in the liver and is an important part of a healthy body used for producing cell membranes and hormones and serves other needed bodily functions. However, too high a level of cholesterol in the blood, known as hypercholesterolemia, is a major risk for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack. It is also a risk factor for stroke. 
   Cholesterol is found in a human body for the following two reasons. First, as mentioned above, the liver produces it. Second, cholesterol is contained in animal products, such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese and whole milk. In addition, some foods that do not contain animal products may contain trans-fats, which cause the body to make more cholesterol. Furthermore, foods with saturated fats also cause the body to make more cholesterol. 
   Cholesterol and other fats cannot dissolve in the blood. When a body too much cholesterol or too much is absorbed from foods, it is deposited in our arteries as plaque. Thus, to protect our arteries, the plaque should be transported to and from the cells. 
   Two kinds of special carriers of cholesterol called lipoproteins fulfill this mission. One, low-density lipoprotein or LDL, is known as the “bad” cholesterol. Too much LDL cholesterol can clog the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as the “good” cholesterol. It carries cholesterol away from the arteries. 
   Studies suggest that high levels of HDL cholesterol reduce the risk of heart attack. According to current estimates, 64.4 million people in America have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). These diseases claimed 931,108 lives in 2001 (about 39 percent of all deaths). Almost 150,000 of all people killed by CVD are under age 65. 
   Coronary heart disease is caused by arteriosclerosis—the thickening or hardening of the coronary arteries. This condition is likely to produce angina pectoris, heart attack or both. Coronary heart disease caused 502,189 deaths in 2001 and is the single leading cause of death in America today. At least 13.2 million people alive today have a history of heart attack, angina pectoris (chest pain) or both. 
   Thus, it is not surprising that millions and millions of people both healthy and suffering from coronary decease visit physicians on a regular basis. Typically, a medical consultation is associated with a sketchy demonstration briefly explaining the reasons and consequences of this decease. Many patients, particularly healthy ones, tend to forget the information received during a visit to a medical office immediately upon leaving it. However, peoples&#39; awareness may be critically improved, if the demonstration of the reasons and consequences of bad cholesterol by a physician was more vivid, and if there was an item useful in everyday life and capable of reminding people of “bad cholesterol.” 
   Clearly, clogging the arteries is not the only medical problem that can and should be demonstrated in medical offices. For example, an item or model demonstrating dental problems, granulation occurred in different body organs, ulcers and the like may be a helpful and effective tool for heightening our awareness of these problems. 
   A need, thus, exists for a demonstration model illustrating a cholesterol plaque built-up occurring in blood vessels and clogging those vessels to constrict blood flow. 
   Still a further need exists for demonstration models each illustrating respective particular physiological conditions and having a practical application in an everyday life. 
   Still a further need exists for manufacturing an item having utility in an everyday life and configured to demonstrate pathological physiological conditions during the use of this item. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to an apparatus that satisfies these needs. The invention includes an item, such as a pen or pencil, for demonstrating pathological physiological conditions associated, for example, with clogging the arteries. The inventive pen can, thus, be used as a regular writing instrument capable of reminding the user about the danger of “bad” cholesterol during the use of the pen. 
   In case of a pen, it may be configured as either a Fountain or Rollerball pen and include a substantially elongated housing having a distal portion, which houses a writing mechanism, and a proximal portion, which has at least one part made from transparent material. The transparent part is configured to demonstrate physiological conditions typically associated with clogged arteries. To emulate the real pathological condition, the transparent part houses a component, which is fixed inside this portion, and a displaceable component floating within the transparent portion, when the pen is displaced between generally vertical and horizontal positions. The outer side of the fixed components is provided with a colored pattern representing the wall of the artery. Thus, the transparent part is designed to demonstrate a blood vessel having its inner surface provided with the excessive amount of plaque, which extends inwards and inhibits flow of the displaceable component that represents blood flow. 
   Preferably, the distal portion of the inventive pen is cylindrical and made from glass or transparent plastic. The plaque can be manufactured from rubber, plastic or any other easily shaped material that can be fixed within the chamber defined by the inner wall of the transparent portion. A plurality of small particles suspended in fluid, which fills the chamber, emulates blood flow. A colored pattern illustrating the wall of the artery may be provided either on the outer side of the fixed component or imprinted on a region of the inner surface of the transparent portion. 
   In use, when the pen is held by the user in a plane transverse to a substantially horizontal plane, the red particles tend to float along the chamber under gravity and encounter protrusions of the fixed part, which, thus, leads to inhibit blood flow. Displacing the pen in a substantially horizontal position will force the particles to move in the opposite direction. 
   These and other features and aspects of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following description and figures. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is an elevation side view of a pen configured in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the inventive pen; 
       FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the side opposite to the one shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an elevation front view of the inventive pen; 
       FIG. 5  is an elevation rear view of the inventive pen; 
       FIG. 6  is an elevation side view of a pen of a further embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a detail elevation view of the inventive pen; and 
       FIG. 8  is an opened detail of demonstration components of the inventive pen. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to several views of the invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps. The drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms, such as top, bottom, left, right, up, down, over, above, below, beneath, rear, and front may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. The words “connect,” “couple,” and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes do not necessarily denote direct and immediate connections, but also include connections through mediate elements or devices. 
   Referring more particularly to  FIGS. 1-5 , a model  10  is configured as a pencil or pen operative to demonstrate the cholesterol plaque built-up typically observed in blood vessels which may include the arteries of human beings and some animals. Model  10  has an elongated housing extending between front and rear ends  12 ,  14 , respectively ( FIGS. 3-5 ) and structured to display the above-mentioned physiological condition. The body includes a proximal portion  16  and a distal portion  18  ( FIG. 1 ). These portions may be fixed to or detachably coupled to one another. 
   The proximal portion  16  is made from transparent material, such as plastic or glass, and configured as a display for demonstrating a blood vessel, which is affected by the cholesterol plaque built-up. Having generally a cylindrical shape, proximal portion  16  is provided with in inner wall  36  ( FIG. 1 ) defining a chamber, which is filled with a liquid that may be, but not limited to, water. A displaceable component  26 , which is diagrammatically shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , includes a plurality of small red-painted particles  26  made, among other materials, from rubber or plastic and suspended in liquid to represent a blood stream. Note that particles  26  are illustrated as parallel rows, but, of course, the shape of the blood stream always changes deviating from the shown pattern as particles  26  move upon displacing model  10  between generally vertical and horizontal positions. 
   The cholesterol built-up plaque is represented by a component  22  ( FIG. 1 ) fixedly mounted within proximal portion  16  and made from rubber or similar material, which is preferably white. Component  22  occupies only a part of the chamber and defines a passage between its inner surface and the opposing segment of the vessel&#39;s inner wall  36 . Typically, formation of the cholesterol plaque is characterized by a non-uniform penetration of the plaque towards the center of the vessel. Accordingly, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , the inner side of component  22  is formed with one or spaced protrusions or ridges  24  configured uniformly or non-uniformly and, thus, terminating at uniform or various distance from the opposing segment of inner wall  36  so as to inhibit the flow of particles  26 . 
   As mentioned before, proximal portion  16  represents a blood vessel. To complete the demonstration of the physiological conditions associated with the cholesterol plaque built-up, the outer wall of the vessel is represented by a pattern  40  ( FIG. 2 ) imprinted either on the inner or outer wall of proximal portion  16 . Alternatively, the outer side of fixed components  22  may be provided with such a pattern. Preferably, the pattern has a pinkish hue corresponding to natural colors of the vessel&#39;s wall. 
   The distal portion  18  is shaped and dimensioned to house a writing mechanism including an ink tube  32  ( FIG. 4 ). Depending on a particular configuration of model  10 , it can have a conventional ballpoint pen or fountain pen writing mechanism, as well as all known modifications thereof. As shown in the  FIGS. 1 and 2 , distal portion  18  is rotatably coupled to a tip  20 . Rotation of tip  20  and distal portion  18  relative to one another causes ink tube  32  ( FIG. 4 ) either to protrude through the opening of tip  20  or withdraw depending on the sense of rotation. The ink tube  32  can be replaceable. Alternatively, the entire structure may be used as long as the installed ink tube contains ink and then, upon running out of ink, model  10  can be disposed. 
   Note that the structure of model  10  is not limited to rotation causing ink tube  32  to move between the rest and operating positions. One of possible modifications of the pen structured model  10  may allow distal and proximal portions  18 ,  16 , respectively, to move linearly towards one another upon overcoming a spring force of a spring-loaded actuator located within the model. The spring-loaded actuator displaces ink tube  32  either to an operating extended position or a withdrawn rest position every time the user applies a force capable of displacing distal and proximal portions  18 ,  16 , respectively, towards one another. 
   Rear end  14  ( FIG. 3 ) of model  10  includes a cap  30  ( FIG. 1 ) coupled to proximal portion  16  either fixedly or detachably. The cap  30  and proximal portion  16  define a groove therebetween, which is shaped and dimensioned to receive a ring  34  ( FIG. 3 ) coupled to a clip  28 . 
   A variety of materials can be used for manufacturing model  10 . Preferably, tip  20  and clip  28  are made from metal, whereas distal portion  18 , proximal portion  16 , and cap  30  all are made from plastic. Model  10  is ergonomically designed to occupy a minimal space and allow the user to comfortably grip the pen. 
   In use, when model  10  is displaced from a generally horizontal position to an inclined position, particles  26  start moving either in the direction of arrow A or B ( FIG. 1 ) imitating, thus, blood flow. As movable particles  26  encounter ridges  24  of fixed component  22 , the particles are forced to deviate from a linear path to flow along a passage having narrow regions defined between ridges  24  and the opposing segment of inner wall  36 . The larger ridges  24 , the more inhibited blood flow. Thus, the user of model  10  can clearly see the effect of the cholesterol plaque built-up. 
   In a further embodiment, a model  10   a  includes a clip  28 , a cap  30  and a proximal portion  50  which is made from transparent material. Proximal portion  50  ( FIG. 6 ) is adapted for a user&#39;s hand and is configured to relay visual information regarding a medical condition, such as cholesterol plaque build-up. Thereto, portion  50  may be a blood vessel and may be suitably imprinted with a vessel wall pattern  40  ( FIG. 2 ). Two or more components  52 , demonstrating plaque build-up ( FIG. 8  opened relative to each other along arrow D), are disposed in proximal portion  50  to create a channel  54  that demonstrates the irregular and partially obstructed flow (arrow C) of displaceable components  26  moving in liquid medium. Displaceable components  26  may demonstrate blood cells and may be suitably red in color. A fluid medium is provided proximal portion  50  and is generally clear for maximum viewability of other features. 
   Each component  52  includes one or more smooth sides  52   a  for insertion or mounting in proximal portion  50  against a wall of portion  50  and an irregular side  52   b  showing disposition, accumulation, roughing, etc. due to a medical condition. Preferably, each of the plurality of components  52  have sides  52   b  that are different from each other. Further, it is preferred if irregularities  56  of different components  52  are spaced to demonstrate constriction  58  of channel  54  by their cooperation. Irregularities  56  also preferably are located with respect to each other or with respect to a plurality of component  56  to create wide channel portions  60 . 
   The concept of this invention is not limited to the above-disclosed model showing the mechanism of the cholesterol built-up plaque. Practically, any patho-physiological condition of human and animal organisms may be illustrated by the inventive model provided certain changes, which represent a particular organ and physiological condition, are made to the inventive model. 
   For example, the scope of the present invention may encompass a model demonstrating the formation of blood clot or thrombosis. Anyone who is off his or her feet due to illness, injury or surgery is at risk of developing a blood clot deep inside the leg. This condition is called a deep vein thrombosis or DVT. The clot may break loose, travel to the lungs through the inferior vina cava, right atrium and into the pulmonary artery, and cause an immediate death. 
   The transparent proximal portion of model  10 , when slightly modified, may define, for example, a passage including the deep vein, which runs into the inferior cava and the heart. A mass of plastic or rubber may represent a clot suspended inside the proximal portion. In a substantially horizontal position of model  10 , the clot is located close to the rear end of portion  16 , which corresponds to the deep vein. Displacing model  10  to a substantially vertical position will force the clot to move towards the front end of portion  16  and pass through the inferior cave, heart and into the pulmonary artery (not shown). This model may also be provided with a so-called Greenfield Filter located upstream from heart in the inferior cava and serving as an effective remedy against further penetration of the clot by simply catching it. Such a model will be particularly helpful for surgeons during the explanation about the danger of the clot and the mechanism of surgery preventing this danger. The mass representing the clot may be made from rubber or plastic particles. The wall of the vessels may be imprinted on the inner or outer wall of portion  16  or the vessels may be formed as the fixed component made from transparent material and having the appropriate anatomical shape. 
   The model  10  may also be configured as a toothbrush having a transparent portion, which is made from plastic or glass. A plastic component representing a tooth may be fixed to the bottom of the transparent portion so that a small space is formed between the exterior of the tooth and the inner wall of the transparent portion. As is explained above, the transparent portion is a chamber filled with fluid, which allows suspended particles, which represent plaque, to float back and forth during displacement of the toothbrush between horizontal and vertical positions. As the toothbrush is displaced, the particles move through the small space and accumulate to cover at least a part of the tooth&#39;s contour to demonstrate an effect of a plaque built-up. 
   Another example may relate to osteoporosis and include a single or multiple vertebras fixed in the proximal portion of model  10  and shown to be fractured. Currently, one of the most effective procedures, which is called vertebraplasty, deals with this problem by cementing fragmented vertebra. Accordingly, model  10  may have fixed components illustrating at least one fractured vertebra, whereas movable rubber or plastic particles may represent a cementing medium. Displacing model  10  will force movable the particles to fill in the fracture so that the vertebra is restored to its normal dimensions. 
   Other examples may include formation of granulations in kidneys and uterus. Again, the fixed component may be shaped to represent any of these organs, whereas the movable particles may descend to and accumulate in the fixed component illustrating a gradual built-up leading to the formation of stones. Obviously, any known depositions in other canals and vessels of a human body can be illustrated similarly to the above-disclosed model. 
   Yet a further example may relate to peptic ulcers in the stomach walls. The wall may be represented by the appropriately shaped fixed component of model  10 . This component may include at least one perforation traversed by gastric juice represented by the movable component of model  10 . 
   In a further embodiment, each of the parts of the pen may be suitably imprinted, embossed, or marked to convey a message, explanation or advertisement, such as the one in  FIG. 6 . Such a message may preferably be related to the physiological condition. 
   The invention is not limited to the disclosed examples or particular use of the inventive model. Many additional modifications are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that in some instances some features of the invention will be employed in the absence of a corresponding use of other features. The illustrative examples therefore do not define the metes and bounds of the invention and the legal protection afforded by the invention as recited in the following claims.