Patent ID: 8419675

Claim:
An applicator sized and configured to be inserted into a living body, the applicator comprising: a nozzle comprised of an elongated nozzle main body and a nozzle head through which a liquid together with a gas is expelled to deliver the liquid to a desired region in a body cavity of the living body, the nozzle head being positioned at a distal end side of the nozzle main body, the nozzle main body possessing an outer surface; the nozzle main body possessing a distal end portion that is curved or bent without application of a force to the distal end portion so that the distal end portion of the nozzle main body is configured as a curved section, the curved section being flexible; the nozzle head being distal of the curved section, the nozzle head possessing a first axis, a portion of the nozzle main body immediately proximal the curved section possessing a second axis that is not coincident with the first axis; an elongated outer tube having an interior open at a distal end of the outer tube and open at a proximal end of the outer tube, at least a part of the nozzle main body being positioned in the interior of the outer tube, with the curved section of the nozzle main body and the nozzle head extending distally beyond the distal end of the outer tube, the outer tube possessing an inner surface; the nozzle and the outer tube being relatively movable so that relative proximal movement of the outer tube with respect to the nozzle main body causes the distal end of the outer tube to contact the curved section and movably urge the curved section in a manner adjusting a direction in which the nozzle head faces; a longitudinally extending gap between the inner surface of the outer tube and the outer surface of the nozzle main body; the gap communicating with outside the outer tube and functioning as a discharge path for discharging gas within the body cavity via the gap to the outside of the living body when a body pressure within the body cavity rises; wherein the distal end of the outer tube is an open front end, and the nozzle head comprises a fitting portion having an outer dimension equal to an inner diameter of the open front end of the outer tube, the fitting portion being fittable into the open front end of the outer tube when the first axis of the nozzle head coincides with the second axis of the nozzle main body; and wherein an outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion includes at least one groove extending in an axial direction of the nozzle head, the at least one groove allowing the gas to enter into the interior of the outer tube from outside the outer tube when the fitting portion is fitted into the open front end of the outer tube.