Patent ID: 7815593

Claim:
A digital tampon insertion device and tampon combination which includes an elongate socket formation defining a socket within which at least an end portion of a user's finger is securely receivable, the socket formation having an opening at a free end thereof through which a user's finger is inserted in use; an elongate tampon; and an elongate tampon holder which extends away from an end of the socket formation remote from said opening of said socket formation, the tampon holder including a cradle, the cradle having opposing upper longitudinal edges and a longitudinal axis, the cradle defining an elongate recess having a length and a cross-sectional profile transverse to said length, the edges being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cradle, the tampon being positioned in the elongate recess defined by the cradle, so that: (i) a longitudinally extending part cylindrical portion of a surface of the tampon is covered and a longitudinally extending part cylindrical portion of a surface of the tampon is exposed, the part cylindrical surface portions merging with one another in a plane dissecting the tampon longitudinally, (ii) a line drawn between the opposing upper longitudinal edges of the cradle dissects the cross-sectional profile of the tampon, and (iii) said exposed surface portion of the tampon during use of the device is in frictional contact with the vagina, the tampon holder having an open or openable free end remote from the socket formation through which the tampon can pass on withdrawal of the device from a vagina, due to friction between the exposed surface portion of the tampon and the vagina, and in which the socket formation defines said socket and a further recess which is a nail receiving recess leading from the socket towards the tampon holder, the nail receiving recess having a fixed circumferential location relative to the socket, the nail receiving recess being configured to circumferentially orient the socket relative to a user's finger, the nail receiving recess in use is oriented opposite the exposed surface portion of the tampon and receives a finger nail of a user thereby circumferentially to orientate the device relative to the user's finger to ensure that the exposed surface portion of the tampon is on a side of a user's finger corresponding to the inner surface of the finger.