Circumcisions have been performed for many years using a circumcision device of the type having a tapered, bell-shaped ring adapted to fit over the glans of a penis and under the foreskin. The ring has an anterior end and a posterior end which is larger than the anterior end. A handle, as connected to the anterior end, is grasped by the surgeon in properly positioning the ring over the glans. A string or ligature is subsequently tied around the foreskin so as to compress the foreskin into a groove that circumferentially extends around the exterior of the ring. The handle is then broken off and detached from the ring by means of a structurally weakened junction with the anterior end of the ring. After about 3-8 days, foreskin under and distal to the ligature dies, and the ring falls off the penis to complete the circumcision.
In many cases, after the circumcision device is positioned and prepared for circumcision with the ring received over the glans, factors such as body movement. penile erection, tissue changes, or simply a missized ring can cause the glans to slip partially or even entirely through the ring and its smaller anterior end so as to excessively protrude therefrom and cause the ring to constrict the penis. As a result, the penis swells and the ring may not fall off the penis after the normal period as intended. In addition to possible infection or damage to the urethra and sloughing of the skin. failure of the ring to fall off the penis necessitates manual removal of the ring, which can require cutting the ring off the penis in an undesirable and delicate procedure.
In a recent device having the same mechanism of circumcision a bridge extending over the anterior opening of the ring and fixedly connected to the anterior end at circumferentially spaced points thereof, and a handle fixedly but frangibly connected to the bridge. After finishing the operation, the handle is detached from the bridge, which remains connected to the anterior end of the ring. The bridge can then act as an obstruction to the glans of the penis to thereby limit protrusion of the glans from the anterior end of the ring. This obstruction of the glans of penis by the bridge although will prevent slipping of the ring to the shaft of the penis but partial protrusion of the glans against the bridge will obstruct the urethral opening due to direct compression leading to urinary obstruction. As a result of the partial protrusion of the glans it will be constricted within the outer opening and swells and the ring may not fall off the penis after the normal period as intended.
A circumcision device was invented by me (FIG. 1) at 1988/17446 in which a semi conical hollow part 15 was added at the anterior part of the bell shaped hollow body 13 with a circumferential flange 17 anteriorly connected to the body posteriorly with a circumferential groove 18. The posterior part of the body was opened and defined as posterior opening 19. The interior surface of the body and the semi conical part was tapering and smooth to accommodate the glans shape. The detachable crescentic handle 14 was connected to the anterior part of the flange away from the semi conical part. The semi conical hollow part had an anterior opening and a smaller opening at its base 16 when connecting to the anterior part of the ring to get rid of collected urine. The semi conical part was added to prevent slipping of the ring above the penile shaft. Two problems encountered in this device, firstly urine will be accumulated by surface tension since the area between the glans and the interior surface of the semi conical part was very small so, the small opening at the base done 16 was not enough to get rid of all the urine which will become a good media for growth of bacteria. Secondly, during its manufacturing using plastic molding injection from the top of the handle, the liquid plastic not equally and satisfactory distributed through the semi conical part and rest of the body.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds