Menstrual Collection Device Frame and Flexible Applicator Tip for Full Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing menstrual collection devices are uncomfortable and challenging to insert manually, and when aided by an applicator, they often fail to fully open within the vaginal canal, leading to incomplete fluid capture.
Innovation Solution
A menstrual collection device with a frame comprising ribs and membranes that maintain structural rigidity, combined with an applicator featuring elastomeric projections, ensures the device fully opens and stays open within the vaginal canal without manual adjustment, using a plunger to facilitate deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the menstrual collection device is made with thin sidewalls to be flexible and easy to insert, then ease of insertion is improved, but structural rigidity is worsened causing the device to deform and not maintain a fully open state
Solution Approach 1:
The sidewalls are segmented into multiple ribs (first rib, second rib, third rib, fourth rib) spaced around the housing. This segmentation provides multiple rigid support points while maintaining overall flexibility for insertion. The ribs are thick-walled sections that resist deformation, allowing the device to maintain its open shape in the vaginal canal while still being insertable.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the housing have different wall thicknesses. The ribs have greater thickness for structural support, while other areas remain thinner for flexibility. This local variation in quality allows the device to be rigid where needed (at the ribs) and flexible where needed (in the membranes between ribs), resolving the contradiction between insertion ease and structural rigidity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the menstrual collection device is made with thin sidewalls to reduce surface area and fit inside applicator, then adaptability is improved, but structural rigidity is worsened causing incomplete fluid capture
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure is segmented with ribs positioned at specific locations to provide localized rigidity. The first and second ribs extend vertically about the housing, while the third and fourth ribs extend from the ends of the first and second ribs. This segmentation allows the device to be compressed to fit in the applicator while maintaining sufficient rigidity to capture all menstrual fluid when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing combines different material properties in a single structure - rigid rib sections and flexible membrane sections. This composite construction allows the device to adapt to the applicator for insertion while maintaining the structural integrity needed for complete fluid capture, eliminating the trade-off between adaptability and reliability.
3Device complexity
If manual insertion is used, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation is worsened making insertion uncomfortable and challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The menstrual collection device is designed to nest within the applicator housing. The folded device fits inside the applicator cavity, and the plunger mechanism pushes it through the tip into the vaginal canal. This nesting arrangement eliminates the need for complex manual insertion techniques while maintaining simplicity in device design.
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator serves as an intermediary device between the user and the menstrual collection device. Instead of requiring direct manual insertion, the user simply inserts the applicator and activates the plunger, which automatically deploys the collection device. This intermediary mechanism greatly improves ease of operation while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
4Ease of operation
If an applicator is used to aid insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity is worsened as the combination of collection device and applicator causes the collection device to not be inserted properly or fully opened
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator tip has a specific local structure with a smaller diameter opening that progressively opens up. The plunger applies localized force to the base of the collection device, which then opens uniformly. This localized quality design ensures proper insertion and full opening without creating complexity in the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection device is pre-folded into a compact configuration that fits inside the applicator. The plunger is pre-positioned to push the device through the tip and automatically deploy it into the fully open state. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex coordination between the applicator and collection device during insertion, reducing overall system complexity while improving ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for easy insertion and ensures complete fluid collection by maintaining the device in a fully open state, reducing user discomfort and improving collection efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The tip can have a plurality of projections or flaps that extend in a curved manner from the sidewall toward an apex of the tip. The projections can be spaced from each other by gaps that extend into an opening at an end of each of the projections.
Implementation Method 2
The applicator is configured to allow for menstrual collection device to pass therein while applying a force to the base, sidewalls and/or rib of the menstrual collection device as the collection device exits the tip of the applicator that translates to the rim to aid the menstrual collection device to deploy to a fully open state
Data Source
AI summary
A menstrual collection device, an applicator and a method of inserting a menstrual collection device within a vaginal canal. The menstrual collection device includes ribs and thin-walled panels or membranes that are recessed from, extend between and are formed integral to the ribs. The ribs and thin-walled panels or membrane allow for the menstrual collection device to hold its shape and collect fluid while still being able to be folded to reduce the surface area of the collection device and fit within the applicator. The applicator tip is flexible such that it allows for menstrual collection device to pass therethrough while still applying a force by to the menstrual collection device to aid in the opening of the collection device to a fully open state.