Menstrual Cup Applicator Geometry for Hygienic Accurate Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional menstrual cup insertion methods risk infection and mispositioning due to finger contact and ineffective applicators, leading to discomfort and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A menstrual cup applicator with a holder and plunger design that ensures secure containment and controlled deployment, featuring a channel with angled boundaries and flared openings to guide the cup into position, reducing friction and promoting reliable placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional applicators with parallel walls are used, then the menstrual cup can be inserted, but the cup may prematurely move out from between the walls causing mispositioning and requiring retrieval with fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator is pre-configured with a folded menstrual cup inside the holder before insertion. The cup is positioned in advance within the containment structure, ensuring proper placement is established before the insertion process begins, eliminating the need for post-insertion adjustment with fingers
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator holder acts as an intermediary device that safely contains and delivers the menstrual cup to the vagina. The plunger mechanism serves as a mediator to push the cup out of the holder and into proper position without requiring direct finger contact with the cup or vaginal interior
2Ease of operation
If the menstrual cup protrudes from the applicator walls, then it can be inserted, but this causes discomfort during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The holder features a flared distal end with a larger opening than the proximal end, creating a gradual expansion zone. This local geometric variation allows the menstrual cup to be contained securely during insertion while the flared portion provides space for the cup to unfold and expand without protruding uncomfortably
Solution Approach 2:
The holder has a curved, tapered geometry that transitions from a narrower proximal end to a wider distal end. This curved configuration guides the menstrual cup smoothly through the insertion path and allows it to expand naturally into its functional shape without sharp edges or protrusions causing discomfort
3Ease of operation
If fingers are used to insert the menstrual cup, then the cup can be placed in the vagina, but this risks infection due to potentially unsanitary fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion process extracts the menstrual cup from the user's hands and places it within a sterile applicator holder. The cup is transferred to the applicator before insertion, eliminating direct finger contact with the vaginal interior and reducing infection risk
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator serves as a sterile intermediary tool that handles the menstrual cup during insertion. The user's fingers only contact the external parts of the applicator, while the cup is delivered through the applicator's mechanism, creating a barrier that prevents contamination
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are menstrual cup applicators and methods of their use. Some applicators include a holder having a proximal end defining a first opening and a distal end defining a second opening, wherein the holder defines a channel extending between the first and second openings, the channel having a longitudinal axis and being configured to receive a menstrual cup, and a plunger having a shaft that is receivable by the first opening such that the shaft is movable within the channel along the longitudinal axis. In some applicators, the channel is bounded at the distal end by points on the holder that are positioned to facilitate containment of a menstrual cup within the channel. In some applicators, a maximum transverse dimension of the second opening is at least 1.5 times a maximum transverse dimension of the first opening.