Two-Phase Vaginal Lavage with Sequential Fluid Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vaginal lavages with a watery base have a short permanence on vaginal tissue, leading to inadequate duration of medicinal active principles' action, as they quickly wash away with vaginal secretions, necessitating additional applications with oil or gel-based solutions to prolong therapeutic effect.

Innovation Solution

A two-phase vaginal lavage system where a watery solution with medical active principles is packaged below an oil or gel-oil solution that floats, allowing sequential distribution via a cannula, ensuring the watery solution disinfects first, followed by the oil or gel-oil solution to maintain active principles on the tissue for extended periods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If a watery base vaginal lavage is used, then the detergency and disinfection effect is achieved, but the permanence of medicinal active principles on vaginal tissue is short

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepermanence of medicinal active principlesVSAvoidproduction costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines two previously separate lavage applications (watery base and oil/gel base) into a single integrated device. The container holds both solutions in separate compartments, and the distributor delivers them sequentially through one application process, merging multiple functions into one unified system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The device segments the lavage solution into two distinct phases: a watery base solution for detergency and disinfection, and an oil or gel-oil base solution for prolonged therapeutic effect. These segmented phases are delivered in a specific sequence to achieve both immediate cleaning and long-term treatment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Duration of action of moving object

If multiple separate packaging of watery and oil-based lavages are used, then the therapeutic effect duration is extended, but the production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic effect durationVSAvoidpackaging structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple packaging units into a single integrated container. Both watery and oil-based solutions are housed in one container with separate compartments, eliminating the need for multiple separate packaging applications while maintaining the extended therapeutic effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single container device performs multiple functions: it stores both types of lavage solutions, controls their sequential delivery, and applies them in the correct order. This multi-functional design replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate devices or packaging units.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If watery base lavage is applied, then the vaginal secretions are deterged, but the medicinal active principles wash away quickly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetergency efficiencyVSAvoidcontact time of medicinal substances
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary action by first delivering the watery base solution to achieve detergency and disinfection of vaginal secretions. Immediately afterward, it delivers the oil or gel-oil base solution that provides prolonged contact time for medicinal substances, ensuring both cleaning efficiency and extended therapeutic effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device ensures continuity of useful action by seamlessly transitioning from the watery base solution to the oil/gel-oil base solution without interruption. This continuous sequential delivery maintains the beneficial effects throughout, with the second solution reinforcing and prolonging the action of the first.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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

This configuration prolongs the therapeutic effect by maintaining medicinal substance contact with vaginal tissue for over 24 hours, compared to the 10 minutes achieved with traditional watery lavages, while reducing production costs by combining both types in a single packaging.

Implementation Method 1

a container with water solution in the low part and with oil or gel-oil solution in the upper part, said upper solution that floats over the under water solution, without mixing with it

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDensity difference: Density Gradient

Implementation Method 2

distributes so first the watery solution and after, per gravitational action and/or for pressure onto the container, distributes the oil or oil-gel solution

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitational action: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP1930044B1Two-phase vaginal lavage
Publication Date: 2017.08.23 LIVI ELISABETTA
  • EP1930044B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1930044B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1930044B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

It consists of a watery solution (2) with the medical active principles and, upper to the watery solution (2), of an oil or oil-gel solution (3) with the medical active principles. Sail oil or gel-oil solution (3) floats over the watery solution without mixing with the same under watery solution (2). Both the solutions (2, 3) are contained into a bottle (1) having an exit equipped with a cannula (7).