Perianal Cleansing Apparatus

Abstract

A perianal cleansing apparatus including an elongate handle having a first end and a second end, a wipe receiving clamp positioned about said first end, and a sliding lever for controlling a clamp of the wipe receiving clamp positioned about said second end.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The subject disclosure relates to personal care apparatus, and more particularly relates to a perianal cleansing apparatus for enabling or simplifying personal cleansing after a bowel movement by individuals with a limited range of motion.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Any discussion of prior art and conventional systems throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art or conventional systems are widely known or form a part of the common general knowledge in the field.

[0003] At the conclusion of a bowel movement, residual fecal matter remains in the perianal region. The residual matter is undesirable as it is a source of odor and can cause irritation of the skin. Conventionally, two primary methods of removing fecal matter are employed, including the use of irrigation to remove matter using a stream of liquid (e.g., water), and the use of some kind of dry, liquid-degradable towel to wipe away the unwanted matter. As is sometimes associated with the use of dry, liquid-degradable towels, removal of a desired amount of matter may be difficult. One solution to this problem is to use one or more pre-moistened perianal cleansing pads or towelettes to effectuate the removal of matter.

[0004] By way of background concerning some conventional apparatus, perianal cleansing pads and towelettes are most commonly used by caretakers of individuals unable to otherwise care for their own personal hygiene after a bowel movement, such as young children, some handicapped persons and the elderly. These cleansing pads and towelettes are moistened with a solution suitable for application to the perianal region, and are commonly packaged for the consumer in a sealed container that retains the solution within the cleansing pads or towelettes (e.g., wipes). One disadvantage of these wipes is that they must be held in the hand of the user and passed over the perianal region to effectuate cleansing. The clammy nature of the wipes as well as the single ply thickness may be undesirable to some. Because the wipes must be operated by the hand of a user, those with limited range of motion (or simply the inability to perform a "wiping" action) are unable to make use of wipes.

[0005] The above-described deficiencies of today's perianal cleansing apparatus (e.g., wet wipes) are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.

SUMMARY

[0006] A simplified summary is provided herein to help enable a basic or general understanding of various aspects of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments that follow in the more detailed description and the accompanying drawings. This summary is not intended, however, as an extensive or exhaustive overview. Instead, the sole purpose of this summary is to present some concepts related to some exemplary non-limiting embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description of the various embodiments that follow.

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment, a perianal cleansing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an elongate handle having a first end and a second end and a wipe receiving clamp positioned about the first end. A sliding lever for controlling a clamp of the wipe receiving clamp is positioned about the second end.

[0008] According to a further embodiment, a perianal cleansing system is disclosed. The system includes an elongate handle having a first end and a second end. The first end has a wipe-receiving clamp and a wipe suitable to be held by the wipe receiving clamp.

[0009] According to an even further embodiment, a method of cleansing the perianal region of a user is disclosed. The method includes the acts of providing a cleansing apparatus including an elongate handle which has a first end and a second end. The first end has a wipe receiving clamp. The second end has a sliding lever and an aperture located therein for hanging the handle on a hook or similar retention device. Finally, the apparatus includes a wipe suitable to be held by the wipe receiving clamp. The wipe of the cleansing apparatus is positioned about the perianal region of a user and manipulated so that the wipe is brushed across the perianal region of a user, cleansing the perianal region.

[0010] These and other embodiments are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Various non-limiting embodiments are further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a perianal cleansing apparatus according to an embodiment, awaiting installation of a wipe;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a perianal cleansing apparatus according to an embodiment, illustrating the installation of a wipe;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The claimed subject matter is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the claimed subject matter.

[0015] Moreover, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." Therefore, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, "X employs A or B" is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then "X employs A or B" is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.

[0016] As discussed in the background, among other things, current perianal cleansing devices (e.g., wet wipes) are provided with a number of deficiencies. One of the deficiencies is that the wet wipes are provided without an apparatus for using the wipes to cleanse the perianal region of a user without requiring the user to bend or otherwise contort their bodies to place the wet wipe in contact with the perianal region. Furthermore, the flexible nature of wet wipes prevents them from being easily moved against or drawn across the perianal region to effectuate cleaning without potential discomfort to the user.

[0017] At least partly in consideration of these deficiencies of conventional perianal cleansing devices, various embodiments of a perianal cleansing apparatus 10 are provided that provide a way to manipulate a wipe 12 (shown in FIG. 2) (e.g., dry towelette, moistened towelette) such that the wipe 12 is drawn across the perianal region of a user (not shown), effectuating cleansing of that region. As noted herein, various configurations of perianal cleansing apparatus 10 can be utilized to achieve this goal.

[0018] Details of various other exemplary, non-limiting embodiments are provided below.

[0019] The present disclosure describes an apparatus 10 for cleansing the perianal region (not shown) of a user. The invention includes an elongate handle 14 having a first end 16 and a second end 18. A wipe receiving clamp 20 is positioned about the first end 16 of the apparatus 10 for receiving a wipe 12. The clamp 20 is shown having a serrated or sawtooth inner surface for gripping a wipe 12 placed within the clamp 20. It should be recognized by those skilled in the art that many configurations of inner surfaces may be employed to grip a wipe 12 that is placed in the clamp 20. A sliding lever 22 is positioned on the side of the elongate handle 14 and is configured to control the clamp 20, enabling the opening and closing of the clamp 20 to load and unload wipes 12, respectively. In some embodiments, the sliding lever 22 may be replaced by a push button or any other actuating mechanism for the clamp 20 suitable for carrying out the embodiments as described herein. The sliding lever 22 may be connected to the clamp 20 utilizing a number of mechanisms, including internal levers or a cable. Mechanisms which enable operation of the clamp 20 via the sliding lever 22 are known in the art, and are not the subject of this patent application.

[0020] The cleansing apparatus 10 may further include an aperture 24 that extends through the second end of the elongate handle. This aperture may be used for hanging the handle on a hook (not shown) or similar retention device. For example, according to an embodiment, a hook (not shown) may be provided for hanging the perianal cleansing apparatus 10 on a wall (not shown) near a toilet (not shown), conveniently positioning the apparatus 10 for use. According to another exemplary embodiment, a hook (not shown) may be provided for hanging the cleansing apparatus 10 on the side of a toilet (not shown).

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment, the wipe receiving clamp 20 of the cleansing apparatus 10 has a substantially u-shaped structure that is positioned perpendicular to the elongate handle 14. It should be recognized by those skilled in the art that the position of the clamp 20 may be modified. For example, according to an embodiment, the clamp 20 may be positioned on the first end 16 of the elongate handle 14. According to another embodiment, the clamp 20 may consist of a pair of clamps (not shown) positioned on a side of the elongate handle 14, configured so that each clamp receives a portion of a wipe 12 such that the wipe 12 is held taut between the clamps, thereby enabling the wipe 12 to be moved back and forth across a perianal region of a user by moving the elongate handle 14 in the respective manner.

[0022] The wipe receiving clamp 20 may include a plurality of teeth 26 configured to grip a flexible sheet (e.g., wipe 12) positioned about the plurality of teeth 26. The plurality of teeth 26 may be configured to be selectively positioned in an open position or a gripping position (not shown), wherein the open position is configured for the act of inserting a wipe 12 into the clamp 20 and the gripping position is configured for the act of gripping the wipe 12 and preventing its removal from the clamp 20.

[0023] According to an embodiment, a perianal cleansing system may include an elongate handle 14 having a first end 16 and a second end 18. The first end 16 may have a wipe receiving clamp 20. A wipe 12 suitable for being held in the wipe receiving clamp 20 may also be provided.

[0024] The wipe 12 may be constructed of a flushable material, suitable for use in both sewer and septic systems. According to some embodiments, the wipe 12 may be biodegradable such that it disintegrates over time when placed in a liquid (e.g., water). According to an embodiment, the wipe 12 may have a partially rigid structure (not shown). For example, the wipe 12 may have a rigid plastic understructure (not shown) on top of which the soft wipe 12 is positioned so that the rigid understructure (not shown) can be attached to the elongate handle 14 via the clamp 20 and the soft wipe 12 be then positioned against the perianal region of a user (not shown) by manipulating the position of the elongate handle 14. According to an embodiment, when installed on the elongate handle 14, the rigid understructure (not shown) of the soft wipe 12 may be positioned parallel to the elongate handle 14.

[0025] The wipe 12 is, according to a preferred embodiment, configured to remove fecal matter (not shown) from the perianal region of a user (not shown) when it is placed in contact with the perianal region and moved across the region. To that end, the wipe 12 may have a ribbed texture to aide in the removal of fecal matter. In addition to aiding in the removal of matter, the ribbed texture may aide in the cleansing of the perianal region by increasing the surface area of the wipe 12 that comes in contact with that region.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, the wipe 12 may be saturated with a cleansing solution designed to cleanse the perianal region of a user. The cleansing solution may be pH balanced so as not to irritate the skin of the user. Any of a number of cleansing solutions, including pure or substantially pure water, may be used according to an embodiment.

[0027] In use, the wipe 12 is positioned about the perianal region of a user. The cleansing apparatus 10 is then manipulated so that the wipe 12 is brushed across the perianal region of a user, cleansing the perianal region.

[0028] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "includes," "has," "contains," and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, for the avoidance of doubt, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0029] In view of the exemplary apparatus and methods described supra, methodologies that may be implemented in accordance with the disclosed subject matter will be better appreciated with reference to the flowcharts of the various figures. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be understood and appreciated that the claimed subject matter is not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from what is depicted and described herein. Moreover, not all illustrated blocks may be required to implement the methodologies described hereinafter.

[0030] While the various embodiments have been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.

Claims

1. A perianal cleansing apparatus comprising: an elongate handle having a first end and a second end; a wipe receiving clamp positioned about said first end; and a sliding lever for controlling a clamp of the wipe receiving clamp positioned about said second end.

2. The cleansing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an aperture extending through the second end of the elongate handle for hanging the handle on a hook or similar retention device.

3. The cleansing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wipe receiving clamp comprises a substantially u-shaped structure positioned perpendicular to the elongate handle.

4. The cleansing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the wipe receiving clamp comprises a plurality of teeth configured to grip a flexible sheet positioned about the plurality of teeth.

5. The cleansing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of teeth are configured to be selectively positioned in an open position or a gripping position.

6. A perianal cleansing system comprising: an elongate handle having a first end and a second end, said first end having a wipe receiving clamp; and a wipe suitable to be held by the wipe receiving clamp.

7. The cleansing system of claim 6, further comprising an aperture extending through the second end of the elongate handle for hanging the handle on a hook or similar retention device.

8. The cleansing system of claim 6, wherein the wipe receiving clamp comprises a substantially u-shaped structure positioned perpendicular to the elongate handle.

9. The cleansing system of claim 8, wherein the wipe receiving clamp comprises a plurality of teeth configured to grip a flexible sheet positioned about the plurality of teeth.

10. The cleansing system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of teeth are configured to be selectively positioned in an open position or a gripping position.

11. The cleansing system of claim 6, further comprising said second end having a sliding lever configured to actuate the wipe receiving clamp,

12. The cleansing system of claim 6, further comprising the wipe being constructed of a flushable material.

13. The cleansing system of claim 6, further comprising the wipe having a partially rigid structure such that the wipe extends parallel to the elongate handle about the wipe receiving clamp.

14. The cleansing system of claim 6, wherein the wipe comprises a partially rigid structure configured to extend parallel to the elongate handle about the wipe receiving clamp.

15. The cleansing system of claim 6, wherein the wipe is configured to cleanse the perianal region of a user.

16. The cleansing system of claim 6, wherein the wipe is configured to remove fecal matter from the perianal region of a user.

17. The cleansing system of claim 6, further comprising the wipe having a ribbed texture.

18. The cleansing system of claim 17, further comprising the ribbed texture being configured to dislodge fecal matter from the perianal region of a user.

19. The cleansing system of claim 6, further comprising the wipe being saturated with a cleansing solution configured to cleanse the perianal region of a user.

20. A method of cleansing the perianal region of a user, the method comprising: providing a cleansing apparatus comprising: an elongate handle having a first end and a second end, said first end having a wipe receiving clamp, said second end having a sliding lever, said second end having an aperture located therein for hanging the handle on a hook or similar retention device; and a wipe suitable to be held by the wipe receiving clamp; positioning the wipe about the perianal region of a user; and manipulating the cleansing apparatus so that the wipe is brushed across the perianal region of a user, cleansing the perianal region.

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