Cerumen prevention and removal device
OwnerMichael L. Hillinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for removing and preventing the buildup of cerumen in an ear canal is disclosed. The device includes a body with an elongated handle and a neck portion that extends from the handle to a paddle implement. The neck portion includes one or more crevices and the paddle implement includes a flattened body. The paddle implement is configured to radially deform as the device is rotated in the ear canal during use. The paddle implement is deformable from a radially expanded configuration before use to a radially contracted configuration after use in which the diameter of the paddle implement is smaller compared to the diameter of the paddle when in the radially expanded configuration.
Claims19
A device for removing and preventing the buildup of cerumen in an ear canal, the device comprising:
- a body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end to define a longitudinal axis of the device, the body comprising:
- an elongated handle at the proximal end of the body;
- and
- a neck portion that extends from the handle to a paddle implement at the distal end of the body, the neck portion including one or more crevices;
- wherein the one or more crevices comprise one or more spiral crevices that extend circumferentially about the neck portion and along the longitudinal axis of the device;
- and
- the paddle implement including a flattened body having a width between a first flat surface and a diametrically opposed second flat surface and a height between radially peripheral edges of the paddle implement, the width of the paddle implement being less than a diameter of the neck portion;
- wherein the paddle implement is configured to radially deform as the device is inserted and rotated in the ear canal during use, the paddle implement being deformable from a radially expanded configuration before use, wherein the height of the paddle implement is greater than the diameter of the neck portion, to a radially contracted configuration after use, wherein the diameter of the paddle implement is the same or smaller compared to the diameter of the neck portion.
A method of using a device for removing and preventing the buildup of cerumen in an ear canal of a user, the method comprising:
- providing the device, comprising:
- a body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end to define a longitudinal axis of the device, the body comprising:
- an elongated handle at the proximal end of the body;
- and
- a neck portion that extends from the handle to a paddle implement at the distal end of the body, the neck portion including one or more crevices;
- wherein the one or more crevices comprise one or more spiral crevices that extend circumferentially about the neck portion and along the longitudinal axis of the device;
- and
- the paddle implement including a flattened body having a width between a first flat surface and a diametrically opposed second flat surface and a height between radially peripheral edges of the paddle implement, the width of the paddle implement being less than a diameter of the neck portion;
- and
- inserting the paddle implement into the ear canal;
- rotating the device about the longitudinal axis of the device and in a direction toward a nose of the user to deform the paddle implement;
- and
- removing the paddle implement from the ear canal, wherein the paddle implement remains deformed.
A method of sizing a device for removing and preventing the buildup of cerumen in an ear canal, the method comprising:
- measuring a diameter of the outer one-third of the ear canal;
- and
- selecting the device corresponding to the measured diameter of the outer one-third of the ear canal, the device comprising:
- a body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end to define a longitudinal axis of the device, the body comprising:
- an elongated handle at the proximal end of the body;
- and
- a neck portion that extends from the handle to a paddle implement at the distal end of the body, the neck portion including one or more crevices;
- wherein the one or more crevices comprise one or more spiral crevices that extend circumferentially about the neck portion and along the longitudinal axis of the device;
- and
- the paddle implement including a flattened body having a width between a first flat surface and a diametrically opposed second flat surface and a height between radially peripheral edges of the paddle implement, the width of the paddle implement being less than a diameter of the neck portion;
- wherein the height of the paddle implement is between 1 mm to 2 mm greater than the diameter of the outer one-third of the ear canal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.