Implant for reversibly preventing conception
OwnerLouis Bucaloinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An implant to be situated in a vas deferens for reversibly preventing conception. A pair of open-ended tubular structures respectively have inner end regions adjacent but spaced from each other and fluid-tightly joined with a housing having an interior space through which fluid can flow between the pair of tubular structures. Within the housing are a plurality of fine particles capable of responding to magnetic forces. A permanent magnet is provided for attracting the particles to a conception-preventing position where the particles form a body of sufficient density to retain sperm while of insufficient density to prevent the sperm-carrying fluid from flowing through the body and through the tubular structures.
Claims15
In an implant for reversibly preventing conception, a pair of elongated open-ended tubular means spaced from each other and respectively having inner ends directed toward and outer ends directed away from each other, an intermediate housing means fluid-tightly connected with said pair of tubular means at the regions of said inner ends thereof for defining between said pair of tubular means a space with which both of said tubular means communicate and through which fluid can flow between said pair of tubular means, said housing means having in its interior a particulate means made up of a plurality of fine particles of a material which responds to magnetic forces, said housing means accommodating said particulate means in said housing means for movement between a conception-preventing position in a path of fluid flow between said pair of tubular means and a conception-enabling position out of the path of flow between said pair of tubular means through the interior of said housing means, each of said tubular means carrying at its inner end region a barrier means for permitting fluid to flow through said inner end region of each tubular means while preventing the particles from flowing in any appreciable numbers therethrough, and a permanent magnet means located adjacent said housing means for attracting said particles to said conception-preventing position with a magnetic force urging said particles against each other sufficiently to form from said particles a body having a density sufficiently great to prevent sperm from flowing through said body in numbers sufficient for conception while still permitting fluid in which sperm are normally suspended to flow past the particles, whereby a fluid which normally carries sperm will flow through both of the tubular means while sperm will be retained by said particles when they are in said conception-preventing position, while when the particles are in said conception-enabling position, free flow of fluid with sperm therein is provided when conception is desired.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.