Intravaginal device and method for delivering a medicament

A method of dispensing a medicament in the vagina of a patient from a device placed in the vagina comprising:

• filling a reservoir formed by the walls of a generally elongated, tubular member with a medicament to be delivered to a patient from within the vagina of the patient;
• inserting the tubular member into the vagina;
• and
• dispensing the medicament from the reservoir through the walls thereof at different rates along the length of the tubular member, the rate at which the medicament is dispensed being a function of the porosity of the material comprising walls of the medicament is dispensed being a function of the porosity of the material comprising walls of the tubular member, which porosity is varied along the length of the tubular member.

An intravaginal device for delivery of a medicament comprising:

• an elongate tubular member comprised of a waterswellable porous material, the length and diameter of said tubular member being selected so as to insure engagement of the walls of the vagina and retention therein upon swelling of said tubular member when said tubular member is inserted into the vagina of a patient;
• means for closing one end of said tubular member to form a reservoir within said tubular member for receipt of a medicament to be delivered within the vagina of a patient;
• and
• the porosity of the water-swellable, porous material comprising the walls of said tubular member being varied along the length thereof, the walls of said tubular member being relative porous for delivering the medicament to the vagina at one end and relatively non-porous for preventing delivery of medicament from the reservoir to the vagina at the other end, the relatively non-porous end of said tubular member functioning to retain the medicament within the vagina when positioned in the lower vagina and the other end is positioned in the upper vagina.