Method of making applicators having improved finger grip features

A method of making an applicator for delivering materials into a mammalian body cavity, the applicator comprising an elongate insertion member having an indentation in a finger grip region with shoulders on each end of the indentation, comprising the steps of:

• a) unwinding a rolled sheet-like material;
• b) separating the sheet-like material into a plurality of insertion member blanks, having a longitudinal axis and at least one gripper end, the at least one gripper end having a first region proximal a gripper end edge, a second region adjacent the first region and distal the gripper end edge, and a third region adjacent the second region;
• c) removing a plurality of discrete sections from the second region while maintaining portions of the material sections residing therebetween;
• d) forming the blank around a forming mandrel that is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blank;
• e) sealing a longitudinal seam defined by the formed blank to form an elongate formed member having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blank;
• and
• f) collapsing the second region to a perimeter less than a perimeter of the first and third regions, each perimeter defined by a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate formed member thereby forming a gripper end having an indentation defined by a shoulder intermediate the second region and each of the first and third regions.