US 8,006,319 B2Granted

Breast self-exam device

OwnerBeth Bromberginventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A device for breast self-examination worn over the fingers of a user's hand, comprising an operative portion with an outside shell, an inside liner, and a lubricant contained therebetween, and a barrier adhering the outside shell to the inside liner and acting to seal the lubricant within. The operative portion is sized to substantially restrict access to just the pads of the distal and middle regions of the four fingers, preventing the non-recommended use of the thumb and palm during the inspection process, due to their limited sensitivity. The operative portion is designed to allow the recommended substantial lateral displacement of the inside layer relative to the outside shell that remains in substantially immobile contact with an area of skin. The novel design substantially prevents incorrect use thereby increasing the detection effectiveness.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A device for breast self-examination worn over a plurality of fingers of a user's hand, the plurality of fingers having a distal region, a middle region, a proximal region, a metacarpal region, and a finger pad on a palmer side associated with each of said plurality of fingers, said device comprising:

an operative portion with an outside shell, an inside liner, and a lubricant contained therebetween in a reservoir, the operative portion sized to cover at least a portion of the distal regions and up to the middle regions of the plurality of fingers, the finger pads contacting an inside surface of the inside liner with the lubricant thereunder, the inside surface being sufficiently small to substantially restrict contact with the inside layer to the finger pads;
and
a barrier adhering the outside shell to the inside liner to define the reservoir and acting to seal the lubricant within the reservoir, the reservoir being sufficiently large to allow substantial lateral displacement of the inside liner by the finger pads while allowing the outside shell to remain in substantially immobile contact with an area of skin, the inside liner being peripherally unattached to the outside shell below the barrier, the barrier extending about an entry sized to receive the plurality of fingers into the operative portion;
and,
an extension portion extending from the barrier and forming an upper opening to admit the plurality of fingers therethrough, the upper opening substantially corresponding in size to the entry of the operative portion for collective insert of the plurality of fingers.

2 more elements

an outside shell being pouch shaped;
an inside liner being pouched shaped and nested within the outside shell, a lubricant being deposited between the outside shell and the inside liner;
a barrier and sealing a reservoir about the inside liner, the lubricant being sealed within the reservoir creating an operative portion sized to receive the distal portions of the plurality of fingers while substantially excluding a palm portion and a thumb portion, the inside liner being peripherally unattached to the outside shell below the barrier, the barrier extending about an entry sized to receive the plurality of fingers into the operative portion;
and,
an extension portion extending from the barrier and forming an upper opening to admit the plurality of fingers therethrough, the upper opening substantially corresponding in size to the entry of the operative portion for collective insert of the plurality of fingers.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.