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GB2324241A - Earwax remover - Google Patents

Earwax remover Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2324241A
GB2324241A GB9710302A GB9710302A GB2324241A GB 2324241 A GB2324241 A GB 2324241A GB 9710302 A GB9710302 A GB 9710302A GB 9710302 A GB9710302 A GB 9710302A GB 2324241 A GB2324241 A GB 2324241A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
ear
wax remover
remover
passage
wax
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9710302A
Other versions
GB9710302D0 (en
GB2324241B (en
Inventor
Tolleck Winner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of GB9710302D0 publication Critical patent/GB9710302D0/en
Publication of GB2324241A publication Critical patent/GB2324241A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2324241B publication Critical patent/GB2324241B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F11/00—Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand
    • A61F11/006—Ear cleaners, e.g. curettes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
    • A61B17/50—Instruments, other than pincettes or toothpicks, for removing foreign bodies from the human body
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F13/00—Bandages or dressings; Absorbent pads
    • A61F13/15—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
    • A61F13/38—Swabs having a stick-type handle, e.g. cotton tips

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Surgery (AREA)
  • Vascular Medicine (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Psychology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Biophysics (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Medical Informatics (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Body Washing Hand Wipes And Brushes (AREA)

Abstract

An ear wax remover 10 has an elongate portion 14 which bears soft barbs 16 adapted to grip and withdraw wax lining the ear cavity. The tip may carry an absorbent portion 20. The device can be injection moulded or stamped from plastics material.

Description

ITEM OF PERSONAL HYGIENE The present invention relates to an item of personal hygiene and is concerned in particular with an ear wax remover.
Though it is not recommended, a cotton bud is often used to remove ear wax. There is a danger of a cotton bud puncturing the ear drum but in any event it is not entirely satisfactory because some of the cotton may come away from the bud and adhere to the wax. In this way, over time, cotton can accumulate in the ear and block the ear passage.
With a view to mitigating the above disadvantage, the present invention provides an ear wax remover that comprises an elongate portion for insertion into an ear passage, the elongate portion having surface projections designed to grip wax lining the ear passage and to draw the wax out of the ear passage.
Preferably, the projections are barbs inclined away from the end of the wax remover inserted first into the ear passage.
The wax remover is preferably formed of a plastics material such as nylon or a glass fibre filled plastics material. Such materials have sufficient strength to ensure that the projections or barbs do not come away from the surface of the remover and themselves become lodged in the wax lining the ear passage.
The ear wax remover may conveniently be formed by pressing strips of a suitable plastics material between heated moulds or by injection moulding.
The end of the elongate portion inserted first into the ear passage may conveniently carry a pad of an absorbent material, such as a sponge. In this way, the ear wax remover can also be used to soak up any liquid accumulating at the bottom of the ear passage to reduce the risk of ear infection.
The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of an ear wax remover of the invention, and Figure 2 is a side view of the wax remover shown in Figure 1.
The ear wax remover 10 in the drawings comprises a grip portion 12 and an elongate portion 14 intended to be inserted into an ear passage and having a blunt leading end 18 to avoid any risk of accidentally perforating the ear drum. Near its leading end 18, the elongate portion 14 is formed with projecting barbs 16 that point away from the leading end 18 of the ear wax remover 10.
The remover is injection moulded from a plastics material such as nylon, though it may alternatively be formed by stamping a glass fibre filled plastics material.
The material is chosen to be soft enough not to cause injury to the ear passage but sufficiently rigid for the barbs 16 to penetrate into and grip any wax lining the ear passage.
The material should also be sufficiently strong to avoid the risk of the barbs 16 coming away from the surface of the plastics body. The barbs 16 should not be sharp as it is important to avoid scratching or irritating the ear passage.
In use, the ear wax remover of the invention is not used with a wiping action, as with a conventional cotton bud, but as a scraper being simply inserted into the ear passage then withdrawn while resting on the wall of the ear passage. Wax lining the ear passage is gripped by the barbs 16 extracted safely and painlessly.
A water absorbent pad 20 is attached to the leading end of the ear wax remover 10. When the elongate portion is inserted into the ear canal, any liquid collecting at the bottom of the ear passage is absorbed and the passage is left dry in order to reduce the risk of ear infection.

Claims (7)

1. An ear wax remover that comprises an elongate portion for insertion into an ear passage, the elongate portion having surface projections designed to grip wax lining the ear passage and to draw the wax out of the ear passage.
2. An ear wax remover as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the projections are barbs inclined away from the end of the wax remover inserted into the ear passage.
3. An ear wax remover as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the ear wax remover is formed of a glass fibre filled plastics material.
4. An ear wax remover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the ear wax remover is formed by pressing strips of a suitable plastics material between heated moulds.
5. An ear wax remover as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ear wax remover is formed by injection moulding.
6. An ear wax remover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the leading end of the elongate portion carries a pad of an absorbent material.
7. An ear wax remover constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB9710302A 1997-04-17 1997-05-21 Item of personal hygiene Expired - Fee Related GB2324241B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9707806.7A GB9707806D0 (en) 1997-04-17 1997-04-17 Item of personal hygiene

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9710302D0 GB9710302D0 (en) 1997-07-16
GB2324241A true GB2324241A (en) 1998-10-21
GB2324241B GB2324241B (en) 2000-09-20

Family

ID=10810944

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GBGB9707806.7A Pending GB9707806D0 (en) 1997-04-17 1997-04-17 Item of personal hygiene
GB9710302A Expired - Fee Related GB2324241B (en) 1997-04-17 1997-05-21 Item of personal hygiene

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GBGB9707806.7A Pending GB9707806D0 (en) 1997-04-17 1997-04-17 Item of personal hygiene

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (2) GB9707806D0 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2363085A1 (en) * 2008-10-09 2011-09-07 Antonio Torres Ribas Spatulas countering jellyfish stings
US10449093B2 (en) 2016-04-21 2019-10-22 Fingertips Enterprise, Llc Fingertip cleaning apparatus
GB2594068A (en) * 2020-04-15 2021-10-20 Meiban Int Pte Ltd Moldable swab for collecting biological specimens

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1952911A1 (en) * 1969-10-21 1971-06-24 Basf Ag Cleaning agent for solid surfaces
US3923061A (en) * 1973-11-06 1975-12-02 Jacques Rossignol Tool for hygiene and care of the cavities of the body
US4746238A (en) * 1986-11-03 1988-05-24 Levine Robert A Stick swab with augured head
US4935001A (en) * 1987-10-06 1990-06-19 George Gary F Swab
US5133721A (en) * 1991-03-19 1992-07-28 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Device for removing foreign objects from anatomic organs
US5374276A (en) * 1994-02-04 1994-12-20 Lay; Wuu P. Ear wax remover
EP0744168A2 (en) * 1995-05-23 1996-11-27 Toddling Products (Proprietary) Limited Personal ear cleaning device
WO1996037172A1 (en) * 1995-05-22 1996-11-28 Genoveva Maria Serra Caselles Hygienic stick for ear cleaning
US5632756A (en) * 1994-12-20 1997-05-27 Kruglick; Kenneth Ear cleaning device utilizing bulbous banded cage

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19529117A1 (en) * 1995-08-08 1997-02-13 Helmut Holle Plastics cleaning stick esp. for inner ear, with stick and egg-shaped end - has longitudinal grooves leading to pocket on top of egg shaped end of stick, with balloon at other end

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1952911A1 (en) * 1969-10-21 1971-06-24 Basf Ag Cleaning agent for solid surfaces
US3923061A (en) * 1973-11-06 1975-12-02 Jacques Rossignol Tool for hygiene and care of the cavities of the body
US4746238A (en) * 1986-11-03 1988-05-24 Levine Robert A Stick swab with augured head
US4935001A (en) * 1987-10-06 1990-06-19 George Gary F Swab
US5133721A (en) * 1991-03-19 1992-07-28 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Device for removing foreign objects from anatomic organs
US5374276A (en) * 1994-02-04 1994-12-20 Lay; Wuu P. Ear wax remover
US5632756A (en) * 1994-12-20 1997-05-27 Kruglick; Kenneth Ear cleaning device utilizing bulbous banded cage
WO1996037172A1 (en) * 1995-05-22 1996-11-28 Genoveva Maria Serra Caselles Hygienic stick for ear cleaning
EP0744168A2 (en) * 1995-05-23 1996-11-27 Toddling Products (Proprietary) Limited Personal ear cleaning device

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2363085A1 (en) * 2008-10-09 2011-09-07 Antonio Torres Ribas Spatulas countering jellyfish stings
EP2363085A4 (en) * 2008-10-09 2012-12-05 Ribas Antonio Torres Spatulas countering jellyfish stings
US10449093B2 (en) 2016-04-21 2019-10-22 Fingertips Enterprise, Llc Fingertip cleaning apparatus
GB2594068A (en) * 2020-04-15 2021-10-20 Meiban Int Pte Ltd Moldable swab for collecting biological specimens

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9710302D0 (en) 1997-07-16
GB9707806D0 (en) 1997-06-04
GB2324241B (en) 2000-09-20

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20030521