Shielded intrauterine device

Claim 1

For use in a human uterus having a pair of opposed, normally front and rear walls, a pair of opposed sides between said walls, and a pair of fallopian tubes, each presenting a mouth, an intrauterine device including: a body adapted for disposition between said walls of the uterus inwardly of the cervix when inserted into the uterus; and structure for impeding embedment of the body into the tissues of the uterus, said structure including: a membrane forming a part of the body and disposed to lie flatly between the aforementioned uterus walls, said body being provided with a bead secured to said membrane at the periphery thereof, said bead including a pair of elongated, flexible, and laterally spaced arms joined together at one end, said arms having opposed, outwardly bowed portions for engaging said sides of the uterus, said membrane spanning the distance between said outwardly bowed portions and being flexible to permit movement of the arms toward one another, said arms being provided with outwardly curved terminals at the opposite ends thereof respectively, each having a pair of opposed legs and a bight which is adapted for disposition at said mouth of one of the fallopian tubes in the uterus, said structure further including a soft, pliable, planar lobe secured to each terminal and extending between said opposed legs thereof for lying flatly between said front and rear walls of the uterus, there being means securing said lobe of each terminal to one of said legs thereof, said lobe extending outwardly from said one leg toward the interior of said terminal and terminating in a free edge adjacent the other leg of the terminal.