Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
A circumcision probe for loosening smegma from the cervix of a glans penis of an uncircumcised male human being, comprising a body portion adapted to be held by an operator, and a small, somewhat elongated, longitudinally extending generally oval, Mucosa-loosening and smegma-breaking head secured at one end to said body portion at one end of the latter, said head having a rounded tip and being undercut on one side to define a corona engaging hook structure having a wall facing away from said tip, said hook structure being adapted to be protracted into and moved laterally along the cervix of a glans penis, with the portion of said head directed toward said body portion extending over the corona of the glans and toward the orifice of the prepuce, upon insertion of the probe through the orifice of the prepuce so as to pass between the mucosa and the glans, whereby upon such movement of the probe smegma accumulated in the cervix of the glans will be loosened and broken free by said hook structure and may be at least partly extracted therewith when the probe is withdrawn.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
A circumcision probe for loosening smegma from the cervix of a glans penis of an uncircumcised male human being, comprising a body portion adapted to be held by an operator, and a small, somewhat elongated, longitudinally extending generally oval, Mucosa-loosening and smegma-breaking head secured at one end to said body portion at one end of the latter, said head having a rounded tip and being undercut on one side to define a corona engaging hook structure having a wall facing away from said tip, said hook structure being adapted to be protracted into and moved laterally along the cervix of a glans penis, with the portion of said head directed toward said body portion extending over the corona of the glans and toward the orifice of the prepuce, upon insertion of the probe through the orifice of the prepuce so as to pass between the mucosa and the glans, whereby upon such movement of the probe smegma accumulated in the cervix of the glans will be loosened and broken free by said hook structure and may be at least partly extracted therewith when the probe is withdrawn.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A circumcision probe according to claim 1, said hook structure being provided with a small, medial, longitudinally extending channel starting rearwardly of the tip of said head and intersecting said wall to provide said hook structure with a pair of lateral ears.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A circumcision probe according to claim 2, said channel being narrowest at its end nearest the tip of said head and becoming gradually wider in the direction of said wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A circumcision probe according to claim 2, said channel being shallowest at its end nearest the tip of said head and becoming gradually deeper in the direction of said wall.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A circumcision probe according to claim 2, said channel being shallowest and narrowest at its end nearest the tip of said head and becoming gradually deeper and wider in the direction of said wall.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A circumcision probe according to claim 1, said head, said neck portion and said body portion constituting a one-piece structure made of stainless steel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
64 words
A circumcision probe according to claim 1, said head, said neck portion and said body portion constituting a one-piece structure made of synthetic thermoplastic or thermosetting resinous materials, and having zero or acceptably low levels of human toxicity and hardness or strength characteristics sufficient to enable the entire structure to withstand autoclaving at temperatures of at least about 300*F. without becoming softened or warped.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
233 words
A method of probing the glans penis of a male person preliminary to the performance of a circumcision operation on such person, comprising the steps of inserting through the orifice of the prepuce, generally dorsally of the glans and between the latter and the mucosa overlying the same, a probe which has a small, somewhat elongated, generally oval bulbous head terminating in a rounded tip and is undercut on one side to provide a hook structure having a wall facing away from said tip, advancing said probe inwardly over the glans until said hook structure enters the cervix of the glans behind the corona thereof, with the portion of said head farther from said tip than said hook structure extending over the corona and toward the orifIce of the prepuce, moving said probe laterally right and left about the glans and toward the ventral portion thereof to an extent terminating at either side of the glans somewhat short of the ventral low point of the glans constituting the location of the frenulum, thereby to move said hook structure correspondingly within the cervix of the glans and cause the mucosa to be loosened from the surface of the glans and smegma accumulated in the cervix of the glans to be loosened and broken free therefrom, all without any potentially injurious contact between the probe and the frenulum, and withdrawing said probe from the prepuce.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
233 words
A method of probing the glans penis of a male person preliminary to the performance of a circumcision operation on such person, comprising the steps of inserting through the orifice of the prepuce, generally dorsally of the glans and between the latter and the mucosa overlying the same, a probe which has a small, somewhat elongated, generally oval bulbous head terminating in a rounded tip and is undercut on one side to provide a hook structure having a wall facing away from said tip, advancing said probe inwardly over the glans until said hook structure enters the cervix of the glans behind the corona thereof, with the portion of said head farther from said tip than said hook structure extending over the corona and toward the orifIce of the prepuce, moving said probe laterally right and left about the glans and toward the ventral portion thereof to an extent terminating at either side of the glans somewhat short of the ventral low point of the glans constituting the location of the frenulum, thereby to move said hook structure correspondingly within the cervix of the glans and cause the mucosa to be loosened from the surface of the glans and smegma accumulated in the cervix of the glans to be loosened and broken free therefrom, all without any potentially injurious contact between the probe and the frenulum, and withdrawing said probe from the prepuce.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the limits of the probe movement are approximately the 4:30 o''clock position at one side of the glans and approximately the 7:30 o''clock position at the other side of the glans, the location of the frenulum at the ventral low point of the glans being considered the 6:00 o''clock position.