US008579837B1 (12) United States Patent Makower et a]. (54) DEVICES AND METHODS FOR PROMOTING FEMALE SEXUAL WELLNESS (10) Patent N0.: (45) Date of Patent: (56) US 8,579,837 B1 Nov. 12, 2013 References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (71) Applicant: EXploraMed NC6, LLC, Mountain View, CA (US) (72) 2/1872 Gee 4/1906 Saighman 944,737 1,025,504 1,225,341 2,024,983 Inventors: Joshua MakoWer, Los Altos Hills, CA (US); Eric Goldfarb, Belmont, CA (US); Arthur Ferdinand, San Jose, CA (Us) (73) Assignee: EXploraMed NC6, LLC, Mountain View, CA (US) Notice: 123,887 A 816,748 A A A A A 2,076,410 A 4/1937 McGerry 3/1938 Biedermann 2,519,790 A * 8/1950 2,559,059 A 7/1951 Worstenholm (21) Appl. No.: 13/874,335 2,561,034 A 7/1951 Phillips 3/1968 Tavel 4/1970 Bakunin et al. A A A A A A 5,460,597 A (22) Filed: Quinn ............................. .. 601/6 3,375,381 A 3,504,665 A 3,744,486 3,820,533 4,378,008 4,610,675 4,856,498 5,115,800 USC 154(b) by 0 days. Lombard Birrell Lederer Street 2,112,646 A 3,626,931 A Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 12/1909 5/1912 5/1917 12/1935 12/1971 Bysakh 7/1973 6/1974 3/1983 9/1986 8/1989 5/1992 Wilson Jones Osbon, Sr. Triunfol Osbon Matejevic et al. 10/1995 Hopper Apr. 30, 2013 (Continued) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Related US. Application Data (63) Continuation of application No. 13/798,085, ?led on Mar. 13,2013. (60) (51) 8/2007 7/2008 30, 2012, provisional application No. 61/729,231, Trojan, Vibrating Twister Intimate Massager and related packaging, packaging copyight 2009. ?led on Nov. 21, 2012. We Vibe, WV3 and related packaging; date unknown. (Continued) Int. Cl. (2006.01) US. Cl. USPC (58) WO2007089638 WO2008086424 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Provisional application No. 61/731,487, ?led on Nov. A61H 1/00 (52) WO WO ............................................... .. 601/6; 601/46 Field of Classi?cation Search USPC ......... .. 601/6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 46, 67, 68, 69, 70, 601/ 72 See application ?le for complete search history. Primary Examiner * Steven Douglas (57) ABSTRACT Devices, systems, and methods for promoting female sexual wellness and function. The devices, systems, and methods encourage clitoral engorgement using suction over the clitoris combined with vibratory stimulation. 20 Claims, 30 Drawing Sheets US 8,579,837 B1 Page 2 (56) 5,546,477 5,571,118 5,693,002 5,725,473 5,755,236 5,813,973 5,885,204 5,895,349 5,902,293 5,989,180 6,036,635 6,099,463 6,169,914 6,179,775 6,183,414 6,196,982 D443,057 6,224,541 D449,690 6,464,653 6,599,236 6,733,438 6,741,895 6,902,525 6,905,459 6,923,755 6,949,067 6,964,643 6,991,598 7,163,508 7,166,072 7,577,476 7,588,533 7,608,037 7,670,280 7,784,466 7,803,126 7,871,386 7,894,913 7,913,694 7,967,740 8,047,984 8,093,767 8,147,399 8,152,746 2003/0069470 2003/0162595 2003/0195441 2004/0171910 2005/0004429 2005/0075072 2005/0244520 2006/0206163 2006/0259027 2007/0049792 2007/0055096 2007/0100259 2008/0071138 2008/0306332 2009/0093856 2009/0118573 2009/0171144 2009/0234182 2009/0270674 2010/0289346 2011/0098613 2011/0218395 2011/0319707 2012/0133308 2012/0172661 2012/0197072 2013/0116503 2013/0178769 References Cited OTHER PUBLICATIONS U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Knowles et al. 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Thompson Hovland et al. Hovland et al. Castro Dann et al. Gafni et al. Jewell sexual dysfunction diagnosis?” Nat. Rev. Urol. 9, 475 (2012). Helpman et al, “Genito-Sensory Analysis in Women with Arousal and Orgasmic Dysfunction,” J. Sex. Med. 2009; 6:1039-1044. Herbenick et al, “Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Women in the United States: Results from a Nationally Representa tive Study,” J Sex Med 2009;6:1857-1866. Herbenick et al, “Women’s Vibrator Use in Sexual Partnerships: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey in the United States,” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 36:49-65, 2010. Humphries, Jr. Norma Dann et al. Hovland et al. Klein Herbenick et al, “Beliefs About Women’ s Vibrator Use: Results From a Nationally Representative Probability Survey in the United States,” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 37:329-345, 2011. Washington Hoch, “Vaginal Erotic Sensitivity by Sexological Examination,”Acta Smith Hochman et al. 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Mayo Clin. vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 39-47, 1959. Yamada, “Studies on the Innervation of Clitoris in 10th Month FirouZgar Moore-Steele Tracanna Human Embryo,” The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 151-157, 1951. ApitZsch Thompson et al. Wahlstrand et al. Kwan et al. Levy Goldstein et al, “Vasculogenic female sexual dysfunction: vaginal engorgement and clitoral erectile insuf?ciency syndromes” Int. J. Impotence Res. (1998) 10, Suppl 2, $84-$90. Allation, Vibrating Mini Personal Massager and related packaging, packaging copyight 2012. Body Innovations, Mini Massager and related packaging, packaging copyright 2011. Berry et al. Nan Mertens et al. Choi et al. Attila et al. Tsao California Exotic Novelties, Aphrodite massager and related pack aging, packaging copyright 2005, 2011. Squicciarini California Exotic Novelties, Hyper Bunny and related packaging, packaging copyright 2007. BuchholZ TrZecieski ing, packaging copyright 2011. California Exotic Novelties, Little Black Panty and related packag California Exotic Novelties, Micro Butter?y and related packaging, Pepin et al. Thomas Stout packaging copyright 1996; image produced Dec. 26, 1996. Mertens et al. related packaging, packaging copyright 2004; image produced Nov. California Exotic Novelties, Penetrating Mini Clitoral Pump and Elenga et al. 28, 2004. Chiu Cordle California Exotic Novelties, Resonating Buttery and related packag Mertens et al. ing, packaging copyright 2006. ............... .. 600/38 Schmidt ........................ .. 601/46 California Exotic Novelties, Selene vibrtaing clitoral pump and related packaging, packaging copyright 2005, 2011. US 8,579,837 B1 Page 3 (56) References Cited Diva, Diva Cup and related packaging; date unknownipackaging OTHER PUBLICATIONS asserts 2003 product launch. Doc Johnson, Lucid Dream Vibrator and related packaging, packag Lelo, Intima Celesse and related packaging, packaging copyight 201 l. Lelo, Nea and related packaging, packaging copyight 2011. Lovehoney, SqweelZ and related packaging, packaging copyright 2012. ing copyight 2005. Doc Johnson Pucker Up vibrating clitoral and vaginal pump and related packaging, packaging copyright 2004. DureX, Funderwear article in Venture Beat online journal, Apr. 19, 2013. Mina, Ola and related packaging; date unknown. Erostar, Allure vibrating clitoral pump and related packaging, pack Nasswalk, Clit Cuddler and related packaging, packaging copyright 2006; image produced Feb. 2006. aging copyright 2001. Good Vibes, Pucker Up vibrating pleasure pump and related pack aging, packaging copyright 2010. Ohmibod, Club Vibe and related packaging; date unknown. Ohmibod, Freestyle G and related packaging; date unknown. Ohmibod, wireless music massager and related packaging; date unknown. Pipedream, Vibrating Clit Sucker and related packaging, packaging copyright 2009. Pipedream, Vibrating Clit Suck-Her and related packaging, packag ing copyright 2008, 2010. Hitachi, Magic Wand and related packaging; date unknown. Intensity, device packaging; date unknown. Je Joue, Ami and related packaging; date unknown. Lelo, Ina and related packaging, packaging copyright 2012. * cited by examiner US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 FIG. 1C Sheet 1 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 FIG. 1D US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 2 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 FIG. 25 FIG. 2A FIG. 2C FIG. 2D US. Patent Nov. 12 2013 Sheet3 0f30 US. Patent Nov. 12 2013 Sheet4 0f30 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 5 0f30 FIG. 4A FIG. 4B US 8,579,837 B1 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 6 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 FIG. 5B 188 180 50 100 FIG. 6 FIG. 7 US. Patent Nov. 12 2013 Sheet 7 0f30 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 8 0f30 FIG. 8C US 8,579,837 B1 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 9 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 200 210 230 'f 205 \ 220 225 FIG. 8A' 210 220 232 225 280 FIG. 8B' 210 230 205 215 220 \_ 225 280 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 10 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 325 FIG. 9 485 410 FIG. 10 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 11 0130 777 FIG. 12 775 US 8,579,837 B1 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 12 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 605 FIG. 13 FIG. 14A FIG. 14B US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 13 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 920 FIG. 15B US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 14 0f30 1100\ FIG. 17 US 8,579,837 B1 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 15 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 16 0f30 US 8,579,837 B1 US. Patent Nov. 12, 2013 Sheet 17 0f30 FE. 2 US 8,579,837 B1