ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 24 -- United States Patent no. 12,557,980, issued on Feb. 24.
"Inflatable speculum device" was invented by Elizabeth Garner (Montclair, N.J.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An inflatable speculum device for more comfortably and conveniently expanding the vaginal cavity to facilitate visualization of the cervix includes a tube having an interior space. The tube is made of a resiliently deformable material wherein the tube is configured to inflate. A hose is couplable to the tube and is in environmental communication with the interior space of the tube. A pump is fluidly coupled to the hose wherein activation of the pump moves air into the interior space of the tube through...