---

Tampon

Vaginal tampons have been used for decades as feminine hygiene adjuvants with great degree of public acceptance. There are several designs that in essence vary the amount of material and size of the tampon. Generally vaginal tampons are manufactured from absorbent fibers, such as rayon, cotton, or a mixture of both fibers. The tampons have been approved for human use, mass produced, commercially available and widely used by females throughout the world. Vaginal tampons are usually one of two types. The first type is a digital tampon which is designed to be inserted into a woman's vagina directly by the user's fingers. The second type is a tampon which is designed to be inserted with the aid of an applicator. Both types are usually made by folding or rolling a loosely associated strip of absorbent material into an elongated shape referred to as a "softwind". The softwind may or may not include a cover. The softwind is then radially and/or biaxially compressed into a pledget. Sanitary tampons are frequently used with applicators. A tampon applicator assembly is used to inject an absorbent or hygienic material, known as a tampon pledget, into a vaginal cavity. Commercial tampon applicator assemblies typically have a barrel and a plunger used to expel a pledget housed in the barrel.

---